₦airaland Forum

A staff of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Ibrahim Oladimeji has landed in trouble after he allegedly tampered with over N500,000 belonging to the Bank during the Christmas period in Lagos State.
The incident happened at the Okota branch of the bank where Oladimeji was deployed as the accounting officer.
He was charged with stealing before Isolo Magistrate’s court from where he was remanded in prison custody at Kirikiri, Lagos.
We gathered that the suspect collected monies from a bank’s customers and tempered with it by keeping the amount to himself.
However, troubled started when the bank management was reconciling account and discovered that N508,000 was missing and was traced to Oladimeji.
He was confronted and reportedly opened up and was handed to the police at Okota division who charged him to court for the alleged offence..
He pleaded guilty.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs A.O. Adedayo granted Oladimeji bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum.
He was remanded in prison pending when he will perfect his bail condition.
The matter was adjourned till 13 February 2017.

Bank force to pay 4m for damages

A High court sitting in Benin City has awarded the sum of N4million as general damages against the Ugbowo branch of First Bank PLC and two others in Favour of one Mr. Kingsley Eromosele.

The award is for the ill-treatment, harassment, assault and hardship meted out to Mr. Eromosele by the bank officials in September 2014.

The court presided over by Mr. Justice A. Edodo-Eruaga in a judgement said that from the evidence before it, the Mr. Eromosele has proved his case beyond doubts.

He also said that the bank failed to exercise the duty of care due Mr. Eromosele as a user of the Benin-Lagos-Uselu Express Road.

He said this happened when the second and third defendants who are security men chased one of the bank’s customers that was labeled a “mad man ” unto the express road.

The confusion caused a collision with Mr. Eromosele’s car damaging it in the process, which incident forced him into seeking legal redress.

Counsel to the bank had argued before the court that Mr. Eromosele was paid N7000 for the damages to his car, an amount the court said was, to say the least insulting”.

On the rationale of the bank’s security men chasing a mad man the court said that, “it goes to show the disdain members of the society treat persons with disability”.

The court which however dismissed the counter claims of the bank and its officials also refused an additional award of N1,070,000 being Mr. Eromosele’s claims for general damages for his car.

The presidency has denied a report by some media that President Muhammadu Buhari, who is holidaying abroad is dead.
The alleged fake report first broken by Metro (UK) quoted the Nigerian mission in the country as confirming the president’s death.
The report claimed that Buhari visited the UK for medical check over an unknown disease adding that details of his death were still sketchy.
But in his reaction, Shehu Garba, Buhari’s spokesperson, said: “He is alive and well! President Buhari is not magical. He cannot be holidaying in the UK and be in Germany, dead or alive at the same time.
“He is unlike a past President who was at Ota, with Chief Obasanjo and attending the Trump inauguration in D.C, being in two places at the same time!”
In his reaction, Femi Adeshina, one of Buhari’s aide also reportedly said he would only say best wishes to all who wish Buhari well while for those who carry evil rumours, may they receive grace to repent.

GOtv subscribers will, for the first time, be part of the exciting times on the hit reality show, Big Brother Naija.
The show, formerly known as Big Brother Nigeria, is making a return after a decade and will be aired on GOtv Plus channel 29 from today until 9 April. GOtv Value subscribers will also have the opportunity to watch highlights of the show on Africa Magic World, GOtv channel 10.
Big Brother Naija will feature 12 housemates selected after auditions in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. The housemates will perform a range of mental and physical tasks, and every week, the housemates will nominate other housemates for eviction. Every Sunday, the evicted housemate voted by the public will leave the Big Brother house, and at the end of the show, the housemate who has not been evicted will win a cash prize of N25million and a brand new KIA Sorento car.
The presenter of the show is former Big Brother Nigeria housemate, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, and the voice of “Biggie” (Big Brother) will be Nigerian. As with all Big Brother shows around the world, the identity of Big Brother is a mystery and will remain so during and after the show.
During the course of the 78-day show, the housemates will be visited by various Nigerian personalities, including musicians and performers.
Big Brother Naija is an offshoot of globally successful Big Brother reality show. It debuted in Africa with the immensely popular Big Brother Africa.

Charles Aigbe, Group Head, Corporate Communications, United Bank for Africa (UBA) has become “well known, so popular, so celebrated, so famous, that it permits him to break wind in corporate sector, and society would think it a most natural thing.”
Aigbe is one of the country’s most famous public relation gurus, who command respect in the Nigerian banking and financial sectors at large.
If snippets emanating from the banks are anything to go by, Edo State-born has wave goodbye to the leading Pan-African financial institution with presence in 19 African countries.
Insiders at the bank’s Headquarters at Marina, Lagos, disclosed that some top management staff of the bank have been angry with him and have, for a long time, been looking for an opportunity to push him out of the bank.
According to the insider, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, “Aigbe has been under pressure since former Chairman of the bank, Tony Elumelu left the bank, and everybody believe he (Aigbe) is Chairman’s ‘boy.’”
Our findings however reveal, Mr. Aigbe has decided to pitch his tenth with another financial institution, Fidelity Bank as Divisional Head, Brand and Communications.
Meanwhile, we learnt that Mr. Ramon Nasir; Head of Media Relations of UBA, has been promoted as Acting Group Head, Corporate Communications.

Former Arsenal forward Emmanuel Adebayor believes the Gunners “would be nothing” without star pairing Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, should are pick up any serious injury.
The attacking duo have been responsible for 19 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League this season, but have both been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium in recent months.
Alexis, rumoured to be on the radar of a number of Chinese Super League sides, as well as Inter and Juventus in Serie A, has just 18 months left of his Arsenal contract.
Ozil is tied to the club for the same period of time, though both are reportedly in discussions to extend their respective stays.
And while the duo are said to be happy in north London, they have called for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to sign a new deal at the club before a decision is made.
Adebayor, who scored 62 goals in his 142 appearances for the Gunners, believes that the club are nothing but a two-man team and will be in big trouble should either of their stars pick up an injury.
“Arsenal have a good team but if Sánchez gets injured I don’t know who they’ve got,” Adebayor told The Guardian.
“If you look at Chelsea, when Hazard gets injured they’ve got Willian; if Willian gets injured they can still play Moses further forward.
“Arsenal’s problem is that today they are just Ozil and Sanchez. If one of them gets injured, it is a problem.”
Arsenal sit fourth in the Premier League after 21 games, eight points behind table-topping Chelsea and one point adrift of north London rivals Tottenham.
Adebayor, who also played for Spurs, insists his former club is in the perfect hands in Pochettino, who he remains in contact with.
“I’m happy for Pochettino and how they are doing,” he said. “Things didn’t work out between us but he is a great manager and we still have a good relationship despite what people might think.
“We still keep in touch – he is a good guy and has changed Tottenham. I don’t know whether the fans there hate me or love me but they should remember one thing, which is that there was a time when I scored goals for them and made them happy.”

A new real-life documentary series titled, ‘My Lagos Dairies’ has been screened in Lagos.
It was put together by Freedom Foundation, a faith based not-for-profit organisation of the House of Freedom.
The 13-part documentary series, which tells the heart- wrenching stories of indigent Nigerians trying to survive in Lagos, was screened on Tuesday at the FilmHouse IMAX Cinema, Lekki, to select media.
It was an emotion-laden screening, as some of the attendees could not hold back tears watching the harrowing experiences many people pass through while trying to eke a living.
Only four episodes of the series showcasing real life encounter with drug addicts, criminals and prostitutes were screened.
In a chat, the Senior Pastor of This Present House Church and chairman of the Freedom Foundation, Tony Rapu, said the documentary is a first-hand experience of the challenges people face while trying to survive in the city of Lagos.
He said, “Since inception, the Freedom Foundation has transformed and positively impacted several lives in impoverished communities including but not limited to Ejigbo, Ijora, Iwaya, Bariga and Somolu, and led to the creation of this video journal which documents 10 years of my team and I’s experiences in these areas.
“The 13 week documentary series that will begin airing online on Freedom Foundation’s YouTube channel as well as on television from the end of February, will tell some of the real stories of rehabilitated prostitutes, armed robbers, drug addicts, beggars and other neglected individuals in the society.”
According to him, the ultimate goal of the project is to sensitise the general public about the struggles of disadvantaged persons while providing an opportunity for interested individuals and organisations to support Freedom Foundation’s vision via donations and funding.
Meanwhile, Lagos Diaries will be premiered for public viewing on January 21, in Lagos, before airing on some TV stations across the country.
Mr. Rapu also disclosed that the premiere would feature a private viewing of “Reflections”, a unique photo exhibition by Kelechi Amadi-Obi where he uses notable celebrities as models to depict thought provoking poverty scenarios.
This exhibition according him is designed to build further awareness and trigger social change and soul searching amongst Nigerians.

