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TRUMP, MALEMA, RAMAPHOSA AND THE OVAL OFFICE GRILL by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
TRUMP, MALEMA, RAMAPHOSA AND THE OVAL OFFICE GRILL by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
It was quite a show at the Oval office in the White House a few days ago when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with American President Donald J. Trump to discuss bilateral issues and world affairs.
It began with Trump’s unsubstantiated and frankly asinine allegation that the white Boers of South Africa are being subjected to mass murder, ethnic cleansing and genocide.
This is not only false but also painfully absurd.
Sadly it did not stop there. Trump went on to assert that Julius Malema, the inspirational charismatic and colourful M.P. and leader and founder of the South African Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is a hate-filled black supremacist and racist and a cold-blooded murderer and ruthless terrorist whose intention it is to kill every white person in South Africa.
Needless to say these allegations are baseless and false. The Americans are attempting to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. It is nothing but yet another well-crafted but unsubstantiated mendacity.
Even though Malema is very vocal and highly controversial he does not strike me as a hater of whites but rather as a hater of injustice, oppression, persecution and institutional racism.
He is a man with a social conscience who speaks for the poor, the weak, the vulnerable and the oppressed and who has constituted himself into a major thorn in the flesh of the political establishment and the ruling elites in South Africa both white and black.
He is very eloquent, well-informed, well-read and quick off the mark and these qualities, coupled with his obvious courage and strength, make him a formidable adversary which every person of class, rank or privilege in his country has every reason to be wary of.
He also speaks a good deal of sense and his passion for truth, justice and equity for the black majority population of South Africa and commitment to the emancipation of the African continent from the forces of imperialism and neo-colonialism cannot be denied.
To millions of South Africans Malema is a deeply courageous, insightful and profound man and possibly the greatest post-Mandela hero and rising star that their nation has ever known.
To add to this millions of Africans (including Nigerians and Zimbabweans) who live in South Africa regard him as a loyal and trusted friend who has always spoken up for them and sought to protect them from the rabid xenophobia that most black South Africans suffer from and who has a strong and commendable Nkrumaist Pan-African vision.
For Trump and his White House to attempt to disparage such a man that brings so much to the table and that has done so much to restore the self-respect and dignity of black South Africans and Africans all over the world simply because he sang an old outdated, pre-independence, apartheied-era, anti-Boer war song at his political party rally is uncharitable and unkind.
To turn down the lights of the Oval office, watch a film on him on television for four good minutes and make him the centre of discussion at a bilateral meeting between the Presidents of two of the most respected nations on earth only proves the fact that he is no longer only an African phenomenon but also a global brand and a rallying point for blacks from all over the world.
To that extent Trump has inadvertently elevated his profile rather than diminish it.
Like in the case of the Biblical Joseph, what Trump meant for evil, God meant for good.
Yet perhaps the most shameful thing that Trump did on that day was not what he attempted to do to Malema but rather the following.
He presented a picture to Ramaphosa and his delegation of what was purportedly “1000 white South African graves with white crosses on them of white South African farmers” that were supposedly “dispossessed of their land by black terrorists” and “murdered in cold blood”.
Contrary to the American Presidents assertions it was later confirmed that the picture was NOT of the graves of white farmers in South Africa but rather of a burial ground in a completely different country called Congo!
One wonders how the President of the most powerful nation on earth could make such an egregious and monumental blunder and indulge in such deceit and doublepeak all in an attempt to humiliate the South African President.
Sadly it didn’t stop there. Trump literally ambushed Ramaphosa, lectured him, bullied him, spoke down to him, accused his Government and people of heinous crimes, kept interrupting him when he attempted to speak, mocked his role as a peacemaker in the Ukraine/Russia conflict and sought to utterly humiliate him.
To behave in this unacceptable manner and indulge in such mendacious falsehood is below any President let alone the most powerful one in the world.
I see the hand of Elon Musk, who himself is a South African and who has not hidden his contempt and disdain for the ANC-led South African Government and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu, whose Government has been accused by South Africa of genocide and indeed taken to the International Court of Justice and to the International Criminal Court both at the Hague, in all this.
Both must have thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle!
Yet the truth is that even if his predominately white right-wing MAGA base in America may have been excited and thrilled by his proverbial lynching and carpeting of a helpless and whimpering black President at the Oval office it has also alienated a lot of black and particularly African Trumpers like yours truly who have always refused to regard Trump as a racist but rather as a man who was specially chosen, prepared, raised and anointed by God to destroy the American Deep State, to terminate the Godless agenda of the globalists, to stop the wars of the world, to put God at the centre of affairs when it comes to politics and governance, to re-establish and re-instill the Christian virtues and values that America was built on, to break the back of the unholy, Luciferean trinity and anti-Christ philosophy of Obama, Clinton and Biden in world affairs and American politics.
