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Why I Rejected Record Deals With Olamide, Akon’s Brother – Mr Eazi

Famous singer and entrepreneur Oluwatosin Oluwole Ajibade, aka Mr Eazi has opened up that he rejected offers from Nigerian rapper and CEO of YBNL Nation, Olamide, and ace American singer Akon’s younger brother, Abou “Bu” Thiam, the executive vice president of Columbia Records.
According to him, the duo approached him separately to join their record labels when he began his music career but he declined because he hadn’t figured out what he was doing and also wanted his “freedom”.
Mr Eazi spoke in the latest episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence Podcast hosted by Joey Akan.
He said, “I remember going for ‘Ghana Meets Naija in Ghana. And that was where I met Olamide. He tried to sign me to his record label. He offered me a deal. Somebody else had also tried to sign me. Bu [Abou Thiam], Akon’s brother was the first person who tried to sign me.
 
“I declined because then I haven’t even figured out what I was doing. It was too early to sign. So, I didn’t sign to Bu.
 
“When Olamide gave me a deal, I knew that I hadn’t totally understood the business or what I was even doing so I declined. Everything was just happening so fast. One thing I knew was that I wanted my freedom.”
Mr Eazi also revealed in the interview that Jay-Z’s record label, ROC Nation, wanted to sign his hit song ‘Skin Tight’ but Wizkid “told me to do the deal only if they offer life changing money”.
”In reality to where I was in my life, the money they offered would have been interpreted as life changing money. But to me because of where I thought I was going, I didn’t think it was life changing money. So, I didn’t accept the deal,” he added.
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COP28: Some Individuals Funded Their Trip There But Had To Register As Delegates From Nigeria – FG

The Tinubu-led Federal government has reacted to the backlash it received after it was alleged that it sponsored the trip of 1400 delegates to the ongoing COP28 Climate conference in Dubai.

In a statement released, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said some people came to the conference on their own but registered as delegates from Nigeria. Ajayi said that Tony Elumelu, BUA chairman, Ijaw Youth Council, media houses and others attended the conference and were registered as delegates from Nigeria.

His statement titled ‘’Nigeria at COP28: Separating The Facts From Fiction” reads;

’The number of delegates from Nigeria attending the ongoing Climate Summit in Dubai otherwise called COP28 has generated a lot of controversies and strong social media conversations in the last 24 hours. It is important to set the record straight and provide some clarity. To begin with, the Summit is tagged COP which means Convention of Parties. The ongoing Summit in Dubai with over 97,000 delegates from more than 100 countries around the world is the 28th in the series since the issue of climate change and action took preeminent stage in global affairs. COP27 took place at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt last year.

When the world comes together to take actions on achieving a common goal and proffer collective solutions to a nagging global concern, there are parties involved from government, private sector, civil society, media and multilateral institutions. The people coming together to advance their different agenda and interests from governments, businesses and civil societies are the parties to the convention who represent various shades of opinions and pushing for various mitigating actions.

In Nigeria like so many other countries, interested parties comprising government officials from both the Federal and sub-national governments, business leaders, environmentalists, climate activists and journalists are present in Dubai. Also participating  are agencies of government such as the NNPC and its subsidiaries, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, NIMASA,   NDDC. Many youth organisations from Nigeria especially from the Northern and Niger-Delta regions whose lives and livelihoods are most impacted by desert encroachment and hydrocarbon activities are also represented. The President of Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, leads a pan-Ijaw delegation of more than 15 people who registered as parties from Nigeria. Among delegates from Nigeria are also over 20 journalists from various media houses.

Their participation is very important. It is not for jamboree as it is being mischievously represented on social media.

It is important to state here that delegates from all countries whether from government, private sector, media and civil society groups attend COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees are registered against their countries of origin. This does not mean that they are sponsored or funded by the government. It must be said also that the fact that people registered to attend a conference does not also mean everyone that registered are physically present.

As the biggest country in Africa, biggest economy and one with a bigger stake on climate action as a country with huge extractive economy, it is a no-brainer that delegates from Nigeria will be more than any other country in Africa.

Among the delegates from Nigeria are UBA Chairman, Tony Elumelu, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of BUA group, and other billionaires whose businesses are promoting sustainability and climate actions through their philanthropies. These businessmen and women and their staff who came with them to promote their own business interests are part of the 1,411 delegates from Nigeria.  Their trip to Dubai is not funded by the Federal Government.

