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“Don’t do anything to my baby you are carrying” – AY Makun tells BBNaija’s Alex amid pregnancy claims
AFOLABI
Comedian AY Makun has finally addressed the swirling rumors that he is expecting a child with BBNaija ex-housemte Alex Unusual, setting the internet ablaze.
The rumors, which spread like wildfire, alleged that AY and Alex were having an affair and that she was pregnant with his child. These claims surfaced shortly after AY and his wife, Mabel Makun, publicly came out clean their marital issues.
Following an extended break from social media, Alex Unusual broke her silence in a compelling video posted on her page.
Although she didn’t directly confront the rumors, her response was anything but subtle. In a clever and sophisticated manner, Alex indirectly dismissed the allegations, underscoring the importance of facts over fiction.
The BBNaija star went a step further by reciting Nigeria’s cybersecurity laws, reminding everyone of the legal repercussions of spreading false information online.
In a swift and unexpected move, AY Makun ignited a social media storm by dropping a bombshell comment on Alex Unusual’s post.
He cheekily instructed Alex to take good care of “his baby” she was rumored to be carrying, alluding to the swirling rumors. Adding a razor-sharp edge to his remark, he mentioned that they must entertain the idle minds concocting these fabrications online.
Ay wrote;
“Above all. Please don’t do anything to my baby that you are carrying. We must entertain all the jobless people on social media”
SEE SCREENSHOT BELOW
This comes in the wake of an unconfirmed report by gossip blog Gistlover, alleging that Alex Unusual was carrying AY Makun’s baby, had a miscarriage, and then became pregnant again.
A Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba, Lagos State, has adjourned the child custody proceedings between Queen Mercy Oyekanmi and Promise Anagbogu, aka Lord Lamba, to July 18 for hearing.
This comes after the skitmaker allegedly failed to show up in court on Thursday, May 23.
It was gathered that his lawyer, who was also absent, sent a representative, who told the court she had no idea why the skitmaker was a no-show.
According to a source:
“Today was the court hearing and Queen was there but her baby daddy didn’t show up. His lawyer didn’t come; instead, he sent his assistant to represent him. Because he didn’t appear in court, his lawyer requested a new date, so it was adjourned to 18th of July for hearing.”
It was earlier alleged that Lord Lamba filed a child custody petition without giving Queen Mercy Atang’s notice.
Allegedly, the matter had been presided upon twice, without Queen Mercy Atang’s knowledge. Upon investigation by her Lawyers, Queen Mercy Atang was made aware of the court date, and Lord Lamba didn’t show up.
The drama between Lord Lamba and Queen Mercy Atang first unfolded, when she made the news of her engagement public.
Shortly after Queen Mercy Atang’s engagement announcement, Lord Lamba posted pictures of himself and their daughter on Instagram, for the first time ever since she was born in 2022.
Lord Lamba’s post raised a lot of brows, with netizens calling him out for being jealous over Queen Mercy Atang’s engagement.
After he made the post featuring his daughter, Queen Mercy Atang posted a skit featuring herself and Nasty Blaq. The storyline of the skit looked similar to her current situation, and this left netizens baffled.
The drama with Lord Lamba didn’t stop Queen Mercy Atang from marrying her U.K based husband. It was a huge hit in the media, and it had a lot of coverage on social media.
During her wedding, a lot of BBNaija alums showed up and supported her. It was a glamorous all-white event that featured a lot of reality television stars.
The huge show out during her wedding proved just how much influence Queen Mercy Atang held in her hands.
Despite the fact that she’s influential, the drama with Lord Lamba is one of her first and only public spats. Queen Mercy Atang has maintained a low profile that has kept her out of trouble.
Grammy award-winning singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has revealed the reason behind the delayed release of her debut album.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Tems shared that a “serious illness” caused her to postpone the scheduled release of her debut album in 2021.
According to her, the illness led to her undergoing surgery and six months of recovery, forcing her to put her album on hold.
Instead of her debut album, Tems stated that she decided to release her sophomore extended play, ‘If Orange Was a Place’.
She revealed that during her recovery journey, she found inspiration for her new music, describing it as a reflection of embracing life as a warrior.