Now Muzik and Maga Music Group artiste, Orji Obinna Michael, popularly known as Kelly Hansome has dropped a new EP titled 4Play.
The songs were released on Wednesday to coincide with the artiste’s birthday.
The EP contains 12 tracks, five of which are bonus cuts of previously released singles.
On this release, Kelly Hansome teams up with Cloud 9, a music streaming service of premiere music publishing company, 5ive Music Group, for the digital distribution of the EP exclusively for a month.
After, the EP will be available on other platforms.
Kelly Hansome and his Ugly Beatz team consisting of Regiz and Otyno handled a bulk of the production on 4Play The EP.
DJ Coublon and Stunna makes up the only two external producers on the tracks Jide Ofor and Hot Nigga respectively.
A-list singers, 9ice and Oritse Femi make guest appearances in the tracks “Amamihe” and “Money Palava” adding their unique flavours.
The Madonna University Computer science graduate is well known for his quality production and ability to create songs with catchy hooks and concepts that transcend generations.
On this EP, he proves he never lost the magic that gave us classics like “Like Play, Like Play” and “Maga Don Pay”.
A talented artiste, he was once signed on with Kennis Music.
He released his first hit song, which was titled “Magga Don Pay” under the label’s imprint.
The song brought him fame and fortune. He however broke away from Kennis Music shortly after he was signed.
One of Nigeria’s most controversial artistes, he has a number songs like Igwe KomKom, which takes a shot at the disbanded Mohits Record crew and Terry G.

First Bank Director to lose N9.08bn

A Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice M. S. Hassan, has granted an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking an order of interim forfeiture of the sums of N23 billion and US$5 million allegedly found in possession of Sterling Bank Plc.
It also granted an order of interim forfeiture of the sum of N9.08 billion also said to have been found in possession of an executive director of First Bank Ltd., one Dauda Lawal.
The anti-graft agency stated that its action had been warranted because it reasonably suspects that the sums are proceeds of unlawful activity.
In the ex parte application filed on January 6th in SUIT NO: FHC/CS/13/2017, the anti-graft institution sought from court the following reliefs inter alia:
“An interim order of court forfeiting the total sum of N23,446,300,000.00 (twenty three billion, four hundred and forty thousand naira) found by the commission in possession of Sterling Bank Plc which sum is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
“An interim order of court forfeiting the total sum of $5,000,000.00 (five million United States dollars) found by the commission in possession of Sterling Bank Plc which sum is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
“An interim order of court forfeiting the total sum of N9,080,000,000.00 (nine billion, eighty million naira) found by the commission in the possession of one Dauda Lawal, executive director, First Bank Nigeria Limited, which sum is treasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.”
Granting the application, the court further ordered the respondents, Sterling Bank PLC and Dauda Lawal, to appear before it “to show cause within 14 days why the sums should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The Court directed EFCC to notify the respondents of the development through substituted service in a newspaper publication, which is also to bear the interim order forfeiting the said sums.
“An order is hereby granted directing the publication in any newspaper of the interim order under reliefs 1, 2 and 3 above for the respondents or anyone who is interested in the property sought to be forfeited to appear before this honourable court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the properties mentioned in reliefs 1, 2 and 3 herein should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the court ruled.
It would be recalled that in June 2016, the Federal Government issued an interim report on financial and asset recoveries it made since May 29, 2015, when the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was inaugurated into office.
The report released by the Federal Ministry of Information indicated that the recoveries made under interim forfeiture were N126.6 billion, $9.1 billion, £2.5 million and €303,399.17 within the period under reference.
Also successfully retrieved, according to government, were N78.3 billion, US$185 million, £3.5 million and €11, 250 in the same period.

First Bank Director to lose N9.08bn

A Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice M. S. Hassan, has granted an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking an order of interim forfeiture of the sums of N23 billion and US$5 million allegedly found in possession of Sterling Bank Plc.
It also granted an order of interim forfeiture of the sum of N9.08 billion also said to have been found in possession of an executive director of First Bank Ltd., one Dauda Lawal.
The anti-graft agency stated that its action had been warranted because it reasonably suspects that the sums are proceeds of unlawful activity.
In the ex parte application filed on January 6th in SUIT NO: FHC/CS/13/2017, the anti-graft institution sought from court the following reliefs inter alia:
“An interim order of court forfeiting the total sum of N23,446,300,000.00 (twenty three billion, four hundred and forty thousand naira) found by the commission in possession of Sterling Bank Plc which sum is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
“An interim order of court forfeiting the total sum of $5,000,000.00 (five million United States dollars) found by the commission in possession of Sterling Bank Plc which sum is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
“An interim order of court forfeiting the total sum of N9,080,000,000.00 (nine billion, eighty million naira) found by the commission in the possession of one Dauda Lawal, executive director, First Bank Nigeria Limited, which sum is treasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.”
Granting the application, the court further ordered the respondents, Sterling Bank PLC and Dauda Lawal, to appear before it “to show cause within 14 days why the sums should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The Court directed EFCC to notify the respondents of the development through substituted service in a newspaper publication, which is also to bear the interim order forfeiting the said sums.
“An order is hereby granted directing the publication in any newspaper of the interim order under reliefs 1, 2 and 3 above for the respondents or anyone who is interested in the property sought to be forfeited to appear before this honourable court to show cause within 14 days why the final order of forfeiture of the properties mentioned in reliefs 1, 2 and 3 herein should not be made in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” the court ruled.
It would be recalled that in June 2016, the Federal Government issued an interim report on financial and asset recoveries it made since May 29, 2015, when the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was inaugurated into office.
The report released by the Federal Ministry of Information indicated that the recoveries made under interim forfeiture were N126.6 billion, $9.1 billion, £2.5 million and €303,399.17 within the period under reference.
Also successfully retrieved, according to government, were N78.3 billion, US$185 million, £3.5 million and €11, 250 in the same period.

Donald Trump, whose early-morning rants and policy pronouncements on Twitter have left the world hanging on his every typed word, said he doesn’t like using the social media platform in comments to air Wednesday.
“I don’t like tweeting,” Trump told Fox News’s “Fox & Friends” program.
“I have other things I could be doing. But I get very dishonest media, very dishonest press. And it’s my only way that I can counteract,” he said in excerpts of the interview released late Tuesday.
Since winning the presidency in November, the Republican has exploited Twitter to make administrative announcements, weigh in on foreign policy — and hurl barbs at anyone who crosses him.
Asked if he would continue to use it as president, Trump said: “Yes.”
Over the weekend, the billionaire businessman became embroiled in his latest Twitter spat when he tangled with civil rights movement icon Congressman John Lewis.
The 76-year-old said he would not attend Trump’s inauguration on Friday, citing what he called Russian interference in the election.
“Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results,” Trump tweeted in response.
“All talk, talk, talk — no action or results. Sad!”
– ‘I don’t want celebrities’ –
In the Fox interview, Trump continued his attack saying Lewis had never skipped an inauguration, although the congressman’s office later acknowledged he had missed George W. Bush’s in 2001.
“So he got caught and it’s pretty bad. So let’s see what happens,” Trump said.
Lewis is among a growing list of Congress members, currently around 50, who have said they will boycott Trump’s inauguration, which the president-elect has welcomed as a way to create space for more spectators.
“As far as other people not going, that’s OK, because we need seats so badly,” Trump said.
“I hope they give me their tickets.”
A-list celebrities have also backed off in droves, leaving Trump struggling like none of his predecessors to find household names as entertainment.
“Many of the celebrities that are saying they’re not going, they were never invited. I don’t want the celebrities, I want the people, and we have the biggest celebrities in the world there,” Trump told Fox.
He took a similar line towards fashion designers, many of whom have declined to clothe his wife Melania or have discouraged others from dressing the former model.
Asked about Tom Ford’s refusal, Trump said that his wife: “Never asked Tom Ford, doesn’t like Tom Ford, doesn’t like his designs.”

