AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE AND HONOURABLE LAW MAKERS

We write to call your attention to the misinformation and puncturing of our rich history by the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat. The Deputy Governor has been a torn in the flesh to the people of this division who had previously co-existed in peace and understanding for numbers of years as officially recorded. It has come to our notice that if the Deputy Governor is not properly contained and cautioned he will drive the division into communal clash that had previously been abolished by our fore bearers. 

To avoid this as it were in 1979, the Deputy Governor and the type of leadership tactics he has deployed among our people may not mean or end well.

It is pertinent to let you know that the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat is neither related to Epe by blood nor by birth. He was brought to the division by some of our greedy and selfish leaders, groomed under a certain family to give him head-on ahead of some other aspiring candidates during the 2014 Gubernatorial Elections, we are contending this to your Honourable Offices to point out the fact that he is not from here, therefore he knows nothing of our history, culture, traditions and how we do our things. By this he will be in no way allowed to dictate in that aspect to us.

His sudden support for the Alara of Ilara Kindgom came as no surprise because some of us are aware of his antecedence in Mushin, in the same vain, and like Mushin, we denied him the dictation and welfare of our people because he is not one of us. Ilara as a Kingdom is a town under Epe and under the jurisdiction of the Oloja of Epe Land. What is surprising is that the Deputy Governor is now helping the recently installed Alara of Ilara to push his boundaries and the narratives that he is the most superior King in the division ahead of the Paramount Ruler of Epe. Like in other 3 divisions of Lagos as the Chairman, only the Paramount Rulers are recognised as the permanent Vice Chairman of Lagos Council of Obas and Chiefs. It is written and historically proven that the Oloja of Epe Land is the Paramount Ruler of Epe Land and its environs. The Awujale of Ijebuland and as the Custodian of the Ijebu people recently reiterated this when there was issues of land disputes hearing at Lagos High Court seated in Epe.

Ironically the Deputy Governor had tried this act in Mushin where the indigens and people of Mushin didn’t let it happen. Epe is a more aboriginal division than that of Mushin.

Your Excellency and Honourable House, Epe people have been very welcoming and accommodating to all and sundry but the Deputy Governor - is giving us a lot of reasons to change this status quo, he has gone as far as involving the ever resilient Lady Doja Otedola, the wife of the former Governor of Lagos state; Sir Michael Agbolade Otedola. 

He already did one successfully by installing the Grand Chief Imam General of the division to a certain section of the division who had never held such position before and historically have no right to it. He had also at one time tried to interfere in the affairs of Transport Union (NURTW) workers. This time we won’t allow him that privilege, because this is a Royalty issue and it has a lot to do with our culture and traditions for generations to come. 

We as concerned aborigines hereby seek your intervention into this matter as leaders, fathers and a well brought up Yoruba men to ward him of these steps. We are peace loving people who goes by their daily routines, culture and traditions normally, we won’t allow this magnitude of the chaos he is trying to cause the people of this division, he should step back and leave us as we have been for centuries before his emergence.

Your Excellency and Honourable House of Assembly, we will appreciate as a matter of urgency if you can wade into this matter as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

Designate of Epe Aboriginals and Indigenes

Olayemi Yekini,

Chairman.

Tunji Aberuagba,

Publicity Secretary.

Open Letter To Tinubu On Ayade By Concerned Nigerian

 AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU ON WHY PROFESSOR SIR BENEDICT AYADE IS VERY MUCH NEEDED IN YOUR ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERING HIS VAST KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND PEDIGREE IN ADMINISTRATION AND DIPLOMACY BOTH AT NATIONAL AND GLOBAL LEVELS

Office Of The President,

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, 

Executive President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, 

Of The Federal Republic of Nigeria,

Aso Rock Villa, 

Three Arms Zone, 

Abuja.

August 7th, 2023.

Your Excellency,

As a protege and student of your political school of thoughts, I have never been timid or shy of my total support for the success of your administration to deliver our country, Nigeria, to the Promise Land.

My confidence had always been based on Your Excellency's ability, fitness and competence in leading our country to the Promise Land, where Law and Order prevail, individual liberty is guaranteed, economic well-being of the citizens is assured.