Tems said:
“Being a warrior is about not giving up,” she said. “Even if they cut your leg, you walk on your knees, you fight on your knees using what you have — and that’s good enough.”
Tems’ much-anticipated debut album, ‘Born In The Wild’, is set to drop on June 7.
In addition to her album release, Tems will also kick off her first headline world tour in June.
In another story, South African singer, Tyla reveals how Tems opened doors of global recognition for African female artists.
In a recent interview with Kiss Fresh UK, Tyla confessed that collaborating with Tems on her debut album was an absolute delight, citing Tems’ extraordinary talent and great energy.
According to Tyla, Collaborating with Tems was an incredible experience, noting that her talent knows no bounds.
She said:
“Working with Tems is amazing. She is so talented. She is literally a force. I’m so honoured to have worked with her. She has opened so many doors for us (young African female artists).”
Tyla and Tems joined forces on the hit single “Number 1” from Tyla’s self-titled debut album, released earlier this month.
Tyla gushed about their collaboration, saying, “We made such a beautiful song with such a beautiful message. It is a song for the girls and it is made by the girls.”
Nollywood actress, Angela Okorie has once again voiced her discontent, this time targeting actresses involved in amorous relationships with married men.
Through a series of Instagram story posts, she hinted at revealing names of actresses who sleep with married men and still have the guts to drop comments on their wives’ pages.
Angela, who has faced criticism for her outspoken nature, stated that she’s often misunderstood and unfairly maligned.
She urged her followers to be patient as she prepares to expose the truth and dismantle what she describes as the “stronghold of the devil.”
Having previously criticized fellow actors, Zubby Michael and Mercy Johnson, Angela claimed she possesses substantial evidence against them and others.
She confidently asserted that they cannot challenge her due to the proof she holds.
In her words:
“All this actresses self una Dey sleep with people husbands still Dey comment for the wife page. I don’t know how y’all do it but realness no go gree me live that kind life kaiii. I Dey come first I won go chop basmati rice first.
“Y’all might think I like trouble but this muderfu*kers been given me bad name for a long time,evil, atrocities,hate, Lies Have been done unto me. So this period make una manage me cos I am ready to pull down every strong holds of the devil
“Zubby no fit deny anything or mercy J Proof yakpa I no kuku send anybody. Their left yansh their nonsense people.”
Refer to her posts below:
Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi of Kano has expressed his revulsion at the abject lack of developmental goals, foresight and nationalistic consciousness among Nigerian politicians.
He noted that the leaders have become a thing of a curse to Nigerians seeing how they can’t harness the rich extractable minerals Nigeria is endowed with by nature for the betterment of the people.
Sanusi expressed his dissatisfaction with the troubling and parlous State of the nation and the uninspiring mentality of Nigerian politicians when he spoke at the 2024 Rivers State Economic Summit.
He explained that human capacity development is key to Nigeria’s economic development, noting that the country’s crude oil is not a curse but the leaders are.
Anti-Graft Group Criticizes EFCC, ICPC for Ignoring South South Ex-Governors’ Petitions
According to him, to achieve development, it is necessary to recognise the need to take some specific steps that transcends natural resources to diversify and institutionalise the foundation of the economic framework.
Sanusi said Nigeria could not depend solely on oil to grow its economy and ensure its prosperity.
“I have said it over again: if we are to take all the oil in Nigeria, sell it and share the money among all Nigerians, we will be a lower-income country. So, oil is a resource but not enough to make us a wealthy country,” he said. “Japan and Singapore do not have any minerals, neither do Germany, Australia, or Rwanda, just to mention a few examples. By no means can anybody compare the standard of living and life expectancy of any other developed benchmark in these countries to that of Nigeria.”
Sanusi added, “In spite of having an abundance of mineral resources, countries like Russia, the UAE, and Norway, among others, have developed not only by those resources given to them by nature or providence but successful and deliberate vision to diversify through the quality of their governance institutions and people.
“Resources can be a blessing, and resources can be a curse. The choice is left to the leaders. Oil is not a curse. The curse is the leader. We have the choice to make it a curse or a blessing. The choice that you made is yours.”
According to Sanusi, human capital and good governance are why countries with complex characteristics, such as India, Brazil, China and the U.S. have developed through innovation, intellectual property, education and strong public institutions.