The Office of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has dismissed as false, insinuations and reports that the Senator could be on his way to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to save his job.
In a statement made available to reporters in Abuja, the Special Assistant to the Deputy President of the Senate on Political Affairs, Hon. Okey Ozoani, described the reports as “a fantasy of those peddling it.”
He assured the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faithful and Nigerians that “Ekweremadu is going no where.”
He said: “Senator Ekweremadu is not contemplating leaving PDP. He is more concerned about fixing the country’s biting economic and security conditions and other challenges than saving his job as the Deputy President of the Senate.
“It is his view that Nigeria has to first exist for us to have political parties to belong to or political offices to occupy. Studies have shown a direct relationship between economic conditions and survival of democracy.
“The primary responsibility the Constitution places on our government is to cater for the wellbeing of the citizens as well as security of their lives and property. When such are threatened, everyone should necessarily get serious and preoccupied with contributing his or her quota to salvaging the country.
“Besides, he is most grateful to his colleagues for the confidence they continue to repose in him and the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki. He is grateful for the solidarity that the Senators have continued to accord them”.
Hon. Ozoani, while appreciating Ekweremadu’s supporters and well meaning Nigerians who have continued to contact the Office over recent media reports, assured them that there was no cause for alarm. He urged them to continue to pray for the Senate leadership, the Senate, the National Assembly, and indeed the government and the entire nation.
“By strength alone shall no man prevail. Therefore, let us get down on our knees and continue to present the government and the country before God”, Ozoani added.
Recalls that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was greeted with overture from the APC caucus in a motion moved by Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamafara Central) on Wednesday, 11th January 2017, asking the deputy Senate President to cross over to the ruling party.
There have been other reports since then, that the APC caucus may be using the proposal to threaten Ekweremadu in his exalted office of the deputy President of the Senate.

Following the recent discovery of serial attempts to defame Amstel Malta, through concocted video productions, the nation’s security agencies have begun a massive cyber hunt for the brains behind the act.
In August 2016, Amstel Malta, the premium, low sugar formulated malt drink from the stable of Nigerian Breweries, launched a new credential campaign #WhyAddMore. Shortly after the campaign, a picture went viral that a fake version of the Amstel Malta is in circulation. This was because the new packaging wore the new NIS logo while the old packaging had the old NIS logo of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria.
Soon after this, the Nigerian consumers were greeted with another offensive video of an Amstel Malta can drink allegedly containing a strange object. A faceless consumer recorded an alleged contaminated drink and circulated it on social media.
The company thereafter reported the defamation attempt to the security agencies for further investigation.
However, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the statutory body that is vested with the responsibility of standardising and regulating the quality of all products in Nigeria, debunked the claims by a faceless video producer of a fake Amstel Malta in circulation.
Mr. Fred Akingbesote, Deputy Director, who represented the Director General of the organisation, explained to Journalists in Lagos that Nigerian Breweries have met all SON safety and quality requirements and have complied with all requirements of the new National Industrial Standard (NIS) logo.
He maintained that the people behind the defamation are just playing on the intelligence of Nigerians. “We have a web site (www.son.gov.ng) which contains all information on our standards and quality regulations. Every Nigerian who has doubts about any product certified by SON should crosscheck the facts”, he said.
Forensic and marketing analysts have also observed that it is very clear that the same source that initially created a video of a purported ‘fake ’ or ‘original’ but who could not sustain the fabrication is the source responsible for the current orchestration and poor dramatization of discovery of foreign content.
Analysts and observers agreed that this might be coming from the enemy’s camp as the recording left many gaps to cast a doubt on the genuineness of the video. For instance, the can was opened before the video recording, thus failing the basic test of validity.
They maintained that a careful look at the video reveals a lot of inconstancies and fallacies such as:
Ø The can was not transparent for a consumer to see the content before pouring it
Ø It is technical impossible to have a foreign object in non-reusable container like a can
Ø The content was poured into a bowl instead of a cup ready for drinking
Ø The content was not foaming like the normal Amstel Malta
Ø All the persons in the video were faceless
Ø The video camera was targeted severally at the Can to flash the logo of the product (perhaps to cause more damage to the premium brand)
Ø The ‘consumer’ did not tell us how he got to know that there was an object in the can.
Ø There was no mention of where it was bought or any intention to confront the retailer.
According to the analysts, the attempt remains a despicable and dirty way to ignite a brand war by exploiting the gullibility and stupidity of many social media users.
Marketing experts also maintained that the ‘sword’ may have emanated from interested industry persons who are afraid of the flight of Amstel Malta in Nigeria’s marketing space..
“The video is nothing but another dimension to our usual ‘PHD’ (pull him /her down) attempt characteristic of people on the floor. Let us spoil a good name if we can’t be as good. It is therefore surprising that anybody would want to attack the reputation of one of our premium products whose market leadership is undisputable in its segment”, a Lagos-based marketing analyst submitted last week.

The search for the best students in Mathematics amongst Secondary Schools in Nigeria has kicked off as the 2017 edition of Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz show opened with excitement on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, Mr. Olivier Thiry, Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, the sponsor of the initiative, explained to Journalists that though Cowbell has been involved in the improvement of standard of education in Nigeria especially Mathematics in the last two decades, the company however brought all its intervention under one umbrella; Cowbellpedia last year.
He added that for this year, the thrust is to provide a credible platform that will identify and reward excellence in the subject area of Mathematics among Junior and Senior Secondary School students in Nigeria.
Thiry noted that across the globe, investment in education has assumed an entirely new frontier that Governments and corporate organizations have come to realize that building capacity in STEM courses which Mathematics is a key component of, represents the driving force for development in the 21st century.
Like in the previous editions, the Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show is open to students in JSS 3 and SSS2 from 10 – 18 years of age attending full time Secondary Education in both Public and Private Schools in Nigeria.
While entry into this competition is free, contestants are required to register online or pick up a registration form at the State Ministry of Education offices nationwide.
The competition is divided into two Stages; Stage 1 Qualifying Written Examination and Stage 2 TV Quiz Show.
“For the Stage 1, we are continuing with the initiative that we started in 2016 for Mixed Secondary Schools to nominate minimum two (2) girls for each category to represent such school. This is our own little way of encouraging the girl child to take interest in education especially the STEM courses,” he said.
The ultimate prize for this year’s edition is One Million Naira (=N=1,000,000) and an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country while the 1st and 2nd runners up will go home with Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (=N=750,000) only and Five Hundred Thousand Naira (=N=500,000) only respectively.
The Teachers of the winners will be awarded N400, 000.00 while Teachers of 1st runner-up and 2nd runner-up will go home with N300, 000 and N200, 000 respectively.
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Ikechukwu Anyanwu, Director, Quality Assurance, National Examination Council, NECO, who represented the Registrar praised Promasidor for the initiative which he said has been of tremendous benefits to Mathematics education in Nigeria.
The 2016 winners, Miss Juliet Ekoko and Master Ayooluwa Oguntade also commended Promasidor for the opportunity given to them to horn their Mathematics skill through the Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show.
For its Cowbellpedia initiative, Promasidor Nigeria Limited won the Best Company in Education in awards organised by SERA CSR Awards and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Lagos Chapter in 2016.

Heritage Bank has embarked on mass retrenchment of its workers with over 400 staff sacked in December.
According to our findings, it was indicated that more workers are penciled for sack.
The bank, in October 2014, acquired Enterprise Bank with about N56 billion (281 million dollars).
A top management source in the bank, who pleaded anonymity, said that the sack cut across the top, middle and low cadres.
He said that the mass sack was creating apprehension and fears among the remaining workers
The source said that the remaining workers, especially workers from the former Enterprise Bank, feared they could be disengaged anytime.
He said that workers from the former Enterprise Bank were the most affected in the ongoing restructuring exercise embarked on to improve the bank’s profitability.
The bank embarked on the massive sack in spite of the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige’s directive to financial institutions to desist from the sacking spree.
Mr. Fela Ibidapo, the bank’s Head of Corporate Communications, however, denied that the figures were not correct. He said that the mass sack was not limited to the bank as it cut across all operators in the industry.
Recall, in late 2016 there were the bank may run into serious financial crises that may render it unable to meet its obligations as a deposit money bank unless something drastic happens to salvage the situation.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had in 2016 banned Heritage bank from the foreign exchange market.
Also, the bank was also enmeshed in serious financial mess following the discovery by the new management of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, that a whooping $24.1million (N9.399 billion) belonging to the maritime agency was lodged with the bank but kept away from the new management.
A source close to the NPA management at the time said the agency has shown sufficient proof that it has the $24.1million in the bank, but expresses surprise that a bank could claim ignorance of a princely $24.1 million hidden from the management.
More disturbing in the Heritage Bank saga is the reported confession by the bank that it stands the risk of going under should the NPA insisted on refund of the $24.1 million.
Close sources in the bank disclose to us that the bank will go under if it is made to return the money.
This medium also learnt, large number of customers of the bank are growing worrying all the time and could storm various branches of the bank base on this worrying situation and withdraw their monies, as they believe is just a matter of time before CBN finally wave their axe.
Our findings reveal that the banks continuously show similar characteristic as the rescued Skye bank, thus it is just a matter of time before the necessary steps are taken by the authority concern. Insiders have revealed that there are several undercutting within the system and its just a matter of time before the Central Bank of Nigeria revokes its licence.
Recall, the bank was formerly Societe Generale Bank owned by the Saraki dynasty. A case of show me your friend and I know who you are.
There have been media reports of the bank’s financial instability which the bank denied.

