₦airaland Forum

The Police have brought a businessman, Chidozie Benjamin Nnoli and his firm, Chidotex Technical Company Ltd before the Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged trademark forgery, counterfeiting and application of false trade descriptions.

Nnoli and Chidotex were arraigned before Justice Justice Peter Lifu on a 91-count charge marked FHC/L/193/C/2021 bothering on the offences.

According to the police, the defendants committed the offences sometime in December, 2020 at No. 179/177 Bomo way Ebute-Metta, Lagos.

The court heard that the duo, with intent to defraud, forged Danfoss trademark and affixed the same on 9 units of DCL 165 Filter Drier not manufactured by Danfoss A/S which trademark right subsists in favour of Danfoss A/S.

Danfoss is a Danish engineering firm manufacturing a wide range of machinery and other electrical products.

In count 1, it was alleged that the defendants, “with intent to defraud, forged Danfoss trademark and affixed the same on 9 units of DCL.165 Filter Drier not manufactured by Danfoss A/S which trademark right subsists in favour of Danfoss A/S.”

The offence contravened sections 3(1), 3(3(a) and (c) of the Merchandise Marks Act, 2004.

In another count, they allegedly, with intent to defraud, “falsely applies unto 7 units of 303 Filter Drier not manufactured by Danfoss A/S trademark and marks so nearly resembling the trademark and marks of Danfoss A/S as to be calculated to deceive.”

The offence contravened sections 3 (1) and 3(3)(a) and (c) of the Merchandise Marks Act, 2004.

In counts 47, they were accused of “with intent to defraud, applying false trade descriptions unto 2 units of THX 20 Elements for Expansion valve not manufactured by Danfoss A/S”, thereby contravening sections 3 (1) and 3(3a) of the same Act.

In Count 49, they allegedly, “without lawful authority and with intent to defraud, did sell and expose for sale and have in your possession for sale and for purpose of trade 2 units of TEX 20 Elements for Expansion valve not manufactured by Danfoss A/S to which forged Danfoss trademark and false trade descriptions were applicd and to which trademark or mark so nearly resembling the trademark and marks of Danfoss A/S as to be calculated to deccive were falsely applied,” contrary to section 3(2) and 3(3)(a) of the Act.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

Approving Nnoli’s bail application, Justice Lifu held: “The Defendant/Applicant is hereby admitted to bail in the sum of N10 Million with two (2) sureties each in the like sum.

“The Defendant shall deposit his international passport with the Deputy Chief Registrar of this Court.

“The Defendant shall be kept at Ikoyi Correctional Centre until bail terms are perfected.

“This suit is adjourned to the 25th day of January, 2022 for hearing.

Many Residents of Ogun State across the three Senatorial districts; Ogun Central, West and East, have expressed their views on the performances of Governor Dapo Abiodun, concluding that the Governor deserves a second term in office.

The majority of respondents, who commented while the governor inspected projects across five local government areas on Saturday, 30th October, agreeed that Governor Abiodun deserves a second term.

This, they attributed to his people-oriented projects, which they said have placed him above his predecessors, adding that the Gateway State deserves the services of “such a committed and hardworking public officers to further move the state forward.”

Here are some responses by the residents, who were chosen across the senatorial districts.

Setting the ball rolling, Mr. Tajudeen Alabi, a 46-year-old trader from Ibara, Abeokuta, the state capital, stated that Governor Dapo Abiodun has brought governance nearer to the people, adding that he has proven to be a round peg in a round hole.

“For me, Governor Abiodun has done well and he has scored over 90%.”

This was corroborated by another resident of the state capital, 37-year-old businesswoman, Mrs. Iyabo Ajayi from Kobape, who commended the Governor on his programnes on healthcare, rural development, youth empowerment amongst others.

She added that she would definitely support the Governor for a second term, while urging him not to relent on his progressive programmes.

But for, Segun Adebola, a 50-year-old teacher from Oke Ijeun, there was no need for comments. Adebola said that if the Governor has performed, he was only carrying out his duties as a Governor.

Another respodent, a 53-year-old trader in Ake area of the state capital, Mr. John Emeka, said Abiodun is doing well and the people want him for a second term.

“I am particular about his technology hub across the state and the way he has reached out to farmers and his efforts on road construction. I want to urge our people to support him for a second term in office because he has performed beyond expectations,” he said.

Also commenting, 34 years old civil servant Olanrewaju Tijani in Oke Ilewo said the people of Abeokuta want more of the Governor, saying that nobody does it better.

While not trying to compare Abiodun with past governors, Tijani stressed that giving Abiodun a second term in office would allow him complete the numerous projects he has started and that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has proven to be a party of the people through the Governor.

Adeleke Ibiyemi, another 28-year-old resident of Isabo in the capital city, who works as a contractor, said that he would not want to say much, but that “time will tell if the people want more of the Governor from 2023.”

On her part, a 28-year-old housewife, Mrs. Ronke Adewale, resident of Itoku, who said that it might be hard to measure performance, emphasised that Governor Abiodun has shown that despite the resources available in the state, one could still do his best.

Adewale, who resides in Onikolobo, said she was born and grew up in the state, and that the transformation agenda of the current Governor is a proof that “we still have committed politicians in Nigeria.”

This was corroborated by a 60-year-old cleric, Mr. Steve Ikechukwu, a resident of Ijaiye, Abeokuta, who urged the people of the state to allow Governor Dapo Abiodun go for a second term saying that “this is the kind of person we need to drive the vehicle of our dear state.”

Malam Adamu Mohammed, a 49-year-old trader, and a resident of Itaoshin, who said he hailed from Borno State, explained that Governor Dapo Abiodun is a good man, who is passionate about development.

“I am from the North, but I can tell you that I have been in Ogun State for 20 years and if I should compare, this man has done better than others no matter what anybody says,” he said.

Respondents from Ogun East, who reacted to the Governor’s level of performances also agree that he has performed better than his predecessors.

A 57-year-old businessman, Mr. Oladipupo Onanuga, a resident of Odogbolu area, said Governor Dapo Abiodun has touched every area of the state within a short period.

“We in Ijebu area of Ogun State can attest to his performances. We have had several governors, who did not remember us. But we can feel Governor Abiodun through his people-oriented programmes in agriculture, healthcare, technology, sports development, road construction amongts others,” he said.

While Mr. Kunle Owode, a 35-year-old resident of Ijebu Igbo area and a company worker, said that he had no comment, but 67 years old Mr. Adewale Osinubi, a legal practitioner, who resides in Ijebu Ode said that the Governor has done well given the available resources in the state.

“You can see the way he handled the outbreak of COVID-19 and how #EndSARS protest was prevented in the state. We want our Govenor once again. He is the best man for the job,” he said.

Also commenting, 54-year-old, Mr. Dele Ariyo and a carpenter, who lives in Ijebu Isiwo said he would want the people of Ogun State to give the Governor another chance.

Ariyo stressed that Governor Dapo Abiodun has brought his experience in the private sector to bear and that he would expect that he would enjoy a massive support from the people to show that they appreciate good gestures.

In his view, 64-year-old Mr. Solomon Idimogu from Imo State, who lives in Shagamu said Governor Abiodun’s second term is secured, adding that the people of the state value his “good works.”

Idimogu, a trader, commended the Governor on his efforts over the tech hub across the state, infrastructure development,  youth empowerment, development of the education sector, healthcare amongst others.

“This man is trying. We appreciate his good gesture. What else do we want if we say he has not done well. We all know that the resources of the state are limited and he has managed the little that is available and we can all see what he has done so far,” he said.

Mr. Kehinde Ajisegbede, a 50-year-old commercial bus driver, in his response, said he would want Governor Dapo Abiodun to be given a second term without any stress because he has proven to be selfless and people-oriented.

Ajisegbede stated that there are proofs everywhere to show that the Governor has a good team as commissioners and special advisers, and that he was sure that “the man would not disappoint if given another chance.”

Mr. Rasheed Bolajoko, a 55-year-old medical doctor in Ijebu Isiwo, also want the Governor to be given another term, saying that his works are everywhere for everyone to see and promised to be part of  those that will campaign for the Governor.

In his response, Mr. Alamu Omolaja, a 37-year-old artisan, said that Ogun State has come a long way and that history would be on the side of Governor Dapo Abiodun as a man who ensured massive development of all the areas of the state.

“It is only dishonest people and those who play politics of bitterness that would not support this kind of man who has done well for our state.

“See the way he handled the issue of farmers/herders clash and other issues in the state. See his tech hubs, healthcare programmes, education programmes, youth empowerment, sports development, and others. There is no doubt that he deserves a second term of office,” he said.

For Lukman Onitiri, 45-year- old teacher, and Chukwuma Okeke, 56 years old trader, both residents of Ogere area of the state, Governor Dapo Abiodun is the best Governor Ogun State has ever had and that all hands must be on deck to ensure his success at the polls in 2023.

The people of Ogun West are not left out in the call for Governor Dapo Abiodun to be given a second term of office as the majority of the respondents believes that he should be allowed to continue the rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes that he started.

Commenting, Mrs. Ireti Oduwole, a 38-year-old nurse, who lives in Ota area said the people of the area feel the presence of the state government despite some of the challenges in the area.

Oduwole said that what she loves most about the Government is his listening ear and urged the people to give him another chance.

“Governor Dapo Abiodun has visited our area several times and he is attending to our needs. His Deputy, who happens to be our daughter, Eng. Nomiot Salako-Oyedele, has also shown that she is a perfect match and both of them are doing well.

“The work they started cannot be completed in four years, so we still need them around to complete the massive projects they are embarking upon,” she said.

For Mr. Tajudeen Odewale, a 65-year-old commercial bus driver in Oke Odan, Governor Dapo Abiodun has raised the bar of governance in Ogun State and he deserves a second term.

Odewale reiterated that sentiments should be put aside in such instance, saying that anyone who feels the Governor has not done well should come and mention the areas that have not been touched.

“I will give my vote to Governor Dapo Abiodun again and again. He is a man that has proven that he didn’t go to the office to amass wealth. Why can’t we give him another chance to further prove that he is ready to serve more than he is doing now,” he said.

Another respondent from the area, Adeleke Oluwaseun, 56 years old and a civil servant, who lives in Igbesa, said that he would rather keep his comment to his chest, while Mrs. Nimota Ojolowo, a 45-year-old trader in Sango Area commended the Government for his proactiveness.

Ojolowo gave an instance of the bad portion of Lagos-Abeoukuta Expressway in Sango, where he said the Governor is fixing with palliatives and the way he has been responding to the needs of the people.

“I remember during the lockdown occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor proved his mettle with his palliatives programmes and some other measures put in place to reduce the spread of the pandemic. To recall that this happened less than one year into his assumption of office, one would wonder how he was able to cope,” she said.

In his view, Mr. Sunday Ikechukwu, 58-year-old businessman in Owode, said that even the blind could see what Governor Dapo Abiodun has been doing for the people of the state since he got into office in 2019.

Ikechukwu advised those who have contrary opinions to give advice where necessary rather than running “the man down because I know what is happening in other states, where I go regularly for one business transaction or the other.”

Mr. Jamiu Alamu, a 30-year-old member of the National all Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), who resides in Ijoko area expressed satisfaction with the leadership style of the Governor, who he said listens to the advice of the residents at all times.

Alamu stressed that Governor Abiodun does not see himself as just a leader, but a servant-leader with love for his subject and urged him to keep up the good work.

