₦airaland Forum

“Sentiments aside, this man has really done well for Agege as a whole. So many roads (including my in-law’s street) built and many folks are empowered! I will always wish him success in all his moves.”

That was a short message I got from a journalist and owner of a news medium recently. I had just sent out a story that had to do with the sudden endorsement of Dr. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, the unassuming Right Honourable Speaker of Lagos, by notable leaders in the Agege area of the State.

The media man could not hold back his love for the man who has succeeded in turning Agege, a very busy but hitherto behindhand area of the State into a “mini-London”, apologies to Segun Ekundayo, a friend and resident of the area, who told me in December last year: “Obasa is a lifetime opportunity and blessing to Agege. He can never be forgotten.”

To Ekundayo, a human and industrial relations professional, Agege is now a mini-London. He opins that Speaker Obasa’s love for Agege is further boosted by the fact that he has remained a resident of the place even with his status as the third citizen of the State. “You will hardly find a political office holder who would want to remain with the people he lived with before his stars shone so bright.

Many would leave their original places and go stamp their feets in choice areas only sneeking back when it is time for election. Obasa has never lived outside Agege and this is the reason he sees every of the people’s challenges, he has suffered from poor road infrastructure just like the pepper seller, the businessman, the motorists and residents. And today, his name is everywhere, even in the mouths of children.

“Let me tell you, that bridge that was constructed to replace that Pen Cinema Roundabout has galluped the economic activities in this area. You know what they say about how infrastructure can affect businesses whether positively or negatively. The roads and other infrastructure have helped to improve businesses. Of course, we know he is a legislature, but his influence and the way he has attracted life to our area is incomparable. We have never had it this good,” he added.

Prior to 2015, who would have thought that Pen Cinema, one of the busiest areas of Agege would one day become a hitch-free joyride for motorists and commuters plying that area? Visit Agege if you haven’t been there for a long time.

The much about the roads was confirmed by Dr. Babatunde Adejare, a member representing Agege Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives. Adejare, while speaking at an Iftar programme recently, recalled a conversation he had with a Senator some weeks ago.

What did Adejare say? This Senator was in Lagos for the birthday ceremony of revered musician, Chief Ebenezer Obey. Then, in the course of discussions, the Senator, who could not hold back his observation, expressed bewilderment at the transformation of Agege, especially in relation to the road networks. Hear Adejare: “Days ago, during the 80th birthday of Ebenezer Obey, a visiting Senator was marvelled that Agege now has very good roads. I told him not to forget that we have the Speaker of Lagos here.”

Did that sink? Is it now very clear why Agege – not just the Constituency 1 – and its political leaders want Obasa to return to the House of Assembly in 2023, despite the fact that he has the Senate seat for Lagos West in his palms and would get it if he wants it? The leaders of Agege, who endorsed his return to the House of Assembly, already said that much.

Wale Ahmed, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy in Lagos, also believes that having Speaker Obasa come from Agege remains a blessing to the people and that a top-up of the blessing would be Obasa’s return to the House. “My prayer is that after the elections next year, we would all gather here to celebrate again,” he prayed.

To the average resident of Agege, Obasa remains one to be proud of. Testimonies of how he has always helped indigent students abound. This assistance to students has become a norm. Some of the beneficiaries are today professionals. Doctors, lawyers, politicians. He has built leaders and constantly plays his role, with much sacrifice, to create an environment that would genuinely help the majority to have food on their tables.

Employment and youth engagement? Obasa will always remain a shining example in this area. He would never want to talk about what he does for people. But the people know. They also believe that to show appreciation is to ask him to return to that position. They believe the now popular axiom: “The reward for hardwork is more work.” And to the other parts that form Lagos West Senatorial District, the people of Agege are saying: “We know you also want to enjoy the goodness that Obasa has become to us, but please è lò sèmpè, asi’n gbadun oga wa.”

Eromosele is the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Importers Association of Nigeria ( IMAN) has said that it’s enforcement team alongside the Nigeria Police Force swooped on Kamange International Limited warehouse in Abule Oshun part of Lagos State due to its illegal activities, especially importation, sales and distribution of stuffed tyres in the Country.

In a chat with our Correspondent, Chief Obinna Michael, National Coordinator of IMAN Taskforce said the organisation is duly registered with the sole aim of checkmating activities of it’s members, including illegal importation and in collaboration with the Nigeria Police to enforced compliance.

On why the Police and IMAN Taskforce recent raid of Kamange International warehouse at Abule Oshun area of Lagos State, the IMAN Taskforce Coordinator said ” Sometimes ago, we find out that there are a lot of dubious importers in Nigeria who are into illegalities of bringing in substandard tyres. Some of them fake another company’s products, some are bringing stuffed, expired and Tokunbo tyres. Then, they will rebrand it as new ones and sell it to innocent Nigerians.

“All these things causes accidents .So we went on investigation to know who and who are into this business. We find out that Kamange is among the major Importers of stuffed and substandard tyres. They have warehouses in Ibadan, Onitsha, two in Lagos and other places.

“Then, through our investigations we discovered that they are bringing in the stuffed tyres from Apapa port. We then wrote a petition to the Police against their illegal importations . Then, police did their own findings and got a search warrant , they came down from Abuja to Lagos, went to the warehouse through the way we lay our surveillance and discovered stuffed tyres, expired ones and tokunbo tyres and others inside there. With 4 x 40ft containers still offloading the stuffed tyres, which they brought in recently.

“Police made their arrests , took samples and also took statement from the warehouse manager, they are being invited to Abuja on the 27th of this month and we are going to meet there. In IMAN, when we see things like this , we invite the Police and the police will know how to liaise with other security agencies,” Obinna narrated.

He further said Kamange International Limited is owned by a Chinese. He alleged that the man ran away from China because of his dubious acts “and now he is on the run from Nigeria.

On the allegations of IMAN Taskforce collecting money from Kamange, the Taskforce Coordinator said is not true. “That is not true, the Kamange is on the run as I am talking to you. We have not set our eyes on him.”

On the alleged illegal activities of IMAN, he said: “IMAN is not an illegal organisation, we are duly registered with government approval in 2007. Why we register is for all importers to be in one umbrella. So if government wants to deal with Importers, we come with one voice to talk. And to make sure that importers do the right thing at the right time by bringing in approved products into the country,” he said.

The IMAN Taskforce threatened to take legal action against Kamange for spoiling it’s name by claiming that IMAN collected money, after the the police have concluded it’s investigations.

IMAN also appeal to other Government Agencies, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration Control ( NAFDAC) to partner with IMAN to tackle the influx of illegal products into the country.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has taken into custody Eberechukwu, the wife of the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano.

The former Anambra First Lady, who has been under investigation, is currently in the custody of the commission in Abuja.

It was learnt that Mrs Obiano was being questioned for alleged fraud.

Mrs Obiano caused a stir after she became involved in a brawl with a former Nigerian ambassador to Spain and wife of Biafra warlord, Mrs Bianca Ojukwu, during the swearing-in of Prof Chukwuma Soludo as Anambra State Governor on March 17.

She is seeking to contest in the 2023 elections to represent Anambra North District at the Senate under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

Her arrest is coming about a month after her husband was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, as he attempted to leave for the United States, hours after handing over to his successor, Soludo.

He was subsequently moved to Abuja the following day and quizzed over the alleged diversion of N37 billion security vote and N5bn SURE-P fund.

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said he was not aware of Mrs Obiano’s arrest and promised to find out but he did not respond to further inquiries.

Nigeria’s largest lender in the SME space Access Bank plc has unveiled an online account opening platform for unregistered businesses.

The online account opening platform is a paperless and seamless digital process which allows customers to register their business account within five minutes without visiting a branch. And it is available for anyone above 18 years across Nigeria and the Diaspora.

Addressing newsmen during the launching of the online account opening platform, Ayodele Olojede, Group Head, Emerging Businesses, Access Bank Plc said “It is about the millions of local businesses struggling to lay their foundation and growth.

As part of our commitment to support entrepreneurs and small business owners, we have created a simple seamless digital platform for individuals to obtain an affordable and flexible account for their unregistered businesses which will give them access to digital loans from N250,000 to N10million, Access to capacity building programs and trainings, Business registration at a discounted rate for those unregistered businesses, Invitation to link up with investors and build a website with as little as N20,000.

We believe Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a major role in most economies, particularly in developing countries. SMEs account for the majority of businesses worldwide and are important contributors to job creation and global economic development. They represent about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide” Ayodele concluded.

