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Student’s Suicide At Unizik: Parents deny school fees hike as cause

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Parents of the late David Ogbonna, who allegedly committed suicide in one of the hostels at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka have denied school fees hike as the cause of their son’s death.

The parents , Pastor and Mrs Esther Ogbonna were livid with media reports attributing school fees hike by the University as the cause of their son’s death, as according to them, all his needs were provided for without worry by them and his siblings who as well contributed in turns for his upkeep.

The mother of the deceased, Esther Ogbonna who spoke on behalf of the family as the father watches during a meeting with management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka insisted that the media reports were misleading and diversionary, even as she commended the management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka for the steps taken so far to unravel the mystery behind the death of their son.

She reiterated the need for all the security agencies involved to trace and unravel the mystery behind her son’s death allegedly via suicide on his room,as the school fees hike dummy wasn’t an issue at all.

She said her late son couldn’t have died of financial incapabilities as aside their support to him and that of his siblings,he was hardworking and did so many minor jobs like tailoring and laundry to support himself.

She informed the school management that his son complained of his poor grade in one of his courses in first year during her last discussion with her son a day before his demise which she encouraged him to work hard on the course to remedy the deficiency in next exams. She added that his son’s tone wasn’t lamentations to warrant taking his life the next moment.

One of the brothers of the deceased student, Samuel Ogbonna who accompanied his parents to Unizik after the death of David collaborated his mother, Mrs Esther Ogbonna’s story about his late brother and was at lost on why he should take his life because of financial crisis allegedly hike in school fees as the media reported when all his needs were provided.

Meanwhile, the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka in a press statement dated 22nd August,2021 said the University community was saddened by the ugly incident and would leave no stone unturned to unravel the mystery behind the alleged suicide of the student in his hostel room.

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In press statement referenced NAU/DIPR/71, signed by Chika Gladys Ene,
Ag. Head, Information and Public Relations/Chief Protocol Officer of the university , the university asked for calm by all staff and students as it’s doing everything possible in the right direction concerning the incident.

The statement tagged: Demise of Ogbonna David ,200 level student of the university, Mrs Ene , said :” The University community is saddened by the death of our student David Ogbonna allegedly via suicide. He was found inside a wardrobe dangling with a rope round his neck. He was a 200 level student of the Department of Physics.

” The incident occurred on 20th August, 2021 at the male Hostel inside the University premises. Media reports attributed his death allegedly to hike in school fees. But, rather than rush to the media, we embarked on thorough investigation into the remote and immediate cause of the unfortunate demise of a future star by inviting everyone that needed to speak over the incident supposedly.

“The University Management upon hearing the sad news carried out due protocol by inviting the Universitys Medical centre and the Nigerian Police Force who evacuated the body to the mortuary. The University Management and the NPF have consequently launched investigation into the alleged suicide act by the late student and its currently ongoing.

“The parents also met with the University Management to discover their side of the story to be able to unravel the mystery behind his death.

“The parents of the late student, Pastor and Mrs. Ogbonna during the meeting with University Management, Council and the SUG categorically stated that hike in school fees wouldn’t have been the reason for their son’s death as they provided everything he needed.

 

‘The parents also insisted they supply him with food items regularly even upto last Thursday before his unfortunate demise. The parents said also that other siblings of their late son contributed money at intervals to assist their late brother.  This was affirmed by one of the deceased brothers Samuel Ogbonna who accompanied them. The mother, Mrs. Esther Ogbonna revealed that their late son was hardworking as he did minor jobs like tailoring and laundry services to augment the provisions from home. She said that her son also complained about his poor performance, as she recalled in one of her conversations with the late son where he expressed displeasure over one of his results and she advised him to buckle up in subsequent examinations to remedy the deficiency.

‘While the University Management is relentless and keen in her investigation of this ugly incident, it is however disheartening that some media houses have already embarked on a mission to tarnish the Universitys image disregarding the place of thorough investigation in journalism.

The statement concluded: “The University Management is deeply pained by this bad news in this citadel of learning and further calls on staff and students to remain calm as investigation is ongoing. Staff and students are encouraged to visit the Centre for Counselling and Career Development which was created on the heels of the assumption of the Vice-Chancellor and mandated to entertain issues especially one that disturbs mental health”.

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Uber Shutdowns Operations in Nigeria

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Ride-hailing company, Uber, has shut down its operations in Nigeria.

In a statement, the company, which came into Nigeria in 2014, said its exit is effective from September 2, 2026.

“We are writing to share some difficult news. After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026.

“Since we first launched in Lagos in 2014, it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of your daily life connecting you with independent transportation providers.

“Whether it was a morning commute, a ride to see loved ones, or exploring the city, thank you for trusting the platform to connect you to a driver to get you there safely. We know this may cause disruption to your routine, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.”

