American musician and songwriter Stevie Wonder has officially been granted Ghanaian citizenship status by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday, May 13, 2024.
American singer, Stevie Wonder, granted Ghanaian citizenship
Mr. Wonder who is in Ghana with his family will hold both his American citizen and that of Ghana.
At a brief ceremony at the Jubilee House, the renowned singer, expressed delight at the honour done him.
American singer, Stevie Wonder, granted Ghanaian citizenship
“I guess it’s just the lineage I felt Ghana, I felt my civilisation was there and I was there where it began. So, I thank all of you so very much. I always say this is the beginning, [the best part of the rest of my life got to do God’s promised],” he stated.
The US music legend Stevie Wonder arrived in Ghana Monday morning, May 13, 2024, following a decision in 2021 to permanently relocate to the West African country.
American singer, Stevie Wonder, granted Ghanaian citizenship
He was captured at the Kotoka International Airport, mobbed by fans and industry players on Monday morning.
It appears Stevie has finally had his wish fulfilled after he declared in February 2021, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey explaining his decision to move to Ghana, citing the political turmoil in the United States.
American singer, Stevie Wonder, granted Ghanaian citizenship
Stevie Wonder, a Michigan native, learned to play piano, drums, and harmonica by age 9 and signed to Motown in 1961. He has won 25 Grammy Awards, an honorary award, and has been nominated 74 times.
President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima will start paying tollgate fees whenever they use airports in Nigeria.
This followed the decision by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approval that there should be no more exemption granted to users of the airports from paying tollgate fees.
The approval was made following a memorandum presented to the council by the minister of aviation, Festus Keyamo, who argued that the government was losing over 82% of the revenue it should have earned from the e-tags that provide access to the tollgates.
He explained that the memoranda had initially prescribed an exemption for only the president and the vice president before Tinubu overruled and directed that both of them should be included among those that must pay.
Keyamo, who disclosed this at the post-FEC media briefing, regretted that wealthy Very Important Persons, VIPs, who should pay are those that have not been paying.
The minister said only poor people had been charged for using the tollgates, a situation that must stop.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has revealed that the state is heavily in debt and that his administration inherited a huge debt profile from the previous administration of Nyesom Wike.
Governor Fubara stated this on Tuesday during the commissioning of the Aleto-Ogale-Ebubu-Eteo Road, (also known as Old Bori Road in Eleme Local Government Area of the state.
The governor and Wike, who is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have been at loggerheads over control of the political sphere in the state.
Despite intervention from President Bola Tinubu, the duo have continued their cold war.
Wike had on several occasions claimed he was leaving the state debt-free.
But speaking at the commissioning ground at Eleme, Governor Fubara said most projects commissioned by the previous administration were not paid in full, adding that the contractors of the projects not fully funded are returning for outstanding payments.
The Governor, who did not give an estimate of the state’s debt, said he is now compelled to speak out after being pushed by his detractors.
He said: “My story as a person will not be complete if Eleme is not mentioned, that is the truth. Maybe, if I have not started from Eleme, I will not get to Level 14.
“At least I started here before I got to Level 14.
“And for the records, this contract was awarded to CCECC on the 14th of August 2023 not by “I” but by this administration and as we go further, we will be going with a White Paper showing the record and amounts this project was awarded.
“This project was awarded at N6.7bn and I can say boldly no kobo is remaining, we have paid the contractor completely without owing. The purpose of this is to let the world know that if there is one problem this administration has it is debts.
“Most of the projects commissioned (by the last administration), the contractors are still coming for their balance payments running into millions and billions. I have said I don’t want to talk because I am part of that system but when they keep pushing me, I will say it so that we will see the nyansh of the fowl.
“But let us leave that one until when they are ready, we will also be ready. The small one we are doing now, they are not sleeping, I wonder what will happen when we do the big one.
“The Problem we have is accumulated debts from the past government.”
Governor Fubara also said he invited his Abia State counterpart, Alex Otti to commission the project, stating that he is committed to aligning with progressive figures.
Otti, on his part, described Fubara’s style of governance as true leadership, adding that true leadership is service to the people, and not to a few interests.
In his summation, Otti believes Governor Fubara cannot be distracted by the political crisis in Rivers State.
A total of 32 passengers on Saturday escaped death following a multiple road accident on the Iju bridge along Ota-Idiroko road in Ogun State.
The accident involved four vehicles with registration numbers AAA729YC Mazda, LND85YA TOYOTA HIACE, TTN58ND BAJAJ and a SINO TRUCK with no registration number.
DAILY POST reports that the crash which occurred at about 8:55am involved 12 male and 20 female adults, with 17 of them injured.
The Spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Ogun, Florence Okpe ascribed the cause of the crash to excessive speed on the part of the Sino truck which tried to negotiate a bend at Iju bridge on a high-speed, lost control and crashed into two vehicles.
She stated that the injured victims were taken to Ota General Hospital for medical attention and advised motorists to shun speed and consider other road users
The chef broke the world record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual in May 2023.
