₦airaland Forum

In line with strategic business intent and corporate realignment to sustain continued business growth, the Board of Directors of Keystone Bank Limited has announced the appointment of three new Executive Directors. At its 49th, Annual General Meeting held in Lagos, the Board approved the appointments of Tijjani Aliyu, Olaniran Olayinka and Lawal J. Ahmed as Executive Directors, subject to the approval of the Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN).

In a statement by the divisional head, marketing & corporate communications of the bank, Mrs. Omobolanle Osotule, made available to journalists on Monday, said that the three new executive directors will join the executive management office to pursue and deliver on the bank’s strategic business objectives bringing to bear their in-depth wealth of banking experience garnered over the years across various sectors.

Commenting on the development, the Chairman of Keystone Bank, Alhaji Umaru H. Modibbo noted that the promotion of the three former General Managers to Executive Directors is in line with the bank’s corporate governance and culture of maximizing her human capital through consistent leadership development and training.

‘’Since we restructured, we have intentionally and proactively nurtured our talent in readiness for future leadership opportunities that will arise in the organisation. It is therefore a major feat for us that we were able to appoint the three new Executive directors from our internally groomed executives’’ said Modibbo.

Tijjani holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Bayero University, Kano and an MBA from the Bangor Business School, UK. His experience spans over two decades in both regulatory and top financial institutions in Nigeria. He is a member of various professional bodies and has attended various courses within and outside Nigeria including INSEAD Business School and the US Federal Reserve Bank in Washington.

He is a consummate Risk professional and a member of Risk Managers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN), Chartered Institute of Bankers (ACIB, HCIB). His experience in the financial services sector covers operations, treasury, Banking Supervision, Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Risk Management. Until his elevation, he was the Chief Risk officer of Keystone Bank.

Olaniran holds a First Class Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s Degree in Economics from the prestigious University of Lagos. He has attended several executive courses and programs in Banking Operations, Credit, Risk Management, Business Process Re-engineering, Change Management amongst others.

He had a 4 years stint with PricewaterhouseCoopers and 25 years banking experience covering Operations, Human Resources Management, Corporate Banking, Commercial Banking, Retail Banking and Institutional Banking.

Until his elevation, he was the Regional Head Corporate Bank and West, Keystone Bank Limited.

On his part, Lawal, holds an LL.B Degree from the University of Jos, and an LL.M Degree from University of Dundee, United Kingdom. He has over 19 years post-call experience that cuts across Legal Practice, Banking Regulation, Process Improvement, Conflict Resolution, Project Management and Regulatory Compliance.

He is a Fellow of the Compliance Institute of Nigeria (FCIN) and has attended top global educational and professional institutions including the London School of Economics (LSE), UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Management Delft, Netherlands, the Clingendael Institute for International Relations, Den Haag, Netherlands, US Federal Reserve,

Washington DC, USA and Financial Stability Institute of the Bank for International Settlements. Until his elevation, he was the Chief Compliance Officer of Keystone Bank Limited.

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

The Chinwe Bode-Akinwande (CBA) Foundation, a non-governmental organization, has empowered widows within Okun-Ilado community of Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.

The under-privileged widows, numbering over 100 were lifted with business grants, food-items, clothings, scholarships for their children and free medical treatments.

According to the organization, the one-day outreach supported by First Bank of Nigeria, is in commemoration of the 2019 United Nations’ International Widows’ Day.

Speaking at the event, the founder of the foundation, Mrs. Chinwe Bode-Akingbade, said that the gesture was imperative to assist the pitiable conditions of widows and less-privileged in the society as well as boosting their confidence.

“The foundation was established to alleviate sufferings and pains of the less-privileged, especially widows and their children in the society.

“And I decided to do this because I’m led by God and also, I’ve watched closely, listened to some of the victims of widowhood and I realised that less attention is paid to under-privileged widows. I have friends who are victims and I can tell you, the dehumanization and injustice meted to widows in the country is unimaginable, hence, I decided to contribute my little quota as a selfless act to alleviate their pains.

“As I speak, we currently have over 600 authentic widows on our profile, and the children of about 90 per cent of them have dropped out of school because of lack of funds. So, even if it’s the basic education we are able to give to them, they can build on it. We don’t want children who should be in schools on the streets because their mothers cannot afford school fees. Who knows if the future president is among them? Every child should have access to education and a good life and that is what CBA Foundation intends to achieve.

“To change our society and make the world a better place, we must love, give and share no matter how small.”

She further called on the government to implement and enforce the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) which has the protection of widows in the country, stressing that the government needs to create more awareness about the act for widows to know their rights and also for people to thred with caution.

The traditional ruler (Baale) of the Okun-Ilado community, Chief Ologbon Oladeyinde, speaking with joy, noted that the gesture would go a long way in salvaging the wretched situation of widows in the community as poverty, hunger and malnutrition are a great threat to their livelihood.

One of beneficiaries, Mrs Yaya Taiwo while expressing her gratitude to the foundation said she was overwhelmed by the gesture of the foundation as it has given her life a meaning.

*Hawk Chinese fabrics in Idumota, Kweri Textile Markets
*Render 30,000 dyers, traders jobless


A fresh strategy in the Chinese weird business model in Nigeria aimed principally at sabotaging the nation’s economy has been uncovered in Lagos. The latest drive has been described by multiple sources in business and security circles, as a direct assault on the nation’s economy and security.

The incursion of Chinese businessmen into Nigeria’s retail market started since early 2000, but their recent audacity of moving out of their trading enclaves (China Towns) and taking over shops hitherto owned by Nigerians, and also hawking their wares from place to place is a recent phenomenon that Nigerian traders are raising the alarm about.

The latest culprit, Zhe Long, owned by two Chinese: Wang Fuzeng and Chen Yuping, has as its main objective: “to carry on business as manufacturer, buyers, sellers, traders, importers, exporters and merchant exporters.”

The company, according to search at the Corporate Affairs Commission, was incorporated in Nigeria on the 11th January, 2018 with an official address at 4, Eric Moore road, Surulere, Lagos.

Investigation revealed that the perfidy from Zhe Long ranges from false declaration, security breaches, tax evasion, forgery, illegal immigration, concealment and customs duty evasion.

For instance, security agencies have discovered that the commercial that sales invoices of the company is not VAT compliance since there are no VAT number and amount declared on the document. This to tax experts, constitutes a serious breach of the law by Zhe Long and its customers.

Apart from this, investigation also revealed that there are about 30 Chinese semi-skilled/manual workers operating in the company. A source in the company revealed that none of these workers has a formal Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card, CERPAC documentation, which is clear breach of the nation’s immigration law by both company and the illegal immigrants.

The CERPAC GREEN CARD is a bonafide document that allows a non-Nigerian to reside in Nigeria and carry out an approved activity as specified in the permit, or to accompany a resident or citizen of Nigeria as a dependant.

In the areas of import and shipping documentations, sources revealed that Zhe has been falsely declaring a chemical known as Polyol as Polyacetals. Polyols are a group of low-digestible carbohydrates derived from the hydrogenation of their sugar or syrup

Polyols react with isocyanates to make polyurethanes, which find use to make mattresses, foam insulation for refrigerators and freezers, home and automotive seats, elastomeric shoe soles, fibers (e.g. Spandex), and adhesives.

On the other hand, polyacetal is an engineering thermoplastic used in precision parts requiring high stiffness, low friction, and excellent dimensional stability. It is among plastic materials, with the most crystalline structure. It is also is known for its good fatigue/creep resistance, low friction and good performance in cold temperature.

Sources at the Customs explained that the reason for this false declaration is that Polyacetals global pricing is US$600/metric tonnes as against US$2,000 Polyol.

Similar to the above, the company is also accused of declaring a chemical called TDI as Toluene. Global pricing of Toluene is US$600 as against TDI’s US$2,300

The consequence of this false declaration according to experts, is duty under-payment and the consequent defrauding of the government of necessary duty and VAT on these transactions.

Aside the loss of revenue accruing to the government, there is major security implication for the false declaration of TDI. Apart from a chemical used in the production of polyurethanes, primarily for flexible foam applications including furniture, bedding and carpet underlay, as well as packaging applications, TDI is also used in the manufacture of coatings, sealants, adhesives and elastomers.

But due to TDI’s potential explosive properties, the material is a controlled substance that requires an End User Certificate, EUC issued by the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA for its importation to Nigeria.

Sources close to the company alleged that presently there is no evidence to support that Zhe Long has EUC for its TDI’s importation, which according to security experts, constitute a serious national security breach.

Meanwhile, a group of traders and dyers in Kano at the popular Kweri Textile Market, under the aegis of Masu Rini Progressive Association, recently held a protest march against the Chinese traders in the market, accusing them of taking over their source of livelihood.

The traders, who marched from Kori Market to the Emir of Kano’s Palace, carried different placards with inscriptions such as: “We don’t want China products in Kano again”, “Government should stop China from exploiting us”, “Chinese textiles are killing our market”.

Addressing newsmen at the Emir’s Palace, the Secretary of the Dyers Association Yakubu Lawal Ishaq, said that the Chinese may soon render over 30,000 dyers and traders jobless if government provides them with the enabling environment they are looking for, which is total takeover of the market.

Yakubu alleged that the China made fabrics had crashed the price of the locally made ones and rendered textile business unprofitable for the indigenous products.

He further lamented that “initially, the Chinese were mainly in the sale of white fabrics and chemicals for the manufacturing of textiles but suddenly they started selling low quality products to us and later they started importing the same textile we produce here. They have also spoilt the price. For instance if we sell for N3000, the Chinese people will sell their own for N2000!”

Although the dyers did not advocate for outright expulsion of the Chinese fabrics in the state, they called for the enforcement of the Nigerian Enterprise Promotion Act and International Trade Policy to regulate indiscriminate infiltration of Chinese fabrics into Kano markets

Speaking to the protesters, the Emir of Kano, Mal. Muhammadu Sanusi II cautioned that they should refrain from any act capable of resulting to violence in the course of agitating over their plight.

