Foremost industrialist, Bode Akindele, is Dead

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Tobiloba Kolawole

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June 29, 2020

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images (8) — Late Chief Bode Akindele, Chairman of Madandola Group and Parakoyi of Ibadan land

Idowu Sowunmi

One of Nigeria’s foremost industrialist, Chief Bode Akindele is dead.

Akindele, who until his death was the Chairman of Madandola Group, died at the age of 88 on Monday in Lagos.

He was a renowned businessman who in his latter years was involved in philanthropy culminating in the establishment of the Bode Akindele Yield Initiative (BAYI) targeted at youth development and empowerment.

Akindele, who was Parakoyi of Ibadanland, was often described as businessman extraordinary and plenipotentiary, who had Sainsbury, Asda, Walmart, and others as tenants on his properties in London.

A successful entrepreneur and a renowned industrialist, Akindele was born on June 2, 1932. His father, Pa Joshua Laniyan Akindele, was a Chief Tax Clerk for the Western Region and as such his position could be equated to that of the Chairman of the Inland Revenue today and his mother, Rabiatu Adedigba, was a wealthy Ibadan trader who was politically influential. It’s a known fact that Alhaja Rabiatu was the first woman to go to Mecca in Ibadan.

Akindele’s business empire operates under the name Modandola Group of Companies, named after his mother, which translates to ‘God, if you give me the wealth, give me a child that can take care of it.’

Madandola Group spans from maritime to properties, manufacturing, real estates, investments, finance and flour milling with its headquarters in the United Kingdom.

The Fairgate Group, (a company owned by Akindele, located on Bond Street, London, England), deals mainly in properties. Some of its tenants include giant retail stores like Sainsbury and Asda Wall Mart. As at the last quantification, Fairgate Group was said to be worth over a billion pounds sterling.

Among the subsidiaries of the Madandola Group making waves in the business world include: Standard Breweries, Ibadan; Diamond Foods Limited, Ibadan; United Beverages Limited, Ibadan; Associated Match Industry, Ibadan; merged with Ilorin, Port-Harcourt and Lagos to form a company with a large share of the Nigerian market and Standard Flour Mills in Lagos.

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Breaking: Giadom hands over to APC caretaker committee chairman, Buni

By

Abuja Bureau

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June 29, 2020

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Giadom APC — APC's outgoing Acting National Chairman, Victor Giadom hands over party documents to Chairman, Caretaker / Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni

Idowu Sowunmi

The former Acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Victor Giadom, on Monday handed over to the Chairman of the party’s Caretaker / Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni.

The handing over ceremony was held behind closed doors at the National Working Committee conference room at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja.

Giadom assured members of the committee of his readiness to support and partner with the team towards the realisation of the party’s goals.

“I, Chief Hon Victor Giadom, the outgoing Acting National Chairman, today Monday 29th of June 2020 hands over to the Chairman and members of the National Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress.

“I assure the Committee of my readiness to partner with them to achieve the Party’s goals and objectives towards a successful National Convention. I pray that the almighty God grants you wisdom to pilot the affairs of the Party,” he said.

Commenting on developments which led to him handing over to the caretaker committee, he said, “I feel extremely grateful to God and also extremely grateful to the leadership of our own party especially Mr. President, Commander-in-Chief, Muhammadu Buhari, and the entire leadership of the National Executive Committee for rescuing this party from what would have befallen the party.

“Today, our party has been repositioned to greater heights and I can assure you that with the calibre of people so selected by NEC of our great party to pilot the leadership of our party into the National Convention, I am indeed grateful rest assured that our party will emerge stronger.”

The PUNCH had earlier reported that Buni assured members of the party of reforms after the oath of office was administered on members of the 13-member committee at the APC National Secretariat.

“It is time for this committee, therefore, to commence the process of true reconciliation among leaders and members of the party at all levels. It is our belief that the decision by NEC to constitute this committee will mark the beginning of a new chapter in our great Party,” he said.

With the ceremony today, Hon Victor Giodiom has become the third national chairman of APC with his tenure from March 4 to June 25, 2020. He has also become a permanent member of APC NEC.