Ayodele also called on SMEs owners to ensure proper records keeping for their businesses and advised them against mixing business funds with personal expenses as it leads to poor corporate governance and risk of misappropriation of cash belonging to the business

Please click HERE to open an account for your unregistered business.

Access Bank is recognized as one of the most innovative financial institutions in Africa. With over 40 million customers and 600 branches nationwide, it offers a range of products and services tailored to suit needs and lifestyle of its customers across multiple segments. The Bank offers various SMEs digitalized solutions to cater the vast majority of MSMEs.

Some of these innovations include online account opening platform for businesses, digital lending platform, Digital payment solution platform (Swiftpay), Access to market (Discounted Website), and our capacity-building programmes.

Keystone Bank Limited has trained over 1600 students across Nigeria as part of its activities to commemorate the 2022 Financial Literacy Day and Global Money Week themed “Build your Future, Be Smart About Money”.

The Financial Literacy Day program is an annual awareness program set aside by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and aimed at enhancing financial literacy and inclusion amongst children.

To mark this year’s event, employees of Keystone Bank visited 37 schools across the states in Nigeria. The Lender raised financial literacy awareness amongst 1600 students in Nigeria. The students were imparted with knowledge and skills to improve and manage their finances at an early stage. They were also taught the importance of earning money and also the guidelines to adopt a saving culture.

Commenting on the importance of financial literacy at an early stage, the Divisional Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Izore Bamawo, expressed that the initiative will help children imbibe a saving culture while making responsible financial choices and decisions thereby affecting their future positively.

“Keystone Bank’s participation in the 2022 Financial Literacy Day program has helped to further promote the savings culture amongst children and teenagers.”

“The CBN created this important initiative to encourage financial institutions to educate the younger generation on the basics of financial education and to also contribute to the improvement of financial literacy across the Nation.”

“Keystone Bank has remained committed to the continuous development of financial literacy and inclusion initiatives amongst children as it would help enhance their financial decisions thereby producing individuals who are financially responsible,” She said.

Keystone Bank is a technology and service-driven commercial bank offering convenient and reliable solutions to its customers.

Sequel to the declaration of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to run for the highest office in the land, one of his major support base has given hope of a new Nigeria while thanking the VP for being courageous to step into the ring, in the overall interest of all Nigerians.

The S.M.A.R.T Women for PYO, which had been leading the vanguard of calls on the VP to declare his presidential ambition, said the declaration is a welcome development and has put paid to months of speculations about the readiness of the number-two citizen to lead the nation.

Explaining that the speech delivered by the erudite professor of law is that of hope, the group congratulated Nigerians in advance of a national rebirth, saying that Osinbajo’s words have actually lifted the spirit of the downcast.

The women also called on the leadership and members of the APC to ensure that the declaration is not in vain, by doing all it takes to have Osinbajo as the party’s flag-bearer.

In a statement issued by its coordinators, Bunmi Oke and Folake Aina, the women advised all intending delegates to next month’s APC presidential primary, to put the country first and vote-in someone that is already in the saddle, rather than gambling with new comers.

“Now that the man Nigerians are waiting for has declared his intention to vie for the office, we believe that 50 percent of the hurdle had been scaled.

“We have listened or read his speech, it is obvious that Professor Osinbajo has not only rekindled hope of many who had lost faith in the country, the VP has shown Nigerians what to expect if he eventually mounts the saddle.

“We are at a stage where we cannot afford to toy with our destiny by experimenting with governance at the highest level. We already have Osinbajo, who has garnered more than enough experience to put him at the top echelon. We can’t afford to make mistakes that will cost the nation gravely.

“This is the time to show our patriotism and love for our dear country, we therefore call on all delegates to the APC presidential primary to please eschew favouritism and look at the issues dispassionately.

“No doubt, Osinbajo is the best man for the job. He has been there for seven years, he has seen it all, he now needs our support to continue the good work he started with President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

Sequel to the declaration of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to run for the highest office in the land, one of his major support base has given hope of a new Nigeria while thanking the VP for being courageous to step into the ring, in the overall interest of all Nigerians.

The S.M.A.R.T Women for PYO, which had been leading the vanguard of calls on the VP to declare his presidential ambition, said the declaration is a welcome development and has put paid to months of speculations about the readiness of the number-two citizen to lead the nation.

Explaining that the speech delivered by the erudite professor of law is that of hope, the group congratulated Nigerians in advance of a national rebirth, saying that Osinbajo’s words have actually lifted the spirit of the downcast.

The women also called on the leadership and members of the APC to ensure that the declaration is not in vain, by doing all it takes to have Osinbajo as the party’s flag-bearer.

In a statement issued by its coordinators, Bunmi Oke and Folake Aina, the women advised all intending delegates to next month’s APC presidential primary, to put the country first and vote-in someone that is already in the saddle, rather than gambling with new comers.

“Now that the man Nigerians are waiting for has declared his intention to vie for the office, we believe that 50 percent of the hurdle had been scaled.

“We have listened or read his speech, it is obvious that Professor Osinbajo has not only rekindled hope of many who had lost faith in the country, the VP has shown Nigerians what to expect if he eventually mounts the saddle.

“We are at a stage where we cannot afford to toy with our destiny by experimenting with governance at the highest level. We already have Osinbajo, who has garnered more than enough experience to put him at the top echelon. We can’t afford to make mistakes that will cost the nation gravely.

“This is the time to show our patriotism and love for our dear country, we therefore call on all delegates to the APC presidential primary to please eschew favouritism and look at the issues dispassionately.

“No doubt, Osinbajo is the best man for the job. He has been there for eight years, he has seen it all, he now needs our support to continue the good work he started with President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

A senatorial aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun East, Otunba Oluseyi Oduntan, has declared that the state needs National Assembly members in 2023 that would partner and complement the efforts of Governor Dapo Abiodun in his development agenda.

Oduntan, a former Managing Director of the Honeywell Group, said the state urgently requires federal lawmakers that will synchronize efforts with the governor, not duplicate them, for the people to get the optimum value from representation in the National Assembly.

He spoke on Friday in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State during the inauguration of his senatorial office and the flag-off of e-Naira Youth Empowment, which is an initiative backed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the e-Naira digital currency.

The event, sponsored by Oduntan, was held in conjunction with Bizi Mobile Cashless Consultant Ltd, and hundreds of youths across the Ogun East Senatorial District were trained as CBN agents on e-Naira.

The beneficiaries, who were drawn from the nine local government areas constituting the Senatorial District, were also given tools to start earning income through the e-Naira digital currency.

Addressing the gathering, Oduntan said the state government under the leadership of Governor Abiodun had carried out several programmes to empower the youths, address their plight and ensure they are gainfully engaged, stressing that such efforts needed to be complemented.

He pointed out that there was need to synergise and bring the capabilities, strengths and efforts of various political office holders together to improve the lot of the state.

The businessman, who stated that he had embarked on consultations ahead of his formal declaration for Senate, said he and the governor understood each other having come from the private sector together.

Oduntan said: “I came out for Senate in 2014, I campaigned through the length and breadth of Ogun East and went to the 106 wards of the senatorial district to put my message across to our people that we needed to raise the bar of the Red Chamber (Senate) in Abuja. I’m coming from the private sector.

“I understand what it takes not just to be a Senator but to be a Senator that can be heard and that people will be proud of. But more importantly, my objective is to partner with our governor because a bird cannot fly with one wing, it has to fly with two wings. Our mantra is ‘together we are stronger.’ They say a chain is as strong as its weakest link.

“If we merge our efforts and capabilities and our strengths together, we can do better within Ogun East. The governor and I come from the private sector and we understand each other. So, my idea is that whatever we are doing in Abuja, I bring it first home and say ‘Excellency, how can we utilise this project to the maximum effect’ so that we are not duplicating efforts; we are synchronizing efforts to ensure that our people get the optimum value from representation in the National Assembly.”

The senatorial aspirant further advocated the need for quality empowerment of Nigerian youths towards reducing the challenge of insecurity in the country.

He noted that the country must take advantage of its youth population by empowering them with the appropriate skills and education in order to discourage them from engaging in criminal activities.

According to him, many Nigerian youths are frustrated because their potentials are not being fully developed for the growth of the country.

Oduntan, however, expressed optimism that the launch of the digital currency would encourage residents of Ogun State and Nigerians in general to embrace e-Naira and start transacting through the platform.

He said, “The idea is to empower youths, so that when they get on this e-Naira platform, they are in the best position to earn some income rather than being idle. The more agents we have, the more the people that buy into it, the more income they are able to get.

