Religious worship centres in Ekiti state got the nod of the State Government to begin activities as from the 14th of August, but with a proviso.
Churches and Mosques are to adhere strictly to COVID-19 protocols. Children below 12 years and adults above 65, are exempted from attending services.
Governor Kayode Fayemi, in a broadcast on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti emphasised that traditional worshippers and their adherents are still barred from performing their annual rites.
“I still want to appeal that, as moral agents, and institutions reputed for discipline, religious centres must ensure the jointly-agreed protocols are adhered to, to protect the lives of worshippers as they go about their activities as from August 14, 2020.
“The key aspects of the protocols include, but not limited to the following: fumigation of the worship centres and their surroundings, maintenance of social distancing of six-feet apart, provision of infrared thermometer, provision of water for hand washing, provision of hand sanitizer and ensuring the windows and doors are wide open.
“The protocols also indicate that there should be no multiple services, and services must be concluded within two hours while children below 12 years of age and elderly people above 65 are not allowed to attend services or Sallat until further notice.
“For avoidance of doubt, only Friday Jumat for Muslims, Saturday Sabbath for Adventists and Sunday Services for other Christian denominations are allowed.
“Weekly and vigil services are not to hold in the meantime.
Similarly, all traditional worships or festivals that demand large gathering of devotees are suspended until further consideration.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu of Lagos state has the revoked the 2018 land use charge, imposed by his predecessor, Akinwumi Ambode.
the state government has now reverted to the pre-2018 land use charge, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr Rabiu Olowo, said on Wednesday.
Olowo said in a statement, “The penalties for land use charges for 2017, 2018, and 2019 have also been waived, which translates to a loss of revenue amounting to N5.6billion”.
He said the increase brought untold hardship to property owners.
According to him “In 2018, there was an increase in the Land Use Charge rate as well as the method of valuation of properties, this shock had a sporadic increase in Land Use Charge payable by property owners. In view of the aforementioned, the current administration decided to review the Land Use Charge law by reversing the rate of Land Use Charge to pre-2018 while upholding the 2018 method of valuation.
The reform also considered multiple Land Use Charge payment channels and efficient customer service management by setting up a call centre in other to ensure prompt issue resolution.”
Former Governor Ambode had raised the land use charge against the wishes of many property owners in the state, which led to increase in rent by landlords to the inconvenience of many tenants.
The Managing Director of the forward moving bank, Unity Bank Plc, Tomi Somefun has disclosed that efforts by her management to reposition the once troubled lender have started yielding positive results.
The bank’s Chief Executive Officer, CEO stated this on the crest of the half year 2020 financial reports presented to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE which shows gross earnings of N22.8 billion in the period between January and June 2020, indicating that the bank is poised to surpass the 2019 full figures of N44.59 billion.
“Despite the inclement economic conditions occasioned by the global pandemic which almost paused or at best put activities at a slower pace in virtually all sectors of the economy, the Bank has been able to ride the waves to maintain its growth trajectory looking at the key performance indicators. The assessment, therefore, is that the repositioning efforts which have taken root before the headwinds are equally able to withstand shocks,” Somefun said.
The unaudited report shows that half-year gross earnings rose 11 per cent to N22.87 billion from N20.55 billion year on year, YoY.
According to the statement made available to the magazine, Profit before Tax, PBT grew by 7 per cent from N1.05 billion in half-year 2019 to N1.12 billion in the period under review, while Profit after Tax, PAT, rose by 7 per cent to N1.03 billion from N967.51 million in the corresponding period of 2019.
The forward moving bank recorded gross earnings of N11.01 billion, a 5 per cent growth from the N10.50 billion Year on Year, Yoy, while interest earnings recorded a 15 per cent increase to N19.79 billion, from N17.27 billion in the corresponding period.
Operating income grew by 14 per cent to N12.14 billion from N10.69 billion while its asset grew to N445.95 billion from N293.05 billion in the same period in 2019.
Speaking further on the result, Somefun stated that Unity Bank will focus more on Agribusiness, its core market to drive growth.
It was expected that Spanish legendary Goalkeeper, Iker Casillas would quit the round leather after collapsing on the pitch.
The incident took place during a Portuguese League with FC Porto Football Club. He suffered a heart attack.
The former Real Madrid Football Club safe hands called it quits at the age of 39 years.
Casillas made 725 appearances for Real Madrid during a 16-year career at the Bernabeu, winning three Champions League titles, and five La Liga crowns.
He also helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup and two successive European Championships in 2008 and 2012.
Casillas joined Porto in 2015 but has not played since suffering a heart attack during training in April 2019.
During his recovery, he was given a role on the club’s coaching staff in July 2019.
He made 156 appearances for the Portuguese side, winning two Primeira Liga titles and one Portuguese Cup.
Casillas won 167 international caps for Spain between 2000 and 2016. Only Sergio Ramos has made more appearances for the national side.
His former colleague in the Spain National team and Real Madrid, defender, Sergio Ramos, posted a photo of himself with Casillas on Twitter as a tribute to his former team-mate.
Announcing his retirement on Twitter, Casillas said: “The important thing is the path you travel and the people who accompany you, not the destination to which it takes you.
“I think I can say, without hesitation, that it has been the path and the dream destination.”
Real Madrid said Casillas, who joined the Spanish giants at the age of nine, was the best goalkeeper in the 118-year history of the club.
“Real Madrid wants to show its appreciation, admiration and love for one of the greatest legends of our club and world football,” read a statement on the club’s website.
“Iker Casillas belongs to the heart of Real Madrid and will be so forever.”
In February, he announced his intention to run for the presidency of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), before later withdrawing because of the “exceptional social, economic and health situation” the country was suffering during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nigerians are in shock over the serious allegation made against the Military, by the Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum.
The Governor escaped death by whiskers when his convoy ran into an ambush by several gunmen who descended on them, firing from all angles.
Everybody thought the near-fatal attack, which saw Zulum being smuggled into a Police armoured car, was carried out by the Boko Haram, a group which has been tormenting the Northern part of Nigeria for years.
But the Governor has absolved the group.
Zulum alleged that last week’s attack on his convoy was carried out by the Military.
The Governor’s convoy was attacked in Baga, while on his way to some internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Kukawa local government area of the state.
Speaking with reporters, Zulum attributed it to a sabotage from the army.
Governor Babagana Zulum
Zulum: “You heard what happened at Baga. It is a complete sabotage. The issue is not about the President. The soldiers and equipment are on ground. We have a total number of about 1,181 soldiers in Baga. I think the problem is in the command or control structure which has to be looked into.
“I cannot end my interview without clearly stating what happened. As far as I am concerned, there was no Boko Haram inside the town. That was a serious shooting by the Nigeria armed forces who are residing in Baga. The situation is very embarrassing.
“I think we shall give them some sufficient time because Baga is very important. The shores of the Lake Chad provide employment opportunities to about 10 million people in the north-east.”
This is not the first time Zulum is pointing accusing fingers at the Army of unwholesome behaviour.
In January, he accused the troops of extorting money from road users, which he alleged led to hatred against him by the Military.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari have summoned the 36 State Governors, alongside the Service Chiefs to deliberate on the nation’s worsening economic situation.
Asishana Bayo Okauru, the Director-General of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, NGF, in an invitation sent out to the governors on Tuesday, said the states’ Chief Executives would discuss last weekend’s attack on the convoy of Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, by Boko Haram insurgents in Baga local government area of the state.
Issues relating to health and economy will also be discussed at the meeting.
“The Governors’ planned meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari is to find a quick solution to the cause of this problem”.
The governors are expected to come up with a position; or a wayforward on how to address the security challenges as they have scheduled to have a marathon meeting with the leadership of Nigeria’s security.
“Those to be met by the governors are the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd); Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar; and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi.
“The four Service Chiefs are the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Marshal Ibok- Ette Ibas.”
But Nigerians say they are tired of such meetings, and are not looking forward to the outcome. To them, it has become a secular sermon. They have lost confidence in the security architecture in the country, and are looking forward to a change of guards. They want the Service Chiefs removed, and replaced.
Such Nigerians are in agreement with the National Assembly which has not only asked for their removal, but passed a resolution to the effect.
But President Muhammadu Buhari thinks otherwise. Even though he had, in two occasions told them that there best was not good enough, he has been very reluctant to remove them.
On Tuesday, at a meeting with National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Service Chief, he ordered “a rejig of the Nigeria’s Security Architecture”.
A Nigerian has proudly hoisted Nigeria’s flag high in the United States of America, USA.
Edirin Okoloko has just been sworn-in as a Judge of the Snohomish County Superior Court in Washington State.
The new Judge is from Urhobo, Delta State.
He is replacing Judge George Bowen who is retiring.
Okoloko read law at the University of Benin, Edo State, bagging a Bachelor of Law, and received another Law degree from the Seattle University School of Law.
