Author: Doris Israel Ijeoma

  • NYSC debunks reports of change of Corps members uniform

    NYSC debunks reports of change of Corps members uniform

    The National Service Corps, NYSC, has reacted to a trending social media video which depicts a change of Corps Members’ uniform to a new one.

    The NYSC said all the items that Corps members receive on arrival during registration at the Orientation Camps remain the same.

    The NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, in a statement said, “Members of the public, especially Prospective Corps members are hereby advised to disregard the misleading and highly embarrassing tiktok video in its entirety, as efforts are ongoing on the distribution of uniforms and other essential variables to all the 37 NYSC Orientation Camps across the country in preparation for the forthcoming 2024 Batch ‘B’ Stream One Orientation Course,”

    “Recently, the Federal Government approved the improvement in the quality of the material used in sewing Corps Members’ uniforms.

    “This is already done and Corps Members are already enjoying the improved quality.

    “Social Media Influencers are strongly warned to desist forthwith, from using NYSC Corporate brand in any online medium that may attract negative publicity to the Scheme, while defaulters would be prosecuted according to legal provisions.’

  • Minimum wage: I’ll approve what Nigeria can afford — Tinubu

    Minimum wage: I’ll approve what Nigeria can afford — Tinubu

    President Bola Tinubu says he will approve a new minimum wage that the Nigerian government can afford. 

    He stated this on Wednesday at a dinner with the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, among other top government officials to mark Nigeria’s 25 years of unbroken Democracy in Abuja.

    The President, while appreciating those who stood by him over the years, promised Nigerians he won’t depart from the tenets of democratic governance.
     
    “I have to celebrate with you my dear brother, Senate President, Deputy Senate President,” he said.

    According to Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Jibrin Barau would soon get an Executive Bill from him on the new minimum wage.

    “The minimum wage is going to be what Nigerians can afford, what you can afford and what I can afford. Cut your coat according to your size, if you have size at all,” he said.

  • Peter Obi Knocks EFCC For Arresting Bobrisky, Cubana Chief Priests Instead Of Politicians 

    Peter Obi Knocks EFCC For Arresting Bobrisky, Cubana Chief Priests Instead Of Politicians 

    Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has berated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the arrest of a popular Nigerian crossdresser, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, also known as Bobrisky and celebrity barman, Pascal Okechukwu, better known as Cubana Chief Priest, over naira mutilation.

    EFCC secured a six-month conviction against Bobrisky for mutilating the country’s currency, naira, during one of his public outings.

    Similarly, Cubana Chief Priest is facing the same offence for which Bobrisky was convicted.

    During an interview on Arise News TV on Wednesday night, Peter Obi said the EFCC should use the same energy to probe massive corruption affecting poor Nigerians.

    According to the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Bobrisky and Cubana Chief Priest’s case are minor issues.

    Peter Obi said that many pressing issues, such as budget padding and inflated contracts, demand urgent intervention from the anti-graft agency rather than using public funds to secure a conviction for abuse of currency.

    He said, “If it is not budget padding today, it would be undisclosed subsidy payment, inflated contracts, and all sorts of things.

    “These are issues I want our agencies like EFCC to start dealing with by not arresting Bobrisky and Obi Cubana. These are minor issues.

    “Our agencies should face budget padding squarely not arresting Bobrisky because he dressed like a woman and spent like N500 notes.

    “If someone comes to Nigeria today and says we are going to feed only women in this hunger time, all men would dress like women and go and collect the food because we are all hungry. People will dress like Bobrisky. Everybody will turn into women.”

  • Multichoice Cries Out As 18% Of Nigerian Subscribers Boycott DStv

    Multichoice Cries Out As 18% Of Nigerian Subscribers Boycott DStv

    Multichoice Group, the African Pay-TV operator, has lamented the recent drop in the number of DStv subscribers in Nigeria.

    In the company’s financial report for the year ending on March 31, 2024, Multichoice attributed the 18% decrease in active subscribers of DStv in Nigeria to the country’s economy.

    It noted that the latest decline in Nigeria had a significant impact on the overall subscriber database, resulting in a 9% decrease for the entire year.

    The specific number of subscriptions in Nigeria was not provided, as it was combined with other operating units outside South Africa under the category of ‘Rest of Africa’ (RoA).

    Multichoice further revealed that the 18% decline in Nigeria contributed to a 13% decrease in the total active subscribers of RoA, bringing the figure down to 8.1 million from 9.3 million in 2023.

    “The group’s 9% decline in active subscribers was mainly due to a 13% decline in the Rest of Africa business as mass-market customers in countries like Nigeria had to prioritise basic necessities over entertainment, while the South African business showed more resilience with a 5% decline.

    “The Nigerian economy and consumers faced persistent challenges through FY24. The removal of fuel subsidies, sharp currency depreciation with the official naira halving in value, inflation climbing to over 30%, and higher emigration of the middle and upper class drove an 18% YoY decline in active subscribers,” the company said.