That my confidence in Your Excellency remains unshaken to date. In recent time however, I want you to join the best hands in your adminstration for the actualization and realization of the renewed hope, because we all know that a key factor that sets leadership apart is the capacity to effectively formulate, harmonize, implement, monitor and evaluate policies and programmes. Therefore, merit must constitute the overriding yardstick for those that will be serving in your Administration both at the national and global levels. And in order for this administration to take off with the right momentum and maintain a steady course, it must accord priority attention to the character, personality, experience and disposition of those who will be appointed. That is where Professor Sir Benedict Ayade, CON, comes into the picture.

Arguably, the foremost political titan from the core South-South today, is Sir Benedict Ayade, CON, the erstwhile Governor of Cross River State, whose from every logical perspective should be the best-primed person to serve in some high capacity of this political dispensation. This is even more so as this humble Professor in his unassailable wisdom gave the All Progressives Congress, APC, the soft-landing and the space to grow in Cross River State within a short period of two years, a stronghold of the People's Democratic Party, PDP.

Although, Sir Benedict Ayade, CON, needs no introduction, but I will suffice to state that he is a quintessential public servant, a core grassroots politician and perfect gentleman. He served as a Senator for Cross River North between 2011 and 2015, before he became the Executive Governor of the State between 2015 and 2023, making history as the first Governor of the 'People's Paradise State' to successfully complete two consecutive tenures in office as a Member of two political parties. 

Indeed, Sir Benedict Ayade, CON is an omnibus of knowledge with vast wealth of experiences; saddled with a plethora of humongous functions when he was in the Legislative and Executive Arms of Government as a Senator and Executive Governor. As an Executive Governor, he has drived many policy formulation, harmonization, implementation and monitoring of the various State Ministries, Departments and Agencies. In addition, scores of sensitive State parastatals function perfectly under his watch in Cross River State.

Consequently, he is an ideal personality with immense wisdom, sound judgment, versatility and commendable wealth of experience in governance, administration and public service. He is visionary, exceptionally diligent and fully committed to the success of the administrative governance; while possessing imitable patience, tolerance and a keen eye for details. As an administrator, he always exude positive energy, passion and grace; and as well an adherent of inclusive leadership. Of course, his effective communication is another key quality he efficiently possessed.

His youthful agenda and inclusivity in politics shows he's a reincarnated your personality Your Excellency. He has raised and empowered countless young leaders from Cross River State, both politically and economically. He has equally mentored many youths to rise to political prominence, and he is obviously not done yet. To be candid, credits must be given to him for throwing up these duo and many more fantastic very young leaders to the National stage. 

Dr. Betta Edu currently thirty-six (36) served as his Health commissioner, now ministerial nominee. Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong currently thirty-seven (37) served as his Finance Commissioner, and now Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Cross River South. Currently, he's the youngest serving Senator in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.

Sir Benedict Ayade, CON relates effortlessly with; and appeals to people of all gender, ages, classes, tribes, religions and political divides. His political, social and economic tentacles are large and strong enough to attract and sustain the needed goodwill of the vast majority of Nigerians for your administration. Compared to his years of meritorious public service and the exalted positions he has held, Sir Benedict Ayade, CON may not seem to have accumulated much mundane wealth, but a lot of Nigerians will testify that his kindness and generosity is evident in the lives of countless citizens of Cross River State.

I boldly state that no politician from 'the People's Paradise State' has made the degree of sacrifice that Sir Benedict Ayade has made towards building the All Progressives Congress. Since he officially left the People's Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress on May 20th 2021, he has been met with much frustration, mostly when it was known that he is likely to be the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly if elected, but yet, his steadfastness helped to sustain the structures of the All Progressives Congress back to the State after been an opposition party for years. Ayade has paid the last ounce of his dues in Nigerian politics, and mostly to the All Progressives Congress. He remains the undeniable rallying point for the former opposition and now make it the ruling party in Cross River, winning the Governorship seat and nineteen (19) State House of Assembly Members seats, and two (2) Senatorial seats out of three, forfeiting his own chance of becoming a Senator for our great party, The All Progressives Congress. This shows that Ayade is ever accessible to the people, and that he is firmly and constantly in touch with the grassroots. He listens intently, and as much as possible, attends to the problems of his people.

