Benue State to Destroy Over N100 Million Worth of Expired Drugs in Abandoned Hospital.

Benue State to Destroy Over N100 Million Worth of Expired Drugs in Abandoned Hospital.

The Benue State Government has announced its intention to destroy drugs valued at over N100 million at the Muhammad Buhari Mother and Child Hospital. This decision comes as the state takes steps to address the issue of unused medications that have expired.

The 120-bed Muhammad Buhari Mother and Child Hospital, which was officially inaugurated on March 17, 2022, by the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, represented one of the 33 Sustainable Development Goals projects within the state. Mustapha had highlighted that the hospital was designed to tackle maternal and child mortalities, boasting state-of-the-art equipment.

Recently, the Chief Medical Director of Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, Dr. Stephen Hwande, confirmed that the previously abandoned hospital was now in use. It had been reported as unutilized during the tenure of the ex-governor, Samuel Ortom.

Cephas Hough, the Information Officer of BSUTH, confirmed that services had commenced at the hospital. When questioned about why the drugs were allowed to expire, Hough expressed concern and directed the inquiry to the former Chief Medical Director of BSUTH, who would be better positioned to provide answers.

Hough stated, "Services have commenced there (Muhammad Buhari Mother and Child Hospital), and some of the departments at BSUTH have been moved to the new place. The place is going to be functional 24 hours a day."

In conjunction with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the hospital management has scheduled the destruction of the expired drugs worth over N100 million, which had been stored in the hospital's drug store. This public destruction of the medications is set to take place on Friday, November 3, 2023.

Ogun State Launches Ambitious Project to Rehabilitate 100 Roads.

Ogun State Launches Ambitious Project to Rehabilitate 100 Roads.

The Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Public Works, Babatunde Adeshina, says the state government is set to embark on the rehabilitation of 100 roads across its 20 local government areas in the state.

Adeshina, according to a statement made available to Newsmen, shared this information while highlighting the condition of roads in the state in a monitored radio interview.

He emphasised the state government’s commitment to impartiality by ensuring an equitable distribution of the dividends of democracy across the nooks and crannies of the state.

He advised the citizens of the state to be patient with the state government, saying all roads could not be rehabilitated at once, but rather progressively.

The SA said Ogun State Public Works Agency was considering prioritising primary roads before addressing secondary ones.

“Hundred-year problems cannot be solved in one day. I appeal for your patience; the roads are many, and we have to start somewhere. Once we’ve started and continued at this pace, in the next few years, we would have covered a lot of ground,” he said.

Adeshina disclosed further that the government was equally committed to completing the other side of every dual carriageway that has already undergone construction across the state.

Wike warns against tampering with political structure in Rivers.

Wike warns against tampering with political structure in Rivers.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has warned against any attempt to tamper with the political structure in Rivers.

Wike gave the warning after a closed-door meeting with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, led by its Chairman, Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mohammed was accompanied by the Governors of Adamawa, Ahmadu Fintiri, Mr Caleb Muftwang, of Plateau and Mr Agbu Kefas of Taraba.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a crisis had erupted in Rivers on Monday, after an attempt by the Rivers Assembly to impeach the incumbent Governor, Mr Siminalayi Fubara.

Wike told the visiting governors that he would not be intimidated by any one for his influence in Rivers or his appointment by President Bola Tinubu as FCT minister.

He explained that the impeachment move was not a military coup, but in line with the provision of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He dismissed the rumours going round that the fracas was born out of his interest in the finances of the state, which he dismissed as “absolute rubbish.”

“No body can take away the political structure in Rivers; nobody can intimidate me. If I want to do something, I will do it.

“The impeachment is not a military coup; it is provided under the constitution. Also, I am not interested in all the rumours, money, this, and that. Rubbish. Absolute rubbish.

“I just left the office, how many months ago? And I am FCT Minister, so which money? But nobody can take away our political structure. No one.

