By Gloria Ikibah

Leaders of the tenth House of Representatives on Friday silenced arm chair critics declaring that the tenth House can never be a rubber stamp.

Speaking at a one-day Citizens Engagement, first of its kind in the annals of Nigeria’s National Assembly, the House leaders told Nigerians that the tenth House cannot be categorized as a rubber stamp.

The Speaker, Hon Tajudeen Abbas after listing the HoR people friendly motions and Bills that will enhance good governance championed by the House equally rejected the toga of rubber stamp.

The Majority leader, Prof Julius. Ihonvbere also noted that “the tax reform Bills before us has not passed second reading as we’re still adequately consulting.

“We cannot be categorized a rubber stamp as we know what we’re doing in the tenth House.

Speaking in the same vein, Minority Leader, Rep Kingsley Chinda said”we disagree to agree on topical issues and in most cases we table sensitive matters during our executive sessions and if there’s need to exchange blows, we exchange but not in public.

Also at the Citizens engagement, former Speaker of the HoR, Hon Patricia Etteh advised the House leaders to document Bills in various local languages to have a general positive effect as illiteracy tends to deny others of what they ought to know.

Speaker of the eighth HoR, Hon Yakubu Dogara hailed the program noting that it’s the first time reps directly talk to the people they represent.

The Citizens Engagement interactive session had people drawn from all strata of the society, academia, civil society groups, students, rural dwellers from all the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.

Forbes has unveiled its 2024 ForbesBLK 50 list, celebrating the achievements of the wealthiest and most influential Black Americans.

Among the honorees are three Nigerians—Adebayo Ogunlesi, Tope Awotona, and Wemimo Abbey—whose groundbreaking contributions and entrepreneurial successes have earned them places on this prestigious list.

The Forbes BLK 50 is a reimagining of Forbes’ 2009 Wealthiest Black Americans list, which then featured figures like Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson.

While net worth remains a core metric, the new list also highlights innovation, societal impact, and leadership across diverse industries.

What Forbes said

Adebayo Ogunlesi, with a net worth of $1.7 billion, stands out as a pioneering force in global infrastructure investment. As chairman and cofounder of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), Ogunlesi led the private equity firm through a transformative acquisition by BlackRock in 2024 for $12.5 billion.

Ogunlesi, a Harvard-educated lawyer and banker, previously spent over two decades at Credit Suisse before launching GIP in 2006.

His influence extends beyond business, as he has become a key figure in reshaping infrastructure investment on a global scale.

Also, Nigerian entrepreneur, Tope Awotona, the founder and CEO of Calendly, has redefined efficiency in scheduling and holds a net worth of $1.4 billion.

Born in Lagos, Awotona moved to Atlanta as a teenager and pursued business and management information studies at the University of Georgia. After early entrepreneurial setbacks, he launched Calendly in 2013, driven by frustration with cumbersome meeting coordination. The platform, which raised $350 million in 2021, is now valued at $3 billion and serves millions of users worldwide.

Although not a ranking, Wemimo Abbey, at just 32, is the youngest Nigerian on the list and cofounder of Esusu, an African fintech company addressing financial inclusion.

Esusu helps renters build credit by reporting rent payments to credit bureaus, a service utilized by more than 20,000 properties and benefiting 1.8 million Americans.

In 2022, Esusu achieved a $1 billion valuation following a $130 million funding round. Abbey, who grew up in Lagos, has a background in mergers and acquisitions consulting and a passion for leveraging technology to drive social impact.

These three Nigerians show innovation, resilience, and the drive to address pressing global challenges. Their inclusion on the ForbesBLK 50 list is a foretelling of their entrepreneurial vision and the increasing influence of Nigerians on the global stage.

The ForbesBLK 50 list, launched under ForbesBLK, aims to go beyond net worth to measure impact and influence within the Black community and beyond.

[Nairametric]

Former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello was, on Friday evening, released from the Kuje Custodial Centre after meeting the bail conditions set by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.

Spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, FCT Command, Adamu Duza, confirmed the development.

According to Duza, “Yahaya Bello has been released after meeting the bail conditions. He was released this evening (Friday).

“The Controller of NCoS FCT, Ajibogun Olatubosun, was on the ground to ensure his smooth release and that all protocols were observed.”

On Thursday, Justice Maryanne Anenih granted Bello bail in the sum of N500m.

The bail conditions included providing three sureties, each owning property in select high-value areas of Abuja, such as Maitama, Guzape, or Asokoro.

Justice Anenih also ordered Bello to surrender his passport and restricted his travel outside Nigeria without prior permission.

The former governor, along with Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu, faces a 16-count charge of conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and unlawful possession of property, brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

All three have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Court had rejected Bello’s initial bail application on procedural grounds but granted bail to his co-defendants.

But on Thursday, Bello’s fresh application was approved, resulting in his release on Friday.