celebrity radar - gossips
Nigerian embassies of shame (2) By Tunde Odesola
Nigerian embassies of shame (2) By Tunde Odesola
Nigerian Embassies– With a tongue roughly twice the length of its body, and a brocade of dubious colours for skin, the chameleon is the ultimate invisible animal predator.
Without premonition, small creatures like worms and insects searching for daily bread disappear suddenly into the Bermuda Triangle in the belly of the dodgy chameleon via a sticky, snappy tongue.
Like worms and insects, in June 2021 alone, 1,032 Nigerians met sudden death in the hands of gunmen and kidnappers across the country, according to a fresh security report.
Approximately, the 1,032 casualty figure translates to 34.4 wasted lives per day, excluding deaths by sicknesses, auto accidents, extrajudicial killings, ritual killings, etc in a peaceful country in pieces.
Home or abroad, the fate of the average Nigerian is mournful.
Home-based Nigerians are plagued by physical and psychological deaths just like Nigerians abroad are not spared psychological torture and humiliation in Nigerian embassies.
The overwhelming corruption yet pervading most Nigerian embassies despite numberless media reports in the last six years attests to the failure of the retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari led-regime in curbing dishonest dealings that have cemented the green passport in the hall of infamy.
Lamenting the nasty treatment she went through in the hands of officials at the Nigeria High Commission in the UK, a registered nurse, Kemi Samuel, who has lived in England for over three decades, said she suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder whenever she visited the commission.
A registered nurse with more than 30 years under her belt, Samuel recalled that every Nigerian in England, notwithstanding their locations, was required to physically come to obtain visas, renew passports or get new ones.
Samuel explained that it was ridiculous that she renewed her 10-year British passport within two hours at Her Royal Majesty Passport Office, Globe House, London, while she laboured to renew her five-year Nigerian passport after visiting the high commission on seven different occasions.
She said, “If you want your British passport to be done as an emergency, you need to visit the passport office, but if you want to follow the normal process, it will arrive in your mail within four to five days.
“The reverse is the case in the Nigeria High Commission, where officials allow applicants to shunt the queue after bribing them. The officials were nasty to young and old, and they’ve no regard for children, women and the physically challenged. I was breastfeeding my baby and I had to leave my work each time I visited, meaning that I was losing money.
“In 1997, an immigration officer wanted to steal my passport at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. He hid my passport among the documents he was clutching and he said I didn’t give him my passport, and he was trying to walk away. I raised my voice and told him to bring out my passport from among the papers in his hands.
“In 2010 when I wanted to renew my passport, they said there were no booklets from Abuja, so I had to use my British passport.
“Between February and August of 2016, my daughter and I visited the high commission over 20 times to renew our passports! Nigerians came from other European countries to renew their passports, too.
“There was the pitiable case of a female Nigerian student who needed her passport to renew her studentship. She said that was the 11th time she had come to the commission.
“When we got to Nigeria, the carousel didn’t work as there was no light at the airport, prompting passengers to use the light of the phones. All that was strange to my daughter who suddenly felt pressed to use the toilet. She ran out of the toilet when she saw heaps of maggots.”
A Nigerian resident in Houston, Texas, who doesn’t want his name in print, lamented that he was asked to pay an unreceipted $20 as car park fee at the Nigerian embassy in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 50-year-old applicant, who is from southern Nigeria, said, “The embassy won’t process applications for more than one year, and after the expiration of one year, the applicant will be required to pay a fresh $195 as passport fee. Since it was the embassy that failed to produce passports as and when due, applicants should not be made to pay twice for passports.”
Nicknamed BB, the sad Nigerian also alleged that his online application was changed and ‘sold’ by embassy officials to another applicant who had bribed them.
“I picked up my American passport that can enable me to enter about 200 countries visa-free in my mailbox. I don’t know why my Nigerian passport, which nobody wants to see, is so problematic,” he said.
