Some commuters were stranded in Lagos State on Monday as commercial bus drivers under the aegis of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria commenced a seven-day boycott of Lagos roads.
According to report a 25-year-old housewife, Fatima Abubakar, who reportedly killed her husband, killed Goni Abbah, with poison, said she carried out the act because she hates marriage.
It was gathered that the victim, who was the Chief Imam of the area, returned from the mosque when the suspect, who was the second wife, allegedly mixed poison in his food.
Speaking on the arrest of the suspect, the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abdu Umar, said the suspect was arrested on October 19 by men of the command at Anguwan Doki.
CP Umar explained that as soon as Goni started eating the food given by the suspect, his condition deteriorated and he was rushed to the state specialist hospital where he was given emergency medical attention, unfortunately, he later died when they returned home.
Umar said men of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department were deployed to arrest the suspect after the incident was reported by the family of the victim at the GRA Police Station.
Umar said the police, on arrival at the scene, saw a large number of aggrieved youths in the neighbourhood, who stormed the home of the victim with the intention of lynching the suspect.
He said the police, however, brought the situation under control.
The police commissioner noted that the suspect, in her statement, confessed to the crime, saying she bought the poison from the market after she made up her mind to kill her husband.
He said the case had been registered as culpable homicide before the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions before she would be charged.
The suspect, Abubakar, who was paraded at the command headquarters, told NAN that she killed her husband because she was tired of the marriage.
She said, “I never wanted the marriage. Goni was my second husband; I got separated from my first husband because I hate marriage.
“Anytime I wake up with the fact that I am married, it pisses me off. At some point, I had to run to my parents to demand an end to the marriage, but they always sent me back, asking me to be patient.
“At some point, two months after I gave birth to my child, I ran away and slept in an uncompleted building for about two weeks. I later returned to my husband’s house.
“Not that he doesn’t treat me well; we are also not quarrelling. We are two in the household, I am his second wife and I have been married to him since 2021. But I just hate when any man comes near me.
“I don’t really know what is wrong with me. Even now that I am speaking to you, I don’t really feel that I was the one who killed him.”
A dermatologist, Ronke Aseniran has said that armpits have an inherent odour that is normal due to apocrine and eccrine glands.
“Changes to body odour can happen due to diet, hygiene or hormonal fluctuations. If you or a loved one is offended by your smell, a solid hygiene routine and working with a dermatologist can help.
“However, it is also important to remember that body odour is expected,” she said. “Remember that body odour is perfectly natural and completely normal.”
The eccrine sweat glands occur over most of the body and open directly onto the skin’s surface, while apocrine glands open into the hair follicle, leading to the skin’s surface.
She explained that the eccrine and apocrine glands become active and highly sensitive to hormonal fluctuations during puberty.
“When you sweat, which everyone does, the bacteria and other microorganisms become moist and give off a smell.
“As the body breaks down food, chemical compounds reach the apocrine glands where they can then be secreted as body odour,” she said.
She pointed out that if the armpits suddenly smell especially foul, it could be a sign of an infection that needed medical attention.
“Other than that, the only thing you risk from having smelly armpits is that people around you may get grossed out by your smell,” she said.
Ms Adeniran said the conditions that cause excess sweating, known as hyperhidrosis, can increase body odour.
“Hyperhidrosis has many causes, including anxiety, infection, cancer, stroke, a thyroid condition and menopause,” she said.
According to her, if one sweats a lot, the moisture caused by the extra sweat can promote bacterial growth.
She said, “anytime you sweat while exercising, you will likely notice a stronger smell.
“But during puberty, the apocrine glands become active, causing the uptick in the smell that many people going through puberty experience.”
According to her, since body odour is new territory for many tweens and teens, they may not yet know how to control it through proper washing, wearing deodorant and frequent changing of clothes.
She said, “that could make matters even stinkier because hygiene plays the biggest role at that point.”
The expert disclosed that hormonal changes could also impact the body smell, whether caused by the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or menopause.
Dele Momodu, Director of Strategic Communications of Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Council, has knocked Festus Keyamo, the spokesman for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, describing him as a certified nuisance.
The 80-page manifesto tagged ‘Renewed Hope 2023’, was unveiled on Friday.
In a statement issued on Monday, Keyamo said Momodu should stick to “praise-singing” instead of critiquing policy statements.
He added that the PDP’s strategy director is running a ‘cheap’ hatchet job to impress his ‘new paymasters.’
Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, Momodu knocked Keyamo, saying the minister was not at home the day shame came visiting.
The statement read, “Any self-respecting soul would have since resigned but Festus Keyamo was not at home the day shame came visiting. The Ministry in which he’s a mere figurehead is in total shambles and only a Bola Tinubu would have given the job of a spokesperson to such a certified nuisance.
“What did Festus say I did wrong? He quoted copiously from an article I wrote about two years ago, which the Tinubu media teams have been using to campaign endlessly, because they have no stronger voice of their own. I’m indeed flattered.”
Momodu had said in his article on Sunday, “It would be more salutary if he were to run on his own steam instead of copying the memory of a man whose life trajectory was uncommon and whose hope for Nigeria was noble. And the APC candidate should be reminded that 1993 is far different from 2023.
“The late MKO Abiola was known for industry and brilliance. Shall we ask what the APC candidate is known for? Whereas MKO’s Hope ‘93 was a genuine course; for the APC and Nigerians, it’s a forlorn hope and that’s the message of Bola Tinubu and the APC campaign in 2023.
“In all honesty, the 80-page document that the APC has put together comes across as a little more than an insult to the sensibility and needs of Nigerians.
“At a time when the country is in dire need of clear leadership with vision and courage, all the APC seems capable of doing is to generally copy and paste regurgitated ideas of others with nothing original or breath-taking. Asiwaju says he “knows the way”. With due respect, he does not.
“On more than one occasion, he has advertised himself as the architect of the victory of the APC in 2015. Their party’s slogan then was “Change.” In eight years, they have not been able to change anything positively. They have led Nigeria into a ditch. Inflation is close to 21%. Unemployment rate is 33%. The Naira is one of the worst-performing currencies against the dollar in the world.
“The suicide rate in the country has risen terribly because the people have lost hope. Divorce rate too because the APC and its leaders have castrated families, and ruined “the other room”.
“Thus, they have worsened the condition of Nigerians. Now, in 2022, Tinubu says he wants to take Nigerians on a journey. A journey to nowhere, most certainly; or, to be precise – to perdition.”