“What will his opponents campaign with that the Governor has not done. He has touched all the areas that affect the people and he makes us understand at all times that he would continue to do his best.

“Nobody can solve all the problems, but our Governor is doing his best and we are happy with him. May God continue to help him and assist him to do all that he planned to do. For me and my people, we will vote for him 1001 times,” he stated.

Mr. Irewole Adeola, a 23-year-old student in Ilaro; Suraj Olokodana, a 38-year-old teacher in Ota and Taiwo Odukale, a 39-year-old contractor in Ijoko, also lent their support for the Governor and advised that Ogun State “cannot afford to deny such a committed man second term of office in 2023.”

This was supported by Mr. Kolawole Jones, 54-year-old electrical contractor in Oju Ore, who said that he has been following the administration of the Governor with keen interest and expressed satisfaction with his performances.

“Governor Dapo Abiodun is our man. We will give him our support, not just because of his performances, but for his right attitude to service.

“As Governor, what you need to do is to carry the people along and Governor Abiodun does that. He makes us to understand the situation of things and he explains to us why some things are yet to be done, with a promise that they would be done based on the capacity of the state and we have seen his ingenuity even in the area of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR),” he said.

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has said that the sum of N13bn is required to fix the failed portions of the Lagos- Ota-Abeokuta road in Sango-Ota, Ado-Odo/ Ota Local Government Area.

Governor Abiodun disclosed this during a Town Hall meeting on 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and 2022 Budget for Ogun West Senatorial District, held at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Noting that Sango-Ota was strategic to the State and the nation, Governor Abiodun said the people cannot be left to suffer unnecessary hardship while speaking on the efforts of the state government, aimed at making the road motorable.

Abiodun said: “the issue is about funding. About N13 billion is needed to fix the failed portions of that road and the Federal Government is thinkering with SUKKUk Bond.

“I have held several meetings with the Minister of Works where I proposed that, as a State, we will go ahead and take the loan of N13bn on your behalf, and make the money available to your contractor. However, we must constitute a tripartite agreement between us, yourself, Ministry of Finance that will tie the process of the bond back to a financial institution as a holding fund. That will harmonise our exposure.

“That is the ongoing discussion we are having and I am not sure whether there is any administration that can be more creative than that. I am particularly pained because some of the people who protested in the Local Government Area were in a meeting with me earlier this week or last week where we shared with them the constraints that we have as an administration and they understood with us.
“They saw clearly that this was not an act of wishful negligence on the part of our administration”, the Governor emphasised.

The Governor said construction work was ongoing at Ilaro- Owode-Idi-Iroko road in Yewa South, Oke Ola and Ago-Oshoffa road in Imeko Local Government, Oke Afa road and Agosasa bridge in Ipokia Local Government Area, Joju-Oju in Sango-Ota in Ado-Odo/ Ota Local Government Area, while 50 units of houses are being built at Ilaro and 130 units at Sango-Ota for medium income earners.

He reiterated the government commitment to give the District the desire attention as the industrial hub of the State, saying the State was waiting for the transfer of the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway to the State for reconstruction, while the construction of the Ota- Idi-Iroko has been handed over to Mike Adenuga through Tax Credit Scheme and the construction of Sagamu Toll Gate-papalanto- Ilaro road has also been awarded to Dangote through the same Scheme.

He noted that Ogun West Senatorial District, apart from being a major outlet to the West African subregion, is the industrial engine room of the State as Agbara Industrial Estate is regarded as one of the largest in the subsaharan Africa with about 400 national and multi-national companies operating in the estate.

He said a TechHub, to complement that of Abeokuta would be set up in Ota, while a befitting Library would be in place in the area to cater for the teeming youth populace.

The Governor while urging the people to be security cautious now that the dry season is setting in, however assured the people of the Senatorial District of adequate security as security agencies in the State are on red alert to deal with any breach in the axis.

In his opening remarks, Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Hon. Olaolu Olabimtan said good financial management entails a budget that take people’s aspirations into consideration, while the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo maintained that the Medium Term Expenditure Framework provides opportunity for future planning that focuses on important issues.

Contributing, the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, lauded the government for its developmental stride, however pointed out the slow pace of work on the ongoing construction of Ilaro-Owode road and appealed to the government to look into abandoned Ilaro-Ijoun-Ilara road.

The Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege, called for urgent attention to bye-pass and link roads, upgrade of Gateway Institute of Technology to a University, while a housing scheme should be sited in Ota to reduce the housing deficit in the town.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/10/we-need-n13bn-to-fix-failed-portions-of-sango-ota-road-―-abiodun/

Previous thread https://www.nairaland.com/6805847/state-roads-sango-ota-ogun

…begins Town Hall meeting on 2022 budget

Ogun State Government has concluded plans to construct 250 low-cost housing units in Ijebu-Ode, while also working to restore pipe borne water in the axis.

This was revealed by the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, during a virtual Town Hall Meeting on the 2022/2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Budget 2022 for Ogun East Senatorial District, held on Wednesday at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta.

Abiodun also said that contract for the construction of Idowa road has been awarded and contractor mobilised to site.

The governor who reiterated that his administration would not concentrate developmental projects on one section of the State to the detriment of others, noted that numerous projects had been executed in the senatorial district.

Among these projects, according to the governor, include the Molusi College road, ijebu Igbo, Sagamu-Iperu junction road as well as the 11kilometres Iperu- Ode-Sapaade road.

He stressed that his administration has constructed almost 300 kilometers of road across the state, adding that the newly constructed Ijebu-Ode-Epe road would help in opening a new industrial corridor in the axis, while the Cargo Airport currently being built, would engender more economic potentials to the district.

“The flagship of our mega projects in Ogun East is the Ijebu-Ode-Mojoda-Epe dual carriage way with its over-head bridge at the Sagamu-Ijebu Ode-Ore-Benin expressway. Apart from the aesthetic value of this road to the landscape of Ogun East, it is also part of our strategy for investment drive and Ease of Doing Business in Ogun State.

“It provides a direct link from Ogun State to Epe/Lekki axis of Lagos State and a link road to the ever busy Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Ore-Benin expressway that links the South-West region to the South East region”, he said.

On the Sagamu-Ogijo-Ikorodu road, Abiodun disclosed the road was initially awarded by the Federal Government, but was abandoned by the contractor. He, however, added that the stringent condition attached prevented the Ogun and Lagos states from taking over the project.

He emphasised that budget was not a ritual, but an ability to get the inputs of the people into the development process as they remain the centerpiece of the focus for development.

While suggesting that the meeting be held twice or thrice a year, the governor posited “this will enable government talk to the people, get their own views as well as what has been done and not done.

“We will ensure that your voices count in preparing the 2022 budget”, Abiodun added.

In his remarks, Commissioner for Budget and Planning in the state, Olaolu Olabimtan, said the meeting was to enable the people express their desires and opinions on what should be the outlook of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and 2022 budget.

The Chief Economic Adviser and Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Okubadejo, said some initiatives of government have yielded results as the Internally Generated Revenue of the state was N75b as at September this year.

In their respective contributions, the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi and the Awujale of Ijebuland, represented by the Dagburewe of Idowa, Oba Yinusa Adekoya, called for the construction of the Sagamu-Ogijo-Ikororu road and more low-cost housing in Ijebu-Ode to be at par with other cities in the state.

Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has announced a one-month moratorium for residents and entrepreneurs who have properties on portions of land already acquired by the State Government.

According to the governor: “Anyone or company that have built on Government acquired land have up till November 30 to apply for ratification of their documents as the State has emplaced a trustworthy and accessible digital platform providing matchless quality in the administration of land products and services”

Speaking during the launch of an online portal, Ogun State Land Administration and Revenue Management System (OLARMS) at the Tech Hub in Abeokuta, Governor Abiodun said “OLARMS has its primary focus on areas such as titles ratification module for those that have built properties on government land that is under acquisition.

“These applicants can utilize the portal to perfect property titles and obtain their Certificate of Occupancy including those that have enrolled in the Home Owners Charter Programme.

Our ambition is that applicants should receive their title documents within 30 days of full payment,” he said.

The system, he added would provide benefits to commercial, industrial and residential developers, attributing the failure of the Home Owner Charter scheme of the previous administration to human factors and legal tussle, among others.

According to him, the schemes available for sale on the OLARMS website from include Hill Crest Estate, Abeokuta and the President Muhammadu Buhari Estate, along Kobape Road, Abeokuta. Other schemes in other areas of the State will be added unto OLARMS in the nearest future for residential, commercial, and industrial land acquisition”, he said.

“Land is our own crude oil in Ogun State and we must manage our land resources to ensure the present and future prosperity of our State is assured as we also aim at harnessing the State’s land mass to further demonstrate the commitment of government to deepen the ease of doing business as well as provide the needed ambience for business to thrive in the state”, Abiodun noted.

According to the governor, “OLARMS will inform the ‘HOW, the ‘WHAT’, the ‘WHO’, the ‘WHEN’, the ‘WHERE’ and the revenue to government to ensure that government indeed gets what it deserves.

“We also aim to establish an ‘E’ registry which will dematerialize C of O’s and stimulate a secondary real estate equity. This is where C of O’s are no longer paper, they will be like your stocks and shares, it will allow for the birth of industries like credit Bureaus in Ogun state”.

While noting that the system would cover industrial, commercial and residential areas, the governor called on those who could not obtain their land titles under the Home Owner Charter to complete the process to benefit, while those in diaspora could acquire land without hassles, using the land administration system.

He, further explained that the portal (OLARMS) will create a digitized, automated and accessible platform that will provide quality, speed and integrity for all land related products and services in Ogun State.

“OLARMS will open up the opportunity to easily do business that relates to land, buying directly from the government will be stress-free and transparent without encumbrances as everything can now be processed online through our website: www. olarms.ogunstate.gov.ng,” Abiodun submitted.

In his address, the Chief Economic Adviser and Commissioner for Finance, Dapo Okubadejo, described the State’s Land Administration and Revenue Management System as a revolutionary and technological driven initiative aimed at leveraging on the huge potentials inherent from land with a view to enable the State gain maximally from it.

Okubadejo further said the portal will also offer the public who have encroached on the state government’s land in different parts of the state, an opportunity to get title documents for such land via the State Government’s Property Registration Programme (PRP), an amnesty programme available for only a defined period.

“PRP is being offered in phases starting with areas such as Ikereku-olokuta, Ijeun Lukosi, Laderin, Abule-oko, Agunreti, in Abeokuta South, and Obafemi Owode Local Government Area. Asese, Mowe, Orimerunmu, Makogi, Sefiu Sote, Olowotedo, Magboro Akeran, Ibafo, in Obafemi/Owode and Ifo Local Government Areas, Aiyetoro, Lukosi, Seidu, Ogijo, ilara, Aguntoye Villages, Shimawa, Emagbon, Konigbagbe, in Sagamu L.G.A and Ilaro, Township in Yewa South L.G.A”, Okubadejo added.

In his goodwill message, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, TPL Tunji Odunlami, represented by the Permanent Secretary, TPL Yetunde Dina, noted that the System was another giant stride of the present administration as it would provide avenue for proper land management.

Also, a Town Planner, Alao Sobanke, noted that for a property to have life, it must be registered so as to give security of tenure, have high value and easy to transact with.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services organisation has announced its partnership with Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System plc (NIBSS) on its recently launched Nigeria Quick Response (NQR) Payment Solution.