Complaining about the terrible treatment meted out to visa and passport applicants at the Nigeria High Commission in London, a Nigerian, Sunday John, said applicants were never given appointment when they apply online.
He said, “They won’t give you an appointment when you apply online because they make money by giving appointments to those who have bribed them.
“Passport fee is 75 pounds but they will charge you between 300 and 700 pounds through the backdoor. I refused to pay, and I’ve since not been able to take my wife and three children to see my mum in Nigeria.
“I wanted to open a business account but because I’m not British yet, my nationality was required. The non-issuance of a passport to me has put the business I’m planning to do on hold. I’ve vowed not to bribe them because if I do so, I’ll be encouraging corruption. Sadly, other African nationals in England get their passports in a matter of days.”
Sharing his ordeal, another Nigerian, Mr Frederick Oluwole, who has lived in New York for over 30 years, said passport production at the Nigerian embassy in Manhattan was delayed because of lack of ‘nylon’ covering for passport pages.
Oluwole said, “They took my unsigned money order from me. They didn’t allow me to write my name on it. What they would later do is to write their own name on it and collect the money on the order, and pocket it.
“They talk down on you as if they’re doing you a favour. An official had to fly to Nigeria to bring common ‘nylon’ which could have been sent through courier.”
It’s the same hopeless song in Ottawa where the Nigerian embassy in Canada is located.
Narrating his nightmare, a Nigerian, Valentine Abiodun, disclosed that calls to the embassy were never picked.
“When someone eventually picked my call after weeks of calling, I told him I had been calling the embassy repeatedly, the officer said he travelled. I was shocked, and I told him the embassy wasn’t a private business that should be held up by an official.
“I told him I had sent in my passport for renewal. He told me they’ve not received it. Because I was tracking the passport, I told him who received it at the embassy.
“Then, he said I should call back. When I called back, he said he had seen it, adding that he would stamp and send it to me through mail. I said he shouldn’t. By 2am that night, I got a car and travelled down to Ottawa, getting to the embassy in the morning to pick my passport.”
A young Nigerian living in Mississauga, Ontario, Emmanuel Ogunlade, said he just received his renewed passport, which he had been processing since January 2020, two weeks ago.
Ogunlade said, “It was a terrible experience. I travelled to the Nigerian embassy, Ottawa, a journey of 427km, thrice after uncountable calls that were not answered before my passport was renewed even as I paid $23 twice for prepaid envelopes. They sent an email saying that they’ve sent my passport to me, but it was false. They later admitted they’ve not sent it.”
An anonymous female resident of Dubai said Nigerians now go to Abu Dhabi from Dubai to obtain their passports because of the hardship encountered at the Nigerian embassy in Dubai.
Uhhmm, Nigeria, under Buhari, is rich in corruption, home and abroad.
Sai chameleon!
*Concluded.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @tunde odesola
Twitter: @tunde_odesola
TundeOdesola.com
FACT CHECK: Viral “Trump Post” Blasting Tinubu Over Maiduguri Bombings is Fake
LAGOS — A viral image circulating on social media, purportedly showing a post by former U.S. President Donald Trump criticizing Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been confirmed as false and digitally manipulated.
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The image, which appeared online late Monday, March 16, 2026, claimed to be a post from Trump’s Truth Social account reacting to a deadly wave of bombings in Maiduguri. While the attacks themselves are real, the alleged international rebuke is entirely fabricated.
Hoax Exposed
The fake post alleged that Trump described Nigeria’s situation as a “TOTAL DISASTER” and criticized Tinubu for being on a “State Visit” to the United Kingdom during a supposed “STATE OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY.”
However, multiple inconsistencies quickly exposed the claim:
Timeline Discrepancy: The post referenced events occurring while Tinubu was already abroad. In reality, the President only departed Abuja for London on Tuesday, March 17—hours after the image began trending.
