Naira
EFCC arraigns three for contract scam in Kaduna
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Wednesday, arraigned the trio of Abdulmumin Ohikwo, Usaini Shehu and Rilwanu Abdullahi before Justice Tukur Muazu of the Kaduna State High Court, Kaduna, on a 10-count charge of obtaining by false pretense. The defendants allegedly conspired among themselves to defraud the complainants under the pretext of helping them procure contracts with Jigawa State Government. Investigation revealed that the defendants obtained the total sum of N2, 310,000 (Two Million Three Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira) only from the complainants by falsely representing that they are in a position to procure contract for them. One of the charges reads, “that you Abdulmumin Ohokwo, Usaini Shehu and Rilwanu Abdullahi sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this...
CBN donates relief items to IDPs in Borno
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Maiduguri branch, on Monday donated relief items worth Millions of Naira to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the State. Presenting the Items, Alhaji Lawan Tijjani Kanuriyana, the CBN Maiduguri Branch Controller, said that the gesture is to support displaced families at this critical time of needs. Kanuriyana said that that the items which included 300 bags of rice, 151 cartons of Indomie, 20 cartons of maggi, 31 cartons of tomatoes, 151 cartons of spaghetti, 150 bags of semovita, 20 cartons of vegetable oil and 11 cartons of salts would be given to the IDPs. Responding, Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, the Director General of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), lauded the bank for the donation, noting that it would go a long way to providing succor to ...
ASUSS lauds Nigerian government over recognition as legal trade union
The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) has commended the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity for granting recognition to the trade union in spite of an alleged deregistration plot against it by a rival union. ASUSS also saluted the Supreme Court of Nigeria for proving the judiciary as the last hope of the common man by upholding its appeal in a judgment delivered on January 15, where it held that ASUSS’ registration did not contravene the trade union statutes. This was contained in a statement entitled “A Woeful Cry; Agony Of A Loser” signed by ASUSS National Secretary Sola Adigun and made available to reporters in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday . Adigun, who doubles as the ASUSS Chairman in Ekiti, upbraided the national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) for m...
Bayelsa governor: 2.5% revenue for host communities ‘unacceptable’ to Niger Delta
Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa on Tuesday proposed that 10 per cent of derived oil revenue be provided in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) for the host communities. Mr Diri, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, said this on Tuesday during a townhall meeting on the bill with members of the National Assembly in Yenagoa. The governor said the 2.5 per cent revenue proposed for the host communities in the PIB was grossly inadequate and unacceptable to the people of the Niger Delta. He argued that if the National Assembly members saw firsthand the level of environmental degradation and its attendant effects on the people, they would not hesitate to increase it from 10 per cent. Mr Diri stressed that the PIB was critical in addressing issues such as unemployment, lack of tran...
#ENDSARS: Group urges youths to end proposed protest in Lagos
The Committee of Youths on Mobilisation and Sensitisation (CYMS) has urged Nigerian youths to boycott the proposed protest in the interest of peace and socioeconomic stability that were affected after the 2020 “ENDSARS PROTEST”. The Lagos State coordinator, CYMS, Leonard Obasi, disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Friday in Abuja. To counter the proposed Feb. 13 protest #OccupyLekkiTollGate at the tollgate plaza, some youths had announced a #DefendLagos rally to hold at the same venue. The plan to #OccupyLekkiTollGate came barely a day after the controversial ruling of the Lagos Judicial panel of inquiry to reopen the Lekki Tollgate. Obasi said that this has become compelling owing to reports of a planned protest by what he described as some self-centered elements who were he...
Archbishop Sam Zuga: CBN lacks power to stop cryptocurrency
Archbishop Sam Zuga has reacted to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) new order on Cryptocurrency. The Apex bank had directed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and other financial institutions to close accounts of persons who are using their systems for cryptocurrency trading. Reacting to the shocking news, Archbishop Sam Zuga, the CEO of one of Africa’s fastest growing currency, Zugacoin expressed his disappointments at the CBN’s decision, while allaying the fears of Zugacoin investors and intending buyers. According to the Cleric’s message obtained from his social media page, “Cryptocurrency doesn’t need bank account to operate or exist.” He wrote, ”RICH PEOPLE WANT THE POOR TO REMAIN POOR. NOT AGAIN! This is is not news. It has been like this since the beginning of Cryptocurrency. But right n...