“You cannot work, and people will begin to bring enemies; those who fought you when you were struggling for the person to be in office. Nobody does that.

“I am not a political ingrate, but don’t touch the political structure of the state. I will not shut my eyes,” Wike said.

The minister thanked the forum for the visit and further thanked President Tinubu for finding him worthy to serve in his cabinet, stressing that he was still a member of the PDP working for Tinubu and not APC.

“Forget about the Obidients and the Atikus who have lost and felt that I did not support them, and those that I revoked their Certificate of Occupancy.

“Oh! Wike did this; Wike did that because I didn’t support Obi, and didn’t support their own Presidential candidate, and all of you just teamed up ‘Wike! Wike! Wike!’.

“I am not disturbed; I will do what is right; and my conscience is clear. I am not the person you think that you will now go to social media and say all kinds of things.

“You must be careful, I have the capacity to fight back”, he warned.

Earlier, Mohammed thanked Wike for the willingness to resolve crises, noting that the forum had waded into the matter because of the importance of Rivers to the party.

He also commended the Tinubu for appointing one of their own to serve in his government, noting that Wike’s antecedents spoke volumes about his ability to lead.

Colombians march for release of Díaz’s father.

Colombians march for release of Díaz’s father.

Residents of the Colombian town of Barrancas have held a candle-lit march to demand the release of the father of Liverpool footballer Luis Díaz.

Luis Manuel Díaz was kidnapped at gunpoint along with his wife on Saturday.

The player’s mother was left behind in a car by the kidnappers as police closed in, but the gunmen dragged away his father.

Specialised police units are searching the area with sniffer dogs.

Shouting “freedom” and dressed in white T-shirts emblazoned with a photo of Luis Manuel Díaz, hundreds of people marched through Barrancas on Tuesday afternoon.

“I feel a pain deep in my soul,” resident Alis Amaya told local station Caracol news.

“It’s an injustice that someone from our town, a son of a local family should be suffering this pain and sadness,” she added.

Luis Manuel Díaz, also known as Mane, is a well-known and popular figure in Barrancas, where he trains young footballers.

CCTV footage broadcast by local media appears to show men on motorcycles following the couple’s car just before they were seized at a petrol station in Barrancas on Saturday.

The deputy head of the Colombian police, General Nicolás Zapata, told journalists that “when something like this happens, it’s not spontaneous, there is prior planning”.

The Colombian authorities have stepped up their search for Luis Manuel Díaz.

Barrancas is located in La Guajira province, in the extreme north of Colombia, an area where several guerrilla groups and armed gangs operate.

Police and soldiers are focusing their search on the Perijá mountains, a dense forest straddling the Colombia-Venezuela border.

Police Chief William Salamanca announced on Tuesday that two sniffer dogs with experience of searching for people in jungle areas had been flown to the area to join in the search.

Elite police units are using helicopters and planes equipped with heat-seeking cameras to fly over the forest.

They have also dropped leaflets with a photo of Luis Manuel Díaz and the offer of a 200m-peso reward ($50,000; £40,000) for information on Luis Manuel Díaz’s whereabouts.

On Monday, police said that they had identified a number of individuals “linked to the kidnapping” but did not say who they were.

They have, however, said that he appears to have been seized by a criminal gang rather than a guerrilla group.

There are a number of gangs which engage in smuggling, extortion and people-trafficking on both sides of the porous border.

Credit:The Nation Newspaper.

Military rules out coup in Nigeria, says Armed forces dedicated to democracy.

Military rules out coup in Nigeria, says Armed forces dedicated to democracy.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Gwarbin Musa, has assured that the coup sweeping across neighbouring West African countries will not happen in Nigeria.

Musa said that the military remained committed and dedicated to securing and protecting democracy in the country and would not allow anti-democratic forces.

He further commended President Bola  Tinubu for all his support to the military saying they would continue to be dedicated in doing their job.

