News
No Need To Investigate Circumstances Surrounding My Husband’s Death- Helen Prest-Ajayi
A former beauty queen, Helen Prest-Ajayi, says there is no need to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of her husband and Managing Director of First Foundation Medical Centre, Lagos, Dr Tosin Ajayi.
Helen told PUNCH Metro her position through her lawyer, Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), on Saturday.
Five children of the deceased had through their lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), written to the Chief Justice of Lagos State demanding a coroner’s inquest into the circumstances surrounding their father’s death.
A family friend, who spoke on behalf of the children, had told PUNCH Metro that Helen and Tosin were never legally married, because his marriage to his first wife, Oluyemisi, which produced the five children, was never dissolved.
The family friend further alleged that four weeks to the time of Tosin’s death, Helen never informed the children of his condition and even his death, adding that they only got to know of his demise through a third party and she also allegedly prevented them from viewing his corpse in the mortuary.
Upon his death, Helen was said to have gone to Tosin’s office, where she reportedly made away with some documents, fuelling further suspicion.
Her lawyer, however, told PUNCH Metro that the allegations against his client were baseless.
“This whole thing is not good for the memory of the deceased. A coroner’s inquest should not be abused. It should not be a theatre for infighting in the family. There are genuine cases that should go for coroner’s inquest, but if they are looking for public sympathy and are grandstanding, they should remember that the soul of the departed deserves rest and respect,” Owonikoko said.
Narrating the circumstances surrounding Tosin’s death, Owonikoko said sometime in March, he had high blood pressure and his condition worsened at home.
The senior advocate said Tosin was taken to a hospital in Ikoyi, where he was diagnosed with a heart condition, and later suffered kidney failure.
Owonikoko said the deceased was taken to the St Nicholas Hospital, then First Cardiologists on Victoria Island and back to St Nicholas Hospital, where he eventually died.
He stated, “A cardiologist was invited to the house three days after Dr Ajayi took ill and after running some tests, he concluded that he must be taken to a hospital. He was taken to a hospital in Ikoyi that Sunday and by the next morning, his condition got worse and Mrs Ajayi (Helen) started calling his associates and friends. About three or four friends responded and they suggested that he be taken to a hospital that could attend to him properly.
“On Monday, he was admitted to the St Nicholas Hospital. That was on March 9. On getting there, they discovered that he needed a cardiologist. He was then referred to First Cardiologists, Victoria Island. He was on treatment for three days and when he stabilised, he was returned to St Nicholas.
“He was there undergoing treatment, which included dialysis for kidney failure. He was there until April 26 by which time we were hoping he would be discharged and taken home. But that day, he passed away.”
When asked if Helen and the deceased were married, Owonikoko told PUNCH Metro that their relationship spanned more than 25 years and produced a daughter.
He stated, “She (Helen) was made to understand that Dr Ajayi had divorced his first wife, but this is not the time to be discussing such. Things like this will be addressed in the fullness of time
“They lived together for 25 years and no one, including the children, challenged their relationship all through when the man was alive. I think they should not let the old man’s memory be soiled.”
When asked why Helen never informed Tosin’s five children of their father’s illness, Owonikoko said the deceased had categorically instructed her that his condition be kept a secret, adding that he did not want anyone coming to visit him during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On why his client made away with some documents from Tosin’s office shortly after his demise, the lawyer said she needed vital information such as his date of birth and other bio-data, which would be included in his death certificate.
“One of the controversies was his age. So, she needed to consult documents. The documents she got revealed that he was actually 75 and not 68 as she had thought,” the senior advocate said.
When asked why Helen prevented the children from seeing their father’s corpse in the mortuary, Owonikoko said his client was also hospitalised a day after Tosin passed away and immediately after she was discharged, she reached out to one of the children of the deceased, Mayowa.
He further claimed that Helen informed the children of their father’s death the day after he passed away.
However, a family friend told PUNCH Metro that most of Helen’s claims were untrue, adding that they learnt of Tosin’s death through a third party.
The family friend said Helen pointedly told the children that she would not let them see their father’s death certificate and made it clear that she would not let them play their rightful role during his funeral.
PUNCH.
A Unity Bank customer, Mr. Amadi Chinmenem Gift Chike, has emerged as the latest winner of One Million Naira in the ongoing Cash Rewards Promo by Unity Bank Plc and CashToken Rewards Africa.
CashToken Rewards Africa is a Cash-Reward-as-a-Service company that rewards customers for their patronage and loyalty.
Mr. Amadi, a customer from Unity Bank’s Aba Road Branch, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, won the cash prize after completing qualifying transactions on Unity Bank’s digital banking channels including Unifi, *7799#, and on his Unity Bank-issued Verve card. Through these transactions, he received CashTokens, which entered him into the weekly national consumer draw, where he was selected as the lucky winner of the N1 million prize.
From left: Chioma Umeh, Unity Bank Branch Manager, Aba Road 1, Port Harcourt; Amadi Chinmenem Gift Chike, the grand prize winner, and Mr. Etop Ukpe, Unity Bank’s Regional Manager, Port Harcourt/Uyo Region presening the N1M check to the winner, recently.
The grand prize winner, Mr. Amadi is the second customer to claim the N1 million grand prize in the rewards promo, which commenced in November 2023. Since the launch, Unity Bank customers have collectively won over N6 million in cash rewards.
Unity Bank and CashToken Rewards promo offers guaranteed instant cash rewards and life-changing opportunities for loyal customers who transact on any of the Bank’s electronic payment platforms, including the Unifi mobile banking application and the *7799# USSD platform. Every card transaction earns customers CashTokens, which qualify them for the weekly national consumer draw, with prizes ranging from N5,000 to N100 million.
