₦airaland Forum

Nigerians, especially bank customers, were gripped with confusion and uncertainty over whether today’s deadline by the Central Bank of Nigeria for the phasing out of the old naira notes still remains or it has been suspended following the Supreme Court injunction obtained by some northern governors.

The Supreme Court had on Wednesday ruled that the deadline should be suspended pending the determination of the case brought before it by the governors of Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara States.

The court has fixed February 15 to entertain the case. However, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in a response to the suit later on Wednesday, among other things, said the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction on the matter.

However, on Thursday, a day before the deadline, commercial banks in the country and bank customers were thrown into confusion as to whether the old N1000, N500 and N200 would cease to be legal tender by Friday (today) or will retain the status pending when Supreme Court will look into the suit brought before it by the governors.

Several top bank executives, who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity, because they were not authorised to speak on the matter, said they could not tell whether the Friday deadline would be enforced.

They hinged their argument on the grounds that the CBN-the banking sector regulator-had yet to give directives to banks.

They also argued that the governors did not join banks in their suit.

When contacted, a top official of Access Bank, who would not want to be quoted said, “I cannot say yes or no. You know there is a court judgment so for now, there is a Supreme Court judgment and we have not received any further communication from the CBN on it.”

Another top source of Ecobank, while reacting to enquiries by The PUNCH said, “We don’t know what will happen yet. You know the deadline is Friday (today), so we will still collect old naira notes on Friday but after that, we don’t know what will happen.”

Furthermore, a top management official of Zenith Bank, who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said, “As it is now, Friday is the deadline but there is a Supreme Court judgment so, we don’t know what will happen. For now, there is no new circular from the CBN that there will be any extension.”

Also, an executive of Polaris Bank said the lender was awaiting communication from the CBN on the matter.

“As it is now, we don’t know whether Friday is the deadline for the phasing out of old notes or we need to wait till next week when the Supreme Court will sit on the matter,’” the official said.

Also speaking on the matter, a top executive of a tier-2 bank, said, “There has been no directive from the CBN on the matter, as to whether to stay with the February 10th deadline or not. As the situation is, new notes are not coming in from the CBN as they should.

“The banks only have a few old notes in their vaults which they can’t even pay out. Sadly, because of the paucity of new notes, some banks only load their ATMS once a day, instead of three to four times”.

POS operators cash-trapped

The development came as cash-strapped Point of Sale operators shut their businesses while several banks remained shut on Thursday.

Officials said Nigerians might face hard times over shortage of cash in the coming days as the situation worsened.

Some bankers claimed that the CBN had limited the volume of cash it distributed to banks.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the bankers revealed that the CBN could do more to alleviate the cash scarcity that Nigerians are facing.

One of the bankers, who spoke with our correspondent, said, “The CBN is hoarding supply to branches. They refused to release the new naira notes. Old lower denominations are what they are giving banks now but in low quantity.”

Another banker said, “Cash is limited. We know it’s all about financial inclusion but if people are unable to use their account for its original purpose and they want us to go all tech, there will be issues. Regarding cash supply, there’s more that CBN can do.”

Dismissing any notion of pressure, a banker said, “People are not moved by the CBN’s deadline. Unlike the last one when people were sure that if they deposited old notes, they would be able to get the new notes in a swap or N500m in old notes and get the same in the old notes. People are not moved. I haven’t seen anything to suggest people will comply but let’s see how tomorrow will be.”

Asked whether customers are bringing in their old naira notes ahead of the deadline, one of the bankers said, “No they are not. In fact, banks are begging customers to bring cash so they can have money to support cash activities.”

Another banker, who gave his name as Emese said, “The reactions have been mixed. There’s the Supreme Court ruling on the matter for instance.

“Customers are bringing in cash. The crowd isn’t that much but about 2 pm to 3 pm. today (Thursday), people started coming into the bank to deposit their cash.”

A banker in one of the leading banks added, “It is not what we expect but it is in line with the CBN cashless policy. It is not going to be a case of taking one trillion out of circulation and putting it back.”

The President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, (retd.) had on Friday last week, asked Nigerians to give him seven days to resolve the naira crisis.

But Nigerians on Thursday faced hard times as the crisis persisted. Traders and business owners have said that they would consider keeping their money at home rather than using the banks even when the naira scarcity that has hit the country abates.

For weeks, Nigerians have queued at empty automated teller machines and banking halls have been filled with customers barely able to get the amount of cash that they need.

Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, some traders across Lagos State expressed wariness with the banking system, while others said that they had no choice but to continue to use the banks.

For Mrs Fatima Oyebisi, who sells building materials at the Maza-Maza plank market, would not be banking her money immediately unless things return to normal.

She said, “I’m not keeping money in the bank again, even when things go back to normal. I will watch how things go.”

A shoe seller, Mr Emmanuel Osita, at the Trade fair market along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, lamented the effects of the new naira policy on him. He said that he would be keeping his money at home.

Osita said, “We are already discouraged. My sister went to the bank from morning till about 3 pm yesterday (Wednesday), and she didn’t get any cash. It will be hard for people to carry cash, say, N300,000 or N500,000 to the bank. I will keep it at home.”

However, there were other traders who worried about the risk involved in keeping money at home.

Traders lament

Adaku Nkwor, who sells makeup items at the Trade Fair market, said that there was no way she would be carrying cash around.

For Wosilat Taiwo, who sells perishable food items at the market in Ketu, there is no way she would be taking her money to the bank again.

She claimed that her money wasn’t that much that she would be taking to the bank anyways.

Meanwhile, the World Bank in a report released in 2022 said that the population of unbanked Nigerians had jumped to 45 per cent in 2021.

The report titled, ‘The Global Findex Database 2021: Financial Inclusion, Digital Payments, and Resilience in the Age of COVID-19’ said that about 64m of Nigeria’s nearly 200m population still do not have an account with a financial institution or mobile money platform.

The report included Nigeria in the list of seven countries with a high unbanked population. The other countries are Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and Pakistan

Speaking with our correspondent, an inclusion consultant, David Owumi of the Salt House—Institute for Inclusive Governance and Sustainable Development, expressed worry about the effects of the naira scarcity on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s drive for financial inclusion.

He said, “The scarcity of money has a tremendous impact on individuals and businesses. These experiences will mutate our economic approach and definition of financial institutions. Nigerians will seek better strategies and platforms to optimise control over their monies.”

As the CBN policy deadline takes effect today, our correspondent observed that major banks within the Redemption Camp vicinity did not open for business.

A GTbank customer, Frank Boku, said residents were not bothered about the deadline.

Also, an Access Bank customer, Bolanle Lukman said, “I am managing the cash I have at the moment, I don’t care anymore. Thank God I have been able to get the new notes. I know that the deadline will still be extended.”

A UBA customer, Fatima Jaiye, said she was fed up with the system.

Our correspondent observed that the Fidelity Bank along the Palm grove area of Lagos State closed by 2 pm on Thursday. Also, several ATMs were not functioning.

An accountant, Nike Olusanya, noted that the GTB and Wema Bank located at the Ago-Iwoye axis of Ogun State had to shut down due to the influx of people for fear of rioting.

A Point of Sale operator, who doesn’t want her name on print, said she was gradually going out of business as she does not have cash to operate with.

In the Federal Capital Territory, anxious Nigerians were not taking chances as they stormed the banks on Thursday to deposit their old notes.

Our correspondents who visited banking halls and ATM stands observed an increase in the number of people depositing old naira notes at Guaranty Trust Bank in the Central Business Area, First Bank in the Jabi area and United Bank of Africa at NICON Luxury Hotel.

The same situation was noticed at some banks at Garki, Area 3 including Access Bank, Keystone Bank and Eco bank.

But some banks appeared to be out of the new currencies as the cashiers were seen paying out N50 naira denomination.

Many ATMs in the city centre were out of service as the usual large crowds were absent.

However, at the First bank ATM, people were seen hanging around hoping the bank would load cash into the ATMs.

Amid the naira scarcity crisis, the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria had said it would not shut down.

Supermarkets, fuel stations

In an interview with The PUNCH, the Chairman of, the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria, Osaro Ekhator, stated, “The issue is not peculiar to point of sale agents alone, however, some of the agents are able to source funds from unconventional sources like going to the filling station, and supermarkets, among others.”

As the uncertainty over the CBN policy persists, the apex bank on Thursday admitted that the ongoing scarcity associated with the naira redesign and cash withdrawal policy was not anticipated.

