₦airaland Forum

Unless the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reverses its decision on the mode of governorship primary election to adopt, it stands the risk of protest votes in Kogi State. The battle over the method of selecting who flies the party’s flag in the November gubernatorial election has been raging in the state chapter of APC.

This is just as a coalition of Kogi All Progressives Congress’s (APC) aspirants yesterday faulted the notion in certain quarters that Governor Yahaya Bello is in good stead to emerge APC’s flag bearer under the indirect primaries method. Spokesperson of the group, Edime Amade, who briefed reporters at APC’s National Secretariat in Abuja, said the group has the capacity to garner more delegates’ votes than Bello, who is believed to have a firm grip of the state’s party structure.

Aggrieved party stalwarts have been calling on the NWC to reverse its stance on indirect primary, alleging that a factional state chairman of the party, Haddy Ametuo, tricked the national leadership into embracing indirect primaries for the selection of the governorship candidate. An APC chieftain in the state, Mr. Danladi Yusufu, had claimed that “Haddy Ametuo and his pay masters in Lugard House,” were privy to the NWC meeting scheduled for July 5, 2019 and therefore decided to hurriedly send a letter alleging that the court case to determine the genuine party executives has been withdrawn.

While denying Ametuo’s claim that all executives and stakeholders have come to reconciliation and unanimously agreed to adopt indirect primaries, Yusufu regretted that APC’s NWC based their decision on that blatant falsehood. He disclosed that Kogi APC has two parallel factions, stressing that even as a case was still pending in court, more party executives have been coming out to support the litigation.

Yusufu maintains that Ametuo transmitted his deceptive letter regardless of the fact that there was a pending court case in a bid to deceive the NWC and to further Governor Yahaya Bello’s desperation for a second term. According to Yusufu, the NWC’s decision came less than two hours after the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja adjourned the suit based on lingering factionalization crisis till October 2, 2019.

While insisting that the NWC acted in error based on false information, Yusufu said: “Tom Adejoh, the duly elected party Secretary, Apostle Destiny Eneojoh Aromeh, duly elected party Ex-officio member from Ibaji Local Government Area in the 2018 Congress, Isah Abubakar, the duly elected State Organising Secretary from the 2018 party congress and Noah Aku, duly elected State Zonal Youth Leader, had written a letter to inform the NWC of the pending case.”

He added that the faction also explained in the letter their own disposition toward direct primaries and advised the NWC to overturn the earlier announcement in favour of indirect primaries in 48 hours and exercise restraint until the court has reached a final judgment on the pending case.

Also throwing his weight behind Yusufu’s assertions, Aromeh, an APC Ex-officio in the state stated: “A case is in court. To avoid a recap of the unfortunate saga in Zamfara and Rivers States, where the party ended up not fielding candidates in those states happening in Kogi State, the NWC should reverse the decision on indirect primaries and settle for direct primaries since the court is yet to decide which exco is the authentic one.

“In his desperation for a second term after a disastrous first, Yahaya Bello induced Hadi Ametuo and other party elements to put together a bogus and shallow reconciliation, a sham that left out other duly elected party executives who are ill-disposed to indirect primaries.

“It looks like Zamfara and Rivers States’ scenario is playing out again where APC lost out due to internal fractures. Governor Yahaya Bello’s desperation could possibly leave APC empty-handed after the November gubernatorial election.”

COALITION DOUBTS BELLO'S INVINCIBILITY
Meanwhile, the Coalition of Governorship Aspirants, who spoke through Amade, recalled how Bello, who was relatively unknown politically, almost upstaged late Abubakar Audu in the 2015 party primary despite the fact that he controlled the party structure at the time. Amade, who has the backing of no fewer than 36 governorship aspirants, threw his weight behind the decision by the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led APC to settle for the use of indirect primaries mode to select its governorship aspirant in Kogi State.

They described a band of 20 governorship aspirants who last week opposed the use of indirect primaries mode as paid agents of the opposition PDP keen on undermining the prospect of APC ahead of the November 16 governorship poll.

The coalition stated: “We are shocked because some of the individuals who came here as aspirants seeking the party’s ticket were openly working for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) up to the last round of elections just three months ago. It is also clear to anybody who is on ground in Kogi State that the real aim of these so-called aspirations is to destabilise the party from within as we go into the 2019 Kogi State Governorship Elections.

“In fact, pretending to be aspirants is just the latest weapon in the arsenal they have consistently attacked us with. It is on record that since the emergence of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as Governor, the party has suffered many things in their hands. Court cases, media attacks, ethnic sentiments, religious bias, and even violence. The NWC must not allow them to pull the wool over its eyes now.” The coalition noted that APC in Kogi State has always adopted indirect primaries, stressing that it has always worked for her.

“In 2015, indirect primaries produced the late Prince Abubakar Audu (may his soul rest in peace). In 2019, indirect primaries gave us two out of three Senators, seven out of nine House of Representatives’ members and 25 out of 25 state House of Assembly members. We do they want to change a winning formula so late in the game if they do not have sinister intentions. The closest thing to direct primaries we ever tried in Kogi APC was the recall exercise on the Senator for Kogi West who decamped to the opposition after being elected on our ticket; that recall exercise failed. Should we not therefore suspect the motive of persons who want to force the volatile direct primaries on us?”

The APC aspirants said contrary to the clear and express directives of the NEC and the NWC, which have approved and reaffirmed indirect primaries for Kogi State based on the guidelines, “these so-called aspirants came here on Monday trying to dictate direct primaries for us. All we can say is that these men have become the arrowhead of a demonic plot to push APC into costly mistakes, which will cost her the November election and hand Kogi State over to the opposition. We will not allow that.”

“We have proof that in anticipation of their success in moving the NWC to adopt direct primaries, some of the aspirants who turned up here last Monday have started printing hundreds of thousands of APC Kogi membership cards. They are also compiling rival membership registers in a bid to make sure the confusion is complete. We therefore state categorically that there are no factions in Kogi APC and no rival claimants to the leadership of it.

“Alhaji Haddy Ametuo, our authentic former chairman and Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, our incumbent state chairman have since put aside their differences and are working hand-in-hand towards the indirect primaries approved for us. The case filed by the Ametuo faction against the party has come to an end with the filing of a notice of withdrawal. The Supreme Court has held that by filing a Notice of Discontinuance such as Haddy Ametuo has done, the plaintiff voluntarily puts an end to the action he instituted. Outside of these, there is no other person or group to whom Kogi APC owes anything beyond a level playing field.”

SOURCE: https://t.guardian.ng/politics/kogi-apc-guber-aspirants-disagree-over-method-of-primary-election-2/

The businesses below can provide the multiple income streams you desire without having to invest so much in initial capital.

1. BLOGGING
Owning a blog is big business these days in Nigeria, thanks to the likes of Linda Ikeji. Blogging is simply an art of writing short articles about various sources of interest and publishing it online. They can be about your personal life, the society, politics, entertainment, gossip or a combination of all of them.

All you need is a computer, phone, laptop or tablet. You can start blogging within minutes and there are numerous articles on the web about how to start a blog. You earn money from blogs when you have a lot of visitors. Advertisers see your visitor counts and can pay top Naira just to have their ads on your blog. People can earn between N50,000 to N2million per month by simply being a popular blogger.

2. USE YOUR SKILLS OR TALENT TO PROVIDE A SERVICE
Businesses and individuals always have a need for some form of service every now and then. It could be laundry, taxi, cleaning, teaching, coaching etc. Making money from a service depends on the type of skill you have and how much people value it. For example, if you are good with maths you can start a math lesson in your neighborhood for kids writing Jamb lessons.

If you are good at sports like football, you can start a coaching session for kids in your estate. Parents are willing to pay for these services when they see them. Do you like to write, then why not start guest-blogging for a fee? By the time you write ten articles a week you could earn enough to make that extra pay.

3. USE YOUR PROFESSION
As a Lawyer, Accountant or Engineer working full-time it is not unlikely your services may still be required on an ad hoc basis. You can provide these services at your spare time upon request, in exchange for a decent fee.

4. OWN A BUSINESS
Many Nigerians augment their income by owning businesses that they operate at home or in shops. Nothing stops you from doing this too. Some actually make so much money they end up facing the business full-time.

5. BE A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Virtual Assistants are people employed to remotely work from home or in any location that is not your typical office place. All you need is a laptop, Internet and telephone. It’s increasingly getting popular as a source of earning income for stay at home moms.

6. BUYING AND SELLING
This involves petty trading of consumer goods. It’s time tested and still works quite well for many people. It is often better to start by selling things you are used to. It could be dresses, shoes, jewelry, smart phones, tablets etc. Your first customers will typically be your colleagues at work and members in church.

7. WORK WEEKENDS OR ON OFF DAYS
If you have the strength to work an extra day or two then why not trying working weekends for a few extra hours. You can take an extra job in places where weekend jobs are needed. Jobs that come to mind are ushering jobs, clubs and restaurants, teaching, singing, dancing etc.

8. START AN ONLINE BUSINESS
The likes of Facebook, Google, and Amazon are all online businesses. Africa’s most visited website Nairaland is also online business. And so is Jumia, Dealdey, Konga. Online businesses make money through advertisements on the websites, commissions or selling a product or service.

To make money from an online business you must either have a forum where people regularly interact, sell products/services people need, etc. Most successful online businesses started from people’s bedrooms.

9. BE A MARKETER
Being a part-time marketer can involve selling products in exchange for a commission. If you are good at this, then why not help companies sell their products at your spare time? Network marketing is increasingly popular in Nigeria and a viable form of marketing.

10. BE AN AGENT
Agency jobs involve providing unique services for organizations. You can have a license to clear products at the ports, sell air tickets or supply unique services or products. People who don’t have such licenses can even rent them from you providing an extra source of income.

This list is not exhaustive but I believe you get the drift. Always remember that, to earn money from multiple income streams, you have to do things that you like and are also less expensive to start but have the possibility to grow. You must be nimble and able to adapt to change.

