Another Container carrying articulated truck has fallen on a saloon car in Lagos. Eye witness accounts say there are zero survivors. When will this End??
Dr. Olawale Ogunlana gave an update on the accident:
I escaped this by a hair for just a few seconds, then drove by it. We were gestured that no life was lost, the car owner escaped. We need to do something about these trailers before they kill us all.
The ‘Abia State Re-dedication and Dr Alex Otti’s Thanksgiving Service’ organising committee has declared a seven-day prayer, fasting and thanksgiving.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the chairman and secretary of the committee, Uzor Nwachukwu and Bertrand Okeomah, respectively.
The committee stated that the programme was part of the activities lined up for the inauguration of Otti as the 10th Governor of Abia on May 29.
It also stated that the spiritual cleansing was slated to begin with prayer and fasting on Sunday, May 21 and end on Friday, May 26.
According to the committee, the event to usher in a new wave of spirituality would be rounded off with a ‘Re-dedication Retreat’ at the Ngwa High School, Aba, on May 27.
It further stated that the spiritual retreat already had the support of the Abia chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leadership.
“Similarly, a post-inauguration state thanksgiving service will hold on Sunday, June 4, at the Umuahia Township Stadium by noon prompt,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, CAN has called on all its member churches in Abia to observe the prayer and fasting sessions.
According to a statement by CAN secretary Mgbeahuru Okey, the directive was issued by the Abia CAN chairman, Emmanuel Agomoh.
“Let’s join hands with other faithful in this all-important assignment for a new Abia of our collective dream,” the CAN statement stated.
EFCC Cadet Beaten To Death By Superior Officers For Refusing To Engage In Corruption, Buried Amid Tears As His Killers Roam Free
Abel Isah, a cadet in the Sokoto Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who was recently beaten to death by superior officers, has been buried.
Isah was beaten to death by his superior officers for refusing to sign off on incomplete exhibits handed over to him.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported that two of Isah’s superior officers were angered by his refusal to be part of the illegality and therefore heavily descended on him.
Sadly, Isah, who hailed from Plateau State, was subsequently beaten to death by the superior officers.
SaharaReporters learnt on Sunday that the deceased had however been buried amid tears, in the presence of his family, friends and other loved ones.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Isah would be buried on Saturday.
“The EFCC officer who was beaten to death by his superiors has been buried,” a source said on Sunday.
It was also learnt that the atmosphere was gloomy as Isah remains were lowered to the ground while the air was filled with pain and anguish, especially as his killers had not been brought to justice.
“The EFCC cadet was killed in Sokoto. The cadet was beaten to death by his seniors at the zonal headquarters for refusing to sign off on incomplete exhibits handed over to him,” a source had told SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported that the two officers who beat Isah to death were quietly dismissed.
But many of Isah’s colleagues had grumbled that the punishment for murder or manslaughter should be stiffer than mere dismissal.
“The two senior officers who killed the cadet have been dismissed but many people, including Isah’s colleagues, are grumbling that the dismissal is not adequate punishment since it is a case of clear murder,” the source had said.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwajaren on Sunday for an update were not successful as his mobile lines were switched off.
Top Nollywood producer and director Tchidi Chikere has recalled his last phone conversation with legendary actor, Saint Obi before his demise.
Chikere took to his Instagram page to mourn Obi. He wrote:
Bro I just heard. I ve tried to call ur number since I heard, just so you d pick and tell me this news is another press gimmick and lies..but no way..I dunno..
I just dunno. I m just gonna talk..vent..maybe it will make me feel better..maybe it ll make me forgive myself for not creating the time when you wanted so much for us to hang out and catch up in January. Yourself, Ike and I. Maybe there is something more you would have told me face to face? I will never know...
We spoke several times in January. You kept saying we hang out and catch up. I never created the time. I thought we had all the time in the world! Friends could always finish their busy schedule and still meet another day. So I thought. Phew! For that I am terribly sorry! I offered you a movie role in February and you declined. You said you had put on weight and wanted to get back in shape before acting. You told me loads of stuff and how you love your children and how you wish you could see them...
You didn't sound like your old self..I felt you ' d lost your zeal for life. So I called a few days later and I offered you three lead roles in three movies which you declined. You refused to act. I was shocked. You said "Tee I ll come to the USA and we will do big things, I want to relaunch myself with something big" Those were your words...
