Legarda confirms medical leave amid reports she left country

Sen. Loren Legarda on Friday confirmed that she filed a formal medical leave with the Senate from Aug. 3 to 5, following reports that she and her son, Batangas First District Rep. Leandro Leviste, had left the country.

In a statement, Legarda said she filed the leave ‘in accordance with Senate rules,’ after Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. confirmed with the media that Legarda’s office had informed the Senate of her absence.

‘I confirm that I filed a formal medical leave with the Senate covering August 3 to 5, 2026,’ Legarda said.

Bantug earlier told reporters that Legarda’s chief of staff sent a letter to his office on Aug. 3 informing the Senate that the senator would be on medical leave from Aug. 3 to 5.

The clarification came after National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said that Legarda and Leviste had left the Philippines on Aug. 2.

According to Matibag, Leviste traveled to Hong Kong, while Legarda flew on a separate flight also via Hong Kong, with France as her final destination.

Legarda, for her part, asked the public not to draw conclusions linking her travel to the allegations against her which she again described as ‘false and baseless.’

She reiterated that these allegations ‘undeservedly besmirch a reputation that [she] built over decades of public service.’

Legarda and Leviste, along with former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, are also facing a preliminary investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged graft and plunder involving supposed ghost solar projects worth more than P10 billion.

Earlier, Legarda has denied the allegations, saying they were ‘utterly false and baseless.

WBD Q2 results miss expectations amid revenue decline

Warner Bros. Discovery reported second-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $8.7 billion on Thursday, down 11% compared with the same period last year and below analysts’ expectations, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

The company posted net income of $149 million, a sharp decline from $1.58 billion a year earlier. According to Warner Bros. Discovery, the results were significantly affected by $1.1 billion in pre-tax acquisition-related costs, including the amortization of intangible assets, content valuation adjustments, and restructuring expenses.

Diluted earnings per share (EPS) fell to $0.06, compared with $0.63 in the second quarter of fiscal 2025.

Despite the weaker financial results, the company highlighted the strong performance of its streaming business. Warner Bros. Discovery said the return of HBO Max hits Euphoria and House of the Dragon attracted large audiences and helped drive a significant increase in subscriber numbers.

In its shareholder letter, the company emphasized that HBO Max continues to strengthen its position by offering high-profile original content that resonates with global audiences and supports long-term subscriber growth.

Following the earnings release, Warner Bros. Discovery shares rose 0.42% in premarket trading to $26.08, suggesting investors responded positively to the company’s streaming momentum despite the decline in revenue and profits.

The latest results underscore the ongoing transformation of the media industry, where traditional television businesses continue to face pressure while streaming platforms remain the key driver of competition and future growth.

Kwara abduction: 13 still missing, community insists

The President of the Kaiama Development Association (KDA), Yakubu Salihu, has disclosed that only 163 of the 176 people earlier confirmed abducted by terrorists from communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have regained their freedom.

Salihu, who spoke in an interview with Daily Trust on Thursday, said the association was yet to ascertain whether the missing 13 victims died in captivity or were not among those released.

He urged security agencies to establish their whereabouts.

His disclosure comes after the Federal Government secured the release of 308 captives from terrorist camps in the Kainji forest axis spanning parts of Kwara, Niger and Kebbi states.

According to him, the freed victims have been moved to the military cantonment in Wawa for preliminary screening and are expected to be transferred to Ilorin for comprehensive medical evaluation before reuniting with their families.

‘We hope that between tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, they will be reunited with their families,’ Salihu said.

Speaking on the controversy surrounding the number of abductees, the KDA president maintained that both the terrorists and the victims had confirmed that 176 people were taken away during the attacks.

‘What they told us, and what the abductees themselves confirmed at the time they were kidnapped, was that they abducted 176 people. But when they were returned yesterday, only 163 were confirmed.

‘So, we have a shortfall of 13 people. We are still at a loss as to whether those people died in captivity or whether the original figure was incorrect. We want the security agencies to help us determine exactly what happened to the 13.’

Salihu stressed that the association’s position had never been about disputing statistics but ensuring that everyone held by the terrorists was rescued.