Nigerian chef, Hilda Baci, is in a celebratory mood as this week marks the first anniversary of her cooking marathon that was recognised as a Guinness World Record in 2023.
Baci took to her Instagram account on May 12, 2024, to reminisce on the collective effort put into her attempt a year ago. In her excitement, she announced that the celebration of her record would stretch over a five-day period.
She began, “On this day one year ago we began the official attempt that made history.”
“At about 5 pm on the 12th of May, I turned on the gas for the very first time only to be turned off on the 17th of May 5 days later 😊 so yes we have a 5-day long anniversary and I’m here for it,” she added.
Whilst thanking the people who made her dream come true, the world record holder revealed that the cookathon attempt took a huge team of around 100 people.
“I could not have done it firstly without my team the alpha team, that was the first point of contact that helped my very big dream come true so naturally the first celebration point will be the Alpha team and heads of departments. I mean, it was such a big team of about 100 people to put the experience of the year together and I’m thankful for them every single day,” she concluded.
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="Hilda Baci during her attempt [Hilda Baci's Cook-a-thon]" src="data:;base64,” alt=”Hilda Baci during her attempt [Hilda Baci’s Cook-a-thon]” width=”790″ height=”526″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/mI4ktkpTURBXy84NTJiMDJlMTczM2JkNDk0MzBiMWU4M2IxODAwOWE3Yy5qcGeSlQMAAM0QJs0Kv5UCzQMWzQIOwsM” />
Hilda Baci during her attempt [Hilda Baci’s Cook-a-thon]
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="Sanwo-Olu shows up at Hilda Baci's Guinness World Record cooking event. [Twitter:@jidesanwoolu]" src="data:;base64,” alt=”Sanwo-Olu shows up at Hilda Baci’s Guinness World Record cooking event. [Twitter:@jidesanwoolu]” width=”790″ height=”527″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/N-fktkqTURBXy8xNTUwYTE4NzVhZDUyZGU4NmQ3YzFkYzUzZWM4NThiNC5qcGVnkZUCzQMWzQIPwsM” />
Sanwo-Olu shows up at Hilda Baci’s Guinness World Record cooking event. [Twitter:@jidesanwoolu]
Her attempt received widespread support from Nigerians both at home and abroad who cheered her on, on-site and online. She was also visited by celebrities, influencers, politicians and thousands of well-wishers until the very end of her attempt
In June, she was officially announced as the world record holder by the Guinness World Record, with her official record time pegged at 93 hours 11 minutes due to timing errors during her breaks. Later that month, she excitedly received her official certificate from the GRW body.
In November 2023, Alan Fisher,owner and chef of a Japanese restaurant, surpassed Baci’s record after cooking for 119 hours 57 minutes.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has sealed two unregistered factories in Lafia and Obi Local Government Areas of Nasarawa state.
NAFDAC Coordinator in the state, Mr Matthew Adeoye, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lafia.
He said the sealed facilities are an agrochemical factory in Lafia and a table water producing factory in Obi, adding that regulatory officers of the Agency had on May 9, raided the factories and discovered that their products were falsified and substandard.
Adeoye said, “The companies specialized in the manufacturing of falsified and adulterated agrochemicals and unapproved packaged water.
“The activities of these illegal manufacturers of falsified, adulterated agrochemicals have a serious negative effect on farm produce.
“Both companies were found operating without any approval, which is a violation of NAFDAC Act CAP. F.33 LFN 2004.
“Adulterated products from manufacturers like this, when used, do not produce the desired result and cause economic losses, loss of livestock and resultant effects on humans.
“The packaged water facility was also operating in an unhygienic environment without adhering to the water treatment procedures outlined by NAFDAC.”
According to him, the Agency confiscated equipment from the factories, stressing that the facilities would remain sealed until further notice.
He called on manufacturing companies to ensure that they register with relevant regulatory agencies to avoid sanctions.
Gombe State High Court has convicted and sentenced the duo of Abdulwahab Magaji and Salihu Musa to nine years imprisonment for employment fraud and intent to defraud.
Magaji faced a one-count charge of employment scam while Musa was arraigned on two-count charges of intent to defraud and conspiracy by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The charge against Magaji reads: “That you Abdulwahab Adamu Magaji and Adamu Usman between January and December 2023 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court obtained the aggregate sum of Seven million and eight hundred thousand Naira, N7,800,000, only from one Hajia Hauwa Ali which you claimed was payment for the offer of an employment at the Ministry of Health in Gombe, Gombe State and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”
One of the charges against Musa reads: “That you Salihu Musa sometime in January 2023 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, made false documents, to wit: Bank of America ATM card with card No 4658656032040012, Australia New Zealand Bank Debit card, etc, which you knew to be false document and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 362 of the penal code law and punishable under Section 364 of the same law.”
The EFCC in a statement on its official X handle said the defendants pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel S.E Okemini to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while defence counsel, I.S Gadah and U.M Mojaji pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that the defendants were first-time offenders.
