On a beautiful serene night in the city of Freetown Sierra Leone, a dashing young man named Sydney Shaw, who on a first sight, would be mistaken for porpular Nigerian music act Wande Coal captured the heart of his delectable bride Teresa Trye after the fulfillment of all the traditional marital rights between the Trye, and the Shaw families.

The traditional wedding reception tagged an “Ashobi Event” took place at Catco International Hotel, in Freetown, in an event that brought together the crème la de crème of the society.

The evening began with the entrance of the Groom’s family with the song “Ada Ugo”, they swayed, swagged with poise of excitement that depicts showmanship of victory from a battle.

Thereafter, the Bride’s family stepped in with penchant elegance of “we have got you covered” led by the Bride’s parents draped in their scintillating attires. They dance, wazzled, and waoooed the audience presence.

The compere for the night was the enigmatic and porpular comedian, Kindo Armani who was at his best, coordinating various activities like the couples knowing themselves test and other competition among married couples, best dressed Ashobi female and male for the night.

Thereafter, the highlight of the evening was the entry dance of the Bride, and the Groom as well as the appearance of Gorilla who exhibited vigorous dances steps that kept the audience on the edge of their seats making it an exciting evening to experience.

Here is wishing the Bride, and the Groom a pleasant, and joyful marital years ahead. Congratulations Mr, and Mrs Shaw.

African leaders who gather this week in Addis Ababa will make one of their most important decisions since founding the African Union (AU) 23 years ago as the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).

Friday’s election of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission would differ from past elections which had been routine. Africans who are meant to be the beneficiaries of AU and its policies barely know who leads the AU Commission, the hub of the continental body’s working machine.

Africa is on the cusp of integration, so the leadership of the AU Commission needs to be in the steady hands of someone who duly appreciates the circumstances and times and has firm feet that can dig into the shifting sands of African politics. Africa needs a leader who can plant the seeds of policies that will sustain the continent’s integration beyond his tenure.

Three candidates from the East Africa zone to which the AU zoned position are vying. The differences in their personalities, exposure and experience are apparent.

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga leads the contest with a clear vision of the task and how he intends to navigate Africa’s successful integration. In his campaigns across Africa, Odinga has exhibited a fuller knowledge of the issues and understanding of the sub-regional complications that would require timely attention if Africa were to make quick progress.

Mahamamoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) and Richard Randriamandrato (Madagascar) are the contestants against Odinga. They could stand a chance if the competition were for a less demanding office. However, the AU Commission is a high-voltage office that can drain the less experienced.

Limited foreign affairs experience, not being abreast of the workings of the AU Commission and its relationship with AU’s global partners, count against Odinga’s opponents. Odinga is outstanding in AU affairs, and more. He discusses his AU agenda with an imprimatur that cuts to the chase.

As AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa for five years, Odinga acquired relevant experience in dealing with Africa’s infrastructure gaps and had high-level involvements with Heads of Governments of different African countries. The high contacts made with top international agencies during the assignment will come handy in managing the AU Commission.

He served as Kenya’s Prime Minister for five years. His government had 42 Ministers and an intricate bureaucracy catering to Kenyan politics’ sensitivities. Resilient and resourceful, Odinga ran for the presidency five times and failed on all five occasions, but he still supports opponents whose policies can develop Kenya.

The winner of the AU election should settle into office quickly and commence a renewed push to turn Africa around and return it to a path of democratic governments, good governance, sustainable development, increased trade, technological education, inclusive growth, and shared peace and prosperity.

When AU marked the 50th anniversary of the OAU, the Heads of State and Government signed the 2063 Agenda, “As an affirmation of their commitment to support Africa’s new path for attaining inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development African heads of state and government signed the 50th Anniversary Solemn Declaration during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the formation of the OAU /AU in May 2013. The declaration marked the re-dedication of Africa towards attaining the Pan African Vision of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena. Agenda 2063 is the concrete manifestation of how the continent intends to achieve this vision within 50 years from 2013 to 2063,” according to the AU official website.