The KDA president said preliminary information from those who had visited the victims indicated that many of them were in poor physical and emotional condition after months in captivity.

‘They are not in the best of health because of the trauma they went through. One of the women gave birth while in captivity, while some others are maybe still pregnant.

‘We are hopeful that when they arrive in Ilorin, the state government will ensure they receive proper medical attention and that all their health needs are taken care of,’ he noted.

Salihu also dismissed reports that ransom was paid by the community to secure the captives’ freedom.

According to him, although residents made efforts to raise funds, the amount realised was insignificant and was never handed over to anyone.

He described the release as a huge relief to the affected communities after months of anguish.

While commending the Federal Government and security agencies for securing the release, Salihu warned that the success would be short-lived unless the root causes of insecurity in the area were addressed.

Osun election: I’ll call Trump if anything goes wrong – Davido

Afrobeats singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has said he will seek the intervention of United States President Donald Trump if anything goes wrong during the forthcoming Osun State governorship election.

The singer made the statement during a livestream hosted by content creator Carter Efe, where he discussed his interest in politics and his concerns about the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

Davido said he would consider joining politics when he is convinced that the country’s electoral system is transparent and allows voters to freely choose their leaders.

According to him, he is confident of emerging victorious in an election that is conducted fairly.

He said the lack of transparency remains one of the reasons he has not ventured into politics despite his interest.

‘Until there’s transparency, then I can go ahead with politics because nobody can beat me in any election,’ he said.

Davido added that he would be confident of winning if Nigerians were allowed to vote freely and have their votes properly counted.

He also expressed concern about the upcoming Osun governorship election, saying he was waiting to see how the exercise would be conducted.

‘I want to see what they are going to do in Osun. We are waiting,’ he said.

The singer then disclosed that he would reach out to Trump if he became dissatisfied with the electoral process in Osun.

Davido said he would tag and call the US president and, if necessary, take his concerns to the White House.

‘I’ll tag Trump, I’ll call Trump, everybody. If they still don’t see anything, I’ll go in front of the White House and say, ‘Help us,”

‘Trump will just say, ‘I think there’s a Nigerian artiste sending me a message. Don’t worry, my message will be delivered.’he said.

He stressed that his threat should not be dismissed as a joke, adding that he expected his concerns to reach the US president.

Davido concluded by calling on those involved in the electoral process to allow the people of Osun State to freely determine their next governor.

‘Leave Osun alone oo, leave it,’ he said.

25 years after a green dress changed Search, the camera is becoming Africa’s storefront

Twenty-five years ago this July, a single dress changed the way the world searches. When Jennifer Lopez wore her green Versace gown to the 2000 Grammy Awards, millions of people went online looking for it, only to find that a page of blue text links could not show them what they wanted to see. Google Images launched in July 2001 in response. The lesson was simple: human curiosity is visual, and technology has to meet people where their curiosity lives.

That insight has travelled far in twenty-five years. First we could search for pictures with words. Then a picture itself could become the query. Then the phone camera became a way of asking questions about the world, and today a shopper can circle an item on their screen, or point a camera at it on the street, and get an answer in seconds. People no longer translate what they see into approximate keywords and hope for the best. They show the search engine what they mean, and increasingly they say it in their own languages, with AI-powered search now available in thirteen African languages, including Yorùbá, Hausa and Kiswahili, serving more than 100 million people across Sub-Saharan Africa.

For African business leaders, this is not an abstract technology story. Around one in four visual searches globally is commercial: someone trying to identify, compare or buy something they have just seen. Our continent’s consumers are moving faster than most. In Nigeria alone, YouTube watch time has grown more than 55 percent year on year, and eight in ten Nigerians say they are optimistic about AI, with the same share already using AI tools to explore business opportunities, nearly double the global average. Picture a guest at a wedding in Lagos or Nairobi spotting sneakers that blend streetwear with traditional fabric. She lifts her phone, circles the image, and is looking at the designer and a link to buy before the next speech begins. If your product is not in that result, someone else’s is.

So the question I hear most often from marketing leaders across the continent is not whether this shift is real. It is: what exactly do I do about it on Monday morning? Here is the playbook I would run over ninety days, in three phases. None of it requires a multinational budget, and none of it requires your team to master a long list of tools before starting. It requires a change in how you think about being found.

