All three official vehicles belonging to Obowo, Isiala Mbano and Oru East local government areas of Imo State which were taken away by officials of the past government in those areas have been recovered.
The vehicles, brand new Ford Ranger SUVs, were assigned to the Local gover6nment Chairmen during the last administration as official vehicles.
When the government of Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was sacked in January 2020, some of the LGA chairmen made away with the official vehicles assigned to them, including those of Obowo, Isiala Mbano and Oru East Councils.
Governor Hope Uzodinma had mandated one of his aides, Senior Adviser (Special Duties), Chief Regis Uwakwe to go after those in possession of the vehicles and recover them.
In July 2020, Uwakwe put machineries in motion that led to the recovery of that of Obowo LGA from where it was parked in Asaba.
In the last week of December 2020, feelers emerged that the rest of the vehicles would be recovered as Uwakwe had succeeded in closing-in on those in their possession, some of who had escaped to far away United States.
During the week, a happy Uwakwe reported that the vehicles belonging to Isiala Mbano and Oru East Councils had been successfully recovered, and that their Interim Local Government Chairmen had taken possession of the vehicles.
Uwakwe said: “The IMC Chairman of Isiala Mbano, Mr. Chika Okoroike and that of Oru East, Mr. Nyerere Ogbonna have all confirmed the receipt of the Ford Ranger SUVs.”
Uwakwe thanked Governor Uzodimma for trusting in his capacity to recover the vehicles, saying it was wrong in the first place for government officials to bolt with official vehicles without authorisation.
The four year reign of former President of the United States of America, Donald Trump has finally come to an end.
Democratic Party Candidate and winner of the US election, Joe Biden, would assume the position as US President, as a breath of fresh air is set to start in God’s Own Country as the United States of America is called.
America will stand still today for its 47th vice president, Biden, as he is sworn in as the country’s 46th president
His inauguration today is a defining moment for a man who has spent all his life in the corridors of power.
Born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he was a Senator, and served as Vice President during the Obama administration from 2009 to 2017.
He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware in 1965, and a Law degree from Syracuse University in New York in 1968. His entrance into politics started in 1970 when he served on the New Castle county council for three years.
He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 at the age of 29, becoming the fifth youngest senator in history. He won re-election six times thus becoming Delaware’s longest-serving senator. He served on the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, twice as its chair (2001–03; 2007–09), and on the Committee on the Judiciary, serving as its chair from 1987 to 1995.
Biden focused on foreign relations, criminal justice, and drug policy while in the Senate. He was the lead senator in writing the law that established the office of “drug czar,” a position that oversees the national drug-control policy.
Biden’s first attempt at the Presidency was in 1988 when he filed for nomination under the Democratic Party. He had to withdraw from the race following revelation that parts of his campaign stump speech had been plagiarized from British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock without appropriate attribution.
He tried again in 2008 placing fifth in the Iowa Democratic caucus in January of that year. He again withdrew from the race.
His political fortune changed On August 23, 2008 after Obama officially announced his selection as the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee. During that Election year, Biden also won re-election to the Senate, but had to resign to become Vice President. In November 2012 Obama and Biden were re-elected for a second term.
Ahead of today’s inauguration, Biden has picked members of his cabinet. He has also made key policy statements. One of the first steps he is expected to take during his first days in office is to reverse his former President Donald Trump’s policies.
He plans to sign dozens of executive orders and send sweeping bills to Congress, aiming to roll back some of Trump’s signature policies on immigration and climate change while taking action to ramp up the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis.
According to Biden’s advisers, a review of campaign promises and a recent memo by the president-elect’s incoming chief of staff Ron Klain, Biden will seek a $1.9 trillion spending proposal aimed at accelerating the distribution of coronavirus vaccines while providing economic relief to millions of Americans hurt by the pandemic.
He will return the United States to the World Health Organization. Trump withdrew from the agency, saying it failed to properly oversee the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, outgoing Trump has bid American farewell in his speech to end his four year reign in the saddle.