While exonerating the Chinese of any blame for the massive importation of their products into the country, and the looming danger of them taking the nation’s retail business, the emir condemned what he described as the Federal Government’s negligence in the handling of illegal goods into the country.

Emir Sanusi, pledged to intervene in the matter, and further urged the local dyers and traders to be patient and to resist any attempt that would lead to untold attack on the Chinese in Kano.

We exclusively learnt that the Chinese traders have taken over every inch of the Kweri market, retailing and hawking imported Chinese fabrics in the market.

A businessman in the market confirmed to our correspondent that the Chinese traders apart from having enough capital to do the business, they have the comparative advantage over the local traders, they Chinese textiles cost less compared with the locally made ones, they also attract more patronage due to their refined texture.

However, in Lagos, Mr. John Obi, a dealer in textile materials at the Idumota Market on the Lagos Island, expressed fear that Chinese traders might soon push them out of the market because, the nationals from the Asian country have started importing them into Nigeria and further taking over the retail of textile materials in Idumota and other markets in Lagos.

“What you see in Idumota now are Chinese porters carrying textile materials on their heads from the wholesale shops to retail outlets in the market.

“If nothing is done to check this development, many Nigerian retailers will be pushed out of the market,” he warned.

Our investigation also show that the Chinese nationals are in their numbers in the markets in Lagos and are slowly taking over the electronic distribution business in the country, including sale of phones at the Ikeja Computer Market.

Our correspondent reports that the Chinese were frequently seen on Lagos streets selling their hair and other beauty products to the final consumers on the Island.

Speaking on the development, a Lagos-based Miner and Financial Consultant, Mr. Mecha Udo said that the activities of the Chinese in the mining sector could even be said to be more alarming than what is happening in any other sector of the economy. He disclosed that the Chinese have taken over most of the mining pits in the country; extracting valuable raw materials which they send to their country for processing.

In Nigeria, as in much of Africa, Chinese investment provokes suspicion. But according to Mr Ye Shuijin, President, China Chambers of Commerce in Nigeria, the quantum of investment in the Nigerian economy by Chinese companies has hit $20 billion U.S dollars. This I from160 Chinese firms operating in the country which also employed over 200,000 Nigerians.

There is also a large population of Chinese people in Nigeria which comprise Chinese expatriates and descendants born in Nigeria with Chinese ancestry. As at 2012, there are approximately 20,000 Chinese in Nigeria.

Like many Nigerians, John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, has accused China of using “bribes, opaque agreements and the strategic use of debt to hold states in Africa captive to Beijing’s wishes and demands”

The Chinese however countered that “Nigeria has the most thieves in the world,” says Thomas Liu, who runs the medicine company, using the sort of uncompromising language that grates from Accra to Kinshasa. “You have to avoid being tricked.”

Chinese businessmen also claimed they have to negotiate past Nigeria’s bureaucratic gatekeepers for permits and licences. “To visit a government official here, you best have around $6,000 to $10,000 with you,” says Mr Ban, a miner. “Otherwise, forget about getting an appointment.”

One of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, Zenith Bank Plc, has introduced a high interest-yielding target savings account named “SAVE4ME”, which enables customers plan and save towards their aspirations and needs conveniently.

The new product is designed to support flexible savings for predetermined purposes such as asset acquisition or even marriage, and offers a higher interest rate than a regular savings account. Customers can operate multiple “SAVE4ME” accounts for the different things they want to achieve at the same time.

Commenting on the new savings product, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu said “the bank is focused on providing its customers with premium financial solutions that meet their lifestyle needs and ‘SAVE4ME’ is just one in a plethora of retail banking offerings it would be introducing over the next few months.”

He further explained that the product is very important because Nigerians have a lot of aspirations, but most times these are truncated by the absence of a suitable savings plan that allows accumulating funds for their actualization.

Zenith Bank Plc is recognized as one of the most innovative financial institutions in Nigeria and was voted the most customer-focused bank in Nigeria for the Retail and SME segments in the 2018 KPMG Annual Banking Industry Customer Satisfaction Survey (BICSS). The bank’s commitment to world-class service standards has led to several product innovations over the last few weeks including the “Zenith Timeless Account”, which allows Nigerians aged 55 years and above bank for free and the “Dubai Visa Service” on the Zenith Bank internet banking platform, which allows convenient application and payment for visa to Dubai.

Interested persons can get more information about opening a “SAVE4ME” target savings account by engaging with the bank on social media or calling Zenith Direct on +234-1-2787000.

Telecoms firm and sponsor of the annual Ojude Oba Festival of the Ijebu people, Globacom, will give out mouth-watering prizes including ten tricycles, in the 2019 edition of the Festival raffle. The star-prize, the tricycles, have been mounted on a dais outside the Awujale’s palace where residents have been trooping to catch  glimpses of the largesse, hoping to be proud winners of the vehicles for transportation business.

The raffle is open to all customers who make purchases from any Gloworld shop in Ijebu Ode or Ago Iwoye, from the middle of July 2019 to the day of the festival. During this period, each shopper will be given a raffle ticket which qualifies him or her  to win the star prize or any of the ten LED television sets also available for customers.  The winners will be drawn during the main event in August.

Throwing light on the raffle and other features of this year’s Ojude Oba Festival, Globacom’s Regional Manager Activation, in charge of Lagos and Ogun, Mr. Olufolahan Faseyitan disclosed  at a World Press Conference at the Awujale’s Palace in  Ijebu Ode that Fuji crooner Abass Obesere, Pop sensation Lil Kesh famous for  hits like ‘Shoki’, ‘Able God’ and ‘Flenjo’ will perform at the music concert. Similarly, resourceful comedian MC Bash will entertain guests at the all-night show where the 2019 Miss Ojude Oba will be crowned.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the 2019 Ojude Oba Festival Committee, Chief Wahab Osinusi announced that Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun will be the Guest of Honour . The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi will be the Royal Father of the day while business mogul, Chief Kessington Adebutu is expected to be the Special Guest.

Dosunmu commended Globacom for supportingFestival year in year out for over a decade now. According to him, this year’s theme, “Ojude Oba: The Uniqueness of the Ijebu Nation”, speaks to the objective of taking stock and boosting trade and commerce.

Fielding questions later, the Coordinator, 2019 Ojude Oba Festival Committee, Chief Fassy Yusuf also commended Globacom for its forte of empowerment which he said was a veritable means of wealth redistribution and social enterprise.

The 2019 edTech Challenge is now open for entries!!

Do you have an innovative, technology-driven solution with the potential to solve education challenges in Nigeria? Are you a student, teacher, developer, designer, fintech or a player in the tech space? Then keep reading because this is for you!

From the July 30 to August 28, 2019, entries will be received from anyone with cutting-edge technological solutions that demonstrate a strong potential to transform the education system in Nigeria. By ‘anyone’, we mean ‘anyone’, including but not limited to students, teachers, developers, designers, fintechs, tech companies etc.

Union Bank acknowledges that innovation is important if we are to achieve the prosperous Nigeria we all dream about. That’s why each year since 2017, we have organised annual editions of The Innovation Challenge with the aim of discovering and supporting innovative ideas and solutions that solve social and business issues. This year, the competition which is being organised in partnership with VHA Services, will focus on unearthing education technology solutions, emphasising Union Bank’s focus on supporting the Nigerian education sector.

At the end of the entry period, up to 10 shortlisted entries will be unveiled and the successful applicants invited to participate in an accelerator programme providing them with access to coach-mentors, and a community of education stakeholders and strategic partnerships.

Following a pitch, the top three winners will be announced during edu360, Union Bank’s annual flagship education event scheduled to hold in October this year.

These top three winning entries will receive total funding support of 5 Million Naira towards scaling their solutions, and venture support including provision of specialised support based on their specific project needs. They will also receive advisory regarding the deployment and management of funding received.

So if you’re as passionate as we are about developing the education sector, click here to read more information and submit your entry.

For more updates, follow Union Bank on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and the hashtag #UBNEdTech19

Terms and conditions apply.

By Seun Bisuga

People generally believe that Ponzi schemes are primarily money doubling, risk-taking adventures but there are some that are designed to totally con you out of your money without you even knowing it.

Like every Ponzi scheme, these organizations have communication mediums but NO feedback channels; they control everything from their end and allow you little or no opportunity to give a feedback, something akin to both Medview and Arik.

These airlines are notorious particularly Medview, they have set themselves up to rob Nigerians blind. They both do not have active social media channels in 2019 because they do not want you to lay your complaints or make enquiries. Sending them an email is a futile exercise because they will never reply. I mean NEVER reply.

Even worse is attempting to call them. Like every Ponzi scheme the phone calls never connect, you can try as hard as you want and for as long as you like but that phone call is never going to connect, they have no customer care in place, clear attributes of organizations that run a Ponzi scheme.

My latest experience with Medview is fascinating because I have come to learn that they do this every once in a month or so. The airline is a flight risk yet despite the staggering evidences, they are still allowed to carry on their scams.

Here’s how their scheme works; Medview always have their portal open for business, if you are unfortunate, you book a flight via Medview but when you get to the airport to check-in, you realize that they are nowhere to be found. On other occasions, you’ll be hours away from your flight when they send you an email that your flight has been cancelled, you’re thinking at the top of your head, what do you mean cancelled?

Here are their exact words, “Please be informed that your flight from ABUJA to LAGOS has been CANCELLED due operational reasons. Re-protection is available at the Airport”.

They then ask you to proceed to any of their centres to claim a refund but guess what, all their staff at every centre have vamoosed, it’s like they never existed, it’s like a mirage and then you think to yourself, Medview think they are wise, yes, they are wise, this is their stock in trade, they have mastered the art.

You start to call their phone lines and you never get through, you send email after email and you still don’t get through then you’re thoroughly frustrated.

God bless you, you have scarcity of funds then you are stranded but if you desperately have to travel then you’ll pay no less than N35,000 for any other flight available at the airport.

