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Fidelity Bank Promotes 12% of Workforce, Increases Salaries by 20% Across Board

June 26, 2025

Fidelity Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s top-tier financial institutions, has promoted 376 employees following its recently concluded annual performance review exercise. This represents approximately 12% of the bank’s workforce, underscoring its management’s deep appreciation for the pivotal role played by staff in recoding the highest growth by percentage volumes in the banking industry with 210% increase in its Profit Before Tax (PBT) which grew from N124.3 billion in 2023 to N385.2 billion in 2024.

The announcement, which was recently communicated internally, comes on the heels of a 20% across-the-board salary increase implemented in June 2025—a gesture that reflects the bank’s commitment to staff welfare. It is worth noting that this follows a similar salary adjustment carried out in November 2024.

Under the leadership of Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Fidelity Bank has consistently outperformed market expectations. In 2024, the bank recorded the highest share price growth of 116% in the industry following the completion of its Public Offer which was over subscribed by 238% .

In recognition of the banks stellar performance, global rating agency, Fitch Ratings recently upgraded Fidelity Bank’s National Long-Term Rating from ‘A(nga)’ to ‘A+(nga)’ in a further endorsement of the bank’s financial strength and prudent management. The upgraded ratings reflects improved profitability metrics and robust capital buffers, reinforcing the bank’s sustained upward trajectory.

“You Are Totally Ignorant, Your Sense Beclouded By Allure Of Party Money”, Wike Berates Damagun

Suleiman Anyalewechi

June 26, 2025

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has berated the National Leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for waiting to be prodded by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC before giving effect to a Supreme Court judgment.

The Source reports that the Apex Court had, a few months ago, ruled on the lingering crisis within the PDP over the position of its National Secretary.

The duo of Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Hon Ude Okoye had all laid claim to the position which the former had earlier vacated to pursue his Imo state gubernatorial ambition.

The Supreme court verdict, however, rather than decisively resolving the impasse further complicated the struggle with the ruling subjected to varying interpretations by interested parties.

But on Wednesday, the party hierarchy,

after emerging from a trouble-shooting meeting with the electoral umpire opted to reinstate Anyanwu who is widely perceived as Wike’s ally as the party’s Secretary.

According to the Acting National Chairman Iliya Damagun, accepting back Anyanwu as the PDP’s National Secretary was a very difficult decision which the party had to take in order to move on.

The meeting between the party and INEC ,was necessitated by the need to resolve all gray areas so as to get INEC’s nod for its crucial NEC meeting scheduled for June 30.

The INEC, based on the absence of the signature of Senator Anyanwa as a co-convener of the NEC, refused to endorse it, a development which prompted the Acting National Chairman to lead a high powered delegation of the party to a meeting with the Electoral body on Tuesday.

But reacting to the reinstatement of his ally Anyanwu on Wednesday, Wike widely seen as one of the architects of the party’s crisis ,while welcoming the development ,however described the party leadership as largely ignorant of the law

According to him, such gross act of ignorance is both legally unnecessary and politically embarrassing.

“I heard it (Anyanwu’s reinstatement) when the acting National Chairman of PDP was directing the National Secretary to resume .

“The National Secretary has been doing his work. So you can’t direct him to resume .

“The National Secretary having been duly elected never at a anytime vacated his position ,and so did not require reappointment from anybody and a revalidation to continue to carry on his duties

“The law does not recognize ignorance. That you are ignorant of the law is not an excuse.

“It is hugely disappointing that party officials would wait until being pushed by INEC to implement a matter that had long been settled by the country’s highest court”, Wike noted .

He expressed serious concern that “the National Chairman has allowed over bloated ego and the lure of party funds to becloud his sense of reasoning and judgment”, the FCT Minister stated

Senate Confirms Heads Of Rivers State Electoral Body, Says “Any Nigerian Can Work Anywhere”

Suleiman Anyalewechi

June 25, 2025

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Despite strident opposition from some Senators, the Senate, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, proceeded to ratify the nomination of Michael Odey as the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC.

At the sitting of the Committee of the Whole, the Senate also confirmed the nomination of members of the State’s Local Government Civil Service Commission, Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board, as well as the passage of the state’s 2025 1.48trillion appropriation bill.

The Special Ad-Hoc Committee, headed by the Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, had last week, after openly expressing doubt about the appropriateness and otherwise of appointing a non-Rivers State indigene, gone ahead to recommend Odey from Cross Rivers State, for confirmation as head of the RSIEC.