DONALD TRUMP’S FAREWELL SPEECH
My fellow Americans, four years ago, we launched a great national effort to rebuild our country, to renew its spirit, and to restore the allegiance of this government to its citizens. In short, we embarked on a mission to make America great again — for all Americans.
As I conclude my term as the 45th President of the United States, I stand before you truly proud of what we have achieved together. We did what we came here to do — and so much more.
This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We extend our best wishes, and we also want them to have luck — a very important word.
I’d like to begin by thanking just a few of the amazing people who made our remarkable journey possible.
First, let me express my overwhelming gratitude for the love and support of our spectacular First Lady, Melania. Let me also share my deepest appreciation to my daughter Ivanka, my son-in-law Jared, and to Barron, Don, Eric, Tiffany, and Lara. You fill my world with light and with joy.
Donald Trump
I also want to thank Vice President Mike Pence, his wonderful wife Karen, and the entire Pence family.
Thank you as well to my Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows; the dedicated members of the White House Staff and the Cabinet; and all the incredible people across our administration who poured out their heart and soul to fight for America.
I also want to take a moment to thank a truly exceptional group of people: the United States Secret Service. My family and I will forever be in your debt. My profound gratitude as well to everyone in the White House Military Office, the teams of Marine One and Air Force One, every member of the Armed Forces, and state and local law enforcement all across our country.
Most of all, I want to thank the American people. To serve as your President has been an honor beyond description. Thank you for this extraordinary privilege. And that’s what it is — a great privilege and a great honor.
We must never forget that while Americans will always have our disagreements, we are a nation of incredible, decent, faithful, and peace-loving citizens who all want our country to thrive and flourish and be very, very successful and good. We are a truly magnificent nation.
All Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol. Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated.
Now more than ever, we must unify around our shared values and rise above the partisan rancor, and forge our common destiny.
Four years ago, I came to Washington as the only true outsider ever to win the presidency. I had not spent my career as a politician, but as a builder looking at open skylines and imagining infinite possibilities. I ran for President because I knew there were towering new summits for America just waiting to be scaled. I knew the potential for our nation was boundless as long as we put America first.
So I left behind my former life and stepped into a very difficult arena, but an arena nevertheless, with all sorts of potential if properly done. America had given me so much, and I wanted to give something back.
Together with millions of hardworking patriots across this land, we built the greatest political movement in the history of our country. We also built the greatest economy in the history of the world. It was about “America First” because we all wanted to make America great again. We restored the principle that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Our agenda was not about right or left, it wasn’t about Republican or Democrat, but about the good of a nation, and that means the whole nation.
With the support and prayers of the American people, we achieved more than anyone thought possible. Nobody thought we could even come close.
We passed the largest package of tax cuts and reforms in American history. We slashed more job-killing regulations than any administration had ever done before. We fixed our broken trade deals, withdrew from the horrible Trans-Pacific Partnership and the impossible Paris Climate Accord, renegotiated the one-sided South Korea deal, and we replaced NAFTA with the groundbreaking USMCA — that’s Mexico and Canada — a deal that’s worked out very, very well.
Also, and very importantly, we imposed historic and monumental tariffs on China; made a great new deal with China. But before the ink was even dry, we and the whole world got hit with the China virus. Our trade relationship was rapidly changing, billions and billions of dollars were pouring into the U.S., but the virus forced us to go in a different direction.
The whole world suffered, but America outperformed other countries economically because of our incredible economy and the economy that we built. Without the foundations and footings, it wouldn’t have worked out this way. We wouldn’t have some of the best numbers we’ve ever had.
We also unlocked our energy resources and became the world’s number-one producer of oil and natural gas by far. Powered by these policies, we built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We reignited America’s job creation and achieved record-low unemployment for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, women — almost everyone.
Incomes soared, wages boomed, the American Dream was restored, and millions were lifted from poverty in just a few short years. It was a miracle. The stock market set one record after another, with 148 stock market highs during this short period of time, and boosted the retirements and pensions of hardworking citizens all across our nation. 401(k)s are at a level they’ve never been at before. We’ve never seen numbers like we’ve seen, and that’s before the pandemic and after the pandemic.