That’s not where the story ends. You arrive Lagos and walk briskly to the Medview stand and there’s no one there, if there had not been a name on their stand, you would probably have thought that you dreamed of the name Medview, that it probably never existed.

With this scheme in place every once in a while Medview hopes to reap off Nigerians many of whom are left frustrated by their acts and move on with their lives. There is no one to complain to and even if you find anyone by the counter after weeks of trying they will only refer you to their head office.

What makes it worse is that even ticket hustlers at the airport would comfortably say to you; “Medview? Did you say Medview? Medview NEVER refunds anybody”.

Let’s take a deep breath and do the math for a bit. If Medview have a fully booked flight canceled how much do they make from this scheme every time they perpetuate it? Let’s say they have 100 passengers on the flight and each passenger pays N20,000 that is a cool N2,000,000 in Medview’s account without having to hit the runway.

This has become their new modus operandi and they use it on unsuspecting Nigerians but once you’ve had this kind of experience you flee from them but there are new people to fall for this scam, this Ponzi scheme, this Yahoo, Yahoo.

But Nigerians are left with very little options, most of the other airlines have their own stories after having flown almost all, one is sometimes forced to retire into his shell and just wonder. Wonder, just like Femi Kuti put it.

Let me stress that Medview Airlines only operate one flight from Lagos to Abuja daily, just one flight yet they can’t pull it off.

As for Arik, I once booked a flight to Ibadan and I decided I want going to change the route, I had a balance of N10,000 from Arik. If Arik is not going to refund its customers, it could at least allow them use the balance on their next flight but guess what, Arik don’t make refunds. Let me put it like this, “We don’t give refunds if you decide to change your flight, it’s not our fault,” the lady at the counter told me.

With modern day Ponzi schemes like this ongoing, how much more can Nigeria withstand, with organizations that are supposed to be models for the youths scamming us, this leaves a lot to be desired.

Some might be wondering why I have chosen these two airlines for scrutiny, the truth is, this is only the beginning of the beaming the search light on the aviation sector. I have used Air Peace, Azman, Aero, Dana and they all give you the jitters. While Air Peace appear to have good planes they are notorious for delaying flights.

The wings of Dana and Aero will make you pray all through your flight unless of course nature seeps in and you manage to doze off. But their matter is a discussion for another day and that day is near.

Most culpable in all of this is the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and especially the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA. They are supposed to be regulatory agencies with oversight functions on Nigeria’s aviation sector but there’s a huge doubt they see anything at all.
This makes you wonder how can you be a regulatory agency and not regulate anything at all? This is highly unacceptable and is no way to sell Nigeria to investors in the aviation sector or any other sector for that matter.

Any investor that has this kind gory experience on our flights will not come back, even worse, is how these airlines treat Nigerians and con them of their hard earned money. We don’t have to be prayer warriors because we want to travel by air.

NOTE: This is the first in a series of many write-ups on the dwindling quality of the aviation sector in Nigeria and of the airlines too.

Seun Bisuga, a journalist and public affairs analyst can be reached via email: bisuclef@gmail.com

In fulfilment of its strategic objective to becoming Africa’s gateway to the world, Nigeria’s leading retail bank, Access Bank Plc has launched and opened up its USSD channel (*901#) to all Nigerians to enable the instant opening of DiamondXtra accounts from mobile devices.

The DiamondXtra USSD channel option(*901#) allows customers, and potential customers, conveniently open a DiamondXtra account , confirm the number of tickets they have in a particular draw, and also find out the date for the draws from their mobile devices.

Introducing the USSD channel account opening option, Victor Etuokwu, Executive Director, Retail Banking, said “Our business is all about our customers as our success can be directly attributed to their success. We have helped millions of people save with DiamondXtra and have rewarded thousands over the last 10 years, with this year being the eleventh edition.

To encourage more people to save, we have digitized the scheme to accommodate customers who are not able, for one reason or another, to go the branch to open aDiamondXtra account. New customers can simply dial *901#, follow the prompts to open a DiamondXtra account and fund with a minimum of ₦5,000 to be one of our lucky winners.

To join our winning train, all you need to do is to save up, if you are already a DiamondXtra customer, or open aDiamondXtra account with just ₦5,000 and save multiples of ₦5,000 to increase your chances of winning”. Victor concluded.

The reward scheme rewards 10 customers with N1million each in our monthly draws, while the rewards for the quarterly draw include:

Salary4Life (N100,000 every month for 20 Years)Education allowance for 5 years (N100,000 every month for 5 years)Rent 4 a Year (₦1,000,000)₦1,000,000 for 6 lucky winners₦500,000 for 15 lucky winners₦100,000 for 45 lucky winners₦50,000 for 300 lucky winners₦20,000 for 300 lucky winners₦10,000 for 300 lucky winnersLoyalty prizes 20,000 for 45 lucky winners

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 10 years. Please click HERE to learn more.

By Ayo Alonge
Festus Egwarewa Adeniyi Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was born on January 21, 1970.
Keyamo had his primary education at Model Primary School before proceeding to Government College, Ughelli, for his secondary school education where he obtained the West African School Certificate in 1986.
A native of Effurun in Delta State, Keyamo graduated with a Bachelor of Law Degree, in 1992, at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in December, 1993.
His legal career began in earnest in 1993 with the Gani Fawehinmi’s Chambers in Lagos State, and two years after, he left to establish Festus Keyamo Chambers.
He was counsel to the leader of the Niger-Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, in his trial for treasonable felony. He was also the lead counsel in the treason trial of Ralph Uwazuruike, the leader of the Movement For The Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). Keyamo was also a counsel in the murder case of Bola Ige.
In 2008, he took the Federal Government of Nigeria to court over illegal appointments of service chiefs.
On July 6, 2017, he was approved as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and was named by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) as one of the outstanding Nigerian lawyers to be awarded the rank of SAN. In same year, he was awarded the Global Human Rights Award by the United States Global Leadership Council in Washington for his efforts over the years in respect of protection and promotion of human rights and the crusade for accountable governments in Nigeria.
In December 2018, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Keyamo and six others as members of the governing board of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), at the behest of President Muhammadu Buhari’s earlier letter to the Red Chamber in May, 2018.
In the build-up to the 2019 general elections, Keyamo was appointed as the Director of Strategic Communications (Official Spokesperson) for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid, in a letter dated April 16, 2018. He was, however, applauded by many for his sterling performance in that capacity.
The 49-year old Keyamo, who has been in the spotlight of his legal career for over two decades now, is also a social crusader, critic, columnist and a human rights activist of international repute.

...retains only 12 of those who served in the last administration

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally sent his list of ministerial nominees to the senate.

Unlike during his first term when he appointed only 36 ministers — one per state — he has decided to also appoint one per geo-political zone, bringing the total to 42, we understands.

The list was sent to the senate on Monday evening via executive communication and is expected to be read on the floor of the senate on Tuesday.

The senate, which will be proceeding on a two-month recess on Thursday, is expected to screen the nominees.

Contrary to speculations, only about 12 ministers will be re-appointed from the former cabinet.

Recall, the Senate has given the President till Friday to submit the list of ministerial nominees for screening, failure of which the red chamber will proceed on its two-month annual recess.

In line with its annual calendar, the National Assembly is meant to go on its annual recess on July 26 and resume on September 26.

Buhari, who won election in February and was sworn in on May 29, has continued to delay the submission of the ministerial list, arguing that he will need to take his time to appoint the people he knows.

The Chairman, Senate ad hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs Affairs, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, on Saturday night, said the red chamber would proceed on its annual two-month recess this week if the Senate did not get the ministerial list by Friday.

He said: “If the list does not come before Friday, the Senate will proceed on its annual recess. We are not giving the president any ultimatum. The schedule of the Senate will go ahead if the Senate does not receive the list. The list is the only thing that can hold us back.”

Fast-rising featherweight boxer, Taiwo “Esepo” Agbaje, on Sunday, emerged best boxer at GOtv Boxing Night 19, held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos. He was awarded the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy and a cash prize of N1million after being adjudged the best by journalists in attendance.

The award was his second, after clinching the first at GOtv Boxing Night 16 held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium last year. The boxer wowed the crowd with a commanding performance to defeat Waidi “Skoro” Usman, former African Boxing Union (ABU) champion, in their eight-round national challenge bout. He left no one in doubt of his mission from the first bell, as he twice left Skoro sprawling in the first round with vicious punches delivered at a high speed.

The 27-year-old, who is undefeated in eight fights, was quicker, more alert and energetic than the former ABU champion, who had a hugely punishing evening.

Another big winner on the night was Nigeria’s Rilwan “Baby Face” Babatunde, the West African Boxing Union (WABU) champion, who knocked out Ghana’s Edem Biki in the final round of their 10-round international challenge bout.

Despite suffering a cut above his right eye, Babatunde remained undaunted and rallied back dramatically with three devastating left hooks to end the fight at the start of the last round. While the win saw Babatunde stretch his unbeaten record to nine, it was a first defeat for Biki in 10 fights.

In the national lightweight challenge, Rilwan “Real One” Oladosu maintained his unbeaten streak, after seeing off Hammed “Ese Hammed” Ganiyu with a win via unanimous decision. Also maintaining his unbeaten record is ABU lightweight champion, Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph, who knocked out Tope “Berinja” Agboola their eight-round national lightweight challenge bout.

The eight-round national featherweight challenge bout saw Tope “TP Rock” Musa, score a unanimous decision victory over Kazeem “The Light” Oliwo.

Adeyemi “Spirit” Adekanla defeated Isaac “I-Star” Chukwudi, Adekanla via a split decision in their national light welterweight challenge bout.

In the four-round female national bantamweight challenge, bout, Rodiat Yusuf saw off Fatima Sanni via a second round technical knockout, while Cynthia “Bobby Girl” Ogunsemilore, made light work of Abiodun “Lady Crusher” Adedeji, by securing a first round technical knockout win.