United Nations Climate summit, by its very nature, commands attendance of big names from across the world – statesmen and women, politicians, lawmakers, corporate titans,  journalists and activists, etc who promote big global agenda. So, people attend the summit for many reasons. And because climate issue is the biggest global issue of the moment, it is not surprising that over 97,000 people including Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, King Charles of United Kingdom, Prime Minister of Netherlands, Mark Rutte, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, US Special Envoy on Climate Change and former Secretary of State, John Kerry, President Bola Tinubu, United Nations Secretary General, Antonio  Guterres, World Bank President, Ajay Banga, International Monetary Fund President, Kristalina Georgieva, World Trade Organisation Director General, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Africa Development Bank President, Akinwumi Adesina, former US Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Al Gore and almost 100 Heads of States and Governments converged on Dubai for COP28. It is the first of its kind in the history of the summit because of the importance of climate change to global well-being.

After the opening and national statements by Heads of States which began from November 30 when the summit opened and up until Saturday December 2, 2023, the real work of COP28 which are the technical sessions and negotiations, financing, etc will begin from Monday, December 4 till December 12 where agreements will be reached on many proposals for consideration and ratification by the parties.

Those with sufficient understanding and knowledge on climate matters know that issues around the subject have  layers and multiplicity of factors that require experts from various fields. There are lined-up technical sessions on financing climate actions at sub-national levels, regions and local governments. State Governors from Nigeria such as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Umo Eno of Akwa-Ibom have been really busy with their officials at COP28, making presentations, speaking at panel sessions and pitching some of their sustainability projects to development partners and investors.

Multifaceted stakeholders from different countries including Nigeria are on ground in Dubai because they don’t want decisions that will affect them to be taken without pushing their own agenda. It is the reason delegates from China and Brazil are over 3000 respectively. China is one of the world biggest polluters and Brazil is at the centre of global climate debate with her Amazon rainforest. These two countries know important decisions that will affect them will be taken and they have to move everything to be fully on ground and ensure they are fully represented by their best brains at every level of discussion and negotiation.

Like former President Muhammadu Buhari and other African leaders who demanded fair deal and climate justice for Africa at previous UN Climate summits, President Tinubu is leading the charge at COP28 on behalf of Nigeria and the rest of the continent, demanding from the West that any climate decision and action must be fair and just to Africa and Nigeria in particular, especially the debate around energy transition. President Tinubu has been unequivocal in his position that Africa that is battling problems of poverty, security and struggling to provide education and healthcare to her people can not be told to abandon its major source of income which is mostly from extractive industries without the West providing the funding and investment in alternative and clean energy sources. President Tinubu and other officials on the Federal government delegation are in Dubai for serious business not jamboree. Our President has been very busy representing our country well. Since Thursday morning when he arrived Dubai, President Tinubu has spent not less than 18hours daily in attending very important sessions, pushing our national agenda whilst holding bilateral and business meetings on the sidelines.

-Ajayi is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity”

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Don Jazzy Replies Man Who Described Him As ‘Stingy

MAVIN Record label boss, Don Jazzy has fired back at a follower on ‘X’ who described him as ‘’Stingy”.

It all started when Don Jazzy posted on his handle that he was at the club and saw some ‘big boys’’ spraying money. The music producer said he picked a N500 note that fell on him and put the money ‘’in his bra.”

An X-user who appeared to be displeased that he picked the money, slammed him by describing him as a ‘’stingy man” and went on to say ‘’no wonder you are lonely”. Don Jazzy saw the comment and wasted no time to clap back.

See his comment below…

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Lagos Businessman, Dr Akintoye Akindele Arraigned In Court Over Allegations Of Bribery, Theft, And Embezzlement

A Lagos State businessman and investor, Dr Akintoye Akindele has been charged to court over allegations of bribery, theft, and embezzlement.

The philanthropist is accused of deceit and exploitation by defrauding investors and partners.

He was first arraigned in August 2023 and the case is set to proceed to the FCT High Court on December 6, 2023.

In August, he was arraigned on one count bordering on bribery. The suit numbered CR/595/2023, had the Acting Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun as the Plaintiff/Applicant.

According to the police prosecution team, the defendant allegedly offered to bribe policemen investigating a case of fund diversion brought against him.

Investors alleged to have fallen victim to the accused are calling for justice as they look forward to the Dec. 6 hearing.

“This date marks a crucial juncture in the quest for justice, where the allegations will be scrutinized in a court of law,”
 a statement reacting to the coming hearing reads.

The statement adds that: “Reputable institutions who tend to shy away from public feuds or legal wranglings, such as Norsad Capital, were compelled to place Akindele’s Platform Capital into receivership due to a default on a $10 million loan.”