Sanusi said Nigeria must invest in renewable energy.
“This is to ensure sustainable and reliable energy sources driving industrial growth, especially with the current electricity act that empowers states to generate and distribute electricity,” Mr Sanusi said
Chief Olabode George, the former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed deep concerns about the state of Nigeria, stating that the country’s fortunes plummeted under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
George, noting that one year is too short to evaluate President Bola Tinubu’s administration, urged the President to communicate the nation’s true status transparently. Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999, George criticized successive governments for failing to address the country’s issues.
“This crisis became complicated between 2015 and 2023 during the administration of my oga President Muhammadu Buhari. The Nigerian state almost collapsed because many Nigerians will agree that that eight-year era was probably the worst in Nigerian history since 1960 when we got our independence,” he emphasized.
George expressed dissatisfaction with those blaming the current administration for the nation’s woes, arguing that one year is insufficient to judge Tinubu’s performance.
“Pitiably, some Nigerians have resorted to a blame game. We must be careful in this country because Nigeria is not for any individual, group, or region. Nigeria belongs to everybody. It is through cooperation and unanimity of purpose that we can lift the country up. They are now blaming the Bola Tinubu administration, which has spent about one year in office,” he said.
However, he called on Tinubu to revamp his economic team, citing the deteriorating standard of living due to high living costs.
“Tinubu should also come out and tell Nigerians the true position of things in the country. This is not the time to play party or regional politics. Nigerians have suffered enough, and they want fast results. Nigerians are also saying loud and clear that the skewed political power structure constitutes a huge hindrance to national development,” he added.
George stressed the need for true federalism, arguing that the concentration of political power hinders national progress and stifles individual state growth and development.
“This is the time to listen to the voice of reason because real progress lies in true federalism and good governance. We have been operating this constitution since 1999, which has taken us nowhere. It is only a fool who will be doing the same thing repeatedly and expect a different result,” he concluded.
In an assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office, a one-time member of the House of Representatives and elder statesman, Dr Usman Bugaje, accused the administration of lack of progress in addressing the nation’s pressing issues.
During an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Bugaje was asked about the government’s decision to mark Tinubu’s first year in office with a low-key approach, without any fanfare.
In his response, Bugaje said, “Well, as Citizens and as people who have been in government, clearly the last one year has been a tragedy, simple. There is not one problem they have been able to solve, so I cannot see any other than low-key.”
Bugaje attributed the low-key approach to the administration’s recognition of the public’s frustration and anger.
“I mean, I give them the sense that they are feeling the pressure, they can see the faces of Nigerians and so perhaps they trying to see how can they assuage this anger because the people are angry,” he said.
Expressing concern over the government’s inability to address the country’s challenges, Bugaje stated, “Since this Administration came one year ago, I’ve not seen one problem that they have solved. If anything, the policies they started with have created far more problems than they found, and in this one year, they are clearly groping in the dark without very clear [direction].”
Bugaje emphasised the need for the administration to seek help from experienced individuals, regardless of their political affiliations.
“This is the time really to admit and to then seek help from those who know, and Nigeria is full of people with the experience with the expertise, they may not be in your party, they may not even be in politics, but this is the way many countries have been able to get out of the problem they have found themselves,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of measurable metrics in evaluating governance, Bugaje expressed disappointment and accused the government of a lack of a baseline established.
“We as a nation should have by now developed metrics for evaluating governance. In the academic cycle, there are, and there are statistics. Every government should have come up with a baseline. After one year, they will be able to say scientifically this is the production in terms of Agriculture, what we found in 2023, and this last season we have improved by a number of metric tons. In the field of security, these are the figures we would have improved.”
Bugaje cited the recent kidnapping of 20 people in Dawaki, an estate in Abuja, as a reminder of the deteriorating security situation in the country’s capital, questioning the government’s ability to ensure the safety of its citizens.
“So my point is really what I’ve had so far are empty rhetorics that have not spoken to the problems on the ground,” Bugaje noted.
He further called for tangible solutions and a willingness from the government to seek assistance from experienced individuals outside the government’s circles.
On Tuesday, about 20 residents of Dawaki, a community near Kubwa in the Federal Capital Territory, were kidnapped.
