₦airaland Forum

The Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Mr Simon Achuba, has been impeached.

Mr Achuba was impeached by members of the Kogi State House of Assembly on Friday in Lokoja, the state capital.

The Majority Leader of the House disclosed this to reporters at the premises of the Assembly complex.

More to follow…

A series of exciting Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A matches will be available on GOtv this weekend.

For as low as N2,600, customers on lower GOtv packages – Plus, Value and Lite – can step up to GOtv Max to enjoy the select premium matches from the top football leagues which will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

The Premier League returns on Saturday, 19 October after a two-week international break. The match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at the White Heart Lane will air live on SuperSport Select 2 at 3pm. Spurs are currently besieged by crisis after losing two of their last five Premier League matches, as well being defeated in their recent League Cup and UEFA Champions League fixture. The team led by Maurico Pochettino is currently ninth on the table. Watford, on the other hand, are languishing at the bottom of the table, despite changing their managers. The return of Enrique Sánchez Flores does not seem to have improved the fortune of the Honets

The pick of the LaLiga games is the encounter between Eibar and defending champions, Barcelona. The game, which kicks off at 12pm on Saturday will be live on SuperSport Select 4. Eibar, who have the third best defense in the LaLiga, will aim to lengthen their unbeaten run from four to five games when they host Ernesto Valverde’s men at the Estadio Municipal de Ipurua. The Catalans, who started their title defense in sloppy form, will be aiming for a win to enable them topple leaders, Real Madrid, who are only two points better.

Also on Saturday, Atletico Madrid will host Valencia in their ninth game of the season at the Wanda Metropolitano in the Spanish capital. The match will air live at 3pm on SuperSport Select 4.

The day’s schedule will be rounded off with the broadcast of the match between Mallorca and Real Madrid on SuperSport Select 4 at 8pm. Real have shaken off their indifferent early season form and currently top the table in Spain.

In the Serie A, defending champions, Juventus, will seek to widen their advantage over Inter Milan when they host Bologna at Juventus Stadium in Turin. The match will be live on SuperSport Select 5 at 7:45pm. In their last match, the defending Serie A champions defeated their major rivals Inter Milan 2-1 away from home to seize the leadership of the league from Antonio Conte’s team.

On Monday, 21 October, the Premier League action returns as Arsenal travel to Bramall Lane to battle newly promoted Sheffield United. Arsenal will seek to continue their climb up the table. The currently occupy the third place on 15 points, just one behind incumbent Premier League champions, Manchester City. The match will be aired live on SuperSport Select 2 at 8pm.

For more information on the unmatched football on GOtv and other upcoming fixtures, visit www.supersport.com

The James Hope College (JHC) has announced the acquisition of the American International School Lagos (AISL) Lekki Campus facility to establish James Hope College in Lagos. This was disclosed at the signing ceremony held yesterday at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event had the Governor of Lagos, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the United States Ambassador ably represented by Carol Cox, the Chairman of AISL Board, Ali Safieddine and other prominent persons in attendance.

While giving his speech at the event, the Founder/Chairman of James Hope College, Mr. Jim Ovia stated that the College would continue to offer full scholarship based on merit, to 40% of all the students that would be admitted into the school.

James Hope College, a co-educational initiative of the Jim Ovia Foundation, offers a combination of British and Nigerian curricula. James Hope College is a Cambridge

Associate School, a member of Council of British International Schools (COBIS) and Association of British Schools Overseas (AoBSO). JHC is in partnership with Microsoft Imagine Academy and GL Education. JHC is accredited by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), Pearson Edexcel Examinations, and British Schools Overseas (BSO.

With the acquisition of this property, James Hope College is set to replicate in Lagos the outstanding academic performance it is known for. More importantly, the offer of full scholarship to 40% of the students on merit ensures that the school’s equal opportunity model of academic excellence is extended to all students regardless of their state of origin.

James Hope College Lagos will open its doors to students in September 2020.

Guaranty Trust Bank plc has released its unaudited financial results for the period ended September 30, 2019 to the Nigerian and London Stock Exchanges.
A review of the results shows positive performance across all financial indices, reaffirming the Bank’s position as one of the most profitable and well managed financial institutions in Nigeria. Profit before tax stood at ₦170.7billion, representing a growth of 3.9% over ₦164.2billion recorded in the corresponding period of September 2018. The Bank’s Loan Book grew by 9.2% from ₦1.262trillion recorded as at December 2018 to ₦1.378trillion in September 2019, while customers’ deposit rose by 5.1% to ₦2.390trillion from ₦2.274trillion in December 2018.
The Bank’s balance sheet remained resilient with Total assets and Shareholders’ Funds closing at ₦3.519trillion and ₦636.8Billion respectively. Full Impact Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) remained very strong, closing at 23.6%. In terms of Assets quality, NPL ratio and Cost of Risk (COR) improved to 5.6% and 0.2% in September 2019 from 7.3% and 0.3% in December 2018 respectively. Complementing the improvement noted in NPLs and COR, we maintained adequate Loan Loss coverage of 95.2% for Lifetime Credit Impaired Loans (NPLs). On the backdrop of this result, Post-Tax Return on Equity (ROAE) closed at 32.3% while Post-Tax Return on Assets (ROAA) stood at 5.8%.
Commenting on the financial results, the Managing Director/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “The Bank’s 3rd quarter result reflects the strength of our franchise and the quality of our business strategy to deliver sustainable long-term value for our shareholders. Going into the final quarter of the year, we will continue to differentiate ourselves by maintaining a high standard in service delivery and leveraging our resources, expertise and network to enrich the lives of our customers. That’s why, from November 10 – 11, 2019, we are organizing the GTBank Fashion Weekend, the biggest consumer-focused event in Africa’s fashion industry, to give indigenous small businesses the platform and access to new markets and customers that they need to grow.”
Over all, Guaranty Trust Bank plc continues to be best-in-class in the Nigerian banking industry in terms of all financial ratios i.e. Post-Tax Return on Equity (ROAE) of 32.3%, Post-Tax Return on Assets (ROAA) of 5.8%, and Cost to Income ratio of 36.9%. These ratios are testament to experienced Management, efficient Balance sheet structure coupled with operational efficiency of the Bank.
In recognition of the Bank’s bias for world class corporate governance standards, excellent service delivery and innovation, GTBank has been a recipient of numerous awards over the years. Some of these include Africa’s Best Bank and Best Bank in Nigeria from Euromoney Magazine, and Best Banking Group and Best Retail Bank by World Finance Magazine.

Nigeria’s premier and leading financial services provider, First Bank of Nigeria Limited hosted the third edition of its annual Fintech summit themed “Banking + Tech = Solving Real Problems”.

The event held on Wednesday, 16 October 2019 in Lagos with a conference and panel sessions comprising tech experts, start- ups, regulators and other stakeholders to deliberate pressing issues, trends and upgrades in the application of technology in the financial services industry. Victor Asemota, Founder, Swifta Systems & Services was the Keynote Speaker at the event.

With the evolution that has taken place in the financial services industry in recent times, especially through the advent of technological inclusion in business operations across all industries, this year’s event focused on how technology can aid the solving of large scale societal problems within the context of financial services in Nigeria.

The event cuts across multiple panel sessions to deliberate issues and prospects in the business management across the financial technology ecosystem with a view to having participants exposed to the trajectory of current and future opportunities in the Fintech ecosystem.

According to Gbenga Shobo, Deputy Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, “Our Fintech Summit 3.0 was convened to set the tone for discussions that promote disruptions in the digital space, especially in the financial industry, as we recognise the opportunities for inclusive growth and influence of FINTECH not just in banking but also business operations across all industries. The 2019 edition of our FINTECH summit would build-up from the successes achieved in the last two editions.”

He added: “FirstBank, in the last few years, has used technology to deliver solutions to promote financial inclusion. With over 33,000 Firstmonie Agents in 36 states doing over N2 trillion worth of transactions, we are reducing poverty with our Agency Banking footprint. Our Firstmobile application has become the foremost mobile banking application in the country with over 3 million users doing over 14 million transactions monthly. It is one of the major gateways for Financial Inclusion where everyone can download the app and open an account at their own convenience! This was not the case a few years ago. Our USSD channel, *894#, is also solving Financial Exclusion problems for those who do not have easy access to internet data. With over 8 million users today, transactions worth over N4 trillion have been consummated using this channel.’’

The panel sessions comprised experts with over two hundred combined years of experience in the Financial and Technological Industry space to deliberate on topical issues in today’s technologically driven business world. Topical issues to be discussed are: Solving Business Problems; Solving Regulatory, Security & Legal Problems and Solving Lifestyle Problems.

Amongst the FirstBank team of speakers and moderators are Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications; Olayinka Shittu, Chief Transformation Officer, Oluwatoyin Aina, Group Head, Energy Downstream & Int. Oil Trading; and Taiwo Shonekan, Head, Customer Experience & Value Management.

Debo Odunlana, CEO, Doctoora Health; Damilola Emuze, COO/Co-Founder, Scholarx; Edward Popoola, CTO/Co-Founder, Cowrywise and Chinedu Azodoh, Chief Technology Officer, Max.Ng are the panelists in the Solving Lifestyle Problems session.

The Solving Business Problems panel session include Victor Asemota, Founder, Swifta Systems & Services; Lola Ekugo, Head, Digital Innovation Lab, FirstBank; Akindele Phillips, CFO/Co-Founder, Farmcrowdy; Deepankar Rustagi, CEO/Founder, Vconnect & Omnibiz and Dayo Ademola, Head of Innovation, EFInA.