For 13 years, he worked in the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. There, he worked on cases involving homicide, sexual assault, child abuse, and elder abuse.
Before then, the new Judge had served as a Judicial Law Clerk to former Snohomish County Superior Court Judge, Michael Downes.
His feat is being celebrated by Nigerians both home and in the Diaspora.
The Nigeria Police has thrown its weight behind its Inspector General, Mohammed Adamu, defending his integrity.
The Police was reacting to a series of what one would call official misconduct levelled against Adamu by a popular Online publication, Sahara Reporters.
In the publication dated August, the 3rd, 2020 ,the publication alleged that the IGP is enmeshed in a multi billion Naira fraudulent scheme through which he raised money, using Mobile Police Commanders for the construction of Police Training School in his community. It also alleged that the IGP is using Commanders of the Mobile Police to illegally raise money for the construction. Each Commander was asked to bring in at least, the sum of N500,000.00.
But responding to the story titled ‘Exclusive: How Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Adamu, Illegally Raised Millions of Naira for Construction of Training School in Nasarawa’ the Force Spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba dismissed the report.
In a statement he said that in the publication, “spurious allegations were made to the effect that the Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A. Adamu was involved in a multi-billion Naira fraudulent scheme”
Threatening Legal action, Mba said that the publication referenced “several unnamed and unverifiable sources , and alleged, essentially, that the IGP ‘used his office to unlawfully compel, and, in fact ,threaten Mobile Police Commanders into generating millions of Naira monthly through illegal means for the purpose of establishment of a MOPOL Training School in his home town of Endehu in Nasarawa State:
Insisting that it was further from the truth he said:
“The Force wishes to state unequivocally that the publication in its entirety is false and baseless. It was published in the tradition of Sahara Reporters to blackmail and impugn the credibility of strategic leaders of the country in an apparent attempt to advance their ignoble and unpatriotic intentions.
“While being conscious of the need not to glorify the falsehood contained in the reportage, it is considered expedient and in national security interest to put the facts straight. In this regard, it is to be clarified as follows:
“The establishment of the Police Mobile Training School in Endehu, Nasarawa State, North Central Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria was informed by overriding national security consideration on the need to strengthen the operational capacity of the special forces of the Nigeria Police Force.
“Also, the insinuation that the IGP sited the facility ‘in his hometown of Endehu in Nasarawa State’, is also utterly misleading. For the avoidance of doubts, Endehu is not the hometown of IGP Adamu. He is, in the contrary, from Lafia.
“The allegations that the IGP used his office to threaten Mobile Police Commanders into generating Millions of naira monthly through illegal means for the establishment of the institution is also totally false. It is on record that the parcel of land where the institution was sited was donated to the Police with the full complement of the Certificate of Occupancy which the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State publicly presented to the Nigeria Police. The acquisition of the land was, therefore, without any financial commitment by the Police.
“Furthermore, the construction of the facility was achieved with the support of the Nasarawa State Government and well-meaning corporate bodies within the context of their Corporate Social responsibility (CSR). In all instances, all the support so extended were not in cash but in form of donation of materials. The only involvement of some Squadron Commanders was to ensure the delivery of some of the construction materials so donated by the corporate bodies. Hence, the allegation that the IGP ‘had each Squadron Commander cough out nothing less than N500,000 monthly for the purpose of erecting different structures in the training school’ is a preposterous and feeble attempt to discredit the innovative reasoning that engendered the successful implementation of the critical national security asset that the facility represents.
“The construction of the project through corporate intervention is a demonstration of the commitment of the Force leadership to meet its obligation to citizens in terms of their safety and security and in furtherance to the Reform agenda of the Nigeria Police Force. It was not established as a personal asset of the IGP. Rather, it is a national security legacy project. It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time that corporate organisations and governments at all levels are assisting the police to bridge operational and infrastructural gaps. Dangote Foundation, the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Bankers’ Forum, State Governments, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), and well-meaning individuals among others have in the past donated fleets of vehicles and have rendered other supports to the Police.
“The attempt by Sahara Reporters to malign the Force leadership shall not in any manner impact on the firm determination of the Nigeria Police Force to advance its strategic plan and to continue to adopt innovative reasoning in changing the policing narratives in Nigeria towards stabilizing the internal security order. While members of the public are called upon to discountenance the content of the publication in its entirety, it is to be noted that the Nigeria Police Force has instructed its legal team to initiate legal actions against Sahara Reporters to address the defamatory and libellous components of the report”
The Ondo state House of Assembly has suspended, indefinitely, the only member elected on the platform of Zenith Labour Party, (ZLP).