Indeed, Ayade is a rare personality, which his contemporaries from Cross River can not have his ingenuity in a hurry. Though, he faced so many critics but they have all forgotten the humongous debt profile he inherited, the lean Federal allocations and the internal friction and setback he suffered. But he came out, worked hard and made it to the top five (5) performing Governors. Do the critics know what it means for a State whose Federal allocations is second to the last to make top five (5)? Ayade was receiving N2.7B monthly for Cross River State, while he was competing with Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Kano, Lagos, etc that were receiving an average N15B monthly. He revamp Cross River State from poverty through his stimulus economic policy - which gave the youth populace the edge to attend school through bursaries, while some underemployed youth were trained on SMEs and others on agro-economy skills. He did not even stopped there, he also did well by recoupling Cross River State from a salary dependent State to an Industrial Hub of the Nation through his industrialization drive that beget seventeen (17) industries in Cross River State. He shows that governance is not all about sweeping the road. It's about empowering people for sustainable development, which he did excellently in that direction.

The Obudu German Hospital, Biase Teacher's Continous Training Institute, Ogoja Ultramodern Rice Mill, Calabar/Odukpani High Way Dual Carriage, Gas Fired Power Plant, Cross River Processing Factory (Calachika), Cross River Feed Mill Factory, Cross River Bagging and Packaging Factory, amongst others, were part of the industrial and infrastructural legacy projects he left behind in the 'People's Paradise State'. The President of the 10th Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio while serving as the Minister for Niger Delta applauded Ayade's strides in agricultural value chain, reiterating that he sees a great future for the people of Niger Delta through Sir Benedict Ayade, CON, because he had shown exceptional leadership by the great works he did in Cross River State. 

Also, the Former Emir of Kano, HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, also commended Ayade for the unparalleled height attained in the industrialization. Not only that, the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, as well applauded Ayade for constructing a world-class Teacher's Continous Training Institute in Biase Local Government Area of the State. UNICEF made it known that the institute would become a citadel for teacher's development sooner than later in Africa, stating that Ayade's decision to establish such institute with modern technology depicts hallmark of a leader with an eye for the future.

Your Excellency, did you know that Cross River State got a paltry sum of N35M or thereabouts at a particular month after deduction of all their debts (fact check it)? Yet, this man ensures workers are paid every month without delay. Some of the audacious projects he embarked on, still baffles so many Nigerians where the resources came from. I have no doubts in no distance time, even though, some people within the State feels he has done nothing, but they will surely miss him and his style of governance.

However, there is no gainsay that Sir Benedict Ayade, CON has been an unrepentant loyalist of Your Excellency since his defection into the Party. In the build up to the APC 2023 Presidential Primary Election, he showed interest of contesting but step-down for Your Excellency, while the exercise is ongoing and made it abundantly clear to all Cross-Riverian, where he stood. He never dilly-dallied on his support for a Tinubu Presidency, and he gallantly led Cross River people into a resounding 25% electoral college needed for the State, at the 2023 presidential poll, delivering Cross River to the All Progressives Congress.

Your Excellency, if former Governors who did not performed better than Sir Benedict Ayade, CON, should be rewarded with Ministerial appointments, and if these appointments are meant to reflect the interests of the nation and her citizens, then rewarding Ayade's competence, vast of knowledge and wealth of experience, will really amounts to the respect for the sensibilities of the people and actualization of your renewed hope agenda.

It is with immense pride that I present Professor, Sir Benedict Ayade, CON; the munificent servant leader, bridge-builder and undoubtedly one of the best choice, brand, and materials needed in the actualization and realization of achieving the renewed hope agenda of Your Excellency.

I trust that you will jettisoned the damages lots of his unwarranted enemies might have tabled before you, by quickly and decisively taking immediate steps on where to fix him, so as to establish confidence in your government and demonstrate the capacity that you rewards brains, competence and performance.

