NAGASAKI — A decades-long driver of a Mazda RX-7 sports car fulfilled a pledge to turn in her license on her birthday on Dec. 18 and passed the vehicle along to its maker.

At the ceremony held in a local Mazda dealership, Nagasaki resident Naoko Nishimoto commented with her hand on the hood, “Thank you so much for the 25 years we have shared our lives together, ‘Seven.'”

“Seven” is the name she gave her beloved coupe.

When Nishimoto was working as a clerk at the age of 55, she was looking to buy a new car and fell in love with the RX-7 when she first happened to see it in the anime series “Initial D”. “Its outline is beautiful,” she thought. She immediately bought a brand-new silver model for around 3 million yen (about $19,300 at the current rate).

After she had used the vehicle for daily outings like trips to the supermarket and racked up about 77,500 kilometers over 25 years of use, she made up her mind to give up her driver’s license in December 2022, when she turned 78. After her search for the car’s next owner was reported in the news, Mazda Motor Corp. put in an application.

A young designer at Mazda gave Nishimoto a sketch of the adored cruiser during the ceremony. “The RX-7 was the first car I was responsible for marketing after joining the company. Ms. Nishimoto lovingly drove this car for 25 years, and we will maintain and handle it with care from here on,” Mazda President Masahiro Moro wrote in a letter that was also passed to her.

“For the two years after I decided to let it go, I had particularly fond memories of riding in Seven to photograph seasonal flowers and scenery. I loved the feeling of oneness with the car,” Nishimoto said.

The car will hereafter undergo maintenance before beginning its second life as a promotional vehicle.

The RX-7 integrated Mazda’s technical prowess and included a high output, low noise and vibration rotary engine. Around 810,000 of the vehicles were produced between 1978 and 2002. Having plenty of overseas fans, the car was featured in “Fast and Furious,” and it has been immortalized in the street-racing manga, anime and game series “Initial D” as the car owned by the protagonist’s rival.

Afam Osigwe, president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), says it is unconstitutional for members of the cabinet or governors to be giving gifts to judges.

Osigwe spoke on Thursday during Politics HQ, a programme on News Central TV.

The NBA president’s comments came months after Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), announced the construction of quarters for judges in Abuja.

In September, the FCT minister flagged off the construction of 40 houses for judges in Abuja, which sparked a public outrage.

He said 20 of the houses, when completed, would be allocated to judges of the FCT high court, while 10 would be given to the judges of the federal high court and 10 to those of the court of appeal.

Kindly follow Ekwutosblog for verified News and Current Affairs in addition to insightful contents that inform, inspire, educate and entertain you always.

The Kaduna Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has achieved an unprecedented revenue milestone, recording a 98.79% increase in collections between January and November 2024.

The Command generated ₦28.4 billion during this period, a significant rise from the ₦14.3 billion collected in the same period of 2023.

In a press statement signed Thursday, 5 December 2024, the Command’s spokesperson, Ridwan Yusuf, on behalf of Tijjani Abe, said, “In November alone, the Command set a new record, generating over ₦4 billion—its highest-ever monthly revenue.”

The revenue was sourced from three main streams: Import Duty (₦14.1 billion), Excise Duty (₦6.2 billion), and Fees and Others (₦8 billion). Key contributors included three excise factories—Leaf Tobacco & Commodity Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Breweries Plc (Kakuri and Kudenda), and Seven-Up Bottling Company—as well as the Inland Dry Port in Kakuri, Kaduna.

The Controller of the Command, Comptroller Tijjani Abe, attributed the achievement to strategic reforms and initiatives led by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.

He also acknowledged the critical support of sister agencies, including the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS), in facilitating this exceptional performance.

“The Kaduna Area Command remains committed to maintaining this momentum, improving revenue collection efficiency, and fostering a trade-friendly environment within its jurisdiction,” Comptroller Abe stated.