“Youths of this country constitute 65 percent of the population and, according to data available to me, over 70 percent of them are illiterate or semi-literate. We want to raise the bar and ensure that we focus on these youths because they are the future and this country is suffering.

“As a matter of fact, they are frustrated and frustrated youths can be up to all sort of things that are not palatable for this country. We are looking at the youths to ensure that we empower them the right way and encourage them so that they can be better people in the future.”

In his remarks, the CEO of Bizi Mobile Cashless Consultant Ltd and a consultant to CBN on e-Naira, Dr. Aminu Bizi, called on Nigerians to embrace the digital currency, saying it is not only safe and reliable, but also easy to use.

“E-naira is a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) platform, whereby you can use the platform to pay and receive money any time. It is much more safer to use,” Bizi said.

Bizi urged other politicians to emulate Oduntan by facilitating programmes and initiatives to help them become better and responsible citizens of the country.

A female group in support of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s presidential ambition, S.M.A.R.T Women for PYO, has commended the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the bold step in giving free nomination forms to all women aspiring for various positions in the forthcoming 2023 elections within the party.

The group, which was obviously elated by the action, said it is happy that the new leadership of the party under Senator Abdullahi Adamu, is encouraging women to fulfill their dreams and desire to diligently serve the Country .

In a statement jointly signed by its coordinators, Bunmi Oke and Folake Aina, the women said they were elated that the 35 percent affirmative action long agitated for is gradually coming to fruition.

The group also alluded to the fact that there is already a judicial pronouncement on the matter while noting the Professor Yemi Osinbajo is a woman-friendly administrator, who will not only ensure the proper enthronement of female public officials in governance, but also the private sector if allowed to govern Nigeria.

“It is a welcome development, we are very happy with the news and we hope to take it further into elective offices as it will now allow sincere and genuine aspirants seek elective positions, without fear of financial in capability.

“The ball is now in the court of our women to take advantage of this laudable policy by our women-friendly leadership in the APC.

“We are appealing to all other political parties to toe the line of the APC. We can assure Nigerians that this is a just a tip of the iceberg, by the time PYO assumes the mantle of leadership, he will ensure that women take their place of pride. There will be justice, fairness and equity.

“There is already a court decision on the matter, the ruling should be respected by all sundry,” the statement concluded.

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, on Sunday evening got the endorsements of respected leaders of the State from Agege and Orile-Agege for a return to the House.

The leaders all agreed that the Speaker has an unbeatable chance of winning if he vied for a seat in the Senate ahead of the 2023 election, but said their appeal for his return to the House of Assembly was in the interest of the entire Agege people and Lagos state, which he has made better through effective legislations and related activities.

At an Iftar programme that inadvertently provided an opportunity for the leaders to speak about Obasa’s achievements so far, the leaders said the Speaker had become a pride, not only to Agege, but to Lagos State.

At least 80 leaders, political appointees and chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including Dr. Babatunde Adejare of the House of Representatives; Wale Ahmed, Lagos Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Afolabi Ayantayo, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Parastatals Monitoring Office; and Oba Ambaliu Hakeem Agbedeyi, the Alaige of Orile Agege supported that the Speaker return to the House.

Some of the others who gave their support included Chief Safari Adaranijo, APC Apex Leader in Agege; Gani Owolabi Dada, leader; Elder Rotimi Adesina; Olaniyi Salau Ojo APC chairman in Orile-Agege, Alhaji Tunde Azeez; APC chairman in Agege; former and current local government council chairmen; vice chairmen; councillors; supervisory councillors and Special Advisers of the two council chairmen.

While urging that the Speaker be asked to return to the House, Adejare said Agege is now noted for good road networks with the help of Obasa.

“Days ago, during the 80th birthday of Ebenezer Obey, a visiting Senator was marvelled that Agege now has very good roads. I told him not to forget that we have the Speaker of Lagos here,” he said while praying for more wisdom for Obasa in his leadership position.

Wale Ahmed who said he expects Obasa to be unopposed, added: “My prayer is that after the elections next year, we would all gather here to celebrate again.”

Oba Agbedeyi, while thanking Obasa for positively making Agege a place to reckon with, urged the Speaker to return so as to bring more developments to the area.

Mr. Johnson Sunday Babatunde, chairman of Orile-Agege LCDA, who led the conversation, warned that Agege must not lose all that it had gained through Speaker Obasa. Rather, he said, the area should experience more dividends of democracy.

“A lot of people from Agege have been employed because of Obasa. A lot of infrastructure have come to us because of Obasa. There should be no vacancy in Agege Constituency 1,” he said.

He noted that one way Agege can appreciate Obasa’s love for the area is to ask him to return and work for him to occupy the position again.

Supporting the collective decision by the leaders, Ganiyu Egunjobi, chairman of Agege local government council, said the Speaker had brought glory to Agege and that he should be encouraged to return to the House unopposed.

Earlier, the Islamic clergy at the Iftar, Chief Imam Quadri Abdul Ganiu Ayorinde, harped on love and the importance of Ramadan.

He prayed for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the APC, and Obasa and described those who invite Muslim faithful to break fast with them as blessed.

The board of directors of Dreamworld Leisures Limited, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) urging the anti-graft agency to investigate allegations of mismanagement and share manipulations against Mr. Jude Atoh, the company’s managing director.

The board had earlier in a petition, accused the management team of the organisation of financial misappropriation and share manipulation but nothing has been done.

In a statement issued by the chairman of the board, Wale Mesioye, the board expressed concerns that the anti-graft agency did not act on the petition submitted to it by the board but chose to expedite action on the petition presented to it by the management team.

The statement alleged that the petition detailed weighty infractions against the management including alleged share manipulation, money laundering, sale of company assets without the knowledge of the board, among others.

The board said it had, in the petition to EFCC, intimated it of the alleged infractions of the managing director including forgery of several board resolutions, unapproved sales of landed property of the company, diversion and embezzlement of the proceeds from the previous sales of land belonging to the company.

Other allegations include suspected money laundering, diversion of company funds to private accounts of companies owned by the managing director and his wife, conflicts of interest by granting contracts to companies belonging to the managing director and his wife.



The board, therefore, called on the EFCC to revisit the petition, noting that “We the members of the board of Dreamworld humbly make the following demands:

“We call on EFCC to revisit the first petition by the board of the company, Dreamworld.

“We call on EFCC to abide by the extant laws, rules and regulations governing such investigations.

“We call on EFCC to discreetly investigate all sides to the matter and for all parties, including calling on the EFCC to desist from media trial of the board of directors, as such acts impede on board members reputation even when they are innocent”, he said.

Also, in a separate statement, former military administrator of Bayelsa State, Lt Col Paul Obi (rtd) and a member of the board, restated the position of the board, noting that contrary to reports, investors in the hospitality outfit virtually lost their investments to mismanagement of the resources of the organisation by the managing director.

Meanwhile, when contacted on the status of the petition, spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren said, “My office does not handle petitions and there are many petitions we are working on. I would not know the status of the petition.”

Keystone Bank Limited, a leading financial services provider in Nigeria, has announced the re-opening of its revamped Ikota-VGC, Lagos branch for commercial operations.

A statement by the lender on Friday, said the reopening of the branch located at Ikota Shopping Complex, H518 Rd, 3 V.G.C, Lagos, comes after months of renovations and “is part of its vision to offer seamless and more convenient banking experiences to its large base of retail and commercial customers in the area.

The bank added that the development is also in line with its drive to reach a wider audience and meet the needs of customers in the area and beyond, specifically the retail/MSME who are in need of a service-oriented bank that will work with them to grow their businesses.

“It is our hope that the branch will become a pivotal point of use for them and the surrounding neighbourhoods and be incorporated into their daily lives while we help them unlock their growth potential.

“We are extremely grateful to have such great support and understanding from our customers and the community while these exciting changes were being completed. The people and businesses in Ikota and environs are important to Keystone Bank and we wanted to show them just how important they were by undertaking these renovations.”

“As a bank that is wholly committed to supporting small and medium sized enterprises as they set up, establish and mature, we will continue to work with businesses in the Ikota vicinity, providing them with the advice and financial support they need to innovate and grow.

“Business services will resume at 8:00am to 4:00pm, Mondays to Fridays. New and existing customers are welcome to visit the branch to carry out in-branch transactions as well as other important banking business,” the statement added.

Keystone Bank Limited is a technology and service-driven commercial bank, offering tailor-made convenient and reliable solutions to customers’ needs.

