tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90785068831991097382024-03-19T11:14:13.549+01:00CKN NewsCKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.comBlogger5350125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-39236561695943211282024-03-18T18:05:00.007+01:002024-03-18T18:06:01.884+01:00Breaking :Voice, Data Services Affected by Undersea Cable Cuts Fully Restored....NCC <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cPAUisJEVqygZSxrecUnYiYMO_JuVYvPdLWyLfL4MefoJkQxMbceEW44gxWtCMc-NKzyjCYWzfULg1s3fH9Mg6H_A2gq90tGAwBib-_3qR5_HNf7uc69uMIjL5p0i-tPDa9FYxSBBLyNmwHfob_ymmcTQtWP5NVprE_vVwdEXZKGmdSv-YzBt5vUztw/s720/FB_IMG_1710781383171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="720" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cPAUisJEVqygZSxrecUnYiYMO_JuVYvPdLWyLfL4MefoJkQxMbceEW44gxWtCMc-NKzyjCYWzfULg1s3fH9Mg6H_A2gq90tGAwBib-_3qR5_HNf7uc69uMIjL5p0i-tPDa9FYxSBBLyNmwHfob_ymmcTQtWP5NVprE_vVwdEXZKGmdSv-YzBt5vUztw/s320/FB_IMG_1710781383171.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Following the disruption on March 14, 2024, which affected data and voice services due to cuts in undersea fibre optics along the coasts of Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal, we are pleased to announce that services have now been restored to approximately 90% of their peak utilization capacities.</p><p> </p><p>All operators who were impacted by the cuts have taken recovery capacity from submarine cables which were not impacted by the cuts, and have thus recovered approximately 90% of their peak utilisation capacities.</p><p> </p><p>Mobile Network Operators have assured the Commission that data and voice services would operate optimally pending full repairs of the undersea cables as they have managed to activate alternative connectivities to bring back the situation to normalcy.</p><p> </p><p>We extend our appreciation to telecom consumers for their patience and understanding during the downtime caused by the undersea fibre cuts</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-66684492759306726662024-03-18T10:10:00.003+01:002024-03-18T10:11:39.708+01:00Heirs Holdings Launches Maiden Television Commercial Showcasing Impact<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4fFq7UGSpP98aFWdiCKb8HvCdE6nR49mFG7oYkc2nNQsNE5sWEB6cUsWzHxpJFfho80Ls0sSJqj0lCKgE_e2-8D5LVAQfwH8DyFN4bGrkpB4PvxVjACfszDssKz1oYhVYXhmKL-oDoLE3OfRSzL0SU4uD4xzGesJbQdYRkJJNbX_5nyOUflxl420D4M/s719/20240318_100635.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="719" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4fFq7UGSpP98aFWdiCKb8HvCdE6nR49mFG7oYkc2nNQsNE5sWEB6cUsWzHxpJFfho80Ls0sSJqj0lCKgE_e2-8D5LVAQfwH8DyFN4bGrkpB4PvxVjACfszDssKz1oYhVYXhmKL-oDoLE3OfRSzL0SU4uD4xzGesJbQdYRkJJNbX_5nyOUflxl420D4M/s320/20240318_100635.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Heirs Holdings has launched its first-ever television commercial. The newly released television commercial (TVC) showcases the company's diverse portfolio, spanning the power, energy, financial services, hospitality, real estate, healthcare and technology sectors while highlighting its commitment to driving positive change and sustainable development across Africa and beyond.</p><p>With its compelling narrative, the commercial is captivating audiences worldwide, shining a spotlight on Heirs Holdings' vision, and commitment to improving lives and transforming the continent.</p><p> HH’s TVC:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c1G4MzBO7SU" width="320" youtube-src-id="c1G4MzBO7SU"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>In 2010, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, founded Heirs Holdings after making significant strides in reshaping Nigeria's banking industry. Elumelu made history when he led the biggest merger in sub-Saharan Africa at the time, combining Standard Trust Bank Plc with the older, more established United Bank for Africa (UBA), which at the time was Nigeria's 3rd largest financial services institution. In establishing Heirs Holdings, Elumelu’s goal was to transform the African economy through strategic long-term investments in sectors critical for Africa's progress.</p><p><br /></p><p>Speaking on the new TVC, the Company’s Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Clari Green, said that in its thirteen years of existence, Heirs Holdings has established a reputation for being consistent in creating value while driving Africa’s social and economic agenda.</p><p><br /></p><p>She stated, “Heirs Holdings has an investment portfolio which spreads across twenty-four countries worldwide, this is as intimidating as the significant milestones it has achieved since it launched in 2010 with a bold strategy to focus on the African continent and unlock its socio-economic potential,” while listing some of the key milestones which include:</p><p><br /></p><p>In 2011, Heirs Holdings identified its first strategic investment opportunity, acquiring a controlling stake in Transcorp, leading the organisation into an era of year-on-year growth and expansion into the power sector.</p><p>Transcorp Power acquired 100% ownership and management of Ughelli Power Plc, with 972 MW installed capacity, but actual production of only 160MW. Transcorp Power surpassed the five-year performance target of 670MW set for it in 2013 by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), by increasing the available capacity of Ughelli Power Plant from 160MW to 701MW within four (4) years of taking over the Plant. Last year, Transcorp Power became the first power generation company to be discharged from post-privatisation monitoring.</p><p>Afriland Properties Plc, a real estate investee company of Heirs Holdings grew its portfolio size to over N12 billion and has become one of the largest land banks in Nigeria.</p><p>Heirs Holdings founded Avon Healthcare Limited (Avon HMO), which celebrated a decade of unwavering commitment to exceptional healthcare last year, impacting over 230,000 lives through 2,500 hospitals across the world, paying over N24bn ($32m) in claims in 10 years.</p><p>In 2015, Heirs Holdings’ philanthropic arm, the Tony Elumelu Foundation launched its flagship Entrepreneurship Programme committing US $100 million to identify, train, mentor, and fund 10,000 African entrepreneurs over 10 years, across 54 African countries. Today, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has surpassed its initial goal by directly funding 20,000 entrepreneurs and has provided over 1.5 million young Africans with access to training via its digital platform, TEFConnect.</p><p>Heirs Holdings successfully acquired OML17 from Shell, TOTAL, and ENI in a $1.2 billion transaction, the largest oil and gas transaction in Africa for the year 2021. OML 17, operated by Heirs Energies, has a peak production of over 80 MMSCFD (million standard cubic feet per day) of gas at its gas plant in Agbada, Rivers State.</p><p>In 2021, Heirs Holdings launched digital-first insurance companies rebranded as Heirs Insurance Group, a formidable family of three insurance brands offering General Insurance, Life Insurance, and insurance broking services, to democratise access to insurance and drive financial inclusion. The Group’s commitment to simplifying the insurance experience has led to its rollout of digital and mobile service channels, as well as the launch of innovative customer-first initiatives such as the first digital insurance Experience Centre. </p><p>In the same vein, 2024 is shaping up to be an amazing year for the Heirs Holdings Group. With the year just nearing the end of its first quarter, Heirs Holdings (HH) has continued in its track record of success.</p><p><br /></p><p>The year started for HH with a surge as the market capitalisation of its Nigerian Exchange (NGX) listed investee companies skyrocketed to an astounding N2.4 trillion, with two of the companies, United Bank for Africa, and Transcorp Group’s hotel subsidiary, Transcorp Hotels, crossing the one-trillion-naira mark, joining the league of SWOOTs.</p><p><br /></p><p>In another significant stride, Transcorp Group orchestrated the successful listing of Transcorp Power, one of its power subsidiaries, on the main board of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).</p><p><br /></p><p>This move not only further bolstered the company's portfolio but also injected an additional N1.8 trillion into the market capitalisation of NGX. In less than two weeks Transcorp Power’s market capitalisation grew to over N2.8 trillion. With a combined generating capacity of approximately 2,000 MW between itself and its sister company, Transafam Power, Transcorp Group’s power subsidiaries account for 15.5% of the total installed capacity in Nigeria.</p><p><br /></p><p>Additionally, Heirs Energies, a subsidiary of Heirs Holdings, recently announced a further expansion of its gas supply business, supplying the recently commissioned 188 MW power plant operated by Geometric Power Limited, located in Aba, Abia State. Heirs Energies also supplies gas to TransAfamPower Limited, with a capacity of 966MW, and First Independent Power Limited (FIPL), with a capacity of 541MW, as well as local distribution companies, gas-based industries, and other industrial customers, directly contributing to Nigeria’s industrial and economic growth.</p><p><br /></p><p>Over the course of thirteen years, Elumelu built Heirs Holdings into a symbol of business excellence, becoming a dominant force in Africa's corporate sphere as a transformation expert. Not only is Heirs Holdings generating socio-economic prosperity, but it's also spearheading and championing African-centric solutions on a global scale, through its philanthropic arm, the Tony Elumelu Foundation.</p><p><br /></p><p>Amidst these triumphs, Heirs Holdings unveiled yet another ambitious venture: the launch of its new subsidiary, Heirs Technologies, a world-class digital transformation company, set to define excellence in the technology sector. However, the crescendo of Heirs Holdings' remarkable year came with the highly anticipated launch of its pioneer television commercial on CNN International. The unveiling of this commercial marks a pivotal moment for the company as it embarked on a new chapter of global visibility and engagement.</p><p><br /></p><p>As Heirs Holdings continues to chart new frontiers and push the boundaries of possibility, the launch of its pioneer television commercial echoes the broader narrative of Africa's transformative potential, heralding a future filled with endless possibilities and opportunities for growth and prosperity for the ‘Heirs’ of the African heritage.</p><p><br /></p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-80781179242564848402024-03-18T09:49:00.003+01:002024-03-18T09:49:42.389+01:00CSO Condemns Attempts To Undermine Legislative Oversight Amid Budget Controversy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7RHbG7-UFZGxUPkkLngiB4KNcHNSTST6LXL4Xv9s1fWs9iVZ2RPqqifAkuEU55bDSCP6l2Mj4HzDFbZOuMasDUDQkyo7mINTmPOazGpEz-qMrm4fIQACWo9VB4nkmb-4xASGN1HfFnluY3yTk_rMOHZQVk7IDL-_8rHw0RV5Bzig6RVcpH1IAc8x-Ok/s599/FB_IMG_1710751585327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="497" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7RHbG7-UFZGxUPkkLngiB4KNcHNSTST6LXL4Xv9s1fWs9iVZ2RPqqifAkuEU55bDSCP6l2Mj4HzDFbZOuMasDUDQkyo7mINTmPOazGpEz-qMrm4fIQACWo9VB4nkmb-4xASGN1HfFnluY3yTk_rMOHZQVk7IDL-_8rHw0RV5Bzig6RVcpH1IAc8x-Ok/s320/FB_IMG_1710751585327.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>In the wake of escalating tensions surrounding allegations of budget padding within the National Assembly, the Save Nigeria Forum (SNF), a prominent Civil Society Organization (CSO) dedicated to promoting good governance and accountability, has issued a stern rebuke against what it perceives as attempts by certain opposition groups to undermine the critical oversight role of the legislative arm of government.</p><p>The SNF expressed deep concern over the surge of unfounded accusations and efforts to tarnish the integrity of the National Assembly, particularly concerning alleged instances of budget padding. Such actions, according to the SNF, not only jeopardize the credibility of the legislative institution but also pose a threat to the foundational principles of democracy upon which Nigeria is built.</p><p>The position of the CSO was contained in a press statement it issued in Abuja and jointly signed by its Convener, Abdul Ahmed and Executive Director, Mansur Adegbite.</p><p>Reaffirming the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly to scrutinize executive proposals and ensure transparency in the allocation of public funds, the SNF underscored the indispensability of robust oversight mechanisms in fostering governmental accountability and nurturing public trust.</p><p>The organization lamented the exploitation of genuine concerns surrounding budgetary processes by certain opposition factions for political gain, cautioning against the dissemination of baseless accusations and the propagation of divisive narratives that risk eroding public confidence in democratic institutions.</p><p>In a resolute stance against attempts to undermine the credibility of the National Assembly, the SNF urged all stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organizations, and the media, to uphold the sanctity of democratic principles and refrain from engaging in actions detrimental to national unity and cohesion.</p><p>Moreover, the SNF called upon the leadership of the National Assembly to remain steadfast in their dedication to serving the interests of the Nigerian populace and safeguarding democratic norms. </p><p>Emphasizing the imperative of unity and collaboration in confronting the nation's challenges, the organization reiterated its support for efforts aimed at promoting accountability, transparency, and good governance within the country.