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2019/08/14/tips-on-how-to-earn-extra-income-in-nigeria/

(CNN) -- Mad cow disease, SARS and now swine flu: Some diseases grab the headlines. But thousands of people worldwide suffer from very rare conditions, many of which few people have ever heard of.

1. MORGELLONS
According to the Morgellons Research Foundation, crawling, biting and stinging sensations and the emergence of strange blue, black or red fibers from the skin characterize a disease that nearly 14,000 people suffer from, according to the Foundation.

This is often accompanied by exhaustion, short-term memory loss, joint pain and changes in vision. The condition was named Morgellons in 2002 by a mother who believed her two-year-old son was suffering from the disease. The name comes from a 17th century skin condition found in France, in which children died after the emergence of 'dark hair.'

However, there is much debate over whether the condition actually exists. In March 2008, the Journal of Dermatologic Therapy reported that most doctors believe it to be form of delusion, in which sufferers falsely believe they are infected with parasites. Consequently, the fibers in the skin are thought to be textile-based, picked up by oozing scabs resulting from more common conditions such as eczema or scabies.

The U.S. based Center For Disease Control and Prevention recently announced it would investigate the disease after an increased number of inquiries from the public.

2. PROGERIA
Progeria is congenital, meaning a defect or damage to a fetus. Sufferers of this fatal illness have a striking appearance resembling premature ageing, but die at an average age of 13.

Profound growth delays begin at between 9 and 24 months, leading to abnormal facial developments such as a disproportionately small face, bulging, prominent eyes and an underdeveloped jaw. By the age of two, hair from the scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes is lost. The U.S. National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD)says sufferers eventually lose the layer of fat beneath the skin and, in time, elasticity is lost in artery walls, leading to fatality via heart attack or stroke in 90% of sufferers.

3. WATER ALLERGY
Known to have ever affected only 30 people, water allergy or "aquagenic urticaria" is extremely rare, but its existence has been confirmed by the Medical Review Board. Sufferers appear to be allergic to water. It usually occurs late in life and often as a consequence of a hormonal imbalance brought about by giving birth.

A case emerged in the UK in April this year, leaving a 21-year-old mother unable to drink water or get caught in the rain because her skin develops a painful burning rash. She can shower for a maximum of 10 seconds per week and can drink only Diet Coke. It is not strictly an allergy but a hypersensitivity to the ions found in non-distilled water.

4. FOREIGN ACCENT SYNDROME
Sufferers of foreign accent syndrome inexplicably find themselves talking in an unrecognizable dialect. Only 60 cases have ever been recorded. Doctors initially dismissed it as a psychiatric problem, but in 2002, scientists at Oxford University, England, observed that sufferers shared the same brain abnormalities, which led to changes in speech pitch, lengthening of vowel sounds and other irregularities.

According to the Journal of Neurolinguistics, sufferers don't necessarily have to have been exposed to the accent they adopt: their new voice is not, strictly speaking, a foreign accent, but the changes in speech often bear a striking resemblance to other world accents. The first case concerned a Norwegian woman in 1941, who developed a strong German accent and was ostracized from her community.

5. LAUGHING DEATH
More commonly known as Kuru, it was exclusive to the tribal Fore people of New Guinea. The disease, which was characterized by sudden bursts of maniacal laughter, hit the headlines in the 1950s and drew in doctors from around the world.

U.S. and Australian physicians observed men and women with shaking limbs, which subsided with rest, but a month to three months later sufferers would begin to sway and stumble, lose the ability to stand, become cross-eyed and lose the power of coherent speech before eventually dying.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reported that tests on the deceased showed death had been caused by the emergence of holes in the brain, known as "swiss-cheesing."

Eventually the U.S. physician Carleton Gajdusek worked out that the infection was being passed on through the village custom of eating family members after death. When cannibalism was eliminated, the epidemic came to an end. In 1976, Gajdusek was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work.

6. FIBRODYSPLASIA OSSIFICANS PROGRESSIVA (FOP)
In 1938, when American Harry Eastlack was 5 years old, he broke his leg. The fracture didn't set properly, his hip and knee stiffened up and, bizarrely, bone growths developed on the muscles of his thigh. By his mid 20s, the vertebrae of his back had begun to fuse together. When he died aged 39 in 1973, he was able to move only his lips.

He suffered from fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), a rare disease affecting some 1 in 2 million people, in which the body's tendons and ligaments undergo a strange metamorphosis, essentially a transformation into bone.

The condition is congenital and characterized by a malformation of the big toe that is present at birth. Eastlack donated his skeleton to research of the disease, and it is on display at the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. The International FOP Association continues to research this extremely rare condition.

7. ALICE IN WONDERLAND SYNDROME
According to the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine, sufferers of Alice in Wonderland syndrome perceive objects as being far smaller than they are. Also known as micropsia or Lillliput sight, it can also affect the sense of hearing, touch and perceptions of one's own body image.

The syndrome is associated with migraine headaches and named after Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, in which Alice goes through many bizarre experiences similar to those which might be experienced by a micropsia sufferer. The fact that Carroll suffered from migraines is well documented, and some speculate that his suffering may have prompted many passages in the work.

8. PORPHYRIA
Purple urine and feces make porphyria infamous, as does the fact that the "mad" 18th century English King George III may have suffered from it. Porphyria leads to complications in the production of 'heme,' a protein vital to red blood cells, and affects the skin and nervous system. Attacks lead to abdominal pain, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and constipation.

NORD lists other symptoms including increasing sensitivity to the sun, itching and swelling. Increased hair growth on the forehead may also occur. Toxins resulting from the failed heme production can affect the coloring of other areas, especially after exposure to sunlight. Sometimes the teeth and fingernails can adopt a reddish appearance. It is these toxins that lead to the dark urine and feces.

Mary Queen of Scots, Vincent Van Gogh, and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon may have suffered from this disease.

9. PICA
The magpie, Latin name pica, will eat anything, and so will sufferers of pica syndrome. Almost always pregnant women or children, sufferers develop an appetite for non-nutritive substances, such as paint, clay, plaster or dirt, or alternatively items that are more commonly considered to be food ingredients, such as raw rice, flour or salt.

It can only be considered pica if the appetite persists for over a month and the sufferer is of an age where eating these objects is considered developmentally inappropriate. Medical researchers have tenuously linked pica with a mineral deficiency, but according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, experts have yet to nail down a real, firm cause or cure for this strange disorder.

10. MOEBIUS SYNDROME
It is extremely rare, genetic and characterized by complete facial paralysis. Sufferers cannot close their eyes, look from side to side, or form facial expressions. Limb abnormalities such as clubbed feet and missing fingers are often also present.

According to the Moebius Syndrome Foundation, most cases are isolated, with no notable family history, and sufferers go on to lead long and healthy lives. Family members often learn to recognize body language, posture and vocal tone as communicators of emotion, and sometimes claim they forget the person has facial paralysis altogether.

SOURCE: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/27/10.rare.diseases/

There was panic in Imo State on Tuesday as gunmen suspected to be kidnappers abducted a popular blogger in the state, Ifeanyi Onyenankeya. Onyenankeya is the owner of the popular news blogs, Okigwe Arena and Imo Arena.

He was abducted on Monday night from his father’s compound at No. 3 Duru Close, Ekeagbara, Okigwe, a family source said. According to the source, three gunmen abducted the blogger and escaped in a Toyota Siena. They allegedly beat Onyenankeya before whisking him away as he was said to have initially resisted them.

A relation of the victim wrote on the social media, “This young man in the picture is by name Ifeanyi Onyenankeya from Arondizuogu in the Okigwe Local Government Area and an employee of the National Examinations Council. He is 6.2 feet tall, dark in complexion, slim and a Christian. He is the admin of the Okigwe Arena and Imo Arena on Facebook.

“He was kidnapped from his father’s compound at No. 3 Duru Close, Ekeagbara Okigwe, yesterday (Monday), August 12, 2019, between 7pm and 8pm by three men in mask after being brutally beaten while resisting kidnap. These men were said to have come in a Sienna vehicle.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, told our correspondent that some gunmen abducted the blogger. He, however, stated that the command had yet to confirm if it was a case of kidnapping. The police spokesperson said investigation had commenced with a view to unravelling the circumstances surrounding the incident.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/panic-as-gunmen-kidnap-popular-imo-blogger/

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Sunday warned Nigerians to desist from investing their money in investment schemes being operated by persons or organisations that were not registered to carry out fund management functions.

The acting Director General of SEC, Ms Mary Uduk, gave the warning in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday. She spoke in response to reports of various unregistered schemes luring unsuspecting Nigerians with tempting returns.

Urging investors to be wary of any investment proposing a return level that was unreasonably high, Uduk advised members of the public to always ascertain whether such fund manager and the products being offered were registered with the SEC. Uduk said that the capital market was properly positioned to provide benefits to Nigerians.

According to her, SEC has been doing a lot in terms of investor education to assist people understand issues surrounding the capital market.

She said, “This is for the all-important purpose of ensuring that the gains of your participation, be these dividends, proceeds from share sales/transfers, etc accrue to you seamlessly without sweat and in the shortest time possible. The purpose is also to ensure that you do not fall victim to the antics of fraudsters who purport to be able to double any amount of money you make available to them as investment value.

“These fraudsters or promoters of Ponzi schemes are the false prophets of the investment environment; they are the ill-wind that blows no good and at whose sight you must flee. They are to be avoided. This is one message you must keep spreading to family, friends, relations and acquaintances in order to save them from the agony of loss of their hard-earned money. Please note that anyone that subscribes to these illegal activities does so at their own risk.”

Uduk added that the commission had undertaken various initiatives to make the capital market more user-friendly so that people can participate in it with greater ease, comfort and convenience.

She further disclosed that the SEC was leading the entire capital market industry in an effort to migrate all shareholders to an e-dividend regime. According to her, the essence of the e-dividend mandate management system is to eradicate or reduce the incidence of unclaimed dividends to the barest minimum.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/sec-warns-nigerians-against-ponzi-schemes/

The Lagos State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a yet-to-be-identified driver, who allegedly killed a tricycle rider, Bassey Aniete, in the Shitta area of Surulere. PUNCH Metro learnt that the unidentified driver, on Sunday accused the 26-year-old Aniete of bashing his car, which led to an argument between them.