…asks Nigerians not to despair

A female support group for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s presidential bid, S.M.A.R.T Women for PYO, has condoled with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the two train attacks that left scores of people dead along the Kaduna-Abuja route.

The group also commiserates with President Muhammad Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai and the entire nation over the unfortunate incident.




In a statement jointly signed on behalf of the group by Bunmi Oke and Folake Aina, the women regretted that the killings of innocent Nigerians is occurring at a time the nation is witnessing a transformational rebirth in its security architecture.

Noting that the entire nation had been thrown into needless mourning, the female group said it is unfortunate that precious lives were wasted by the dastardly act of the terrorists.

It however called on security agencies to be more proactive while urging Nigerians not to despair as hope is on the horizon.

“We commiserate with the President and the VP, we commiserate with the Kaduna State Government and the whole nation.
“This is a sad situation, it is unfortunate that those hoodlums have taken their act into our hearts, they have murdered sleep and they shall sleep no more.

“We commiserate with friends and families of the victims of the senseless attack, we are mothers, we feel their pains.

“As mothers, we understand the plight of those who lost their loved ones, we empathise with them, we pray that Almighty God will console them.

“It is our hope and prayer that we will all be part of those that will witness the new Nigeria that is beckoning on us”.

Global Citizen launches a new campaign - ‘End Extreme Poverty Now – Our Future Can't Wait'


Citizen-led global advocacy group calls on governments, corporations and citizens to break the cycle of extreme poverty now

International advocacy organisation, Global Citizen, has launched a new campaign aimed at addressing the issue of poverty now. The year-long campaign, called End Extreme Poverty NOW – Our Future Can’t Wait, will focus on three critical issues: empowering adolescent girls across the world; breaking systemic barriers that keep people trapped in poverty; and taking climate action now.

Supported by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina Mohammed, President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema, Foreign Minister of Nigeria Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Environment of Rwanda Dr. Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Former Executive Director of UN Women Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, and presidents of nations around the world, the campaign will feature a calendar of major global events. These will include the presentation of the Global Citizen Prize, the Global Citizen NOW Leadership Summit; the 10th Anniversary Global Citizen Concert in both New York and Africa, and the Global Citizen G20 Summit, which will be held in Bali, Indonesia.

“We join Global Citizen in continuing our stewardship to ensure a better world and future for all,” said President Ramaphosa in announcing his support for the campaign. “The past two years have highlighted the devastating impact on humanity when we choose individual goals over the global good. Together, we have to take concrete actions that will create a better future for our planet and its people, now.”

South Africa’s Tshepo Mahloele will serve as the patron of the campaign in Africa and will serve alongside Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy. Mahloele is the Chairman and Founder of Lebashe Investment Group, a leading African Investment company focused on Financial Services & TMT industries. He is also the Founder of Harith General Partners. Harith General Partners is the leading Pan-African investor and developer of infrastructure across the continent.

“I am honoured and humbled to play a meaningful role that supports existing global efforts to deal with vaccine equity, challenge poverty and empower young girls. The neglect of these predicaments, including global warming, have a detrimental effect on the prospects of the citizens of Africa and this situation cannot be allowed to continue unabated. It is about time these matters are brought back on the global agenda. I am happy that the Global Citizen movement has reignited the debate about such critical matters and that it is continuing to keep Africa top of mind.” Tshepo Mahloele, Chairman and Founder of Lebashe Investment Group.

“For Ghana, ensuring that we end poverty, empower young girls and protect the planet is of utmost importance. This is why we are joining Global Citizen in their 2022 campaign efforts together as one voice and as one community. There is no better time than Now.” President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo.

“Zambia is ready to collaborate with the global community on critical deliverables that will ensure we effectively address several socio-economic challenges in order to lift citizens out of extreme poverty. We are especially encouraged by Global Citizen’s sense of urgency in this campaign, and we extend our willingness to support these efforts.” President of the Republic of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema

“It is alarming to learn that even during the Covid pandemic, the very rich have been getting richer and the very poor, poorer. This is untenable and a threat to the future of mankind. Global Citizen is right, we must be our brothers’ keepers. We must act right now!” Foreign Minister of Nigeria Geoffrey Onyeama.

Throughout 2022, Global Citizen will also rally millions of citizens to demand that the world’s top political and business leaders stop delaying action with longer-term timelines and focus on what we need to do here and now.

“The global agenda to end extreme poverty, defend the planet and tackle inequity is in peril. And despite progress in a few countries before COVID-19 hit, the world was and continues to be wildly off-track from the 2030 target,” says Hugh Evans, CEO and Co-Founder of Global Citizen. “This moment of crisis demands new urgency and a renewal of purpose. We need a new compact built on mutual trust and respect – one that lifts up the voices of the people whose lives depend on its success and who suffer from its failure. An agenda built by and with them, to a timeframe set by those who understand all too well that every lost minute is a whole new tragedy.”

The ripple effect of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered not only a public health crisis, but also a social, economic, and climate crisis. These combined crises have wiped out all gains made since the Global Goals were adopted in 2015, with the World Bank estimating that nearly 100 million more people have been pushed into extreme poverty. The past two years have also shown that the world is unwilling to deliver both on its promise to end extreme poverty, and to protect the progress made over the last two decades. There was no meaningful progress from world leaders in 2021, despite numerous opportunities at the G7, G20, and COP26 meetings.

The End Extreme Poverty NOW campaign is advocating for commitments from the most powerful governments, private sector leaders who have not stepped up, and billionaires to:

Empower Girls NOW
The campaign aims to move the G7, under the leadership of German Chanceller Olaf Scholz, to meet the needs of 50M young girls by providing a minimum of USD $400M to reach millions of young women with immediate support for school meals, access to education, and health, including sexual and reproductive health services.

Break Systemic Barriers NOW
We can achieve real change right now towards ending extreme poverty by first breaking the two systemic barriers that unnecessarily prolonged the pandemic and undermined the recovery of lower-income countries: the twin evils of healthcare injustice and financial inequity. COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated these issues.
The campaign calls for action to beat COVID-19 variants and prevent the next pandemic, including by sharing intellectual property with developing countries, strengthening health systems for delivery of vaccines and other medical tools, and investing so there is enough capacity across continents to produce at least 16B doses in a single year against future threats.
Additionally, financial equity is necessary to fund essential needs and address global challenges, including reallocating at least USD $100B in IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), fulfilling long-standing but unmet foreign aid commitments, and advancing policies for fairer and more effective taxation globally.

Take Climate Action NOW
In 2022 it is urgent that leaders — especially those of the U.S., Australia, and Germany — keep their commitment to the $100B per year climate financing promised for adaptation and mitigation. We must open the way for decisive collective action to keep warming below 1.5°C of warming, while calling for developed countries and businesses to go further, faster.
Food security, nutrition, and livelihoods must be prioritized by directing significant climate adaptation resources to rural communities and smallholder farmers.
Companies, especially those in high-emitting industries such as manufacturing and construction, need to set clear and transparent science-based net zero and nature positive targets in line with 1.5°C. Those that have already done so should implement and publically report on these targets. In particular, the steel and cement sectors must step up and sign on to the Race to Zero. Combined, they contribute 15% to global annual carbon emissions.

Cutting across all our work throughout the year is a strong commitment to defend and promote advocacy, ensuring that marginalised voices are heard, and that leaders are held accountable to deliver on their promises. Global Citizen will elevate citizen’s voices, especially from the Global South, and defend the right of anyone to speak freely, dissent, and organize, without fear of reprisals or violence.

As part of this commitment, Global Citizen has reoriented its product strategy to focus on meeting Global Citizens where they are at in their day-to-day life and driving behavioural actions 365 days a year. Starting today, people everywhere can take action by calling on political representatives to fulfil the promises they made and End Extreme Poverty NOW.

More information about the policy aims for the End Extreme Poverty NOW campaign can be found in a white paper that was released today. Download the white paper here and to take action visit, globalcitizen.org/2022 and follow us @glblctzn.

A Federal high court sitting in Lagos on Thursday granted an order for AMCON to take over the assets of a Lagos businessman Tijani Babatunde Folawiyo.

The asset seizure was ordered based on Falawiyo’s unpaid debt of N727.9 million.

The order of the court was sequel to an application filed before the court by the law firm of Seun Omotoba.

The written address was moved by Amobi Agu, who urged the court to allow the interim forfeiture of Folawiyo’s assets, pending final determination of the suit.

