Popular Nigerian rapper, Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike, also known as Phyno has stated that music is a jealous and tasking” career.

According to him juggling marriage and music together is incredibly difficult.

Sharing his thoughts on celebrities getting married, Phyno opined that most celebrities careers crash when they get married.

He stated this in a recent episode of the In ‘My Opinion’ podcast.

He said, “Check everybody, statistically, I feel so [most celebrities’ careers crash when they get married].

“Music basically is a jealous career. That’s why people drop out of school to face music. The ones that had to juggle the two, you have to give them kudos because it’s not easy. Sometimes, some people get to a certain fame level and rush back to school and come back to continue from where they stopped because you have to actually face one. Music is tasking; it takes all your time

“Another thing about music is that it is what you pass through that you put into it—life experiences—except if you use songwriters. But if you write your songs, you can’t be talking about happiness when you’ve got a girlfriend that’s stressing you.”

Famed Australian broadcaster and former Wallabies coach Alan Jones was charged Monday with a string of alleged historical sex crimes, police said, after an investigation into the conservative radio shock jock.

The 83-year-old is a household name across Australia and for years held immense sway through his top-rating radio talk show.

In a colourful career, he has also coached the national men’s rugby team, been a speechwriter for an Australian prime minister and taught at one of the country’s most prestigious schools.

Detectives from a dedicated child abuse squad arrested Jones on Monday while executing a search warrant at his luxury Sydney Harbour apartment.

He has been charged with 24 offences against eight alleged victims spanning between 2001 and 2019, New South Wales Police said.

This included 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault against people who had been employed by Jones.

Jones has strenuously denied prior allegations of indecent assault, which surfaced in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper late last year.

“We will allege that the accused knew some of them personally. Some of them professionally,” state crime commander Michael Fitzgerald told reporters.

The youngest victim was 17 years old at the time of the alleged offence, Fitzgerald said.

“I wish to commend the victims and their bravery in coming forward.

“They are fully aware, as are the investigators, that the hard work is just beginning.”

Whether as a sports coach, aspiring politician, or radio heavyweight, Jones has spent decades in the public eye.

He rose to fame while coaching the Australian rugby side in the 1980s, leading the Wallabies to a rare “grand slam” over England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.

His feats as a coach and administrator earned him a place in Australia’s Sports Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in 1989.

-‘Powerful, divisive’ –

However, Jones’ subsequent career as a radio talkback host cemented his influence in Australian public life.

At the height of his powers, politicians from both sides scrambled to stay friendly with Jones, who was right-leaning and had a hit radio show.

“Over 36 years, Alan Jones became one of the most powerful, divisive, and socially destructive voices the Australian media has ever produced,” academic Denis Muller wrote in 2021.

An Australian tribunal found that in 2005 Jones had incited hatred of Lebanese Australians, fuelling racially charged riots in Sydney.

He retired from his radio show in 2020.

Jones made several unsuccessful tilts throughout his career to win a seat in the Australian Parliament.

Thirteen Internet fraudsters have been sentenced to a combined 30 years in prison following their conviction by an Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City, the state capital.

PUNCH Metro gathered from a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Sunday, that the judgements were delivered in separate proceedings between November 11 and November 14, 2024.

The statement noted that the convicts were arrested and prosecuted for their involvement in cybercrime activities, including obtaining by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime, and possession of fraudulent documents, among others.

The EFCC identified the convicts as Evbayakha Daniel, Goodness Esiuke, Joshua Edobor, Omorodion Bright, Afisi Nurudeen, Oviabor Aisosa Wellington, and Evbayekha Desmond.

Others are Nosakhare Evbuomwan, Osemwengie Miracle, Osawe Kluvert, Wisdom Adolor, Onyebuchi Goodness, and Promise Omoru.

The statement continued, “They were prosecuted on one-count separate charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime, and possession of fraudulent documents by the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Commission.

“The charge against Evbayakha Daniel reads: That you, Daniel (m), on or about October 30, 2024, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did have in your possession documents which you knew or ought to have known contained false pretence, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 6 and 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

“All the defendants pleaded guilty to their charges when they were read to them, prompting the prosecution counsel, F.A Jirbo, K.Y. Bello, Isa K. Agwai, and Salihu Ahmed to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. However, counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that they have become remorseful for their actions.”