    Multichoice mentioned that this led to a decrease in Nigeria’s share of the Rest of Africa revenues from 44% to 35%.

    It was pointed out that Ghana experienced a comparable subscriber trend due to an inflation rate that remains above 20%.

    Additionally, Multichoice explained that, because of the difficult market conditions, the immediate priority for its RoA (Nigeria, Angola, Kenya, Ghana, and Zimbabwe) operations shifted from increasing subscribers to protecting profitability and cash flow.

    It added: “Several cost-saving initiatives were implemented, including scaling back significantly on decoder subsidies (-46% YoY or ZAR1.3 billion), and reducing selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) costs by ZAR500 million. These interventions enabled the Rest of Africa business to increase trading profit by 48% YoY to ZAR1.3 billion.”

  • ‘Tinubu kept campaign promises to Nigerians’ – Peter Obi

    ‘Tinubu kept campaign promises to Nigerians’ – Peter Obi

    Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has insisted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has kept his campaign promises to Nigerians.

    Obi stated this during a Democratic Day chat on Arise TV.

    In those days of electioneering, Tinubu had promised to build a Nigeria, especially for the youth, where sufficient jobs with decent wages create a better life.

    He said Nigeria would manufacture, create, and invent more of the goods and services it require, adding that the country shall be known as a nation of creators, not just of consumers.

    Tinubu also said that Nigeria would export more and import less, thereby strengthening both the naira and citizen’s way of life.

    But in all, Tinubu had maintained that, “I will continue from where Buhari stopped.”

    And Peter Obi, who contested against Tinubu in the election and came third, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said that among all his promises, the President has kept the part he vowed to walk in the footsteps of his predecessor.

    “I think President Tinubu has performed exceptionally well in his first year in office. I’ll say that President Tinubu has kept his campaign promises,” Obi said.

    “Throughout his campaign, he consistently maintained that he would continue from where Buhari stopped and that he’s done very well. 

    “I’ll give him excellent passes. Dollar was N450, it’s now N1500. Fuel was about N238, it’s now about N700; diesel was N844, it’s now N1415; a bag of rice was N30000-N35000, it’s now about N80,000; a bag of beans was similar, N30,000-35000, it’s now about N90,000; a tuber of yam was about N2000-N3000, but now it’s about N10,000; tomatoe basket was about N40,000 and now it’s about N150,000; electricity was N66 per kilowatt but now it’s about N200, you can go on and on.

    “Even bread, which is a basic thing other countries are subsidizing, small-medium bread was about N450 but is now N900. The big one is about N1500.”

    Other promises made by Tinubu include, but not limited to, “assisting our ever-toiling farmers, through enlightened agricultural policy that promotes productivity and assures decent incomes, so that farmers can support their families and feed the nation; modernising and expanding public infrastructure; emboldening and supporting our young people and women by harnessing emerging sectors such as the digital economy, entertainment and culture, tourism, train and give economic opportunity to the poorest and most vulnerable among us; generate, transmit and distribute sufficient, affordable electricity; make basic healthcare, education, and housing accessible and affordable for all; and most importantly, establish a bold and assertive policy that will create a strong yet adaptive national security architecture and action to obliterate terror, kidnapping, banditry, and all other forms of violent extremism from the face of our nation.”

  • Sexual harassment: FG suspends perm sec, orders probe

    Sexual harassment: FG suspends perm sec, orders probe

    The Office of the Head of Service has suspended Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, due to an allegation of sexual harassment. 

    Head of Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan stated that Lamuwa will remain suspended pending the results of an investigation into the matter.

    “The permanent secretary has been suspended pending the outcome of the probe by the committee set up, “ a senior director in the OHCSF told our correspondent in Abuja.

    Following a petition submitted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar against Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa, the Head of Service established a committee to investigate the matter. 

    The petition, filed by Simisola Ajayi through her lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, accused Lamuwa of repeated sexual harassment and detailed the alleged incidents.

     In a letter dated May 27, 2024, Tuggar conveyed his concern about the gravity of the allegations involving the permanent secretary to the Head of Service.

    “I am compelled to write to inform you of a formal complaint against the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ibrahim Adamu Lamuwa, on allegations of sexual harassment.

    “Bearing in mind the gravity of the matter, I feel it necessary to draw your attention to it and ask that you handle it accordingly,” the minister stated in the letter.

  • UK varsity offers flight assistance to expelled Nigerian students 

    UK varsity offers flight assistance to expelled Nigerian students 

    Teesside University in the United Kingdom has announced a new initiative to support Nigerian students facing severe financial difficulties by funding their flights home, as reported by BBC on Tuesday.

    This move came after several students were removed from their courses and ordered to leave the UK due to their inability to pay tuition fees.

