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Fake drugs: Metuh seeks 15-year jail term asset forfeiture for offenders

Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Chief Olisa Metuh has urged the National Assembly to prescribe stiffer penalties for the production and distribution of fake drugs and adulterated consumer products proposing longer prison terms and asset forfeiture for offenders.

Metuh who is the current Director of Mobilisation and Organisation of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA) described the five-year jail term or N5 million fine imposed on a businessman convicted of producing and distributing fake Extra Virgin Olive Oil as grossly inadequate.

The Federal High Court in Abia State had on Wednesday convicted Innocent Okoye for the offence sentencing him to five years’ imprisonment with an option of N5 million fine.

Reacting to the judgment Metuh described the punishment as a ‘mere slap on the wrist’ warning that weak sanctions could encourage unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors to treat counterfeiting as an ordinary business expense.

He said fake medicines adulterated food beverages cosmetics and household products posed serious dangers to public health exposing unsuspecting consumers to illnesses organ damage and preventable deaths.

‘The law must respond with consequences that fit the crime’ he said arguing that product counterfeiting should attract severe punishment because its consequences could affect hundreds or thousands of people.

The lawyer called for an urgent review of existing laws on fake drugs pharmaceutical adulteration and falsification of consumer products to ensure that penalties reflect the severity of the offences the harm caused and the financial gains made by offenders.

He advocated substantially longer prison sentences including punishment comparable to that prescribed for serious violent crimes where counterfeiting results in death or severe injury.

Metuh also called for fines proportionate to illicit profits forfeiture of assets acquired through the illegal business closure of offending facilities and compensation for victims.

He urged authorities to ensure the withdrawal of dangerous products from circulation and prosecute corporate executives manufacturers importers and distributors who knowingly facilitate the offences.

He however stressed that tougher legislation must be accompanied by prompt prosecution and consistent enforcement.

‘A five-year jail term or N5 million fine amounts to a mere slap on the wrist’ he said insisting that such punishment should never become the cost of doing business with human lives.

The call comes amid legislative efforts to strengthen the fight against counterfeit medical products and unwholesome food.

The Senate in July 2026 passed for second reading the Counterfeit Medical Products Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Prohibition and Control) Bill 2026.

The proposed legislation provides for a 15-year prison term upon conviction asset forfeiture compensation for victims and enhanced enforcement powers for the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Mouktar Mohammed congratulates Samson Adamu on confirmation as CAF General Secretary

The Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Football Association (FA), Alhaji Adam Mouktar Mohammed, has congratulated Mr. Samson Adamu on his confirmation as the substantive General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

According to available records, the confirmation makes Adamu, who joined the Cairo-based supreme football-governing body as Director of Competitions, the first-ever Nigerian to serve as the body’s Chief Operating Officer in its 70-year history.

After serving as CAF’s Director of Competitions, Samson-who is the son of Nigeria’s foremost football administrator, Dr. Amos Adamu-was appointed as CAF’s Director of Tournaments and Events.

On Sunday, March 29, 2026, he was named CAF’s Acting General Secretary following the resignation of Swiss-Congolese Veron Mosengo-Omba.

In his congratulatory message, the FCT FA Chairman described Adamu’s confirmation as a proud moment for Nigerian football. He maintained that the development is a testament to the capacity of Nigerians to provide visionary leadership at both the continental and global stages.

‘This is a proud and significant moment not only for Mr. Adamu personally, but for Nigeria and Nigerian football as a whole. His elevation to such an important position within African football reflects the quality, experience, and leadership capacity that Nigerians continue to demonstrate on the continental and global stage.

‘At a time when African football is experiencing tremendous growth and transformation, this appointment presents another opportunity for Nigeria to contribute meaningfully to the development, professionalism, and global competitiveness of the game across our continent,’ said Mohammed.

He also wished the CAF General Secretary a successful tenure and prayed for his reign to be distinguished by integrity, innovation, collaboration, and a lasting commitment to the advancement of African football.

‘Congratulations, Mr. Samson Adamu. Congratulations to Nigeria. This is indeed a proud moment for our football family and our nation,’ said Mohammed.

Love: The heartbeat of true religion and a good society

Some people think that the true and acceptable religion before God is one loaded with incessant prayers, numerous laws, rituals and other religious practices. Others imagine religion as something easy, without formalities or traditions. Its adherents seek joy, comfort and quick solutions to their problems. Some pastors even invent teachings that appeal to large numbers of followers but do not necessarily reflect the truth.

In Jesus’ time, Judaism comprised 613 laws derived from the first five books of the Bible (the Torah). It is said that even religious leaders struggled to bear the burden of observing all these laws. On one occasion, an interpreter of the Torah, believing Jesus to be a wise teacher, asked Him which of the laws was the greatest.

