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Ekun Leaps to The Next Level

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Chief  Waheed Ekun, the Agbaakin Mayegun of Ibadanland, is a thoroughbred ‘shon of the shoil’ of Ibadanland whose diverse influence transverses all segments of the formal and informal strata of the Nigerian polity, nay worldwide, but in particular that of Yorubaland and succinctly that of Ibadanland which is the main focus of his interest in the leadership of the umbrella body of all indigenous Clubs/Associations/Groups of Ibadanland known as, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII).

It is an accepted fact that sporting activities are about the only aspect of life, globally, with unifying factor when all citizens of a country put aside all their differences and unite as one to support our team/individuals!

Worldwide sporting activities like football and table-tennis attract so much followers and Chief Ekun had, since a very tender age, been involved in one of the prominent grass-root sporting activities, namely Table-Tennis game, he went to the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, to hone his capability to be well acceptable in all global sporting convocations!

Waheed was a champion at all categories of the table-tennis championship events held locally and globally, he went ahead to take on coaching jobs in many countries abroad like Ghana, United Kingdom, United States of America amongst others!

Waheed remains the only Nigerian, nay African, whose write-up on the game of Table-Tennis was accepted to be published in the journal of the International Table-Tennis Federation who later adopted his recommendations as part of how the game was officiated!

His exploits in these sporting activities attracted and are still attracting lots of influence in all circumstances of human endeavours and these are veritable avenues he will definitely explore for the benefit of Ibadanland as much as the need arises!

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During all his educational and professional exploits, he came in contact with and made lasting/mutually beneficial relationships which will still be available for the development of Ibadanland!

Waheed is iconic social person with membership of notable associations/groups within and outside the shores of Nigeria. He is a member of the first cosmopolitan club in Africa, the Ibadan Recreation Club, where he served in so many relevant capacities including being the General Secretary of the Club. He is a member of the Ibadan Solidarity Group, which is one of the foremost clubs under the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) where he also served as the General Secretary and eventually as the President after which he was included in it’s Board of Trustees. A crucial aspect of his membership of ISG is the undeniable fact that when he was it’s General Secretary, he got a lot of upward mobile sons of Ibadanland to join the Group which eventually lifted the status of the Group from one which membership was not up to twenty to a level of almost seventy as those he brought in also got others to become members thus strengthening the influence of the Group in the CCII and Ibadanland!

Waheed also is a member of  the Jericho Businessmen Club, another formidable Club within the CCII, and to demonstrate his grassroot cleavage, he belongs to Ibidapo Ibidunni Olounje Bodija, an association of market men and women through whose sponsorship he was elected as the General Secretary of CCII, a position on which he brought to bear his wealth of experience thus elevating the GS status beyond the way it used to be considered in the affairs of the CCII!

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This caught the attention of the then Executive Governor of Oyo State who appointed him as his Special Adviser On Sports thus giving him the privilege of being part of the governance of the State with the attendant advantage of knowing the workings of the Civil Service at the top which he had and can still exploit for the benefit of CCII as the need arises in future!

It was during the tenure of Waheed as the Chairman, Ibadan Week Celebrations, that a lot of fresh/new ideas were introduced thus lifting the Celebrations to another level never experienced before and equally generating both moral and financial profits to the CCII!

Chief Ekun is now into real estate industry operating under the name Waheed Ekun Properties and he is involved in the totality of the industry: buying, selling and building (commercial and residential apartments) through which business he has been able to build a credible reputation!

Waheed is married to ‘Sunmbo, his childhood heart-throb, and they are blessed with three children, Yetunde, Wareez and Aishat and through Yetunde, he became a grandfather some years ago!

All his veritable exploits in all of human endeavours did not go unrecognized and therefore, he was given an Impact Award_ in recognition of his contributions towards the promotion/development of Ibadanland, particularly the youths, by The Federation of Ibadan Students Union in the year 2009. Also he, as a cultural icon, was appointed a Cultural Ambassador by The Centre For African Culture And Tradition in the year 2010. Equally in the year 2019, the University of Ife made him a role model in pursuant of his attributes as a youth leader!

