Politics
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Alex Ferguson teams up with Marcus Rashford after making poverty pledge
Agence France-Presse Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has teamed up with Marcus Rashford to tackle child food poverty. United striker Rashford was awarded an MBE following his recent campaign which saw the government change their minds on providing free school meals for children during holidays. Now the 23-year-old has said Ferguson is set to pledge up to £2 million ($2.6 million) towards the FareShare charity for which Rashford is an ambassador. An appeal in the Times is aiming to raise funds and Rashford revealed Ferguson, alongside billionaire Michael Moritz, will match donations up to the aforementioned sum and described the news as “incredible”. Ferguson, 78, grew up in Glasgow in tough conditions and believes Rashford has done a great job in highlighting the plight faci...
Firm restates commitment to enhance financial inclusion
Nigeria-based fintech solution, NowNow, has said that it will continue to upgrade its services to attune to current realities, such that will drive economic and social growth. Founder of NowNow, Sahir Berry, while speaking on how COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the financial space recently, mentioned that Nigeria needs to strengthen its fintech space more than before. Berry stated that it was important for Nigeria to tap into the trends and prospects of fintech given the country’s large unbanked or underbanked. He added the company recognised this gap in Nigeria, which informed its investment in the space. “In 2017 we identified that one of the two big problems in Nigeria was lack of youth empowerment and financial inclusion. With a population of almost 100 million youths, we found that ac...
Court admits Senator Ndume to bail citing ‘good behaviour’
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, on grounds of “good behaviour”, admitted Senator Ali Ndume to bail over his suretyship for former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina. Maina, who is standing trial on a 12-count charge of alleged N2 billion money laundering, was assumed to have jumped bail following his failure to appear in court for his trial on four different adjournments. It would be recalled that Justice Abang had admitted Maina to bail in the sum of N500 million and a surety in like sum, who must be a serving Senator and must attend every court proceedings relating to the matter. Ndume had stood surety for Maina in his alleged money laundering trial and was consistent in attending Maina’s trial until sometime in Septem...
Naira weakens to lowest in three years
The Naira yesterday weakened to the lowest in over three years in the parallel market due to increased demand for dollars amid foreign-currency shortages. The local currency depreciated to N495 to a dollar yesterday, lowest since February 23, 2017, widening the gap with the official rate of N379.5 to over 30 per cent. The currency traded in the interbank market at 389.74 as of 4:54p.m. in Lagos. Agency reports quoted traders as alleging a groundswell of diversion of dollars, a development which heightened scarcity of the green back in the parallel market this week. There is a diversion of inflows away from official channels to the parallel market due to the gap in rates, Murega Mungai, trading desk manager for Aza Finance said in a note Thursday. The market spread has created arbitrage opp...
Nigerian government seeks new Eurobond
The federal government yesterday disclosed that it would approach the Eurobond market next year in its effort to shore up the economy, amidst cocktails of measures being put in place to douse the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy. On the same day, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, while speaking at the 55th Annual Bankers Dinner organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, predicted a two per cent growth in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021. Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed the Eurobond plan while speaking on Bloomberg TV, explained that the decision would depend on the prevailing interest rates. She, however, did not specify the amount to be accessed from the Eurobond. The Eurobond option is ...
Andre-Villas Boas: Marcelo Bielsa’s nomination for The Best FIFA Coach award ‘scandalous’
Marseille boss Andre-Villas Boas has taken a swipe at Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa’s nomination for The Best FIFA Coach Award. The Argentine has joined a five-match shortlist that also includes Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Sevilla’s Julen Lopetegui and Bayern Munich’s Champions League-winning coach Hansi Flick. Bielsa was at the helm as Leeds returned to the top flight of the English game for the first time in 2004, but Villas-Boas has suggested that these achievements pale into comparison with other coaches who have been overlooked. “Bielsa? Bielsa has to win a prestigious trophy,” he told the media on Friday. “But he’s not among the best five coaches in the world in 2020. It’s a scandal. He won the Championship!” Villas-Boas, who risks provoking the M...