Jesus wisely replied that loving God and loving our neighbour were the greatest commandments and the spirit behind the entire Law (Matthew 22:34-40).

Indeed, LOVE is the spirit in which God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments after delivering them from slavery in Egypt. He intended these commandments to help them remain faithful to Him and avoid becoming enslaved again, this time by sin.

The Catholic Church is also perceived by many as being burdened with numerous laws and teachings, sacraments, Masses, devotions to Mary and the saints, novenas and other religious practices. Fundamentally, however, the Church is commissioned to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples and preserve biblical truth through its core beliefs and practices (Matthew 28:19-20).

When we understand the law of love, we easily realise that these practices are not necessarily the essence of Christianity, although they are helpful in expressing our love for God and one another.

This is what prompted St Augustine to declare: ‘Love first and do what you will.’ He meant that when we walk in love, everything good and right becomes possible. True love bears good fruit. It is through this same love that we understand what religion demands of us and willingly fulfil it.

In other words, God seeks a relationship that comes from our hearts, not merely one founded on outward observance of laws. Societal laws, too, must be based on the great law of love; otherwise, they become oppressive rather than liberating.

The crux of the matter is that Christianity helps us reciprocate the very love of God, who created us. Because Jesus redeemed us out of love, we acknowledge Him as our Lord. We become true Christians by loving as He did, through both our words and deeds.

The best way to put this love into practice is by caring for those in need (Exodus 22:20-26).

Ultimately, true love is not something we earn; it is a gift of God’s grace. Therefore, let us continually ask God to fill us with His love in all its fullness and strive to put it into practice.

Andrea Brillantes prefers hardworking man over rich one: ‘Mayaman naman na ako’

Andrea Brillantes says her partner’s wealth does not matter to her as she is already financially stable and can provide for herself.

During her guest appearance on ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’ on Friday, Oct. 30, the actress was asked whether having a wealthy partner was ‘important’ for her.

‘Sa totoo lang, ang importante sa akin ay masipag, hindi mayaman,’ she stressed.

Brillantes explained that her work in the industry allows her to meet different kinds of people including wealthy individuals, but that none of them has ‘impressed’ her so far.

‘I can’t speak naman for everyone pero sa mga experiences ko – ang dami ko nang nakakasama na mayayaman. Para sa akin talaga importante ang masipag kasi hindi po ako laking yaman… Wala pa kasi akong nami-meet na mayaman na nakakapag-impress sa akin. To be honest, I’m not impressed with them,’ she said.

She further noted that coming from a family that was not wealthy, she prefers someone she can relate to.

‘Ang kailangan ko po is ‘yung lalim, ‘yung sipag, and ‘yung meron kang direksyon na gustong puntahan,’ she underscored. ”Yung yaman, it doesn’t really matter to me kasi mayaman naman na ako. Kaya ko naman na. ‘Yun naman ang importante.’

‘Hindi naman ako nagde-date para lang yumaman kasi I can provide everything that I need. What I want and what I need from you is to be a man with direction and drive,’ she stressed.

Brillantes earned Abunda’s agreement, with the show host noting that she had every right to say so, given how hard she had worked since childhood to achieve what she has now.

Brillantes is currently in a relationship with athlete and internet personality Pankie Capistrano.

Undas sea travelers swell to over 114,000 Saturday afternoon – PCG

The number of passengers in seaports across the country swelled to more than 114,000 by Saturday afternoon, ahead of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, or undas.

The Philippine Coast Guard monitored 60,411 outbound passengers and 54,291 inbound passengers, as of 12:34 p.m.

The tally was covered in its noon to 6 p.m. monitoring.

Earlier, around 30,000 travelers were recorded to have passed through seaports nationwide as of 7 a.m.

The Philippine Ports Authority expects the number of seaport users to to increase to 1.93 million, a slight increase from 1.90 million passengers recorded in 2025.

The PCG said it deployed 6,221 frontline personnel and conducted inspections of 540 vessels and 806 motor bancas.

All of its units were placed on heightened alert from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3 due to the expected high volume of Undas season passengers.

2027: Tinubu support group sets up structures in 5422 Jigawa polling units

The Tinubu Support Group (TSG) says it has established grassroots mobilisation structures across 5422 polling units in Jigawa State ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in 2027.

The group’s Deputy Director for the Northern Region Hon. Magaji Da’u Aliyu disclosed this during the inauguration of the TSG state office in Dutse the state capital.