Residents of Kurudu Police Estate Abuja are protesting what they described as high security threats by robbers, violation of building plan and poor basic amenities.
They blocked the entrance of the police estate preventing vehicles in and out to drive home their demands.
The protesters are displaying placards with different inscriptions calling on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba to intervene.
They are also chanting various songs of displeasure.
Vice Chairman of Kurudu Police Estate Owners and Residents Associations Oregbesan Olalekan said about 30 letters have been written to the office of the IGP through the office of the FCT Commissioner of Police but all to no avail.
Olalekan said armed robbers are disturbing owners and residents of the estate and also accused the contractor of mishandling the affairs of the estate.
A security guard with Corporate Victoria Gardens Security Company, Desmond Gudyu, has allegedly punched a 26-year-old man, Akeem Nuhu, to death during an altercation on Lugard Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
Gudyu, who was employed to guard a building in the area, was said to have accommodated Nuhu in his security post after the latter agreed to pay him rent.
Trouble started on Monday, October 10, when Nuhu, who worked as a motor boy in a pure water company, failed to pay the agreed sum.
This reportedly led to an argument between them as Gudyu allegedly punched Nuhu, who fell and died.
A contractor, Ayo Ipadeola, who worked in the area, said, “The security guard was the only one staying in that house. The victim, Nuhu, worked in a pure water company and he had nowhere to stay. That was why he entered into an agreement with Gudyu to sleep in his security post and pay him for it.
So, he would wake up in the morning, go to work and return in the evening. But on Monday evening when the incident happened, the security guard accused Nuhu of owing him some rent and they started to argue. It was in the process that he slightly punched Nuhu. He fell and became unconscious.”
A source said the victim was rushed to a police hospital at Falomo, where he died.
He said, “He died around 7am the following day. His corpse was deposited at the Federal Medical Centre’s morgue, Ebute-Metta for an autopsy.”
A trader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Gudyu’s security company reported the incident to the police.
“I am aware that the owner of the house does not live there. They only hired Gudyu to guard the place and did not know he was renting out his space,” she added.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident.
He said, “The suspect has been taken into custody and he is being investigated.”
Retail lender, Unity Bank Plc has declared a N2.2 billion profit for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022, with 17% growth in gross earnings to N42.2 billion for the same period, as against N36.2 billion in the corresponding period of 2021. The increase can be attributed to new products that are focused on deep penetration and driving volume in the retail market space.
A review of the Agric-focused lender’s unaudited nine-month results released to the Nigerian Exchange Group Limited on Friday showed that the Bank’s Profit Before Tax, PBT rose by 5% to close at N2.206 billion. The Bank also recorded an equal marginal growth in its Profit After Tax, PAT which increased to N2.029 billion, representing a 5% rise from N1.9 billion recorded in the same period of 2021.
While maintaining the retail expansionary and customer-centric business model, Unity Bank Plc continued its growth momentum as total loans and advances as of September 30, 2022, reported N284.2 billion, which represents a 6% spurt from the N269.3 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2021, even as the lender maintains strict compliance with the prevailing prudential guidelines.
Other key highlights of the 9-month financials include customer deposits of N334.7 billion which represents a 4% increase from N322.3 billion in the corresponding period. The position underscores the increasing uptake of the market for the Bank’s products innovation, and mass-market-oriented retail focus that continues to boil wide acceptance across various segments of the mass market.
The lender’s performance comes on the heels of a fragile recovery from the global pandemic buffeted by economic headwinds including rising inflationary trends, interest rate hikes, foreign exchange volatilities, etc. which have impacted severely on the overall economic outlook in the country and the rest of the world.
The lender also substantially grew its interest income to N36.3 billion from N31.4 billion in the same period in 2021, creating a 15% uptick from the value of the Bank’s loan asset portfolio.
The Bank’s increased investment in digital banking platform empowered its retail potential to deliver an impressive 17% growth in Fees and commissions to N5.3 billion closing September 30, 2022, from N4.6 billion recorded in the corresponding period in Year 2021.
Commenting on the result, the Managing Director/CEO of Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. Tomi Somefun said that the outlook for the full year 2022 remains positive, reflecting optimism, stability, and growth in key performance indicators. She noted that the growth trajectory recorded in the Bank’s revenue (17%), Profit (5%), and deposit (4%), etc., is a testament to the positive sentiment in the market, especially at a time the market is experiencing a downturn with high inflationary trend and volatility which impacts negatively on the operating environment.
She stated that “as we take further bold and audacious steps to round up the year on a stronger note, the Bank will create more initiatives even in the very short term to broaden its retail focus, ride on novel technology and digital Banking to push aggressively on product marketing in addition to major activations in identified market segments to attract sustainable streams of income for the Bank.
“The outlook for our financial position for the current year is bright as the Bank is increasingly innovating with products and collaborative strategies to diversify our portfolio businesses while taking advantage of robust technological resources to take on mass market & the unbanked sector thereby boosting income and liability generation and financial inclusion of the banking ecosystem,” she said.
In the view of analysts, the growing retail franchise of the lender will create a sustainable income with a stronger foothold in the market which will impact business growth and the financial position of the Bank.
The Benue Youth Forum, BYF, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of supporting terrorists who killed people in Benue State.
BYF said Atiku’s recent “careless and unfortunate” statement justifying herders attack in the state was a mockery of those killed.
The group berated Atiku over his recent comments accusing Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State of profiling Fulanis as bandits and terrorists and last week’s killing of over 40 people including two police officers in Gbeji, Ukum Local Government Area of the state.
Terrence Kuanum, the President of BYF, tagged Atiku’s comments as “another terrible unforced error.”
In a statement he issued on Thursday, Kuanum said: “That careless and callous comment coming from an individual who is parading himself as a “unifier” clearly shows where he stands on the incessant invasion of Benue communities and massacre of the people and the destruction of their property by well armed Fulani militiamen.
“We see that evil statement which came from the abundance of Atiku’s heart as a justification of the massacre in Benue state and a mockery of those who died in those attacks as well as a declaration of support for the marauding Fulani terrorists that carry those heinous activities.”
They urged Atiku to exhibit his acclaimed love for the Tiv people by condemning the act by the Fulani militia.
Stressing the need to strip Atiku of his Zege Mule U Tiv title, BYF charged the Tiv Traditional Council to monitor his future utterances regarding the state.