It further stated: “The allegations against Akindele paint a picture of a disturbing pattern of deceit and exploitation. Accusations of stealing from individuals, defrauding his own company, and cheating others out of substantial sums suggest a complete lack of ethical conduct. If proven true, these actions could irreparably damage Akindele’s reputation and have far-reaching consequences for those entangled in his web of deception.

“As the Akintoye Akindele bribery case continues to capture headlines, the eyes of the Nigerian public and the investment community remain fixed on the upcoming court proceedings. The December 6th court date will potentially bring an end to Akindele’s alleged 20-year career of deceit and exploitation. The outcome of this case has the power to reshape perceptions of ethical conduct within the business community and serve as a warning against those who seek to undermine trust for personal gain.”

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Budget: Ex-Presidents, Former VPs, Others Receive N13.8bn Maintenance Allowance

The sum of N13,805,814,220 has been set aside by the Federal Government for the maintenance of former presidents, vice presidents, chiefs of state, Chiefs of General Staff, retired heads of service, permanent secretaries, and retired heads of government agencies and parastatals in the fiscal year 2024.

Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari are among those who will benefit, as well as ex-vice presidents Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo, and Prof Yemi Osinbajo.

Ex-military heads of state, General Yakubu Gowon, General Abdusalami Abubakar, General Ibrahim Babangida, and a former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd.), are to gain from the windfall.

In addition, N1trn has been set aside for public service wage adjustments for government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (including arrears of promotion and salary increases, as well as payment of severance benefits and minimum wage-related adjustments).

The entitlements of past presidents/leaders of states and vice presidents/chiefs of general staff will cost N2.3 billion, while retired heads of service, permanent secretaries, and professors will cost N10.5 billion.

Severance payments to retiring heads of government agencies and parastatals are estimated to cost N1 billion.

Other fundings include N65 billion for the Presidential Amnesty Programme to reintegrate transformed ex-militants, N1 billion for the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Energy, and N108 billion for unspecified special projects.

The government is also proposing a sum of N40 billion to offset electricity arrears due by all MDAs to power distribution firms.

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Despite Family Privilege, My Life Has Been Unpredictable – DJ Cuppy Speaks (Video)

Famous Nigerian disc jockey, Florence Otedola, who is popularly known as DJ Cuppy and daughter of Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola, has talked about her life.

She said her life has been unpredictable, despite her affluent background.

She made these remarks at the Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ) conference in London.

Addressing the audience on the power of uncertainty, DJ Cuppy acknowledged that failure is an inevitable part of life.

She shared some of the setbacks she has faced, including her failed engagement with fiancé Ryan Taylor, challenges in her jewellery business and struggles with her academic pursuits at Oxford University.

Despite these difficulties, DJ Cuppy expressed acceptance of the uncertainties in life, stressing that more days lie ahead for her.

Recall that in 2022, DJ Cuppy announced her engagement to British boxer Ryan Taylor.

Watch the video below:

 

Grateful to share my unfiltered thoughts on the @Wimbiz stage 💕 💭 I know embracing uncertainty isn’t always easy but set yourself free! 🕊️ #CuppyCares pic.twitter.com/DLx23vChWA

— Cuppy (@cuppymusic) December 1, 2023

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Burna Boy Incredibly Talented, Doesn’t Write Songs – Byron Messia

Byron Messia, the Kittitian dancehall artist, has expressed delight in collaborating with the Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Burna Boy, on the remix of his song ‘Talibans.’

Speaking on the creation process of the song in the latest episode of the Bootleg Kev podcast, Messia praised Burna Boy’s “insane” talent.

He stated that Burna Boy doesn’t write in the studio, adding that he did his verse off freestyling.

He said, “Burna Boy did his verse on the song, ‘Talibans II’ in my presence. The session was fun and exciting. Burna Boy murdered that remix. The way he came up with that verse, mehn, this man is talented, gifted like out of the world, crazy, insane like insanely talented.

“He didn’t even write his verse. He didn’t stand in the studio boot for an hour. It was a crazy moment.”

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ASUU Denies Knowledge Of Plan To Pay Members’ Withheld Salary

The Academic Staff Union of Universities’ leadership has stated that it is unaware of any directive from President Bola Tinubu regarding the payment of four out of eight months of withheld salary arrears for its members.

The National Vice President of ASUU, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, stated this in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the presentation of scholarships to university undergraduate students in Bauchi Zone, which was held at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Yelwa Campus, Bauchi, on Saturday.