Odinga believes that the continent’s integration is the platform to make Africa a better continent that would cater for its people. His campaign centres on continental prosperity by making intra-continental trade and commerce, education, gender equality, technology, democracy, good governance, and climate change priorities.

His eyes are on revving up the pace of implementing Agenda 2063, which has been in the works for 12 years, with certainty about how the AU would see to its successful completion.

The Commission chairmanship election is coming at a time when experiments with inexperience will be forbidden. Odinga is the man for the job as he has extensive experience, zesty zeal, and a pulsating passion to pave the path to Africa’s peace and prosperity.

Nwakanma is an international affairs analyst in Lagos.

Kenya Airways has apologised to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority over the mistreatment of Nigerian passenger, Gloria Omisore, and for issuing a misleading statement on the incident.
The apology followed a meeting between the airline’s management and NCAA officials in Abuja on Tuesday.
The NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this in a post on his official X handle.
“Their team has apologised for the obfuscation of facts in their earlier statement. They also admitted that phone call or not, it was the airline’s fault for failing to identify the issue before airlifting the passenger from Lagos,” Achimugu stated.
He noted that his role was to protect all aviation stakeholders, including passengers and airlines while upholding the regulations of the civil aviation authority.
Achimugu said he had demanded that Kenya Airways issue a public apology to both the passenger and the NCAA. The airline has since released an updated statement reflecting the true events that occurred in Nairobi.
Present at the meeting were Kenya Airways’ Country Manager, James Nganga; Station Manager, Eric Mukira; and Duty Manager, Ezenwa Ehumadu.

According to the NCAA, Omisore had contacted Kenya Airways before her trip to confirm if she was eligible to fly the Manchester-Paris-Nairobi-Lagos route inbound and Lagos-Nairobi-Paris-Manchester outbound.
She reportedly informed the airline that she was a Nigerian with a British residence permit but without a Schengen visa. Despite this, she was assured of her eligibility.
“Based on this information, she purchased the ticket and successfully flew into Nigeria via Paris and Nairobi without incident,” Achimugu explained.

However, during her return journey, the airline boarded her from Lagos, overlooking the requirement for a transit visa for the Paris leg. The oversight was only discovered in Nairobi.
To rectify the situation, Kenya Airways offered her a direct flight to London at no extra cost but asked her to endure an additional 10-hour wait after a 17-hour layover.

“Exhausted and unwell, the passenger requested accommodation and care, citing the airline’s error. When this was denied, an argument ensued between her and the airline staff,” Achimugu added.
The NCAA also condemned the conduct of Kenya Airways staff during the incident.
“I expressed deep disappointment over the unruly behaviour of the airline’s staff, particularly the disparaging remarks about the Nigerian government, insinuating that nothing would be done regardless of how Nigerians were treated,” Achimugu stated.
He further clarified that Omisore did not refuse to board the alternative flight, as claimed in the airline’s earlier statement.
Instead, her frustration stemmed from the denial of basic care and the prolonged wait despite the airline’s admission of fault.

Kenya Airways has been directed to refund and compensate Omisore for the “avoidable humiliation and distress” she endured, which also threatened her job security.
Although the airline initially requested 72 hours to respond, the NCAA granted only 48 hours, stating, “Truth should not be that hard to publish, considering how swiftly the misleading statement was released.”
Further updates will be provided after the airline complies with the directive.

CKNNews had earlier reported the dispute between NCAA and Kenya Airways over allegations of Omisore’s mistreatment while travelling from Lagos to Manchester, United Kingdom.
A viral video captured a heated exchange between her and airline officials at the Nairobi transfer desk.
The airline claimed that Omisore became unruly after being denied boarding due to visa issues, alleging that she threw used sanitary pads at staff—an accusation the passenger has not publicly addressed.
The airline maintained that it does not provide accommodation for passengers denied boarding over visa-related issues, stating that it is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure proper travel documentation.