I sincerely hope that we do not end up regretting our support for him but if he continues in this way that support shall undoubtedly dwindle.
Why do I day this? Consider the following.
First it was “let us grab Greenland, Canada, Mexico, the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal and rename the Gulf of Persia”, then it was “let us turn Gaza into an American Riviera”, then it was “let us wage a tariff war against the nations of the world”, then it was “let us alienate and abandon our European allies”, then it was “let us provoke China”, then it was “let us go to the three richest nations in the Middle East and compel their Kings to invest trillions of dollars in America and even give us a new presidentiel jet”, then it was “let us bring the little African leader who leads a country with the largest and most properous economy on his continent to the Oval office, humiliate him before the world and bully him into leaving our white brothers in South Africa alone” and the latest is “let us stop foreign students from attending Harvard University because the authorities of that school have refused to bring to an end the pro-Palestinian
demonstrations that are taking place on campus”.
These actions are increasingly troubling and whether we have hitherto admired, loved and prayed for Trump or not we cannot support a confirmed bully and racist. That would be ungodly.
We cannot support a man that finds it difficult to empathise with the suffering of others or that is fast losing his humanity. That would be incorrigible.
Trump needs to retrace his steps, divest himself of these glaring and obvious symptoms of meglomania, obsessive vanity and extreeme narcissim and get real.
God did not deliver him from the hands of his enemies and make him President to do this sort of nonsense but rather to make America great again and to make the world a better and safer place. If he fails to do this God will leave him, remove him and replace him with another.
Back to the episode at the White House.
Cyril Ramaphosa’s responses to the grilling were equally embarrassing and frankly disappointing.
Most western commentators have described his disposition, body language and reaction as “weak”, “cowardly” and “cringeworthy” and I am constrained to concur.
No President should bow and tremble before another no matter how rich and powerful the latter may be.
In the African context Nelson Mandela would not have done so and neither would Murtala Mohammed, Olusegun Obasanjo, Jerry Rawlings, Thomas Sankara, Ahmed Ben Bella, Muammar Ghadafi, Patrice Lumumba, Gamal Nasser, Sani Abacha, Ibrahim Babangida, Kwame Nkrumah, Muhammadu Buhari, Robert Mugabe, Samora Machel or Ibrahim Traore.
This ritual of inviting foreign leaders to the Oval office like King Hussein of Jordan (who literally had to bow and lick Trumps posterior), President Vlodomer Zelensky of Ukraine (who was insulted, rubbished, humiliated and finally thrown out) and now Cyril Ramaphosa (who was forced to watch an embarrassing scene about his country on television) and belittling and denigrating them must stop.
The humiliation of the South African President particularly was painful for me to watch because of the frightful history of his country and the terrible atrocities and apartheid system that the white Afrikaaner Boers subjected the black Africans to for hundreds of years.
They went through all that and now they have to suffer this in the hands of yet another white man.
This same white minority that oppressed and enslaved them in their own land for hundreds of years control 80% of the economy and own 90% of the land in their country today despite the fact that they only constitute 8% of the population.
These are the people that Trump is claiming are being subjected to genocide and is offering asylum in America.
These are people that in the main and in the past have regarded black Africans as being “no better than animals”.
These are people that practised apartheid and that described black people as the biblical “hewers of the wood and drawers of the water”.
These are the people that once regarded a black man as being a quarter of a human being and that not only refused to have legal inter racial sex or marriages but compelled black people to live in shanty towns that were little better than concentration camps and subjected them to pass laws much in the sane way as the Israelis are subjecting the Palestinians to such inhumanity and degradation today.
If a Nigerian leader had been treated like this at the Oval office and I was in the room believe me all hell would have broken loose and Trump, his VP, his Ministers, his team and the American White House Press Corps would not only have got more than they dished out and bargained for but they would have been given a curt history lesson about the past and present atrocities of their nation and a thorough and precise lecture about the matter at hand.
I am a Trump supporter but in all matters my nation and continent must come first.
I despise the way he bullied Ramaphosa and I hope and pray that if he or any other foreign leader tries this with any Nigerian leader that I am in the room.
The days of talking down to African Presidents are long over.
