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Commendations have continued to trail the magnanimity of Senator Tony Nwoye of the Labour party and the Senator representating Anambra North Senatorial District who yesterday at   Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State, empowered over 12,000 individuals in the state. Those empowered were gifted sewing machines, engine boats, engineering machines, generator sets, grinding machines, medical kits, bags of rice, among others.  The empowerment which took place at the premises of the All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha, was preceded by a Thanksgiving service that was held at the Basilica of the Holy Trinity of Onitsha, Anambra State. Addressing the crowd, Senator Tony Nwoye said the event had nothing to do with politics but was to appreciate God for his mercies as well as thank the people for their support and prayers since he has been elected into the Senate.  “The essence is to give God the glory. We gave Thanksgiving at the All Saints Cathedral presided by ...

The setting up of a consumer credit fund is coming weeks after the Presidential Council on Industrial Revitalisation announced it was establishing a Technical Working Group to develop a framework to enhance consumer credit in the country. The committee consists of members from the CBN, the National Identity Management Commission, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Commission. The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Ani, said, “An efficient consumer credit system is a highly essential component of successful economies, as it works to improve market efficiencies and fill in gaps in consumption and productivity by providing consumers immediate access to credit, allowing them to purchase ahead of ability. “The absence of a well-structured consumer credit system has been a significant impediment to financial inclusion and economic prosperity.” She noted that while the country has numerous financial institutions and credit schemes, many Nigerians stil...

By Dr Justin Ogoo Nwankwo 7th January, 2024 The unfolding events in Anambra state this Yuletide season is getting the average observer worried that the current Governor of Anambra state Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo has activated Panic Mode button in his desperation to win a second tenure in office. Across so many communities, the Town Union Government election was conducted; the imperial and panic stricken Governor alongside his coterie of power mongers have mandated, intimidated and bamboozled town unions into electing only his protégé as President Generals. All aspirants to such positions must bend low and enter APGA and specifically become a member of Soludo Apostles to be given clearance to win. In many communities, elections were cancelled, postponed and declared inconclusive just on state might, and because of Prof Soludo and his Commissioner for Chieftaincy, LGA and Community Affairs Tony Collins Nwabunne. In Oko Community precisely, the propaganda and the panic mode...

Fresh developments in the financial sector have shown that despite the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN’s move to ameliorate the cash crunch situation by suspending charges for cash withdrawals above regulatory limits, scarcity of currency notes in the banks nationwide has continued to hit harder, even after the Yuletide season. Findings have revealed that banks across the country have continued to ration cash withdrawals in the banking halls and through their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) while Point of Sale Operators, PoS, operators, have taken advantage by hiking transaction fees by not less than 100%. Recall that the CBN had recently suspended charges for cash withdrawals above the regulatory limits of N500,000 for individuals and N3 million for corporate account holders, nonetheless, banks still peg customers’ withdrawals far below the statutory limits. The apex bank had said that the suspension of the charges will last till April 30 this year and threatened to sanction...

President Bola Tinubu has demanded a thorough probe of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation headed by Betta Edu. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this known in a statement on Sunday. “The government is determined to unravel the truth as it relates to this matter, and assures that appropriate action will be taken to ensure that any breaches and infractions are identified and decisively punished, in line with the Administration’s commitment to public accountability and due process.” The statement reads, “The Ministry of Information and National Orientation acknowledges the concerns raised by the public regarding the alleged payment of funds into a private account by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. We are aware of the narratives circulating widely and wish to assure Nigerians that the Government takes these issues most seriously. “The Federal Government, under the leadership of Pres...

The Supreme Court has granted the Federal Government total control of all waterways in the country, including the right to levy and licence operators in the sector. The court, in a landmark judgement it delivered last Friday, in an appeal marked: SC/CV/17/2018, held that States lack the constitutional right to impose levies on businesses operating in the nation’s inland waterways.The appeal was filed by the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, and the Nigerian Maritime Standard and Safety Agency, NMSSA, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, as well as the Minister of Transport. Respondents to the case were the Lagos State Waterways, the state’s Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, the state’s Attorney-General, the Governor of Lagos State, the Incorporated Trustees of Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transportation of Nigeria, ATBOWTN, and the Incorporated Trustees of Dredgers Association of Nigeria, DAN. The apex court held that it...

Many people, including women and kids aboard an unidentified boat, are feared dead after a boat capsized on the River Niger. People were seen attempting to rescue the victims from the river close to the shores of Onitsha early on Sunday morning, according to eyewitness report. The passengers were said to be coming from Kogi state, even though the precise number of casualties could not be officially determined when this report was filed. When reached, the spokesman for the Anambra State Police, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, verified the development and stated that the situation was under control. Ikenga said, “The situation is under control. Our marine operatives, on getting the distress call about the incident, responded swiftly. We were able to rescue over 30 of the passengers alive and recovered the five lifeless bodies in the depths of the sea and the capsized boat. “Preliminary information revealed that the boat was from Kogi State, conveying goods and passengers before the unfo...

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly probe the alleged payment by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu of N585.2 million meant for disbursement to vulnerable people in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos, and Ogun states into a private account.” SERAP also urged him “to direct Mr Fagbemi and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly and thoroughly investigate whether the N585.2 million has been paid into any private account, and to identify and publish the names of anyone who may have received the money.” SERAP said, “Anyone suspected to be involved in any improper payment or diversion of public funds should be brought to justice and any diverted public funds returned to the public treasury and paid directly to the rightful beneficiaries.” In ...

Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal on Sunday pulled out of the Australian Open with a “micro tear on a muscle” barely a week after making his comeback from a year-long injury absence, but said he remained positive. The 37-year-old had been out of the game since injuring his hip at the 2023 Australian Open, undergoing surgery before making his return at the Brisbane International. He won his opening two matches in straight sets and looked in good touch, but needed a medical timeout towards the end of his quarter-final loss to Australia’s Jordan Thompson after feeling pain in his upper left thigh. “During my last match in Brisbane I had a small problem on a muscle that as you know made me worried,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Once I got to Melbourne I have had the chance to make an MRI and I have micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news. “Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of five-set matches. I’m...

President Bola Tinubu has approved the payment of N12billon to clear outstanding payment for the Super Eagles and other Nigeria’s national teams of various sports. According to a statement on the X handle of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Center, the payment entails the clearing of the senior national team coach salaries running up to 15 months, payments of allowances and promises due to the senior national teams, females, and Under-20 national team. The statement reads, “President @officialABAT has approved the payment of N12billon outstanding backlog for Nigeria’s National teams of various sports, which includes super eagles and others. “The payment entails the clearing of the senior national team coach salaries running up to 15 months, payments of allowances and promises due to the senior national teams, females, and Under-20 national team. “This is coming at a time when the Super Eagles of Nigeria are preparing to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, which is bi...