₦airaland Forum

Union Bank, one of Nigeria’s foremost financial institutions has announced a US$130,000 (N50million) donation to tackle the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria.

The donation was made into a fund set up by 54gene, an African genomics research, services and development company working closely with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The money will help increase COVID-19 testing capacity in the country by up to 1,000 additional tests a day, by buying testing instruments and critical biosafety materials such as biosafety cabinets and personal protective equipment urgently needed to keep frontline healthcare workers safe. The procured equipment will be installed in general hospitals and laboratories across the country, and will remain in place even after the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to be used in the case of future outbreaks.

In addition, there will also be extensive training and support to medical practitioners and volunteers working across the country to curb the menace.

Announcing the donation, the Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa, said: “Community is one of our core values at Union Bank, and there’s no better time to live this value than now. A critical need for the country at this time is to scale up our testing capabilities and give us a better chance of slowing the spread of the virus. We are therefore pleased to be supporting 54gene who is directly collaborating with NCDC and World Health Organisation who are coordinating Nigeria’s Covid-19 response.”

While commending Union Bank on its donation, the CEO of 54gene, Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong also said: “The rapid and assured response from some of Nigeria’s most reputable institutions, such as Union Bank, to join us in our fight against this deadly disease is highly welcome, and we thank them for their unwavering support. They, like us, understand the need for a multi-stakeholder, co-ordinated plan, that can be implemented almost immediately, as we work together as a community, side-by-side, to fight COVID-19 and protect our population.”

Last week, Union Bank, which had already been proactive in rolling out stringent safety and hygiene practices within its branches and service locations, took the lead in activating remote work for its employees, directing more than 70% of its employees in non-service functions to work from home starting Monday, 23rd of March.

Union Bank also announced the launch of a toll-free Customer Care number 0800 700 700 which customers can call free of charge at anytime of the day or night to get help with banking issues.

These initiatives underscore Union Bank’s commitment to containing the spread of the virus while actively supporting the communities within which it operates.

Commercial sex workers in Delta State have cried out over low patronage because of the coronavirus.

Already, economic and commercial activities have been grounded in not only the state but the country at large as the deadly virus has infected about 46 people and killed the former Managing Director of the Petroleum and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), Mr. Suleiman Achimugu.

Low patronage has forced hotel and shopping mall owners to place their workers on compulsory leave in Asaba, the state capital, until the tension surrounding the disease subsides.

This came as markets, schools, club houses, playgrounds and recreational centres are set to shut down across the state.

Sex workers said they were facing hard times within the metropolis as patronage has dropped for fear of having contact with unsuspecting carrier of the disease.

An Assistant Manager of one of the five-star hotels on Mariam Babangida Way in Asaba, Mr. Godwin Johnson, yesterday said the disease had put his job on the line.

A club attendant on the popular DBS Road in Asaba, who identified herself simply as Vidal, said 10 out the 22 workers at their “Rock and Roll” organisation, had been placed on standby, owing to low patronage.

She said: “Since the disease hit Nigeria through Lagos State and Abuja, and government emphasised restricted access at air and seaports, and banned mass gathering, offering of social amenities and playing of danceable music at clubs drastically dropped within Asaba metropolis. The aftermath is the job insecurity we have been plunged into.”

Vidal said sex workers had recorded low patronage since the outbreak of the disease as customers suddenly lost interest.

A proprietor of an establishment that provides accommodation, foods and drinks on DBS Road, who pleaded anonymity, was optimistic that the disease would be a blessing in disguise.

She said: “We overcame Ebola, Monkey-pox, and Lassa fever as a nation. Coronavirus will not be an exception. The spread has seriously affected nightlife. Male customers have stayed away, female counterparts are lonely. There is low patronage now.”

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, says the strategy of the federal government in containing coronavirus is working.

But the minister said the government is not getting the kind of cooperation it deserves from Nigerians in the fight against the disease.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Mohammed said many Nigerians are busy making “meaningless criticisms” instead of complying with the stipulated directives to keep themselves safe.

He said some citizens who flew into the country gave fake telephone numbers and addresses — making it difficult for them to be traced.

“Let me say, without mincing words, that we are not getting the kind of cooperation that this moment deserves from Nigerians. Many are busy engaging in meaningless criticisms instead of complying with the stipulated directives to keep people safe,” he said.

“Some Nigerians who flew into the country from overseas filled wrong addresses and phone numbers in their forms, making it difficult to trace them when the need arises.

“Some Nigerians defied orders to stay away from large gatherings while some religious leaders willfully flouted the directives to ensure social distancing.

“The government is doing its best but we need the citizens to do their best too. We have now gone past the stage of persuasion. It’s time for strong enforcement.

“I want to say straight away that our strategy at containing this pandemic is working, but we still have a long way to go,” he said.

“We know our priorities and we know our challenges. We have taken very bold measures in stopping international flights into the country, and we hail the state governments that have take equally bold measures in their states, which include the closure of markets and the prohibition of large congregations.”

Mohammed said the government is considering tougher measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“Possible measures include; Stopping inter-state/inter-town travel, except for essential services,” he said.

“Closing all motor parks and inter-state rail stations. Already, all train movements nationwide have been stopped. Using fire fighting and other adaptable vehicles and personnel to fumigate cities and towns.”

After a lavish birthday party in Dubai, female All Progressive Congress chieftain son has tested positive to COVID-19.

As a result of this, many of the politician’s associates that attended her Dubai party have gone into panic mood over possibility of contracting the virus.

The son is a Los Angeles based named Junior Oyebobola who joined his mother-polician in Dubai for celebration.

On return to Los Angeles, the son who is a good friend of music star Davido was diagnosed with Covid-19 and thus placed on quarantine with red tape placed on his door, News of the People exclusively gathered.

The news of the son’s status has however sent jitters to the family especially the father who has been charging at his ex-wife to have invited the 24 year-old to Dubai

It remains unclear if the politician has identified herself to relevant medical agencies but sources informed this magazine that she has restricted her hobnob in recent days.

The politician had the son 24 years ago for Owo born businessman, Wande before she controversially bolted away from America.

-Newsofthepeople-ng.com

By Ayo Alonge



There are indications that China may have intentionally created the pandemic, just to cash in on the global economy, among other reasons. Anyone who attempts to be analytic on this won’t agree less.

I suspect China.

Yesterday, CNN reported that no new locally transmitted coronavirus cases in China, for the first time since the pandemic began, marking a major turning point in the global battle to contain Covid-19. Same thing today.

Dramatically, the rate at which patients are recovering in a country where the pandemic emanated from is alarmingly magical, with nobody telling us how.

One expects to have had a detailed documentary from China, showing a step-by-step method of patients being treated.
China has all the technology, mind you!

That’s why I suspect China.

Let nobody finger our brains. China has the vaccine already produced to cure Covid-19 and that is not chloroquine.

A quarter of the news has it that China is using robots and telemedicine to combat the coronavirus. That’s not chloroquine.

Suspect China.

Reportedly, within a short while, China bought almost everything it devalued on the stock exchanges around the world and became owners of the global companies in the country, with all the money remaining in the country.

Suddenly and suspiciously, China officially announced victory over the Coronavirus, after raking in billions of dollars in just few days.

As of today, of the 80,967 cases in China, there have been only 3,248 deaths and 71,150 recoveries. That’s the largest rate of recoveries, of all the 182 countries affected, as of today.

I daresay that it is a clear possibility that China may have set out to sacrifice a few thousands of its citizens, instead of sacrificing an entire people.

You now see why Trump insists this is nothing but Chinese virus?

Some call it conspiracy theory but I call it a monumental scam of global standard.

We must all suspect China.

Nigeria leading financial institution, Access Bank has share safety measure to stay safe during the unprecedented global challenge associated with the current COVID-19 Pandemic through its Marketing and Corporate Communications department.

In a video, the bank deploys measures to protect employees, customers and other stakeholders.

“The health of all our stakeholders remains paramount at Access Bank Plc, as we are adopting all necessary measures to ensure your safety at this time.

Please, be reminded that we will continue to serve you through our Alternative Delivery Channels, Online Banking, Access Mobile app, Cards, USSD *901#, WhatsApp Baking, Tamada and ATMs are available 24 hours a day for your banking needs,” the bank said in a statement.

Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, has announced proactive measures it has taken to control the spread of the COVID – 19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

The Bank’s Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney, said “embedded in our corporate strategy is business continuity management that ensures the delivery of products, services and initiatives to our stakeholders and enabling the economy in the long-term with minimal impact.

Therefore, we have employed necessary measures to keep our employees, customers and the general public safe-guarded and sensitised on preventive steps to flatten the curve at the fastest possible rate. These include the deployment of temperature measuring tools; hand sanitisers; face masks and adopting social distancing including utilizing virtual meetings.

We have also cancelled owned and partnered planned events in the interim; suspended staff travels and have put measures in place to identify and communicate to staff who are arriving from affected countries to self-quarantine following the established protocols by the World Health Organisation and the government.

In addition, we have been amplifying all necessary official information from relevant health bodies and partners such as encouraging everyone to adhere to good hygiene practices which comprise regular cleaning of all surface areas – for example, tables, door handles – with disinfectants, consistent washing of hands as well as avoiding close contact with people and staying away from crowded environment.”

Encouraging the use of cashless transactions, Mrs. Ani-Mumuney said: “We implore all our customers to embrace cashless transactions across our self-service platforms like *894# USSD banking services, FirstMobile, WhatsApp Banking, First Online for their needs like funds transfers, various bill payments, credit and internet data recharge and much more. In need of quick loans, these self-service platforms are also designed to meet their immediate needs through our FirstAdvance service.”

For enquiries and complaints, customers are encouraged to contact the Bank’s 24 hours multi-lingual customer care centre, FirstContact, on 01-4485500 or email, firstcontact@firstbanknigeria.com.

She noted that the Bank is committed to protecting the health and safety of all its staff, customers and host communities as together the fight against Coronavirus would be won.

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) should be reached on its Toll-Free Number: 0800 9700 001 for immediate medical attention and advise.

Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading financial institution, has donated N100 million to the Emergency Relief Fund set up by the Lagos State Government for the victims of the Abulo-Edo explosion.

The Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu made the pledge on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, when the Management of the Bank visited the State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the State House, Marina, Lagos to condone with him and the good people of Lagos State on the unfortunate incident of March 15, 2020 which led to the loss of lives and properties at the Abule-Ado area in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking during the visit, Mr. Onyeagwu said: “For us in Zenith, we share in the concerns and the very traumatic experience that Lagos state is passing through. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, those who lost their lives and those who are still in the hospitals, recovering. We can only but pray that God will comfort the families. We are also very impressed with the fact that the response from the Lagos State Government was quick, rapid and immediate. There is nothing you can do to quantify the loss of lives. The only thing one can do is to ameliorate the sufferings, the pains and the discomfort of those who have been terribly impacted. So, we would like to let Mr. Governor know that we share with him at this moment. We are aware that you’ve also set up a relief fund account and we are willing to make an immediate contribution of N100 million.”

On his part, the Lagos State Governor expressed his sincere appreciation to the Management of the Bank for taking time out of their busy schedule to embark on the sober visit and stand with the State Government in this trying moment. While thanking the bank for the N100 million donation to the emergency relief fund set up by the State Government for victims of the explosion, he also expressed his delight at the bank’s acceptance of the offer to co-house the fund.

Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had on Monday while speaking with stakeholders and journalists at the explosion site, disclosed that a N2 billion Abule Ado/Soba Emergency Relief Fund had been set up for the victims. He said the state government have donated N250 million to the fund and solicited for support from all Nigerians including the private sector.

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc has announced the launch of Beta Health, a low-cost health financing product that offers instant access to health insurance for every Nigerian.

The first of its kind in Nigeria, Beta Health provides coverage for basic and essential health services such as; general consultations, treatment for malaria, Ante Natal care, amongst others, for a subscription of N500 a month.

As at 2018, more than 90 percent of the Nigerian population are not enrolled in any health insurance scheme, according to the country’s Ministry of Health. This is because health insurance is either too expensive or not very accessible to most people across the country.

Beta Health is a response to this pressing national need and the latest offering in the long line of GTBank’s innovative products and services aimed at adding value to people’s everyday lives. To subscribe to Beta Health, all a customer has to do is simply dial *737*52*500*50# on their mobile phones, and they will be signed up on the package within minutes.

People subscribed to Beta Health can walk into over 1,000 hospitals nationwide and get attended to for select medical cases, at no out-of-pocket cost. There are, on average, at least 5 healthcare centres in every local government area under the Beta Health coverage, and the plan also allows for subscription on behalf of a third-party; such as relatives, domestic staff, contract workers and employees of small businesses. This offers an efficient solution for access to basic healthcare services for people in every part of the country and across all works of life.

Commenting on the launch of Beta Health, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr Segun Agbaje, said: “We are delighted and proud to launch this healthcare initiative which we believe will have a tremendous impact in people’s lives. Beta Health is more than just a banking product, it reflects our passion for enriching lives and commitment to expanding access to the essential services which everyone needs to thrive.”

He further stated: “For us at GTBank, this is just the start. We will continue to build on Beta Health to provide greater access to more robust and comprehensive healthcare plans that serve the pressing needs and fit the lifestyle of our customers and people in the communities where we operate.”

GTBank has consistently played a leading role in Africa’s banking industry. The Bank is regarded by industry watchers as one of the best run financial institutions across its subsidiary countries and serves as a role model within the financial service industry due to its bias for world-class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and innovation.

The Bank is also going beyond the traditional understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility as corporate philanthropy by intervening in key economic sectors through non-profit consumer-focused fairs and capacity building initiatives for small businesses.

This week’s Monday mission was about communication and teamwork.

The couples, IYKERESA and BOLAR were both assigned a wall space at a school and had to work together to beautify it but there was a plot twist; the females, Bolanle and Theresa were taught the artful skill of painting by a professional painter and had to pass that knowledge unto their partners Iyke and Arnold to complete the task.

On Tuesday evening, the Love Guests made their way to the living room to await Aunty’s decision, as they have all become accustomed to her Tuesday pickings. She selected BOLAR to continue their love journey in the Love Pad because she felt they needed a break from being chosen three times in a row whist IYKERESA remained on the final nomination list alongside DOUBLECHRIS, JAYKECH and OBIEBI.

As we countdown to the Sunday, 22nd March Live Show, the viewers will get a chance to vote for the couple they would like to see remain in the Love Pad.

Voting opened 8pm WAT Tuesday 17 March and will close 10pm WAT Thursday, 19 March. Voting can be done via the Africa Magic website – https://africamagic.dstv.com/show/ultimate-love/vote and the MyDStv and MyGOtv Apps where a total of 100 votes are available. Also, viewers in Nigeria on participating networks 9Mobile, Airtel & MTN can vote for their favourite couple by sending ‘VOTE’ and the ‘couple’s name’ to ‘32052’.

Ultimate Love is live 24/7 on DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact, DStv Confam and DStv Yanga packages on channel 198; and on GOtv Max and GOtv Jolli packages on channel 29.

For more information on the show, visit www.africamagic.tv/ultimatelove and follow the social media updates on @ultimateloveng on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #UltimateLoveNg.

Age they say is nothing but a number but not when you are 126 and still relevant. FirstBank Ltd, Nigeria’s oldest bank has in so many ways stood the test of time.

If there is any bank you can reference for experience when it comes to transformation and innovation from the second industrial revolution to what many see now as the fourth, then it is perhaps this bank. Innovate or die as they say.

Last week, news reports suggest the bank was considering an acquisition of Polaris and Heritage Banks respectively. The bank promptly issued a press release neither affirming nor denying that a deal was under consideration.

However, it said enough to warrant a review of the consequences of taking yet another bold step in the bank’s ageless journey in survival.

Heritage Bank which began operations in 2012 after acquiring the license and structure of the old Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria is not new to controversy.

In 2014 Heritage Bank did the unthinkable, it was announced by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) as the winner of the bid for the acquisition of the defunct Enterprise Bank.

Since then, reports about the bank’s ability to remain as a going concern have dominated the news. Polaris Bank, on the other hand, was created by the CBN after it took over the hugely mismanaged Skye Bank Plc.

The bank is yet to publish its financials and the impression out there is that the bank is on life support on the instruction of the CBN.

So, why could FirstBank or indeed any bank be interested in these banks? Last January, the CEO of Heritage Bank Mr. Ifie Sekibo revealed that it will soon receive fresh capital injection from yet to be disclosed investors, a development that is expected to push up the bank’s capital base and by so doing, drive growth.

This was the first official indication that the bank needed capital to survive and remain competitive. FirstBank’s position as the largest bank by total assets and deposits was also usurped by Access Bank following its acquisition with Diamond Bank.

To wrestle the bank, it’s position at the top, First Bank will have to consider both organic and inorganic means. Thus, an acquisition with Heritage Bank is logical. Heritage Bank also recently launched its digital banking business, Octopus putting it at the forefront of the FinTech driven future of banking.

FirstBank potential acquisition with Polaris is one that is hard to decipher from a value proposition. Thus, a possible deal will have to exclude liabilities for it to make sense.

To be fair, Polaris bank has reinvented itself over the last couple of years despite its legacy challenges and ability to attract deposits. From rebranding to launching new products it has struggled to remain relevant as AMCON continues its search for a buyer.

Last year, the bad loan bank announced it will step up a sale of the bank after the 2019 general elections.

Is this a good move for First Bank? First Bank has its own fair share of challenges and is currently undergoing a transformation. The bank is reining in on its notoriously high cost to income ratio and has also reduced its non-performing loans ratio. It has also led the sector in terms of financial inclusion and is also tech conscious with its very impressive banking app and associated services.

The race to scale driven dominance in the banking sector will likely hinge heavily on inorganic growth such as mergers and acquisitions. For a Holdco like FBNH, First Bank’s parent company, the structure allows target driven acquisitions which could solidify the bank’s position as a leading financial services supermarket.

But the risks are obvious and real. An acquisition is not just a combination of balance sheets, it can be a clash of cultures and an explosion of costs. Recent banking acquisitions have not really resulted in the so-called dominance it touts or cost synergies it hopes to optimize.

Nigeria’s largest banks by profits and market capitalization remain Zenith Bank and GT Bank and both avoided mergers and acquisitions during the Soludo driven banking consolidation race.

If FirstBank is to cut a deal to swallow both Polaris and Heritage Banks respectively, then it needs thorough due diligence and must avoid carrying on liabilities and costs that often weigh down on consolidation gains.

In 2017, we got a chance to ask the CEO of the bank, Dr Adesola Adeduntan if the bank could win the race to get to trillions in gross revenue. In response, he took a deep breath and remarked that First Bank was in it to win it. This acquisition may just be a chance to nick it.

It is going to be another landmark event on Tuesday, 24th of March 2020, for Apostle Johnson Suleman, Senior Pastor at the Omega Fire Ministries (OFM) worldwide, as he adds a year to his age.

The golden opportunity, one of the most important birthdays a person has in life, however, would see the servant of God welcoming who-is-who to the occasion billed to hold at the ministry’s headquarters in Auchi, Edo State on Sunday, 22nd of March, 2020.

Top on the list of dignitaries are men of timber and caliber, in the likes of former Nigeria’s President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; the incumbent governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa; the minister of Transport, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, and, of course, the host governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, of Edo State, and many more.

According to Apostle Suleman, marking the beginning of the second half of a century in a man’s life is very important because “it is honouring memories, victories, struggles and everything in-between.”

Just as Auchi is making grand plans for the birthday shindig of the ‘Restoration Apostle’, the Lagos State headquarters of the ministry is also preparing big to celebrate Suleman’s age and 28 years nonstop, inspiring mission in the Lord’s vineyard.

It is going to be an unusual strictly church event, as information had it that, after a special morning fellowship, members of the ministry led by Reverend Fidelis Ayemoba, would gather friends, and family members to celebrate the man they see as a trailblazer.

“There is going to be a big birthday cake and gifts, and fellowship launch,” a church member hints, adding that Suleman is “a phenomenal father who deserves to be celebrated.”

A part of the designs for the Auchi events, we gathered, is a showbiz package where Christian entertainers like the Triumphant Sisters, Stiv Divine, Prince Fikky, Femi Johnson, MC Albino, Home Of Lafta, Collins Kings, Flourish Royal, Austin Fame, Priscilla, Prestige, Philip Joel, and many others, are set to use their talents to glorify God in celebration of the Apostle’s birthday.

Characteristics of the famous preacher, between the birthday activities, he is going to empower a lot of people from within and outside the ministry, with cash and material gifts, it was learnt.

Shareholders of Zenith Bank Plc, on Monday, at the 29th Annual General Meeting of the Bank held at the Shehu Musa Yaradua Centre, Abuja unanimously approved the proposed final dividend of N2.50 per share, bringing the total dividend payment for the 2019 financial year to N2.80 per share with a total value of N87.9 billion. This followed the recent release of the Bank’s audited financial results for the 2019 financial year.

According to the audited financial results for the 2019 financial year, Zenith Bank recorded a profit after tax (PAT) of N208.8 billion, an increase of 8% from the N193 billion recorded in the previous year, thus achieving the feat as the first Nigerian Bank to cross the N200 billion mark.

The Group also recorded a growth in gross earnings of 5% rising to N662.3 billion from N630.3 billion reported in the previous year. This growth was driven by the 29% increase in non-interest income from N179.9 billion in 2018 to N231.1 billion in 2019.

Fees on electronic products continue to grow significantly with a 108% Year on Year (Y-o-Y) growth from N20.4 billion in 2018 to N42.5 billion in the current year. This is a validation of the bank’s retail transformation strategy which continues to deliver impressive results.

Profit before tax also increased by 5% growing from N232 billion to N243 billion in the current year, arising from topline growth and continued focus on cost optimisation strategies. Cost-to-income ratio moderated from 49.3% to 48.8%.

The drive for cheaper retail deposits coupled with the low-interest yield environment helped reduce the cost of funding from 3.1% to 3.0%.

However, this also affected net interest margin, which reduced from 8.9% to 8.2% in the current year due to re-pricing of interest-bearing assets. Although returns on equity and assets held steady YoY at 23.8% and 3.4% respectively, the Group still delivered an improved Earnings per Share (EPS) which grew 8% from N6.15 to N6.65 in the current year.

The Group increased its share of the market as it secured increased customer deposits across the corporate and retail space as deposits grew by 15% to close at N4.26 trillion. Total assets also increased by 7% from N5.96 trillion to N6.35 trillion. The Group created new viable risk assets as gross loans grew by 22% from N2.016 trillion to N2.462 trillion.

This was executed prudently at a low cost of risk of 1.1% and a significant reduction in the non-performing loan ratio from 4.98% to 4.30%. Prudential ratios such as liquidity and capital adequacy ratios also remained above regulatory thresholds at 57.3% and 22.0% respectively.

In recognition of its track record of excellent performance, Zenith Bank was voted as the Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria 2019 by the World Finance and the Best Digital Bank in Nigeria 2019 by Agusto & Co. The Bank was also recognised as Bank of the Year and Best Bank in Retail Banking at the 2019 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Awards.

Most recently, the Bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria, for the third consecutive year, in the recently released Banker Magazine “Top 500 Banking Brands 2020”, the Best Bank in Nigeria 2020 in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards 2020, and the Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the Thisday Awards 2020.

The Jesuit Fathers and Brothers, Lagos, are calling on all Jesuit Alumni, Jesuit benefactors, Jesuit Parents Teachers Associations, Jesuit associates and friends to participate in its maiden edition of Lenten Retreat in Lagos.

Jesuit Director of Development, Fr. Kevin-Maria Odey, SJ, who made this call said Lenten Retreat is a way of participating in the Lenten season, a 40-day period of grace and preparation towards Easter.

The Jesuits, formally known as the Society of Jesus (S.J.), a priestly Religious Order in the Roman Catholic Church, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, are noted for their educational, missionary, charitable works and their Ignatian Spirituality.

Scheduled for Saturday, March 21, Fr. Odey said the whole idea of the retreat is to bring together, the Jesuit extended family networks (Jesuits, Jesuit Alumni, benefactors, PTAs, Associates and friends) to interact, pray, and plan during the period.

According to him, the retreat which will commence at 10am is also geared towards introducing a new pathway of the SJ known as the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) and rekindling the Ignatian values of Faith, Love, and Service among its extended Jesuit family.

He said: “The event will take place at the Lagos Resource Centre, 9 Anifowoshe, Victoria Island, Lagos. We are called to reflect on the essence of our being. Who am I? Where am I from? Why am I here? What follows when I die? This program offers a time of deep reflection and a time to draw closer to God and to one another.”

He noted that the pathway to this is through repentance, prayers, fasting, abstinence and charity to the less privileged.

However, Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Ugo Nweke, SJ, a seasoned Jesuit with many years of administration as President, Principal, Chaplain in various Jesuit institutions and the current Assistant to the Provincial on Tertiary Education, is expected to speak on the theme: GRATITUDE/GENEROSITY: A Foundation for Christian Discipleship (Implementing the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs)).

On the choice of the topic, Fr. Nweke, SJ said, “Gratitude is an underlying movement in the Ignatian Spirituality leading us to God. It also influences the life of Jesuits, their collaborators and friends.

“A life lived in gratitude to God is energized to be more positive, more effective, more healthy, more humane and more poised to be in generous service to the neighbor and the common good.

“In noisy and stress-filled environment like ours, keeping our eyes on that precious gem called gratitude is something we should not lose.”

Zenith Bank has sent a notice to its customers that their naira cards now have an international withdrawal limit of $1,000 a month.

The bank also said daily limits for withdrawals outside Nigeria have been set at $300.

This was the method adopted by banks in 2015 at the onset of the dollar crunch which was caused by a drop in crude oil prices.

Nigeria’s economy slipped into a recession in 2016.

“Please be informed that the monthly international spend limit for your Zenith Bank naira card has been reviewed to $1,000,” the notice read.

“Your card can be used for ATM withdrawals outside Nigeria ($300 daily limit), web and point of sale (POS) payment.”

It is expected that other banks might follow Zenith’s exampled as a result of falling oil prices.

Crude oil prices recorded a sharp decline after a meeting between the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies ended with Russia declining to join additional cuts proposed by OPEC.

Saudi Arabia also announced its decision to increase daily output and offer discounts to its customers.

This caused panic in Nigeria’s forex market with the naira trading at N400 to the dollar.

Commenting on the situation, Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said unscrupulous market speculators were responsible for the panic.

He said the demand for dollar was unexplained as manufacturing firms in China and Europe are closed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The duo of Jenny Koko and Louis (Jelo) have been checked out of Ultimate Love, proudly Naija reality television show, after an exciting and entertaining experience at the Love Pad.

The couple became the third couple to leave the Love Pad on Sunday after they received the least number of votes out of the four nominated couples from the voting public last week. They, however, went home with N100,000 and other beautiful gifts after they declined to play the Jeopardy game on stage.

Meanwhile, five couples were nominated for possible check-out during the live nomination show on Sunday. The couples as announced by the show’s hosts, Dakore Egbuson-Akande and Oluwaseun Olaniyan, are DoubleChris (Chris and Chris Ville), Jaykech (Jay and Nkechi), Bolar (Bolanle and Arnold), Obiebi (Obichukwu and Ebiteinye), and Iykeresa (Iyke and Theresa).

DoubleChris led the pack this week with four nominations, Jaykech had three nominations each; while Bolar, Obiebi and Iykeresa got two nominations respectively.

However, Aunty has the power to save one of the couples from possible eviction and the couple will be saved after performing a real-world mission task as chosen by her. The couples selected for the task by Adesuwa Onyenokwe, the show’s Aunty, are Iykeresa and Bolar.

The couples with the least number of votes will be evicted during the live check-out show next Sunday.

Voting will start on Tuesday at 8 pm and will close on Thursday at 10 pm. Voting can be done via the Africa Magic website and mobile platforms and DStv and GOtv Apps.

Ultimate Love is live 24/7 on DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact, DStv Confam and DStv Yanga packages on channel 198; and on GOtv Max and GOtv Jolli packages on channel 29.

For more information on the show, visit www.africamagic.tv/ultimatelove and follow the social media updates on @ultimateloveng on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #UltimateLoveNg.