The NQR is an innovative payment option implemented for all financial service providers and designed to promote quick and fast transactions by scanning the code on one’s mobile device. Also, the initiative reduces cost(s) for merchants and banks in delivering instant value for person to business (P2B) and person to person (P2P) transactions by simply scanning to pay. Unlike other QR schemes, the NQR is implemented with reduced charges that is cheaper for merchants.

The initiative is accessible on the Bank’s payment infrastructure as the NQR code can be used to make payments through one’s FirstMobile App. And it is also available for the merchant in facilitating their business activities. The touchpoint and use cases of the NQR payment solution include convenience stores, supermarkets, shopping malls, pharmacy, ride-hailing/taxi payments, bus fares, tolling booths payments, vending machines, e-commerce sites, online (Instagram) businesses amongst many others.

To access the service, launch your FirstMobile App and select QR payment. Afterwards, choose NIBSS as a payment provider, then scan the seller’s NQR barcode. Thereafter, the amount is inputted, followed by PIN validation to generate an instant confirmation of the transaction successfully. On the other hand, merchants are to visit any FirstBank branch closest to them for service enrolment.

Speaking on the initiative Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, FirstBank said “we are delighted with the adoption of the Nigeria Quick Response (NQR) payment solution, an initiative by Nigeria Interbank Settlement System plc (NIBSS) which has been instrumental to easing and promoting payment convenience with the use of mobile phones.

At FirstBank, we recognize the indelible role technology plays in promoting businesses across diverse frontiers and we remain committed to reinventing our technology infrastructure to meet global standards whilst being committed to staying true to our mantra in always putting You, our customers First.

In the wake of the one year anniversary of the #endSARS protests and as the CBN launches eNaira on Monday October 25, 2021, Peter Achalla analyses the issues around the planned CBDC and CBN’s technical partner.

The Central Bank of Nigeria received knocks from young Nigerians who were active players in the digital economy ecosystem following the crackdown on accounts linked to crypto currency transactions which were ostensibly used to fund the #endSARS protests.

Young Nigerians saw the CBN and its governor, Godwin Emefiele, as dinosaurs with no business running a country’s apex banking institution in the 21st century when crypto currencies and other digital iterations are gaining more traction compared to fiat money.

But what many didn’t realize was that the CBN under Godwin Emefiele was not as clueless as many thought because the bank had actually began researching into digital currencies since 2017.

The world was made aware of this in July 2021 when the CBN announced that the apex bank was quietly carrying out and was close to implementing the “Project Giant” initiative which was the CBN’s code name for the project.

A month later via a statement signed by CBN’s Osita Nwanisobi (Director, Corporate Communication of the Central Bank of Nigeria) and dated August 30, 2021 the bank announced that it had selected a Technical Partner. Bitt Inc. a company with headquarters in Barbados which is described as “the Caribbean’s leading authority on digital currencies”, was chosen after what we are told was a competitive bid and named as the technical partner that would help the CBN launch and implement its digital currency which would be called eNaira.

According to the statement, “the CBN’s selection of Bitt Inc, from among highly competitive bidders, was hinged on the company’s “technological competence, efficiency, platform security, interoperability, and implementation experience.”

The apex bank also noted that Bitt Inc. was “key to the development and successful launch of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) in April 2021.”

According to a report by Reuters, Bitt Inc. facilitated the “Eastern Caribbean Currency Union’s “DCash”, the first digital cash issued by a currency union central bank.”

The announcement of the eNaira initiative elicited diverse responses from Nigerians who have become adept players in and vociferous advocates of the digital economy especially as the CBN explained the benefits and advantages of a digital currency which the bank said includes “increased cross-border trade, accelerated financial inclusion, cheaper and faster remittance inflows, easier targeted social interventions, as well as improvements in monetary policy effectiveness, payment systems efficiency, and tax collection.”

But concerns were expressed over the choice of the little known Caribbean company whose only experience in the space is driving the launch of a pilot for the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union in April 21, 2021.

The first salvo was fired by the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS) which according to a September 27, 2021 Thisday report “faulted the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to choose Bitt Inc” by “citing abuse of Executive Order 003 and 005, as well as capital flight that could further plunge Nigeria into deep financial crisis.”

It therefore called on the CBN to allow Nigerian Fintech companies like “Precise Financial Systems; System Specs, the Nigerian the firm behind Remita; Migo Credit-as-a-Service digital platform; Unicorn limited; Flutterwave; OPay; Fintrack limited; Inksledger financial system” to bid.

While the NCS may be accused of protectionist tendencies, it is not unusual and it is a move Godwin Emefiele has defended in the past where he noted that “Many times, the bank has been accused of promoting protectionist policies. My answer has always been that leaders are first and foremost accountable to their own citizens.”

A report in The Punch said the CBN’s unusual speed in announcing implementation was evoking doubts amongst Nigerians who were interviewed. Their fears were hinged on eNaira’s “viability, sustainability and potential risks.”

An anti-corruption group, Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA Resource Centre) commenting on the speed and opacity surrounding the process of bidding and selecting Bitt Inc., gave the CBN a seven day ultimatum as reported by Eagleonline on September 6, 2021, to respond to its  “Request for Information on the Engagement of Bitt Inc. by the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) in pursuant of the Freedom of Information Act, 2021.”

Protectionism and opacity aside, a cursory consideration of Bitt Inc.’s antecedents and bonafides does not elicit much confidence in their abilities.

In choosing Bitt Inc, the CBN harped on their “technological competence, efficiency, platform security, interoperability, and implementation experience.”

Bitt Inc. promises to secure eNaira with Blockchain technology. This is commendable but not ground breaking. Blockchain technology is now widely applied to most digital payment platforms.

What has raised the most hackles among players in the FinTech space is Bitt Inc.’s “implementation experience.” The company has only ever launched one digital currency and as a pilot a mere six months ago.

And the launch of the ECCU’s DCash should not be seen as significant when you consider the fact that the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) is the monetary authority that represents eight island members – Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

These islands taken together have a population of less than 1 million people. After the eNaira website went live on September 27, 2021, it registered 1 million visits in less than 24 hours. To put that in context, the visitors to the eNaira website were more than the population of the ECCU member islands not to talk of account holders in the Bitt Inc/ECCB pilot scheme.

This raises some urgent questions; the Nigerian banking system, according to estimates from Statista, has 79.3m account holders. If 10% of that number decides to own the eNaira wallet, that would be more than 7 times the estimated number of ECCB account holders – and that is assuming every single citizen of the ECCU zone holds an account, which we know is not possible. Does Bitt Inc. have the “implementation experience” to handle that volume?

The postponements that have attended the planned take-off of eNaira are also fueling those concerns. Why did the CBN rush to announce a launch date of October 1, when everyone knows that Nigeria celebrates its independence on that date and how come for over 3 weeks, we didn’t have a firm launch date?

As one considers these issues one is constrained to borrow a street slang in order to make sense of it all – have we entered one chance with Bitt Inc.?

Peter Achalla, a PhD candidate, writes from Lagos.

All is now set for the various activities to mark this year’s Ecobank Day across 33 African countries where it operates.
The Ecobank Day is a flagship annual event, when staff of the pan African bank show commitment and give back to local communities where the bank has operations.
This year’s event scheduled for Saturday 23 October will focus on creating awareness on how to check mental health issues and stop the discrimination against victims of mental health. Arrangements have been made for staff, their families, customers and members of the community to engage in health walks across the country, health checks and fitness sessions, amongst others.
Head, Marketing and Corporate Communication, Ecobank Nigeria, Jide Sipe said this year’s Ecobank Day with the theme: Mental Health – Time to Talk and Act! marks the start of the final year of the three-year campaign to raise awareness and help prevent Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Africa. He noted that the bank will be hosting impactful discussion sessions and mental health empowerment training programs to further raise awareness and help reduce stigma and discrimination in Nigeria.
According to him, apart from marking Ecobank Day with a webinar, which is both virtual and physical, the bank has also lined up various activities to enhance the mental status of various Nigerians.
He explained further that: “In the webinar, we will discuss mental health disorders, raise awareness about them, and the care and support options available. We will be encouraging people to talk about their feelings and suggest lifestyle behaviour changes which can also make a difference – like exercising regularly. There is often a lot of stigma around mental health. Those affected can face isolation, exclusion from work and family life, increased stress levels, negative addictive behaviours and substance abuse. No one should be made to feel ashamed because of a mental health issue. It can happen to anyone at any time.”
Due to the importance of the topic, Ecobank Nigeria has invited select speakers that will be making presentations on the Day. They include Dr Olusola Olowookere, Consultant Psychiatrist/ Forensic Medical Examiner; Titilayo Medunoye, Founder/CEO, Milky Express; Oluwakemi Akintoyese, Clinical Psychologist; Hadiza Blell -Olo (Di’Ja, Artist and Humanitarian); Dr. Tomilola Oyekunle, a registered Psychologist and host of others.
Since the inaugural Ecobank Day in 2013, Ecobank employees have supported a variety of causes and shown compassion for the welfare of our various local communities. Previous initiatives have focused on orphanages, cancer screening, education, maternal healthcare, safe water supply and malaria prevention.

The Northern Youths Coun­cil of Nigeria (NYCN) has de­manded the investigation and sack of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) Acting Managing Direc­tor (MD), Mohammed Bel­lo-Koko, for his alleged role in the reported mis­management of funds at the Federal Government agency.

The group, in a state­ment on Saturday, signed by its president, Com­rade Isah Abubakar, said there was need for a thorough investigated of Bello-Koko over his alleged role in the alle­gations of mismanage­ment of funds and short remittance of generated revenue of the agency which lead to suspension of former MD, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman.

The statement reads: “The then MD couldn’t have been able to dip her hands in the national treasury without the ac­tive connivance of the Executive Director in charge of finance.

“Anything short of in­vestigation of the acting MD will make Nigerians believe that the probe on NPA is aimed at witch hunting Ms Hadiza, while shielding Bello-Koko and that will only make a fool of the anticorruption crusade of the federal government.”

NYCN maintained that the inability of Mr Bello-Koko to eat the humble pie and resign or be sacked by the Federal Government would force the NYCN to commence mass mobilisation of its members and other concerned Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to ensure that it happens.

“Nigerians can’t con­tinue to live in poverty while corrupt public ser­vants are buying prop­erties they don’t need in other countries,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NYCN leadership commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his unrelent­ing efforts in ensuring that corruption is total­ly eliminated in Nige­ria, including blockage of all revenue leakages in Ministries, Depart­ments and Agencies (MDAs).

“With the presentation of 2022 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, the Federal Government needs to beam its search light on major revenue generation MDAs, with special focus on Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) considering the recent indictment of the acting MD by the team behind the Pandora Papers,” the Northern Youths said.

The group, in a press briefing addressed by the co-ordinator of AGP, Comrade Ahmadu Yusuf called on the top banker to resign because of his inability to stabilize the country’s economy.

The AGP also claimed that Emefiele was using his hidden agenda to discredit President Buhari’s administration through what the group termed “anti-people oriented policies”.

The AGP which asked Emefiele to resign by September 23, 2021 had even threatened to occupy the CBN from Monday September 27, 2021 so as to force the CBN governor’s resignation and save the country from total collapse.

Other interested parties have also weighed in on the poor state of the economy like former CBN governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi while those who have called for the sack of the CBN governor include sundry CSO organizations, and even the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Below is a list of some of the “sins” heaped at the feet of Godwin Emefiele.