The panelists in the Solving Regulatory, Security & Legal Problems are the Sam Okojere, Director, Payment System Management Dept, CBN; Tosin Faniro-Dada, Head, Startups (Lagos Innovates), LSETF; Odunoluwa Longe, Co-Founder, DIY-Law & The Longe Practice; Bunmi Akinyemiju, CEO, Venture Garden Group and Harrison Nnaji, Chief Information Security Officer, FirstBank.

Pan-African early-stage Venture Capital firm -GreenHouse Capital -has announced the 10 finalists for its immersive female-focused Tech Accelerator program run by GreenHouse Lab.

Making the announcement at GreenHouse Capital’s Lagos office, Founding Partner at the firm, Kunmi Demuren, said this year’s cohorts were selected from a diverse pool of over 200 impressive applications from across the African continent following a rigorous vetting process.

The startups comprise of a phenomenal blend of young tech companies building unique solutions to some of Africa’s toughest problems ranging from medical education to matchmaking/dating; hardware production to software development; from Botswana to Nigeria.

These include Nigerian startups, Doctoora -which provide healthcare professionals with medical facility rentals for their private practice and runs an online marketplace where consumers can connect to healthcare professionals; and Gricd -which builds Internet of Things-enabled (IoT) smart active cooling devices (a flagship product called the Frij) to store and transport temperature-sensitive vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs. These two startups were finalists in the #NES 25 Startups Pitching Event at the closing plenary of the recently concluded 25th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja; sponsored by GreenHouse Capital and Venture Garden Group.

Also on the list are Bace – a Ghana-based Fintech startup that harnesses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and facial recognition to improve Know-Your-Customer (KYC) protocols for financial institutions; and Vimosure –a Botswana –based startup that offers a platform which leverages sensor-based IoT systems and data analytics to reduce costs and increase transparency between vehicle insurers and consumers.

“The ingenuity on display in our cohort this year is simply breathtaking. Anyone who thinks Africa’s tech boom has plateaued needs only look at the next generation of startups coming up and the problems they are solving to see that that the ecosystem is becoming more and more exciting each year,” emphasized Demuren.

Riding on last year’s highly successful flagship accelerator program, GreenHouse Lab 2019 will once again take place at Africa’s largest tech hub – Vibranium Valley, Ikeja, Lagos. As part of the investor readiness acceleration program, the 10 companies will gain access to a lucrative suite of resources, including: an immersive, tech-focused curriculum led by Google mentors and industry experts; products, resources, and proof of concept opportunities with GreenHouse Lab partners, including Google Launchpad, DIY Law and Oracle; the opportunity to receive investment from GreenHouse Capital and their global network of investors; amongst others.

GreenHouse Lab culminates in a Demo Day in early December where the startups will present their ideas to an audience of global investors, entrepreneurs, corporates and media.

This year’s cohort also include Nigeria-based startups: Datespace – an on-demand dating app that transforms the way Africans find love by connecting young, working professionals to memorable dating experiences; Mashup Beauty – an e-commerce startup driving customer acquisition and sales for beauty-focused MSMEs via an online marketplace and business management Software as a Service (SAAS) solution; OTRAC –an e-learning platform for tailored trainings/courses for public and general Health practitioners; SchoolsFocus – a one-stop school management solution; Whip Music Africa – a platform for African artists to access connections and opportunities needed to take their music careers to the next level by increase collaboration and revenue creation among creatives in Africa’s music industry; and Vesicash – a platform that provides secure digital transactions and promotes financial transparency between MSMEs.

Death, many people say, can be the biggest career move and for proof they point to Michael Jackson who was mired in debt at the time of his death but whose estate is now worth millions and millions more than he made while alive.

Death has always fascinated pop culture, especially when the dead is famous or infamous and young to boot. Think Jimi Hendrix, Janice Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse, Jean-Michel Basquiat. These rock stars captured the popular imagination, blazed bright like a meteor then fizzled out like shooting stars.

The phenomenon of dying young has been so analyzed that someone came up with the 27 Club – a constellation of famous people who died at the age of 27 from drug over dose, alcohol addiction, car or plane crashes as well as suicide or homicide.

Most of them are white (Hendrix and Basquiat no), most of them American but has death ever boosted the career or renown of an African celebrity? The answer is yes and the most famous must be Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the iconic musician, jazz aficionado and fiery activist who was a thorn in the flesh of successive military regimes.

Fela died 22 years ago at age 59. He was nowhere near 27 and by that time had adult children – Yeni, Femi and Shola, who died young. He was world renowned and celebrated and hounded at home. His residence, famously known as Kalakuta Republic (named after the prison cell he occupied while incarcerated at Kirikiri prisons. His cell was called Calcutta but Fela corrupted it to Kalakuta) was raided on February 18, 1977 by what reports say were over 1,000 soldiers.

Denizens of the commune including some of his wives were beaten and raped and the bulding burnt down but not before his aged mother was thrown out of the window. She died from her injuries.

But the loss of his mother and his republic did not diminish Fela’s stridency. He remained militant to the very end dying from complications arising from HIV/AIDs just four months after he left prison.

He was as well known for his music as he was for his activism and today when a musician or celebrity of whatever stripe is conscious people liken him or her to Fela.

But how did death boost Fela’s career. Alive, Fela was mercurial and tempestuous. His music albums were mostly one song albums that sometimes lasted for over 20 minutes. His intros were famous for featuring call and response choruses and then long jazz pieces that seemed to go along for interminable moments. Radio stations found him a nightmare and attempts by music labels to remaster and cut short his songs for the new CD technology were rebuffed. The only close examples in contemporary western music would be Bohemian Rhapsody, the Queen song from the 1975 album “A Night at the Opera” which clocks in at 6 minutes and then Tubular Bells, Mike Oldfield’s 1973 studio album which extends to 49 minutes.

Fela was therefore a peculiar kind of musical artist with an oeuvre that was as potent musically as it was politically. For Fela, music was a weapon and one he wielded in many ways as if it was the lasso of truth with which he whipped the military and autocrats and kleptocrats into line.

His music was critical of soldiers whom he called zombies but soldiers loved to listen to his music because it was also critical of the government and often plumbed the depths of the pervasive social malaise and political morass.

Fela’s music was a leveler and had an uncanny ability for transcending class and gender, moving fluidly between the mainland and island and breaching class strictures. Visitors to the Africa Shrine in what is now Computer Village in Ikeja, where Fela played live sets every Friday when he was not on tour would find bank CEOs and messengers dancing and smoking as they listened to Fela’s music. The shrine was a democratic locale where music was a unifying factor.

It is also important to note how Fela’s music is at home in the mouths of the rich as well as the poor with men from different sides of the track laying equal claim to the man, musician and prophet.

Fela’s death was devastating but in dying Fela seemed to step across the threshold from legend into myth. His death many say made his children instant millionaires and then his music re-mastered and available widely on CD spawned a whole new generation of fans, many of them not yet born or mere toddlers when Fela transited from this realm.

Today, Afrobeat, the musical genre he pioneered is played across the world from Portugal to the UK, the US to Spain. Books have been written about him, documentaries shot and a Broadway show has travelled the world presenting Fela as maverick musician, activist and prophet.

But Fela’s reputation has been cemented and augmented more by a hybrid sound, a derivative christened afrobeats and made popular by young African musical artists who have evolved a whole new sound described by the poet and music Dami Ajayi as having begun with the Kennis music group, D Remedies.

According to Dr. Ajayi – “Afrobeats is perhaps the biggest cultural export from West Africa to the rest of Africa and the world. There is little doubt that this music of both Nigerian and Ghanaian origins will continue to enjoy mainstream global prominence.

Afrobeats went mainstream in Nigeria about two decades ago when D Remedies, released their hit song, Shako Mo, under Kennis Music label. The song sampled instrumentals from MC Lyte’s Keep On Keeping On, which also, interestingly, sampled Michael Jackson’s Liberian Girl. With that connection, one can easily link Afrobeat auspiciously to the late King of Pop.

Today, Afrobeats, a fusion of Hip-Hop and African rhythms, has since eschewed overt Western influences in favour of African idioms and musical traditions. Highlife, Juju, Fuji, Apala, Makossa, Sokous and Afrobeats have become cannon fodder for this music and the benefits are multidirectional. Ultimately, one can argue that Afrobeats is making the old new.”

But what has become clear is that many of the biggest Afrobeats stars have adopted Fela Kuti as both muse and creative forge. This year again as we celebrate the life and times and legacy of Fela kuti during the weeklong Felabration at Freedom Park and beyond, we will be reminded that his death has made him more relevant than he ever was alive and a bigger musical brand to boot.

The list is long but Uzoma Ihejirika writing in thelagosreview attempts to put it all in perspective – “Founded 21 years ago by Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, Felabration presents an opportunity to acknowledge Fela Kuti’s contribution through Afrobeat, the genre of music he pioneered. His jazz-inspired, robust sound continues to spark a creative flame in the hearts of Nigerians—both admirers and detractors— who no matter what cannot ignore Fela, the man and the musical icon.
That creative flame continues to burn in contemporary Nigeria even amongst artistes who were not born or were mere children when Fela became an ancestor. These artistes have made the Afrobeat genre a foundation upon which to speak about their fears, their frustrations, and their joys.”

Nigerian lawmaker Dino Melaye on Friday lost the appeal of a tribunal ruling that nullified his election as the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the Senate.

“I just lost my election at the Appeal Court and Fresh election ordered,” Dino Melaye tweeted on Friday.

The Kogi State National Assembly Election Tribunal Friday, 23 August nullified Dino Melaye’s election.

Melaye, a candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner of the February election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

His victory was challenged in court by Smart Adeyemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adeyemi challenged Melaye’s victory on three grounds of irregularities, over voting and non-compliance with the electoral acts.

The three-man panel led by Justice A. O. Chijioke in a unanimous judgment accepted Adeyemi’s appeal and ordered reelection.

Despite the court ruling, Melaye said, “In all things, I give God the Praise.”

He continued that “He who started a good thing will definitely complete it.”

Melaye expressed hope in winning the reelection ordered by the court and asked his supporters to be law-abiding, noting that he and his supporters will “always overcome”.

+ Turns government establishment to family business

+ Bought cars worth N40million with public funds

Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos State, Dr. Oluwayemi Cecelia Ogun is presently in financial misappropriation and retirement mess. Mrs. Ogun is alleged to have refused to vacate her office as the CMD despite clocking the mandatory retirement age of 60 years since September 23, 2019 even as she’s said to be diverting millions of naira meant for other purposes into her private use.

This act contravenes and is in deviance to the Public Service Rules (PSR) 0202810 of Chapter two (2) in relations to retirement, which states, “The Compulsory retirement age for all grades in the service shall be 60 years or 35 years of Pensionable service whichever is earlier, and no officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 years”.

In our investigation a reliable source who pleaded anonymity confirmed to us that the process for the appointment of a Medical Director of the Neuropsychiatric hospital Yaba in 2017, was skewed to favour the appointment of Dr. Ogun, owing to her affinity with the immediate past minister of health Dr Isaac Adewole, who disregarded the rules as advertised which prescribed the eligibility criteria of not being above the age of Fifty Five Years (55) as at the time of applying for the position of Medical Director as opposed to the regular standard obtainable for the appointment of medical directors across board for other Federal Medical Institutions in Nigeria.

From information gathered, her appointment specifically violated the 6th requirement for the position as advertised at the time that “candidate must not be more than fifty five (55) years of age, as Dr. Ogun was already 58 years old when she was appointed ( find attached Publication and nominal Roll)

Notwithstanding the curious circumstance of her now elapsed appointment, the investigators also gathered that the CMD who clocked 60 on 23rd September, has refused to proceed on terminal leave, as required by law and has now resorted to lobbying high level officers of the Ministry of Health, to extend her tenure, by referring to an already suspended circular by Mr. President on tenureship which is an affront to the anti-corruption agenda of the Federal Government.

It has also generated bad blood amongst her colleagues who are of the view that the intent to elongate her elapsed tenure is vile considering the manner she vigorously fought her predecessor who allegedly attempted to extend tenure illegally.

However a petition has been written against her by the JOINT HEALTH SECTOR UNION for gross abuse of office and corruption.

In the petition sighted by our Investigators, dated ,e, she was accused by staff members amongst others of outsourcing the account department without going through the necessary procedures, which is strongly against the Financial regulation of the establishment.

It was gathered that she was also once invited by police force headquarters CID Alagbon, Lagos to answer for allegations of corruption and abuse of office.

It was also noted that in 2018, she singlehandedly bought a vehicle worth N40million with funds meant for another purpose despite having two functional official vehicles.

Our source also hinted us that she bought a personal Camry car worth N26million which was packed in front of her quarters.

Similarly, she was accused of having sacked all hospital contractors and suppliers, awarded contracts to her relatives at exorbitant prices far above the amount previous contractors charged, according to the petition. Most of the companies used for the hospital contract owned by her husband and cronies.

All efforts to contact her as at press time proved abortive.

Some Lagos residents, who want to re-register their vehicles, have lamented how officials of the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency under the state Ministry of Transportation frustrate and extort them.

They said aside from paying N46,000 for change of ownership documents and number plates, they were being made to part with extra cash for ‘processing’.

According to them, the officials charged each applicant between N10,000 and N12,000 extra, money that is not receipted.

Our correspondents were told that months after some motorists had paid the N46,000, they had yet to get their documents and number plates.

An engineer, Mr Edet Okon, said he paid N46,000 to change the ownership of a registered Honda Crosstour he bought, adding that three months after, he had yet to get the documents and the number plate.

He explained, “The car I am using was registered in the name of my company, because I took a loan to acquire it. When I completed payment for the car, the company transferred it to me and I applied for the change of ownership documents.

“I paid N46,000 to the licensing office since July. I don’t know what is keeping them from processing the application for change of ownership. I have yet to be assigned a new number plate. The official in charge wants me to bribe him and I am not going to do that. It is wrong for people to expect that they must be tipped to do their job.”

Another resident, Opeyemi Oyejide, said he could not understand the government’s inability to give him a number plate despite the fact that he had paid the required fee.

Oyejide, 40, advised the agency to issue temporary clearance permits to vehicle owners, who had commenced the re-registration process, to prevent security agents from harassing them.

He said, “For me not to have completed the change of ownership means that governance is at low ebb in this state. It simply implies that the government cannot perform the basic task it was set up for. I got the number plate for my first car in three days in this same Lagos, but everything has changed now.

“But if you are willing to offer a bribe, you will get the number plate in record time. I know somebody, who paid over the odds for re-registration and his number plate has been delivered, but because people like us refused to part with extra money, we have not got what we paid for.”

Another motorist, Adekunle Bello, said the charges for vehicle re-registration were exorbitant, alleging that government agents and their cohorts had created artificial scarcity of number plates to extort money from applicants.

A resident, Goriola Adegoke, who paid extra N10,000 to a government employee, said he got his documents and number plate under two weeks.

“That is not the standard procedure, because the money certainly goes into their pockets. I have yet to even get the receipt for the N46,000 I paid before adding the N10,000. The extra money facilitated the choice of the local government that reflected on the number plate. This is nothing but fraud,” he stated.

During a visit to the MVAA at Alausa, PUNCH Metro learnt from some officials that the processing of number plates ideally should take 48 hours.

But an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that the licensing office at the state secretariat had stopped issuing number plates for re-registered vehicles.

He explained, “Before now, the government issued number plates to new vehicles and old vehicles brought for re-registration. But recently, it stopped issuing new number plates for old vehicles. So, we decided to apply for new number plates for people re-registering vehicles.

“The process of doing this is long. That is why we collect an extra fee of N12,000. I charge a total of N60,000 to re-register a vehicle. Those, who paid N48,000 cannot get new number plates except they add N12,000.”

Another official in the Alimosho area of the state said he charges N55,000 for re-registration of a sport utility vehicle.

Asked why the fee was high, he said the government had stopped what he termed the ‘re-reg’ scheme for old vehicles.

The agent stated, “They used to charge N20,000 for re-reg that time, but they have stopped. So, for us to get number plates for those doing re-registration, we adopt the process of new vehicle registration, which costs N30,000.

“For the change of ownership, you need a total of N55,000, in addition to two passports, means of identification, particulars of the vehicle and change of ownership and purchase receipts. Within two weeks, everything will be ready.”

But the General Manager, MVAA, Mrs Lape Kilanko, said the official lied.

According to Kilanko, the state government is still running the re-reg scheme, which costs N12,500 as against the N20,000 stated by the official.

She noted that the total amount for re-registration of a vehicle was N26,325, and not N55,000 or N60,000 as stated by the government worker.

The MVAA boss insisted that there was no scarcity of number plates in the state, adding that standard registration number plates did not also come at additional costs.

For clarity, PUNCH Metro gave an example of a Honda Crosstour for re-registration and demanded its cost implications.

She said, “The change of ownership process will require a letter of authorisation to transfer ownership, a police report for the change of ownership, sworn affidavit for the change of ownership, Central Motor Registry payment, valid means of identification of the new owner and an updated vehicle licence.”

According to her, the change of ownership fee is N2,500; Capital Gains Tax, N625; number plate, N12,500; pre-registration inspection fee (by the Vehicle Inspection Service Directorate), N3,800; Central Motor Registry, N1,000; administrative charges, N2,000; and vehicle licence, N3,900.

She said the total cost was N26,325.

The general manager noted that it would take 20 to 30 minutes for the registration of new vehicles and 48 hours for the completion of the change of ownership.

Investigation by PUNCH Metro revealed that a long chain of corruption involving officials of the agency was responsible for the differences in the rates charged.

“At every stage of the process, officials of the MVAA hike the official rates to line their own pockets,” a source said.

A client representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said unless the government made vehicle registration and re-registration a one-stop process, the fraud would continue.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mr Olawale Musa, said the government would look into the issues.

A 13-month-old baby, Michael Duniya, is currently battling to stay alive after being almost mauled to death by a pitbull at Mambilla Barracks, Abuja.

The PUNCH which visited the barracks on Wednesday was informed that the incident occurred on Tuesday around 7.30am.

The black dog, believed to be a pitbull, was said to have broken free from its cage and wandered off into the block where little Michael was playing with his four-year-old brother.

Upon seeing the dog, his older brother immediately fled into the house but Michael was not quick enough as the dog pounced on him.

The dog subsequently grabbed him by the head and pulled him about 30 metres away and began to bite him repeatedly.

A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said she quickly raised the alarm.

She said, “I was by my balcony when I saw the dog grab Michael by the head. The dog bit his ear and tore off his scalp, exposing his brain.

“Incidentally, Michael did not scream as his blood littered everywhere. About four of us began throwing stones at the dog in a bid to get him to free Michael to no avail.

“Someone was able to get a cutlass and slashed the dog with it but it would not let Michael go. It was when the cutlass hit the face of the dog that the dog fell and died.”

It was learnt that a soldier, a Regimental Sergeant Major, who owns the dog, became furious at the killing of his dog when he was informed.

Another neighbour, who craved anonymity because military personnel are not allowed to speak to the press, said the RSM had about seven dogs.

He said the dogs had been terrorising residents especially children but all complaints to military authorities had fallen on deaf ears.

He said, “Some weeks ago, the same dog was let loose and began chasing children all over the place.

“A little girl fell into a gutter while running. I personally had to save the girl and chase the dog away.

“As a soldier I am not afraid of the dog but these little children playing in the barracks are not safe.”

Our correspondent, who visited the block where the RSM resides, was greeted by the loud barks of dogs.

Attempts to speak with soldiers within the vicinity were rebuffed as he was told that he would need to get permission from the military authorities.

Meanwhile, The PUNCH was informed that Michael was given first aid at the barracks clinic before being transferred to Cedacrest Hospital, Apo.

The father of the victim was said to have donated two pints of blood to his son who was still in critical condition on Wednesday.

The father of the victim refused to speak to The PUNCH on Wednesday, saying, “please get permission from my superiors before talking to me.”

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Army Headquarters Garrison, Lt.Col Omale Ochagwuba, did not respond to repeated calls on Wednesday.

Nigeria’s premier and leading financial services provider, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has joined the rest of the world to celebrate the 2019 Customer Service Week themed “The Magic of Service’. The weeklong event is to be celebrated from 7 – 11 October 2019 across the Bank’s over 700 branch networks in Nigeria and its FBNBank subsidiaries in over half a dozen countries across 3 continents.

The Customer Service Week is an international celebration which highlights the importance of customer service and staff who serve and support customers daily to deliver exceptional service to customers.

With its robust customer service network over the years, cutting across diverse cultures, tribes and races, transcending to its digital channels; FirstBank has since the last 125 years supported its customers’ – beyond the shores of Nigeria – at meeting their individual and business needs, thereby contributing to national growth and development. This, the bank achieves through its innovative, interactive, self-service banking platforms like WhatsApp banking, *894# Quick Banking mobile solution, Firstmobile banking application, internet banking and ATM amongst many others. These electronic banking channels are constantly updated with new and exciting features to put the customers experience and service at an edge in the industry.

According to Taiwo Shonekan, the Bank’s Head, Customer Experience & Value Management “with our dynamic and vibrant customer services operations at FirstBank, we remain committed to rendering the gold standard of services to our customers and stakeholders alike regardless of where they may be across the globe. Efficient customer services forms part and parcel of our DNA, our responsibility at putting our customers first and indeed the centerpiece of our impact since we were founded in 1894.”

“Our robust customer service puts our stakeholders and the public alike at an advantage in meeting their personal and business needs as it underscores the magic of our services through a hundred and a quarter of a century,” she concluded.

Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court Kano, on Monday, struck out a plea that the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Mr. Tunde Fowler be asked to vacate his office on account of claims that his tenure has expired.

Justice Allagoa made the order in Kano following a request by JohnMary C. Jideobi, counsel to the plaintiff, Stanley Okwara. Fowler’s lawyer Paul Erokoro (SAN), who was supported by FIRS Director of Legal Services, Ike Odume; and counsel to the Attorney General of the Federation (the second defendant in the suit), T. A. Ghazalli, in a preliminary objection, asked the court to strike out Okwara’s suit

Citing copious legal authorities, Erokoro and Ghazalli told the court that Okwara has no locus standi to file the suit and that it should should be struck out as the court has no jurisdiction to entertain it.

The appropriate court to entertain the suit, argued the defendants’ lawyers, is the National Industrial Court. They submitted that Okwara is wasting the time of the Federal High Court by filing the suit before it.

But Okwara maintained that as a legal practitioner, he has the right to file the suit and he has a duty under the Legal Privileges Act to uphold the rule of law.

Okwara, an Abuja-based lawyer, in the suit (No FHC/KN/CS/141/2019), had asked a Federal High Court sitting in Kano to order Fowler to vacate his office, which he claimed expired on August 18, 2019.

The plaintiff had claimed that Fowler was appointed on the 20 August, 2015, arguing that his tenure as FIRS Chairman lapsed after the 20th August, 2019.

He cited Sections 3(2) (a), Section 4(a) and Section 11

(a)” of the FIRS Establishment Act 2007 and the decision of the Supreme Court in Ogbuinyinya & Ors. vs. Obi Okudo & Ors. (1979) All N.L.R. 105, Okwara, which he said made Fowler’s continued stay in office illegal unless he is reappointed by President Muhammadu Buhari. He also asked the court to order Fowler to return to the Treasury Single Account (TSA) all salaries. Emoluments and other monetary benefits he has enjoyed since the perceived cessation of his tenure.

But Erokoro countered the claims of the plaintiff’s lawyer.

In a notice of preliminary objection dated 30 September and filed on the same day, Erokoro noted that Okwara failed to disclose any special interest.

Given Okwara’s failure to establish his locus standi to commence the suit and for failing to abide by Section 55 of the FIRS Establishment Act by filing a pre-action notice on the FIRS Chairman, for failing to present any reasonable cause of action, Erokoro asked the court to strike out the suit.

“When a plaintiff has not disclosed his standing to sue as in the instant case the question of whether other issues in the case deserve to be decided does not arise,” he argued. Erokoro also told the court that the adjudicatory machinery of the court cannot be activated, as such powers can only be invoked by a litigant whose action is for the “determination of the civil rights and obligations of that person. That is the letter and the spirit of Sections 6 (6) b of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

Citing Senator Abraham Adesanya Vs the President of Nigeria, (1986) 5 SC 112, Erokoro said Okwara needs to have actual and real interest in the suit before he can sue.

In this case,” Erokoro told the court, “the plaintiff’s alleged cause of action is that he is an unemployed legal practitioner. He alleges that the tenure of office of the Fist defendant (Fowler) has expired. How the purported expiration of the tenure of the first defendant affect him is not disclosed. The case of Ogbuiniya and Ors Vs Obi Okudo & Ors (1979) ALL NWLR 105 heavily relied on by the plaintiff is distinguishable from the instant case. In that case, the plaintiff’s case were affected because a judge gave a judgment against the plaintiff at a time he had ceased to be a judge of that court.”

Other authorities cited by Erokoro to puncture Okwarra’s claim that he has a locus to institute the suit include: Re-Ijelu Vs LSPDC (1192) NWLR (Pt 266) 414 at 422-432, Olorode V Oyebi (1981) in 1 SCNLR 390 at 400, 1984 5 SC P 1 at 16, Sunday Adegbite Taiwo V Serak Adegboro & Ors (2011) LPELR 3155 ( SC) at page 15 B and Nyesom V Peterside (2016 LPELR -40036 (SC); Barbus & Co Nig Ltd V Okafor-Udeji (2018) 11 NWLR (PT1630) 298 at 311-321, H-A and Emechebe V CETO Int Nig Ltd (2018 11 NWLR (pt 1631 520 at 537-538, C-A

Barry Chukwu, a lawyer with the FIRS, in an affidavit dated 30 September, also told the court that the President forwarded Fowler’s name for appointment as the substantive Executive Chairman of the FIRS on 21 August 2015 for confirmation by the Senate.

“Following a meeting by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 9th December, 2015, Fowler was confirmed as the substantive Executive Chairman of the FIRS.

“The following day, 10th December 2019, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, informed President Muhammadu Buhari of Fowler’s suitability for confirmation as substantive Executive Chairman of the FIRS,

“Based on this, Fowler’s appointment as Executive Chairman did not take effect on 20 August, 2015 when he was appointed as the acting FIRS Chairman,” he said.

In support of his position, he quoted from a letter by Saraki.

“Your Excellency may, therefore, wish to formally appoint the confirmed nominee as Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service,” Saraki’s letter, dated 15 December 2015, read in part.

Monday’s court proceedings lasted for over three hours, with Jideobi initially asking Justice Allagoa to throw out all the processes filed by the by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation as they were not filed within time.

Ghazalli countered him, citing the Independence Day public holiday as a reason. Justice Allagoa allowed the counsel to the Attorney-General to orally move his motion to file out of time. He stood the court down for about seven minutes to enable the counsel serve the other.

When Erokoro and Ghazalli were done, Jideobi told the court that Section 18 (1) of the Interpretations Act places a duty on him, as a legal practitioner to uphold the rule of law. He further maintained that a Supreme Court ruling gives precedence to the African Charter of Human Rights provisions over all local statutes. To this Justice Allagoa queried: “Änd also the constitution?

Justice Allagoa fixed Friday 11th October 2019 for a ruling on preliminary objection.

As part of its continued commitment to create an enabling environment and opportunities for the promotion of sustainable growth and development of the Nigerian economy, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has partnered with The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) to host the 25th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#25), its annual flagship event.

The Silver Jubilee edition of the Nigerian Economic Summit is themed “Nigeria 2050: Shifting Gears” and scheduled to hold on 7 – 8 October 2019 at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, would speak on “Gender Empowerment” at the plenary.

The Nigerian Economic Summit is the foremost credible platform for public-private dialogue which enables policy makers and influencers to deliberate on issues, proffer policy options with a view to a better understanding of our national economic policy direction and growth strategies. National leaders and policy influencers billed to attend the event include His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; His Excellency Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, Hon. Minister for Finance, Budget & National Planning, Nigeria.