The attackers were said to have raided houses on Frank Opara Street before security operatives responded to distress calls.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, has declared that ‘exploitative’ hikes in the prices of commodities are illegal in Nigeria, reiterating its commitment to protecting consumer rights and maintaining fair market practices.
This is as the Commission also launched an investigation into the recent hikes in the prices of commodities in Bauch State with a view to identify and address unfair practices affecting consumers.
Speaking at a market survey at the Muda Lawal Market, the Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr Adamu Abdullahi, said a survey carried out in market places showed that the food chain and distribution sector, including wholesalers and retailers, are allegedly engaged in conspiracy, price gouging, hoarding and other unfair tactics.
He condemned the acts, adding that the development has contributed to a rise in the cost of living.
“We are engaging market associations, traders and customers so we can know the factors affecting the prices of goods. At the end, we will address uncompetitive and make recommendations to the Federal Government,” he said.
Abdullahi, who was represented by the FCCPC coordinator for North East Zone, Dauda Waja Ahmadu, added that “FCCPC’s surveillance efforts suggest participants in the food chain and distribution sector including wholesalers and retailers are allegedly engaged in conspiracy, price gouging, hoarding and other unfair tactics to restrict or distort competition in the market, restrict the supply of food, manipulate and inflate the price of food in an indiscriminate manner. These obnoxious, unscrupulous, exploitative practices are illegal under the FCCPA.”
According to him, FCCPC has been engaging in fact-finding interactions with traders’ associations and marketers to ascertain factors responsible for the continuous hike in food prices.
He stated further that the fact-finding inquiry is an investigative mission to gather information directly from the sources and stakeholders in major markets, particularly executives, market unions, sellers and consumers.
“The Commission’s priority remains to unlock the markets and address key consumer protection and competition issues affecting the prices of commodities in the food sector,” he said.
He said after the market survey, the Commission would develop “a concise report of its inquiry and make recommendations to the government in accordance with Section 17(b) of the FCCPA and initiate broad based policies and review economic activities in Nigeria to identify and address anti-competitive, anti-consumer protection and restrictive practices to make markets more competitive while also ensuring fair pricing for consumers.”
Meanwhile, traders at the Muda Lawal Market have attributed the recent hike in commodity prices to their suppliers, pointing to increased wholesale costs as the primary cause.
The 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Thursday, said a lot of first class graduates can’t get a job because they lack the right skills.
Sanusi recalled telling Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State that he has hundreds of Curriculum Vitae, CVs, of first class students who lack requisite skills.
He spoke at the ongoing Rivers Economic and Investment Summit in Port Harcourt, on Thursday.
According to Sanusi: “The key to economic development is human capital. Investing in people is paramount. Rivers State needs robust education and skills training programmes that essentially aim to prepare youths to be the future for us.
“I was speaking to the governor today, telling him that I’m sure he, as I do, and all of us, have hundreds of CVs of young people who have first class degrees.
“Unfortunately, they cannot do anything to get a formal job because they have not been equipped with the right skills for this economy.”
The just reinstated Emir of Kano applauded the governor for seeking to chart a new path for growth and prosperity in the state.
Sanusi said as an oil-rich state, the natural resource was not enough to turn the fortunes of Rivers around but such a feat could be achieved through purposeful leadership.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, on Thursday, announced scholarships and gave various gift items to 100 orphaned girls in Niger State, ahead of their mass wedding today (Friday).
The mass wedding is being sponsored by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji.
The minister had kicked against the mass wedding of the young girls, saying it was a violation of the Child Rights Act.
Kennedy-Ohanenye, who addressed a press conference in Abuja, noted that she had petitioned the Inspector General of Police to stop the wedding, adding that she also filed a lawsuit, seeking an injunction to restrain the Speaker from going ahead with the mass wedding.
In response, the Speaker lambasted the minister for dabbling into a religious and cultural issue she did not understand.
He said the minister acted without first making any effort to understand the circumstances that confronted the girls, which made it necessary for their weddings to be sponsored.
The Speaker also received the backing of the Niger State Council of Imams and the Muslim Rights Concern, which both warned the minister to steer clear of the mass wedding, which they insisted must go on as scheduled.