A Deputy Governor of the bank in charge of operations, Folashodun Shonubi, made the admission at the 22nd fellowship conferment lecture and ceremony organised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers in Abuja.

The lecture was titled, ‘The intricacies of the naira redesign and its benefit to Nigerians.’

He explained that contrary to public opinion, the redesign plan which has been in the works for two years was not to punish anyone but to improve the economy.

The deputy governor, while stating that challenges faced were caused by a new line of business created by indigenous Nigerians, revealed that numerous benefits have been achieved which include retrieval of N2tn to the banking system.

He said, “As you know, Nigerians are very ingenious. And we created a whole new line of business for people that we never envisaged.

“An aspect of that is queuing, where you sell your position on the queue for money. Night crawling, where you wait till night, collect numerous cards from your friends and family and go to an ATM and empty them using different cards and then take the cash to sell.

“So it’s been a bit stressful to be honest because we did not anticipate this kind of behaviour.”

Shonubi further pleaded for noting that the necessary challenges will soon be of the past, adding that the apex will allow within its powers to salvage the current situation.

Efforts to get a response from the CBN through its Director of Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi, were futile, as he never responded to the WhatsApp messages sent to him on Thursday.

However, a top official of the CBN who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the apex bank had yet to communicate to commercial banks on the matter as of Friday.

He said the CBN’s position on the matter would be made known in due course. The official said, “For now, the CBN has no position on it. We have not also given any directives to the banks on it. The bank will make its position known on the matter in due course.

https://supers.ng/new-naira-confusion-deepens-as-cbn-deadline-ends-today/

Billionaire business magnate, Bill Gates has found love again with Paula Hurd, the widow of software company CEO Oracle, Mark Hurd, who passed away in 2019.

Gates, 67, and Hurd, 60, were pictured together at the Australian Open last month, sitting side by side as they watched the game.

Media report of their relationship comes almost two years after Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda, announced that their marriage of 27 years was over. Their divorce was subsequently finalized in August 2021.

A source who spoke to Daily Mail said, “It’s widely known that Bill Gates and Paula Hurd are dating, but she hasn’t met his kids yet.”

Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda, 58, had three children together – Jennifer (26), Phoebe (20) and Rory (23).

Jennifer is currently pregnant with her first child with husband, Nayel Nassar, and is due any day, the source added.

Paula Hurd was married to her late husband for almost 30 years before his sad demise in October 2019 at age 66. They share two children, Kathryn and Kelly.

The relationship news comes just days after Gates was asked in an interview with BBC if he hoped to find love again.

Billionaire business magnate, Bill Gates has found love again with Paula Hurd, the widow of software company CEO Oracle, Mark Hurd, who passed away in 2019.

Gates, 67, and Hurd, 60, were pictured together at the Australian Open last month, sitting side by side as they watched the game.

https://supers.ng/bill-gates-finds-love-again-at-67-reportedly-dating-paula-hurd-the-widow-of-former-oracle-ceo/

Popular media personality, Toke Makinwa, has set the internet buzzing with new photos of herself that she shared online.

The 38-year-old On Air Personality who’s currently on a vacation abroad had taken to her Instagram page moments ago to share the new photos of herself.

In the photos, Toke wore a sweatshirt, sweatpants, a ruffle jacket, a face cap, and a muffler scarf, which made her midriff appear bulgy.

“Post card was worthy.” She captioned the photos.

Reacting to the photos, netizens flocked to the comments section to note that she appeared pregnant and congratulated her. See some comments as you scroll.

@casamigosformyamigos wrote, “Las Las na Man give impregnate you 🖤🥺”.

@justified_luxury_hair, “Una go advice us finish, drop quotes but still go get belle I nor Dey believe Una again na only bob I trust”.

@deeajaoz, “Baby loading..congratulations 🙌”.

@hifie.gram, “Why is everyone talking about her being pregnant 😏🤷🏿‍♀️is she too young? Ahbi does she needs consent?”

@ebonycat2, “Waoo congratulations oo the face is not looking like toke we know pregnancy is taking over😂”.

@peter_obi_side_chic, “You don’t need a man don finally carry belle I pity people way dey listen to una sha”.

https://supers.ng/toke-makinwa-sparks-pregnancy-rumours-with-new-photos-netizens-reacts/

American iconic singer, songwriter and performer, Christopher Maurice Brown, popularly known as Chris Brown, has given a shocking reaction to his recent loss at the 65th Grammy Awards.

The 65th edition of the Grammy Awards, which was held on Sunday, February 5, 2023, at the Microsoft Theater in the US, saw the singer lose to American pianist Robert Glasper in the “Best R&B Album” category after being nominated alongside Mary J. Blige, Robert Glasper, Lucky Daye, and PJ Morton.

After the announcement, Chris Brown took to Instagram to mock the winner of the category in several posts that have now been deleted. Part of his Instagram posts read:

“Who the f–k is Robert Glasper,

“Ima keep kicking y’all ass! Respectfully.”

“New Level Unlocked! Harmonica Breezy.”

“I gotta get my skills up,”

“Ima start playing the harmonica.”

https://supers.ng/chris-brown-reacts-after-2023-grammy-loss-in-several-post/

The International Labour Organisation has projected that global unemployment would rise slightly by around 3 million to 208 million in 2023.

The United Nations agency also said this would mark a reversal of the decline in global unemployment witnessed between 2020 and 2022.

The ILO, which stated this in a new report, said the current slowdown means that many workers would have to accept lower quality jobs, often at very low pay, sometimes with insufficient hours.

According to the report, as prices rise faster than nominal labour incomes, the cost-of-living crisis risks pushing more people into poverty, including millions who are being pushed below the poverty line.

This trend, the ILO said, comes on top of significant declines in income seen during the COVID-19 crisis, which affected low-income groups worst in many countries.

“As a result, we see a rise in inequality in many parts of the globe, raising the spectre of increasing social tensions,” the ILO said.

The report further noted that there was an emerging understanding that the world must collaborate to address economic, social and environmental concerns on an equal basis.

The report partly read, “Labour standards, employment policies, social protection and social dialogue are more important than ever. Indeed, decent work is central to all of our lives and goes far beyond the workplace. It is the pathway out of poverty and a core element of sustainable development.

“This is why aspects of the ILO’s decent work agenda are also included in many other SDGs: from poverty reduction, food security, health, and inequality, to the range of environmental goals which need just transitions, and the quest for peace, justice and strong institutions.”

The ILO added that combined actions, global and national, are crucial in countries which confront massive decent work deficits and excessive inequalities while their financial resources and institutional capacities were limited.

https://supers.ng/ilo-global-unemployment-hit-208-million/

Grammy award winner, Temilade Openiyi, globally known as Tems, has spoken out for the first time following her Grammy win.

Recall that the Nigerian music sensation won big at the 2023 Grammy music award ceremony held on Sunday night, February 6.

She bagged the “Best Melodic Rap Performance” category for her contribution to the 2022 hit song by Future featuring Drake “Wait for U.”

Speaking in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the ‘Try Me’ hitmaker said it’s amazing that she now works with several globally-renowned singers she used to listen to years ago

The 27-year-old singer also stated that she believes her Grammy win is just the beginning of her career.

Her words,

“It is incredible, I get to work with people that five years ago were on my playlist. I was jamming to them and now I am working with them, it is such a pleasure and I feel like this is just the beginning.

“The song, with U was taken from my record, Higher, they reached out to me and they told me they would use it as a sample and I felt it was amazing. I thought the song was interesting and amazing the way it got together.”

https://supers.ng/i-feel-like-this-is-just-the-beginning-singer-tems-speaks-on-her-grammy-win/

Nigerian lady identified as Anita Oghenero John has called out her partner for insensitively breaking her heart.

She said that he married a few hours after she had a phone call with him, during which he spoke normally as if he was not preparing to marry someone else.

Anita sobbed and released a video clip and photos of them when they were still together and things were going well.

The heartbroken lady described her ex as a devil in human form and she warned other ladies to be wary of men like him.

She obtained her ex-wedding boyfriend’s photos and video clips after they were forwarded to her over WhatsApp.

According to her, they were together only days before his wedding and she wondered how she would recover from the pain.

Sharing the video, Anita wrote;

“My boyfriend got married few days after I last saw him and few hours after we spoke on the phone‍ I don’t even know how to heal from this.”