Ten journalists from the print and electronic media were honoured for their support for GOtv Boxing Night and contributions to boxing in Nigeria.

Twenty-one days after Big Brother Naija Season fourcommenced to rapturous applause, four housemates – Avala, Isilomo, Ella and KimOprah – have kissed goodbye to the opportunity of winning the ultimate prize worth N60million. 17 housemates remain guests in the BBNaija House, but one or more may be evicted on Sunday.

It has been a rollercoaster ride for the remaining 17 housemates, as they have had to adapt to each other’s personalities as theylive and work together. Readjusting themselves to a new order has been difficult as seen in their various tasks last week. Virtually everyone was opinionated and unbending. They lost their first wager as a result and received some stinging comments from their invisible landlord, ‘Biggie’.

There has, however, been a marked improvement in their attitude as evidenced in last Thursday’s task, despite their horrible attempt at singing for the Pepsi “Know Da Lyrics” challenge earlier in the week. Big Brother jocularly told some of them not to attempt going to a studio for any recording session. For the first time during BBNaija Season 4, the “Pepper Dem” gang rehearsed and performed in unison. Impressed by their collective performance, Big Brother decided to reward them with their wager for next week, although it still followed with some punishment for their previous behaviour.

But while they may now be working harmoniously as a team to avoid Big Brother’s sledgehammer, the strong individual inclinations remain palpable.

For example, some of the housemates have been quite blunt with how they express their opinions regarding activities in the houseor topics of general discussion. This, however, has resulted in a few clashes and war of words amongst them. An example will be the shouting match between Tacha and Frodd over the use of the bathroom. Things escalated pretty fast but was later contained by the other housemates.

For the housemates who seem to take their tasks preparations with a level of seriousness, Mike, Frodd, Sir Dee and Gedoniwill easily fall into this category. They are quite competitive with the tasks and as such considered threats by the other housemates. But Mike will desperately need to improve his pidgin English as he struggles in tasks that involve verbal communication in that language. Case in point would be his hilarious rendition of Teni the Entertainer’s popular track ‘For your case’ during the Pepsi challenge. His struggle to pronounce some words in the song left social media in stitches!

In a house where unlimited quarrels are certainties, the resolver-in-chief definitely has to be Seyi. The grandson of the late politician, Obafemi Awolowo, seems to have relished his toga as the chief diplomat. He also seems to be spurring his fellow housemates with all his motivational illustrations about lifeproviding relevant examples at every given juncture, a trait that has seen some of his co-housemates brand him a talkative. He also touts himself as the guy in the house who empathizes with the ladies and has also assumed responsibility over certain activities such as kitchen organization, even though that usually ends in a disaster.

Jeff, Diane, Nelson and Tuoyo seem to be in the cool-headed team, as they have remained calm so far despite all that might have been thrown towards them. Asides Jeff, the remaining three majorly speak when necessary. Nonetheless, these four housemates also seem to be the most confused of the lot. Their actions have depicted that they are clearly interested in finding love in the house but are quite confused on who to settle for. Jeff’s interest seems to have waned with the eviction of KimOprah but seems he still has his eyes for other ladies in the house.

Nelson and Tuoyo are in a love triangle fix with Diane, who has acknowledged the interest from the duo but is interested in Nelson. Meanwhile, Nelson has also fixed his gaze on Jackye, who has maintained (for now) that she is not interested as she had a blossoming relationship outside before entering the house. To be added to this group is Frodd, who has jumped from one female housemate to another and is currently hovering around Esther, who has vehemently rejected his advances, thereby leading to a flood of tears.

With the eviction of Ella, Khafi appears to be the only female housemate with a sonorous voice capable of making a dejected person come back to life. Her stimulating vocal range might have been the key to finally unlock the heart of Gedoni as her guy in the house. Khafi has shown that she is not afraid to confront anyone, bringing her strong traits as a police officer into play. She, however, secludes herself at every given opportunity with Gedoni, a situation the bearded folk has expressed his reservations over.

The same ‘situationship’ looks to have captivated the heart of Ike, who has slowly withdrawn from his bad boy, gangster-like attitude into the tender arms of his love interest, Mercy. Ike, who gave viewers a moment never to forget after the housemates’ second Saturday party with the stealing of Omashola’s coins, has considerably dropped his controversial antics and has become a lot calmer. But it remains to be seen if he will maintain such an attitude to the end of the show.

So, whose personality trait will help get him or her across the finish line on day 99? The drama continues LIVE, 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.

For more information on Big Brother Naija, fans can visit www.africamagic.tv/bigbrother Follow the official Big Brother Naija handle on Instagram @bigbronaija, twitter: @BBNaijaand Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/bigbrothernaija/

Big Brother Naija is sponsored by Bet9ja.

An aggressive tax drive through tech-driven process will wean federating States from overdependence on federal allocations, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said.

Lagos, Sanwo-Olu said, understood the challenges associated with overdependence on federal handouts early enough, prompting the State to pursue an inclusive revenue generation push to achieve financial autonomy and reduce its reliance on crude oil earnings.

The Governor spoke on Thursday when he officially flagged off the new National Taxpayers Identification Number (TIN) Registration System and Consolidated National Taxpayers Database in the Southwest region.

The new TIN was introduced by Joint Tax Board (JTB) – a body headed by the Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler.

Sanwo-Olu said the sustenance of Lagos’ tax collection drive in the last 20 years had helped to insulate the state from the effects of decline in revenue derived from Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), arising from the 2014 crash of global crude oil prices.

He said: “With improved tax revenues, governments of the federating states can begin to wean themselves from an overdependence on crude oil earnings. In Lagos, we very much understood the importance of this early enough.

“The overwhelming success of our tax collection drive over the last 20 years has helped, in no small measure, to insulate Lagos from the worst effects of the decline in FAAC allocations resulting from the 2014 crash of global crude oil prices. Many other states in the federation were not as fortunate.”

To achieve improved revenue generation, the Governor said there was need to pursue efficient tax compliance among the citizens, pointing out that an improved tax collection and tax compliance drive would be a win-win policy for the government and the people.

He said: “We know that as the level of tax compliance rises, citizens are more inclined to hold their governments accountable and demand a higher quality of governance and service.

“Citizens everywhere in the world are constantly seeking easier ways of engaging with their governments and fulfilling their civic responsibilities. It is the duty of governments to respond to this need by removing barriers that inhibit compliance.”

How would the government achieve higher tax compliance? “It is through technology,” Sanwo-Olu declared, adding that a tech-driven process remained the vital tool that should be leveraged by the government to actualise the purpose.

He said: “This new Taxpayer Identification Number Registration System demonstrates the transformative power of technology as a significant contributor to the ease of doing business reforms, both at the national and sub-national levels. More critically, this also aligns with our agenda of leveraging technology to drive change across various economic sectors.

“I believe there is still a lot of room for improvement on the progress made but this laudable initiative we are flagging off today will go a long way in bridging tax deficit by capturing eligible tax payers within the tax net.”

The Governor praised the JTB and FIRS for the introduction of “a smart, innovative and technology-driven solution” in achieving higher tax compliance.

Sanwo-Olu urged the media to play its role in educating the public on the importance and benefits of the new tax collection approach.

Fowler, in his remark, said it was instructive Lagos was picked as suitable location for the flag-off of the new TIN Registration System in the Southwest, noting that first-ever tax transformation effort started in the state in 1999.

The FIRS boss said the Southwest was the largest contributor to the tax generated in 2018 among sub-national zones. This, he said, was as a result of vibrancy in economic activities in the zone.

He said the new TIN Registration System would not only improve the efficiency of tax administration system, but would also reduce the cost and challenges associated with tax collection process.

JTB Executive Secretary, Mr. Oseni Elamah, said the new registration system had addressed the challenges of multiple registrations previously experienced, adding that it had also strengthened transparency in collection process.

After unveiling the new TIN certificate, FIRS chairman presented Gov. Sanwo-Olu with his certificate.

Chairman of the Joint Tax Board (JTB), Mr. Babatunde Fowler, has stated that the Tax Identification Number (TIN) Registration System and Consolidated National Taxpayers Database introduced by the JTB will improve the efficiency and output of the entire tax administration process and provide convenience to taxpayers and tax authorities.
Fowler, who is also the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) stated this in Lagos on Thursday during the South-west Flag-off ceremony of the new system, which was launched in Abuja on 1 July.

According to the JTB Chairman, the new system will ensure that taxpayers’ information are available whenever and wherever they need them. The system, said Fowler, possesses the capability to integrate with relevant agencies and leverage on already captured data, deploy analytics to discover underlying and correlating trends and patterns that could lead to increased Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for all tiers of government. These agencies, he added, include the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), Nigeria Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),

“This would significantly reduce the burden of manual taxpayer information management and by extension grossly crash the cost of collection”.

“The system is designed in such a manner that each taxpayer is assigned a unique and universal Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and it is now possible for any taxpayer to view, retrieve or update his/her tax profile from anywhere 24/7,” said the JTB boss.

The new TIN Registration System and its consolidated database of individual and corporate taxpayers’ have been designed to form the foundation upon which the nation’s automated tax administration system is built.

In his opening remarks at the event, Executive Secretary, JTB, Sir Oseni Elamah, said the new system is a web-based solution that offers access to authorized users to initiate TIN request from the comfort of their homes/offices real-time online, verify their tax status and print their TIN certificate.

“It is a transparent system that assures timely and accurate collection and recording of basic identification data.

“It also permits the tax administrator to understand its taxpayer base for effective revenue projections and other planning activities.

“By leveraging on existing data from relevant identity management agencies, the new System reduces the burden of multiple registration of taxpayers as well as promoting the ease of doing business and paying taxes.

“It also ensures seamless integration and exchange of information amongst the various tax authorities within and outside Nigeria, as well as with other authorized stakeholders via web service,” he explained.

