Federal Republic of Nigeria
MTN Nigeria Attains Approval to Operate Mobile Money Bank (MoMo)
MTN Nigeria received approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria on Monday to operate Mobile Money (MoMo). MTN Nigeria’s Mobile Money (MoMo) service has more than 9-million users since it launched in 2019. According to TechCabal, the approval means that MTN Nigeria will be able to provide all the services offered by conventional commercial banks virtually, with the exception of granting credit and processing foreign exchange transactions. “We are grateful to the CBN for granting the final approval to commence the operations of MoMo PSB, which is an important milestone for our Ambition 2025 strategy. We are excited about the opportunity for MTN Nigeria to support the CBN and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in fulfilling the agenda of driving financial inclusion in Nigeria,” MTN Group CEO Ralp...
AGF: Ohanaeze legal monitoring group on Nnamdi Kanu not necessary
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has said the legal team formed by the umbrella group for Igbo people, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to monitor proceedings of the trial of leader of the prescribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was not necessary. He, however, welcomed the Ohanaeze team, saying it was in line with the doctrine of the right of fair hearing rooted in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution. Recall that the separatist leader was arrested in June 2021 outside the country. Kanu is facing charges bordering on treasonable felony instituted against him at the court in response to years of campaign for the independent Republic of Biafra through IPOB. He had been granted bail in April 2017 but jumped bail. After his re-arrest in June 202...
PANDEF: President Buhari lacks power to impose open grazing on states
The Pan-Niger Delta Forum has again warned the Federal Government and groups such as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, against conduct and utterances capable of making the already bad security situation in Nigeria worse than it is. Elder statesman and leader of PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, gave the warning at a media briefing in Abuja, on Monday. He said President Muhammadu Buhari lacked the power to impose open grazing on state governments. He said the people of the Niger Delta have watched with restrained patience the reckless and irresponsible utterances of a group of jihadists who have over the years threatened other Nigerians over grazing routes and rights. Clark noted that the latest being the threat issued by a group of faceless anarchists who issued a warning to the Delt...
PANDEF: President Buhari lacks power to impose open grazing on states
The Pan-Niger Delta Forum has again warned the Federal Government and groups such as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, against conduct and utterances capable of making the already bad security situation in Nigeria worse than it is. Elder statesman and leader of PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, gave the warning at a media briefing in Abuja, on Monday. He said President Muhammadu Buhari lacked the power to impose open grazing on state governments. He said the people of the Niger Delta have watched with restrained patience the reckless and irresponsible utterances of a group of jihadists who have over the years threatened other Nigerians over grazing routes and rights. Clark noted that the latest being the threat issued by a group of faceless anarchists who issued a warning to the Delt...
JUSUN strike: How we decongested our cells – Police
The police in Lagos say they have devised means to decongest their cells amidst the prolonged strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). The police spokesperson in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that the decongestion was carried out in collaboration with the office of the Chief Judge and Attorney-General of the state. NAN reports that JUSUN, on April 6, directed its members to shut down all courts across the country, demanding the implementation of the law granting financial autonomy to the Judiciary. “The command had been managing the situation in collaboration with the office of the state chief judge,” Mr Adejobi said. He, however, did not give the number of suspects that had been granted bail. “We work with the office of the CJ an...
Minister urges media to create fact-checking desks against fake news
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has advised media organisations to set up special desks for fact-checking in order to guard against being misled by fake news and misinformation. He gave the advice in Abuja yesterday when he hosted the editorial board of the Guardian Newspaper on a courtesy visit. The minister urged media organisations in Nigeria to take his suggestion seriously, noting that establishment of a special desk for fact-checking will curb the problem of fake news and enable the citizens to separate fact from fiction. He said in the era of fake news and misinformation, the media has a duty to get its facts right and ensure that charlatans and hackers do not dominate the media space, as it is increasingly becoming the case in the country. Mohammed said: “...
Senator calls for removal of AGF over remarks on herdsmen
Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, has called for the immediate removal from office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Alhaji Abubakar Malami, SAN, over his argument, equating open grazing with Southerners’ selling spare parts in the North. Dr. Basiru, who spoke in his personal capacity as a patriot and Senator said that, “anyone who cannot rise above primordial sentiments and pursuit of parochial ethnic agenda need not occupy position of trust especially at this time of sectional agitations. It was not dignifying of the status of the nation’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice to make such remarks. The Senator said that equating the activities of nomadic herdsmen, destroying people’s means of livelihood with others, legitimately carryi...
Oyo council polls: OYSIEC to refund nomination fees to candidates
Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), has expressed its readiness to refund the sum of N50,000 for Councillorship candidates and N250,000 for Chairmanship candidates as stated on Time-Table and guidelines released for local government council elections, coming up in the state. The Commission also released the names of screened and qualified Chairmanship and Councillorship Candidates of 17 political parties who have signified their intentions to participate in the election, slated for May 22, 2021. These were contained in a statement issued and signed by the Electoral Commissioner in charge of Voter Education, Prince Afeez Adeniyi, on behalf of the commission and made available to journalists in Ibadan . Similarly,the statement stated that the commission has resolved to refun...
President Buhari nominates Kolawole Alabi as FCCPC commissioner
President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated Mr Kolawole Alabi for appointment as Executive Commissioner, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). This is contained in a letter dated April 26 and read by President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, at the plenary on Wednesday. “In accordance with the provision of Section 5(1) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act, 2018. “I write to forward, for confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the appointment of Mr Kolawole Oladipupo Alabi as Executive Commissioner, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. “The nominee’s CV is attached herewith. “It is my hope that the Distinguished Senate will consider and confirm the appointment in the usual expeditious manner.”(NAN) Get...
House rejects bill seeking to reduce cases in Supreme Court
The House of Representatives yesterday voted out a bill seeking to limit the category of litigations that can be appealed at the Supreme Court. The intention of the bill was to reduce the workload on the apex court, and speed up justice delivery. The lawmakers at the plenary yesterday considered for second reading, ‘A Bill for An Act to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999; the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (First Alteration) Act, 2010; and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Second Alteration) Act, 2010, to make appeals to the Supreme Court to be by leave in order to reduce workload on the court, expedite hearing and determination of appeals, and encourage efficiency and quality; and for related matters.’ Chai...
NIMASA: SPOMO act improving Nigeria’s image
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) says the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, is improving Nigeria’s image in its fight against piracy and sea robbery. Dr Bashir Jamoh, Director-General, NIMASA, said this in a statement on Sunday in Lagos. He said that the Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in June, 2019 was to end piracy and sea robbery in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. He made this known at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium organised recently in Lagos by the agency, in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI). The colloquium had the theme, “Achieving Maritime Safety, Security and Shipping Development (TRIPODS) through Enforcement of Legislations and the Implementation of th...
Official: Why CCB denies Nigerians access to public officers’ assets information
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) on Wednesday explained why it denies Nigerians access to the details of the assets declared by public officers. The chair person of the bureau, Muhammad Isah, also disclosed that assets declaration would soon become online-based. Mr Isah, represented by his special assistant, Mustapha Musa, spoke in Lagos at a meeting on ‘Promoting Transparency and Accountability in Asset Declaration by High-Ranking Public Officers’. Newsmen report that the meeting was organised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). On access to public officers’ assets information, the CCB chair said the bureau never honoured citizens’ requests for such information because the National Assembly had yet to give the guidelines for such public disclosure. He said the...
