Pretty Waltoria Kamara marks her birthday on 1st May 2024 surrounded by her parents, friends, and family members.
We wish her Godspeed, protection, and spirit of excellence to excel above her contemporaries.
Happy Birthday, Waltoria.
Life is ephemeral, yet a dirge when the song stops abruptly The transitive nature of life makes it more cruel, and devasting to realize that no one can boast of living out of life. One day, we are here, and another we are gone!
In my growing life, I am privileged to encounter several personalities, of various statuses, and at every opportunity that I come in contact with someone, I make it a point of duty to take a positive virtue that would help to improve me.
I didn’t have the privilege to meet the Late Professor Yinka Olomojobi face to face until the news of his untimely death which struck me in an unpleasant circumstance. How? When? Was he ill? Who killed him OMG!
I stood motionless for nearly ten seconds, and within the flash of these moments, I recalled his reassuring voice and commitment to fairness and justice as they reverberated through my thoughts, it dawned on me that I wouldn’t hear that reassuring voice again except that I would have to dig deep into my selective retention recall to bring back memories of his sweet and impressionable personality.
His death is shocking and devastating for all who understand the quality of good work as shown in his recent recent Book publication titled “The Convergence Between Human Rights Law, And Humanitarian Law” which avid readers are yet to fully digest.
Once again his cruel death is a pointer to the transient nature of life as I start to question why good people don’t live for too long and why wicked people tend to experience longevity.
Prof Olomojobi was a man of many personalities a good husband, a loving father, a father to countless students across the globe, disliked for his forthright character by those who can’t stomach his REALNESS, a hardworking man, an astute believer in the message of “Ubuntu”, a selfless motivator, a man of gratitude; who can thank you for a simple gesture, a million times over, strident to ensure that the right things are done. I still recall his words, to me during a telephone conversation last year. “Sir, I have children, and I have trained and encouraged them to Imbibe the right values in life, and I wouldn’t want anyone to treat them unjustly when they deserve better”. Hmm, these words stuck to my memory and made me realize his strong personality for justice, and in the midst of our conversation, I also found that Prof Olomojobi was not only humble but humble to a fault, as he constantly showed respect with the usage of “sir”, even as a Professor, during the entire conversation.
He wasn’t just a Professor, a Lecturer, and a mentor, but also a prolific writer who wrote several books used by mastering and doctoring classes.
Who on earth would think that snuffing life out of a man with such mind-blowing qualities, and credentials is worthy to fame their ego embers? Unfortunately, they are quick to forget that one day everyone would face that solitary taste of being committed to Mother Earth.
The crushing effect of the dastardly manner Prof Yinka was taken by his killers is tough to bear and hurts deeply. But it leaves me with a simple prayer for his killers. Since they were bold enough to forcefully cut short the life of Prof Yinka Olomojobi in his prime; the conspirers, abductors, and killers WILL NEVER KNOW PEACE and for every drop of his blood 🩸 their generation yet unborn SHALL NEVER KNOW PEACE. Shalom
Rest in Power Prof Yinka Olomojobi
Once regarded as the glamour boy of American theatre and football while playing for
Buffalo Bills player who was involved in a well-serenaded civil lawsuit for his complicity
and charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in
1994 finally bowed to death after a long battle with cancer before his family at his in Las
Vegas home.
The Simpson Family shared the news of his death stating ‘On April 10th, our father,
Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer; His children and
grandchildren surrounded him.
During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for
privacy and grace. -.’
It would be recalled that the late Simpson, whose soaring popularity later deepened for
the alleged and later cleared of the killings and was later forced to pay out $33.5million in
damages to the victims’ families after the court found him civilly liable for the murder of
both his wife and friend.
Thereafter, he faced challenges and jail terms for other cases. Before his battle with
prostate cancer which saw him undergo chemotherapy until his demise at the age of 76.
An earthquake struck the East Coast of the United States on Friday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, causing buildings to shake and rattling nerves from Maryland to Maine.
The USGS measured the quake as a 4.8 temblor with its epicenter near Lebanon, New Jersey. It struck a little before 10:30 a.m. ET.
The earthquake was the strongest recorded in the Northeast in more than a decade, according to USGS records.
There were no immediate reports of major destruction or any fatalities. Local and regional officials from cities in the earthquake zone said inspections had been launched to ensure that buildings, bridges and other infrastructure were not damaged.
James Pittinger, mayor of Lebanon, New Jersey, called the earthquake “the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced.” In an interview with MSNBC, he said he had not received reports of any significant damage so far, but added that the shaking caused his dog to run for cover and objects to fall off his shelves.
While a 4.8-magnitude temblor is not considered a major earthquake, even minor shaking can cause damage on the East Coast, which does not take similar precautions as other earthquake hot spots around the world.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the quake was felt across the state.
“My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day,” she wrote on X.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in an afternoon news briefing that no major injuries or impacts to infrastructure were reported, and that people in the city should “go about their normal day.”
Ground stops were temporarily issued at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s website. Flight disruptions at the Newark airport continued into the afternoon.
The Port Authority Transit Corp., which operates a rapid transit route between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, suspended service in the aftermath of the quake.
