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Afenifere Disagree on Yoruba exit From Nigeria, Specifies what to Clamour for
Pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere on Monday described the call for the exit of Yoruba from Nigeria as undesirable, self-serving and unnecessary.
Recall that leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Banji Akintoye and Mr Sunday Adeyemo also known as Sunday Igboho, reportedly sent a letter to President Bola Tinubu where they tasked the President set up a negotiation team that will midwife the exit of Yoruba people from Nigeria.
But reacting to the ultimatum, Afenifere, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Jare Ajayi, insisted that the problems bedeviling Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole “are not merely because multi-ethnic groups make up the country. Rather, the country’s multifarious problems can be traced to lack of good governance.”
The statement reads: “There is no doubt that the lot of Yoruba can be better than it presently is. But whatever deprivation Yoruba may be experiencing today in the Nigerian nation is not due mainly to the fact that they are Yoruba.
The deprivations they are suffering could be traced to the general misgovernance that corporate Nigeria had been subjected to over the years if not decades. Meaning that marginalization, deprivation, injustice and mis-governance, among others that Yoruba may be experiencing today is, if truth is to be told, not peculiar to Yoruba alone.
We are not, by this submission, claiming that Yoruba are getting the best or should not be better served. Far from it.
What we are saying is that it would be unfair to use the excuse of the deprivations in the land as an alibi to want to leave Nigeria. What we should clamour for is good governance that will enable every segment of the society to have a better lease of life.”
On the claim by the Yoruba nation that the request was done on behalf of Yoruba people at home and in the diaspora, the body wondered when a referendum was conducted of recent to really determine that what was conveyed in the letter to Mr. President was what Yoruba want at this moment.
Afenifere’s spokesperson said: “We have confidence in Mr. President to deliver on his mandate, the Renewed Hope and the promises he made not just with Afenifere leaders but also with Nigerians. What is needed now is to support his administration, to give suggestions on how to move the country forward and to call the attention of the government to areas where reparations have to be done.
“Yoruba people have contributed so much to Nigeria. So much that our intention presently is not to move out but to get what is wrong with the country to be made right. We believe that President Tinubu has what it takes to right those wrongs. This is why we are giving him our absolute support, especially since he has given us the assurance that he will not veer off the path of doing the best for Nigeria.
“Restructuring is one important mechanism through which Nigeria can be made better. President Tinubu has assured us in words and in his body language that he will restructure the country. He is a man of honour. We believe that he will do it. And do it effectively at the right time – which will be very soon, by the grace of God.”
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S3xtape: Engonga Moved To Infamous Black Beach Prison
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Equatorial Guinea former Director General of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), Baltasar Engonga, has been moved to the infamous Black Beach Prison in Malabo where he is being remanded.
The Black Beach Prison is believed to be one of the most notorious prisons in Africa just as Amnesty International reported how a prisoner that was finally released some few years ago described the prison situated in the capital Malabo where he was detained as a hideout.
According to Amnesty International, the released prisoner qualified the prison as “a hole” in which the humidity makes prisoners live in infrahuman conditions due to the proximity of the sea and the land.
The high-profile imprisonment of Engonga came after the shocking allegations that he had over 400 s3x secretly recorded videos involving some married women connected to powerful figures across Equatorial Guinea.
The scandal which blew open during an ongoing investigation of fraud allegedly committed by the 54-year-old economist, led ANIF officials to carry out a swift search operation at his home and office.
During the raid, officials reportedly uncovered numerous CDs containing explicit footage of Engonga with different married women. The footage which leaked online, sparked a media frenzy and public outrage.
Expectedly, President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo responded swiftly to the unfolding scandal, issuing Decree No. 118/2024 on November 4, which terminated Engonga’s appointment. According to the decree, the dismissal was due to “irregularities committed in the exercise of his functions, as well as inappropriate family and social conduct for the performance of public duties.”
A viral video shared on social media on Friday showed Engonga in handcuffs that restrained both his hands and legs, as he made a court appearance.
The French media outlet Afrikmatin confirmed that Engonga, was officially dismissed on November 6, and subsequently transported to Malabo Central Prison, where he faces charges of corruption and embezzlement.
News
Liverpool remains top with 5 points ahead of others after 2-0 bashing of Aston Villa
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Liverpool opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League as Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah struck in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
The Reds took full advantage of Manchester City’s latest defeat at Brighton earlier on Saturday to surge further clear of the champions.