Agu also asked for an order to compel Folawiyo, his agents, servants and creditors to deliver to AMCON the possession of all his assets, bank accounts or any other asset wherever located in satisfaction of the Judgment of Justice Ibrahim Buba made 30 October, 2017, with accruing interest.

Other reliefs sought are:

*An order compelling the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria (SEC) other subordinates jointly and severally attached to him, and under his authority, control and/or supervision to assist the Applicant in securing and/or preserving the shares listed in the name of the Respondent on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

*An order freezing the Bank accounts of the Respondent maintained with the following banks: Access Bank Plc, Citibank of Nigeria Limited; Diamond Bank Nigeria Plc; Ecobank Nigeria Limited; Enterprise Bank Limited; Fidelity Bank Plc; First Bank of Nigeria Limited, First City Monument Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Keystone Bank Limited, Skye Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, Wema Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc .

*An order granting leave to the Applicant to take interim possession of the property of the Respondent at Block 138, plot 13, Tunde Joda Drive, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State, all of which belongs to the Respondent/debtor pending final determination of this suit.

Justice Lewis Allagoa after listening to the submission granted the orders as prayed.

He thereafter adjourned the case till 16 May 2022.

In an affidavit in support of motion papers, it was alleged that Spring Bank offered Companies de Logistic Nigeria Limited, a credit facility of N250 million for the purpose of Duty payment/clearing cost for blue-chip companies; Door-to-door logistics; and finance of confirmed/unconfirmed letters of credit for blue-chip companies based on irrevocable Local purchase orders LPO.

Mr. Tijani Babatunde Folawiyo is a director of Compagnie de Logistic (NIG) limited who was appointed by a valid resolution of the board of directors on 11t September, 2000.

The credit facility was granted to the Companies de Logistic Nigeria Limited Company by Spring Bank based on the personal guarantee and representation of one of the Directors that cheques would be issued from time to time to fully liquidate the facility through proceeds from LPO domiciled with the Bank.

AMCON acquired the Company’s loan from Spring/Enterprise Bank and the outstanding balance as at January1,2011 was N292,304,900.00 and the amount has grown to N533,396,381.11

The Companies de Logistic company received the full complement of the sum of N250 million as approved facility.

The loan agreements between the bank and the company had since expired and sums therein are due for repayment.

AMCON demanded the repayment.

By a Writ of Summons dated 14th day of February, 2017 in suit number FHC/L/CS/207/17, AMCON commenced an action against Compagnie Generale De Logistique (NIG) Limited and the defendants, claiming =N=522,464,978.66.

This was the total outstanding debt due and payable to AMCON on a loan advanced to the Respondent’s company at 23% interest per annum from the date of filing the suit till judgment and thereafter at the rate of 10% per annum until final liquidation.

AMCON also filed a Motion on Notice dated the 16th August,2017 praying the Court to enter final Judgment in default of appearance as per its reliefs in the Statement of Claim.

On the 30th October, 2017 the Court granted the said reliefs sought by AMCON in the said Motion on Notice and entered Judgment in favour of AMCON against the respondents in the sum of N522,464,978.66 at 23% interest per annum from the date the case was filed and till when Judgement will be delivered and thereafter at the rate of 10% per annum until final liquidation of the debt.

The Judgment Sum due from Tijani Babatunde Folawiyo to AMCON as at
February, 2020 was N=727, 967,870.03, being the outstanding judgment sum delivered by the Court on the 30th October, 2017 when the interest element is applied on the judgment sum.

The said Judgment is still wholly unsatisfied as at the time of filing this suit to the amount stated above.

Ahead of Saturday’s National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, a women’s group known as ‘The S.M.A.R.T Women 4 PYO’, has joined other groups of well meaning Nigerians to call on Professor Yemi OSINBAJO to declare his presidential ambition and run for the highest office in the land, come 2023.

In what seems like a show of strength, the group, made up of women from all walks of life, on Thursday converged on the Unity Fountain in Abuja to insist that the Vice President must throw his hat in the ring.

S.M.A.R.T Women 4 PYO, in collaboration with other female groups nearly shook the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to its foundation in what was tagged a One-Million-Man March for Osinbajo.

Speaking with Newsmen during the rally, the groups’ co-conveners, SMART Folake Aina and SMART Bunmi Oke said OSINBAJO is a symbol of the acronym that makes up the name of the group.

Oke said: “Osinbajo is Sensitive, Matured, Articulate, Reliable and a Team Builder and Player”, noting that the candidacy of the VP, if supported by the ruling party, will not only ensure a massive win for the APC in the 2023, going by the growing number of groups and individuals calling for Osinbajo’s candidacy, it will also ensure a continuity of the party’s policies.

S.M.A.R.T Women 4 PYO in a statement, further welcomes all delegates to the National Convention scheduled for Saturday in Abuja, saying that it wishes the party a successful outing that will lead to the emergence of another set of executives that will lead the party to victory in 2023.

First Bank is set to convene SMEConnect Webinar to enlighten SMEs on alternative payment methods that are key to driving revenue.

In furtherance of its role in promoting the sustainability and viability of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider, FirstBank will by 11:00am on Thursday, 24 March 2022 convene its SMEConnect webinar themed Leveraging Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) to drive revenue for your business.

The virtual event is open to everyone, especially small business owners and attendees who are to register via https://firstbanknigeria.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hxkQXlKuSji6JDqaA6x34Q to participate in the event.

Guest Speakers at the event include Jeffrey Williams–Edem, Group Business Head, Merchant Acquiring, Interswitch Group and Kolawole Ogunmekan, Head, Digital Innovation Lab, FirstBank.

All over the world, the advent and reinvention of technological practices have birthed numerous opportunities that have spearheaded the continuous growth of the business environment. Amongst the areas impacted by technology is the payment methods and systems which have unrelentingly evolved as businesses have been exposed to easy, seamless and time-saving ways to foster their business transactions with customers and other stakeholders.

The objective of the forthcoming webinar is to update businesses with current technologies as they concern payments and demonstrate how the adoption of alternative payment methods can play an integral role in driving revenue growth.

Speaking on the event Mr. Gbenga Shobo, Deputy Managing Director, FirstBank said: “Payment systems have continued to evolve through the years and given our pedigree of being woven into the fabric of society for 128 years, we have played a vital role in enhancing the various payment systems.

This journey has been the bedrock to fortifying our experience in supporting our customers through their adaptability and embrace of new payment methods, as with these our SMEs have been at an advantage in expanding their businesses.”

For many years, the FirstBank SMEConnect webinar series has been the cornerstone for exposing SMEs to vibrant and flexible ways to have their businesses strengthened through visibility to new opportunities that are critical to sustaining and expanding their businesses. The webinar has been one of the Bank’s gateways to delivering the capacity building pillar of its value propositions to SMEs which has had many businesses reinvent themselves with the relevant competitive edge.

About FirstBank

First Bank of Nigeria Limited (FirstBank) is the premier Bank in West Africa and the leading financial inclusion services provider in Nigeria for 128 years.

With over 750 business locations and over 160,000 Banking Agents spread across 99% of the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria, FirstBank provides a comprehensive range of retail and corporate financial services to serve its over 36 million customers. The Bank has an international presence through its subsidiaries, FBNBank (UK) Limited in London and Paris, FBNBank in the Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra-Leone and Senegal, as well as a Representative Office in Beijing.

The Bank has been handy at promoting digital payment in the country and has issued over 11million cards, the first bank to achieve such a milestone in the country. FirstBank’s cashless transaction drive extends to having more than 10million people on its USSD Quick Banking service through the nationally renowned *894# Banking code and over 5 million people on FirstMobile platform.

Since its establishment in 1894, FirstBank has consistently built relationships with customers focusing on the fundamentals of good corporate governance, strong liquidity, optimised risk management and leadership. Over the years, the Bank has led the financing of private investment in infrastructure development in the Nigerian economy by playing key roles in the Federal Government’s privatisation and commercialisation schemes. With its global reach, FirstBank provides prospective investors wishing to explore the vast business opportunities that are available in Nigeria, an internationally competitive world-class brand and a credible financial partner.

FirstBank has been named “Most Valuable Bank Brand in Nigeria” six times in a row (2011 – 2016) by the globally renowned “The Banker Magazine” of the Financial Times Group; “Best Retail Bank in Nigeria” for seven consecutive years (2011 – 2017) by the Asian Banker International Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards and “Best Bank in Nigeria” by Global Finance for 15 years. Our brand purpose is always to put customers, partners and stakeholders at the heart of our business, even as we standardise customer experience and excellence in financial solutions across sub-Saharan Africa, in consonance with our brand vision “To be the partner of the first choice in building your future”. Our brand promise is always to deliver the ultimate “gold standard” of value and excellence. This commitment is anchored on our inherent values of passion, partnership, and people, to position You First in every respect.