The group called on him to immediately apologize to people of the state over his comments regarding killings.
BYF charged the PDP presidential candidate to show sincere commitment to Benue people and show that he would condemn such act of terrorism if elected president.
Sterling Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, has said there are massive opportunities in the agricultural sector of the Nigerian economy for those who are prepared to work hard, with a clear vision and commitment.
Chairman of board of directors of the bank, Mr. Asue Ighodalo disclosed this in his address of welcome at the opening of the 2022 Agriculture Summit Africa (ASA) hosted by the bank recently in Lagos themed Engineering A Trillion Dollar Agricultural Economy. This year’s ASA is hosted by the bank in collaboration with her esteemed partners including, Leadway Assurance, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Thrive Agric, GIZ, Noor Takaful, Microsoft Nigeria, and Stears Data, among others.
He remarked that the ASA remains a signpost of the bank’s commitment to the agricultural sector, one of the five sectors of specific focus in the bank’s HEART strategy. The other sectors are health, education, agriculture, renewable energy, and transportation.
According to him, “As a major financial institution and the leading institution in this sector, we are ready and prepared, and we have the financial expertise to partner strongly with such resourceful agripreneurs.”
Ighodalo also noted in his speech that Nigeria remains “a net food importer “. He further remarked that ” Today, we only export primary raw materials with minimal value added. Sadly, in four years, our food imports have increased fourfold causing massive pressures on our foreign reserves and thereby also exporting our jobs,” adding, “As a nation that seeks economic growth urgently and food security; we must reverse this trend, immediately.”
He said every developed country jumpstarted its development by building and growing its manufacturing industry through the process of adding value to its agricultural products. Adding that “it has also become a critical imperative that Nigeria increase the quality and yield of its production, achieve food security, capitalize on trade opportunities within the African region and thereby hasten its climb towards economic competitiveness and prosperity.”
As the opening day’s events progressed, the opening sessions focused on achieving import substitution at scale and maximizing agricultural productivity through sustainable means respectively.
Besides the various sessions, there were also panels of discussions. The opening panel focused on solving, with permanence, Nigeria’s reliance on agricultural imports and on the necessary policies now required. It also outlined the specific implementation process for achieving agricultural sustenance, food security, and raw material sufficiency.
The ASA continues into its second day with further deliberations on disruptive technologies and the exploration of agro-commodities as an asset class to further increase the value generated in the sector.
The 2022 ASA can be watched live on www.agricsummit.org and on Sterling Bank’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
The Jabi Lake Mall management has shut down it's operations over threat of Terrorist attack in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In a post on the mall’s Instagram page @jabilakemallnigeria, on Thursday, the management of the mall located in the Utako area of Abuja, revealed that although it wasn’t its intention to disrupt activities, they had taken the decision for the safety of shoppers and staff of the establishment.
The post added that they were reviewing the security situation with relevant authorities and that the mall would be reopened as soon as possible.
The post read “To all our valued shoppers, Jabi Lake Mall will be closed today, Thursday, October 27, 2022. This decision has been taken in the overall interest of the safety of all staff and customers of the mall.
“Centre Management is committed to minimising any disruptions; however, the safety of our staff and shoppers remains our highest priority. Management is constantly reviewing the security situation in consultation with relevant security authorities and will inform you when the mall will be re-opened.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and hope to provide you with a quality shopping experience soon. Thank you.”
Delta Government on Tuesday advised All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate in the state, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to desist from telling lies to hoodwink unsuspecting Deltans into supporting his already failed ambition.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, at a news conference in Asaba said no amount of lies and propaganda deployed by the APC candidate would secure the governorship of the state for him and his failed party.
Aniagwu, who was with the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, stated that the state government would not fold its hands and allow Omo-Agege to use lies and bogus promises to deceive Deltans into voting APC in the general elections.
He said that Nigerians were still grappling with the lies told by the APC to come to power in 2015 and would not allow the Deputy President of the Senate to deceive Deltans into voting a party that lacked leadership and governance skills.
According to him, the attitude of Omo-Agege is becoming worrisome even when we have advised him before to tell Deltans what he would do for them because we acknowledge that it is his democratic right to seek the office he is aspiring to occupy in 2023.
Aniagwu, however, said that “in doing so, it will not be wise for him to take for granted the intelligence of Deltans, because the best way to speak to Deltans is to tell them the truth.
“You cannot ride to occupy the Government House on the altar of lies because governance these days cannot be carried out the way they thought it was done in the past.
“You will recall in 2015 that the APC rode on a mantra of change and unfortunately every element of that change has turned out to be total lies.
“You are all witnesses to the fact that none of the things promised has been fulfilled; so, to want to deploy same old trick of well-laced lies and make them look like the truth to aspire to become the Governor of Delta is not acceptable to our people.”
On allegations of borrowing by the state government, the commissioner said Omo-Agege lacked requisite knowledge and credibility to question Governor Okowa on borrowing as he jointly superintends over a National Assembly that was notorious for approving frivolous loans to President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government.
“If we want to talk about professionals in borrowing you will be talking about the APC-led Federal Government where Omo-Agege sits as number two in the Red Chamber where several billions of dollars were approved arbitrarily and borrowed even when they have not translated to the life, welfare and well-being of our people as Nigerians.
“The funds that we sought before now, we made it very clear the reason why we wanted to take the bridging finance facility because we had monies owed to us by the Federal Government.
“In order to move against the tide by ensuring that the fluctuations that characterised our economy, particularly our currency, does not catch up with what we were expected to earn.
“As we speak, the Federal Government has not been able to remit what is supposed to come to us quarterly and on the basis of that we have not been able to access that loan.
“For all the loans we sought for we have always explained what we wanted to do with it and on this bridging finance we were very clear on the need for us tackle issues of pension and completion of some ongoing key projects,” he stated.
On another allegation that Okowa administration had no projects to show for the past seven years, Aniagwu slammed Omo-Agege for being economical with the truth.
He said there was peace in the state because the state government had taken development to hitherto abandoned oil-producing communities.
He challenged Omo-Agege to take a tour of communities in his local government, especially the Agbarho-Orherhe bridge and road, Arhagba-Orogun Township roads Ogbe-Ikolobie road, Imodje-Orogun road and the recently awarded Orogun bypass, all in his community.
“The Emevor-Orogun road recently approved by Exco is in the process of being awarded. Once in a while he flies into the Asaba Airport and he knows what we have done there; so, he cannot come and tell lies and think that will catapult him into the government house.
