₦airaland Forum

There is no doubt that the world of money and finance is transforming before our eyes as digitised assets and innovative financial channels, instruments and systems are creating new paradigms for financial transaction and alternative capital.

But just like it did when the popular ponzi scheme, Mavrodi Mondial Movement, simply known as MMM was in vogue in the country, the CBN has called on Nigerians not to fall into the temptation of the crypto currency called bitcoin.

The apex bank said the virtual currencies are not legal lenders in Nigeria, and are unacceptable just as it called on financial institutions not to transact businesses in the currencies and anyone who does such, is at its own risk.

Digital currency bitcoin sold at $1000 in January 2017 and hit an all-time high of more than $19,000 in December.

Currently, the price of bitcoin has been stagnated in the last two weeks and financial experts around the world continue to discourage investors.

In recent times, the rise in popularity of cryptocurrencies has been attracting the attention of investors in the global market, whilst it has remained a concern to regulators of financial institutions.

From the United States (US) to other countries in Europe and Asia, the allure to cryptocurrencies has continued to increase.

Indeed, investors in cryptocurrencies have been riding a tremendous bull run as it outpaced global stock market returns by huge margins last year.

Read the full report here.

A Federal High Court Abuja presided by the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Adamu Abdul-Kafarati, Thursday dismissed an application challenging the designation of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organization.

Justice Kafarati said the application was unmeritorious, and accordingly was dismissed.

More so, Justice Kafarati awarded N500,000 as fine against IPOB.

Justice Kafarati had on September 20, made an ex parte order declaring IPOB as a terrorist organisation.

The application filed by Ifeanyi Ejiofor on behalf of IPOB also challenged the proscription of the group by the Federal Government.

Read the full story here.

The House of Representatives Thursday resolved to investigate the loss of $21 billion, about N7.6 trillion, crude oil revenue to International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the country.

Consequently, the House resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the development and report back to it for further legislative action.

The resolution followed the consideration and adoption of a motion under matters of urgent public importance, moved by Honourable Sunday Marshall Katung (PDP, Kaduna), urging the House to ascertain the whereabouts of billion of dollars of oil revenue unaccounted for.

The Committee is also expected to investigate the operation of the Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as well as require the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu to provide details of financial transactions between the NNPC and the IOCs during the period when the losses occurred.

Read the full story here.

Insurers will have to pay claims of around $135 billion for 2017.

This is the worst ever following a spate of hurricanes, earthquakes and fires in North America, according to a report published on Thursday.

German reinsurer, Munich Re, in its annual natural catastrophe review, also said last year’s total losses, including those not insured, were $330 billion, the second-worst in history after 2011 when an earthquake and tsunami wreaked havoc in Japan.

Although individual events could not be linked directly to climate change, global warming is playing a role, Munich Re said.

“We have a new normal,” said Ernst Rauch, head of Munich Re’s Corporate Climate Centre, which monitors climate change risks.

“2017 was not an outlier,” he said, noting insured losses have surpassed $100 billion multiple times since 2005. “We must have on our radar the trend of new magnitudes.”

Last year’s hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in the United States and Caribbean, wildfires in California and earthquakes in Mexico destroyed homes, infrastructure and numerous lives.

It expected more frequent extreme events in future.

Read the full story here.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, says the Federal Government is working assiduously to revamp the country’s refineries to address the problems of lingering fuel crisis.

Kachikwu said this on Thursday in Abuja during a one-day public hearing of the National Assembly Joint Committees on Petroleum (Downstream), investigating the causes of recent fuel scarcity recorded across the country in December 2017.

The minister, who decried the poor state of the refineries over the years, condemned their inability to produce sufficient fuel for the country.

According to him, it is shameful that a country after over 35 years cannot produce sufficient fuel for its citizens.

“I have said that selling crude is a fairly wrong model which is akin to selling our agricultural products in the wrong way and nobody does that anywhere in the world anymore.

Read the full story here.

December 23, 2017, made it 16 years since Chief James Ajibola Idowu Ige, former Governor of old Oyo State and former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice during the presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, was brutally gunned down by assassins at his Bodija, Ibadan home in 2001.

Indeed many were the high-profile politically-motivated killings that took place during Obasanjo’s eight-year tenure, which lasted from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2007.

These unresolved murder cases include that of ex-Deputy National Chairman, South-South, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Harry Sokari Marshall.

Also assassinated during the period was the man who succeeded Marshall in office, Chief Aminasoari Dikibo.