Economist: Official exchange rate may depreciate to N420 to the dollar
The managing director of Financial Derivatives Company, Bismarck Rewane, has projected that the naira will depreciate to N420 against the dollar on the official window by the end of 2021. Rewane was speaking at a virtual event tagged ‘Vantage Forum 2021’, organised by The Elevation Church (TEC) on Saturday. The economist also projected that the naira will exchange at N470 to the dollar at the parallel market. At present, the naira trades at N480/$ at the parallel market and N380 at the official rate operated by the Central Bank of Nigeria. This, he said, is based on a worst-case scenario where Nigeria produces 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) with an inflation rate of 16.15 percent in the full year. “In the worst-case scenario, it goes the other way, in all cases you find that the average...
Sunday Igboho: Why Ibarapa residents rejected Fulani herders
Yoruba freedom fighter, Chief Sunday Adeyemo aka Igboho, who issued a seven-day eviction notice to Fulani herders that had been terrorising residents of Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State has said the threat of arrest can never be used to intimidate him. He said this in a viral video that was just released. Narrating what happened in Igangan in a video, he said all the suspected Fulani herders that were handed over to the police were released after a DPO got a directive from above (Abuja)”. “God will not allow the destruction of Yorubaland. These herders, after holding their kidnap victims, would be asking the females among them to undress and rape them. Anyone they kidnapped, the least ransom they collect is N10m.” “Imagine the case of that Dr Aborode that they killed recent...
Benue governor: Quit notice to Bishop Kukah a recipe for disintegration
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has warned that the quit notice by a muslim group demanding the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah to tender an unreserved apology over his Christmas Day message or leave Sokoto State, is capable of causing the disintegration of the country. The Governor however enjoined all Nigerians, irrespective of religious and political inclinations, to uphold unity, peace and dialogue as panacea for the myriad of problems confronting the country. Reacting to the statement, the Governor who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary Terver Akase said the group’s statement was a contradiction of provisions of the Constitution which gives Nigerians the right to live freely in any part of the country. Ortom added that the statement of the group directing...
PDP raps President Buhari over performance claims
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday berated President Muhammadu Buhari over his stewardship in the past five years, saying he has failed to justify the confidence reposed in him by Nigerians. This is even as the party noted Mr. President’s “illusory self-assessment” has validated its position that “he has since abandoned governance for the luxury and pleasures of Aso Presidential villa, having lost sync with the reality of the devastation his incompetent administration has brought to our nation in the last five years.” In a statement signed by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP insisted “that every fair criticism of Buhari’s administration only reveals a litany of failures and a reversal of fortune for our country in the last five years,” adding that, “it is unfortunate tha...
Mobile courts convict 76 traffic offenders in Plateau, Nasarawa
Federal Road Safety Corps Zone 4 Command, comprising Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa States has convicted 76 traffic offenders during the end of the year operations. The Zonal Commanding Officer Zone RS4, Jos, Assistant Corps Marshal Kayode Olagunju, said the Special Patrol Operation which is still ongoing till 15 January, 2021 is necessitated due to the usual increased mobility, Road Traffic Law Violations and Crashes associated with the Yuletide period. In a press statement issued by the Route Commander and Acting Zonal Public Education Officer Zone RS4, Jos, RC Olusegun Owoeye said all commanding officer in the zone have been directed to ensure prompt and prosecution of traffic offenders. He has directed all Commanding Officers in the Zone to ensure prompt arrest and prosecution of traffic ...
NANS: Nigerian government’s 2021 budget for education worst in 10 years
The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Com. Sunday Asefon, has frowned at the 2021 budgetary provision for education under President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as the worst in the last ten years in the country. Disturbed by the neglect of the education sector, which was apportioned with a paltry of 5.6 percent in the 2021 budget and the high level of insecurity in the country, NANS has planned to organise a Security and Education Summit to partner stakeholders on how to arrest the drift in the two critical sectors Asefon said this in Ado-Ekiti, on Thursday, during a courtesy visit to the office of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Correspondents’ Chapel, Ekiti chapter. He said: “I condemn totally, the federal government’s 2021 budgetary provision to edu...