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A complete gentleman with considerable influence in all facets/spheres of the Nigerian polity, it is during the Ileya Eid-Kabir party he holds annually that his wide acceptability is better seen/demonstrated as the creme-de-la-creme of the society always make that occasion a must-attend event, Waheed is a very marketable individual whose brand will bring a lot of developmental milestones, from within and outside Nigeria, to Ibadanland during his tenure as the PG of CCII!

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Senate Approves Tinubu’s $500m Loan for Power Sector Boost

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The Nigerian Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s $500 million loan request intended to bolster the operations of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to enhance the financial and technical performance of electricity distribution companies, ultimately benefiting citizens.

The endorsement, announced on Tuesday, follows a thorough examination of the report presented by Senator Aliyu Wamakko, who heads the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts overseeing the 2022 – 2024 External Borrowing (Rolling) Plan specifically for the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

During the presentation of the report, Senator Haruna Manu, serving as the Vice Chairman of the Committee, emphasised the importance for the Senate to duly receive and deliberate upon the report of the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts concerning the 2022 – 2024 External Borrowing (Rolling) Plan for the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

The $500 million loan constitutes a portion of the $7.94 billion loan originally requested by President Bola Tinubu on November 1st, 2023, within the framework of the 2022-2024 external borrowing plan. In addition to the $500 million, President Tinubu also sought approval for a €100 million loan.

However, during a special plenary session on December 30, the Senate greenlit the borrowing of $7.4 billion after careful consideration of the report furnished by the Committee on Local and Foreign Debt.

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Melinda Gates Resigns from Gates Foundation, Set to Receive $12.5 Billion

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In this file photo taken on September 26, 2018, Bill Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda Gates, introduce the goalkeepers event at the Lincoln Center in New York. Ludovic MARIN / AFP

Melinda French Gates announced Monday she was leaving the philanthropy mega foundation she established with her ex-husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

The resignation, which becomes effective on June 7, will leave Bill Gates as the sole chair of one of the world’s most influential and powerful non-governmental organizations.

“After careful thought and reflection, I have decided to resign from my role as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,” Melinda French Gates wrote in a statement posted on social media.

The statement gave no reason for her departure, but noted that “under the terms of my agreement with Bill, in leaving the foundation, I will have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to my work on behalf of women and families.”

The couple married in 1994 but announced their divorce in 2021.

They had continued to co-chair the foundation which they established in 2001 with the vast wealth acquired through the success of Microsoft.

With a focus on child poverty and preventable diseases, the foundation has been heavily involved in fighting malaria and in providing toilets and sanitation in poorer parts of the world.

The foundation’s website says it has spent $53.8 billion since 2000, and claims the number of children around the world who die before their fifth birthday has halved in this time.

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Bill Gates thanked his ex-wife for her “critical contributions” to the organization.

“As a co-founder and co-chair Melinda has been instrumental in shaping our strategies and initiatives, significantly impacting global health and gender equality,” he said.

“I am sorry to see Melinda leave, but I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work.”

The organization’s chief executive, Mark Suzman, said its name would change to simply the Gates Foundation — it has been known as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“I truly admire Melinda, and the critical role she has played in starting the foundation and in setting our values, she has played an essential role in all that we’ve accomplished over the past 24 years,” he said in a video posted to social media.

“I will miss working with her and learning from her. I look forward to seeing her continued impact.”

 

 

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EFCC calls on banks’ compliance officers to uphold confidentiality

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The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has urged Compliance Officers of Banks nationwide to refrain from unauthorised disclosure of EFCC’s investigative activities and requests made to banks’ customers.

Speaking through the Acting Zonal Director of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC, ACE I Hauwa Garba Ringim, during a stakeholders’ meeting with Compliance Officers of Banks in Oyo State on Tuesday, Olukoyede emphasised the detrimental impact such disclosures have on the investigation of financial crimes and the timely filing of corruption cases in court.

Olukoyede expressed concern over the tacit support fraudsters receive from the Nigerian banking sector, highlighting the challenges it poses to the Commission.

He urged Compliance Officers to promptly respond to EFCC’s correspondence with certified true copies of relevant documents, as this facilitates swift investigation processes.

Also, Olukoyede addressed the illegal trading of naira with Point-of-sale (POS) operators, stressing the need to curtail such practices for the benefit of Nigerians.

In response to the chairman’s directives, Compliance Officers assured the EFCC of their unwavering support and commitment to enhancing collaboration between the Commission and banks for more effective anti-corruption efforts.

 

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