The PDP speaking through its publicity secretary Kola Ologbondiyan on September 23, 2021, called for the immediate sack and prosecution of Godwin Emefiele. The party noted that Emefiele’s tenure as CBN governor has been signposted by failures in executing his mandate as the man in charge of monetary and fiscal policies. The party also asked the Governor to vacate the office and hand himself over for investigation. The party noted that when Emefiele took office as CBN Governor in 2014, the naira exchanged for N164 to the dollar. Today, with Emefiele in the saddle, the naira has tumbled to almost N600 to the dollar, bringing the nation’s economy to its knees. According to Ologbondiyan “Our party insists that the tenure of Emefiele as CBN governor under the APC administration has witnessed colossal failures of monetary and fiscal policies, requiring him to vacate the office and hand himself over for investigation.”
Senator Akpan Udoedehe on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 while speaking on Channels TV programme “Politics Today” said that the CBN governor has supervised large scale stealing of money at the apex bank. The senator called on the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute Godwin Emefiele as a matter of urgency. The CBN governor is yet to respond to the grave allegations made on national television.
Nigerians are still wondering what became of investigations into the leaked audio in which Emefiele was caught admitting to the loss of over N500bn in a botched private investment deal in Dubai. According to Sahara Reporters, the CBN governor did not deny the story instead he wanted the Inspector General of police to investigate and find out how the online platform obtained the audio.
Many Nigerians are suggesting that the CBN governor’s rumoured political ambition may be distracting him from carrying out his monetary and fiscal policy oversight functions. Speculation has been swirling that Godwin Emefiele is planning to run for President. So, many are wondering whether this is a case of politics standing in the way of fiscal and monetary policy? Is the Naira staggering under the weight of Godwin Emefiele’s ambition?
Young Nigerians declared Emefiele Enemy Number 1 since the CBN under his watch took a hardline stance against crypto currency transactions especially during and in the immediate aftermath of the #Endsars protest. They saw the apex bank’s move as anti-youth and retrogressive. The coming of e-Naira which was scheduled for an October 1, 2021 launch, is supposed to help ameliorate the situation and buy him good will from the younger demographic even as many are questioning the largely opaque process that led to the selection of Bitt Inc as the CBN’s partner in the e-Naira project.
But where eNaira is supposed to help assuage the young and tech savvy, younger Nigerians are currently up in arms following revelations that the CBN governor may be acting out a script to deny forex allocations for printing international passports so as to stem the current wave of emigration by young Nigerians. According to a recent online story “the CBN refusing to provide forex for the company…I am reliably informed, is the material reason behind the chronic booklet shortages since 2017” as well as “an alleged unofficial government policy to stem brain drain by making passports hard to access.

The Central Bank of Nigeria announced that it would launch its digital currency, eNaira on October 1, 2021. It did not happen.

In a statement, explaining the change in the October 1 launch date, the apex bank said it did not want the launch in conflict with independence activities and an October 4th date was indicated. October 4 has come and gone and the best the CBN did was release guidelines for the elusive eNaira.

On Sunday October 10, 2021, the CBN announced that launch is now days away with no definite date given.

The apex bank, under incumbent Governor, Emefiele, began researching into digital currencies in 2017 but it took the growth of crypto currency transactions, the explosion of the digital economy and Nigeria’s emergence as one of the biggest digital currency markets in the world for the CBN to pay closer attention. It did not help that the organisers of the #Endsars protest facilitated their fund-raising via digital currency.

In July, the CBN Governor announced that the initiative tagged “Project Giant” was in advanced stages and that the apex bank would launch eNaira in October. A month later the apex bank announced via an August 30, 2021 statement signed by CBN’s Director Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi, that it had selected a Technical Partner. The company was identified as Bitt Inc. with headquarters in Barbados.

Bitt Inc. which lists Gabriel Abed as Co-Founder and CEO, hails itself as the Caribbean’s leading authority on digital currencies and was, according to the CBN, “key to the development and successful launch of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) in April 2021.”

The statement noted further that “the CBN’s selection of Bitt Inc, from among highly competitive bidders, was hinged on the company’s “technological competence, efficiency, platform security, interoperability, and implementation experience.”

The CBN, in the same statement, listed the benefits of a digital currency “to include increased cross-border trade, accelerated financial inclusion, cheaper and faster remittance inflows, easier targeted social interventions, as well as improvements in monetary policy effectiveness, payment systems efficiency, and tax collection.”

With the eNaira website now live and launch date unknown, many are asking questions especially in the light of what appears to be the opaque nature of the transaction and rush in picking a partner; when was the expression of interest made? Why was a Nigerian FinTech company not considered especially given the widespread feeling by Nigerian youth about the CBN’s war on tech and also since working with a local company could have been an opportunity to prove this wrong.

But let’s assume that no Nigerian company was good enough, what do we really know about Bitt Inc? What are the terms and size of the contract? What will be the CBN’s stake in the planned Bitt Inc. Nigeria? How experienced can a company that launched its first digital currency as a pilot in April 2021 really be?

One of the reasons the CBN gave for choosing Bitt Inc. was that it successfully launched the central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) in April 2021.”

What the CBN failed to say is that the member countries that make up the ECCB have a total population of about 700,000 (seven hundred thousand) which is less than the aggregated population of Ikeja and Agege.

How can such a company implement a digital currency for a country of 200 million people with active bank accounts put at 79.3 million according to 2019 estimates?

The questions have become strident following delay in launch and September 17, 2020 news reports that the CBN Governor has denied speculations that he is the owner of Bitt Inc. The CBN governor is quoted as saying “Bitt Inc. would establish that company in Nigeria and the CBN would own a majority stake in the company. So it is not my company as people have said.”

The speculations have gained ground with many noting that the CBN governor’s lavish 60th birthday bash at Montego Bay, on the Island of Jamaica in early August 2021 might have been as much a business event as it was a social one.

The story which was broken by Sahara Reporters on August 10, 2021 noted that “the lavish display of wealth by Emefiele and the bankers is in sharp contrast with the sorry state of the Nigerian economy reeling under more than $33billion foreign debts and the unstable banking sector which Emefiele superintends.

“Some big boys and Emefiele were at Montego Bay, Jamaica, last weekend to celebrate his 60th birthday. They flew there quietly with their private jets. The party was organised and held in secret to keep it away from prying eyes,” a source stated.”

With the CBN announcing the selection of Bitt Inc. a mere three weeks after the party, many are wondering whether the party was a cover for a questionable business transaction as well as a no expense spared birthday bash by a key public figure at a time when the common Nigerian is struggling to make ends meet and can no longer afford even the most basic food items not to talk of a slice of birthday cake.

Ecobank Nigeria number 1 Teller, Patrick Akinwuntan, was on Thursday at Western Avenue branch of the bank in Lagos attending to customers in commemoration of the Customer Service Week.

The Managing Director/Regional Executive, Ecobank Nigeria Patrick Akinwuntan has assured that the bank is well positioned to meet and surpass customers’ expectations through its seamless and world-class digital products and services, stressing that the various customer experience transformation initiatives of the bank are targeted at customers’ satisfaction at every interaction and touch point.

Akinwuntan who made this assertion while performing the role of a Guest Teller at Western Avenue branch of the bank in Lagos on Thursday as part of the global Customer Service Week, reiterates the bank’s commitment to its customer-centric mantra which places high premium on excellent service delivery to all categories of customers.

Under this Guest Tellering initiative, all top executives of the bank moved round the various branches of the bank across the country and work as Tellers and Customer Service staff, meeting and serving customers firsthand. It is also a feedback mechanism for the management of the bank.

Cross section of customers who interacted with the managing director confirmed an enhanced service delivery. They also described the various digital offerings of the bank as top notch.

Mr. Titus Ofurum, Managing Director, Marigold Farming Tools said he has been doing business with the bank for decades, stating that he has become a referral for the bank. “I have been banking with Ecobank for years. All my companies’ accounts are domiciled in your bank. I have enjoyed tremendous, good will from your staff over the years. Besides, your services remain my attraction. I have referred many of my colleagues and family members to Ecobank,”

Speaking in the same light, Mrs Adepoju Kehinde, a Fashion Designer said the bank’s digital offerings such as PoS, Mobile app, Ecobank Pay was impacting her business and bottom line. She advised other small business owners to avail themselves of the various products and services of the bank.Other observations made by the customers were noted for Management actions.

The managing director explained to the customers how the various digital offerings could improve their businesses. “Mobile App, Ecobank Online, Ecobankpay, Ecobank Omni, Omni-lite, our *326# and our express point agencies are deployed to effectively meet your needs at all times. We enjoin you to take advantage of them. The whole idea is to be able to serve you, whatever the situation and this has been proven right during this pandemic period.”

He also took time to explain to the customers the inherent benefits of e-naira policy set to be introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The managing director was joined in the Guest Telling by Mrs Olubunmi Otuniga. Head, Customer Experience of the bank.

In a bid to promote savings culture among Nigerians and reward loyal customers during the festive season, Access Bank Plc has turned the dial up with its DiamondXtra product.

The Bank is  set to reward one lucky customer with N10 million, another lucky customer with Salary for Life (N100,000 every month for 20years) on December 25th 2021 and in the countdown to this mega draw, they intend to reward one customer daily with N1million from December 6 to December 24, 2021.

Addressing newsmen during the unveiling of the campaign tagged “DiamondXtra Mega Draw”  in Lagos recently, Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director, Retail Banking, Access bank Plc said: “There’s no better way to celebrate Christmas and the end of year than with a big win. Beginning in the month of October, we will be giving our loyal customers and new customers the opportunity to save and qualify for the daily DiamondXtra Mega draw which will be a daily draw in December for N1million naira for a lucky customer, culminating in the jackpot draw on Christmas Day for the Grand prizes.

“All you need to do to qualify for the draw is to open a DiamondXtra account and fund up to N50,000. For every N50,000 you save, you get a ticket into the Mega draw and increase your chances of becoming a Millionaire in the DiamondXtra Mega Draw.

“To open a new account, simply dial *901*5# and if you have an existing DiamondXtra account, just dial *901# to fund the account with N50,000 or more,” Victor concluded

Reiterating Victor’s comment, Adaeze Umeh, Group Head, Consumer Banking, Access Bank Plc, confirmed to newsmen that more than 31 customers will be rewarded with over N60million during the campaign period.

In her words: “We want to change more lives and that is why we have taken the DiamondXtra scheme to another level. we want to empower more Nigerians financially during the festive period so that they can take care of their needs and loved ones too. We will be creating one millionaire every day in December and 2 lucky winners will go home with the grand prize money of N10million and Salary4life (N100,000 for 20 years). This is our own way of celebrating Nigerians and ushering them into the yuletide season. We urge all our customers to take advantage of this great opportunity and join the winning train.

“All you need to do as an existing Diamondxtra customer is to increase your account balance with a minimum of N50,000 or more to qualify. New customers can also walk into any of our branch or dail *901*5# to open a DiamondXtra account with a minimum of N50,000.

“Our Diamondxtra Cluster draws are still open for customers in the different regions and  we encourage various associations, Clubs, Groups, Societies etc., to come together as a cluster, open DiamondXtra accounts for their members with N5,000 minimum deposit each and a draw will be held for their group where the winning pot is up to N150,000.

