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JUST IN: Maestro Journalist, Lai Oso Laid To Rest as IPC Lauds His Indelible Landmarks 

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The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria has said the enormous contributions of late Prof. Lai Oso to the development of Communication and Mass Media in Nigeria shall stand as monuments to his memory as his remains are buried today, Friday July 14, 2023, in Sagamu, Ogun State-Nigeria.

Prof. Oso was a Professor at the School of Communications and Media Studies, Lagos State University and had previously served as the Dean of the school between 2011 and 2015. He was also the pioneer President of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN).

Among others, Prof. Oso taught media and communications at the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, and the Lagos State University, Ojoo.

The late Prof. Oso was a close friend and associate of the International Press Centre (IPC) for which he served as resource person and adviser for close to two decades. Notably, he featured as the lead speaker at a media tweet conference with the theme: “2015 Elections: Addressing fair and equitable media access for parties and candidates” during the 2015 general elections.

Prof. Oso was also instrumental to creating awareness about IPC’s library and resources as he regularly referred undergraduate and postgraduate students to the organisation for research materials on media independence, press freedom, access to information, role of the media in democracy, among others.

In a statement, the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade said: “Professor Oso was a scholar who encouraged others to become scholars. He constantly explored new frontiers of knowledge and was never tired of writing. The last time we spoke, he requested for a chapter in the book: State of the Media in Nigeria 1996 published when I was the Chairman of the Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists. Behold he wrote the first chapter titled: Journalism and Social Responsibility: Between Objectivity and Advocacy. Apparently he needed the chapter for another research work he was undertaking”.

“It was his thirst for research that made him extremely knowledgeable in different areas of Mass Media and communication”, Mr. Arogundade added.

With numerous publications in several journals, Prof. Oso was highly respected in academic, media and communication circles for his expertise and dedication.

IPC prays for the repose of his soul and once again commiserates with the family, friends and colleagues.

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JUST IN: Tinubu Departs Paris for Nigeria After Extended Vacation

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President Bola Tinubu has ended his working vacation in Europe and departed Paris for Nigeria on Tuesday, with his aircraft expected to land at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos later in the evening.

The announcement was made by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Tinubu left Abuja on August 30 for what was initially billed as a three-week working vacation.

He spent one week in London before proceeding to Paris. The trip was later extended, bringing his total time abroad to about 30 days.

The President chose to return through Lagos rather than Abuja to honour the memory of the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

On Independence Day, October 1, he is scheduled to attend the premiere of a movie celebrating Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos.

While in Lagos, Tinubu will hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates over several days as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify. He is expected to return to Abuja after those engagements.

During his stay in Paris, the President attended a private dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and held meetings with business leaders, including Vincent Bolloré of the Bolloré Group.

He also met with First Holdings Chairman Femi Otedola and witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World for a deep seaport and Blue Marine Economic Zone.

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National Assembly Plans to Translate Laws into Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba

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The National Assembly plans to translate Nigerian laws into Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and other indigenous languages as part of a broader effort to digitise parliamentary records and make legislation more accessible to citizens.

Henry Nwawuba, Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, announced the initiative on Monday in Abuja while declaring open the 2026 National Assembly Library Week. The event was themed “Parliamentary Memory: Connecting Records, Legislation and the People.”

Nwawuba said the translation would help more Nigerians, especially those not proficient in English, understand the laws that affect their daily lives. He described the library as the knowledge infrastructure of the legislature and a repository of its institutional memory.

The move forms part of a digital overhaul that includes upgrading the e-library, creating electronic repositories, developing a National Assembly Library mobile application, and introducing a Bills Tracker to allow the public to monitor the progress of proposed laws in real time.

The library will also produce infographics, audiovisual materials and short video explainers to simplify bills, Acts and legislative procedures. Officials said the upgrades would help curb the spread of fake or unverified legislative documents online.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Osita Ngwu, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen, represented by Professor Julius Ihonvbere, both stressed the need for lawmakers to use the digital tools while prioritising cybersecurity.

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BREAKING: Court Order Threatens Dangote Kenya Refinery Launch

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A Kenyan court order requiring parties to maintain the status quo on disputed land has cast uncertainty over the planned groundbreaking of Aliko Dangote’s multi-billion-dollar oil refinery in Lamu, scheduled for Wednesday, September 30.

The Malindi Environment and Land Court, in an order dated September 25 and made public this week, directed that the existing situation on Land Reference No. 13061 in the Hindi/Manda Magogoni area be preserved until a hearing on October 14. The order followed a petition by 133 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County, who claim the land is ancestral property their families have occupied, farmed and developed for generations. They allege inadequate recognition, compensation and resettlement in the acquisition process.

Judge Jane Onyango declined to certify the application as fully urgent in a way that would explicitly cancel the ceremony and refused a separate request to restrain the Office of the President, Dangote Industries, the Lamu County Government and other respondents from proceeding with the groundbreaking. However, the status quo directive bars clearing, excavation, fencing, demolition, construction or other interference with occupied portions of the land in the interim.

Dangote Group said the ruling has not halted the groundbreaking ceremony itself. “The court has not halted the groundbreaking ceremony of the refinery at this stage. However, activities at the site may be affected by the ruling as both parties are required not to carry activities until the case is heard on 14th October,” the company stated.

Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi confirmed the ceremony would proceed as planned. Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, downplayed the development while speaking to investors in Nairobi, describing such legal challenges as “normal for us in Africa” and comparing it to past disputes elsewhere on the continent. He insisted the project would continue.

The proposed facility is a 700,000-barrel-per-day greenfield oil refinery and petrochemical complex estimated to cost $15–16 billion (roughly Ksh2 trillion). It is intended to process crude from Kenya’s Lokichar fields and other East African sources, reduce the region’s heavy reliance on imported fuels, create jobs and support industrialisation. President William Ruto is expected to attend the ceremony alongside Dangote. Heavy equipment has already begun arriving at the Port of Lamu.

The case returns to court on October 14, when respondents will have the opportunity to file responses and the matter will be heard inter partes. Until then, the legal constraint on site activities remains in force even as organisers press ahead with the ceremonial launch.

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