</p><p>In a final declaration, the SNF extended a vote of confidence in the leadership of Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, and Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, dismissing calls for their resignation as baseless and politically motivated. </p><p>The organization affirmed its commitment to safeguarding Nigeria's democracy and advancing the collective interests of its citizens.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-45858141300134166552024-03-18T08:18:00.007+01:002024-03-18T10:41:46.951+01:00NIMC, NCC Unveil Collaborative Efforts to Enhance NIN-SIM Linkage Processes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53xDdHU0CsuklOv6b-pnuGDq9DxSCNThMFAcgo_kAFXdLcjQ1sycRAm3BesMAvbahRR2kAEsN1eGY_oXfcTDCORqhx90P8iKvynNacJf3Or18lz_IzWxGiSk0U0Yhxc98lMJoa8lrj5Z6C9_cnPzVYrXOO8nuGR32NCa1xit9Gc0f4uZpzx7lzO_Ejcg/s720/FB_IMG_1710746088801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53xDdHU0CsuklOv6b-pnuGDq9DxSCNThMFAcgo_kAFXdLcjQ1sycRAm3BesMAvbahRR2kAEsN1eGY_oXfcTDCORqhx90P8iKvynNacJf3Or18lz_IzWxGiSk0U0Yhxc98lMJoa8lrj5Z6C9_cnPzVYrXOO8nuGR32NCa1xit9Gc0f4uZpzx7lzO_Ejcg/s320/FB_IMG_1710746088801.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) are pleased to announce a strategic collaboration aimed at enhancing processes related to the National Identification Number (NIN)-SIM linkage.</p><p>In recent times, the NIN-SIM linkage exercise has become subject of national discourse, reflecting the critical importance of aligning SIM registrations with individuals' unique national identification numbers. Recognising the significance of this initiative in enhancing security and improving service delivery, both NIMC and NCC are committed to improving processes and enhancing efficiency.</p><p>Under this collaboration, NIMC and NCC will work closely to explore synergies and leverage each other's expertise and resources in the following key areas:</p><p>1. Streamlining the NIN-SIM Linkage Process: NIMC and NCC will collaborate to ensure a seamless experience for Nigerian telecommunication subscribers. This includes exploring innovative approaches to facilitate the swift verification and authentication of NINs during SIM registration and activation processes.</p><p>2. Capacity Building and Public Awareness: Both agencies will collaborate on initiatives aimed at enhancing public awareness and understanding of the NIN-SIM linkage requirements. This includes educational campaigns, training sessions for stakeholders, and the dissemination of accurate information to the public to encourage compliance with the linkage directives.</p><p>3. Data Verification and Validation: NIMC will continue to extend its support to NCC by providing assistance in verifying National Identification Numbers (NINs) associated with SIM registrations. Leveraging NIMC's robust database and authentication infrastructure, telecommunication operators will validate submitted NINs while ensuring the accuracy and integrity of subscriber data.</p><p>4. Policy Harmonisation and Regulatory Framework: NIMC and NCC will collaborate on aligning policies and regulatory frameworks to facilitate the seamless integration of NIN-SIM linkage processes within the telecommunications ecosystem. This includes harmonising data protection and privacy regulations to safeguard the confidentiality and security of subscriber information.</p><p>Both NIMC and NCC are committed to fostering a collaborative and transparent partnership that prioritises the interests of Nigerian citizens and promotes national development. By pooling our resources and expertise, we aim to overcome the challenges associated with the NIN-SIM linkage exercise and ensure its continued successful implementation.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-19666875625592911402024-03-18T06:27:00.002+01:002024-03-18T10:41:58.941+01:00NBC Approves 1st Children’s TV In Nigeria<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR8WxlkztbW8zD0ospK7igm-wwPVVxT8RNvmTRs8Glw82ZtL_aUvtR02YrO3RHOp1Cy8PyvXMQWixyE5qI5pEU3I5spPrFVvK-_sob1utTaBPAFwHm709NAQIKQcxgeugfjiUrYHQt6bS5Sl_TnLqaRkdlD2O2mPBXyZWFaZDeem1fDw0zgi-h8zYL2g/s650/nbc.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="650" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR8WxlkztbW8zD0ospK7igm-wwPVVxT8RNvmTRs8Glw82ZtL_aUvtR02YrO3RHOp1Cy8PyvXMQWixyE5qI5pEU3I5spPrFVvK-_sob1utTaBPAFwHm709NAQIKQcxgeugfjiUrYHQt6bS5Sl_TnLqaRkdlD2O2mPBXyZWFaZDeem1fDw0zgi-h8zYL2g/s320/nbc.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has granted a license to a former editorial member of a National Newspaper, Idowu Sowunmi, to operate Nigeria’s first-ever children’s television station.</p><p>The new station, which will be sited in Lagos State, is expected to cater specifically to the entertainment and educational needs of the country’s population of young citizens. Programming will include a range of locally-produced and international content, including cartoons, educational shows, and live-action series.</p><p>Sowunmi said his company, Three Tees Entertainment Limited, was committed to providing high-quality, age-appropriate content that promotes learning, creativity and positive values.</p><p>The launch of the station will mark a milestone in Nigeria’s broadcasting landscape, and is expected to have impacts on the lives of children across the country.</p><p>Speaking further, Sowunmi, who is the company’s chairman said: “We are honoured to pioneer this initiative. We are dedicated to creating a platform that inspires, educates, and entertains Nigeria’s future leaders. We’re also coming up with the first children’s radio as soon as we secure the necessary approval.</p><p>“Available demographic records indicate that children aged 0 to 14 years account for more than 44 percent of Nigeria’s total population, that’s about 100 million. Our focus is to give this huge population a voice, a veritable platform to express themselves, and make meaningful contributions towards overall societal development.”</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-64145587694130959932024-03-17T18:32:00.003+01:002024-03-17T19:24:28.994+01:00Court Orders Forfeiture Of 36 Exotic Cars Stolen From Canada <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkA5vho12zE_0F3Uxf7yYUzUYCIdDRSR7pFzUvcDqrOMitBPlIHw05CHpRmeNv9OEfYTCVcATlmb5_T1Z18idS25en-Dux0uta2KVBd4Ck5sWRgIEUcQ97H1g0mYltHBdKUEdKXIcyFA7yiQPbWwNdvt_HdGNIuRHoRMBJBl8EbSu43Y0E5zxo5dka4M/s634/FB_IMG_1710696375137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="634" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkA5vho12zE_0F3Uxf7yYUzUYCIdDRSR7pFzUvcDqrOMitBPlIHw05CHpRmeNv9OEfYTCVcATlmb5_T1Z18idS25en-Dux0uta2KVBd4Ck5sWRgIEUcQ97H1g0mYltHBdKUEdKXIcyFA7yiQPbWwNdvt_HdGNIuRHoRMBJBl8EbSu43Y0E5zxo5dka4M/s320/FB_IMG_1710696375137.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 36 cars ‘allegedly stolen’ from Canada and brought to Nigeria.</p><p>The judge made the final forfeiture order after granting an application filed and argued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s counsel A. B. Abdul-Rasheed.</p><p>The EFCC said the vehicles were recovered from various auto shops in Lagos, such as Lekki-Ajah; Ojodu-Berger; Ikeja; Festac Town; Magodo and Ikota-Lekki.</p><p>It said they were recovered following intelligence by Royal Canadian Mounted Police that over 350 cars stolen from Canada were shipped into Nigeria and were on display for sale at different auto shops.</p><p>The respondents in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/2051/2023 were Wilmon Autos Nigeria Limited; Ikeoyi Enterprises; Ichie Autos; Bounce Autos; Assured Motors Emeko Auto; CNC Auto; Green Hill Auto; First Core Auto; Samuel Motors; Unique Motors; Nice and Rich Auto; Overall Properties; GIDI Auto and Chris Jane Auto Nigeria Limited.</p><p>Some of the forfeited stolen vehicles are a 2017 Model Toyota Rav 4; 2019 Toyota Tacoma 2019; 2019 Lexus RX 350; Lexus RX350; 2019 Model 5 FORD FI50; 2018 Model Honda CRV; 2020 Toyota Tacoma; a Land Rover and a 2020 Lexus RX 350.</p><p>Others include a 2016 Toyota 4Runner; a Range Rover; Lexus 460; Ford F150 2018 Model; 2019 Lexus RX 350; 2020 Lexus RX 350; 2021 Lexus RX 350 Sport; Honda Civic Touring; Honda Pilot Suv; 2020 Range Rover Suv; Toyota 4Runner SUV; ToyotaHighlander, and 2018 Toyota Tacoma, amon others.</p><p>The court had on November 29, 2023, made an order for the interim forfeiture of the cars, after listening to the EFCC lawyer, who moved the application the same.</p><p>While granting the order, the court ordered the EFCC to advertise the orders in a national newspaper for any interested persons or parties to appear before the court to show cause why the cars should not be finally forfeited.</p><p>The EFCC counsel informed the court that the forfeiture order had been advertised but no one had come forward to lay claim to the seized vehicles.</p><p>Justice Dipeolu after listening to the EFCC lawyer and perusing through the processes, acceded to the request of the anti-graft agency and ordered final forfeiture of the 36 cars.</p><p>An EFCC investigator, Olufemi Olukini, in an affidavit filed in support of the suit said “Sometime in April 2022, during an official meeting held at 7A Okoti-Eboh Street, Ikoyi Lagos between officials of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and EFCC officials, RCMP officials passed credible intelligence to the Commission which alleged that over 350 vehicles which werecomprehensively listed out on an excel sheet with their respective vehicle identification Number were stolen from Canada and shipped to Nigeria. </p><p>“These vehicles have been sold and/or are being sold on an online website www.jiji.com by some online vendors/agents while others are displayed for sale at various car stands across the country.</p><p>“Investigation carried out revealed that a substantial number of the motor vehicles described aforesaid were stolen from Canada and shipped to Nigeria between the years 2019-2021</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-67839578919829721832024-03-17T10:43:00.005+01:002024-03-17T17:08:56.507+01:00Internet Outage To Last For Weeks, As Glo 1 Remains Unaffected<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqNwHh6XA0QzxeFbVWA2tg83x2VYhK5a8SCbAZYD37hPx7kRVjeXA74Sr_PdKW4lOVz5zGc2X2pRdFPbSBD13TgUhISWznACtiK9B8Wf1iKpOuby1sddXGVnxRSzoSiSuswf5WLdJfB-racdxZVt3m7SGCM7mDOCFxEyoDVCsKDFvYZ95LymehUr5O7A/s879/FB_IMG_1710664583109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqNwHh6XA0QzxeFbVWA2tg83x2VYhK5a8SCbAZYD37hPx7kRVjeXA74Sr_PdKW4lOVz5zGc2X2pRdFPbSBD13TgUhISWznACtiK9B8Wf1iKpOuby1sddXGVnxRSzoSiSuswf5WLdJfB-racdxZVt3m7SGCM7mDOCFxEyoDVCsKDFvYZ95LymehUr5O7A/s320/FB_IMG_1710664583109.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>The internet outage which hit Nigeria and some other African countries may persist for up to five weeks, according to latest reports.</p><p>One of the undersea cable companies affected by the service disruptions, MainOne, said in a statement on Friday evening that the situation might persist for two to three weeks for the problem to be fixed.</p><p>It explained that investigations revealed that the fault came from an external incident that resulted in a cut on the submarine cable system in the ocean.</p><p>MainOne said the rectification of the fault involves identifying and assigning a vessel to "retrieve the necessary spares required for repair, and then sail to the fault location to conduct the repair work. This process might take one to two weeks for repairs while about two to three weeks of transit time may be required for the vessel to pick up the spares and travel from Europe to West Africa once the vessel is mobilised".</p><p>The country has experienced widespread internet disruptions as a result of damage to the international underwater cables that provide the nation with connection. The outage has impacted banks and telecommunications organizations that depend on the impacted cables for internet services. </p><p>Major undersea cables close to Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, are reportedly damaged, and this has caused internet outages in West and South African nations. The West Africa Cable System (WACS), the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), MainOne, and SAT3 are the undersea cables that have been impacted. </p><p>Glo 1, which is owned by Globacom, the largest provider of digital services in Nigeria, was untouched by the damage and is still running as usual. Glo 1-powered financial institutions, internet service providers, and data consumers have all carried on with business as usual. Industry observers are of the view that Glo 1 International Submarine Cable's resilient construction and durability are the reasons the damage did not compromise the cable.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-24082397915062650002024-03-17T09:41:00.003+01:002024-03-17T17:09:08.974+01:00Glo Subscribers To Win Cash Prizes, Airtime In Korrect Predict Lottery Service<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFZ9prtEX_y8daZkqa6ktuqMIsecOlqzk368IpvSXmKBOi3Rp9gd6Ho-XD4gnsKVhhw9PiCDQQ7UUWDzvyivVZ74YsNF25FL2FTSVmwilVp_4H9D0qtgBEBw-QugfHn_ULxXQxSJvSTSx8061Q6xkTFbAHaj_WbF6WXoUSGH9RqbkFMVe4YfDPGc72ms/s699/20240317_093803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="699" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFZ9prtEX_y8daZkqa6ktuqMIsecOlqzk368IpvSXmKBOi3Rp9gd6Ho-XD4gnsKVhhw9PiCDQQ7UUWDzvyivVZ74YsNF25FL2FTSVmwilVp_4H9D0qtgBEBw-QugfHn_ULxXQxSJvSTSx8061Q6xkTFbAHaj_WbF6WXoUSGH9RqbkFMVe4YfDPGc72ms/s320/20240317_093803.