“To qualify for a cluster draw, a minimum of 80 -100 members of the association or club will have to open and fund their account with a minimum of N5,000 or more to stand a chance to win,” Adaeze said.

In the exact words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "the heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night."

When some enigmatic personalities like Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola all assumed leadership in their different entrepreneurial endeavours, one would have thought that another figure in the similitude of these eminent figures won’t evolve but there goes Dr Ayodele Ogunsan — a leader, entrepreneur, administrator, manager, philanthropist and husband of one wife who hits age 45, today.

Born on October 6, 1976, the story of his humble background creates overflowing emotions laced with a litany of sympathy and empathy on the altar of copycatism and scapegoatism.

Growing up, little Ayo was not born into opulence neither did he arrive the world with any silver spoon of some sort but today, men and women that matter seek his attention over matters of economic and administrative importance; little wonder why the Lagos State Governor did not hesitate to appoint him on the board of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF).

Today, Dr Ayo Ogunsan clocks a gallant 45, as his family, friends and associates set to celebrate this amiable fellow in grand style.

Like a man who stands on a cliff only to behold his extended environment as to be sure of the right labyrinth in life, Ogunsan has lived a life characterised by its attendant ups and downs which answers the question of why the entrepreneur and philanthropist in him has since caught the attention of many as he appears dogged about impacting lives, having lived the life of a low-lifer himself.

Quoting an excerpt from the late Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart — “Those who have their palm kernels cracked for them by a benevolent spirit must not forgot to be humble”.

Attaining excellence today, Dr Ogunsan didn't have to start from the top, but started small with a determined spirit to build a business empire someday, while enthroning himself as the emperor of that conglomerate. In the words of John Gardner, “excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”

Sitting atop a conglomerate called the Executive Group, his chain of businesses include Executive Motors Limited, Executive Voyage and Logistics, Executive Trainers and Executive Education Consulting Limited. The group is primarily into automobiles sales and services with focus on the Peugeot brand.

On top of that, he remains an influential higher education consultant, renowned for organising training for executives in higher institutions. It was Paul Meyer who said: “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”

Perhaps what can be identified as key to his Daniel-like excellent spirit is the fact that he is totally sold out to God. Suffice to say that his love for God and godly matters have rubbed off on his dealings, especially as etched on his interpersonal relationship with people around him. For someone whose spiritual father is the General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi, anyone easily gets to mutter the cliche — like father, like son.

Ogunsan is a serial entrepreneur with a proven track record in sales administration, financing, investment development, training, security and project management. He is a graduate of Business Administration from the prestigious Yaba College of Technology and Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti. He also holds membership of Institute of Directors of Nigeria (IoD). He is also a Member, Nigerian-Britain Association; Member, Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce; Member, Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce; Member, Nigerian-Spanish Association.

Ogunsan has bagged numerous degrees and certifications from citadels of learning, locally and internationally, including Lagos Business School, Oxford Brookes University and Harvard University, UK.

Perhaps one of the gains of having a man like Ayo Ogunsan in a lifetime is so it is easy to pointedly admonish thinkers to do, and for doers to think too. Dreamers may now also know that with resilience and diligence, no dream is impossible to become a reality.

At 45, you will, at least, cherish his passion for scholarship and erudition, put together with his attitudinal simplicity, humility. magnanimity, as well as his undying passion for youth empowerment and job creation.

At 45, Ogunsan is that man who passes for an accomplished entrepreneur with scores of young and vibrant people on his monthly payroll within his group of companies.

At 45, Ogunsan continues to display resilience in the area of expanding his business frontiers through artificial intelligence and commonsensical dimensions.

Elated Ogunsan, in a recent statement released to mark the august occasion, was filled with gratitude to God, his friends, family and associates.

“For me, clocking 45 can only be by God’s grace and mercy. Having gone through a lot in life yet standing strong, I can only give God praise for everything He has done, including the loved ones He has graciously planted my way in life. Looking ahead, I wish myself long life and prosperity; while living a more impactful life with both humanity and divinity in focus,” he said.

Many happy returns to a visionary and inspirational leader, astute businessman, dynamic manager and an administrator par excellence.

Ayo Alonge wrote this piece from Lagos

A Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja has issued a bench warrant against the Chairman of Amni Petroleum Limited, who is to testify as a defence witness in a criminal case involving an ex-banker, Chukwuemeka Ekwunife, accused of N168.5m theft.

Ekwunife, who is currently standing trial, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly stealing the sum of N168.5m from several companies belonging to an oil marketer and business woman, Mrs Ngozi Ekeoma.

The EFCC had alleged that Ekwunife, at different times in 2014, stole the said sum of money from, M.R.S oil and Gas, Exit Energy limited, Globin oil and Gas limited, Bond Energy, Greenage Energy Limited – all properties of Nepal Oil and Gas Limited owned by Mrs Ngozi Ekeoma.

But in his defence, the former banker, who resigned from Sterling bank in 2014, said that Mrs Ekeoma pleaded with him to join her business, help her provide credit facilities for her companies and used him to facilitate false documentations in Liberia in order to steal millions of Naira from the Federal government of Nigeria through subsidy scheme.

However, the Chairman of Amni petroleum was issued a bench warrant following his consistent failure to appear before the court after being subpoenaed to testify in defence of the former banker.

The defence counsel, Mr Eubena Amedie, who expressed displeasure over the continued nonappearance of the Amni petroleum chairman, urged the court to issue a bench warrant.

According to the defence Counsel, it is not appropriate for the Counsel to the witness, R. M Onweka, to tell the court that his client cannot come to court due to lack of financial arrangement by the defendant to enable him appear as a witness.

“The subpoena was served on the witness since last year, sometime in December 2020 and a reminder was also sent on September 6, 2021. We also wrote another reminder on September 28. So it’s not right to come to court today and find the witness absent again.

“My Lord, at this time, we would be asking for a bench warrant to be issued against the subpoenaed witness under Section 186 of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2015.

Meanwhile, a defence witness, a Financial consultant, Mr Anthony Abraham, who had earlier testified before the court, said that there exist a relationship between a former banker and the businesswoman, Mrs Ekeoma, in an alleged subsidy fraud that took place in Liberia and Nigeria in 2014.

According to the Financial consultant, he met Ekwunife in Liberia when he (latter) came to open accounts and register some companies.

Mr Abraham, said that he was introduced to Ekwunife by a former client and a friend, who he claimed not to remember his/her identity.

The Financial consultant said that he had known Mrs Ekeoma Ngosi as a friend long before he knew Ekwunife, whom he only met while he was working in Liberia with a bank, First International bank.

The witness, while being led in evidence, said, ” I was working in Liberia with a bank called First International Bank when I met the defendant, Chukwuemeka Ekwunife.

”He came to do business in Liberia with intentions of opening accounts and registering some companies. If I recall, He was introduced to me by a former client and friend of mine, who I can’t really remember”.

When asked if that friend was Mrs Ngozi Ekeoma, the witness said he can’t remember.

However, the defence Counsel showed a document, containing several emails of transactions which he sent to Ekwunife and copied Mr and Mrs Ekeoma, to the witness and asked him to identify it.

The witness identified the emails and said, “Yes I sent these mails to Tochukwu71@yahoo.com (belonging to Ekwunife) and I copied three others namely; Ekeoma_Eme@hotmail.com (belonging to Mr Ekeoma), Ibeyanma72@yahoo.co.uk. (belong to Mrs Ngozi Ekeoma) and U go.na@gmail.com (belonging to Mr Ugochukwu Onwuegbuna).

”The emails were sent as a result of transactions in an account, Dexter Oil Limited, which was opened by Mr Emeka in Liberia and the account was opened with the same name.

“After it was opened, I wasn’t the direct account officer but an officer was assigned. Though I had an overview of the transactions. The account received both inflows and outflows. Mr Emeka was the sole signatory of the account and instructions would normally come from him to run the account.

“I was asked to copy Mr Ugochukwu, who is also a Director in Dexter just as Ekwunife, and then copy both Mr and Mrs Ekeoma in each mail”.
When asked how he knew Mrs Ekeoma, he replied, ” I’ve known her for many years – long before I met Ekwunife. I’ve never had any business transactions with Ngozi before I met Ekwunife. But Mrs Ngozi Ekeoma has a relationship with the defendant, Ekwunife “.

When asked why he copied Mrs Ekeoma if there was no business relationship, the Consultant replied, “I was asked to copy these people and I literarily don’t know all of them.

Meanwhile, according to Ekwunife, in his defence, said that he helped the businesswoman register several companies in Liberia to enable her carry out various importation of petroleum products particularly Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), under the petroleum scheme fund (subsidy scheme) with the FG.

The defendant insisted that the Mrs Ekeoma transfered Premium motor spirit (PMS) meant for consumption in Nigeria to vessels for subsequent sale overseas.

Ekwunife told the court that “I helped her setup various companies like Structured Energy Resources Limited, Dexter Oil Limited, Ritrak Supply and Trading Limited, Gulf Trading and Shipping Limited – all registered in Liberia.

“These companies were used at various times to carry out trading and documentations related to subsidy by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We produced supporting documents like Bill of Laden, the recertification of products, the certificate of quality and certificate of Origin.

“These documentation were done outside the shores of Nigeria and used for trades that never happened in Nigeria. The documentation were done in Liberia for trades that were not live (feasible).

“We (referring to himself and Mrs Ngozi Ekeoma) used these documentations to carry out fraudulent activities by using documents formulated outside the country to perform trade in Nigeria that were not suppose to happen”.

The defendant had also in October 22, 2018, through his solicitors, George Ikoli and Okagbue, petitioned the EFCC revealing an alleged $10m subsidy fraud committed by Mrs Ngozi Ekeoma sometime in 2011 and 2012.

Included in the petition titled: Complaint of $10m subsidy fraud perpetrated by Ngozi Ekeoma and Nepal Oil and Gas,’ acknowledged and received by the EFCC on November 6, 2019, were attached documents evidencing the fraudulent operational activities carried out by Mrs Ngozi Ekeoma and her company.

The matter was further adjourned till October 18, 2021 for continuation of defence.

…to drive financial inclusion

It was Sir Isaac Newton, in his letter to Robert Hooke in 1675, who wrote the now-famous quote: “If I have seen further (than others), it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

The shoulders of giants Sir Newton referred to has to do with leverage provided by the discoveries and experiences of people who have gone before or walked that same path earlier, that pave the way for and enable other people and a new generation to take things to a totally new dimension.

The truth is, giants whose shoulders provide such leverage to the next generation can be found in various fields and various nations. In Nigeria, for example, such giants exist in various fields and they are known and recognised.

Take the fintech (financial technology) space in Nigeria, where one bank is known to have stood as a giant with very broad shoulders, having capacities that have been built up and accumulated over 127 continuous years. Every year since 2016 (apart from 2017 when it was implementing ideas from 2016, including a Digital Innovation Lab), this well-recognised bank has provided a platform for the most robust engagement of the fintech industry in Nigeria. Tagged Fintech Summit, the annual engagement has continued to help in catalysing the fintech sector to ever-higher levels from year to year.