It was gathered that the driver brought out a wheel spanner from his vehicle and allegedly beat Aniete repeatedly on the forehead with it. A tricycle operator in the area, who identified himself simply as Wisdom, told our correspondent on Monday that Aniete was rushed to a nearby hospital when blood started gushing out of his forehead.

Wisdom said, “Aniete picked a passenger from Lawanson to Shitta and had an argument with a man, who alleged that he bashed his car. The man alighted from his car and started fighting with Aniete and along the line, he dashed into his car and brought out a wheel spanner and used it to hit Aniete on the forehead till blood started gushing out. Aniete was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died. People in the neighbourhood allowed the driver of the car to escape from the scene.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said homicide detectives from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department were on the trail of the fleeing driver.

“The person, who beat the tricycle rider with a spanner, absconded but we are investigating the matter. “The tricycle rider couldn’t make it to the hospital before he died. Our homicide department at the SCIID is on the matter and we are on the trail of the driver/owner of the car.”

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/driver-kills-lagos-tricycle-rider-for-bashing-car/

Farmers cultivating different agricultural crops in Nigeria are hoping to tap into the $100bn annual agricultural import market of Dubai through the exportation of food items to the United Arab Emirates. The farmers said they would explore the export opportunities in the sale of agricultural produce to Dubai.

They spoke in Abuja on Saturday at an agricultural event with the theme ‘Meet the Farmers Conference’, organised by Crenov8, an agriculture consultancy firm.

“We have been made to understand that the agro import market in Dubai is worth over $100bn annually and that the United Arab Emirates imports this much from countries around the world and so we have to position ourselves as farmers to tap from this huge market,” a farmer who participated at the conference, Christian Agha, told our correspondent.

The Management Consultant, Crenov8, Bola Oyedele, said farmers and government agencies in the agricultural sector were brought together at the conference to be enlightened about the opportunities that abound in the Dubai market as many operators in Nigeria were not aware of them.

She said, “From a research that we conducted and from a government agency, in this case the Dubai Municipality and Dubai Chamber of Commerce, we saw that in 2016, Dubai imported $100bn worth of agricultural produce from around the world. But when you check what is going to Nigeria and Africa from these $100bn imports, you will be surprised that it is something very minute. That was how the curiosity began and we started going to the agencies, government ministries and farmers, asking them why they are not exploiting the Dubai market.”

Oyedele said it was also discovered that thousands of imports into Dubai were from Africa but not through Africans, adding that the goal of the conference was to facilitate agro-trade between Nigeria and the UAE.

She said, “So if our goods were going to Dubai, why are these goods not going through indigenes of Nigeria and other African countries? It was also discovered that a lot of our farmers do not know much about the Dubai market. This is because many people see Dubai as a place where they go for vacation, or do one or two business. But the key thing is that in Europe and America, they have farmlands where they cultivate crops; but Dubai doesn’t have that space.”

She added, “This is why they (UAE) spend so much importing agricultural produce and right here in Nigeria, we have the resources and food which they need. In Africa, we have these food items. Why can’t we export and tap from this $100bn market?”

On whether Nigerian farmers would be able to meet the export requirements set by authorities in Dubai, Oyedele noted that farmers would be guided on how to meet the standards.

She said, “What we do as a firm, depending on the specific commodity, is that we provide information on the requirements. And when you talk about standards, the fact is that we are consuming these food items that we plan to export. So, it is not as if our foods are bad or poisonous or not good for health. But some countries will tell you that you must have the required certification. Therefore, the basic standard is to ensure that you meet the first requirement, which is that it is healthy enough to be consumed.”

She noted that for other requirements, such information could be provided through the assistance of the consultancy firm, especially when requested for by a particular organisation.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/farmers-target-100bn-dubai-import-market/

Mr Mohammed Ali, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Lagos State Police Command, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.

He spoke in reaction to public complaints about incessant armed robbery on the Mile 2-Badagry Expressway. Ali said that the command’s security strategies in the state were still in place, yielding positive results. According to him, at peak periods, all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) are to monitor traffic situation under them, with a view to decongesting traffic and checking criminals operating during such period.

‘’Our major challenge on the Badagry expressway is the bad road and the articulated vehicles and tankers parked on the road from Mile 2. They are not helping security matter on that road. ‘’The tankers blocked the expressway. Heavy traffic is built up daily and that attracted robbers to operate. ‘’Yet our men are moving round to secure members of the public on that road. ‘’Our monitoring men are all in different parts of the metropolis,’’ he said.

According to him, "we have officers sent out from morning till night for traffic control to compliment other traffic officials and monitor black spots on motorcycles, patrol vehicles and foot". Ali also debunked the allegation that the police always looked the other way when some military personnel and their wards were involved in robbery on the Badagry expressway, particularly around Ojo area of the road.

Ali said: ‘’It is not possible for anyone to commit crime and the police will look the other way; no matter who you are, you will be arrested if you commit crime. ‘’No one is above the law, even if you are a uniformed person. Over 100 robbers have been arrested on Badagry Expressway this year alone,’’ he said.

On rape cases in Lagos State, Ali said over 60 persons, including some men who slept with their daughters and got them pregnant were arrested and charged to court. ‘’We don’t waste time on rape cases. Once arrested, there is a special court in Ikeja where the suspects are arraigned immediately. ‘’Rape is a special offence that needs special attention,’’ he said.

Ali also noted that the police did not have to wait for 24 hours before commencing investigation in a case of a missing person, saying that such was not the practice of the command. ‘’The Commissioner of Police did not give such an instruction that the police should wait for 24 hours to start investigation whenever people report a case of a missing person. ‘’That is dangerous to the survival of the victim. We believe that within 24 hours, such a victim should be found.

‘’When any officer receives a report of a missing person, the first thing to do is to make a radio announcement to alert the entire command, so that if such person is kidnapped, the men on the road can look all areas, vehicles and not to wait for 24 hours. ‘’If anyone is found to do that in Lagos Command, such a person will be dealt with, because that is not our practice,’’ Ali said.

On the activities of “No Salary Boys”, Ali said more than 30 of them had been arrested in the last one week, saying that the police were arresting them daily and would continue to raid them. The ‘’No Salary Boys’’ have been on rampage in the last two weeks in Igando area of the state going from house to house robbing people of their belongings and inflicting injuries.

SOURCE: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/police-arrest-over-100-armed-robbery-suspects-on-mile-2-badagry-expressway.html

Operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS have foiled attempt by a Sudanese to abscond with his Indian boss’s 2014 Honda CRV jeep , in Lagos Island, resulting in the suspect’s arrest and recovery of the jeep.

The suspect, Mohammed Adamu , 24, had dropped off his boss, Mr Ashiok Primilani, at a restaurant on Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, on July 19, 2019, at about 8.30pm. He drove off in the vehicle having informed his boss that he was going to eat around Eko hotel only to call later, informing his boss that the jeep had been stolen.

Shocked at the report, the Indian national reported the matter at the Victoria Island Police division, consequent upon which Adamu was arrested and transferred to the SARS, Lagos State Police Command, for further investigation. While at the Victoria Island division, the suspect as gathered, told detectives that he gave his boss’s house help, Comfort Ovat, the spare key, three days before the car was stolen, maintaining that he knew nothing about the stolen jeep.

He told detectives that the house keeper could have given the spare key to her husband, who could have carried out the theft. Ovat and her husband, were arrested and interrogated but both denied culpability. At the SARS, Crime Guard reliably gathered that Ovat and her husband were brought before Adamu for further interrogation.

All through the process, Ovat was said to have cried and swore with everything under the sun, not to have a hand in the stolen car. She was said to have knelt down before the Sudanese driver and passionately begged him to say the truth and exonerate her and her husband from the crime. At this point, Crime Guard was informed that Adamu bent his head and mumbled, “they are innocent”. Detectives were said to have asked him to repeat what he said and he opened up, revealing that the car was with him.

He disclosed that the car was parked somewhere around 1004 , with the intention of selling it for N2 million. Preliminary investigation as gathered, revealed that a week earlier, the 24-year-old driver who claimed he was born in Borno state, had duplicated the car key at the popular Ladipo market and also bought a car cover. Adamu, in this encounter, revealed that he admitted culpability because he could not stand the tears of Ovat, when she was brought before him.

Asked why he did it, he said, “I have been working for my boss for seven months and he paid me 55,000 monthly. I live with him but he does not feed me. I have never done this before. I was angry because he deducted N13,500 from my June salary because I damaged the car’s side mirror while driving. I hatched the plan myself and sold the idea to one Umaru, who works with the South Africa embassy.

On that day, after dropping my boss at the restaurant where he normally went to eat every Friday, I told him I was going to eat too. But I dropped the car at 1004 car park, from where I called him to say the car had been stolen. Before informing him, I invited Umaru, gave him the car keys and told him not to call me again, until I called him. I intended to sell the car for N2 million and use the money to buy a Toyota Corolla to operate Uber. But I was yet to get a buyer before I was arrested.

I planned to resign from my place of work if I had succeeded. I was also ready to bear the outcome of the arrest but I could not bear the sight of Ovat when she was brought before me. I felt she needed not to suffer for a crime she did not commit. I had to open up to save her the pain. I regret my action”.

Crime Guard gathered that efforts were still on to arrest Umaru, who was alleged to be an accomplice.

SOURCE: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/i-stole-my-bosss-car-for-deducting-damage-on-it-from-my-salary-sudanese-driver/

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued an order to all telcos to bring down their Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) services to not more than N4.89k per session. The charges used to be from about N52.50k particularly if the user is making mobile money transfer from one bank to the other.

The Commission said the order was necessary, to save subscribers from the often high and arbitrary charges on mobile financial services. The regulatory document titled “Determination of USSD Pricing which is binding on all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs),” seeks a departure from the usual practice involving a negotiation between telcos and financial services providers in determining what the consumers pay for mobile USSD transactions.

