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Personality in Focus

Gbongan Celebrates Joel Oyeyinka Popoola’s Creative, Technological Ingenuity

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As many that knows the agrarian town of Gbongan will not be surprised that yet another wonder in the person of Joel Oyeyinka Popoola, Founder, Digital Democracy Project and Rate Your Leader app, has been produced for the good of humanity. This is because Gbongan is famous, you can say notorious if you like, for producing egg heads who have stood the test of time in terms of proficiency, research, achievement, academic prowess and inventions.
Gbongan is a small community in southwestern part of Nigeria, Osun State to be specific. But as small as Gbongan is in size, she has produced more academics than any community in her category.
As a convention, Gbongan is in the business of crowning only the academically best as paramount rulers, and it is on record that its obas have had a minimum qualification of Ph.D. From the days of late Oba (Dr.) Solomon Babayemi Akinrinola 1, who was an Associate Professor of African Studies, University of Ibadan to the present Kabiyesi,  Oba (Dr.) Adetoyese Oyeniyi Odugbemi 1, an Agronomist, only the best has sat on the throne. The town could as well be described as a harbinger of Professors and Doctors of Philosophy. This has been since the 1950s.
Among prolific academics produced by the great Gbongan community include: Late Dr. Akinrefon, a Molecular Biologist;  Late Prof. Timothy Adegboye, a Professor of land Economics,  who during his life time was always referred to as the Professor of Professors; and at a point, was christened ‘Baale UI’ because he was the oldest in the University Community; this was the man who founded the Agric Economics Department of the then University of Ife,  now Obafemi Awolowo university. There was also Late Dr. Akintola, a renowned Consultant to WHO, UNICEF, FAO; Prof Akinwumi, former Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, University of Ibadan; Prof Dupe Makinde, Prof. Alani Adeagbo Amusan, Prof Ojewole, the first Professor and Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University; Prof Ilori; Prof Lekan Dairo; Prof Lekan Oyeleye, former Dean Faculty of Arts University of Ibadan; Prof Seye Bolaji; Prof Wale Ajayi; Prof Ademola Olaniran; Prof O.B. Ajayi; Prof Clement Adebooye, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics Osun State University; Prof Tunde Makanju; Prof. Ekanade, among many others.
Gbongan’s prowess is not only in the academia, the town is also home to jurists and legal luminaries such as Justice Oyegoke Bolarinwa Babalakin (Honorable Justice of the Supreme Court, Federal Republic of Nigeria); Late Barrister Adedeji; Dr. Olawale Babalakin SAN, Barrister Funminiyi Oyebamiji Agbaye and Barrister Dapo Adekunle.
In the field of Medicine, Banking, Insurance, Media and Security, Gbongan boasts of citizens.
The rave of the moment in the person of an accomplished Techpreneur, Joel Oyeyinka Popoola, who had been described by Sunderland Echo as ‘the City man’, is a proud product of Gbongan.
Popoola is a United Kingdom citizen, who has developed an App to solve one of the challenges confronting democracy, even in developed democracies like the United kingdom. The App is meant to bridge the gap between elected leaders and the electorate, and at the same time eliminate the hassles of physical town hall meetings. He has put in place electronic platform through which Electors and Electorates will constantly interact to discuss matters relating to their constituencies in an abuse-free manner and bringing a win-win situation to both the leaders and the subjects.
The rate of acceptability of the app in the United Kingdom has been encouraging, making Yinka, as he is fondly called the cynosure of all eyes among all levels of communities and nationalities in the country. In all these, Yinka is always quick to make reference to his country, Nigeria; and his town of birth, Gbongan as opportunity presents itself.
His Rate Your Leader App has solved the problem of accountability among political office among holders. And will open channels of interactions between the elected public office holders and the electorates thereby mitigating challenges associated with lack of communication between a particular representative and his/her constituents, fake news and fabrications or half truths, which are known to be the bane of democracy.
With constant interactions between the elected officials and people of their constituencies, needs are therefore prioritised and even development across borders ensured.
Popoola, in a chat with Score Express Magazine, said that “the irony is that the technology is now in place to allow both the electors and elected to connect at the touch of a button but that technology all too often falls into modern mob rule. Whether it’s Brexit in Britain, Trump in America or Jeune Gillets in France, voters no longer believe that politicians represent them– it’s time to take back democracy with technology.” .
Popoola stated further, “Across the world, democracy is changing forever, and Nigeria would not be an exception. Voters expect to have more influence on politics than our traditional representative democracy can necessarily accommodate. As a result, voters are either defecting to anti-establishment parties or becoming more and more attracted by direct action.”
He also averred, “People’s political priorities and motivations are becoming more and more disparate and unpredictable, and politicians are clearly failing to ascertain what voters really want.”
The Publisher of the Score Express Magazine, who also is a childhood friend of Popoola, called on all Gbongan citizens, home and abroad, to rise and honour one of their own, Joel Popoola, as he arrives Nigeria this January to launch the App.
“if Ijebu people could honour Anthony Joshua, being their own, then Gbongan people wouldn’t fail in doing more,” he said.
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Personality in Focus