Delivering the judgement Justice Abdulhamid Yakubu convicted and sentenced Musa to six years imprisonment with an option to pay a N60,000 fine.
He also forfeited an iPhone S6 being the tool of his crime to the federal government while Magaji bagged three years imprisonment or a fine of N30,000.
The judge also ordered Magaji to pay N7,800,000 (Seven Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira, the proceeds of his crime to his victim within three months, beginning from May 2024.
A large billboard which collapsed due to raging thunderstorms in Mumbai has killed no fewer than 14 people and injured 75 others.
A rescue operation was launched on Tuesday morning and authorities told the Press Trust of India news agency that 89 people had been rescued since the incident occurred on Monday evening.
It was gathered that the rains, accompanied by high winds, caused the 30-metre, 100-foot-tall billboard to fall onto a gas station in the suburb of Ghatkopar.
Videos on social media and television showed the billboard shaking amid heavy winds before giving way and then collapsing onto several cars parked in the gas station, flattening and crushing them to the ground.
On Monday night, rescuers were rummaging through the wreckage to look for bodies as they used heavy equipment to cut through the metal girders attached to the billboard.
Rescue workers continued to clear the area on Tuesday, which still had mangled cars and debris.
A city official told Press Trust of India that more than 125 rescuers were on site, including glass cutter teams, using cranes to clear the wreckage, adding that the police are investigating the incident and say the billboard was illegally installed, officials told PTI.
According to the official, 32 of the injured people had been discharged from the hospital.
Six more kidnapped students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, CUSTECH, Osara have been released from their abductors.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
This brings the number of kidnapped students rescued to 20 according to the Commissioner.
Fanwo noted that data available to the State Government shows that there are four students yet to be found.
The statement reads in part “The fierce gun battle between security agents and the kidnappers forced the kidnappers to succumb to superior firepower and abandon the kidnapped students. Some of the kidnappers escaped with severe injuries.
“Nine students had been rescued first while five others were found the following morning. The families of the six students just rescued have confirmed that the students have arrived home.
“The Executive Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Alh Ahmed Usman Ododo has expressed deep appreciation to the Joint Forces that carried out the operations, urging them to continue the search until the last student is found.
“We wish to assure the public that the security architecture around our schools has been recalibrated for efficiency and early warning alarm to prevent future occurrence”.
DAILY POST recalls that the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ovye Aya in a statement on Monday announced the release of 14 students who were kidnapped by gunmen in Osara last week.
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins, has charged civil society and other Nigerians with demanding that lower tiers of government (state and local) account for the allocations they receive.
Mr Martins gave the charge in an interview in Lagos. He said searchlights should be beamed on the local and state governments as they collected the larger budgetary allocations.
He said the subsisting approach of always focusing on the federal government for virtually everything was misleading and mostly ended in open-ended probes.
According to the cleric, the local and state governments receive votes from the centre for varying projects and services, which, if accomplished, will benefit the people.
Mr Martins said, “But sadly, these projects and services are mostly not carried out or executed. If we continue to concentrate attention only on the centre, it will give the public officials at the lower levels room to continue to swindle and loot public treasuries.
“But when stakeholders ask questions on how resources are being expended, it will make the managers sit up and execute programmes and services as required.
“They are our leaders and representatives, so the conventional terms of the social contract reached with the leaders during electioneering should be seen to be upheld.”
The cleric urged the numerous civil groups in the society to lead in this call for others to follow. He noted that focusing only on Abuja had been the practice with no significant outcome.
He also decried the economic challenges people faced due to unpopular policy drives and called on civil society organisations to change their tactics and demand stewardship from local council leadership.
The cleric frowned upon the level of disconnect between the people and the government, adding that the best place to start to demand good governance and accountability was for the government to be closer to the people.
Big Brother Naija winner, Phyna, is making her debut as a producer with the film.
Big Brother Naija winner, Phyna, is making her debut as a producer with the film.
Phyna’s new film ‘The Last Man On Earth’ premieres this week [Instagram/unusualphyna]
The reality TV star posted the film’s trailer on Instagram ahead of its May 15, 2024 premiere on YouTube.
“First trailer of “The Last Man On Earth,” my debut project as a movie producer. I’m so excited to finally share this with you guys, kick-starting my production journey,” she stated.
The winner of Big Brother Naija Season 7, Ijeoma Josephina Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, is set to mark her debut as a producer with the upcoming film, The Last Man On Earth. [Instagram/unusualphyna]
The trailer gives viewers a glimpse into the world of romance and drama as it tells the story of Zara, portrayed by Phyna, who is perceived as Ebisan Arayi‘s side chick and causes problems not only in his household but also in the home of her friend, played by Rachel Edwards, another former Big Brother Naija housemate.
Directed by Moyin Ezekiel, commonly known as MoyinSage, The Last Man on Earth also stars OluwaDolarz, Pharm Saviour Akpan, Ekete Chinyere, Boma Martins Akpore, and Fruitful Simon.