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Telecommunications company, Globacom has launched a new offer aimed at giving its customers, particularly sports loving subscribers, a memorable experience on the network. </p><p>Tagged Korrect Predict Lottery Service, Glo is offering all sports lovers on the network an opportunity to win fantastic cash prizes and free airtime, anytime they successfully predict the final outcomes of football matches played across the world.</p><p>In a press statement in Lagos, Globacom said "The Sports Prediction Market has witnessed significant growth over the years, with a projected value of over $155 billion globally by 2024 and that, the growth is driven by the proliferation of smartphones, increase in online betting platforms, as well as increased sports viewership and adoption of technology".</p><p>It added that the launch of Korrect Predict service which gives subscribers a chance to win cash gifts from predicting match results accurately was necessitated by this global trend.</p><p>The company stated that, "Subscribers will receive 2 football matches daily for them to predict the correct scores after which those who accurately predict the outcome of their preferred matches will win amazing prizes from Glo", </p><p>It explained that free trial awaits first active subscription when they select any of the daily, or weekly auto-renewal plan, adding, "This means that a new subscriber can activate the service at no cost for the first twenty-four hours, after which he or she will then be charged for the next renewal cycle. Subscribers who do not want to be charged after the free trial and buy offer will have to cancel their service renewal before the twenty-four hours elapse by dialing the USSD command for deactivation",</p><p>Said Glo, "To subscribe to Korrect Predict, you will either dial the USSD Command *7023# or send the keyword "KPRD" to the shortcode "7023" to subscribe to the daily plan costing just N50 or send the keyword "KPW" to the shortcode "7023" to subscribe to the weekly plan of N150. Upon successful subscription, you will receive an SMS with a link to access the service".</p><p>Korrect Predict, according to Glo can be accessed by all Glo subscribers via SMS, USSD and Web. It explained that the service provides access to two daily predictions on football matches across African, Asian, American and European Leagues including Asian League, English Premiership, Italian Serie A,Spanish La Liga, German Bundesliga, French Ligue 1 and Portugese Primeira Liga.</p><p>"To subscribe to Korrect Predict, you will either dial the USSD Command *7023# or send the keyword "KPRD" to the shortcode "7023" to subscribe to the daily plan costing just N50 or send the keyword "KPW" to the shortcode "7023" to subscribe to the weekly plan of N150", Glo said, adding that Upon successful subscription, Customers will receive an SMS with a link to access the service</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-70764997467249914832024-03-15T07:44:00.008+01:002024-03-15T07:45:19.253+01:00Undersea Cable Cuts Disrupt Data, Voice Services Along African West Coast...NCC<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEA5CE-jB7omw-0gP0eImA6IqeK4S-HpO75HMZHuntG1XdgnIERtEbT546TA5BL4Ee9P4qGZN_yNMO7ZhJbmI2xcTdcr3rpvmC7pB_Azu6w5SO6NmRSjOwP7mQfiQFfj-m6v2yi18O1yd5voGerYO9bTVn7KGVodrxs9WRx2ElF7YQOkGIpnLhiOCTAY/s720/FB_IMG_1710484879436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="720" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEA5CE-jB7omw-0gP0eImA6IqeK4S-HpO75HMZHuntG1XdgnIERtEbT546TA5BL4Ee9P4qGZN_yNMO7ZhJbmI2xcTdcr3rpvmC7pB_Azu6w5SO6NmRSjOwP7mQfiQFfj-m6v2yi18O1yd5voGerYO9bTVn7KGVodrxs9WRx2ElF7YQOkGIpnLhiOCTAY/s320/FB_IMG_1710484879436.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>A combination of cable cuts, resulting in equipment faults on the major undersea cables along the West African Coast, have negatively impacted data and fixed telecom services in several countries of West Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cote de Ivoire, among others.</p><p>The cuts occurred somewhere in Cote de’Ivoire and Senegal, with an attendant disruption in Portugal.</p><p>Cable companies – West African Cable System (WACS) and African Coast to Europe (ACE) in the West Coast route from Europe have experienced faults while SAT3 and MainOne have downtime. </p><p>Similar undersea cables providing traffic from Europe to the East Coast of Africa, like Seacom, Europe India Gateway (EIG), Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE1), are said to have been cut at some point around the Red Sea, resulting in degradation of services across on these routes.</p><p>In Nigeria and other West African countries, Internet access and speed have experienced disruptions in the networks of service providers in the affected countries.</p><p>Operators of these cables have commenced repairs already, and services are gradually being restored.</p><p>They have promised to work round the clock to ensure that services are restored to the affected countries within the shortest possible time.</p><p>It is important to bring this information to the knowledge of corporate and individual consumers on these services.</p><div><br /></div>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-62732442803858738872024-03-15T06:58:00.007+01:002024-03-15T07:45:36.571+01:00Main One, WACs Down As Glo 1 Comes To Rescue Of Internet Users In Nigeria <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGigeQ-JDN0bs4QJ4_aRqy-hYTIKy29Zvljs08Iz4PN_sqOBe23Dnis4sR8_68YjlsSMEqV1XrCutSY1mppLABfFdQgaLllIlIwF9qAQwlbGQwTiv57kD428wD0v2WsneN19Edvbyz7TyKO8SDNwFegSARKTVtbAs8JoO2f2y8azfGfSmX3er9Pi8JZQ/s800/Undersea-cable.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGigeQ-JDN0bs4QJ4_aRqy-hYTIKy29Zvljs08Iz4PN_sqOBe23Dnis4sR8_68YjlsSMEqV1XrCutSY1mppLABfFdQgaLllIlIwF9qAQwlbGQwTiv57kD428wD0v2WsneN19Edvbyz7TyKO8SDNwFegSARKTVtbAs8JoO2f2y8azfGfSmX3er9Pi8JZQ/s320/Undersea-cable.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Massive internet outages have been reported in Nigeria following damage to international undersea cables supplying the country with connectivity.</p><p>Telecommunications companies and a number of banks which rely on the affected cables for internet services have been affected by the outage. </p><p>According to reports, the damage affected major undersea cables near Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire and has led to internet downtime across West and South African countries.</p><p>The undersea cables affected are the West Africa Cable System (WACS), the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), MainOne, and SAT3. </p><p>However, Glo 1, owned by Nigeria’s leading digital services company, Globacom, was not affected by the damage and has continued to operate normally. Data users, internet service providers and financial institutions which run on Glo 1 have continued to operate normally. </p><p>Industry analysts believe the *sturdy* nature and resilience of Glo 1 International Submarine Cable is the reason why the damage did not affect the cable.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-3200969858208450952024-03-14T06:25:00.004+01:002024-03-14T06:25:39.645+01:00Aig-Imoukhuede Takes Over From Late Wigwe As Access Holdings Chairman <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQFh_MFlnU0t5l-1mdqQekzlKtpZ0bsNh4hwvqKTmz7awftiMf2-i_DFtRDat7W0bhDv7oXhyknI635YTEsIs8IHjVnBJXSXcFoJNGlcKFHjXQwACZC1ycPHY3_nTgO7eqM87NAx5xmjFI_8eHW23hkGOSDW5JSOjB0FrT6gVVef0Xy5UPID31R3zlms/s720/FB_IMG_1710393687179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="720" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQFh_MFlnU0t5l-1mdqQekzlKtpZ0bsNh4hwvqKTmz7awftiMf2-i_DFtRDat7W0bhDv7oXhyknI635YTEsIs8IHjVnBJXSXcFoJNGlcKFHjXQwACZC1ycPHY3_nTgO7eqM87NAx5xmjFI_8eHW23hkGOSDW5JSOjB0FrT6gVVef0Xy5UPID31R3zlms/s320/FB_IMG_1710393687179.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Access Holdings Plc has announced that Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, after 10 years, is returning to provide leadership to the company.</p><p>Aig-Imoukhuede was pioneer Access Bank Managing Director (MD) and was invited to provide leadership to the group into a new era.</p><p>This was coming after the death of Herbert Wigwe, the man who co-founded Access Bank Plc with him.</p><p>Aig-Imoukhuede will function as a Non-Executive Chairman as he replaces Mr. Abubakar Jimoh. </p><p>Though, becoming an erstwhile Chairman now, Mr. Jimoh will continue to serve on the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director.</p><p>Mr. Jimoh, the past Chairman of Access Holdings, has expressed excitement about the appointment of Aig-Imoukhuede.</p><p>“Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede’s appointment to the Board and subsequent election as Chairman is a landmark development for Access Holdings. All our board members are excited about our future.”</p><p>Aig-Imoukhuede is a distinguished figure in Nigeria’s banking and finance sector.</p><p>He is expected to bring with him a wealth of expertise and leadership acumen. </p><p>His tenure as Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank lasted from 2002 to 2013.</p><p>Mr. Imoukhuede, together with his late partner and deputy, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, CFR, transformed Access Bank into one of Nigeria’s top 5 banks.</p><p>From that success, they expanded its footprint across 9 other African countries and the United Kingdom.</p><p>This also meant that its customer base grew from ten thousand to over six million. </p><p>The bank’s asset base also surged to USD $12 billion, establishing itself as a globally recognized financial institution.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-15257613099036724992024-03-14T05:39:00.005+01:002024-03-14T06:26:19.550+01:00Budget Padding Controversy : BudgIT Confirms Ningi’s N3.7trn Allegation<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ny8PwZk8gA4-v4DU91-46Xj-UCBj_PphbQi64hl2X2bgzSOnvAvmlcp6MWuCwSfNLxPgEaAzo-t9SUPS0gXWuEkfYy6yEECRu5NxUf8HmQavI0DW-xamNElU1YFaeYA0jfhCDgEJT5Sm0eOexExb-WlIIPtviw8WghFRhze4utgP18WHijhc4BzQJr0/s700/senate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="700" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ny8PwZk8gA4-v4DU91-46Xj-UCBj_PphbQi64hl2X2bgzSOnvAvmlcp6MWuCwSfNLxPgEaAzo-t9SUPS0gXWuEkfYy6yEECRu5NxUf8HmQavI0DW-xamNElU1YFaeYA0jfhCDgEJT5Sm0eOexExb-WlIIPtviw8WghFRhze4utgP18WHijhc4BzQJr0/s320/senate.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>A civic organisation focused on the Nigerian budget and public data, BudgIT, has thrown its weight behind suspended Senator Abdul Ningi on a N3.7 trillion gap in the 2024 budget presented to the National Assembly.</p><p>The Director and co-founder of BudgIT, Seun Onigbinde, made this known during an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, stressing that Ningi was right if he posited that there was no detailed allocation for N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget.</p><p>Recall that Ningi, representing Bauchi Central senatorial district was suspended on Tuesday by the Senate, over the allegations that two versions of the 2024 budget were passed at the National Assembly.</p><p>The Senator, who was also the Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), alleged that the budget was padded by N3 trillion and that the North has been neglected under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.</p><p>On the floor of the Senate, the Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Olamilekan Adeola (APC, Ogun West) said the Red Chamber has inaugurated a template for the speedy consideration and passage of the 2024 Money Bill as he initiated the motion on breach of privilege by the Bauchi senator.</p><p>Senator Adeola had come under orders 9, 10, 41, and 51 to move a motion of privilege and issue of national importance against Ningi over his interview with the BBC Hausa.</p><p>Following Adeola’s motion on breach of privilege, a member of the Appropriation Committee in the Senate, Jimoh Ibrahim, first moved the motion for Ningi’s suspension for 12 months over allegations of criminal misinformation and breach of peace in the National Assembly.</p><p>But, some of the senators moved for the amendment of the suspension for three months for the embattled federal lawmaker, which the Senate ratified.</p><p>Speaking on the development, the BudgIT boss said there are “statutory elements” in the budget that do not have a comprehensive analysis..</p><p>Onigbinde said the allocations of the National Assembly, National Judicial Council (NJC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and others do not carry a detailed breakdown.</p><p>He added that the people have the right to know how the funds earmarked for the aforementioned agencies are being spent.</p><p>“Around N2 trillion of the budget presented by the president is the government-owned enterprises budget,” Onigbinde said.</p><p>“So, if Senator Ningi says there is a N25 trillion budget, yes, that is the MDA’s budget. It’s different from the government-owned enterprises budget which was now added.</p><p>“It is factual that he said that but it doesn’t mean that we are running two concurrent budgets.</p><p>“There is a different conversation that those projects should be detailed. TETFUND should not just get an allocation.</p><p>“What are you spending the money on? INEC is collecting a huge chunk of funds but there is no public details about what the funds are used for. The same thing with NJC, even the national assembly.