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Tributes As Ace Artist Onobrakpeya Turns 90, Celebrates 60 Years Of Creative Genius

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Tributes As Ace Artist Onobrakpeya Turns 90, Celebrates 60 Years Of Creative Genius

For Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya, the towering number of years he has spent in life marks him out. This huge milestone is matched by a great number of achievements he has recorded in his long life.

The seemingly inexhaustible list of Prof. Onobrakpeya’s sterling records include: he is the oldest living artist in not only in Nigeria but the whole of Africa. He is older than Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka of Nigeria. He is also older than Ngugi Wa Thiongo of Kenya.

Prominent personalities from diverse walks of life gathered on Friday to celebrate this icon as he clocked 90 years. The dignitaries who included former Minister of Information Prof. Sam Oyovbaire, former Chairman of the Editorial Board of The Guardian Prof. G.G. Darah, foremost banker and President of Michael and Cecilia University Mrs Cecelia Ibru, former President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Goodie Ibru and monarchs were agreed on one thing : the greatness of Prof. Onobrakpeya which has made him not only the pride of Urhobo and Nigeria but that of the entire black race.

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Apart from his huge professional output, Prof. Onobrakpeya is equally productive in mentoring the next generation of artists that would take over from him. This was attested to by those he has mentored and those he is still mentoring who came to celebrate him at his country home at Agbara- Otor in Delta State that also houses the Onobrak’s Arts Centre.

At the celebration that spanned two days from Friday to Saturday, there were many cultural displays of the Urhobo people. And from the intellectual side, many academic papers were presented on Urhobo culture, folklore, myths and legends; architecture, design, inventions and technology; the “Zaria Rebels” and 60 years after; painting and printmaking, among others.

Keynote addresses were given by eminent scholars like Emeritus Professor Dele Jegede of Miami University, the United States; Professor Perkins Wilson Foss , formerly of Penn State University; Prof. Osa Egonwa, Delta State University, Abraka; Prof. Frank Ugiomoh, University of Port Harcourt; and Prof.Ese Odokuma-Aboderin.

Some of the honours Prof. Onobrakpeya has received in recognition of his creative genius are: the award of Member of the Order of the Republic of Nigeria; presented to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari; Pope Paul VI Gold Medal for Painting Life of St.Paul; Fulbright-Hays Award by America CIES ( Council for International Exchange of Scholars); and Urhobo Historical Society Lifetime Achievement Award.

Prof. Onobrakpeya’s works can be seen in galleries, museums and public places such as the British Museum; the Barrack Obama Collection, White House, Washington DC; King Mohammed VI Collection, Morocco; Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Metropolitan Museum; Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Leader of Victory Museum, Baghdad, Iraq; Murtala Mohammed International Airport,Ikeja, Lagos; University of Lagos Library, Akoka, Lagos; Catholic Chapel , University of Ife, Ile-Ife; Vatican Museum, Rome; National Museum of African Arts, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC; University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta , Canada; EDA Lord Damarest Memorial African Art Collection, University of Redlands; Museum of African and African-American Art and Antiquities, Buffalo, New York; National Gallery of Modern Art, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos; and St.Paul the Evangelist Church, Shogunle, Ikeja; and St.Paul’s Church, Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

 

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BREAKING:Chicago State University Unable To Grant One Request By Atiku As It Releases Tinubu’s Academic Records

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Senator Withdraws Support For Tinubu Over Choice Of Muslim Running Mate
President Bola Tinubu

The Chicago State University (CSU) was unable to meet one request by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar as it finally released to him the academic records of President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku requested the documents to back his allegation of forgery of CSU certificate against Tinubu. It would mean Tinubu was not qualified to run for the election, which he won, if the allegation is successfully proved against him.

The university, on Monday, presented to Atiku’s legal team, a cache of documents connected to Tinubu’s education at the institution and copies of certificates with redacted names issued to other persons about the same time the Nigerian president finished from the school in 1979.