Phyna has previously starred in Nollywood films that streamed on YouTube, such as When Life Happens, Lekki or Nothing, but also featured in Osato which had a major cinema release in December 2023.
China has launched a nationwide campaign to promote awareness and education concerning the mental health of students.
According to a circular released by the Ministry of Education, the campaign will last for the entire month of May 2024 and it is China’s first month-long programme of its kind.
The circular requires local education authorities to organise tailored mental health education and guidance initiatives for children and students at different stages of education.
Special attention should be paid to the mental health of left-behind children in rural areas whose parents work in cities and to the children of migrant workers, it said.
“Psychological counselling and intervention should be provided to such children if necessary.
“Teachers should participate in training to improve their knowledge of psychology and should help maintain student mental health through their teaching work,” according to the circular.
Education authorities and schools should also host lectures and provide consulting services for parents to give them scientific guidance in this regard, it added.
Hip-hop is a big part of the Nigerian and Ghanaian music industries.
Despite the sibling rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana, both countries have a rich history of musical collaborations.
Recently, Ghanaian superstar rapper Sarkodie released a chest-thumping record ‘Brag’ on which he restates his status as Africa’s biggest rapper. Sarkodie’s claim has led to what has now become a rap beef between rappers in Nigeria and Ghana with Dremo being the first Nigerian rapper to reply to Sarkodie.
While listeners await the ongoing beef between Ghanaian and Nigerian rappers to supply quality disses, here are some of the notable Nigeria/Ghana rap collaborations.
10 notable Nigeria/Ghana rap collaborations.
1. Sarkodie – Rap Attack feat Vector
Sarkodie and Vector brought their A game on this exciting hip hop record that emphasises their status in African hip hop.
In the early days of his career when his fame began traveling beyond the shores of Nigeria, megastar Wizkid delivered a timeless hook for this R2Bees classic.
For one of the remixes of his Trap hit record ‘King Kong’, Vector called on Sarkodie who delivered as expected.
7. Sarkodie – Po Di Thing feat Banky W
Sarkodie called on Nigerian RnB superstar Banky W to craft a smooth chorus for this hit record that marks one of the highest points in the commercialization of African hip hop.
8. Neptune – Baddest feat Olamide, Boj, Stonebwoy
Deploying the era-dominating Azonto style, DJ Neptune assembled Nigerian stars Olamide and Boj joined by Ghanaian Dancehall maestro Stonebwoy for this sensational rap record.
9. MI Abaga – Millionaira Champagne feat Sarkodie, Ice Prince, DJ Lambo
As part of the tracks for his third album ‘Chairman’, MI called on fellow hip-hop stars Sarkodie and Ice Prince for a celebration of their status as continental forces.
The U.S. Embassy in Tanzania on Sunday announced a two day shutdown of activities and rescheduled consular appointments to a later date.
The embassy explained that the cancellation of activities which will be on Tuesday and Wednesday is due to an internet outage being experienced in the country as well as in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda since Sunday.
It however later noted on Monday that the consular section would be open only for visa pick up and emergency cases involving American citizens.
Making the announcement in a post on its official X handle, the embassy wrote, “Due to degraded network service nationwide, the embassy will remain closed to the public. All consular appointments on May 14 & 15 will be cancelled and rescheduled to a later date. The consular section will be open as scheduled for visa pick up and for emergency American citizen cases.” (https://twitter.com/usembassytz/status/1789997408945910215?t=Z9H-acMUyiPFU7Y6xG4UgA&s=19)
Also, in an earlier post on Sunday, the embassy said, “Due to the current state of the internet in country, all consular appointments for tomorrow are cancelled. We will reschedule for a later date. The consular section will be open only for emergency services tomorrow.” (https://twitter.com/usembassytz/status/1789746833138368777?t=AxMp8SS0xcAKt9FMRDFvAg&s=19)
Speaking to the BBC, industry expert, Ben Roberts, blamed the outage on faults in the under-sea cables connecting the region to the rest of the world through South Africa.
According to metrics shared by internet monitoring group NetBlocks on Monday, Tanzania Tanzania is worst hit by the outage.
Telecom providers in these East African countries, also on Monday, reported that they were still experiencing slow internet connection.
The royal couple have wrapped up a three-day visit to Nigeria.
Nigerian gospel singer Moses Bliss has expressed gratitude for the privilege of entertaining the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan during their inaugural visit to Nigeria.
Taking to his Instagram account on May 13, 2024, the singer posted a video of him singing for the British royalty and the people in attendance at the Delborough Hotel, Lagos.
His caption read, “It was an honour to sing for Prince Harry, Meghan and all who were in attendance; by celebrating love with this song that captures the essence of love as I know it to be, a prayer answered, purpose-led type of love that can only be sent from the author of love, God.”
On Sunday, Bliss posted pictures taken with Harry and Meghan, expressing his excitement over meeting them and his gratitude for the opportunity.