Veteran Actor Olu Jacobs Dies at 84

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Veteran Nigerian actor and elder statesman, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, has died at the age of 84.

The actor’s death was announced by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, on Instagram on Wednesday.

Olu Jacobs was one of Nigeria’s most respected actors and a towering figure in the country’s theatre, television and film industries.

For more than five decades, Jacobs built a career that took him from the stage in Britain to international films and, ultimately, to becoming one of the most recognisable faces of Nollywood.

Born on July 11, 1942, in Kano, Jacobs had his roots in the Egba Alake community of Abeokuta, Ogun State. He grew up in Kano, where he developed an early interest in acting through school drama, debating activities, and church programmes.

His passion for the performing arts was strengthened after he watched a performance by legendary Nigerian theatre practitioner Hubert Ogunde. The experience inspired him to pursue acting professionally.

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Personality in Focus

Michael Dell Overtakes Jeff Bezos As World’s Third Wealthiest Billionaire

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Michael Dell, on Tuesday, overtook Jeff Bezos in Forbes’ billionaire rankings, edging past the Amazon co-founder as shares of Dell Technologies reached an all-time high, extending a six-month rally.Dell’s estimated net worth rose $4.6 billion to reach $267.7 billion at market close Tuesday afternoon, making him the third-wealthiest person in the world for the first time ever.

Dell trails Alphabet co-founder Larry Page ($277.9 billion) and Tesla chief Elon Musk ($942 billion).

Shares of Dell Technologies rose 1.9% to close at an all-time high of $533.88 on Tuesday, and traded as high as $538.47 earlier in the day.

Bezos’ estimated net worth dropped $1.4 billion to $265.2 billion as Amazon shares fell 0.6%.

Dell’s net worth has more than doubled since last year as his company has benefited from booming demand for artificial intelligence hardware.

327%. That is how much Dell’s stock has rocketed since the start of the year, when shares were priced around the $128 mark. Michael Dell holds a roughly 40% stake in his company and has much of his fortune wrapped up in his private investment firm DFO Management, which invests in hotels and liquid corporate credit. Dell’s net worth has soared alongside his company’s earnings, allowing him to surpass Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison in recent months.

Dell Technologies is a week removed from its second-quarter earnings report in which it logged $47 billion in revenue, a 58% jump year-over-year, and adjusted earnings per share of $7.04, a threefold increase from the same period last year. The company’s AI server business logged a record $60.9 billion in orders and accounted for $16.4 billion in revenue. The growth, and what chief financial officer David Kennedy called “AI momentum,” resulted in Dell Technologies raising its full-year revenue guidance $25 billion to an anticipated $192 billion.

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NAOSNP President, Oki Samson Bags Police-Youth Advocate Award

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The Lagos State Police Command under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani, on Thursday, honoured the President of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), Mayor Oki Olatunji Samson, as a Police-Youth Advocate for his contribution to youth engagement and advocacy, responsible security journalism and community safety.

The recognition came during the Command’s commemoration of International Youth Day 2026, themed “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” held at the Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) Secretariat, Oduduwa Street, Lagos.