Ahead of the mass wedding, the minister, represented by her Special Assistant on Private Sector, Adaji Usman, was in Niger to announce scholarships for the girls and to also give them other items, such as wrappers and foodstuffs.
The items were given out to the 100 young girls at the palace of the Emir of Kontagora, Mohammed Muazu.
The minister, through Usman, presented 10 Point of Sale machines, 100 wrappers and 350 bags of 10kg bags of rice.
She announced a scholarship to university level for any of the girls who wish to go to school.
Also, the Emir of Kontagora announced the donation of a sewing machine to each of the girls.
Kennedy-Ohanenye also directed that bank accounts be opened for all the 100 intending brides where a stipend will be sent to them for the next six months to enable them to settle down in their husband’s houses
She blamed the media for escalating the initial controversy surrounding the marriage of the 100 orphans, saying “I did not intend to stop the marriage but to be sure if the girls are of marriageable age and were not being forced into it.
“Every parent will want to marry out her wards if they attain the right age for marriage. The initial opposition to the planned marriage was misunderstood, hence the media war between my office and the Speaker’s.”
While thanking the Speaker for the way the issue was handled, the minister promised that the girls would be closely monitored in their various husband’s houses so that the objectives of the empowerment scheme would not be defeated.
In his remarks, the Speaker said it was regrettable that this intention to support the marriage of the 100 girls was politicised.
He said, “It was pure politics from my constituency. They misinformed the minister that I am playing politics with the lives of the children by forcing them into marriage.
“And the minister, because of her passion for women and the girl child, quickly waded into the matter even though she could not find out the true position of things and the media began to amplify the whole matter.
“But thank God today I have been vindicated. The minister and the whole world have seen that these girls are of marriageable age and nobody is forcing them into it. It is being done with their consent.
“I decided to support the marriage out of genuine concern for these girls, the majority of whom are orphans as a result of the insecurity in my constituency. It was with a pure heart.
“I equally commend the minister for this empowerment scheme for the girls; she has shown that she is a mother and really meant well for the girl child in this country.”
In his remarks, the Emir thanked God for the peaceful resolution of the matter.
He disclosed that all the necessary medical tests, including HIV/AIDS, genotype, Hepatitis B and pregnancy tests, were conducted and the results were handed over to the representatives of the minister.
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A former Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George has asked President Bola Tinubu to disclose to Nigerians the true position of Nigeria’s economy.
He insisted that the problems plaguing the country is huge and there is a need to address the situation.
The elder statesman said this while assessing Tinubu’s one year on office.
Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, George urged Nigerians to give Tinubu more time as one year is not enough to give a comprehensive assessment of his administration.
He noted that Tinubu may not be totally held accountable for the crisis in the country, adding that the situation in the country has been brewing between 2015 and 2023 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He noted that the Nigerian state almost collapsed because the eight-year era was probably the worst in Nigerian history since 1960.
According to him, “We can still give the excuse that he had only done one year out of the four years hoping that he is learning from the mistakes of the past. We’ve got to be fair to ourselves. He needs to learn the ropes. Anywhere in the world that first year is used for understanding the system. The President alone cannot do everything. It looks just like yesterday. I don’t want to start firing arrows against him. By this time next year he would have done two years. You heard what he said two days ago, he told his ministers to go and give their scorecards. It is not a 100 meters dash race
“This crisis became complicated between 2015 and 2023 during the administration of my oga President Muhammadu Buhari
“The Nigerian state almost collapsed because many Nigerians will agree that that eight-year era was probably the worst in Nigerian history since 1960 when we got our independence. It was as if nobody was in charge of the country.
“Everything promised before the 2015 general elections was observed in the breach by the Buhari administration.
“Despite that calamity, it is a pity that some Nigerians have come out to defend that administration, which ruled Nigeria for eight years.
“They’re now blaming the Bola Tinubu administration which has spent about one year in office. Government administration is not a hundred-meter dash race. We’ll advise and condemn so that in a year’s time, we can assess the methodology and performance of the Government.
“Pitiably, some Nigerians have resorted to a blame game. Let me advise that we have to be careful in this country because Nigeria is not for any individual, group or region.