The NCC, however, said it waded into the matter to exercise its right of issuing orders on how digital financial services should be done in the country. The Commission aims at issuing new guidelines for licensing finance and getting more Nigerians into the government’s financial inclusion plans. The NCC explained the reason for the order, stating that other financial services by the network providers were often high and arbitrary.

The regulator also expressed belief that banks and licensed mobile financial services providers would comply with this new instruction. Director Public Affairs of the NCC, Mr Henry Nkemadu, told Vanguard that the order is part of the new price caps which will take effect in September. The commission also expected that other players in the digital finance ecosystem, such as banks and licensed mobile financial services providers would also show transparency and ensure that their charges reflect their true cost structures.

Meanwhile, in another development, the MTN Group, yesterday announced what it described as encouraging set of results for the six months ended 30 June 2019 considering difficult trading conditions across its major markets. The company recorded 12% increase in adjusted headline earnings per share, which is the first time it had delivered growth of that magnitude in recent years. It also recorded a strong subscriber growth of 7.7 million in the first six months of the year reaching a total of 240 million subscribers, while active data users grew by 3.5 million to 82 million and its 30-day active Mobile Money users grew by 2.4 million to 30 million.

The company’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Rob Shutter said: “During the period we had some landmark events. We successfully completed the listing of MTN Nigeria on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and our e-commerce joint venture Jumia listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Within three months of announcing our asset realisation programme, which is targeting at least R15 billion over the next few years, we delivered R2,1 billion in proceeds.”

He also said that in areas such as operating environment, the group contended with a weak macroeconomic environment in South Africa as well as introduction of new end-user requirements and re-pricing of out-of-bundle data rates, while economic activity was muted, in Nigeria, in the time of presidential elections and prior to the formation of the cabinet.

Looking ahead, Shuter said MTN is well positioned to grow by leveraging scale and enhancing competitive position. MTN will focus on continued turnaround of the enterprise business, recovery of prepaid and the launch of Mobile Money in South Africa, while in Nigeria, will continue further rollout of 4G coverage, launch of Ayoba and Music Time! as well as accelerating its fintech ambitions by fully leveraging on extensive distribution network to offer a range of transfer and payment services to its GSM customer base.

SOURCE: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/ncc-crashes-telcos-ussd-charge-to-n4-89k-per-session/

Nearly a million people have been affected by a major power cut across large areas of England and Wales, affecting homes and transport networks. National Grid said it was caused by issues with two power generators but the problem was now resolved.

Blackouts were reported across the Midlands, the South East, South West and North East of England, and Wales. Hundreds of people were stranded at King's Cross station as trains were delayed and cancelled. Traffic lights in some areas also stopped working.

The Department for Transport, said: "Today's power outage has had knock on impacts on travel. We're working hard with Network Rail and others to ensure systems are up and running as quickly as possible, so that everyone can complete their journeys safely."

At the height of the Friday rush hour, all trains out of King's Cross were suspended and remained so for most of the evening. Passenger Zoe Hebblethwaite said the situation outside the station was "absolute mayhem" and that passengers "couldn't find an assistant to speak to".

The BBC's Emma Petrie said there was an announcement asking passengers to leave the station. By 21:00 BST, more than 1,000 passengers appeared to be stranded at King's Cross, with London North Eastern Railway and National Rail advising customers against all travel for the rest of the day. Later on, some LNER trains were running southbound into King's Cross, and services to Stevenage and Peterborough from London also resumed, but not further up the East Coast Main Line.

One passenger told BBC Radio 5 Live her train took nearly 13 hours to reach London King's Cross from Edinburgh - a journey which would normally take less than five hours. "By hour seven things were starting to get pretty tense," Dayna McAlpine said. "We were being held in the middle of nowhere. Food ran out about five hours ago... We quite simply had to sit."

Boards at Waterloo station showed no trains departing on any platforms. Harriet Jackson, 26, said there was an "apocalyptic" scene on Northcote Road, in Battersea, when traffic lights cut out and cars were not stopping. "Given it's a Friday afternoon, it's the last thing you want to encounter," she said.

Passengers at Newcastle Airport said the power cut out for about 15 minutes, but Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports said they had not been affected. Scott McKenzie, 31, from Cardiff, said "various alarms were going off" at Newcastle Airport. "We were literally plunged into darkness and people were using their phones as torches to see and get around," he added.

About 500,000 people were affected in Western Power Distribution's area - including 44,500 customers in Wales - with power restored to them all shortly after 18:00 BST, the company said. Northern Powergrid said 110,000 of its customers lost power between 17:10 BST and 18:00 BST, while Electricity North West said at least 26,000 people were without power in the North West. UK Power Networks spokesman said 300,000 people were affected in London and the South East.

Network Rail said all trains had been stopped after a "power surge on the National Grid" but its signalling system had come back online.

In a statement, National Grid said: "Even though these events are outside of our control, we have plans in place to respond and the system operated as planned by disconnecting an isolated portion of electricity demand." The action allowed the system to "protect itself and limit the fall in frequency", which allowed for "power to be quickly restored", it added.

The energy watchdog Ofgem said it had asked for "an urgent detailed report from National Grid so we can understand what went wrong and decide what further steps need to be taken".

The enormous impact of this power failure is likely to lead to questions about the strength and robustness of the system. The BBC understands that two power supply plants - one a traditional gas and steam-fired power station in Cambridgeshire, the other a huge wind-turbine farm in the North Sea - failed at about 16:00 BST. National Grid described it as an "unexpected, and unusual event".

The sudden drop in available power caused protective measures to kick in that immediately cut electricity supply to a section of the National Grid network. By 18:30 BST the problems were fixed and the system was described as operating normally by the National Grid. But the knock-on effect is likely to be felt for several hours to come.

Passengers have been warned to expect delays. Trains from Hull were suspended and the operator told customers to wait until Saturday to travel. Thameslink said most of its trains were at a standstill between London and Bedford, and later added it was not running any trains north of London for the rest of the evening. British Transport Police said it had sent officers to "several" train stations to provide assistance to travellers.

It was important that passengers listened to travel advice from National Rail Enquiries and Network Rail, it said, adding: "For your own safety, do not leave train services not at stations."

Merseyrail cancelled several trains from West Kirby to Liverpool and told customers to use the Water Street entrance for James Street station.

A spokeswoman for Transport for London said some traffic lights in the capital were "not working" but the scale of the problem was not yet known.

Ipswich Hospital said it had been affected by the power cut in that area, because its back-up generator had failed to work, but all issues had been resolved.

SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49300025

A man has been arrested in Norway after a shooting inside a mosque left one person injured on Saturday. Police say a gunman opened fire on the Al-Noor Islamic Centre, in the outskirts of the capital Oslo. Later a woman was found dead at the house of the suspect, police said.

The suspect "is around 20 years old, a Norwegian citizen from the area," said assistant chief of police Rune Skjold, adding that the man was now suspected of murdering a relative. "We consider this a suspicious death... The dead person is related to the man arrested earlier today," he said.

Police say the man acted alone when he attacked the mosque. The mosque's director told local media that the victim was a 75-year-old member of the congregation. "One of our members has been shot by a white man with a helmet and uniform," Irfan Mushtaq told local newspaper Budstikka.

He later told local channel TV2 that the attacker had "carried two shotgun-like weapons and a pistol. He broke through a glass door and fired shots."

The gunman, who wore body armour, was overpowered by people at the mosque before police arrived at the scene, Mr Mushtaq added. Police sources told public broadcaster NRK that several weapons were found inside the mosque, located in the town of Baerum, following the shooting.

The mosque had previously implemented extra security measures after a gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, earlier this year, according to Reuters news agency.

SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49308016

A 30-year-old woman, Busayo Owoodun, was killed on Saturday 10th August, in a cross-fire between the police and suspected kidnappers in Lagos State, the Police Command in the state has said. DSP Bala Elkana, Spokesman, for the command who confirmed the incident in a statement, said the woman was hit by a stray bullet in Ijegun area of the state.

According to Elkana, at about 2:55pm, a team of policemen from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit attached to Area “M” Command, Idimu, tracked some kidnapping suspects to Ijegun Bus Stop, Ijegun – Isolo Road. He said the police team came under attack by members of the deadly gang. Elkana said that the gang, with the support of some notorious cultists in the area, attacked the security operatives and injured the team leader, ASP Victor Ugbegun.

He added that two other policemen who sustained injuries were currently in critical condition at the intensive care unit of an undisclosed hospital.

“The police team had reinforcements from the operations department, Rapid Response Squads, Task Force and neighboring divisions and were able to contain the situation and evacuate the injured officers to the hospital. The command has launched a manhunt of the assailants with a view to bringing them to justice. The corpse of the victim of the stray bullet was taken to hospital for autopsy,” he said

Elkana said the state Commissioner of Police had ordered an investigation into the case and condoled with the family of the deceased.

SOURCE: https://t.guardian.ng/news/woman-dies-in-cross-fire-between-police-suspected-kidnappers-in-lagos/

Sheikh Mohammed Yakoob is a brother to the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky. TED ODOGWU met him at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on his way to Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s holy pilgrimage in Mecca. He talks about El-Zakzaky’s childhood, how he became a Shiite, and why he abandoned his brother in his trying time

YOU ARE IBRAHIM EL-ZAKZAKY'S BROTHER, WHAT KIND OF PERSON WAS HE AS A YOUNG MAN?
My brother, El-Zakzaky, and I grew up together as youths. He is very bright, gifted, and has a photographic memory. He is like a tape recorder. Everything he reads, he comprehends and translates same to his numerous followers. We attended the same primary school. He is indeed very bright.

ALTHOUGH YOU ARE BROTHERS, YOU'RE SUNNI WHILE HE IS SHIITE, WHY IS THAT? AT WHAT POINT DID THAT CHANGE?
On completion of our primary school education, El-Zakzaky gained admission to the Advanced Teachers College in Kano (now Federal College of Education) while I went to Katsina Teacher’s College. Shortly after, he started corresponding with Iran. He was not a Shiite member at the time. But after he acquired a degree from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, he started assembling students to propagate Islam, like a preacher. He got the idea from Iran and subsequently, he started amassing money. Iran invited him to their country to join them (become a Shiite), and they financed him.