And now..today..suddenly..what You shared some..no, a lot of your pain. You told me stuff..Things that I am tempted to throw caution to the wind and tell the world. I mean, we've been friends since 2004 when you were my witness at my court wedding. But I ll hold my peace and let God.
Brother, if this is true. ..Sleep well Obinna Nwafor. Saint Obi. Agu White. Your legacy remains. Now you have peace. Someday , maybe I can tell your kids too..how much you love them. 💔💔💔💔💔 (For as many people as are going through a lot silently, may God console them, give them strength to find joy in themselves and heal them)
Spending N32.3B of public funds on a religious building is why I often say a lot of Nigerian Governors are stupid, surrounded by opaque advisers.
Nigerians seek prosperity, their governors seek poverty. Unfortunately at every turn we blame the Federal Government @markessien
Using N700 as the exchange rate to $, the state government has just wasted $46.2m because no religious crusade or patronage will pay this back in ten years, funds that could have gone into 11 mini plantations across all the local governments of the state . @CaptainArinze
The Land Use Act vest powers and custody of land with state governors, I doubt if there will be any local government that would refuse to cede land for a 500 to 1000 acre oil palm plantation, an investment at the local level that after 3 years gives guaranteed returns and jobs.
Doing a 40/30/30 split under proper management conditions , each 1000 acre plantation would pay back the scheme after all expenses and taxes are deducted $435,000 annually for 20 years , but no Udom must build a house of praise, he wants his name to replace David in the bible.
So, Hilda Baci, a Nigerian Chef is attempting to break the Guiness Book of records for the longest cooking Marathon by an individual. She will be cooking for 4 days non-stop , 96 hours.
The current record stands at 87 hours and 45minutes
She is 42 hours in.
A total of 18 brands have tied into the record-breaking moment for sponsorship. 🔥🔥🔥
It’s Day 3 of Chef Hilda Baci Bassey’s attempt to break the existing record for the Guinness Books of Record World’s longest cooking marathon.
The Multi- talented Tv producer, Actress and Foodpreneur started her 4-day cooking marathon challenge on the 11th of May and she is now on day 3 fast approaching the finish line.
The event which is holding at Amore Gardens in Lekki, Lagos, seeks to showcase Hilda’s culinary skills using various local and intercontinental recipes to put Nigeria on the global culinary map of the World.
This is indeed a Herculean feat which the 27 year old chef is on as she sets to break the record of of 87 hours, 45 minutes, and 00 seconds set by Chef Lata London in Rewa, India in 2019.
The Cook-a-thon is headline sponsored by GB Food, makers of Gino tomato paste, Ginomax and Bama. Other sponsors include Woodscope, Amore Gardens, Vendease, AfriGlobal, Uber, Arla Foods, CWAY, Filmhouse, ORIKI, and PowerOil.
Friends and fellow influencers like Enioluwa, Seyi Awolowo, Elozonam and other influencer are also cheering her on at the venue while others drum support for her across various social media channels.
RE: Alleged defilement of a 4-Year-Old by a Security Guard at Greater Scholars Int’l School
On May 3rd, 2023, we received a report of this case through our toll-free line and acted promptly by referring the child for medical and psychosocial support.
We also alerted the Ajiwe FSU Police Division for investigation. The suspect is currently in police custody.
The case would be transferred to Gender, Lagos State Police Command before it is charged to court on Monday.
We will continue to provide you with updates as the case progresses.
To report any case of Domestic or Sexual Violence please call our Toll Free Line - 08000 333 333.
The Labour Party presidential candidate during February 25 presidential election, Peter Obi, on Friday, said he ‘must be” Nigeria’s president.
While expressing optimism to clinch the number one seat in the country, he clarified that he was not in a hurry to achieve the dream.
Obi, who is a former Anambra State governor, stated this during the unveiling of the book, ‘Peter Obi: many voices, one perspective’ in Anambra[/b] State.
“Anyone who thinks I am on a transit is wasting his time. Let me tell you, I must be the president of this country. I am sure of that. If it is not today, it must be tomorrow.
“Other people who want to be, should come and tell us what they want to do, and how to do it. This is my country, I don’t have dual citizenship. If anyone thinks I am going to run away from Nigeria, they are lying.