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BET: Burna Boy says for Black Lives to Matter, Africa Must Matter

By

Abuja Bureau

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June 29, 2020

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Idowu Sowunmi

A Nigerian Afro superstar, Burna Boy, has won the BET Award for Best International Act for the second time.

Burna Boy edged out other nominees including Innoss’B (DR Congo), Sho Madjozi (South Africa), Stormzy (United Kingdom), Dave (United Kingdom), Ninho (France) and S. Pri Noir (France) to claim the highly coveted award.

Speaking after the award was presented to him by Naomi Campbell, Burna Boy thanked the organisers and used the opportunity to deliver some kind of homily towards African renaissance.

“Thank you very much, BET.

“Second time and I appreciate it.

“I will like to use this opportunity to say that sometime around 1835, there was admission to turn the nation of Africa into a dominated nation. Now is the time to return and go back to the royalty that we were, because, in order for black lives to matter, Africa must matter,” he said.

This is Burna Boy’s second consecutive BET Best International Act win. He was nominated alongside Mr. Eazi, AKA, Dave, Giggs, Dosseh and Aya Nakaruma in 2019

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President Buhari congratulates Malawi’s new president

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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June 29, 2020

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Malawi Chakwera-Malawi — Malawi's newly elected President, Lazarus Chakwera

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Malawi Opposition Alliance Leader, Lazarus Chakwera, the winner of the country’s presidential election re-run.

The president stated this in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Mallam Garba Shehu, on Sunday in Abuja.

According to the statement, President Buhari looks forward to working with the Malawian president for the advancement of peace, security and development of the entire continent.

Chakwera defeated incumbent Peter Mutharika with 58.57% of the vote in Tuesday’s poll, the electoral commission announced late on Saturday.

In February, Malawi’s constitutional court annulled Mr Mutharika’s victory in the May 2019 election, citing vote tampering.

Following the official result on Saturday, Mr Chakwera said his victory was “a win for democracy and justice,” adding: “My heart is bubbling with joy.”

Chakwera, who was sworn in as President on Sunday, had his supporters took to the streets of the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, sounding car horns and letting off fireworks.

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Video: Remains of late Ajimobi now buried at his Oluyole Estate residence

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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June 28, 2020

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The remains of the late ex-Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajiimobi has Sunday arrived his Oluyole Estate residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital where here has now been buried..

In the last 48 hours, the final resting place of late Ajimobi became controversial as rumour filled the air that the Oyo State Government was delaying the burial because of its refusal to approve a land in the Agodi Garden area for the ceremony.

In another disclosure, a statement by the Chairman, Muslim Community in Oyo State, Alhaji Sanni, stated how it was ‘unislamic’ to bury Ajimobi in a Mosque, an arrangement that was meant to be a plan B after the family’s initial Agodi Garden plan was purportedly disapproved by the Oyo State Government.

Below: Video of late Abiola Ajimobi arriving his Oluyole Estate residence in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.

Pictures:

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Ajimobi: Oyo Government denies delaying burial of ex-Governor

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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June 28, 2020

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Amidst the controversy surrounding where to bury ex-governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the Governor Seyi Makinde-led Government has strongly denied allegations that it is behind the delay of burial ceremony for the late ex-Governor of the state.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Taiwo Adisa, who indicated that the insinuations amounted to a wicked lie.

The statement read: “In view of the intense enquiries from news media organisations regarding the perceived delay in burying the late former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the Oyo State Government wishes to place on record that there is no truth in the rumour making the rounds that the burial is being delayed by the state government.

“The rumour, which is being deliberately spread to give the state government a bad name and to play undue politics with the dead, initially came by the way of social media gossip, which gained traction to attract the attention of traditional media outfits.

“Several media outfits reached out to the Media Office of the Governor of Oyo State to make enquiries on this barefaced lie on Saturday.

“Let it be stated clearly that the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has played no role at all in causing any delay whatsoever regarding the burial of his immediate predecessor, Senator Ajimobi.

“The truth of the matter is that the family, through a proxy, approached the state government and sought approval to bury the late governor on a plot of land at Agodi GRA, which is currently under litigation.

