WAY
Sustaining economic empowerment through financial inclusion, energy access
Financial inclusion and provision of sustainable energy is at a turning point in Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria. With a population of over 200 million, about 50 per cent of the total population live in rural areas, and only 39 per cent of those living in rural communities have access to electricity. This is in addition to over 40 per cent of the entire population who are financially excluded or underserved. However, the proliferation of digital financial services in Nigeria – powered largely by growth in fin-tech companies – has catalysed an unparalleled increase in the current number of people with access to formal financial services, while further opening up opportunities to address power supply challenges across rural communities; a major feat instrumental towards achieving the broad...
Senator Buhari: Nigeria needs restructuring, not secession
National Insight Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari (APC – Oyo North) says Nigeria needs restructuring to resolve its myriads of problems, not secession. Buhari who disclose this to newsmen in Ibadan on Wednesday said that secession would only lead to “war within war.” Newsmen report that Buhari is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport. “I don’t believe in secession; restructuring, I believe in it so much. “Yoruba Presidency I am 100 percent, I believe in what is called rotational, it’s just fairness. “If you say democracy is a game of number, I agree, but there is what is called a situation for the right place and where you find yourself. “Secession does not bring peace, but war within war,’’ he said. The lawmaker, who expressed strong support for restructuring, added that a better Nigeria...
Deregistration: INEC colluding with politicians to undermine court processes – ADC
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, Tuesday, alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was playing some tricks by colluding with some party leaders and politicians in an attempt to undermine court processes. The National Chairman of ADC, Chief Ralphs Okey Nwosu, who made the allegation, while reacting to the Supreme Court’s judgment which affirmed the deregistration of the National Unity Party, NUP, described alleged moves by the electoral empire as pitiful. Chief Nwosu noted that while the NUP’s case was not of much consequence, the case to watch and which INEC was trying to use NUP to undermine is that involving 22 political parties. According to Chief Nwosu, who is also the interim President of Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, IPAC, “The Supreme Court j...
Donny van de Beek accused of making Manchester United move with ‘big boy’ attitude
Donny van de Beek has been accused by Marco van Basten of leaving Ajax for Manchester United with a “big boy” attitude, with the Dutch icon of the opinion that too many players depart Amsterdam believing that they have already made it. Van de Beek is among those to have been brought down to earth with a bump after leaving the comfort zone of life in his native Netherlands. A £35 million ($49m) switch to Old Trafford has not played out as planned for the 24-year-old midfielder, with only two Premier League starts taken in as questions are asked of his value to the Red Devils’ cause. Van Basten, who made his name at Ajax before going on to win the Ballon d’Or three times with AC Milan, told Ziggo Sport of Van de Beek and his struggles in England: “It just shows what a great life they have wh...
Police: 21 officers killed by gunmen in Akwa Ibom
The police authorities in Akwa Ibom State said they have so far lost 21 officers due to gun attacks in the state. The commissioner of police in the state, Amiengheme Andrew, disclosed this on Monday while briefing Governor Udom Emmanuel who visited the police headquarters in the state to condole with the families of the slain officers and the police over the loss. Mr Andrew also informed the governor that the police in the state lost 11 vehicles and seven firearms in the various attacks. Mr Emmanuel, who visited the police headquarters immediately after the State Executive Council meeting, announced a donation of N60 million to the families of the slain officers. Besides meeting with the police commissioner in his office, Mr Emmanuel met with officers inside a hall where he thanked them fo...
Ramadan: Israel donates food items to support Nigerian Muslim families
The Embassy of Israel in Nigeria on Monday donated some food items to support some Muslim families in the on-going Ramadan fasting in the country. Mr Yotam Kreiman, Charge d’Affairs of Israel to Nigeria, who presented the items in Abuja, said that the items worth 260, 000 meals was to support about 1,800 families. Newsmen report that the items donated included some bags of rice, beans, maize, groundnut oil, pasta among others. The envoy said that the items were put together to further deepen ties between Israel and Nigeria. Kreiman said that lessons from the Holy Books during month of Ramadan often reminded people of their needs to always be kind, helpful and thoughtful, especially as the world slowly recovered and battled with COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, it is important to lend h...