</p><p>“In the current budget, the national assembly gave a very broad summary of its allocations but there are no detailed allocations on a granular level that everybody can interrogate.</p><p>“These are transparency issues and if you put all these together, that is around N3.5 trillion to N3.7 trillion. So, if that is what he (Ningi) wants to interrogate, there are components of the budget where there is no breakdown. That is very factual.</p><p>“But the national assembly needs to push back. We need a breakdown. What is NJC spending money on? We give more money to the NJC and say take it arbitrarily. What are they spending that money on? There should be a detailed breakdown to the public. On that point, Senator Ningi is right but to look as if we are running parallel budgets, that is not right."</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-20832286689349547282024-03-14T05:15:00.005+01:002024-03-14T06:27:19.847+01:00Nigerians Lambast Accountant General Of Federation, State Commissioners Over UK Workshop<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tBawKjO9jffRgH38O-kM33Y-TAHZx6S7WzZrDXkfzUJ-CN-nSph3LIp7Kvhi_BCGq1YxivEjkAzBtnbUXgrPgrQcFoRpk0ZwIFwJaGdygE3XCFvL-Mx8dVVf_h3tl-CdxS5mBwJHAzXYugWDjuEJapkVEb4uKSfd2dLFdN2kppWuFb2zVzPwDoRuFOs/s650/Madein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="650" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tBawKjO9jffRgH38O-kM33Y-TAHZx6S7WzZrDXkfzUJ-CN-nSph3LIp7Kvhi_BCGq1YxivEjkAzBtnbUXgrPgrQcFoRpk0ZwIFwJaGdygE3XCFvL-Mx8dVVf_h3tl-CdxS5mBwJHAzXYugWDjuEJapkVEb4uKSfd2dLFdN2kppWuFb2zVzPwDoRuFOs/s320/Madein.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Civil society and rights groups have lambasted the Accountant General of the Federation, commissioners of finance of the 36 states of the federation and other government officials for choosing to hold a workshop in the United Kingdom at a time when the economy is experiencing a major downturn.</p><p>The Office of the AGF reportedly held a workshop on Public Financial Management and International Public Sector Accounting Standards in London, UK.</p><p>Findings showed that the workshop was held at Copthorne Tara Hotel, Kensington London, from March 4 to March 9, 2024.</p><p>The workshop, titled “Public Financial Management and IPSAS,” brought together state commissioners of finance and officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.</p><p>Over the course of five days, participants engaged in discussions related to IPSAS and its impact on accountability.</p><p>The workshop delved into other critical areas such as accounting and reporting in a hyperinflationary economy, as well as the challenges faced in public financial management implementation in Nigeria. Budget implementation challenges were also discussed.</p><p>Nigeria is grappling with a persistent foreign exchange crisis, which is worsening the challenges faced by businesses, especially manufacturers. This crisis has been prolonged, stemming from the government’s decisions to remove petrol subsidies and allow the naira to float.</p><p>The country is battling with high inflation that has eroded the purchasing power of consumers, aside from food shortage that has led to hunger protests in pockets of the state.</p><p>As part of his cost-cutting strategy, President Bola Tinubu recently reduced the size of his entourage and encouraged his team to do the same.</p><p>As part of the UK workshop activities, participants had the opportunity for a courtesy visit to the Nigerian High Commissioner in London. The sessions commenced daily at 10:00 am and concluded at 2:30 pm, with participants departing for their respective destinations on March 9, 2023.</p><p>However, some Nigerians and rights groups have criticised the AGF and the commissioners for being insensitive to the mood of the nation, saying such a workshop should have been held within the country to save costs.</p><p>A human rights group, the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, described the travel embarked upon by the Office of the AGF as needless and a waste of the country’s financial resources.</p><p>The Chancellor of the group, Jackson Omenazu, said on Wednesday that the decision to move about 36 members of the implementation committee of the agency who are also commissioners of finance for the 36 states to London showed how insensitive the public servants were to the economic plight of the country.</p><p>“This is the height of financial recklessness and insensitivity to the economic situation of Nigeria today. If it is a workshop as they have claimed, the accountant general can go for the workshop and come back to replicate the knowledge here to the other commissioners,” he said.</p><p>Jackson added that the journey was absolutely unnecessary and wasteful.</p><p>He said, “The journey is absolutely unnecessary for him to travel with the 36 commoners of finance. Looking at the cost of the travel and the economic situation Nigeria has found itself in today, there is no prudence in such a decision. We need public servants who will key into the situation of this country and salvage the country.</p><p>“It is cheaper to bring the facilitators to Nigeria to train the participants looking at the high exchange rate. The accountant general and the approving agency that approved the trip need to be cautioned.”</p><p>The Chairman of the Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership and the President, Centre for the Defence of Human Rights, Debo Adeniran, said it was important to know the content of the courses the OAGF and his team had travelled to London to ascertain if they were readily available in the country.</p><p>While he did not chide the accountant general for the trip, he noted that the accountant general should have embraced a cheaper option of ‘training the trainers’ where if necessary only few principal officers of the agency would travel for the training and return to train others.</p><p>“Determining whether the journey was frivolous depends on the availability and accessibility of the courses they travelled for in Nigeria. The world is a global village and we want to know if the course can be readily assessed online here in the country. However, to save the cost of foreign exchange needed to travel to London, it would have been cheaper to go for ‘training of the trainers’ depending on the institution’s mobility,” he said</p><p>However, the Director of Press at the Office of the AGF, Bawa Mokwa, defended the trip, explaining the reason behind hosting the workshop in the United Kingdom.</p><p>In a conversation on Wednesday, he emphasised that the workshop was an annual event held regularly.</p><p>According to him, the event was held in London because the facilitators are based in the UK.</p><p>He also stated that the event was approved by the National Economic Council.</p><p>“It is an annual event. The OAGF members present at the meeting are sub-committees of Federal Allocation Account Committee. Members of the implementation committee are commissioners of finance of the 36 states,” he said.</p><p>“They usually go to the UK to do it annually because the resource persons are resident in the UK and they implement it to the letter,” he added.</p><p>Also, an economist at Lotus Beta Analytics, Shedrach Israel, said it was not economically wise to spend the country’s scarce forex on such travels, noting that the AGF should have either opted for a virtual study for the team.</p><p>“The government has said it will cut down cost of governance but what has happened is contrary to the initiative of reducing the cost of governance. We are living in a digital world. Do people have to travel to workshops? they don’t need to necessarily travel to be trained.</p><p>“The problem with most of our government agencies is that they budget more for recurrent expenditure instead of capital.</p><p>“It is not economically wise to transport such a high number of people to London to-and-fro looking at the high exchange rate. We must do all we can to make the naira improve its value,” he said.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-43988641516904848122024-03-14T04:46:00.005+01:002024-03-14T06:27:32.178+01:00Heirs Technologies Appoints Obong Idiong As Chief Executive Officer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A6COqhV6FIdjY8xfSBsJnGwGKOQSEm8Jus0YTJhn_WC1HZ-aYm4Wm1Tq4UWlwVIwBlPOImpkUle75BUVzkMiSxsWof2ZpB2fhNeSPK7rdYB2jxjJqSyZnvMRakt0VLa2N_IUQfBqGjI1v74pnUknWBu8ToVSC47OzfWAGaAA67u9BknEAh9GcnfLUEA/s1132/20240314_044238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1132" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A6COqhV6FIdjY8xfSBsJnGwGKOQSEm8Jus0YTJhn_WC1HZ-aYm4Wm1Tq4UWlwVIwBlPOImpkUle75BUVzkMiSxsWof2ZpB2fhNeSPK7rdYB2jxjJqSyZnvMRakt0VLa2N_IUQfBqGjI1v74pnUknWBu8ToVSC47OzfWAGaAA67u9BknEAh9GcnfLUEA/s320/20240314_044238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Heirs Technologies, a leading digital transformation company, has announced the appointment of Obong Idiong as its Chief Executive Officer.</p><p>Idiong brings considerable experience in the technology sector and a visionary approach to this role. </p><p>Prior to joining Heirs Technologies, he served as the MD/CEO at Africa Prudential Plc, where he spearheaded the digital transformation of its registrar services and repositioned the company as an agile and technology-driven organisation. </p><p> Idiong has held a series of senior management roles, including at the United Bank for Africa Plc and Heirs Holdings Limited.</p><p>Heirs Technologies, a subsidiary of Heirs Holdings, delivers efficiency and scalability to enterprise customers, offering specialised and localised services that include IT Consulting, Managed Services and Business Process Outsourcing. </p><p>In addition, the company offers locally relevant enterprise solutions to enable companies scale and transform their services. The company is committed to developing local talent through tailored skills development programmes.</p><p>Obong Idiong stated, “We are proud to bring Heirs Holdings’ core values and business approach to the tech sector, leading with excellence, execution, and enterprise. We are committed to bridging an enormous gap in the technology ecosystem by delivering local relevance to a global market and offering cutting-edge solutions to enable our customers to become more competitive”.</p><p>In addition, Dr. Fumbi Chima has been appointed as the Chair of Heirs Technologies.</p><p>She has served as CIO in global companies including Adidas, Fox Network Group, Burberry Corporation, Walmart Stores Inc. Asia business operations, and American Express’ Global Corporate Technologies.2</p><p>In her statement she said, “I am pleased to be a part of this movement to unlock Africa’s potential. Having worked in technology leadership roles across global organisations, I am confident that Heirs Technologies will create impact that will improve lives and transform the continent”.</p><p>Heirs Technologies is Africa's digital transformation partner, driving innovation across the continent. Building on Heirs Holdings’ track record of digital transformation in financial services, Heirs Technologies specialises in delivering world-class technology solutions to corporate customers, including Managed Services, System Integration, and bespoke IT Consulting.</p><p>Heirs Technologies empowers businesses to thrive, through the delivery of innovative solutions, world-class expertise, and access to global providers, while enhancing local capacity and value.</p><p>Heirs Technologies is a subsidiary of Heirs Holdings, the leading pan-African investment company with strategic investments in key sectors in the African economy, including resources, power, financial services, real estate and hospitality and healthcare, with portfolio operations across twenty-four countries worldwide. Heirs Holdings’ investment approach is driven by founder Tony Elumelu’s philosophy of Africapitalism that champions the African private sector’s commitment to the economic transformation of Africa, through investments that generate both economic prosperity and social wealth.</p><p>For more information about Heirs Technologies, please visit <a href="http://www.heirstechnologies.com">www.heirstechnologies.com</a></p><p><br /></p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-87884852343332095462024-03-13T15:20:00.002+01:002024-03-14T06:27:48.580+01:00Breaking: Tinubu Opens Land And Air Borders With Niger Republic <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AaeEaH-2ewd_qXzPYit1wTVmTbHbnQbKRIEAzcVTe_Ig75W9qJPXGJkPs1v6qciY8xDJGRzV7P7hYp6Iyo-auiVTFP3L_LrA439yw2XRacHEAxHuZub1zONQ3dst6o6crAVNz0sP-I0Dyo33xeKgkFuDOiN2pz9xQtdh40gKArOhdoV4AGLgjVVtjrE/s720/Nigeria-Niger-border-Jibia.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="720" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AaeEaH-2ewd_qXzPYit1wTVmTbHbnQbKRIEAzcVTe_Ig75W9qJPXGJkPs1v6qciY8xDJGRzV7P7hYp6Iyo-auiVTFP3L_LrA439yw2XRacHEAxHuZub1zONQ3dst6o6crAVNz0sP-I0Dyo33xeKgkFuDOiN2pz9xQtdh40gKArOhdoV4AGLgjVVtjrE/s320/Nigeria-Niger-border-Jibia.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>President Bola Tinubu has directed the opening of Nigeria’s land and air borders with the Republic of Niger. </p><p>Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday said the directive was compliance with the decision of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government at its extraordinary summit on February 24, 2024, in Abuja.</p><p>The statement also directed the lifting of other sanctions against the country with immediate effect.