“Let him go and unfold his programmes because Deltans are very much informed for anyone to take them for a ride.
“Let him focus on his programmes and projects and if he must look at our direction let him stay on the path of facts because anybody who wants to govern Delta irrespective of political party must come with clean hands,” he stated.
On the successes recorded by Chief Government Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo on oil theft, Aniagwu said it was a clear justification of the state government's earlier position for the Federal Government to engage locals in the security of oil facilities and infrastructure.
Seven persons were rescued from a fire incident at the headquarters of the West African Examination (WAEC) in Lagos State on Wednesday.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said the incident started due to a “power surge”.
Upon arrival at the aforementioned location, a section of the WAEC HQ multi-storey building was found to be on fire,” the agency said in a statement.
“Further investigations revealed that the fire started on the 3rd floor of the 12-storey building due to a power surge.
“A total of seven female staff of the Corporation were trapped on the 5th and 7th floors and were safely evacuated due to the swift response of the Rescue team on the ground. The fire has also been put off and dampening down concluded.”
A post-disaster assessment and staff headcount are ongoing, the agency added.
“The combined efforts of the Agency’s team alongside the Agency’s Paramedics, LASG FIRE, FED FIRE, UNILAG FIRE, LASAMBUS, and LASTMA are on the ground to ensure a swift recovery,” LASEMA said. “Recovery operation ongoing.”
Nuella's news reports that an early morning fire outbreak has been reported at the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Yaba, National Office, Lagos.
This online platform understands that while the cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained, it was gathered the the inferno started at about 6.50 am, and flames burst out in the middle of the high-rise building.
According to report as at 7.15 am, the cause of the fire was still unknown. It was reported that the fire broke out from the middle of the high-rise building and those trapped in the building were seen frantically calling for help.
This online platform gathered that firefighters from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) have arrived the scene of the incident to extinguish the fire as of the time of filing this report.
An eyewitness said a staff of the Council believed to have been trapped in between some floors was observed attempting to jump through the window of the 12-floor magnificent building to escape being suffocated.
None of the Council officials could be reached for further details.
The Federal Government yesterday adduced reasons it has not obeyed the judgement of the Court of Appeal that ordered the release of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, from detention.
Government in a fresh affidavit filed before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, maintained that Kanu posed a flight risk, insisting he would escape from the country as soon as he was freed from detention.
The affidavit was attached in support of an application seeking to stay the execution of the appellate court verdict that quashed the entire 15-count terrorism charge the federal government preferred against the embattled IPOB leader.
Arguing the application yesterday, an Assistant State Counsel in the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. David Kaswe, told the court that the case against Kanu bordered on national security.
Kaswe argued that Kanu’s fundamental rights should not supercede the interest of the nation.
Relying on the decided case law in Federal Republic of Nigeria Vs Asari Dokubo, the federal government argued that once a case touched on national security, the right of the individual affected took secondary place.
“It is important to appreciate the gamut of depositions in our application. The Respondent is a flight risk person and one of the ground of our application is that this matter touches on national security of the state.
The deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in Lagos State, Funke Akindele, said God called her and the governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor) to change the story of the state in 2023.
“God has been with me from infancy till I went to school and till now. He chose me to be the deputy governorship candidate of the PDP despite the crowd that struggled to be chosen,” Ms Akindele said.
She added, “We were called by God, if not, we would have backed out. People have suffered, but God has called us and put us forward to come and change the story of Lagos State for the better. The success of Lagos state is ours.”
Ms Akindele thanked the church leaders for their prayers and support.
Leading a congregational prayer session for Ms Akindele, Akinwale Pearse, the church’s caretaker committee chairman, urged the congregation to pray to God to fulfil the aspirations of the deputy governorship candidate.
Speaking, Sunday Hunyinbo, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Badagry Local Government Area, commended Ms Akindele and Mr Adediran for seeking God and his blessings in their aspirations.
Mr Hunyinbo urged the deputy governorship candidate and her principal to live the talk and fulfil all the promises made to the people during their campaigns if they emerged victorious in 2023.
“This time around, it should not be business as usual. I saw the sincerity of purpose in them when Jandor met with us yesterday. Badagry has been marginalised enough.
“We are praying for you. God will take you there. I am neither an APC, PDP, or LP member, but God’s will be fulfilled. God will back you up,” Mr Hunyinbo said.
In his sermon, Pastor Adedokun Adewale stressed the need for all people to fear God and said that man’s disobedience and sins led to his fall from the creation.
The candidates flagged off their campaigns on Wednesday to begin the tour of 245 wards across the 20 local government areas of the state.
Zenith Bank might be in for a legal mess, as a Twitter user with handl@fashionjuel, on Friday, October 21, lamented and detailed how a hecker hacked his account in Zenith Bank and Withdraw 6million in an unauthorized transaction in a space of 15 minutes.
The customer urged the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to Investigate the matter after the staff of Zenith Bank acted unprofessionally when he lodged a complaint.
The netizen narrated his ordeal in a series of tweets on his Twitter handle that has now gone viral online.
“I’m calling on @cenbank @fccpcnigeria to help me investigate a fraudulent transaction that took place in my Zenith account in the early hours of the 21st of October, 2022, thereby withdrawing a total of 6m naira from my account in the space of about 15 minutes.
“I had woken up at about past 1am hoping to join the #hallelujahChallenge when I discovered this. All my savings. Everything I had worked for several years, the porosity of the bank.
“On the 21st of October, 2022, I got to the bank at some minutes before 9am and the unprofessionalism of the bankers put me off. I was passed from one manager to the next until I was passed to this lady here,” he revealed.
Anglican clergy, Ekenedilichukwu Nwafor, has called on women not to abandon their homes to go abroad for greener pastures.
“The economic situation is harsh now, but it is not enough reason for marriages to be abandoned for materialism,” said the cleric.
The Anglican vicar claimed that most women in professional fields like medicine and nursing abandoned their marriages without agreements with their husbands to travel abroad to make more money.
Mr Nwafor said going overseas for material gains could break up marriages, result in adultery and make children vulnerable to social ills, including immorality.
He said God raised the marriage institution to build a Godly society where parents, in agreement, build a healthy home to produce a sane society.
“Women are the builders of homes, so they should not create a vacuum in homes because of little shakes in their finances, family, and offices,” stated Mr Nwafor, admonishing parents to be guided by God’s Word and to walk the talk as commanded by God.
