Transcorp Hotels Plc, the hospitality arm of Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp Group) and operator of the iconic Transcorp Hilton Abuja, has announced the appointment of Dr. (Mrs.) Awele Vivien Elumelu, OFR, as Chairperson of its Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2026.

The appointment follows the scheduled retirement of the current Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel N. Nnorom, on the same date.

Dr. Elumelu, a qualified medical doctor with an MBBS from the University of Benin and clinical experience in Nigeria and the UK, brings extensive expertise in healthcare, insurance, corporate governance, and philanthropy. She currently chairs Avon Healthcare Limited (Avon HMO), Nigeria’s leading health management organization, Avon Medical Practice, and Heirs Insurance Brokers. She is also a founding director of Heirs Holdings Limited.

Her executive education includes programs at Harvard Business School, IMD Switzerland, and the London School of Economics.

Beyond business, Dr. Elumelu is a Trustee and Co-Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Africa’s premier philanthropy focused on empowering young entrepreneurs.

She has played a key role in promoting gender inclusion and supporting over 24,000 African youth with seed funding, training, and mentorship.In a statement, Transcorp Group Chairman Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, CFR — who is married to Dr. Elumelu — expressed enthusiasm about the appointment:

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Awele Elumelu as the Board Chair of Transcorp Hotels. Her distinguished track record perfectly aligns with our ambition to redefine hospitality through innovation, wellness integration, and responsible business practices. Her strategic insight will be invaluable as we continue to elevate guest experiences and deliver sustainable value to all stakeholders.”

Transcorp Hotels Plc, listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX: TRANSCOHOT), is known for setting hospitality benchmarks in Africa, managing flagship properties like the Transcorp Hilton Abuja and the newly launched 5,000-capacity Transcorp Centre.

The leadership transition comes as the company pursues growth in innovation and wellness-focused hospitality, amid Transcorp Group’s broader investments in power, energy, and hospitality sectors.

Engr. Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), on Tuesday issued a robust defense against allegations leveled by billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote, denying claims of corruption and inviting full investigations into his finances and tenure.

In a detailed statement titled “A Question of Integrity,” Ahmed described the accusations—centered on the alleged $5 million spent on his children’s secondary education in Switzerland—as misleading and timed to coincide with NMDPRA’s enforcement of stricter quality standards and transparent practices in the petroleum sector.

Ahmed recounted his 34-year career in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, starting as a junior engineer in 1991 and rising through merit to his current role in 2021, with a mandate to implement reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

He emphasized that his decisions have always prioritized national interest, even when creating friction with powerful stakeholders resistant to transparency in licensing, pricing, and supply chains.

Addressing the core allegation directly, Ahmed stated that three of his four children received merit-based scholarships covering 40-65% of tuition costs, while additional support came from education trust funds established by his late father—a Northern Nigerian businessman—before his passing in 2018.

Combined with his legitimate savings from decades of civil service, cooperative investments available to public servants, and his publicly disclosed annual compensation of approximately ₦48 million (including allowances), Ahmed asserted that the expenses were fully consistent with his means and required no illicit funds.

He noted that foreign schools only accept legitimately earned payments, and authorized all attended institutions to release financial records to authorized Nigerian investigators.

Ahmed linked the timing of the claims to recent NMDPRA actions, including revealing substandard products in the market and approving import licenses for Q1 2026 to ensure supply security and prevent scarcity, as mandated by Section 7 of the PIA.

He rejected characterizations of these approvals as “economic sabotage,” arguing that relying on a single-source supply—regardless of ownership—poses vulnerabilities, and that diversified imports protect consumers.

The NMDPRA chief made no apologies for upholding regulatory independence, stating: “I will not be intimidated into abandoning statutory duties or granting preferential treatment to any entity, regardless of their economic power or media reach.”

In a direct challenge, Ahmed formally requested probes by the Code of Conduct Bureau (reviewing his asset declarations since 1991), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (examining all transactions), and the National Assembly (oversight on regulatory allegations).

He pledged full cooperation, including providing documentation and testifying under oath, stipulating only that investigations be professional and free from commercial influence.Concluding, Ahmed reaffirmed his commitment to reforms—transparency in licensing, quality assurance, and supply integrity—despite the “price of principle,” expressing confidence that thorough scrutiny would vindicate his record.

The statement comes amid escalating tensions between Dangote Refinery and NMDPRA over import licenses, with Dangote accusing the regulator of undermining local refining by allowing imports despite domestic capacity.

Dangote has detailed the education allegations in paid advertisements and petitions to anti-corruption agencies, questioning how a public servant could afford such expenditures.

Civil society groups have split, with some defending Ahmed’s independence and others calling for his suspension pending investigation.

The House of Representatives has summoned both parties to address the rift and its implications for Nigeria’s downstream sector.

•Senator Godswill Akpabio

By Anietie Ekong

Over the weekend the internet was abuzz with the “news” that the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio had suddenly collapsed, rushed in an air ambulance and flown to London where he was admitted into the intensive care unit of an unnamed London hospital.

They claimed he was battling for his life in London.

Those who peddled this rumour and obviously fake news could swear that they saw when the Senate President allegedly collapsed while others said they heard it from their “sources” in London.

Indeed the rumours about Akpabio’s health status has become a periodic pastime and an industry of its own.

Two years ago, immediately after a colloquium at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, with President Bola Tinubu in attendance, to mark his 61st birthday, the same rumour mill took over: Senator Akpabio had collapsed and was rushed to London.

The following day, it became like a miracle that the same man they claimed was receiving treatment in London, showed up and met with the Senate Press Corps. The rumour died down, albeit temporarily.

Few months back the same narrative was reinvented by people whose only job is being authority of fake news concerning the health status of Senator Akpabio. Again they said he was hospitalzed in London.

Live videos with fellow Senators could not convince the doubting Thomases that Senator Akpabio was hale and hearty until his return to Nigeria few days later.Then the last weekend episode.

The peddlers of these fake news are not even creative. Same story, same narrative: Akpabio had collapsed and was rushed to the hospital in London. How many times does Akpabio have to collapse and rushed to London in a year?

As with everything Akpabio, bloggers jumped into the fray to drive traffic to their social media pages, and earn some dollars in the process.

When the “news” first filtered in, I wondered who they were talking about. Was it the same Godswill Akpabio, my boss, whom I had had a long chat with on Friday night cum Saturday morning or was it someone else? Was he chatting with me from the intensive care unit of the London hospital?

The most dangerous of these fake news carriers are those who repost the “news” with their fake sympathy: “Pray for Akpabio”, “I wish him quick recovery,” “Nothing must happen to Akpabio.” “May God heal him.”

In the voice of Chief Nyesom Wike: fake, fake, fake.

As with everything Akpabio, bloggers jumped into the fray to drive traffic to their social media pages, and earn some dollars in the process.

They did live videos and one even said Akpabio had “kpai” in London.

I had only one word for Journalists who reached out to me to “confirm” this story: don’t take my denial for it, wait till Tuesday and see who would preside over the Senate plenary.

Then on the first legislative sitting day of the week, the same man they claimed was battling for his life in an intensive care unit of a hospital showed up and presided over an extended plenary that lasted well into the evening, where major decisions were taken by the Senate without showing any signs of distress.

With these kind of satanic rumours and fake news, how can someone argue against the regulation of the social media to prevent the anguish these cousins of the devils bring to people and their families through peddling and sharing fake news.

The fake news carriers never said never. As early as tomorrow they can cook another one again.We wait till the next episode.