Phase one, be findable: Days 1 to 30

Start with a test anyone can run before lunch. Take out a phone, open any visual search tool, and point the camera at your five best-selling products. What comes back? If the answer is a competitor, a reseller you do not control, or nothing at all, you have found your most urgent gap, and it is entirely fixable.

The work of this first month is unglamorous but decisive. Get your full catalogue properly photographed and digitised, and load it into a structured product feed, the standard format that allows search engines to recognise your items and connect them to the people photographing similar things in the real world. Give the job to one named owner rather than a committee, and keep the success measure binary: by day 30, every product you sell should be recognisable to a camera. This single piece of housekeeping determines whether you exist in the fastest-growing discovery channel on the continent.

Phase two, be present across the journey: Days 31 to 60

The second phase is about how you spend. For two decades, digital marketing meant guessing the exact words a customer might type and bidding on them. That model is breaking down, because customers increasingly do not type at all. They watch, photograph, circle and ask follow-up questions aloud.

You do not need to memorise product names to act on this. What matters is understanding that modern campaigns have three jobs, and AI now coordinates them. The first job is building demand early, placing image-led and video-led creative in the feeds where younger audiences form preferences long before they search. The second is capturing demand at the moment of intent, when someone actively looks for what you sell.

The third is connecting the two, which is where AI systems now do the heavy lifting, reading signals in real time and moving budget toward the people most likely to buy rather than the people who happened to type a particular phrase. In Google’s ecosystem, tools like Demand Gen and Performance Max do this work, but the principle matters more than any product: run the three jobs as one system, not as separate line items.

Two discipline rules make the phase work. Measure the value of conversions, not clicks, so the system has a true target to aim at. And stop judging each channel in isolation, because the layers are designed to feed each other. By day 60, you should see your cost per customer falling.

Phase three, multiply your creative: Days 61 to 90

The third phase tackles the constraint that quietly stalls most African campaigns: creative production. Producing enough good visual material, in enough variations, for enough audiences, has always been the privilege of big budgets.

That is changing. At Cannes Lions, the advertising industry’s largest global festival, held every June in the south of France, the defining theme this year was AI’s evolution from analytical tool to hands-on creative partner. One demonstration made the point vividly: Google DeepMind and the Google Creative Lab recreated Pelé’s legendary unrecorded 1959 goal, a moment no camera ever captured, using archival photographs and generative modelling.

For your team, the same underlying capability is far more practical. Generative tools can now turn a handful of core campaign assets into hundreds of variations tailored to different audiences. AI video models, which we have tested with filmmakers in Lagos, put near-cinematic quality within reach of a startup budget. And AI can answer plain-language questions about creator partnerships, such as which creators in Accra or Kampala reach audiences that care about sustainable fashion, and return a shortlist in minutes rather than weeks. The brief to your agency should change accordingly: less manual resizing and versioning, more strategy and storytelling, which is where their value has always been.

The takeaway

If you retain one thing from this piece, retain the sequence. Be findable, so the camera can see you. Be present across the journey, so intent finds you wherever it forms. Multiply your creative, so you can meet that intent at scale. Each phase compounds the one before it, and the whole playbook fits on a single page.

That accessibility is the real story for Africa. This continent’s economies run on small and medium enterprises, and for the first time the tools of sophisticated marketing are not gated by scale. A designer in Accra, a founder in Nairobi and an artisan in Ibadan can now run substantially the same playbook as a multinational. The businesses that will define the next twenty-five years here will not necessarily be the largest. They will be the ones that acted early.

Twenty-five years ago, a green dress taught the world’s biggest search engine that text was not enough. The sequel to that lesson is unfolding across Africa right now. Your customers are already searching with their cameras and their voices, in their own languages, guided by AI. The only question is whether, ninety days from now, they will find you.

BUA Cement boosts youth entrepreneurship

BUA Cement Plc has boosted youth entrepreneurship by graduating no fewer than 60 community youths trained on handling heavy duty machines operation to further advance the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to its host community.