He also urged youths to respect and obey their parents.
The founder of Omega Fire Ministries, Johnson Suleman, has spoken after surviving an armed attack in Auchi, Edo State on Friday.
He said, “I just escaped an assassination attempt where seven people were killed. They opened fire on my car. My wife and my kids were there. The escort car with police, they killed the policemen. They killed the other people in the escort car, the bus, that were with us. They killed seven people.
“People who did this are expecting me to come out and mention their names, so they can come out and deny it but I won’t do that. The truth of the matter is, you can’t kill me, my life is in the hand of God, I’m a man of God.”
An analysis of the proposal revealed that a total of N10.5bn would serve as “benefits of retired heads of service and permanent secretaries.”
In the list of beneficiaries are former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, as well as Vice-Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo.
Others are ex-military Head of States, General Yakubu Gowon and General Abdusalami Abubakar, as well as former dictator and self-styled military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, and a former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd.).
Iit was stated in the budget that a total of N2.3bn would be for “entitlements of former presidents/heads of states and vice-presidents/chief of general staff.”
An analysis of the proposal revealed that a total of N10.5bn would serve as “benefits of retired heads of service and permanent secretaries.”
The budget also revealed that a total of N1bn would be paid as “severance benefits to retired heads of government agencies and parastatals.”
At state level, governors and their deputies are also entitled to humongous pensions when they leave office and a number of former chief executives of the various states are known to be beneficiaries of the huge pensions, which include monthly payment, purchase of new vehicles, building of mansions and payment of domestic workers.
Buhari presented a N20.5 trillion 2023 budget to the joint National Assembly legislature last week
The President, Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has slammed the police for killing the arrested prime suspect involved in the brutal attack on his convoy, a situation that led to the death of three policemen, two drivers and two others.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, who confirmed the attack, said six persons, including policemen and Suleman’s drivers, were killed, adding that efforts were ongoing to locate the whereabouts of the cleric’s domestic worker.
“As we speak, Apostle Johnson Suleman is safe. One of the hoodlums was gunned down and one of the vehicles was recovered,” Nwabuzor said on Friday.
A 42 seconds video clip showing the corpse of the killed suspect in a vehicle had been trending online.
In the video clip, a policeman was heard describing the slain suspect as a kidnapper.
The policeman said, “One of the kidnappers that was caught today (Friday) while the DPO, CSP Ayodele Sulaiman, led the operation along Iyewe-Auchi Road, and after a gun battle, this one (suspect) was gunned down while others escaped with bullet wounds. Bush combing is ongoing.”
Reacting to the video, Suleman, in a tweet, condemned the killing of the suspect who was handed over to the police alive, alleging that it was an attempt to cover up traces that could lead to those behind the attack.
The cleric’s tweet read, “Lies…there weren’t kidnappers… He was caught and handed over and the police killed him immediately. Why? Why killing him on the spot? Who is trying to cover up traces?”
Also reacting, Suleman’s lawyer, Samuel Amune, while demanding a thorough investigation into the case, slammed the police for killing the suspect who was alive when the youths and the vigilante caught him and handed him over to the police.He said, “As I speak with you now, I am with Apostle Suleman, and I am examining the vehicle in his compound. One of the boys was caught yesterday by vigilantes and he was handed over alive to the Auchi Police Division.
“But ironically, we don’t know what happened and the next thing we heard was that the police have shot him dead. I don’t know what the police would cook up later to be responsible for shooting him as the police station was not attacked by the youths.
“It was the youths in conjunction with the vigilante that arrested the boy and handed him over alive to the police. So, the only conspiracy theory that one can easily think of now is that was he (the policeman) acting under a superior order to have done what he has done?
“Was there any gang up or trace that they are trying to cover up? These are some of the theories God will help us unravel as time progresses. The police have not given us any official reason for shooting him dead.”
In a follow-up reaction, Nwabuzor described the insinuation that the suspect was handed over to the police alive and he was shot dead by a policeman as an attempt to malign the efforts of the policemen during the attack.
He said, “That insinuation is just an attempt to malign the DPO in charge of Auchi. That is an attempt to dent all the work that they have done. During the attack, nobody knew anybody, and the police were there to prevent any form of attack on anybody.
“The police have a job to protect life and property; it is their constitutional duty. The action of the police was impromptu, the action was going on when the police attended to the distress call and right there at the scene of the crime, everything took place.
According to reports ,Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, is set to marry another wife, Temitope Adesegun, on Monday.
This online platform understands that the new Olori is an Ijebu Princess according to Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare.
Olafare, who shared the photo of the new Olori on Facebook alongside cake emojis, said, “Olori Temitope Adesegun Ogunwusi. An Ijebu Princess cum Ile-Ife Queen. Tomorrow is the D day!”
Temitope will be the monarch’s seventh wife.
The President, Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has opened up on the gunmen who attacked his convoy on Friday along Benin–Auchi Road, Edo State, and killed three policemen and four others.
It was gathered that the cleric returned from a foreign trip and was heading for a destination in the state when the gunmen attacked his convoy.
Suleman’s lawyer, Samuel Amune, who confirmed the attack, said the cleric just returned from a programme in Tanzania.
He said, “He was returning from a journey when some assassins attacked him. Three of his police orderlies, among others, died. He was returning to Auchi when the gunmen attacked him along Sabongida down to the Warake axis and Auchi shares a boundary with Warake. He had passed Warake and was entering the boundaries of Auchi when the attack happened.”
Reacting to the incident in a video posted on his Twitter handle on Friday, Suleman said that he escaped an assassination attempt on his life, noting that seven lives were lost to the attack.
He said, “My car was attacked; they opened fire on my car and kept spraying bullets, my wife and kids were in the escort car in the front. They killed the police; they killed the other people on the other escort car and the buses with us. Seven people moving in the convoy were killed.
“People who did this are expecting me to come out and mention their names so they can come out and deny, I won’t do that. The truth of the matter is, you can’t kill me, my life is in the hand of God, I’m a man of God.”
Commenting on the incident, a security expert, Dickson Osajie, condemned the lack of security in the state, especially as the attack happened in broad daylight.
He said, “They attacked him (Suleman); seven people were killed. The country is not safe. How can people move around with guns on the expressway and they are not detected? It is a disturbing situation.”
Contacted for his reaction on the matter, the state police spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the attack.