Lagos State Police Command has arrested members of a comedy group, Naija’s Craziest, following a petition filed by the General Overseer of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement, Lazarus Mouka.
Mouka was said to have filed the petition following a video released by the group on YouTube, condemning actions of the church members.
The group, in a post on their Facebook Page, announced the arrest, while describing it as “an Attack on Creativity, Comedy, Freedom of Speech”.
Their post read: “This is an Attack on Creativity, Comedy, Freedom of Speech.
We would like to inform our fans concerning the arrest of the Naijas Craziest Crew by the Lagos State CID Panti. The arrest came as a result of a report filed by the Lord’s Chosen Church G.O. over a comedy satire video of Lord’s Chosen members rolling in the mud.
They seized their phones and not allow them to make any call.

Here is a link to the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKipDQeYYjk

It’s amazing that you can be arrested over a comedy video of a church.
A comedy video that has a disclaimer at the beginning. They (comedians) are being held hostage at the Lagos State CID Panti as we speak.
Share this post till it gets to the right Authorities,” their statement said.
In the video, which has been deleted, the group said: “When members of a church think that an apron is powerful enough to protect them, they will roll in the mud and confront armed robbers.”

See screenshots of the video:

Heritage Bank Plc has disclosed plans to revolutionise the agricultural value-chain field, particularly the rice farming that will enhance agribusiness and aid economic development through its direct participation in the much lauded Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Group Head, Agriculture Finance, Heritage Bank, Olugbenga Awe, in a speech delivered at 3rd edition of Rice Investment Summit in Abuja in collaboration with New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), said the bank’s drive to support rice production was borne out of the conviction that agribusiness is profitable and act of patriotism to achieve food security and sufficiency in the country.
He, however, noted that the challenges facing rice production were subset of myriads of constraints facing agriculture in general, as most farmlands are located in the rural areas with poor road network and electricity supply, majority are financially excluded with no access to banking services.
He hinted that Heritage Bank is effectively tackling the bottlenecks, since it has long identified the opportunities in agribusiness before the collapse of crude oil prices through its various programmes, which will contribute to the projection for year 2020 in the production of 7.7million metric tons of milled rice or 10.8million metric tons of paddy rice at milling recovery ratio of 62per cent.
On the Heritage Bank’s involvement in ABP, Awe noted that the bank has strategically put in place measures to ensure fidelity to contract agreements and adherence to fair trade in making sure that farmers earn decent profit for their efforts, which is critical to the sustainability of the programmes.
According to him, the bank’s participation in the programme has paid off as we currently have a rich pool of farmers’ data to support grains production.
“The registered farmers in our database can easily be identified and trained with the support of extension services to plant any grains as the season demands. This flexibility provides continuous cash flows to the famers and ensure that more farmers are enlisted to join the programme,” he said.
The group head, further disclosed, “In our quest to participate in the rice value-chain through the ABP, we supported hundreds of small holder farmers in various communities in Kaduna and Zamfara State.”
Awe stressed that the prospect for rice production and agriculture was very bright, according to him, “the sector is driving the next set of entrepreneurs and we are committed to the development of the sector using appropriate technology and modern farm practices. We walk the talk in Heritage Bank as demonstrated in our portfolio allocation to agribusiness.”
He affirmed that Heritage Bank would continuously create opportunities for people to see agriculture as a business that can lift them out of poverty into a prosperous future.
According to him, the youth are encouraged through the bank’s partnership with CBN under the Youth Innovative Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YIEDP) to start young and create wealth, from available statistics, 80per cent of applicants under the youth empowerment programme choose agriculture as the preferred sector.
He noted that the large scale operators are enabled to expand existing capacities and industrialize for local consumption and export.
Also, in furtherance of its commitment to creating jobs and wealth, the bank launched a N500 million Young Entrepreneurs and Students (YES) Grant in Lagos. The initiative, which is in partnership with the Nigerian Youth Professional Forum (NYPF), will, according to the bank, support students and young entrepreneurs toward socio-economic freedom.

[i]Love is not a fickle feeling. Once you’ve decided to go all in, you move from feelings to commitment. The decision to stick with your spouse is not based on emotion; it’s based on a commitment you made to your spouse and the Lord. In the inspiring world of the First Family at the Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson and Dr. Lizzy Suleman, ‘love, by its very nature, is not a fairy tale feeling but a commitment. Love is simply a story with no ending.’ In this interview, the clergy couples share the secrets of their 19 years courtship which developed into a successful marriage, still waxing strong 13 years after. Excerpts…

If the founder has a successful marriage, what impacts could it have on his ministry?
Apostle Suleman: Marital successes are parts of life stimulators and rest of mind enhancers. When a pastor marries a satanic daughter, his father-in-law (Satan) would definitely come for a visit. And one thing with satanic visit is that it’s very embarrassing and deadly. The impacts the church founder’s healthy marriage could have on his ministry are very many as marriage is the oldest institution on earth. The breakdown of marriage is a breakdown of society; it’s a breakdown of governmental structures. Marital breakdown produces hooliganism and anarchy. So, when a pastor’s marriage is faulty or collapsed, there is no way he can lead the congregation well. Many congregation members would pattern their lives after their p divorce, marital disharmony, failure etc. On the other hand, when a pastor’s marriage is working, the grace and the power that make his marriage to work will make the congregation’s marriages work also.

How does it feel like being married to a man whose job is completely spiritual and public?
Dr. Lizzy Suleman: One thing we should understand in life is that God made us according to the assignments which He prepared for us from the foundation of the world. Being married to a man whose job is completely spiritual and public is a privilege and it’s a thing to always thank God for.

Pastor-idolizing is common in the ministry. While some say it is in order, others believe that such practice puts those in the vocational ministry (the founder, other top pastors and their families) in an isolated position. What is your say on this?
Apostle Suleman: We need to get the right context of the word ‘idolizing’. If the word idolizing is used within the framework of honour, respect or love for the pastor, it is not bad at all because men of God should be honoured and celebrated. But putting pastor in the place of God is deadly and it’s a very serious evil in the sight of God. As a matter of fact, idolizing a pastor or his family from the second perspective is a way of saying his congregational members are pushing him very early into his or her grave. This is so because it’s the easiest way of comparing a man of God with God of man which has no basis at all. My counsel to every man of God and their families is that they should not allow themselves to be killed early. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says: 23 Thus saith the Lord, ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man gloryin his riches’. 24 says; ‘But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercises loving, kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. Therefore, men of God should not be idolized to the detriment of their calling.

Being a pastor’s wife, have you ever had any course to fear about your husband’s ability and spirituality on the pulpit?
Dr. Lizzy Suleman: Not at all. But that does not mean that l don’t pray for him before and while ministering. I know he has God, he knows God and God will always guide him by His Spirit. That, as pastor’s wife, allays all forms of fear within.

You’ve been married for how long, and what was the attraction to Dr. Lizzy?
Apostle Suleman: I have known her for 19 years but we have been married for 13 years. The attraction was the fear of God and her prayer life. Also, she is the most humble woman I have ever seen. She doesn’t give me trouble and has never talked back at me.

It is said that the Bible does not provide a specific job description for a pastor’s wife. What are the qualities needed of a pastor’s wife to attract development in the church, love and harmony among congregants?
Dr. Lizzy Suleman: The duties of pastor are the duties of pastors wives if they have congregations they are ministering to. However, when a pastor’s wife is with her husband in the same congregation, she has separate roles that will enhance the work of the husband. This will bring synergy in successes and achievements. There are basic qualities a pastor’s wife should have in order to achieve the above described successes. Some of them are to be prayerful, show love without sentiments, humility, sincerity, self control etc.

The Scripture’s position on same-sex marriage is very clear, yet sections of the Church still do not condemn the practice. How does this affect the society?
Apostle Suleman: Same sex marriage from the biblical and natural point of views are very wrong, it is an abomination. That some sections in the church still romance and refuse to condemn it does not make it right. All these are happening because we are in the end time where people go for what they want and not what God wants. And it’s happening also as a result of lack of knowledge of the word of God. This affects the society in adverse ways. The church should be a place to mould the society but if the society gets rotten because of the evil lifestyle and practices of the church leaders then the so called same sex lovers are not worthy to be in the church authorities. This people have directly joined Satan to work against God no matter the title they bear.