Access Bank Plc, at the weekend, commenced the 12th season of its DiamondXtra promo as part of its continuous drive to encourage savings culture and reward its loyal customers. This was even as the bank said it will reward about 5,074 customers with prize funds of over N1 billion while adding that it is looking at increasing its accounts from 41 million to 100 million by 2022.

Speaking during the launch of its 12th season in Lagos, the Executive Director, Retail Banking, Access Bank, Victor Etuokwu, said the bank has introduced new segments to the scheme.

Etuokwu said: “This year will be wonderful for our access bank customers especially the ones who have a Diamondxtra savings account. This season we are introducing several good stuffs over last season. We will have over 63 winners for rent for a year category, 3 people winning salary for life and we will introduce a free health insurance scheme that will cover the customer, spouse or husband and three children.

“We will have the same number of people winning N1 million as regards cash prizes like we had today. We also have a lot of loyalty schemes, we will introduce 9 winners (women) who will be winning N300,000 each and we will be doing draws every month for the rest of this year and one of them will win a shopping allowance of N100,000. This year, we are introducing senior citizens, about 9 of them will be winning N500,000 each and one of them will get a N100,000 a month”.

According to him: “We are looking at bringing in up to 100 million accounts between now and 2022 as we are currently at 41 million accounts and so we are targeting Nigerians as we want every household in Nigeria to have a Diamondxtra account”.

Corroborating him, Head, Products Insights and Capabilities, Access Bank, Robert Giles, revealed that over the years since the inception of the initiative, the bank have rewarded 22,000 customers with prizes of over N5.7 billion in prize funds while adding that Access Bank remains committed to impacting the lives of Nigerians.

National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Sunday said powerful forces in the party want the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole out of office because of their 2023 inordinate political ambition.

He said such plotters knew that if Oshiomhole was around, their 2023 political ambition would fail.

The former governor of Lagos State in a statement on Sunday said while Coronavirus had been presently contained in Nigeria, the nation must be alert to another sickness that seemed rampant within a certain segment of society, saying that sickness was old Ambition-virus 2023, adding that this illness afflicted many in the political class along with their allies in the media.

According to him, those touched by this malady found that their ability to tell time and discern the difference between the present and the future had been strongly impaired and that the carriers of this sickness were confused as to the very season the nation now found itself.

Tinubu said those plotting the downfall of Oshiomhole launched their attack solely because they perceived the chairman as an obstacle to their 2023 ambitions, saying that people went to court knowing full well the party constitution prohibited such action because these people had not yet exhausted all internal disciplinary procedures.

He stated that “We even had a national deputy secretary improperly call for a NEC meeting on the basis that he believed himself the acting national chairman. Clearly, this man would not have summoned the temerity to make such a move had he not been instigated by powerful individuals who he thought would reward or, at least, protect him for committing the wrongful act.

“Those engaged in these manoeuvres see themselves as clever or cunning. They do so because they only understand the mean craft of political intrigue. They have yet to understand the value and long-term utility of democratic governance. Thus, they embark on the strangest of quest. They would rather dismantle and weaken the institutional core of their party just to gain control of that weakened edifice in order to pilfer the party nomination, which they crave. This is more than sad.”

Tinubu stated that “many of us expended sweat, tears, toil and sleepless nights to build this party. Our personal sacrifices were not insignificant. We built this party not simply as a vehicle for personal ambition. We built the party because we saw it as perhaps the only enduring hope to bring progressive governance to this nation. Those who now seek to abuse the party by using it as their personal device do it great harm.

“They should not be allowed to sacrifice this collective enterprise at the altar of their self-aggrandizement. Somehow, some way they should find in themselves the bearing to adhere to the democratic spirit on which the party was founded. To be an APC member means more than merely carrying a membership card. It means to believe in a set of ideals and principles geared to our highest purpose as a party and a nation.”

Tinubu said in a broader context, those afflicted with the 2023 virus did a grave disservice to President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration and that they should be trying their best to help the president, saying that instead of seeing Buhari as their present leader and commander-in-chief, their sole contemplation was upon his eventual exit.

“Yet, not even a full year has passed since his second inaugural. How can they be committed to helping him realise his mandate when the fullness of their gaze is affixed to seizing this very mandate for themselves? The President is faced with many challenges. He is fighting hard on security to keep the population safe. He is pushing for economic reforms that will augur future sustainable growth.

“His disdain for corruption remains unwavering. Add to it now the Corona crisis and its resultant social as well as economic impact. Politicians express loyalty to him but the words of too many of our politicians are like butter under a burning sun; they melt quickly away. Better to be loyal in deed. Instead of trying to manipulate party and other mechanisms solely to their political gain, it is time to shelve political intrigue for the time being. It is time for all party members to truly see what is at stake and work with Mr. President for the collective good of the nation,” he stated.

“This means we must rally around President Buhari. Instead of everyone saying they are working for the party and nation but going their separate ways based on their selfish designs, we must help him build a stronger national consensus on policies that will ensure safety and bring greater prosperity. If need be and when called upon, we must offer ideas and suggestions that move policy and progress forward. This is the time for governance. It is not the moment to bring the politics of 2023 into 2020.

“In due course, 2023 shall come. Nothing can prevent it. However, that time is not today. If we are earnest, the present offers sufficient work and challenges for us without trying to add to it by rushing the future. Let us dedicate our energies to helping President Buhari win the present. In this way, you better secure the future for the nation, the party and even for whatever personal ambitions you may nurture,” he added.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited is taking steps to ensure that women and women-led businesses are empowered. The bank has, through its FirstGem; FirstMonie and First Women Network empowered and brought several unbanked women into the financial system. This it proved during this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration, writes COLLINS NWEZE.

Empowering women through improved access to finance and social support are crucial in achieving the desired growth for the economy. This is the belief of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, even as it maintained that investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth.

It acknowledges the enormous contributions made by women, whether as business women, farmers, entrepreneurs or employees, or by doing unpaid care work at home.

This it demonstrated during this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), a worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements – from the political to the social. It is also a day that stakeholders in Nigeria and in the Diaspora canvassed gender equality in society and workplace.

The event brings together governments, women’s organisations, corporations and charities for purposes of development and inclusion.

According to the World Bank, women empowerment is the process that creates power in individuals over their own lives, society and in their communities.

Women’s empowerment is all about equipping and allowing them to make life-determining decisions through the different problems in society.

Also, empowering women by granting them access to vast opportunities and information will not only lead to personal development for them but also the development of the communities and societies they operate in.

First Bank is, therefore, supporting women’s economic empowerment through FirstGem, which gives them economic voice and bring many unbanked women to the financial system.

The bank has advanced N58 billion loans to over 81,000 women-led businesses and interests. Besides, 44,356 women (corporate and individual, including members of staff of the bank) currently own and operate the FirstGem account with a seating balance of N2.4 billion.

Also, the Agent Banking platform – which the bank leads in the industry – has promoted not just the financial inclusion of women but also independence as there are many women among its Agent Banking. Data showed that there are 38,185 male banking agents, and 11,762 female banking agents.

First Bank Managing Director/CEO Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, said women-led businesses constitute a large part of the banks’ balance sheets and stream of income, even as he added that the bank will continue to give priority to issues that affect women.

He said the bank is also in tune with the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles (NSBP) which requires that companies promote gender equality in workplace.

To support the NSBP project and give women voice in the workplace, FirstBank boss said women remain some of the best workforces and always make great impact in establishments.

FirstBank believes that women needed to be economically empowered. Unless social concerns such as gender disparity and women economic empowerment are addressed, economic and environmental goals and overall sustainable development will be difficult to achieve.

Adeduntan said the introduction of FirstGem, a female-focused product by the bank has contributed to the development of the Nigerian economy.

Speaking at the FirstGem third anniversary conference held in Lagos, the bank chief said he was delighted that FirstGem is promoting savings culture, financial literacy, loan management, wealth creation and healthy lifestyle for women.

Adeduntan said the product has a wide array of advisory, health and current awareness services for the discerning woman.

He said: “On October 28, 2016 we launched this women-centric account, designed specifically to meet the financial needs of both corporate and entrepreneurial women. This product, apart from being an account dedicated solely to women, is lifestyle-enhancing.

“It provides a total lifestyle support for discerning women to enable them to meet their economic needs and aspirations. It goes without saying that economic stability does impact overall stability of individuals, institutions, communities and nations.

“With FirstGem, therefore, our long-term focus is on national economic development. I believe that with the indices we have so far, FirstGem is on the right performance track.”

In sports, the Female Basketball team, Elephant Girls, have, over the years, dominated the Women Basketball League of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, representing Nigeria in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Africa Women’s Champions.

According to FirstBank, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CR&S) involves meeting the needs of our stakeholders now and in the future. Our CR&S approach is three-pronged: citizenship, stakeholder management and impact management.

“Citizenship and stakeholder management involves putting into consideration the needs of stakeholders in making decisions, while impact management is basically about minimising our negative impacts and increasing our positive impacts on society.

“FirstBank prides itself in being an equal opportunity employer and have integrated diversity and inclusion policies and awareness into its practices.

The bank said its efforts at engendering diversity in the workplace include having in place a policy that encourages inclusion. The group’s diversity and inclusion objective is to be a recognised industry leader in workforce diversity and leverage diversity for the growth of the group and the success of the customers and communities we serve. We have a male: female ratio of 61:39 across the workforce,” he said.

Also, the bank’s Board and Senior Management Teams have consistently supported women development by deliberately designing a dedicated platform called FirstGem to drive financial inclusion and all-round development of women.

The bank’s CR&S approach is designed to deliver value in a structured way in the areas of education, health and welfare; financial inclusion; responsible lending and procurement.