He said six persons, including policemen and Suleman’s drivers, were killed, adding that efforts were ongoing to locate the whereabouts of the cleric’s domestic worker.
Nwabuzor stated, “The attack is confirmed. It was done around 5pm in Auchi. They travelled from Benin and were already at Auchi when they were given a hot chase and surprisingly they (hoodlums) shot at their vehicles. Three policemen were murdered; two of his drivers were killed; one domestic female worker killed and they are still searching for the other domestic female worker. As we speak, Apostle Johnson Suleman is safe. One of the hoodlums was gunned down and one of the vehicles was recovered.”
Anambra state governor, Chukwuma Soludo has banned the operations of casinos and gaming centres in the state, including BetNaija over alleged “dark deals”.
The notice of the ban is contained in a statement jointly signed by the Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Mr Donatus Onyenji; Chairman, Anambra State Internal Revenue Service, Richard Madiebo and the Commissioner for Homeland Affairs, Chikodi Anara.
According to the statement, the ban is a sequel to a worrisome number of petitions recently received by the government concerning the manipulation of casino machines and non-transparency in payment for winnings.
It said the allegations amounted to serious abuse of global best practices in the industry which the government under the watch of Governor Chukwuma Soludo would not condone.
The statement partly read, “This fraudulent practice will not be allowed to thrive under the watch of Prof Chukwuma Soludo’s administration and therefore must be dealt with immediately.
“Consequently, the Anambra government hereby directs operators of casino games in Hotels, Restaurants and Bars to suspend all Gaming and Casino operations with immediate effect pending the conclusion of investigations.”
Meanwhile, the government has summoned a meeting of all hotel owners and managers in the state on October 21 at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre.
The meeting it said would address issues of enumeration and validation of hotel licenses as well as security, warning that it is mandatory.
It said hotel revalidation forms would be distributed at the venue for all categories of hotels and tourism enterprises, adding that any hotel that was not profiled or without Hotel License would be closed down according to Anambra State Tourism and Hospitality Law.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, has said Nigerians expected too much from the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Aisha Buhari, who apologised to Nigerians, said her reason for doing so is because the Buhari-led administration might have not performed to the full satisfaction of Nigerians.
In the interview, the First Lady said Nigerians expected so much from Buhari’s government and that it was possible that the government fell short of the people’s expectations, hence, her apologies.
She said, “The expectation on us was too high. People were expecting so much from us, and maybe after seven years, we haven’t done to their expectations. Only God knows what is in somebody’s mind or as a human being, you cannot say that you are right or we have done what we should do.
“The government has really tried. The administration has done its best but maybe it is still not the best for others. To them, they have done their best, only God knows, so we must apologize to them, to Nigerians; whether we have made up their expectations or not.”
The President’s wife said she doesn’t know the particular area her husband’s government could have done better as her office is just like a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
“I’m not into government. My own is to support them either in health or education. I don’t go into details of what they are doing,” she said.
Asked if she thinks that APC may not win the presidential seat in the 2023 general elections, the First Lady said, “Why did you ask that kind of question? Of course, we will continue. Of course, APC will win by the grace of God.”
Asked what she would be remembered for as the First Lady of Nigeria, she said, “Service to humanity. We give some stationaries, school materials and during our campaign, we extracted a few points from the party manifesto and capitalised on it and campaigned on it and that is school feeding; giving hot meals to primary and secondary school students.
“That one will encourage them to remain in school. It was a big challenge for us because, by the time my husband came into power, there were no resources for that but I insisted that we campaigned for it and it must be done.”
On the eve of Nigeria’s 62nd Independence Day Celebration, Aisha while speaking during a Special Juma’at prayer and Public Lecture, also apologised to Nigerians over the harsh economic realities and insecurity experienced under the Buhari-led government.
She said, “The regime might not have been a perfect one, but I want to seize this opportunity to seek forgiveness from the Ulamas and Nigerians in general. We all need to work together to achieve a better Nigeria.”
Former Lagos state governor, and presidential candidate of The All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has promised to reform the Nigerian Police Force for efficiency if elected as president next year.
He said he would free police officers from being security or orderlies for Very Important Personality, adding that police personnel on such duties would be replaced by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps officers.
This was contained in the manifesto made available to the public on Friday,
It was reportes that top on his priority lists of action plans was national security, economy, agriculture, power, oil and gas, transportation and education.
The 80-page document, containing multi-sectoral policy options, was tagged “Renewed Hope 2023 – Action Plan for a Better Nigeria.”
On police reform, Tinubu said, “We shall boost the public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force and other internal security agencies by increasing recruitment and providing high-tech, non-lethal equipment with corresponding manpower development schemes.
“Police reform will be focused on positioning the institution to better deliver on its primary duties of community policing and maintaining law and order through crime fighting and prevention.
“Police personnel will be freed from extraneous duties such as VIP security and guard duties. VIP Security and provision of security for government buildings, installations and other critical assets will be transferred to The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. The NSCDC shall be evaluated and reformed to be better integrated with our internal security apparatus.”
Union Bank of Nigeria “Union Bank” has announced the first banking partnership with globally recognised telehealth services company Mobihealth International “Mobihealth” during a signing ceremony held at the United States Embassy in Abuja today.
Mobihealth’s mission ‘to provide everyone with timely access to quality and affordable healthcare and healthcare providers from all over the world,’ has garnered international accolades and awards for the company and its founder Dr. Funmi Adewara, including recognition from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The company has also raised significant funding including a $1 million (USD) grant from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) which was also announced in Abuja.
Speaking on this exclusive banking partnership with Mobihealth, Mr. Mudassir Amray, Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank said:
“Mobihealth’s slate of round-the-clock digital medical solutions including telehealth and other healthcare-related services provides a unique opportunity for Union Bank to deliver on our vision to be a trusted partner for our customers as we look beyond traditional banking services to deliver more value, leveraging technology and digital platforms. We are excited that the exclusive partnership with Mobihealth will bring this innovation to our customers while also addressing a fundamental and critical need with access to improved and affordable healthcare.”
Dr. Funmi Adewara, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mobihealth said:
“The prospect of scaling Mobihealth’s services to millions of Nigerians through this partnership with Union Bank is exciting and has the potential to be a game changer. We hope that having access to timely and affordable healthcare will fulfil the popular saying ‘health is wealth’ for over six million Union Bank customers and is a great step in the effort to build a healthier nation and continent.