As a leader in the Church, how should a Christian woman handle controversy surrounding her marriage since the man is believed to be the stronger sex?
Dr. Lizzy Suleman: There is one thing every woman or man of God who wishes to succeed in life must have; it is divine wisdom which money cannot buy. A Christian woman should handle controversies surrounding her marriage with wisdom by not making it an issue to the public. Also both couples should agree to make things work.

How should a man of God handle temptations since it is believed to be a test that would come in the mission?
Apostle Suleman: Yes, temptations are part of life, even if you don’t like them or want them, they must come. Temptations are life-assessment score sheet for promotions and enduring next level. There are two ways to handle temptations from the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:13; “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” One, pray that you should not be led into temptations because temptations itself are a suggestion to do evil or anything against the love and the will of God. Two, if you are already inside temptations, pray to be delivered from the evil so that it will not swallow you.

When you hear of divorce happening in high places, especially in clerics’ homes, what strikes you as the possible reasons; and why do you think it shouldn’t happen in the Church?
Dr. Lizzy Suleman: There are several reasons that lead to divorce both in the world and in the cleric homes, though divorce itself is not the will of God or the last results to marital crisis. Honestly speaking, every marital crisis can be resolved if the proper steps are taken. Some of the factors that bring divorce are: incompatibility in marriage; imagine a male pastor married to a female politician or a female model, how would the pastor cope? Then, bad friends or evil counselors, family third party, impatience on the part of the couples, foundational curses and demonic attacks, insincerity and more. As for the reason why it should not happen in the church; it is very simple. Like I said in the beginning, God hates divorce.

Every union has its primary challenges, what are the mechanisms that you apply to ensure the home is calm at all times considering the multitude that look up to your leadership?
Apostle Suleman: It’s all about unfeigned love, patent, having marital understanding and wisdom application. It’s wisdom to pray in marriage, it’s wisdom to apologize to each other when things go wrong, it’s wisdom to be patient with your partner and it’s wisdom to believe in yourselves. You cannot have all these and there will not be calmness in your home.

Would you like to share some testimonies concerning peace and the love in your union?
Dr. Lizzy Suleman: We know that marital success is a function of an agreement between husband and wife. It is not solely the woman’s responsibility or the man’s making. Several testimonies abound in our marriage. We have peace of mind, there are no unresolved issues. No third party coming in to settle issues. The love for one another is on the daily increase. Parents are not on one side and children on the other side. There is unity. Praise God.

You had barely released the 2017 prophecies than some were beginning to happen. Do you think people are not doing enough in terms of praying to avert certain events from happening?
Apostle Suleman: There are two ways to this issue. Number one, most people don’t take prophecies serious, as a result of that they don’t pray to avert the evils. Some of them don’t pray for the mercy of God and for divine intervention. The other way to it is that there are issues in the calendar of God that prayers would not change, because they have been designed to happen. These are the two major issues that make negative prophecies or warning to still happen but majority of them are tied to inability to seek the face of God as and when due.

Please, would you like to share with us those programmes that you administer in the church and how the Lord has been taking glory regarding their success?
Dr. Lizzy Suleman: To the glory of God we have several programmes where I have ministered and Jesus’ name is glorified. The sick healed all manners of afflictions gone. The lame walks, the blind sees etc. These happened in our women programme, Nation Conventions, Fire Nights, and other special progammes.

Do you have pet names for each other that promotes your union the more?
The Couple: Yes, we call each other ‘Honey’ (laughter).

From the Biblical perspective, do we consider remarriage as adultery?
Apostle Suleman: Not really, depending on the conditions underlying the remarriage. If a man or a woman remarries as a result of the death of the partner, it is not an adultery case. There are other genuine cases before men to qualify one for remarriage but in the sight of God they are seen as a case of adultery. God always wants us to have peace and reconcile disputes. The basic way to qualify for remarriage is to follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ on the subject matter in the Gospel and in the epistles.

How would you advice young girls who would like to become pastors’ wives?
Dr. Lizzy Suleman: Well, being a pastor or a Pastor’s wife is a calling that only God can initiate. If or when they are called for that, it’s a laudable assignment. For me as mother, it is good if they are pastors because Working with God and for God is the best profession on earth as God has made us to witness that.

What would you say on pastors who would force their wives to attend theological school so they could run the church together, in a case where the husband alone was called to serve?
Apostle Suleman: Knowledge is a weapon that saves men from captivity. Pastors calling their wives to join them in theology seminaries are not taking wrong decisions. Going to seminaries does not make you a called person, it could be for knowledge acquisition and encounter with God. A pastor’s wife could be doing secular job while her husband is a full time pastor. She needs to know what the man knows in order to be properly carried along in the race of life.

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, media personality and ex-housemate in Big Brother Nigeria, has been announced as the host for the upcoming Big Brother Naija reality TV show.

MultiChoice Nigeria, the organisers of the reality show on Friday make the announcement that Ebuka as a former housemate in Big Brother Nigeria show back in 2006 will make a re-appearance at the reality show’s revival but this time as the host.

The lawyer turned media personality with his infectious laugh and charismatic persona will usher the housemates into the Big Brother Naija house and will take up the task of announcing the evictees week after week.

“We are particularly excited to have Ebuka as host of Big Brother Naija. This was the platform that unearthed his potentials and propelled him to stardom,” said John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria.

“He has over the years grown to become a prominent face on the Nigerian pop culture and entertainment scene while also lending his voice to youth empowerment initiatives. We believe his cool and debonair personality combined with his healthy dose of wit will spice up the show. Our viewers are in for a great entertainment experience,” Ugbe said.

In just less than a decade, Ebuka has risen to become one of the most loved and admired personalities in the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Ebuka’s hosting gigs include Friend or Foe on NTA, the GLO Show, also on NTA, as well as Guinness’ Greatness TV. He is currently the host of Rubbin’ Minds, a youth-focused TV show on Channels television.

While on EbonyLife TV on DStv channel 165, he is one of the co-hosts of The Spot, a show that combines a bit of reality TV with talk show and sitcom, and more recently, Men’s Corner, a talk show with an all-male ensemble who strongly air their opinions on a range of topical issues.

Big Brother Naija reality show starts Sunday, 22 January at 7pm and will run for 11 weeks on all DStv packages on channel 198 and GOtv Plus on channel 29.

Big Brother Naija is sponsored by PayPorte, your preferred online retail store.

http://pulse.ng/movies/ebuka-obi-uchendu-to-host-big-brother-naija-season-2-id6030090.html

GOtv subscribers will, for the first time, have the opportunity to watch Big Brother Naija, the runaway hit reality show returning after a decade. The show, which kicks off on 22 January, will air on GOtv Channel 29, a 24/7 channel dedicated to it.
Big Brother Naija offers a platform for people from all walks of life to showcase their talents and get propelled to stardom.
“It is our firm belief that Big Brother Naija will give rise to a fresh wave of talented Nigerians. Going by the keenness and energy on display during the audition, we can safely say the show will offer our subscribers an amazing time,” said Efe Obiomah, Public Relations Manager, GOtv.
She expressed confidence that Big Brother Naija will draw audiences across the African continent the same way Big Brother Africa did.
Auditions for the show held in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, with each city drawing large numbers of prospective Big Brother Nigeria housemates from varied backgrounds, skill sets and personalities.
The inaugural edition of Big Brother Naija held from 5 March to 4 June, 2006. The screening saw 12 housemates vie for the coveted $100,000 prize money by performing various mental and physical tasks. At the end of the three-month stay in the house, Katung Aduwak emerged winner.
Sponsored by PayPorte, Big Brother Naija is offering a cash prize of N25 million and a new KIA Sorento car to the eventual winner.
Big Brother Naija is an offshoot of the world famous Big Brother reality show, which was launched in 1999, with franchises in over 54 countries.

The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the statutory body that is vested with the responsibility of standardizing and regulating the quality of all products in Nigeria, has debunked the claims of a fake Amstel Malta in circulation. Mr. Fred Akingbesote, Deputy Director, who represented the Director General of the organisation, explained to Journalists in Lagos on Thursday that Nigerian Breweries have met all SON safety and quality requirements and have complied with all requirements of the new National Industrial Standard (NIS) logo.

In August 2016, Amstel Malta, the premium, low sugar formulated malt drink from the stable of Nigerian Breweries, launched a new credential campaign Why Add More. Shortly after the campaign, a picture went viral that a fake version of the Amstel Malta is in circulation. This was because the new packaging wore the new NIS logo while the old packaging had the old NIS logo of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria.

Akingbesote confirmed that the NIS logo on Amstel Malta is the highest mark of quality from SON and commended the management of Nigerian Breweries for its commitment to the highest quality standard. He stated that Nigerian Breweries is one of the first companies to adopt the new NIS logo which was launched in September 2015.