Watch the video below:

https://supers.ng/heartbroken-lady-calls-out-her-boyfriend-who-got-married-hours-after-they-spoke/

Police Operatives serving in Igbo-Eze South Division of Enugu State Command, have arrested two suspects for allegedly possessing suspected counterfeit one hundred and eighty (180) pieces of the newly redesigned one thousand naira (N1,000) notes.

On Thursday, February 2, officers arrested one Joseph Chinenye aged 39, and Onyeka Kenneth Ezeja aged 29, both male and respectively of Iheakpu-Awka in Igbo-Eze South LGA and Onicha Enugu-Ezike in Igbo-Eze North LGA for carrying counterfeit notes.

According to a statement issued by the state police command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, preliminary investigation shows that the notes, which are in three separate batches, bear the same serial numbers of A/34:282656, A/46:578759, and 8/93:852942; while the suspects claimed to have obtained the counterfeited Naira notes from an unidentified woman in Benin, Edo State.

“They confessed to attempting to sell the notes to a POS operator, who rejected them, before the Operatives arrested them at a Filling Station in Ibagwa-Aka community of Igbo-Eze LGA, where they used the notes to purchase petrol. The duo will be arraigned in court upon consolidation and conclusion of an investigation into the case by the State CID Enugu,” Ndukwe said

He stated that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Ammani, has reaffirmed the Police’s determination to apprehend and prosecute criminal elements intent on committing such acts of economic sabotage.

As a result, he advised everyone to join the Police in their pursuit, while remaining watchful and aware of who or how they get and conduct transactions using Naira notes, particularly fresh ones.

https://supers.ng/police-arrest-two-suspects-for-allegedly-possessing-and-selling-counterfeit-n1000-notes/

As the lingering scarcity of both old and new naira notes continues to cripple economic activities nationwide and inflict enormous pains on Nigerians, an aide to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has revealed that his principal was misled by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Ajuri Ngelale, in an interview monitored on TVC News, described as false the report by the CBN that it had supplied all bank branches in the country with sufficient amounts of the new notes.

Prior to the extension of the deadline for the exchange of old naira notes from January 31 to February 10, the President had defended the CBN governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, for adopting unorthodox economic models that put people at the heart of the apex bank’s policies. “Because the governor follows a model outside of the economic orthodoxy, he is labelled political, but the orthodoxy has proved wrong time and again,” Buhari said.

Owing to the naira redesign and the renewed cashless policy of the CBN, the non-availability of both the old and newly designed naira notes at all channels, including banking halls, Automated Teller Machine points and Point of Sale terminal operators across the country, has subjected majority of Nigerians to serious hardship, with many finding it difficult to access cash to buy basic things or transport themselves from one place to the other.

In what many have described as unprecedented in the history of the country, Nigerians now pay exorbitant charges to get the naira notes from PoS operators. As of Saturday afternoon, in some parts of Lagos, N5,000 old notes attracted N1,000 commission while N6,000 new notes attracted as much as N2,000 commission.

In the interview however, Ngelale said, “They (Nigerians) feel that the Federal Government of Nigeria is unintentionally or intentionally impoverishing them overnight. That is the perception they have, whether it is right or wrong.

“What we are working to do is to ensure that Mr President is given effective and true information and that the report that was given by the CBN that they have supplied all bank branches in the country with sufficient amounts of the new naira notes is absolutely false and it is evidential at this point.







“Mr President, being the pro-people defender and defender of the masses that he has always been and an upholder of social justice, did the right thing when intelligence reached him that he was getting false intelligence from the CBN, which was to extend the deadline from January 31 to February 10.

“Now, clearly, with the adjustments in the deadline, it was also announced that other agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission are also actively involved in the oversight of the distribution of the new naira notes to banking branches across the country as well as rural areas with cash swops with the over 30,000 super agents that are being sent out.

“So, there is an extra level of oversight and monitoring that is being done now and added to the process.”

He said the President would defend the masses no matter whose ox is gored, adding that he wouldn’t be opposed to an extension if it became necessary.

He added, “If he gets any intelligence that during the length of this 10-day window that the wrong things have been done or the right things have not been done and that the new naira notes have not been distributed among the people, Mr President has that option on the table of extending that deadline and that will be left to his discretion. Certainly, it is going to be based on what he sees happening across the country in the course of these seven days.

“We are heartened by the new information we received from the CBN that now over-the-counter collections of the new naira notes will now be made available to banking customers.”

Even though the President on Friday asked for seven days to solve the naira scarcity, many Nigerians are apprehensive about the extent to which the crisis could have degenerated at the end of the seven days.

Bankers endangered – Unions

Meanwhile, as protests and anger continue to spread across the country over the scarce naira notes, coupled with pockets of attacks on banks and their staff members by furious customers, bank workers have expressed concerns over their safety.

The President, National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution Employees, Anthony Abakpa, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Saturday said bankers were stressed due to the situation, noting that their work had become hectic.

He added, “Honestly, the situation is hectic, it is not a healthy environment at all. Even as a bank staff and an individual, the masses are angry because there is no cash available and their money is in the bank. The situation is worrisome.

“We will continue to engage and ensure that the safety of every individual working in the bank and insurance sector is upheld, and that is our demand.”

Similarly, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions called on security agencies to ensure the safety and security of bank workers and property.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that ASSBIFI President, Mr Olusoji Oluwole, in a statement on Saturday condemned recent attacks on some financial institutions, saying such endanger the lives of bank workers.

Oluwole stated, “We strongly condemn this act which is borne out of the propaganda against banks as the sole cause of the inability of the public to have access to cash across the country. We have seen a few videos of bank branches allegedly hoarding cash in their vaults.

“While we do not hold brief for these isolated cases or condone any verified bad behaviour, we expect the same sources of these videos to also project the many locations that have continued to provide cash to customers or have empty vaults due to the unavailability of cash. Unfortunately, we do not deem it security conscious for us to share videos or pictures of our vaults with the public as professionals.”

He said bank workers had in the past few weeks worked tirelessly, every day for long hours against the prescribed work hours, noting that such sacrifice was to ensure customers were able to deposit their old currency notes and make the new ones available for withdrawals at Automated Teller Machines.

He added, “This exercise has taken its toll on their health, work-life balance, and families while being faced daily with the fear of physical assaults by irate customers. While we assure the public of our commitment to ensure their pain is ameliorated, we appeal for calm and understanding at this time as we call on the security agencies to ensure the safety and security of our lives and bank property.”

NLC forecloses strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress has ruled out the possibility of embarking on strike action to compel the government to find urgent solutions to the dual crisis of naira and petrol scarcity.

It said going on strike when general elections were a couple of days away could present the union as insensitive, heat up the polity and cause problems. It said Nigerians should rather make use of their permanent voter cards to elect the leaders they believe could make their lives better.

Independent of the naira notes scarcity, the prolonged fuel scarcity, which begun last year, has subjected commuters, business owners and individuals to untold misery, with people spending hours in queues, while a litre of petrol sells for about N500 in some places as against the N185 control price.

But, reacting to the dual impact of the scarcity, the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said, “We cannot go on strike on the eve of an election; we also cannot join retrogressive forces. We can use the power of the ballot and our PVCs to bring about a system that will make everybody happy. But if there is a call to go on strike on the eve of elections, I am not sure it is a better option.

“Things will not get better, people should be ready; we cannot change a system through lamentation. Lamentation has not changed any system. What will change the system is for the people to be wise, because this same issue we are talking about, either the fuel or the economy, has been around for the past 30 years.”

He said since the advent of democracy, promises were made but not fulfilled but that it was fruitless to dwell on that.

“Our suggestion is that all of us must work together to hold people in government at all levels accountable and this is important; from the president to the governors, National Assembly members and others,” he stated. “Everybody must be seen to be improving the system, not improving themselves.

“We cannot go on strike on the eve of the election. Have you ever seen that on the eve of elections, the NLC mobilised (people) to go on strike? So, if there is a problem now and the election did not hold, won’t you come back to say the same NLC made the election not to hold. Which is a better option? Is it to use your PVC to elect people who will change the narrative or we continue to lament?”

Civil servants stranded

The National President, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Tommy Etim, has lamented that some workers have been unable to go to work because they do not have cash for transportation.

In an interview with one of our correspondents on Thursday, Etim, who doubles as the Vice-President of the Trade Union Congress, noted that the only condition for the Central Bank of Nigeria’s February 10 deadline to stand was for there to be enough new notes in circulation.