The Ajayi’s family of Isiwo, Ilupeju-Ekiti in Ekiti State likened the burial of Late Madam Comfort Oke Ajayi as a celebration of life due to her indelible contribution to mankind while on earth.

Madam Comfort had transited to the great beyond on 28th August, 2024, aged 102 years, and her funeral which held on 16th November, 2024 turned out to be a celebration of life and motherhood.

Tributes poured in from family, friends and well-wishers attesting to Madam Comfort’s ever-inspiring motherhood as she was adjudged to have nurtured and led her children to a fulfilled adulthood.

In his sermon during the funeral service at St. John’s Anglican Church, Araromi Quarters, Ilupeju-Ekiti, the Archdeacon and Vicar, The Ven. Dr. Olusola Adenigba took his bible verse from Job 14:1 to the end.

The officiating Priest tasked the congregation to hold on to God irrespective of the situation in the country adding that Madam Comfort held sway to finish strong.

He said: “It’s for everyone of us regardless of how difficult the situation is/will be to hold onto God because Mama didn’t find it easy when she was growing up but we bless God that she ended well.

“Mama has done all what is humanly possible in her time here on earth and it is now left for the children. I want to encourage them to hold onto what Mama taught them so that they too will be able to teach their children and sincerely, the mind of God will not depart from that family.”

Her first grandson, Prince Adewumi Olaleye did not spare anything in celebrating his grandmother saying that her sterling qualities as wife, mother, grandmother, mentor and guardian guided his path to stardom.

Looking back right from his infancy to adulthood, Prince Olaleye noted that it was a privilege for him to be natured by a homely and inspiring grandmother.

According to him, “I am the first child to her because my mother is the first and I am the first grandson. I was the one that lived with her the most even more than her children. She was the one that took care of me right from my childhood. It has been a great pleasure to live with a wonderful woman.

“I was the one that knew her most. We lived together and if Mama wrinkled her eyes on me, I know what she is talking about. We were so close to that extent that we did things together even when she wants to talk with her children, she would discuss with me.

“Even at her time of death, I wasn’t around. She was waiting for me as well. They had to call me and I had to tell her to go and everybody started crying. Within few hours, she gave up the ghost and left. She lived her life. 102 years is not a joke and it has been a great pleasure to be part of the family.

“Mama trained us very well, most especially myself. She trained me how to be disciplined, goal getter, how to focus in all things that I do. That has been helping me and put me in my position today. Whatever I achieved today, I praise her for that because she trained me very well.

“If you see her children, she tried her best even though she doesn’t have enough but with the little that she had, she tried her best to make sure that her children went to school and tried to develop everyone of them.

“We are so happy seeing a lot of people coming for her burial to celebrate her alive with us. That is a great joy for us and we thank everybody for that.”

On her part, Madam Comfort’s first daughter, Mrs Florence Ayedun Jegede pointed out that their mother manifested the real life of a Christian in her dealings with others and served God and man with faith and cheerful heart.

She said: “I am very happy for the faith my mother had. I look back and saw many people that showed love to my mother because my mother served God.

“They honoured my mother and I am very happy because my mother died in Christ and not in a herbalist house. She served God gloriously, prayed for her children including the Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba.

“My Mother used to pray for those that didn’t give birth so that God will bless them with the fruit of the womb. She used to work in the house of the Lord through cleaning the house of God. My mother had faith and believed in God till she died.

“I pray that as people honoured my mother, they should also honour me in my night. My mother gave birth to five children. She loved her first born and the first born loved his mother.

“My advice to people is to serve God and have faith in Him because nobody knows when God will call them. Jesus Christ is coming soon because anything we do now will stand before God on judgement day.”