...as NLC debunks ousted PGF DG’s claims

KOGI State Government has tongue-lashed a former Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Salihu Moh. Lukman, over his outbursts against the state governor and the Governor Mai Mala Buni APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

Lukman had accused the party leadership of extorting aspirants ahead of the March 26 National Convention and also asked that Bello be prevented from getting the presidential ticket of the party. The former PGF DG also alleged that Bello had yet to commence payment of N30,000 minimum wage as announced and that workers were earning 25 per cent of their salaries.

Reacting in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, the state government said Lukman’s allegations were baseless, adding that he should not “allow the frustration of his unceremonious and embarrassing exit as the Director-General of PGF take possession of his reasoning to the extent of disparaging party leaders.”

Similarly, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Kogi State, Comrade Onu Edoka, has confirmed that the state government has embarked on the payment of N30,000 minimum wage to workers in the state, saying the Governor Yahaya Bello administration has not been owing salaries or paying 25 per cent of salaries, contrary to Lukman and other naysayers’ claims.

Edoka, in an interview with the media on Tuesday, said the minimum wage was only approved for the state’s civil servants on level 1 to 6, adding that “it is not true that workers earn 25 per cent of their salaries.”

Fanwo, in his statement, said, “The attention of the Kogi State Government has been drawn to the disparaging statements credited to a former employee of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Moh. Lukman concerning the popular presidential ambition of Governor Yahaya Bello.

“It is unfortunate that Lukman could allow the frustration of his unceremonious and embarrassing exit as the Director-General of PGF take possession of his reasoning to the extent of accusing His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni’s APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of extorting aspirants ahead of the March 26 National Convention.

“It’s more saddening that Lukman decided to expose his main fear when he unwittingly revealed that the candidate to beat in the 2023 APC primary was my principal, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. To the amateur politician, the unfounded allegations against the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello should sway the minds of Nigerians or party leaders.

“But asking the party to prevent Yahaya Bello, a leading presidential hopeful, from getting the party’s ticket, already stamps the fact that all eyes are on him to take the party to victory in the 2023 General elections, which everyone knows will be keenly contested.

“For the records, Lukman’s anti-party escapades while at the secretariat of the Progressive Governors’ Forum did not only cost him his job, but also cast more ridicule on his already battered image.

“We are, therefore, not surprised at his recent disgraceful outburst against key party leaders. He has proved himself to be a mole in APC with a mission to undermine it and ultimately hand advantage to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.

“We, however, want to assure him that no one has the monopoly of caustic statements. Governor Yahaya Bello has only refrained from dignifying detractors with response, venom for venom, because of his sound upbringing. But if Lukman should allow frustration to take a total grip of his senses, then, he should be ready to face the consequences of his actions as we will not leave any stone unturned to seek redress legally. We will not watch him continue to rubbish the image of our dear party in the manner he has been doing.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Yahaya Bello remains a key figure holding the party together and he has the support and endorsement of overwhelming majority of party faithful to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. Lukman should wake up to the fact that his campaign of calumny will not wane the love APC and Nigerians have for Governor Bello.

“We find it needful to inform the public that the historic and audacious staff verification exercise undertaken by the Yahaya Bello Administration at inception did not only paint the payroll in the colours of integrity and transparency, but also ensured efficiency in the service.

“Many unintended beneficiaries were removed and the State immediately ensured that 100% salaries were paid to the civil servants.

“It is instructive to note that the staff verification exercise was carried out with the full cooperation and deep involvement of labour unions who have always cooperated with the state government in its bid to reposition and strengthen the service.

“Nigerians are adequately informed of the meagre allocation shared during the last FAAC meeting. Many states have yet to pay their February salary.

“Internally generated revenue wasn’t at the standard our administration had set as a result of economic downturn, owing to the energy crisis that hit the nation in February.

But as an administration that is committed to the welfare of the civil servants, the Kogi State Government sat with labour leaders and agreed to pay 75%.

“It has since been paid with the full implementation of the minimum wage. This is against the lies peddled by Lukman that Kogi workers received 25 percentage of their old salaries.

“Only civil servants on grade level 7 and above received 75%. Civil servants on Grade Level 1 to 6 received 100% salary with the 30,000 minimum wage. The Governor and all political office holders also received 75% in solidarity with our workforce. To us, this is responsible and responsive leadership.”

“We want to reiterate the commitment of the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration towards the welfare of the workforce and that no amount of lies sponsored by Lukman will prevent Governor Bello from answering the popular call by the Nigerian masses to serve the nation in the presidential capacity,” he added.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), on Monday, sealed the premises of three companies for allegedly engaging in illegal investment activities.

The affected companies are Oxford International Group, Farmforte Agro-Allied Solutions Limited/Agropartnerships and Vektr Capital Investment.

The apex capital market regulator accused the companies of carrying out capital market activities without a license.

One of the companies — Agropartnerships, an investment platform powered by Farmforte — has been in the news in recent weeks for failing to pay their investors’ money, both capital and profit.

According to a statement issued by the commission, the offices of the companies in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja were shut down for carrying out investment operations that fall within the ambit of fund management without registration.

“These companies do not have registration of the SEC to conduct fund management activities and have been found to promise exorbitant rates of returns to lure investors. The SEC has exercised its powers under Section 13 (w) Investments and Securities Act 2007, to shut them down,” the statement reads.

“The commission hereby notifies the investing public that none of these entities or their investment platforms are registered by the SEC.

“The public is hereby reminded that it is unlawful for any private enterprise whether incorporated as a company or not, to solicit funds from the public by whatever means, to fund its private ventures as doing this will be in contravention of the Investments and Securities Act, 2007.”

SEC, therefore, advised the public to always confirm from the commission whether an entity providing investment services has been duly registered and whether the investment schemes are authorised by it.

It warned that any member of the investing public dealing with unregistered entities was doing so at his/her own risk.

It further encouraged the public to exercise due diligence and caution in making investment decisions, adding that list of valid operators can be obtained on its website.

...focused on bringing banking closer to Nigerians

Access Bank’s commitment to deliver banking services to at least one in every two Nigerians has been reaffirmed as the leading retail financial institution successfully commissioned and empowered 100,000 Access Closa agents to provide more than banking services to both existing and new customers across the nation.

With the current number of Access Closa Agents spread across the 774 Local Government Areas in the country, the bank has significantly grown access to finance and banking services to millions of previously un(der) banked Nigerians, while providing alternate streams of income for MSMEs, promoting financial literacy, and also advancing its ambition to bank one in every two Nigerians by 2025.

According to Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director, Retail Banking, Access Bank Plc, the exponential growth of Access Bank’s agent network is in fulfillment of the Bank’s promise to ensure easier and safer access to financial services for every Nigerian.

“As a Bank driven by innovation, we must deliver better outcomes for customers in terms of speed, security, and service to enhance customer experience in all the locations that we operate.  With the recent achievement of hitting a 100,000 milestone of Access Closa Agents, customers and non-customers of the Bank who are traveling for business, events, or to visit loved ones in any location in Nigeria will continue to enjoy uninterrupted banking services as our Closa agents are available in several rural and semi-urban locations across the country”.

Reiterating Victor’s statement, Robert Giles, Senior Advisor, Retail Banking, Access bank Plc said: “The Access Closa network is a bespoke channel through which the bank expresses her passion and commitment to broadening the opportunities and access to financial services for every Nigerian and African, irrespective of the location they might be. Customers can locate a Closa agent near them by simply searching for ‘Access Closa Agent’  on Google Maps on their phone instead of walking long distances in search of a branch.

“With over 100,000 agent locations spread across every neighborhood in the country, we are making sure our existing customers and potential customers can enjoy seamless banking services close to where they live and work, in a safe and convenient manner. By offering basic financial services such as account opening, cash withdrawal, cash deposit, and bill payments. Our continuously growing agent network is increasingly making the need to visit a bank branch unnecessary for everyone. We are committed to being at the forefront of providing digital financial services in Nigeria,” Rob concluded.

Access Bank remains committed to delivering More than banking solutions to its customers leveraging the power of technology. The geographical location tagging of Access Closa agents on Google Maps through internet-connected devices is one more way the Bank is living up to its brand promise as it will assist customers and non-customers of the Bank locate and access Closa agents within their communities, truly bringing financial services closer to the people.