Its Sokoto Plant said the move aligned with its goal of strengthening its skills and empowerment programmes initiative for youth.

Sokoto State governor, Ahmed Aliyu, who spoke as Special Guest at the brief graduation ceremony of the youths held in the company’s premises, reassured of his administration readiness to provide an enabling environment for business and commercial activities to thrive in the state.

Represented by the state Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Mr Haruna Abba Bashir, the governor commended BUA Cement for its sustained commitment to the course of providing employment opportunities, reducing youth idleness and boosting economic prosperity of Sokoto state.

‘We acknowledge your strides in reducing unemployment and creating opportunity for youths to acquire innovative skills and strengthening poverty alleviation measures especially among host community population,’ the governor said.

He said the current administration was supportive of the initiatives of BUA Cement in expanding the state business horizon to benefit its people.

The governor said: ‘Human empowerment, poverty reduction and skills acquisition are driving forces against unemployment and purposeful entrepreneurship and innovative desires among our youths population.’

He urged the graduands especially those given employment to exhibit commitment, discipline and visionary capacity, disclosing that BUA Cement Plc’s interventions and other development partners with government commitment would strengthen the state’s development process.

Speaking on the training, Assistant Director, Human Resources at BUA, Mr Abdulrasheed Mode said the graduands had undergone six months extensive training programme with practical tests.

He said: ‘They all went through training on various equipment and unskilled operations to prepare them on comprehensive operations.’

Mr Mode disclosed that 52 of the successful trainee graduands had been offered employment with the company, describing the programme as a remarkable achievement, urging them to abide by the company’s regulations.

BUA Managing Director, Yusuf Haliru Binji said the initiative was designed to empower and strengthen the company’s expertise and specialised workforce.

Represented by Head, Administration and Corporate Affairs, Mr Sada Suleiman, he acknowledged the support and cooperation BUA Cement plc has been enjoying from the state government towards driving business activities and community development missions.

Binji explained that the cement major has consistently remained purposeful in its mission and vision to make the state a place full of opportunities for citizens and community to excel through various CSR initiative programmes.

Earlier, in their remarks, traditional rulers from the host communities expressed appreciation to the company’s commitment to driving a responsive CSR vision towards the development of youths and the community while certificates were presented to the graduands by dignitaries including management staff of the company and the traditional rulers.

NGO Bill: Ineffective and unjustified

The Non-Governmental Organisations (Registration and Supervision) bill (L.D.-O. 6/2026) seeks to repeal and replace the Voluntary Social Services (Registration and Supervision) Act, No. 31 of 1980. It will extend government supervision beyond ‘voluntary social service activity’ namely ‘any activity intended or carried out for the purpose of providing relief or for the welfare of physically, mentally or socially handicapped persons, including the destitutes, the displaced, the disabled and the unemployables’ to ‘non-profit oriented activity,’ defined as ‘any activity other than a voluntary social service activity, carried out for charitable or socially beneficial purposes, not intending profit generation and includes advocacy.’

Its stated objective is ‘to make provision to register and supervise all non-governmental organisations, including Voluntary Social Service Organisations, under one authority for the purposes of more effective facilitation, coordination and regulation of the activities of such organisations.’ No justification is provided beyond this assertion in the preamble.

Why control?

It is reasonable to ask why a Government that cannot exert effective control over its prisons and foreign-debt repayments (both core activities of the state) wants to control the activities of those providing social services without the use of taxpayer funds (the rationale for current VSSO Act). If the Government is giving taxpayer money to a social service organisation, conditions may be imposed on the grant without going to all this trouble. And what is the rationale for wanting to supervise CSR activities of for-profit entities if they are not specifically mentioned in the Articles of Association (section 2(3))?

To the best of my knowledge, there has been no performance audit of the NGO Secretariat that has been functioning for over four decades. It is illogical to create a Competent Authority (CA) that evokes emergency rule and add more powers to the NGO Secretariat and expand its scope absent such as assessment. The bill should be withdrawn until the completion of a performance audit of the NGO Secretariat under the current VSSO Act. This would be the basis for the formulation of legislation that will provide an effective solution to a real need.

