Tom Cruise has opened up on how he landed his role in the Oscar-winning film Rain Man after a chance encounter inside a London takeaway with the film’s star Dustin Hoffman
(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Tom Cruise has shared the serendipitous tale of how he bagged his part in the Oscar-laden film Rain Man, thanks to a random run-in with co-star Dustin Hoffman at a London takeaway.
At BFI Southbank on Sunday, Cruise regaled interviewer Edith Bowman with the story of spotting Hoffman while grabbing a bite with his younger sister, Cass Capazorio.
The 62 year old told the audience: “She said, ‘You’ve got to go over and say you love him.'”
“She doesn’t usually do stuff like that and I don’t walk up to people and introduce myself, but she was so pushy.
“She said, ‘If you don’t, I’m going to.'”
“He had his hat on and was ordering takeout.
Article continues below
READ MORE: Chesney Hawkes reveals behind-the-scenes drama from Mickey Rourke Celebrity Big Brother exit
“I stood next to him and said, ‘Excuse me, Mr Hoffman, I’m sorry…’ and he looked at me and said, ‘Cruise!'”
“That’s how I met him.
“As I was leaving, he said, ‘I want to make a movie with you,’ and I said, ‘That would be nice.’
“A year later he sent Rain Man to me.”
The 1988 film turned out to be one of Cruise’s defining dramatic performances, earning eight Academy Award nods and four wins, including best picture and best actor for Hoffman.
Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in 1989 in Leicester Square for the charity premiere of Rain Man (PA)(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Cruise also reminisced about an early trip to Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, where he was chauffeured by a studio driver who had previously worked with British director Sir David Lean.
“I always ask drivers what movies they’ve worked on – and one said he drove David Lean during Lawrence of Arabia,” Cruise revealed.
“He started telling me stories and eventually took me to the parking place where he used to drop him off.”
Sir David is hailed as a titan of British cinema, with monumental classics like The Bridge On The River Kwai and Lawrence Of Arabia to his credit.
Cruise disclosed how he passed on the chance to immediately follow up the 1986 smash hit Top Gun with a sequel.
“The studio wanted me to make Top Gun immediately – they were talking about the sequels,” Cruise reminisced.
He noted, “I said no. As a young artist, I felt I wanted to develop my talent in different areas.”
Further elaborating on his artistic drive, Cruise shared, “I wanted to understand myself more and challenge myself more with different types of movies.”
Today’s horoscope for May 12 sees one star sign will secretly find the day quite dreary, while another’s discussions may not bode well for close relationships
Find out what’s written in the stars with our astrologer Russell Grant(Image: Daily Record/GettyImages)
It’s Monday, May 12, and one star sign will experience a burst of motivation to finish tasks.
There are 12 zodiac signs – Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces – and the horoscopes for each can give you the lowdown on what your future holds, be it in work, your love life, your friends and family or more.
These daily forecasts have been compiled by astrologer Russell Grant, who has been reading star signs for over 50 years. From Aries through to Pisces, here’s what today could bring for your horoscope – and what you can do to be prepared.
Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 20)
Finances are a source of conflict at home. Try to avoid the temptation of saying yes to a costly trip or holiday with friends. Your money is needed for more essential expenses. Your friendships are important to you but you don’t need to spend a lot to have a good time.
Taurus (Apr 21 – May 21)
You won’t want to admit it to friends and colleagues who seem to be enjoying themselves but you are finding the day to be quite dreary. Work feels tedious, the mood at home is rather flat and a loved one’s behaviour is annoying you. It’s hard to get into the right mood for a new team effort.
Gemini (May 22 – June 21)
Pay close attention at work or in a study environment. Someone is keeping secrets to prevent you from pursuing a role they have set their sights on. Keeping your stellar reputation will depend on how you act in a stressful situation. Stay calm.
Article continues below
Cancer (June 22 – July 23)
Your recent achievements have done a lot to boost your charm and social appeal. After midday you might start feeling restless and in need of a change of routine or environment. No one is likely to object to you stepping away from a job that has taken up a lot of your time.
Leo (July 24 – Aug 23)
Gaining new qualifications will provide you with the credentials you need for a future promotion. Expanding your knowledge in various aspects of your field will impress those in high places. A senior colleague is watching you. They value and appreciate your adaptability.
