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Opinion: Ajoke Muhammed: A Consequential Matriarch at 80

Published

4 years ago

May 26, 2021

Editor

By Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode

On Sunday, May 23, 2021, Dr. Ajoke Murtala Muhammed the wife of the late Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, was 80 years old.
She was born on May 23, 1941 and started her professional journey as a Dental Therapist before she married late Murtala in 1962 and they settled down into matrimonial life. On Friday February 13th 1976, life dealt a fatal blow and death claimed the life of Nigeria’s beloved hero General Murtala Ramat Muhammed and the Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at a prime age of 36 years old, in a failed coup.
It was indeed a challenging mantle left on the shoulders of a young 33 year old widow now solely responsible for the welfare of her children and their many adopted nieces and nephews. Many of which have gone on to be extremely successful in their professions and careers. Since General Murtala Muhammed, Dr Ajoke Murtala Muhammed, like a trojan has been determined and relentless in her pursuits.
She has become one of Africa’s most renowned conservationists. She established and runs Nigeria’s only two botanical gardens in Lagos and Abuja, where many plants going into extinction are conserved. For the last 30 years, she has travelled the world to find and import endangered plants as seeds with the aim to conserve, propagate and disseminate forgotten indigenous plants. She organizes plant expeditions to remote villages in Nigeria and has the largest private collection of palms in West Africa.
She founded the green belt movement in Nigeria and continues to expound the importance of exploring the commercial value of our indigenous plants. She also serves on the board of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation.
She is currently the Vice President of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, an institution set up to formulate policy and advocate for girls education, human rights, women empowerment, provide disaster relief and generally support the betterment of the lives of Africans.
Her passion does not stop with environmental preservation. She is passionate about education for all and has spent her life committed to serving humanity. She is a bridge builder; across tribes, generations and socio-economic divisions. She has overcome many challenges including the loss of her first son, and has become an epitome of dignity, grace, and equanimity.
On the softer side, she is an avid reader, writer and linguist. Her greatest talent till today yet undiscovered though, is her exceptional voice.
As she rocks the octogenarian age, one can only wish for ‘’Mama” a consequential Matriarch the best wishes on attaining eight decades of life! And wish her many more happy years of good health and happiness!

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IBB Set to Launch Long-awaited Memoir, ‘A Journey of Service’

Published

3 hours ago

January 24, 2025

Eric

Former Military President, Gen Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), is set to launch his long-awaited autobiography.

Reports said the memoir titled: ‘A Journey In Service’, will be released on February 20, 2025, at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.

The development is coming 32 years after IBB left office.

The regime of the former Head of State was negatively shaped and defined by the adoption of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) policy, among other regulations, which sparked a nationwide riot by student union and other similar groups.

There was also the unresolved murder of the late journalist, Dele Giwa, and the June 12 annulment, among other controversial issues.

While in office, IBB was popular with the moniker “evil genius” and “Maradona”.

Explaining the nicknames, IBB said they were manufactured by the media because of his “deft political moves”.

“That’s the very good thing about the Nigerian media and Nigerian people. You have to anticipate them.

“If you anticipate them, then you live well with them. They call me ‘evil genius’, I marvel at that. The contradiction, you can’t be evil and then be a genius.”

“The definition of Maradona I got from the media is because of deft political moves. That’s the way the media described it”, he had said.

He succumbed to pressure in August 1993 when he “stepped aside” for the late Ernest Shonekan as the chairman of the Interim Government.

The late General Sanni Abacha would, however, topple the government in 1993 and would subsequently die in office in 1998.

Although IBB granted interviews to local and international media since leaving office, he has somehow found a way around some of these contentious issues that happened during his rule.

About seven years ago, he had expressed doubts about writing an autobiography, saying he was uncertain if Nigerians would “want to read about a dictator”.

He added that the public had a wrong impression of him, citing his role in the June 12 crisis, and some of the policies he unfurled between 1985 and 1993 as head of a junta.

However, he made a U-Turn and wrote the book.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will lead former Nigerian leaders and their counterparts in other parts of Africa to grace the much awaited autobiography.

According to an invite dispatched to dignitaries this week, the board of trustees of the IBB Presidential Library Foundation said the book launch will take place alongside fundraising for a Presidential Library.

The organisers said the event would be chaired by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, with President Bola Tinubu as the Special Guest of Honour.

The keynote address would be delivered by the former president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, while former vice-president Yemi Osinbajo would review the autobiography.

Other guests billed to attend include ex-presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Goodluck Jonathan.

A former Minister of Defence Gen. Theophilus Danjuma and Chairman of BUA Group; Abdul Samad Rabiu, are named chief launchers.

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What is Going on in PDP is Extremely Embarrassing – Dele Momodu

Published

2 days ago

January 22, 2025

Eric

A Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, and celebrated publisher, Chief Dele Momodu, has said that the situation in his party is worrisome and ‘extremely embarrassing’, acknowledging that the one time biggest party in Africa, is facing serious challenges.

Momodu made the remarks while fielding questions on a Channels TV current affairs programme, stressing that he is not ashamed of talking about the problems of the party, and regularly sharing his thoughts on social media.

He further expressed surprise that the party has not suspended or expelled him despite his open criticism.

Momodu described the situation in the PDP as embarrassing, noting that the party should be leading the opposition in Nigeria, but it is not living up to expectations and seems to have lost its direction. According to him, a few individuals have taken control of the party, making it difficult for it to function properly.

“I know that we have very critical problems in PDP, there is no questions. I am not ashamed. Every now and then I tweet or post in Instagram. I speak freely. I am even surprised that they have not suspended or expelled me from PDP because what is going on in PDP is extremely embarrassing. We should be leading the opposition parties in Nigeria but it is like we have virtually given up. We are allowing one or two people to hijack our party,” Momodu said.

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Telecom Executive, Ahmad Farroukh Leaves Globacom

Published

2 days ago

January 22, 2025

Eric

News of the early departure of Mr Ahmad Farroukh from the telecom giant Globacom suggests that he has been eased out in a shakeup by the management, according to an investigation.

“Ahmad Farroukh failed to meet up to expectations within his probationary period and he was politely asked to resign…” said an impeccable source.

“Despite the shake-up, Globacom’s commitment to innovation and expansion continues, reinforcing its competitive edge in a rapidly evolving telecom landscape..” the source further told us.

A former CEO of MTN Nigeria from 2006 to 2010, Farroukh joined Glo in October last year.