He maintained that the people behind the defamation are just playing on the intelligence of Nigerians. “We have a web site (www.son.gov.ng) which contains all information on our standards and quality regulations. Every Nigerian who has doubts about any product certified by SON should crosscheck the facts”, he said.

Also speaking on the occasion, Kufre Ekanem, Nigerian Breweries Plc Corporate Affairs Adviser explained that the Amstel Malta was one of the first brands to comply with SON directives. He added that the brand revised its packaging in line with the guidelines and approval of National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC and in compliance with the new mandatory NIS quality logo from the SON

“In the normal course of product and packaging renovation, old packaging and the new introduction co-exist in the market until the old one dries out. In view of the twelve month shelf life, we currently have Amstel Malta with both the old and new packaging in some parts of the market,” Ekanem said.

He maintained that Nigerian Breweries is a world class multinational company that has operated in Nigeria for over 70 years and that the quality of its brands has been one of the key success factors of the company across these decades. “Every pack of Amstel Malta is produced to the highest quality-control standards of Nigerian Breweries,” he noted.

Ekanem assured consumers that every pack of Amstel Malta contains the same premium quality malt drink that they have come to love.

He informed that the company has reported the defamation attempt to the police and remains grateful that the Police authorities are investigating the case further.

Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji has predicted that the Nigerian entertainment industry will witness a bumper year in 2017. In his New Year message to the industry, Chief Okoroji asked practitioners and investors in the industry to have faith and take every necessary step to professionalize and that as better value is placed on Nigeria’s entertainment products resulting in significant growth, the industry will play a key role in revitalizing Nigeria’s struggling economy in 2017.

According to Okoroji, his optimism is based on the fact that the government is finally beginning to understand the huge potentials of the creative sector and has shown the willingness to effectively activate a number of initiatives that were scandalously ignored in the oil boom days.

In the words of the former president of PMAN, “just before the end of last year, the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation assured me that he will take all necessary steps to ensure that the Private Copy Levy scheme is activated without further delay. That will bring a new stream of income to musicians, movie makers, authors, publishers, etc. The AG also promised that the Nigerian Copyright Commission will be revitalized and given the muscle to protect producers and investors in the creative industries. That should have a major impact on income.

“At the end of 2016, we began a major conversation with MTN, the biggest telecommunications company in the country. We do have a significant meeting of minds with Airtel. I am looking forward to what has so far been an adversarial relationship with the telecommunication industry becoming a virile partnership in 2017. Imagine the possibilities if we begin to speak with one voice with the ‘telcos’ and work together to harness the huge potentials of the Nigerian entertainment industry for the benefit of all the parties and our country”

Chief Okoroji also said that he has had several conversations with the Minister of Information, Culture & Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and that he is convinced that the Minister is ‘pumped up’ and wants to take those steps that will energize the industry. Said Okoroji “the Minister is clearly taking steps to get the National Endowment Fund for the Arts up and running. This should provide badly needed funding for different projects in the sector. There is the growing engagement with the Tony Elemelu Foundation which the minister is supporting. Anybody who knows Tony Elumelu, knows that he has no business with failure”

With respect to COSON, Chief Okoroji said that renovations and installations will begin shortly in the newly acquired ‘COSON HOUSE’ in Ikeja and that in the second quarter of 2017, COSON should move its operations from Opebi to a fully paid for ultra-modern edifice with the space and technology to properly drive a forward-looking organization. He also said that he is looking forward to starting discussions soon with the John Momoh led new Executive of Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON) on the significant debt owed COSON by broadcasting organizations in Nigeria and ensure that an agreement is reached and the debt redeemed.

Chief Okoroji assured all members of COSON that the organization will robustly protect their interests in 2017 and work towards increasing the distributable income to members. The Chairman vowed to do everything in his power to make sure that COSON continues to be an exemplary Nigerian organization, maintaining complete transparency and accountability and safeguarding the culture of respect for intellectual property rights which it has vigorously promoted in Nigeria.

The details of bank transactions of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, a Federal High Court judge standing trial over alleged corruption, were on Monday revealed at an Ikeja High Court, Lagos.

The details were revealed before a packed courtroom during the continuation of the evidence-in-chief of her account officer, Ademola Oshodi, a banker with Diamond Bank Plc.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Obla, are being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for alleged corruption.

They are jointly being charged for perverting the course of justice by the anti-graft agency.

However, Mr. Obla is facing an additional two-count charge of offering gratification of N5 million to Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, a public official, during her service as a judge.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia faces a 26-count charge of unlawful enrichment, taking property by a public officer, corruption by a public officer, forgery and giving false information to an official of the EFCC.

Both, however, denied all the charges.

Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia is being prosecuted by the EFCC for allegedly enriching herself by illegally receiving $793,800 from various sources from 2012 to 2015.

During Monday’s proceedings, Mr. Oshodi, while being led in evidence by counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, revealed how he helped the judge to deposit large sums of foreign currencies into her three accounts with Diamond Bank.

The account officer narrated to the court that he collected large sums from the judge at her chambers at the Federal High Court, Lagos, and her residence.

“I made cash deposits into the accounts on behalf of Hon. Ofili-Ajumogobia; the monies that were deposited were received from her at her chambers or her house,” he said.

The banker read out to the court various transactions he had made for the judge on her Diamond Bank account with number 0029928474.

He said he had paid in various sums ranging from N22 million to N670,000 into the said account and on most occasions, those sums were converted to naira from dollar.

“Hon. Ofili-Ajumogobia would normally call if there is a need for me to assist her in changing other currencies and I will either go to her house or office to pick up the US dollars.

“A colleague of mine called Alex Agu also helped with these transactions. On Dec. 17, 2015, N1 million was picked up by Agu on behalf of the judge and was credited into her account,” he said.

Mr. Oshodi also revealed the details of Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia’s second account with the bank; a dollar account with number 003091183.

He narrated with the guidance of the EFCC counsel on how he had deposited on numerous occasions various sums ranging from $4,800 to $150,000 into her dollar account.

“$139,815 was transferred outside the country into the account of Silversteps Incorporated, a company domiciled in the United Kingdom.

“The transfer was done on the instruction of the judge. I’m not familiar with the company or had any dealing with them.

“On May 10, 2013, I received the sum of $120,000 from the judge and had to pay into her dollar account instalments of $10,000 over 12 days.

“The first instalment was on that day while the 11 other instalments were from May 14 to May 28.

“I had to pay in the dollars over 12 days because the bank had a daily maximum deposit of $10,000 and during this transaction, the undeposited dollars were in the custody of the bank,” said Oshodi.

The account officer noted that when depositing the money for the judge, he filled a bank teller on Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia’s behalf, writing her name as the depositor.

“However, on March 29, 2014, I received $150,000 from Hon. Ofili-Ajumogobia and credited it into her dollar account, but following her instruction, I wrote one Donald Ofili as the depositor,” he said.

Mr. Oshodi also gave details of a third account of the judge which was a corporate account, called Nigel and Colive.

“There is a corporate account which was opened in September 2013 called Nigel and Colive with account number 0036103635.

“The address of the company is No. 18, Lai Bende St., Fadire Estate. The corporate account opening form had to be filled and the company documents verified before it can be opened,” he said.

According to Mr. Oshodi, Diamond Bank waived some requirements for the opening corporate accounts because of their relationship with the judge.

“We did a physical visitation to the address and we found out that the site of the building was still under construction.

“However, because Hon. Ofili-Ajumogobia is our customer and we knew that the property was hers, we proceeded to open the account.”

Justice Hakeem Oshodi has adjourned the case to January 30 for continuation of trial.

(NAN)

By Adejuwon Soyinka

“The best way to predict the future is to create it” – Peter Drucker

To start with, let me be upfront in declaring my lack of qualification for the elevated title of a prophet. I am not a prophet and I very much doubt if I can ever make one by any stretch of imagination.

Just as I am not prophetic, I also cannot make any pretensions to being clairvoyant. Indeed, I have no orbuculum and can therefore not be involved in the act of scrying.

However, in spite of these seeming shortcomings, I dare say that I can see the future. Without the aid of crystal balls, I can see a future where Ogun State grows its Gross Domestic Product, GDP, from its current position of $20bn annually to $100bn within the next ten years.

That is not all. I can also see a future where someone resident in Ogun State can arrive Lagos for work, business or any other purposes, after a 20mins train ride.

I can see a future where an international airport in Ogun State becomes a major hub for the movement of goods, machineries, people and services in and out of Nigeria thereby completing the meaning of the state’s appellation as the gateway to not just the rest of Nigeria but also the West African sub region.