It added that upon their guilty plea, Justice A.N. Erhabor on November 11 convicted and sentenced Evbayakha Daniel, Goodness Esiuke, Joshua Edobor, Omorodion Bright, and Afisi Nurudeen, to two years imprisonment with an option of N200,000 fine each.

It continued, “On Wednesday, November 13, Justice Aziegbemhin convicted and sentenced Oviabor Aisosa Wellington and Evbayekha Desmond to three years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000.

“On Thursday, November 14, the quartet of Nosakhare Evbuomwan, Osemwengie Miracle, Osawe Kluvert, and Promise Omoru were convicted and sentenced by Justice Aziegbemhin to two years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 while the duo of Wisdom Adolor and Onyebuchi Goodness bagged three years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000.”

The statement concluded that the court ordered the forfeiture of exhibits retrieved from the convicts, which included “phones, laptops, and balances in their respective bank accounts to the Federal Government of Nigeria as proceeds of crime and to undertake in writing to be of good behaviour henceforth.”

A 22-year-old school teacher at the Blessed Peace School in Egbeda, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos state simply identified as Prosper has been arrested for allegedly s0d0mising a 10-year-old boy at the school.

It was gathered that before performing the crime, the suspect allegedly told the pupil to behave like a girl and take off his trousers after luring her to a solitary spot in the school.

Investigation by Punch also revealed that the suspect had enticed the survivor to the location on October 18, 2024, by claiming he intended to take him to a spelling bee and art competition where the survivor would earn millions of naira and possibly even travel abroad.

“The teacher r@ped the boy at the school, convincing him by saying he would be enrolled in an art competition where they would win a substantial amount of money,” an eyewitness narrated.

“He took the boy to a class and ordered him to act like a girl. He then told him to pull his trousers down and close his eyes. He p3netrated this boy and told him he should not tell anyone, assuring him that he would win the competition.”

A source familiar with the suspect’s arrest revealed that the suspect was apprehended on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, while attempting to commit a similar act with another pupil at the school.

“An 11-year-old boy, who is more outspoken, informed his parents that he no longer wanted to attend the school. When his parents pressed for a reason, he revealed that a teacher had been threatening him, warning that something bad would happen if he didn’t comply with the teacher’s demands.

“This led the parents, school management, and other teachers to question other pupils, though they initially found no leads. However, a teacher recalled that the suspect often showed particular interest in one boy, frequently buying him gifts and giving him preferential treatment.

“It was at this point that the survivor confessed that the suspect had lured him with promises of a spelling bee and art competition, claiming he would win N2m and be taken abroad. The school was unaware of any such competitions mentioned by the suspect,” the eyewitness said.

The suspect was initially taken into custody by the police at the Idimu Division before being transferred to the Police Gender Unit for subsequent prosecution.

In a telephone conversation with the publication on Sunday, Mrs Ololade Ajayi, the founder of DOHS Cares Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focused on combating gender-based violence and the key advocate behind the arrest, expressed concerns that the police officers at the Gender Unit were attempting to hinder the prosecution of the suspect.

“Since the case was transferred to the Gender Unit, it has not been sent to court. I visited their office last Wednesday to inquire about the case. When I asked why it hadn’t been transferred, the inspector in charge explained that the unit was still conducting a preliminary investigation and that the boy’s mother had not returned,” she said.

“I informed the investigating police officer that the family was financially struggling and offered to cover the transport costs to the crime scene whenever they were ready. She assured me that she would call on Friday.

“On Friday, I called her to check if they were ready to go so I could arrange an Uber to take them to the crime scene, but she told me she was going somewhere else and would not be coming. I suspect there may be foul play involved."

The head of the Idimu Police Division, Chief Superintendent of Police, Gladys Faniyi, confirmed that the case had been referred to the Police Gender Unit.

“I have referred the case to the Gender Department. If you need any information, please direct your enquiries to that department,” Faniyi stated.

The National Organising Secretary of Afenifere, Kole Omololu, has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s brief tenure in office has already shown signs of surpassing the record of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

In a statement on Sunday, Omololu highlighted the emerging benefits of Tinubu’s economic reforms, which he said have placed the nation on a path toward recovery, growth, and development.