Held in Lagos the commercial capital of Nigeria and arguably the fintech capital of Africa, given Nigeria’s status as the leading nation in the fintech space in Africa, the annual FirstBank Fintech Summit has attracted an average of a thousand participants, who are mostly fintech owners, workers and enthusiasts, yearly. Last year’s Summit, Fintech Summit 4.0 with the theme

“How Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence will Disrupt Fintech in Nigeria”, however, drew an unprecedented number of participants – over 6,000 from across 52 different countries. It was the first virtual Summit due to the restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and it featured as keynote speaker Silicon Valley-based innovator of international repute, Chinedu Echeruo, who founded HopStop that was later sold to Apple for US$1 billion. Imagine the inspiration, dreams and aspirations young people soak up while listening to speakers with such a profile.

Far from being one-directional – with all the talk flowing from only the speaker to the audience – the yearly Summit is actually a platform for multidimensional engagement involving various stakeholders in the fintech industry – operators, regulators, investors, enthusiasts, fintech journalists and writers, bankers, et cetera.

It offers an unequalled opportunity for networking among fintech and other stakeholders, leading to opportunities for collaboration within the community. For small businesses and start-ups powered by FirstBank’s support, the annual Summit has been a veritable platform for showcasing them. The platform has also served for the announcement of policy initiatives coupled with pronouncements that provide clarifications to policy. This is due to invitations extended to regulators and the important role they are assigned in conversations facilitated during the Summit.

The Summit that preceded last year’s, i.e., the third edition of Fintech Summit 3.0 held in 2019, featured another heavyweight in Nigeria’s fintech industry, Victor Asemota, founder of Swifta Systems & Services, as keynote speaker. The theme “Banking + Tech = Solving Real Problems”, included panel sessions featuring experts with over two hundred combined years of experience in both the financial and technological industries.

They applied their knowledge, expertise and experience to address challenges in the technologically-driven business world, structured in terms of Solving Business Problems; Solving Regulatory, Security and Legal Problems; and Solving Lifestyle Problems. At the end of the Summit, participants must have felt that the Summit delivered on the confidence the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Adesola Adeduntan, had expressed when he remarked in his welcome address, “I am optimistic that every organisation represented here will be empowered to provide services with greater speed and solve real societal problems to the advantage of the Nigerian populace through the insights that will be gained from this event.“

Fintech Summit 3.0 had built on the success of the second edition, Fintech Summit 2.0 held in 2018, which had “The Future of Banking – The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data” as a theme. Adia Sowho, the Managing Director of Mines in Nigeria, had, as the first keynote speaker, stressed the importance of collaboration between legacy banks and fintechs in the overall good of their shared financial services space. The Deputy Managing Director of FirstBank, Gbenga Shobo, had, in his welcome address, said that FirstBank was committed to finding the right balance in its approach in supporting the budding fintech industry. It is gratifying that the bank has since found that right balance and pushed ahead enthusiastically with the continual annual engagement that is its yearly Fintech Summit.

For those who like to bring up the argument that deposit money banks (DMBs) and fintech are rivals competing in the same space for the same customers and wonder why FirstBank, a leading deposit money bank, would itself be involved in efforts to catalyse the fintech industry, they need to wake up and smell the coffee. FirstBank is continuously evolving and staying on the cutting edge of technology in order to better serve its customers, who are themselves evolving and adapting to newer and more efficient and convenient technologies as they become available.

And FirstBank is on a journey to a future where it is happy, in the spirit of the African tradition of Ubuntu, to take all fintech along with it. In the words of another famous quote, “The sky is too big for two [or many] big birds flying in it to collide.” FirstBank believes there is ample room for all players – deposit money banks, fintech, et cetera – to fulfil their unique roles. Therefore, collaboration, not competition, is FirstBank’s watchword. And FirstBank considers fintech partners in progress in its avowed commitment to driving financial inclusion.

FirstBank’s own evolution and the transition is causing some people to question its continuous classification by the Central Bank as a deposit money bank (with a preponderance of bricks-and-mortar banking operations) rather than a digital bank. And the reasons for their argument cannot be easily waved aside. In 2020, for example, over 85 per cent of the banking transactions that were required by customers of FirstBank were performed on the bank’s self-service channels.

That means customers of the bank only needed the attention of the bank’s staff or branches for just 15 per cent of all the banking transactions they required in 2020. There are now as many as over 16 million customers between FirstBank’s digital channels of online banking (called FirstOnline), mobile banking (christened FirstMobile) and USSD banking (called *894# quick banking).

Between FirstOnline and FirstMobile, a growth of 21 per cent in the user base was experienced in 2020. Customers on both platforms conducted approximately 256 million transactions worth N15.7 trillion in the same year. FirstOnline, as of June 2021, had an impressive 597,466 customers on the service, a 17 per cent growth on the previous year and 578,292 transactions per month, averaging a value of N388 billion per month.

For FirstMobile, besides the impressive gain in numbers, it gained recognition as “Best Mobile Banking App” at the Global Finance Best Digital Bank Awards, for providing excellent self-service through its user-friendly app. FirstMobile had, as of June 2021, 4,596,203 users on the platform, which is a nine per cent growth on the previous year and an average of 27,730,830 transactions every month. While these numbers point to the giant statue of the bank, none of it excites FirstBank as much as Firstmonie, because of its invaluable role in driving financial inclusion at the grassroots level, one of FirstBank’s overriding commitments.

Firstmonie, the agent banking network of FirstBank, currently has over 130,000 agents across the country, making it the largest bank-led agent network anywhere in Africa. As the foremost financial inclusion service in the country, it has achieved over 750 million transactions worth N15 trillion (about US$30 billion) processed from inception to date.

Over 295 million of those transactions with a total value of N6.65 trillion were processed in 2020 alone – the same year COVID-19 caused widespread disruptions across the globe. Firstmonie agency banking scheme has empowered agents across all Local Government Areas in the country, providing employment to thousands of people.

FirstBank through the Firstmonie platform further supports the fintech industry via partnership collaborations with local and international fintechs. All these are geared towards expanding financial inclusion and providing a variety of services to customers of the bank with giant shoulders that customers and fintechs can stand on to see further.

As for Sir Isaac Newton, the giant of a scientist whose famous quote began this piece, if he could read us from the grave, he would feel very proud today to see that celebrated line from his 1675 letter being aptly used to represent the relationship that exists between the broad, energetic and dynamic shoulders of Nigeria’s banking behemoth, FirstBank, and the rapidly emerging beautiful bride of Nigeria’s economic sectors, the fintech industry. This relationship climaxes every year in the annual Fintech Summit and the forthcoming Fintech Summit 5.0 promises to take the relationship to a whole new dimension.

Culled from BusinessDay

On Tuesday, I came across a trending hashtag #GoodbyeNigeria while scouring the internet. It was about young Nigerians who had emigrated from Nigeria and were sharing airport selfies taken on their way out as well as selfies of them landing in their new location.

Scrolling through goofy pictures with even goofier captions was funny to me. However, there was a residue of sadness because, despite the air of frivolity, there was something deeper, an acute sense of loss. After all, the other name for emigration is brain drain.

News reports from a week or so ago informed us that 353 Nigerian doctors moved over to the NHS this year, enriching Britain’s health care industry.

The story is the same in other sectors, especially ICT and Fintech. Nigeria is constantly losing its best and brightest and now young too, to other countries who place a much higher premium on human life and dignity of labour.

But it is not all gloom and doom. While we may lose our young and able physically they are not completely lost to us. Many are still contributing to Nigeria’s economy via remittances.

According to the World Bank, diaspora remittances for the past three years came to $24.31 billion in 2018; they dropped to $23.81 billion in 2019 before falling to $17.21 billion in 2020. To put it in context, remittance inflow made up four per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020.

That is huge because this year, oil, Nigeria’s mainstay, has contributed 9 per cent of GDP. In Africa, Nigeria is only second to Egypt in terms of diaspora remittances. Egypt notched up $30bn in 2020.

A recent article in Vanguard noted that “there is an estimated population of 1.24 million Nigerians living abroad, many of them highly skilled professionals. It is a well-known fact that Nigerians are the single most educated emigrant group in the United States. They have a median income of $68,658, which is well above the national median of $61,937.”

So, we may laugh and make fun of Nigeria while we look at those who have made the transition from the Global South to the Global North but like the flautist who must pause to blow his nose, we must pause to reflect on why young people are leaving and what the future holds.

Young people are leaving because they are disenchanted with the country where they are not guaranteed jobs after graduation and where if they get jobs, they will earn a pittance. They are frustrated by a country where insecurity is the order of the day and life has become brutish, short, and cheap. They have lost hope in a country where the youth leader is 65 years old and those in leadership have been recycled since 1966.

The young are tired of living in a country where a Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operative can stop you, arrest you, and throw you in jail just because you look a certain way. They have abandoned all hope in a country where Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) operatives can barge into your hotel room and drag you away in the nude because they are “looking for yahoo boys”.

But as you, Dear Young Nigerian, begin to plan your escape, thorns and hurdles are sprouting in your path. The government, it seems, does not want you to japa. The government does not want you to take selfies in Canada. They want you to stay here with us and deal with SARS and EFCC as well as bandits and kidnappers.

How do they plan to do this? Well, let us look at a recent article by an online journalist who published what he called an expose on the reasons behind the acute scarcity of international passports.

Some of the reasons he adduces should be cause for concern for every young Nigerian with aspirations to seek the Golden Fleece abroad. The government, according to him, may be averse to all the migration going on.

“Several factors were blamed for the baffling inability of Africa’s most populous country to provide passports for its citizens. Chronic corruption at the NIS; disputes between the NIS and a private contractor responsible for printing booklets; scarcity of forex to pay for security printing materials; even an alleged unofficial government policy to stem brain drain by making passports hard to access – all these have variously been blamed for this state of affairs.”

Is there a deliberate government policy to stop Nigerian youths from migrating abroad? No one is sure but sometimes by adding two and two one can sometimes arrive at something more than four.

In the article, it is established that the CBN does not allocate forex to Iris Smart Technology Limited (ISTL), the company entrusted with printing Nigerian passports and has revolutionised Nigerian passports through innovative technologies like biometrics as well as polycarbonate technologies and have won commendation from International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Through ISTL’s proactive approach, Nigeria became the first African country to issue a smart e-passport.

In denying the printing company access to forex, is the CBN acting out a script that is intended to ensure that in seeking alternative sources for forex, ISTL will encounter delays which ultimately impact delivery times?

But there is another poser: Does the CBN’s reason for withholding forex from ISTL have any historical angle? The Mint, Nigeria’s security printing company, had always printed the Nigerian passport but that changed during Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure when on a visit to Malaysia, he stumbled on their passport and directed that Nigeria upgrades from Machine Readable Passports to Biometric and chip-enabled passports. ISTL emerged winner in a competitive bid that featured Nigerian and foreign companies akin to what just transpired with the eNaira bid which threw up Bitt Inc. winner.

The Mint is incapable of printing these enhanced e-passports and frustrating ISTL could lead to a two-year wait for new passports.

So far, ISTL has discharged its duties diligently but its inability to get forex from the apex bank is capable of leading to a return to the status quo, and ISTL may relinquish its subsisting contract and walk away.

Dear young Nigerian, they say when two elephants duel it is the grass that suffers. If the debacle goes for arbitration, all your plans to seek better education and other opportunities abroad will remain in abeyance for the next two years or more.

And with the dollar nudging N600 like a tongue teasing a rotten tooth, only God knows how impoverished you will all be in two years.

Acclaimed car dealer Rasaki Wasiu Adeyiga has been arrested anti-graft agency for fraud.