Virgo (Aug 24 – Sept 23)
How can your supervisor or someone in a higher position recognise your efforts if they don’t know what you have been up to? Make sure a workmate isn’t taking credit for your contributions. Sharing your ideas and letting your creativity flow will feel liberating.
Libra (Sept 24 – Oct 23)
There are jobs waiting to be completed. Get on with these straight away. Overthinking will get you nowhere. Once you take that first step, you will experience a burst of motivation to finish the task once and for all. Evening hours will be fun with a touch of romance being a delightful bonus.
Scorpio (Oct 24 – Nov 22)
The day begins with a fairly organised feel to it but then things may start to fall apart. Take any suggestions regarding a repair project, seriously. You value the support of your loved ones and the guidance they provide, but a little extra hands-on assistance would be more helpful.
Sagittarius (Nov 23 – Dec 21)
How can mistakes be rectified if a colleague refuses to share important information? You wish some people could be more open and honest about what is going on so everyone can talk about what went wrong and how it might be fixed.
Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 20)
It will be your practical suggestions and organisational skills that lead to you making a significant achievement. Your working life brings rewards while your personal life is stressful. The frustration has to do with the amount of time you are spending away from someone who had expected to see more of you.
Aquarius (Jan 21 – Feb 19)
A workmate’s annoying habits are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. You know you can’t expect them to change but you need to find a way to accept their behaviour to keep a positive work environment. Volunteering for some in-house training will be a good way to enhance your skills.
Article continues below
Pisces (Feb 20 – Mar 20)
A heartfelt discussion will result in an agreement that may not bode well for your close relationships. By early afternoon, you will have a better idea on how to explain things to your family. A senior colleague will be surprisingly supportive. You didn’t think they could be so understanding.
READ MORE: Best-selling shoulder bag that looks like Hermes Berkin for £21k less is finally back in stock
Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir — On Saturday morning at Fateh Kadal, a densely packed neighbourhood on the sloping embankment of the Jhelum river in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir’s largest city, 62-year-old Hajira wrapped a cotton scarf with a brown paisley design around her shoulders.
With her face muscles tense and sweat beading across her upper lip, she sat on the cement floor of a government-run grains store.
“Can you make it quick?” she called to the person manning the store.
Hajira comes to the store every month to submit her biometric details, as required by the government to secure the release of her monthly quota of subsidised grains, which her family of four depends on.
But this time was different. The past few days have been unprecedented for residents of Indian-administered Kashmir. Drones hovered overhead, airports were shut down, explosions rang out, people were killed in cross-border fire and the region prepared for the possibility of an all-out war.
“He made me stand in the queue,” she said, flinching from knee pain, referring to the store operator. “But there’s uncertainty around. I just want my share of rice so I can quickly return. A war is coming.”
Then, on Saturday evening, Hajira breathed a sigh of relief. United States President Donald Trump announced that he had succeeded in mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
“I thank Allah for this,” Hajira said, smiling sheepishly. “Perhaps he understood that I didn’t have the means to endure the financial hardship that a war-like situation would have caused.”
On Sunday morning, Trump went a step further, saying in a post on his Truth Social platform that would try to work with India and Pakistan to resolve their longstanding dispute over Kashmir, a region both countries partly control, but where they each claim the part the other administers.
Political analyst Zafar Choudhary, based in the city of Jammu in southern Indian-administered Kashmir, told Al Jazeera that New Delhi would not be happy about Trump’s statement. India has long argued that Pakistan-sponsored “terrorism” is the primary reason for tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
However, “Trump’s offer underlines the fact that Kashmir remains central to India-Pakistan confrontations”, Choudhary said.
And for Kashmiris, the hope stemming from the fragile pause in fighting between India and Pakistan, and Trump’s offer to mediate talks on Kashmir, is tempered by scepticism borne from a decades-long, desperate wait for peace.
A Kashmiri family watches as projectiles fly over the sky in Indian-administered Kashmir, Saturday, May 10, 2025 [Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo]
‘Never been more frightened’
Hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris stood in the direct line of fire between India and Pakistan in recent days.
As the neighbouring nations launched missiles and drones at each other, communities in Indian-administered Kashmir near the de-facto border with Pakistan also witnessed cross-border shelling on a scale unseen in decades, triggering an exodus of people towards safer locations.