I wish you God's guidance, courage and wisdom to do what is right, appropriate and necessary to build Nigeria of our dreams, where competence, performance and vast pragmatic experience is not shortchanged for inconsistent, non-performance and incompetence.

While urging you to take out time to read and consider this letter as coming from a citizen and a stakeholder in your administration, I want you to recall back to your words when you visited him in Calabar on June 3rd 2022, that; "Mine is to respect you as you respect me. I appeal to you as your senior brother and the first to declare his intention, not to endorse me today, but when you get to Abuja, you can endorse me fully. We must have that unity of purpose. We must work together not only for the unity and economic development of Cross River, but also of the country" - in which he did solely with his heart and mind, my stepping to the podium and do endorsed you, by stepping down.

Conclusively, I will want you to appoint him in your cabinet because the man is still young and vibrant with lots of intellectual energy and capacity to help in consolidating the Renewed Hope Agenda. On my part, I wish to assure you of my positive contributions because it is our collective legacy that is as stake if the needful is not done.

Thank you for this privilege. It is the least I can do as a patriotic and concerned Nigerian.

God Bless You Sir.

God Bless The Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Yours Faithfully,

Olayiwola Rasheed Emmanuel,

olayiwolarasheedemmanuel@gmail.com

LASACO Holds 43rd AGM, Pledges More Values For Customers

The chairman of LASACO Assurance Plc, Teju Philips, has said that the goal of the fastest growing Insurance company in Nigeria is to remain at the forefront of the insurance industry by proactively participating and meeting the evolving needs of its customers.

The company grossed a premium written of N13.91 billion, which is a 4.7% increase from the previous year’s N13.28 billion, while its net underwriting income grew by 9%, from N10.6 billion to N6.3 billion in the year 2022.

Speaking during the company’s 43rd annual general meeting held at Mariot Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday, she stated that LASACO recognized the ever changing business landscape and as such, remains adaptable and agile in responding to new developments and emerging trends.

She said that to maintain its dominance at the forefront of the insurance industry, LASACO is committed to fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, excellence and continuously strive to identify and leverage new technologies and tools to drive the company’s growth and enhance its capabilities.

“With a focus on sustainability, we are also taking steps to reduce our environmental footprint while contributing to the development of the communities in which we operate. Overall, we are confident that our strategic approach and relentless pursuit of excellence will position us for sustained success and growth in the year to come,” he averred.

Speaking further she said the company has successfully maintained its market share in the industry despite the growing unrest in the country. 

According to her,” In 2022, many countries, including Nigeria, experienced heightened political tension and deteriorating socioeconomic situations, as the country fell short of expectations.”

Her words, “The global economy is currently experiencing a significant and widespread slowdown, with inflation at levels not seen in many years. This is due to factors such as the cost of living crisis, tightening financial conditions, Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”

“The projected global growth rate is expected to decline from 6.0 percent in 2021 to 3.2 percent in 2022 and 2.7 percent in 2023, which is the weakest growth outlook since 2001, excluding the global financial crisis and the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“According to United Nations, the Nigerian economy is expected to grow by 3% in 2023. The predominant theme in Nigeria will undoubtedly be the general elections and the pressing issue of how the incoming president intends to manage the unprecedented national debt of N44.06 trillion.

“Despite the economic recovery in Nigeria following the aftermath of COVID-19 and various unrest in the country, our company has successfully maintained its market share in the insurance industry. We achieved a gross premium written of N13.91 billion, which is a 4.7% increase from the previous year’s N13.28 billion. Additionally, our net underwriting income grew by 9%, from N10.6 billion to N6.3 billion.

“It is worth noting, however, that our profit before tax skyrocketed from N283 million to N1.5 billion, indicating a 445% increase. Similarly, our profit after tax increased by 446%, from N261 million in 2021 to N1.5 billion in 2022. Our total assets grew from N23.96 billion to N26.1 billion, representing a 8.9% growth rate. Moreover, our shareholders’ fund also marginally increased by 15%, from N11.31 billion in 2021 to N12.99 billion in 2022,” she averred.