Aliyu said the group had also established leadership structures across the state’s three senatorial districts 11 federal constituencies 31 state Assembly constituencies and 287 political wards.

He said the network was designed to strengthen grassroots mobilisation coordinate supporters and improve communication between the state leadership and the group’s regional and national headquarters.

The former two-term member of the House of Representatives said the group had reconstituted its state and senatorial district leadership to improve coordination monitor activities and provide regular feedback on its progress and challenges.

He urged members to intensify mobilisation in their respective communities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Aliyu also expressed confidence in Tinubu’s re-election prospects saying the North was prepared to support the President for a second term.

He described Tinubu’s emergence after former President Muhammadu Buhari as the fulfilment of what he called a political understanding between the North and South-West.

Aliyu further cited the turnout of supporters at the APC presidential campaign kick-off in Kaduna on Saturday as an indication of support for Tinubu’s second-term bid.

‘The massive turnout in Kaduna shows where the North stands. Today we in the North-West geopolitical zone have spoken loud and clear about who we stand for.

‘Our choice of Tinubu remains a commitment to a better Nigeria and national cohesion. Arewa will return Tinubu to Aso Rock’ he said.

The TSG deputy director recalled that Buhari contested the presidency several times under different political platforms including the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) before winning the 2015 presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with Tinubu’s political support.

He argued that the South-West backed Buhari for two terms based on an understanding that power would shift to the region after his tenure.

According to him Tinubu’s emergence as President in 2023 fulfilled that arrangement and he said the North should reciprocate by supporting his re-election.

‘The South-West supported and voted for Buhari for two terms under Tinubu’s political leadership with an understanding that the presidency would shift to the South-West after Buhari.

‘That has happened and we need to fulfil the promise by supporting and voting for Tinubu to complete his constitutionally allowed eight years in office’ he said.

Aliyu urged APC members and supporters across the North to remain peaceful and law-abiding while mobilising support for the President.

He said TSG would sustain its mobilisation activities and strengthen its structures across Jigawa and other parts of the country ahead of the 2027 elections.

EPL predictions: Liverpool-Arsenal headline Matchweek 10 fixtures

The Premier League enters another important weekend, with several clubs facing challenging fixtures as the 2026/27 campaign gathers momentum.

This weekend’s matches could have implications for the title race, European qualification and the battle to avoid relegation.

Liverpool’s meeting with Arsenal at Anfield is the standout fixture, while Manchester City host Brighton and Manchester United travel to Chelsea.

Tottenham Hotspur will also look to extend their winning run against Crystal Palace.

Elsewhere, Bournemouth face Leeds United, Aston Villa welcome Fulham, and Newcastle host Everton.

The promoted sides Hull City and Ipswich Town also meet, while Nottingham Forest and Sunderland seek important results.

Liverpool vs Arsenal

Liverpool’s meeting with Arsenal at Anfield headlines a weekend of important Premier League fixtures, with both sides facing an opportunity to strengthen their position in the title race.

Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool have gradually improved after an uncertain start to the campaign, winning three of their last four league matches, as their attacking quartet of Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak has also begun to find its rhythm.

The Reds have kept four clean sheets in their last six matches, with Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo making positive contributions to their defensive improvement.

A victory over the champions would move Liverpool to within three points of Arsenal, with a quarter of the season completed.

However, the Gunners have not won in their last 13 Premier League visits to Anfield, drawing five and losing eight, as their last victory there was a 2-0 result in the 2012/13 season.

Arsenal will be aware that a win could slow Liverpool’s growing momentum, making Sunday’s encounter an important early test for both teams.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal

Man City vs Brighton

Manchester City will look to avoid consecutive Premier League defeats when they host Brighton on Saturday.

City are coming off a league defeat at Aston Villa and face a Brighton side that have won none of their last four Premier League meetings with them.

Fabian Hurzeler’s team favour an aggressive approach, pressing high and committing players forward, and that style has produced entertaining matches against leading sides but has also left spaces for opponents to exploit.

The attacking numbers point towards an open contest as City have recorded 16.7 expected goals (xG), while Brighton have 16.2, making them the two highest-ranked teams in the category.

They are also among the division’s leading scorers, with Brighton on 23 goals and City on 20.

Enzo Maresca will hope City’s attacking quality can take advantage of the spaces Brighton often leave behind, particularly after their defeat at Villa.

Prediction: Manchester City 3-2 Brighton

Chelsea vs Man United

Michael Carrick will be looking for a response from Manchester United when they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday.

United are winless in their last eight matches across all competitions, increasing the pressure ahead of a difficult away fixture.

Chelsea and Xabi Alonso are also seeking consistency following their 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, as the Blues have collected only seven points from their last six Premier League matches.