He stated, “The policy is a good one but unfortunately, it is not working as planned. Now, it is not even politicians who are suffering, it is the poor masses. From the socio-economic outlook, the informal sector is bearing the brunt. A lot of workers don’t even have money to go to the office, how will productivity come to place? If there is no productivity, how will the economy grow? A civil servant cannot pay taxi N200 with bank transfer because drivers only believe in the cash they see with their hands.

‘Military operations affected’

Similarly, the Chairman, Senate Committee on the Army, Ali Ndume, has raised the alarm that the naira scarcity, occasioned by the naira redesign and the cashless policy of the CBN, is affecting military operations, especially at the battlefield.

He told journalists in Maiduguri on Saturday, “Naira redesign and the CBN’s cashless policy are gravely affecting the strategic operations of troops at battlefields across the country. Troops find it difficult to survive at the battlefields because they lack access to cash to buy their daily, basic needs in the remote communities across terrains of insecurity in the country.

“Now, a soldier stays for hours in the ATM or POS queues just to access the stipend, when he should be discharging his duties at the battlefield. This situation has dampened the morale of the troops at the battlefield.”

He said terrorists had said they were already in possession of the new notes, which undermines part of the objectives of the policy to block terror financing. He called on the Federal Government and the CBN to make arrangements for troops to access cash easily, given the critical nature of their duties.

Police seek calm

Following the violence and protests that erupted in states like Ondo, Oyo, Delta, Enugu and some other parts of the country, the Nigeria Police Force has urged citizens to eschew violence.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said, “We appeal to our people to be patient and eschew violence as the government and all relevant agencies and stakeholders are working on how to resolve this problem.

“We also urge bank customers affected by the naira scarcity to be patient, and those attacking bank facilities should desist from such. It is illegal. Nigerians should be patient and not resort to violence. No one asked people not to protest; they could have held their protests with decorum and maturity without resorting to violence or attacking a police station.”

He said the violence in Ibadan on Friday would have escalated but for the timely intervention of the police.

Patrol in Kwara

The Kwara State Police Commissioner, Paul Odama, has ordered an aggressive patrol of banks across the state to prevent hoodlums from fomenting trouble as a result of the naira scarcity.

The spokesperson for the command, SP Okasanmi Ajayi, said in a statement, “Intelligence available to the command indicates that hoodlums have perfected plans to replicate the lawlessness that was unleashed on some banks in some states.

“The command wishes to assure the good people of Kwara State of its capacity to deal ruthlessly with any law-breaker. Anyone arrested would meet heavy consequences. Criminals are therefore advised to shelve any such dastardly idea. Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, Paul Odama, has ordered aggressive patrol of banks and other financial facilities across the state.”

PoS operators lament

The General Secretary, Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria, Mr Odion Andrew, has also lamented that many of his members have not started receiving funds from the banks to cushion the New Naira note crisis.

Odion told Sunday PUNCH that the cash swop directed by the CBN suffered setbacks because it had refused to recognise many of its members.

“These agents, Mobile Money Operators and Microfinance Banks, compiled lists and sent them to the CBN. You can imagine over 1.4 million agents; the CBN said it has over 30,000 MMOs on its list and there are just a few of our members there.”

When our correspondent asked why PoS operators were charging higher rates for withdrawals, he said they were responding to the factors of demand and supply, adding that since the PoS operators were not recognised by the CBN, the association could not regulate them.

Makinde’s free buses

To ease the pain of commuting in the state on account of the naira and fuel scarcity, Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, has announced the provision of free transportation on designated routes.

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, the governor announced this in a statewide broadcast aired on the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State on Friday night.

The governor, who frowned at the resort to violence by protesters earlier on Friday, said people have the right and even responsibility to protest when they have reservations about certain things but that they must be conscious that a peaceful protest could turn violent and lead to the loss of lives and property.

“I urge all law-abiding citizens and residents of the state to go about their lawful activities. All our security agencies are on high alert, and so peaceful residents have no cause to fear. As a palliative measure, I have directed that the Omituntun Mass Transit Buses be deployed to more routes within the state for free.”

Police nab dealers

Meanwhile, the Enugu State police command said it arrested 39-year-old Joseph Chinenye and 29-year-old Onyeka Ezeja for possessing, transacting and selling 180 pieces of counterfeited new N1,000 notes.

The Police PRO in the state, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement on Friday night, said, “The suspects claimed to have secured the counterfeited naira notes from an unidentified woman in Benin, Edo State. In addition, they confessed to attempting to sell the naira notes to a PoS operator, who rejected them.”

He asked residents of the state to be vigilant, noting that the duo would be arraigned in court upon conclusion of investigation into the case.

Wike fumes

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday urged Nigerians not to vote for any candidate supporting the manner in which the currency redesign policy is being implemented.

Speaking at Opobo during the state chapter of the PDP’s campaign rally, he stated, “The primary target of this policy is to provoke Nigerians to embark on civil disturbance which they will capitalise on to say they cannot conduct election and push for enthronement of an interim government.

“No matter the provocation, I urge everyone to be calm. This election must hold because nothing will stop an Opobo man from becoming governor.” The governorship candidate of the PDP, Siminialayi Fubara, is from Opobo.

He also asked a former Minister of Transportation, Dr Abiye Sekibo, whom he had been at loggerheads with to explain why former President Olusegun Obasanjo sacked him from his cabinet.

Zulum threatens banks

The Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum, has warned that any commercial bank that refuses to dispense the new naira notes will have its land revoked by the state government.

He issued the warning on Friday afternoon in Maiduguri, the state capital, after visiting some banks to assess the difficulties residents have while trying to access the new notes.

He stated, “Any bank in Borno State that is not willing to ensure their ATMs are fully dispensing new naira notes to ease the suffering of our people, we will withdraw their land title immediately.

“We will only spare banks with genuine constraints that are verifiable. The new naira note and even the old ones are not available and that is adversely affecting commercial activities in the state and people are suffering.”

Zulum said he was unhappy seeing hundreds of people queuing at a bank, with only one out of 10 ATMs dispensing cash. He lamented that the state government had just released salaries of about N5bn but the banks were not paying customers.

Read full details, use link below
https://supers.ng/new-naira-confusion-spreads/

The current naira scarcity in Nigeria has affected everyone in different ways. With the government’s deadline for the acceptance of old notes and the limited circulation of new notes, people are scrambling to find ways to access cash.
From those who don’t have any money to those who are hoarding it, the scarcity has brought out a range of reactions. Let’s take a closer look at the 5 types of people during this difficult time.

Those Who Don’t Have Any Money In The Bank And At Hand
These are Nigerians who are already broke and don’t have access to money in any form. They are the most affected by the scarcity and have the hardest time making ends meet.

Those Who Have A Naira Plug
These Nigerians have connections with those who work in the Central Bank or Banks and have a steady supply of new notes. They are able to access cash more easily than others and are less affected by the scarcity.

Those Who Wake And Sleep At The ATM
This group includes those who operate POS machines and have become the overlords this season. They wake up early in the morning to queue for money and then disperse it to others at high prices.

Those Who Are Desperately Looking For Money
These are the cash-strapped Nigerians who spend a lot of money every day and are now facing a difficult time. Their bank apps may not be working, and they have money, but they can’t spend it. This has left them in a desperate search for cash.

Those Who Are Hoarding Money
These Nigerians have withdrawn large amounts of money through their plug and are still complaining about the scarcity of the naira with everyone else. However, they are still hoarding cash and not making it available to others.

The current naira scarcity has affected everyone in different ways. From those who don’t have any money to those who are hoarding it. With the government working to address the issue and new notes slowly becoming more widely available, hopefully, the scarcity will soon come to an end.

https://supers.ng/5-types-of-nigerians-during-this-naira-scarcity-which-one-are-you/

Only 23 per cent of Nigerians say they trust the Independent National Electoral Commission “somewhat” or “a lot,” while more than three-fourths (78 per cent) express “just a little” or no trust at all in the election-management body SUPERS.ng observed, a joint report by NOI Polls, Afrobarometer, and CDD Ghana has shown.

The report titled, “Nigerians want competitive elections but don’t trust the electoral commission,” and published on Dispatch No. 598 of Afrobarometer, also revealed that trust in INEC had declined by 12 per cent since 2017.

