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…Ike Oha Abiriba | De Lord Of Club 25

A towering figure, a true colossus whose life was woven with extraordinary vision, resilience, and he was indeed a tapestry of mercantile dexterity and brilliance. Chief Dike Udensi Ifegwu stood as one of the most remarkable business minds Nigeria has produced in the 21st century—an illustrious son of Abiriba whose legacy transcends time.

A banker of rare distinction, he founded the former Alfa Merchant Bank and Citizens Bank. He was a visionary industrialist- one of the first individuals east of the Niger to venture into Brewing beer … Dubic Brewery and also Paper Mills. Dubic was a pioneer who consistently stayed ahead of his contemporaries. He embodied excellence, courage, and innovation. His contributions to business and enterprise carved a path that many will continue to follow for generations.

He was more than a leader—he was an institution, a symbol of ingenuity, and an enduring icon of Nigerian enterprise. His name remains etched in the annals of Abiriba’s proud heritage and Nigeria’s economic history.

If Chief Dike Udensi Ifegwu were alive today, he would have been proud, loved, embraced and appreciated the transformations taking place in Aba by this visionary Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex, Chioma Otti. By way of historical antecedent, Dubic wanted to hire Dr Alex Otti as an executive director then. But he was not available. Today, the same industriousness, brilliance and innovative mind Lord Chief, as he was fondly called, saw in Alex Otti has found expression in the great infrastructural performance unfolding in Abia today in terms of good governance and development in general.

I loved him in life, and I honour him in death. His memory will forever remain a blessing, living on in the hearts he touched and the legacy he built.

May his soul rest in perfect peace.

Agbai, Eke Agbai PhD.

TRIBUTE: In Loving Memory Of Chief Dike Udensi Ifegwu is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Governor Abba Yusuf has denied any involvement in the controversial display of red underwear by a group of young women during a rally held in honour of Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu.

The incident, which quickly went viral over the weekend, sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many users initially interpreting it as part of a women’s empowerment initiative allegedly backed by the Kano State Government.

However, speaking at a special prayer session at the Government House in Kano, the governor distanced himself from the act, insisting it occurred without his knowledge or approval. He described the display as inappropriate and contrary to the cultural and religious values of the state.

“You have heard what happened. We were going about our normal activities when I was informed that some young women displayed inappropriate items. I was not aware of it,” Yusuf said. “Such actions are against our culture and the teachings of Islam, and we strongly condemn them.”

Despite earlier denials, the governor had been seen in circulating videos introducing a social media personality, Teema Cool, who was linked to the display, to the First Lady during the event.

Further findings revealed that the act was not an official empowerment programme but a symbolic gesture allegedly aimed at mocking a former political ally of the governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso. During the rally, participants reportedly chanted phrases interpreted as references to the former governor.

In response to the controversy, Yusuf said he had summoned those involved. The women were later seen publicly expressing remorse, reciting verses from the Qur’an, and seeking forgiveness during the prayer gathering.

The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to upholding moral standards and ensuring that public events reflect the values of Kano’s people.

Gov. Yusuf Disowns ‘Underwear Empowerment’ Claim, Condemns Incident is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Shooting Stars midfielder, Alade Balogun has expressed disappointment with the team’s failure to win the 2026 Oyo State Federation Cup.

The Oluyole Warriors lost 4-2 on penalties to Crown FC at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan on Sunday.

The keenly contested encounter ended 1-1 in regulation time.

Balogun said the team will work on the lapses and improve in subsequent matches.

“I feel very bad for the outcome of the game because we should have won the cup,” Balogun told 3SCfanstv.

“We accept the defeat and we go back to work harder and improve.”

Crown FC and runners-up Shooting Stars will represent Oyo State in the 2026 President Federation Cup.

Shooting Stars’ Balogun unhappy after Oyo State Federation Cup loss

Netherlands attacking midfielder Xavi Simons said he was “heartbroken” after being ruled out for the rest of the season for relegation-battling Tottenham and this summer’s World Cup because of a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Simons was carried off on a stretcher in the second half of Tottenham’s 1-0 win at Wolves on Saturday.

The 23-year-old fell to the ground following a collision with Wolves defender Hugo Bueno. After initially getting to his feet, went down again.

Spurs confirmed Simons will have surgery in the coming weeks.

“They say life can be cruel and today it feels that way,” Simons wrote in a social media post.

“My season has come to an abrupt end and I’m just trying to process it. Honestly, I’m heartbroken. None of it makes sense.”