The killing of the 2007 governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State, Chief Funsho Williams; as well as the murder of the 2007 governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress (AC) in Ogun State, Otunba Adedipupo Dina, among others, are also within memory reach.

It would be recalled that in July 17, last year, President Muhammadu Buhari had given the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, instructions to reopen investigation into the assassination of former Attorney General of the Federation as well as that of Dikibo.

He’d reportedly ordered the fishing out of their assailants – a move that drew loud plaudits for the president from many Nigerians.

Curiously however nothing has been heard regarding whether any progress has been made in respect of the presidential directive.

Read the full story here

Juan Roman Riquelme says Argentina can win the 2018 World Cup in Russia if Lionel Messi is at his best. More here.

After battling through qualifying, Jorge Sampaoli’s men are not considered among the strong favourites for Russia 2018.

However, Riquelme, who was capped 51 times by the national team, believes Argentina could contend if Messi performs, having been drawn in Group D alongside Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria.

“We hope that we do well, that the players do well and above all Messi,” the Argentinian told El Trece.

“If the latter happens, Argentina will have many chances to win. If Messi is good, nothing is complicated.

“I don’t know Sampaoli. It is important that Argentina can win the World Cup.

“We want to celebrate and when there are players as important as Messi, you depend on them a lot.”

Messi missed out on winning a sixth Ballon d’Or this year, with Cristiano Ronaldo instead joining him on a record five.

Read the full story here

Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline group, has announced its first all women cabin crew flight from Addis Ababa to Nigeria scheduled for Dec. 16.

A statement issued by the airline on Monday in Addis Ababa, a copy of which was made available to newsmen, said that from the pilots and cabin crew to in flight ramp operations, as well as flight dispatchers on ground would be women.

It said that it would also be the first time the airlines would be operating an all women flight in Africa.

According to the statement, the flight, which is expected to leave for Lagos, Nigeria from Addis Ababa on Dec. 16, will have on board some selected Nigerian journalists.

It quoted the pilot, Capt. Amsale Gualu as saying, “this flight shows us that if women get equal opportunities and work hard,  they can achieve whatever they want in all fields including the aviation industry’’.

“The all-female crew which also has Tigist Kibret as First Officer, will be flying the Boeing 777.

“In a country where few women have dared to enter the highly male-dominated profession of piloting, Captain Guale, in 2010 became the first Ethiopian female captain to fly an Ethiopian Airlines Bombardier from Addis Ababa to Gondar.

“Ethiopian airlines say it wants to promote women’s empowerment and encourage more African women to pursue aviation careers.

Read the full story here

Paralympic champion, Kadeena Cox has said the Para-athletics classification review is "not nice" but is "fair".

The 26-year-old, whose classification changed from T37 to T38 ahead of the Rio Games, has defended the system after accusations of manipulation.

Cox, who won golds in cycling and athletics in Rio, will have her T38 athletics category reviewed in 2018.

"It's not a nice process - it's exhausting and a very draining thing to go through," she told BBC Sport.

"But they want to make it as fair as possible."

Cox, who was named on the England Commonwealth Games Para-athletics team on Monday, has multiple sclerosis, which affects the nervous system.

After initially being assessed as a T37 athlete, she was re-classified to the T38 category for less-impaired athletes in the build-up to the Rio Paralympics.

In October, the International Paralympic Committee announced a revision of the Para-athletics classification system following consultation, meaning all athletes in the T31-38 categories will be assessed again next year.

The T31-38 categories include conditions that cause increased muscle tone, involuntary muscle contractions or affect muscle co-ordination, such as cerebral palsy, brain injuries, stroke or multiple sclerosis,

It means Cox and fellow Paralympic champions Sophie Hahn, Georgie Hermitage, Paul Blake and Hannah Cockroft will be among those who will have to go through the process again.

Silvio Berlusconi finally managed to sell his soccer team AC Milan, Italy’s most successful club at the international level.

After an eight-month delay, Berlusconi’s investment company Fininvest SpA concluded a 740 million-euro ($788 million) deal with Chinese investors, according to a statement Thursday.

Billionaire Paul Singer’s hedge fund manager Elliott Advisors UK Ltd agreed to provide 303 million euros of financing, according to people familiar with the matter.

Read more about how the deal went down... http://independent.ng/ac-milan-sold-to-chinese-consortium-as-silvio-berlusconis-reign-ends/

She got admitted to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UPenn, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Princeton and Stanford.