The event also featured the launch of the National Campaign Against Political and Digital Thuggery and a Police-Youth Dialogue designed to build stronger partnerships between law enforcement and young Nigerians. The initiative, in line with the vision of Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, placed youth participation, responsible citizenship and peacebuilding at the centre of contemporary security discourse.

In his address at the event, the NAOSNP President, a respected security journalist, stressed that youth advocacy must move beyond rhetoric to deliberate investment in the values, opportunities and relationships that enable young people to become agents of stability. He argued that the youth should not be viewed simply as potential victims or perpetrators of insecurity, but as indispensable stakeholders in preventing it. According to him, the digital space has become an extension of society and therefore requires the same standards of responsibility expected in the physical world.

The NAOSNP President urged young Nigerians to recognise the power of their voices, particularly on social media, and deploy that influence constructively. “Your phone is powerful. Your social media account is powerful. Your voice is powerful. Please use that power to build, not destroy.” He further challenged young people to resist political manipulation, stressing that no temporary political reward could justify sacrificing one’s future.

“Do not allow anyone to use your future to settle their present disagreement.”

He advocated a culture in which political differences could be expressed without becoming personal hostility, urging youths to verify information before sharing it and to understand that digital actions can have real-world consequences.

The intervention resonated strongly with the message of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, who warned young people against allowing politicians to exploit them for electoral violence as the country approaches another election cycle. Fatai said youths must look beyond immediate gratification and recognise the importance of preserving their future.
“Tomorrow is there for us. We should not think of today. We should always think of tomorrow. That tomorrow is more important than what we are today.”

The CP also delivered a particularly strong message against the recruitment of young Nigerians into political thuggery, noting that political actors rarely expose their own children to the dangers of electoral violence. “None of these politicians will use any of their children for electioneering, thuggery, violence or what have you.”

He urged youths to reject attempts to use them for ballot-box snatching, intimidation, destruction of property and other forms of electoral violence, while stressing that political participation remained a legitimate right when exercised responsibly.

The Commissioner equally identified the digital environment as an emerging frontier of security, urging young Nigerians to think carefully before posting, sharing or reacting to provocative content. His message was clear: political participation must never become political violence, whether offline or online.

In his goodwill message, Commander, 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ayokunle Owolabi, described the campaign as timely and commended the Police for strengthening engagement with young Nigerians. Owolabi noted that the energy, creativity and resilience of young people remained indispensable to Nigeria’s peace, security and development. He emphasised that national security could no longer be regarded as the exclusive responsibility of security agencies, but required a whole-of-society approach in which young Nigerians become active partners. He particularly warned against the misuse of digital platforms and physical spaces for violence, intimidation, misinformation and destructive engagement, while calling for stronger trust and communication between young people and security institutions.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Coordinator of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), SP Olivia Amarachi Ugochukwu, urged young people to become the change they desire in their communities.
“Policing is everybody’s business. If you see something, say something.”

She also charged the media to ensure that only verified information was disseminated, noting that responsible information management was essential to preventing fear, confusion and conflict.

The well attended event attracted representatives of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, NDLEA, FRSC and NSCDC, alongside NYSC, POCACOV, PCRC, NYCN, NANS, NURTW, RTEAN, CRAN, NAOSNP, POWA and youths from Police Barracks across Lagos. The programme featured an extensive Police-Youth Dialogue on security, political participation, social media, cultism, thuggery and emerging threats.

The recognition of Mayor Oki Samson as Police-Youth Advocate therefore represented more than an individual honour. It underscored the growing importance of credible voices capable of connecting young people, the media and security institutions around a shared commitment to peace.

In a society where insecurity can be amplified by a rumour, a provocative post or a manipulated young mind, youth advocacy has become a frontline security intervention. The future of Nigeria cannot be secured merely by policing the streets; it must also be secured by winning the minds, trust and participation of its young people.

The challenge before advocates such as Mayor Oki Samson and institutions such as the Police is to ensure that the message does not end with an award or a commemorative event. It must travel into schools, communities, newsrooms, transport parks and digital spaces—until peace becomes not merely a campaign slogan, but a conscious choice made by a generation whose future is ultimately at stake.

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