Chief host of the ceremony, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-olu, Governor of Lagos State, commended the JTB for initiating the new system, which he said will take tax administration to the next level. Also in attendance was Mr. Dapo Okubadejo, Chief Economic Adviser to the Ogun State government, who represented Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

Following the success of the maiden edition, foremost multinational financial services provider, Zenith Bank Plc has announced the launch of “Style by Zenith 2.0”, the second edition of its flagship lifestyle fair dedicated to intentionally celebrating the ‘small’ things that make ‘big’ differences in our lives.

First launched in 2018, the “Style by Zenith 2.0” initiative was created with the objective of supporting and creating value for customers by focusing on various aspects of their lifestyle.

This year, “Style by Zenith 2.0” takes things up a notch with the theme, “Style the Life you Desire”, aimed at encouraging Nigerians to live their best lives and be extraordinary. The platform seeks to inspire people to be authentic, while showing them that with ordinary talent and extraordinary effort they can thrive and make a real change in this world.

Speaking on the rationale behind “Style by Zenith 2.0”, the Executive Director of Zenith Bank Plc., Dr. Temitope Fasoranti said that, “Banking, for Zenith Bank means going that extra mile to be present in the lives of our customers. Driven by a culture of excellence and providing cutting edge solutions, the bank is championing this cause to enable individuals and businesses to grow wealth.”

He added that “Beyond providing financial solutions, Zenith Bank Plc seeks to be a reliable partner to her customers, ensuring that they excel on every front. With “Style by Zenith 2.0”, the bank continues in her commitment to empowering individuals and entrepreneurs by celebrating real talents. We will be helping people do what they know how to do best and repositioning them for greater levels of success in their various endeavours.”

This year’s program includes an interesting line up of activities all culminating in the 3-day Lifestyle Fair taking place at the end of 2019. Kicking off the array of activities is the “Style by Zenith 2.0” Fitness Walks being held in conjunction with Mass Medical Missions, a non-profit organization, and Venus Medicare Ltd, a leading Health Management Organisation in the country.

The Fitness Walk will serve as a platform to promote Mission Pink Cruise – a project of Mass Medical Missions supported by Zenith Bank, aimed at taking holistic cancer prevention and health promotion to various communities across the country using Mobile Cancer Centres (MCC) nicknamed Pink Cruises, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria.

Scheduled to hold in August, these Fitness Walks and Cancer Screening exercises will hold in five cities across Nigeria – Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Onitsha. Interested individuals are invited to register their participation by visiting the Zenith Bank website at www.zenithbank.com/style.

Aside the fitness walks across the country, there is a whole lot of activities such as conferences, online engagements, and a special event for models that builds on the masterclass held last year, not forgetting the special play arcade and activities designed for children at the fair. The whole gamut of events and activities lined up also come with free medical check-ups like free eye, dental and cancer tests, amongst other special promotions both online and at the events leading to the final crescendo which is the 3-Day Lifestyle Fair.

With initiatives such as these and many more to come, “Style by Zenith 2.0” promises to offer an all-encompassing experience touching on key aspects of the lifestyle of Zenith customers and the public.

The “Style by Zenith 2.0” platform is also a testament to the priority given to SMEs and the retail segment of the market by the bank. Together with her various partners, Zenith Bank will be laying the foundation for a future where individuals and SMEs can live up to their full potentials.

Fashion One, the leading global fashion and lifestyle channel will once again be working with Zenith Bank on the “Style by Zenith 2.0” initiative.

Established in 1990, Zenith Bank Plc is a leading multinational bank providing corporate, business, retail and personal banking services through its network of over 500 branches and business offices, serving millions of customers. The brand is verifiably a leader in the deployment of various channels of banking technology and has become synonymous with the deployment of state-of-the-art technologies in banking.

Leading law firm, SimmonsCooper Partners has threatened to sue Punch Newspaper over a report published on July 13th 2019, titled “Osinbajo’s firm linked to company fingered in alleged N100bn Alpha Beta scam”.

In a press statement issued on 18 July, the law firm described the report by Punch Newspaper which was published in print and online as defamatory, stressing that, the publication singled out, not only SimmonsCooper Partners, but also Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), a onetime senior partner and member of the firm, for public opprobrium.

SimmonsCooper Partners stated that it is not involved, in any shape or form, neither does it have a link with, the alleged tax evasion, money laundering, nor corruption claims alleged against any of the corporations identified in the publication.

The law firm demanded that amongst other things, Punch Newspaper remove from publication in their entirety the defamatory publication and all online threads to prevent further harm to the firm’s business.

“For the record, SimmonsCooper Partners refutes all the false allegations imputed against the firm, her members and persons currently or previously associated with the firm. The publication singled out, not only SimmonsCooper Partners, but also Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), a onetime senior partner and member of the firm, for public opprobrium,” the company said in its statement.

Adding that, “The Publication contains untrue and highly defamatory statements towards the firm, some of which contain malicious falsehood. In doing so, defamatory statements are being communicated to millions of people throughout the world, diminishing the firm’s reputation and that of various individuals who have worked at, and continue to work, at SimmonsCooper Partners.

“SimmonsCooper Partners states that it is not involved, in any shape or form, neither does it have a link with, the alleged tax evasion, money laundering, nor corruption claims alleged against any of the corporations identified in the publication. For the avoidance of doubt, SimmonsCooper Partners has never retained a physical or correspondent address at “B5 Falomo Shopping Complex, South West Ikoyi, Victoria Island”. This address is copiously portrayed in the published CAC Form 2.1, purportedly, as proof of the linkage between the firm and the subject matter of the allegations, whereas, a cursory inquiry by Punch could have shown that this address is neither the firm’s registered address nor its principal office. The firm categorically states that it has never been retained by Ocean Trust Limited to offer secretarial services as alleged by Punch Newspapers or at all. As is custom with filings as Company Secretary, there is no acceptance letter by the firm consenting to the purported appointment, or any other filing undertaken by the firm as Company Secretary at the registry of the Corporate Affairs Commission.

“The Publication seems designed to damage the reputation of SimmonsCooper Partners and its past and current members rather than have any fair comment basis. The publication was a false statement of fact, intentionally published in print and on the Internet, to millions of people within Nigeria and around the world. The malicious intent is demonstrated by the fact that a public search at the Corporate Affairs Commission shows that Ocean Trust Limited has a subsisting company secretary that had been appointed since 2011, which fact was curiously left out by the Punch Newspapers in the Publication. We believe that the Punch Newspaper’s admission to “rush to press” with the Publication, was motivated by malice and calculated to cause harm to the firm and its past and current members.

“Further, the imputation that offering professional services to a company, by itself, creates an association with alleged wrongdoing, is neither customary nor reasonable. We are certain that Punch Newspapers has external legal advisers who will not be taken to be privy to, or actors in, the defamation alleged herein, or indeed in other matters of liability that may arise in the course of running Punch’s business. Offering professional services, by itself, cannot be characterized as wrongdoing. The insinuation that the firm, its past and current members are somehow associated with alleged tax evasion, corruption, the suppression of investigation and obstruction of justice is not only unjustifiable and unreasonable, but also malicious in intent. Without more, the Publication has definitely held the firm up to scorn, ridicule, disgrace, and contempt in the minds of the readers of the Publication.

“SimmonsCooper Partners, today, is a product of the combination of her members’ intellectual capital, industry and integrity garnered for several years. We are proud that Professor Osinbajo continues to epitomise these values even in public service. In line with international best practices, upon his election as Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Osinbajo resigned his membership of the firm.

“The firm is aggrieved by the wanton, mischievous and most unprofessional manner in which the Punch Newspapers has published the defamatory statements in the publication. SimmonsCooper Partners intends to seek redress to the fullest extent available in law and has requested the Punch Newspapers to do all of the following:

remove from publication in their entirety the defamatory publication and all online threads to prevent further harm to the firm’s business;
produce an apology and a declaration that the allegations referred to are false and defamatory and cause such apology and declaration to be published in each of the forums which have given or could give reason for our complaint (such apology to be approved by us prior to publication);
provide details of the number of online posts made, together with website addresses;
make proposals for the payment to us of damages for the harm caused to our reputation; and
undertake to actively monitor and delete any newly published defamatory content relating to the firm.

Two of  Nollywood’s most hilarious stars have brought their comic skills  to a new television commercial recently released by Nigeria’s leading telecoms firm and corporate promoter of Arts and Entertainment, Globacom.

In the new, hilarious commercial, Sola Sobowale aka “Toyin Tomato” and Patience Ozokwo alias “Mama Gee”, enact a peer competition  which culminate in who would best entertain a wailing toddler in a supermarket.

In the commercial titled Baby Babble, Globacom demonstrates the exceptional speed, quality, reach and efficiency of the Glo 4Gservice, whether for social media communication or audio video transmission. It portrays the utility of the network’s services for business and social interactions

The drama began with a trolley race which ended at the cash point of a supermarket. It then showed Ozokwor receiving a child video program transmitted through Glo 4G data. Ozokwor received the video while Sobowale snatched the device and used the received video toplacate the baby who relished the musical video and burst into laughter, thoroughly amused and comforted.

The new TVC is another emphatic statement by Globacom about its data superiority. Apart from providing efficient data service, Glo has also made it a point of duty to make data available to the people, claiming that data is oxygen. The TVC also showcased the price points of Glo data where  a N100 recharge gives 100mb of data and a N1000 recharge gives 3.6GB of data.

Sometime in April this year, Omolara found herself in a scary emergency situation. It was about 2:45 AM and she was having the worst stomach upset ever. The pain was unimaginable. And as a young woman who lives by herself in a luxury Lagos apartment where all the neighbours mind their businesses, the only option she had was to call either one of her friends or family members to take her to the hospital.

Grabbing her phone as she laid still in a foetal position, she tried calling Makinde, her boyfriend. Unfortunately, there was no call credit on her phone. She then tried texting him on Whatsapp but got no immediate response. So, she decided to top up her credit using her mobile banking app in order to call Makinde.