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This partnership is part of Union Bank’s commitment to enabling success for its customers.By leveraging Mobihealth’s solutions to deliver real-time, enhanced telemedicine and remote patient monitoring solutions geared towards providing affordable, all-inclusive clinic experiences, the Bank aims to expand access to high-quality and convenient healthcare services for its customers at discounted rates.
This partnership will also include physical access points for telehealth consultations in select Union Bank branches nationwide.
Established in 1917 and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 1971, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, is a household name and one of Nigeria’s long-standing and most respected financial institutions. The Bank is a trusted and recognizable brand, with an extensive network of over 300 branches across Nigeria.
The Bank currently offers a variety of banking services to both individual and corporate clients including current, savings and deposit account services, funds transfer, foreign currency domiciliation, loans, overdrafts, equipment leasing and trade finance. The Bank also offers its customers convenient electronic banking channels and products including Online Banking, Mobile Banking, Debit Cards, ATMs and POS Systems.
A new Board and Management team appointed
Lagos, October 22, 2022: Polaris Bank is pleased to announce that it has been notified of the completion of a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) for the acquisition of 100% of the equity in Polaris Bank (‘Polaris’ or ‘the Bank’) by Strategic Capital Investment Limited (‘SCIL’). As part of the change in ownership, SCIL has appointed a new independent Board of Directors to lead the bank’s growth strategy.
The new Board will be led by the existing Chairman M K Ahmad. He will be joined on the board by 6 non-executive directors and 3 executive directors, bringing extensive experience in the banking and wider financial services sector in Nigeria and internationally, and expertise in corporate governance, human resource management, law and regulation.
The incoming board are:
Alhaji MK Ahmad (Chairman)
Mr Abubakar Danlami Suleiman (Non-Executive Director)
Ms Salma Mohammed (Non-Executive Director)
Mr Adeleke Alex Adedipe (Non-Executive Director)
Mr Ahmed Almustapha (Non-Executive Director)
Mr Francesco Cuzzocrea (Non-Executive Director)
Mrs Olabisi Olubunmi Odunowo (Non-Executive Director)
Mr Adekunle Sonola (Executive - MD/CEO)
Mr Abdullahi S Mohammed (Executive Director)
Mr Segun Opeke (Executive Director)
Commenting on the acquisition and board transition, Chairman of Polaris Bank Alhaji M K Ahmad said: “I would like to thank the outgoing board members profusely for their hard work and dedication over the last four years as we have established a strong governance structure and stabilised the bank. I am very pleased with the progress we have been able to make, and that we have delivered on our mandate to prepare the bank for a return to private ownership. I am personally proud to have been asked to lead the bank into an exciting new future and I look forward to working with the new board and our core investors to build on the platform we have created.”
Speaking on behalf of SCIL, the new core investor, Adekunle Sonola, the incoming MD/CEO said: “We are excited to participate in the next phase of growth for Polaris Bank and to have been able to recruit such an experienced and diverse Board of Directors we are confident can lead Polaris Bank into a new era of sustainable growth. This is an exciting time for the Nigerian financial services industry and we are committed to building on the strong foundations that have been established by the departing board. We would like to express our thanks for their service and wish them well.
We have mandated the incoming management to develop an innovative, but sustainable growth strategy that prioritises the needs and aspirations of our current customers.”
Board Profiles
Alhaji M K Ahmad OON (Chairman)
With more than 37 years of experience leading and working across the private and public sectors, MK has extensive knowledge of the financial services, telecoms and FMCG sectors. He has been the Chairman of Polaris Bank since 2018, overseeing the stabilisation of the bank and the introduction of best-practice corporate governance. MK currently serves as the Chairman of the Interim Management Board of International Energy Assurance as well as Chairman of the Technical Committee of the National Council on Privatisation. He is also a Board Director of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and FBN Holdco. Prior to this MK served as the pioneer Director General of PENCOM.
Mr Abubakar Danlami Suleiman (Non-Executive)
Mr Suleiman has more than 30 years of experience in the banking sector, having worked at the Central Bank of Nigeria, GT Bank, Continental Trust Bank, UBA Plc, NAL Bank Plc, Intercontinental Bank Plc (Executive Director), Sterling Bank Plc (Executive Director), Standard Chartered Bank (Managing Principal) and most recently as Deputy Managing Director/Acting Group Managing Director of Keystone Bank between 2017 and 2019. He has vast technical experience in the Financial Service sector, and very strong management and leadership qualities.
He is an alumnus of the Wharton Business School (Pennsylvania, USA) and the INSEAD (France).
Ms Salma Mohammed (Non-Executive)
Ms. Mohammed has over 25 years of experience as a Banker and a Human Resource Management professional having worked in operational and strategic human resource leadership positions across a range of financial institutions. She is Co-Founder/Chief Operating Officer of New Frontier Development Limited, an investment company focused on financial advisory, hospitality, real estate and proprietary investments in start-ups and challenged companies in the SME space.
She was previously the MD/CEO of Centrum Finance Company Limited, a CBN-licensed finance company and brings a strong combination of sector expertise and human capital management experience to the Polaris Bank board.
Mr Adeleke Alex Adedipe (Non-Executive)
Mr Adedipe is the Managing Partner at Duale, Ovia and Alex-Adedipe, where he leads the technology, media and communications practice as well as the M&A and Banking and Finance practice areas. His combination of expertise brings an important perspective to the board as a new strategy focused on innovation is developed and implemented.
Mr Ahmed Almustapha OFR (Non-Executive)
Mr Almustapha is a lawyer and experienced technocrat who served as the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) from 2001 to 2009 during which he is widely acknowledged to have transformed the CAC into a modern IT-driven organisation. He has also served on the board of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and is respected as one of Nigeria’s leading authorities on corporate governance.
Mr Francesco Cuzzocrea (Non-Executive)
Mr Cuzzocrea is a banker with more than 35 years of experience in the international financial services sector. He has extensive board level, including in Nigeria where he served on the boards of Heritage Bank (until August 2016) and Oando Plc (until February 2016).
Mrs Olabisi Olubunmi Odunowo (Non-Executive Director)
Mrs Odunowo has more than 25 years of experience in the Nigerian banking sector having held operations leadership positions across a range of financial institutions including Coronation Merchant Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank. She currently applies her extensive operational and customer service experience by advising and capacitating small and medium-sized businesses across a range of industries.