The PUNCH reported on October 20, 2023, that Tinubu had approved the partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” order instituted against striking members of the ASUU following their eight-month strike, which began on February 14, 2022, and was terminated on October 17, 2022.

The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed in a statement that the waiver “will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary that were withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.”

The statement was titled ‘President Tinubu approves partial waiver of the no work, no pay order on ASUU members; orders release of four months of withheld salary.’

However, Tinubu directed the grant of the waiver with the mandatory requirement that the  Ministry of Education and the  Ministry of Labour and Employment must secure a Document of Understanding establishing that the waiver granted by the President will be the last one to be granted to ASUU and all other education sector unions.

Ngelale said the President sought to “mitigate the difficulties being felt during the implementation of key economic reforms in the country, as well as his recognition of the faithful implementation of terms that were agreed upon during the deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

But Piwuna, when asked to comment on the said approval of the four-month salary arrears, said that ASUU is not aware of such.

  1. “We are not aware that the government has awarded money to anybody. We are not aware. As a union, we are not aware of that,” he declared.
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I Didn’t Break Mohbad’s Neck – Late Singer’s Cousin Breaks Silence

Nigerian man, Darosha Losobeh, who is the cousin and personal assistant to the late Nigerian artiste, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has spoken about the late singer.

Darosha Losobeh broke his silence on the viral video of the singer’s coffin allegedly showing he had a broken neck.

Recall that the ex-Marlian record signee died at the age of 27 on September 12, and his death has stirred controversy with many Nigerians calling for justice for his sudden demise, leading to the arrest of his former boss, Azeez Fashola, aka Naira Marley and Samson Balogun aka Sam Larry.

The duo who were allegedly arrested for bullying the late singer have been released.

However, Mohbad’s friend, Primeboy, and the nurse who allegedly injected the late singer are still in police custody because they were tagged prime suspects in the case.

Reacting to the allegations of a broken neck from netizens on his Instagram story on Saturday, Darosha declared that he was not the one who broke the late artiste’s neck while begging those peddling the information to desist from it because it was affecting his mental health.

He wrote, “I’m so down to the extent that I had to write this up to clear this whole damn story about me going online that I bend my love’s neck; this is the craziest and saddest thing that ever happened to me, my whole life. That I broke my brother’s neck, seriously, this hurt me so much.

“What happened about the neck was that when we got to Ikorodu, we were told there was no space to keep his body at the mortuary, and we didn’t want him buried that night, so a worker there advised the family to pay for an ambulance and a coffin where we can keep him till morning and the same ambulance would drive him down to the place of burial.

“The whole family agreed to the idea because the ambulance that took us to Ikorodu was complaining that they had to leave the same night back to the island. It was only his mum that was not present there that midnight.”

Continuing, the late singer’s cousin stressed that the only issue that brought him into the picture was that he paid for the arrangement of the coffin and ambulance, maintaining that he never knew that the coffin was too small to contain his (Mohbad) whole body.

“The whole family saw his body in the ambulance before leaving for the burial ground in the morning, and no one complained about his head or anything. I didn’t go close to the ambulance because I was in shock, so I didn’t know of his neck until I saw it online, and that saddened me.

“The N1million I sent to his dad is not for him to spend because it was instructed that we should use the money in doing the burial arrangement, but unfortunately, the place we buried him is not nice to me and not secured, so I told his father to use the money to erect a fence for his safety. The whole team and family can testify to this because I have every proof, and I sent his brother the rest of the money when we arrived home.

“I was the first person that went to Panti to write a statement and called for questioning. You can go to Panti station to ask more about me, not coming online to say what you don’t know; well, I know it’s all for content, but God in heaven will judge you, tarnishing my image even with all that I am going through.

“About the salt, when my father died, a salt was placed on his chest till we arrived and I was told it was local embalming to keep him fresh till the whole family arrived, and I did the same thing because a lot of people were still coming to see him before leaving to Ikorodu that night.

“Lastly, about his properties and music catalogues, Mohbad has a lawyer that controls all of these things, and he has a contract with ONErpm, so all of these things are controlled by them, and his car is parked in front of his house at Orchid.

“I can’t drive his car because I have mine. If we really want justice, let the government work, and let’s wait for autopsy.  Stop bashing his loved ones. Abi una wants us to go depressed too #justiceformohbad,” he added.

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Lagos State Commissioner For Environment And Water Resources Shares Photo Of A House Built On A Canal

Mr Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, in Lagos State on Wednesday, shared a photo of a house built on a canal in the state.

There are speculations that the building might be demolished.

The state government has in recent times demolished houses obstructing the free flow of water in the state.

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