Police arrest wanted pirate after attack on passenger boat in Rivers
The Police Command in Rivers has arrested one Daniel George, suspected to be a pirate, over his alleged involvement in the attack on a passenger boat in Bonny waterways. Newsmen report that the attack happened in the early hours of Thursday, with many of the passengers aboard the boat sustaining injuries. A fisherman resident in Bonny, who gave his name simply as Tamuno, said some of the passengers jumped into the river to escape being robbed of their belongings during the attack. However, the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the arrest on Friday in Port Harcourt, said the attack resulted in the death of one passenger. “George, an indigene of Asarama community in Andoni Local Government Area, who has been on our wanted list, has been arrested. “The suspect...
Lagos government plans internship programme for young graduates
The Lagos State Government on Friday said it was planning a six-month Internship Programme for 4,000 young graduates in the state. Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu said this during the inauguration of a 28-room Administrative Block constructed by Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area. Sanwo-Olu said that the 4,000 fresh graduates would be paid a monthly stipend of N40,000 for the six months programme, adding that there was an urgent need for government at all levels to prioritise youth development, empowerment and mentoring. According to him, the recent EndSARS protest must be seen as a wakeup call for government at all levels to do more for young people who are demanding for better opportunities and engagements. ”As we prepare for a new fiscal year, let us ensure that ade...
NAF elevates 107 senior officers, gets 16 AVMs
Wikipedia The Air Force Council (AFC) has approved the promotion of 107 senior officers to the next higher ranks in the Air Force (NAF), a statement by Wing Cdr. Bassey Okon, Acting Deputy Director for Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF headquarters, said on Friday in Abuja. According to Okon, the affected senior officers comprise 16 Air Commodores (Air Cdres) who were promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal (AVM), 31 Group Captains who were promoted to the rank of Air Commodores. Also, 27 Wing Commanders were promoted to the rank of Group Captain and 33 Squadron Leaders were promoted to the rank of Wing Commanders. Those promoted to the rank of AVM include: Air Commodore Abraham Adole, Tajudeen Yusuf, Ibikunle Daramola, Uchechi Nwagwu, Sani Rabe, Kurotimi Obidake, Nanjul K...
Safaricom could Reduce M-Pesa Transaction Fees
Image sourced from TechWeez Safaricom could reduce M-Pesa transaction fees, according to Business Daily who also suggested that the telco is considering this move in an effort to “retain the higher business volumes that followed the imposition of free M-Pesa for deals of up to Sh1,000”. Safaricom CEO, Peter Ndegwa confirmed this, saying “We intend to reduce our transaction costs over time. How quickly we do that is something we want to judge but certainly, we haven’t made a decision yet at this stage.” Kenyan Senators Call for Safaricom to Split Senators in Kenya believe that Safaricom should split into two firms – Mobile Services and M-PESA. According to The Star, a split would see the mobile telephony service is regulated by the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) and t...
The 13 Best Things That Happened in Music This Week (November 27)
Take a look at all of the week’s can’t-miss music moments below. AC/DC’s new album charged in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 AC/DC’s Power Up debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, giving the legendary rockers their third chart-topping set. The new LP started with 117,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Nov. 28, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. See the full Billboard 200 rundown for the week ending Nov. 28 here. The 2020 American Music Awards were a night to remember Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, BTS, Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, Dua Lipa, and Doja Cat and Bebe Rexha all performed during the AMAs on Sunday (Nov. 22), making for a star-studded evening. Of course, some awards were handed out, too! Check out the full winners’ list here to...
#EndSARS: Our losses can’t be quantified – LCC
As the probe into the shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate continues, the panel set up by the state government to look into the incident has been told by Mr Abayomi Omomuwa, managing director, Lekki Concession Company, operator of the tollgate, that he could not quantify the losses when the toll gate was occupied by #EndSARS protesters in October. Omomuwa also told the panel that contrary to insinuations, the toll gate was owned by private investors until 2014 when the Lagos State Government acquired it 100 per cent. Omomuwa who disclosed this while under cross-examination by a counsel for some #EndSARS protesters, Mr Adesina Ogunlana, said, “I believe that is the business of the company, not something to discuss in public.” When pressed further by Ogunlana, the LCC MD said, “It is obvious, whe...