It may be inferred that the motivation for the legislation lies in the need to ‘develop appropriate methodology to identify, assess and understand money laundering, terrorist financing and financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction risks of non-governmental organisations, and conduct monitoring of non-governmental organisations on a risk-based approach’ (section 4(1)(j)). If this is indeed the objective, It is unclear why the Government believes the CA and the NGO Secretariat, constrained by Government pay scales and rules, will possess the expertise that is now being developed at the far-better-endowed Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and the FCID. Finding evidence of money laundering etc. is not a simple matter. It requires specialised skills and access to information within banks. The CA and the NGO Secretariat possess neither of these attributes. The FIU, the CBSL, and the FCID do to varying degrees.

Optimal solution

Problems caused by money laundering and associated actions are better addressed by mandating each organisation considered as being potentially engaged in these activities to maintain audited accounts and submit them to their respective registering authorities. This obligation currently applies to all entities incorporated under the Companies Act, No. 7 of 2007. The Societies Ordinance, No. 16 of 1891 as amended, also has this requirement. If there are any others, such as political parties or entities created by Private Member’s Motions approved by Parliament, the requirement may be added through amendments to the relevant statutes. If the objective is legislation that can be shown as evidence of responsiveness to Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations, this can take the form of a new Act.

The audited accounts may be published online by the relevant government authorities allowing any member of the public or any organisation to flag suspicious transactions for the attention of the FIU, CBSL or the FCID. If state institutions possess the capability, they may also use AI to proactively detect anomalies in the published accounts and initiate investigations.

This would make the proposed Bill (except for section 24(1) which repeals the VSSO Act) redundant.

Second-best solution

In the event the Government does not accept, for whatever political reason, the above solution to the problems of money laundering, etc. and insists on proceeding with this pernicious bill, the harm caused to fundamental rights as enunciated in Article 14(1) of the Constitution may be alleviated by a few amendments.

The duties set out in section 15 of the Bill, especially the duties to ‘Align with the policies of the Government’ and ‘Not induce or cause to induce any public disorder which affect safety and interests of the general public,’ may be made less offensive to democratic values. In many instances it is unclear what the Government policy on a specific matter is.

For example, the Department responsible for the implementation of the National Physical Plan has objected in writing to the extension of the Central Expressway to Galagedara and to the Ruwanpura Expressway. But the government has allocated funds for both and is proceeding with their construction. What is the policy NGOs must align with, and which can they protest?

What is the duty to ‘align’? Who decides whether the alignment is adequate? And why should every organisation in the country (other than those exempted) align with the policies of governments?

The broad sweep of the law subjects to intrusive government regulation the basic democratic right to advocate for changes in legislation (such as the present bill) and public policies. Take the case of a company advocating for legislative or policy changes, such as those affecting the mushrooming online betting industry. Would they be exempt if they claim that such actions are intended to bolster their profits (likely to blunt the power of their lobbying, but feasible)? But a not-for-profit organisation that is engaged in similar (but opposed) lobbying to regulate or ban online betting on the basis of the public interest be subject to censure or worse by the CA because it lacks a profit motivation. Policy making and legislative processes will be diminished by reducing the permitted voices to those of profit-motivated entities.

Who defines what the interests of the general public are? How does one differentiate between ‘peaceful assembly’ guaranteed by the Constitution and ‘public disorder’? The drafters are directed to the Janaghosha decision (Amaratunga v. Sirimal and others (1993) 1 Sri L.R. 264. SC APPLICATION NO. 468/92)

It would be necessary to radically reduce the draconian powers granted to the CA by section 5, 15, 16, and 17 by ensuring that court orders are sought for any intrusions into the functioning of entities created by citizens in the course of operationalising their rights under the Constitution, including but not limited to Article 14(c ) the freedom of association, and Article 14(f) freedom to enjoy and promote his own culture.

It is only reasonable that the CA, even if left with diminished powers as proposed above, be shielded from political direction and influence. This would necessitate amending the current bill to require the CA (ideally a differently named collegial body) to be appointed with the concurrence of the Constitutional Council as the Attorney General conceded in the case of the Online Safety Bill. The appropriate provisions for reappointment, remuneration, term and removal may be taken from prior legislation.