The Afrobarometer team in Nigeria, led by NOIPolls, said it interviewed a “nationally representative, random, stratified probability sample” of 1,600 adult Nigerians between 5 and 31 March 2022.

According to the research network, a sample of this size “yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level”.

Previous standard surveys were conducted in Nigeria in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2020 by the organisation.

SUPERS.ng reports that the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, has continuously promised Nigerians that their votes will count at the 2023 polls, assuring them that the season of rigging is over.

“In addition to reservations about election quality, one red flag for Nigeria’s upcoming elections is citizens’ weak trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission,” a part of the report read.

The report headlined by NOIPolls’ Head of Social Research, Raphael Mbaegbu, and Afrobarometer’s Coordinator for Anglophone West and North Africa also showed that trust in INEC had been “fairly weak throughout the past two decades” and had “declined by 12 percentage points since 2017”.

“Popular trust in the INEC is a central issue, and distrust is a major concern, especially in the southern states. The upcoming election is an opportunity for the electoral management body to regain the trust of the electorate by proving itself independent, credible, and competent,” the report added.

https://supers.ng/report-says-78-of-nigerians-dont-trust-inec/

On Thursday, the federal government said a total of 139 investors had shown readiness to monetise the gas flares from the 48 flare sites across the country.

It disclosed this at the 2022 Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme Bidders Conference and Investors Forum, organised to intimate all qualified applicants, partners, sponsors and technology providers on the structure of the ‘Request for Proposal”, for the flare sites.

The forum also provided further guidance on upcoming programme of activities, while it gave the government an opportunity of listening and collating feedback from all participants towards optimising the RFP phase.

In his address at the event, the Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe, congratulated all the qualified applicants for their successful performance during the Statement of Qualification phase of the bid process, as he stressed on their capacity to monetise gas flares.

He said, “It might interest you to note that the programme received over 300 applications from interested applicants but only 139 were adjudged qualified/successful following the evaluation exercise conducted in line with the RFQ published criteria.

“Therefore, for all qualified applicants, your success on the SOQ stage is no mean feat. However, that was only a start of the journey as the real deal is in making a robust and competitive proposal, with demonstrable evidence for capacity to deliver on the flare monetisation projects, in line with the terms of the RFP, would be your desired destination.”

Komolafe described the programme as a very defining moment in the history of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, “because the NGFCP checks the box in many fronts.”

https://supers.ng/fg-139-investors-set-to-commercialise-gas-flares/

Nigerian Export Promotion Council has enhanced the capacity of local exporters with a five-day training programme on business generation methodology and trade promotion.

It the programme was organised under the West Africa Competitiveness Programme, financed by the European Union under the 11th European Development Fund and facilitated by the International Trade Centre and the ECOWAS Commission.

The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and President of the ECOWAS Trade Promotion Organisations Network, Dr Ezra Yakusak, expressed his sincere appreciation to strategic partners, for facilitating the training.

He said the last Annual General Meeting of the ECOWAS TPO Network, championed the common action plan to support trade development in the region and beyond was adopted.

He further said this informed the need to train and re-train staff of various TPO member states to enhance their trade skills, thereby, improving trade within the sub-region.

He said, “The training is aimed at strengthening our capacities in terms of ‘Business Generation Methodology and Business Promotion’, I am delighted to inform you that the previous training, which focused on ‘Result Based Management Oriented Project Cycle Management’ has tremendously impacted in enhancing the performance of the participants and up skilled the capability and competence of other staff and businesses through knowledge transfer and coaching technique.”

He congratulated the participants on the opportunity provided through the training for them to build up their skills and acquire the knowledge required to support export-ready companies participating optimally in trade promotion events while equipping them with relevant tools to develop supply and demand surveys, develop, implement, and effectively monitor and evaluate promotional services efforts.

Yakusak added, “Our focus should, therefore, be targeted at expediting regional trade flow by closing the missing links and fostering a greater participation of Regional businesses across production lines.”

He emphasised that the region has all it takes to substitute imported inputs with locally sourced raw materials and components, which was a sure way of increasing intra-African trade.

https://supers.ng/nepc-empowers-exporters-on-trade-promotion/

Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday remanded seven men in the Makurdi Custodial Centre for allegedly kidnapping the Benue State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ekpe Ogbu, on Ado/Otukpo Road.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the defendants — Nuhu Musa, Mohammed Danjuma, Yunusa Usman, Abubakar Usman, Usman Saleh, Hamza Sani and Monday Samuel — were charged with criminal conspiracy, illegal possession of firearms, kidnapping and act of terrorism.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Roseline Iyorshe, did not take their plea for want of jurisdiction.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Inspector Jonah Uletu, told the court that the police received a report of the incident on December 31, 2022, from Operation Zenda Joint Task Force through a signal.

He said the signal stated that operatives trailed and arrested the suspects following the kidnap of the commissioner on December 4, 2022.

He added that it was discovered that the suspects were members of the kidnap gang terrorising Benue South district and that one Beretta pistol was found on them at the time of arrest.

Uletu said the suspects confessed to the crime voluntarily during police investigation and that other members of the gang were still at large.

The offences, he said, contravened the Benue Robbery and Firearms Act 2004 and the Abduction, Hostage-taking, kidnapping, Secret Cult and similar activities Prohibition Laws of Benue, 2017.

The chief magistrate referred the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and adjourned the matter till February 22 for mention.

https://supers.ng/court-remands-seven-men-over-benue-commissioners-kidnap/

Airtel, Mafab and MTN Nigeria have spent about $820.8m to acquire the fifth-generation spectrums.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, disclosed this in his presentation at the 19th edition of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s (retd) regime Scorecard 2015 to 2023 series.

A copy of the presentation obtained by our correspondent showed that a 5G policy was launched in January last year.

It was also noted that 5G services were available in at least 225 sites across eight states in Nigeria.

The document read in part, “Our mandate was to focus on the deployment of 4G Networks. However, in line with our commitment to proactiveness and innovation, we had 5G trials, developed a National 5G Policy, auctioned the spectrum and commenced commercial deployment of 5G across Nigeria. His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari unveiled and launched the National Policy on the 25th of January, 2022.

“MTN, Mafab and Airtel all have participated in the auction process and each obtained a lot of 100 MHz from the 3.5GHz Spectrum after successfully participating in the auction process. This generated $820.8m for the Federal Government. 5G services are now available in at least 225 sites across 8 states in Nigeria.”

It was also noted that the National 5G policy is designed to ensure the effective deployment of 5G across major urban areas by 2025.

In December 2021, MTN Nigeria and Mafab Nigeria Communications Limited emerged winners of a 5G auction after about eight hours and 11 rounds of bidding.

Bidding began at $199.37m, as against the reserve price of $197.4m set by the Nigerian Communications Commission.

The auction ended at $273.6m for each available lot, with MTN paying an extra sum of $15.9m to be assigned the preferred lot of Lot One, while Mafab was assigned Lot Two, at no extra cost.

In October last year, the NCC set the reserve price for its new 5G spectrums at $273.60m, with a plan to issue two more 5G licences.

Airtel Network Limited emerged as the sole bidder for its 3.5GHz spectrum band for 5G deployment in January this year.

Speaking on Friday in Abuja at the one-day ministerial retreat organised by the Federal Government for the management and board members of Nigerian Communication Satellite,  stressed the need for revenue-generating agencies to come up with innovative ways to create revenue without depending on the Federal Government.

He noted that the government is not happy paying salaries of government-owned agencies that are revenue-generating.

He said, “Government cannot continue to pay salaries revenue generating agencies and companies. NigComSat must come up with new strategies to increase revenue generation.”

He urged the staff to give the board and management the needed support to make NigComSat a self-sustaining government company.

https://supers.ng/airtel-mafab-mtn-spend-820m-on-5g-spectrums/

Direct-entry student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Hafsat Ibrahim, hurriedly prepared for a test she had for 10 am. At 9 am, she left her house at Danraka, Zaria, Kaduna, however, when she was almost entering the school gate, a fellow student reminded her that she was wearing an armless gown.

Alarmed, she remembered that the school authorities recently banned wearing an armless gown on campus and as a DE student, she wasn’t just getting accustomed to the school’s rules. She completed a National Diploma in the South-West and gained admission to the university.

In October 2022, ABU released a dress code for members of the university community which included students, staff and visitors. The university banned certain hairstyles, ‘crazy’ jeans, armless clothes, and coloured sunglasses among other outfits.