Originally, El-Zakzaky was Sunni but Iran lured him into becoming a Shiite. El-Zakzaky became a Shiite after visiting Iran, following their promise to appoint him as their Shiite ambassador in Nigeria. He changed, particularly because of money as Iran was financing him.

YOU SAID IN AN INTERVIEW THAT HIS PROBLEM STARTED WHEN HE HAD ANOTHER IDEOLOGY, WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIS IDEOLOGY?
Well, after Prophet Mohammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), Abubakar came as the first Khalifa. After him came Umar, [then Usman, then Ali]. In his new [Shiite] ideology, they said the latter Khalifas were always in disagreement with the leadership of Abubakar. They were abusing the other Khalifas except Ali, classifying them as cheats. In their belief, Ali should be regarded as the first Khalifa after Mohammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Their ideology is uncultured because they abuse the Khalifas, including Aisha and other wives of the Prophet.

In our belief, after Mohammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), there is no other person in the world that can attain his position and the other Khalifas. If you abuse them, you have abused Islam. You will become a non-Muslim because they were the companions of the Prophet. They were Jihadists because they did everything to woo people to Islam.

YOU SAID HIS SECT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROSCRIBED BEFORE NOW, BUT HE IS THE ONE WHO HAS SUFFERED LOSSES AS HIS SONS AND MEMBERS OF HIS SECT WERE KILLED BY THE GOVERNMENT. HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
Well, globally, no country or any other group can attack the Chief of Army Staff, who has thousands or millions of soldiers under his command. To attack the Chief of Army Staff, you have attacked the entire military and Nigeria. Whatever happens to whosoever dares to attack the military should be held responsible for his misfortunes. It’s unheard of anywhere in the world for any group of people to attack a military leader. Nowhere in any country in the world will anyone dare to attack the Chief of Army Staff.

Those who attacked the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, should learn to face the consequences. They should be held liable for whatever must have happened to them because it’s what they asked for.

WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT HOW THE ARMY LATER ALLEGEDLY KILLED MANY MEMBERS OF THE SECT, MANY OF WHOM MIGHT BE INNOCENT?
Definitely, I said something; maybe you did not hear or read about it in the newspapers. All the papers in Nigeria reported my reaction, in which I insisted that the Shiite members invited trouble to themselves by blocking Buratai’s way.

SINCE YOU ARE BROTHERS, MANY PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHAT COULD HAVE MADE YOU ABANDON YOUR BROTHER INSTEAD OF STANDING BY HIM IN HIS TRYING TIME.
As I earlier told you, I not only respect my religion but also respect my country. I respect my religion and country far above brotherhood. My religion is paramount, just as I also respect my country and my religion. I respect those things a lot more than (I respect) my brother, El-Zakzaky. It also applies to my son, who, if he does the wrong thing, I would not pitch my tent with him; I would be against him.

BUT WHAT MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE IS THAT WHAT EL-ZAKZAKY IS GOING THROUGH IS PURE PERSECUTION BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF NIGERIANS ARE SUNNI MUSLIMS WHILE HE IS SHIITE. IS THAT WHAT ALL THIS IS REALLY ABOUT? ARE SUNNI MUSLIMS IN GOVERNMENT CONNIVING TO GET RID OF SHIITES?
Previously, there were no Shiites in Nigeria. El-Zakzaky imported Shiite [Shia Islam] into Nigeria, via his ties with Iran but the majority of Nigerians is Sunnis. It’s only people in the villages, where ignorance persists, that embrace Shiite movement because they do not know what Islam is all about. If you abuse Abubakar, you abuse Aisha, you abuse Hafsat, and you’ve abused the Prophet, which is the stock in trade of the Shiites.

YOU SAID WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DID BY KEEPING YOUR BROTHER IN CUSTODY DESPITE COURT ORDERS SAYING HE SHOULD BE RELEASED, IS RIGHT. HOW CAN THE GOVERNMENT BREAKING THE LAW BE RIGHT?
El-Zakzaky has no right because he was the one who attacked Buratai’s convoy. Nobody can attack the government and get away scot-free.

IF THE GOVERNMENT CAN BREAK THE LAW, HOW THEN IS IT WRONG FOR GROUPS AND OTHERS TO ALSO BREAK THE LAW?
The government did not break any law; rather, it was Shiites that first broke the law.

SOME PEOPLE FEEL YOU DON'T LIKE SHIITES GENERALLY, AS YOU DESCRIBED THEM AS LIARS AND BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR PROBLEMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WHY?
The genesis of the crises in Iraq, as well as Yemen and Syria, can be traced to Shiites, who are always engaged in protests. If the government allows them to continue to protest daily, the opposition will use the opportunity to overthrow the government in power. It has been established that Shiites are responsible for the lingering crisis rocking Yemen and Syria, and if the government allows them to continue unchecked, they would sooner than later overthrow the government.

YOU SAID ALL SHIITE GROUPS SHOULD BE PROSCRIBED AND NOT JUST YOUR BROTHER'S GROUP, ISLAMIC MOVEMENT IN NIGERIA, ALONE, BECAUSE THEY SHARE SAME IDEOLOGY WITH BOKO HARAM, BUT HOW CAN THAT BE JUSTIFIED SINCE SHIITE GROUPS HAVE NOT BEEN VIOLENT OR CAUSING TERROR?
If Shiites acquire arms, they will fight, as their ideology is the same as that of Boko Haram. Boko Haram has sufficient arms but Shiites do not have enough arms. If they can acquire arms, they will fight.

CAN YOU NAME ANY SHIITE GROUP THAT HAS BEEN VIOLENT OR BEEN KILLING PEOPLE?
Yes, go to Zaria, they abound there. In Zaria, before the crisis started, Shiites killed so many boys there.

YOU LIKENED YOUR BROTHER'S SECT TO BOKO HARAM, WHY?
I likened my brother’s sect to Boko Haram because they are all terrorist groups.

YOU SAID IMN MEMBERS BEAR GUNS, HOW CAN YOU PROVE THAT?
I saw it on video when they attacked soldiers with arms. If you ask any security agency in Nigeria, they will tell you that Shiites have arms, but not enough to fight with. They have both local and foreign-made guns but they are not enough to fight. They kill soldiers and police officers.

SOURCE [elaborations in square brackets]: https://punchng.com/iran-lured-my-brother-el-zakzaky-into-shiite-with-money-islamic-movement-leaders-brother/

For allegedly beating up officials of Ikeja Electric, a housewife, Cecilia Osuji, and her daughter, Vivian, were on Thursday 8th August brought before the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Ogba. It was gathered that the duo, on July 26 in the Alagbado area of Lagos, beat up the IE officials identified simply as Damilare, Emmanuel and Lateef, while performing their official duties and damaged their ladder.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the officials were in the area to disconnect power supply to the defendants’ house over huge indebtedness, but they were obstructed and beaten up with pipes, which allegedly caused grievous bodily harm on them. Cecilia and Vivian were arraigned on four counts of conspiracy, breach of peace, assault and damage. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to the police prosecutor, Ezekiel Ayorinde, the offences contravene sections 173, 350 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The presiding magistrate, B. O. Osunsanmi, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/mother-daughter-arraigned-for-assaulting-power-firm-officials/

The Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State said on Thursday 8th August that over 500 of its members were kidnapped in the last two years, adding that the body had paid over N300m as ransom.

The State Chairman of CAN, Rev. Joseph Hayab, who spoke in Kaduna, warned against the activities of bandits, armed robbers and other criminal elements in the state who had turned to kidnappings, saying in one village alone, the church paid N20m. He lamented that the activities of the criminals had forced inhabitants of 10 villages to flee from their homes to other parts of the state.

“We have been computing the numbers of Christian population kidnapped in Kaduna State in the last two years, over 500 of them that we know — either in the villages or in town — have been kidnapped. The people have moved out of some settlements completely and we have closed down our churches because of the activities of the kidnappers”.

“We are still computing, but at the last count, the church has coughed out over N300m as ransom to kidnappers. In the case of the chief of Kajuru that was killed, it was N8m that the kidnappers took. There was a Reverend Father in Kachia, they took about N1.5m. They still killed him. In Dankande, Birnin-Gwari, they collected over N7m before they released those people to us".

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/500-kaduna-christians-kidnapped-n300m-paid-can/

Debts worth N5 billion were recovered by Union Bank of Nigeria Plc in the first six months of this year, Chief Executive Officer of the financial institution, Mr Emeka Emuwa, has revealed. Mr Emuwa, while commenting on the performance of the company in the first half of 2019, said this was part of the bank’s debt recovery processes, which were in sync with the robust risk management system put in place by the management.

According to him, “We have developed a concerted and clear plan to increase our risk assets with our loan book growing by 8% to N563.0 billion compared to year-end 2018. The ability to take on more risk is hinged on our robust risk management and debt recovery processes working in sync, which led to recoveries of over N5 billion in the period [under review]”.

In H1 2019, Union Bank improved its profit before tax by 4% to N12.1 bn from N11.7 bn in H1 2018, while gross earnings declined by 9% to N76.0 bn from N83.3 bn in H1 2018. This was caused by a decrease in average earning assets in the period under consideration.

Reacting to this, the chief executive said, “To sustain growth in earnings, we remained steadfast in our commitment to delivering value and first-class customer experience to all our customers.”

He said in the first six months of the year, the company raised N30 billion 10-year bond in June, as part of the N100 billion debt capital programme and that the exercise was fully subscribed.

“With this new injection of tier 2 capital, we are well positioned to deliver on our growth strategy and priorities,” he assured.
He said, “Looking ahead, we will continue to focus on opportunities to deliver our simpler, smarter banking promise to our customers while improving internal operational efficiencies which will translate to enhanced shareholder value.”