What becomes of our estate after our demise? (II)

Expectedly, I received a variety of feedback from our compatriots who had a chance to read the first part of this essay last week. ‘What do you expect from the children of Pa Yusuf?’, a sister queried. ‘These are kids who had long ago severed their connections with their fatherland. Nigeria probably ‘happened’ to them long before the death of their father. Nigeria failed to invest in them. Nigeria failed to instil hope in them. They eventually found no value in being Nigerians. They eventually found a new home far away from the shores of this land. Keeping that house would have meant keeping the past alive; the past that those kids earnestly contemplate with amnesia, not nostalgia.’

The second feedback came in the form of a text message. Our reader simply wanted to know whether I was advocating for a life of ascetism, self-abnegation, a life that thrives on hermitism or Sufism, a life of total and complete disavowal of earthly pleasures and plenitude. ‘Are you saying acquisition of wealth is unlawful?’, our fellow believer wanted to know.

No! Never!! It is settled in Islam that a life of penury and deprivation is not normative. If that were to be the case, Abubakr Al-Siddiq, Uthman bn Affan, Abdulrahman bn Awf, among other companions of Prophet Muhammad (Upon him be peace) would probably not have enjoyed the iconic status that they occupy in Islamic annals if not for their strong faith in the Almighty, the wealth that they possessed and their constant preparedness to spend the latter in the path of the Almighty.

Besides, Anas bn Malik reported that the most frequent invocation or supplication of the Prophet reads thus- ‘O Allah, our Lord, grant unto us the best of this world as well as the best of the Hereafter and shield us from the torment of the Fire. (Quran 3: 148). In other words, the classic posture of Islam regarding wealth acquisition is neither that of covetousness nor arrant abandonment. Rather, our religion prescribes the pursuit of a balance between the acquisition of earthly wealth and the attainment of eternal bliss.

To achieve the above, Islam places great emphasis on earning wealth through lawful means and avoiding the unlawful. Allah commands humans not to acquire wealth through wrongful means, such as interest (riba), fraud, or deceit.

‘And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly…'(0uran 2: 188). Here, the believer is reminded not to consume the wealth of others through unjust means, such as through false oaths, theft, bribery, or interest. The earnings obtained from unlawful sources will not bring blessings, and it is a Muslim’s moral responsibility to ensure that all wealth is earned through legitimate channels.

Islam equally teaches that wealth is not solely for personal gain but must also be used for social welfare. It is for this purpose that the institutions of Zakat and Sadaqah find reference. The latter obliges Muslims with surplus wealth to share with those in need. It is a concrete expression of social responsibility toward others. ‘And in their wealth, there is a right for those who ask and for those who are deprived.'(Quran 51: 19).

Charity not only purifies one’s wealth but also fosters a sense of solidarity and compassion among people. Furthermore, giving in charity teaches the heart to avoid excessive attachment to wealth, encouraging a more balanced and simple life.

Further, Islam teaches that the believer should constantly make an effort to strike a balance between earthly pursuits and the attainment of eternal bliss in the hereafter. Allah reminds us thus in the Qur’an:

‘But seek, with what Allah has given you, the home of the hereafter; and [yet] do not forget your share of the world.'(Quran29: 77).

Brethren, let us equally keep this in mind that in Islam, wealth is viewed as a test and a trust from Allah. Many people may be tempted by riches and fall into consumerism, materialism, or even the misuse of wealth for prohibited ventures. We should never forget that everyone shall be held accountable for how they acquired and utilised their wealth while on earth. The Prophet said: ‘The feet of a servant will not move on the day of judgment until he is asked about five things: about his life, how he spent it; his knowledge, how he acted upon it; his wealth, how he earned it and how he spent it; and about his body, how he used it.’ Our world is like a big examination hall; the Almighty is both the Invigilator and the Examiner!

P-Square: Rudeboy reacts to Mr P’s claim that late mother mistreated wife

Singer Paul Okoye, popularly known as Rudeboy, has reacted after his twin brother, Peter Okoye, also known as Mr P, alleged that their late mother, Josephine Okoye, mistreated his wife, Lola, during a family meeting years ago.