He said, “Thank you @thedelborough for hosting me and thank you sir @stanleyuzochukwu for this privilege once again, I am truly grateful. The joy of meeting and singing for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle the Duke & Duchess of Sussex @sussexroyal today on their inaugural visit to Nigeria and hear Meghan express her appreciation for my music is a moment I will forever cherish.”
Harry and Meghan’s visit is tied to the Invictus Games founded by the prince to support the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemen and veterans.
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="Harry and Meghan in Nigeria [Andrew Esiebo/Getty]" src="data:;base64,” alt=”Harry and Meghan in Nigeria [Andrew Esiebo/Getty]” width=”750″ height=”500″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/BzCktkpTURBXy9kNTVhMDUwY2YwNjVmNGE4NTlkOGE3YWZjNGE5YWRlMi5qcGeRlQLNAu7NAfTCww” />
Harry and Meghan in Nigeria [Andrew Esiebo/Getty]
During their stay so far, the couple have visited Lights Academy in Abuja, a school supported by their Archewell Foundation and met the school children who gave them the warmest of welcomes.
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Nigeria [people]" src="data:;base64,” alt=”Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Nigeria [people]” width=”790″ height=”527″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/SogktkpTURBXy8zYTdiOTQwNjU4NmQ5MzQ0N2NkYWVjZWJlM2ExYTdkMy5qcGeRlQLNAxbNAg_Cww” />
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Nigeria [people]
Harry also visited the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna on their first day, providing encouraging words to the wounded. On Saturday, he played a friendly seated volleyball match with the army veterans and lost.
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="Prince Harry takes part in an exhibition sitting volleyball match [Kola SULAIMON / AFP]" src="data:;base64,” alt=”Prince Harry takes part in an exhibition sitting volleyball match [Kola SULAIMON / AFP]” width=”790″ height=”535″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/FuKktkpTURBXy9iNmY1Y2U1YzUzZmYxYzM5YWE2ZTA0NmZiZjNlZDM0Ni5wbmeRlQLNAxbNAhfCww” />
Prince Harry takes part in an exhibition sitting volleyball match [Kola SULAIMON / AFP]
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived in Lagos from Abuja on Sunday, May 12 to continue their three-day visit to Nigeria.
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="L-R: Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle; the Duke, Prince Harry; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu during a courtesy visit by the Duke and Duchess at the Lagos House, Marina, on Sunday, May 12, 2024." src="data:;base64,” alt=”L-R: Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle; the Duke, Prince Harry; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu during a courtesy visit by the Duke and Duchess at the Lagos House, Marina, on Sunday, May 12, 2024.” width=”790″ height=”568″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/v5QktkpTURBXy9jYTQ0ZDE3YWY5OGNkMTQ5MzU5NjJkZTNiZDdiZmM1NS5qcGeRlQLNAxbNAjjCww” />
L-R: Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle; the Duke, Prince Harry; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu during a courtesy visit by the Duke and Duchess at the Lagos House, Marina, on Sunday, May 12, 2024.
They got a commendation from the governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo Olu, who received them at the Lagos House, Marina.
This comes after his confession that he requested for intimacy to ‘create intensity.’
Nigerian singer Brymo has refuted claims that he asked Simi for sex in exchange for a musical collaboration.
Speaking with popular media personality, Chude Jideonwo,on the latest episode of the With Chude show, the singer was asked about the controversy surrounding the reports.
Chude asked, “You came out on Twitter and on TV to say that you wanted to create art with Simi and you asked to sleep with her first…”
“…I didn’t want to create art with her” Brymo interjected.
The Ara singer stated that, unlike the reports, Adekunle was the one who came to him for a collaboration first before Simi. He added that it was after he turned down her request that she made the collaborative album with rapper Falz.
“Adekunle Gold came to me. Those two wanted to get married and then they took a break to hustle separately and then Adekunle Gold came to me and said that we should create an album together and I said no. Simi also came to me and I said no, then suddenly she did an album with Falz,” he said.
Brymo stated that he was accused of requesting for sexual intimacy, calling Nigerians “sick people.”
He said, “The reports then came in that Simi and Falz were dating. Simi and Falz? Nobody even knew that Simi and Adekunle Gold had stuff going on during that period. So I came back to gist everyone about what happened then and then they started accusing me of asking Simi for sex in exchange for a collab. Nigerians are sick people! That’s dark.”
“They came to me first of all, it didn’t happen second of all, then I came tell everyone what happened later. That’s it,” Brymo emphasised.
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="Brymos now-deleted tweet from 2023" src="data:;base64,” alt=”Brymos now-deleted tweet from 2023″ width=”650″ height=”588″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/Vm9ktkqTURBXy8xNDJlOGMxNjkwOTY2MTc4YmVmNTkwOWQ2MGIxNzMxNC5qcGVnkZUCzQKKzQJMwsM” />
Brymos now-deleted tweet from 2023
Brymo’s recollection of event is contradictory to his confession last year that he used to offer intimacy to female musicians he collaborated with, Simi included.