SOURCE: https://businesspost.ng/2019/08/09/union-bank-recovers-n5bn-debts-from-customers/amp/

Details emerged, weekend, of how Ogun State Police Command’s swift response to the abduction of five persons including a senior member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, and an Immigration Officer, by suspected herdsmen last Thursday around Ijebu-Ode, led to their rescue.

The incident, which coincided with the brutal killing of a Catholic Priest in Enugu State, Rev. Fr. Paul Offu, sparked off protests and outrage across the country and beyond. Offu was the second Catholic Priest murdered in the state this year by suspected herders.

News of the abduction of the victims, which included a woman, was announced by the General Overseer of RCCG, Worldwide, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, while giving a talk at the Camp. Vanguard learned that no sooner the announcement was made than the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, issued a matching order to police authorities in and around the state to fish out the perpetrators.

Operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT; Tactical Team; men of the Mobile Force and Police Air Services were quickly deployed from Abuja to Ogun State and its environs with stern directives to comb all the forests and criminal hideouts in the area and rescue the victims. Police sources said the mantle then fell on the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State, Bashir Makamma, to lead the strike force not only on record time, but to rescue the victims unhurt. The police team were also directed to leave no stone unturned in fishing out the perpetrators of the evil act.

In Enugu, the same mandate was given to police authorities to swing into action, especially with the protest by Catholic priests over the killing of their colleagues in the state. While the governor of Enugu State called an emergency security meeting where far-reaching decisions were taken to fish out killers of the priest, the Police in Ogun invaded all the forest areas in and around the scene of the abduction.

Police sources said immediately after the abduction, the Commissioner of Police was alerted and given the telephone number of the female victim. He reportedly called her number, she answered and after the Police boss introduced himself, the call was immediately cut. The Police boss was said to have continued calling the line until a male voice answered and asked if he was really the Commissioner of Police, stating that he, the caller, is also the Commissioner of Kidnapping. At that stage, according to reports, the Police boss started treading slowly by claiming he was not a Commissioner of Police, but pleaded for the victims.

Vanguard gathered that while he was still pleading with the abductors, who spoke in a northern accent, his men which included the Deputy Commissioner in-Charge of Operations and other high ranking officers, together with men of the DSS and other security agencies were ready to invade the forest. Reports had it that the team also worked with hunters, palm wine tappers, local vigilante groups and other security outfits including a Reverend Father as they all matched into the forest between Ijebu- Ode and Ore at a point called J5.

While the foot soldiers were moving into the forest, the Commissioner of Police and other officers and the priest were coordinating from the air in a police helicopter. It was learned that as soon as they started smoking the vast forest from the air, it scared the abductors and that was why the female victim, who happened to be the only member of the RCCG and a deaconess, was able to escape from them. She reportedly met with the rescue team and briefed them about the movement of the abductors and that was how they were able to move in decisively and located the area where the victims were kept.

However, reports said they had a hitch because the area was very swampy and seen as uninhabitable, but that was where their targets were hiding. Sources said the Police helicopter was so low that if the abductors had the weapons to shoot it down, they would have succeeded. Luckily, while the Commissioner of Police, who was in the air with his officers, were smoking the forest, their efforts paid off as the abductors, scared, ran for cover giving room for their victims to show up.

They were immediately rescued by the team that were on ground. In fact, sources said the victims said they were seeing members of the rescue team combing the forests, but because they were kept in a swampy area, the security men could not detect their whereabouts. Sources said the three-day frantic search for the victims saw the helicopter hovering in and around the thick bushes of Ogun and neighbouring states for hours. They only went back to base to re-fuel and continue the search, which later yielded positive results.

Unconfirmed reports said the abductors may have been hit by the persistent fire power of the rescuers, but police authorities said they are yet to make arrests. Meanwhile, it was gathered that to forestall further incidents of that nature, police authorities have commenced immediate de-vegetation of the thick bushes along the expressway.

Furthermore, they have strengthened locals in the area including vigilante groups, hunters, palm wine tappers and the youths to assist in forestalling further attacks on both motorists and transporters on the highway, while also advising passengers to ensure that their drivers do not park indiscriminately on the expressway.

SOURCE: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/08/rescue-of-kidnap-victims-in-ogun-how-the-battle-was-fought-won/

Hintona:
People who advocate for equality between men and women are called feminists.

I want to ask, what about people who propagate the notion that "women are superior to men", what are they called??


please no insults

I know some male nairalanders will use this as an opportunity to show the world that they are airheads.

Simple answer to your question:

FEMALE CHAUVINIST (noun): A female who patronizes, disparages, or otherwise denigrates males in the belief that they are inferior to females and thus deserving of less than equal treatment or benefit.

(SOURCE: dictionary.com)

Automakers, dealers and other stakeholders have expressed anger over China’s resolve to push its used vehicles to Nigeria and other global markets as a strategy to shore up its income from automobile.

Although no government official connected with the auto industry and vehicle import was willing to confirm the development, The PUNCH gathered on Tuesday that not less than 25% of about 40,000 used vehicles imported through the Nigerian ports in the last two months were China-made.

But local automakers and dealers are unequivocal in rejecting the arrangement, which they insist will kill the local auto industry. They said it was absurd for Nigeria to allow China to ship its used vehicles to the country at a time many automakers were still battling with the influx of used European and American auto brands. They called it an attempt to make Nigeria a dumping ground for used vehicles with short lifespan.

GM, Marketing and Corporate Communications at Coscharis Group, Mr Abiona Babarinde, said, “If this position is correct, it will be counterproductive and unfortunate. Used cars from China or any country should not be encouraged by our government now. It will not be value-adding. Nigeria will be a dumping ground for all manner of vehicles. This can’t grow the local auto industry; it will be a setback for the local assemblers of vehicles.

“Besides, it will be confusing for government to encourage importation of used vehicles from China at the time same it is encouraging local production of vehicles.”

Marketing Manager of Dana Motors, Mr Olawale Jimoh, told The PUNCH that allowing used Chinese models into the country would not only retard the little progress made in the last five years with establishment of an auto policy but would also cripple the nation’s economy with massive job losses.

He said, “What we will be basically doing is to help Chinese economy grow. By bringing in their used cars, production of new cars will grow in their own country. This will help them generate more employment and increase their Gross Domestic Product. It will also make our country a junkyard of used cars in the world; we are currently contending with used cars from European countries, America and all of that.”

Executive Director, Nigeria Automotive Manufacturers Association, Mr Remi Olaofe, said the Federal Government had not shown enough commitment to ensuring success of the five-year-old auto policy. He lamented the delay in getting President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Nigeria auto bill, adding, “No investor will want to come to a country where their business is not protected.”

Senator Shehu Sanni, in a tweet on the issue, stated, “To ban the importation of textiles and milk to ‘protect our local industries’ and allow the importation of used vehicles from China is a dumb economic policy.”

Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Muda Yusuf, noted that used cars were not under import prohibition list. He advised the Federal Government to redefine the age limit and types of cars that could be brought into the country. He said, “There are too many junks coming into the country and this poses safety risks. The government needs to redefine the age limit of cars coming into the country. Also, import duty on used cars should be reduced to a maximum of 20% so that people can afford newer models of used cars instead of going for junks. The market for rickety vehicles has become very huge because of affordability challenge caused by high import duty.”

On the impact of the importation of Chinese cars on the national automotive policy, Yusuf remarked that the policy was due for a review and maintained that Nigeria was not ripe for such a policy. He said, “We have no steel and iron industry to support the policy. We do not have a tyre or battery producing firm. What people do is that they just bring in parts and assemble them here, making the vehicles more expensive than they are supposed to be. We don’t have competitive advantage in automobile manufacturing and it is better for us to concentrate on areas in which we have competitive strength such as oil and gas sector.”

China’s Ministry of Commerce had reportedly announced in a statement that it would soon begin exportation of used cars to 10 global markets including Nigeria with a view to driving its vehicle sales, which contracted last year for the first time since the 1990s. The report specifically indicated that the first batch of 300 used cars would be in the country soon.

But sources at the National Automotive Design and Development Council and the Nigeria Customs Service said the matter had yet to be communicated to them. Investigations by The PUNCH in Abuja also revealed that none of the two agencies of government had received any official communication on modalities through which the vehicles would be brought into Nigeria by the Chinese government.

A top Customs official said, “For now, the plan by the Chinese is non-existent to us because it is yet to become an action. We have not been informed officially.” He added that since it was a plan by the Chinese government, it was currently a diplomatic issue whose details could only be handled by the foreign affairs ministry.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/outrage-as-china-ships-used-vehicles-to-nigeria/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has declared six men wanted for jumping bail as well as committing different Financial crimes. See the full photos released by the commission below

SOURCE: https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2019/8/efcc-declares-six-men-wanted-for-various-financial-crimes-jumping-bail-photos.html

A 61-year-old man identified as Adebekun Olusegun Samuel, was found dead inside his vehicel along Obalende road, Lagos Island in Lagos state recently.

Spokesperson of the state police command, Bala Elkana, says the Onikan Police Station received a distress call from Obalende road that a man locked himself inside a vehicle Toyota Camry with registration number BEN 231 CB, colour Gold.

"Immediately the scene was visited, the door was forced open, and it was discovered that the man had given up the ghost. The family of the deceased was quickly contacted via his phone. The name of the deceased was revealed by the family as Adebekun Olusegun Samuel, age 61 years and that he has been sick, so no foul play was suspected'' Bala said in his statement

The police spokesperson added that the corpse and the vehicle have been released to the family on request.

SOURCE (redacted): https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2019/8/ailing-61-year-old-man-found-dead-in-his-vehicle-in-lagos.html

Gallant Police officers on Monday morning, foiled an attempt by suspected kidnappers to hijack a Lagos bound 15-seater commercial around Rumuji, in Emohua Local Government area of East-West road of Rivers State. Spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incident said that as soon as the kidnappers sighted the commercial bus, they started firing at it from the bush to force it to stop.