Liverpool failed to hit the heights of their second-half humiliation of German champions Bayer Leverkusen in a 4-0 Champions League win in midweek.
But Arne Slot’s men were again defensively solid to protect a sixth clean sheet in 11 league games and take a firm grip on the title race.
Villa’s fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions sees Unai Emery’s men slip to eighth, but only one point off third-placed Nottingham Forest.
The Anfield crowd was fired up by news of City’s 2-1 defeat at Brighton and inspired a fast start from the home side, but it was Villa who had the better chances in the opening period on the counter-attack.
Ryan Gravenberch produced an excellent last-ditch block to repel Jacob Ramsey’s shot before Leon Bailey headed over when unmarked at the back post.
Set-pieces have been one of Villa’s big threats during their two-year rise under Emery, but it was from their corners that Liverpool looked most dangerous before the break.
The opener arrived when Virgil van Dijk’s long clearance caught the visitors under-manned at the back and Bailey would likely have been sent off for bringing down Salah had Nunez not burst onto the loose ball to net his third goal of the season.
Liverpool were then dealt a blow as Trent Alexander-Arnold hobbled off with a muscle injury that is likely to rule him out of England duty in the coming weeks.
Only wasteful finishing from Nunez saw Villa escape from a carbon copy move to the first goal.
This time Salah played in the Uruguayan on the break from a corner, but he slotted high and wide with only Emi Martinez to beat.
The first half story of Villa’s set-pieces continued as Caoimhin Kelleher was twice forced into fine saves from Amadou Onana and Diego Carlos to preserve Liverpool’s lead at half-time.
Morgan Rogers wasted another huge chance for the visitors to level just seconds into the second half when he sliced wide.
Nunez continued to have the best of Liverpool’s opportunities as he headed wide from Andy Robertson’s cross at the other end.
The home side were set for a nervy finale until Salah gave them breathing space six minutes from time.
Carlos’ header was charged down by the Egyptian who raced through on goal to dink in his 10th goal of the season.
Liverpool’s 15th win in 17 games since Slot took charge moves them into a commanding position in the title race.
Arsenal are 10 points adrift of the leaders ahead of a dauting trip to in-form Chelsea on Sunday.
And an out-of-sorts City are next to visit Anfield on December 1 after Liverpool visit bottom-of-the-table Southampton when Premier League action returns following an international break. Glitters
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SAD! Ex-NTA prolific newscaster, Joy Osiagwu, is dead
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A prolific broadcaster, news anchor, reporter, producer, videographer, and film editor, Joy Osiagwu, has passed.
A report by QEDNG said that Mrs Osiagwu died last Friday at Arewa Hospital, Jabi, Abuja, in a brief illness.
She was a former employee of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
Her path crossed this reporter’s at the National Assembly, where they both reported the activities of the Senate for their respective media organisations.
She was also a newscaster and would later become a media consultant. She plied the journalism trade for over two decades in full-time capacity in Nigeria and North America.
Osiagwu covered activities of the Nigeria High Commission in Ottawa Canada and the Nigeria Mission to the United Nations in New York for a decade, including the United Nations rotational presidency of the Security Council during the tenure of the former permanent representative of Nigeria to the UN Mission, Professor Joy Ogwu, in July 2010, October 2011 and August 2015 for the NTA.
Apart from covering the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in Marrakech, Morocco in 2018, Osiagwu covered the election process and emergence of the 74th president of the United Nations General Assembly, Professor Tijjani Bande, in June 2019 at the UN in New York.
Osiagwu obtained a masters in business administration and media leadership from the University of Cumbria in the United Kingdom. She also had a post-graduate diploma in broadcast performing arts from the Columbia Academy, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She obtained a bachelor of arts degree in drama, majoring in theatre for development (TFD) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Osiagwu was a member of IFLAS (the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability Cumbria Business School).
She worked at the NTA for 23 years and retired voluntarily in September 2019.
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of THE CONCLAVE, Mr Sufuyan Ojeifo described Joy Osiagwu as a brilliant journalist who distinguished herself in the practice as a media professional.
He said the last time he saw Mrs Osiagwu was in June 2013 in Washington DC when she travelled down from Canads to cover an assignment involving the then Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Botwev Orhii.
He said she would be sorely missed even as he prayed that the Almighty God would grant her soul eternal repose in His Bosom.
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