Now, since I am neither a prophet nor a fortune-teller, how did I see this future that I have so painted? Well, Peter Drucker, the Austrian-born American management guru already took care of that when he said, “the best way to predict the future is to create it.”

And that is exactly what Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, is doing in Ogun State at the moment. He is busy creating the desired future of the Gateway state.

“One of the strategies towards achieving this aim is to attract investments into the State,” he recently said.

To make this happen, the state government however realizes the need to first put infrastructure in place. “This is why we have embarked on massive infrastructural development. At the commencement of our massive road construction and redesign across the State, even some of our steadfast supporters never believed we could achieve what we have achieved.

“Today, these projects have opened up Ogun State as the investment destination of choice in the country. Indeed, Ogun State has emerged the fastest growing State economy and is now the industrial capital of Nigeria by all indices, giving further proof of our actions. We have been able to attract 543 new industries in the five years of our Administration, all of which have invested not less than $50 million each. Of these industries, 110 have invested between $200 million and $2 billion,” Governor Amosun said.

Realising that in order to achieve massive industrialisation, there is the need to support road transportation with rail transportation, the state government has concluded plans to have the ground-breaking ceremony for its proposed light-rail project within the first quarter of 2017.

The first phase of the proposed Ogun Light Rail Network is approximately 102.3km and consists of two lines namely: Abeokuta (Panseke) – Sagamu Interchange – Sagamu Town (49.8 km) and Ogere Town – Sagamu Interchange – Berger (52.5km).

This first phase of the rail line was selected to take advantage of the existing traffic on the Lagos to Sagamu section of the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, which is the busiest road in Nigeria with an Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of over 40,000.

This phase also connects Abeokuta, the State Capital to the rapidly growing industrial zone of Sagamu and commercial zone of Ogere.

As part of efforts to create the desired future, the Ogun State government is also keying in to the potentials provided by Agriculture and Agri-Business. “We are exploring an Agro-Politan development strategy which emphasises the localisation of the entire value chain that Agriculture provides: Grow-Process-Store–Package–Market-Sell. This will ensure that millions of our citizens, especially youth, will be engaged in the Agricultural value chain and will be able to prosper wherever they are,” Governor Amosun said.

Closely related to this, is the reforestation project of the state government. For this, Ogun State already has two sites at Aworo and Imeko. Apart from the fact that the projects will go a long way in improving the quality of the environment, it will also boost forestry development plan and promote investment in the timber industry.

“Since most of the people who will drive the Agriculture and Forestry sectors are mostly rural dwellers, the year 2017 will witness huge rural road construction.

“We will take advantage of the opportunities provided by the World Bank through the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) to ensure easy access to farm produce and mobility of dwellers to modern facilities such as pipe borne water, electricity and qualitative health care delivery,” Governor Amosun said.

Of course when you attract investments and investors, you then also have to make provisions for their housing needs. In this respect, the Ogun State government is making efforts to create the desired future by continuing with the development of the New Makun City; MITROS City in Isheri; New Government City in Kobape; New Cities in Ota and Agbara; New GRA in Ijebu-Ode, and the President Muhammadu Buhari Housing Estate, Kobape, among others.

So, wont these new projects affect the completion of ongoing ones? The governor’s answer is an emphatic no. “Let me again re-assure you that the commencement of new Projects will not in any way affect the completion of on-going projects spread across the three Senatorial districts. By the grace of God, I assure you that we will not leave any project uncompleted,” he said recently.

Indeed, in the present day Ogun State, nearly anyone can claim to be a prophet or seer and this is because the state government is clearly creating the future.

Soyinka, Senior Special Assistant (Media) and spokesman for Governor Ibikunle Amosun, is a multiple award-winning journalist and Editor.

The Executive Director in charge of Public Sector at First Bank, Mallam Dauda Lawal, that was recently arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for allegedly laudering millions of dollars for the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison Madueke is now a happy man.

The reason is that he has regained back his job after he was suspended while the EFCC was investigating the case.
It would be recalled that Dauda was arrested to explain how huge funds allegedly stolen by the former minister were laundered through him.

THEMOMENTNG can authoritatively report that the man is back to the bank and this was after a series of boardroom politics.

Sources disclosed to us that while he was on suspension, Lawal was still carrying out his official duties like attending to meetings of interest to his portfolio.

Speaking on his arrest, Dauda said while in the custody of the EFCC, he was “questioned by the EFCC over his alleged role or complicity in the alleged $25million acquisition of the Le Meridien Hotel in Port Harcourt.”While denying any involvement in the acquisition of the said property, Mallam Lawal said “This allegation is malicious and without substance in any material particular. It must be stated clearly that Lawal is completely oblivious of the ownership status of the said hotel neither is he directly or remotely aware of any transaction involving the former Minister on this hotel. He warned that the present situation where by the anti-graft agency pronounces somebody guilty even before being put to trial is antithetical to the universally accepted norm of being innocent until proven guilty.

“The danger in the current narrative is the unfortunate tendency to misinterpret every relationship to be based on fraudulent foundations especially where the verdict of guilt has been pronounced on one of the parties way in advance of a formal trial. “It is difficult for one to state his side of the story where the long knives have been drawn to hack down anybody connected with the ‘guilt’.

Meanwhile, at the time of Lawal’s arrest, a First Bank source reveal that the bank was not involved in handling of the cash for which Mr. Lawal was arrested, claiming that he acted in his “private capacity” as a long-time friend of the former minister.

Like the proverbial politician who promises to build bridges even where there are no rivers, Maikanti Kacalla Baru, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, vowed to end the rot in the Nigerian petroleum industry.
Among other things, he swore to eradicate the pathetic culture of creating billionaires only among a select cabal, to the detriment of Nigeria’s petro-business and the entire oil sector.
But no sooner did he assume power than he forgot his promises. As you read, Baru is in the process of creating a new clique of billionaire oil barons, just like Diezani Madueke.

Acting on his directive, the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has awarded its 2017 crude oil term contracts to 39 companies. The contracts covering about 1.31 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil were awarded to 18 Nigerian companies, 11 international trading houses, five foreign refineries, three national oil companies and two NNPC Group trading arms.

The oil corporation said the contracts, worth a total of more than $72 million per day at crude prices of around $55.60 per barrel, were each for 32,000 barrels per day (bpd), apart from Duke Oil Ltd, an NNPC Group subsidiary, which was for 90,000 bpd.

The list compared with 27 companies that won contracts of varying sizes for 2016. Nigeria typically produces just over 2 million bpd of crude oil, although its 2016 output was hobbled by militant attacks. By this new crude oil deals, Baru has created yet another batch of billionaires. Even though some names on the list have appeared in certain controversial oil transactions in the past, Baru deemed it fit to award lucrative oil deals to the companies.

Now, under Buhari’s government, the company is set to reap greater profits courtesy the mouthwatering contracts recently awarded it by the NNPC. Thus in few months, a crop of billionaires will reemerge in the nation’s oil sector. Excited by the prospects of making immense profits, beneficiaries of the deals are praising Maikantu Baru, NNPC boss for this deal.

Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, one of the most respected men of God in Nigeria, has retired, after 36 years as the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Pastor Adeboye announced his retirement on Saturday and a replacement as well. He would be replaced by Pastor Obayemi.

The church, which was not well known prior to Adeboye becoming the General Overseer, has several branches globally in about 190 countries, including more than 14,000 in Nigeria.

The 74 year old mathematician from Ifewara in Osun state was appointed General Overseer of the church in 1981, taking over from Papa Akindayomi, the founder, who had died the previous year.

For three years he filled the role part-time, still lecturing at Ilorin, until giving up his university position to preach full-time.

He had received his B.Sc. in Mathematics at University of Nigeria Nsukka and a PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Lagos, and worked as a lecturer in mathematics at the universities of Lagos and Ilorin before joining the church.

According to him, he was taking the decision in obedience to a government regulations, saying in his absence, Pastor Joseph Obafemi becomes the General Overseer who will now oversee the Nigerian church.

Pastor Adeboye who is regarded as the spiritual leader of visioner of the church will now oversee the church globally.

He also announced that Pastor Johnson F. Odesola becomes the church Secretary General while Pastor Joseph Adeyokunnu takes charge of the church’s treasury.

Similarly, Odesola and Adeyokunnu will work with the newly appointed Overseer in charge of RCCG Nigeria, Pastor Obayemi.

Adeboye who had predicted surprises for the new year, explained that there is a government law that general Overseers of churches can only serve for a stipulated period of time.

According to an inside source who craved anonymity, the outgoing General Overseer then assured members of the church to ensure peace at all times, ‎hailing the wisdom and humility of the Ifewara-born mathematician who until yesterday waded tremendous influence.