More importantly the days of cowardly, weak, subservient, spineless, grovelling, corrupt, compromised and ignorant African lichspittles and
quislings who call themselves leaders but who lack self-esteem, self-respect and pride in their people and who have no shame or dignity, who are hopelessly compromised, who have no knowledge of world affairs or world history, who are pawns of the neo-colonialists and imperialists and who have sold their soul and destiny of their nation to the western powers are long over.
This fact can be confirmed by what can best be described as the “Traore spirit” that is blowing into all the nooks and corners of our continent today.
As much as I love and support Trump his attitude and policy on Africa and Gaza leaves much to be desired.
He needs to do better and he must understand that the Palestinians and the Africans, though facing challenges, are far more resilient than his people ever were and come from a far older and greater civilisation than his country ever did.
We may not have their money and power but we have God.
Their time is now but tomorrow belongs to us. That God that put them up there and established their hegemony and empire shall remember us.
We too shall rise and at that time all men shall say that the rejected stone has become the corner stone, that the Lord uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wisdom of the wise and that in truth all things are possible with God.
(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, a former Minister of Aviation and a former Minister of Culture and Tourism)
celebrity radar - gossips
Senator Adeola Yayi Bags Royal Blessings at Foundation Laying of Yewa Traditional Council Secretariat in Ilaro
Senator Adeola Yayi Bags Royal Blessings at Foundation Laying of Yewa Traditional Council Secretariat in Ilaro
…Clerics, Monarchs and Political Leaders Offer Prayers for His Future Aspirations
ILARO-YEWA, OGUN STATE — The ancient town of Ilaro, headquarters of Ogun West Senatorial District, came alive on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, as royal fathers, political leaders, clerics and community stakeholders gathered for the historic foundation-laying ceremony of the proposed ultra-modern Yewa Traditional Council (Obas’) Secretariat Complex.
The culturally symbolic project, facilitated by the Senator representing Ogun West at the National Assembly, Distinguished Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), attracted widespread commendation, fervent prayers and royal blessings from traditional rulers across Yewaland, alongside leaders and stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The ceremony officially marked the commencement of construction of what is envisioned as a state-of-the-art secretariat that will serve as the institutional headquarters of the Yewa Traditional Council.
Stakeholders described the initiative as a landmark achievement in institutional development and a clear demonstration of Senator Adeola’s sustained commitment to grassroots development, cultural preservation and inclusive governance in Yewaland.
Royal fathers present unanimously agreed that the project represents a significant step toward strengthening traditional governance and preserving Yewa cultural heritage. According to them, the proposed secretariat will function as a unifying administrative hub, enhance collaboration among monarchs and safeguard the cultural identity of the Yewa people for generations to come.
Speaking at the event, the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, His Royal Majesty Oba (Dr.) Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, Asade Agunloye IV, poured encomiums on Senator Adeola for his extensive infrastructural interventions and developmental footprints across Yewaland and Ogun State.
The monarch noted that the senator’s contributions have repositioned Yewaland on the path of meaningful progress, urging political leaders and stakeholders to embrace unity, cooperation and harmony.
He emphasized that such collective resolve remains crucial to the long-standing aspiration of producing a Yewa indigene as Governor of Ogun State in 2027.
Oba Olugbenle also used the occasion to encourage residents to actively participate in the democratic process by obtaining their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs), stressing that civic engagement is the surest route to credible leadership.
“Yayi Is a Unique Son of Yewaland” — Deputy Speaker
The Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Chief) Mrs. Lateefat Bolanle Ajayi, described Senator Adeola as a “unique and incomparable son of Yewaland,” whose influence transcends Ogun West to Ogun Central and East.
“We have had good sons in Yewaland, but Yayi stands out. His impact is felt in Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode and beyond. Charity truly begins at home. Even the blind can see and the deaf can hear. We must support him. Come 2027, we have a candidate,” she declared.
Clerics Offer Prayers for Success
Offering prayers at the ceremony, Imam Mohammed Tijani Jamiu, Chief Imam of Surulere Central Mosque, Ilaro-Yewa, prayed for Senator Adeola, the royal fathers of Yewaland and the successful completion of the project.
Similarly, Imam Jamiu Adeniyi Kewulere, Chief Imam of Bibire Central Mosque, Oke-Ola, Ilaro-Yewa, also offered special prayers for peace, progress and divine guidance for all stakeholders.
“A Rare Project of Global Significance” — Yewa South LG Chairman
The Chairman of Yewa South Local Government, Hon. Tunde Ogunshola, described the occasion as one of the happiest moments of his life, noting that the project is unprecedented in scope and cultural significance
.