His tweet read “Though AG reached out later, I like to think that he didn’t check in again, by will or fate, because I turned down the same request many years before. I also did the same with Simi, saying I wanted to get intimate to create intensity. I didn’t know they were together, of course.”
After backlash from the public, Adekunle Gold also warned him to steer clear of his wife.
Net income at German pharmaceutical and chemical giant Bayer declined to €2 billion ($2.16 billion) or €2.04 per share in the first quarter. The company reported on Tuesday that the quarter’s revenue was also down from €2.18 billion or €2.22 per share in the same quarter last year.
Bayer said core earnings per share from continuing operations for the first quarter decreased to 2.82 euros from last year’s €2.95, mainly due to the decline in earnings at its Crop Science Division.
Group sales were €13.77 billion in the first quarter of 2024, showing a decline of 0.6 per cent on a currency and portfolio-adjusted basis and a decline of 4.3 per cent on a reported basis.
Bayer confirmed its currency-adjusted forecast for the full 2024 year based on the average monthly exchange rates in 2023.
However, based on the closing rates as of March 31, the negative impact from anticipated currency effects has increased.
Applying the rates on that closing date instead of December 31, 2023, led Bayer to reduce its forecast for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA).
The EBITDA should be applied before special items, ranging from €10.4 billion to 11 billion to €10.2 billion to €10.8 billion.
Bayer now expected annual core earnings per share to be in the range of €4.80 to €5.20 compared to the prior outlook of €4.95 to €5.35.
On a currency-adjusted basis, the company still expected core earnings per share to be €5.1 to €5.5 for the fiscal year 2024.
A month after its release, Kayode Kasum’s comedy-drama, Ajosepo, remains the top-grossing film at the Nigerian box office.
‘Ajosepo’ continues to hold the top spot at the Nigerian box office [Nollywire]
Kayode Kasum’s comedy-drama movie, Ajosepo, still stands strong at the top spot of the Nigerian box office even a month after its release date, according to updated figures from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN).
On Friday, May 11, 2024, CEAN published a report on the top 20 films exhibited in Nigeria and included a gross view of each week’s film from May 3, 2024, to May 9, 2024.
Ajosepomade ₦50.4 million in its first five days of release (April 10 to April 14) and is still the top earner with ₦35.5 million in weekly totals (May 3 – May 9) and as of right now, the movie has made ₦189.2 million in total.
Ajosepo is a story about Dapo played by Mike Afolarin and Tani played by Tomike Adeoye, a young couple preparing for their wedding. As their families gather in a luxurious hotel, festivities soon give way to turmoil as long-held secrets, family tensions, and unexpected revelations threaten to tear them apart. The movie was directed by Kasum and also stars Timini Egbuson, Yemi Solade, and Ronke Oshodi Oke.
The sport-themed Nollywood movie, Aburo, is ranked fourth on the chart after earning a weekly total of ₦13.1 million. The movie has now grossed a total of ₦16.2 million.
The Yoruba movie, Blacksmith: Alagbede, which was holding third place after earning ₦11.3 million in its opening weekend, has dropped to number five with a weekly total of ₦9.5 million. As of right now, the movie has grossed ₦44.6 million.
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="'Beast of Two Worlds' will debut this Easter [ShockNg]" src="data:;base64,” alt=”‘Beast of Two Worlds’ will debut this Easter [ShockNg]” width=”592″ height=”626″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/1UBktkpTURBXy84N2RkYWU2ODk1NGE3OWMyYzFiMzg1NTA5YmE2NmRmYS5qcGeRlQLNAlDNAnLCww” />
‘Beast of Two Worlds’ will debut this Easter [ShockNg]
After earning ₦101.2 million in its first weekend, the Yoruba epic film Beast of Two World (Ajakaju) currently sits at number 7 on the chart with a weekly total of ₦5.5 million. The film has now grossed a total of ₦247.2 million.
A little further down the list at number 11 is Saving Onome, which was directed by Dimeji Ajibola. It tells the story of two loving parents who do everything in their power to care for their chronically ill daughter Onome. The movie has now made ₦42.5 million in gross revenue, up from its current weekly total of ₦1.9 million.
The other Nollywood movie on the list ranked at number 18, as disclosed by CEAN, is All is Fair in Love, which grossed a week total of ₦6,000 and has grossed a total of ₦131.5 million.
Tacha says her outfit at the AMVCA cost $100,000 [Instagram/Symply_Tacha]
BBNaija star, Tacha, has revealed that the show-stopping dress she wore at the 10th edition of Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards(AMVCA) cost more than ₦100 million.
She disclosed this while on the red carpet at the event which held on May 11, 2024, while being interviewed by popular content creator, Timi Agbaje.
Agbaje asked, “Last year you wore a $20,000 outfit to the AMVCA. How much did this outfit cost?”
Tacha replied, “It’s 100k”
“Naira or dollars?” Agbaje asked again after which Tacha laughed and replied, “It’s $100,000 or nothing.”