“Crews will inspect the integrity of the line out of an abundance of caution,” PATCO said in an update on X. “Once inspection is complete, service will resume. No timeframe. Updates to follow.”
New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that there had been no impact to its service but that teams will be inspecting train lines. New Jersey Transit alerted riders of 20-minute delays due to bridge inspections following the earthquake.
While earthquakes in the northeast U.S. are rare, Buffalo, New York, was struck by a 3.8-magnitude quake in February 2023 — the strongest recorded in the area in 40 years.
A 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck the tri-state area in 2017, centered near Little Creek, Delaware, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. And before that, a 5.8-magnitude quake shook central Virginia in 2011, and was felt across much of the East Coast, forcing hundreds of thousands people to evacuate buildings in New York, Washington and other cities.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a post on X that the state has activated its emergency operations center and asked the public not to call 911 unless they are experiencing an emergency.
Frederik J. Simons, a professor of geosciences at Princeton University, told NBC News that the earthquake occurred on a shallow fault system in New Jersey and shook for about 35 seconds.
“The shallower or the closer it is, the more we feel it as humans,” he said.
The quake originated at a depth of less than 3 miles, according to the USGS.
Earthquakes on the East Coast can be felt at a great distance and can cause more pronounced shaking in comparison to those on the West Coast because rocks in the region are often older, harder and more dense.
“These are competent rocks that transmit energy well,” Simons said.
The earthquake ruptured on the Ramapo fault system, Simons said. The system is relatively old and considered mostly tectonically inactive. It’s at a boundary where the continental and oceanic tectonic plates meet and are stuck together. The plates grind against one another slowly and accumulate stress until something slips.
“There are cracks in it and now and then a little motion accumulates, the stress keeps growing, at very slow rates,” he said. “It’s like an old house creaking and groaning.”
Simons said this was one of the largest earthquakes in New Jersey in recent history. The last notable one was a magnitude-3.1 temblor in Freehold Township in September 2020.
“I’m on campus at Princeton University for the biggest one I’ve felt in a lifetime,” he said. “This shaking was violent, strong and long.”
Some videos captured the moment of the earthquake, including one from a coffee shop in New Jersey.
The East Coast quake struck two days after a powerful 7.4-magnitude temblor shook the island of Taiwan, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 1,000 others. The two incidents are not thought to be related, said Dara Goldberg, a USGS geophysicist.
“We’re much too far of a distance for the stress on the fault of Taiwan to affect New York,” she said.
A prominent jihadist from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), previously linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist militia, was killed in a suicide attack in north-western Syria, activists said on Friday.
The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, confirmed that Abu Maria al-Qahtani and two of his bodyguards were killed in a suicide attack late Thursday in Sarmada north of Idlib.
The jihadist leader, who is from the front-row leadership of HTS, was initially taken to hospital, but later died from the injuries he sustained in the attack.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Al-Qahtani, an Iraqi national, had been released from the militia prison of the HTS just a few weeks earlier.
He was accused with other HTS members of collaborating with “enemy forces,” mainly the U.S.-led coalition forces in Syria, activists said.
HTS is considered one of the strongest armed groups in the rebel stronghold of Idlib and was formerly linked with al-Qaeda.
The militia wants to overthrow the government of President Bashar al-Assad, which now controls two-thirds of the country again, including part of Idlib province.
Idlib is the last rebel stronghold in war-torn Syria.
The suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, has threatened to file a lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for defaming her personality.
Edu disclosed this in a letter sent to BBC Abuja and London offices by her counsel, Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN).
According to the letter, the suspended minister claimed that BBC reported that N30 billion was retrieved from her in the ongoing probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The lawyer alleged that the publication which he described as false had dented the reputation of his client, Edu.
Ojukwu asked BBC to retract the article and tender a public apology to Edu over the matter within 48 hours, saying, “Our client has suffered immeasurable reputational damage, psychological trauma, and anguish as a direct consequence of the publication and dissemination of the article,” the letter read.
Edu is also demanding 50 million dollars from the UK-based media organization as compensation and threatened to take legal action against BBC.
The letter received by Vanguard read, “We represent Dr. Betta Edu, the Hon. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation of Nigeria (hereinafter referred to as “our client”) and we have her express instructions to write you in the terms thereunder.
“We write to express our deep concern regarding the recent article published by the BBC on its website: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-Africa (Last accessed on 9th April 2024 at 17:40 GMT) titled: “Betta Edu Probe: Nigeria Recover $24m in Poverty Minister Investigation- EFCC” with the byline “Nigeria Has Recovered 30bn Naira ($24m; £19m) as Part of an Ongoing Corruption probe Into a Suspended Minister, the Financial Watchdog Says”.
“The aforesaid article, which presents information purporting to relate to an ongoing corruption probe into the activities of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria, is replete with innuendoes and insinuations which suggest that N30bn has been recovered in the course of the ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from our client and that the 50 bank accounts connected with the recovered sums are linked to our client.
“Furthermore, your article proceeds to cast aspersion on our client by referencing her earlier suspension (to allow for unfettered investigations) in the following terms: “Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Minister Betta Edu was initially suspended in January over the alleged diversion of $640,000 of public money into a personal bank account.”