“I have three engagements in Anambra and Lagos today. I will be speaking in Lagos tonight. We will not leave Nigeria. I am not in a hurry to become the president, but I know it must happen,” Obi said.
The former governor said he was more concerned about the process that brings leaders to office, and not who the leader is.
Obi added that he was not struggling to free Nigeria from bad leadership for the elites alone, but for every Nigerian.
He said, “For three years I was in court in Anambra to reclaim my mandate, just to challenge the process. Many people tried to discourage me, but I said even if the entire four years tenure elapsed for us to prove a point and correct the process, I will be fulfilled.
“My argument is that, let’s do what is right. I always tell everyone that I will not give people money to do the wrong thing. I have been the chairman of a committee; TETFUND committee, and Prof. Yakubu Mahmud was my member. We know ourselves, but when he became INEC chairman, I have never met him. I told him, you are an umpire, just do what is right.
“If you have the chance to do the right thing, and you insist on perpetuating anarchy, then, it will consume everybody one day. I insist that we must do the right thing.
“I was at an event yesterday in Abuja, and it was World Food Organisation. I listened to report that stated that Nigeria will face intense hunger in years to come. It is Nigeria that will face hunger, not Peter Obi.
“The report listed Borno, Adamawa and Yobe as the states that will be worse hit, but those three states put together are five times larger in land mass of Israel, yet Egypt exports food, but Nigeria cannot feed itself.”
Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion and traditional ruler of Onitsha, Obi Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, in his speech expressed hope that Obi will reclaim his presidential mandate.
Achebe said, “I was still a new traditional ruler many years ago, when I was invited to a meeting where some monarchs were trying to settle a matter between the then Anambra governor Chris Ngige and Obi over the governorship tussle.
“I was a new traditional ruler, so I was just listening to the conversations. Obi did not attend the meeting, but his representative said Obi sent a message that he is more interested about knowing the truth, and ensuring that the process is credible next time, and that he was not willing to back down, even if it meant remaining in court even after the tenure.
“It took him three years, but he was later restored. His representative then said, Obi only wants the truth to be known, and even if it happened after the expiration of his tenure. Also, when he was impeached, he told everyone that he would return, and he returned.
“Later, there was an election, and Andy Uba replaced Obi. He called me again and said that these people want to spoil our country. I had also heard that the judgment was to be delivered the next day, and that it may be against Peter. He (Obi) called me and he said he was confident that he would return as governor. I am saying this because this is a man I know very well. Someone called him man of the moment, but I choose to say that he is a man of destiny.”
The president of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has revealed that a lot of government agencies, especially at the country’s ports are set up for money-making rather than facilitating trade. He made this known in a remark at the recently held RT-200 Non-oil Export Summit, which took place at the Lagos Continental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos.
He also stated that terminal operators are creating artificial barriers to create obstacles to trade by stacking containers so that the movement of goods can be obstructed just to collect demurrage.
Poor infrastructure The business mogul disclosed that another obstacle hampering trade is poor infrastructure, as he went ahead noting that the federal government cannot tackle the issue of infrastructure deficit alone, and called on other companies, to collaborate with the government on a public/private partnership basis to reduce the infrastructure deficit.
He noted that the N75 billion Oshodi/Apapa Expressway project is almost completed, which is reducing the pressure of traffic on that axis, as the contract to reconstruct the Oshodi/Apapa Expressway is funded by future taxes paid by the Dangote Group, which costs between N75 and N80 billion.
Dangote praised the government for the Lekki Deep Sea Port project, which he said has the capacity of offloading 4,000 tonnes of goods on a daily basis, but questioned where the road is to convey the goods.
He then projected that if nothing is done about expanding the road in that axis, it will be another Apapa in the making.
He noted that Dangote Group has already forged another partnership with the government to expand the road leading to the Lekki Port, adding that the project has already reached 20% completion.
The Deep Sea access road construction approval was part of the 274.9 kilometers road construction contract, which is said to worth N309.92 billion to Dangote Group, under the Government Roads Infrastructure Tax Credit Policy.
Lack of proper regulations According to Dangote, another major obstacle to trade at the ports, is that there are no proper regulations. He stated that after paying all the charges in the port, there are still checkpoints outside the ports where they charge extra on what is paid for inside.