The Committee had cited a non-violation of any known Nigerian laws, including the Constitution, as a major reason for its action.

However, at Wednesday’s session presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Jibril Barau, Senators Abdul Ningi, Ali Ndume, Abba Moro, and others ,vehemently opposed the move to appoint Odey, who is from the same State as the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral rtd Ibok-Ete Ibas, as the RSIEC Chairman.

The opposing Senators warned against offending the sensibilities and sentiments of the Rivers State people, despite the State being under an emergency rule.

They separately and collectively cautioned against any move that can potentially worsen the precarious situation in the State,much so taking into consideration that the state is under an opposition party PDP.

” Are there no qualified people in Rivers State anymore? Let it be on record that ,I Senator Abdul Ningi, stood against this decision even if it will not stop the confirmation, the Bauchi State Senator stated.

Similarly, in his contribution, Senator Moro who is the Minority Leader ,called on the All Progressive Congress APC led Federal Government to thread cautiously on the present situation in Rivers state.

“Rivers is under emergency rule. So this decision raises a lot of questions. The State is ordinarily not under APC .

“Let it be known that we have some concerns about what is going on in Rivers state”, Senator Moro from Benue noted.

However, their objections and fears were dismissed by the Deputy Senate President who insisted that the appointment will stand since it has been established that no law is being contravened .

Citing the case of Abia state where an Edo citizen is the Head of Service, Senator Barau backed an earlier argument by Senator Mohammed Monguno that any Nigerian can constitutionally hold any office in any parts of the country.

“Any Nigerian can be appointed to any position in any State of the country. This right is guaranteed by the Constitution .

“I can even serve as the Governor of Benue Stateif the people of the State elect me to be their Governor”, Moguna stated.

This is as the Senators also approved the State’s 2025 budget.

Following the declaration of emergency rule in the state on March 18,2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, after suspending the Governor, his Deputy and the State Lawmakers for an initial period of six months, the burden of making laws for the good governance of the state now rests on the two chambers of the National Assembly.

The House of Representatives which had earlier okayed the state’s budget is expected to harmonize its position with that of the Senate in the days ahead .

The Senate also confirmed the members of the State’s electoral umpire , that of the Primary Healthcare Management,and the Local Government Service Commission.

Ondo Catholic Diocese Condemns Demolition Of Owo Memorial Park

Ayodele Oni

June 25, 2025

Demolition of Owo Parks — Demolition Of Owo Memorial Park

By Ayodele Oni

The Catholic Diocese of Ondo has declared that it was not carried along in the process of demolition of the Memorial Park in honour of victims of June 5, terrorists attack at Saint Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

Reacting through a statement on Wednesday to the demolition, which has attracted condemnation, the Church maintained that efforts to reach out to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa before the demolition was rebuffed.

The statement, signed by the Bishop of the diocese, Most Rev. Jude Arogundade

stated that: “Immediately we heard of the demolition, the Diocese wrote a letter to His Excellency, the Governor of Ondo State, seeking an official audience to understand the reasons behind the demolition of the Memorial Park and to seek clarification about its future.

“As of this statement, over 72 hours have passed, and no reply has been received from the Governor’s office.”

On the position of the Church, it added that “There is no doubt that the demolition is a violation of our common respect for the dignity of life and the memory we share of our 41 brothers and sisters who were unjustly killed.

“The Catholic Diocese of Ondo unequivocally condemns and finds unacceptable the sudden and unannounced demolition of the Memorial Park in Owo.

“This site, established by the State Government, served as a neutral and communal space for remembrance, reflection, and communal healing after the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack. Its demolition seems to have renewed the pain of everyone who was affected by the attack, and justifiably so.

“We recall that when protests arose last year regarding the site, the Diocese issued a statement making it clear that the space was a Memorial Park and not a graveyard.

“In the letter, the misunderstanding by those who thought it was a burial ground, especially due to its proximity to the Palace, was addressed openly, and an appeal was made for understanding and mutual respect.

According to the Church: “The site was legitimately acquired and developed by the State Government and publicly designated as a Memorial Park for honouring the victims.

“It was commissioned and blessed by the State Government and the Church respectively. The faithful and the general public were shocked and deeply saddened that the State Government, in collaboration with the Olowo chose to demolish the site without any prior notice, consultation, or official dialogue with the Church.”

