NIGERIAN NOTCH

The church considered as a sacred place where priests offer prayers, turned into a slaughter house recently at the Grace of Comfort Parish of the Celestial Church of Christ, Ile-Ife in Osun State. It was not just an ordinary person that was allegedly killed on the sacred platform, but the shepherd of the church, Most Senior Evangelist Morris Fadehan by his assistant, Lekan Ogundipe, following several disagreements between them. Ogundipe was said to have laid ambush within the church premises and unleashed terror on his victim while the deceased bowed and prayed on the altar. He allegedly stabbed him in the head several times, hit a nail through his ear and nose before dragging the lifeless body out of the altar, wrapped it with clothes and set it on fire. Ogundipe while allegedly perpetrating his crime also sustained injuries on his hand while the deceased, during the struggle, scratched him severely on the face. It was gathered that the church’s shepherd had on many occasi...

African Development Bank (AfDB) chief Akinwumi Adesina says the future of the Nigerian youths does not lie in Europe, North America or anywhere else but in the West African country, here in the continent of Africa. The former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture stated this when he bagged the prestigious 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership in Lagos on Wednesday. Adesina, who spoke after serving and former African Presidents took turns to commend his outstanding leadership in Africa, said nations grow economically by keeping their best human capital at home and getting additional resource skills elsewhere. The 64-year-old statesman lamented the migration phenomenon known as Japa which has been popularised by Nigerian youths leaving the country in their droves for economic prosperity and job security in faraway Europe, the Americas, Asia and other parts of the world. “While one might argue that our growing diaspora is good as they send back billions of dollars, higher than ...

The House of Representatives Committee on Capital Markets and Institutions has queried operators of the capital market over unclaimed dividends by shareholders. The committee said that it was necessary to ensure a healthy business environment in Nigeria where investors would be safe and could conduct their businesses with peace of mind. Solomon Bob, the Chairman of the committee, said this in Abuja on Wednesday when the operators of the capital market appeared before the committee to answer questions bothering on unclaimed dividends. He asked the operators why Nigeria is bedeviled with so many unclaimed dividends, while also asking them what they had done in their respective capacities to stem the tide. “Why do we have such huge amounts of unclaimed dividends, and what are the chairmen doing in their respective positions to ensure that such unclaimed dividends become history?” He said, “how well are you complying with the law? We need to know the extent to which you have go...

With Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, unwilling to offtake available power, Generation Companies, GenCos, have disclosed that they lost N27.14 billion in January and February 2024 after 4,724.76MW capacity was left stranded. Data posted by the Association of Power Generation Companies, APGC, showed that in January while available power generation capacity was 6,444.05 Megawatts actual average daily generation was 4,293.86MW, leaving 2,150.37MW of power stranded at a loss of N13.04 billion. In February, available power generation capacity was 6,384MW while actual average daily generation was 3,809.96MW leaving 2,574.39MW of capacity unutilised at a cost of N14.10 billion. In a note obtained from the CEO, APGC, Dr. Joy Ogaji however explained that contrary to the narrative in the public domain, power generation was not the problem in the sector. She claimed that GenCos were being paid only 30 percent of their invoice, wondering how the plants were expected to opera...

Nigerian singer, Rema has opened up about his battle with long-sightedness. Long-sightedness, also known as hypermetropia, is an eye disorder in which distant objects are plainly visible but nearby items appear blurry. Rema was asked to disclose a previously unknown secret during an interview with Capital Xtra on the red carpet of the 2024 Brit Awards in London. In response, the musician revealed that he wears glasses due to his battle with long-sightedness. “I use glasses. I am suffering from long-sightedness,” he said. Recall Rema was among the A-list artistes that performed at the just-concluded Brit Awards. The ‘Calm Down’ crooner shared the stage with superstars including Dua Lipa, RAYE, Kylie Minogue, and Jungle.

An FCT high court on Wednesday, struck out the fraud case filed against Grace Taiga, a former Director of Legal Services in the Ministry of Petroleum following her death. Taiga was standing trial before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi on allegations bordering on bribery in the controversial Gas Supply Processing Agreement (GSPA) between Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) and the Federal Government of Nigeria. She was dragged before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended 13-count charge bordering on bribery, among others. The anti-graft commission alleged that Taiga received bribe through her offshore bank account in signing the controversial GPSA. EFCC further claimed that she violated various laws by entering into the Agreement without prior approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and a certificate of no objection to the contract from the Bureau of Public Enterprise (PBE). She, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. ...

Serving and former African Presidents, on Wednesday, took turns to commend the outstanding leadership of the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, as he bagged the prestigious 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership. African leaders including the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan; Ethiopian President, Sahle-Work Zewde; Prime Minister of Togo, Victoire Tomegah Dogbé; and President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria applauded Adesina’s sterling Pan-Africanism. The President of the Union of the Comoros and the outgoing Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, described Adesina as a pragmatist, an innovator and a visionary whose leadership has given the AfDB a facelift. “Dr Adesina has an incredible ability to bring leaders together, to dedicate and commit themselves to initiatives that transform African on a daily basis,” he said. Also, a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd) described as deserving, ...

The Court Of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed Julius Abure as the Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). The Appellate Court also set aside the decision of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court which last year, restrained Abure and two others from parading themselves as national officers of the party. In the judgement delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, the Appellate Court held that the high court was wrong to have assumed jurisdiction on the matter. The Appellate Court also awarded a cost of One million Naira in favour of Abure and against the respondent, Lamidi Apapa. Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court had last year, granted and ex-parte order, ordering that Abure and two other national officers stop parading themselves as leaders of the party for allegedly forging national documents but the Appellate Court set the verdict aside. The Appellate court held that Abure’s appeal has merit and was thereby allowed. Following the 2023 presidential poll...

The Senator representating Anambra South Senatorial District at the Senate has commended the Nigerian Senate for the passage of the South East Development Commission Bill.  The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday March 5th,  2024, passed the South East Development Commission Bill awaiting the signature of the  President for the bill to become a law.  Senator Ubah in showing his appreciation yesterday, at the floor of the Nigerian Senate,  relied on Order 42 of the Senate Standing Rules to thank and as well commend the leadership of the upper chamber for passing the South East Development Commission Bill, a bill  he introduced to the present 10th Senate after  it passed First Reading on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 as SB.129.  Continuing, he further commended the Senate for working tirelessly to ensure that the Bill process was not discontinued after its First Reading and for diligently working to ensure its passage.  "In my further appreciat...

The Chief Executive Officer of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, OGFZA, Mr. Bamanga Jada, has said that contrary to media reports that oil giants are leaving the country, the International Oil Companies, IOCs, are divesting into deeper waters and selling off the offshore operations. Speaking on a Television programme monitored in Lagos, Jada also said that these oil companies have been working in Nigeria for decades adding that they have been able to develop local capacity that they are now taking over their offshore operations while transferring technology to Nigerians. Jada explained that rather than move out of Nigeria, the IOCs are investing in cleaner and more sustainable energy by exploring gas in deeper waters of the nation’s oil and gas industry. The agency boss also said that the IOCs are confident that Nigerians can manage onshore downstream petroleum aspect of whatever the oil and gas they (IOCs) are handing over to them. He said: “Shell is trying to cut down...