Inclusivity ties in with our people empowerment goal which includes improving the lives of our stakeholders through the bank’s agenda of nation-building by empowering women and girls to access the opportunities and societal benefits to grow and advance societal and economic benefits. The bank is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion through our products, services and programmes.

Advancing the FirstGem vision

FirstBank explained that in recognition of the impact of women’s contribution to economic development, the bank is steadily advancing the vision of FirstGem through active and value-adding participation in many women empowerment programmes, international conferences, seminars, workshops, and roadshows across different cities and states of Nigeria over the past couple of years.

It revealed that at the forefront of these engagements is the Chairman of Board of Directors of the Bank who happens to be a female.

It said the bank is committed to maintaining a positive work environment and to conducting business in a positive, professional manner by consistently ensuring equal employment opportunity.

FirstBank Women Network is aimed at addressing the gender gap at the senior levels and taps the opportunities presented by enabling our women to contribute even more if given the necessary strategic support and an enabling environment. This includes providing a platform that enables women to become more engaged in their workplace, set and achieve goals, have greater influence in their lives and achieve more of their potential.

The initiative was launched with the International Women’s day (IWD) celebration that held on March 8, 2018 with the theme #PressforProgress.

Also, the First Women Network is built around six pillars which are influence career pipeline, networking opportunities, grooming, etiquette and poise, mentoring, coaching and sponsorship opportunities, counselling, support and welfare, financial planning and empowerment.

Coaching/mentoring scheme

FirstBank has a coaching and mentoring scheme dedicated to female members of staff in the bank. This is to enable older female members of staff to handhold and coach the younger ones with reference to their experience as they climbed the career ladder.

For her, the types and number of products and services available to women include the facilities and polices provided to support gender diversity in the work place, among others.

Also, 2,708 female employees have special opportunities as nursing mothers: The Bank recognises that pregnancy and childbirth may take its toll on the women.

In addition to the three months’ maternity leave with pay, our practice allows for nursing mothers to resume two hours later than the normal resumption period, or close two hours earlier than the normal closing hours. This is applicable for the first three months after resumption from maternity.

All these have made the bank winner of the Nigeria Sustainable Banking Awards on Women Empowerment Category, which is driven by the Central Bank of Nigeria, among other laurels.

A former governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore Orji, and his sons, has been reporting at the Abuja office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on “regular” basis.

Our investigation revealed, that Orji and his sons, including Chinesum Orji, who is the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, their regular visits were ordered by the anti-graft agency, in continuation of investigation into allegations of fraud and diversion of public funds to the tune of N150 billion.

It was gathered that crack detectives of the EFCC digging into the mind-boggling case of alleged malfeasance, had made “great success”.

So far, the commission has restricted the movement of the former Governor and his sons to the country, with the seizure of their international passports.

According to reports, Orji, who represents Abia Central Senatorial district, allegedly earned N48 billion as security votes in eight years.

This, reports further alleged, was at the rate of N500 million monthly.

There were unconfirmed reports of the purported arrest of the suspects by the commission.

When contacted, the Acting Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Tony Orilade, said he had been inundated with calls to that effect.

“I have been inundated with calls on the purported arrest of the Ex Abia Governor, Theodore Orji and sons.

“They have been coming and going…”, Orilade said

Asked where the interrogation sessions take place, he replied: “(in ( Abuja…very regularly”.

According to him: Their international passports are with the Commission, great success is being made in the investigation”.

Efforts were still being made to contact the lawmaker for comment, as at the time of filing this report.

…Assembly’s security bars Oshun, Deputy Leader entrance into legislative complex



The political home front of the National Leader of Nigeria’s ruling party’s, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in great turmoil as intra house beefs as escalated into the open.

This development caught Tinubu the strong man of Lagos politics unawares. The Mudashiri Idowu Obasa led Lagos State House of Assembly is the current theater of war, this has revealed that Tinubu is fast losing grip of his boys, who now act as independent men.

The fight for the control of the Lagos House of Assembly is between Senator Bayo Osinowo and the Speaker Rt Hon Obasa whose emergence and re-emergence as Speaker of the assembly in 2015 and 2019 had the imprimatur of Senator Osinowo.

Senator Osinowo himself was a four term member of Lagos House of Assembly, before he was politically promoted to the Nigerian Senate by Tinubu against Senator Gbenga Barehu Ashafa.

The bone of contention is the control of the Lagos legislative house, the control of which Senator Osinowo has continue to exercise from his new base in Abuja. Ably assisted by the Minister Interior Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, Senator Osinowo determined the Speaker and the principal officers of this session of the assembly. He went further to maintain a private office in the complex, even as he is no longer a member of the house.

It was his failure to vacate this office that revealed the schism in the Tinubu’s Lagos political family. Speaker Obasa had gone ahead to complain to Tinubu that Osinowo’s continue stay in the complex is not only an aberration but also denies spaces for elected members and career officers seconded to the assembly.

Tinubu was said to have ordered Osinowo to immediately vacate the office. This directive is the first time Tinubu has ever countered any move or action of Senator Osinowo, his political ally since their days in the struggle for the realization of the June 12 mandate.

With this directive Speaker Obasa became emboldened and curried the loyalty of members with the acquisition of Prado jeeps for each members of the 40 man house. He also dismissed the House Committee leadership positions submitted to him by Senator Osinowo and appointed his core loyalists into juicy committees to the chagrin of members who were hitherto earmarked for such.

With these three developments politically suave members realized the Speaker, Obasa is the new power base in the House and virtually all fell to his side. Obasa is also working hard to be promoted to the Senate in 2023. An ambition that will see the fifth term law maker expand his political horizon.

However recalcitrant principal officers and members who were yet loyal to the Osinowo/ Aregbesola block, who took charge during the Lagos State cabinet member nominees screening were suspended indefinitely and those holding principal officers demoted, not only these those suspended were barred entry into the assembly premises.

The suspended principal officers are the Chief Whip of the House, Rotimi Abiru, and the Deputy House Majority Leader, Olumuyiwa Jimoh.

The suspended floor members are Moshood Oshun (Lagos Mainland Constituency II) and Kazeem Adewale (Ibeji Lekki Constituency II), these demotions and indefinitely suspensions took place during plenary.

Announcing the suspension of the members, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa stated that the House was the hope of the people and the heartbeat of democracy and that it should be well guided.

He said: “I, hereby, invoke Section 68 and Section 70 4 (a, b) 2 and 3 of the House Rules in respect of gross misconduct, insubordination, and action that can destablise this House, I hereby move that Moshood Oshun and Raheem Adewale be placed on suspension indefinitely.”

The two decisions were supported through voice votes by the members present during plenary.

The request for the removal of the two principals and change in the leadership was contained in a letter read on the floor of the House by the Clerk of the House, Azeez Sanni.

Sanni stated that the 26 members that signed the letter wished to notify the House “to change the leadership of the House, including Rotimi Abiru as the Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip, Olumuyiwa Jimoh.”

One of those affected Hon. Lanre Oshun was sighted having altercation with security operatives at the gate of the assembly, querying why he should be barred entry, after his effort failed after some minutes without access into the complex he left.

When Oshun was contacted via phone he said he his on his way to the Lagos home of Tinubu, Buordillon road in Ikoyi to seek a redress.

The Deputy Majority leader, Hon Muyiwa Jimoh few minutes after Oshun’s was turned back also showed up at the gate and was also bounced.

However the relieved Chief Whip was spotted within the complex observing the development, information has it that he managed to enter the house in the Deputy Speaker’s vehicle.

Replacements have been announced for the deposed principal officers.

The bickerings, suspensions, demotions were borne out of the need to trim down the influence of Senator Osinowo, with the view to relief him of his grip hold of situations in the legislative house.

The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, has likened the inauguration of the Advisory and Monitoring Committees for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to building a house without foundation.

President of the council, Eric Omare in a statement explained that the inauguration of the committees for the agency without a substantive board in place is akin to building a house without foundation.

He said: “This is so because the NDDC is built on the tripod of a Governing Board, Advisory and Monitoring Committees.

“The substantive board which includes the management committee is to initiate and implement policies and programmes for the Commission with the Advisory Committee offering advise to the board on the initiation and execution of the policies and programmes.

Then the Monitoring Committee’s responsibility is to monitor the execution of the policies and programmes embarked upon by the board.

“Therefore, without a substantive governing board in place, it amounts to an exercise in futility and a violation of the NDDC Act for the President to appoint a Monitoring Committee and inaugurate Advisory committee.

“The federal government’s deliberate refusal to comply with the NDDC Act with respect to the appointment of a substantive board under the guise of an endless and opaque forensic audit is baffling.”

Omare stated further that the Niger Delta region has suffered unaccountable losses because of the absence of a board of the NDDC, saying, “We note that billions of Naira has been spent by the illegal contraption called, Interim Management committee without accountability and impact on the people of the region.

“We wish to state for the umpteenth time and call on President Buhari to inaugurate the substantive board of the NDDC without delay in compliance with the act and in the interest of the development of the region. We state that having a board is not an obstacle to the forensic audit of the NDDC.”

Niger Delta Progressive Front (NDPF), a political pressure group in the region has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency halt the proposed inauguration of the Advisory Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which is billed to hold on Tuesday March 10th 2020 because its violates NDDC Act.

The group in a press statement issued and signed by it National Coordinator, Comrade Johnson Ebelo wondered why Mr President is in hast to inauguration of the Advisory Committee of the NDDC when the Commission’s board has not be constituted in accordance with the NDDC enabling Act.

They posited that what the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Chief Godswill Akpabio was promoting was a clear distortion of the NDDC Act and a ploy by the minister to maintain his illegal interim management committee in office.