Design Errors: Analysts identified a suspicious “whitehouse.gov” button embedded in the image—an element not present on the Truth Social platform.
No Verifiable Source: A thorough review of Trump’s official social media accounts and global media reports shows no record of such a statement.
Tinubu’s UK Visit Continues
Despite the security situation at home, the Presidency has confirmed that Tinubu’s scheduled state visit to the United Kingdom will proceed.
The Nigerian leader is expected to be received by King Charles III at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, March 18. The visit marks a notable diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the UK.
The widely shared “Trump post” is a deliberate misinformation attempt, exploiting a real national tragedy to spread false political narratives. Authorities and media observers continue to urge the public to verify information before sharing.
TO MY BROTHER BOBBY DEE by Chief Femi Fani-Kayode
For my brother Bobby Dee (Chief Dele Momodu) to compare President Tinubu to General Sani Abacha and claim that he is a dictator suggests that he is suffering from a degenerating and worrisome level of cognitive dissonance.
I love Dele and God knows I have immense respect for him but he sounded drained, tired and broken and spoke little sense yesterday in his interview with Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV.
May I humbly suggest to him to try and take a break from politics and political commentary for a while, get his breath back and attempt to overhaul his intellectual engine?
Not only was he uncharitable and disrespectful to the President, the Vice President, the Ministers, the Senators and the newly-appointed Ambassadors, many of whom have far more experience than him in governance and Government, on that programme but he also insulted the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people.
He and his associates in the ADC should focus more on trying to build up their depleted ranks and form a strong opposition that we can look forward to engaging in the field of battle for the 2027 election rather than continously obsesse and talk about what our President and our party is doing.
The ADC cannot even be described as a sinking ship but rather as a badly patched up inflatable plastic life boat that has not even managed to find its bearing or leave the harbour.
It has no engine, no sails, no oars, no captain, no crew, no navigational equipment, no muscle, no firepower, no war chest, no destination and worse of all it is made of rubber and not steel.
How can such an ill-prepared contraption even float let alone do battle?
It cannot possibly survive the rough seas and harsh winds of Nigerian politics because it lacks gravitas, focus, character, intelligence, discipline and strength.
It needs to be built up, better schooled, better trained, better equipped, better educated and better prepared before it can enter the field and before we can even begin to regard it as an opposition party.
Right now it can only be described as a haven and pitiful gathering of vacuous, shallow, intellectual frauds and political renegades who lack foresight and who have no direction.
The fact that they have failed to take off is not Tinubu’s fault, it is theirs.
The fact that political leaders and the Nigerian people are flocking to APC in droves is not only because our President and Vice President are doing well but also because they view the ADC as nothing but a collection of disingenious, desperate and recycled political losers, who are addicted to power, who offer no credible alternative to governance and who, like the three blind mice, are running around in circles, chasing each other’s long, mangy and wrinkled tails with no where to go.
Watching my brother Dele trying to speak for them is pitiful and is even more disconcerting than his assertion that Tinubu will regret his decisions and will be deserted by everyone around him.
The Bible says “who is he that sayeth a thing and it cometh to pass when the Lord God of Hosts has commanded it not?”
Dele should listen to the Holy Spirit instead of to the pagan murmurings, strange whispers, demonic divinations and conjuring projections of the Prophets of Baal and the Witch of Endor.
To be sure Tinubu started well, he is doing well and he will, by the grace of God, end well with no regrets in 2031.
Anything short of that is the counsel of the ungodly and the manifestation and delusions of a diseased and demonised mind.
I appeal to my brother Dele: leave the ranks of the forces of darkness and join us.
You are far too good for the company you are keep.
Your presence in the ranks of the ADC is like that of a gentle, beautiful, well bred, well fed and well manicured flamingo trapped in a sea of ugly, cruel, loud, angry, starving, cackling and relentless crows and vultures.
It does not befit you.