The LASACO chairman stated further that the insurance company is committed to upholding its legacy by continuing to deliver value and excellence in all our operations.

Otunba Adedayo

 if you dashboard looks like ths.. hover around the publish side, click on that edit thats infront of publish immediately you;ll be able to change the date there

The Approved Story

 Police Busts Homosexual Party In Lagos, Reels Out Names Of Fleeing Suspects

Just like they did some days ago in Ogun State, by acting on a tip off from neighbours to the scene of the incident, the Nigeria Police have busted yet another homosexual party in Lagos State, Nigeria, on Friday, 23rd April, 2023, with a number of alleged culprits arrested and many others said to be on the run.

Following a confidential information from an informant whose name is witheld for security reasons, fully armed men from the Ikoyi Division of the Nigeria Police stormed the Friday night gig purportedly organised by men and women of the outlawed LGBTQ gang arresting 4 suspects, while 25  others were reported to have escaped  the wrath of the law, and are consequently put on the wanted list of the security agents.

According to findings by this Platform, the illegal group had gathered at a night club holding at 9, Maitama Sule Street, Ikoyi, Lagos State, to have their weekly rendezvous tagged: "Happy Hour", which the teeming public never knew men and women of the odious  sexual orientation of Lesbianism, Gay, Bisexual,Transexual,  and Queer, were intrinsic part of, and they had, reportedly, started having moments of intimacy at the time the Police swooped on them.

And while many of them were able to escape through different exit points from the club house, some were not so lucky as they were grabbed and handcuffed  by the Police before being whisked away. Those who were arrested at the scene, according to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, in a Press Release sent to News Platforms, included two females, Titilope Ojo and Josephine Nwaneri, and two males, Kingsley Okigwe as well as one Femi Adeleye, who happened to be the Manager of the club, and alleged to be a bisexual himself too.

During  Police investigation after the raiding, names of those who escaped in the night were able to be retrieved from a Register of attendees in possession of the Manager. And the PPRO has, therefore, reeled out the names of everyone on the Register to be on the wanted list of the Police. And the names of the 25 suspects include: Omolara Aderibigbe, Patrick Okobule, Cynthia Desmond, Segun Ajiboye, Sadiq Garba, Adams Attah, and Chuks Nwajei.

Others are:  Damola Adegoke, Kemi Festus, Feyi Adepoju, Cynthia Okechukwu, Peter Ekong, John Akpoborire, Lekan Omojowo, Adebayo Adedayo, John Okunrohunmu, Garba Umar, Abubakar Sodiq, Kingsley Goodluck, Mary Morgan, Kunle Ajiboye, Eunice Ifeanyi and Comfort Ozadebe.

According to the Police spokesman, anyone with useful information on the whereabouts of the people on the wanted list should approach any Divisional Police Station in Lagos State and any information given by them would be treated with utmost confidentiality. " We would not reveal the identity of anyone with useful information on how to bring any of the suspects to book", the PPRO assured.

It would be recalled that a similar busting of a suspected Homosexual Night Club in Ogun, a neighbouring state to Lagos, occurred about a forthright ago where 27 men and women alleged to be of the LGBTQ group were rounded off by men of the Ogun State Police Command, and were all arrested, as no one was said to have escaped. They have all been lined up for prosecution as at the time of this report, and they are all expected to be sentenced by the court, if found guilty.

In Nigeria, Section 214 of the Nigerian constitution criminalises ‘carnal knowledge’ against the order of nature with a penalty of 14 years imprisonment. Anyone arrested and found guilty of homosexuality, bisexuality, lesbianism and the rest of it, in Nigeria, would face charges, and would be sentenced accordingly, if found guilty as charged.

By Saheed Ojubanire.

Police Busts Homosexual Party In Lagos, Reels Out Names Of Fleeing Suspects

Just like they did some days ago in Ogun State, by acting on a tip off from neighbours to the scene of the incident, the Nigeria Police have busted yet another homosexual party in Lagos State, Nigeria, on Friday, 21st April, 2023, with a number of alleged culprits arrested and others said to be on the run.

