Nollywood actor Junior Pope Odonwodo, popularly known as Jnr Pope, has died after drowning in a boat accident.
Jnr Pope died on a movie set in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Confusion had trailed his status Wednesday night after Emeka Rollas, the national president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), announced that the actor was responding to medical treatment.
“What God cannot do does not exist. Junior Pope is alive. He is taking treatment in the hospital,” Rollassaidin a later deleted post on Instagram.
However, the AGN president confirmed Pope’s passing in a new post on Thursday morning. “It’s so so sad that our joy was shortlived,” he said.
Clearing up the confusion triggered by his initial post, Rollas clarified, “My first post was out of excitement when we noticed his tingling fingers. Two notable hospitals tried their best to revive him but to no avail. God knows the best. We finally lost him.”
The deceased actor was married and blessed with three kids. Rollas also confirmed that the corpse of one Mr Friday had also been identified, while three other victims of the boat accident, including a makeup artist and a sound guy, are still missing.
The incident happened a few hours after Pope shared a video of himself on his Instagram page, riding a wooden boat without a life jacket, apparently for a scene in the movie he was acting in.
The Premier League will introduce semi-automated offside technology next season in the hope of reducing the time it takes to make VAR decisions.
At a shareholders’ meeting on Thursday, top-flight clubs unanimously agreed to introduce the system, which is expected to cut the average length of a VAR check for offside by about 30 seconds.
“The technology will provide quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking, and will produce high-quality broadcast graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters,” a Premier League statement said.
Football’s global governing body FIFA used semi-automated offside technology at the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar after running a series of trials, including at the Club World Cup.
It is also used in the Champions League and in Italy’s Serie A. Referees will still need to make calls on subjective elements, such as whether a player in an offside position is interfering with play.
The Premier League has not disclosed the technology partner it will work with and it is understood that no contracts have yet been signed.
Two farmers who were displaced from their ancestral homes in the Umogidi community in the Entekpa Council ward in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State have been reportedly killed by bandits.
Two others were said to have been injured, and another was abducted by the bandits in a renewed attack.
Locals who spoke on condition of anonymity said the deceased recently fled their homes due to a similar attack but decided to go to their farms in Umogidi when they were killed on Tuesday.
The other three were also said to be in their farms when the bandits attacked them and took away one of them while the other two were reported to have been injured.
One of the locals who spoke to journalists on the phone on Thursday said, “They (bandits) are now demanding N5 million as ransom for the kidnapped victim.
“All of these victims are IDPs who went to get food in their farms and were attacked by the same armed herders who chased them away from home in the first place.”
Confirming the incident in a telephone chat with journalists on Thursday, the caretaker chairman of Otukpo LGA, Alfred Omakwu, said the victims were IDPs who went to farm on Tuesday but were attacked.
He added that the bandits again attacked another village, Upu, in Otukpo on Wednesday but were repelled by soldiers who engaged them in a gun battle from afternoon until 7pm.
Omakwu said, “The IDPs are camped in St. Charles Primary School, while most of them as they are going to their farms to fetch farm produce, rented one room for their family to stay in Adoka central.
“They (victims) left Adoka where they were taking refuge and went to their farms at Umogidi when they were attacked. Two of them were killed.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), there was another attack in Upu village. They (armed invaders) opened gunfire in the village, the soldiers were there, so they engaged them and chased them to the bush. They exchanged gunfire till 7 pm, and they (armed invaders) ran away. There was no casualty.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the state command’s spokesperson, Catherine Anene, were not successful as her phone did not connect.
The Lagos State Government on Thursday reiterated its resolve to demolish buildings that fail its integrity test. The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, spoke when he visited Dosunmu Market on the Lagos Island which was gutted by fire on Tuesday. No fewer than 14 buildings were gutted by fire which resulted in the loss of goods worth millions of naira.
“The fire started from the Penthouse of one of the buildings where a man was carelessly refueling a generator before it ignited the fire and escalated to other buildings. There were many generators in the building that further compounded the escalation,” according to the Lagos Territorial Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Authority, Ibrahim Farinloye.
During his visit to the scene of the incident, Sanwo-Olu said, “A lot of residential apartments have been turned to warehouses. I am saying without any iota of doubt that more buildings will go down.
“I just finished the assessment of a very unfortunate, but preventable disaster.
“Access was denied to the first responder to the fire for a couple of hours. This fire started more than 48 hours ago and is still alive.
“At the last count, we have about 14 houses that have been affected, and more may go down after the extensive test.”