“This traditional council building is rare, even globally. It is being realized through the support of Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun and facilitated by Senator Adeola. When completed, it will stand as a lasting symbol of our heritage,” he said.
The Ogun State Chairman of Cultural Development, Hon. Olayiwola Taiwo, also hailed the project as a major turnaround for Ogun West, a zone he said had endured years of infrastructural neglect.
“This is a remarkable development. Senator Adeola is truly God-sent to Yewaland,” he stated.
Royal fathers including the Olofin Adimula of Ado-Odo, Oba Idris Olusola Lamidi Osolo, the Abepa of Joga-Orile, Oba Adeyemi Adekeye, and the Onimeko of Imeko, Oba Benjamin Olanite, all expressed confidence that greater projects linked to Senator Adeola would continue to materialize.
A retired Director-General in the Ogun State Civil Service, Mr. Michael Babatunde Ajayi, likened the proposed complex to the Obas’ Secretariat in Abeokuta, noting that it would reduce the need for monarchs in Yewaland to travel to the state capital for meetings.
“This will be the first of its kind in Yewaland. Kudos to Senator Adeola, whose impact is felt across Ogun State,” he said.
APC Leaders Call for Political Mobilisation
The Ogun West APC Chairman, Alhaji Azeez Adisa (Ekwume), alongside party leaders and community stakeholders, described Senator Adeola’s interventions as purposeful and impactful.
They urged party members to consolidate these gains by strengthening party structures and participating actively in voter registration and mop-up exercises, noting that broad-based participation is essential for electoral success.
Anglican Bishop Describes Project as Timely
Speaking with journalists, the Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Revd. M.A. Oluwarohunbi, PhD, described the project as timely and symbolic, adding that it would enhance the role of traditional rulers in governance.
“This is a very important day in the history of Ilaro and Yewaland. The proposed complex will be an ultra-modern edifice befitting our royal fathers,” he said.
He also prayed for Senator Adeola’s continued strength and the realization of his future aspirations.
At the climax of the event, Oba Olugbenle, alongside other eminent kabiyesis, offered royal prayers and blessings for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, Senator Solomon Adeola Yayi, and other political office holders across Ogun West and Nigeria, seeking divine wisdom, protection and success in governance.
The well-attended ceremony drew a diverse audience, including revered monarchs from across Yewaland, political leaders, community stakeholders and religious representatives from Christianity, Islam and traditional institutions.
Members of the League of Yewa-Awori Media Practitioners (LOYAMP) were also prominently represented, led by their National Coordinator, Otunba AbuSatar Idowu Hamed.
The colourful event concluded with the formal laying of the foundation stone by royal fathers and distinguished guests, symbolically ushering in a new chapter in the institutional development and cultural renaissance of Yewaland—an occasion many described as another defining milestone in Senator Adeola Yayi’s growing legacy of service and development.
Courtesy: League of Yewa-Awori Media Practitioners (LOYAMP)
celebrity radar - gossips
Shadows of Greed: Alison‑Madueke’s UK Corruption Trial and the Cost of Power
Shadows of Greed: Alison‑Madueke’s UK Corruption Trial and the Cost of Power
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com
When today’s headlines speak of corruption, they often do so as a distant abstraction as a vague moral failure with little bearing on everyday life. But the unfolding corruption trial of Diezani Alison‑Madueke in a London court throws into glaring relief the real, human and systemic consequences of unchecked power merged with self‑interest. This is not merely the story of an individual on trial; it is a lens through which the world must scrutinise the fragile intersection of governance, resource wealth and public trust.
Diezani Alison‑Madueke, once Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources and later the first woman president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), now stands accused before Britain’s Southwark Crown Court of multiple counts of bribery and conspiracy. The accusations against her (which she vehemently denies) paint a portrait of opulence allegedly funded through pay‑to‑play politics that ignored the public good and rewarded those who could feed her lavish lifestyle.
A Life in Oil, a Life Under Scrutiny.
Alison‑Madueke’s tenure as petroleum minister, from twenty ten until twenty fifteen, coincided with a period of immense oil revenue for Nigeria, a country sitting atop the largest oil reserves in Africa. Yet that wealth did not translate into broad‑based prosperity for the citizens she was meant to serve. Instead, British prosecutors allege that her privileged access to that sector was exploited for personal gain.