The shadow of conflict has stalked their lives for nearly four decades, since an armed rebellion first erupted against the Indian government in the late 1980s. Then, in 2019, the government scrapped Indian-administered Kashmir’s semi-autonomous status amid a huge security crackdown – thousands of people were imprisoned.
On April 22, a brutal attack by gunmen on tourists at Pahalgam left 26 civilians dead, shattering the normalcy critics had accused India of projecting in the disputed region.
Since then, in addition to a diplomatic tit-for-tat and missile exchanges with Pakistan, the Indian government has intensified its crackdown on Indian-administered Kashmir.
It has demolished the homes of rebels accused of links to the Pahalgam attack, raided other homes across the region and detained approximately 2,800 people, 90 of whom have been booked under the Public Safety Act, a draconian preventive detention law. The police also summoned many journalists and detained at least one for “promoting secessionist ideology”.
By Sunday, while a sense of jubilation swept through the region over the ceasefire, many people were still cautious, doubtful even, about whether the truce brokered by Trump would hold.
Just hours after both countries declared a cessation of hostilities, loud explosions rang out in major urban centres across Indian-administered Kashmir as a swarm of kamikaze drones from Pakistan raced across the airspace.
Many residents raced to the terraces of their apartments and homes to capture videos of the drones being brought down by India’s defence systems, a trail of bright red dots arcing across the night sky before exploding in midair.
As part of the emergency protocols, the authorities turned off the electricity supply. Fearing that the debris from drones would fall on them, residents ran for safety. The surge of drones through the night skies also touched off sirens, triggering a sense of dread.
“I don’t think I have ever been more frightened before,” said Hasnain Shabir, a 24-year-old business graduate from Srinagar. “The streets have been robbed of all their life. If the prelude to war looks like this, I don’t know what war will look like.”
A group of Kashmiri women wait for transportation to leave the area after overnight shelling from Pakistan at Gingal village in the Uri district, Indian-administered Kashmir, Friday, May 9, 2025 [Dar Yasin/AP Photo]
A fragile ceasefire
Hours after the ceasefire was announced on Saturday, India accused Pakistan of violating the truce by shelling border regions. Residents across major towns in Kashmir were on their toes, once again, after drones reappeared in the skies.
One of the worst-affected places in Kashmir these days is Uri, a picturesque town of pear orchards and walnut groves close to India’s contested border with Pakistan.
The village is surrounded by majestic mountains through which the Jhelum river flows. It is the final frontier on the Indian-administered side before the hills pave the way to Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Parts of Uri saw intense shelling, forcing the residents to leave their homes and look for safety. On May 8, officials told Al Jazeera that a woman, Nargis Bashir, was killed in her car as she and her family tried to flee the border region, like thousands of others, after flying shrapnel tore through the vehicle. Three of her family members were wounded.
Muhammad Naseer Khan, 60, a former army serviceman, was huddling in his room when Pakistani artillery fire hit a nearby military post, with metal shrapnel shards blasting through the walls of his house. “The blast has damaged one side of my home,” Khan said, wearing a traditional blue shirt and a tweed coat.
“I don’t know if this place is even liveable,” he said, his bright blue eyes betraying a sense of fear.
Despite the ceasefire, his two daughters and many others in his family who had left for a relative’s house, away from the disputed border, are sceptical about returning. “My children are refusing to return. They have no guarantee that guns won’t roar again,” he said.
Suleman Sheikh, a 28-year-old resident in Uri, recalled his childhood years when his grandfather would talk about the Bofors artillery gun stationed inside a military garrison in the nearby village of Mohra.
“He told us that the last time this gun had roared was in 1999, when India and Pakistan clashed on the icy peaks of Kargil. It is a conventional belief here that if this gun roared again, things are going to get too bad,” he said.
That’s what happened at 2am on May 8. As the Bofors gun in Mohra prepared to fire ammunition across the mountains into Pakistan, Sheikh felt the ground shaking beneath him. An hour and a half later, a shell fired from the other side hit an Indian paramilitary installation nearby, making a long hissing noise before striking with a thud.
Hours after Sheikh spoke to Al Jazeera for this report, another shell landed on his home. The rooms and the portico of his house collapsed, according to a video he shared with Al Jazeera.