It demanded an official explanation from the state government on the future of the park, whether it will be relocated to another site.

Demolition Of Memorial Park: Late Akeredolu’s Widow, Betty, Weeps, Accuses Olowo Of Hypocrisy

Ayodele Oni

June 25, 2025

By Ayodele Oni

Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, widow of the late Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, was in Owo, country home of late husband on Wednesday, during which she expressed sorrow and outrage over the recent demolition of a symbolic monument built in memory of victims of the 2022 St. Francis Catholic Church attack.

In a video posted to her official Facebook page, a visibly distraught Mrs. Akeredolu broke down in tears, condemning what she described as an orchestrated attempt to “rubbish” her husband’s legacy — allegedly spearheaded by the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III and supported by political actors in the State.

“Today, 25/6/25, I was at Aketi’s Mausoleum in Owo. AKETI LIVES ON,” she began, before launching into a powerful rebuke of what she sees as political betrayal and cultural hypocrisy.

Betty Akeredolu recounted the efforts of her late husband to honour the memory of the victims of terrorists attack, calling the demolished structure a “symbolic monument” and not a cemetery, contrary to claims made by critics.

“Nobody, no corpse was buried in that place. It was symbolic,” she emphasized, questioning the motives behind the demolition and expressing disbelief at how a community her husband deeply loved could allow such a dishonor to his memory.

She also directed criticism at the Olowo of Owo, who she claimed was installed by her husband, accusing him of hypocrisy.

“He sleeps with the dead — all the Olowos of Owo, where were they buried? Were they not buried in that place he’s living in? Look at the hypocrisy.

“I promise you, so long as I live, they will not succeed. They will not rubbish you. Aketi lives on!” she vowed.

Atiku Not Target, Adamawa Clarifies On New Emirates/Chiefdoms Laws

Suleiman Anyalewechi

June 25, 2025

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Adamawa State Government on Wednesday June 25, 2025, insisted that neither Atiku Abubakar nor any other person was targeted by the new policy on Emirate/Chiefdom titles in the State.

The Source reports that not a few watchers of events in the North East State were jolted by the news that the former Vice President has been stripped of his much cherished ” Waziri Adamawa title by the authorities on Tuesday June 24.

The Government in a circular directed Traditional Rulers in the State to exclude/remove kingmakers ,title holders ,and other traditional council members who are not indigenes of such Emirates or Chiefdoms from decision making positions

Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential Candidate in the 2023 General Elections, who hails from Jada, in Ganye Emirate Council of the State, was installed as the 7th Waziri Adamawa by the Lamido of Adamawa in 2018.

For many years ,he held the title of “Turakin Adamawa before he was upgraded to that of Waziri.

The Government directives were contained in circular dated June 20 , 2025 and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Chieftaincy Affairs, Adama Felicity Mamman.

“Following the creation of new Chiefdoms in the State by the Executive Governor of Adamawa State, Rt Hon. Ahmadu Umar Fintiri, I am directed to inform you that all Kingmakers and Council members in the State must be indigenes of their Chiefdoms ,e.g all Kingmakers and Council members of Adamawa Emirate must be indigenes of Yola South ,Yola North ,Girei Mayo-Belwa ,Song and Zumo Districts ,while those of Mubi Emirate Council must be indigenes of Mubi South and Mubi North ,Vis-a-vis all Emirates/Traditional Councils in the State .

“However, those appointed, or conferred with only Traditional titles are to maintain their status regardless of their Local Government of origin.

“With the content of this Circular all Kingmakers and Council members who are not indigenes of the Chiefdoms have been relieved of their appointments”, part of the Circular reads.

However, the directives have since raised considerable dusts with not a few commentators impugning political motives ,as well as the policy being targeted at some people, including Atiku Abubakar, himself a one time Governor of Adamawa State.

But reacting to the growing insinuations suggesting ulterior motives, the State Commissioner for Information, Iliya James on Wednesday noted that the policy reforms are aimed at ensuring that Emirates and Chiefdoms handle their internal affairs without outsiders coming to dictate to them.

According to him, traditional institutions in the State should be self-governing without taking directives from some powerful forces outside their domains

“When you have Kingmakers for a Kingdom coming from outside the Kingdom to decide who becomes King, for example, you could, one day, have the King from outside the Kingdom”, the Commissioner noted

While maintaining that the new policy wasnot targeted at any one, he emphasized that the law does not affect traditional title holders ,but Council Members who are responsible for taking, sometimes, far-reaching decisions on issues concerning the Emirates/Chiefdoms.

According to James,many prominent people, apart from Atiku Abubakar, were affected by the policy in view of the creation of new Seven Chiefdoms and Emirates in 2024 by the State Government.

“So, it is not an issue that concerns only the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Besides Atiku, many other prominent Council Members of Adamawa Emirate hail from outside by virtue of the creation of seven new Chiefdoms and Emirates last year”, the Information Commissioner noted.

World Drug Day: NDLEA Says Too Many Underage Exposed To Drugs

Ayodele Oni

June 25, 2025

By Ayodele Oni

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Oyo State Command, has lamented that some children from age nine now take to drugs.

The agency also disclosed that about four to five out of 10 undergraduates are into drugs.

The State NDLEA Commander, Olayinke Joe-Fadile, disclosed this in Ibadan on Wednesday during the command’s rally in commemoration of the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The day, also known as World Drug Day, is marked every June 26 to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse.

The theme of the 2025 celebration is “The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention, Break the Circle”.

According to Joe-Fadile, the menace of drug abuse is getting more worrisome as statistics have shown that younger people are getting exposed to drug use and offences.

“We are intensifying efforts on our campaigns across primary and secondary schools, including tertiary institutions in the state, because the demography of people using drugs is getting lower by the day.

“We now can see children from age nine upward taking drugs. The statistics are also showing us that about four to five out of 10 undergraduates are into drugs,” he said.

The NDLEA boss pointed out that the 2025 campaign highlights the need for coordinated long-term action to break the cycle of organised crime and drug trafficking.

This, he said, could be achieved by addressing root causes, investing in prevention, and building stronger health, education, and social systems.

He noted that the command had, in the last few months, arrested 150 persons for drug-related offences and burnt about 11 tons of different kinds of seized illicit substances.

Joe-Fadile cautioned that drug users could have their internal organs destroyed, leading to a slow and painful death.

He warned that the NDLEA would not relent in its efforts to ensure that manufacturers, producers, and sellers of illicit drugs in Oyo State face the full wrath of the law.

“We believe that every day is for the thieves, but one day is for the owner. NDLEA will soon knock at the doors of drug peddlers to pick them for prosecution and necessary legal trials.

He said that most traditional leaders in the state had been inducted as NDLEA ambassadors to carry out campaigns against drug abuse among their constituents.

“We have also discovered that many people respect and listen to religious leaders, hence we are collaborating with them, using their platforms to reach out to many people.”

PDP Seeks President Tinubu’s Intervention In Osun LG Crisis

Ayodele Oni

June 25, 2025

By Ayodele Oni

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Osun State has maintained that only an intervention by President Bola Tinubu would end the crisis at the Local Government Councils in the State.

State Chairman of the party, Sunday Bisi, who spoke in Osogbo on Wednesday, also blamed the root cause of the crisis on former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

According to him, the lingering Local Government Council crisis in the State is a manifestation of the booby trap set for Governor Ademola Adeleke by his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola.

He stated that Oyetola conducted Council Poll after he lost re-election in 2022, which was the foundation for the logjam being witnessed at the third tier of government in the state.

Bisi argued that Oyetola ought not to have conducted the Local Government Election

because the Electoral Act required a notice period of 360 days before the conduct of any Local Government Election in the country.

He bemoaned that Oyetola, the current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, only gave a 60-day notice on August 15, 2022, thus violating legal procedures.

Insisting that the ongoing crisis at the Local Government Councils is a deliberate ploy orchestrated by Oyetola to make Osun ungovernable for Adeleke and to stoke violence, the PDP boss said the result of the illegal council poll is the political tension currently ravaging Osun, particularly at the local government level.

“It was after the defeat of Adegboyega Oyetola as Osun governor that he deemed it fit to conduct local government elections, despite being in government for 12 years.

“The entire system of local government administration was left moribund until then, and the election he conducted was nothing but a booby trap for the PDP.

“Following the announcement of the election, the PDP, Action Peoples Party, APP, and other political parties challenged the process in court. We approached the Federal High Court and the court upheld our position, declaring the election invalid.”

He noted that despite the legal clarity, confusion had persisted over which judgment should be recognised.