Partial tears or ruptures to the ACL typically lead to players being unavailable for between six and nine months as they recover.

“We can confirm that Xavi Simons has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee,” said a Tottenham statement., external

“Xavi will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and, following that, will then begin his rehabilitation with our medical team.”

The injury to Simons comes as Spurs fight for Premier League survival.

Despite beating Wolves, they remain in the relegation zone and are two points from safety with four games left.

The 2026 World Cup, which is taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, begins on 11 June, with the Netherlands starting their campaign in Group F against Japan on 14 June.

“All I’ve wanted to do is fight for my team and now the ability to do that has been snatched away from me… along with the World Cup,” added Simons.

“Representing my country this summer just gone. It’ll take time to find peace with this, but I’ll continue to be the best team-mate I can be. I have no doubt that together we’ll win this fight.

“I’ll walk this path now, guided by faith, with strength, with resilience, with belief, as I count down the days to getting back out there.

“Be patient with me.”

Simons joined Tottenham from RB Leipzig for £52m last summer and has made 28 league appearances for the club this season, including 19 starts.

He has scored two goals in the top flight and registered five assists but has struggled to make a major impact during a season in which the club have parted ways with managers Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor, who was in interim charge, before appointing Roberto de Zerbi.

Simons joins a lengthy Spurs injury list heading into their final four Premier League games against Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton.

Striker Dominic Solanke also went off injured at Wolves, while Ben Davies, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Wilson Odobert and Cristian Romero are all sidelined.

Tottenham’s Simons To Miss World Cup is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg has strongly condemned the killing of two Nigerian nationals by South African security forces, demanding a full and transparent investigation and the prosecution of those responsible.

Consul-General Amb. Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, in a statement issued on Monday, identified the deceased as Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, both of whom died in separate and troubling encounters with South African security personnel within days of each other. She said their deaths had thrown the families of both men, the Nigerian community and diplomatic missions across South Africa into shock and renewed deep concerns about the safety of Nigerian nationals in the country.

Emmanuel died from injuries sustained during a beating by South African National Defence Force personnel in Port Elizabeth on April 20. Andrew, a motor mechanic and father of five, was arrested on April 19 in the Booysens area of Pretoria while returning home from work. His body was found the following day at the Pretoria Central Mortuary under circumstances that strongly suggest foul play.

A murder case has since been opened at Hercules SAPS, Pretoria Police Station, with case number CAS 224/04/2026, and an investigating officer assigned to the matter.

Okey-Uche called on South African authorities to leave no stone unturned in investigating the deaths and urged the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to expedite its inquiries and establish the full facts surrounding both incidents. She was unequivocal that regardless of any allegations against the deceased, due process must be followed. “No one should take laws into their own hands under any circumstances,” she said, adding that all persons are entitled to be presumed innocent and granted fair hearing before a court of law.

The Consul-General also took aim at what she described as the dangerous and persistent habit of tarring all Nigerians in South Africa with the same brush. She warned against the continued generalisation of Nigerian nationals as criminals, a pattern she said was putting innocent lives at risk.

The condemnation comes at a particularly volatile moment. Intelligence reports cited by the Nigerian Consulate indicate that fresh anti-foreigner protests are expected in Gauteng Province between Monday April 27 and Wednesday April 29, with demonstrators planning to pile pressure on the South African government over the presence of foreign nationals in the country. Earlier protests across East London, Cape Town, Durban and KwaZulu-Natal had already turned violent, resulting in looting, property destruction and injuries to foreign nationals including Nigerians.

The Consulate said it was in active engagement with South African authorities, closely monitoring the situation on the ground and providing consular support and assistance to the families of both deceased. Nigerians in South Africa were urged to remain calm, stay safe and allow the relevant authorities to carry out their work.

Two Nigerians Killed By South African Forces is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is certain Mohamed Salah will get the send-off his glittering career deserves, even if injury prevents the Egyptian from playing again for the Reds.

Salah, who will leave Anfield after nine years at the end of the season, was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.

Liverpool are awaiting the results of a scan to determine the extent of the problem, but with just four games of the campaign remaining, the 33-year-old may not feature again this season.

“If you get injured at this stage of the season, especially in the situation he is in, there is only two more home games left for him. It’s a combination of feelings that go through your mind,” said Van Dijk.

“He will get the send-off regardless. I don’t think that is the thing at this point, we shouldn’t think too far ahead.