He had refused to leave his home despite his family’s pleas to join them. “I was here to protect our livestock,” Sheikh said. “I didn’t want to leave them alone.”
Unlike the rest of the Kashmir Valley, where apple cultivation brings millions of dollars in income for the region, Uri is relatively poor. Villagers mostly work odd jobs for the Indian Army, which maintains large garrisons there, or farm walnuts and pears. Livestock rearing has turned into a popular vocation for many in the town.
“We have seen the firsthand experience of what war feels like. It is good that the ceasefire has taken place. But I don’t know if it will hold or not,” Sheikh said, his face downcast. “I pray that it does.”
People walk at a open market, a day after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in Srinagar, in Indian-administered Kashmir, Sunday, May 11, 2025 [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]
‘How long must this continue?’
Back in Srinagar, residents are slowly returning to the rhythm of their daily lives. Schools and colleges continue to remain closed, and people are avoiding unnecessary travel.
The scenes of racing drone fleets in the skies and the accompanying blasts are seared into public memory. “Only in the evening will we come to know whether this ceasefire has held on,” said Muskaan Wani, a student of medicine at Government Medical College, Srinagar, said on Sunday.
It did, overnight, but the tension over whether it will last remains.
Political experts attribute the general scepticism about the ceasefire to the unresolved political issues in the region – a point that was echoed in Trump’s statement on Sunday, in which he referred to a possible “solution concerning Kashmir”.
“The problem to begin with is the political alienation [of Kashmiris],” said Noor Ahmad Baba, a former professor and head of the political science department at the University of Kashmir.
“People in Kashmir feel humiliated for what has happened to them in the last few years, and there haven’t been any significant efforts to win them over. When there’s humiliation, there is suspicion.”
Others in Indian-administered Kashmir expressed their anger at both countries for ruining their lives.
“I doubt that our feelings as Kashmiris even matter,” said Furqan, a software engineer in Srinagar who only gave his first name. “Two nuclear powers fought, caused damage and casualties at the borders, gave their respective nations a spectacle to watch, their goals were achieved, and then they stopped the war.
“But the question is, who suffered the most? It’s us. For the world, we are nothing but collateral damage.”
Furqan said his friends were sceptical about the ceasefire when the two countries resumed shelling on the evening of May 10.
“We all already were like, ‘It is not gonna last,’” he said, “And then we heard the explosions again.”
Muneeb Mehraj, a 26-year-old resident of Srinagar who studies management in the northern Indian state of Punjab, echoed Furqan.
“For others, the war may be over. A ceasefire has been declared. But once again, it’s Kashmiris who have paid the price – lives lost, homes destroyed, peace shattered,” he said. “How long must this cycle continue?”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has set up a committee headed by a former Senate president, Bukola Saraki, to reconcile aggrieved members ahead of its National Executive Committee meeting.
This was disclosed at the end of a meeting held at the Abuja lodge of the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, on Sunday night.
The meeting also had the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in attendance. He, however, did not speak to journalists.
Some of the governors present at the meeting included Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Peter Mbah (Enugu).
Others were former governors of Cross River, Liyel Imoke, Achike Udenwa of Imo, Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, and Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa
The PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, a former Caretaker Committee Chairman, Ahmed Markafi, and some other members of the party’s National Working Committee also attended the meeting.
Briefing journalists, the Bauchi governor said the meeting was convened ahead of the party’s scheduled NEC, which has been slated for the end of May.
According to him, the invitation of the former governors was done to tap from their experiences, so they could resolve some of the internal challenges and prepare the ground for a rancour-free NEC meeting and a national convention later in the year.
Asked about the recent defection of PDP members, the Bauchi state governor said the development would rather make them stronger.
He, however, disclosed that the party was strategising to ensure that some of the states where the party had governors were reclaimed.
There have been concerns over the defection of the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and his cabinet to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The opposition party has been battling internal crises since the 2023 general elections.
The situation worsened with the conflict between a former governor of Rivers State and his successor, Sim Fubara.
Several attempts by the party’s leadership, including the National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, National Executive Committee, and the PDP Governors’ Forum, to mediate have not resolved the crisis.