At the prestigious event, Tacha wore a long white, bedazzled gown with a large eye-catching statement piece. The dress had a floating bust/corset design on her shoulder, a flowing cape and a matching corset handbag.
The reality TV star’s revelation led to a series of reactions from Nigerians across social media, who were taken aback by the staggering price.
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="Tacha's outfit at the AMVCA [Instagram/Symply_Tacha]" src="data:;base64,” alt=”Tacha’s outfit at the AMVCA [Instagram/Symply_Tacha]” width=”589″ height=”751″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/DrFktkpTURBXy9lNWJhYjQ5ZDQ4ZTBjMjNhM2JkNThhN2Y2MWY1ZTE5MC5wbmeRlQLNAk3NAu_Cww” />
Tacha’s outfit at the AMVCA [Instagram/Symply_Tacha]
A curious X user asked, “I’m curious, who pays for celebrities’ dresses at events like these? Do the celebrities buy the dresses themselves, do designers lend them the dresses, or is there some kind of arrangement where they share the cost?”
Other X users expressed disbelief, one said “Which kain lamba be that?? Cloth that can’t pass 200k,” and another person commented, “You paid $100k for a dress?”
<img class="image lazyloaded imgWithMetaData" title="Reactions to Tacha's revelation [X/Dammydammy35]" src="data:;base64,” alt=”Reactions to Tacha’s revelation [X/Dammydammy35]” width=”790″ height=”706″ data-original=”https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/x0lktkpTURBXy9hZjY3YWFiM2E4NDFhMGEwNDExZWEwYTQ5ZTE1MGM1My5wbmeRlQLNAxbNAsLCww” />
Reactions to Tacha’s revelation [X/Dammydammy35]
Someone else commented, “She wan come spoil the compliments and the beautiful dress with lies now.”
Other comments read, “That’s huge!!.”, “120 million for her dress? For such a big event as that? Naaaa, that’s too cheap,” “I believe her.”
On May 14, 1954, Boeing, now one of the world’s largest commercial aerospace companies, unveiled its first commercial jet-powered passenger plane, the Model 367-80 prototype, at its Renton Field plant on the south shore of Lake Washington in Washington state, where jetliners are still produced today.
The 367-80 would eventually be retired on January 22, 1970 but not before its technology had been used to create the famous 707 model – and, later the hugely successful 737.
Initially, airlines were cautious about embracing jet technology, citing worries about expense and noise levels among other things. However, the successful test flights of the 367-80 demonstrated the advances aviation had made in increased speeds and altitudes.
Ultimately, this success laid the groundwork for Boeing’s 707 plane, which was launched in 1957. US airline group Pan Am began regular 707 flights on October 26, 1958, signalling the industry’s broader acceptance of jet airliners. Before the 707, propeller-driven aircraft had dominated commercial air travel.
Boeing’s 737 model was launched in 1967 and would become the most commercially successful aeroplane in aviation history.
However, in recent years, Boeing has suffered a string of technical failures. Most recently, a Boeing 737 carrying 85 people caught fire and skidded off a runway at Senegal’s main airport, injuring 10 people including the pilot, while a Boeing 767 cargo plane was forced to make an emergency landing following a front landing gear failure.
Last week, Boeing was forced to postpone the launch of its new CST-100 Starliner capsule, designed for launch into space, after engineers detected a problem with a rocket valve.
Here is a timeline of some of Boeing’s highs and lows over the past century.
(Al Jazeera)
A century in the air – some of Boeing’s highs
World War I
The company, which was first founded as Pacific Aero Products Co by William Boeing in 1916, was officially named Boeing Airplane Co in 1917, shortly after the US entered the war. During the war, Boeing provided Model C trainer planes to the US Navy, designed a new patrol “flying boat” and signed a contract with the US Navy to build 50 Curtiss HS-2L seaplanes.
In 1917, it also produced the first US-designed and built bomber plane and its Martin MB-1 bomber made its first flight.
World War II
During World War II, Boeing produced bombers such as the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-29 Superfortress. The B-29 Superfortress planes, named Enola Gay and Bockscar, were the two aircraft used to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The atomic bombing caused almost 200,000 casualties. Long-term effects on survivors would lead to radiation sickness and such cancers as leukaemia, thyroid cancer and lung cancer, due to radiation exposure.
Launch of the 737 airliner
One of Boeing’s most significant contributions to commercial aviation was the 737 series of jetliners, launched in 1967. The model would become one of the best-selling commercial jetliners in aviation history. Nearly 12,000 have been built.
The moon landing
During the Apollo programme, which ultimately saw American astronaut Neil Armstrong become the first person to walk on the moon, Boeing built the Saturn V’s maiden rocket in 1967. That same model rocket would be used for the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, landing astronauts on the moon.
Boeing, the billion-dollar company
Boeing made $1bn in sales for the first time in 1956. It was publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the ticker symbol BA, in January 1978 and is currently valued at $109.5bn.
Which fatal crashes have involved Boeing planes?