“Nigeria belongs to everybody. It’s through cooperation and unanimity of purpose that we can lift the country up. Tinubu should also come out and tell Nigerians the true position of things in the country. This is not the time to play party or regional politics. Nigerians have suffered enough and they want fast results.”
Final-Year Student Took Her Life Over Repeated Course Failure In Ebonyi State University - Mother Blames Lecturer
AFOLABI
Controversy has surrounded the death of a final-year student of the Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, identified as Favour Ugwuka, on Wednesday night.
Our correspondent gathered that Ugwuka took her life in her hostel at the Ishieke Campus of the school in Abakaliki.
Further investigations revealed that the deceased, a final year student in the Department of English, passed all her courses but repeatedly failed a particular course, whose lecturer was said to have vowed she would never pass.
It was learnt that the late Ugwuka went into depression after several attempts to pass the said course and was frequently seen on the campus wandering alone until she decided to take her life on Wednesday night.
In a video seen online by our correspondent, a woman said to be the deceased’s mother blamed a lecturer for making her daughter commit suicide.
According to the woman, who was seen lamenting in the video, “The lecturer said he is the best, that nobody can teach like him. He should come and carry my daughter who has committed suicide.”
Also, a graduate of the institution who identified himself as Rex Nwome claimed that the girl committed suicide because she had been failing a particular course repeatedly.
He said, “Favour was my classmate and a best friend to me in the English Department. The above-mentioned lecturer did vow never to allow Favour to graduate.
“You could imagine where she later passed all the courses except that lecturer’s that, she had to pay another extra year tuition fee to rewrite.
“Unfortunately the man failed her again. What resulted in this intense depression is the latest NYSC names that were recently shortlisted, and her name wasn’t there.”
He added, “The girl suffered a lot of depression because she was only left wandering about the EBSU seeking help. She was very desperate to graduate and serve. This and many more of the disgusting stories resulted in this suicide mission.
“I wish she didn’t go this far to end her life. R. I. P. Ugwuka Favour till we meet to part no more.”
The Ebonyi State Police Command confirmed the incident on Thursday.
The command’s spokesman, DSP Joshua Ukandu, told our correspondent that the matter was reported to the headquarters.
He said, “Yes, the command received the report of a suicide by a female student.”
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to get the reaction of the university proved abortive.
The decision of the Governor of Kano state, Abba Kabir to splash N2.6 billion on exotic sports utility vehicles (SUVs) for members of the state Assembly leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Coming at a time when the citizens are barely able to eke out a living as result of the hard times speaks volumes about the insensitivity of the nation’s political leaders.
Only recently, the state Government confirmed that it has purchased 41 SUVs for members of the House of Assembly at a cost of N68 million each amounting to a whooping N2.6 billion.
The governor’s Chief of Staff, Shehu Sagagi, was reported to have said the lawmakers deserved sound working vehicles. And the suffering citizens are asking for the real definition of sound working vehicle.
Must it be the one procured at a staggering N68 million at a time majority of the citizens are looking for what to eat?
In the opinion of this newspaper, purchasing such vehicles for the lawmakers at this critical time is sheer misplacement of priority and we wonder if the state government is fully aware of the current hardship that permeates the entire country including the most populous state and the north’s commercial nerve centre.
In a preamble to its 41-page Manifesto, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) states that “The care for human life and happiness, not their exploitation and extinction, is the first and only legitimate object of any good and innovative government Therefore, the worth of every state through its governments is the worth of her citizens”
Who could have imagined that the only state governed by the NNPP-Kano, with all its development challenges, will be so brazen as to accord priority to the luxurious cravings of the lawmakers at a time majority of the citizens are languishing in penury, bogged down by poverty, high cost of living and other hardships.
The fact that Kano state has almost one million children out-of-school who are roaming the street begging and being exposed to other cruelties of life is all it takes for one to understand how much of a misplaced priority Governor Abba Kabir’s vehicle purchase for lawmakers is.
According to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), there are 989,234 out of school children in Kano. Deprived of education, the state is trading away the future of these children. Yet the government is comfortable spending billions on vehicles for people who do not urgently need one.
And to imagine that this vehicle purchase is coming at a time the Kano state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) complained of critical systemic weaknesses within the healthcare system of the State. The NMA decried poor remuneration and welfare of health workers, as well as inadequate equipment and consumables in hospitals and noted that such has continued to impede quality healthcare delivery in the state.
