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Yay! Its My DADDY’s Birthday (Otunba JF Ogunrinde Hits 70)

Published

10 years ago

August 12, 2016

Please can we get settled down while I tell you one of the stories of my life? YES my own life!!!

I had and still have this friend Gbenga Jolayemi who had ‘upgraded or rather was upgrading’ me. He was the first person to tell me about Emails and Arsenal in 2000. He had just spent a term in secondary school when he started giving me gist about life in secondary school. The only problem with this is, G-benga did not know that was my first time hearing about Emails and Arsenal (I felt I had to play along to be seen as a big boy).

Let’s move quickly to 2008 when Gbenga gained admission into the greatest citadel of learning (OAU). After spending his first semester, he filled my ears with lots of gist about the school; her beauty, Aluta, Angola hall (his hostel) and how secondary school could not be compared to the university. According to him, ss3 to part 1(100 Level) was like promoting a primary 3/4 pupil to ss1 (lol) he did not forget to show me the slippers (palm) he bought from Aluta market (he had a thing for the little details).

Now shall we fast forward to a few months later? August 2008 to be precise (so get on the bus!) I attended a youth programme at Emmanuel Baptist Church Ilorin and as part of the procedure, we were required to register our names, level of education and institution. scanning through the sheet quickly, i realised everybody but me was an undergraduate most being students of Unilorin. So i decided not to be left out (i could not carry last abeg) I sharply filled in my name, stated I was an undergraduate of OAU (afterall Jamb and post UME results were out so i was going to end up there anywaiz). ‘it wasn’t all a lie’ I said to myself. Just as I was about to get a seat for myself, someone approached me and greeted me the ‘great ife way’ unfortunately, it wasn’t just anybody. it was one of the youth ‘leaders’ from 1st Baptist Church (see gobe!). He did not just greet me and move on (extra gobe!) he decided to know more. He asked for my department, level and hostel. Still feeling like a sharp guy (‘kunle,you got this!’ i said to myself) i told him the course I filled in Jamb as my department and South Africa as my hall of residence. South Africa?!?? I said yes (boldly). The only fucked up thing with this story is OAU only had and still have 4 undergraduate male hostels; Angola, ETF, Fajuyi and Awolowo halls (Self help? yimu). Thanksfully the man left probably because he felt pity for me but don’t entirely blame me. Angola had denied us the 2006 World Cup ticket so I hated the country so much that i did not want to associate myself with her. so I thought if OAU had Angola as an hostel maybe they had other countries as hostels. Thinking of it now, I honestly wish this man did not greet me at all!

Am sorry i know we have been into a lot of time travelling rides but can I take you back to how feeling like a ‘sharp guy’ started? ok, lets go back to December 97/8. within that time frame I was a pupil of P.N.P.S O/A. In a ‘group discussion’ with friends/classsmates. Those days it was a common thing to have pupils form groups at different location after exams (playing all day of course). One of those locations was my desk. Our themes ranged from; Music { Shina Peters, KSA, MJ etc}, Money {to us Abiola, Tejumola,Nziegwu ‘King of Money’ were the richest people on earth} and Football {Kanu, Okocha,Oliseh, Yekini}…

It was a monday i remember. still debating on what type of discussion we would have a girl from B class rushed into the conversation saying ‘I Drink Coke, Maltina and Many Rice Yesterday. Trying to understand what just happened everyone’s attention focused on her but surprisingly she looked set to take the shine this fateful day. it was her DAD’s 40th birthday that weekend and she couldn’t help but tell us how much she enjoyed herself. ’40 sounded too young to be somebody’s daddy’s age’ I thought within but i decided to keep quiet and observe (not ready to lose my shine of course). A boy sitting next to me quickly added that his mom was 40 last year December and of course ‘all daddies are older than mummies’. That little piece of information brushed off her ego. From nowhere my voice sounded louder than it was in my head. so loud i could hear it spread across the class. I heard myself saying MY DADDY IS 70 YEARS OLD! i had no idea how old my DAD was but i felt he was older than most DADdies because many people including some peoples’ DADdies and mummies would come to the house/office asking if Baba/DADDY was around so i thought 70 was quite appropriate. My friends did not even doubt me because I was known to be the judge of most cases.

For the last time let’s fast forward to today 13th August 2016 which is my DADdy’s 70th birthday. I stopped feeling like a sharp guy a long time ago!.

Happy birthday Otunba J.F Ogunrinde a.k.a my DADdy. May this birthday mark the beginning of bountiful harvest from your past labour.

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Hashim: Nigeria Is at War, Tinubu Lacks Clear Strategy to End Insecurity

Published

2 weeks ago

July 28, 2026

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Accord Party presidential aspirant Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s approach to tackling insecurity, saying Nigeria is effectively at war but lacks a clear and coordinated strategy to defeat terrorist groups and criminal gangs.