The student’s predicament mirrors the current realities in many public tertiary institutions in Nigeria including private schools.

Recently, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, banned the use of cross bags on campus by students and other members of the school community. The school authorities noted that the ban was to expose students who carry weapons to cause harm to others.

The latest direction came after the school previously outlawed some kind dressing and stipulated sanctions on erring students.

The notice for the ban, ‘‘The Polytechnic, Ibadan, indecent dressing/posture notice to new and returning students,’’ stated that students hugging one another in the school community are liable to a semester suspension. Students using nose rings and extra rings on their ears are to be liable to a semester suspension, wearing face caps unconventionally also attracts a semester suspension while tinting of hair carries the same weight.’’

The notice added that female students wearing bum shorts and coloured braiding to school were also liable to a semester suspension among other forms of dressing banned by the school authorities.

Similarly, in 2018, the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, prohibited the use of hair attachments by female students and banned male students from wearing knickers and some spotting ‘unacceptable haircuts.’

In Kwara State, the state university in Malete, also reeled out some laws to its students in terms of dressing.

On its part, the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, also stipulated acceptable dressing for its students.

For female students, bum shorts, anklets, nose piercing, crop/jump tops, long eyelashes, transparent wear, tinted hair and multi-coloured braid among others would attract a semester suspension. Besides, dreadlocks, unconventional wearing of a face cap, and tattered jeans, among other by male students would attract a semester suspension.

In a similar vein, the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State in 2020 also issued a dress code for students but it attracted reactions from students. The school also banned coloured braids, and tinted hair, among others for female students.

Besides, on Monday, January 23, 2022, the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos State, outlawed students from dressing indecently. The school banned students from sporting tinted hair, coloured braids, among others.

Many other tertiary institutions in the country also adopted similar stringent codes across the country

Students’ comments

A student of Kwara State University, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of sanctions, described the dressing codes as unjust and an infringement on the fundamental human right of students.

She said, “I don’t understand how using a nose ring affects the school management, or how two earrings have hindered me from learning or understanding what is being taught in class. It is a gross violation of our rights and we have to accept them because there are no alternatives.”

She urged stakeholders to take up the fight, charging students’ union leaders to have a conversation with the school to review some of the orders.

Another student of the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos State, who refused to give her name, stated that the rules were needless cultural enforcements by the school management.

She noted, “The school authorities need to understand that things are changing. There are some things that cannot be forced down the throats of humans. We also have the right to discern what they think is right or wrong. How has wearing of fitted clothes, sleeves rolling or wearing of face caps affect the knowledge I want to acquire. The school authorities can do better than this. These codes are too rigid.”

Speaking on the issue, the Public Relations Officer, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Mubarak Bankole, stated that the recent ban on cross bags in the school was to avoid students who carry ammunition on campus.

He, however, noted that the ban was affecting some innocent students who only use the bag for books and other school materials.

He said, “The student union is currently working on it to ensure that cross bags are being used. But many might be subjected to searches, especially people who are suspicious of in the school community.”

His counterpart at the Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara State, Abdulbasheet Abdulsalam, said that upon securing admission, students of the school were made to swear an oath binding them to follow rules issued by the school authorities.

Experts’ reactions

The National Coordinator, Education Rights Campaign, Hassan Soweto, described dress codes in the tertiary education sub-sector as a contravention of the tradition of a tertiary institution system.

He said, “Higher institutions are meant to be universalising institutes that bring together skills, knowledge and ideas from different areas regardless of boundaries and territories. That is the idea of a university. What it means is that for schools to have dress codes for such an institute that brings together different people, it is self-anachronistic and contradictory.

“What then determines the policy of the dress codes, the idea of that is to serve a purpose of philosophy and culture, and as a Yoruba, Igbo or European, there is an idea of dressing depending on the cultures. If in a university system, there are now codes of conduct and dressing allowed, who determines these codes and and in obedience to which culture or philosophy? Considering that a tertiary system is supposed to be universal.”

Soweto stated that the idea of a dress code was a violation of the principles of the tertiary education system.

He added, “It is in contravention of the rights and privileges of the youths and students who are adults under the constitution. The constitution guarantees the right to the dignity of the human person for every Nigerian citizen, especially those who are 18 years and above. What that means is that codes by universities, colleges and polytechnics are against the section of the constitution which guarantees the dignity of the human person.”

He further said that based on the foregoing, the dress codes in varsities were illegal.

Commenting, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, noted that the regulations were ridiculous and a needless overbearing on the part of the school authorities.

He noted, “These students are adults, which means they have the right to make decisions regarding what they are supposed to wear. There are specialised courses such as Law, Nursing, Medical Sciences and others where there are established dress codes due to the profession. Apart from these, I find these regulations petty and an infringement on the rights of the students. I can’t find any justification for that.”

He stated that the regulations were needless moral cost, noting that in the western world, emphasis was not on those petty things but on the quality of education which was what the tertiary institutions in the country should focus on.

Effiong said, “Students are meant to go to varsities to research. They are meant to be a universal place of learning and knowledge acquisition. There should be allowance for the conceptualisation of dressing. When you begin to tie the hands of your students on how they can express themselves, it becomes a departure of what a tertiary institution is supposed to be. It’s not called a tertiary institution for nothing. It’s not primary, secondary school or kindergarten.

‘‘An adult is supposed to be able to make a choice on what they want to wear provided the dressing is not overly provocative. Of course, we are not saying indecent dressing should be tolerated, but what we call indecent is also relative. A public varsity has no business in how a student’s hair should be. It’s not the business of a lecturer because when you go to the schools, you’ll see lecturers who keep long beards.

“Do lecturers have dress codes? It is absolutely nonsensical to me. If a university is going to have a dress code, that should apply to Vice-Chancellors, Deans, Head of Departments, lecturers and non-academic staff of the schools. If a dress code would be issued, it has to be for everyone.’’

Effiong noted that when students were being targeted on how to dress under the guise of moulding characters, it was tantamount to an affront and a distraction of what a tertiary institution should be.

“Schools are supposed to be paying attention to research and poor quality of education that students are receiving. It looks like many of them are hiding under the cards of moral tutelage to distract attention from their failure to impact qualitative knowledge and research,” he said.

ASUP’s position

Speaking on the issue, National President, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Anderson Ezeibe, said that the union was not aware of such regulations being rolled out in some polytechnics.

He said, “Well, I would not know the background to some of the regulations because each institution has its own peculiarities, and experiences which give birth to such regulations.”

He noted that such codes infringed on the students’ right to dignity as enshrined in the constitution.

Ezeibe stated, “If your right is such that it will endanger the security of another like what we have in The Polytechnic, Ibadan, then the regulations can matter.’’

He urged the Students’ Union Government in tertiary institutions to engage the school authorities for both parties to resolve the issues provoking such moral codes.

He added, “From some of the regulations you have described, some of the sanctions can be seen to be extreme and in certain instances, it is something that the Students’ Union Government should be able to iron out with the management.

“The students have their representatives and as an organised body, it is for them to have an engagement with the school authorities on such issues. If there are areas students are not comfortable with, they should be able to sort it out with their management.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof Abubakar Rasheed, were not successful.

He neither responded to calls made to his mobile nor replied to a text message sent as of the time this report was filed.

https://supers.ng/bad-dressing-in-tertiary-institutions-concerns-over-outlawed-of-students/

Nedu Wazobia has claimed that 90% of Nigerian male celebrities are either gay or bisexual.

Nedu, who appears to have insider information about the showbiz world, made this claim in a recent episode of his podcast, The Honest Bunch, while chatting with members of his crew.

According to the controversial media personality, majority of men in the entertainment industry are “friuty” – a slang word for homosexuality.

Nedu spills

However, he said he is certain that actor, Kunle Remi; skit maker, Mr Macaroni, and himself are straight men but he can’t vouch for the others.

This is coming days after he alleged that he walked in on two popular female influencers having party with his rich friend in a hotel in Abuja.

READ MORE
https://supers.ng/nedu-90-of-nigerian-male-celebrities-are-gay-or-bisexual/

A viral video has captured the dramatic moment a Nigerian mother turned down a car gift from her son, who’s still in university.

The woman just turned a new age, and her undergraduate son decided to surprise her with a brand new Lexus car.

In the trending video, the son who came to visit his mother with the new car in the company of his friends is seen leading his mother to where the car was parked.

However, on seeing the luxury car, the Nigerian mother worried how her son was able to afford to get it for her without a known job.