’FLORAL SPLENDOR 7′ | The perks of being a flower at FAM art show

Flowers have long attracted artists across centuries and genres. From the bold Sunflowers of Vincent Van Gogh, the sensual Iris painting of Georgia O’Keeffe, to the wooden sculptures of large vases filled with profuse, colorful flowers by Jeff Koons, flowers are celebrated for their complex, delicate forms and the symbols they represent.

Life. Courage. Healing. And whatever resonates with an artist when they gaze at blooms.

‘Flowers are happy subjects in the same way that we feel happy when we receive flowers. It’s as simple as that,’ said Naomi Banal, president of Floral Artists Manila (FAM), an all-women collective of floral painters.

Continuing their tradition of organizing group shows every year since 2019, the FAM artists recently opened ‘Floral Splendor 7’ at the SM Art Center in SM Negamall. Show at the SM Art Center

In partnership with Galerie Francesca, the exhibit brings together 16 artists, each offering a distinct interpretation of flowers through their unique artistic styles.

Different strokes, different

From exquisitely figurative renditions and stylized abstracts to a quietly defiant art installation, the exhibit embraces a bouquet of styles, techniques, and expressions.

Known for her transparent, layered abstract paintings, Banal’s ‘Blooming in Grace II,’ a 60″ x 60″ acrylic painting, presents a magnified perspective of white flowers. The layered glazing technique lends the pristine blooms a delicate and almost otherworldly quality.

For Butchie Peña, flowers are part of life’s joys. ‘I love looking at fresh blooms. It is a delight to the senses. And it’s one of those ephemeral pleasures,’ she said.

Pena’s 31-by-31-inch acrylic and oil pastel on canvas, ‘Moonlit Petals,’ was inspired by the double-white lilies at her Tita Estrella’s wake.

‘I was captivated by their intricate, lace-like petals and found them beautifully ethereal,’ she said.

Her floral works contrast with the tranquil mood and strong sense of place in her other paintings.

‘In a way, it is a visual break -a chance to practice and catch up with new impressions of florals. My usual paintings have mostly a kind of serenity amid the chaos of moods,’ she explained.

Meanwhile, Kat Ong’s floral calligraphy combines intentional and flowing strokes with an exuberant color story rather than realism. Her flowers, symbols of life, burst with peaches, lavenders, turquoise, and berry tones, accented by neon lemon yellow and baby pink. Echoing her recurring theme of femininity, the blooms balance delicateness with dynamic brushstrokes and vibrant hues.

‘Soliloquy,’ a striking installation by Chie Cruz, presents a disquieting contrast between dainty flowers strewn around a female figure lying on her side, eyes closed and wrists bound.

A dramatic theatrical device, the soliloquy in Cruz’s work gives voice to the woman’s inner feelings, often overlooked beneath the surface of a life that seems like a bed of flowers.

Beyond decorative

As ‘Floral Splendor 7’ has presented, floral works are not merely decor or sentimental pieces to beautify empty walls. They are also thoughtful narratives that reflect human feelings, propose ideas, and oftentimes, spur energy.

To those who consider floral paintings and still life as enhancements to interior design, considering ‘bigger-themed’ subjects like history and landscapes as more ‘serious art,’ Banal encouraged, ‘They need to see flowers. Not just our works, but other paintings as well.

‘As for painting flowers, make your own expression and whatever you feel is right. Paint not just from the eyes but also from the heart ‘

Michael Bageine’s flavourful journey from dreams to the kitchen in The Meat Whisperer

In the path-breaking book The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating, chef Fergus Henderson revolutionised the modern culinary world by championing ‘nose-to-tail’ dining-the idea that if you are going to kill an animal to eat it, it is only respectful to use the entire thing.

‘If you are going to kill an animal, it seems only polite to use the whole thing. There are delectable bits beyond the loin,’ he said.

Michael Bageine, a premier Ugandan chef who mixes sizzle with substance, has written a book comparable in wit and a lightness of touch to chef Henderson’s. His book, The Meat Whisperer, is part-extended ode to the marvels of meat and part-autobiography. It is such an epic story that he has had to break it up into parts of a whole book.

‘This series is borne out of a need to tell my stories in a way that may not conform to the expected but to share a lifetime of experience, shenanigans, hard lessons and the joy that cooking has brought into my life. Please, do not expect recipes. This is not that kind of storytelling,’ he warns.

‘My career as a chef was more or less one that I stumbled into. A defined trajectory had been set via Urban Planning and a comfortable job within the real estate business.’

