Tochukwu Ojogwu, Nigerian rapper, popularly known as Odumodublvck, has recounted his early struggles as an artiste.

In a post via X on Wednesday, the rapper revealed how he lost his dad because his family couldn’t afford a hospital bed space of N70,000.

He claimed that because of their poverty at the time, they had to bring his father home to die.

The vocalist of ‘Declan Rice’ expressed his strong belief that no musician paved the route for his musical achievement because of his difficult experience.

According to him, he was inspired by other rappers but no artiste paved the way for him.

He wrote: “When my father died my family was poor. We could not pay hospital bed space of 70k (N70,000). We had to take him home.

“Coming to tell me about paving the way for me? That’s God, brother. No use your ego counter reason my reality, bros. I agree say you inspire me. But bros, you pave the way for nobody. Nobody! I hate when n*ggas try to play God.”

Odumodublvck is known for his stage performances.

[DailyTrust]

Olisa Agbakoba, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), says the administration of President Bola Tinubu is not communicating hope to Nigerians amid mounting economic hardship.

In an interview on Wednesday, Agbakoba said the presidency is failing to lead by example by cutting down on the high cost of governance and showing empathy for citizens’ struggles.

“The government ought to be communicating hope. They ought to be saying ‘we are going through this difficult period but there is light at the end of the tunnel.’ This government is not communicating that at all, which I think is a big error,” Agbakoba said.

He noted that while Nigerians can endure tough times, the failure to provide reassuring messaging is worsening conditions across the country. Agbakoba warned of a “slow revolt” brewing among citizens frustrated by the rising cost of living.

The senior lawyer called on the Tinubu administration to take action to address people’s growing discontent and communicate a hopeful vision to rally citizens through this economically challenging period.

“The problem we have is that the government is not communicating hope,” Agbakoba reiterated. He urged the presidency to clearly spell out plans for economic recovery and say “in two or three months, we are likely to be in a better state.”

Jurgen Klopp’s agent, Marc Kosicke, has played down any chance of the German manager joining Bayern Munich as replacement for departing Thomas Tuchel.

Kosicke has swiftly looked to stop any rumours before they even begin.

Thomas Tuchel and Bayern Munich on Tuesday announced their decision to move on, meaning that the former Chelsea boss will not be at club next season.

The agent told Sky Germany: “Jurgen Klopp will not coach any club or national team for a year after this current season. “That remains unchanged.”

Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp had earlier announced his decision to leave Anfield at the end of the season.

[DailyPost]

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday remanded three men in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pending their arraignment for allegedly producing and selling fake dollars.

The 1st to 3rd defendants, according to the charge marked FHC/L/79C/2024, are Benjamin Opara, Iliyasu Garba and Joseph Ude.

Justice Kehinde Ogundare made the order following Opara’s inability to be represented by a lawyer.

When the case was called, EFCC’s counsel Temitope Banjo informed the court of the five-count charge pressed against the defendants.

He prayed the court to read the charge to the defendants so that they can take their plea.

But Abdulmalik Ibrahim, counsel to the second defendant Garba, informed the court that first defendants’ counsel was not in court, which meant that the arraignment could not go on.

The lawyer prayed that the court to allow the defendant to continue on the administrative bail earlier granted them by the EFCC.

But after hearing both parties, Justice Ogundare held that since the defendants’ arraignment was stalled by the defence, they should be remanded in the EFCC’s custody pending arraignment.

The case was adjourned till March 6, 2024 for arraignment.

Part of the counts read: “That you, BENJAMIN OPARA on or about the 10th November, 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority had in your possession machinery, utensil and material used for the forgery of counterfeit currency, to wit, Dollars, contrary to and punishable under Section 2 of Counterfeit Currency (Special provisions) Act Cap. C35, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

COUNT THREE

That you, BENJAMIN OPARA on or about the 10th November, 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court falsely made counterfeit currency, to wit, $20,000 denomination numbered MK10441029B contrary to and punishable under Section 1(3) of Counterfeit Currency (Special provisions) Act Cap. C35, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“That you, BENJAMIN OPARA, ILIYASU GARBA and JOSEPH UDE on or about the 10th of November 2023 in Lagos sold counterfeit currency, to wit, the sum of $10,000 denomination numbered MK10441042B, to one OBA OGOCHUKWU (AT LARGE), knowing same to be counterfeit currency contrary to and punishable under Section 4(1) of Counterfeit Currency (Special provisions) Act Cap. C35, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The federal government has said that the President Bola Tinubu administration’s top priority and the Ministry of Housing’s primary focus, which is housing delivery, is at risk due to the recent surge in cement prices.

