Connect with us

News

Backlash Trails Oluremi Tinubu’s Suggestion on Akara, Kuli-Kuli Business

Published

on

 

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Advert

First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has sparked mixed reactions online following her remarks encouraging Nigerians to explore low-capital ventures such as akara frying, roasted corn sales, and kuli-kuli production as means of livelihood.

‎She made the comments during a press briefing with State House Correspondents after the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with wives of state governors, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday. A video of her statement surfaced online on Friday via News Channel 247.

‎In her address, the First Lady highlighted the initiative’s efforts to support vulnerable Nigerians through grants and empowerment programmes, stressing that beneficiaries were given financial assistance without repayment obligations.

‎According to her, the aim was to provide immediate relief and encourage self-reliance through simple business ideas that require minimal startup capital.

‎“We’re trying to give hope, and starting an akara business doesn’t take much money. Roasting corn or even kuli-kuli doesn’t require much either. We didn’t give loans; we gave grants,” she said, adding that she has continued to support Nigerians within available resources.

‎She further noted that the Renewed Hope Initiative has extended interventions into sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, and social welfare. She revealed that she personally contributed funds including ₦2 billion for tuberculosis control, ₦1 billion for breast cancer interventions, and ₦500 million for malnutrition support.

‎Tinubu also explained that the initiative had facilitated scholarships, ICT training, agricultural support, and other social investment programmes aimed at improving livelihoods across the country.

‎Reaffirming the government’s agenda, she urged Nigerians to remain hopeful despite prevailing economic difficulties, saying the Renewed Hope Initiative is designed to restore confidence and improve living conditions.

‎However, her remarks quickly triggered backlash on social media, with many Nigerians accusing her of being out of touch with the realities of economic hardship in the country.

‎Critics on X (formerly Twitter) described the comments as insensitive, arguing that they downplay the scale of unemployment and rising cost of living.

‎One user, @ADCVanguard_, said the statement reflects how disconnected the political class has become from ordinary citizens, while another, @ireteeh, compared the initiative with private-sector empowerment efforts that focus on tech and skill development.

‎Some users also expressed concern that promoting petty trading was not enough given current economic challenges, insisting that Nigerians need sustainable jobs and structural economic reforms.

‎However, others defended the First Lady, arguing that small-scale businesses like akara and roasted corn sales have historically sustained many families and remain profitable ventures when properly managed.

‎A user, @Akikanju1568901, described akara business as a viable source of income that has helped many families educate their children and build financial stability.

‎Another user, @PemiOladapo, emphasized that there is dignity in all forms of labour and encouraged Nigerians to embrace available opportunities and scale up gradually.

‎Conversely, some commenters clarified that the criticism was not directed at the businesses themselves, but rather at the timing of the message, given the current economic hardship facing citizens.

News

You’re a Hypocrite!” – Bashir el-Rufai Goes Nuclear on Brother Bello Over Uba Sani Loyalty

Published

on

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

 

Bashir el-Rufai, son of former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai, unleashed a barrage of slurs at his brother, Bello, on Saturday morning.

Bashir, in a series of expletive-laden posts on X, attacked Bello over his recent political moves, accusing him of abandoning the family while he was aligned with Uba Sani, his father’s successor.

Sani, the incumbent governor of Kaduna, was a former ally of el-Rufai, but both men fell out after the former won the 2023 governorship election.

Advert

Following el-Rufai’s resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in March 2025, Bello, who represents Kaduna north federal constituency, remained in the ruling party.

However, on May 7, 2026, Bello eventually defected from the APC to join his father in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Commenting on Saturday, Bashir alleged that his brother remained loyal to Sani until he realised he was being “dumped”, after which he began talking about family loyalty.

“Stuck with Uba Sani until he realized he is being dumped then suddenly remembered family loyalty and moved to ADC. Where was he since? Purely serving his interest,” Bashir wrote.

He accused his brother of being neutral while others criticised the Kaduna state governor.

Bashir also alleged that Bello asked him to “pipe down my criticism of his former boss,” presumably Sani.

One of Bashir’s tweets. The expletives have been redacted.
“At this stage in my life, I hate nonsense,” he added, while calling his brother a hypocrite.

Bashir also made several other allegations against his brother in the X posts, some of which were later deleted.

The allegations bordered on fertility status and unsubstantiated drug use.

Their father, el-Rufai, has been in custody since February 2026 over alleged financial impropriety during his tenure as governor of Kaduna between 2015 and 2023.

On April 13, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned him at the Kaduna high court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.

The Department of State Services (DSS) is also prosecuting el-Rufai before the federal high court in Abuja over allegations of wiretapping.

Continue Reading

News

Court Ultimatum Forces FBI to Hand Over Tinubu’s Fraud Records to Judge—But Keeps Them Hidden from Public

Published

on

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has hand delivered records of President Bola Tinubu’s 1993 drug-trafficking and money-laundering case to Judge Howell Beryl of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, saying they are for her eyes only, court filings seen by Peoples Gazette indicated.

The FBI secretly submitted the records on Friday to avoid disobeying a court order while sidelining transparency campaigner, Aaron Greenspan, who petitioned the Bureau for the Nigerian leader’s records in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

Following years of foot-dragging on a FOI petition filed by Mr Greenspan in 2023, the FBI on Friday complied with a court order directing it to release Mr Tinubu’s records. Mr Greenspan worked with Nigerian journalist, David Hundeyin, to file the petition in 2023.

Advert

The records submitted as “under seal, ex parte, in camera declarations were hand delivered to the Court on August 28, 2026 in compliance with this Court’s Minute Order dated August 20, 2026,” filings showed.

Mrs Beryl lost her patience with the FBI after the bureau missed several deadlines , giving excuses on why it could not immediately provide the records.

She issued August 28 as the final ultimatum to the FBI, which prompted the FBI’s decision to comply, showing it “in camera” to the judge alone, without carrying along the petitioner.

Earlier this week , FBI claimed that submitting the records would violate Mr Tinubu’s privacy and argued that FOI was established to screen the operations and records of government institutions, not necessarily private individuals.

For decades, Mr Tinubu has avoided speaking on the drug affair, refusing to clarify controversies surrounding his involvement in a case that saw him forfeit hundreds of thousands of dollars to the U.S. government.

Mr Tinubu also sought to block the release of his records, asserting his rivals only sought to use them to discredit him in a Nigerian presidential election. He begged the court to protect his privacy rights.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 2023 released documents holding Mr Tinubu’s encounter with American authorities over allegations of narcotics trafficking and money laundering.

 

 

 

 

Continue Reading

News

NFF President Gusau Resigns

Published

on

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Nigeria Football Federation President, Ibrahim Gusau, has resigned from office, announcing his decision during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

According to the Super Eagles news account on X (@SSE_NGA), Gusau was joined by board members of the Executive Committee in resignation.

The crisis follows the Super Falcons’ failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a first in Nigeria’s history, after a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the play-off.

Advert

The Falcons had earlier been knocked out of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations at the quarter-final stage by Cameroon. The Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The NFF has separately faced scrutiny over its handling of a ₦17bn Federal Government intervention fund released in 2024, as well as a fact-finding committee report alleging that board members and officials influenced national team invitations for financial gain.

Gusau’s exit comes ahead of the NFF’s elective congress, scheduled for September 27 in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

Continue Reading

Trending