We rebuilt the American manufacturing base, opened up thousands of new factories, and brought back the beautiful phrase: “Made in the USA.”
To make life better for working families, we doubled the child tax credit and signed the largest-ever expansion of funding for childcare and development. We joined with the private sector to secure commitments to train more than 16 million American workers for the jobs of tomorrow.
When our nation was hit with the terrible pandemic, we produced not one, but two vaccines with record-breaking speed, and more will quickly follow. They said it couldn’t be done but we did it. They call it a “medical miracle,” and that’s what they’re calling it right now: a “medical miracle.”
Another administration would have taken 3, 4, 5, maybe even up to 10 years to develop a vaccine. We did in nine months.
We grieve for every life lost, and we pledge in their memory to wipe out this horrible pandemic once and for all.
When the virus took its brutal toll on the world’s economy, we launched the fastest economic recovery our country has ever seen. We passed nearly $4 trillion in economic relief, saved or supported over 50 million jobs, and slashed the unemployment rate in half. These are numbers that our country has never seen before.
We created choice and transparency in healthcare, stood up to big pharma in so many ways, but especially in our effort to get favored-nations clauses added, which will give us the lowest prescription drug prices anywhere in the world.
We passed VA Choice, VA Accountability, Right to Try, and landmark criminal justice reform.
We confirmed three new justices of the United States Supreme Court. We appointed nearly 300 federal judges to interpret our Constitution as written.
For years, the American people pleaded with Washington to finally secure the nation’s borders. I am pleased to say we answered that plea and achieved the most secure border in U.S. history. We have given our brave border agents and heroic ICE officers the tools they need to do their jobs better than they have ever done before, and to enforce our laws and keep America safe.
We proudly leave the next administration with the strongest and most robust border security measures ever put into place. This includes historic agreements with Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, along with more than 450 miles of powerful new wall.
We restored American strength at home and American leadership abroad. The world respects us again. Please don’t lose that respect.
We reclaimed our sovereignty by standing up for America at the United Nations and withdrawing from the one-sided global deals that never served our interests. And NATO countries are now paying hundreds of billions of dollars more than when I arrived just a few years ago. It was very unfair. We were paying the cost for the world. Now the world is helping us.
And perhaps most importantly of all, with nearly $3 trillion, we fully rebuilt the American military — all made in the USA. We launched the first new branch of the United States Armed Forces in 75 years: the Space Force. And last spring, I stood at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and watched as American astronauts returned to space on American rockets for the first time in many, many years.
We revitalized our alliances and rallied the nations of the world to stand up to China like never before.
We obliterated the ISIS caliphate and ended the wretched life of its founder and leader, al Baghdadi. We stood up to the oppressive Iranian regime and killed the world’s top terrorist, Iranian butcher Qasem Soleimani.
We recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
As a result of our bold diplomacy and principled realism, we achieved a series of historic peace deals in the Middle East. Nobody believed it could happen. The Abraham Accords opened the doors to a future of peace and harmony, not violence and bloodshed. It is the dawn of a new Middle East, and we are bringing our soldiers home.
I am especially proud to be the first President in decades who has started no new wars.
Above all, we have reasserted the sacred idea that, in America, the government answers to the people. Our guiding light, our North Star, our unwavering conviction has been that we are here to serve the noble everyday citizens of America. Our allegiance is not to the special interests, corporations, or global entities; it’s to our children, our citizens, and to our nation itself.
As President, my top priority, my constant concern, has always been the best interests of American workers and American families. I did not seek the easiest course; by far, it was actually the most difficult. I did not seek the path that would get the least criticism. I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices because that’s what you elected me to do. Your needs were my first and last unyielding focus.
This, I hope, will be our greatest legacy: Together, we put the American people back in charge of our country. We restored self-government. We restored the idea that in America no one is forgotten, because everyone matters and everyone has a voice. We fought for the principle that every citizen is entitled to equal dignity, equal treatment, and equal rights because we are all made equal by God. Everyone is entitled to be treated with respect, to have their voice heard, and to have their government listen. You are loyal to your country, and my administration was always loyal to you.
