Birthday Shoutout to Olawale Stephen Obafemi

Beside me in the cover picture is the very first male friend i made in my University. This handsome looking young, focus, multi-talented Artist, Obafemi Stephen a.k.a K.O.C.  plus one today. 

I dedicate today to all the March born and especially to K.O.C .

I admire the person you have shown to be to me, your unique sense of humour, and your outstanding skills in music and drama. 

You are a star worth idolising... 

Kwam1 concert : Brymo, Mayorkun, others to storm Abuja

All is now set for the much talked about Kwam 1 musical concert scheduled to hold in the capital city of Abuja on Mach 22, 2018. 

Don Jazzy, D’Banj hint on Mo Hits reunion

The yearnings of Fans for a reunion by the defunct Mo Hits Squad, is gradually becoming a reality as Michael Collins and Dapo Oyebanjo a.k.a Don Jazzy and D’Banj respectively have publicly announced a `Reunion Tour.’

The duo made the announcement on their respective instagram handles. D’Banj, with over two million followers on instagram @iambangalee, stated: “@donjazzy Are they ready’’

Similarly, Don Jazzy, with about 3.9 million instagram followers in his characteristic responded on @donjazzy “@iambangalee How many states/countries should we give them?’’ However, the exact dates, venues or artists to perform during the tour were not mentioned in their different posts. 

Nevertheless, it is a welcome and cheering news for fans of Mo Hits Records, after members of the group went their separate ways in 2012. The group founded in 2004 dominated the Nigerian music scene between 2004 and 2012. The defunct Mo Hit Records artists first performance after the break up took place at the recent “Davido’s 30 Billion Music Concert’’ in December last year. 

The Squad had artists such as Don Jazzy, D’Banj, Dr Sid, Wande Coal, D’ Prince aka Omoba and K-Switch. After the break up, Don Jazzy went on to establish another record label known as Mavin Records (MR) and took along with him, D’ Prince, Dr Sid and Wande Coal. Later, the iconic producer and the Chief Executive Officer of MR went on to sign the likes of Tiwa Savage, Korede Bello, Di’Ja, Reekado Banks, Johnny Drille, Poe and the DNA Twins. D’Banj On the other hand, signed a record deal with American Kanye West’s “Good Music’’. 

He founded DB Record where he signed his younger brother, K-Switch alongside two producers Jaysleek and Deevee. The 38 year-old Kaduna-born artist also known as `Kokomaster’ later signed controversial Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh to the label. (NAN) CMY/EAL/EAL

Buhari sends ministers to confirm Lai Mohammed's information

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, Wednesday, dispatched three ministers to Dapchi to assess the true situation of events and come with updates on the development.

President Buhari’s action was as a result of the release of 91 out of the 110 abducted girls of Dapchi school in Yobe State by Boko Haram.

The ministers dispatched by President Buhari are the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Khadijat Bukar Abba (Foreign Affairs, State) and Abdulrahman Dambazzau, Interior. According to the Information Minister, Mohammed, 91 of the 110 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram on February 19 in Dapchi, Yobe State were released unconditionally in the early hours of this morning (Wednesday). 

Fielding questions from journalists in the State House, Abuja, he said contrary to initial information that 105 of the girls were released, it was actually 91 girls and a boy that were released by the insurgents. 

Mohammed said the girls were released by Boko Haram without any condition attached to it, pointing out that the release did not cost the government anything.

Minister suspended for slapping lawmaker in Zambia

Zambia’s parliament suspended a cabinet minister on Tuesday from its proceedings for one month for slapping a fellow lawmaker within parliament grounds. 

Nigerian lady surprises Pope as she tells him Catholics patronise prostitutes

Pope Francis, on Monday condemned the use of women across the world for prostitution.

He described the situation as “crime against humanity” and asked for forgiveness on behalf of Catholic men who patronize prostitutes.

The Christian leader said this while leading the Episcopal Ordination at Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

Blessing Okoedion, a 32-year-old Nigerian who was once a victim of sexual trafficking, had told the Pope she was troubled that many clients of prostitutes on the streets of Rome were Catholics.

“I ask myself and I ask you, is it possible for a Church that is still too male chauvinist to be able to question itself truthfully about this high demand by clients?” Reuters quoted her as asking.

Responding, Francis said, “I would like to take advantage of this moment to ask forgiveness from you (exploited women) and society for all the Catholics who carry out this criminal act”.

“I think of the disgust these girls must feel when men make them do these things”.

Francis added that sexual exploitation of women stemmed from a “sick mentality” embedded in many people.

“(It says) women are to be exploited in one way or another. And that is what explains this … it is a sickness of humanity, a sickness of looking at society in a certain way, a crime against humanity,” he said.

“Who does this is a criminal. This is not making love, this is torturing a woman. Let’s not confuse terms. This is criminal, a sick mentality”.

Prostitutes, most of them victims of human trafficking from Nigeria, other African countries and Eastern Europe, are found at night on the streets of Rome’s periphery and around parks.

2018 budget and fiscal nonchalance

BY now, most Nigerians may have lost confidence in Nigeria’s national budget and budgetary system. They believe the economy can trudge on irrespective of the budget, and that whatever results posted in the performance indicators could have happened with or without the budget.

In as much as this position may appear exaggerated, the reality is that the anticipated outcomes of the usually good fiscal plans get lost at the end of the fiscal year, and the economy remains under-performing despite huge amounts spent.

This is now the plight of the 2018 Appropriation Bill tabled before the National Assembly since November 7, 2017. The Bill is yet to be considered and if the due process of the passage into law is put in perspective, Nigeria may not have the 2018 budget in place (yet again) until June. This is the third consecutive budgetary crisis the country has faced since change of government in 2015. The problem has always been the political hangover of the disharmony in the ruling party, the frosty relationship between the Legislature and the Executive arms of government and also the shoddy jobs that have characterised the budgetary profile of the Federal Government. 

Last week’s order by President Buhari on the bureaucrats to respond to the Legislature’s summons to budget defence may have thrown a worrisome light on what has been the problem in the 2018 budget crisis, and perhaps, what has always been the problem. We draw attention to the claims early this month by Ben Akabueze, the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, to the effect that the problem was the intransigence of the National Assembly, alleging that the Ministries and the MDAs have all complied with the demands of the National Assembly. Nothing can be further from the truth going by the recent order of the President. We wonder why functionaries of the Executive arm would not be eager and prompt in answering to the demands of the Legislature in terms of clarifying issues bordering on their budgetary proposals. 

What do they have to hide or lose by appearing as summoned? The tragedy we are facing as a democracy now is a situation where the Appropriation Act no longer counts in economic and public finance actions of the government, where the executive arm may be spending without appropriation, and where the Appropriation Act may have become a mere ritual. This is an intolerable act of impunity. We, therefore, charge the National Assembly to go beyond the Appropriation Act enactment to beam the searchlight on the spending of the Executive arm to ensure compliance with the Appropriation Act and due process. We cannot condone nonchalance in the area of public finance and expect the nation’s economic troubles to be fixed.

Governor Abubakar Bello raises alarm over influx of illegal immigrants

GOVERNOR Abubakar Bello of Niger State has raised alarm over influx of illegal immigrants into the country and called on the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, to arrest the situation.

I service 4 men nightly, collect N1,000 per round — 17-yr-old sex worker

Emotions ran high yesterday at the Lagos State Police Command as some under-aged girls, who were allegedly lured from their villages by human trafficking agents, narrated how they ended up being prostitutes in a hotel at Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos.