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Captain Hosa: The Last Flight! By Lanre Alfred

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Captain Hosa: The Last Flight! By Lanre Alfred

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SaharaWeeklyNG  Concerning Captain Hosa Reports That There is neither best lyric nor tenor to impart the tragedy of Captain. Idahosa Wells Okunbo’s death. News of his passing resonates, like a thunderous blow from seraph to temple, spattering the heart’s sac with mortal residue. Even now, it filters through the gauze of memories, mauling the joys that I have known by his friendship.

 

 

Captain Hosa: The Last Flight! By Lanre Alfred

Captain Hosa

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mourning him disrupts the balance of everything. And that is quite understandable. I am informed of his virtues by an intimacy spanning many years companionship of his charms and acquaintance with his humaneness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His life, fragrant with mannered humility, was inspiring. And his demise inspires the lingering, mournful tribute of a sigh. But I am very much assured that Captain has gone on to a better place, where righteous souls bask in the sun-drenched bliss of rapturous recompense.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He has crossed over to the divine plane, freighted with sweet repose and rewards for his deeds. He has gone where votive luscious hyacinths relay the promise of an eternal Eden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that the ticket to eternity has his name on it, I hereby pay the awkward tribute of mourning. These words would never be enough, however, to capture the towering immensity of his life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I made his acquaintance many years ago, our friendship has blossomed into a bond emblematic of the best form of filial devotion and affection. I met him first through a mutual friend, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, the Chairman of BUA group, who called me one beautiful afternoon and after exchanging pleasantries, said, “Lanre, hold on for my very good friend, Captain Hosa.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In his deep baritone voice, he said, “Lanre, Lanre, how are you? I have heard so many beautiful things about you. I don’t know why they keep writing acerbic stories about me and my partner, Tunde Ayeni. All we do is to help this country. We don’t have any country apart from Nigeria. Anyway, try to see me at my house in Lagos this weekend” We ended the conversation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I was on my way to Houston that weekend, hence I couldn’t see him as requested. Three weeks later, I met with him at his palatial mansion in Banana Island, Lagos. I would discover that beneath the glitz and glamour of being a successful businessman and a billionaire of note, with all the accouterments of fame and fortune at his beck and call, lied an intensely humane and modestly humble personality with a heart for the greater good of his people and country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He exuded nonpareil intelligence, analytical mind, clarity of thoughts, quick wit, and sheer oratorical skills. Captain Hosa was one of the very few people I know that can never be blindsided or fazed by any eventuality. His calmness and infinite optimism even in the face of life’s greatest odds are inspiring and worthy of the respect and aspiration of coming generations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indeed, we had a long conversation spanning varying topics and angles. Core to this conversation was his work, his vision for a greater Nigeria, and his family. He shared with me how he made money at a very young age. Unlike most other billionaires that one met in the course of life’s peregrination, the very sociable and affable Captain Hosa never treated me or anyone as a minion or stranger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right there, in his house, he appointed my company his official Reputation Management and Media Relations Consultant. We signed a five-year contract, and he would later introduce me to his partner, Dr. Tunde Ayeni. Of course, we did well and we’re very glad he brought us in to manage his octopoidal business empire’s media relations and strategy. This signaled the beginning of our personal cum business relationship with this great man which blossomed from day one till the very end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curiously, however, working even more closely with Captain Hosa in the last couple of years had further shown and convinced me that he was a very focused and driven leader, whose personal attributes were inherent, not superficial. He could be described as a ‘good headache’ because he would push and drive you while bringing out the best in you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would come to understand that what Captain Hosa envisioned for Nigeria drove his pursuits while his yearning for progress pitted him against the odds in the socioeconomic and political milieu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interestingly, one star-spangled night, as we sat over drinks and banters in his baronial London mansion, he recalled, “I must tell you that I come from a very humble background. My story is such that let me say, if I can be where I am today, anybody can be here, I mean, anybody. And it goes a long way to show that you don’t have to have been born by a rich father or mother to be successful in life.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In his pursuit of glory, Captain Hosa learned to thrive like a lily in unimaginable valleys. Like white rose growing on concrete slabs or the daring mushroom that pierces the motionless eternity of earth, pushing clearly but obstinately, through faint form, till the hour of fertility strikes, he sought to flourish where many had vowed to defeat. He knew quite early in life that his humble roots should inspire him to succeed rather than become a burden and impediment to his spirited strides to success. He understood that to learn even the quarter of a breeze, he must hold up a wet finger. Hence, he pursued knowledge to his advantage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He also told me, “In my over four decades in business spanning engineering and technology, energy, integrated service in the petroleum sector, maritime, security, agriculture and others, integrity has been my guiding principle and a core value with which I have been able to earn trust and confidence of companies and corporations of global repute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I have never stood before any administrative, judicial or legislative panels to answer any questions related to any shady deal. I have conducted my business with utmost openness, honesty, and integrity. I am not oblivious of the fact that not a few people look up to me as a role model; the least I can do is to exhibit exemplary leadership quality to this group of young Nigerians, many of whom interact with me regularly.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indeed, no cowardly soul resided in the likable billionaire businessman, because he was no trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere. Of course, through him, industry’s glories shine; a reality he attributed to God’s grace. Thus he was beholden to neither man nor mammon. Cowardice and doubt dispersed in the blaze of his scorching righteousness because his business and personal ethics were so firmly anchored on The steadfast rock of conscience and integrity. The renowned and revered businessman would never use gilded words to mask deceit neither did he brandish fickle principles and statistics to conclude with a false truth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout his life, Captain Hosa exuded the luster of the proverbial leading light thus distinguishing his persona amid a range of middling men. He radiated compassion, ardor, and acclaim that no life’s odd could tame. Having hacked his path to affluence in honest, industrious strides, he spread out like a bastion of human aspiration even as his exploits become objects of the world’s affection. Everywhere he navigated he exuded a spirit of humaneness and generosity that even the world’s finest and most daring philanthropists live in awe of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No wonder he was, in 2019, bestowed with the prestigious Order of Lafayette award at the United Nations day for Global Peace. The Order of Lafayette is a patriotic, hereditary, nonpartisan, and fraternal organization established in New York City in 1958 by Colonel Hamilton Fish III (1888-1991), a former Congressman from New York and decorated veteran of the First World War.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captain Okunbo was especially honored for his distinguished role in encouraging, engendering, and entrenching peace and harmony in Africa and the world at large. He was presented with his award by His Excellency, Robert Blum, chairman of the Order of Lafayette Awards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inspired by his achievements, one of my books, The Titans, was dedicated to him for profound reasons: chief among them was the rarity of his persona. He had fundamental psychology as the artist, inventor, or statesman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He had set himself at a certain work and the work absorbed and became him. It was the expression of his personality; he lived in its growth and perfection according to his plans. Captain Hosa became worthy of the honor by the account of his sterling industry, humanity and unpretentious modesty manifested positively on all of his acquaintances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Captain never forgot the special occasions; he would reach out to his friends on their birthdays, Christmas, Ramadan, Sallah, Easter, and some other festivities, bearing breath-taking gifts. He was a great man with a heart of gold. No doubt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captain Hosa was a patriot whose commitment to national and economic stability was beyond doubt thus he was one of the very few economic giants and magnates who enjoyed the respect of the Nigerian government.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I consider it a rare gift of happenstance that we got closer while he was on his sickbed in London. We exchanged Bible verses, funny memes, wisecracks, health-related advice, and precautions. I encouraged him to have faith in God. We chatted extensively some days before the final call, during which he advised me to always be myself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captain Hosa told me, “My dear brother, I am not afraid of death. God loves me so much that he told me ahead when I will die giving me the unique opportunity to put my house in order.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And he did put his house in order, leaving an unquantifiable bequest of good deeds and character for all his loved ones. His finest gifts were the simple and rare ones, a sense of justice by which he was enabled to appreciate merits alien to his own aesthetic, a brilliant common sense which enabled him to see clearly beyond the controversies of the moment, and a faith and adventurous valor by which he gave faith and courage to all around him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone certainly enjoyed spells of personal experiences with Captain Hosa. Here, I speak for myself: my encounter with him was intense. He made me feel that life can be lived as good poetry and that the very best that could be felt and written about anyone subsists in the true nature and tenor of his character.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tragedy of his passage incites an enduring contempt for the grim reaper and its harrowing haste to divest this sinful world of the virtuous – men like Capt. Hosa Okunbo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If my tribute is tardy, at least my loyalty is not. I hold him among the quiet lovers of the earth, for Captain Hosa is a down-to-earth embodiment of earthly love. He was dear to anyone who had the qualities of endearment, and the understanding. He had a quiet way of being genuine. His fervors, as I knew him, were chiefly for the betterment of mankind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In setting aside his interests, he let his deep gift of compassion go to work for the good of others. Thus he poetized humaneness as an incontestable good of the world. His life was a moving poem; a lifting lyric crafted to ennoble and enrich every aspect of his world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captain Hosa did something unique, thrilling, infinitely beautiful: he lived for the good of others. I can see him now walking swiftly along the lakeshore of eternity, with his brilliant eyes sparkling, urging us to pass on the bequest of his life fully lived.

 

 

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Director General NSC, Bar. Bukola Olopade Extends Christmas Greetings to Christians in Abeokuta South and Across Nigeria

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Director General NSC, Bar. Bukola Olopade Extends Christmas Greetings to Christians in Abeokuta South and Across Nigeria

Director General NSC, Bar. Bukola Olopade Extends Christmas Greetings to Christians in Abeokuta South and Across Nigeria

 

 

By Solanke Ayomideji Taiwo

 

 

In a heartfelt message, The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, has extended warm festive greetings to Christians in Abeokuta South, Ogun State, and across Nigeria as the nation embarks on the joyous celebration of Christmas.

 

Director General NSC, Bar. Bukola Olopade Extends Christmas Greetings to Christians in Abeokuta South and Across Nigeria

 

Recognizing the significance of this time of year, Olopade emphasized the essence of unity, love, and gratitude that the Christmas season embodies. He urged citizens to reflect on the virtues of compassion and generosity, which are particularly vital in fostering peace and harmony in communities.

 

 

 

“Christmas is a time for joy, reflection, and togetherness. It reminds us of the values of love and kindness, which are fundamental to our social fabric,” said Olopade. “As we celebrate this festive season, let us remember those in need and extend a hand of support to one another.”

 

 

The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, acknowledged the challenges that many have faced over the past year, including economic hardships and social unrest, yet he expressed optimism for the future. “In the spirit of Christmas, let us embrace hope and look forward to a brighter tomorrow. Our unity and resilience can overcome any challenges we face.”

 

 

 

Olopade also highlighted the importance of sports in promoting peace and national unity, noting that the NSC is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all Nigerians can participate in sports and recreational activities. He encouraged communities to engage in sports events during the festive period as a means to strengthen bonds and celebrate togetherness.

 

 

 

As part of his Christmas message, Olopade called on everyone to prioritize the welfare of others, particularly the less fortunate. He urged individuals and organizations to consider charitable acts that can uplift those in need during this season of giving.

 

 

 

In closing, Bar. Bukola Olopade wished all Nigerians a Merry Christmas filled with love, peace, and joy. He expressed hope that the spirit of the season would inspire a renewed commitment to community service and cooperation among citizens.

 

 

 

As the festivities continue, the Chairman’s message resonates with the values of compassion, unity, and hope, encouraging all to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

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Business

Dangote Hails Tinubu on Impact of Crude for Naira Swap Deal

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Dangote Hails Tinubu on Impact of Crude for Naira Swap Deal

 

 

…As Dangote Refinery partners MRS to sell PMS at N935 per litre nationwide at its retail outlets

 

 

Sahara Weekly Unveils That The Foremost entrepreneur and President of the Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the positive impact of the naira for crude swap deal on the Nigerian economy, which has led to reduction in prices of petroleum products in the country.

 

Dangote Hails Tinubu on Impact of Crude for Naira Swap Deal

 

To provide succour to Nigerians, Dangote recently reduced the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from N970 to N899.50 at its Refinery loading gantry and provided generous credit terms to marketers.

 

 

“To ensure that this price reduction gets to the end consumer, we have signed a partnership with MRS to sell petrol from its retail outlets nationwide at N935 per litre” he added. This price has already commenced in Lagos, and it will be offered nationwide from Monday.

 

 

In his statement, he called on other oil marketers such as the NNPC Retail and all other marketers, “to work with us to ensure that Nigerians enjoy high-quality petrol at discounted prices.”

 

 

According to him, “The Dangote Refinery is for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians. We will therefore continue to work with various value chain players to deliver high quality petrol at cheaper prices. Our aim is for all Nigerians to have ready access to high quality petroleum products that are good for their vehicles, good for their health, and good for their pockets.

 

 

Recall that in September, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) under the leadership of Mr. President approved the sale of crude to local refineries in Naira and corresponding purchase of petroleum products in Naira. The move, which commenced on October 1, led to reduced pressure on the dollar and ensured the stability of the local currency.

 

 

Dangote thanked Nigerians for their unwavering support and the government for creating an enabling environment for the domestic refining industry.

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religion

Prophecy for 2025: A Year of Vengeance, Harvest, and Divine Shifts By Pro. Kingsley Aitafo

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Prophet Kingsley Aitafo's Prophecy Fulfilled: Alhaji Muyideen Bello Passes Away

Prophecy for 2025: A Year of Vengeance, Harvest, and Divine Shifts By Pro. Kingsley Aitafo

 

 

Sahara Weekly Reports That Prophet Kingsley Aitafo, under the grace and spiritual leadership of His Eminence Rev. Pastor Samuel Belehou Oshoffa, founder of the Celestial Church of Christ, has unveiled 25 prophecies for the year 2025. These revelations call for vigilance, prayer, and alignment with divine purpose. Below is the detailed list of the prophecies:

 

 

1. A Year of Divine Justice

2025 will be a year of vengeance upon the wicked and a season of abundant harvest for the righteous. This is a time for reflection and spiritual alignment.

 

2. Weather Disasters to Pray Against

The world must unite in prayers against severe weather disasters, including excessive winds, water overflow, floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis. These natural calamities threaten to disrupt lives and properties globally.

 

3. A Major Technological Advancement

WhatsApp is predicted to receive a significant upgrade, potentially integrating email functionalities. This innovation will redefine digital communication.

 

4. Nigeria’s National Football Team

The Nigerian national football team should be prayed for, as a painful defeat could occur.

 

5. A Great Man of God in Danger

One of the most celebrated men of God is at risk of sudden death. Prayers are needed to avert this tragedy.

 

6. Sunday Igboho

The activist should be prayed for to avoid heart-touching news that could cause widespread concern.

 

7. Nnamdi Kanu

Freedom is within reach for Nnamdi Kanu, but prayers are needed to ensure he lives to see it.

 

8. Fire Disasters Worldwide

Serious fire disasters are foreseen and must be prayed against to protect lives and properties globally.

 

9. NYSC and PHCN Reforms

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) will be empowered and reshuffled for greater effectiveness.

 

10. Global Police Forces

The police worldwide are warned of potential brutal revolts from the masses. Prayers are needed to prevent such events.

 

11. African Nations and Coups

Several African countries are advised to pray against unexpected coup plots.

 

12. Goodluck Jonathan’s Political Path

Former President Goodluck Jonathan is encouraged to follow God’s leading and refrain from contesting future elections.

 

13. Changes in EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will be more empowered, but significant transformations will occur within the agency.

 

14. Passing of Aged Leaders

Several aged ex-presidents, traditional rulers, and military leaders will pass on in 2025.

 

15. New Religious Leaders

New leaders will emerge in white garment denominations and the Catholic Church, marking significant transitions.

 

16. Churches in Danger of Scandals

Great churches like RCCG, Winners Chapel, Christ Embassy, Mountain of Fire, and COZA are urged to pray against confusion and scandals that could lead to divisions.

 

17. Exposure of False Churches

Churches that operate under the guise of Christ without genuine faith will be exposed.

 

18. Protection of Yoruba Entertainers

Yoruba actors and actresses should pray against strange illnesses, while English-speaking entertainers must pray against sudden deaths.

 

19. Plane Crashes

A major plane crash could occur, causing widespread pain. Prayers are needed to prevent this disaster.

 

20. National Unity in Nigeria

Despite ongoing agitations, Nigeria will remain undivided.

 

21. The Monarch and Pope’s Seat

Prayers are required to prevent sudden vacancies in the monarchy of England and the papal seat.

 

22. Deadly Disease and Global Conflict

A new, more deadly ailment than COVID-19 and the potential of a mini-war loom on the horizon. The world must unite in prayer to avert these crises.

 

23. Rising of True Last-Day Churches

The emergence of last-day churches will bring forth spiritual giants and miraculous powers reminiscent of the apostles of old.

 

24. Business Tycoons in Nigeria

Successful Nigerian business magnates should seek divine protection against untimely death.

 

25. Christ’s Return is Near

Finally, Prophet Kingsley reminds the world that the return of Jesus Christ is near. Embracing holiness and righteousness is the only path to prepare for His coming.

 

Prophet Kingsley’s prophecies serve as a divine reminder for individuals, nations, and institutions to seek God’s guidance and protection. Let 2025 be a year of faith, reflection, and readiness for what lies ahead.

 

Let us watch, pray, and align with God’s will.

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