We worked to build a country in which every citizen could find a great job and support their wonderful families. We fought for the communities where every American could be safe and schools where every child could learn. We promoted a culture where our laws would be upheld, our heroes honored, our history preserved, and law-abiding citizens are never taken for granted. Americans should take tremendous satisfaction in all that we have achieved together. It’s incredible.
Now, as I leave the White House, I have been reflecting on the dangers that threaten the priceless inheritance we all share. As the world’s most powerful nation, America faces constant threats and challenges from abroad. But the greatest danger we face is a loss of confidence in ourselves, a loss of confidence in our national greatness. A nation is only as strong as its spirit. We are only as dynamic as our pride. We are only as vibrant as the faith that beats in the hearts of our people.
No nation can long thrive that loses faith in its own values, history, and heroes, for these are the very sources of our unity and our vitality.
What has always allowed America to prevail and triumph over the great challenges of the past has been an unyielding and unashamed conviction in the nobility of our country and its unique purpose in history. We must never lose this conviction. We must never forsake our belief in America.
The key to national greatness lies in sustaining and instilling our shared national identity. That means focusing on what we have in common: the heritage that we all share.
At the center of this heritage is also a robust belief in free expression, free speech, and open debate. Only if we forget who we are, and how we got here, could we ever allow political censorship and blacklisting to take place in America. It’s not even thinkable. Shutting down free and open debate violates our core values and most enduring traditions.
In America, we don’t insist on absolute conformity or enforce rigid orthodoxies and punitive speech codes. We just don’t do that. America is not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree. That’s not who we are. It will never be who we are.
For nearly 250 years, in the face of every challenge, Americans have always summoned our unmatched courage, confidence, and fierce independence. These are the miraculous traits that once led millions of everyday citizens to set out across a wild continent and carve out a new life in the great West. It was the same profound love of our God-given freedom that willed our soldiers into battle and our astronauts into space.
As I think back on the past four years, one image rises in my mind above all others. Whenever I traveled all along the motorcade route, there were thousands and thousands of people. They came out with their families so that they could stand as we passed, and proudly wave our great American flag. It never failed to deeply move me. I knew that they did not just come out to show their support of me; they came out to show me their support and love for our country.
This is a republic of proud citizens who are united by our common conviction that America is the greatest nation in all of history. We are, and must always be, a land of hope, of light, and of glory to all the world. This is the precious inheritance that we must safeguard at every single turn.
For the past four years, I have worked to do just that. From a great hall of Muslim leaders in Riyadh to a great square of Polish people in Warsaw; from the floor of the Korean Assembly to the podium at the United Nations General Assembly; and from the Forbidden City in Beijing to the shadow of Mount Rushmore, I fought for you, I fought for your family, I fought for our country. Above all, I fought for America and all it stands for — and that is safe, strong, proud, and free.
Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning. There’s never been anything like it. The belief that a nation must serve its citizens will not dwindle but instead only grow stronger by the day.
As long as the American people hold in their hearts deep and devoted love of country, then there is nothing that this nation cannot achieve. Our communities will flourish. Our people will be prosperous. Our traditions will be cherished. Our faith will be strong. And our future will be brighter than ever before.
I go from this majestic place with a loyal and joyful heart, an optimistic spirit, and a supreme confidence that for our country and for our children, the best is yet to come.
Thank you, and farewell. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.
Controversial Monarch of Iwo Kingdom in Osun State, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has urged the South-West, and Yorubas in general, to rally behind former Lagos State Governor and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as Presidential Candidate for the 2023 Presidential Election.
Oba Akanbi enjoined the Yoruba to rectify the wrongs done against the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, by supporting the aspiration of Tinubu.
He said the Yoruba supported the ambition of people from other regions other than Chief Awolowo who was from the South-West, which made the Yoruba lose the opportunity to lead the nation.
Addressing stakeholders during the launch of South-West Agenda for Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, SWAGA 2023, at Aurora Event Centre, Osogbo, Osun State Capital, Akanbi lamented that it was awful that the Southwest states did not support Chief Awolowo during his time, adding that they resorted to character assassination and cast aspersion on him.