He is the lawmaker Representing Ondo West Constituency one, Mr Leonard Tomide Akinribido and deputy minority leader.
He was accused of gross misconduct and use of vulgar words in the hallowed chamber.
The suspension, recommended by a four- man committee, constituted to look into the allegations against the Lawmaker, is coming few weeks after three others were slammed for similar offence.
Mr Akinribido has been ordered to drop official documents in his care, and also directed to stay away from the premises of the Assembly complex while the suspension lasts.
On July 8, 2020, the Deputy Speaker of the house, Iroju Ogundeji, Adewale Williams and Favour Tomomewo were suspended.
However, the victim described the action of his colleagues as politically motivated and aimed to serve the interest of some members.
Honourable Akinribido had earlier been alleged to have made uncomplimentary and derogatory remarks in the social media, capable of bringing the integrity of the House into disrepute.
Submitting the Committee report during plenary, on Tuesday, Chairman of the adhoc Committee, Samuel Aderoboye, said that Akinribido admitted he authored the alleged uncomplimentary remarks.
The assembly, according to reports, is equally investigating another lawmaker representing Ese-odo Constituency, Success Torkhuerijo over similar offence.
Chairman, House adhoc Committee on Information, Olugbenga Omole, who disclosed this, pointed out that his language was derogatory, disparaging of the House and the Office of the Speaker.
The Aviation industry has again been hit by a deluge of sacks.
This time by Bristow Helicopters who has just laid off over 100 pilots and engineers, hours after Airpeace laid off over 60 workers, including Pilots and Engineers.
Air Peace had insisted the downsizing is inevitable, putting the reason for their action on the COVID 19 Pandemic.
Following the same script, Bristow also cited COVID 19 impacts on the industry as the reason for laying off Pilots, Engineers, and other ancillary workers.
Beyond the Pandemic, however, Bristow cited the unstable Upstream oil sectorial crisis as a major setback in their operations.
Oil prices have been badly hit due to COVID rampage, and the grounding of the industry ensured that the sale of Jet A1, a downstream product, is halted.
Bristow provides helicopter provides services mostly for oil workers in the creeks.
To cushion the effects, Bristow is engaging with Aviation Unions to come to agreements on the labor issues that will arise from the downsizing.
“In compliance with the terms of employment, the affected individuals will be paid 3 months’ salary (excluding applicable deductions) following their exit from the company. The redundancy packages will be paid to them as soon as an agreement has been reached with NAAPE”. the company said in a release.
“The spread of the Covid-19 virus has severely impacted all sectors in the aviation industry including our market, which primarily serves the Nigerian oil and gas sector. In addition, the ongoing downturn in the global oil and gas market continues to influence and determine the demand for our services”.
“The combined effects of these ‘arisings’ have resulted in very significant reductions to our business particularly a reduction in the number of contracted aircraft in Nigeria. As a result, the company must now restructure all aspects of its business model (both Rotary & Fixed Wing), including an extensive review of its operations and we continue to drive efficiencies, but with zero compromize to safety and our core values.
“In compliance with the terms of employment, the affected individuals will be paid 3 months’ salary (excluding applicable deductions) following their exit from the company. The redundancy packages will be paid to them as soon as an agreement has been reached with NAAPE.”
“The spread of the Covid-19 virus has severely impacted all sectors in the aviation industry including our market, which primarily serves the Nigerian oil and gas sector. In addition, the ongoing downturn in the global oil and gas market continues to influence and determine the demand for our services”.
“The combined effects of these ‘arisings’ has resulted in very significant reductions to our business particularly a reduction in the number of contracted aircraft in Nigeria. As a result, the company must now restructure all aspects of its business model (both Rotary & Fixed Wing), including an extensive review of its operations and we continue to drive efficiencies, but with zero compromise to safety and our core values”.
The Headquarters of the West African Examination Council, WAEC, in Abuja, Nigeria, is on fire.
The magazine gathered that the edifice caught fire this evening, sending everybody running helter-smelter to save their lives.
Details of the cause of what caused the fire incident is not yet public, but there are fears that it might affect the up- coming West African School Certificate, WASC , examination in Nigeria.
Nigerian students who are in exit classes, and who had been out of school over the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed classes only Monday, the 3rd of August, in order to join their West African counterparts in taking the examination, which is a few days away – August, the 17th
No sabotage is being suspected, yet, and there are no reports of any fatalities.
At the time of writing this, the building was still on fire.