</p><p>At its extraordinary summit on February 24, 2024, in Abuja the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government had agreed to lift economic sanctions against the Republic of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.</p><p>The statement also named some of the sanctions to be lifted as the “Closure of land and air borders between Nigeria and Niger Republic, as well as ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger Republic.</p><p>“Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, as well as freeze of all service transactions, including utility services and electricity to Niger Republic.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-27715331412560113092024-03-13T10:39:00.001+01:002024-03-14T06:27:58.875+01:00Gov Eno Announces Arise Shelter Initiative For The Poor ( Pictures ) <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxJnLTUJXuiyumSz-DjL9ei-eU3sDCNO_Yr94EOiEQyr7v3y9lgsopY5gtdZMBTs2ZKtQIusfkoLGC-GnukFS96zsRO_a5-dR6F5ADKrSRpLyKbAGwpJTJgFgx81k9i9xHNCF6XNX0FOkGf7G0dlvSGho6BlwdtWKCOgbn4or1fXH0GOxmt8Q0hFO_GA/s720/FB_IMG_1710322472455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="720" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxJnLTUJXuiyumSz-DjL9ei-eU3sDCNO_Yr94EOiEQyr7v3y9lgsopY5gtdZMBTs2ZKtQIusfkoLGC-GnukFS96zsRO_a5-dR6F5ADKrSRpLyKbAGwpJTJgFgx81k9i9xHNCF6XNX0FOkGf7G0dlvSGho6BlwdtWKCOgbn4or1fXH0GOxmt8Q0hFO_GA/s320/FB_IMG_1710322472455.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has announced government’s readiness to commence a housing scheme for the less privileged in the local government areas across the State, the Arise Shelter for the Less Privileged. </p><p>He has also announced Thursday, March 14, for the enactment of the Bulk Purchase Law in the State. </p><p>Governor Eno announced these during a meeting with his 368 Ward Personal Assistants at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo.</p><p>The Governor who decried the dilapidated state of residential houses of the less privileged in the State, assured on the readiness of his administration to change the narrative by providing 31 houses to the poorest of the poor across the State in line with the ARISE Agenda drive of his administration which takes development to the rural communities .</p><p>He explained that the houses which would be fitted with solar power and water facility will be built in batches across the 31 local government areas of the State. </p><p>He said, "we compiled these, we are starting the ARISE Shelter for the Less Privileged. Firstly, we have finished the design of the buildings, costing has been done for two bedroom flats with solar lights and borehole water supply.</p><p>"I did this quietly because I didn't want this politicized. </p><p>“So we had to do this quietly, and we want to start awarding this quietly to all these people and when we finish, we will go round again. This is because I came for the rural people.</p><p>"There is no local Government that is not represented here, we will start this projects soon and when it starts, I expect the Ward PAs to go and inspect the progresses of these projects and bring us reports.</p><p>"If we continue to touch these small lives, it will have a great positive effects such as increasing the life span of these rural dwellers. We may not be able to touch everybody, but let us show the way so that any philanthropist or organisation will follow us".</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrADK8xpqCYFfnhN_wJlcaerrcNAtG7gKD8tBwzjbz9wyCkRbrm6l7YS8W9n4zeTLNeU5FmS7XIlFXMgPWskUsLIR7DTc3uQYQIIJQXDRV6SKBx0O4-DKFPdZnEhphn3SiV9AazI33dARRgsDiUSTCMMdh9Wrz04SYwCO7BbXl1QeHRG9kfbNMoLl7hQ/s720/FB_IMG_1710322451261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="720" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrADK8xpqCYFfnhN_wJlcaerrcNAtG7gKD8tBwzjbz9wyCkRbrm6l7YS8W9n4zeTLNeU5FmS7XIlFXMgPWskUsLIR7DTc3uQYQIIJQXDRV6SKBx0O4-DKFPdZnEhphn3SiV9AazI33dARRgsDiUSTCMMdh9Wrz04SYwCO7BbXl1QeHRG9kfbNMoLl7hQ/s320/FB_IMG_1710322451261.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27otYzf9unWFBw_kxf6xKo6K9SMLAvzx8F3QSuE5cl0XgUNQEhyphenhyphen6m8uCN93vAwtOhrQjYHCaq2ZpkSMdtluglj0-5BJwToa0PN9MtMumZNqkiwFuDPRM0h6Qy7CPgcAjTr2r16ZxzsTO6Z-BiB_KFZyXNPo3Mw6OSekSqQguGLUPcEihA3Oj2LQxngDk/s720/FB_IMG_1710322456731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="720" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27otYzf9unWFBw_kxf6xKo6K9SMLAvzx8F3QSuE5cl0XgUNQEhyphenhyphen6m8uCN93vAwtOhrQjYHCaq2ZpkSMdtluglj0-5BJwToa0PN9MtMumZNqkiwFuDPRM0h6Qy7CPgcAjTr2r16ZxzsTO6Z-BiB_KFZyXNPo3Mw6OSekSqQguGLUPcEihA3Oj2LQxngDk/s320/FB_IMG_1710322456731.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPzfvbjgVeICqHO5vNrYzcz_KZwtKZ6oomAIbxPPG10ehZ9HaRNk1Ag-txbDKICZpR78uDdnrS2zEh3CJJQhScDuflKRngx5bWKf1AMQY2axOD3v0ZG0qUdyCU_r3vygwvkO6ztsDDqy02H0fTOTM-dqz32XGJCr3HHZm7_97vVCmYhGzVSIrRtBlSus/s720/FB_IMG_1710322459442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="720" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPzfvbjgVeICqHO5vNrYzcz_KZwtKZ6oomAIbxPPG10ehZ9HaRNk1Ag-txbDKICZpR78uDdnrS2zEh3CJJQhScDuflKRngx5bWKf1AMQY2axOD3v0ZG0qUdyCU_r3vygwvkO6ztsDDqy02H0fTOTM-dqz32XGJCr3HHZm7_97vVCmYhGzVSIrRtBlSus/s320/FB_IMG_1710322459442.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="720" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaFHAU33EOA7Z8RwwTtRIylT7_7wlIWTU_OiOeyl8DyJyJuPRGSAeu-ItCIcyPY5Ff0JVPzKvT7LW6QBS4K0vVDGyQv1kePIgxUlbskYZnpCnjalwr_gzq3CnDs_eOeOPKpZy6aLJn2dsjvV_AMPW1z9UVGHxbtvn1If8EwMTEEKFB0oxKyobO_cxcJg/s320/FB_IMG_1710322496101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9T4A2PcpxQgXij1HEodp9y7UnfXybJBu2f2rP7uYoGwiVxHTcUOOy8TSr8DsqnitEASi451nDZoHTmAUpDP4hXJB5IwfIIWbh3P4PlIbQtguO0eujqzZfB8d-j5VGAstdcgL7Ot2QH8KvWVfNPMZKK0xPcpHvkFC-rIhbYOZIMLO_eNgRLlq60v9F8X0/s720/FB_IMG_1710322499124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="720" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9T4A2PcpxQgXij1HEodp9y7UnfXybJBu2f2rP7uYoGwiVxHTcUOOy8TSr8DsqnitEASi451nDZoHTmAUpDP4hXJB5IwfIIWbh3P4PlIbQtguO0eujqzZfB8d-j5VGAstdcgL7Ot2QH8KvWVfNPMZKK0xPcpHvkFC-rIhbYOZIMLO_eNgRLlq60v9F8X0/s320/FB_IMG_1710322499124.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>On the bulk purchase agency bill due to be signed into law on Thursday, the Governor sought the cooperation of the personal aides(PAs) for the successful implementation of the programme, stressing that the PAs will also handle the distribution of the food voucher with the help of the social register for a seamless execution, while ensuring a transparent distribution process. </p><p>The Governor again explained the workability of the food policy, saying government will enlist the services of the traders to ensure availability of food items to the people at a reduced rate and take up the balance of the payment as its contribution towards ameliorating the effect of the hardship on the people.</p><p>Governor Eno reiterated the need for everyone to engage in farming as a permanent solution to the food crisis and used the occasion to reiterate the need for the local government Chairmen and the 368 PAs to reside in their various local government areas for effective execution of their responsibilities. </p><p>Earlier, the Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr Emem Bob, commended the Governor on his strategic programmes and policies aimed at improving the living conditions of the people, pledging that the bulk policy programme will be effectively implemented.</p><p>“Your Excellency,you have been participating through all the processes and today again, you chose to come and lead from the front. We are very proud of you Sir and we promise we won’t disappoint you”, Mr Bob said.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-81042573931907485552024-03-13T09:17:00.002+01:002024-03-14T06:28:10.536+01:00Court Affirms Baruwa NURTW President, Declares Agbede Caretaker Committee Illegal<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbRg6biYYP6LnG1yr1G6ogSkbUB4Cn2ZRq8pz-YoAgX0YWDzwzIunQaCGHS6jlx6PCsmBJNYmuyVZGHi2D3k0r0wlfxoT5Joqo3d-TYOVha1SPWDldam3kmKoBbYUrDgkh84_4vJpsjZgrOZCBqqx30uvpC-lim2ji5xAlE2DEZp6SElSZybOBwUqHRU/s720/FB_IMG_1710317642225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="720" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbRg6biYYP6LnG1yr1G6ogSkbUB4Cn2ZRq8pz-YoAgX0YWDzwzIunQaCGHS6jlx6PCsmBJNYmuyVZGHi2D3k0r0wlfxoT5Joqo3d-TYOVha1SPWDldam3kmKoBbYUrDgkh84_4vJpsjZgrOZCBqqx30uvpC-lim2ji5xAlE2DEZp6SElSZybOBwUqHRU/s320/FB_IMG_1710317642225.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>A National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja on Monday affirmed Tajudeen Baruwa as the re-elected president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers.</p><p>This was just as the court sacked the Tajudeen Agbede-led Caretaker Committee of the NURTW.</p><p>While delivering her judgment on the leadership crisis rocking the union, Justice O. O. Oyewumi held that the delegates’ conference across the six zonal councils held on May 24, 2023, where Baruwa emerged as President for a second term in office was valid.</p><p>The presiding judge also restrained the former President of the Union, Najeem Yasin, who was the Board of Trustees chairman, from interfering in the day-to-day running of union affairs.</p><p>She held that Najeem could only act as chairman of the board.</p><p>The court also validated the Quadrennial National Delegates Conference held on August 23, 2023, at Ta’al Hotels in Lafia, Nasarawa State where the president and other national officers were inaugurated.</p><p>Oyewumi declared illegal, null, and unconstitutional the national delegates’ conference held on October 25, 2023, where the current Acting President, Isa Ore, and his National Administrative Council were said to have emerged.</p><p>According to the judge, there was no evidence of a crisis in the union.</p><p>Consequently, she held that there was no basis for the invocation of the ‘doctrine of necessity’ that led to the constitution of the caretaker committee.</p><p>“The National Delegates conference held on October 25, 2024 cannot stand and therefore declare null and void.</p><p>“Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin is also restrained from interfering in the day-to-day running of the affairs of the union. Though he can act as Chairman of the board of trustees of the union,” the judge ruled.</p><p>Baruwa was later arrested on September 13, 2023, alongside four other national officers of the union by the police and detained at the former facility of the Special Anti Robbery Squad in Abuja.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-50879021280976807952024-03-12T18:17:00.001+01:002024-03-14T06:29:27.926+01:00Mayhem As Irate Youths Burn Popular Wuse Market In Abuja <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBI7Q6GhUCZBxERHKLs3VdDKuJDDzp3DzxIjMB6f80iX3T0be6o9lEKWR6wMhF_NaI63N6E-hskmBDpoVaEYCJ-8DNAhu6SgTpxWgWuGi4xmdU23KuhjEr6yauEh895fti3nVc-vCY1rzAvTWC2aliprcdRl6y1UicU2p_xKHp-oeOD1QrNC-Y-2VIBA/s829/20240312_181215.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="719" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBI7Q6GhUCZBxERHKLs3VdDKuJDDzp3DzxIjMB6f80iX3T0be6o9lEKWR6wMhF_NaI63N6E-hskmBDpoVaEYCJ-8DNAhu6SgTpxWgWuGi4xmdU23KuhjEr6yauEh895fti3nVc-vCY1rzAvTWC2aliprcdRl6y1UicU2p_xKHp-oeOD1QrNC-Y-2VIBA/s320/20240312_181215.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Angry youths have set parts of the popular Wuse market in Abuja on fire over the killing of a 17-year-old hawker simply identified as Musa.</p><p>The office of the Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML) inside the market as well as some cars parked at the market’s car park were reportedly torched.</p><p>It was gathered that a suspect who was being tried at the mobile court in the market attempted to run away, but was allegedly shot and killed by the police.</p><p>A senior official of the AMML, who pleaded for anonymity, confirmed the incident.</p><p>He said the suspect was already convicted of a crime which was not mentioned and in the process of taking him to court for another offence, the boy bolted and tried to run when he was shot by the police.</p><p>The AMML official said that was what provoked the attackers to burn down some shops, the office of AMML and some vehicles.</p><p>The situation caused a stampede in the market as people rushed to save their property.</p><p>It is not clear how many people were injured in the stampede as people scaled the fences while some pushed their way through the few gates available.</p><p>Confirming the fire incident, Innocent Amaechina, the Public Relations Officer of the AMML, said the operatives of the Fire Service and the police had cordoned the area and that he couldn’t access the area himself.</p><p>Video </p><p><br /></p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-38151877916388502182024-03-11T08:32:00.001+01:002024-03-14T06:33:17.514+01:00Heirs Holdings To Lead Africa’s Digital Evolution, Launches Heirs Technologies<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yi889vbHjXQcm-nPorFK8pVzdWB3GljdUNaMjBml2YSEOKOUr664PFNg5V71Z7Xh4qHeT90DZWaSRSCT8QIxghyqHJGCNNXVcmcMXwLZz6ZOQUHL-UMWlbj9MVQ-fqarX9rKm63d9IA-alKb-CWI1_YlfkX19mEFQrVGFzAaHpNK3LlUSulNl8HGapw/s720/20240311_082900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="720" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5yi889vbHjXQcm-nPorFK8pVzdWB3GljdUNaMjBml2YSEOKOUr664PFNg5V71Z7Xh4qHeT90DZWaSRSCT8QIxghyqHJGCNNXVcmcMXwLZz6ZOQUHL-UMWlbj9MVQ-fqarX9rKm63d9IA-alKb-CWI1_YlfkX19mEFQrVGFzAaHpNK3LlUSulNl8HGapw/s320/20240311_082900.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Heirs Holdings, a leading African investment company dedicated to improving lives and transforming Africa through strategic long-term investments, announced the launch of its new subsidiary, Heirs Technologies Limited, with an ambition to empower Africa's digital transformation through innovative and locally tailored solutions.