Rudeboy shared a brief message on his X account on Friday, a day after Mr P made the allegations in the latest episode of his ongoing video series detailing the prolonged feud within the Okoye family.

‘Unfortunately, you’re not here to defend yourself. Continue resting, Mum.’

Mr P made the claims in the eighth episode of his tell-all series released on Thursday, where he recounted events surrounding a family meeting held at his Omole residence shortly after the birth of his son.

According to him, his late mother, alongside his brothers, Jude, Paul and Tony, as well as some pastors, confronted him and his wife over their relationship.

He said, ‘When we moved into Omole, our mom came to visit. My son was about five or six months old. When my mom visited, I gave her the master bedroom and moved into Jude’s room. I was expecting my mom to ask, ‘How is your new baby?’ My mom didn’t ask. She just said, ‘How is Lola? I hope she’s fine.’ She said, ‘Can you tell her to come?’ I said, ‘Okay, do you want to see the baby?’ She said, ‘No. Let her come first.’

‘Then Lola was living on the Island. How do you expect me to tell Lola my mom wanted to see her and ask her not to come with the baby? I had to lie to Lola not to come with the baby because we had fumigated the house.’

Mr P said that after Lola arrived at the house, both of them were ushered into the master bedroom, where the family meeting was already underway.

He alleged that neither he nor his wife was offered a seat during the gathering.

‘Everybody was seated… I went to call Lola. When she entered the room, nobody stood up or said, ‘Lola, sit down.’ Nobody even bothered to welcome her properly. Lola and I just sat on the floor.’

Mr P alleged that their mother then told his wife, ‘Young woman, we the Okoye family have decided that you should leave our son alone.’

He continued, ‘I said, ‘What is going on?’ A few days earlier, Lola and I had had a small quarrel, so she looked at me thinking maybe I had planned this to evict the relationship. She said, ‘Babe, what’s going on?’ I asked my mum the same thing. Next thing, Jude said, ‘Leave our brother alone.’ I looked at Jude’s face.’

The singer further claimed that Jude later picked up a photograph of his infant son and made a derogatory remark in Igbo, which Lola understood to mean the child was a ‘bastard.’

‘Lola started crying. The pastors tried to calm her. They pushed Lola out of the house,’ he alleged.

Mr P also alleged that before the confrontation, Jude and Rudeboy opposed Lola’s pregnancy and circulated an anonymous email questioning the paternity of his unborn son.

‘Nothing that Jude and Paul didn’t do for Lola to take that pregnancy out,’ he alleged.

He further claimed that their late mother later acknowledged that the child was his biological son and instructed his brothers to apologise, but said the apology never came before her death.

Mr P also dismissed claims that Lola had a poor relationship with his late mother, insisting they remained close until her passing.

‘When my mom was sick… Lola stayed with her in the hospital till midnight and took the pastors back home every day for over two months,’ he said.

The singer also claimed that before her death, their mother asked Paul and their elder brother, Jude, to apologise to him, but they never did.

PH agri output recovered in Apr-Jun

Philippine agricultural output rebounded in the second quarter after an early-year slowdown, growing by 2.9 percent to P452.22 billion as production increased across crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

In a report on Thursday, the PSA said the value of agriculture and fisheries production rose to P452.22 billion in the April-to-June period from P439.66 billion a year earlier.

Such an expansion marked a turnaround from the 0.3-percent contraction recorded in the first quarter, when production was valued at P437.52 billion.

Crop production, which accounted for 55 percent of the sector’s total output, increased 1.6 percent to P248.9 billion.

Palay or unmilled rice remained the main growth driver, with the value of production rising 5.7 percent while corn posted a modest 0.8-percent increase.

Livestock production expanded 3.6 percent to P61.83 billion, accounting for 13.7 percent of total farm output during the April-to-June period.

The value of hog production alone increased 5.6 percent from a year earlier.

Poultry emerged as the fastest-growing sub-sector, with the output value climbing 6.3 percent to P79.84 billion. It accounted for 17.7 percent of total agricultural production during the quarter.

Meanwhile, fisheries production grew 2.7 percent to P61.64 billion, representing 13.6 percent of the sector’s total output.