De-registration: Supreme Court judgement binding only on NUP – CUPP
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has insisted that the recent Supreme Court judgement affirming the de-registration of 74 political parties is only binding on the National Unity Party (NUP). CUPP maintained that the judgment does not, in any way, bind on the 22 political parties which got victory at the Court of Appeal as they are not parties before the Supreme Court in NUP’s case and their prayers before the courts are also different. On August 10, 2020, the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/507/2020, between Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) & 21 others, and Attorney General of the Federation & INEC ruled that the de-registration of the 22 political parties was unconstitutional and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relist the...
INEC approves creation of 4,861 additional polling units in Lagos
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Lagos State, has concluded plans to create additional 4,861 polling units in the state. The Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos State, Sam Olumekun, who announced this at the Election Stakeholders’ forum on Monday, held in Ikeja, explained that the move became necessary to tackle the usual voter apathy and boost voter access to polling units in exercising their fundamental rights to vote. The forum was part of sensitization and public enlightenment of Stakeholders by the commission towards engendering active participation in future election exercises. He stated: “Polling Units are central to the electoral process and therefore democracy at large. Voter access to Polling Units is at the very heart of representative democracy...
David Moyes lashes out at Premier League chiefs over Manchester United decision
David Moyes fears West Ham’s slim hopes of Champions League football could be affected further by Manchester United forced to field weakened teams. The Hammers boss – whose men were beaten by Everton – has called on the Premier League to explain the questions surrounding the integrity of the competition being affected with United’s 3-1 win at Aston Villa their first of three games in five games. Reds boss Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is set to dip into his squad to face the Hammers’ top-four rivals Leicester on Tuesday after sealing a top four place. Moyes said: “The Premier League should be answering these questions and tell us why this is the case. “There was an awful lot of integrity needed to get the Premier League back up and running during the pandemic. ‘Ole can do what he likes. Its his tea...
Edinson Cavani offered £50K pay rise to stay at Manchester United
Manchester United plan to keep Edinson Cavani at Old Trafford for the 2021-22 season by offering the striker a wage increase of £50,000, according to reports. The Uruguayan has cemented himself as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice striker during the second half of the 2020-21 campaign, playing a pivotal goalscoring role both domestically and in Europe – most notably in the Europa League semi-final tie with AS Roma, against whom he scored four goals over two legs. United do not have the option to extend the 12-month deal Cavani signed last summer, and it has been generally assumed the 34-year-old would return to South America this summer. However, Cavani can choose to add another year to his current deal, and according to The Sun, United plan to give the 34-year-old extra incentive to rem...
PDP hails suspension of three council chairmen by Lagos Assembly
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended Lagos House of Assembly (LAHA) over the suspension of three council chairmen in the state. The PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Taofik Gani, gave the commendation in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos. The suspended chairmen are: Ogidan Mukandasi of Lekki LCDA, Suleiman Jelili (Alimosho) and Tajudeen Ajide (Surulere). He said that the assembly’s resolution to suspend the three council chairmen over alleged mismanagement and under-performance was commendable. According to him, many local government areas and local council development areas (LCDAs) in the state have remained underdeveloped since the assumption of office by the chairmen in 2017. Newsmen recall that the assembly had, on Tuesday, suspended the council chairmen ...
NASU: Decision to reduce civil servants salaries ’provocative’
File Photo The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) says plan by the Federal Government to slash salaries of Federal civil servants is “provocative’’. NASU made this known in a statement by its General Secretary, Mr Peters Adeyemi on Sunday in Abuja. It will be recalled that Mrs Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, had given the hint on May 4, at the National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Cost of Governance in Nigeria, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja. Ahmed said during the dialogue that the review of salaries of civil servants and some federal agencies were part of measures to reduce cost of governance. She said the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) had bee...