But the app malfunctioned. Omolara tried many times to use it but all to no avail. To make the matter worse, she was debited for as many times as she tried buying airtime with the app, even though her phone was never recharged. This only aggravated her already bad situation. Sadly, she had to endure the pain until later that morning when her boyfriend saw her messages and rushed down to help. Eventually, Omolara had to switch to a different financial services provider mainly because of that bad experience she had.

Need for efficient mobile banking

Omolara’s story underscores the importance of efficient banking services and in this case, functional mobile banking. The phenomenon has become an integral aspect of banking, especially nowadays when many people want to be able to do many things on their phone; albeit easily.

It is our tradition, here at Nairametrics, to constantly monitor and analyse developments in the Nigerian mobile banking space. We also like to periodically rank the apps, based on our observations and what the people customers are saying.

The top mobile banking apps in H1 2019

In the past six months of 2019 which came and went like the speed of light, a lot of things happened in the Nigerian banking sector, especially as it pertains to mobile banking. While some banks continued to improve on their mobiles in order to deliver better services to their customers, others lagged behind.

That said, below are the top best mobile banking apps in Nigeria as of H1 2019.

1. UBA Mobile Banking

This mobile app is one of the most downloaded across platforms such as Google Play, Apple App Store, and Microsoft Store. It has all the basic features of a typical and functional app. Star rating on Google Play stands at 4.4 out of 5, and 3.9 out of 5 on Apple Store. Security is not a problem. By all standards, it is a pretty good mobile app.

Regardless of the positive reviews, some customers aren’t quite happy about some issues. Apparently, the latest upgrades that were carried out cause some features to malfunction. Complaints range from the app not showing details of transactions to money not being sent to recipients.

Regardless of the complaints, this is a good app that will become even better as UBA continually improve on it. You should definitely download it if you are a UBA customer.

2. Zenith Bank Mobile App

Much like the UBA Mobile App, this app has been downloaded over a million times by users. It offers the basic features of a mobile banking app and has generally received a total of 4.3 stars on Google Play and 3.1 stars on Apple Store.

Users love it for many reasons, although it is not perfect. As always, many customers complain that since the app was last upgraded, it has often been difficult to either login or even use it to perform simple transactions like purchase airtime. One of the complaints that caught our attention read thus;

“I just noticed this app has been updated to a completely new look. However, I’m unable to login, it just shows connecting without access. Secondly, I’m amazed that there is no notification informing us in advance prior to this. Was there any, which I missed? What do I need to do to be able to login in?”

3. GTWorld

This is another one of the very good mobile banking apps in Nigeria right now. GTWorld has 4.1 stars on Google Play and 2.7 stars on Apple Store. Nearly a million people have downloaded it. The app is very easy to use and hardly malfunctions, although sometimes it can be difficult to login; especially when the network connection is poor.

On Google Play right now, all the latest reviews are mostly positive. That notwithstanding, customers want GTBank to continually improve on the app in order to ensure a better user experience. A particular comment best summed up our thought on the app;

“Setting up my account was easy. However, this is a world-class app so the developers need to do a little more work on it: 1) The title of the bottom right icon does not display fully 2) The interface of the quick credit needs some more work. a) I assume it should show me Max allowed the loan as a label field and allow me to specify the amount I want to collect b) The sliders don’t show values which leaves you having to guess what the position represents. It’s a work in progress…”

4. First Mobile

First Mobile by FirstBank has 4.3 stars on Google Play and 3.1 on Apple Store. It is one of the most used mobile banking apps in Nigeria and elsewhere, thanks to its efficient features. Reviewing the app, a particular customer said: “this app is great, I have used it for over 5yrs…”

However, not everyone is a fan. Some users are particularly upset over what they describe as the inability to make transactions following their last update. It is, perhaps, important to point out that this seems to be a general problem across all the apps. Major updates come along with minor issues as described by the comment below-

“I thought I was the only experiencing this since my last update. First, the app doesn’t allow one to view transaction history anymore, which is very sad. Secondly, some folks are complaining of not being able to take a screenshot. Yes, I noticed that too. But I think the option for saving transaction receipt is still ok. the former is the problem that needs urgent rectification.”

It is, therefore, important that FirstBank consider rectifying the issues raised by its customers in order to keep them happy whilst ensuring that the mobile banking process is easy and effortless.

5. Access Bank Mobile App

Being the largest bank in Sub-Saharan Africa by customer base, it is not surprising that Access Bank’s mobile app has been downloaded over a million times by users. What is also not very surprising is the fact that the app has been 4.3-star rating on Google Play and a 3.2-star rating on Apple Store.

By all standards, it is a functional app. However, it does need continuous improvements. As it is, customers complain that they often struggle to log in, even as others want the bank to make it possible for users to be able to sign in more than one accounts using the app.

Hopefully, these issues will be sorted out as the bank work towards launching its next updates soon.

6. Stanbic IBTC

This mobile app has a 4.1-star rating on Google Play as well as 3.6 stars on Apple Store. One of the reasons users love it is its easy to use features. Interestingly, the bank has a way to detect when customers are having issues using the app, even as they take swift action to contact them for assistance.

However, it is not the best app in Nigeria, considering that it has its own issues. While it does have very glowing remarks/reviews, the latest comment on Google Play warned prospective users thus;

“PLEASE DON’T DOWNLOAD!!!? This app is very bad. You won’t be to register no matter how hard you try. Going to the bank as suggested by Stanbic is a complete waste of time coz they can’t find a solution. They’ll waste your whole day… They’ll delay you. Believe me, there’s nothing they can do but to blame and direct everything to the Headquarter.”

7. FCMB Mobile Plus

With its 4.0-star rating on Google Play and a 2.9-star rating on Apple Store, it is easy to see that the FCMB mobile app is beloved by many of the more than 100,000 people that use it. However, users have complained that the bank needs to update the app in order to make it possible to generate receipts after each transaction.

“Good morning. You guys should please your update the app, to make room for the creation of receipts. it’s very important. That’s a factor that makes your application acceptable.”

“The app is great, nice experience so far, but it doesn’t generate receipt after a transaction. plz look into that.”

8. Union Mobile

We chose this as one of the best apps in H1 2019 mainly because of its easy to use features, the 4.3-star rating and the 3.2 stars given to it by more than five hundred users. Apparently, it has a lot of efficient services to offer users. However, some people feel it could be better, which is why they’ve called for improvements.

“The most unhelpful banking app. My UnionMobile app. suddenly refused to function and told me to contact Customer Care. I did. I updated the app. But registering became a problem. I’ve been attempting to register for over a month, to no avail. I keep being told to enter the OTP sent to me via SMS, which I did, also to no avail. I keep getting the error message that the OTP I entered is invalid. They seem to expect the OTP to be entered almost before you’ve received it.”

9. PolarisMobile

This app has 3.8 stars on Google Play and 3.0 stars on Apple Store. About five hundred thousand people use it. It has received great reviews by users. Some others, however, have reasons to dislike it.

“I’m always seeing something bad that makes me dislike it. The update was made to better but to access someone’s account at his own time is a problem. It’s message always is, “we are sorry, but the service is temporarily unavailable”. What work do this bank do to resume service that can’t end for this long? I hate this App.”

10. Ecobank Mobile Banking

Someone said the app is the biggest trash in this life.

“The biggest trash in this life is the app. Not functional. After downloading the app, it will request processing for like 42 years and no response. I’ve been directed to several branches for assistance but none of them can handle the app. I wish there’s a negative star that I can give to this. It’s so annoying.”

While the user had his reasons for writing this review, we believe this is particularly harsh. After all, the app does have great features. This is why there are more than a million people using it, some of whom have given it a 4.0-star rating on Google Play and 2.9 stars on Apple Store.

However, just like all the other apps we’ve reviewed, Ecobank does need to continually improve on its mobile app in order to guarantee better user experience.

The Chairman/Founder of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Jim Ovia (CON), has called on the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele (CON) to create the enabling environment through the institution of various initiatives that support financial inclusion to help empower and blossom the Nigerian youths.

Jim Ovia made the call in his welcome remarks at a reception at the Civic Centre organized by the private sector in honour of the CBN Governor, following a family thanksgiving service held on Sunday, July 14, 2019 at the Catholic Church of Assumption, Falomo, Lagos.

According to Mr. Ovia, though the CBN, and the Federal Government have been working tirelessly to implement various strategic development programmes, what has been done so far, is not enough. In his opinion, there is a need to empower the youths to become the creators of jobs and employers of labor, as opposed to them only being job seekers.

He urged the CBN helmsman to fully encourage financial inclusion and initiate more programmes that will create employment for the Nigerian youths, empowering them to be innovative and creative in utilizing their God-given talents in various industries including but not limited to agriculture, fintech, technology and the creative industries.

He added that the implementation of these initiatives, which are in line with the World Bank and United Nations backed programmes all over the world, will significantly reduce poverty and unemployment in our country.

He also thanked the CBN Governor for the recent financing and funding initiatives which banks are mandated to fully support to empower the Nigerian youths.
Godwin Emefiele became the Governor of the CBN on June 2, 2014, mounting the saddle as the 11th CBN Chief and its 10th indigenous Governor.

Following the successes of the policies and programmes which he introduced in his first term, he was in June, 2019 reappointed by President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term of five years, becoming the first CBN Chief to be reappointed for a second term since the country returned to civilian rule in 1999.

Luxury is often associated with the very rich and wealthy; after all, the finest things in life must be paid for. While the specifics of what makes up an affluent living vary on a personal level, most people would describe it as enjoying premium goods and services, all of which do come at a cost.

For many average affluent individuals, a life of luxury remains a dream. However, for as low as N5,999 per month, Access Bank will help you live this dream with the unique XclusivePlus service – a package that gives you a luxurious life on a not-so-luxury budget.

XclusivePlus is a premium service that is available to any customer of the bank that appreciates preferential treatment. It is a subscription-based service that costs you N5,999 a month in exchange for unique services that suit your lifestyle needs.