Presenting the cheque to the winner in Port Harcourt, Unity Bank’s Regional Manager for Port Harcourt/Uyo Region, Mr. Etop Ikpe, congratulated the winner and reiterated the Bank’s commitment to building a sustainable loyalty platform for customer engagement and satisfaction.
The winner celebrates with the Unity Bank team
He said, “We are happy to see another one of our loyal customers win a substantial cash prize through the Unity Bank and CashToken Rewards Promo. This initiative aligns with our mission to reward customer loyalty while providing a seamless and rewarding banking experience. As we continue to innovate and enhance our digital banking platforms, we are committed to creating more opportunities for our customers to benefit from their relationship with Unity Bank.”
In his reaction, an elated Mr. Amadi said, “This is a reward for my steadfastness. I have been banking with Unity Bank for a long time and I am really happy to win the cash prize. I commend the bank for the initiative and Unity Bank has always come through in keeping their promises both in terms of service delivery and meeting expectations of customers.”
The winner celebrates with the Unity Bank team
Also commenting on the development, Simi Adeoye, Chief Business Development Officer for CashToken Rewards Africa, added: “We are proud to partner with Unity Bank in bringing life-changing opportunities to their customers through our Cash-Reward-as-a-Service model. We aim to make every transaction meaningful by turning regular banking activities into chances for customers to win significant rewards. We congratulate Mr. Amadi on his win, and we look forward to creating more millionaires as the promo continues. Mr. Amadi just like other beneficiaries can easily cash out his win by dialling *6700#, following the prompt and transferring his wins directly to his Unity Bank account.”
The Vice Chairman of Alimosho Local Government Area, Mr. Akinpelu Johnson has officially received an appointment letter to take over from the suspended Chairman, Jelili Sulaimon.
The letter, dated 8th October, 2024, was signed by Kikelomo Bolarinwa, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development.
Titled: ‘Re: Suspension of Mr. Sulaimon Jelili, Chairman, Alimosho Local Government Area Resolution of the House’, the appointment letter read: “I write to refer to the resolution of the House of Assembly in respect of the above
subject which states that Mr. Sulaimon Jelili has been suspended indefinitely from
Office as the Chairman, Alimosho Local Government in accordance with Section 24
(1,2,3,4) of the Local Government Administration Law (Amendment) Law, 2016. (Copy attached for ease of reference).
“In view of the above, you are to assume duty IMMEDIATELY as the Acting Chairman, Alimosho Local Government.”
Recall that the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday suspended Jelili Sulaimon from office following various allegations by the lawmakers.
The lawmakers resolved at the sitting that Johnson should take over the running of the affairs of the council.
The lawmakers further instructed the management of the council, including the manager and treasurer, to recognise Johnson and accord him all the support to make him work effectively.
Meanwhile, four out of the seven councillors in the council have denounced the purported suspension of Johnson by their three colleagues.
In a press release signed by the four councillors including Deputy Leader Mojisola Fabusuyi Ayeni (Ward D), Saheed Adejoke (Ward C), Rasheed Semiu (Ward E), Elizabeth Fashina (Ward F), they commended the House of Assembly for intervening while urging stakeholders’ in the council to go about their activities peacefully.
Read the full statement below:
Illegal Suspension of Hon. Akinpelu Ibrahim Johnson,Vice Chairman Alimosho Local Government
We, the undersigned legislators from Alimosho Local Government, officially dissociate ourselves from the staged managed, and illegal suspension of Mr. Akinpelu Ibrahim Johnson, The Vice Chairman of Alimosho Local Government.
We condemn in totality the purported suspension of the Vice Chairman by minority legislators who acted on instructions of the validly suspended Chairman.
As representatives of our people from different wards in Alimosho, we remain committed to supporting the state and federal government’s efforts to improve the lives and well-being of our people, most especially at the grassroots.
We commend the State House of Assembly for their intervention in the mismanagement of the local government over the years. We urge all stakeholders to remain peaceful as there’s no cause for alarm.
The Renewed Hope (RH) Agenda of our Dear President, H.E Asiwaju Bola Tinubu GCFR, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES + Agenda, deserve every attention and support at this critical stage of our state and nationhood and by extension at the local government.
We would like to emphasize that at no time was the Vice Chairman suspended hence our readiness to support him going forward with the administration of the Local Government.
As a man of the people, we have no doubt in our minds that Hon Akinpelu Johnson will deliver beyond the expectations.
We shall keep the public posted should there be any information of interest to the public.
Signed:
1. Councillor. Mojisola Fabusuyi Ayeni (Ward D), Alimosho LGA, Deputy Leader
2. Councillor Saheed Adejoke (Ward C), Alimosho LGA, Chief Whip
3. Councillor Rasheed Semiu (Ward E), Alimosho LGA, Member.
4. Councillor Elizabeth Fashina (Ward F), Alimosho LGA, member.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday returned Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party, LP.
The court declared the 2024 Labour Party national convention held in Nnewi, which re-elected Abure, is valid, stating that the convention was in line with all laid down laws in Nigeria.
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.
According to the statement, Justice Emeka Nwite while delivering the judgement, compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to grant due recognition and all privileges to the Labour Party’s National Working Committee as led by Abure.
JomogNews reports that INEC had announced that it did not recognise Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.
The Commission argued that the Abure-led LP leadership was invalid, stating that the March 2024 National Convention that re-elected Abure as chairman violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.
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