According to court indictments, she is accused of accepting bribes not in vague promises, but in concrete, high‑value luxury benefits and including cash, chauffeur‑driven vehicles, private jet travel, the use of multiple high‑end properties in London, funded renovations, personal household staff and even costly designer goods purchased at establishments like Harrods and Louis Vuitton. Prosecutors told the court these were not mere gifts, but “financial or other advantages” given by industry players “who clearly believed she would use her influence to favour them.”
The former minister, now sixty‑five, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Alongside her in the dock are two co‑defendants: oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Doye Agama, both of whom deny the charges connected to the same alleged bribery scheme.
The Anatomy of Allegations.
What makes this trial especially significant is the detail and scale of the alleged benefits. Prosecutors have asserted that Alison‑Madueke was offered:
Access
to luxury homes and private residences in London, bought and maintained by associates seeking lucrative Nigerian contracts.
At least a six‑figure sum in direct cash payments.
Private jet flights and schooling fees for her children.
Vast quantities of luxury goods and services from upscale retailers.
While the prosecution concedes it has not yet produced direct evidence that she awarded specific contracts to individuals who should not have had them, it maintains that the acceptance of such benefits by a public official who oversaw multi‑billion‑dollar contracts is inherently improper and contrary to fundamental principles of public service.
Voices of Accountability.
The allegations have drawn sharp commentary from observers worldwide who see the trial as emblematic of broader governance challenges across resource‑rich nations.
Nigerian social justice advocate Aisha Bello has observed, “Corruption is not a peripheral defect in governance but a corrosive disease that accelerates inequality. When leaders treat public office as a gateway to private treasure, citizens pay with lost opportunities and diminished hope.”
Similarly, Professor John Githongo, a renowned anti‑corruption scholar, argues that “Transparency and accountability are not optional extras in public administration; they are indispensable pillars of a just society. When the public good is subverted for private gain, the very fabric of trust unravels.”
These sentiments resonate deeply in contexts where natural wealth exists alongside persistent challenges in education, healthcare and infrastructure also illustrating that corruption is not an isolated moral failing, but a fundamental impediment to development.
Corruption Beyond Borders.
What makes this case notable on the global stage is not just its connection to a former minister, but its international footprint. The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has taken up the case because many of the alleged transactions (the properties, cash flows, and luxury perks) touched British jurisdiction. This underlines a critical truth: corruption today is not contained by national boundaries. Illicit financial flows, luxury goods, and asset holding often travel across continents, making international cooperation essential in pursuit of justice.
Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit, stated during earlier proceedings that investigations revealed “financial rewards” accepted by Alison‑Madueke that were “suspected to relate to the awarding of multi‑million‑pound contracts.” He emphasised that such impropriety has “devastating consequences for developing nations.”
This collaborative legal action reflects a growing global consensus: no public official, regardless of stature, should be beyond accountability. When a former head of state institutions is brought before a foreign court, it is not just a legal milestone but it is a moral affirmation of shared values in the rule of law.
The Nigerian Context.
In Nigeria, the oil sector has long been both a blessing and a burden. Despite generating huge revenues, mismanagement and corruption have often undermined potential gains for the wider population. A 2023 report by Nigeria’s statistics agency ranked corruption as one of the most significant challenges facing the country. It is a sobering backdrop that shapes how this trial is interpreted at home and abroad.
Former officials and critics alike have noted that transparency in governance is not merely a matter of legality but one of national dignity. As legal scholar Dr. Funke Adekola puts it, “When leaders betray public trust, they erode the very essence of citizenship. Restoring that trust requires not just trials, but systemic reform in values and institutions.”
What Lies Ahead.
The trial, expected to stretch over several months of testimony and evidence examination, is itself a test of judicial endurance and political will. It presents complex questions about proof, credibility, and moral accountability. Yet beyond the sterile halls of courtrooms, its wider implications reverberate in global public discourse about how nations manage wealth and how societies hold leaders accountable.
For ordinary citizens around the world, this case is riveting not because of luxury houses or private jets, but because it forces a collective reckoning: What price should a society pay when those entrusted with public resources place personal enrichment above national welfare?
Summative Insight.
As Diezani Alison‑Madueke’s trial unfolds before the world’s eyes, it stands as a stark reminder that the fight against corruption must be relentless and unflinching. It exposes the corrosive effects of unethical conduct at the highest levels of power and underscores the necessity of accountability, irrespective of nationality or office.
In the final analysis, justice is not only about punishment, but about restoring faith in the systems meant to protect the common good. As the British court hears testimony and as evidence is meticulously weighed, the world watches a profound test of justice, one that could shape how future generations understand leadership, integrity and the true cost of power.
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