Lion Air crash, 2018
More than 100 years after Boeing was first founded, Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 domestic passenger flight, crashed into the Java Sea 13 minutes after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang in Indonesia, en route to Depati Amir Airport, Pangkal Pinang, killing all 189 people on board on October 29, 2018. An investigation by the Indonesian authorities blamed a combination of an aircraft design flaw which had forced the plane to dive down, inadequate training and maintenance problems, one year later.
Residents collect debris at the scene where Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed in a wheat field just outside the town of Bishoftu, 62km southeast of Addis Ababa on March 10, 2019 [Jemal Countess/Getty Images]
Ethiopian Airlines crash, 2019
Less than a year after the Lion Air incident, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, also a Boeing 737 MAX 8 and a scheduled international passenger flight from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, crashed near the Ethiopian town of Bishoftu just six minutes after takeoff on March 10, 2019, killing all 157 people on board. The same technical issue which had been found in the Lion Air case was also discovered.
The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide due to concerns about a faulty sensor that had caused its Manoeuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) to continually tilt the plane downwards, causing it to dive.
As a result of the controversy over the design flaw, Boeing’s board removed CEO Dennis Muilenburg as chairman but allowed him to remain chief executive.
The Boeing 737 MAX was finally cleared to resume flights by the FAA in November 2020, after the problem was fixed but Boeing had already been heavily criticised by the US House Transportation Committee for failing to take better safety measures.
What incidents involving Boeing planes have happened this year?
Alaskan Airlines door panel blowout, January
In January this year, a door panel on Alaskan Airlines flight 1282, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet, blew out, causing rapid decompression and forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport. Some passengers suffered minor injuries but nobody was killed or seriously harmed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) immediately grounded the 737 Max 9, of which there were 171 in use worldwide. Loose hardware was reported in an initial investigation.
This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows a gaping hole where the panelled-over door had been at the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, on January 7, 2024, in Portland, Oregon [National Transportation Safety Board via AP]
The incident caused a flurry of conspiracy theories which have ramped up in the past three months because of the deaths of two Boeing whistleblowers.
John Barnett, a quality control engineer who worked for Boeing for more than three decades, was found dead in March 2019. His body was discovered with a gunshot wound and a suicide note in his truck, which was parked in a hotel car park in South Carolina.
Two weeks ago, Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Spirit AeroSystems, a supplier for Boeing, died in an Oklahoma hospital due to a staph infection that quickly developed into pneumonia.
Air Senegal plane skids off runway, May
A chartered Air Senegal Boeing B737-300 plane skidded off a runway before takeoff early on Thursday, May 9 at Blaise Diagne International Airport in the capital, Dakar. Eighty-five people – including two pilots and four cabin crew – were on board the flight operated by TransAir and bound for the Malian capital Bamako. At least 10 people were injured, the transport ministry said.
Photos showed the damaged plane at a standstill in a grassy field with a damaged wing, its emergency exit slides deployed.
Videos shared on social media appeared to show a left wing on fire.
A FedEx Express Boeing 767 cargo plane made an emergency landing at Istanbul Airport on May 8 without deploying its front landing gear but managed to stay on the runway and avoid casualties [Umit Bektas/Reuters]
FedEx flight makes emergency landing, May
On Wednesday, May 8, a Boeing 767 cargo aircraft belonging to FedEx made an emergency landing at Istanbul in Turkey after its front landing gear failed. No one was injured and the crew successfully evacuated the aircraft.
Corendon Airlines plane has burst tyre, May
Also in Turkey, 190 people – including six crew members – were safely evacuated from a Boeing 737-800 belonging to Corendon Airlines after one of the aircraft’s tyres burst on Thursday, May 9, during landing at Gazipasa, an airport near the Mediterranean coastal town of Alanya.
Boeing Starliner launch halted, May
Boeing called off the inaugural crewed flight CST-100 Starliner space capsule on Monday, May 7, after engineers detected an issue with the Atlas V rocket valve. The decision to call off the launch on Monday came two hours before the scheduled liftoff and about an hour after two NASA astronauts had strapped into the spacecraft.
NASA chief Bill Nelson posted on X. “Standing down on tonight’s attempt to launch. As I’ve said before, @NASA’s first priority is safety. We go when we’re ready.”
(Al Jazeera)
Is Boeing’s safety record being investigated?
Boeing has been the subject of 32 whistleblower complaints lodged with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the workplace safety regulator, in the United States during the past three years
Air safety officials in the US are also currently investigating whether employees at Boeing falsified inspection records for the 787 Dreamliner.
Sam Salehpour, another whistleblower and quality engineer who worked for Boeing for 10 years has stated he had safety concerns regarding the 787 Dreamliner. Last month, Salehpour testified at a congressional hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about the safety of the 777 and 787 aircraft.
He stated: “I have analysed Boeing’s own data to conclude that the company is taking manufacturing shortcuts on the 787 programme that may significantly reduce the airplane’s safety and the life cycle.”
Boeing strongly refuted the claims and stated that it is “fully confident in the 787 Dreamliner”.