“The CTC (Certified True Copy) came out in black and white. You don’t have to be a judge to interprete that judgment. Even the APC cannot point to any part of the ruling that favours their prayers.

“All the Appeal Court judgments are valid, and if anyone is dissatisfied, the proper thing is to approach the Supreme Court.

“The political tension arising from attempts by the APC to retake control of local councils led to violent clashes. The resultant chaos as a result of taking over the local government led to the death of our members and even one of their member.

He therefore called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene in the ongoing political impasse at the local government, by directing all parties involved to abide by the rule of law.

Benue, Kano Govts Demand Justice Over Persons Killed By Gunmen

Ayodele Oni

June 25, 2025

By Ayodele Oni

Benue and Kano State Governments have condemned the killing of two persons who were Indigenes of Kano by gunmen at Agan settlement in Makurdi, the Benue Capital.

The killing has sparked outrage and palpable tension in Kano.

The deceased, identified as Jamilu Ahmad and Barhana Suleiman, were travelling through Makurdi before the incident on Monday evening.

The deceased were sons of Ibrahim Khalil, a Kano-based Islamic scholar. They were buried at the Gudu cemetery in Abuja on Tuesday.

Their Islamic funeral prayer (Janazah), which took place at the national mosque in Abuja, was attended by Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser (NSA), and Abba Yusuf, Governor of Kano.

Hyacinth Alia, the Governor of Benue state, in a statement issued by Tersoo Kula, his Chief Press Secretary, described the murder as “barbaric and unacceptable”, ordering that perpetrators be arrested.

Alia said his administration would not allow criminal elements to tarnish the image of the state. The Benue governor sympathized with the Kano governor over the loss.

“Benue people are known for their hospitality and peaceful disposition. We cannot allow some criminal elements to tarnish our image and create a contrary image for our people.

“These criminals must be fished out immediately and made to face the full wrath of the law.”

In his reaction, Governor Yusuf said that the Kano Government will work towards ensuring that those who killed Suleiman and Ahmad are arrested.

The Governor said the victims are innocent citizens “whose only crime was exercising their constitutional right to live and work in any part of Nigeria.

“This Government will not rest until justice is served,” Yusuf was quoted in a statement released by Bature Dawakin Tofa, his spokesperson.

“We call for calm and restraint as we work closely with security agencies at all levels and the Benue State Government to bring the murderers to justice.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us. Every citizen has the right to live, move, and thrive in any part of this country without fear of discrimination or violence.”

Last Friday, 12 people were killed after a mob set ablaze a bus packed with wedding guests who were travelling from Zaria, Kaduna, to Quan Pan LGA in Plateau.

The wedding guests reportedly lost their way before they were ambushed by a mob in Mangun.

Some Kano travelers were few months ago ambushed at Uromi, in Edo state and killed by some members of the state Vigilante that mistaken them for Fulani terrorists.

Super Eagles 1994 Squad Get Houses In Abuja

Ayodele Oni

June 25, 2025

Evans Ikoku niece - receiving allocation paper from the ministry — Evans Ikoku's Niece, receiving allocation paper from the ministry.

By Ayodele Oni

After 31 years when hope seems dashed, the Federal Government has finally fulfilled its three-decade-old promise of house allocations to members of the 1994 Super Eagles squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

This was disclosed in a statement posted on the Ministry’s website on Wednesday.

One of the beneficiaries, former striker Efan Ekoku, was presented with an allocation letter for a house in Abuja.

He was represented at the brief ceremony by his niece, Lisa Jenifer Nwagbogun.

The Director and Head of Department, Public Building and Housing Development, Pemi Temitope, presented the letter on behalf of the Minister of Housing and Urban Development

Temitope described the move as part of the government’s commitment to rewarding the patriotic service of the team, which brought honour to the nation three decades ago.

Nwagbogun said, “I am deeply grateful to the Federal Government and the Ministry of Housing for fulfilling this long-standing pledge to my uncle. It is truly heartening to witness such commitment to integrity and follow-through.

“This gesture not only honours Mr. Efan Ekoku’s service but also restores faith in the value of public promises being kept.”

It will be recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the implementation of the 1994 housing pledge in 2022, 28 years after it was first made.

Housing units are being allocated to members of the team in various states, while some, like Ekoku, are receiving theirs in Abuja.

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