He said: “SWAGA is my own. We are here today because of a valuable leader. We don’t have any leader in Yorubaland other than Tinubu. We are not going to be ungrateful to our leaders and heroes anymore. We did that to Awolowo.”
Even though Tinubu has not officially proclaimed his interest in the Presidency in 2023, his foot soldiers have been at work, with no word of caution from him.
Finally, three airlines have scaled the hurdle of coming on stream. Their entrance in July, 2021, will increase the number of domestic airlines in the country.
Some of the airlines will later be licensed for international routes.
United Nigeria Airline, Green Africa and Cally Air, among other prospective airlines, have passed various levels of certification by the regulatory authorities and are set for commercial operations.
Surprisingly, this is coming at a time of the second wave of Covid 19. The first wave sent the aviation industry into turbulence, with traffic volume reduced to an all-time low, a situation that has a ripple effect even in the oil industry. Jet A1, the Aviation Fuel, recorded about 30% sales, according to expert estimates.
At the end of the first wave, the Global Aviation economy lost $550 billion with many airlines on the brink of collapse.
Even now, with the second wave of Covid-19, travelers’ apathy and the heavy reliance on government bailout is a major problem.
Recently, the FG approved bailouts for the industry, though this Magazine learnt that many defunct airlines have also lined up for the bailout.
Last week, United Nigeria Airlines operated a demo flight from Lagos to Owerri. It is certified, having fulfilled the condition of having at least two aircraft for operations. Currently, its fleet consists of four Embraer E145s aircraft. it has its operative base at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. Its planned routes are Enugu, Portharcourt, Lagos, and Abuja. It is scheduled to start full operations before March 2021.
Cally air, which appears to be a competitive airline with Ibom air, a state-owned airline that is currently making waves in the industry, is owned by the neighboring Cross River state. This will be the second state-owned airline. Both states are South-south states. Its base will be Calabar airport.
Green Africa Airline, allegedly, owned by Babawande Afolabi, is still waiting for approval from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. Sources within the industry indicate that they have satisfied the conditions and may get the Air Operating Certificate, AOC, before the end of the second quarter of 2021.
Last December, the Airline did a promotion where they gave 24 free tickets during a promotion fair.
The airline, in pursuance of their quest for local air supremacy, had ordered fifty A220-300s aircraft from Airbus and plans to lease at least three more from GTLK in Europe.
While Airpeace uses Fidelity Bank, First City Monument Bank takes care of Green Africa. FCMB bankrolled it through a $31 million letter of credit and rollover working capital.
The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, is on his own, and may not be speaking the mind of his boss on his recent outburst which gave tactical backing to some wayward Fulani Herdsmen terrorizing Nigerians.
Ondo state Commissioner for Information, Mr Donald Ojogo, said on Channels Television programme, monitored in Akure, that only unregistered Fulani herdsmen were asked to vacate the forests.
“Ondo State Government did not ask Fulani to leave the state. The Governor said herdsmen who are unregistered should leave our forests.
“The statement from Garba Shehu is a brazen display of emotional attachments and it’s very inimical to the corporate existence of Nigeria.
” We need to clearly define actions on the part of the Federal Government to decimate the erroneous impression that the inspiration of these criminal elements masquerading as herdsmen is that of power. Our unity is threatened, no doubt.
“Shehu’s statement states in a breath that the Governor fights crime with passion while it is prevaricating on the atrocities.
“The question is: are the herdsmen who are perpetrating murder, kidnapping and robbery more important than Government, and even the Federal Government in this case?
“Ethnic nationality and activism on the part of anyone hiding under the Presidency, or Federal Government is an ill wind,” the Commissioner added.
“One thing is certain. The President would not have directed that statement, and I want to believe that Garba Shehu didn’t issue that statement that would have been a very dangerous one. ”
Governor Akeredolu had in the wake of the constant brazen kidnapping and killings in Ondo by alleged Herdsmen, given them seven days to vacate Ondo forests.
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural association, Afenifere, has counselled members of Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders to leave Ondo forests as directed by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
This is just as the Ondo State Executive Council rose from its weekly meeting on Tuesday with a marching order for the clearing of bushes along highways in the state.
Afenifere, whose members, Chief Olu Falae, had his farm destroyed several times, and Chief Reuben Fasoranti, whose daughter was shot dead two years ago, by suspected Fulani Herdsmen, are casualties of herdsmen, reminded them that the Governor remains the Chief Security Officer of the state.
Secretary General of the Afenifere, Bashorun Sehinde Arogbofa, said in Akure that people of the South-West geo-political zone have had bitter pills of the Herdsmen which prompted the Governors of the zone to take pro-active measures.
According to him, the Governor’s order would go a long way in tackling insecurity in the state.
“The Miyetti Allah should not complain about the order, unless they want to give the impression that they support the criminal activities being carried out by some herdsmen in the state.
“If they entered into the forest illegally, the government has the right to eject them. It was from the forest that we heard that those that killed the Ifon monarch came from.”
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu directed that all road verges along major highways in the state be cleared with immediate effect.
This was part of the decisions reached at the end of the state executive council meeting on Tuesday.
The state commissioner for Local government Affairs, Mrs Lola Fagbemi, who disclosed the exco decision, said the move is designed to tackle rising cases of kidnapping and other crimes.
Fagbemi, flanked by the state commissioner for Information , Donald Ojogo, Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure, Raheem Aminu and the Acting Commissioner for Health, Jibayo Adeyeye, said clearing of verges will take place in all the 18 Local Government Areas.
The Group managing director of Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe has disclosed that the lender’s five year strategic plans is to be among Africa’s major gateway to the world. The focus, Wigwe told Bloomberg is to expand the bank’s subsidiaries in the continent to 22 countries.
Our plan is “to expand to high-potential markets, leveraging the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area,” the bank’s chief executive said.
The drive, stakeholders in the sector insist is in line with the lender’s quest to transit to a holding company by the end of the year, enabling it to open subsidiaries in insurance brokerage, consumer lending and agency banking.
Speaking on the issue Chika Nbonu said the commercial bank is planning to leverage on the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA which came into effect on January 1, 2021, noting that the biggest bank in the country cannot afford to be left out of the over $1.3 trillion trade opportunities from the agreement.
The bank currently operates in 12 African countries including Gambia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Wigwe said more branches will be rolled out in the continent in due course.
The markets of interest, according to the bank are Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Angola, Namibia and Ethiopia, adding that it will also use its London-based unit as an “anchor for growth” to expand representative offices in countries such as India, Lebanon and China.
He explained that the DMB will provide more cutting-edge digital payment solutions across the continent as in the quest to “have subsidiaries across 22 countries over the next five years, with strategic plans to be present in the major trade corridors in the African continent. Building on our successful expansion into Kenya, we will also be making entries into Angola and Mozambique.”
“At the moment, Access Bank does not have a presence in the Francophone region of Africa, and we will be working to see that this is changed in the coming years. By 2023, Access Bank will have consolidated its position as Africa’s gateway to the world with about 100 million customers in Nigeria and an additional 20 million customers across our African subsidiaries,” Wigwe said.
According to him, the DMB will be leveraging on innovative payments solutions to achieve the projected growth, noting that “Access Bank is set to revolutionize the payment and banking landscape in Africa. We would soon be introducing a new payment system that would allow users enjoy a secure, seamless and convenient service when making payments at Merchant locations without cash or card.”
When launched, the system would help Access Bank’s drive towards bridging financial literacy gaps in Nigeria and indeed Africa, as the elderly or underserved individuals who cannot cope with the complexities of internet banking and mobile applications will be able to transact with ease, the lender said.
The Federal Government has vowed to support Fulani Herdsmen and do everything possible to prevent their being sent packing from Ondo State forests reserves.
The FG’s backing is coming less than 48 hours after Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu gave an ultimatum to the Fulani Herdsmen to vacate the forests over the wanton killings of people on the farms, and kidnappings on the highways by suspected herdsmen.