Hashim argued that despite ongoing military operations, terrorists and armed criminal groups continue to dictate the pace of violence in several parts of the country. He maintained that the nation’s security challenges require more than isolated military offensives, calling instead for a comprehensive national strategy backed by strong political leadership.

According to him, Nigeria’s armed forces possess the capacity to restore security if provided with consistent direction, adequate support, and a clearly defined mission. He stressed that defeating insecurity requires improved intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency coordination, and sustained political commitment.

Hashim further urged the federal government to treat the country’s security situation with greater urgency, warning that prolonged instability could continue to undermine economic growth, investment, and public confidence in government institutions.

His comments come amid ongoing national debate over security policy, even as the Tinubu administration has announced measures including expanding the Nigerian Army and increasing investment in technology and military capabilities to address the country’s security threats.

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President Tinubu Approves Major Road Infrastructure Boost – Reconstruction of Key Federal Roads in Niger State and Extension of Bodo–Bonny Road in Rivers State

Published

5 months ago

February 27, 2026

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In a significant move to enhance connectivity, durability, and economic development across Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given the green light for the immediate reconstruction of three critical federal roads in Niger State, alongside the extension of the strategic Bodo–Bonny Road in Rivers State to link up with the East–West Road.

The three roads in Niger State earmarked for full reconstruction will utilize reinforced concrete pavement to guarantee long-lasting performance and better value for money. The projects include:

Mokwa–Bida Road(approximately 120 km)
Mokwa–Makeri Road (63 km)
Bida–Labata Road (123.5 km)

These upgrades aim to improve transportation efficiency, reduce maintenance costs over time, and support socio-economic activities in the North-Central region.

Additionally, President Tinubu has directed the extension of the Bodo–Bonny Road in Rivers State by connecting it to the East–West Road. This extension will be constructed as a *dual carriageway using concrete pavement and will feature solar-powered street lighting for enhanced safety and sustainability. The initiative is expected to boost access to coastal communities, facilitate trade, and strengthen integration in the Niger Delta area.

This approval underscores the administration’s ongoing commitment to revitalizing legacy infrastructure projects and delivering durable, high-quality road networks nationwide under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

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“Political Hushpuppi” Ugochinyere is one of PDP’s aberrations, he is only cashing out – Wike’s Aide

Published

2 years ago

November 24, 2024

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Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described House of Representatives member from Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State, Imo Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu, as a “political hushpuppi” who was produced by part of the aberrations in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that must be made to stop.

Olayinka, who told Ugochinyere to “stop going about masturbating about anything Wike,” admonished him to face the reason for which he was elected into the House of Representatives so that his constituents will stop seeing him as a failure and consistently passing votes of no confidence against him.

While featuring on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday, Ugochinyere, had said that the FCT Minister and other G5 Governors like Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) were determined to destroy the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, Olayinka said; “This is one of the things you get when people who joined the PDP today are awarded the ticket of the party tomorrow morning. If not for the aberration in the PDP that produced a character like Ugochinyere, someone who only joined the party in 2022 won’t be the one to lecture us about who is loyal to the party and who’s not.

“If PDP had functioned properly, would a ‘political hushpuppi’ like Ugochinyere have gotten the party’s ticket while still in another party? Even till today, as a PDP Rep member, Ugochinyere is still holding on to his Action Peoples Party (APP), using it to cash-out in Rivers State.

“Therefore, we on this side are not bothered because we understand why Ugochinyere must now mount the podium and accuse Wike of playing childish and kindergarten politics. He must satisfy those feeding him from the resources of Rivers State.”

While mocking Ugochinyere for always having an organization to speak for to carry out his political hustle, Olayinka said; “In saner climes, such character would have been arrested, tried and jailed for impersonation.

“When he got to the House of Representatives and there was no title under which his political hushpuppism would continue, he awarded to himself a non-existing title of ‘Spokesperson of Opposition Lawmakers Coalition in the 10th National Assembly,’ claiming to have been so appointed by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).

“But the questions are, is CUPP a political party with members in the House of Representatives? Where and when was CUPP registered? Apart from the positions of Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip, is there anything like spokesperson of opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly?

“Being a political hustler that he has always been, Ugochinyere, knew that he will be contravening the rules of the National Assembly by allocating to himself, a non-existing position, but he just must have a title to keep his hustle going, and indeed, it has been booming.

“Impersonating as spokesperson of opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Ugochinyere has been cashing out in Rivers State in particular. If he is not using his former party, APP, to cash-out, he will be using his amorphous opposition lawmakers to chop from inside the Rivers.”