Nigeria’s iconic singer and songwriter, Onyeka Onwenu, died on Tuesday shortly after performing at a birthday party in Lagos. Onyeka Onwenu was born on May 31st 1952. She was a multifaceted artist whose career spanned over four decades.
She was a broadcaster, an actress, a journalist, and a politician. Her genre of music, which was a blend of highlife, reggae, and pop often addressed social and political issues. She was affectionately known as the Elegant Stallion.
In March this year, she had revealed that she was putting together a film that will focus on her experiences spanning several decades in the music industry.
Beyond her musical career, Onwenu was known for her political activism. Her documentary, ‘A squandering of the Riches’ which explored the situation in Nigeria, prior to the military coup of December 1983, was featured on Arise Prime time, with Charles Anyagolu.
In Lagos Nigeria, a group of young men held a rally, at the Lagos Island market, to warn residents to desist from participating in the planned protest, slated for August 1st. Some of the protesters could be heard saying that businesses are yet to recover from the arson that ensued during the #EndSARS protest of October 2020, While others were seen holding, placards, warning traders and customers not to protest.
A group of traditionalists, all clad in white garments, stormed the streets of Ikorodu, threatening residents to shun the planned protest, some could be heard saying that non residents who wish to protest should leave the state. Take it back movement, the organisers of the planned nationwide protests, have rejected the proposal by the inspector-general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, that the demonstration should be conducted in confined spaces.
The organisers insisted that the protest would be a public march across the country.
Former Niger Delta militant , Asari-Dokubo, on Tuesday, warned organisers of the planned nationwide protest, not to come to the Niger Delta. Asari, gave the warning while speaking at the Niger Delta Sensitisation Conference for Ethnic Nationalities, Youths, and Women, held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. Asari stated, that the agenda of those behind the protest do not capture the problems of the people of the Niger Delta and that they were merely interested in the resources coming from the region.
He described them as anarchist and also alleged that those who lost the election were backing the protest, aimed at removing the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. On Monday, the Federal Government said that it has started to distribute an additional 10 trucks of 50kg bags of rice to each state to be sold at designated centres at N40,000 Naira.
This was revealed by the the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, at the end of the FEC meeting. The Minister had also stated, that most of the demands that the protesters are making are actually being addressed by the federal government and therefore it is the view of the federal government, that there is really no need for the protests again.
The Governor of Gombe state, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya on Tuesday, said the state is yet to receive its allocated share of the 20 trucks of rice from the federal government.
The Governor disclosed this during a meeting with organised Labour, civil society organisations, and other trade unions in the state, over the impending nationwide protest. Controversial Nigerian cleric, Pastor Chukwuemeka Ohanaemere, better known as Odumeje, who arrived Russia for a live show on July 26th-27th, claimed in a now viral video that Russia is not at war.
Favour Ofili, one of Nigeria’s prospects at the ongoing Paris Olympics, will not be participating in the women’s 100 meters sprint event, reportedly due to failure of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, the Nigeria Olympic Committee, and the National Anti-Doping Committee to register her for the event, sparking condemnation of the country’s sport’s body. Ofili who competes in the 100m and 200m events was supposed to fly the country’s flag along with Tima Godbless and Rosemary Chukwuma in the 100 meters event.
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