The governor added, “What I have seen here is what could have been prevented. We do not have a full report yet, so I do not want to speculate.
“From the initial report, it was gross carelessness.”
Sanwo-Olu added that the Dosunmu Market would be closed indefinitely, but that government would assist those to be affected.
“We will bring down any property that does not conform to our rules and regulations of construction.
“We cannot allow anyone to put the lives and property of others and the environment at risk.
“We will support those affected by the fire so they can get back on their feet, however.
Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has charged the UN Habitat to fastrack the delivery of Aba Master Plan as well as extend their work to the State capital, Umuahia, in order to accelerate the pace of work in the redevelopment of the cities.
Governor Otti gave the charge when he received the UN Habitat, West Africa Portfolio Manager, Matthias Spaliviero, who visited Tuesday to brief him on the extent of work done by the agency in redesigning the Master Plan for Aba.
The Governor, who said his administration was committed to transforming Umuahia to give it a status befitting of a capital city, announced that government had awarded contract for the construction of an ultra modern bus terminal in Umuahia to enhance the esthetics of the city and ensure a level of sanity in the transport sector. He added that a similar project would be replicated in Aba.
“We are advancing in our quest to develop Aba and address the environmental challenges in the city. While you are working in Aba, extend your work to Umuahia to add value to what we are doing because it is the capital city. We want to transform that city.
“We have given approval for the establishment of a terminal, where all types of transportation empties into. We also have deployed that to two locations in Aba. “You can see that we’re already moving. So, the earlier you now fit what we’re doing into the Master Plan, the better. Otherwise you would just find out that in the next two, three, four months, you may need to go back to what you think you had finished as your Master Plan will not be consistent with the development on the ground, and we don’t want that to happen,” Governor Otti admonished the UN agency.
He called on the organisation to look at the drainage systems in both Aba and Umuahia and come up with designs on how to best address the issue of flooding in the cities.Earlier, the UN Habitat West Africa Portfolio Manager, Dr. Matthias Spaliviero, who said he was in the state for a support mission, explained that the UN habitat intends to show full commitment to the state through technical assistance.Spaliviero said there was need for sustainable urban renewal through engagement with the people, especially in Aba, regretting that Aba people had poor sanitary culture and do not take care of the infrastructure provided by the government.
“Our mandate is to promote transformative change in urban cities and settlements. We want to show our full commitment to Abia state. We do have a contractual agreement with Abia State. This is our strategic plan, so the overall objective is sustainable urbanization as a driver of development and peace to improve living conditions for all,” Dr. Spaliviero stated.
The General Manager, Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA), Arc Uche Ukeje, expressed regret that the UN Habitat was not moving as fast as expected by the state in the execution of the project, which the state had paid for in full.He, consequently, called for the pace of work to be accelerated as the government was not willing to freeze development with regard infrastructure delivery while waiting for the agency to complete the Master Plan that had been in the works for about three years.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Abia State Government House, Umuahia April 10, 2024.
We must start today to exposed all the instititional corruption in Nigeria and play the right political game . People are really depressed and incapacitated.
They need to be energized and inspired . Tell me ,what is the mathematics behind selling fuel N700 per litres.It is pure wickedness and crude exploitation.
Is there any international law that says we cannot have two prices region for crude oil ,one for international market ,the other for local refinery and capital punishment for stealing public funds. We need to give our people solutions.
To me, fuel should be sold for less than N100. Why should individuals have oil well ? Lets begin to ask fundamental questions instead of going to town with our copy and paste education put in place by people who colonize us.
Following increase in electricity tariff, and the exorbitant cost of petroleum products in Nigeria, the Biafra De Facto Customary Government, BDFCG, has expressed “grave concerns and condemnation” over the developments.
Reacting in a statement issued by BDFCG Spokesperson, Prosper Odinga, the group said the recent increase in electricity tariff, as well as the high cost of petroleum products, are efforts to further reduce people’s purchasing power.
It alleged that “the ruling political elites in Nigeria belong to only one tribe – Corruption”, reason “they have subjected ordinary people to emotional, mental, psychological, and physical torture”.
The statement recommended as imperative; immediate action to rectify these unjust policies and ensure that the basic needs of the Nigerian people are met without undue financial strain.
Details of the statement:
PRESS STATEMENT
Sun, April 7, 2024
Biafra De Facto Customary Government Berates President Tinubu on Electricity Tariff, Demands Overhaul of the Entire Colonial System
In light of recent developments regarding the increase in electricity tariff and the exorbitant cost of petroleum products, we, the Biafra De Facto Customary Government, wish to express our grave concerns and condemnation.