Musa spoke in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday, November 1, during his visit to the troops of 6 Division Nigerian Army and other military formations in the state.

The CDS, who was accompanied by senior military officers, inaugurated many projects such as the 47 Engineering Brigade Counter Improvised Explosives Device Squadron,  29 Battalion Magazine, two streets named after him among others constructed by the Commander 6 Divison, Maj.- Gen. Jamal Abdulsalam.

Musa, who planted a tree at the Bori Camp headquarters of the division, insisted that the military would continue to protect the integrity of the country and to defend her citizens.

He said: “I am in Port Harcourt to visit the troops to see how they are doing, interact with them and to commend them for job well done and to encourage them to continue to do more. 

“We know we have a number of challenges within the country and Rivers State is not excluded. It is just a way to tell them that we are together and to hear directly from them.

“We want to thank the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for all the support he has given to the armed forces and security forces and to assure him that we are dedicated and committed in doing our job. 

“We are here to protect the integrity of Nigeria. I actually came around starting from Imo State, we went to Bayelsa and now I am in Rivers State to try to encourage the troops to continue to do more and remain professional”.

Musa said the coups happening in countries around Nigeria had caused some apprehension but insisted that there was nothing to worry about.

He said: “I want Nigeria to be assured that the armed forces of Nigeria is here for them to protect them and to protect democracy and ensure that democracy thrives. They should have no fear. We have had a number of coups in countries around Nigeria, we have Burkina Faso, Mali and and Niger.

“I know that is a lot of apprehensions. I want to assure everyone that the Arm Forces of Nigeria is dedicated and committed in ensuring and securing and supporting and standing by democracy. We stand by democracy. 

“You saw that ECOWAS was very decisive on the decision taken against the coup plotters and we want to assure Nigerians that nothing like coup is going to take place in Nigeria. All members of the Armed Forces are pleased with democracy and we will continue to defend democracy”.

Musa warned criminals, oil thieves and pipeline vandals to desist from their nefarious activities saying the President had increased the capacity of the military to deal with them.

He said the military would leverage on technology to deal with the challenges to ensure peace and increased crude oil production.

He said: “The President has equally approved some funds for us to buy enablers to assist us in fighting this menace of crude oil theft, criminality and we are going to leverage a lot on technology. That will give us a lot of leverage and we want to appeal to those criminals doing those things that we are coming after them but it is good and wise for them to stop. 

“The military is dedicated and committed in ensuring that we restore peace. We want the crude production in Nigeria to grow so that Nigeria can enjoy the dividends of democracy”.

Speaking on off-season elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states, the CDS said the military would not tolerate any form of intimidation, violence and stealing of ballot boxes saying that such era was gone with the new regime.

He said: “On the issue of election, you know three states will be having off-season elections. We are ensuring of providing adequate security. We want the elections to be credible, free and fair to enable every voter come out without being scared or being intimidated by anyone. 

“We are warning all those that are used to doing it the old ways of using violence to intimidate people, stealing ballot boxes that those days are gone. This is a new regime that we must stop. 

“Anybody that is caught trying to intimidate anybody or cause any mayhem in any of the three states will have himself to blame. And this we assure Nigerians.”

Credit:The Nation Newspaper.

𝟣𝟥 𝖦olden 𝖠ctors 𝖮f 𝖸oruba 𝖭ollywood: A Comprehensive History of Nollywood.

𝟣𝟥 𝖦olden 𝖠ctors 𝖮f 𝖸oruba 𝖭ollywood: A Comprehensive History of Nollywood. 

The term 'Nollywood' was coined by the New York Times journalist Norimitsu Onishi in 2002 when he observed film-making activity in Lagos, Nigeria. The term mirrors two of the most famous areas of film production: Hollywood in the US, and Bollywood in India's Bombay.

The creation of Nollywood started in the 1960s. It was when the first Nollywood movies were being created by historical filmmakers such as Ola Balogun, Hubert Ogunde, Jab Adu, Moses Olayia and Eddie Ugboma. ("History,”) They are considered the first generation of Nigerian filmmakers.