Similarly, the first son, Oluwatoba Isaac Ajayi showered encomiums on his Late Mother describing her as a beacon of light that endeared her to people in the community.

He said: “She loved small children and her children too. She liked working for God and used to give to the poor. Her children love God because she love the way of God and she love preaching the word of God through evangelism.

“People that came for her burial came from all works of life due to her love for the things of the Lord. She used to give out to people and that is what endeared her to people in the community. My mother used to the development of the Church and she is a good Christian.

“We learnt how to worship God and how to give to things of the Lord because He is the owner of everything. Whatever you give to God, he will return it back to you in hundred folds. We learnt how to love each other because she loved everybody.”

The Late Madam Comfort was born in Ila Ilupeju-Ekiti to a father, who was a big time farmer and her mother was a petty trader while she was married to Late Pa Joseph Ojo Ajayi, who lived in Isiwo, Ilupeju-Ekiti.

She was survived by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and too numerous relatives to mention including, Mrs Florence Ayedun Jegede (first daughter), Abigail Module Rosiji (second daughter), Oluwatoba Isaac Ajayi (first son), Oludare John Ajayi (second son), Oluyemi Rachael Alani, Adewumi David Olaleye etc.

It is the dawn of a new day, for our daring Princess Adeshewa Loveth Olaleye as she marks a new age. Our hearty prayer is that this day shall radiate unprecedented joy and happiness for our young Adeshewa.

Princess Adeshewa May your world shine brightly with smiles on your beautiful day, May the the magic of today, bring you Godspeed years ahead and God-filled joy with wisdom to excel.

A four-story building attached to the Westbrook Hotel in the Garki area of the Federal Capital Territory collapsed on Monday night, trapping many people inside.

The Westbrook Hotel is reportedly owned by a former governor from a state in the South East.
An eyewitness, who requested anonymity, informed Punch about the incident, adding that he observed two trapped individuals being pulled from the rubble and taken to the hospital.

“There is a possibility that there could be some people inside the collapsed building who may have died.
“I saw two people being pulled out from the rubble now and taken to the hospital while rescue operations are ongoing. The emergency responders are not coordinated yet for efficient operations,” he said.

Rescue operations are underway, but reports suggest that the emergency responders are not yet organized for efficient operations.

Worshippers, Clergymen, Friends, and members of Rhema Voice Chapel International in Freetown Sierra Leone, gathered to witness the historic “Turning of Sod” for the building of a magnificent church in the honour of God.

The service was based on the gospel from the book of 1 Chronicles chapter 22 verses 2-5 which in paraphrase , signifies how David gathered strangers to wrought stones to build the house of God.

It was a historic moment when the General overseas of the Apostle John Boateng, in the presence of the crowd, lifted prayers for the Sod Turning Service, and backed with the laying of 12 stones by Clergymen, worshipers, and guests in attendance representing the twelve tribes of Isreal.

The proposed Church Cathedral, no doubt shows the Glory of God upon Rhema Voice Chapel International and how far it has stood the test of time over the years.

A digital review of the structure is a clear indication of what to expect after the project, and it promises to be one of the best places of worship in Freetown, Sierra Leone in terms of architectural design.

The President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, and his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amirabdollahian, have been confirmed killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain and icy weather.
This development was confirmed to Reuters by an Iranian official on Monday after search teams located the wreckage.

The wreckage was located near the East Azerbaijan province.
“President Raisi, the foreign minister and all the passengers in the helicopter were killed in the crash,” the senior Iranian official told Reuters, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Iran’s Mehr news agency also confirmed the deaths.

Iran’s President and minister confirmed killed in a helicopter crash
It reported: “All passengers of the helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister were martyred.”

The helicopter, a US-made Bell 212, was said to have been completely burned in the crash on Sunday.
It reportedly slammed into a mountain peak.

The Organised Labour has told the government to perish any idea of offering N100,000 as the new minimum wage.