She openly declined the present, stating that her son is a student and questioning his source of income.

At a point in the video, she broke down in tears and exclaimed that her son was into internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo”.

Hit link below to watch the video

https://supers.ng/mother-rejects-car-gift-from-undergraduate-son-accuses-him-of-yahoo-yahoo/

Nigerian award-winning singer and songwriter, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has reacted to the open invitation she got from American legendary rapper Snopp Dogg to collaborate on music.

The new-age global star, who has continued to witness a meteoric rise to the top of the global music scene since her song with Afrobeats star Wizkid, ‘Essence’ became a global hit, continues to do so after veteran American rapper Snopp Dogg publicly reached out to her for a feature.

Although Tems is yet to respond directly, the soul-stirring singer took to her Twitter account moments after the Snoop Dogg video circulated to acknowledge how far she has come in her career. She wrote:

How you know you tha GOAT is when you attract the all the GOAT’s. It don’t take too long for a GOAT to recognise another GOAT. But the sheep, they always blind af.

MORE

https://supers.ng/tems-reacts-to-snopp-dogs-open-call-for-a-feature/

Patience Ozokwor has revealed why she did not remarry years after her husband passed on.

Speaking with Mercy Johnson on her kitchen show, Mercy’s menu, Patience Ozokwor disclosed that her children pleaded with her not to remarry.

Patience disclosed that she got married at age 19 however, she became a widow after she lost her husband following a protracted illness in 2002.

According to her, her children were all grown-ups and assured to be there for her and cater for her. She added that her children said their friends might mock them if she does, hence her decision to stay single after her husband’s death.

In her words;

“I wanted to remarry but my kids had already come of age and they pleaded with me not to marry another man and they promised they will be my husband. They asked me to stay single for them so their friends will not laugh at them that at their age their mum remarried and I understood them, though it was selfish of them I paid a huge sacrifice for them, no sacrifice is too huge for the family.”

SOURCE

https://supers.ng/reason-i-did-not-remarry-after-my-husbands-demise-patience-ozokwor/

Ten days to the January 31 deadline set by the Central Bank of Nigeria for the old N1,000, N500 and N200 notes to cease being legal tender, it was discovered that the apex bank has reduced the amount it makes available to Deposit Money Banks from N4bn weekly to N700m.

It was gathered that before the introduction of the redesigned notes, each bank was allowed to load N4bn in its Automated Teller Machines across the country, but with the introduction of the new notes, the apex bank was now giving each of the banks N700m of the redesigned notes to distribute to branches nationwide.

This explains why the new notes have not circulated well as customers are still getting a mixture of old and new naira notes from their banks. However, a top official of the CBN said that the reduction was deliberate and meant to force bank customers to embrace alternative payment channels in place of cash.

A top banker told one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity on Friday, “Before the introduction of the new notes, each bank had available N4bn to disburse to customers through ATMs and across the counters on a weekly basis.

“However, the cash is drying up as each bank is now being given N700m weekly with the CBN directing that the money should only be loaded in ATMs and not dispensed over the counter. The truth is there is not enough cash in the banks as we are mopping up the old notes in order to beat the CBN deadline.”

When contacted, the Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, Osita Nwanisobi, simply said that “The old notes are still legal tender till January 31. Thank you.”

When pressed further, he said, “I am with some people now; I can’t talk to you further.”

However, a top official of the apex bank explained that the reduction of the weekly cash allocation to the bank was deliberate and was intended to force bank customers to embrace alternative payment channels so as to reduce the volume of money in circulation.

As a result of the reduction in the volume of cash available to them, it was learnt that the banks had been adopting fresh strategies to beat the deadline and not run afoul of the apex bank’s directive.

SUPERS gathered that the banks, which had been hoping that the deadline would be extended following pressure from their managing directors and other stakeholders, might have resigned to the new reality following the insistence of the CBN that the deadline remained sacrosanct.

It was learnt on Friday that some of the banks had sent signals to their branches to evacuate all old notes from their ATMs by Monday in order to beat the deadline given by the CBN.
This is a new development as bankers had hoped before now that the apex bank would extend the deadline since they could not meet up with the demands of their customers for the new notes.

The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, who was represented by the Director, Legal Services Department, Mr Kofo Salam-Alada, said during a sensitisation visit to the Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday that the commercial banks should approach the apex bank branches across the country to pick up the new naira notes.

He said the new naira notes were in the apex bank’s vaults awaiting pick up by commercial banks, adding, “We have been calling upon the banks to approach the Central Bank of Nigeria across the country to come and pick up the new notes; we have even waived some of the conditionality for accessing currency notes in order to accommodate the banks.

“The banks were being given slots before, but now the Central Bank of Nigeria is bending over backward to accommodate the demands of the banks in order to service them so that they can service you and so that everybody will have access to the new naira notes,”

A branch manager of a Tier-1 bank on Lagos Island said on Friday that, “Officials of the CBN have been visiting bank branches to monitor compliance with the directive that banks should load their ATMs with only new notes and asking some questions surrounding the redesigned notes.

“It is true that the apex bank has asked commercial banks to come to its offices in all states of the federation to pick up new notes for their customers, but CBN is pushing all the commercial banks to load their machines with the new notes. We have been mandated by our bank to evacuate all the old notes from our ATMs by Monday in order to beat the deadline given by the CBN.

“However, the situation on the ground is a little contradictory because our weekly allocation in some parts of our locations has not been met.”

The source added that due to inadequate supply of the new notes, what the branches had decided was to load the ATMs with whatever volume of the new notes that was made available to them, while the other machines would not be loaded at all or would not be loaded up to full capacity in order to avoid sanctions from the apex bank.

“We still don’t have enough of the new notes as communicated by the CBN. We have been keeping the few ones received from customers to load the machines. What I foresee is that some ATMs will not be loaded or not loaded to full capacity,” the branch manager added.

The manager added that his bank had developed a checklist for branch managers and those in operation to ensure compliance with the CBN directive.
The checklist listed the documents that the branches must file to include: “Balance of new currency notes in the branch at the close of business each day from January 10, 2023 to January 19, 2023, detailing the denominations and amounts.

“Schedule of new currency notes received daily in each branch from the CBN in the period January 11 to 19, 2023, detailing the various denominations and amounts.

“List of all ATMs maintained in the branch premises and their logs of loading and dispensing.

“Record of daily amounts loaded on each ATM from core banking application.

“Schedule of daily amounts dispensed by ATMs in each branch from January 11 to 19, 2023 analysed into various denominations, indicating the new notes component of the dispensed cash (denomination and attributable amounts).

“List of customers/accounts that withdrew from ATMs in the period January 11 to 19, 2023 detailed into old and new note recipients.”

On the implication of customers not getting the new notes a few days to the CBN deadline, a Lagos-based banker, “I foresee a situation whereby banking halls will from Monday be flooded by customers, who are desperate to get the new notes and some of them may become unruly if they can’t get what they want.

“It is also almost certain that there will be clashes when traders begin to reject the old notes before the deadline. Honestly, I foresee a crisis starting next week.

“The sensitisation being done by the CBN now is rather late. The bank started the campaign a few weeks before the deadline.”

An official in the corporate affairs department of a Tier-2 bank, who pleaded not to be named, said the lender had complied with the CBN directive by loading its ATMs with the new notes across locations, but added that more of N1,000 notes were being loaded as the lower denominations were not available.

The Deputy Director, Currency Operation, CBN, Dr Rekiyat Yusuf, admitted in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday that customers might besiege banks to dispose of old naira notes as the deadline draws near, adding that appropriate sanctions would be applied against banks found dispensing old notes to customers.

Continue reading on link below!!

https://supers.ng/cbn-slashes-new-naira-allocation-as-banks-battle-pressure/

TG Omori, has reacted after he was called out by controversial Nigerian singer, Portable, for charging $50,000 for a music video.

Recall that Portable recently called out the popular music video director and cinematographer on social media for charging him a “ridiculous” fee for a video shoot.

The drama started when Portable reached out to Omori to shoot the visuals for one of his hit tracks, and he charged him $50,000 to get the work done.

However, Portable opined that Omori’s demand of $50,000 for the job was ridiculous and inquired as to whether he was going to film the video for a “ritualist.”

Portable went on to remind him that he was the same person who shot the visuals for his hit song “Zazu Zeh,” and he definitely didn’t pay up to $50,000.

