News

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

The Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasiru Ahmad El-Rufa’i has ordered ministries, agencies and departments in the state to accept old and new currency.

In a statement signed by the Special Adviser, Media and Communication, Mr. Muyiwa Adekeye said that, “In line with the subsisting order of the Supreme Court, the Kaduna State Government has directed its ministries, departments and agencies to ensure that their collection agents continue to accept payments made in all denominations of the naira, old and new”.

It further stated that “the laws of Kaduna State do not allow personnel of government agencies to be involved in cash collection of revenues. The collection agents authorised by state government agencies do offer citizens a route for cash payment, and are expected to comply with the subsisting court order”.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari on working for the defeat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming presidential election.

In an audio recording, Ganduje was quoted in Hausa saying, “President Buhari should remember that for several times he was trying to contest Presidency but he could not make it until there was an alliance , but now after enjoying everything , he turned back against the same democratic system that saw him to office.”

This is coming from Ganduje after Buhari’s address to the nation on Tuesday. Buhari had in his address poignantly refused to obey the Supreme Court order on the extension of time for the use of old Naira notes. A move Ganduje and other APC stalwarts believe jeopardises their chances in the February election.

Ganduje then criticised and counselled the president thus: “I wonder why the President is hellbent in making the same Party that helped him to win elections lose out, what did we do to him that he is this ignorant on several advice forwarded to him.”

“This same Buhari he contested again and again but he couldn’t win not until there was an alliance, now he wins and win again for the second term, but now that he is living, he wants to cripple the same Party that brought him to power why?

“This Currency Swap Policy, why didn’t the President bring it seven and a half years ago or after elections, but now one must be compelled to think that there is an ulterior motive in the whole thing.”

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

An umbrella organization for banking sector employees, the Association of Senior Employees of Banks, Insurers and Financial Institutions, revealed that banks lost N5 billion as a result of demonstrators’ attacks on assets due to naira scarcity.

Oluwole Olusoji, the group’s president, revealed this on Thursday in Lagos.

He also lamented that the attacks by demonstrators had affected 17 commercial banks.

He explained that in addition to attacks on bank employees, bank premises and ATMs were set on fire.

He said, “We call on the public to desist from threatening or attacking our members or destroying our properties as they will be only proverbially cutting their noses to spite their faces. We can only give what we have been provided with and nothing more.”

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

The governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, states that the All Progressive Congress’ (APC) popularity has been harmed by fuel and naira scarcity.

Akeredolu begged President Muhammadu Buhari to give the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, the appropriate instructions to reverse the naira redesign policy right away.

He said this while meeting with members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), led by Seyi Tinubu, the son of the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in Akure, the capital of Ondo state.

He said, “We have a problem we are facing in this country today. Our rating as a party is not that favourable.

“Let’s not deceive ourselves. Must it be now that we will have this financial policy?

“How? Fuel and everything? Things are not easy. This policy is not right at this time. It should be reversed.

“Reserve it and tell CBN that we are reversing it. Let old, and new notes co-exist.”

So far, there have been reports of Nigerians taking to the streets to protest the scarcity of naira notes, leading to the burning down of some bank branches in Delta State.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to inaugurate the Commission’s Integrity Club in a Lagos secondary school.

On Wednesday, the Lagos Command of the EFCC said the inauguration of its Integrity Club in Crescent College, Lagos, is in line with its strategic objectives to continuously enlighten and reorientate the youth about the menace of economic and final crimes commission.

The EFCC made the promise to the students during the former’s visit to the Lagos Command of the EFCC. 

Addressing the students, the Deputy Zonal Commander, Lagos Zonal Command, Emeka Okonjo, urged the students to join the EFCC Integrity Club. He said joining the Club affords them an opportunity to become ambassadors of the Commission in the anti-graft campaign.

He said,  “We want you, the leaders of tomorrow, to join in the campaign against economic and financial crimes and become change agents in your environment, schools, churches and mosques.

“We want you to join hands with us to tell everyone that integrity, honesty and hard work are the sure routes to living a successful life”.

A representative of the school, Shukrah Odunola, expressed profound gratitude to the EFCC for honouring the school invitation, adding that the lunch of the integrity club in the school would go a long way in ensuring that the students “are enlightened on the consequences of corruption in the society and Nigerian as a whole.”

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The National Universities Commission ( NUC), has approved a new university for Kano State.

Consequent of the approval, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso is now a university of education.

On Tuesday in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abubakar A. Rasheed, presented the letter of recognition of the institution to Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje .

Ganduje said, the new university was part of his administration’s efforts to meet the growing demand for education in the state.

According to him, the university, which is the third under Kano State, has 116 lecturers with PhDs.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 
 
Service outages were observed by some MTN subscribers throughout Nigeria.
 
It was learned that the subscribers were unable to make a phone call, use the internet, and SMS services offered by the mobile network operator.
 
The telecom provider expressed its regret for the inconveniences in a tweet that read, “Due to an unexpected technical issue, some customers have difficulty using our services at this time.
 
