Trump orders probe of Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, other celebrities over Kamala Harris endorsement

United States President Donald Trump said Monday he would launch a “major investigation” into his 2024 election rival Kamala Harris over celebrities who backed her failed run for the White House.

“Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for endorsements, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment,” he posted on his Truth Social platform.

“I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter.”

Winfrey justified the Harris campaign’s $1 million payment to her production business to cover the costs of hosting the presidential contender.

Harris’s team, however, denied paying music superstar Beyoncé $10 million to attend a rally.

In its financial filings to an environmental advocacy group, the Harris campaign listed one endorsement-related expenditure of $75. Harris attempted to use celebrity endorsements from Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey during the election campaign.

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Trump, who easily won the election, garnered little support from the entertainment sector as a whole but did tap into a certain subset of well-known, hypermasculine influencers, including podcast host Joe Rogan.

On Monday, the president targeted Beyoncé, Winfrey, and Bruce Springsteen, accusing Harris of paying the renowned rock artist to play at a Georgia rally weeks before the election.

“How much did Kamala Harris pay Bruce Springsteen for his poor performance during her campaign for president?” he wrote.

“Why did he accept that money if he is such a fan of hers?”

Last week, Trump went to Truth Social to criticise Springsteen after the singer informed a British concert crowd that his country is now run by a “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration”.

In response, the 78-year-old Republican claimed the star, known as “the Boss”, is “highly overrated”.

Springsteen, an outspoken liberal critic of Trump, supported Harris after she replaced Democratic President Joe Biden in his failed reelection effort.

Trump orders probe of Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, other celebrities over Kamala Harris endorsement

Coscharis Motors celebrates Corona School at 70 with Geely brand

Coscharis Motors has celebrated Corona School which recently marked its 70th anniversary.

A funfair organised by the Parents Teachers Association as one of the activities for the anniversary held on the school’s Lekki premises in Lagos provided the opportunity for Coscharis to add glamour to the event.

The auto company, which specifically lined up an array of the Geely models, said the display was aimed at adding value and colour to celebrating the achievements of the school for over seven decades.

Abiona Babarinde, the Group General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Coscharis Group, said, “We are excited to be a part of this celebration given the heritage and legacy in the making with its alignment to the Coscharis brand vision of remaining timeless in its relevance and the Geely vision of richer and fuller lives for individuals and a brighter future for all; this shared passion of continuity, innovation and sustainability makes it the perfect partnership.”

He said further that given the uniqueness of the 70th anniversary celebration and the characteristics of the parents, it was only proper to support the event with an automotive brand that focuses on making people’s life better by delivering on both their aspirations and practical needs without compromise.

A statement by the firm said the partnership offered both existing customers and prospects an opportunity to experience the Geely vehicles on display including the latest Okavango and Coolray with favourable pricing, extendable beyond the event day plus a 6 year or 200,000 km warranty, whichever comes first.

While the New Coolray comes with an intelligent driving system including features such as lane keeping assistance, blind spot detection, and automatic parking assistance for a safer and more convenient driving experience; the Okavango is Geely’s largest SUV and has an industry-leading space utilization rate that maximizes interior space.

The 7 seats can be fully folded, providing an expansive yet functional loading space.

Commenting on the event and Coscharis Motors’ participation, Solomon Kadiri, the Parent-Teacher-Association Chairman, Corona School, expressed his excitement about the partnership, tactical offers and experience of the Geely brands on display.

“We are elated to partner with Coscharis Motors for our funfair event. This partnership shows our dedication to continually give our families exceptional experiences and opportunities outside the normal educational and business environments.”

He added that this collaboration provided a unique opportunity to celebrate strong commitments to education, innovation and community development.

PSN Lagos condemns NMA’s ultimatum over consultant pharmacist cadre

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Lagos State Branch, has strongly condemned recent declarations by the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), labeling their communique as aggressive, hostile, and a threat to professional equity in the Nigerian healthcare system.

This development follows a position paper by NMA Lagos expressing dissatisfaction with Chief Executive Officers of two federal health institutions in Lagos who complied with federal circulars implementing the Consultant Pharmacist Cadre.

The NMA Lagos rejected the appointments of Consultant Pharmacists, issuing an ultimatum to the CEOs involved to reverse the appointments or face a potential warning strike by its members in those institutions.

The NMA further mandated its leadership to write to the Federal Ministry of Health, cautioning against the implementation of the Consultant Pharmacist Cadre nationwide and warning other medical directors contemplating similar moves.

In a statement signed by it’s Chairman, PSN Lagos, Babayemi Oyekunle, it criticized the NMA’s stance as a continuation of a long-standing culture of “medical elitism” and “institutional arrogance,” which it says undermines the collaborative ethos of modern healthcare.

According to the PSN, the idea that only physicians should be eligible for specialist recognition contradicts international standards. Consultant Pharmacists, it argued, have long been recognized in the health systems of the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and even parts of Africa such as South Africa, Ghana, and Sierra Leone.

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The PSN Lagos insisted that the Consultant Pharmacist Cadre enhances patient safety, medication management, and chronic disease treatment, stressing that global healthcare systems emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration and task-sharing models to achieve universal health coverage. It accused the NMA Lagos of relying on unproven rhetoric instead of data to support its opposition to Consultant Pharmacists, calling such tactics amateurish and baseless.

Providing historical context, the PSN detailed the approval process of the Consultant Pharmacist Cadre, dating back to 2011 when the National Council of Establishment (NCE) first approved the cadre. The NCE reaffirmed its position in 2020, leading to a series of circulars from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), which provided detailed guidelines for implementation.

Despite this, the PSN lamented the continued resistance from some quarters, including state-level sabotage. The association accused the Lagos State Ministry of Health of attempting to undermine pharmacists by altering designations and restricting leadership positions in proposed agencies to physicians, contrary to existing laws such as the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) Act, 2022.

The PSN also referenced attempts to rebrand the Lagos State College of Medicine as a medical university, potentially excluding other health professionals from leadership positions. These moves, it argued, form part of a systemic campaign to dominate the healthcare space at the expense of inclusivity and competence.

The PSN Lagos, vowed to continue advocating for equity in the health sector and warned that it would not hesitate to respond in full force, alongside other stakeholders, if the federal government yields to what it described as the NMA’s “theatrics.” It called on well-meaning Nigerians to resist attempts to stifle other health professions and to demand a just and collaborative approach to healthcare reform.

PSN Lagos condemns NMA’s ultimatum over consultant pharmacist cadre