In a memo on Wednesday, the ride-hailing company also announced elimination of roughly 3,300 positions.

The job cuts focused on management and coordination roles, according to its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi.

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“Today, we’re making a number of significant organizational changes across Uber. We are removing layers, simplifying team structures, refining our global location strategy, and focusing our people and investments against the biggest opportunities ahead of us.”

“As a result, we will be reducing the size of our team by about 10%. Everyone whose role has been affected has already been notified, except in countries where we will follow the required local process.

“This wasn’t a decision we made lightly, because it will have a real impact on our teammates and friends who have worked hard for Uber. It’s important to say that these changes are about how we’re organized and what we’re prioritizing, not about anyone’s contributions to Uber, which we will always value.

“I’m sure you’re asking, ‘Why, and why now?’ particularly since our business is performing so well. Over the last 5+ years, Uber has grown by orders of magnitude, with our top line nearly tripling. We’ve built new products, expanded into new businesses, reached more consumers and supported more earners, and become a much larger and stronger company. But that growth has also brought complexity: more layers, more coordination, more fragmented ownership, and in some cases structures that made sense when businesses were smaller but no longer serve us well at our current scale.

“Our opportunity from here is enormous: we have the chance to bring Uber to hundreds of millions more people; to invest even more in drivers, couriers and merchants; and to innovate across our core businesses and build the autonomous future.

“The changes we’re making today are designed to do two things: make Uber simpler and faster, and create more capacity to invest in our future. A leaner organization will mean clearer ownership, faster decisions, and more time spent building rather than coordinating. It will also generate savings that we intend to reinvest in growth, innovation, and the capabilities that will matter most over the coming years.

“It’s our job as leaders to make these difficult calls, and to give you transparency into our thinking and our decision-making process.”

The layoffs are the latest round of job cuts for Uber, which eliminated roles in customer service and HR earlier this year.

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Author of ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ Languishes in Billion Dollar Debt

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Robert Kiyosaki, the author of the bestselling ’Rich Dad Poor Dad’ book, has accumulated an estimated $1.2 billion debt connected to his aggressive real estate investment.

According to reports, the debt is the estimated amount the 79-year-old author and his business partners borrowed to acquire approximately 1,500 property units as Mr Kiyosaki continues to expand his real estate holdings.

Despite the significant debt, Mr Kiyosaki does not appear apprehensive about the liabilities, maintaining that borrowing money to acquire income-generating assets is a strategy commonly used by wealthy individuals.

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“So, I’m a billion two in debt,” the author said on the ‘Get Rich Education’ podcast recently, adding that people “should not do what I do, right? But I studied it since 1974… If you’re going to learn to use debt, you’d better take some education.”

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Mr Kiyosaki’s ex-wife and business partner, Kim Kiyosaki, revealed that the debt did not reflect the amount her ex-husband personally owes.

She stressed that it is connected to the real estate properties owned by them and their business partners, adding that Mr Kiyosaki’s personal share of the liabilities is small.

Vanity Fair estimated Mr Kiyosaki’s share of the debt at around $30 million to $60 million.

“We have a lot of apartment houses with our partners. So technically, yes, we have all this debt,” the ex-wife told Vanity Fair.

Speaking to the magazine, Mr Kiyosaki stated, “If it all comes to hell, you can talk to my attorney. Firewalls—that’s the way the rich play the game.”

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Maulud: Best Choice Specialist Hospital Congratulates Kano Governor, Muslims Globally

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The Chairman of Best Choice Specialist Hospital, Kano, Auwal Lawal Muhammad (Dan Malikin Garo), has congratulated the executive governor of Kano State Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the good people of Kano State and Muslims across the world on the occasion of the Maulud celebration commemorating the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

In a statement he personally signed, Lawal commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his efforts towards fostering unity among the people of Kano State.

According to the statement, the chairman was amazed on how governor Yusuf placing emphasis on the development to the state particularly in matters concerning religion, saying such initiatives would help reduce divisions, promote mutual understanding and strengthen peaceful coexistence across the state.

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He urged Muslims to use the occasion of Maulud to strengthen their relationship with Allah through increased devotion and prayers for peace, stability and prosperity in Nigeria and Kano State.

The Chairman of Best Choice also praised the Governor for his efforts to improve the healthcare sector in the state.

He cited the renovation and upgrading of healthcare facilities, provision of modern medical equipment, as well as the training and development of healthcare workers as some of the administration’s efforts towards improving healthcare delivery in Kano.

Auwal Lawal further commended Governor Yusuf for his dedication, compassion and commitment to the wellbeing of the people, noting that his efforts continue to have a positive impact on the lives of residents across the state.

He prayed for continued peace, unity and prosperity in Kano State and Nigeria, while wishing the Governor and the people of Kano a blessed Maulud celebration now and beyond.

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