Ifeoma who attends Morris Hills High School in Denville, is now dealing with a happier problem—figuring out which of the prestigious schools she’d like to go to in order to further her education, which she thinks will be focused on global health.

Read all about here - http://independent.ng/nigerian-teenager-gets-acceptance-from-8-ivy-league-universities/

PDP matters - ‘We never asked Makarfi to step down’ – Dickson

Peoples Democratic Party Reconciliation Committee Chairman, Governor Seriake Dickson, has clarified that his committee never asked the factional Chairman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, to step down.

Dickson, in a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Francis Agbo, denied the claim, saying he was misconstrued by a media organisation.

Read the full story here - http://independent.ng/pdp-we-never-asked-makarfi-to-step-down-dickson/

Man Dies In Sex Romp With Lover In Lagos Hotel

Ebere Nwachukwu, a Lagos-based woman has been arrested and detained by the police in Ejigbo, Lagos over the death of her married lover, who died during a sex romp in a hotel in the area.

More details here... http://independent.ng/man-dies-in-sex-romp-with-lover-in-lagos-hotel/

Breaking: Senate To Investigate Saraki and Melaye Over Alleged Fake Car Documents and Certificate Scandal.

The senate committee on Ethics and Privileges is to investigate allegations level against the Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki and Senator Dino Melaye of Kogi West.

The allegations of irregularities of car importation with fake duty level against Saraki and to also probe Dino Melaye over alleged certificate scandal.

Read more here... http://independent.ng/breaking-senate-to-investigate-saraki-and-melaye-over-alleged-fake-car-documents-and-certificate-scandal/

Exoticstan:
Hi Top Upworkers! I I have been on Upwork for sometime now and doing quite well already; 5 star reviews throughout (even from some greedy Indians)100% job completion so far (they even give me free connects periodically) and what not. However, I am uncomfortable with the amount of money I make daily, considering the excess of time, and the skills/energy I have up my sleeves.

If you happen to have too much work than you can handle, or need a reliable addition to your team, you can reach out to me. My areas include:
- Editing (Near perfect; with ability to handle BrE and AmE distinctively)
- Proofreading (Over 95%)
- Content rewriting (Over 95%)
- Non-fiction e-book writing (Over 90%. Any field)
- Copywriting (90%)
- Technical writing (Over 90%)

Above all, I have excess time by my side; there's no gain in wasting it on small jobs. Feel free to outsource your jobs from me if you get choked up, or invite me when you need more hands on a mega project.
07038412535,
exoticstan@gmail.com

Kindly include the link to your upwork profile...that's the only evidence I need.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that inactive telephone numbers in the country have increased from 67,331,498 in June to 76,164,149 in July.

In its “Monthly Subscriber Data’’ report released in Lagos recently, the commission said that there were 8,832,651 unused numbers during the period, making up the total inactive lines.

It showed that of the 226,426,215 connected lines, only 150,262,066 numbers were active.

The report stated that of the 76,164,149 inactive numbers, the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks had a share of 72,732,130.

The Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA mobile) operators had a share of 3,240,313 while the Fixed Wired/Wireless networks had a total of 184,819 unused lines.

Similarly, of the 150,262,066 active lines, the GSM networks had 149,708,077 numbers, adding a total of 528,994 lines to their June number of 149,179,083 active lines.

It said that the CDMA operators had 371,613 active lines, as their active numbers reduced by 82,479 lines from the June figure of 454,092 active numbers. The fixed/wireless networks had a share of 164,114 of the active lines, reducing their June record of 170,539 by 6,425 lines in July.

In addition, the report said that the teledensity of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry also climbed to 107.33 per cent in July, compared to 107.01 per cent in June.

It said that the teledensity measured the percentage of a country’s population with access to telecommunications services as determined by the subscriber base.

The tele-density is currently calculated on a population of 140 million people. The data showed that some subscribers purchased SIM cards but dumped them after using them for some time.

see more @ http://independentnig.com/[color=#990000][/color]

Turkish top flight club Antalyaspor said on Wednesday that their star striker Samuel Eto’o would be left out of the squad until further notice in a bitter row over comments on social media.

Former Cameroon international Eto’o, who in a glittering career has turned out for Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea, had written on his Instagram account he was not being given respect for his achievements as he is black.

Eto’o had moved to Antalyaspor in June 2015 as the keystone of the club’s bid in the southern Mediterranean resort city to find national and even European success.