</p><p>Heirs Technologies endeavours to provide value added services that capitalise on top-tier expertise while guaranteeing accessibility locally. The company's range of offerings include IT consulting, which encompasses advisory services, business transformation, system integration, licencing, and partnerships. Additionally, Heirs Technologies will offer various managed services covering IT operations and business process outsourcing.</p><p>To achieve its vision of propelling Africa to the forefront of the global technology landscape, Heirs Technologies will strategically invest in cutting edge technological solutions and develop platforms that foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders. Central to the company’s plans is to develop local capacity through meticulously tailored skills development programmes.</p><p>Heirs Holdings’ Group Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Nnorom, expressed his excitement about the launch while reiterating the company’s mission, "We are embarking on a journey fueled by innovation and driven by purpose. Our mission isn't solely about creating products; it's about shaping the future of technology, one groundbreaking solution at a time."</p><p>The launch of Heirs Technologies reaffirms Heirs Holdings' steadfast commitment to invest in sectors that provide long-term returns and have the ability to transform Africa’s economy. Heirs Holdings has been a pivotal player in various sectors critical for Africa’s development including financial services, energy, power, healthcare, real estate, and hospitality.</p><p>"The introduction of Heirs Technologies marks a significant milestone in our journey towards accelerating progress for future generations across Africa," said Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Founder & Group Chairman, Heirs Holdings. "Technology has the power to catalyse development, and we are committed to harnessing this potential to unlock new innovations that will improve lives and transform our continent.”</p><p>For more information about Heirs Technologies, please visit <a href="http://www.heirstechnologies.com">www.heirstechnologies.com</a></p><p>Heirs Holdings is a leading African investment company committed to improving lives and transforming Africa through strategic investments and sustainable development initiatives. With a diverse portfolio spanning multiple sectors, including financial services, energy, power, healthcare, real estate, hospitality and technology, Heirs Holdings is dedicated to driving inclusive growth and building a prosperous future for Africa.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-76596899904286548812024-03-10T13:01:00.004+01:002024-03-14T06:34:58.715+01:00Tinubu Orders Trailers Loaded With Food Items Seized At Borders Returned To Owners<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVCqd_EJLf1OOn8eQeRD7NFjHH0Ldi3U7NYFq8DUJZCssy7MGkBjI4Pe2xCbUGxWBijW_Q2dha2-HAq7q_bz4wDuUsri4hZL9e97eR2LE2tHAXi6YPtZEWJSSYRY8MAYUgq4LX_ouTqBBMkDEkZlcfkRwySKkmpYtxoHeEPEUeAVS2XudPGpDJUOdZ8E/s678/IMG_20240310_125541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="678" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVCqd_EJLf1OOn8eQeRD7NFjHH0Ldi3U7NYFq8DUJZCssy7MGkBjI4Pe2xCbUGxWBijW_Q2dha2-HAq7q_bz4wDuUsri4hZL9e97eR2LE2tHAXi6YPtZEWJSSYRY8MAYUgq4LX_ouTqBBMkDEkZlcfkRwySKkmpYtxoHeEPEUeAVS2XudPGpDJUOdZ8E/s320/IMG_20240310_125541.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to give back the food items they seized at the border communities to the rightful owners, with the requirement that the items should be sold in Nigerian markets.<p></p><p>The Customs Chief, Adewale Adeniyi, talked about this in Katsina yesterday while meeting with people from border areas at Kongolam and Mai’Adua border stations.</p><p>The Customs chief mentioned that President Tinubu had made a decision to use his authority not based on legal guidelines, "but rather reflecting the deep sense of generosity he holds towards Nigeria." </p><p>Adeniyi said: “In doing so, he has directed that those food items that were going out of the country that have been seized in various border areas should be returned to the owners on the condition that those goods would be sold in the Nigerian markets</p><p>.“So, we will be monitoring you to know if there is a violation of this. Those food items will be returned, and it is a directive that we will pass them back into the Nigerian markets,” Adeniyi said</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-60730160607707335642024-03-10T06:11:00.007+01:002024-03-14T06:36:27.691+01:00People Losing Faith In Nigeria’s Economy..AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngM782Q3wH_Ig2AUkeKk-qUFpFrqJ0YeZlCCIODwrino9-5OQ3AUOK8bDhxDOgaGRAEFd7z32Cbi1eQm6o6iR5iueYaZQj0UB6GZEdrpC7j4S56PBRmymF7uPOpOxHq9rhzgL9d3kWwL77JtyGm09K0lGyXJAlALOlkRVPN5xOTklnCMkrGPpPs9Z47U/s700/AKINWUMI-ADESINA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="700" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngM782Q3wH_Ig2AUkeKk-qUFpFrqJ0YeZlCCIODwrino9-5OQ3AUOK8bDhxDOgaGRAEFd7z32Cbi1eQm6o6iR5iueYaZQj0UB6GZEdrpC7j4S56PBRmymF7uPOpOxHq9rhzgL9d3kWwL77JtyGm09K0lGyXJAlALOlkRVPN5xOTklnCMkrGPpPs9Z47U/s320/AKINWUMI-ADESINA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>President of the African Development, Akinwumi Adesina, tells Punch about his career, economy, family and other issues</p><p>Do you think the Nigerian economy can cope or survive with the current exchange rate of over N1,500/dollar?</p><p>No, it cannot. The slide of the naira is because people are losing confidence in the economy. That is why I was saying that the way to deal with that is to see if we can expand the inflows of foreign exchange into the country. And hopefully, I just saw what the Governor of the Central Bank is doing in terms of the Monetary Policy Committee, as regards raising interest rate. I guess that will work, probably for the portfolio investors, but again, there are other consequences it could have in terms of investment in the critical sectors that you need to grow to be able to produce more and have the kind of export oriented-industrial manufacturing stance.</p><p>It is a balance between short-term solutions and long-term structural things that need to be done. I believe we need to deal with the short-term but keep the eye on the long-term structural things that must be done, and I will continue to maintain that. If you have an import-dependent economy, and you have a lot of forex like we used to have in abundance, and we were using that foreign exchange to shore up the naira, we are killing ourselves.</p><p><br /></p><p>First, that way, you are making import much cheaper because of the overvalued exchange rate.</p><p>Second, you also have a situation that is killing the domestic economy, because the productions of other industries are negatively affected by that.</p><p>Third, the non-oil economy that you need to be much more performing requires revalued exchange rate, because they are not traded in dollars, but in domestic currency equivalent. That means if your currency was much more devalued but not collapsing, you would have had a lot more opportunity to be competitive in the export of other items. It is like a flood is coming and you are trying to use your hand to stop it. Eventually, the flood will carry you and your hand away. I think we need to take a very serious look at that.</p><p><br /></p><p>Take the case of places like Netherlands for example. About a year or two ago, they were earning over $90bn a year from agricultural exports alone. Yet, how much land do they have? South Korea was earning about $230bn from exporting machinery and other electronics. We have top brains in this country. So, being competitive in the digital industry is important. Of course, we are doing well in the creative industry and others. We need to build those platforms that allow us to have that export-oriented manufacturing stance. I remember when I came to Nigeria a year or two ago, I gave a lecture to the Nigeria Manufacturers Association, and I remember they said that they liked the solutions I gave them and will like to turn it into a national policy.</p><p>If minimum wage is increased like it is being agitated, don’t you think that will lead to a crisis, because the private sector will not be able to match up?</p><p>As the President of the AfDB, I try not to get involved in domestic government policies, because those are domestic things government has to worry about.</p><p>But, I can only say in the general sense that simply increasing nominal wages in a high inflation environment is self-defeating, because at the end of the day, what matters is the effective purchasing power. So, keeping inflation down is the main thing. There are monetary policy issues that have to be taken. There are also a lot of other fiscal areas in term of expanding access to forex and changing the mix of national instruments available to government in terms of expensive commercial loans, which will also add to the problem. At the end of the day, nominal wage increase in a high inflation environment is going to run away from you. Keep your eye on just making sure that inflation goes down; and for that inflation to go down, a big part of what consumers are spending on should be produced locally.</p><p>How can the issue of unstable power supply be dealt with to help manufacturers?</p><p>There is no reason Nigeria should have epileptic power supply, simply because that is the cost of doing business. If you are not able to produce enough power domestically, and you are not able to be competitive in the local or regional markets, that is a problem. I think that Nigeria has a lot of potential for hydro and solar power across the country. In some areas, such as the Mambilla Plateau, there is even potential for wind power. As a country, we ought to be talking about having about 60,000 or 70,000 megawatts capacity, not 4,800MW that we currently generate. If Nigeria is to develop fast and grow in double digits, it must solve its power problem. But, more than solve it, it must accelerate it in a quantum way to allow Nigerians have low-cost power. I cannot emphasise it enough that if we don’t have electricity, the economy cannot grow. Running on diesel is not the way to run an economy. A lot more priority needs to be put on power; and it’s not rocket science.</p><p>At the African Development Bank, we are supporting 11 countries in the Sahel zone of Africa, and that includes the northern part of Nigeria, to develop 10,000 megawatts of solar power. It is called ‘desert to power’, and it is a $20bn investment that would provide electricity for about 250 million people. Basically, what I am saying is that there has to be a combination of thermal power, hydro power, solar power and every other resource we have, because the nation cannot develop in darkness.</p><p><br /></p><p>The International Monetary Fund has said that Nigeria has brought back fuel subsidy through the back door, and the World Bank has equally mentioned the same thing. Considering the pain this policy has caused Nigerians, don’t you think it should be stopped and a different policy direction taken?</p><p>I am not going to comment on the efficacy or otherwise of any domestic policy of any country, but the only thing I can say is that you cannot have surgery without anesthesia, or the distraction of anesthesia. At the end of the day, the impact of policies is on the livelihood or the living standards of the people, and I am sure that every government would want to look at the desired and undesired impacts of any policy, and try to have an adaptive way to adjust based on the realities that you actually face. At the end of the day, regardless of the country, if you are a pilot and you are going right through a headwind, you can either continue to do that or you go in a different direction. Public policies are always very important in the face of realities that we face, and I am sure the government must be thinking about that.</p><p>You have won several awards over the years. How would you rate the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership Award you just received, and what does it mean to you?</p><p>I have got quite a lot of global awards, but this is the first award I am getting that makes me emotional. It makes me emotional, because it is about somebody I revered because of his ‘welfarist’ policies. Without those policies, I might not have gone to school. For me, it is very special thing, and that places it not in my head, but in my heart.</p><p>Also, I don’t believe that awards are things you hang on as trophies. Rather, awards are supposed to make you have a sense of great accountability to do more. For me, the Obafemi Awolowo Prize further reinforces what I already believe in. I am 100 per cent into welfarist and people-centric policies, because I think development should be about people, and that leaders should lead with their hearts, not with their heads. You need your head to think, but you must lead with your heart. That is the work I believe Awolowo did, and is the philosophy I believe in too. I have patterned myself after those welfarist policies and in terms of what I really do.</p><p>When people look at our economy, it is often said that there is no depth in what we do. Do you think we need a critical mass to achieve the kind of change we want to see?