For those who do not know, I walked away from this course in my third year. All I had to do was complete my thesis. I did not. And I have no regrets. Am I grateful for the effort that was made to get me to a point of success?

Of course, I am. It simply was not my calling. It gets more interesting. My first career choice was in the military. This too is a story for another day. Over the years, I have developed and grown into what fate presented to me. A career as a chef. Most of you think my area of expertise is BBQ and it is because of this; I have named this series TheMeat Whisperer.’

His culinary skills extend beyond meat and are certainly not limited to using the noun ‘meat’ as a homophone, as most ‘muchomo’ establishments are wont to do when urging you to seize the verb ‘meat’ and thereby gather at their establishments.

The road less taken

His story is not that bland, probably because he insists on his cooking being anything but bland. Chef Bageine has a more playful take on his skills, however.

He has seen tragedy, losing many close friends and watched his life take on the vicissitudes reserved for those who take the road less taken.

As he tells it, he could have been anything he chose to be. Not because he hails from an affluent family but because his mind is a sponge.

No, we are not referring to Maria Montessori’s theory of the ‘absorbent mind’, which describes the unique, effortless capacity of young children (from birth to age six) to soak up language, culture, habits, and details from their environment just like a sponge absorbs water.

Chef Bageine is no infant, but he does use his inner child to tell his story. Thus, he lends his prose a childlike instead of childish quality.

Allow dream to blossom

This book is for those who allow their dreams to blossom into what psychologists such as John Bradshaw, channelling Carl Jung’s ‘divine child’ archetype, would call the power of the subconscious.

Many of us go through life allowing convention to trump invention and thereby stifle our innate ability to create. Chef Bageine uses his own story not only to appeal to your palate but to also to remind us that our chosen professions in life are what we make them.

2027: Pain of reforms over prosperity beckons says First Lady

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has declared that the difficult phase of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms is giving way to an era of prosperity urging Nigerians particularly women in the South-East to support his re-election in 2027.

Speaking on Saturday at the South-East zonal All Progressives Congress (APC) Women’s Presidential Rally in Enugu the First Lady likened the hardships associated with the administration’s reforms to the pains of childbirth expressing confidence that Nigerians would soon begin to reap the benefits of the sacrifices made.

She assured the gathering that the President remained committed to transforming the country and consolidating the gains of his administration’s economic policies.

‘As the President said it is time for prosperity. You know the pain of labour to birth a child is over. It is time for joy and prosperity’ she declared.

According to a statement issued by her Senior Special Assistant on Media Busola Kukoyi the First Lady said Nigeria was at the threshold of a new phase of economic development following the difficult adjustments undertaken by the administration.

She maintained that the APC was committed to fulfilling its promises to Nigerians assuring that the President would sustain efforts to improve living conditions and expand economic opportunities.

Senator Tinubu consequently appealed to women across the South-East to rally behind the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in the 2027 presidential election describing continuity as important to consolidating the administration’s reforms.

The rally which attracted women leaders party stakeholders and supporters from the five South-East states also provided a platform to highlight the administration’s programmes and mobilise support for APC candidates ahead of the general elections.

A major highlight of the gathering was the First Lady’s flag-off of the distribution of empowerment items to 5000 women as part of efforts to strengthen their economic participation and improve household livelihoods.

She said her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) has consistently provided financial assistance vocational training equipment and other forms of support to women youths and vulnerable Nigerians.

The First Lady assured beneficiaries that the interventions would continue stressing the importance of equipping women with the skills and resources necessary to become economically self-reliant.

The programme featured the distribution of empowerment equipment including sewing machines grinding machines and popcorn-making machines to support small businesses and income-generating activities. People’s Gazette Nigeria

Also at the rally Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and his Ebonyi State counterpart Francis Nwifuru joined other APC leaders in canvassing support for President Tinubu’s bid for a second term.

The governors and other party stakeholders urged women in the zone to support the President and APC candidates contesting seats in the Senate House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly.

Other dignitaries at the event included the wife of the Senate President the wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives the Deputy Speaker of the House the Imo State Governor the APC National Woman Leader and the Minister of Women Affairs.

Earlier the First Lady accompanied by other women leaders visiting Enugu for the rally paid a courtesy visit to the state’s Traditional Rulers Council led by Igwe Samuel Asadu.

Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers Asadu commended President Tinubu’s administration for what he described as significant achievements in national development.

He expressed the council’s support for the President and acknowledged the First Lady’s interventions aimed at improving the welfare of women youths and children.

The traditional rulers particularly praised the Renewed Hope Initiative for its empowerment and humanitarian programmes describing the interventions as important contributions to the wellbeing of vulnerable Nigerians.