But some policemen arrived the scene and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel, thereby, forcing the hoodlums to flee into the nearby bush. The policemen chased the suspects into the bush and eventually, killed three of them, while five others were arrested. The arrested suspects are helping the police as they under are undergoing interrogation.

DSP Omoni further said the Police had assisted the rest of the passengers to continue their journey to Lagos but the driver of the bus could not continue the journey because of the bullet wound he sustained during the battle between the Police and hoodlums.

“The kidnappers emerged from the bush and shot at the tyre of bus. Since launching of the “Operation Sting”,we are very much on ground. We sighted them and they opened fire. We returned fire, killed three of them and arrested five who are helping us with investigation. We had to make alternative arrangements for the passengers to continue their journey to Lagos, while the driver who sustained minor injury was taken to the hospital"

Today’s incident is one major breakthrough since Governor Nyesom Wike launched “Operation Sting”on July 26,2019. Wike said the initiative is a signal for criminals to understand there is no hiding place for them in the state.

“Operation Sting is our own specialized security initiative anchored on an integrated and coordinated approach fully funded by the Rivers state government to effectively tackle both the sources and drivers of insecurity. The operation is also to fight against every security threat to our state, our persons and our properties in order to create the right social environment to drive our development. Under Operation Sting we have taken concrete steps to strengthen logistics and operational capability of the civil and armed security forces,” he said.

SOURCE: https://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2019/8/photos-police-foil-attempt-to-hijack-lagos-bound-bus-in-rivers-state-kill-3-suspected-kidnappers.html

Dangote Flour Mills Plc (“DFM’’ or ‘’the Company’’) notified its esteemed Shareholders, Stakeholders, Dealing Members, The Nigerian Stock Exchange (“The Exchange”) and the general public that the Board of the Company received an addendum on August 1, 2019 to the earlier binding offer (the “Offer”) made to DFM on April 23, 2019 by Olam International Limited (“Olam”), to acquire all outstanding and issued shares of DFM that are not currently owned by Olam through its subsidiary, Crown Flour Mills Ltd.

CROWN FLOUR'S EARLIER OFFER …
The total consideration of N130,000,000,000 (One Hundred and Thirty Billion Naira Only) was offered by Olam through its subsidiary Crown Flour to DFM’s Board for the entire 5,000,000,000 issued shares of DFM. Also, the consideration was to be adjusted for net working capital and net debt as at March 31, 2019, or any other later date that may be agreed by Olam and the Board of DFM to arrive at a final price payable to equity shareholders and the final price to be paid to shareholders of DFM would be adjusted downwards to exclude shares held by Crown Flour Mills Limited.

CROWN FLOUR’S CURRENT OFFER GIVEN THE ADDENDUM …
By the addendum, Crown Flour has now submitted to DFM’s Board a revised offer with a final consideration of N120,000,000,000 (One Hundred and Twenty Billion Naira Only) amounting to N24.00 per ordinary share following the exclusion of Crown Flour’s shares. Hence, shareholders of DFM (Excluding Crown Flour) will be paid the final consideration (N24.00) according to the term of the Scheme Document.

HAS THE DEAL BEEN CONSUMMATED?
No, the Scheme Document is still subject to, amongst other things, shareholders’ approval, regulatory approvals and the sanction of the Federal High Court (the “Court”).

SOURCE: https://brandspurng.com/2019/08/05/olam-international-limited-acquires-issued-shares-of-dangote-flour-mills-plc-at-n24-00/

Today's classroom is a far cry from the traditional image of locker desks, chalkboards and pencils. With education expected to prepare children for a fast-changing digital workplace, technology-led learning is becoming the norm and kids may be coding before they can read and write. As a result, global spending on educational technology is booming. It's expected to double to $341 billion between 2018 and 2025, according to data and research firm HolonIq.

"We're asking young people what they want to be when they grow up, when maybe more than half of the job's tasks and
industries they may work in have not been invented yet," says Heather McGowan, a future work strategist who helps to prepare people and organizations for the 4th Industrial Revolution, which will see the world reshaped by artificial intelligence, robotics and other technological breakthroughs.

A report by the World Economic Forum notes that 65% of children entering primary school in 2017 will have jobs that do not yet exist and for which their education will fail to prepare them. Education must adapt accordingly. McGowan thinks this means less focus on transferring knowledge, and more on the ability to learn for yourself.

"The foundational knowledge of the future is your own ability to learn and adapt, because if you don't, your career will come to a screeching halt after a couple of years," she says.

TOOLS FOR THE FUTURE
This new era of education also demands a fresh set of tools. Take Cubetto, a small wooden robot that moves on a board when a child inserts blocks with commands such as left, right or forward into a connected base. The Cubetto kit, costing $225, is being used by schools and parents to teach children as young as three to code.

"It's a skill that you can apply to anything: you basically learn to think in a very logical and rational manner," says Filippo Yacob, founder and CEO of Primo, the toy maker that developed Cubetto.

"For us, it's about making children future proof," he adds.

However, the effectiveness of such tools depends on maintaining the attention span of a young child.
"It needs to be something fun and adventurous, not just homework," says Alex Klein, CEO and founder of Kano, an educational technology company.

Kano's signature product — the Kano computer kit — is a build-your-own computer or tablet. Students follow a step-by-step guide to connect the parts, and once it's up and running they can play on several apps, from learning to code to creating music and games.

"Kano offers paradigm game-changing opportunities for teaching computer science," says Allen Tsui, a teacher at a school in London that uses the device. "(It) also enables project based learning opportunities to extend collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking skills." In October, the Kano PC -- a build-your-own Windows computer -- will be available to purchase for $299.

In the United Kingdom, educators are welcoming the use of technology. According to a survey by Promethean, 54% of teachers are using educational technology this year, and 94% acknowledge that it can improve engagement among students.

NOT JUST FOR TEACHING
Technology is not only helping to teach kids, it's also creating a better learning environment. Danish companies Velux and Leapcraft have been working together to introduce sensors into the classroom. They developed the Ambinode — a small white box that monitors noise, temperature, air particles and CO2 levels. Data is then fed to a smartphone app, so that a teacher or facility manager can monitor the environment and make sure it is as comfortable and productive an environment as possible.

One report by the University of Salford found that physical factors such as natural light, temperature and air quality can increase the learning progress of primary school pupils by as much as 16% in a year.

"The danger is, if you don't get these things right, that children are really being hampered in their learning and it's undermining their efforts to progress academically," says professor Peter Barrett who led the study.

SOURCE: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/30/business/future-education-technology/index.html

Heads may soon roll in the nation’s financial sector as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) investigates chief executive officers and directors of banks in the country over allegations of insider related loans and other offences, Sundiata Post is reporting. Already, the CBN has constituted a team to investigate the 21 commercial banks in the country to certain their level of solvency.

The move followed revelations that directors and chief executives of four banks in the country are using their positions to award loans running into billions of naira to themselves and their cronies, which eventually end up being classified as bad debts.

A reliable source in the banking sector told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that CBN is embarking on investigation of the commercial banks to forestall possibility of failure of any of the existing banks. The source, who is close to the CBN top management, disclosed that, “CBN is always investigating to see how directors are spending depositors funds and from investigation available, some of the bank directors may end up with severe sanctions like what happened in the past.

“Some maybe stripped of their positions and banned from holding any position in the financial sector while others maybe arrested and prosecuted.”

The source however disclosed that “no particular bank is being targeted and that the apex bank was looking at all the banks to see how financially stable they are. If you recalled what happened in the past where some bank directors where just stealing depositors money, you will understand why the CBN is increasing its policing role in the banking sector. It was a sad and terrible experience that no country would like to pass through again. The CBN has said it would not allow any bank to fail again in Nigeria,” the source was quoted by the online journal.

The source further explained that CBN was beaming search light on the commercial banks because of the present economic situation in the country.

He disclosed that during economic recession, the rate of non-performing loans increased, stressing that, “When there is economic crisis, purchasing power of households drop. Ability to pay for goods and services drop and when this happens, even those who have borrowed money to pay for goods and services don’t make sales and as a result, sales drop and profit and cash flow decline, making it even more difficult to repay loans.”

The source stated further that “non-performing loans are part and parcel of economic crisis,” adding that “the fact that some banks have high non-performing loans doesn’t make them distress.”

The source revealed that at the moment, there is no distressed or distressing bank in the country as a result of the huge non-performing loans.

SOURCE: https://businesspost.ng/2017/09/26/panic-cbn-probes-bank-mds-directors-huge-non-performing-loans/amp/

The only female among the five persons kidnapped in Ogbere area of Ijebu-Ode last Thursday, Mrs. Ibelegbo Chidimma, has narrated how she escaped from their kidnappers. Chidimma, a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, was kidnapped alongside four others (all male) on Thursday around the J3 forest on Ogbere Road, in Ijebu-East Local Government Area of the state.

She said she was travelling from Asaba, Delta State, in the same commercial vehicle with other passengers when their vehicle was stopped in Ogbere by people she described as Fulani herdsmen and marched into the forest alongside four other travellers. The RCCG had initially erroneously stated that all five victims were its pastors.

Chidimma was the first person to escape from the kidnappers’ den in the early hours of Saturday, while the remaining four victims also regained their freedom unhurt, the Ogun State Police Command said. According to a pastor with RCCG who refused to be named because she was not authorised to talk with the Press, Chidimma shared her testimony with fellow worshipers at the RCCG’s ongoing Ministers’ Conference in Redemption Camp on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The minister’s conference holds ahead of the annual Holy Ghost Conference scheduled to commence on Monday.

Our source said Chidimma narrated that immediately after their abduction, the herdsmen marched all the victims into the thick forest and that they all walked for hours, with the herdsmen guarding the victims.

“Almost immediately we reached what appeared to be the camp of our kidnappers, they all fell asleep. Same with the other victims. But I kept awake. When I saw how deep everyone was snoring, I braved the odds and made a bid for my escape. I walked for about three hours, non-stop, until I made it to the road, where I saw an Okada (commercial motorcycle) operator.