</p><p>I think developing a critical mass depends on what you want to change; so first and foremost, we need to have some things that should not be acceptable. We should not be accepting that Nigeria is a poor country or has no electricity. We should not accept that Nigeria cannot feed itself and that is why, for me, it is not just the way you want things to be organised but what you organised for. It is what you want to change. Leaders may have intrinsic capabilities to lead, but the people don’t eat your intrinsic capabilities. They want to see changes in their lives.</p><p><br /></p><p>We should focus on what is acceptable or not, and what has become normalised. The abnormal has been normalised in many cases, and we have come to accept certain things. We should be a global player in the world, in terms of manufacturing, agriculture, education, trade and competitiveness. If you talk about leadership, it is leadership for what and to make Nigerians what? There is a difference in managing people in poverty, not where we are but where we should be. That is what we develop leadership for. I don’t need to know the difficult situation before giving a solution. I just need to write what I hate and develop a solution; that’s all.</p><p>What does inspiring inclusion mean to the AFDB?</p><p>I am a very gender-sensitive person, and I consider myself a defender of women’s rights, which I have been doing since very early in my career. I believe that no bird can fly with one wing. Every bird flies with two wings. You cannot develop any economy, unless you give the same rights to the women as you give to the men. Your gender should not have anything to do with how smart or capable you are.</p><p>Categorisation is not something I take lightly. I believe in girl child education because we have a problem in terms of high birth rate and fertility rate, and that happens a lot because the girls are not in school. I also think that women are the best in bringing up kids. They set values, but they must also have economic freedom, and enough resources to achieve that.</p><p>I also believe that financial investments in women are the best investments you can make, because if you invest in a woman who goes to school, has a business, and money, they will invest in their kids and solve malnutrition and stunted growth issues. They would make sure they have a decent household.</p><p>So when I took a look at it at the African Development Bank, I launched the Alphabetic Finance Action for Women in Africa. The goal is to mobilise $5bn for women’s businesses alone in Africa, because women can run businesses, but they don’t have access to land, collateral, and finance, simply because financial institutions mostly give those to men. So, I decided that we would change that and last year, we approved $1.5bn just for banks and financial institutions to help businesses owned by women.</p><p>When you talk about inclusiveness, I can include you and put you at the bottom; but I think that women deserve inclusiveness at the top, not only in finance, but also in the boardrooms.</p><p>What is AFDB’s policy when it comes to the inclusion of women?</p><p>It is making a difference every single day in the lives of young people in our urban and rural communities. Making a difference in the economy and making sure that Africa can develop with pride. That is what we do every single day. At the AFDB, I made a decision that we would not just be known for the banking part but also for our development strides. You have to accelerate that development and we are a very noble financial institution. Just last year, we were rated the best multi-lateral financial institution in the world. We were also ranked as the most transparent financial institution in the world. Today, we are a global financial institution working in Africa, and I say that because I am someone who believes that I have great staff, fantastic shareholders, and world members. Every single day, our motto is working constantly selflessly and in patience to accelerate Africa’s wealth.</p><p>We are currently facing a foreign exchange crisis as a country. How do we navigate it?</p><p>It is not easy to talk about some of the challenges that Nigeria is facing. And they are not unique to Nigeria, especially in terms of rising global interest rates, and the fact that you also have a situation of rising debt levels and rising debt service levels that have been going up because of the rising interest rates, as well as the depreciation of many currencies, including the naira. That means that the net debt exposure that you have serviced and the cost of actually doing that has gone up significantly at a time in which concessional financing globally has been going down. Therefore, the only way in which countries like Nigeria and others can get more access to capital is to go to the euro bond market and global capital markets, which again becomes more expensive because the yield curves are very different. Right now, the pricing becomes more expensive. I will say there are about four things that you should pay attention to.</p><p>One, of course, is to expand the access or the availability of forex. When currencies weaken, what you have is that you don’t have enough forex to actually back your currency; therefore your currency depreciates.</p><p>When you take a look at it, the approach that Nigeria has always been following for decades is that of allocating forex. So, it is an allocative position in times of a very restricted supply of foreign exchange. And that’s because we run an import substitution strategy that we have constantly been doing for a very long time. Nobody wins by playing defense. And the way to score is for Nigeria to have in my view, an export-oriented industrial manufacturing stance. That export oriented industrial manufacturing stance is like a funnel, in which you bring in more forex, because you’re actually developing your value chains that are export oriented and earning a lot of forex, as opposed to a redistributive model of a small amount of forex. That’s a fundamental structural change that any economy must have. And, that means the country has to build industrial value chains in which it has huge competitive advantage. It can be in agriculture, oil, gas or even creative industries. Basically any kind of industry that allows you to have the platforms to be a manufacturing powerhouse. That is a long-term solution to the problem that you have today.</p><p>Second, there needs to be a lot of support around Nigeria, given the tight fiscal space, and the lack of forex, to make available a lot more concessional financing to the Nigerian economy. And that’s what we’re doing at AFDB. This year, we expect to approve with our board, because we always go to our board of directors for approval, but our plan is to be able to do $1.76bn of financing to Nigeria in different sectors, including considering a potential policy base operation of budget support to Nigeria. We are discussing with the Minister of Finance; that is part of a $1bn budget support operation that will go into two tranches. Again, I will say it has to be approved by the board, but these are all the things that we are hoping to be able to do.</p><p><br /></p><p>The other challenge is the high inflation. Inflation is almost 30 per cent and as a result of that, you will find that the purchasing power has been eroded significantly in Nigeria. But tackling that inflation also requires looking at some of the structural drivers. A big part of that inflation is food price inflation. If you look at the Consumer Price Index, probably 65 per cent of it, If not even 75 per cent, is actually the price of food. And so, you don’t necessarily deal with food price inflation through your standard macroeconomic policy of tightening monetary supply. You deal with it by producing food, because that’s what needs to be done. I think it’s very important to be able to deal with that.</p><p>For the third part of it, a lot of it is actually cost push factors that are driving many of these things. If you look at structural challenges in terms of poor infrastructure, lack of electricity, and of course insecurity in many of the places that makes it difficult for people to produce food, aggregate food and transport food. I don’t think there is a unitary solution to the problem. I think it needs to be a structural solution.</p><p>Nigeria is currently facing a food crisis. As a former minister of agriculture, what can be done to address this crisis?</p><p>I am not used to complaining ; I am used to finding solutions. I told the President that we will strongly support the Nigerian government in finding a solution to that challenge. As I speak to you, we have approved $134m for Nigeria to implement an emergency food production plan. Already, we have supported the cultivation of 118,000 hectares of wheat in Nigeria this season. This month (March), we will have 150, 000 hectares of maize production.</p><p>By the rainy season in May and June, we will support Nigeria to do 300,000 hectares of rice. We will also do 300,000 hectares of maize, 150,000 hectares of cassava and 50,000 hectares of soybean. By the end of March, Nigeria would get out an additional one million metric tons of wheat and by November, we’ll have an additional four million metric tons of rice, cassava, maize and soybeans.</p><p>I am saying that because we have to continue to push for more food supply. But one thing that I would say is that the government needs to go back to the policy of electronic wallet system. When I was minister, we designed a programme to get seeds and fertilisers to farmers directly via their mobile phones by electronic vouchers. We were able to reach 15 million farmers in four years, and the whole place was brimming with food. It is like a patient who is sick, that you recommend something from the pharmacy, but if the pharmacy does not have the medicine, the person will always probably die. At the end of the day, it is not about the prescription, but the access to what they need. That is what I advise needs to be done very quickly. Access to high performing yields, high performing seeds, fertilisers and farm inputs is very critical; otherwise you will not be able to do it.</p><p>Those are the things we are doing in Nigeria. In addition to that, we have a programme that we have already implemented, called ‘special agro industrial processing zones’. Those are new economic zones we are supporting Nigeria to develop that are dedicated completely to food and agriculture, so that they have infrastructure food processing facilities. We provided $520m for that, in conjunction with the Islamic Development Bank, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. We expect that those things will start hitting the ground, and we will start construction by June. They will change the entire rural economy from the economic misery of right now to new zones of economic prosperity, because you turn agriculture into real business with value chains that can add value by creating massive amount of jobs.</p><p><br /></p><p>In addition to that, we are already planning to launch in 28 states a programme for $1bn. Together with our partners, we will build 28 more special agro industrial processes. The point I want to make is that structural interventions will make agriculture more productive, efficient and competitive. It will also earn a lot of forex.</p><p>How did you meet your wife?</p><p>That is the most interesting thing. I met my wife in the university. I would not be who I am and where I am today without my wife. She is even smarter than me. When we met at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), she was studying for a Master’s degree while and I was doing my work at the graduate school. One day, I went to a restaurant with a friend, and as we were eating, I just saw this lady walk in. That was in 1981. She was wearing a blue dress with white paint on it, and she also had a blue head-tie on. She was holding a book and walked up to our table, and I got distracted from my conversation and started focusing more on her. When we finished eating, I asked my friend who she was and I got her name and room number. I am very relentless with what I like to have, so I went after her.</p><p>I needed to make an impression for her to notice me, so I bought a very nice chicken from a supermarket and fried it well with spices, as my mum had taught me how to cook. I packaged it well and went to her room, and put it there with a card , introducing myself.</p><p>That was how she had to follow me, because she could not forget that gesture. She had to find out who the guy was, and that was was how we met. However, she likes to remind me that I have not been cooking since that time.</p><p>You are widely travelled but stay true to the African culture in your dress sense. How have you managed to achieve this?</p><p>I was not born a Nigerian by mistake, and I don’t think the fact that Nigeria has challenges is the way my country should be looked at. I see challenges and opportunities to do things differently, or an inspiration to rethink about issues. If I had wanted, I would have got the nationality of the United States of America, because I lived and worked there. But, I remember saying to one of my colleagues that I would not exchange the Nigerian passport for anything. My kids are American, because they were born there, and I always say that it is a reminder of what needs to change about where I am from. Therefore, in anything I do, there is a sense of duty and responsibility of nationalism of where I come from. I did not become a Nigerian by mistake; so serving Nigeria and supporting the country in any capacity I find myself in is not a job but a mission. I cannot think of any greater responsibility to be given than a position with the platform and resources to change the destiny of the continent of my birth. That is the greatest responsibility, and that’s how I view it. And, I would do the same for Nigeria.