It also contained Tinubu’s admission records, and a letter dated 27 June 2022 confirming that he attended the university from August 1977 and June 1979 majoring in accounting. The letter said Tinubu was awarded Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with Honours on 22 June 1979.

The District Court in Northern Illinois, had in its judgement delivered on Saturday, given the university up till 12 noon on Monday to deliver the documents to Atiku.

The judge, Nancy Maldonado, gave the other after dismissing Tinubu’s objection in the judgement.

Ms Maldonando dismissed Tinubu’s objection to the 20 September decision of a magistrate judge of the court, Jeffery Gilbert.

The judge fully affirmed Gilbert’s ruling, ordering the CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records as requested by Atiku. She insisted Atiku had the right to have access to the records.

Complying with the court order on Monday, the university produced four sets of documents copies which went viral online on Monday.

In a deposition detailing its compliance with the court order, the university confirmed it was able to grant three of Atiku’s four requests.

Responding to one of the requests it granted, the university said, “after diligent search”. it was able to locate and produce seven different certificates for Bachelor of Science degree it issued in 1979.

Atiku had apparently requested the documents to compare and contrast them with the one presented by Tinubu as his for the 2023 presidential election.

The university also handed to Atiku’s team, documents relating to Tinubu and certified by an official of CSU, Jamar C. Orr, a lawyer.

The university similarly produced, “after diligent search”, copies of three other diploma certificates issued to other students other than Tinubu in 1979.

This was in response to Atiku’s request for “true and correct copies of any diplomas issued by CSU (other than to Tinubu) that contain the same font, seal, signatures, and wording (other than the name of the recipient and the specific degree awarded)”. Atiku sought these documents to compare and contrast them with the one Tinubu claimed to have obtained on or about 22 June 1979.

But the university said it was unable to locate “a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Tinubu in 1979” as requested by Atiku.

This was the kernel of Atiku’s request which is at the heart of the issue he intends to use the documents for in his legal challenge of Tinubu’s victory at the 25 February presidential election.

The university said it “does not in the ordinary course keep copies of student diplomas, and after diligent search cannot locate a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Mr. Tinubu in 1979, hence has no documents responsive to this request.”

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Group Commends Ogun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s Verdict

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Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

A Civil Society Organization, Advocacy for Peace and Good Governance, has commended the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for its verdict on  the March 18, governorship election in the State.

It would be recalled that the tribunal, on Saturday, unanimously validated the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun, as it dismissed all the grounds canvassed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu in their petitions.

The group stated that the verdict was a victory for democracy and affirmation of the people’s choice.

The group, in a statement signed by it’s National Coordinator, Waheed Sulaimon, on Saturday in Abuja, described the judgement as explicit without any ambiguity, saying it was a true reflection of what happened across Ogun State on March 18, 2023.

The group noted that the tribunal delivered its verdict based on the facts and evidence presented before it, as well as the credibility of the electoral process.

It lauded the judiciary for its impartiality in the ongoing election petition-related cases across the country, adding that Nigerians have always reposed their confidence in that arm of government.

The group, therefore, urged all parties involved to accept the decision of the tribunal and join hands with Governor Dapo Abiodun, to work towards the development of the state.

It also called on all stakeholders in the Ogun State project to rally round the governor to make the Gateway State among the best in Nigeria in terms of economic prosperity, political stability and social cohesion.

The group also lauded Governor Abiodun for his commitment to good governance and efforts at ensuring the security of lives and property, as well as his unwavering political will to speedily develop the state.

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BREAKING: Tribunal Sacks Nasarawa Governor Sule, Declares PDP’s Ombugadu Winner

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Nasarawa State Governor Abudullahi Sule

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Monday declared David Ombugadu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the state’s last election.

This was after the tribunal nullified  the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Delivering the judgment virtually, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, declared Ombugadu as the lawfully elected governor of Nasarawa State.

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