“First and foremost, the language used in describing our client’s purported involvement in the alleged corruption case suggests guilt without allowing for the presumption of innocence, which is fundamental in any fair and unbiased reporting. The reckless manner in which the article was crafted, without providing our client with the opportunity to respond to the allegations before its wide publication, is a clear breach of journalistic fairness and due process and demonstrates a complete disregard for journalistic integrity and professionalism.
“The headline, content, and tone of the article imply guilt on the part of our client, without any concrete evidence to substantiate such claims. This is a blatant attempt to tarnish our client’s reputation and undermine her credibility which she has earned throughout her distinguished career in both private and public life.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our client has neither been indicted nor found culpable of any act of financial impropriety about her stewardship of the Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Ministry in Nigeria. It is also pertinent to emphasize that neither N30 billion nor any amount whatsoever has been traced to or recovered from our client’s bank accounts nor has any proceeds of crime been traced or recovered from her to warrant the scurrilous article under reference.
“Suffice it to say that in the aftermath of the publication of this scandalous article (which the BBC caused to be disseminated to millions of persons across the globe), our client has been inundated by calls and messages from friends, associates expressing their shock and consternation. Our client has suffered immeasurable reputational damage, psychological trauma and anguish as a direct consequence of the publication and dissemination of the article.”
The Paramount ruler of Isolo in Lagos State, Osolo of Isolo Land, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Kabiru Alani Agbabiaka, is dead.
It was gathered that Oba Agbabiaka died at the age of 64, three months before the celebration of his 20th coronation anniversary.
According to the report, the monarch died shortly after observing the Eid prayers on Wednesday.
Confirming the dead, the Chairman of Isolo Local Council Development Area, Olasoju Adebayo, in a statement, disclosed that the deceased monarch would be buried by 4 pm according to Islamic rites.
Olasoju, however, did not disclose the cause of his death.
The statement read, “I have the instruction of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to formally announce the passing of the paramount ruler of Isolo Kingdom, Oba Kabiru Agbabiaka, Adeola Olushi III, today April 10, 2024. He was aged 64.
“He will be buried today by 4 pm at his palace, 3/5 Akinbaye Street, Isolo, according to Islamic rites. May his soul rest in peace.”
The deceased became the traditional ruler of the town in 2004.
Until his death, HRM Agbabiaka was the Secretary of the League of Awori Obas in Lagos State.
Former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, has been cleared by the country’s electoral court to contest the upcoming election.
In a judgment delivered on Tuesday, April 9, the court upturned the decision made by South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission, SAIEC, last month, barring Zuma from contesting elections
SAIEC had barred Zuma from contesting the forthcoming elections due to his criminal record.
In 2021, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment for defying a court order to appear before a judicial commission.
The probe was centered on corruption allegations in government and state-owned companies during Zuma’s presidential term from 2009 to 2018.
However, in a brief court order, the electoral court said an appeal by Zuma and his party was successful, noting that the objection against his candidature had been dismissed.
“The decision of the Electoral Commission is set aside,” the court wrote.
Following the clearance, Zuma is expected to run for the presidency on behalf of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, which he founded last year after leaving the African National Congress, ANC.
Pope Francis pulled out of Friday’s Way of the Cross ceremony at the last minute, with the Vatican saying he wanted to “preserve his health” ahead of other Easter events this weekend.
The 87-year-old’s armchair had been set out on the hill facing the Colosseum in Rome but was withdrawn as the announcement came just moments before the Good Friday ceremony.
“To preserve his health ahead of tomorrow’s vigil and the Easter Sunday mass, Pope Francis will this evening follow the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum from the Santa Marta Residence,” the Vatican said in a statement.
The pope missed last year’s open-air ceremony, which took place shortly after he was released from three nights in hospital with bronchitis.
Francis last month caught what the Vatican called a “light flu” that caused him to cancel some events, and he has on several occasions since asked others to read his speeches.
Thousands of people had turned out for Friday evening’s ceremony, many of them holding candles in their hands, in one of the highlights of Holy Week leading up to Easter.
For the first time since becoming pope, Francis himself wrote the texts to be read out at each of the 14 so-called Stations of the Cross, which symbolize Christ’s journey from a death sentence to crucifixion.
On Sunday, the Argentine is due to preside over the Easter mass in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican before giving the “Urbi et Orbi” address.
Pope Francis, who had part of a lung removed in his youth, was forced to cancel a visit to COP28 UN climate talks in Dubai in December after a bout of flu-like symptoms.
The pontiff, who took over as head of the Catholic Church in 2013, has suffered some health issues in recent years, from knee and hip pain to an inflamed colon and hernia surgery last June.
Journalists in the White House press corps covering President Joe Biden’s administration habitually steal insignia items from Air Force One, four people told West Wing Playbook.
The looting reportedly grew to such a degree under Biden’s tenure that the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, NBC correspondent Kelly O’Donnell, issued a “terse reminder” that stealing from Air Force One is not allowed, several individuals who saw the off-the-record email confirmed to Playbook.
None of the members of the press corps reportedly responded to O’Donnell’s email.