The minister of Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa conveyed this message during a meeting with cement manufacturers at the Ministry headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, February 20.

He said: “For example, if we were planning to build a one-bedroom apartment for about N8 million, it will now cost twice that much, about N16 million to build. If a Nigerian could afford to own a home of N8 million, it would now be impossible to do so. We are also aware of several persons who have had to suspend construction work because of this development”.

He expressed the ministry’s concern regarding the present circumstances, especially considering the initiatives it has undertaken to provide social and affordable housing for low- and middle-class individuals, as well as vulnerable members of the community.

Dangiwa said: “We have already awarded contracts for Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in 15 states of the Federation. There is also the PULAKU Initiative through which we intend to build at least 1,000 houses in seven (7) states affected by banditry. We are worried that the rising cost of cement and other building materials in the country will affect these plans.”

He added that the government would not tolerate a scenario in which the price of necessary building materials, like cement, keeps growing uncontrolled and that the cement manufacturers are not doing enough to stop the rising cost of cement in the nation.

He noted: “This represents a 100 per cent rise, and it is not only on cement. We have also seen near-record high escalations in the prices of other building materials such as iron rods and other fittings. I recall that late last year, BUA Cement announced a commendable reduction in the price of cement from N5,500 to N3,500 per bag.

“I applauded the gesture, and several other stakeholders did too. But today, the reality is that of escalating cement prices. This is a crisis for housing delivery.

“An increase in essential building materials means an increase in the prices of houses. An increase in the cost of building houses means more and more Nigerians can no longer afford to own houses and provide decent shelter for themselves and their loved ones.”

Dangiwa urged the producers to deal honestly and to stop making things tough for Nigerians.

“We know that some of the key components of producing building materials, especially cement, are locally sourced, so the recurring disproportionate increase in the price of cement is unacceptable and unreasonable. Key input materials such as limestone, clay, silica sand, and gypsum within our borders should not be dollar-rated.

“You cannot continue to give excuses and blame it on the dollar all the time. The worst part is that other building materials manufacturers take a cue from cement manufacturers, and once they see that you increase your price, they do the same. Recently, this is happening almost every week, and it has to stop”, he stated.

[TheNation]

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, February 21, asked the Council of Legal Education to put in abeyance, the recent 60 percent increase in the school fees of the Nigeria Law School.

Adopting a motion by the Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley Chinda and read on his behalf by Ginger Owusibe, the House asked its relevant committees on Justice and Tertiary Education and Services to explore solutions to the issue at hand and report back within two weeks.

Chinda described the Nigerian Law School as the medium through which the Council of Legal Education discharges its function to regulate the legal education of persons seeking to become members of the legal profession as provided for under Section 1(2) of the Legal Education (Consolidation, etc.) Act Cap. L10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

He said the function of the Council of Legal Education to oversee legal education in Nigeria includes deciding the cost of tuition and other services rendered to students of the Nigerian Law School.

He stressed that Nigeria is currently facing a 27.33% inflation rate, as reported by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, which is projected by Trade Economics to rise to 30.00% by December 2023.

He however expressed concern that in exercising its functions, the Council of Legal Education has approved a 60% increase in Nigerian law school fees from ₦296,000. 00 to ₦476,000 for the 2023/2024 Bar Part II academic session.

He said further that the 2023–2024 Bar Part II Academic session commenced in January 2024 with no time given to prospective students to raise the balance.

He warned that failure to promptly address the need for a balance between the Council’s service quality and students’ affordability could result in a significant drop in Nigerian law school enrollment.

According to him, this, in turn, would lead to fewer lawyers being called to the Bar, ultimately contributing to a higher national unemployment rate among those unable to pursue legal careers.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency trading platform, Binance, has confirmed collaborating with President Bola Tinubu’s administration to block Nigerians from dollar-naira trading on its platform.