“By the time you pay terminal charges and demurrage, and all the other illegal points of collection, you cannot be competitive with international producers,” he said.
Stakeholders say inefficient processes and procedures, and a litany of extortions at the seaports has made the nation’s gateway uncompetitive. Some stakeholders have alleged that cargo clearance costs eight times more than goods, a situation that has made operators seek alternatives at the ports of neighbouring countries.
Ike Ekweremadu (born 12 May 1962) is a Nigerian politician and a lawyer who hails from Enugu State and served in the Senate of Nigeria for Enugu West from 3 June 2003 to 5 May 2023 . He is a member of the People's Democratic Party, and was the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate for three consecutive (6th, 7th and 8th) senate. On 23 June 2022, Ekweremadu and his wife were charged in the UK with conspiring to arrange the travel of a 21 year old into the UK in order to harvest organs. He was found guilty on 23 March 2023 at the Old Bailey. On 5 May 2023, he was sentenced to nine years and eight months imprisonment.
Early life
Ike Ekweremadu was born at Amachara Mpu in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, and is of Igbo origin. He holds both bachelor's and master's degree in law from the University of Nigeria, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987. He also holds Doctor of Philosophy degree in law from the University of Abuja, Nigeria.
Political appointments
He was appointed as the Executive Chairman of Aninri Local Government Council on the platform of the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in 1997 and won the Best Council Chairman of the year, in 1997.
Senatorial career
On 12 April 2003, he was elected to the Nigerian Senate. In September 2003, as Vice Chairman of the senate committee on Information, Chief Ekweremadu stated that the senate would make a serious investigation into allegations of bribery leveled by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. Relations between Nasir El-Rufai and the senate continued to be hostile, and El-Rufai was eventually charged with corruption in 2008. In 2005, Ike Ekweremadu was beaten in the race for President of the Senate of Nigeria by Senator Kenechukwu Nnamani.
In July 2006, as spokesperson for the Southern Senators’ Forum, Ekweremadu denied charges that they had made an agreement to return power to the North in the 2007 elections. In September 2006, President Olusegun Obasanjo asked the Senate to review a report by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that laid charges of fraud against Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. Ike Ekweremadu promised to establish a committee of inquiry whose report would be submitted to the Senate, although he noted that impeachment would be difficult since it would require a 2/3 majority.
Ekweremadu was returned in the 29 April 2007 Nigerian National Assembly election, and elected to the position of deputy senate president. He was given the job of handing out committee chairmanship positions allocated to the southeast zone, making decisions that were unpopular with leaders such as Senator Chris Anyanwu, who failed to get the positions they wanted. In July 2007, Ekweremadu was instrumental in defusing objections to the controversial nomination of Ojo Maduekwe to a ministerial position.
When President Umaru Yar'Adua’s Principal Private Secretary, David Edevbie, was allegedly indicted in September 2009 in a British court for corruption and money laundering, Ekweremadu refused to take a position, stating that he did not know the facts. In September 2009, Ekweremadu was named co-chairman of a committee to conduct the primary elections for the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate for Anambra State.
Senatorial election 2011
Ekweremadu was reelected as Senator for Enugu West in the April 2011 elections, receiving 112,806 votes. The closest runner-up was the candidate of the Peoples for Democratic Change (PDC), Jackson Ezeoffor, who got 7,522 votes.
Senatorial election 2019
On 23 February 2019, Ekweremadu was re-elected as senator representing the Enugu West senatorial district For the Fifth Consecutive time having polled 86,088 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mrs Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled 15,187 votes.
On 11 June 2019, Ekweremadu lost his bid to become Deputy Senate President of the Nigerian 9th Senate. Ekweremadu contested against Ovie Omo-Agege who scored 68 votes to emerge Winner. In the early hours of Tuesday, he returned his official cars.
Ekweremadu has indicated he will retire from the Nigerian Senate by not running for office in 2023.
ECOWAS
In September 2009, he was appointed to lead the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ad hoc committee to work for the return of constitutional order in the Niger Republic. He was elected First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and emerged the Speaker of the regional parliament in August 2011.