Access Bank, over the years, has leveraged technology including advanced analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics process automation to reform business operations and drive performance to improve customer experience. Please click HERE to view the list of Access Bank Closa Agent locations and how to become an Access Closa Agent.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested an alleged fraudster, Osondu Igwilo, who had been on the watch list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2018.

Igwilo, 52, was arrested alongside his accomplices at the Sangotedo area of Lagos for alleged fraud, money laundering, and identity theft to the tune of about $100m.

A statement released by the EFCC on its verified Facebook Page on Monday read, “It was the end of road, on Thursday, March 11, 2022, for one Osondu Victor Igwilo, who had been on the watch list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, since 2018, when operatives of the EFCC, Lagos Command, swooped on him.

“Fifty-two-year-old Igwilo, who is the alleged leader of a criminal network of “catchers’’ was arrested alongside Okafor Nnamdi Chris, Nwodu Uchenna Emmanuel and John Anazo Achukwu at a studio in the Sangotedo area of Lagos for an alleged fraud, money laundering, and identity theft to the tune of about $100m.”

According to the EFCC, Igwilo and his accomplices had allegedly been involved in an advance-fee scheme that involved false promises of investment funding by individuals who impersonated some bank officials in the United States of America, in person and via the internet.

First Bank, Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider has urged its customers to take advantage of the Bank’s ongoing Verve Card campaign designed to reward customers for their continued usage of the Verve debit Card.

The Eight-week promo will end on Wednesday, 30 March 2022 as 2,601 customers will win various prizes. These prizes include: N20,000 Cash Prize, N10,000 Cash Prize, N10,000 worth of airtime; power generating sets, refrigerator, cooking gas and the grand prize of a brand-new car.

The promo will reward customers on a weekly and monthly basis. In every week of the promo, 200 customers who carry out a minimum of 2 transactions with their Verve debit card stand a chance to win N10,000.00 worth of airtime, cash prizes of N10,000 and N20,000.

Furthermore, 100 customers who perform a minimum of 8 transactions within 4 weeks with their Verve debit card will be rewarded with either a Generator set, Refrigerator, Gas Cooker or N50,000 cash prize every four weeks.

A Grand prize of a brand-new car will also be won by a lucky customer who performs a minimum of 16 transactions during the campaign period.

Chuma Ezirim, FirstBank’s Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Products said: “We are happy with the ongoing verve debit card promo designed to appreciate customers for their continued usage and adoption of the card for various digitally-driven transactions.

“With the promo being instrumental to reinforcing the value placed by customers on its versatile capabilities, we encourage the continued usage of the verve card as it is a card offering that promotes safe, convenient and rewarding digital banking service to customers,” he concluded.

The Verve debit card is a Naira-denominated debit card that offers a convenient, fast, and secured payment for goods and services. It is accepted on all channels connected to the Verve International network where the Interswitch/ Verve logo is displayed; ATMs, POS and Web in Nigeria. The Bank’s Verve debit Cards make up a notable percentage of the industry’s base. Hence, this Promo is aimed at appreciating our cardholders while growing the bank’s card adoption and usage.

Visit the nearest First Bank branch today to pick up your Verve card and start getting rewarded!

Tier-1 lender, Access Bank Plc, says its financial target for 2022 is to give out loans of about N100 billion to women-led businesses.

According to the bank’s Group Head of the W Initiative, Abiodun Olubitan, this is Access Bank’s way of having more inclusion of women-owned businesses and expanding them for a better growing economy.

Olubitan who spoke at the sidelines of the International Women’s Day Celebration organised by Access Bank in Lagos on Thursday, noted that the bank through the “W” initiative has been able to support several women for eight years while noting that 100,000 women have benefitted about N11 billion in terms of volume from the initiative.

She said, “So in terms of financial targets for loans, we are targeting to do around N100 billion this year because we are taking it further to have more women-owned businesses in the inclusive net”.

She further added that the bank has several products for women and these include the W power loan, Maternal Health Support Scheme (MHSS) and to date we have birthed about 7880 babies on MHSS within three months since inception.

Olubitan thereafter assured that Access Bank will continue with its drive for the “W” initiative and support and empower women across Nigeria and Africa at large.

Earlier in his opening remark, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe, said that the world needs more women on board to address the several serious problems affecting humanity.

Wigwe noted that the bank is in a standard position of supporting women as even the board has almost 50 per cent of women. He explained that the “W” initiative goes all down to the grassroot and has programmes for women such as the MHSS which is structured to help women experience the joy of motherhood and access various fertility treatment at specialist hospitals at subsidized rates.

“For us at Access Bank, we believe that women need to be served better and deserve equal rights as men, deserve equal access to financial services because they represent the most devoted talents that one can find in the world,” he said.

Access Bank Plc. is a leading full-service commercial Bank operating through a network of more than 600 branches and service outlets, spanning three continents, 12 countries and 31 million customers. The Bank employs 28,000 people in its operations in Nigeria and has subsidiaries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom (with a branch in Dubai, UAE) and representative offices in China, Lebanon and India.

In July 2014, Access Bank unveiled the “W” initiative to accelerate a new and stronger wave of hitherto scanty female entrepreneurs in Nigeria. In addition to financial inclusion, the “W” initiative is a one-stop center of all of Access Bank’s women empowerment offerings.

Some of these include capacity building programs exclusive to women, mentoring programmes, and maternal health services, all aimed at helping to build a bigger, stronger, and more sustainable society. Under the “W” initiative, participating women and their families have access to a wide range of opportunities.

Part of these privileges includes access to loans and credit facilities; access to the ‘W’ community in which they can get insights concerning family matters and finance matters. In addition, ‘W’ community also provides Women with access to information about several value-adding special offers for the home, including specially discounted offers as well as freebies on health, beauty, and fitness.

…opens for young African changemakers

…15 young people from Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya to get year-long, full-time, paid placement


International advocacy organisation Global Citizen, today, announced that application for the 2022/23 Global Citizen Fellowship Program powered by BeyGOOD is now open until 29th April 2022.

Fifteen young African changemakers: five from Nigeria, five from Kenya and five from South Africa, aged between 21 and 25, will be selected to join the coveted fellowship program commencing in July 2022.

Through the program, which is now in its fourth year, the 15 changemakers will each engage in a paid, year-long, full-time placement aligned to one of Global Citizen’s four pillars of activity: creative, campaigns, rewards, and marketing. Powered by BeyGOOD, the Global Citizen Fellowship Program will unearth African youth with remarkable potential.

The Global Citizen Fellowship, supported by Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD philanthropic initiative and US actor and filmmaker, Tyler Perry, aims to empower young Africans to become agents of change, and provide them with tools they need to thrive – not just during their time with Global Citizen but also in any future professional environment.

“With young people (under 25years) making up 60% of the population, Africa is reported to be the youngest continent in the world. Therefore, by investing in the development and empowerment of our youth we are securing a bright future for our continent.

“These are the leaders of the 21st century and beyond. We need to engage them now and we need them to play an active role in changing the African narrative. It gives me a great sense of pride to see philanthropic organisations such as BeyGOOD and humanitarians like Tyler Perry doing their part in the development of these young people. I’d be even prouder to see more African organisations and humanitarians investing more money and more resources in the empowerment of these young minds. With the little that I have and the powers given to me, I always avail myself to the plight of young people.

“We must invest in their education and health for the sake of our continent’s wealth. Together, we can conquer these challenges and leave a better world for our young people,” says Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Global Citizen Board Member.

Launched in 2019, following the success of commitments made at the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 in December 2018, the Fellowship is focused on Global Citizen’s vision of eliminating extreme poverty, providing young people with opportunities to gain experience working on social impact projects.

During the course of the year, the fellows learn how to use digital technology for social change, storytelling tactics that shift attitudes, and the process of building lasting professional relationships. The program also aims to foster an in-depth understanding of the role that innovation plays in an ever-changing digital world.

Ivy McGregor, BeyGOOD, Executive Director says: “With all that is happening in our world right now, educating, empowering and employing our youth to use their voice and vocation to make a positive impact are essential to creating a lasting change.

“The model BeyGOOD has designed through the Fellowship program, in partnership with Global Citizen, aims to empower young people from marginalised communities across the African continent through paid year-long fellowships intended to advance their lives. This year’s cohorts from South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya will be entering at such a critical time. Their impact will be pivotal to dynamic outcomes.”

Global Citizen and BeyGOOD strongly encourage applicants from minorities and underrepresented communities to apply.