An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Umar Seun Sanni, have narrated how an acclaimed car dealer, Rasaki Wasiu Adeyiga, allegedly defrauded a businessman, Mr Ahmed Garba Shinkafi, of the sum of N24,260,000.00 (Twenty-four Million, Two hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira).

The operative, who works at the procurement fraud section of the EFCC with a 13 years experience, told an Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos that the defendant presented himself to the businessman as a car dealer who imports automobiles from the United States of America and Europe.

Sanni, who testified as a prosecution witness, said that on January 21, 2021 the commission received a petition dated January 19, 2021 which was written and signed by one Ahmed Garba, a complainant, against the defendant.

While led in evidence by the EFCC prosecutor, Babatunde Sonaike, the witness testified that the complainant, Mr Ahmed Garba, met with the defendant sometime in September 2020 after one of his colleagues introduced the latter (Wasiu) as a reputable car dealer.

According to the witness, the sum of N24.2m was paid from the complainant’s First Bank account into the defendant’s GT bank: 0136968208, for the purchase of two Lexus GS 460 from September 2020 till October 2020.

“The complainant paid the sum of N4.5m and N5.5m on September 21 and 25 respectively into his account. Another payment of N4.5m on September 30, Another N4.5, N2m, N2m, N1.26m on October 2.

“After the money was paid to the defendant, he disbursed it and used it to purchase landed properties in Ogun State and used the rest for his own personal use. However, the defendant could not also give reasons he couldn’t buy the Lexus.

“A letter of investigation was written to GT bank to establish if the defendant received the money from the complainant.

“On March 26, 2021, the defendant was arrested and brought to the commission. The defendant gave an additional statement. The defendant’s was served with a bail condition and was kept in custody,” the operative said.

The EFCC prosecutor thereafter sort to tender documents such as: The petition written to the EFCC and the two statements made by the defendant dated March 26 & 29, 2021.

Justice O.O Abike-Fadipe admitted the documents in evidence and marked them as exhibits P1, P2a and P2b respectively.

The matter was further adjourned till November 17, 23 and 24 November for cross examination.

In commemoration of Nigeria’s 61 years independence anniversary, Nigeria’s leading bank, Access Bank Plc is set to reward 14 customers with N1million each in the DiamondXtra independence splash.

Speaking to pressmen at the bank’s head office in Lagos recently, Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director, Retail Banking, Access Bank Plc, said: “The DiamondXtra Independence Splash draw which is going to take place on October 1st is a testimony to our commitment to empower Nigerians financially; irrespective of their educational, religious, and social status. We will be rewarding 14 customers, 2 from each geographical zone in Nigeria with N1million each. This is our own little way of giving back and empowering our loyal customers.

“We will also be giving out N5million monthly to customers who participate in our daily cluster draws across he nation through their associations, societies, Market, clubs etc. Customers in any of these clusters stand a chance to win cash prizes ranging from ₦10,000 to ₦50,000.

“The DiamondXtra independence splash draw is open to new and existing customers of Access Bank. To be part of the winning train, simply fund your DiamondXtra account with a minimum of N5,000 or more and stand a chance to become a winner in the Independence Splash and Quarterly draws. New customers can dial *901*5# from their mobile phone or walk into any Access Bank branch close to them to open a DiamondXtra account,’’ said Etuokwu.

Commenting further, Adaeze Umeh, Group Head, Consumer Banking, Access Bank Plc. said: “The DiamondXtra reward scheme is one of the many ways the bank creates value and meets the needs of his loyal customers. The Bank has kept its promise of keeping the initiative alive for more than a decade and changed the lives of over 22,000 customers with cash prizes of over N5billion.

“Apart from the Diamondxtra Independence Splash draw to reward lucky customers with N1million in all geographical zones, we are also going to reward more winners in the Diamondxtra Quarterly draw which will take place mid-October. We will be rewarding customers with cash prizes of N1million, N500,000, Business grants worth N1million for 5 winners, Rent for a year for 14 families, Family health coverage for 7 families and Salary for life (N100,000 every month for 20 years) for one special winner.

“Diamondxtra Cluster draws will be held daily for customers in various associations, Clubs, Groups, Societies…, and they stand a chance to win from N10,000 – N50,000. We are also using this opportunity to call on our customers and potential customers who are in different Societies, Groups, Associations, Clubs etc. to urge their members to open a Diamondxtra account to join the cluster winning train.

“To qualify for a cluster draw, a minimum of 80 -100 members of the association or club will have to open and fund their account with a minimum of N5,000 or more to stand a chance to win,” Adaeze concluded.

Campaign calls for the G7 and EU to share at least one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses immediately with those most in need, support calls for an IP waiver,and for Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna to share mRNA Technology with Africa


Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan will join Global Citizen Live on Saturday, 25th September, announced international advocacy organisation Global Citizen.

Timed to the UN General Assembly, ahead of the G20 and COP26 Meetings, Global Citizen Live will be a global moment of unity across six continents. Artists, luminaries, dignitaries, and citizens in Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, New York City, Paris, London, Seoul, Los Angeles, Sydney, and more will call on governments, corporations, and philanthropists to make new commitments to defend the planet & defeat poverty, focusing on climate change, vaccine equity, and famine.


While Sanwo-Olu and Ahmed join Global Citizen Live in Lagos, Prince Harry and Meghan will be at the New York City event, as they continue their work with world leaders in pursuit of global vaccine equity. Also appearing as part of the global broadcast event are United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr John Nkengasong, and Head of the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, Strive Masiyiwa.



Performances from Lagos will be given by Tiwa Savage, Davido, Femi Kuti and Made Kuti, while TV personalities Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and Nancy Isime will host the event. Sho Madjozi and Muzi will perform from Johannesburg, Angelique Kidjo from Paris, and Burna Boy from New York. South African TV Personality and Global Citizen Advocate Bonang Matheba and South African Actress, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, and Global Citizen Advocate Nomzamo Mbatha to be featured as presenters at the New York City Festival.

Global Citizen Live events will be broadcast across Africa from 25th September 2021 on television, radio, and online:

In Nigeria the broadcast will be live on Wazobia Max TV, Wazobia TV (dstv 259), Cool Fm and Nigeria Info radio starting on 25th September from 6pm West Africa Time.
In South Africa, the broadcast will be on Monday 27 September on S3 on SABC starting 10pm South Africa Time.
Multichoice in Africa, channel, date and time to be announced at a later stage.
Global Citizen Live calls on leaders to deliver by September:

1 billion trees planted and preserved to help prevent global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels by curbing emissions and supporting 1t.org.
Businesses to help curb emissions through joining the Race to Zero and pledging 1 billion additional trees by 2022 in support of the 1t.org ambition to conserve, restore and grow one trillion trees this decade.
Wealthiest nations to deliver on their promise to give $100 billion annually to address the climate needs of developing countries.
1 billion vaccines to the poorest countries.
The G7 and EU to share at least one billion COVID-19 vaccine doses immediately with those most in need, support the proposal to waive IP around the production of COVID-19 vaccines and other medical tools — backed by over 100 countries — and for Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna to share mRNA technology with the new WHO-backed mRNA technology transfer hub based in South Africa.
Meals for the 41 million people on the brink of famine
The G7 and the world’s billionaires to end the hunger crisis by contributing at least $6 billion for the urgent provision of millions of meals for the 41 Million People on the brink of starvation.
Global Citizen Live is supported by a corporate coalition, including Access Bank in Nigeria, alongside global partners Accenture, Cisco, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Google, Live Nation, P&G, Salesforce, Verizon, and campaign partners Hilton, WW International, and World Wide Technology who will engage support from the private sector in driving new commitments toward the campaign’s policy objectives.

Global Citizen Live has received in-kind support from leading media companies, including AIM Group, BellaNaija, Branded Cities, Brut Media, Captivate, Clear Channel Outdoor, Curb Media, Forbes, GSTV, iHeartRadio, Interstate Outdoor, JCDecaux, Arise TV, Newscentral TV, Outfront Media, Six Flags Theme Parks, The New York Times, Vanguard Media, Big Cabal Media, Cool FM, Nigeria Info, Wazobia FM, and Wazobia Max TV.

To learn more about the Global Citizen Live events on September 25 and to view health & safety information, please go to GlobalCitizenLive.org. *All Global Citizen Live events comply with, and often exceed, the latest COVID-19 protocols.

For more information about Global Citizen Live, visit www.gclivelagos.org, and follow @GlblCtznAfrica on Facebook and Twitter and @glblctzn on Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, and YouTube.

In furtherance of the need to expand diaspora remittance inflow into the country, FirstBank of Nigeria Limited has increased its network of International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs).

This is targeted at easing the accessibility of its customers to receive money from close to 100 countries across the world in a safe and secured manner.

With over 750 branches across the country, customers can receive money from the nearest FirstBank branch closest to them.

Over the years, FirstBank has been in partnership with Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria, Transfast, and WorldRemit. The bank is also in partnership with other IMTOs which include Wari, Smallworld, Sendwave, Flutherwave, Funtech, Thunes and Venture Garden Group to promote remittance inflow into the country, thereby putting Nigerians and residents at an advantage in receiving money from their families, friends and loved ones across the world.

Beneficiaries can receive remittance in US dollars in any of our over 750 branches spread across the country. Customers without an existing domiciliary account can have dollar account automatically created for their remittances. You can also receive inflow directly into your account through Western Union.

In addition, FirstBank has launched its wholly owned remittance platform named First Global Transfer product to promote the international transfer of funds across its subsidiaries in sub-Saharan Africa. These subsidiaries include FBNBank DRC, FBNBank Ghana, FBNBank Gambia, FBNBank Guinea, FBNBank Sierra-Leone, FBNBank Senegal.

Reiterating the Bank’s resolve in promoting diaspora remittances, regardless of where one is across the globe, the Deputy Managing Director, Mr Gbenga Shobo said “at FirstBank, expanding our network of International Money Transfer Operators is in recognition of the significant roles diaspora remittances play in driving economic growth such as helping recipients meet basic needs, fund cash and non-cash investments, finance education, foster new businesses and debt servicing.

We are excited about these partnerships, as it is essential to ensure our customers are at an advantage to receive money from their loved ones and business associates, anywhere they are, across the world.”

FirstBank pioneered international funds transfer and remittances over 25 years ago and has been at the forefront of promoting cross border payments in the country, having started the journey with Western Union Money Transfer. The Bank’s wealth of experience and operation in over 750 locations nationwide gives it the edge in the market.

…past honorees include Ava DuVernay and Gina Prince-Bythewood

Months away from its 2022 cinematic release, director, producer, writer and show-runner, Tope Oshin’s new film is already making waves.

The film which stars Tope Oshin in the lead role as well as Tina Mba, Sam Dede, Tim Shelburne, Omowumi Dada, Barbara Walsh, Angel Unigwe and Daniel Effiong alongside Moyo Lawal, has become the first African film to receive the ReFrame Stamp, an initiative by the Sundance Institute, Women In Film, and IMDBpro.

The stamp which was first awarded in 2018 is intended as a mark of distinction for projects that have demonstrated success in gender-balance; as well as to promote and recognize film and TV productions that hire female-identifying people in four out of eight critical areas of production: writer, director, producer, lead, co-lead, speaking parts, department heads, and crew.

With this honor, Tope Oshin’s new film, Here Love Lies joins a stellar lineup that includes The Old Guard, Birds Of Prey, Mulan, WW84, A Wrinkle In Time, Lady Bird, Captain Marvel etc., which have received the ReFrame Stamp before now.