NDPF frown at the Buhari-led federal government penchant for selective application of NDDC Act noting that the government attempts in building legality on illegality is capable at putting the actions of the Commission in great danger.

According to the statement: “This is coming on the heels of the inauguration two weeks ago of a monitoring committee for the same Commission. Yet, there is no substantive Board in place, which both Committees are supposed to work with as stated in the NDDC Act, since the commission is still run by an illegal interim management committee. For the avoidance of doubt, the NDDC Act makes provision for a Board nominated by the President and Confirmed by the Senate to manage the affairs of the Commission. This has not been done, yet Committees whose work is predicated on the activities of the Board are being inaugurated!

“The government has found it convenient to ignore the NDDC Act in respect of the inauguration of a substantive Board but has conveniently latched onto the Act to inaugurate the Monitoring and Advisory Committees as provided for in the Act. We find this dubious and intended to give an impression that it is following the law when it is selectively applying it.

“This travesty is even more complicated when the Act states clearly that the two Committees are meant to monitor and advise the Board. In this instance what we have in place is an illegal interim management committee, not a substantive Board. What the Federal Government is doing is to use measures of hook and crook to try to legitimize an illegitimate interim management committee.

“The NDDC Act provides for three institutions. The first is the Governing Board, which is provided for in Part 1 Section 2 of the NDDC Act. This Board is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, with representation from all the states and other interests as provided for in that section of the Act. The operative word is the confirmation process by the Senate in conjunction with Federal House of Representatives, which is set for a clear reason to ensure that due process is followed in the appointment of the Board and that it represents the best interest of the people of the Niger Delta. Part 3 Section 11 provides for a Niger Delta Development Advisory Committee to consist of the Governors of the member-states of the Commission and two persons nominated by the President.

It states clearly that, “The Advisory Committee shall be charged with the responsibility of advising the Board and monitoring the activities of the Commission…” Also, Part 6, Section 21 provides for the establishment of a Monitoring Committee for the Commission, ‘which shall consist of such number of persons as the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces may deem fit to appoint from the public or civil service of the Federation.” The task of the Monitoring Committee is to ‘monitor the management of Funds of the Commission,” among others.

NDPF stated further:“It is clear therefore that the condition predicate for the inauguration of the Committees, which is the inauguration of a substantive Board has not met. What then is the purpose of establishing these Committees if it is not a fraudulent design to put a veneer of acceptance and normality in the actions of the illegal interim management committee?

READ ALSO:Niger Delta Women group call on Buhari to sack Dr Ojougboh; says he is not qualified to be NDDC EDP

“The federal government seems very comfortable in the selective application of NDDC Act but what it is doing is building legality on illegality and putting the actions of the Commission in great danger. In constituting the Advisory Committee the Federal Government conveniently cited the NDDC Act.

“But when it constituted the illegal Interim Management Committee in contravention of the Act, it still went ahead to defend the illegality as necessary in order to conduct a forensic audit. What then would the committees do? Monitor the forensic audit and advise the forensic auditors? It is very clear that the proper thing to do if these Committees are to have legal teeth to work and be relevant is for Mr. President to as a matter of urgency follow the Act to the letter by inaugurating a substantive Board for the Commission.

“If the Federal Government thinks that it can hoodwink us by the inauguration of the Advisory Committee, it however falls short of the expectation of our people who desire fundamental representation at the level of the Governing Board as provided for in the Act setting up the NDDC. What we want to see is the inauguration of the NDDC Board so that we can have representation for all the constituent states of the commission in line with the law.

“The events playing out in the NDDC are truly bizarre and requires for the President to act and restore the law in its entirety. We ask our governors not to allow themselves to be used to put a stamp of approval on the charade being orchestrated by the Federal Government on the prompting of Akpabio; they should demand the immediate inauguration of the substantive Governing Board of the NDDC in line with the NDDC Act and the disbandment of the illegal interim management committee.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arraigned an account officer of Polaris Bank, Keshinro Babatunde, before an Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos for allegedly stealing the sum of N12.6million.

Keshinro is facing a 9-count charge bothering on stealing and forgery contrary to Sections 287, 365, 337 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, No 11, 2015.

According to the EFCC prosecutor, Bilkisu Buhari, the account officer allegedly forged a Skye Bank, now Polaris Bank’s cheque No.47423262 dated 16th August, 2018 in the sum of N340, 000 and purported same to have been signed by one Kola Oseni.

The prosecutor said that the defendant, while being an employee of Polaris Bank, allegedly falsified account number: 1770322625 in the possession of his employer and thereafter made a debit entry of N10million in favour of Hilarest Solicitors and purported same to have been made by the order of Baristos Nigeria Limited.

However, as contained in the charge, “that you Keshinro Babatunde did forge Baritos Nigeria Limited document titled ‘Part termination of fixed deposit: 1770522625, dated December 9, 2016 and purported same to have been signed and issued by one Alhaji Ganiyu Kola Oseni.

“That you, Babatunde, also forged a Skye bank cheque No: 47423262 dated August 16, 2018 in the sum of N340, 000 and purported same to have been signed by Alhaji Kola Oseni.”

Furthermore, the charge stated Babatunde sometimes in 2016 in Lagos dishonestly converted the total sum of N10,000,000, property of Alh. Ganiyu Kola Oseni to his own use.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, however, granted bail to the defendant in a bail bond of N5 million, with two sureties.

According to the judge, “one of the sureties must be a level 14 civil servant while other must be a close family relation. They must provide ownership of landed property and evidence of tax payment within the past three years.”

Justice Taiwo thereafter adjourned further hearing of the case till April 8 for trial.

A Form 2 high-flyer Naomi Higgins, who passed her Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) with flying colours, has received a tertiary scholarship from Nigerian televangelist Temitope Balogun Joshua, commonly known as Prophet TB Joshua.
Higgins joins thousands of students worldwide who have received scholarship ranging from primary to tertiary education sponsored by Prophet TB Joshua, founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) and Emmanuel TV partners.
The 14-year-old brilliant student, will be the second one from Botswana to benefit from the same initiative following Mary-Jean Nleya who was sponsored by Prophet TB Joshua and Emmanuel TV partners to pursue her Bachelor of Laws and attained Magna Cum Laude at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.
Nleya was also sponsored by Prophet TB Joshua to pursue her Master’s Degree at Harvard University under the Harvard Law School and was also given an opportunity with the help of the Prophet to get an internship at International Criminal Court at The Hague in the Netherlands.
Higgins received her sponsorship during an all-paid expense trip by Prophet TB Joshua two week ago after a special invitation at SCOAN which is located in Lagos, Nigeria following an article which was published by Mmegi newspaper.
Higgins, who is currently doing her Form 4 at Selebi-Phikwe Senior Secondary School (SPSSS) was the only student at Nxakato JSS who attained grade A even though she sat for JCE whilst doing Form 2.
In an interview with Mmegi, Higgins said that words were not enough to describe her happiness when she received an invitation to SCOAN by Prophet TB Joshua.
She said that during her first encounter with Prophet TB Joshua she was shivering and all in tears. He added : “Prophet TB Joshua is a holy man and everything at SCOAN was godly. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet him in person.”
Higgins further said that she was still shocked that everything that happened to her in the past weeks started off with a small achievement of her passing JCE.She hopes to be a cardiologist and said that to her surprise during her one-on-one with Prophet TB Joshua, he offered her a tertiary scholarship to study what she wants when she finishes her BGCSE.
She also said that Prophet TB Joshua also appointed Nleya to be her mentor, role model and contact person for the prophet. Higgins clarfied that :“Nleya was the one who showed Prophet TB Joshua the article.
She is the same person who is going to assist me to apply for Harvard University or any other university, which is best in Cardiology across the globe.” She added that the scholarship would cover everything including tuition fees, living allowance and accommodation.
She also mentioned that Prophet TB Joshua gave her $3, 000 (about P33,000) so that she can purchase educational material to help her prepare for the BGCSE final examination. The intelligent girl was so determined to study harder at school because there was no way she was going to miss an opportunity to go to Harvard University.
About her stay in Nigeria, Higgins said she was over the moon because it has been her long term goal to be part of the congregants at SCOAN. She said that she would always cherish the moment because she was treated like a very important person (VIP) and accommodated in an executive suite just like in a five-star hotel.
The brilliant student described their experience at SCOAN as something out of this planet especially, the part where they visited the spiritual prayer mountain. The ever smiling student said that to make the journey to SCOAN even memorable was the part where she had to board on an aeroplane for the first time in her life.
She said that she would always thank God for everything, day and night, for making her dream come true earlier than expected. Higgins’s mother Ruth Higgins, who was equally elated, thanked Mmegi for writing an article about her brilliant daughter.
She said that it was through the article that her daughter was discovered by the Prophet TB Joshua who offered her the tertiary scholarship. She further said that if her daughter finishes her Form 5, provided she performs ell, she will go to any University of her choice and Prophet TB Joshua will wholly cover the scholarship.