According to Adaeze Ume, Head, Consumer Proposition, Access Bank Plc, The introduction of Xclusiveplus followed a survey conducted among the bank’s customers, which revealed a rise in customers’ expenditure on luxury travel, luxury experiences and luxury products.
“It is a premium lifestyle offering specifically designed to provide customers with the exceptional service and exclusive privileges that they deserve. It was launched in October 2018 and today has thousands of subscribers who understand the value of the proposition.

“It takes less than 2minutes to subscribe to XclusivePlus with only N5, 999. One can also choose to make an upfront payment for one year and get a 20% discount to enjoy a bouquet of benefits such as: Free upgrade to a Visa Signature debit card – a debit card with access to local and international spend, Travel in style with free access to over 800 premium airport lounges globally, Free medical emergency cover for you and your loved ones anytime you travel, Free movie and premium event tickets; shows, concerts, exhibitions and more, Network with Industry leaders at our various seminars and conferences, Experience VIP treatment and best rates at over 900 luxury hotels worldwide, 24- hour global concierge service,” She said.

To register and see more benefits of this exceptional exclusive package tailored to suite your lifestyle this summer, please click HERE.

… 120 SMEs to display goods and services during Event

…..Wizkid, Niniola, Dj Cuppy, Dj Neptune perform as Cynthia Nassardine, RMD, Tunde Kelani speak

…..Over 20,000 visitors expected at the 2-Day event



Pan African financial institution, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc is set to host over 20,000 visitors, 100 small and medium enterprises and leading private and public sector players from across Africa, at the continent’s biggest entrepreneurial fair tagged #theUBAmarketplace2019 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The event, which will be held on July 26th and 27th 2019, on the sideline of the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Forum, the largest gathering of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Africa, will host businesses and business owners in various industries including food, fashion, beauty, home/interior and gadgets.

The epic event will offer plenary sessions and discussions on the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) sector and the relevance of financing. The plenary sessions will highlight entertainment and music industries. Likewise, fashion, a big cultural and revenue attraction on the continent, will be showcased with the designs of 10 leading African labels.

At the master-class sessions to be held during the UBAmarketplace2019, small and medium scale businesses will have opportunity to network and get solutions to some of the challenges they face in running their businesses. Also, entrepreneurs who are beneficiaries of the Tony Elumelu Foundation will be presented a platform to pitch their businesses with a grand prize of a grant, courtesy of UBA.

The Group Managing Director, Kennedy Uzoka, speaking about the event, stated “UBA has always been at the forefront of entrepreneurship across Africa, undertaking many projects aimed at contributing to supporting Africa’s growth and economic integration. The birth of the UBAmarketplace and this entrepreneurial fair is a testament to our commitment to African SMEs”

Uzoka added that with the fair, UBA seeks to touch base with small business owners while positively affecting the lives of entrepreneurs doing business in its countries of operations and beyond’.

“I think everyone realises the fact that we need to prioritise the private sector. We need to encourage entrepreneurship and the youths. This is the driving factor and the major reason why we are organising an event of this magnitude’ he said.

UBA’s REDTV will light up the Redzone at the UBA marketplace with entertainment featuring Africa’s star boy Wiz kid; DJ Cuppy and many more.

The presidential panel in charge of recovering stolen public properties on Saturday took temporary possession of several properties allegedly owned by Peter Nwaoboshi, the senator representing Delta North District.

Okoi Obono-Obla, the head of the presidential panel, coordinated the inscriptions of government’s takeover of houses, filling stations, row of residential buildings and other properties traced to Mr Nwaoboshi on Saturday afternoon.

He said the properties were located in Warri, Asaba, Asaba, Lagos and Abuja.

The move came a week after a federal court in Abuja placed an interim forfeiture on 14 properties and 22 bank accounts said to have been traced to Mr Nwaoboshi, a long-time Delta politician who was first elected to the Senate in 2015.

Mr Obono-Obla also recently accused Mr Nwaoboshi of falling to declare several properties and bank accounts he owned in his asset declaration filings against the code of conduct regulations.

The panel also wrote to several banks asking they deny Mr Nwaoboshi further access to all 22 accounts traced to him across their institutions.

In the July 5 interim forfeiture order, Taiwo Taiwo of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court gave Mr Nwaoboshi or anyone who might have owned the seized assets 30 days to convince the court why they should not be permanently forfeited to the Nigerian government.

Some of the properties sealed by Mr Obono-Obla on Saturday include Summing Electrical Company, Airport Road, Asaba, PON Filling Station, Airport Road, Asaba and a large estate of duplexes along Maryam Babangida Road, Asaba.

Others are Cartage Cinema, Okpana Road, Asaba; Newbridge Filling Station, Osubi Airport Road, Warri; and a house at 8 Monu Olanrewaju Crescent, GRA, Asaba.

Mr Nwaoboshi’s alleged properties sealed in Lagos include Guinea House, 27, Marine Road, Apapa and a large building at 41, Burma Road, Apapa.

In Abuja, properties traced to Mr Nwaoboshi and seized include House 25, 6932 Road, Adban Estate, Gwarimpa and Plot 3011B, Kuranakh Close, Maitama.

A large parcel of land said to be owned by the senator was also seized in Abuja.
The presidential panel is not the only agency chasing Mr Nwaoboshi, even though its vast seizures of the senator’s suspected asset were largely seen as unprecedented since an investigation into his activities began.

The politician spent several months in EFCC custody last year and was later arraigned for fraud in a separate case that has been active.

Mr Nwaoboshi had long maintained no wrongdoing, saying federal authorities were only after him for political reasons.

He said in a message to PREMIUM TIMES last week that he had received an order from a federal court that his assets should not be seized by the Nigerian government or any of its affiliated agencies.

A 67-year-old lawyer, Olukayoke Folayan, has been sentenced to 9 months in prison by an Ikeja Special offences Court, Lagos for stealing the sum of N6 million from his client.

Folayan, who has spent 43 years at the bar, was convicted on a one count charge of stealing by Justice O.A Williams (MRS).

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had arraigned Folayan for converting the sum of N6 million meant for the purchase of a property on behalf of one Edna Falase (his client).

According to the EFCC prosecutor, S. O Daji, the convict committed the offence on March 24, 2016 in Lagos.

Daji, who had called four witnesses to testify in the matter, said that the complaint (Falase) paid the sum of N7 million to Folayan to perfect some documentations and make part payment for a property she wanted to buy.

“On her instruction the defendant paid the sum of N1 million to the lawyer of thd vendor but diverted the balance sum of N6 million.

“On March 27, 2014, the sum of N7 million was paid into the account of the law firm of Olukayode Afolayan & Co. The defendant kept withdrawing the balance of N6 million by making payment transfers to various people like his wife and one Kazeem Olamilekan, who received the sum of N700, 000.

“The defendant, during interrogation by the commission, confessed that he used part of the money to buy encyclopedia of forms and precedents for his law firm. He also confessed using part of the money to service his personal debts and also buying personal effect.

“The defendant said that he also deposited the sum of N700, 000 for a vehicle – Mercedes Benz he intended to buy. He also said that he lent N200, 000 to his daughter, which she paid back,” Daji said.

However, while delivering her judgement, Justice Williams held that the prosecution has proven both the actus rens and mens rea of the offence of stealing against the defendant beyond reasonable doubts.

“The defence proffered by the defendant is that he had the intention to repay the money and that the sum of N1. 5 million was due to him as professional fees. But that defence doesn’t avail him.

“The mere promise to pay is not promise that the defendant truly intended to repay the money, since he has had three years to do so but didn’t. The evidence in this case shows that a person in our noble profession who was entrusted with funds breached that trust. It is most fortunate. In my final analysis, I pronounce the defendant guilty as charged,” the judge ruled.

While pronouncing sentence, the judge said, “However, it doesn’t appear that the defendant has the ability to restitute. Therefore to sentence him to orison and order him to restitute in the circumstance, will amount to double jeopardy.

“The punishment of stealing by virtue of Section 287 of the Criminal laws of Lagos State, 2011 (2015 reprint) is 3 years. The defendant is hereby sentenced to a term prison of imprisonment of nine months”.

…Also emerges Best Bank in Nigeria for a record 9th time

Foremost African financial institution Guaranty Trust Bank plc has been named the Best Bank in Africa 2019 by Euromoney at its annual Awards for Excellence, which held in London on Wednesday, July 10, 2019 at the London Hilton Hotel, Park Lane. GTBank was also named the Best Bank in Nigeria for a record ninth time, reflecting the Bank’s position as one of the best managed financial institutions in the country, with strong and focused leadership that keep the business in a constant state of re-invention and innovation.

Now in its 50th year, Euromoney is the leading publication for covering the growth of international finance. Euromoney’s Awards for Excellence are the awards that matter to the banks and bankers who matter. This year, Euromoney received almost 1,500 submissions from banks in an awards programme that covers 20 global awards, more than 50 regional awards, and best bank awards in close to 100 countries.

The Magazine’s Awards for Excellence celebrates the best banks around the world by recognizing institutions that have demonstrated leadership, innovation, and momentum in the markets they operate. In selecting its award recipients, Euromoney combines quantitative and qualitative data to honor institutions that have brought the highest levels of service, innovation and expertise to their customers.

Key to the emergence of GTBank as the Best Bank in Africa and the Best Bank in Nigeria, is the Bank’s digital drive and its clarity of vision in reimagining the future of banks and banking. The Euromoney awards also recognized GTBank’s commitment to leading the future of banking as well as its consistent long-term strategy led by a senior management team that abhors complacency and keeps the business in a constant state of innovation.

Commenting on the Bank’s Euromoney awards, the Chief Executive Officer of GTBank, Segun Agbaje, said: “We are delighted and proud to win the Euromoney Awards for Africa’s Best Bank and Nigeria’s Best Bank. These awards reflect the progress we are making in delivering the best banking experience that captures what customers want in the world of today and tomorrow. They are also a testament to our leading role in driving world class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and innovation in Africa’s banking industry.