In an announcement titled “Commitment to P2P Users in Nigeria,” Binance said it is “working hand in hand with local authorities, lawmakers, and regulators to ensure we act on non-compliance.” The company said it has set upper limits for advertisements, is filtering and removing “bad ads,” and is requiring higher deposits for merchants posting ads to crack down on market manipulation.

On Tuesday, Binance disabled the sell option for its Nigerian users, capping the buy option at $1,802 per user. It also blocked the ability for Nigerians to purchase cryptocurrencies through peer-to-peer trading. This left some crypto asset holders unable to sell Bitcoin, BNB, Ethereum and others via P2P.

The move comes as part of the Tinubu administration’s efforts to halt the freefall of the naira against the U.S. dollar. The naira hit an all-time low of 1,902 per dollar on Tuesday before Binance blocked selling. This mirrors former President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2021 ban on crypto trading.

Binance users criticized the decision, with some threatening to take their business to other platforms. Critics said the restrictions are unlikely to shore up the struggling naira.

With a large population of monthly crypto traders, restrictions on foreign currency accounts have also increased Nigerians’ use of exchanges to store money and receive overseas funds.

The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Julius Abure, has been reportedly arrested by security operatives in Edo State.

Abure was arrested on Wednesday, a few days before the party’s primary election in Edo State.

Details later…

[Punch]

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has asked the Federal Government to end the inconsistency in duty charges by the Nigeria Customs Service.

Obi made this call in a statement via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday.

The Labour Party leader said the inconsistency in duty charges is affecting the general business atmosphere in the country.

He warned that if this situation is not corrected, importers in the country may resort to using the ports of nearby countries, a situation that he noted will leave the Nigerian ports underproductive and further deepen the economy into a worse situation as a result of loss of revenue.

Obi said, “I wish to urgently call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to end the inconsistency in duty charges as it is affecting the general business atmosphere in the country.

“The federal government should stop the arbitrary and ever-increasing customs duties as it is now negatively impacting businesses and the cost of items, and this portends a huge danger to the economy.

“A situation where at the point of initiating importation, Form M and other documents related to importation are based on a particular rate of exchange, for example, N1000 to $1, being the prevailing exchange rate at the time which the importer of goods was used to calculate the entire process, from the import initiation to receipt of goods in his warehouse.

“Then suddenly when the goods arrive in Nigeria, and duties are calculated at different rates, say N1400 to $1, it becomes a serious business challenge that results in business losses.

“Worse still, it directly fuels the inflationary spike which is the basis of increasing cost of goods and living. Such arbitrary charges will obviously lead to further closure of businesses, and attendant job losses.

“This is because at the time of the initiation of the business, calculations, including duties, have been made based on the prevailing exchange rate, and the prevailing market prices.

“If this situation is not corrected, our importers may resort to using ports of nearby countries, a situation that will leave our ports under-productive, and further deepen our economy into a worse situation as a result of loss of revenue.”

The former Anambra State Governor also advised the government to show consistency in its policies as this will help with economic forecasting and business planning.

He said that businesses are dying, and manufacturers are shutting down because of the poor and inconsistent economic policies of the government.

Obi stated, “All efforts of the government should be directed at supporting businesses, especially those in the manufacturing sector, to keep their businesses afloat and keep the economy growing, as the small business sector remains the most critical engine of economic growth.

“We cannot afford to target high customs revenues at the expense of the survival of local businesses, employment and reasonable cost of living.”

CLEAN-shaven, suave, upwardly mobile, and incurably optimistic, Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe, HOW, was one of the most recognisable figures in the banking space and corporate Nigeria. His official biography could only be written by him. But I hope his example can inspire and influence us.

Accurately describing Herbert in one word can be compared to explaining the mystery of centuries in a few words or a wild goose chase. It is a nuanced and complex process. He was an extraordinary businessman who died alongside his wife and son in the United States of America under exceptional circumstances. His tragic and sudden departure reverberated beyond our shores.