“Incidentally, it was the same former Governor Ajimobi who instituted the legal action.
“Governor Seyi Makinde had no choice than to state the facts as they are to the emissaries and turn down the request.

“Governor Makinde, however, against the established land use rule in Oyo State, gave approval that the family can bury the late governor in his Oluyole Estate residence.
“It is to be noted that the rules guiding land use in Government Reservation Areas (GRA) forbid the burial of bodies in such locations as Oluyole Estate and Agodi GRA.

“Let us also put on record that whereas the family did not follow the laid down protocols in passing information on the sickness and eventual demise of Senator Ajimobi, Governor Makinde overlooked all that and directed the full cooperation of the government with the family on this matter.

“It can only amount to a wicked lie to insinuate that the incumbent government in Oyo State attempted to obstruct the burial of the immediate past governor”, Adisa said.

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Revealed: Why Ajimobi’s now controversial burial was delayed – cleric accuses ‘constituted authority’

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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June 28, 2020

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There is an indication that the location of burial of late former Governor of Oyo state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has become controversial.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Ibadan by the Chairman, Muslim Community of Oyo state, Alh Ishaq Kunle Sanni, some group of the Muslim community in the state believes it is ‘unislamic’ to bury the former Governor in a Mosque even if he built it.

The contending issue of where to bury the Ajimobi, which is brewing between the Muslim community and the family, is confirmed to be the reason his burial has been delayed since Friday when he ought to have been laid to rest according to Islamic injunction.

According to Alh Sanni, who was a close associate of Ajimobi, there is an unnamed ‘constituted authority’ who against religious counsel is insisting that the onetime Senator of the Federal Republic will be buried in the Mosque that was named Senator Ishaq Abiola Ajimobi Central Mosque located at Oke Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State.

“When somebody who probably is the sole authority said he would not be buried immediately I equally went proverbial and men of wisdom could understand what was amiss and why Ajimobi’s wish for immediate burial was unfulfillable.”

The cleric narrated further that: “Professor Noibi and Alhaj Muideen Ajani Bello had sleepless nights on these issues. When the news gained currency that he would be buried in the Mosque my phone was inundated with phone calls from all over the world as if I can unilaterally change what the constituted authority this time may decide.

“We only can admonish and persuade. I Alh Ishaq Kunle Sanni believes it is Islamically wrong to bury a Muslim inside a Mosque even if it was built by him. Ditto for other erudite scholars like Professor Noibi. But there are some butter and bread scholars who are misleading people that at least The Prophet {SAW) was buried in the Mosque” he said.

On the argument that The Prophet {SAW) was buried in the Mosque, Alh Sanni noted that he spoke to a respected Islamic scholar who confirmed that burying ex-Governor Ajimobi’s remains in the Mosque is not ideal.

“That is Imam Abdurahman Ahmad Chief Missoner of Ansarudeen and he without mincing words said the Prophet being buried in the Mosque is not true.

“The Prophet was buried in Aisha’s apartment and the expansion of the Mosque met their graves there. He unabashedly said it is unislamic to bury anybody in the Mosque.”

In his account, Alh Sanni stated that he or anyone else cannot unilaterally change the mind of the ‘constituted authority’ on the matter.

He disclosed that he is working on another arrangement as a compromise for both parties in order to douse the tension.

“We can only persuade. We are trying on a land owned by the erstwhile Governor not far from the Mosque but not in the Mosque. If we succeed, that to me is a wonderful compromise. Allah may change the mind of the constituted authority in this matter.

The Muslim cleric, who noted that he was close to the late Ajimobi’s commitment to justice for Muslims in Oyo State, said he is optimistic that the contending issue will be resolved hours before the scheduled time of burial on Sunday.

“May Allah forgive Ajimobi the man Allah sent to right the wrongs done to Muslims for many years. A courageous and forthright human being who prayed to live for seventy years and Allah accepted his prayer. But we would have wished he lived longer. Who are we to query Allah’s decision?” he added.