“I explained my predicament to him, and he volunteered to help me to a Police checkpoint not far from where I had emerged from the forest. The policemen took me to the Ogun State Police Command, where I provided useful information that led to the rescue of the four remaining victims,” Chidimma was quoted to have told the Church gathering.

The RCCG General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, early on Friday had announced the abduction of five persons he had referred to as pastors of the church, and had called for prayers for their deliverance. However, during the evening session of the Ministers’ Conference that same Friday, Adeboye said investigation revealed that only one of the five kidnap victims was an RCCG pastor, noting that the other four are not church members.

He asked the National Prayer Coordinator of the church, Pastor Peter Olawale, to lead the congregation in prayers for God to rescue all the victims from the kidnappers’ den. Olawale, who is also the Special Assistant to the GO on Prayers, thereafter led the worshippers in fervent prayers.

The Police gave the names of the rescued persons as Chidioze Eluwa, Chiemela Iroha, Okoro Ohowukwe, Ndubuizi Owuabueze and Ibelegbo Chidimma. According to the Police, the abductors emerged from the forest and forcefully stopped a commercial vehicle with the number plate KW 230 XA belonging to Abia Line Transport Company and took the passengers into the forest.

In a statement released to the Press, the Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Police Command, Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, led the rescue team.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/breaking-how-i-escaped-from-fulani-herdsmen-rccg-pastor-ibelegbo-chidimma/

Fund managers and investors in the Nigerian financial market must be facing a tough time at the moment. This is because returns on the financial assets are dropping and, in some cases, recording negative performance. Yields on fixed income securities have been dropping since Jan 2019 as investors (both local and foreign) have increased patronage of fixed income securities. Investors are now re-investing maturing investments at lower yields than before. Yield on 364-day Nigerian Treasury Bill (NTB) dropped from 16.95% on 02 Jan 2019 to 12.53% as at 17 July 2019.

In the equity market, bears are winning over the bulls, leading to declining equity prices. Value of the Nigerian All Share Index (NSE ASI) stood at 27,918.59 as at 26 July 2019, a depreciation of 11.17% from December 2018. Warren Buffett, an American business magnate, once said that as an investor, “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” This means investors who have long-term funds can take advantage of the imbalance in share prices of some companies that have strong investment case in the equity market.

Although we may not know exactly when the equity market will take a turn, it is clear the market is close to the bottom. Therefore, FSDH Research expects bulls to take over very soon.

Imagine that an investment of N100,000 in the Nigerian equity market in 1985 recorded a return of 24,590% as at Dec 2018. This means that the N100,000 increased to N24.69m within 33 years without additional capital. This was the performance of the NSE ASI between 1985 and 2018. Not a bad growth at all. Meanwhile, there were companies that recorded higher returns during this period. However, be aware that historical performance is no guarantee of future performance in the financial market.

The equity market may recover as from August. A number of companies have indicated they will declare interim dividends for Half Year results (only waiting for regulatory approval). In addition, we expect various monetary policies from Central Bank of Nigeria to boost economic activities and lead to increased liquidity that can flow to the financial market. This assumption is based on availability of complementary fiscal measures that will de-risk the economy (absence of which may limit ability of the monetary policies to achieve desired objectives).

FSDH Research believes current bearish trend in the equity market is an opportunity for strategic investors to take positions. In addition to capital gains in the equity market, investors can also benefit from dividends that companies pay, and bonus issues (additional shares that investors earn, for which they do not pay).

FSDH Research expects the low yields on fixed income securities to provide an opportunity to source long-term debt capital for infrastructure development that will improve the Nigerian business environment. Government and corporates can also leverage on the high appetite for debt securities to issue discount bonds.

Meanwhile, we see attractive investment opportunities in the following sectors of the equity market:
-- Consumer Goods
-- Industrial Goods
-- Banking
-- Oil and Gas.

Your investment adviser can recommend specific stocks to buy in these sectors.

Final words – The Nigerian financial market is loaded with opportunities, don’t be left behind!

SOURCE (abridged): https://businesspost.ng/2019/08/01/investment-dilemma-declining-yields-vs-crashing-equity-market/amp/

In Nigeria, there are two popular phrases people like to hear — “This man don make am o!” and then “Chai! This woman has made it in life!” Everybody likes stories about success. And the good thing about achieving success is that it is not exclusive to some select group of people. Therefore, I make bold to tell you today that “you sef fit make am“. But in order to make it in life, you need to heed the open secrets presented in this article. So, get ready to dig in.

WHO ARE THE RICH ONES?
You might not find them driving the most expensive cars, buying private jets, or wearing a million dollar watch. Rich people are more concerned about making investments and consolidating on their wealth, instead of blowing it all away on wild shopping sprees and drunken nights.

They are just ordinary people who work to create value, and then save and invest their earnings sensibly. They are people who live unassumingly and don’t try to show that they have it all - on the contrary, a rich person would prefer not to attract unwarranted attention. When they spend, they do so to make life easier, not to impress themselves or anyone else. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean they don’t have a good time.

Ever wondered why some football or TV stars with 6 figure bank accounts suddenly go broke at the end of their career? Well, the answer can be found right here. Some people may ride fancy cars or live in big mansions, even though they are deep in debt. Soon enough, most of their earnings go into paying off debt rather than compounding.

A RICH PERSON'S SECRETS: HOW THEY DO IT
The road to wealth is open to anyone willing to walk it. You might realize you are already practicing the ideas that will be presented here. If so, continue on the path. If not, it’s never too late to start. Here’s how the rich build their wealth and keep it:

(1). THEY HAVE MULTIPLE INCOME STREAMS
Rich people venture into any opportunity they find profitable. They don’t receive a paycheck and go to sleep. Instead, they diversify. They also have passive income, where they let their money work for them. For instance, through real estate investments.

Multiple income streams don’t only make you richer, they make you financially secure, that no matter what happens, you have something to fall back on.

If you work an office job from 8 to 5, and don’t have time for anything else, you could open a retail store where you only have to breeze in for inspections (it will pay you to have a trusted sales person in this case), or if you have the means, build a house and become a landlord. Just find any channel where your earnings can make you more money. It’s a good idea to build yourself a decent private residence, but even wiser to have real estate that puts money in your pocket first.

(2). THEY DON'T ALWAYS THINK ABOUT MAKING A MILLION BUCKS BUT RATHER ABOUT SERVING A MILLION PEOPLE
Value creation. That’s the phrase.

Why most people fail financially is that they focus too much on making money rather than on creating value. This is the reason many fall prey to their own greed. In an effort to get rich, or get rich quick, they end up losing what they already have. It might sound counterintuitive that to make money you’re not supposed to think about money, but that’s just the fact.

Let’s say you are a business person and your purpose is to make a ton of money. You’d find every opportunity to squeeze every cent out of your customers; even cheat them if need be. The result? Dissatisfied customers. Even if you are not dishonest, you might remain stagnant at your current level.

But when your goal is to create value, you’d regularly brainstorm for productive ideas to serve your customers better, to make people want your products, or even how to reach a wider audience. You start becoming innovative. You hire experienced people and benefit from their skills and knowledge. The effect? You get positive reviews and word of mouth, attract more customers, serve better products and services, and before you know it, rise to the top of your industry as a leading brand.

Find ways to make people’s lives easier. Put your skills to work, create value, and money will flow.

(3). THEY LIVE WITHIN THEIR MEANS
Don’t try to keep up with the Dangotes and Adelekes. Live within your means, have a plan for your money, and spend only on things you can afford. Let’s assume you make 200,000 naira every month. You shouldn’t try to spend it all before the month runs out. Save half of it and live on the other half. Practice discretion.

This also means maintaining your belongings well. Be it your car, clothes, working tools, you name it. This way, you won’t always have to spend on new stuff all the time.

When you save up, you increase your chances of grabbing a wise investment opportunity whenever it presents itself. Also, when you face hard times, you wouldn’t have to run to your rich uncle for help since you’d have something to sustain you till things go back to normal.

(4). THEY KEEP LEARNING
Learning never ends, for the rich. Always find ways to improve yourself. Learn new skills and new ways of doing things. Your earning power is deeply rooted in what you can offer.

Without continuous improvement, you’re heading towards creative rot. Keep pushing your earning potential through education, training, and personal development. For some, this could mean going back to school or gaining that special certificate. It could also mean stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things. If there’s something you find difficult but which can help you in your field, immerse yourself in it until it gets easier.

Investing in yourself will not only make you a better person, but also help you expand your reach and grow your connections.

IN CONCLUSION
You don’t need to make six figures from the start before you set out on your path to financial freedom. No matter how much you earn, take the first step today and start practicing the ways of the rich.

SOURCE (abridged): https://nairametrics.com/2019/08/01/four-secrets-of-successful-people/

A heavy flood has swept away the Director of Finance, Federal Capital Territory High Court, Mr. Tony Okecheme.

Okecheme was on his way to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in his official 2017 Toyota Camry when his car got stuck in the flood at Galadimawa roundabout, Abuja. The finance director was swept away by the raging flood, but his driver, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, was rescued by some young boys in the area.

The driver was said to have been taken to Asokoro hospital, but his boss was yet to be located as of the time of filing this report. Eyewitnesses said the National Emergency Management Agency officials who came to the scene failed to rescue Okecheme and his driver who were reportedly trapped in the flood for about an hour before the water swept away the director.

His car, which was filled with mud water, was, however, pulled out of the ravines by the rescuers, who were angry over NEMA’s failure to rescue the man. Two young girls who claimed to be Okecheme’s children were seen weeping uncontrollably at the scene of the incident.

An FCT judiciary worker, who did not give his name, identified the car as belonging to Okecheme, noting that the man sent him N40,000 this (Friday) morning.

“I phoned him yesterday that I was broke and he promised to send me money before he travels today. I got N40,000 from him this morning,” he explained, as he showed our Correspondent the text message from the director.

The FCT Police spokesman, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, promised to find out the incident, saying he had not been briefed.

SOURCE: https://punchng.com/breaking-flood-sweeps-away-fct-high-court-finance-director/