Day: 4 September 2023

“It’s injustice for anyone to blame Tinubu for the current economic hardship” -Sanusi

Jasmin Ekua, Banking & Finance

Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Muhammadu Sanusi, has said it would be unfair for him to blame President Bola Tinubu over the economic hardship in Nigeria. Speaking During a virtual religious event on Sunday, Sanusi said Nigerians who expected him to speak about the economic hardship deliberately wanted him to go against the president. He stated that he had to deviate from the religious theme of the event to remind Nigerians about his position on the badly managed economic policies of the immediate past administration. “If I am…

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Dr, Bennet Omalu: Celebrating one of Nigeria’s greatest export to the world @55

Jide Ige

Dr. Ifekandu Bennett Omalu is a native Of Urunnebo Village, Enugwu Ukwu In Njikoka Local Government Area Of Anambra State. Born on September 1st, 1968. He attended both primary and secondary schools in Nigeria. And for his tertiary education he proceeded to the University of Nigeria Nsukka, where he acquired MBBS degree in Medicine and Surgery. He is currently a Professor of medical pathology and laboratory science at the University of California. Subsequently he acquired his MPH from the University of Pittsburgh and his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. He…

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GTCO releases ₦327.4bn PBT for 2023 half year audited results Reports

Jasmin Ekua, Banking & Finance

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”) has released its Audited Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements for the period ended June 30, 2023, to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE). The Group reported profit before tax of ₦327.4billion, representing an increase of 217.1% over ₦103.2billion recorded in the corresponding period ended June 2022. The Group’s loan book (net) increased by 22.8% from ₦1.89trillion recorded as at December 2022 to ₦2.32trillion in June 2023, while deposit liabilities grew by 37.0% from ₦4.61trillion in December 2022…

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Betta Edu, Humanitarian Affairs minister opens up on N-Power

Jide Ige

Dr Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, says plans are underway to rejig the N-Power scheme to accommodate more people and ensure prompt payment of beneficiaries’ stipends. Edu disclosed this in a statement on Sunday by her Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr Rasheed Zubair, in Abuja. The statement reported the Minister as saying that the challenges faced by N-Power beneficiaries in terms of delay in payment of their stipends would soon be addressed. “We will change the modalities so that people will get their delayed stipends,…

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Frightened by Federal Civil Servant numbers, Tinubu set to unleash Oracle

Jide Ige

The President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed concern about Nigeria’s bloated civil service payroll at the national and sub-national levels. The president bore his mind on Monday while speaking at a meeting in the State House, Abuja, with the Global Vice President of Oracle, Mr. Andres Garcia Arroyo. He told his guest that with cutting edge technology, the country would digitize the public service and surgically apply public money for growth. He said: “Each time they give me the payroll number, I get so frightened. Where am I going…

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How and why I picked Yar’adua as successor -OBJ

Benjamin Chukwudaalu, Political Reporter

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says he picked the late President Musa Yar’Adua as his successor despite knowing he was ill. He said he took the decision because medical advice showed that Yar’Adua, who had a kidney transplant, was fit to act as President. Daily Trust reports that Obasanjo twice led Nigeria; first as military head of state (1976-1979) and later as an elected civilian president (1999-2007). Obasanjo’s deputy, Abubakar Atiku; and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili were among those who fought for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket.…

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Tinubu meets service chiefs ahead of trip to G20 in India

Jide Ige

Ahead of his proposed trip to to attend the G-20 summit in India, President Bola Tinubu on Monday, met briefly with the nation’s service chiefs where he received briefings regarding their operations. The meeting, which is a routine affair at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, had in attendance the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja, his Navy counterpart, Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar. The meeting which is held behind closed doors, usually feeds the…

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Abayomi, Omotosho gets second chance as Sanwo-Olu presents new commissioner nominees list to Assembly

Jide Ige

The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday, transmitted a second list of cabinet member-nominees to the Lagos State House of Assembly. This is coming a few weeks after the House confirmed 22 and rejected 17 out of the 39 nominees earlier sent to it for ratification and confirmation. The immediate past Commissioner for Health in the state, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who was among the 17 nominees rejected by the House, made the new list. The ad hoc committee led by the Chief Whip, Fatai Mojeed, who screened the…

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NNPP faction to probe Kwankwaso, others over alleged N1b fraud

Jide Ige

One of the factions of the New Nigeria Peoples Party under the leadership of Major Agbo has announced that it will investigate the presidential candidate of the party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and some of his loyalists over an alleged misappropriation of over N1 billion generated from the sale of nomination forms. This was even as the faction accused a chieftain of the NNPP, Buba Galadima, of favouring and imposing certain party candidates ahead of other aspirants. The allegations were made in a statement released on Sunday by NNPP factional National…

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NDLEA arrests Lagos drug baron, others

Wura Kelani, Crime Reporter

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a drug kingpin, Ngene Onyedikachi, who was responsible for recruiting fake couple smugglers arrested in Lagos on August 1, 2023, while hard drugs of various forms were seized across the country in different operations. The fake couple, Onyebuchi and Nonyelum were arrested by operatives of the NDLEA for ingesting 184 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.322kg with 100grams of the drug also concealed in the woman’s private part. Meanwhile, the agency, on Sunday said it arrested some other suspects, Peter Iwebema,…

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Sanwoolu, first passenger as Lagos Blue Line launches commercial operations

Jide Ige

The Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line System has begun its long-awaited commercial operations. The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, became the first passenger to ride on the train during its inaugural ride as operations began on Monday. The governor boarded the train from the Marina terminal enroute Mile 2. The Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Mrs Abimbola Akinajo, announced on Thursday that the Lagos Blue Line Rail would commence commercial operations on Monday, September 4. Akinajo added that Governor Sanwo-Olu would be the first passenger during…

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Election Tribunal: Tinubu, Atiku, Obi know fate on Wednesday

Benjamin Chukwudaalu, Political Reporter

The Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal has fixed Wednesday, September 6, 2023, for judgment in the petitions challenging the February 25 presidential election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared President Bola Tinubu winner of the election but former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of Labour Party were among those who challenged the victory of their All Progressives Congress (APC) rival. The court had reserved judgment after the petitioners- the Peoples Democratic Party and its standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi and…

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