We can only imagine the quantity of consumables N2.6 billion can buy for the state health sector. Or what the amount could do if channeled to the provision of potable water in the state that has a long history of acute water shortage.
It is on record that the state has not fully addressed the challenge of acute water scarcity which is taking a toll on some residents of Kano municipality where men, women and children trekking in search of water for their daily chores have became a common sight in recent times.
The most infantile excuse we have heard so far is that the latest purchase followed a familiar pattern as previous administrations did the same so it should not be condemned.
And to those bandying this vexatious reason, we like to humbly remind them that two wrongs have never made a right. When did the ruling NNPP in the state resolve to toe the path of the immediate past administration which, in our candid opinion, it rightly vilified?
Why should a government that vowed to address the challenges of development bedeviling the people be so reckless as to prioritise the welfare of an insignificant few over and above that of many? Tellingly, the argument that the vehicles would facilitate the lawmakers’ oversight functions is pedantic and bereft of common sense
Although the lawmakers, most of whom belong to the NNPP have taken possession of their vehicles, we like to remind them that their party’s manifesto is unambiguous in prioritizing the need to ensure “the care for human life and happiness, not their exploitation and extinction”.
Flaunting these vehicles at these critical times doesn’t pass the lawmakers out as people who care for the happiness of their constituents. It is not late. They can return it and ensure the money is used to make the people happy. Knowing the average Nigerian politician for who they are, greedy and selfish, this is asking for the moon.
ChatGPT maker, OpenAI has signed a deal valued at over $250 million with a media conglomerate, News Corp, to access content from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), The Sun, New York Post, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and other news outlets owned by News Corp.
According to a statement from the parties, New York-based media giant News Corp will provide OpenAI access to its news content. This will allow the chatbot to base its answers to users’ queries on reliable news sources.
The deal gives OpenAI access to current and archived content from News Corp’s major news and information publications, including Barron’s, MarketWatch, Investor’s Business Daily, FN, The Sunday Times; The Australian, news.com.au, The Courier Mail, The Advertiser, and Herald Sun; and others.
In addition to providing content, News Corp will share journalistic expertise to help ensure the highest journalism standards are present across OpenAI’s offering.
The deal’s value
While OpenAI’s statement was silent on the value of the deal, which came as the biggest for any AI company, The Wall Street Journal, which is one of the media under the conglomerate put the value at over $250 million.
“The deal could be worth more than $250 million over five years, including compensation in the form of cash and credits for use of OpenAI technology, according to people familiar with the situation,” the platform reported.
Commenting on the deal, the Chief Executive of News Corp., Robert Thomson, said the historic agreement will set new standards for veracity, for virtue and value in the digital age.
“We are delighted to have found principled partners in Sam Altman and his trusty, talented team who understand the commercial and social significance of journalists and journalism. This landmark accord is not an end, but the beginning of a beautiful friendship in which we are jointly committed to creating and delivering insight and integrity instantaneously.”
CEO of OpenAI, Sams Altman said the partnership with News Corp is a proud moment for journalism and technology.
“We greatly value News Corp’s history as a leader in reporting breaking news around the world, and are excited to enhance our users’ access to its high quality reporting. Together, we are setting the foundation for a future where AI deeply respects, enhances, and upholds the standards of world-class journalism,” he said.
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The media content deal signed by OpenAI came as the AI race heats up with players trying to take the lead. OpenAI’s main rival, Google, also recently announced some major updates to its LLM, Gemini recently as the former unveiled ChatGPT-4o. However, OpenAI seems to be ahead in terms of content deals with media platforms.
Earlier in April, the ChatGPT maker inked a similar deal with the UK’s Financial Times (FT) to allow the AI company to use its content to train AI models and collaborate on developing new AI products and features.
Before that, OpenAI had signed a content deal with German publisher, Axel Springer, the AP, Le Monde, and Prisa Media in France and Spain respectively.
Last December the New York Times had alleged that its copyrighted content was used by the AI giant to train models without a license. OpenAI disputed that. However, the latest deals with publishers are targeted at reducing the risks of further lawsuits from publishers.
[Nairametrics]