These pioneers started the Nigerian movie industry in a country full of citizens that looked to Hollywood for their entertainment. According to Britannica.com, Hubert Ogunde was a pioneer in the field of Nigerian folk opera. He created the Ogunde Concert Party also known as Ogunde Theatre in 1945. It was the first professional theatrical company in the nation. Because of his contribution to the creation of the Nigerian film industry, he is often hailed as the father of Nigerian theatre (Sheffer, Setia & Tikkanen).

'Nollywood' as we know it today, wasn't always called that. The Nigerian movie scene started with "The Golden age Era" which was the time period between 1950s to late 80s when theatre, stage plays and performance troupes that were mobile dominated the scene. According to the facts, productions from Western Nigeria were the major force propelling the acting industry in this time period. The earliest and most famous Nigerian thespians of then were largely Yoruba people including people like; Moses Olaiya, Jab Adu (Joseph Biodun Babajide), Isola Ogunsola, Ladi Ladebo, Sanya Dosumu and Hubert Ogunde who transitioned into the big screen. It is no mistake that Hubert Ògúndé is regarded as the father of theatre and performance arts in Nigeria.

Latola Films, which started the production of motion pictures since 1962, has often been noted as the earliest Nigerian indigenous film production company in Nigeria. Television broadcasting in Nigeria began in 1959 spear headed by the Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) Ibadan, which made it a point to broadcast the theatre and productions of the early pioneers into the homes of the denizens of Western Nigeria.

The Yoruba movie industry, a genre within Nollywood, has a rich history dating back to the mid-1960s when actors from various Yoruba traveling theatre groups ventured into movie production using Celluloid format. Over the years, this industry has thrived and given rise to exceptional actors who have contributed significantly to its growth. Among them, these thirteen actors stand out:

1. Lere Paimo (Eda Onile ola)

Born on November 19, 1939, in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Lere Paimo is a versatile Nigerian film actor, filmmaker, producer, and director. His career began in 1960 when he joined the Oyin Adejobi theatre group, eventually making a name for himself in the epic Yoruba film "Ogbori Elemosho." His contributions earned him a National award of Member of the Federal Republic in 2005.

2. Peter Fatomilola

Born on January 16, 1946, in Ifisin-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Peter Fatomilola is not only an actor but also a scholar. He joined the Olokun Theatre group and later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts from Obafemi Awolowo University. His role as Papa Ajasco in a comedy film propelled his fame, and he has featured in several notable Nigerian films.

3. Kareem Adepoju ("Baba Wande")

Popularly known as "Baba Wande," Kareem Adepoju is celebrated for his role as "Oloye Otun" in the 1993 film "Ti Oluwa Ni Ileu." His filmography includes movies like "Oluweri Magboojo," "Arugba," and "Anikulapo."

4. Ebun Oloyede ("Igwe Olaiya")

Lukmon Ebun Oloyede, known as "Igwe Olaiya," is renowned for his comedic roles in Yoruba movies. He started his career as a TV personality at the Nigerian Television Authority and transitioned to acting in stage plays and eventually home videos, becoming one of the industry's top actors.

5. Kayode Olaiya (Aderupoko)

Kayode Olaiya, a veteran Nigerian actor born on April 12, 1949, gained fame in Yoruba indigenous language films. He's known for movies like "Saworoide," "Agogo Eewo," and "The Figurine."

6. Adebayo Salami ("Oga Bello")

Born on May 9, 1952, Adebayo Salami's acting journey began in 1964 with the Young Concert Party. He later joined the Ojo Ladipo Theatre Group and Awada Kerikeri Theatre Group. His role in the first Yoruba film, "Ajani Ogun," marked a significant milestone in his career. Salami has produced, directed, and acted in numerous Yoruba movies.