Governor Akeredolu had given the Fulani herdsmen a seven-day ultimatum to vacate all forests in Ondo State, and relocate elsewhere outside the State.
Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Tuesday, insisted that the Fulani are constitutionally entitled to live in any part of Nigeria.
According to him, it was cruel and atavistic to blame kidnappings, banditry and rustling on the basis of geographical location or the language of some people.
“We want to make it clear that kidnapping, banditry and rustling are crimes, no matter the motive or who is involved.
“But to define crime from the nameplates, as a number of commentators have erroneously done- which group they belong to, the language they speak, their geographical location or their faith is atavistic and cruel.
“Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, a seasoned lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and indeed, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has fought crime in his state with passion and commitment, greater sensitivity and compassion for the four years he has run its affairs and, in our view, will be the least expected to unilaterally oust thousands of herders who have lived all their lives in the state on account of the infiltration of the forests by criminals.
“If these were to be the case, rights groups will be right in expressing worries that the action could set off a chain of events which the makers of our constitution foresaw and tried to guard against.
“We need to delink terrorism and crimes from ethnicity, geographical origins and religion—to isolate the criminals who use this interchange of arguments to hinder law enforcement efforts as the only way to deal effectively with them.
“The President, who swore to defend the constitution has spoken against the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in asking citizens of Northern origin to leave; he did not spare the group based in Sokoto, ‘Muslim Solidarity Forum,’ which asked the Bishop of Sokoto to leave and is prepared to do all that the law permits to protect citizens all over the country in their choice of where they wished to reside and are treated as equal citizens.
“There is little to be said other than to call for restraint on both sides and urge the state government and the leadership of the Fulani communities to continue their dialogue for a good understanding that will bring to an urgent end, the nightmarish security challenges facing the state.
“The government of Ondo, and all the 35 others across the federation must draw clear lines between the criminals and the law abiding citizens who must equally be saved from the infiltrators. Beyond law and order, the fight against crime is also a fight for human values which are fundamental to our country.”
Akeredolu’s quit order had received the endorsement of many stakeholders in the state, as well as Afenifere.
Former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has commiserated with the Ketebu family and the Bayelsa State government over the death of Dr Bolere Ketebu, former Nigerian ambassador to Ireland, describing her as a lady who achieved enviable heights in public service.
In a statement issued by Ikechukwu Eze, Media Adviser to Dr. Jonathan, the former President noted that Ketebu was a role model to Nigerian women because of her courage and determination in the pursuit of success and life goals.
In the condolence message addressed to the Ketebu Family and Government and people of Bayelsa State, the former President further stated: “Dr. Ketebu was a proud daughter of Bayelsa State who lived a life of service, dedication and hard work, and will be greatly missed by members of the society for her contributions to nation-building.
“She was a great amazon who achieved enviable heights in public service; having served as Secretary to State Government(SSG) in Bayelsa State, National President of the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), Member of House of Representatives and Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland.”
The CBN is set to tighten regulation on products and solutions provided by commercial and registered financial institutions in the country, under the apex bank’s sandbox operations.
The regulatory sandbox is a formal framework for Deposit Money Banks, DMBs and other financial institutions to conduct live tests of new products, services, delivery channels or business models in a regulated environment, with regulatory oversight, subject to approval of the CBN.
Sources close to the Godwin Emefiele led government bank said the apex regulator is not happy that most products and services being dished out by many banks have narrowed customers’ choice and restrict opportunities for competition.
The CBN will no longer allow this to happen said the source, who explained that the new regulatory framework will ensure that consumers have a say, lower costs and provide avenue for fintechs to interact with payment service users for desired economic growth in the country.
According to the circular issued by CBN to commercial banks on Monday, the apex bank said it would no longer be business as usual, noting that banks must obtain its approval before the commencement of any service or product.
The apex bank said it’s “committed to building a financial services sector that promotes stability, faster innovations and deep inclusion. The framework details the requirements for conduct of live tests on innovative products, services and other solutions in a controlled environment.”
‘To this end, the CBN shall review the products and solutions of applicants ( licensed institutions, fintechs innovators and researchers during implementation,” the circular said.