But his stint has turned sour in the past weeks amid intense rumours in the close season Eto’o would join Istanbul arch rivals Besiktas.

Tensions have been compounded by a dreadful start to the new season which has seen Antalyaspor reap just one point from four matches.

Eto’o had written on his Instagram account in Turkish: “Reminder — perhaps some people do not feel respect for me because I am black.”

“But I am not going to come down from the level I have reached. I have been in this game for 18 years,” he added, posting a screenshot from Wikipedia of all the cups he has won.

Eto’o did not specify to whom he was targeting his criticism but later posted another message insisting it was not directed at Antalyaspor chairman Ali Safak Ozturk.

But Antalyaspor said in a terse statement on its website that a meeting of its board had decided to leave Eto’o out of the squad until further notice.

Turkish commentators had interpreted the remarks of Eto’o as a response to apparent criticism by Ali Safak Ozturk of his performance in the early season.

“No player is above the interests of Antalyaspor. Everyone must know their place,” the chairman was quoted as saying.

Turkey is the latest stop in Eto’o’s eclectic career which has taken him to high-profile and lesser known football hotspots around the world.

He played between 2011-2013 for Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala in the Caucasus region of Dagestan before the owner pulled the plug on its ambitions.

SEE MORE @ http://independentnig.com/

Robert Offer, Angelina Jolie's lawyer said the actress filed for dissolution of marriage on Monday. He added that the decision was made for the health of the family.
"She will not be commenting, and asks that the family be given its privacy at this time," Offer added in the statement.
The couple have been together since 2004 but only married in August 2014.
The couple have six children together - Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne.

READ MORE INTERESTING NEWS @ http://independentnig..com.ng/

sarrki:
Fulani no attack u people again


You guys are attacking each other


Africans still have a long way to go

Well said!

A communal clash between New Netim and Odukpani Qua communities in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State has so far claimed one life and property razed.

Odukpani Qua natives, according to eyewitnesses, launched the attack on the New Netim community killing an unnamed 35-year old man, setting ablaze many houses, including the palace of New Netim and several cars.
Chairman of Odukpani local government council, Bassey Eyo, blamed the fracas on a land dispute and chieftaincy tussle, noting that the attack may have been pre-planned because specific houses and people were targeted.
Causes of the attack, he stressed, could be both “inter and intra,” as ?”some people right in New Netim are fighting the present village head, they prefer their former Secretary as Village head.”
The Dead body

In an interview the village head of New Netim Village, Ntufam Raphael Okpa Ita explained that “Odukpani Qua Town took us to court over the land in question and judgment was given in our favour. But, this morning they invaded my community and killed my subject in cold blood.”

The village head who survived the attack by the whiskers had his palace torched, accusing his opponents of conniving with some people in Odukpani Qua Town to wreck havoc on the community who have been contesting the chieftaincy stool with him.

His words, “I got a report that my community would be invaded. On the 24th of August this year, I wrote to security chiefs alerting them of credible information that we will be attacked. The two communities were summoned by the Police but the Odukpani Qua people denied that there was such a plan. But look at what has happened now.”
Aftermath of the Cross River Communal Clash

Reacting, the State Security Adviser, Jude Ngaji, explained: “The fracas started at about 1am to 1.30am and immediately we got the call, we deployed security men there, but before the men got there, the havoc had already been committed. The Army and Operation Skolombo, responded immediately, led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, operations, himself.

“For now the area is calm as security agents have been deployed to the area. We are asking everybody to go about their normal duties, as the police and army have taken over the place in terms of security. The culprit will be arrested as investigation continues.

SEE MORE NEWS AT http://independentnig.com/

dmgr:
i can't see any picture

stay cool..

Sowie, dunno what's wrong.

able20:
Yesterday 200 today 1,000 tomorrow maybe 1000,000 militants

I wonder where they are coming from.

A suspected kidnapper, identified as one Charles Ibeleme yesterday confessed that hardship forced him to attempt to kidnap a 9-year old boy in exchange for a bag of rice as reward around Olowu Street in Mushin Lagos.

Checks by Independent revealed that residents of Mushin foiled attempt by the kidnaper to abduct the boy and were about to apply jungle justice on him when police officers from Olosan police station saved him.

Eyewitness accounts have it that the boy, whose name is being kept secret, was sent to buy sachet water, popularly called pure water when the suspect appeared from nowhere and allegedly hypnotized him.

According to a source in the area, the boy in question is our tenant, who was sent to buy pure water and while on his way hypnotized by Ibeleme, where the boy was following the kidnapper like a zombie.