But who was Herbert Wigwe? I can only answer this question from the narrow prism of my friendship and many encounters with him. Herbert and I were members of the same local church assembly, and I witnessed his dedication to spirituality, good works, and commitment to church growth. It is easy to explain because of his solid Christian foundation. Herbert’s father, Elder Shyngle Wigwe, is a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Herbert was a man of prayer, which he complemented with a ruthless work ethic. He attributed all his successes to God’s blessings. Both of us are from Rivers State, and we had many sessions on how best to fix the politics of Rivers and, by extension, improve the State’s development trajectory. Herbert was utterly detached from politics but had deep insight into political manoeuvrings.

We debated the affairs of Rivers State and the country, and he baffled me with the precision with which he predicted the outcome of political contests. He would quickly tell you that his political party is Nigeria and no other. His passion for Nigeria was simply unwavering. Only a few persons can match his faith in Nigeria. He firmly believed that he would impart society by using businesses to provide solutions to society’s needs and create wealth that would touch the lives of many.

He was unapologetically capitalist, in the proper sense of it, and he lived his life using capital to solve many societies’ needs. Herbert was a man of bold dreams and obsessed with excellence while making room for unavoidable mistakes. Herbert never gave up on any bold dream, no matter the odds. He rode the waves of challenges and was filled with the spirit of hard work, dedication, and strokes of ingenuity. He had bold dreams in all ramifications, and this was self-evident.

First, as a young banker, he teamed up with his friend and partner to acquire “a distressed bank”, rated number 89 then, and turned it around in two decades to become one of the top five banks, with an assets base of over N20.9 trillion. This was quite phenomenal. Herbert, as CEO, set out to build an Access Bank with the vision of becoming the gateway to Africa and the world’s most respected African bank.

With a presence in more than 13 African countries plus a footprint in other continents, Access Bank was working towards realising this vision. Second, Wigwe University, which Herbert personally referred to as the “Future Harvard University of Africa”, was another extraordinary, bold dream. He set out to build the best University in Africa, investing $500m in the initial set-up.

You do not need further testament that he was a man of bold dreams. An entrepreneur extraordinaire, his mystique was his ability to sniff out opportunities where others see none, multiplied by the fact that he was one of the most persistent persons I know when going after opportunities. He mentored many budding entrepreneurs, top managers, and top academics in entrepreneurship.

Apart from his well-known flagship, Access Bank, he was active in other financial services, construction, oil and gas, aviation, film, and music, and, most recently, the education sector. He made a star success of all his multiple business pursuits. Herbert’s hidden strength was his ability to connect with people of all classes and cadres, accompanied by a related instinct to simplify complex things in the most basic way.

His mastery of Rivers’ version of Pidgin English could only equal his fluency in Queens English. He was among the few successful people referred to as the “original old Port Harcourt boy”. Another strength of his was his courageous, daring, patient, and persistent nature, which added to his relentless ambition to accomplish exceptional things. This attracted to him friends and foes in equal measure.

His philanthropic work in the Herbert Wigwe Foundation, which he founded in 2016, focused on youth empowerment, health, arts, and education. This focus on youth development was central to his mentoring, given his strong belief in the importance of the youth in the development of Nigeria and Africa. He was an art enthusiast and contributed to art development in the country. As the art connoisseur he was, his collection reflected his passion for excellence, diversity, and social purpose.

The HOW foundation extensively supported many healthcare projects for the downtrodden among us. His charity works were unique because he loathed publicity about it. Herbert’s enduring legacy is the power of vision, bold dreams, courage, and determination to pursue it and rally people to accomplish the objective. This is what we need to improve in our public space. History has shown that bold dreams have the power to transform societies.

Listening to Herbert talk about his vision was to find yourself in the oasis of inspiration. He genuinely believed that there was nothing you fixed your mind on that you could not accomplish. What lessons can we learn from him? Herbert epitomised a life of passion, dedication, resilience, and boldness in achieving grand personal and societal visions. He was bold in setting out great goals and pursuing them relentlessly until he reached them.

He proves that an unexamined life is not worth living. To achieve greatness and impact on society maximally, one must be purposeful, bold, and patient.Peter Drucker posits: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Herbert created his future and lived it to the full of those he loved. For our budding entrepreneurs, Herbert left a legacy. He proved the axiomatic expression true: “Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”