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New Naira: Seven Days Is Too Long To Wait – Afenifere
Afenifere, a leading Yoruba socio-political group, criticizes President Buhari’s seven-day deadline to address the cash shortage crisis in the country, stating it’s too lengthy.
The organization highlights the adverse impact of the combined fuel and Naira scarcity on the daily lives of Nigerians.
In a press statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere said that the president “Does not appreciate the enormity and the intensity of the pains Nigerians are going through all in attempts to obtain cash from their accounts in banks across the country”.
Afenifere argues that the cash shortage crisis has resulted in loss of life and paralyzed social and economic activities.
“For the nation to have to wait for another seven days is to say that the people can continue to go on suffering. That lives can continue to be lost and that businesses can continue to be crippled,” they said.
Recall that President Buhari stated that he would make a decision regarding the currency exchange within seven days.
He made the announcement following a meeting with members of the Progressive Governors Forum at the State House last Friday, where they informed him of the difficulties faced by Nigerians in accessing their bank funds and exchanging old Naira notes for new ones, according to his spokesman Garba Shehu.
Afenifere pointed out that the President’s slow response prompted the progressive governors to urge him to act quickly. “Act fast because lives and economies of Nigerians are seriously in danger as a result of the difficulties in getting cash and fuel”.
“The outcry of Nigerians forced the CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele to obtain the permission of President Buhari last week Sunday, to extend the deadline to February 10, 2023. But even then, Nigerians have been finding it very difficult to obtain not just the new notes but even the old currency notes from their banks and sundry financial institutions that deal with cash. The situation became so critical that people in some cities in the country protested. The protest led to the death of at least two people in Ibadan.”
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Painkillers Damaged My Kidney, Says Ufoma McDermott[VIDEO]
Nollywood actress, Ufoma McDermott has shared how her long-term painkiller use led to kidney disease.
In a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, she opened up about her 12-year struggle with the illness and urged the public to prioritize their health.
While revealing that her condition was a side effect of long-term painkiller abuse, McDermott said; “I really wish everyone would understand the importance of health. My brother was diagnosed late on stage 4 of kidney disease and he goes straight into dialysis and has complications.
“I was diagnosed earlier, so I have lived on medication for almost 12 years now. When my brother I ran to my cardiologist. My parents were scared, thinking if this is genetic? We had to trace the kidney disease and we learned it was from drug abuse.
“I grew up with migraines, headaches and eyeaches, and I never wore my glasses because they made me look like a geek. I’d take painkillers for my migraine. I took strong painkillers and not the ordinary painkillers because I wanted the pain to go away.”
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Music Icon Quincy Jones Passes Away At 91
Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer, composer, and cultural icon whose career spanned over seven decades, has passed away at the age of 91.
Jones died peacefully on Sunday night at his Bel Air home, surrounded by family, according to his publicist, Arnold Robinson.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” his family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
Renowned for his unmatched versatility, Jones collaborated with some of the greatest musical talents of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and Will Smith. He played an integral role in producing Jackson’s groundbreaking albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad, which catapulted the pop star to global superstardom and earned Jones worldwide acclaim.
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Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones’ journey into music began early. His childhood introduction came from a neighbor’s piano playing and his mother’s singing. After moving to Washington state following his parents’ divorce, he honed his skills in his high school band and began playing with a young Ray Charles in Seattle’s vibrant club scene.
Jones’ career took off in New York, where he played trumpet in Elvis Presley’s early TV performances and worked with bebop legends like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. By 1958, he was working with Frank Sinatra, arranging for the singer’s band at the request of Princess Grace Kelly. Their partnership flourished, spanning several projects including Sinatra’s final album LA Is My Lady in 1984.
Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Jones’ talents extended into film and television scores, composing music for films such as The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, and the acclaimed The Color Purple, for which he earned three Oscar nominations. He also scored hit TV shows including The Bill Cosby Show and Roots.
In 1985, Jones produced and co-conducted the charity anthem “We Are the World” alongside Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, raising millions for Ethiopian famine relief. Despite personal and professional challenges—including surviving a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1974—Jones’s career continued to thrive.
Jones’ influence wasn’t limited to music. In 1990, he founded Quincy Jones Entertainment, the company behind the popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched the career of Will Smith. His media ventures also included the creation of Qwest TV, an on-demand music streaming service, and the magazine Vibe, which celebrated Black music and culture.
Over his career, Jones earned 80 Grammy nominations, winning 28—making him one of the most decorated artists in the award’s history. Tributes poured in following news of his death. Actor Michael Caine, who shared Jones’ birthdate, called him “a wonderful and unique human being.” Music artists such as LL Cool J expressed gratitude, saying, “You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed one. Music would not be music without you.”
Jones is survived by his seven children, leaving behind an indelible legacy that will resonate through generations to come. His life’s work transformed music, television, and culture, proving that there truly was no limit to what Quincy Jones could accomplish.
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Prayers Won’t Build Roads, Fund Children’s Education – Jesse Jagz To Nigerians
Singer and rapper Jesse Jagz has called on Nigerians to rethink their approach to religion.
Jagz suggested that African traditional religious gods have become ineffective, attributing this to the excessive alcohol given to them during rituals, which, according to him, has made them obese, diabetic, and unable to aid their worshipers.
Speaking on the ‘Big Talk’ podcast, the rapper also criticized followers of foreign religions for relying solely on prayer and expecting miracles without putting in the necessary effort. He stressed that prayers alone cannot provide essential social services or infrastructure.
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“When you go to a shrine and you see the priest pouring gin on the gods, Google how much a bottle of gin was in slavery. 40 slaves.
“Our gods are drunk on alcohol and meat. They are obese and diabetic.
“They can’t help us do anything. Prayers do not build roads or buy books for children. We have forgotten humanity,” he said.