The labour also told the government to be serious with the negotiations on the issue of workers’ wages, insisting that it used the lowest minimum in arriving at the N615,000 as the new minimum wage.
Recall that the organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, pulled out of the negotiation meeting last week Wednesday when the government offered N48,000 as the new minimum wage.

However, the Chairman of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, Alhaji Bukar Goni in a letter to the organized labour for a meeting tomorrow indicated interest that the government will shift ground and asked the organised labour to also shift ground.

Speaking in Abuja, the NLC Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, said that the organised labour would honour the invitation tomorrow but he advised the government to be serious.
He said, “Our expectations are that the government should be serious this time around. We expect them to take more seriously the issue of wages of workers.”

On whether labour would accept N100,000 as being insinuated, he said, “Well, it will not be fair and these are the reasons. The first reason is that when we demanded N615,000, we broke that down. We used the barest minimum.
“For instance, we put accommodation for N40,000, we also use for feeding N500, tell me where you are going to get food for N500 with a family of six. As I said, we used the barest estimate but beyond that, the government hiked the electricity tariff by two hundred and fifty percent after we made our demand and that has introduced new costs and expenses. So if the government is serious, it should not be thinking about a hundred thousand naira.

“You know that when you create poor citizens, you create a poorer county.” On his part, a member of the NLC delegation on the Tripartite Committee, Prof Theophilus Ndubuaku, said that it would not be kind of the government to offer N100,000.

He said, “I don’t think one hundred thousand naira is the kind of thing we want because it’s far below expectation, we will accept something that can at least keep somebody alive. I don’t think a hundred thousand naira will keep a worker alive in this country; a man with a family of six because our computation is based on the size of the family.

“So, if they come up with that kind of amount, I don’t think we will appreciate it. In the private sector, even artisans are not taking one hundred thousand a month. Whatever we accept, we will look at what is the income, what are they collecting, and what is available to the government because if the government is collecting one trillion naira, we cannot ask them to pay two trillion naira.

“We are responsible people, but the same government should know that people are suffering, they will have to agree with us that there is a crisis, that something needs to be done to create wealth, that something needs to be done for Nigeria to be a producing country and not a consuming nation.
“Something needs to be done to reduce the cost of governance. We are supposed to be partners in governance, after all, we are the labourers.”

Asked to give a reason why labour may not accept one hundred thousand, he said, “If we see that hundred thousand is affordable, if we see that they can afford more, we will reject it. They have to tell us why they cannot pay N615,000. The onus is on them to tell us why, then we will sit down and say okay you don’t have the money, but we will also know why you don’t have the money because Nigeria is a country that is naturally endowed but something is wrong. How do you make sure you get the money so that when we come again in two years, you won’t tell us the same story?

“What are you doing to create wealth, how are you going to partner with us to create wealth instead of being wasteful, how are you going to partner with us to reduce the cost of governance? 
“If a father comes home and says the only money he has is one thousand naira and you know that the father is not wasting the money, you will manage but if it is when the father comes and he is eating food bought from the fast food joint and it cost N10,000 and he gives one thousand naira to the entire family to go and look for food and cook for themselves, he may be beaten up, the family may refuse it.
“The letter they wrote to us, they said that both parties should shift ground, which means they will shift ground and they are expecting us to shift ground, but the question is, what ground are they shifting, are they going to shift ground by two naira or two thousand naira to make it N50,000 or are they going to shift ground by N62,000 to make it N100,000 or by N150,000 or N200,000 to make it N300,000 plus.
“The point here is, this thing we are doing is not rocket science, the government should sit down and calculate how much it will cost, what is a befitting wage for an average Nigerian? They should break down what they are giving us because even in salaries, you break everything down. So, when you break it down, they will tell us whether they are going to put one thousand naira per month for transport and two thousand naira per month for food.