“Work is ongoing to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
 
“We regret all the inconveniences this may cause.”

By Aisar Fagge

The Dangote Group Tuesday has bagged the First Runner-Up award at the just concluded 44th Kaduna International Trade Fair in Kaduna State.

The group was awarded for its enormous contribution in buoying investment opportunities across Africa through numerous businesses and philanthropic forays.

The Dangote Group made the disclosure in a news release issued to journalists on Monday.

The statement disclosed that Professor Umar Dantsoho, an economist, while speaking to journalists on the event, said the Dangote Industries Limited has been creating investment and job opportunities for Africans through its cement establishments in Nigeria and in Africa.

He said the key to developing the African economy is through the growth of the manufacturing sector, which is a major preoccupation of the company.

The statement added that, “Only recently, Dangote Industries Limited sealed a fresh deal of six million tons per annum with China Sinoma International Engineering which will strengthen local and African production to 57.6 million tons per annum.

“Aside government, Dangote Group is adjudged the biggest employer of labor in Nigeria.

“Speaking also Second Vice President of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA). Alhaji Faruk Suleiman, commended the company for creating opportunities across Africa, adding that the upcoming Dangote petrochemical refinery will change the face of the African economy.

“General Manager, Sales, Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) North-West, Alhaji Abdulsalam Waya said the conglomerate would continue to provide opportunities for all willing Nigeria to invest as distributors or as investors in the stock market.

“He added that the theme for this year’s Trade Fare: Value Addition for Sustainable Growth and Development is apt, as Dangote Cement exports its product to several African countries, thereby creating jobs and opportunities across the value chain.

“The company is the major sponsor of the 44th annual event.

“Speaking, President of KADCCIMA Alhaji Suleiman Aliyu described the partnership with Dangote as very important for deepening commercial activities in the country.

“He said the support of the Dangote Group towards the success of the Fair cannot be quantified.

“Speaking to newsmen, the Director General of the Chamber Mr. Usman Saulawa said the Dangote Group is a major sponsor of this year’s Trade Fair and has been sponsoring the annual event.

“He said Dangote Group has been playing the role of supporter and partner for many years. It participation has been adding value to the Chamber.”

“The DG described this year’s fair as unique as there would be a Business Roundtable session that will further help deepens business opportunities for participants.

“The companies that participated under Dangote Industries Limited are Dangote Cement, Dangote Sugar, NASCON, Dangote Fertiliser, and Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Limited.

“A statement from the Corporate Communication Department of the Dangote Group said participants who seek to do business with any of the company’s subsidiaries can avail themselves of such opportunity through a special help desk at the pavilion.

“It described Kaduna State as one of the biggest markets in the country, given its historical position as the political capital of Northern Nigeria,” the statement added.

By Muhammadu Sabiu

Turkish officials reportedly issued arrest warrants or detained about 113 people who were allegedly involved in some illegal construction methods six days after earthquakes caused buildings to collapse and lost of many lives.

According to CNN, at least 12 people, including building contractors, have already been detained by Turkish authorities. Reports have it that rescue operations have been hampered in some areas due to protests in southern Turkey. More than 33,000 fatalities in Turkey and Syria have now been officially confirmed.

The arrests of building contractors, according to CNN on Monday, were perceived by many as a move by the Turkish government to shift full responsibility for the catastrophe.

According to findings before the natural disaster occurred, it was expected that the destroyed structures were built to withstand earthquakes. Since many new buildings in Turkey are unsafe because of widespread corruption and government practices, experts have been warning about this for years.

In order to promote a construction boom, including in earthquake-prone areas, those rules permitted so-called amnesties for contractors who flouted building regulations.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The presiding pastor of an Abuja church, Pastor Uche Ugbe, has brought himself to great disrepute and backlash after he took gun to the church on Sunday.

Pastor Ugbe, while on the altar addressing christian faithfuls, had an AK-47 dangling from his shoulder.

He was reported to have said he came to church prepared because some people are looking for his trouble

However, his action do not sit well with many Nigerians and they have taken to different social media platforms to lambast him.

Abdullahi O. Haruna, a journalist and public affairs analyst, described his action as insensitive.

Haruna said, “Yes, he is not a security guy,
He is a pastor wielding unabashedly this weapon of death, to a congregation that had children, exuberant youths, not minding the sensitivity. He reigns with such impunity. Don’t worry, this is Nigeria. Anything goes…”

Another Facebook user, Nasir Muhammad Salis, said, “I can’t fathom the high level of panic or tension some people will ignite in the country if this was Sheikh Gumi or Sheikh Pantami. But now, they are ignoring it. I don’t see, in my view, any justification for this childish dramatic action!”

Other persons have described him as silly, childish and attention-seeking.

As at the time of writing this report, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), is yet to comment on the illegal possession of firearm by the pastor.

Interestingly, the Nigerian Police Force has also been conspicuously silent on the issue.