On April 23, Oborevwori, a former governor of Delta, Ifeanyi Okowa, and other officials from the state joined the APC.
At the National Assembly, three Kebbi lawmakers, Senators Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South), joined the ruling party after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
In a tragic twist following the untimely death of Liam Payne last October, it’s emerged the former One Direction star left no will – leaving his ex Cheryl Tweedy and a top industry lawyer in charge of sorting out his multi-million-pound estate.
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
The singer, who shared son Bear with Cheryl, reportedly left behind an estate worth £24.3 million – and now legal experts say the lack of a formal will could pave the way for potential challenges.
Craig Ridge, a contentious probate lawyer at Higgs LLP, told The Mirror exactly what’s happening with Liam’s fortune, and what might come next.
What’s happening to Liam’s estate?
“Liam Payne’s fortune left behind is reportedly worth £24.3 million,” Mr Ridge explains. “Alongside his successful music career, he has co-owned and co-founded various ventures, including music publishing and real estate companies.
“It has been reported that more than half of his fortune is set to go to his son, Bear, though details about the remaining portion of the estate have not been confirmed.”
READ MORE: Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate makes candid mental health admission amid inheritance dramaREAD MORE: Cheryl ‘makes huge decision’ for son Bear about Liam Payne’s fortune
What about Bear’s inheritance?
Liam’s young son, Bear – who he shared with former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl – is now expected to inherit the bulk of his father’s estate. But as Mr Ridge explains, that doesn’t mean the child will gain immediate access to the cash.
“In the UK, the minimum age to legally inherit directly is 18,” Ridge says. “Assets for a minor beneficiary are held on trust until they reach that age.
Article continues below
“However, if there is a will, then depending upon how that will is drafted, the testator can seek to create a situation whereby a beneficiary or beneficiaries must reach a certain age beyond 18 to potentially access their inheritance.
He wanted to make sure Bear was looked after(Image: Daily Record)
Could Liam’s estate be challenged?
While Liam wasn’t married at the time of his death, his girlfriend Kate Cassidy may still have grounds to claim part of the fortune, Mr Ridge warns – especially given that no legal will was left.
“As Liam has not left a will, with UK intestacy rules, his son Bear will most likely claim the entire estate as there is no spouse or siblings,” Mr Ridge explains.
“However, this can be contested on certain grounds, which can often be the case in substantial estates, as seen with high-profile figures like Michael Jackson’s will, Nelson Mandela’s, J. Howard Marshall II and Jimi Hendrix.
“Disputes often arise when individuals feel they have been unfairly excluded or believe they received less than they need.”
So could Kate Cassidy challenge the estate?
“Under UK law, individuals who were financially dependent on the deceased may have grounds to claim reasonable financial provision, even if they are not married,” says Mr Ridge.
“This means that his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, could potentially be considering a claim. Such claims are complex and subject to many legal conditions and evidential requirements.
Article continues below
“The challenge would need to be initiated within six months of the Grant of Letters of Administration, so time is a critical factor here.”
With such a sizeable estate and a high-profile name, Mr Ridge warns that without a will, disputes are almost inevitable.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has called for building stronger institutions and attitudinal change on the part of every Nigerian at all levels to win the war against the menace of endemic corruption impeding the country’s growth and development.
Represented by the Director General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi, the former EFCC Chairman disclosed this on Saturday while delivering the 9th Oba Sikiru Adetona Annual Professorial Lecture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, with the theme “Corruption and National Security: Impacts and Consequences.”
The NSA said that the theme of the annual professorial lecture is deeply relevant to the country’s current reality, as corruption undermines the very fabric of the state’s legitimacy, weakens institutions, and diverts critical resources that are meant to develop the country.
“We can not talk about the insecurity in Nigeria without acknowledging that corruption has played a role in eroding public trust, compromising law enforcement effectiveness, and in some cases enabling impunity,” he said.
“Whether it is the diversion of funds meant for military hardware or the undermining of due process in arms procurement, the impact is a clear weakening of national capacity to respond to the threat”.
Ribadu, however, said that the country’s security and corruption challenges are not beyond redemption, but the path to their resolution runs through the corridor of integrity, leadership, and institutional reforms.
“Therefore, we must fight corruption not by responding but by building a strong system that prevents corruption itself,” he added.