Attack in Nuremberg, Germany
On 17 August 2019, while attending the Second Annual Cultural Festival and Convention organized by Ndi-Igbo Germany in Nuremberg, Ekweremadu became the victim of a violent attack when members of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB stormed the venue of the event and began to question Ekweremadu about the killings of Igbos when the Nigerian army staged Operation Crocodile Smile and Python Dance. They also questioned Ekweremadu about his purported role in the proscription of IPOB in Nigeria. The situation soon degenerated to the extent that Ekweremadu was physically dragged out of the venue, assaulted and pelted with eggs. He would later announce that he got away from the venue with little injuries. The leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu issued a statement on the attack on Ekweremadu calling it a "polite warning" while at the same time warning other Igbo governors of a possible similar treatment. The four suspects were arrested and convicted of physical assault and sentenced to 20 days of hard labor without any option of fine.
2022 UK organ-harvesting Conviction
On 23 June 2022, Ekweremadu was charged alongside his wife, his daughter and Dr Obinna Obeta with conspiring to arrange the travel of a 21 year-old from Lagos into the UK in order to harvest organs. On 23 March 2023 Ekweremadu, his wife and Dr Obinna Obeta were convicted of conspiring to exploit the man for his kidney. Prosecutors told the Old Bailey trial that the victim was brought to the UK in 2022 to provide a kidney in an £80,000 private transplant at the Royal Free Hospital, London. Prosecutors said that the victim was offered up to £7,000 and a job in exchange for traveling to the UK. The prosecution had confirmed the maximum sentence in the organ harvesting case is one of life. The organ was to be removed and given to the couple's daughter - she was cleared of the same charge. On 5 May 2023, Ekweremadu was sentenced to nine years and eight months imprisonment . Meanwhile, Obeta was sentenced to ten years imprisonment and Ekweremadu's wife was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment. As of August 2022, Ekweremadu was being held on remand at HM Prison Wandsworth, whilst Obeta was being held on remand at HM Prison Belmarsh. His wife is held in HM Prison Bronzefield.
The federal executive council (FEC) has approved the sum of N3.4 billion as consultancy fee for the construction of a second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, disclosed this to journalists after the council meeting presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday.
FEC had approved N92.123 billion for the construction of the second runway in March last year.
Shehu said the council also approved N449.9 million for the engagement of consultants for the development of a master plan for 17 airports in Nigeria.
The airports are Murtala Mohammed (Lagos), Nnamdi Azikiwe (Abuja), Mallam Aminu Kano (Kano), Port Harcourt, Owerri, Benin, Enugu, Maiduguri, Yola, Kaduna, Calabar, Ilorin, Sokoto, Ibadan, Jos, Akure, and Katsina.
Meanwhile, the presidential spokesperson said FEC also approved N90 billion for the completion of various roads totalling over N125 billion.
According to Shehu, over N33 billion was approved for the completion of some major roads in Borno, Adamawa, Kogi, Delta, Ondo, Ogun, and Benue states.
He noted that N10.3 billion was approved for the construction of a multi-storey office complex of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in Lagos.
The presidential spokesperson said the council also approved the establishment of the National Institute for Domestic Security at Irogbo-Ilesa, Osun state, which had a budgetary provision of N285 million in 2022 and N360 million in 2023.
A large explosion rocked Milan setting several vehicles alight in the city centre on Thursday morning.
In footage captured by Italian news channel Sky TG24, several vehicles can be seen engulfed in flames.
The blast occurred in Via Pier Lombardo at approximately 11.30am local time with a large cloud of black smoke visible from across the city.
According to Italian news publication, La Repubblica, the blast occurred from a parked van which was carrying oxygen cannisters.
The van was parked on the corner of the street and sparked a chain reaction setting five vehicles ablaze, according to reports.
The fire also spread to a nearby pharmacy and apartment building.
Mobile phone footage shot at the scene showed crowds of people gathering around the incident in the Porta Romana neighbourhood of the city before police arrived to cordon off the area.
According to reports, a nearby school, the Istituto Suore Mantellate, and a residential building were evacuated following the blast.
The fire brigade said one person had been injured. There were no reports of any deaths.
The use of subterfuge by people masquerading as Obidients to abuse and insult eminent personalities like Most Reverend Pastor Enoch Adeboye or anyone else is most unacceptable. Obidients are by and large, law-abiding citizens.
While differences of opinion are normal, calculated efforts to create ethnic or religious chasm all in the name of politics should not in any way be tolerated. As a person, I eschew name-calling, insults, and abuses, likewise most of my supporters.