Adeboye was quoted as having said: “We should always be on the look out for ourselves. I don’t expect that anyone was going to ignore me. Love you all. We need to intensify our prayers and please let’s not shy away from politics.

“I see God raising influence like Daniel and his Hebrew brothers men who know God and shall be strong and doing exploits. God bless you,” he concluded.

Earlier, Adeboye had announced a 40-day fasting and praying prayer from members of the church beginning from midnight on January 11‎.

According to him, the fasting period starts each day at midnight and runs to 6.00 p.m. praying twice a day during morning devotion and again at 5.00 p.m. at the churches

“If you want to do it say and night without breaking (just liquod) it will be for 20 days,stressing that major prayer points will be praising God and asking God for grace to please Him in every way possible this year.

After joining the RCCG in 1973, he began working to translate the sermons of its then Pastor and founder, Reverend Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, from Yoruba into English before he replaced him in 1981.

The Executive Director in charge of Public Sector at First Bank, Mallam Dauda Lawal, that was recently arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for allegedly laudering millions of dollars for the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison Madueke is now a happy man.

The reason is that he has regained back his job after he was suspended while the EFCC was investigating the case.
It would be recalled that Dauda was arrested to explain how huge funds allegedly stolen by the former minister were laundered through him.

THEMOMENTNG can authoritatively report that the man is back to the bank and this was after a series of boardroom politics.

Sources disclosed to us that while he was on suspension, Lawal was still carrying out his official duties like attending to meetings of interest to his portfolio.

Speaking on his arrest, Dauda said while in the custody of the EFCC, he was “questioned by the EFCC over his alleged role or complicity in the alleged $25million acquisition of the Le Meridien Hotel in Port Harcourt.”While denying any involvement in the acquisition of the said property, Mallam Lawal said “This allegation is malicious and without substance in any material particular. It must be stated clearly that Lawal is completely oblivious of the ownership status of the said hotel neither is he directly or remotely aware of any transaction involving the former Minister on this hotel. He warned that the present situation where by the anti-graft agency pronounces somebody guilty even before being put to trial is antithetical to the universally accepted norm of being innocent until proven guilty.

“The danger in the current narrative is the unfortunate tendency to misinterpret every relationship to be based on fraudulent foundations especially where the verdict of guilt has been pronounced on one of the parties way in advance of a formal trial. “It is difficult for one to state his side of the story where the long knives have been drawn to hack down anybody connected with the ‘guilt’.

Meanwhile, at the time of Lawal’s arrest, a First Bank source reveal that the bank was not involved in handling of the cash for which Mr. Lawal was arrested, claiming that he acted in his “private capacity” as a long-time friend of the former minister.

Victor Osimhen says he rejected Arsenal in order to sign for Wolfsburg as he feels he will have more playing opportunities with the Bundesliga side.

The 18-year-old has joined Wolfsburg on a three-and-a-half-year deal from Nigerian side Ultimate Strikers Academy in a deal reportedly worth €3.5 million.

Osimhen, who was named CAF’s Youth Player of the Year in 2015, was targeted by Arsenal and had also been linked with moves to Serie A sides Inter and Fiorentina.

But the forward feels a first-team breakthrough is more likely at Wolfsburg than it would have been at the Emirates Stadium.

“There were many clubs that were interested in me,” Osimhen told Bild.

“But my choice was Wolfsburg because I think that my development opportunities are highest here.

“If I had gone to Arsenal, for example, I might not have found the route to the first team so quickly.

“I love football and I have worked hard to get where I am now.”

Osimhen scored 10 goals to help Nigeria to the Under-17 World Cup title in October 2015.

The maritime sector has lost over 6,000 jobs to economic recession, as many companies closed shop due to liquidity challenges, the President, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Emmanuel Nted, has said.

Nted said this at the union’s National Executive Council Meeting and Special Delegates Conference in Lagos.

According to him, Intels retrenched over 3,000 workers because of harsh operating environment since the economic recession started.

He said the losses of job are affecting the union as more workers were faced with insecurity, which had exposed the lives of their families to high risks.

The MWUN president said it has become more difficult to protect the jobs of members in various branches, as the union had not been able to discuss the review of conditions of service.

“Where collective bargaining agreement and conditions of services negotiations are due for review, the union is forced to accept marginal increases where possible and trading off increment, with withdrawal of redundancy threats.

“We appeal to the government to find urgent solution to the recession before it escalates,’’ Nted said.

He also urged the government to fix the deplorable roads leading to the seaports, as it had affected the nation’s economy.

The union leader said that apart from the airports and the land borders, the seaports were another entry points for foreigners into the country.

He said that quick action should be taken to start reconstruction of the roads leading to the seaports, since the contract had been awarded, to avoid industrial action.

On Tally Clerks and On-board Security men, Nted expressed the hope that justice would be served for the workers to enable them get back to work.

The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, said the Agency had approved the training of 1,200 seafarers.

According to Peterside, seafarers of different categories, who are members of the MWUN will be trained in four major accredited NIMASA institutes in the country in the first quarter of 2017.

The Director-General, who was represented by the Director, Labour and Maritime Services, Mrs Juliana Gunwa, said the Agency had inaugurated a National Joint Industrial Committee for the review of salaries of seafarers and dockworkers.

He said that the objective was to ensure that Nigerian seafarers and dockworkers earn decent wages and equally enjoy other welfare packages like their counterparts abroad.

Leading electronic manufacturer, Binatone Industries has introduced a wide range of affordable and value for money quality products into the Nigerian electronic market to cater for the various needs of its many customers at home and in the kitchen during the festive season.

The gesture according to the company, is due to the fact that it had always strived to identify trends and answer consumer needs with unique, affordable and well-designed products with two year warranty at all times.

The products, according to a statement signed by the Managing Director of Binatone Nigeria, Mr Prasun Banerjee, ranges from food & beverage preparation, like blenders with unbreakable jugs, juicers and kitchen machine, to healthy cooking with only a drop of oil in Binatone Air fryers.

“You can also do your cooking with rice cookers or on hot plates and table top gas cookers .If you need to clean your apartment or sofa sets and curtains, this can be done with Binatone vacuum cleaners. For Personal care get grooming with hair clippers & hair dryers. As for garment care, we have the innovative garment steamer along with a whole range of dry & steam irons. We also have a wide variety of fans to choose from,” the company stated.

To take care of destructive voltage fluctuation, the company pointed out that it has a large stock of quality and durable voltage stabilizers on table top as well as wall mount insertions and a range of Uninterrupted Power Supply solutions

The statement stressed that Binatone has a legacy of being in existence for more than 50 years, and over the years it has become leader in electrical appliances with in depth expertise in a clearly focused range of products.

“Binatone has been spreading convenience, ease of use and value across homes internationally. At Binatone we have always strived to identify trends and answer consumer needs with unique, affordable and well-designed products,” it added.

The Executive Director in charge of Public Sector at First Bank, Mallam Dauda Lawal, that was recently arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for allegedly laudering millions of dollars for the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison Madueke is now a happy man.

The reason is that he has regained back his job after he was suspended while the EFCC was investigating the case.
It would be recalled that Dauda was arrested to explain how huge funds allegedly stolen by the former minister were laundered through him.

THEMOMENTNG can authoritatively report that the man is back to the bank and this was after a series of boardroom politics.

Sources disclosed to us that while he was on suspension, Lawal was still carrying out his official duties like attending to meetings of interest to his portfolio.

Speaking on his arrest, Dauda said while in the custody of the EFCC, he was “questioned by the EFCC over his alleged role or complicity in the alleged $25million acquisition of the Le Meridien Hotel in Port Harcourt.”While denying any involvement in the acquisition of the said property, Mallam Lawal said “This allegation is malicious and without substance in any material particular. It must be stated clearly that Lawal is completely oblivious of the ownership status of the said hotel neither is he directly or remotely aware of any transaction involving the former Minister on this hotel. He warned that the present situation where by the anti-graft agency pronounces somebody guilty even before being put to trial is antithetical to the universally accepted norm of being innocent until proven guilty.

“The danger in the current narrative is the unfortunate tendency to misinterpret every relationship to be based on fraudulent foundations especially where the verdict of guilt has been pronounced on one of the parties way in advance of a formal trial. “It is difficult for one to state his side of the story where the long knives have been drawn to hack down anybody connected with the ‘guilt’.

Meanwhile, at the time of Lawal’s arrest, a First Bank source reveal that the bank was not involved in handling of the cash for which Mr. Lawal was arrested, claiming that he acted in his “private capacity” as a long-time friend of the former minister.