As director of the movie, Tope Oshin joins an illustrious list of directors that include Gina Prince-Bythewood, Niki Caro, Cathy Yan, Ava DuVernay and Anna Boden (who collaborates with Ryan Fleck)

The official teaser for Here Love Lies which is classified as a romantic thriller on its official IMDB page was released on August 17, 2021 to positive acclaim.

Set in New York City and Lagos, Nigeria, Here Love Lies tells the story of a blogger whose quest for love, and subsequent online romance with an American leads to something much more. A collaboration between Tope Oshin’s Sunbow Productions and Daniel Ademinokan’s US-based Leon Global Media, the film finds Tope Oshin stepping in front of the camera, in the lead female role.

As part of the ReFrame stamp honor from Sundance, Women In Film, and IMDBpro, the film will be included in the ReFrame Stamp Recipients 2021 List on the official ReFrame website, and will be featured in the Awards section on IMDB.

Commenting on the award, Ms. Oshin, who has received critical acclaim for films like Up North, In Line, New Money and the MTV vehicle, Shuga noted that “Receiving this honor and recognition for the type of work I like to do, and have done in my filmmaking career, with women and about women, is indeed a huge blessing, and doubly so, to be in the fantastic company of leading filmmakers and films that have made, and are making great impact in the world. With the lovely and encouraging work WIF and Sundance are doing with the ReFrame Project, we can only move forward to do better, in hiring, supporting and continuing to tell resonant and strong gender-balanced stories.”

A lecturer at the Department of Chemical Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Dr Adesola Adeleke, has sued the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (first responder) and the Commissioner for Health (second) at the Lagos State High Court for declaring her wanted upon her return to Lagos from South Africa.

Also joined in the suit are the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State (Fifth responder), Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice (fourth), and Dr Bowale, the Medical Director, OPD Mainland Hospital, Lagos State (third).

The lecturer said she was made to go through psychological trauma and was abandoned in a mosquito-infested hotel in the Isolo area despite the fact that COVID-19 tests she tool before she left South Africa, as well as the one upon her return to Lagos returned negative.

She prayed for an order of the court restraining Lagos State, its agents and the police from arresting her or making inimical publications against her pending the determination of the suit.

She also prayed to court for damages of N65m for her ordeal.

In a motion ex-parte filed on her behalf by her counsel, Dr Tayo Oyewale of Olutayo Oyewale & Co, based in Ibadan, the OOU lecturer deposed to a 34-paragraph affidavit, claiming that she was stigmatised and made to undergo psychological trauma following her being declared wanted by the Lagos State government in The PUNCH Newspaper of August 23, 2021, for allegedly absconding from a quarantine lodge in Lagos.

Copies of the court documents were made available to our correspondent on Wednesday.

In the affidavit dated September 8, 2021, in the suit marked, ID/11869MFHR/2021, the lecturer, who said she had undergone CONVID-19 test and was declared negative, boarded a Kenyan Airline from South Africa where she had obtained her Doctoral degree at the University of Kwazulu, Pietermatitzburg campus.

Adeleke said she was on July 24, 2021 informed by the airline that it had received a directive from the Nigeria Government that she must pay N481,890.00 to book her in an hotel of her choice for 14 days and conduct another COVID-19 PCR test on arrival.”

On her arrival at the Muritala Airport, Lagos, Adeleke said her passport, as well as that of her daughter, Adewumi Tiaramiyinoluwa, were collected, adding that the personnel of the Reginal Michael Suites, Ikeja, which she had booked on her portal, said they did not have her record.

“I became stranded and I put up a call to my father, Prof. Adeleke, who made an arrangement for me to return to my family house in Ibadan.

“On my arrival at my parents’ home in Ibadan, I visited the approved NCDC COVID-19 test centre (Medical Aid) at Oluyole, Ibadan, where further COVID-19 test was carried out on me on August 2, 2021, which further revealed that I was negative of COVID-19.”

She prayed, among others, for an “order restraining the fifth respondent from harassing, molesting, inviting and/or arrest the Applicant on the instruction of the first, second and third respondents and/or any agency of government… until the final determination of this suit.

“An order of this honourable court directing the first, second, third and fourth respondents to pay to the applicant the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty million naira) only for the stigmatisation of the application as a COVID-19 carrier and the psychological trauma suffered by the applicant based on the act of the first, second and third respondents, respectively, as same violates her fundamental rights as protected under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“An order compelling the first, second, third and fourth respondents to pay to the applicant the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten million naira) as special damages to the applicant.

“An order of general damages of N5,000,000.00 (five million naira) against the first, second, third and fourth respondents in favour of the applicant.”

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has said a former Rivers Governor Peter Odili was under the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The NIS made this public on Wednesday in its response to a suit by Odili, in which he is among others, querying the seizure of his international passport by officials of the agency.

It was however silent on why the ex-Governor was placed on its watch list following a request to the effect by the EFCC.

In a counter-affidavit filed by its lawyer, Jimoh Adamu, the NIS justified the seizure of Odili’s passport and faulted his claims in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/965/2021.

“The applicant’s passport was seized because he is on the service’s (NIS’) watch list as requested by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

“It is the government’s policy that streamlines the security agencies present at the point of entry/exit from the country. The respondents (NIS and its Comptroller-General) are the lead agency for the above stated function.

“All security agencies collaborate by submitting list of any person on the watch list to the respondents.

“The respondents are to carry out the function at the point of entry/exit. The applicant (Odili) was watch listed at the request by the EFCC.

“By the virtue of Section 31 of the Immigration Act 2015, the respondents are empowered to prevent the departure from Nigeria where there is a request to arrest such a person in the public interest as requested in the instant case by the EFCC.

“By the above section of the Immigration Act, the respondents are empowered to seize the applicant’s international passport because he was watch listed sequel to EFCC requested,” it said.

In faulting the competence of the suit, the NIS argued that it was pre-matured as Odili allegedly failed to meet the condition precedent to the filing of such suits.

“This action is premature and incompetent as the applicant fails to serve pre-action notice on the service as condition precedent before filing this suit against the respondents.

“The failure to serve pre-action notice robs this honourable court of jurisdiction.

“The applicant is not entitled to the reliefs sought and the suit should be dismissed with substantial cost for failure to comply with condition precedent.”

Odili, in his fundamental rights enforcement suit, gave details of how an unnamed NIS official accosted him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and requested for his passport.

He wants the court to among others, direct the NIS and its Comptroller-General to return his passport, restrain them further further harassing and intimidating him and to order them to write a written apology to him “for the embarrassment occasioned by the unlawful seizure of the applicant’s international passport.”

Odili, in his supporting affidavit, gave details of how his passport was seized thus: “In the early hours of Sunday 20th June, 2021 at about 5am, I returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom where I had gone for my medicals, through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

“My travel documents, including my Nigerian international passport No: B50031305 were checked and given back to me, by the immigration officials.

“However, while waiting for my luggage, an official of the immigration service came over to me and demanded for my international passport aforesaid.

“I demanded to know why he wanted it, and he stated that it was for a routine check, and that same will be given back to me the following day.

“No official explanation, other than the above conversation, was given to me. I gave him the passport, and up till now same has not been returned to me.

“The seizure of my passport by the respondents has denied me movements in and out of Nigeria, thereby restricting my movement in violation of my constitutional right to freedom of movement.

“I know as a fact that I am a very senior citizen of Nigeria, law abiding and I have done nothing to have warranted the seizure of my passport by the respondents.”

At the mention of the case on Wednesday, respondents’ lawyer, Jimoh Adamu told the court that his clients have filed a counter affidavit, but which was filed out of time.

Without any objection by Odili’s lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), Justice Ahmed Mohammed granted the respondents’ request to regularise the process filed out of time.

Justice Mohammed then adjourned till September 28 for hearing, before which Adedipe was to file his client’s response to the respondents’ counter-affidavit.

Ecobank Nigeria has announced special loan packages for parents and guardians to enable them pay school fees for their children and wards ahead of resumption for the 2021/2022 school year.

Also, the bank is making special infrastructure loans available to educational institutions. This, according to the bank, will equip them adequately for the new session.

Announcing the various ‘back to school’ initiatives of the bank in Lagos, Head, Consumer Banking, Korede Demola-Adeniyi, said it is in line with the bank’s overall strategy to support the development of the nation’s education sector, adding that Ecobank’s digital offerings are targeted at reducing the financial burden on parents, students and schools, and also facilitating the ease of payment of fees without hassles.

She listed the digital offerings to include Ecobank Mobile App, EcobankPay and Ecobank Online for contactless fees payment; personal loans and salary advance packages at competitive interest rates, international transfers for offshore school fees payment and affordable remittance offerings.

She also noted that families abroad who wish to send money home to help with fees can do so at zero charges on the Rapidtransfer app. The bank has also provided the Banking-for-School pack for educational institutions to access working capital and loans. The features of this pack include easy fee collections, zero charges on collection accounts with EcobankPay, secure online banking with Omni Lite and cards for easy payments.

According to her: “As a bank that has the interest of its customers at heart especially at this period when schools resume, we understand the importance of education. Children deserve to go to school and we are making it easy for parents to provide them this basic right.”

Speaking specifically on the loans available for the educational institutions, she noted that they could be accessed without bottlenecks as the bank has taken into cognisance the harsh effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Further, Mrs. Demola-Adeniyi urged schools to appoint the bank as their preferred financial institution for payments and collections, noting that Ecobank has demonstrated pedigree and expertise in fees collection, locally and internationally. She encouraged schools and individuals that are yet to open Ecobank accounts to do so in order to access the offers available.

…reinforces its commitment to put customers first

In furtherance of its commitment to spearhead value-driven mobile and digital banking in Nigeria, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has announced the launch of the LIT Application, created to revolutionise the culture and experience of mobile banking in Nigeria.

The state-of-the-art banking app is the first of its kind in the industry, exposing customers to a wealth of opportunities to promote their safety, convenience whilst ensuring they are at an edge in today’s digital banking world. It is a mobile banking app developed and owned by the Bank and configured with a wide range of exciting features to meet the needs of its dynamic customers.

The LIT application is not just about bills payment, funds transfer or airtime recharge, but also the app is equipped with several other exciting features that reiterate the Bank’s resolve to continually expand its digital architecture to modernise its interaction with customers, irrespective of where they may be across the world.

These functions of the LIT app include: multiple transfers which allow customers to select several beneficiaries at once for a single transfer; account opening opportunities for non-customers as well as account management, enabling customers to identify their relationship managers for immediate assistance, should the need arise.

In addition, customers can generate bank statements with options to download as pdf or send an email whilst having receipts generated as far back as one wants. With the LIT app, customers are also able to log and manage their complaint(s) without having to visit the branch. The LIT app is not all about usage but rewards as users (customers) are rewarded for using the application.

Expressing his excitement, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, First Bank of Nigeria Limited said: “The LIT App is designed to strengthen our commitment to our customers, ensuring the continued safety of their funds and providing them with access to renewed transformative and adaptable solutions especially in today’s digital world. Developing the application is essential to make certain that our customers have more ways to seamlessly interact with us. The LIT App is the latest addition to the Bank’s robust electronic banking family, with others being the multiple global award-winning FirstMobile, *894# USSD Banking, FirstOnline internet banking, WhatsApp chat banking, amongst many others.”