We have noted that the ruling political elites in Nigeria belong to only one tribe – Corruption. This is why they have subjected ordinary people to emotional, mental, psychological, and physical torture. The ruling political class, like in Animal Farm, has kept ordinary people in perpetual cat-and-mouse situations.
The BDFCG has viewed the recent increase in electricity tariff, as well as the high cost of petroleum products, as efforts to further reduce people’s purchasing power.
This tariff increase is not only a reckless move, it is also a complete disregard for the well-being and welfare of indigenous people with a significant negative impact on the already struggling population, further exacerbating the gap between the rich and the poor.
We wish to emphasize in this statement that the breakdown of the new electricity tariff revealed an alarming burden that the owners of the land will face in affording electricity daily, which unambiguously displays the government’s blatant disregard for the well-being of its citizens and a betrayal of the trust placed in this current administration under President Bola Tinubu.
Sadly, the cost of petroleum products is too exploitative; wickedness has taken over our land. And this is about the time indigenous populations in Nigeria took over their lands and redistributed their resources equitably and evenly in their own terms at the rate that will be affordable to all and sundry.
It is imperative that immediate action be taken to rectify these unjust policies and ensure that the basic needs of the people are met without undue financial strain.
The Federal Government, through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System (NIBSS), has launched an innovative identity solution with payment functionality for all types of social and financial services to be powered by AfriGO, a National domestic card scheme.
The National ID card, layered with verifiable National Identity features, is backed by the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007, which mandates NIMC to enrol and issue a General Multipurpose card (GMPC) to Nigerians and legal residents.
A statement by Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications, NIMC, indicates that this card will address the demand for physical identification enabling cardholders prove their identity, access government and private social services, facilitate financial inclusion for disenfranchised Nigerians, empower citizens, as well as encourage increased participation in nation-building.
The statement adds that only registered citizens and legal residents with the National Identification Number (NIN) will be eligible to request the card, which will be produced according to ICAO standards.
Adegoke notes that holders will also be able to use the cards as debit or prepaid cards by linking same to bank accounts of their choices while enabling eligible persons, especially those excluded from social and financial services access to multiple government intervention programs.
NIMC pledges to maintain high standards of data protection, while urging Nigerians to visit its website www.nimc.gov.ng for further information.
The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), has revealed the areas within their area of coverage in the south east that will be affected by the new tariff hike.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, on Wednesday, approved a sharp increase in electricity tariffs for customers classified under Band A.
Customers in this category will now be charged N225 per kilowatt-hour (KW/h). It is a significant rise from the previous rate of N66 electricity tariff.
The new rate took effect on 3rd April 2024.
This was revealed by Musliu Oseni, the Vice Chairman of NERC. You can read the full list of Band A electricity tariff areas across the country HERE.
Meanwhile, the regulator has directed all Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, to provide as much clarity as possible to all affected customers.
For instance, on the new electricity tariff, NERC said: “All customers wrongly billed at the new rate should be refunded through energy tokens no later than Thursday the 11th of April 2024.
“And (they should) file evidence of compliance with the Commission by the 12th of April 2024.
EEDC said the proper facilities are being put in place to ensure that the areas listed received the mandated number of hours within their network.
Below are the Band A areas of EEDC affected by the new tariff:
The last time i traveled to Enugu , i confirmed that Government is about perception. From awka to amansea ,i witnessed several potholes on major roads . But the moment i entered enugu , our car started cruising at a steady speed indicating the smoothness of the road.
At Enugu , the entire potholes have sudenly disappeared. That is first impression that a new captain is in charge of Enugu State. I begin to trust the government because of this simple work that cannot be quantified – perception.
Few minutes ago ,i saw a video of Gov Soludo in Okpoko with the people celebrating him for touching their lives . I started asking questions!
What has Gov Soludo done for Okpoko people ? I can only see road construction!
Did Gov Soludo know the exact population of people living in Okpoko? Did Gov Soludo give grants to market women in Okpoko ! Has he built smart schools for the Okpoko residents as Abia and Enugu have awarded contracts for building of 170 smart schools within one year? Is public pipe borne water running in Okpoko?
I dont blame Okpoko Residents! No government has remembered them in the last 18 years . So them ,Gov Soludo is a miracle worker. Our people are really suffering! The north and the west ( yoruba) controlled federal govt are busy sharing our oil money among the populace in form of agric loan , industrial loan ,now student loans etc . We are here praise singing for construction of roads . God help us . Ndubuisi Anaenugwu,GGM Ambassador