(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, the author of this essay) is an Ambassador Designate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a former Minister of Aviation, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the Wakilin Doka Potiskum, the Otunba of Joga Orile, the Aare Ajagunle of Otun Ekiti and a Legal Practioner)
celebrity radar - gossips
Media Respect and Celebrity Responsibility: Lessons from Tiwa Savage Foundation Launch Controversy
Media Respect and Celebrity Responsibility: Lessons from Tiwa Savage Foundation Launch Controversy
By George Omagbemi Sylvester
“Apology from Tiwa Savage’s Team Sparks Debate on Media Treatment, Professional Ethics, and the Role of Journalists in Promoting Cultural and Philanthropic Initiatives.”
Nigerian music icon Tiwa Savage and her management team have issued a formal apology to journalists following allegations of mistreatment during the launch of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation in Lagos. The controversy, which quickly sparked debate across the media landscape, has raised broader questions about celebrity culture, media ethics, and the professional respect owed to journalists covering high-profile events.
The apology was conveyed through Savage’s manager, Vanessa Amadi-Ogbonna, alongside representatives of the public relations firm Fola PR and management of The Delborough Lagos, the venue where the event took place. According to reports, the foundation launch was held on March 9, 2026, at Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
Several journalists invited to cover the event complained that they were delayed for hours at the entrance of the venue, asked to wait under uncomfortable conditions, and allegedly instructed to wear branded polo shirts before being allowed entry. Many media professionals described the treatment as humiliating and disrespectful to the role of the press in promoting public events.
Following public criticism, representatives of Savage’s team clarified that the singer neither authorised nor condoned the alleged treatment. They expressed regret over the incident and promised improved coordination with journalists in future engagements.
The controversy has reignited conversations about the delicate relationship between celebrities and the media. Scholars in media and communication studies argue that the press plays a vital role in shaping public narratives and promoting cultural activities, including entertainment and philanthropy.
Renowned media scholar Denis McQuail once observed that “the media serve as the central arena where social and cultural life is debated, interpreted, and understood.” In this context, journalists covering events such as the launch of a charitable foundation are not merely observers but important partners in amplifying the message and purpose of such initiatives.
Similarly, Nigerian communication scholar Ralph Akinfeleye has repeatedly emphasised the importance of professional respect for journalists. According to him, “the media are not beggars of access; they are stakeholders in the democratic and cultural process.” His argument highlights the fact that journalists provide visibility and legitimacy to events, especially those tied to public figures and philanthropic causes.
The Tiwa Savage Music Foundation was launched with the stated aim of empowering young talents in the music industry through mentorship, education, and professional opportunities. Many observers believe the initiative could play a significant role in nurturing emerging artists across Nigeria and the African continent.
However, communication experts stress that the success of such initiatives often depends on strong relationships with the media. American communication scholar Marshall McLuhan famously noted that “the medium is the message,” suggesting that the way information is delivered can influence how the public perceives the message itself.
In the case of the foundation launch, critics argue that the controversy surrounding the treatment of journalists briefly overshadowed the noble objectives of the project. Instead of focusing on the foundation’s mission, public discourse shifted toward questions of respect, professionalism, and media relations.
Public relations specialists also view the episode as a lesson in event management and stakeholder engagement. Effective public relations practice requires careful coordination between organisers, venue managers, and media representatives to ensure that invited journalists are treated with dignity and professionalism.
Despite the controversy, many journalists welcomed the apology and expressed hope that it would strengthen future collaboration between the entertainment industry and the press. In Nigeria’s vibrant media ecosystem, such partnerships remain essential for promoting cultural initiatives and amplifying stories that inspire the next generation of creatives.
Ultimately, the incident surrounding the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation launch serves as a reminder that respect for the media is not merely a matter of courtesy but a cornerstone of responsible public engagement. As scholars and industry observers continue to emphasise, the relationship between celebrities and journalists must be built on mutual respect, professionalism, and shared commitment to informing and inspiring the public.
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