Following a confidential information from an informant whose name is witheld for security reasons, fully armed men of the Ikoyi Divusion of the Nigeria Police stormed the Friday night gig purportedly organised men and women of the outlawed LGBTQ gang arresting 4 suspects, while 25 others were reported to have escaped, and are consequently put on the wanted list of the security agents.

According to findings by this Platform, the illegal group had gathered at a night club holding at 9, Maitama Sule Street, Ikoyi, Lagos State, to have their weekly rendezvous tagged: "Happy Hour", which the teeming public never knew men and women of the odious sexusl orientation of Lesbianism, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Queer, were intrinsic part of, and they had, reportedly, started having moments of intimacy at the time Police swooped on them.

And while many of them were able to escape through different exit points from the club house, some were not so lucky as they were grabbed and handcuffed by the Police before being whisked away. Those who were arrested at the scene, according to Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, in a Press Release sent to News Platforms included 2 females, Titilope Ojo and Josephine Nwaneri, and 2 males, Kingsley Okigwe as well as one Femi Adeleye, who happened to be the Manager of the club, and alleged to be a bisexual himself.

During Police investigation after the raiding, names of those who escaped in the night were able to be retrieved  from the Register of Attendees in possession of the Manager. And the PPRO has, therefore, reeled out the names of everyone on the Register to be on the wanted list of the Police. And the names of the 25 suspects include: Omolara Aderibigbe, Patrick Okobule, Cynthia Desmond, Segun Ajiboye, Sadiq Garba, Adams Attah, and Chuks Nwajei.

Others are: Damola Adegoke, Kemi Festus, Annah Okechukwu, Peter Ekong, John Akpoborire, Lekan Omojowo, Adebayo Adedayo, John Okurohunmu, Garba Umar, Abubakar Sodiq, Kingsley Goodluck, Mary Morgan, Kunle Ajiboye, Eunice Ifeanyi and Comfort Ozadebe. 

According to the Police Spokesman, anyone with useful information on the whereabouts of the people on the wanted list should approach any Divisional Police Station in Lagos State, and any information would be treated with utmost confidentiality. "We would not reveal the identity of anyone with useful information on how to bring any of the suspects to book," the PPRO assured.

It would be recalled that a similar busting of a suspected Homosexual Night Club in Ogun, a neighbouring State to Lagos, about a forthright ago where 27 men and women alleged to be of the LGBTQ group were rounded off by men of the Ogun State Police Command, and were all arrested as no one was reported to have escaped. They have, according to the feelers reaching this Platform, all been lined up for prosecution by the Court as the time of filing in this report. And they would all be sentenced accordingly, if found guilty.

In Nigeria, Section 214 of the Constitution criminalises "carnal knowledge" against the order of the nature with a penalty of 14 years imprisonment for anyone found guilty by the Court.

By Saheed Ojubanire.

During  Police investigation after the raiding, names of those who escaped in the night were able to be retrieved from a Register of attendees in possession of the Manager. And the PPRO has, therefore, reeled out the names of everyone on the Register to be on the wanted list of the Police. And the names of the 25 suspects include: Omolara Aderibigbe, Patrick Okobule, Cynthia Desmond, Segun Ajiboye, Sadiq Garba, Adams Attah, and Chuks Nwajei.

Others are:  Damola Adegoke, Kemi Festus, Feyi Adepoju, Cynthia Okechukwu, Peter Ekong, John Akpoborire, Lekan Omojowo, Adebayo Adedayo, John Okunrohunmu, Garba Umar, Abubakar Sodiq, Kingsley Goodluck, Mary Morgan, Kunle Ajiboye, Eunice Ifeanyi and Comfort Ozadebe.

According to the Police spokesman, anyone with useful information on the whereabouts of the people on the wanted list should approach any Divisional Police Station in Lagos State and any information given by them would be treated with utmost confidentiality. " We would not reveal the identity of anyone with useful information on how to bring any of the suspects to book", the PPRO assured.