“Knowing Mo, he is a quick healer and with the right people around him, let’s see.”

Salah has scored 257 goals in 440 appearances since his arrival in 2017, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in Liverpool’s list of leading goalscorers.

The winger has been integral to the club’s rise back to the top of English and European football, winning the Champions League and two Premier League titles among a clutch of trophies.

Salah also scooped the players’ player of the year award a record three times and was the Premier League’s top scorer on four occasions.

Salah Will Get Fitting Liverpool Farewell, Says Van Dijk is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Former Nigeria internationals, Samson Siasia and Daniel Amokachi are among the coaches who have applied for the vacant U-23 Eagles position.

The position was last held by former assistant coach, Salisu Yusuf.

Siasia previously had two spells in charge of the U-23 Eagles.

The former striker guided the team to second position in the football event of the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing, China.

The 58-year-old also led the team to finish as bronze medalists at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Amokachi,53, has also handled the U-23 Eagles in the past.

Siasia, Amokachi vie for U-23 Eagles coaching role

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has fired back at President Bola Tinubu, for blaming the degrading state of Nigeria’s power sector to past administrations.

In a statement on Monday, Eze reminded President Tinubu of his vow before the 2023 general elections to fix the country’s power sector crisis if he wins the election.

“Tinubu told Nigerians that he would fix the country’s failed electricity supply through power sector reforms.

“Today, what we see in every nooks and crannies of Nigeria is total and horrifying darkness. The entire power sector has collapsed, with the national grid crashing at will, with no solution in sight, except borrowing,” Eze stated.

The ADC Chieftain said he was taken aback by the recent statement credited to Tinubu, arguing that the President should apologize to Nigerians for not making any headway on his promise to address Nigeria’s electricity problem, despite budgetary allocations in the last three years, running into billions of naira.

Eze stated, “Resorting to blaming past administrations for his government’s total failure in fixing Nigeria’s electricity problem is an excuse in futility, an aberration and a story for the gods.

“Is it only in the power sector that Mr President has failed Nigerians? Certainly, the answer is no. Honestly, no right-thinking Nigerian will believe the hoax because the hallmark of this present administration has been failure, ineptitude, corruption and foreign borrowing.

“It is regrettable and shameful that a man who promised to give light to Nigerians if he becomes President, is the same man trying to blame people for his administrative woes and inability to fulfill his promise.

According to Eze, the lives and property of electricity workers are today in danger as many people believe the failure of this administration in providing light for Nigerians is caused by them.

Recall that Tinubu had attributed Nigeria’s persistent electricity shortages to what he described as a flawed privatization of the power sector carried out by previous administrations.

Tinubu said structural weaknesses embedded in the privatization process have hindered progress for years, an assertion Eze dismissed with a waive of hand.

However, Eze argued that assuming without conceding that the electricity problems Nigerians are facing in the country were caused by a flawed privatization, “Tinubu promised to fix the problems, and never said he would blame past governments as he is doing right now”.

He added, “In his 2023 campaign pledge, Tinubu had reportedly said Nigerians should not vote for him if he failed to improve electricity supply.

“Now, it is crystal clear that Tinubu has failed woefully on his promise, and therefore has no single excuse to give.

“Based on his demand that he be voted out if he fails to address the electricity problem in Nigeria, I therefore urge Nigerians to obey Tinubu’s wish by voting him out of power, Eze stated.

Eze wondered why a man his party has ruled this country for over a decade would have the effrontery to blame past leaders.

“After blaming skewed privatization of the power sector, Tinubu’s next game plan is to start mentioning names and peddling falsehood, against Nigerians who worked hard to unbundle the monopoly in the power generation sector, Eze said.

However, he said Nigerians are wiser now, and are aware and have seen the colossal damages Tinubu and his cronies have caused this country due to bad governance.

“So, no amount of blackmail and propaganda aimed at scoring cheap political goal during campaign will save Tinubu from being voted out by hungry and angry Nigerians due to his bad leadership style.

“The truth is that Tinubu’s power sector reform only yielded corruption, darkness, and loss of jobs for electricity workers.

“After siphoning and milking the country dry in the name of fixing the power supply issues, Eze advised Tinubu to resign since he has no solution for Nigeria’s worsening electricity problem.

Poor Electricity: ‘Stop the blames, you failed in your promise’ – ADC chieftain to Tinubu

The payments platform is now registered under Canada’s national payment regulations, supervised by the Bank of Canada, as it prepares for a future Canadian market presence.

