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Death of Ovularia @81: Nollywood stars, Jide Kosoko, ‘Oga Bello’, Amata, others mourn

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Old-time Nollywood actors, Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami and many others in the industry have paid glowing tributes to Elizabeth Evoeme, popularly known as Ovularia in the 1980s TV sitcom, ‘The New Masquerade’, passed away at the age of 81.

Kosoko said the late Ovularia was a disciplined woman who had contributed immensely to the growth of the entertainment industry.

Lizzy, as she was affectionately known by friends and family, was part of the original cast of the show that ran from the 1970s to the mid-1990s.

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Lizzy, born on December 1, 1942, died on Sunday in Port Harcourt surrounded by her loved ones, a family member told Vanguard.

Mourning her passage, Kosoko said: “We have lost another gem though at a ripe age, I pray the almighty God grant her soul a peaceful rest.

“We worked together on The New Masquerade, I was a guest artiste at that time, she was just fantastic. May her soul rest in peace and may God continue to keep us that are still alive.

“Her virtue of discipline that has to do with keeping to call time, submitting to the directors’ wish at all time and other professional ethics she stood for, should be emulated by all other actors.”

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Also, Adebayo Salami, popularly known as “Oga Bello”, described death of the actress as shocking.

He said, “We are all getting older but no one wants to die, we are going to miss her but her legacies still remain with us. We love her but God loves her most.”

Fred Amata, also expressed shock over the death of the actress.

Her death was announced by family on Tuesday.

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A statement from the Evoeme Emekalam family on her passing read: “Friends, fans, colleagues, the family of the legendary actress, Elizabeth Lizzy ‘Ovularia’ Evoeme would like to inform the public, everyone who loved her and work in ‘The New Masquerade,’ of her death. Elizabeth ‘Ovularia’ Evoeme will be deeply missed and loved by her family as well as you, her fans

“We thank you all for your support and for respecting our privacy at this time. God bless you all and may our precious Elizabeth “Ovularia” Evoeme rest in perfect peace now and always.”

Her daughter, Justina Ngozi Evoeme, who lives in London, confirmed news reports of Ovularia’s death, which she described as painful and shocking.

On November 5, 2019, Evoeme’s rumored death was reportedly announced on Twitter by one Churchill Ebhodaghe without any detail as to what caused her rumored expiration.

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Ovularia denied the rumor and reportedly said on November 8, 2019 that those behind the rumor deserved to be punished.

The New Masquerade was a long-running Nigerian sitcom that kept audiences laughing from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. The show actually started as a radio program called ‘The Masquerade’ on the East Central State Broadcasting Corporation.

It was subsequently adapted for television and renamed ‘The New Masquerade’. The show was created and written by James Iroha, who also starred in it as Gringory Akabogu.

Popular actors such as Chika Okpala (known for his role as Chief Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwaogbe), Claude Eke — Jegede Sokoya and thrilled in the sitcom in those days.

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The New Masquerade was a cultural touchstone, offering humor and social commentary. It addressed real life issues faced by Nigerians at the time of its performance, making it more than just entertainment. It ran for many years and remains one of Nigeria’s longest running sitcoms.

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I Can’t Feed My Family Again; I Make N20,000 Daily But Spend N17,000 On Fuel — Taxi Driver Laments

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Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

A commercial driver identified as Wahab Ajibaye based in Ilorin, Kwara State has expressed frustration over the rising fuel prices, saying it has left him struggling to provide for his family.

Despite earning N20,000 daily, Ajibaye says he takes home only N3,000 after fuel expenses, leaving him unable to cater to his children and wife.

He said: “I am buying fuel for N1100 and I make N20,000 (daily) but I take only N3,000 with me to my house (after work). I am the owner of my car but I am no longer making enough to cater to my children and my wife. The All Progressives Congress (APC) government will not end well. Nigeria is becoming worse and we pray God takes away this set of current leaders.”

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Ajibaye blamed the ruling APC government for the hardship faced by Nigerians, saying, “Their government is bringing more suffering. They’re not ashamed, despite many Nigerians cursing them. They should rethink.”

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had recently agreed that the policies initiated by President Bola Tinubu resulted in growing economic hardships in Nigeria.

The party in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka had said this, while responding to a former national vice chairman (North West) of the party, Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

Recall that Lukman had berated the party for bad governance, adding that former President Muhammadu Buhari and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have failed to deliver on their campaign promises.

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Lukman, therefore, urged opposition leaders to unite and work hard to defeat the APC-led government in 2027.

But reacting, Morka in a statement on Tuesday argued that President Tinubu was taking bold measures to reset the country’s “long broken economy”, explaining that his reforms had increased economic hardship in the country.

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LASG shuts down Idera market over ‘environmental pollution

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) says it has sealed off the Idera market in the Oshodi metropolis.

In a statement on Thursday, Ajayi Lukman, LAGESC spokesperson, said the agency sealed the market due to unhygienic practices and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, which contravened the environmental law of the state.

He said the measure was taken to enforce adherence to environmental cleanliness across registered markets in the state.

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‘‘Our operatives stationed across the Oshodi division during routine market monitoring identified the filth, unhygienic practices, and indiscriminate dumping of refuse around the Idera Market area, which prompted us to seal off the market until further notice,” the statement reads.

Lukman quoted Olaniyi Cole, the corps marshal of the agency, as decrying the level of hygiene at the market, which could lead to an outbreak of diseases.

He said Cole frowned at the inability of the market leadership to provide a valid waste collection contract, which resulted in the heaps of refuse in the facility.

He added that the display of wares for sale on road setbacks, lay-bys, medians, verges, kerbs, street trading, and hawking remained banned in the metropolis.

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The LAGESC corps marshal reiterated the ban on the sales, distribution, and usage of styrofoam in the state, noting that anyone found culpable would be punished decisively.

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Hours to Edo guber polls, major opposition candidate crumbles structure for Ighodalo

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Hours to the Edo State governorship election, the guber candidate of the All Peoples Party (APP)Amb Osalumese Areloegbe on Thursday morning collapsed the structure for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie Esq.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Benin City, Areloegbe said his decision to collapse the structure for the PDP candidate was because he believed that Ighodalo had all it would take to govern the state to greater heights.

According to him, I urged all my followers and supporters to disregard any information that I have aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.

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“I am supporting Asue Ighodalo because he is competent, not that I am not competent but I believe Asue is on the forefront. That is my reason for supporting his candidacy.

“My party is aware because they have been having a series of negotiations for us to align with the APC, and I told them categorically that I am supporting PDP. My eighteen local government followers are in full support of my decision, I mean 100 per cent supporting the PDP candidate, Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie in this election.

“My choice for Asue Ighodalo is because, apart from myself, I see him as the next better candidate that I can support and I can put my weight on because he has the capacity, mentally, physically and otherwise to pilot the affairs of Edo State to greater heights.

“The national secretariat of my party, APP – they are in Abuja and I am in the state, and know much more of what is happening in Edo State. They are not here and don’t know what is going on here in Edo. And I am in a position to tell them what will be better for the Edo people.

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“There is a parable that says, ‘You cannot shave a man’s head when he is not present’. I am here in Edo State and I know who to support and why I am supporting him. The national leadership might have taken a different tone, but this is what I and my followers have chosen.

“We had a series of other politicians who had made such decisions before. That is why I agreed with the support of my supporters to collapse my structure for the governorship candidate of the PDP Barr. Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie.”

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