“Meanwhile, the person who sent him on an errand sighted him when the stranger accosted him. He became curious when the boy passed where he was supposed to buy the water and ran after the suspect.

“When he asked the stranger what he was doing with the boy, he claimed he was his brother.

“At that moment, the boy came back to his senses and said he did not know him. A mob descended on him, during which he admitted to be a kidnapper.

SEE MORE NEWS AT http://independentnig.com/

HtwoOw:
I dont think a state governor has the power to grant amnesty to anyone


But I may be wrong


If I am right then I suspect Rochas for being complicit in making the militants


Or maybe GEJ who was named as sponsor has paid Rochas to clean this mess up


Rochas own don dey too plenty abeg it's becoming really suspicious

I think they have the right to grant amnesty within their jurisdictions.

Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to stop blaming former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration for the current economy recession.
Bishop Kukah said President Buhari should rather work on resolving Nigeria’s economic woes.
The Cleric spoke with reporters at the Catholic Bishops Conference Dinner Night held at the International Event Centre (DOME) in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

The Bishop said, “The previous government did not only do bad things; he did a lot of good things.
“And I think the business of government is not our business; our business is if the previous government did bad, that is why we voted a new government.
“We did not vote a government to complain about yesterday. If we wanted yesterday, the new government would not be there. It is really about taking responsibility.
“No matter how much you praise or abuse Jonathan, he is not the President of Nigeria. I think that people must understand that you take power to solve problems not to agonize.

“As the head of a family, no matter how bad things are – no food in the house; you as a father cannot enter the house crying.
“It is the question of developing the mechanism, else you can’t solve the problem.
“Even my best friends in APC now realize that nobody can sing the song about Jonathan being responsible for the problems we are in.
“We are not asking you to change the whole world, but Jonathan created problems: we are now riding a train between Abuja and Kaduna now; the train was not there before.

“Things that Jonathan did that can help Nigeria, let us continue with them.
“The bad things that Jonathan did and those who deserve to go to prison should go to prison.
“But sending people to prison will only be useful if it puts bread on the table of people”.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who was at the event in his remarks stressed on the need for the government and the people to diversify the economy.
He, however, said that the only solution to the crisis rocking the country is restructuring.

SEE MORE NEWS UPDATE AT http://independentnig.com/

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state has granted amnesty to 1000 militants from the oil producing area of Ohaji Egbema and Oguta local government areas of the state.

This follows the decision of the militants to drop their arms and embrace peace, which is crucial to finding a lasting solution to the underdevelopment and infrastructural decay in the state.

Independent recalled that militants in the area have allegedly joined their colleagues in other Niger Delta states to blow up over seven oil installations and pipelines in the area.
Rattled by the action, Okorocha organized a programme to grant pardon to all militants, cultists and agitators in the area.
The militants were said to have handed over some of their arms which comprise: Ak-47 riffles, rocket launchers, pistols, charms, machetes, knives and axes, among others.
Present at the event are the state police commissioner, state army commander, Director of SSS in Imo state as well as other security agencies.

SEE MORE NEWS UPDATE @ http://independentnig.com

Alphabet Inc’s Google is acquiring software developer Apigee Corp in a deal valued at about $625 million, as it strengthens its cloud business.

San Jose-based Apigee’s software helps a company’s backend services interact with mobile and web-based apps used by customers and partners.

“Companies are moving beyond the traditional ways of communicating like phone calls and visits and instead are communicating programmatically through APIs (Application Programming Interface),” said Dianne Greene, who runs Google’s cloud computing division.

Google will pay Apigee shareholders $17.40 for each share held, a 6.5 percent premium to the stock’s Wednesday close.

Apigee’s shares were trading above the offer price at $17.45 on Thursday morning.

The company, whose customers include AT&T, Burberry Group Plc, Vodafone Group Plc and the World Bank, went public in April last year at $17 per share.

This is the latest from the highly regarded enterprise computing executive Greene, who is pushing to make Google a central player in corporate computing.

The Apigee deal comes a day after Google and online storage company Box Inc said they would partner to enable Box’s corporate customers to integrate Google’s suite of word processing, spreadsheets and other productivity tools, known as Google Docs.

Companies including Google, Amazon.com Inc, Microsoft Corp, IBM Corp are competing for a share of the fast-growing corporate cloud computing business.

SEE MORE BUSINESS NEWS @ http://independentnig.com/category/business/