It would be recalled that a similar busting of a suspected Homosexual Night Club in Ogun, a neighbouring state to Lagos, occurred about a forthright ago where 27 men and women alleged to be of the LGBTQ group were rounded off by men of the Ogun State Police Command, and were all arrested, as no one was said to have escaped. They have all been lined up for prosecution as at the time of this report, and they are all expected to be sentenced by the court, if found guilty.

In Nigeria, Section 214 of the Nigerian constitution criminalises ‘carnal knowledge’ against the order of nature with a penalty of 14 years imprisonment. Anyone arrested and found guilty of homosexuality, bisexuality, lesbianism and the rest of it, in Nigeria, would face charges, and would be sentenced accordingly, if found guilty as charged.

By Saheed Ojubanire.

Police Busts Homosexual Party In Lagos, Reels Out Names Of Fleeing Suspects

The Shameful Activities Going On At Ikoyi Registry

The Federal Marriage Registry in Ikoyi, Lagos State, is in shambles. And, that should be a big cause for worry, to the people put in charge to oversee the activities at Federal Marriage Registries across the country. As such, the Ministry of Interior under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as the Minister, should as a matter of urgency, set machineries in motion to arrest the shame of a nation being currently depicted at the Federal Marriage Registry in Lagos, before it goes from worse to worst. The truth is, it is no longer bad, but worse at the moment.

Or, how would you describe a situation where sanity is no longer the order of the day at the most popular Federal Marriage Registry in the country? Though, it is understood that a new Registrar has recently being posted to Ikoyi Registry, but that should not have been a reason for things to turn upside down immediately. Because, as private assessment of what is currently going at the Registry has revealed, coupled with the videos accessible online of weddings that were supposed to be conducted at the Registry which could not be done, things are certainly no longer at ease for intending couples heading to Ikoyi Registry.

It was learnt by this medium that, unlike what was obtainable before now, mass wedding for about 30 different couples at the same time, is what is being done there now. Then, the question would be, how do you conduct weddings of about 30 couples within the small hall in Ikoyi, simultaneously without having issues? How do these couples amidst the crowd of other couples, take photographs that would be decent enough to be used for some form of documentation they might need to do with it now, or later in the future. So, for that singular act of mass wedding from the officials of the Registry, it simply means something has gone really wrong out there.

And again, it was understood in one of the online videos already damaging the image of the Federal Marriage Registries in the country in which a Wedding Registrar threatened to discontinue the administration of vows on a couple, simply because the groom smiled when the commissioner asked him to say that, he would forsake all other girlfriends for his bride. As a matter of fact, the Registrar in question who was supposed to be a friendly father figure to the young couple in the video emphasised that he was not joking with the couple as far as the threat he issued to them was concerned. And again, where does a Registrar derive the power to discontinue joining couples together in a legal wedding? According to Marriage Act, such power is vested ONLY on the High Court. So, the man definitely lacks the basic knowledge of his job.

And, the most baffling aspect of the whole sorry scenario later turned out that, the same Registrar in the very embarrassing video on which some witty  Nigerians have inscribed the comment: "...when your father-in-law is the marriage commissioner", is said to be the new Registrar now at the Ikoyi Registry. So, one should not wonder any more, why things have gone the way they have gone at the Registry in Lagos since his resumption of duty. Call it a clear case of a square peg in a round hole, and you would not be wrong. That is a misfit, to say the least.

Hence, it is doubtful if such a man can really manage the affairs of the most patronised Marriage Registry in Nigeria, the Ikoyi Registry, without bringing it into serious disrepute. So, if the people in charge at the top are seeing the embarrassment the conduct of their man has brought to the Registry in Lagos, they should not hesitate in taking steps in restituting the situation before it is too late. So, it would strongly be advised that the immediate past administration be brought back . Because, findings have revealed that the Registrar that just left performed very well, as he was said to be on top of his job throughout.

Certainly, the videos of happenings currently at the Registry which have gone viral, are sad commentaries on how critical agencies of the government should not be managed. And, the ball is now in the court of the people saddled with the responsibility to remedy the situation to do their job. And they need to do it very fast.

This medium would keep tabs on the situation at the Registry, as things keep unfolding.