Other dignitaries are Senator Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan PhD, CON, President of the Senate; Right Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Mrs. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. The Chief Host of the event is Mr Asue Ighodalo, Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.

Panelists at the event include Alhaji Aliko Dangote President/CEO Dangote Group; Mr Godwin Emefiele Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria; Bishop Matthew Kukah, Founder, The Kukah Centre; His Excellency Dr Kayode Fayemi, Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum; HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II, The Emir of Kano; Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly; Ibukun Awosika, Chairman, First Bank of Nigeria Limited; Hon. Mrs Hannatu Mohammed, Board Member, ICPC; Mr. Chidi Ajaere, CEO, GIG Group; Mrs Juliet Anammah, CEO, Jumia Nigeria and Mr Mauricio Alarcon, MD/CEO, Nestle Nigeria Plc .

The event is billed to comprise plenary sessions, exhibitions, design workshops, dinner and the anniversary lecture as well as the presentation of awards and prizes to winners of the NES #25 essay competition and start-up pitching event.

Nigeria will host the 2019 African Netpreneurs Conference between Tuesday, October 22, and Thursday, October 24.

The African Netpreneurs Conference is a gathering of elite digital business professionals hosted by the American Internet Business School.
Themed “Maximizing Business Profits In The Global Marketplace”, the three-day conference will hold at the prestigious Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Business executives and digital business experts from the USA, Europe, and Africa confirmed to train at the workshop include Victory Akpomedaye, Founder/CEO, Supreme Web Solutions. Akpomedaye is also a specialist in Affiliate Marketing and Product Creation. He is also acknowledged as one of the Top Affiliate Marketers and Digital Product Launchers out of Africa, with multiple 6-figure launches already to his credit in 2019.

Also storming the conference is Ifiok Nkem, President/CEO, Snapilabs Limited. Nkem is also a reputed web consultant, author, and prolific digital product creator. As one of the most sought after web consultants in Africa, Nkem has been involved in over 700 projects and has consulted for high net worth individuals, businesses and corporations including the governments of Nigeria and Angola.

Another seasoned professional who will also be training at the event is Mayowa Owolabi, the CEO of GTEXT Media Group and Investment Limited, an organisation reputed for Digital Marketing Consultancy. GTEXT Media Group and Investment Limited is one of the leading firms in Nigeria with a record of excellence in areas of digital marketing, website design, bulk SMS, e-commerce, and real estate.

Segun Ogundele, President/CEO, FastPlus Innovation is one of Nigeria’s Finest Top Internet Marketers with over 10years of experience in online marketing. He will also be at the conference. A highly respected Internet Marketer, Speaker, Author, and I.T Consultant he has empowered over 20,000 Africans within nine years.

Ogunlede also takes credit for also being a software creator, a product launcher and Affiliate Marketer with over 10 Software launches including OmniEngine, FB Engagr, Shoplez, RankFlux, EzyAgency, EzyStore & EcomSuite to mention a few.

Other trainers who will storm the event are Adetunji Gbolagade, Stephen Akintayo, Mrs. Bisi Akintayo, and Patrick Enyum.

The 2019 African Netpreneurs Conference though open to all is purpose-built for Entrepreneurs, Business Consultants, Internet Marketers, Corporate Executives, Brand Managers, Professional Freelancers, Advertising Agencies, Politicians and Government Agencies, Churches and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO).

Training focus areas include Winning Strategies For Maximizing The Internet For Your Business, Achieving Your Financial Dreams in E-commerce and Mini-Importation, Leveraging The Power Of Affiliate Networks To Multiply Your Sales And Increase Profits, Proximity Marketing Dor Local Businesses In The New Digital Economy among others.

The American Internet Business School, host of the conference is an online learning school that specializes in providing training and education for people on how to do business on the internet.

Dr. Ope Banwo, founder of the school has organized many Internet Business Empowerment Workshops, Digital Works Initiatives, Bootcamps and Training Programs for thousands of youths all over the world in the last seven years.

He is currently the Chief Executive, Netpreneur Success Academy, and CEO at American Internet Business School where people are taught how to set up their internet business for profit.

Mercy Eke popularly known as Mercy de Lamborghini is a Big Brother Naija Season 4, which held on Sunday.

The most watch reality show no doubt has witness a combination of arguments, fights, endurance and of course, romance, has sparked huge excitement among fans.

Fans have spent a lot of time and cool cash trying to make their favourite housemate emerge victorious on the final day.

After 99 days of excitement, intrigue Mercy eventually won the grand prize of N60 million.

Mercy is perceived as one of, if not the strongest housemate in the final five by a lot of observers.

For every time she was put up for eviction during the show, the numbers she got reflected on how strong she is, making her one of the strongest housemates in the house.

Let’s be sincere, with the figures since the beginning of the show, it would be difficult for anyone to rival Mercy. Even though it looks like she might walk home with the grand prize on the final day, the possibility of a plot twist is very real.

Now let’s break it down, Mercy got into a fight with Tacha – who had a very strong fan base – which saw her getting disqualified from the show.

Tacha’s disqualification has won Mercy a lot of enemies on the other side.

Every year, all around the world, the life and works of Nigeria’s foremost musical icon, late Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s are commemorated with music, arts and fanfare at the weeklong Felabration festival. Founded 21 years ago by Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti, Felabration presents an opportunity to acknowledge Fela Kuti’s contribution through Afrobeat, the genre of music he pioneered. His jazz-inspired, robust sound continues to spark a creative flame in the hearts of Nigerians—both admirers and detractors— who no matter what cannot ignore Fela, the man and the musical icon.
That creative flame continues to burn in contemporary Nigeria even amongst artistes who were not born or were mere children when Fela became an ancestor. These artistes have made the Afrobeat genre a foundation upon which to speak about their fears, their frustrations, and their joys.

Burna Boy – Ye
The African Giant, Burna Boy, has never hidden his love and admiration for Fela Kuti. Boasting an upbringing rooted in a myriad of musical influences, Burna Boy has always spoken highly of the older singer (his grandfather Benson Idonije was Fela’s first band manager) and it is no surprise why a trip through Burna’s discography would reveal footprints of Abami Eda.
From ‘Soke’ to ‘Another Story’, Burna Boy has channeled Fela Kuti: the charisma, the fearlessness to speak to power while still retaining enough groove for the listener’s body to gyrate to.
But it’s ‘Ye’, Burna Boy’s breakout single in the diaspora, that packs the most punch. The song highlights the average Nigerian’s love for life when protest should suffice. Powered by a stroke of luck, ‘Ye’ has gone on become a fan favourite that even Rihanna jams to.

Oritse Femi – Double Wahala
Prior to 2013, Oritse Femi had a string of hit singles in ‘Flog Politician’ and ‘Mercies of the Lord’ but the man would admit that it was ‘Double Wahala’, his remake of (and dedication to) Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s‘Confusion Break Bone that brought him out from the dark alleys of the underground.
Oritse Femi’s ‘Double Wahala’ is a masterful take on the every-day-ness of the Nigerian life and the hope of every Nigerian that she grows to enjoy an affluent lifestyle.
‘Double Wahala’ earned Oritse Femi two nominations at the 2014 City People Entertainment Awards, Video of the Year and Most Popular Song of the Year, winning the latter. He also won the Indigenous Artist of the Year award at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards.

Wizkid – Jaiye Jaiye ft Femi Kuti
Released as the lead single from his sophomore studio album Ayo (2014), ‘Jaiye Jaiye’ had the right dollop of oomph that Wizkid needed to, in Nigerian parlance, ginger his fans who had been clamouring for a project since his 2011 debut Superstar.
‘Jaiye Jaiye’, an upbeat sample of Fela’s ‘Lady’, featured the late singer’s eldest son and Grammy-nominated artiste Femi Kuti who blessed the song with sunny blasts of his saxophone. On the song, Wizkid borrows lines from Fela about a woman’s displeasure at being called Woman instead of Lady.
‘Jaiye Jaiye’ kicked off for Wizkid what would later become a massive surge in his career.

Tiwa Savage – 49-99
What better way to kick start a post-Mavin era in your career than invoking the aura and swagger of Abami Eda?
Newly signed to Universal Music Group, the singer and songwriter Tiwa Savage titled her latest offering 49-99, a reference to “49 sitting, 99 standing” taken from Fela Kuti’s‘Shuffering and Shmiling’.
Tiwa Savage blazes her way through the song, boasting of her endless hustle and how much success she has strived to achieve. And with the confidence she exudes, it is fair to say there’s more to come.

Skales – Temper (Remix) ft Burna Boy
The original version of Skales’ ‘Temper’ was an okay song. It possessed an infectious beat on which the singer layered the ubiquitous Baby let’s have a good time line. A safe yet effective approach after all.
Whatever prompted Skales to tap Burna Boy for the remix deserves a hat tip. Not only did Burna Boy enrich the song, he took control of the wheel and steered the song in a new direction. From romantic to aspirational. He sampled lines from Fela Kuti’s ‘Sorrow, Tears and Blood’. Unlike the original version, the remix became an opportunity for both artistes to reminisce on their humble beginnings and acknowledge how far they have come in their careers.

Whoever asks: “Who Fela don epp?” Say: “A lot.”

In commemoration of Nigeria’s 59 years’ independence anniversary, Nigeria’s leading retail bank, Access Bank Plc has unveiled a cash incentive campaign tagged “DiamondXtra Independence Splash” to reward over 30 DiamondXtra customers daily with cash prizes.