7. Yinka Quadri

Yinka Quadri, born on September 6, 1959, started his acting career in 1976 with the Afopina Theatre Group. He's known for his roles in movies like "Apaadi," "Olaniyonu," and "Ojiji."

8. Jide Kosoko

Prince Jide Kosoko, born on January 12, 1954, studied business administration at Yaba College of Technology before venturing into acting as a child actor in 1964. He's acted in both English and Yoruba movies and produced his films.

9. Taiwo Hassan ("Ogogo")

Born on October 31, 1959, Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as "Ogogo," began his acting career in 1981. He's celebrated for roles in movies like "Omin" and "Bolode o'ku" and has received numerous awards.

10. Sunday Omobolanle ("Papi Luwe")

Sunday Omobolanle, also known as "Papi Luwe," is a Nigerian comic actor, playwright, director, and producer. He's known for movies like "Adun Ewuro" and "Konkobilo."

11. Charles Olumo ("Agbako")

Charles Olumo, a veteran actor, is famous for his iconic 'bad man' roles in Yoruba movies. He began his acting career in 1953, recently clocked 100yrs.

12. Kola Oyewo

Kola Oyewo, born on March 27, 1946, is a veteran actor, dramatist, and scholar. He's known for roles in movies like "Sango" and "The Gods Are Not To Blame" and has a strong academic background in drama.

13. Yemi Elebuibon

Yemi Elebuibon, born in 1947, is a multi-talented writer, poet, author, linguist, and a renowned Ifa priest. He's dedicated to preserving Yoruba culture and heritage through plays, films, and academic contributions.

These actors have left indelible marks on the Yoruba Nollywood industry, contributing to its growth and cultural preservation.

RESEARCHER:

COMR. OLAMIDE AKINWUMI JAMES, AKINWUMIOLAMIDE09@GMAIL.COM 09068215955.

EFCC Conducts Raid on OAU Off-Campus Hostels, Arrests Several Students.

EFCC Conducts Raid on OAU Off-Campus Hostels, Arrests Several Students.

Several students have been arrested after operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Osun raided off-campus hostels of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

The raid, multiple sources confirmed, occurred at the Fine Touch and Superb hostels in Oduduwa Estate, Ile-Ife.

Several individuals purportedly numbering up to 70 were arrested as suspects of fraud-related offences.

One source, a student who spoke to TheCable, said EFCC stormed the off-campus area at around 1 am on Wednesday.

The source who craved anonymity for this story said the officials broke into the hostels with hammers.

“They entered our rooms bearing torchlights and started beating the students,” the source said.

“They came to mine but didn’t enter. I was scared when they knocked, so I didn’t answer the door. They went to the next room.

“They had EFCC jackets on and drove in with government-registered vehicles. They were armed with guns.

“This is Nigeria. I stay at Fine Touch Hostel. If the EFCC arrested me, I might have had to start worrying about paying a fine into the millions, whether or not I committed an offence. And I am only a 100-level student.”

EFCC RESPONDS:

Dele Oyewale, spokesperson of the EFCC, said that 69 internet fraud suspects were arrested in the area.

Oyewale said operatives from the commission’s Ibadan zonal command acted on intelligence that the suspects were involved in internet crime.

“Credible intelligence linked Oduduwa Estate with suspected internet fraud,” Oyewale said.

“Items recovered include exotic cars, 190 mobile phones and 40 laptops among others.

“The suspects have made useful statements to the EFCC and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”

Adeolu Odedire, the dean of student affairs at OAU, said that the university management is still undertaking an investigation to determine how many of the arrested individuals are students of the institution.

“We don’t have sufficient information to release yet,” the dean said.

“We’re still monitoring the issue. We’re trying to gather intel to know exactly what transpired. We have our people on the ground.

“The raid happened outside the university premises and that’s why it’s difficult to gather information.

“We know some of them are our students. But we need to confirm that all those involved are really our students.”