“Arrest and prosecution of corrupt officials in Nigeria are only reactive, we must build a system that will make it impossible for the people to be corrupt even if they want to be.
“Corruption is endemic in the country; it cuts across individuals, too, not government alone. So the fight must be institutional and attitudinal.
“People must resolve to fight corruption, it cannot only be the government, the people must join in the fight too, because they also must not take, must also not give, what is our common wealth must not be stolen by anyone. The fight must start from all of us, not for the government alone,” he said.
Ribadu also said that the country is deploying all its arsenals to combat its security challenge. According to him, due to the nation’s superior firepower, over 160,000 Boko Haram combatants have surrendered, more than 300 commanders neutralised, while another 2,500 insurgents have been rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.
He said that the government of President Bola Tinubu recognised that security is no longer the exclusive domain of the military and has therefore always called for the support of all, including the local governance, civil society religious leaders, traditional institutions, youth, women groups, private sector and technology partners to achieve a more secure nation.
READ ALSO: Ghana Ex-Security Chief Charged Over Siphoned Millions
Ribadu equally saluted the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, describing him as a legend, a courageous and visionary leader who is always known to be standing for the truth and the fight against corruption and misgovernance.
Paying special tribute to the royal father, Ribadu described Oba Adetona as a traditional ruler par excellence, a very courageous voice in the fight against corruption, and chief promoter of good governance.
The NSA said, “Oba Adetona’s selfless service to humanity, enduring support for education, and commitment to good governance stand as a beacon of visionary leadership.
“At 90 years of age, Kabiyesi remains an extraordinary symbol of dignity, wisdom, and peace. May his reign continue to be long, impactful, and crowned with tranquility.”
Speaking at the event, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of OOU, Oluwatoyin Ashiru, described Oba Adetona as a living legend in leadership and traditional royalty
He said, “Kabiyesi’s impact on Olabisi Onabanjo University is monumental. He is, without exaggeration, our most generous individual benefactor.
“His endowment fund laid the foundation for the now-renowned Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona School for Governance Studies. But he didn’t stop there.
“He gave us buildings, residences, a multipurpose hall, a Vice-Chancellor’s Lodge, and even upgraded the roads on campus.”
Ashiru said that the School of Governance, donated by the royal father, which has now been taken over by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos, has consistently grown in leaps and bounds, contributing immensely to nation-building through different capacity-building training and workshops.
The Pro-Chancellor stated that “What makes Kabiyesi’s legacy especially powerful is not just his generosity, but the values he lives by. For over six decades, he has stood for integrity, truth, and moral courage.
“He has taught us that tradition and transparency can go hand in hand — that a leader must not only wear a crown but also carry a conscience”.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Deji Agboola, also described the Awujale as a royal icon, an enigma, a philanthropist, a committed educationist, and a courageous leader who has successfully written in the annals of the country’s history a highly inspirational story to inspire generations yet unborn to embrace selfless service.
Agboola prayed the Almighty God to further preserve Oba Sikiru Adetona to celebrate many more glorious years in sound health and peace of mind.
File: Governor Dapo Abiodun
Congratulating the royal father on his 91st birthday, the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu explained that Oba Adetona’s majestic reign has not only been defined by longevity but by legacy of wisdom, courage and uncommon progressive and visionary leadership.
Gov Abiodun said that Awujale, for over six decades, has continually served as a moral compass and highly respected custodian of culture whose noble and selfless contributions to building a virile, prosperous, and democratic Nigeria are worthy of emulation by all.
The governor said that the state and the country at large would continue to celebrate the monarch for being a beacon of good governance, selfless service, statesmanship, and a role model of uncommon standing, praying that the Almighty God will further preserve the royal father for many more fruitful years.
The Chairperson, Governing Board of the Professorial Chair in Governance, Adetoun Adetona-Daramola, who represented Oba Adetona at the event, lauded the organiser of the lecture while urging everyone to prioritise integrity and truthfulness to move the country forward
Other dignitaries at the annual lecture were the Ogbeni Oja of Ijebu land and former Chairman, Governing Council of OOU, Dr Sunny Kuku, the Olota of Ota, Oba Prof Abdulkabir Obalanlege, the Ebumawe of Ago Iwoye, Oba Abdulrasaq Adenugba, among others.