The campaign is set to run from October 2 to October 31, 2019 and will reward over 600 customers during the campaign period.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Lagos, the Executive Director, Retail Banking, Access Bank plc, Victor Etuokwu said the bank introduced the daily rewards promo in commemoration of the country’s independence to give as many Nigerians as possible financial freedom and empower them to fulfil their day to day needs as they celebrate Nigeria at 59.

“The DiamondXtra Independence Splash which is going to run from October 2 to October 30, 2019 is a testimony to our commitment to empower Nigerians financially irrespective of their educational, religious and social status.

For 30 days of celebrating Nigeria at 59, we will be rewarding more than 30 lucky customers daily with cash prizes ranging from, N10,000, N20,000 and N50,000 respectively. This is our own little way of giving back to our loyal customers.

To qualify for the DiamondXtra Independence Splash reward scheme which is open to both new and existing customers, new customers are required to open a DiamondXtra savings account with just N5,000 by dialling *901# or walking into one of our branches to open the account.

However, the more multiples of N5,000 both new and old customers save, the higher their chances of winning at the daily draw,” Victor concluded.

DiamondXtra is an interest yielding hybrid account which allows deposit of both cash and third party cheques. Hybrid means a combination of both savings and current account features.

The DiamondXtra reward scheme has given away over N5 billion in cash and household items to over 15,000 loyal customers over the last 11years.

Please click HERE to learn more.

As part of efforts aimed at expressing appreciation to its loyal customers whilst engendering a good savings culture in the country, Keystone Bank Limited has launched a new savings promo tagged ‘Keystone Growbiz Account Save and Win Promo.’

The promo which is open to both new and existing customers of the bank and scheduled to run till November 30, 2019 will see lucky winners walk away with cash prizes and gift items such as refrigerators, television and lots of consolation prizes.

To participate in the promo, the lender, in a statement explained that new and existing customers of the bank are to grow their Keystone Growbiz Account balance by N50, 000 and maintain it for 90 days to qualify for the raffle draw.

The Keystone Growbiz account is designed to meet the needs of business owners and organizations; sole proprietors, partnerships & limited liability companies. The product is available in two variants: GrowBiz Gold Account (with minimum balance); GrowBiz Classic Account (without minimum balance). Each variant is broken down into three segments Individuals, SMEs/Traders and Corporates.

Speaking on the initiative, Executive Director, North & Public Sector of Keystone Bank, Mr. Lawal Ahmed said that the objective of the campaign is to empower its customers by rewarding them with cash and gift items, whilst at the same time promoting the savings culture, in line with the financial inclusion drive of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“We believe that it’s time to reward our loyal customers because they are invaluable to all that we do. It’s imperative to acknowledge their contributions to the growing fortunes of the bank,” Ahmed noted.

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

Tacha has been disqualified from the on-going Big Brother reality show ‘Pepper Dem’ edition. She was disqualified from the show for engagement violence in the House.

There was serious drama in House on Friday, which led to Tacha hitting Mercy.

This happened after both housemates engaged in a heated argument, leading to what appears like a physical confrontation.

Seyi had earlier called on Mercy to come to the lounge so they can read Biggie’s scroll.

However, Mercy who just finish having her bath, came out late for the reading.

Tacha, who was already boiling, seized the opportunity to rain insults on Mercy.

She said: ”You are a slowpoke, remain there and don’t come out. clout chaser, old woman. You keep using your body to get everything you want. You have been using Ike to get what you want. You can’t stand eviction that is why you need Ike to help you.”

Mercy replied: “You are very stupid, you Instagram beggar. Go and treat your body odour before you talk to me, you stink. At least, I have a boyfriend (Ike) to get me what I want. What has your boyfriend done for you?”

During the argument, Tacha pushed Mercy and also dragged her weave-on twice while Mercy struggled to control her anger.

She picked up a pressing iron but was stopped by Omashola.

Organisers of the on-going Big Brother Naija reality show ‘Pepper Dem’ edition have disclosed that two housemate will be evicted today.

Our sources have confirmed not one but two surprise evictions will happen in the BBNaija house today. The first this morning and the second, later in the evening.

This confirmation follows the brands – DStv and GOtv – posts via social media, stating that surprise evictions will happen from Thursday till Monday.

Earlier in the week, Frodd emerged the Ultimate Veto Power Holder (UVPH), and in a new twist, Biggie tasked him with nominating 5 housemates for possible eviction. Frodd proceeded to nominate Tacha, Elozonam, Cindy, Ike and Mike who now face possible evictions based on votes.

Reconnect now so you don’t miss early evictions this week. Also, you stand a chance of winning BBNaija furniture or N1million when you remain active on DStv and GOtv.

Big Brother Naija season four is proudly sponsored by Bet9ja. For more information on the show, visit www.africamagic.tv/bigbrother Follow the official Big Brother Naija handle on Instagram @bigbronaija, twitter: @BBNaija and Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/bigbrothernaija/

Fidelity Bank Plc has said that the planned disruption of service and social media attacks on the Bank are the handiwork of few outsourced staff on secondment who were recently recalled by their employers.

A statement by Charles Aigbe, Divisional Head, Brand and Communications of the Bank, said that the employers of these individuals, who were seconded to the Bank as Note Counters, “have confirmed to the Bank that their recall was conducted in line with their existing contracts and according to extant labour laws.”

He noted that their actions and intentions “are clearly unwarranted and misdirected,” stressing that their aim is to cast the Bank in bad light for no just cause.

Aigbe pointed out that Fidelity Bank is a responsible financial institution that is guided by the laws of the land, insisting that while it is not against the right to lawful assembly, the actions planned by the individuals have no basis.

He, therefore, urged the public “to disregard the falsehood and claims being circulated” by these people in the public domain.

The Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Rabiu Yadudu is presently under investigation as a report linking him with a series of financial misdoings is being forwarded to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

This was contained in a report written by an anonymous anti-corruption group committed to the war against corruption as being signalled by President Muhammadu Buhari who had strongly stated his mission to sanitise the country in all sectors.

Rabiu Yadudu is alleged to have surrounded himself with people who are concerned about enriching themselves through conniving with vendors and internal stakeholders in the organisation to inflate cost in the Audits, Accounts and Procurement department of FAAN.

Not only that, the Yadudu is also alleged of nepotism, in a practise where training and recruitment slots into FAAN has become a business limited to a handful of his friends and relatives.

There are also serious allegations of misappropriation of funds under the guise of touring foreign countries for the betterment of FAAN.

In a detailed narrative, Captain Yadudu was alleged of…

Approving the cost of constructing a one-bedroom quadruplets in Kaduna airport at N35M
Installation of DSTV in his official residence at N4.8M
Conducting meetings at home during odd hours with female staffers of the organisation
Approving the supply of explosive detector machines at N117M
5.Installation of damaged cctv in his official residence at N1.7M

Amongst many other weighty allegations.

Mr. Yadudu is not the only one caught in the web of the allegations, there is a long list of staffs of FAAN who are members of the ring.

The list details the payment process to each staff from 100,000 to 500,000 naira.

Yadudu’s appointment recently as the Managing Director of FAAN was trailed by mixed reactions

Until his appointment, Captain Rabiu Hamidu Yadudu was the Director of Operations, FAAN.

He replaced Saleh Dunoma, who spent over three decades in the airport authority.

Mad Melon of the ‘Danfo Driver’ fame died in a Lagos hospital on Wednesday, September 25 after a battle with illness.

Mad Melon real name Oghenemaro Emeofa hit fame with his partner Mountain Black with the 2003 hit song ‘Danfo Driver’. They released three albums together.

Music icon icon, Daddy Showkey confirmed news of Mad Melon’s passing on his Instagram on Thursday, September 26, 2019.

“What kind of sad news is this, what kind of sad news is this, what kind of sad news is this,” a visibly shaken Showkey says in the video.

“Oh my God, we just lost somebody, I just heard it just now. I’m not happy at all, I’m not happy. When dem go dey tell people make dem dey hear, make dem dey hear.”

Mad Melon and his partner Mountain Black became very popular in 2003 after the release of their debut album Danfo Driver. Due to the success of the single titled after the album, the duo became known as Danfo Driver.

Their fame waned over the years but they made the news again in 2018 when they got into a content theft fight with Tekno over the sampling of their popular song, ‘Kpolongo’

The duo called out Tekno for sampling their classic record without getting permission.

The duo also surprised fans with an appearance at Headies 2018 and evoked nostalgic feelings with the performance of their hit records.

Organisers of the on-going Big Brother Naija reality show have announced that ‘surprise eviction’ will begin tonight, Thursday, September 26th as against the regular Sunday night evictions.

Currently, there are 10 housemates left in the house with barely 10-days to the end of the season and 5 of them are already nominated for possible eviction come Sunday.

The surprise evictions will go on every night till Monday, September 30th, 2019.

Recall that Frodd used his ultimate power privilege to nominate five housemates for eviction.

The housemates he nominated for eviction are: Tacha, Mike, Ike, Elozonam and Cindy.

It was a night filled with magnificence and splendor as music lovers and fun seekers were treated to topnotch entertainment at the Zenith Bank Aspire Music Festival which held on Saturday, September 21, 2019 at the Harbour Point Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The musical festival lived up to its billing as the most anticipated entertainment event of the year, as the audience were treated to electrifying and captivating musical performances by Nigeria’s top artistes including Olamide, Flavour, Phyno, Niniola, Mayorkun and Rema.