He further stated that: “At GTBank, we are passionate about building the bank of the future by leveraging the best of technology to add real value to our customers’ lives, and these awards illustrate the hard work and commitment of our staff, management and board towards achieving this goal.

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

…Safety and protection of our customers and their valuables are of utmost important -Bank



Our attention has been drawn to a video currently trending online showing a man stealing a bag from our branch in Admiralty Way, Lekki. This unfortunate incident occurred on Monday, July 08, 2019.

As a responsible corporate citizen, we are working closely with officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to ensure that the culprit is apprehended and brought to justice.

This safety and protection of our customers and their valuables are of utmost important to us. To this end, we have taken the necessary steps to improve security in and around the branch premises.

We would like to convey our sincere apologies to the affected customers and wish to assure him that the bank will do everything within its capacity to provide him the needed relief.

At Fidelity Bank, we remain committed to providing excellent banking services to all our customers.



Signed

Management.

Fidelity Bank won the ‘Best Digital Networking Bank For Entrepreneurs, Africa 2019’ at 2019 PWM Wealth Tech Awards held in London, United Kingdom (UK) recently.

Organized by Professional Wealth Management (PWM), a Financial Times Publication, the awards celebrate excellence in wealth management technology.

According to the organizers, technology and service delivery were key components in the criteria considered by the independent panel that selected the award winners. The month long period involved gathering series of detailed information on KPIs, portfolio management, asset allocation, due diligence, risk management, growth strategies, customer service, innovation and ethical practices.

The award presented at an elaborate ceremony in London, was received on behalf of the bank by the Chief Operations and Information Officer (COIO), Fidelity Bank, Mr. Gbolahan Joshua and Divisional Head, Private Banking, Mrs. Chioma Nwankwo.

Commenting on the development, Fidelity Bank CEO, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo said it was gratifying to see that Private Banking Division of the bank, set up over two decades ago, has remained the leading provider of financial services to HNIs in the country.

In line with the bank’s digitisation program, he said Fidelity Bank has continued to seek better, easier and more convenient ways of providing financial services, with the aid of technology, to its teeming customers. “Our resolve to continue to offer innovative solutions to all customers, including those of our Private Banking Division, is further strengthened by this award and recognition” he stated.

Fidelity Private Banking was set up in 1996. Over the years it has grown reputation for high service standards, providing financial and wealth management services and solutions for a select clientele, with a view to building strong and enduring foundations for their future generations.

“PWM among other things, reviewed our tech investments, growth strategy, digital customer service, client communications, virtual assistant and portfolio management processes in arriving at the result. “We are delighted that the bank’s investments in ensuring high level of process automation and provision web-based wealth management solutions to our customers, is paying off,” said Mrs Nwankwo.

Avala, and Isilomo have been evicted from the on going Big Brother Naija 2019.

Knowing their stay in the house is determined by the number of Bet9ja Coins they have amassed, the housemates up for eviction try to come up with their best, but at the end Isiloma and Avala got the lowest number of coin.

This is the first eviction in the Big Brother Naija Pepper Dem edition which kicked off on June 30, 2019.

The eviction took place after the Saturday night party that saw the housemates enjoying the services of DJ Xclusive who performed for three hours non stop.

21 youths made it to the Big Brother House to become the housemates of the BBNaija season 4 tagged Pepper Dem.

The eviction continues for the next 11 weeks when the show comes to an end.

Barely a week after it kicked off, the hit television reality show, Big Brother Naija (BBNaija), is already a subject of non-stop discussion among its ever-increasing fans and viewers.

On Sunday, June 30, Africa got to meet the 21 housemates for this season’s BBNaija show tagged ‘Pepper Dem’.

In just six days, a combination of arguments, fights, endurance and of course, romance, has sparked huge excitement among fans, even as the siting of the show in Nigeria continues to generate positive reactions. Things have moved pretty fast in the House, as Kim Oprah clinched the Power Card in a game of chance on Sunday, while Jeff emerged as the first Head of House (HoH) on Monday. Judging by the first few days of the show, the 21 housemates are seemingly still sizing up one another, an expected development given that different characters have converged in a single house, with some of them remaining in the house for 99 days.

An important point made by viewers on social media is that the 2019 housemates seem to be more mature than housemates from the 2018 edition, with this year’s participants getting rave reviews for their conduct thus far. However, knowing the show has only just begun, how much longer can they retain their “calmness” without getting into any drama? Time will tell.

This perceived coolness has, however, not prevented the occasional emotional outbursts among the Housemates. On Tuesday, the first fight of the season occurred between two females, Tacha and Thelma, over fish! Both eventually put their emotions aside to escape being issued a strike by Big Brother. There has also been a minor dispute between Khafi and Kim Oprah, leading to distrust by the former. Avala similarly declared that she will always have trust issues with all the housemates, regardless of her closeness to any of them.

On the flip side, Omashola is already regarded by fans of the show as the comedian of the house. And it may not be hard to guess why. The handsome young man comes across as a humour bag and his happy-go-lucky way has given viewers much to laugh about.

Seyi Johnson, grandson of the late politician, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, appears to be the one with plenty of life experience and is always on hand to deliver motivational speeches. Some fans, however, view him as a chatter box.

BBN is incomplete without housemates expressing romantic feelings. Isilomo and Frodd have been quite cosy since the second day of and have even shared a passionate kiss. Similarly, Diane and Sir Dee seem to be cooking up something as they have become quite close.

But some of the housemates are not in a rush yet as they are still assessing their fellow contenders’ love interests, as evidenced by a midnight boys-only discussion among Frodd, Jeff, Seyi and the “confused” Ike, who appears to be in three minds over Ella, Mercy and Tacha. How well would all these potential relationships turn out?

The anticipation for the weekly house party on Saturday nights has also reached fever pitch after housemates served viewers a sample of what to expect. Diane, Thema, Ella, Isilomo and Tacha showcased a glimpse of their scintillating dance moves on Wednesday. There is surely a lot to expect in this regard.

As for who would win the competition, we are still three months away from knowing. This has not stopped fans from predicting and Diane, Omashola, Mercy, Frodd and Mike have all been on fans’ lips or, more appropriately, phone and computer keyboards, as potential favourites.

Fans of the show will find out who will claim the N60million worth of prizes only by staying tuned to DStv channel 198 and GOtv channel 29. Big Brother Naija “Pepper Dem” edition is available on all DStv and GOtv Max and Plus packages.

A Lagos Division of the Federal High Court Tuesday approved the forfeiture to the Nigerian government of a plot of land in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The land allegedly belongs to the former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Chuka Obiozor, the judge, gave the decision following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to the EFCC, the land, measuring 7,903.71 – 8,029.585 square metres and situated as Plot 9, Azikiwe Road, Old GRA (UAC Property on Forces Avenue), Port Harcourt, was reasonably suspected to be part of proceeds of unlawful activities.

The respondents in the application include Mrs Alison-Madueke, Donald Amangbo, and Sequoyah Property Limited.

In their deposition before the court, the EFCC said Sequoyah Property Limited is the company used to transfer and hold the title document for the property.

It added that the company was registered in 2011 with one Chukwudinma Nwako and Olisa Eloka Nwaku as shareholders and directors; and that both names are fictitious.

The commission prayed the court for an order to allow it “to appoint a competent person or firm to manage the asset/property.”

It urged the court to prohibit “any disposal, conveyance, mortgage, lease, sale or alienation or otherwise of the asset/property.”

The counsel to the EFCC, Ebuka Okongwu, argued that the judge had the power, pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, to make the forfeiture order.

After listening to the lawyer, Mr Obiozor granted the order as prayed by the lawyer.

The forfeiture order came barely a week after another federal judge granted an interim forfeiture to the Nigerian government of jewellery valued at $40 million allegedly belonging to the former minister.

President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the controversial Ruga Settlement Project, an initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Following public outcry and the seeming misconception about the Ruga Settlement Projects, an idea designed to stem the tide of herdsmen/farmers clashes across the country, the President called it off.

The president, after consultations with stakeholders, THISDAY gathered, has resolved to put away the idea for a thorough review and well acceptable approach to the menace constituted to national security by the constant clashes between herdsmen and farmers.

A presidency source that hinted at this development, said the announcement would be made any moment from now with detailed explanations, going forward.

More details shortly…

A video of lady alleging she was raped by T.B Joshua, founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, is currently trending on social media.

Bisola Hephzi-bah Johnson, an activist, made the allegation when she joined protesters who marched to the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Lagos.

Busola, wife of Timi Dakolo, a singer, had accused Biodun Fatoyinbo, founder of COZA, of raping her when she was a teenager. Protesters had asked Fatoyinbo to step down until he is cleared of the allegations.

Johnson said she was trapped in Joshua’s church for 14 years before “the Lord set me free”.

“This is not the time for making up (stories), this is the time to address. I am talking on behalf of other girls that are still in the captivity of TB Joshua. 8 years old, 14 years old and 11 years old, they are still there,” she said.

“Yes. I can say it because they have money, connections, they can put people down. Enough is enough, if he thinks I am lying, he can contest it in court.”

“I was sexually molested by T.B Joshua. I was trapped in the synagogue for 14-years of my life. I spent my youth in the synagogue until God set me free. If not for God, I will not be here today and I have documented it in book form.”

Nigeria’s leading and most profitable Bank, Zenith Bank Plc, has introduced a new account called ‘Timeless’ that allows Nigerians aged 55 years and above the bank with the financial institution for free.

Timeless account holders pay no account maintenance, debit card, cheque book, or SMS notification fees. They would also enjoy priority treatment at Zenith Bank branches and have access to unique travel and holiday offers.

Zenith Bank Plc is recognized as one of the most innovative financial institutions in Nigeria and was voted the most customer-focused bank in Nigeria for the Retail and SME segments in the 2018 KPMG Annual Banking Industry Customer Satisfaction Survey (BICSS).