</p><p>What is your favourite local dish?</p><p>My favourite local dish is eba and gbegiri. My wife really helps with that and I am proudly Nigerian. I will live as a Nigerian, die as one and on the resurrection day, if God allows it, I will resurrect with a Nigerian flag.</p><p>What informs your unique haircut?</p><p>Most times, I don’t realise some of these things but I think that at the end of the day, the way you present yourself is very important; and I think identity is very important. People look at you based on how you relate with them, more than what you look like. So, I am more interested in my relationship with people than what people think I look like or dress like. Fundamentally, when I was growing up, my mother taught me saying, people are your clothing; never forget that. So how you talk to people, treat, support, and work for them is more important than what you look like.</p><p>Punch </p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-10910770119895919882024-03-09T08:04:00.000+01:002024-03-10T19:23:37.186+01:00Tinubu Suspends Implementation Of Expatriate Employment Levy <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_QRckD_IDYDIRU2D2mfnLMeWzrZ0pfs8j2fcH7xuUuSt4GBh9Aga4X9gxCOp7V_IL-fQoFLZfmz8ukd1qcchOvkqLlPPqLjWnfW-3Ga1UIqu4ElxkMJJHfvld3hfwhdBcNyhPFzabho_gx-aVtizYP9INZxmphpNPRH0dfH1m6Gf1z-PdxS4RwUWVGY/s2048/IMG_20240309_080050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="2048" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_QRckD_IDYDIRU2D2mfnLMeWzrZ0pfs8j2fcH7xuUuSt4GBh9Aga4X9gxCOp7V_IL-fQoFLZfmz8ukd1qcchOvkqLlPPqLjWnfW-3Ga1UIqu4ElxkMJJHfvld3hfwhdBcNyhPFzabho_gx-aVtizYP9INZxmphpNPRH0dfH1m6Gf1z-PdxS4RwUWVGY/s320/IMG_20240309_080050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> President Bola Tinubu has suspended the implementation of the recently enacted Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL) by the Ministry of Interior</p><p>Tinubu also directed the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) to review the Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL) policy.</p><p>A joint committee comprising members of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Ministry of Interior, NACCIMA, and other stakeholders will be formed to review the EEL policy.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-45229328099706253122024-03-08T04:31:00.016+01:002024-03-10T19:26:52.643+01:00Erisco Brouhaha: Chioma Okoli's Counsel Replies Police<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTlLcl-_spvhq0LoJkAYuINID4DkBOdzgeQQWGE4e-DUP2XO1C2DGk-prNZV1HKvrSqH1MFQq3T5pz2IRsMm3RmEm1Ba0ZIeFbQvo5RCwZjI6EoBoJe2ZsRsZkdIPRdgtc1XYbpvrm2di8vTfw14t1O9rTKHM_UodupxCSwcXMk87vGUjYB-iclqgLek/s720/FB_IMG_1709835124324.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="720" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTlLcl-_spvhq0LoJkAYuINID4DkBOdzgeQQWGE4e-DUP2XO1C2DGk-prNZV1HKvrSqH1MFQq3T5pz2IRsMm3RmEm1Ba0ZIeFbQvo5RCwZjI6EoBoJe2ZsRsZkdIPRdgtc1XYbpvrm2di8vTfw14t1O9rTKHM_UodupxCSwcXMk87vGUjYB-iclqgLek/s320/FB_IMG_1709835124324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>PREJUDICIAL AND BASELESS PRESS RELEASE BY THE FORCE PRO ON THE ERISCO TOMATOES MATTER</p><p>Our attention has been drawn to a prejudicial and utterly baseless press release issued by the Force PRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi on the Erisco Tomatoes matter.</p><p>In his press release, the Force PRO stated that the police is committed to “upholding the rule of law in the Erisco Tomatoes matter.” This is laughable because every action taken so far in this matter shows blatant disregard for the rule of law.</p><p>For example, it is on record that policemen who claimed to be acting under the orders of the Inspector General of Police illegally invaded the home of our client on 9th January, 2024 and laid siege to her home for over 10 hours in their attempt to rearrest her, in violation of the subsisting restraining order of the Federal High Court that our client must not be rearrested except on the express order of a court of competent jurisdiction.</p><p>The Force PRO also insinuated that the crowdfunding by spirited Nigerians to support Chioma’s legal pursuits is aimed at “influencing legal proceedings.” We are unable to make sense of this particular statement as it is neither coherent nor reasonable.</p><p>It is preposterous for the Force PRO to insinuate that crowdfunding can influence legal proceedings. He failed to state exactly how this is possible or how it affects Chioma’s case. If the Force PRO is interested in getting a share of the funds contributed by concerned Nigerians to support Chioma, he should come out plainly and say so instead of indulging in embarrassing prevarication.</p><p>ACP Adejobi also asserted that “preliminary investigation unearthed compelling evidence indicating Mrs. Chioma’s alleged role in the violation of extant laws”. We consider this statement prejudicial to a fair trial.</p><p>Since the police has filed a charge in court, they should allow the court to determine the case instead of engaging in media trial. It is curious that the Force PRO has chosen to keep the so-called “compelling evidence” only in his head. He should extract it from his head and present it before the court. We cannot comment on fiction.</p><p>By Section 36(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Chioma is presumed innocent until proven guilty.</p><p>We are equally taken aback by the barefaced falsehood propagated by the Force PRO to the effect that Chioma had jumped bail. This is offensive and we may be forced to sue ACP Adejobi for that defamatory statement. Chioma is not on the run and has never jumped bail.</p><p>The fact of the matter is that since the Police filed their charge against her, they refused or failed to serve her with a copy of the charge. Chioma has also not been served with a trial notice or summons from the court. Before rushing to the media to scandalize our client, the Force PRO should have sought legal advice on the extant legal procedures.</p><p>Under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, a defendant who is not in custody must be served with a copy of the charge along proof of evidence and notice of trial. These are preconditions to the appearance of the defendant in court.</p><p>The last two times that the charge came up in court, the police prosecutor admitted that they were yet to serve Chioma with a copy of the charge and pleaded for more time. We waited for them to do so but they didn’t. We proceeded on our own to apply for and obtain the certified true copy of the charge to save the time of the Court. We did this to demonstrate that Chioma is ready and very willing to stand trial and has nothing to fear.</p><p>It is sad that rather than commend us for going on our own to obtain the charge instead of waiting till whenever the police decides to serve Chioma, the Force PRO has decided to peddle a false and malicious narrative for reasons best known to him.</p><p>We urge ACP Adejobi to desist from propaganda and imbibe responsible policing attributes.</p><p>INIBEHE EFFIONG, ESQ.</p><p>(Lead Counsel to Chioma Okoli)..</p><p><br /></p><p>Police Statement </p><p>ERISCO TOMATOES MATTER: OUR CYBERCRIME ACT IS POTENT, EFFECTIVE</p><p>As Police Reaffirms Prosecution of Chioma, No Sentiment in Law.</p><p>The Nigeria Police Force reaffirms its commitment to upholding the rule of law in the Erisco Tomato matter. The involvement of Mrs. Chioma warrants scrutiny as she stands accused of violating some salient parts of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 as preliminary investigations conducted have unearthed compelling evidence indicating Mrs. Chioma's alleged role in the violation of extant laws, particularly those related to the proper use of the cyber space. </p><p>At this juncture, it is imperative to caution members of the public against spreading misinformation and attempting to manipulate public sentiment. The law operates impartially, and any attempt to subvert it will be met with the full force of legal action. The recent developments in the case are deeply worrisome, particularly the use of crowdfunding as a means to influence legal proceedings. Such actions undermine the integrity of the justice system and threaten the principles of fairness and accountability as they are highly inimical to the existence of the rule of law. </p><p>This case in point underscores the necessity of enforcing existing legislation, including the Cybercrime Act, to counteract the current spate of violations of the Act and spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media. It is vital to reaffirm that the Nigeria Police is poised to enforce all laws without fear, favour, or sentiments in its commitment to ensuring justice and transparency for all citizens. </p><p>We therefore advise the suspect to cease the continual jumping bail and turn up in court, as a neutral arbiter, to determine the matter, and allow justice to take its course, while we admonish Nigerians, most especially social media influencers, to resort to embracing the rule of law, and shun all display of sentiments in the case, and in many others as the police will not be deterred by the antics of certain individuals to pervert justice in any way.</p><p>ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI,</p><p>FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER,</p><p>FORCE HEADQUARTERS,</p><p>ABUJA</p><p>7th March, 2024</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-68549853920641988772024-03-07T16:23:00.002+01:002024-03-10T19:27:14.820+01:00I'm Considering Scrapping 'likes' and reposts On X posts .. Elon Musk<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_kRsqTEhyY8a2xEHBN2l8jr7_kOk2wDrjwyVnrvNP5N6H4jwSg8Idm7r0ApCt_0STttS-2N-Zr9W5r4aghu2Owp0kGNJdgecMYyKKucxmOYyIuZAkYASb-wNp7Z74HKCRrihw9vJg0N8aeUVD4m1DdrcVE9U29ZPf1L5595h0EyNA2tuPU3Z6IOMkNM/s720/FB_IMG_1709824753498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_kRsqTEhyY8a2xEHBN2l8jr7_kOk2wDrjwyVnrvNP5N6H4jwSg8Idm7r0ApCt_0STttS-2N-Zr9W5r4aghu2Owp0kGNJdgecMYyKKucxmOYyIuZAkYASb-wNp7Z74HKCRrihw9vJg0N8aeUVD4m1DdrcVE9U29ZPf1L5595h0EyNA2tuPU3Z6IOMkNM/s320/FB_IMG_1709824753498.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Tesla boss, Elon Musk, has announced that his microblogging platform, X (Formerly Twitter) is considering getting rid of the figures of likes and reposts on posts.</p><p><br /></p><p>If implemented, it would stop showing the number of likes and reposts a post has received but will allow the owner of the post to see from their end.</p><p><br /></p><p>He said this to attendees of the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference, Daily Mail reports on Wednesday, March 6.</p><p><br /></p><p>Musk also told the crowd that X is a few months away from receiving approval for a money transmitter license in New York.</p><p><br /></p><p>After acquiring Twitter, Musk claimed that under his ownership, the app renamed X, would be an 'everything app,' including not just messaging but also banking and shopping.</p><p><br /></p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9078506883199109738.post-53450064577291384492024-03-07T05:52:00.004+01:002024-03-10T19:28:12.219+01:00Bureaucracy, Cash Crunch Stall e-Passport Issuance<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpscNhwISk_YlKJ9H5J8EOAOrjTnVbYhJaBxfyYPpccnuOfRU0RMXxJnW6eS1_3OVu3jfIQ3u10TGMR2uAKxOhPT9mulbTf4PFmwKo-DmeZMqqIhgiDt8Hya3IDrYqsYywBAVHB5W2OdF-U8GT09N7ZaPBfEnLCocxAc5IcBpCKAKOSv0qW36pB7K3xjw/s720/20240307_054813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="720" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpscNhwISk_YlKJ9H5J8EOAOrjTnVbYhJaBxfyYPpccnuOfRU0RMXxJnW6eS1_3OVu3jfIQ3u10TGMR2uAKxOhPT9mulbTf4PFmwKo-DmeZMqqIhgiDt8Hya3IDrYqsYywBAVHB5W2OdF-U8GT09N7ZaPBfEnLCocxAc5IcBpCKAKOSv0qW36pB7K3xjw/s320/20240307_054813.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>There is a looming scarcity of passport booklets due to a cash crunch, it was learnt yesterday.</p><p>Service providers are owed billions, while printed booklets are stuck in warehouses over debts.</p><p>Also, bureaucratic bottlenecks over the remittance of Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS’) share of revenues from passport issuance have become a major obstacle.</p><p>The situation is threatening to derail reforms initiated by the Federal Government to ease the burden of e-passport issuance.</p><p>It was learnt that booklets have been exhausted.</p><p>The e-passport reform is faced with bureaucratic challenges, especially with the Treasury Single Account (TSA).</p><p>The TSA is said to have become inactive as officials are yet to address all stakeholder concerns regarding funds distribution challenges.</p><p>TSA refers to a public accounting system using a single account or a set of linked accounts by the government to ensure all revenue receipts and payments are done through a Consolidated Revenue Account (CRA) at the CBN.</p><p>The development has made it difficult for the NIS to access funds to offset huge debts running into billions of naira owed service providers.</p><p>Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had initiated reforms that led to the clearance of over 200,000 passport backlogs.</p><p>However, the current situation may result in another accumulation if not urgently addressed.</p>CKN NEWShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04245589149509423595noreply@blogger.com0