“That N48,000 they are offering, they should have broken it down. So if there are certain things they don’t want to make provision for, for instance, health, if they say if any worker is sick, the person should go and die or they don’t want to make provision for food, let them just put standard things.
“The problem here is that you asked someone to tighten his belt, you said there is no money but you removed subsidy. Since they removed the subsidy, FAAC has been collecting almost three times what they were collecting before the subsidy. That money you are collecting, what are you doing with it?
“You now said you want to build a coastal highway, when the existing roads to the same location are not passable. You are budgeting trillions of naira, you want to build Lagos-Sokoto brand new highway, you want to put billions of naira for hajj subsidy, you bought 200 vehicles for Customs and this is somebody that is complaining that the naira is having issues, but you now want to spend hundreds of billions of naira to import Toyota cars for Customs, why can’t you buy made-in Nigeria vehicles?

“This whole thing doesn’t make any meaning, we don’t even understand it. They are behaving as if they have money, but they don’t know what to do with it like General Yakubu Gowon said in the 70s. You bought 200 Toyota Jeeps for Customs, which means you do have the money, but you don’t know what to do with it. But one thing you don’t want to do with the money is to feed Nigerians, feed your workers, and make your workers comfortable.

“And as you can see, they are not even giving anybody hope. There is no programme for agriculture, the government is not declaring an emergency on power, food security, and transportation.
“So what we are expecting is that, if they tell us they cannot pay N615,000, they should tell us why they cannot pay, this is negotiation. If we have told them to pay N615,000, we expect the government to calculate how many workers that are expected to receive this minimum wage.

“We did our research, you now say each state has this workforce, this is what they are now getting as revenue, forget the fact that some of them are not doing anything to increase their IGR. Whatever they are getting now from the money coming from the federal revenue account, the federal government should say, this is the number of workers that we have, this is how much that you are asking, and at the end of the day, this is how much we are expected to spend as salary and this is how much we have.
“So, NLC please look at it, we don’t want to spend this percent on salary, we will then sit down and ask, if you don’t want to spend it on salary, you want to spend it by importing vehicles for Customs, when you have locally manufactured vehicles that won’t cost capital flight.”

He, however, said that if the government comes out with something” relevant “, the organised labour will shift ground as asked.
“We must discuss with them that the figure presented is realistic and based on facts and statistics as the organised labour has done,” he said.

He said, “For the provision of food for one person, we put N500, but there is a survey carried out by the National Bureau for Statistics covering all parts of the country. NBS is the custodian of statistics and it came out that in today’s Nigeria, the average you can spend for a meal is N900.
“But we went low, we took the minimum. Their average is N900, but we took the minimum of N500, that is you cannot go below N500. So you can see how realistic we are. So we will insist that the government breaks down every item; food, hospital, accommodation, transportation etc.
“We don’t want anyone to come and say that the NLC and the TUC presented arbitrary figures.”

Reigning Miss USA Noelia Voigt has stepped down from her title, attributing her resignation to mental health considerations.

Ms. Voigt, who claimed the crown in the annual competition last September, expressed that her decision was based on what she felt was best for her mental well-being.

“Never compromise your physical and mental wellbeing,” she wrote on Instagram. “Our health is our wealth.”

The Miss USA organisation said it supported her decision and would announce a successor.
The 24-year-old Venezuelan-American, of Utah, said that hoped to “continue to inspire others” as she started “a new chapter” in life.

“Prioritise your mental health, advocate for yourself and others by using your voice and never be afraid of what the future holds, even if it feels uncertain,” she said.
She expressed her gratitude for her seven months as Miss USA, which she said gave her a “platform … to make a difference” as well as realise a “lifelong dream” and meeting “people all over the world.”
Miss USA expressed gratitude to Ms. Voigt and emphasized on Instagram that “the well-being of our titleholders is a top priority.”

The organization announced that it is currently evaluating plans for transferring duties to a successor.
Savannah Gankiewicz from Hawaii was the runner-up to Ms. Voigt in the competition last year.