“The president’s economic reforms give hope that the nation is on a trajectory of recovery, growth, and development,” Omololu said, countering recent criticisms from Obasanjo.

At a keynote address delivered during the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University, Connecticut, USA, Obasanjo had described Nigeria under Tinubu as a “failing state.”

In his recorded lecture titled ‘Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria’, the former president accused the administration of perpetuating corruption, mediocrity, and incompetence, among other issues.

Omololu dismissed Obasanjo’s claims as “inaccurate and a reflection of his habitual attention-seeking,” arguing that Tinubu’s reforms have already begun addressing systemic challenges.

“The assertion that Nigeria is a failing state under Tinubu is incorrect and smacks of mischief. The president’s leadership has started yielding tangible gains, contrary to the former president’s pessimistic assessment,” Omololu remarked.

“This is typical Obasanjo grandstanding. As the late President Shehu Shagari wrote about him in his autobiography, ‘Beckoned To Serve,’ Obasanjo is an egotistical narcissist who cannot stand not being the centre of attention and the cynosure of all eyes. He will engage in serial acts of incitement to attract the spotlight to himself,” he stated.

Saying Obasanjo had persistently criticised his successors unduly, Omololu contended that Tinubu’s managerial, moral and anti-corruption records were shoulder above the former president’s.

The Afenifere chieftain said the president’s economic reforms, including the withdrawal of petrol subsidies and the unification of forex rates, were bold measures the former president did not dare to take while in office.

He said these measures had shored up the nation’s revenue and helped it to reduce its debt service ratio from 97% to 65% of income within 17 months.

He added that Nigeria, under Tinubu, had achieved a new record in its trade balance, with an unprecedented N14.07 trillion trade surplus by half-year 2024, pointing out that the administration’s non-oil revenue in one quarter was more than the total generated during Obasanjo’s eight years in office.

Omololu queried, “How can President Obasanjo talk of mismanagement when, on Thursday, March 28, 2024, the Nigerian Stock Exchange crossed 104,562.06 All Shares Index, a 39.84% increase year-to-date, making it the second-best performing exchange in Africa?”

The Afenifere chieftain also disputed the former president’s assessment of the president’s anti-corruption record, stating that the top global transparency rating agency, Transparency International, reported a more positive evaluation.

“Transparency International says Nigeria is less corrupt today than during the Obasanjo administration,” he said, adding, “Nigeria improved on TI’s Corruption Perception Rating this year, moving five places from 150 in 2023 to 145 in 2024. In contrast, under Obasanjo, Nigeria was rated the second-most corrupt nation in the world, with only Bangladesh ahead of us in 2002. Out of 102 nations, Nigeria was number 101.”

Omololu pointed out that Obasanjo and his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, publicly exposed themselves via a nasty public exchange exposing their dirty dealings.

Omololu said Obasanjo, who could not manage his deputy, Atiku, lacked the moral authority to accuse Tinubu of immorality and mismanagement.

“If you could not manage your Presidency, what moral authority do you have to call the man who has managed his government and party with almost military efficiency a mediocre?” he queried.

Manchester City striker, Erling Haaland, is close to agreeing to a new contract with the Premier League champions, according to The Mirror.

The deal will make Erling Haaland the highest-paid player in England’s top flight.

City have offered a staggering £500,000 per week to the Norwegian, which is significantly higher than the current highest-paid player – his team-mate Kevin De Bruyne who is on reported £400,000 per week wages.

Officials from the club recently met Haaland’s family and his agent Rafaela Pimenta and held positive talks over the new deal.

If the contract is signed, it will tie down the player until the end of the 2028-2029 season.

However, there is still one aspect of the terms of the new deal that is delaying the player’s signature on the dotted lines.

The 24-year-old has a £150 million release clause in his current contract, which the club want to remove from the new agreement. But Haaland’s representatives want it to remain.

However, there could be a compromise in the negotiations where both parties agreed to increase the value to £200 million.

Note that since Erling Haaland joined Manchester City about three seasons ago, the Norway international has scored 105 goals and provided 14 assists in 114 games in all competitions.

Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano, has asked the national assembly to reject any attempts to “cheat” the north with the proposed tax reform bills.