Mr Adekunle Sonola (Executive - MD/CEO)
Mr Sonola has more than 33 years of experience in the African financial services sector, most recently as Executive Director of Commercial Banking at Union Bank Plc, prior to which he was the pioneer Regional Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank East Africa and the Director of Investment Banking at Standard Bank in South Africa. Adekunle has also served on the boards of First Bank of Nigeria Plc where he chaired the Board’s Risk Management Committee and Airtel Nigeria Plc.
Mr Abdullahi S Mohammed (Executive Director)
Mr Mohammed has worked in the Nigerian Financial Services and public sectors for more than 20 years, having begun his financial services career with Century Merchant Bank and Kakawa Discount House before being appointed as the Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport in Kano State. He returned to Kakawa Discount House in 2003, before joining First Bank and ultimately moving to his current position at Polaris Bank.
Mr Segun Opeke (Executive Director)
Mr Opeke has more than 26 years of experience in the Nigerian financial services sector with more than 15 years spent in Senior and Executive Management positions. Segun began his career with Chartered Bank before joining FSB Merchant Bank and then Prudent Bank before joining the then Skye Bank in 2006, rising to become Executive Director of the now Polaris Bank, with more than 15 years experience in the institution.
The Senator representing Benue South senatorial District, Comrade Abba Moro, on behalf of the good people of the Senatorial District, condoles with the family of the President of the 6th and 7th Senate, H.E., Dr David Bonaventure Mark, on the death of his first son, Tunde.
Tunde died in the United Kingdom at the age of 51, leaving behind aged parents, wife and a daughter.
Senator Moro receives the news of Tunde’s demise with a rude shock.
He describes the deceased as a hardworking youngman who made the job easier for his father when he held sway as the senate president.
He condoles with the immediate family of his predecessor over the unfortunate death and urges them to take solace in the fact that the late Tunde lived a life worthy of emulation and apparently resting in a better place.
He prayed God to give the family, especially the father, mother, wife and daughter the fortitude to bear the loss.
Speaking at his ministry’s budget defence conference on Wednesday, Mr Adamu said rainfall constitutes 80 per cent of the flood crisis across the country and not the Lagdo dam in Cameroon as insinuated by some quarters.
“All these stories I’ve been seeing on social media, I just laugh because they are misleading. The contribution of the Lagdo dam to flooding in this country is only one per cent. Sometimes they release the water without notice and when they do that, it has an impact on communities downstream.
“But it is not the main reason we have floods in this country — 80 per cent of the floods in this country is water that we are blessed with from God from the sky,” he said.
Although Mr Adamu said that Cameroonian authorities have not been entirely honest with the Nigerian side on the opening of the dam and release of water, he maintains that Cameroon cannot be blamed for the flood and that there is no feasible end in sight to the crisis.
“This year’s flood, I can assure you, we cannot blame it on Cameroon, to be sincere. We’ll continue to have floods on the river Niger and Benue basins. We signed the MOU with the Cameroonian authorities, but since then, every year, it is the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) that calls them, ‘what is your level in Lagdo?’ “Even this one when he called them, I was communicating with the DG NIHSA, I said, ‘what’s happening in Cameroon?’ He said he has been calling them, and they said they had not released any water, but they said they would inform us. Finally, they said they would inform us tomorrow, they didn’t inform us; they informed us 24 hours after they had released the water.
“They did the same thing two years ago, I wrote to the minister of foreign affairs, and Nigeria had to write a protest letter to the Cameroonian authorities that they did not inform us. It was after our rains had gone down, suddenly we saw floods in Adamawa area, and we were asking them. For two weeks, they were denying that they had opened the reservoir. Of course, it didn’t go to the confluence, it was limited to the areas of Adamawa state and Taraba. Because, as I said, the contribution to the flood by Lagdo dam is not so high.”
According to figures released by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), more than two million people have been affected by the flood, with over 500 deaths. Several communities have also been cut off from trade and food supply due to a lack of access to their communities.
The Governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom, has reiterated his call for the presidential candidates of the major political parties to rally behind the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, who he described as a noble man in all ramifications of life, tested and trusted, and has the needed integrity, character and capacity to fix the nation.
Ortom made the call when Obi visited him to commiserate with him over the destruction of lives and means of livelihood, by the recent floods which swept through Benue and some other states in Nigeria. He lamented that Nigeria was surviving on life support and needs a true leader who can turn things around for the nation. He said that if the people did not live above ethnic, tribal and partisan sentiments, they would not be able to vote in the true leader who is most qualified to lead the nation.
“Nigeria is sick and surviving on oxygen. The country is on life support and everything is in disarray. Let us therefore put aside partisanship and join hands to salvage the country. I have said before and I am repeating this again, ‘we must look at the 3 major candidates and see who has the capacity to deliver this country and make things work.’ Let us be frank with ourselves because we are toying with the future of 200 million people.
“Nigeria deserves a better leadership that is proactive, foresighted and visionary. I look forward and hope that the candidates of the 3 major political parties will meet and allow this man (Peter Obi) to lead this country now. I am in PDP, and working for PDP. But I must confess that if I was not in PDP, I would have been working for Peter Obi.
“My brother, Peter Obi, has always been a noble man in all aspects of life. He is a man full of integrity, truthful and reliable. He may not be a perfect man, because nobody is, that is why life is complimentary. But he has proven himself to be a man that can be trusted, that has the capacity, the knowledge, the ability and the fear of God that will enable him to head this country,” Ortom said.
In his reaction, Obi appreciated his host for the warm welcome. He expressed sadness of destruction left behind by the deadly floods in the State. He called on other presidential aspirants to suspend their campaigns for the meantime and take time to sympathize with the victims of floods across the country. “I personally stopped and told my people to suspend the campaigns for the meantime, until we are able to visit some of our people badly affected by the floods. If we, as presidential candidates, were able to spend several millions of naira purchasing our nomination forms, then we should have something left to show concern to those whose lives have been badly altered by the floods,” Obi stated.
He assured Nigerians that he will respect the rights of every citizen, if elected into power.
“If I am elected as the President of this great country, I will not sacrifice the peace, unity and development of this nation, just to make a few people happy. I am not promising a few people happiness, but I am promising to fix the nation for the greater good of all. I can assure people that I will be in charge, and we will change this country. You will see people being pulled out of poverty. We did it in Anambra State, and will do it again at the Federal level,” Obi concluded.