The suggestion that some in the fringes engage in such conduct casually overlooks the fact that the political opposition deploys such methods to gain undue advantage and create confusion and bad blood. - PO
President-elect departs Nigeria Wednesday afternoon for Europe on working visit
President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday afternoon left Nigeria for Europe on a working visit.
He will use the opportunity of the trip to finetune the transition plans and programmes, and his policy options with some of his key aides without unnecessary pressures and distractions.
During the visit, the President-elect will engage with investors and other key allies with the goal of marketing investment opportunities in the country and his administration’s readiness to enable a business-friendly climate through policies and regulations.
Already, meetings with multi-sectoral actors in Europe’s business community including manufacturing, agriculture, tech and energy have been lined up.
Asíwájú Tinubu hopes to convince them of Nigeria’s readiness to do business under his leadership through mutually-beneficial partnerships premised on jobs creation and skills acquisition.
Reviving the country’s economy forms a major plank of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda and the meeting is part of his efforts to re-establish Nigeria’s importance in the global economic chain and create empowering opportunities for the country’s huge youth population.
The President-elect has hitherto promised to hit the ground running and the visit is reflective of his commitment to the promise as he has already begun talks with global actors in the important areas of the economy and security.
Before he left the country, Asíwájú Tinubu met with the House of Representatives candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker endorsed by his party, the All Progressives Congress, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who were presented to him by Joint Task Team of the House.
He is scheduled to return shortly for preparations towards his official swearing in as the 16th President of the country on May 29, 2023.
Office of the President-elect, Tunde Rahman May 10, 2023.
One thing I have to say is that people need to more regularly check out the websites of @NigeriaGov regulators, like SEC, CBN, NAFDAC, FCCPC etc. There are usually interesting updates to be found, that might be missed otherwise. I'm on the SEC website now, for example:
Blacklisting Of Six (6) Unregulated Online Trading Platforms
The Commission’s attention has been drawn to the under listed e-commerce Companies and their websites offering online trading platforms to the investing public. They are not registered by the SEC Nigeria and the financial services offered by them are also not authorized.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the greatest diligence in making investment choices.
In view of the above, the general public is hereby WARNED that any person dealing with the above mentioned e-commerce websites is doing so at his/her own risk.
Photos from the funeral service today for the father of the Bayelsa Governor, Douye Diri. Attended by @ProfOsinbajo and his wife, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo; @atiku, @PeterObi, @IAOkowa and former Presidents Obasanjo and @GEJonathan.
In keeping with the Authority's commitment to creating an enabling atmosphere for the construction of more deep seaports after Lekki Deep Seaport (which is already operational), and Badagry Deep Seaport, the Managing Director @MohdBelloKoko, today received the Ondo State Coordinator for Special Projects, Mr. Boye Oyewumi, who submitted the Full Business Case (FBC) for the Ondo Multipurpose Deep Seaport Project.
Located along the coast of Ondo, the port is estimated to cost USD 1 billion to be funded through a PPP plan.
Receiving the FBC, the Managing Director assured that the Authority will work with the Federal Ministry of Transportation and other relevant agencies to ensure all necessary final approvals are obtained quickly to enable the port to commence operations in record time.
The NPA Management has consistently restated its readiness to provide the requisite technical guidance and for the establishment of new ports in line with global best practices.
STATEMENT ON THE FIRE INCIDENT AT OUR STORAGE FACILITY IN VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS
We hereby report that there was a fire incident this morning at our storage facility in Victoria Island, which is completely isolated from our Head Office Complex, and this led to a temporary power outage.
We appreciate the swift response of the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Fire Service, and Eko Hotels Fire Service that led to the swift containment of the incident. Banking services are being restored as normalcy returns.
The inconveniences to our esteemed customers and other stakeholders arising from this incident are highly regretted.
Zenith Bank, Nigeria’s biggest bank by market capitalisation, is experiencing a total infrastructure downtime after a fire at the company’s primary data centre. The downtime affects Zenith Bank’s services, leaving millions of customers in the lurch. At one of the bank’s branches, a security official could be heard telling a customer that the network was down. The security official did not provide further information.