Also on hand to anchor the event and thrill the audience with rib-cracking jokes was Kenny Black, while celebrity hypeman, Do2dtun, revved up the crowd throughout the night.

Indeed, the crowd could not have asked for a better and more enthralling night as the artistes took to the stage one after the other treating the audience to their major hit songs. From Olamide’s rave-of-the-moment song “Pawon” to Rema’s “Dumebi”, Niniola’s Maradona, Mayorkun’s “Mama”, Phyno’s “Fada Fada” and Flavour’s “Ada Ada”, the audience well held spellbound throughout the night and got real value for their time.

The breathtaking festival, which is one of a series of events lined up by Zenith Bank to usher in “Style by Zenith 2.0”, the bank’s annual lifestyle fair which takes place towards the end of the year, will no doubt linger in people’s memories for many years to come.

The co-convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, who has been in the detention of the Department of State Services since August 3, 2019, has accused the DSS of maltreating him.

“I was abducted in the middle of the night. I was taken to one of your facilities in Lagos. I was beaten up, rough-handled on my way to the facility in the car. And my cousin, who was in the room with me, was also beaten and handcuffed, and my properties were forcefully seized. And when I got there, of course, the maltreatment continued, they threw me on a cold floor and locked the door.

“I had no contact with even the guards for two nights; I was in that facility before I was flown here by your agents. So, I was seriously maltreated,” Sowore reportedly said during an interrogation session by DSS operatives.

The National Legal Adviser of African Action Congress, the political party on whose platform Sowore contested the presidential race in this year’s general elections, Inibehe Effiong shared the “Transcript from DSS Interrogation of Sowore Upon Abduction – Excerpt 1,” on his Facebook page on Monday.

According to the transcript, Sowore was interrogated by five DSS operatives in the presence of his lawyer, one “Barrister Sam.”

One Usman Usman, a DSS operative, who led the interrogation, was said to have told Sowore that, “We’ll be asking you questions and our advice is for you to be truthful to the best of your knowledge. We’ll not force you to say anything. Whatever question we ask and you have a problem with or you don’t have an answer to or you don’t want to answer, there is no compulsion, you simply tell us you’re not going to answer these questions.”

When asked by Usman to say “If in the course of your being here anybody has molested you in any way or maltreated you?” Sowore said, “Yes,” and went on to give the response above.

On whether he was denied food, the detainee said, “While in your facility in Lagos, yes, but I decided that because of their hostility I won’t take any food until I am allowed to talk to a lawyer. I continued to refuse food; until I was allowed to speak with a lawyer, and I have seen my lawyer, but I am still being denied access to my immediate family.”

Asked if he had made calls to his family members, Sowore replied his interrogator, “I’ve not made any calls to them. My brother is outside; he wasn’t allowed to see me as we speak.

“No, I’ve not made any call to my family members, I only made calls to people I remember their numbers to bring me food and asked them to call my brother. My brother came in today. But he was denied access to me, so I haven’t been able to see him and as a result, speak with my mum, wife and kids.”(sic)

Seyi wins the HOH Challenge
Mercy bought immunity for this week


It was the nomination show everyone was waiting for!

After Frodd emerged the Ultimate Veto Power Holder (UVPH), fans of the hugely popular show could not wait to discover which five housemates he would put up for possible eviction during the Monday night Nomination show.

The housemates unaware of the ‘power’ Frodd as the UVPH wielded, carried on with what would be their final nomination show for the season. At the end of the process, Cindy, Elozonam, Frodd, Ike, Mercy, Mike and Tacha came out tops on the nomination list.

Big Brother, however, nullified the results and called Frodd to nominate five of his fellow housemates for possible eviction. Big Brother then revealed that Mercy had used her Bet9ja coins to buy ‘immunity’ and as such was automatically exempted from nominations. Frodd then proceeded to nominate Tacha, Elozonam, Cindy, Ike and Mike. They all face public vote and the housemate or housemates with the lowest percentages will be evicted from the Big Brother House next Sunday.

Meanwhile, at the weekly Head of House (HoH) challenge, Seyi made history in the season by becoming a three-time winner of the title. This time around, however, he chose not to share the HoH bedroom privileges with another housemate. His position as HoH secures his spot in the final week of the competition.

Fans can now vote for their favorite housemate to stay in the Big Brother Naija house via SMS by texting VOTE and the NAME of the HOUSEMATE to 32052 (SMS costs N30 for Nigeria only and available on the participating networks – Airtel, MTN and 9Mobile). Fans can also VOTE FOR FREE on the website and mobile site – africamagic.tv/bigbrother. With the MyDStv & MyGOtv Apps, fans can get additional 100 VOTES for their preferred housemate. Download the MyDStv or MyGOtv app today on the iOS or Android mobile app store. Voting on the MyDStv and MyGOtv apps is open only to subscribers in Nigeria.

Voting starts every Monday night at 7:30pm WAT; after the Nomination show and closes the following Thursday at 9pm WAT.

The drama continues LIVE and 24/7 on all DStv packages on channel 198 and on GOtv Max and GOtv Plus packages only on GOtv channel 29/Ghana 129/Uganda 329.

BBNaija season 4 is sponsored by Bet9ja. For more information, visit www.africamagic.tv/bigbrother Follow the official Big Brother Naija handle on Instagram @bigbronaija, twitter: @BBNaija and Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/bigbrothernaija/

Those who know President Muhammadu Buhari whether as a former Head of State, elder statesman and now as a democratically elected President are unanimous in the belief that the retired army general is not effusive with praises. Many say his deadpan visage and taciturnity are a spin-off of his military background.

In fact, in the run-up to the 2015 elections, these character components were a major campaign tool of the opposition, which said he will be an apathetic and detached President. That notion was never explicitly corrected. Hate him or like him, the President cannot be stampeded (who can even dare?) to talk or praise anyone except he is profoundly convinced that the person deserved it.

Yet, if there’s any man whose singular actions have always impressed, excited and humanised President Buhari, it is none other than Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN. When it is about Osinbajo, President Buhari lights up, sings his praises whether he was present or not, and never shies away from telling anybody who cares to listen that Nigeria could not have had a better Vice President; and that he is luckiest to have him by his side.

At the height of his ill health in 2017, President Buhari invited Osinbajo to London where he was recuperating to personally thank him for his performance, dedication and service to the country as Acting President. “The efforts by the Vice President as the Acting President are commendable. He deployed his youth and intellect to run all over the place. Thank God that I have the time to watch him on NTA 24 hours and I congratulate him,” the President said, adding, “I allowed him to come and see me so that I can personally thank him for all that he has done,” Buhari said. There are not many people who have been so eulogised by Buhari in this lifetime.

On the occasion of his 60th birthday, the President described Osinbajo as a running mate turned partner in the service to Nigeria. A year later, while congratulating him on yet another birthday, President Buhari thanked Osinbajo for being a loyal and dependable partner and wished him many more years of service to God, to Nigeria, and humanity. Beyond birthdays, in the line of duty proper, President Buhari has never been tongue in cheek in his assessment of the Vice President; he says it as he feels it.

At a meeting with traditional rulers in Ogun State earlier in the year, Buhari spoke of Osinbajo’s pivotal role in delivering on the ‘Change Agenda’ in the past four years, particularly in his capacity as the Head of the National Economic Council (NEC). Responding to the Vice President’s presentation at the meeting on the economic outlook in the country in the last four years and how the APC-led administration had done more with fewer resources, the President said: “(Osinbajo) being the Chairman of NEC is in a very strong position to know what we are earning and what we are doing with the earnings. I am very pleased with his vast experience and intellect.

He has captured effectively what the administration has done and I commend him for playing a very great part in that. Thank you, Mr Vice President.”

Last May, at the breaking of fast at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where the President hosted top government officials, he said he was upset with the level of poverty in the land and challenged the elite to do something very urgent to ameliorate the pathetic situation. The guests were stunned not knowing what the President was driving at. There was pin-drop silence in the elegantly laid out hall while cutleries hung in midair; many a guest undecided whether to go on eating or stop to get the import of the message.

The President continued, “When I drive around the country, what upset me very much is the status of our poor people – you see young people, the so-called Almajiris with torn dresses, with a plastic bowl. They are looking basically for what to eat. The question of education (to them) is a luxury. I think the Nigerian elite are all failing because I think we should have a programme that will at least guarantee some basic education for our people no matter how poor they are.” Then, the clincher!
“So, I welcome the Vice-President’s initiative of the School feeding programme. If you check in your localities, the enrolment into schools improved because a lot of children can get at least one good meal a day. This is the position of this country,” the President added, as the guests roused in ovation to the VP.

But the President was not done. He pointed out jocularly; “This `market money’ (Tradermoni), I warned the Vice-President. I don’t like him to be mobbed, especially the way I see hefty women coming and confronting him, he should be very careful.” The hall erupted in laughter again. Then the President added seriously, “These are very good initiates. Initially, I was quite reluctant but I must admit that they are very good programmes and they endear this government to a lot of poor people because of this N5, 000 or N10, 000 being given to them as loans. They are fantastic programmes and I have to admit quite honestly that the Vice-President was ahead of me by insisting on them.” Instructively, the President said that even when he is not totally in support of an idea and the VP insisted, “He knows me, I will say `okay, go and do what you like.’ He did it and I’m very pleased as he is being very successful.”