Sharing screenshots of their chat on Instagram, Portable told Omori that he has many people who would be happy to do the job for him at an affordable price, but he wanted to give TG Omori a try.

Reacting to the call out, Omori in a now-deleted tweet informed Portable that ‘Zazu’ video was shot for free.

“Somebody tell Portable Zazoo was a free video, did it without ever mentioning a word. Bruh has a video and never knew how it came about but his calling me out for a discounted price.” He wrote.

James Chukwueze Obialor, popularly known as James Brown, has thrown a jab at his colleague, Bobrisky.

In a video making the rounds on social media, James is heard reiterating his position as the reigning queen.

According to him, Bobrisky’s reign is over, and he is now the Queen, while Bobrisky is the Queen Mother.

“Bobrisky’s time has passed. I am now in charge,” he said in Yoruba.

Taking to his Instagram stories, James further told those comparing him to Bobrisky that they are in no competition, and went on to highlight some of the qualities that makes him stand out.

“I see people comparing me and her. I can’t compete with someone older than me, that represents the elder woman of the society. Talking about gowns, covering your body like wearing a condóm. As a young & vibrant girl, I represent skin, beauty, & body. Because I am a youth

Why wearing too much of Golds to prove a point while you can wear Diamonds & Silver like me, not those Golds that makes noise in the videos like (“Pam Pam Go Lo”) in video.

DEFINITION OF CLASS: Classy is maturity not a lot of noise. A classy person doesn’t shout in the public. A classy person ain’t violent. A classy person doesn’t come on social media to drag their friends, that’s (MUSHIN girl’s). A classy person keeps it calm & classy, they keep their mouth shut”, he wrote

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https://supers.ng/james-brown-bobriskys-time-has-passed-i-am-now-in-charge/

The Director-General of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mining and Agriculture, Sola Obadimu, has said that Nigeria’s current inflation rate poses a serious risk to the survival of businesses across the country.

Obadimu predicted a high likelihood that Nigeria’s inflation rate would further increase in 2023 while the naira would suffer further devaluation.

The NACCIMA DG, who spoke exclusively with The PUNCH in reaction to the slight decrease in headline inflation from 21.47 to 21.34 in December, said such a marginal decrease does not spell good news for the productive sector of the economy.

Obadimu said, “Inflation coming down from 21.47 to 21.34, for me it is not good. Even if those figures are true.
“Liz Truss, what was the principal reason why she stepped down? It was 11 per cent inflation. Anything above a single digit is not good for business.

“We always preach, if possible, single-digit inflation. That is, something that costs N100 in January, should at worst, not cost more than N110 by December. That shows some stability in the economy. Anything beyond that is injurious to business. So, 21 per cent inflation is like six and half a dozen.”

He stated that the target of the organised private sector for ease of doing business should be single-digit inflation.
“If that is impracticable, then it should not be more than 15 per cent, at worst. A lot of work still needs to be done to bring down inflation. Prices should be predictable for planning and budgeting purposes. It has been a very uncertain scenario, given the fact that we have been told that a point in the year fuel subsidy will be removed, which will definitely have an impact on the naira. Inflation will worsen this year. Naira will further weaken.”

On the recent uncertainty surrounding the availability of new naira notes ahead of the CBN’s deadline for withdrawal notes, Obadimu said the apex bank ought to have printed N5,000 naira notes in lieu of redesigning the old notes.

This, he said, would have achieved the primary objective of mopping up hoarded notes.

He further stated that it is not good for a country of Nigeria’s pedigree to have its highest denomination under the $2 threshold.

He added, “Instead of reprinting N200, N500 and N100, all the CBN needed to do was to print N5,000 note.

“That is what he needed to do. If his reason was that some people were stockpiling N1,000 notes, they would have taken it out to exchange for N5,000 notes. It is a higher denomination. It is less heavy to carry, and they would have needed to spend less because it’s like they have a problem funding the printing. By now, no bank should be paying the old notes.

All these people hoarding money would have changed it.

“It is not good for our sovereignty as a nation that our highest denomination is less than $2. It’s not prestigious for us. Our highest denomination, which is N1,000 is less than $2 at the official rate. If you go with the parallel rate, it is less than $2.”

SOURCE
https://punchng.com/naccima-fears-worsening-inflation/

Nigerian star OAP, Sugar Sugar of Love FM Abuja, interviews fast rising artist MOSHOOD RABIU, professionally known as Toomuch Ice

In the interview, Toomuch ice talks about everything from when he started music, his rise to stadorm, school life, his recent releases, his relationships and how he feels about Nigeria and the coming election.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnhXCkftAWp/?igshid=ZDhmZGIxNmQ=

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https://supers.ng/love-fm-abuja-interviews-toomuch-ice-watch/

Korra Obidi’s ex-husband, Justin Dean, has reacted after she made new damning allegations against him on social media.

You will recall that during a recent Facebook Live session, the mother of two shared what she went through at her estranged husband’s hands while revealing that they have begun another round of court battles for the custody of their children.

Speaking amid tears during the Facebook Live session on Tuesday, Korra revealed that Justin Dean filed a new lawsuit for full custody of their kids.

According to Korra, Justin filed the suit on the grounds that she’s negligent of her duties as a mother and allegedly leaves the children unattended to while she focuses on her live sessions.

She described Justin’s abuse during their marriage, saying he once called her a “cunt” at a party and told her male friends to line up so she could perform MouthAction on them.

She added that he also pushed her at the party and then would have succeeded in gaslighting her into believing it didn’t happen, but friends who witnessed it confirmed it did.

She claimed Justin would usually hit her in the presence of their children, and on one occasion, he dragged her forcefully while she was pregnant, and three days later she suffered a miscarriage.

Crying, Korra told those women who are supporting Justin that she wishes someone like him on them.

Following Korra’s outburst, Justin Dean also went live on Facebook to react.

He stated that he is very happy right now and hinted that his ex-wife gave the exact comments he was expecting, so he’s not surprised.

Speaking further, he noted that his utmost priority is to take good care of his daughters.

Follow link below to watch the video

https://supers.ng/justin-dean-reacts-following-ex-wife-korras-outcry-over-his-suit-for-full-custody-of-their-kids/

An Enugu Magistrate court has reportedly granted the sum of N150,000 in damages to a man in his suit against a lady who breached an agreement.

The shocking tale was shared on the microblogging platform, Twitter by a user who identified as a Nupe lawyer who said the magistrate awarded damages against the lady to serve as a deterrent.

According to the lawyer, the woman had received N3,000 as transport fare on the premise that she would visit, but she failed to show up.

The guy then took her to court for receiving money under false pretenses, and the chief magistrate ordered her to give him N150k. The petitioner informed the judge that she turned off her phone after receiving the money he had provided.

The lawyer wrote;

“A court in Enugu has reportedly set a good precedent by awarding damages of 150k against a lady. She was given 3k as transport fare to visit a guy and after collecting the money, she switched off her phone and refused to visit him. Infuriated by her action, he reported and sued her for deceit.”

SOURCE

https://supers.ng/court-orders-lady-to-pay-man-for-refusing-to-show-up-after-collecting-n3k-fare/

Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Davido has reacted to Wizkid‘s recent announcement of the duo going on a joint tour.

Grammy-award winning singer Wizkid, who has constantly been said to be at loggerheads with colleague Davido, shocked the fans with the latest news after he took to his Instagram page on January 18, 2022, to make it known that he will be going on a joint tour with Davido after his “More Love, Less Ego” tour.

Although Davido nor his management have yet to directly reply to the news, the singer, via his Instagram account, reacted to the announcement by liking the news, which was reported on media platform Tunde Ednut’s page.

SOURCE

https://supers.ng/davido-reacts-to-wizkids-joint-tour-announcement/

Ubi Franklin, has narrated his battle with depression, even though he was a billionaire.

Ubi was recently interviewed on Taymesan’s podcast, and he narrated his battle with depression way back in 2017, even though he had N2 billion sitting in his bank account.

According to Ubi, his marriage was in disarray and singer Iyanya had left his record label at the time. These and other things caused him depression in 2017.

Amidst the depression he experienced that year, he became a billionaire same year because some of his old investments had paid off.

Even though he was a billionaire at the time, the money he had wasn’t enough to make him happy.

Watch video Below
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cnbu1VhrL0-/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

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https://supers.ng/ubi-franklin-i-had-over-n2-billion-in-2017-but-was-still-depressed/