Multiple sources told TechCabal that the downtime began around 7 a.m. this morning. One source confirmed that the incident started after a backup power system caught fire, triggering a power cut to the data centre. According to sources with knowledge of the matter, the bank is now attempting to switch to its disaster recovery infrastructure to get all services up and running. It is standard practice for big organisations to have disaster recovery protocols, but Zenith could not switch to its recovery infrastructure at the time of this report.
One source told TechCabal that the delay in switching to its disaster recovery is connected to the fact that not all banking service were running in an active-active deployment. It means that the services running active-standby now have to be switched manually. The source told TechCabal that, despite the delays, the bank expects to have its infrastructure up and running before the end of the day.
TechCabal sent emails to Zenith Bank’s corporate communications department and didn’t get a response at the time of this report. A member of the communications team who spoke to TechCabal on the phone said that she could neither confirm nor deny the incident. The bank has also not shared any information with customers on social media channels or acknowledged that it is experiencing a downtime.
Today’s incident will bring conversations about moving banking infrastructure to the cloud to the front burner again. While some may argue that it may not wholly solve reliability issues, it could go some way in helping to prevent day-long downtimes when unexpected incidents happen.
Genevieve Nnaji (born 3 May 1979) is a Nigerian actress, producer, and director. She won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005, making her the first actor to win the award. In 2011, she was honoured as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic by the Nigerian government for her contributions to Nollywood.
Her directorial debut movie, Lionheart, is the first Netflix Original from Nigeria, and first Nigerian submission for the Oscars. The movie was disqualified for having most of its dialogue in English.
After having spent decades in the movie industry, she was profiled alongside some celebrities and business executives in 2020 in two new books by publisher and Editor in Chief l, 'Yes International!' magazine, Azuh Arinze.
Nnaji was born in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria, and grew up in Lagos. The fourth of eight children, she was raised in a middle-class family; her father worked as an engineer and her mother as a nursery school teacher.
‘Yes Daddy’: Peter Obi admits phoning Bishop Oyedepo, says ‘I’m not a religious bigot’
Peter Obi, presidential candidate for Labour Party (LP) in the last general election has admitted having a private telephone conversation with founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo.
Obi, who disclosed this while speaking on Arise Television as a featured guest on Monday night, however, debunked describing the presidential poll as a ‘religious war’.
Recall that Tribune Online reported a leaked conversation allegedly between Peter Obi and Bishop Oyedepo, where the former was heard pleading with the cleric to help sway support and votes of Christians in southwestern states and Kogi.
In the leaked audio conversation which was said to have taken place before February 25 presidential election, Peter Obi was heard describing the poll as a ‘religious war that must be won’, and why the release of the audio gathered a series of backlashes and criticisms for the former Anambra state governor.
But speaking with Arise TV on Monday night, Obi, responding to a question on whether the phone call christened ‘Yes Daddy’ actually took place, admitted having a private conversation with the Bishop to beg him for support, stating however, that he never described the poll as ‘religious war’.
He said, “Call it whatever you want to call it. Whatever anyone wants to make of it. I am not a religious bigot. Do you think I can just pick a phone and say ‘religious war’? No, I was even begging the bishop to help me ask his people to vote, which was what I was doing for six months – begging. I wasn’t saying ‘catch him’, ‘kill him’, ‘force it’. I was even begging. That shows that I continued to look for votes by begging. There were so many things we tried to do but they were not okay.”
Speaking further, the LP standard-bearer stressed that he was never a religious bigot, adding that no non-muslim governor has ever sent more people to Mecca than he did as a governor.
“Let me tell you. Those who have been trying to manipulate Nigerians have been doing it. But it is coming to an end. The people they have been manipulating are dying of hunger. They will soon know who is the religious or tribal bigot. I am not one. I have just given you an example of how I built mosques. Till today, no non-Muslim governor has sent more people to Mecca than me.
“I can never say it (poll) is a religious war. Because it is not. There was a conversation. But I never said it was a religious war. What for? I am surrounded by people. If there was ever an instance where the presidential candidate and his deputy work as brothers, it is me and Datti. And I know and we never stop talking about it.
“For the first time in the history of Nigeria, we have a presidential candidate, running mate and party chairman who were born after Nigeria’s Independence. We must save this country and he (Datti) knows my commitment to it. I can’t do all these with the background of religious war,” he added.
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