Kwankwaso spoke on Sunday at the convocation ceremony of Skyline University held at the Ammani Centre, Nassarawa GRA, Kano state.

Kwankwaso alleged that Lagos is “making a lot of efforts” to colonise the north.

The former governor accused the president, who hails from Lagos, of interfering in the emirship tussle in Kano.

“The Emir has just been installed at this difficult time in our country, especially in this part of the country, northern Nigeria,” he said.

“Today, we can see very clearly that there is a lot of effort from the Lagos axis to colonise this part of the country.

“Today, Lagos wouldn’t allow us to choose our Emir. Lagos has to come to the centre of Kano to put their own Emir.

“Today, we are aware that the Lagos young men are working so hard to impose and take away our taxes from Kano and this part of the country to Lagos.”

The Kano emirship is a subject of litigation.

Muhammadu Sanusi was reinstated as the Emir of Kano in May.

However, Aminu Bayero, who was removed to make way for Sanusi, has refusedto step aside.

TAX REFORM BILLS 

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections said many factory owners have been “forced” to relocate their headquarters to Lagos to make the south-west state claim “all the taxes”.

“We have seen the effort of some people to make the poor poorer and the rich richer. And I believe this is very dangerous for us,” Kwankwaso said.

“This part of the country today is suffering from a serious economic crunch, insecurity, poverty, hunger, and diseases.

“I believe this is not good for the cordial existence of our country. At this moment, I would like to call on all our national assembly members to keep their eyes open so that they don’t do anything that will cheat the people of northern Nigeria, especially here in Kano.

“We are witnesses to what happened during the first term of Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2003, where our members of the national assembly were bribed into collecting a huge sum of money to support onshore/offshore in the country.

“That law put a huge blow on our economy in northern Nigeria and all other states.”

BACKGROUND

On October 3, Tinubu asked the national assembly to consider and pass four tax reform bills.

The proposed legislations, which have sparked intense debate, include the Nigeria tax bill, the tax administration bill, and the joint revenue board establishment bill.

The president also asked the parliament to repeal the law establishing the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and replace it with the Nigeria Revenue Service.

On October 28, the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) opposed the bills, arguing that the proposed legislation would harm the region’s interests.

The governors asked the national assembly to reject the bills, demanding equitable and fair implementation of national policies and programmes across all regions.

The national economic council (NEC) also asked Tinubu to withdraw the bills to give room for consultations.

On November 1, Tinubu said the bills would not be withdrawn from the national assembly, noting that the proposed laws are designed to improve the lives of Nigerians and optimise existing tax frameworks.

The Minister of Water Resources, Professor Joseph Utsev, has expressed concern over funding challenges in a bid to address Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2030.

During a press briefing in Abuja last weekend, Utsev stated that while the initiative required an annual budget of ₦10 billion, only ₦5 billion had been released so far.

According to him, Nigeria requires an additional 11.6 million toilets to achieve the ODF goal. He emphasized that reaching ODF status encompasses more than merely constructing toilets.

Utsev acknowledged that significant advancements had been made, yet ensuring both access to and the appropriate utilization of these facilities continues to pose a significant challenge.

“The challenge is not only the number of toilets available but also raising awareness and encouraging their consistent use.

“This is why we are elevating the campaign to a higher level. The vice president will lead the relaunch of our strategy in a more impactful way,” he said.

The Minister further stated that development partners like UNICEF had made significant contributions by providing toilet facilities, training and awareness campaigns.

“Our partners do not provide funds directly but support through the supply of toilets and training programmes, their efforts have been invaluable in driving this campaign forward,” he said.

Since the campaign’s initiation in 2019, Utsev stated that 135 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and more than 30,000 communities have attained Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, with additional regions currently in the verification process.

He emphasized that, notwithstanding these accomplishments, the journey towards achieving universal sanitation is still extensive, particularly in underserved and vulnerable communities.

“Ending open defecation is about more than toilets, it’s about improving health, boosting productivity, and enhancing the dignity and safety of our citizens,” the minister emphasised.

Naija News understands that the event was part of activities marking the 2024 World Toilet Day with the theme ‘Sanitation for Peace,’ which underscores the significance of toilets as symbols of safety, dignity and development.