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APC Crisis: My relationship with Tinubu remains as strong as ever – Buhari

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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June 27, 2020

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Idowu Sowunmi

Hours after the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, commented officially on the crisis rocking the ruling party, President Muhammadu Buhari said he’s in touch with the former Lagos State governor.

The President, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, explained that he has a wonderful relationship with Tinubu and there’s no cause for alarm.

The statement titled: “President Buhari and Tinubu Still Together, Analysts Need to Get Their Facts Right,” struggled to put paid to the seemingly disagreements between the two personalities.

“The very essence of the requests put to the Emergency National Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by President Muhammadu Buhari, which were unanimously approved aim to pull back the party, faced with an existential crisis from the brink of collapse, follow the constitution and take everyone along.

“While this action has been widely accepted with great relief by lovers of democracy and the rank and file of the membership, we are concerned that political vulturism masquerading as ‘smart analysis’ is selling the commentary that this is a Buhari-Tinubu ‘showdown.’ Nothing can be farther from the truth.

“To put the records straight: In the formation of this great party and giving it leadership, President Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who are reckoned as the founding fathers of the APC are both inspired by democratic norms, national interest and not at all by partisan motivations. These are the qualities that have made them move past cynical distractions.

“They are in touch with one another. Their relationship remains as strong as ever and between the two of them, only they know how they manage their enviable relationship.

“Try as hard as they could, the opposition parties have used all their intellectuals and their supporters in the media to break this relationship and have failed. And they won’t.

“For President Buhari who has received much of the cynical commentary, Nigerians know him as someone who will not do anything with bad intentions. Neither will he do anything out of partisan motivations or for himself.

“This whole exercise, that should lead to massive reform and overhaul of the leadership of the party, as he said in that brilliant speech, was ‘to save the APC from the imminent self-destruction. We have to move ahead. We have to take everyone with us and ensure that the party is run in accordance with democratic norms and with consensus. We have to work for the benefit of the country.’

“The leaders of the party, who have received two successive massive mandates to govern the country and a majority of the states should be judged by how this exercise turns out in achieving these objectives, not cursed at the mere commencement of the process,” the statement said.

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PDP Primary: National Chairman presents Certificate-of-Return to Gov. Obaseki – Pictures

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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June 27, 2020

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PDP-Obaseki3 — PDP National Chariman, Uche Secondus presents the Certificate of Return to Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on June 27, 2020. Credit: PDP

Ahead of the September 19 governorship election in Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki has received his Certificate of Return from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The certificate was issued on Saturday by the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

This was confirmed on the party’s Twitter handle.

Secondus also presented the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination form to the governor.

PDP National Chariman, Uche Secondus presents the Certificate of Return to Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki on June 27, 2020. Credit: PDP

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Video: Progressive Governors visit Buhari as Oshiomhole NWC jettisons court action

By

Tobiloba Kolawole

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June 27, 2020

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The Progressives Governors Forum, PGF and the new Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, Caretaker/Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni, on Friday, paid a ‘thank you’ visit to President Muhammadu on a successful Extraordinary virtual National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the party.

See below video by Vanguard:

The former NWC members have jettisoned their initial threat to go to court and have now resolved to work for the rebuilding of the party, the immediate past National Secretary of the party, Mallam Waziri Bulama, said yesterday.

He attributed the crisis to the ambitions of some leaders .

He also said the failure of all organs of the party to function effectively affected the party.

But he was optimistic that the APC would not break up despite the crisis at hand.

Also on Friday, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, declared that alleged threats by some members of the dissolved National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to challenge the dissolution in court were created by the media.

The chairman of the Caretaker/Convention committee of the party, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, is understood to have commenced efforts to reach out to stakeholders of the party to bury their hatchets and rally round his committee to rebuild the party.

Reviewing the events of the last few days including the NWC dissolution and reactions of some party members, Bulama said the sacked NWC has already accepted the Thursday decisions of the National Executive Committee, would not go to court and would defer to Buhari.

Bulama spoke to some media in Abuja.

He said: “Following consultations with our leaders all the stakeholders, we have accepted the decision of the President on the dissolution of NWC and the setting up of a Caretaker Committee headed by Governor Mai Mala Buni.

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