Juicyway has been registered as a Payment Service Provider (PSP) under Canada’s Retail Payment Activities Act (RPAA), following regulatory review by the Bank of Canada. The approval allows the company to operate within one of the world’s most tightly regulated financial systems as it prepares for future services tied to the Canadian market.

The RPAA came into force in 2024 and is supervised directly by the Bank of Canada; making Canada one of the few countries where a central bank oversees retail payment regulation. Registration requires demonstrating compliance with rigorous standards for operational risk management, end-user fund safeguarding, and business continuity. The framework has teeth: in February 2026, the Bank ordered one registered PSP to immediately cease all retail payment activities after it failed to properly safeguard end-user funds.

Registration requires demonstrating — through evidence and review — that a company’s compliance infrastructure, financial discipline, and operational frameworks are sound enough to be trusted with payment flows in Canada. Getting approved by a G7 central bank, signifies a new future for our Canadian corridor products.

The registration reflects a deliberate choice. Rather than waiting until market entry forces regulatory compliance, Juicyway is building its regulatory foundation ahead of the products that will depend on it. When services launch in Canada, they will operate on infrastructure that has already been reviewed and approved by Canada’s central bank.

Canada is home to one of the largest African diaspora populations in North America, with growing demand for cross-border payment services that connect Canadian residents to African markets. Juicyway’s registration positions the company to serve this corridor with the same infrastructure-first approach it has applied across its existing markets.

“Regulatory trust is not built at the moment you need it,” said Ife Johnson, Founder and CEO of Juicyway. “It is built before. Canada’s RPAA is supervised by the central bank itself, and being registered under it is a deliberate statement about the kind of company we are building.

Juicyway serves over 2,200 enterprises and 17,000 individuals, having processed more than $4 billion in transaction volume across African currency corridors and beyond.

Businesses and individuals can learn more at juicyway.com.

About Juicyway Juicyway is a cross-border payments platform built to make moving money across African trade corridors fast, transparent, and reliable. Founded in 2021, the company serves over 2,200 enterprises and 17,000 individuals, with more than $4 billion in transaction volume processed across Africa, the UK, North America, and beyond.

New RPAA approval clears path for Juicyway’s Canada Expansion

The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has warned that delays in releasing approved funds to the military could stall progress in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency, despite what he described as renewed operational momentum.

Agbese spoke on Sunday in Abuja while addressing journalists, where he linked recent gains in security operations to improved coordination within the Armed Forces, but stressed that sustaining the tempo would depend heavily on timely financial support.

According to him, troops have continued to operate under intense pressure across multiple theatres, insisting that consistent funding remains a decisive factor in determining the outcome of ongoing military engagements.

“Our military is doing an extraordinary job under very demanding conditions. However, no matter how committed and professional our troops are, operations of this scale require steady funding, timely releases and access to modern equipment,” he said.

The lawmaker commended the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede and the Chief of Army Staff Waidi Shaibu, describing their approach as deliberate and strategy-driven in confronting evolving security threats.

He noted that intensified offensives and coordinated ground operations in recent months suggest a shift in operational direction, adding that better synergy across military formations has improved response capability.

“What we are seeing is a leadership that understands the complexity of modern warfare. There is clearer coordination, improved morale and a stronger resolve to confront these threats directly,” he said.

Agbese also pointed to reported gains by troops in dismantling insurgent networks, disrupting supply routes and reclaiming previously contested areas, but cautioned that such progress could be reversed without sustained logistical backing.

“Appropriations alone are not enough. What matters is the speed and consistency of releases. Delays can slow down operations, weaken logistics and create openings for criminal elements,” he stated.

He called on government institutions responsible for disbursement of defence funds to treat the process with urgency, describing military financing as central to national stability.

The lawmaker further appealed to Nigerians to support ongoing operations by cooperating with security agencies and sharing useful information, noting that public involvement remains critical to long-term success.

“Our troops are making daily sacrifices to keep the country safe. Supporting them goes beyond words; it requires cooperation and trust,” he added.

Agbese maintained that closer collaboration between the military, other security agencies, state authorities and local communities would be key to addressing underlying drivers of insecurity.

He expressed confidence that with improved funding, institutional backing and sustained leadership, Nigeria could consolidate recent gains and push towards restoring stability.

“This is a fight we can win. With the right support and a united effort, a turning point is possible,” he said.

Funding delays undermining anti-insurgency fight – Agbese urges timely releases