    The financial crisis in Nigeria, exacerbated by a shift from a seven-installment to a three-installment payment plan by the university, left many students struggling to cover their expenses.

    A local food charity reported that 75 per cent of its clients are now Nigerian students, highlighting the extent of their financial hardship.

    On May 22, 2024, a group of Nigerian students at Teesside University were expelled from their courses and ordered to leave the United Kingdom due to difficulties in paying their tuition fees on time.

    The students cited the devaluation of the naira as a significant barrier to meeting their financial obligations, which has led to a breach of their visa sponsorship requirements.

    Several students found themselves locked out of their university accounts, reported to the Home Office, and mandated to leave the UK.

    The university maintained that strict external regulations necessitate these actions.

    The affected students, numbering 60, expressed deep distress and disappointment, accusing the university of being unsupportive and “heartless.”

    They banded together to urge the university for assistance after witnessing their peers face severe consequences for late payments.

    On May 29, 2024, the Federal Government stepped in to address the deportation orders issued against some Nigerian students at Teesside University.

    A delegation led by a representative of the Nigerian Embassy in the UK, Ambassador Christian Okeke, along with leaders of the Nigerian Students Union in the UK, met with the University’s management to seek a resolution.

    However, following protests and the intervention of the Nigerian government, the university has re-enrolled some affected students and opened a relief fund.

    “We are working with a small group who need to return to their home country and are opening an international relief fund to offer additional financial support for these unexpected travel costs,” a university spokesperson told the BBC.

    The university is also offering some students the option to complete their studies remotely from Nigeria or to return to the UK at a later date.

    The BBC understands some students have lodged legal appeals.

  • My fall was prostration for democracy— Tinubu defends Eagle Square fall 

    My fall was prostration for democracy— Tinubu defends Eagle Square fall 

    President Bola Tinubu has made a light weather of his fall at the Eagle Square during the Democracy Day celebration, stating it was part of the festivities. 

    At a subsequent Democracy Day dinner in the Presidential Villa, Tinubu humorously referred to his fall as a “Yoruba boy’s prostration,” generating laughter from attendees. 

    He playfully remarked on social media reactions, joking about confusion between “Buga” and “Babaringa.” Embracing the spirit of June 12, Tinubu described it as a day to celebrate democracy while paying homage in his traditional Yoruba manner. 

    Despite earlier dismissals by his aides of the incident as a minor misstep, reactions from Nigerians, including political rivals, varied from expressions of concern to playful jabs.

  • Road accident claims 25 lives in Enugu 

    Road accident claims 25 lives in Enugu 

    A tragic road accident at Ugwu Onyeama in Enugu State along the Enugu-Onitsha federal highway has claimed the lives of at least 25 people.

    According to reports on Wednesday, the accident involved 10 vehicles, including both private and commercial buses. The crash is believed to have been caused by a Nigerian Army checkpoint.

    Many individuals with severe injuries are currently being transported to hospitals in and around the state capital.

    An eyewitness reported that a truck failed to brake and collided with multiple vehicles that had stopped on the hilly road, leading to the unfortunate loss of lives.

    A trailer traveling on the newly constructed lane experienced brake failure and crashed into more than 10 vehicles, both private and commercial.

    “The army checkpoint at that axis continues to claim lives.

    “More than 25 persons lost their life instantly and many rushed to the hospital,” one of the eyewitnesses reportedly said.

  • Suspended RCCG Pastor, Iluyomade Under Pressure To Start Own Ministry

    Suspended RCCG Pastor, Iluyomade Under Pressure To Start Own Ministry

    Former Regional Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, City of David, Region 20, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, and his wife, Dr. Siju Iluyomade, have reportedly resigned as pastors of the church and are currently under pressure to begin their own ministry.

    The resignation followed his refusal to serve his three-month suspension and transfer to another parish in Ebute Meta.

     Pastor Iluyomade was transferred from RCCG Region 20 following the controversy that trailed his wife’s birthday celebration when the church was mourning the death of former CEO of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe.

    A new minister, Pastor Charles Kpandei has resumed as the new senior pastor of the region on Sunday, June 9, 2024.

    A source close in an interview with Vanguard said Iluyomade has resigned, but the governing council has not accepted his resignation letter.

    The source also said the Apapa Family, the RCCG arm working with the government and other public sector institutions, is trying to ensure that Pastor Iluyomade sets up his ministry.

    The source said: “Since he is serving a suspension, the resignation has not been accepted by the governing council. The council will not meet until August when the suspension will lapse. The church has an exit procedure for pastors of his calibre.

    “The Apapa Family group is believed to be an RCCG arm working with governments and other public sector institutions to establish charity projects in the areas of healthcare, education, infrastructure, citizens’ welfare and capacity building.

    “Whether it is for self-gains and desires just the way they influenced Pastor Ituah Ighodalo to resign from the RCCG and establish their ministries, only God knows.”