T.B-Joshua
Ruth added: “I don’t know how to describe the feeling as it is out of this world. The ball is in her court now to work extra harder in order to pass her BGCSE.” The delighted mother said that the bursary gives them assurance as parents that their daughter ‘s dream of studying Cardiology at Harvard University would come true provided she meet the University entry credentials. Ruth was certain that her daughter would pass BGCSE with merit because she is a hard worker and well-disciplined girl.
She expressed gratitude to Prophet TB Joshua for awarding Naomi the tertiary education scholarship and to God for giving her abundance of blessings. Ruth also thanked one of the beneficiaries of Prophet TB Joshua’s education bursary Nleya who discovered her daughter.
She shared that they learnt that Nleya also received scholarship from Prophet TB Joshua and Emmanuel TV partners years back when she was just an ordinary visitor at SCOAN. She also described Nleya as a guardian angel who made her daughter’s dream turn into reality. Naomi’s father, Kenneth Higgins said that he was extremely overjoyed of his daughter’s achievements. He said that his daughter’s achievements have brought admiration to his family.
Kenneth said: “This is what all fathers dream of and this is what we want for our families. I give all the honour and glory to the almighty God and Prophet TB Joshua for this grace from God. I am very much humbled by the kind gesture.” He said that Naomi’s achievements would go a long way in motivating her fellow peers on the importance of taking education seriously and to aim high and reach great heights.

In the bid to stimulate the growth of the economy, Nigeria’s leading retail bank, Access bank plc has launched TraderLite, an account that enables micro businesses, with turnover between N50, 000 – N1Million, operate their businesses with their individual name or registered business name.

Speaking at the launch of the new product, Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director, Retail Banking, Access bank plc, told newsmen that the bank looks at its customers beyond being just customers but also as partners.

In his words: “The future of Nigeria’s economy is Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises because they can provide more than enough jobs to the unemployed if empowered. And that is why the bank’s passion is to offer more than financial services to its customers and also work with them in growing and expanding their businesses. Whichever category you fall into; we are here to work with you to take your business to a whole new level.”

TradeLite, a variant of the Diamond Business Advantage account within the Bank’s emerging businesses portfolio, is specially designed for micro businesses with the aim of providing financial inclusion for businesses in that segment while equipping them with the required skills to grow their businesses.

The product has two variants namely: DBA TraderLite Individual, which is for individuals with unregistered businesses and DBA TraderLite Business, for registered businesses.

The Diamond Business Advantage proposition from Access bank has been designed to add value to Micro, Small and Medium scale business owners so that they can grow their businesses with smart banking. The proposition provides SME’s market linkages, increased referral base and networks that enable them scale the hurdles of accessing new markets for their products.

Networking sessions such as Business Clubs, Business clinics, and Business seminars enable MSME customers expand their referral base through interacting with other MSMEs. Please click HERE to know more about TraderLite and other exciting products and services from Access bank targeted at MSMEs and register to take your business to the next level.

Access Bank is the leading retail bank in Nigeria with over 600 branches and more than 40 million customers. The Bank offers products and services tailored to suit the lifestyle of every Nigerian irrespective of age and demographic.

The duo of Jerry and Meriton (Jeriton) have been checked out of Ultimate Love, proudly Naija reality television show.

The couple became the second couple to bid the Love Pad goodbye during the live check-out show on Sunday after they received the least number of votes out of the seven nominated couples from the voting public last week. They, however, went home with N600,000 and other items in their portmanteau, after they played the Jeopardy game on stage.

Meanwhile, five couples were nominated for possible check-out during the live nomination show on Sunday. The couples as announced by the show’s hosts, Dakore Egbuson-Akande and Oluwaseun Olaniyan, are Bolar (Bolanle and Arnold), Roksie (Rosie and Kachi), PreshDavid (Presh Talker and David), Jelo (Jenny Koko and Louis) and Chivia (Chiddy Bankz and Sylvia).

Bolar led the pack this week with six nominations, Roksie had four nominations each; while PreshDavid, Jelo and Chivia got two nominations respectively.

However, Aunty has the power to save one of the couples from possible eviction and the couple will be saved after performing a real-world mission task as chosen by her. The couples selected for the task by the show’s Aunty– Adesuwa Onyenokwe are PreshDavid and Jelo.

The couples with the least number of votes will be evicted during the live check-out show next Sunday.

Voting will start on Tuesday at 8 pm and will close on Thursday at 10 pm. Voting can be done via the Africa Magic website, mobile platforms as well as DStv and GOtv Apps.

Ultimate Love is live 24/7 on DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact, DStv Confam and DStv Yanga packages on channel 198; and on GOtv Max and GOtv Jolli packages on channel 29.

For more information on the show, visit www.africamagic.tv/ultimatelove and follow the social media updates on @ultimateloveng on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #UltimateLoveNg.

I travel to meet Dr Adesola Adeduntan in Edinburgh, where he has been invited to give a keynote address at the Edinburgh School of Business about the role of financial institutions in driving financial inclusion. Fittingly, as you land in Edinburgh, you are greeted by billboards from different investment funds advertising their credentials in responsible and sustainable investment and how environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations underpin their activities.

With economists and politicians questioning capitalism and the Western liberal model, today the emphasis is very much on a stakeholder-based approach, whereby growth and prosperity is more equally attributed and takes into consideration the needs of the wider community. Sustainable investment has become de rigueur among corporate jargon.

Dr Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, CEO of First Bank of Nigeria, is a veteran in the Nigerian banking and corporate world. His overriding message, clearly expressed throughout his interview responses, and also at the various talks he gave during the day (at the Business School and at a law firm), is on the importance of doing good if you’re to do well – financially – in Nigeria and indeed, Africa.

A telling sign
FirstBank is actually the oldest bank in Africa. It was established in Lagos in 1894 as the Bank of British West Africa. Last year it celebrated its 125th anniversary. It is also the biggest bank in Nigeria in terms of assets and branch network.

For Adeduntan, a veterinary doctor by training, it becomes clear, once we have settled down for our discussion, that the institution’s longevity is a telling sign: it not only proves the bank’s resilience, it also shows that it has the right structures in terms of governance and the right business model, with the country’s development at its core. The theme of the anniversary celebrations was about how the bank has been woven into the fabric of Nigerian society.

The clear message to the industry is that while it is possible to make a quick buck, you can only enjoy the sort of longevity it has if you conduct your business with the interests of the country at heart.

Nonetheless, it’s apparent Adeduntan does not want to dwell too long on past glories. Using the analogy of a car, he says that there is a reason why the windshield is large whilst the rear-view mirror is small.

The challenge of fintech
As in most sectors, traditional ways of doing business have been coming under increasing disruption from ever-evolving technology. The banking industry is no exception and seems to be under siege from an expanding fintech onslaught.

I ask him if he is worried that non-financial companies will be entering the banking sector, especially given the recent change in regulation by the Central Bank that allows non-traditional finance institutions, namely mobile operators, to enter the fray.

He says he is not worried as his bank has one of the best defined strategies when it comes to financial inclusion and that it has the largest digital banking network in Nigeria.

Much of this has been developed through the bank’s FirstMonie Agents system: 46,000 agents represent the bank across the country. Currently, 9m customers transact on their USSD platform (by mobile phone, both smart and analogue) in addition to 3m customers transacting on the FirstMobile platform.

The agent network, the biggest of its kind in the country, enables the bank to provide services to the most remote rural communities; and because it doesn’t need to have an extensive branch network, it means that these services can be supplied at a fraction of the cost of a ‘legacy’ banking model.

Financial deepening
Adeduntan prefers to use the phrase ‘financial deepening’ when talking about the unbanked. Financial inclusion has increased from the low 20s to approximately 40% in Nigeria over the past seven years and is expected to double to the mid-80s within the next five years.

He says ‘financial deepening’ occurs when financial inclusion starts playing an important role in economic development. It’s about layering additional products on the current agency banking network – services such as micro-credit, micro-insurance and micro-pension.

The aim is to provide value-added services whilst at the same time increasing the savings rate; this aspect, which is critical in driving investment rates, has been one factor behind Asia’s rapid growth.

It is in this area, he says, that the bank has a vital role to play and a distinct advantage over new entrants. Technology, he emphasises, will play a crucial part in broadening financial inclusion. In addition, it is important to partner and collaborate with different stakeholders such as NGOs and other organisations dealing with the bottom of the pyramid, to help them reach out to different groups and also improve financial literacy.

Last year saw a boom in venture capital investment into Nigeria. For example, $400m was invested in a number of fintech start-ups during November alone. Is he not worried that these fintech players, with their lower cost base and ability to use technology, AI and big data to overcome traditional hurdles, are going to take the majority share of the pie when it comes to servicing the unbanked?

He says that will only be the case if the banks do not manage to reinvent themselves. In Edinburgh, he actually spent a large part of his day visiting tech hubs around the university in the city and speaking to fintech companies. FirstBank, he adds, has a number of partnerships with fintechs as well as its own Digital Laboratory developing new solutions for the bank.

Nevertheless, he firmly believes that the ‘legacy banks’ will still continue to play a very central role, especially “in this part of the world where banks are quite dominant and they have significant buying power”.

In terms of settlements and deposits, he sees many of these new players as partners they can work with, even if in some areas they will be competitors.

Scope for growth
Despite the impressive strides made by the banking sector in Nigeria, Adeduntan believes there is still a massive scope for growth for the sector. He points out that none of the country’s top banks have made the Top 10 Banks in Africa list, despite Nigeria being the continent’s largest economy.

He thinks that with the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, “we are entering a very interesting period for the banking sector, not only in Nigeria but Africa in general”.

On the domestic front, does he expect further consolidation? “Within certain thresholds,” he answers. “Anything that would allow the strengthening of the entire banking sector, I am sure the Governor of the Central Bank would be positive about.”

He also points to demographics and the high rate of the unbanked as great opportunities for the growth of the sector continentally. “According to UNICEF, two billion babies will be born in Africa in the next 30 years,” he says. “And in places like DRC [where FirstBank has a presence] financial penetration is as low as 5%.” Put the two sets of figures together and, in theory at least, you get vast opportunity. But he adds the all-important caveat that demographics are only good if managed properly.