How To Apply
Submit a 2 to 3 minute video or 500 to 700 word essay to fellowship@globalcitizen.org, including a copy of your ID or passport, explaining the following:
What qualities do you identify with as a Global Citizen?
If selected, what lasting change would you like to achieve through the program?
What specific socio-economic issues are you taking action on and why?
Read more about the young people who have previously taken part in the Fellowship program, the issues they’re passionate about, and their experiences during the program by visiting www.globalcitizen.org/fellows.
“Prior to the Fellowship, I was at university trying to understand my own journey and direction following my experiences during the national #FeesMustFall campaign, where the resistance we experienced fostered self-doubt. The Fellowship journey has added to who I am right now in a sense, where I am more confident in my individual power to play my part in crafting and contributing towards something way bigger than me. Today, in describing myself, I would say that I am a thoughtful person who is conscious of their position in society and is continuously working towards empowering themselves to empower others,” says Lonwabo Nkonzo, 2019 Global Citizen Fellowship Program
Darnelle Fortune, 2019 Global Citizen Fellowship Program also testifies: “The person I was prior to the Fellowship program is a lot different to who I am now, and in the best ways possible. I would describe Darnelle 2.0 as confident, assertive, and a lot more curious. I learned so much, not just from the Fellowship but from my peers as well, and it has completely changed my view of the world. I gained valuable technical skills in marketing and social media, learning how to use digital platforms as tools to create impactful social change.”
For further information about the Global Citizen movement, visit www.globalcitizen.org. For more information about the Global Citizen Fellowship Program powered by BeyGOOD, visit www.globalcitizen.org/fellows.

ABOUT GLOBAL CITIZEN:
Global Citizen is the world’s largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty NOW. We post, tweet, message, vote, sign, and call to inspire those who can make things happen — government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens — together improving lives. By downloading our app, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards, which can be redeemed for tickets to concerts, events, and experiences all over the world. For more information, visit www.globalcitizen.org and follow @GlblCtzn & @GlblCtznAfrica

It was another epic Saturday of dance battles as Episode 5 of Nigeria’s biggest dance show, Glo Battle of the Year aired on Glo TV, Globacom’s mobile streaming app.

Viewers were wowed with amazing Afro dance performances as dancers laid it all out for a spot in the national finals in Lagos. The trio of award-winning judges which included the internationally acclaimed Izzy Odigie, record-breaking, Pinkie Debbie, and fan’s favorite and street-friendly, Poco Lee, were tasked with picking the best of the best from these gladiators.

Across the 6 audition venues, energetic Afro dancers took center stage as they didn’t just amaze the judges but thrilled the audience to Afro dance moves as afro-beats sounds blared from speakers. It was thrilling to watch the afro dancers wow with leg works, body movements, and random spins on the dance floor. In case you missed out on this episode that saw semifinalists emerge across the regions, here are a few highlights from this amazing episode of the show.

Female dancers showed they are better Afro dancers than their male counterparts. Across the regions, we had few female dancers compared to their male counterparts but most of the female dancers showed courage and strength as they progressed to the semifinals of the category. In all, we had three female dancers emerge across the four regions where they performed.

The Kaduna region showpiece produced mixed emotions for our judges. According to Pinkie Debbie, “some dancers were low in energy while some showed quality”. In all, the judges had to just stick to four dancers who would battle it out in the next episode. We had Afro Dance Vibes – a worker at a Shawarma joint who was hoping to win the prize money and buy the joint – battle it out with Progress who once worked as a cleaner. Progress progressed to the next round and dashed the hopes of Afro Dance Vibes.



In Enugu, we had a battle of champions when Tina, an afro dance champion in her school went up against Yung Mike who is an Afro dance champion in South Africa. Young Mike defeated his opponent and moved to the semi-finals. This left Kid Fly, Onyeka, Benjamin, and Yung Mike as the Enugu finalists.

Catch the semi-finals of the Afro dance category in the next episode of the competition and hopefully we have more thrills and dope dancing to watch out for. You can catch repeat broadcasts of the show weekly on the following stations;

AIT, Tuesdays 9-10 pm

African Magic Family, Tuesdays 10-11 pm

African Magic Showcase, Tuesdays 5-6 pm

African Magic Urban, Sundays 3-4 pm

NTA, Sundays 8-9 pm.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has interrogated the Managing Director of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Aliyu Abdulhameed, over alleged wheat scandal.

EFCC and NIRSAL sources told Daily Trust that Abdulhameed was quizzed last Friday and Tuesday this week. The MD had repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Operatives of the EFCC had last week reportedly visited the NIRSAL office in Abuja and invited several top officials for questioning on their roles in the wheat project scandal.

Those earlier quizzed included the Assistant Head of Finance, the Head of Procurement and his assistant as well as all consultants working with NIRSAL.

Also invited, according to sources, were directors of three companies guaranteed loans for the N5.6bn wheat project for farmers in Kano and Jigawa States in 2018.

The companies are Mainframe Agricultural Investment Limited, Forest Hill Agricultural Development Limited and Woodfarm Agricultural Limited.

Their invitations were sequel to an investigative report by Daily Trust on how the multi-billion naira loan guaranteed by NIRSAL for three companies for the cultivation-to-harvest of 20,000 hectares of dry season wheat the two states was allegedly diverted for other purposes by the investor companies in connivance with NIRSAL officials.

Following the report, the head of NIRSAL’s Project Monitoring Reporting and Remediation Offices, Steven Ogidan, alongside all the consultants, was also said to have spent almost a week at the EFCC. Ogidan, who oversees the PRMO’s in all the states of the federation, was said to have been interrogated and asked to go and await further invitations.

Contacted, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, declined comment on the invitation of the NIRSAL MD, saying he had no information on it.

...SPOMO first stand alone legal instrument in W/Africa -DG,
...NIALSWe’re raising safety standards in line with IMO regulations -Jamoh


Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad yesterday in Lagos said that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), deserves commendation for the great strides it is making to secure the Nigerian territorial waters and the Gulf of Guinea.

Justice Tanko Muhammad who was represented by a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Kudirate Kekere-Ekun at the 2nd edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium yesterday, made the declaration before declaring the two-day open the brainstorming session of the Bench from the Federal High Courts, the Court of Appeals and the Judges of the High Courts of the littoral states where NIMASA is operating.

The nation’s Judicial head, noted that topical issues have have selected for discussion in the event for the advancement of the Nigerian maritime industry, advising that legal counsels must continue to advise their clients to embrace arbitration for quick resolution of cases rather than resorting to litigations.

Earlier, the Director General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan had said that two years after the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act 2019 came into force, the Federal High Court Ikoyi sentenced 10 pirates to 12 years imprisonment each with N250,000 fine on each count for the hijack of a merchant vessel in May 2020.

According to him, the Act is the single st and alone legal instrument against piracy in the West African sub-region, adding that the Act and the recent sentences it has recorded is a bold statement to intending criminals that the Nigerian waters is no loner available for them to practise their criminality.

He noted that compared to 2020, 2021 was a much better year for both Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea as well as the global maritime community  in dealing with piracy and other maritime crimes.

Prof Ladan said that through the strategic Colloquium, “we wish to enhance the capacity of, and remind our Justice sector actors that we will all prosper when the seas around us are safe, secure and free for all to use and exploit the natural resources, promote trade and investment, tourism, marine science and technology, maritime transport, infrastructure development, sustainmfisherues and protection of the marine environment.”

Also speaking, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh stated that the Colloquiz has been institutionalised by NIMASA in line with its mandate to promote, secure and develop the Nigerian maritime industry.

He said that the theme of this year’s edition of the Colloquium: “Maritime Safety Security & Shipping Development: Reflections and the Way Forward; was borne out of the need to refelect on the sector over the past five years to 10 years, analyse the challenges, praise achievements made and draw amroad map on the way forward.

Jamoh further said that the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, popularly called Deep Blue Project is an intervention of NIMASA to tame piracy and secure human lives in the Nigerian territorial waters and Gulf of Guinea.

He added that: “We have also leaned heavily on the limitless resources of information technology  to integrate our security operations to provide stability to a singular non-oil sector that sustain the Nigerian economy.

“This is important because the development of shipping has capacity to generate $12 billion annually and millions of jobs. I am delighted to to inform you that these interventions by the Agency are being recognised.  Even the respected International Maritime Bureau (IMB), has acknowledged our efforts and commended Nigeria’s progress in her quest for security in the Gulf of Guinea,” Jamoh stated.