For Prof Osinbajo, loyalty is his strong suit; he wears it like a second skin, a badge of honour which he proudly shows off. On a visit to the palace of the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumin Usman, for the inauguration of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Clinic, Osinbajo said, “I feel very much at home in Katsina. More so, because this is the state of the President who has taken me as a brother; in fact, the President has taken me as a son in the way he treats me.”

Osinbajo was reported to have also said that with the kind of responsibilities assigned to him, Buhari had left no one in doubt that both of them could live together as brothers. This has been the pattern of the relationship between the President and the Vice President; one of mutual love, loyalty and respect for each other. And the situation is no different from the relationship between Osinbajo and leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande. Even as Vice President, Osinbajo defers to these men as his political leaders.

Otherwise regarded as the most utilised, ubiquitous and cerebral Vice President that Nigeria has ever had in her democratic experiment; his brilliance and hard work have come in handy for the administration. Do not forget, when the federal government needed to take its social programmes to the masses in markets and farms across the length and breadth of the country, Prof Osinbajo was the man to do the job. And, why not? He is affable and accessible; pressing the flesh comes naturally to him; virtues he deployed to the benefit of a government that tottered on the brink of sheer disconnect with the masses.

Everywhere he went, the Vice President made many do a rethink about the Buhari-led administration. He campaigned and cajoled the people into seeing beyond the prevailing hardship in the country, promising a utopian nation if they got a second term. They have since got the second term but at a huge personal cost to Osinbajo.

In the course of taking the field, it would be recalled that the Vice President and nine others escaped unhurt when a hired helicopter conveying them to Kabba, Kogi State, crash-landed. That was in February 2019. In a tweet posted by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, he stated, “President Muhammadu Buhari has praised what he called ‘the tenacious spirit’ of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who survived a helicopter crash in Kogi state.”

Undaunted, he went ahead with his campaign mission. Such was his commitment! Earlier in June 2018, a chopper that was to convey Osinbajo from the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja, was forced to land immediately after takeoff. Osinbajo was in the school for the graduation ceremony of Senior Division Course 1 /2018 participants. The chopper had earlier taken the Vice-President to the college for the ceremony. However, while taking off, it could not ascend beyond tree level, emitting thick smoke and landing on the same spot abruptly. None of these adversities has stopped the VP from remaining committed to the ideals espoused by his principal.

This is why the unfounded rumours being peddled by political merchants that the presidency is emasculating the VP are nothing but mere fabrications. When the President replaced the Economic Management Team headed by Osinbajo with an Economic Advisory Council, there was widespread panic that Osinbajo’s influence was deliberately being whittled down as he seems to be becoming too formidable a prospective presidential candidate come 2023. Nothing can be further from the truth. Even when the presidency said the move was to change the strategy and direction of the economic agenda, the peddlers of the rumour continued wallowing in scepticism, forgetting that the VP is still the chairman of the National Economic Council, which membership cuts across the 36 state governors, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Minister of Finance, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other government officials and agencies whose duties hinge on the economy.

At no time has the Vice President mooted the idea of contesting in 2023 even though he is eminently qualified and well-positioned to do so, but for now, his loyalty and commitment is to help his principal achieve the Next Level agenda; and his party, the APC, to fulfil its manifesto of better life for Nigerians across board.

Okeke wrote from Lagos, Nigeria

Union Bank has announced the second edition of its annual education fair – Edu360, in line with its efforts to support education as a vital sector for Nigeria’s growth and development.

The three-day event themed, ‘Education Beyond Walls’ will take place at the Union Bank Sports Centre in Surulere, Lagos from Thursday, 24th to Saturday, 26th of October, 2019, and will attract audiences across the education ecosystem including government officials, educators, parents and students.

Attendees will benefit from a robust programme lineup that includes talks, panel sessions, masterclasses, workshops and training sessions for teachers. There will also be immersive and interactive activities and learning sessions for students, including gaming classes, robotics and coding, acting clinics, and photography workshops.

The focus of the annual conference is to facilitate critical engagement between key stakeholders in the sector, provide essential teacher training for public school teachers and expose students across all education cadres to experiential and creative learning opportunities.

Speaking on the Edu360 initiative, the Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa said: “Union Bank has been a leading advocate for education in Nigeria. Edu360 presents a platform to express our robust support for this key sector. Following the successful first edition last year, we realise that great ideas and collaboration are key to moving the education sector forward. We hope that the discussions and conversations at Edu360 2019 will unearth new ideas that will help build this very crucial sector.”

Edu360 was established in 2018 by Union Bank as a platform to rapidly accelerate access, quality and learning outcomes for Nigerian children and youth. The inaugural event drew over 3,000 delegates. This year, the event is expected to attract 5,000 delegates and will feature an exhibition where service providers in the education sector will showcase their products and services.

Entry to the event is free and open to members of the public. Registration is ongoing at www.edu360.ng .
In 2017, Union Bank made a commitment to drive private sector engagement in delivering Nigeria’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the Next100 initiative; highlighting SDG 4 – Quality Education as one of the areas in which it intends to drive impact.

Between April and June this year, hundreds of teachers and school administrators in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt benefited from free training sessions organised by Union Bank on the Edu360 platform, in a bid to boost the quality of education in Nigerian schools.

The Bank also recently organised the EdTech Challenge to discover, showcase and support innovative, cutting-edge technologies with the potential to transform Nigeria’s education system. During the entry period from July 30 to August 23, 2019, over 1,060 ideas were received. Finalists from the competition will be invited to pitch their ideas during Edu360, with the top three ideas receiving total funding support of N5,000,000.

Union Bank remains committed to supporting Nigeria’s growth by identifying and investing in sectors that are vital to shaping a better, more sustainable future for generations to come.

“I watch a lot of TV. That’s how I spend most of my time outside of work. If I had more time, I would fill it 100 percent with watching TV.” So said Luis von Ahn. And Mr. von Ahn is quite right on the money, isn’t he?

You see, this man is a professor of computer science and CEO of Duolingo. He’s world-famous for being one of the inventors of crowdsourcing. So, he must know what he’s talking about, right?

Right! So, please know there must be some good in watching as much TV as you can. The TV is full of gems. Case in point – Big Brother Naija. In fact, by watching Big Brother Naija every day, you can make money.

Here are five simple ways to make money from staying glued to Big Brother Naija.

Recap Channel

You must have seen the hashtags! Everybody is interested in Big Brother Naija. That’s why it’s always trending on social media—Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you can spin a spellbinding yarn, especially for those whose jobs disallow them from catching the hottest moments of the show, there’s a chance for you to be their eyes. Go and micro-blog on social media, amass followers and monetize those numbers. Even celebrities are trying to do that these days. Have you heard of a guy called Don Jazzy? Plus, you know there’ll be another season of Big Brother Naija, right? There are so many legs to this idea I cannot even begin to list. Seriously, you should start now.

Are you the betting type?

There are ways to make money from your deep knowledge of the Big Brother Naija housemates as well as their shenanigans. I hear one of the show’s sponsors (Bet9ja) has merch giveaways and prize money up to N2m. Somebody has to win those.

Professor of Big Brother

Why did Efe win Big Brother Naija See Gobbe edition? Why didn’t Bisola win? Is there a strategy for staying in the house? Those are great questions whose answers are clear to the most ardent fans of the programme. But do you know the biggest and hardest of all the riddles about BBNaija? It’s how to get in. This year, they say the housemates either have recognisable names or respectable social media following. That’s something. If you can teach people how to qualify for BBNaija, that’s a sure way to secure the bag, my friend. Trust me.

A manager of Talent

There’s a ton of ex-BBN housemates coming into the market and many of them will like to have a paying gig or two. Do you have ‘connects’ in Nollywood, music, advertising, fashion, media, etcetera? If you can package offers for your ‘connects’ and some of these talents, everybody wins. But you don’t have to wait till the show is over to put the deals together. As you watch every day, you should be able to tell who would be great for whatever you might have.

Parties!

Fan meetups. Viewing parties. Housemate VIP nights. Bring like minds together, put on a show about the show, and set their hearts on fire. You get the idea.

Fastest growing financial services provider, Keystone Bank Limited in partnership with Verve International, has launched a promotion to reward its customers for using its Verve Card to purchase petrol at select Oando Petrol stations across Nigeria.

According to a statement by the lender on Friday, the promo tagged “Free Fuel Alert” which is open to both new and existing customers of the bank will have Keystone Bank Verve Card holders receive free extra 5 litres of petrol each time they use their verve cards to purchase a minimum of N3,000.00 and above worth of petrol between 6am – 8pm every Friday from September 20 till November 8, 2019.

The selected Oando Petrol Stations where the promo will run are Lagos (Maryland, Marina, Awolowo Falomo, Awolowo Fire Station, Lawanson, Alapere, Ajah, Agege Bye-Pass, Trade Fair, Fola Agoro, Ojodu Berger, Sangotedo, Ago Palace Way and Shiro Road Fadeyi) Abuja (Garki, Ahmadu Bello Way and Zone 6 Wuse) Enugu (Ogui Road), Imo (Assumpta Avenue) Kaduna (Junction Road by Stadium), Kano (Club Road 1), Oyo (Orita Mef and Iwo Road, Southbound) Portharcourt (Aba Road and 75 Transamadi) Delta (Effurun Junction) Edo, Benin – City (Akpakpava Road).

While Keystone Bank Limited is a technology and service-driven commercial bank offering convenient and reliable solutions to its customers, Verve Card International is a secure debit card which allows the card-holder to conveniently meet day to day financial needs like the payment for goods and services, airtime recharge, bill payments, funds transfer amongst others.