Supporting national champions
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for the bank, however. Adeduntan inherited a bank with several large exposures in the oil & gas and energy sectors, at a time when the oil & gas prices fell considerably, resulting in the devaluation of the naira against the dollar.

He says his management weathered the storm, reduced NPL levels to under double digits, and has strengthened the risk infrastructure, thus enabling the bank to better deal with cyclical downturns in future.

Discussing the role of large companies in the commercial landscape, Adeduntan says it is essential to have big banks like FirstBank, just as it is vital to have national champion companies that have the scale and wherewithal to make transformative investment. Such companies require financial institutions of similar scale to support them. The Dangote Group’s investment into what will become the continent’s largest oil refinery is a case in point, he adds.

Role of the Central Bank
We move on to the regulator and the role of the Central Bank. Does he think that it is too interventionist, dictating how much banks should lend, where they should place their assets?

Adeduntan refused to be drawn into criticism of the regulator, with whom he says he, and other bank CEOs, have a strong relationship. But he did say that the role of a central bank in the development of an emerging economy is clearly different from the role of a central bank in a developed economy.

“It is not unusual that the Central Bank intervenes in critical sectors allied to the loan to deposit ratio. It’s about economic growth; it’s about development; it’s about channelling credit in sectors that are very important for the national economy.

“Let us take agriculture – again, we are one of the biggest lenders into that sector. We found the Central Bank intervention in some of those critical sectors extremely useful and not just for us as a bank, but for the country as a whole. When you look at intervention in agriculture, you have to put it in the context of the size of the population. Nigeria is a country of 200m people today. The business of feeding 200m people is a strategic business. Everything that is being done to ensure that at least we are self-sufficient in food production is strategically important. We find the Central Bank intervention in those areas quite useful and of national importance.”

He reflected the positive attitude of many Nigerian entrepreneurs to the country’s future. He says he has a lot of time for the Economic Advisory Council – composed of credible business leaders and economists – that has been put together by President Muhammadu Buhari. And despite reports that the government is not economy-minded, he thinks that it is a pro-business government.

Ethical banking
It is nearly 10.00 in the evening when we finish our talk, his day having started at 07.30am. We go back to sustainability and the role of financial services to make sure they are lending to institutions that are ethical about their business and operating in a sustainable manner.

He says that the journey has started even if it is still early days. “But ultimately,” he says, “this is where we are headed. The Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principle speaks to this particular question. I think it’s evident from the points that I’ve made today, you can say that FirstBank is a bank that is happy to forego a few basis points in terms of its net margins, if that means it is contributing to development in a more ethical and sustainable way.

“We’ve always made a point that profitability is very important for us at FirstBank, but economic growth and national development is equally very important and speaks to the sustainability question.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to heed calls by governors of the Niger Delta States for the inauguration of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

The advice was given by the Niger Delta Development Network, NDDN which also described the call by the governors as a vote of no confidence on the Interim Management Committee of the commission.

This is just as the Niger Delta Peoples Movement Against Corruption and Injustice, NDPMACI also advised him not to be selective with the establishment of Interim Management Committee, IMCs, on development agencies in the country.

NDPMACI executive director, Dr Tamuno Torulagha in an open letter to President Buhari, wondered why the North East Development Commission, NDEC is having a board while the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC with a board screened and approved by the senate is having an IMC heading the commission.

Part of the statement reads: “Mr. President, you ought not to be selective in exercising your enshrined powers as commander in chief and custodian of the Nigerian constitution hence we urge you to compose the substantive management board for the commission as contained in the NDDC act just as you did for the NEDC.

“Mr. President, you have been known as an anti-corruption czar and a man with firm state of mind when confronting the monster called ‘corruption’, however, there has been very disturbing developments that tend to run contrary to your known beliefs as it pertain to your fight against corruption and corrupt practices under the illegal Interim Management Committee.

“The sacrifices our people made that gave birth to the establishment of the NDDC is being almost eroded by the illegal Interim Management Committee which is in contravention with the provisions of the NDDC establishment act 2000.

“Mr. President, the Niger Delta people and concerned Nigerians strongly appeal to you to save the NDDC from the manipulations currently ongoing and executed by the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs who has always boasted that he has your express authorization to implement his illegalities in the NDDC, claiming you have conceded the NDDC to him as terms of agreement for his defection, to the APC.”

National chairman of NDDN, Chief Nelson Nkangain a statement, on his part, commended the governors of the Niger Delta States for taking a position which he said has been canvassed for many months by stakeholders of the region after the federal government decided to set up the committee for the agency.

He said: “As stakeholders in the Niger Delta, we make bold to say that the interim management committee is an illegal body that is not recognized under the law setting up the NDDC and does not represent the interest of the people of the Niger Delta.

“The Governors’ call is a vote of no confidence in the interim management committee which has carried on like a substantive management, whereas it is the creation of the Minister of Niger Delta Godswill Akpabio.

“It is now clear that Akpabio is the only one backing this committee for whatever reason, hence we call on President Buhari to heed the call of the governors and inaugurate a substantive Board for the NDDC.

“It is important to note that the governors have woken up from their slumber to address the issues that confront the NDDC at this time which according to Governor Okowa, has become a Liliputian agency in spite of the huge funds at its disposal.

“We are happy that the governors have come to realize that the minister and by extension the federal government has used them to create a situation where the NDDC is run without a substantive board.

“It should be clear to all now that the ruse of the forensic audit, which the minister trumpets as a request made by the governors to Buhari has become the biggest lie in Nigeria, because six months after it was announced, the forensic audit that was promised has not yet commenced.

“President Buhari cannot continue to ignore the authentic voices of the Niger Delta people on this issue of the illegal Interim Management Committee. He should scrap it and heed the Governors’ call to immediately inaugurate a substantive Board for the NDDC.”

The Nigeria Police Force says it is keeping watch over the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress in Abuja.

This followed Wednesday’s interim injunction restraining the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, from parading himself as the party’s national chairman.

Details later…

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak have split Kwara All Progressives Congress down the middle, with two factions now emerging in the party’s executive committee.

A faction loyal to the governor consist of some aggrieved members led by the state Deputy Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Samari.

The group accused the state Chairman, Alhaji Bashir Bolarinwa, of financial recklessness.

Samari, at a press conference in Ilorin, accused Bolarinwa of running the party like a sole administrator alleging that the chairman is involved in shady deals contrary to the fundamental principles upon which the party was built.

He explained that the party has been enmeshed in some sort of internal schism occasioned by the dissatisfaction expressed by a bloc of the State Executive Committee against the leadership of the chairman.

“Unfortunately, rather than address the sundry issues that bother on the lack of accountability, transparency, equity, fairness, sacrosanctity of the provisions of the Party’s Constitution and our demand for same.

“A cabal within the Party Executive and the State Chairman are deliberately diverting attention from the real issues and instead blaming some imaginary forces for the rising opposition against their autocratic leadership,” Samari alleged.

The Vice Chairman of Kwara North of the party, Mr Sunday Oyebiyi, told newsmen that the contributions of the minister during the 2019 general elections were immeasurable and dismissed the claims of Samari.
Oyebiyi said their (Samari’s group) reference to a cabal within the party led by the minister was petty, childish and laughable.

“They are afraid of their own shadows and in going down, they are willing to pull anyone strand with them. The APC will outlive many of them.

“If the memories of these aggrieved people is short, we cannot be accused of same. The struggle to win election was fierce and challenging.

“During this period of tribulations, it was only Alhaji Lai Mohammed that we saw, he sponsored sensitisation programmes, provided logistics and other such supports requested from him.

“He stood by us and together we navigated the rough roads to victory. This is not news to our traducers, they only chose the path of mischief,” Oyebiyi said.

He reiterated that contrary to the norm, there was a gaping disconnect between the governor, the party and revered party elders, asserting that there is no crisis within the party.

The APC chieftain explained further that this scenario has been in place since after the party primaries, during and indeed after the elections.

“Severally, party elders had tried to wade into the matter by meeting with the state party chairman, the minister and the governor himself.

“However, a follow up meeting with the governor to resolve the areas of differences have not been possible because the governor has refused to grant audience to the elders,” Oyebiyi said.

He said it was well-known fact that all hands were on deck during the election under the aegis of one APC, it was after the victory had been won, that splinter groups with a recurring AA acronym began to spring up.

“The promoters of these groups have acted in ways inimical to the constitution of the party.

“Their activities presupposes a parallel structure to the party structure and they have bandied the name of the governor as giving approval to their activities.

“Not once has the Governor or his representatives come out to denounce them, rather they are financed from the Government House.

READ ALSO New Schedule For South East Governorship Debates
“The turncoat Publicity Secretary has revealed that much in his garrulous radio programmes,” Oyebiyi said.

He absolved the party chairman of any financial recklessness as insinuated by the aggrieved group.

“Any allusion to Bolarinwa’s leadership not being accountable, transparent and fair is a disservice and a diversion from the main antics of the so-called aggrieved groups.

“For the avoidance of doubt, a member of the state same executive with Bolarinwa as chairman, he carries everybody along, consulting, seeking divergent opinions and ensuring consensus in a manner that is satisfactory to all,” Oyebiyi added.

He said the chairman cannot be more transparent than he has proven, noting that the system of financial operations of the party requires not less than three party officials to sign cheques.

“How will Mustapha Ishowo, the aggrieved State Secretary, claim ignorance of how party monies, especially donations from aspirants was spent as one of the signatories.

“In addition to being a signatory, he (Ishowo) is the only receiver of the account transaction notifications,” Oyebiyi said