The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has disclosed that it is set to take action against Point of Sales (PoS) businesses that have failed to register their businesses following the passing of the September 5 deadline earlier announced.

The CAC alleged that POS businesses that have failed to register may be involved in illegal activities.

The Commission added that it is working with law enforcement agencies and other relevant stakeholders to deploy sanctions such as possible shutdown and other severe legal consequences against POS operators who have not complied with the registration directive.

The Commission stated this in a public notice released on Friday, 6th September.

The public notice reads: “The Corporate Affairs Commission wishes to remind the general public particularly Fintech operators also known as Point of Sale (POS) operators, that the 60-day deadline given in daily newspaper publications of July 7 2024, for the registration of such businesses expired on September 5, 2024.

“The Commission notes inadequate compliance with the directive for formalization when viewed from the background of the large number of POS operators in the country. Those who have taken steps to formalize in line with the Commission’s directive are commended for their positive attitudes.

“Recalcitrant operators have refused to adhere to the advice for formalization due possibly, to engagements in unwholesome activities or for some reasons best known to them.

“We are to make it clear that the Commission is working with Law Enforcement Agencies and other relevant stakeholders to deploy comprehensive enforcement and sanction framework that may include not only possible shutdown but other severe legal Consequences.”

Meanwhile, the affected fintech business owners under the aegis of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN) have challenged the CAC’s registration directive in court even as they insist the mandatory registration was illegal.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s remarkable achievement of scoring 900 career goals has garnered recognition from Guinness World Records, which celebrated his feat by joining the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate on social media, responding with a GOAT emoji.

This subtle gesture further cemented Ronaldo’s legendary status in the world of football.

Ronaldo’s milestone reinforces his dominance in both international and club football, placing him ahead of his long-time rival Lionel Messi and other prominent players.

In a post on X.com on Thursday, Guinness World Records quoted a BBC Sports tweet that hailed Ronaldo’s record-breaking accomplishment, saying, “900 career goals for Cristiano Ronaldo. Incredible. #BBCFootball.”

Ronaldo reached his 900th career goal during Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Croatia.

The historic goal came in the 34th minute when Ronaldo volleyed a cross from Nuno Mendes, securing Portugal’s 2-1 victory.

This achievement not only contributed to Portugal’s success but also marked a significant personal milestone for Ronaldo, who now stands as one of the top goal-scorers in football history.

Speaking after the match against Croatia, Cristiano Ronaldo said (via Fabrizio Romano): “900 goals seems like any other milestone, but only I know how hard it is to work every day to score your 900th goal.

“It’s a unique milestone in my career. I don’t break records…they haunt me!”

Lionel Messi is the only player closely trailing Ronaldo, with a current tally of 838 goals for both club and country.

Award-winning American singer, songwriter and actress, has admitted that she thought she was going to be single “forever” because of fame.

The 38-year-old, who recently announced her engagement to her boyfriend, Michael Polansky, said she’s relieved that she isn’t single anymore.

“I kind of thought I was going to have to do this all by myself—forever. And that was really scary. Because it’s a big life. And I don’t think anyone really knows what it feels like unless you’re in it. And I don’t have to do this alone anymore,” she stated in an interview with Vogue.

The House of Gucci star described her fiancé as a “totally supportive, loving human being” who wanted to know her beyond being a celebrity.

“I’d been so focused on my career since I was a teenager. And the gift of that time was that I got to completely focus on my relationship. I met this totally supportive, loving human being who wanted to get to know me—outside of Lady Gaga,” she said.

Lady Gaga revealed that it was her mom who introduced her to her fiancé, Michael Polansky.

Sheikh Bashar Danfili, a prominent cleric in Sokoto State, has appealed for financial assistance from the public following the kidnapping of six of his relatives by bandits while they were traveling to an undisclosed village in the state.

In a short video posted on social media platforms, the cleric said the victims include a man, his mother, stepmother, two wives and sister.

He said the bandits had demanded huge amount of money which they could not raise,  adding that the deadline was fast approaching.

Danfili said: “The bandits have kidnapped my close relatives. I don’t want to disclose their names.

“They were on their way to a village when they were attacked and kidnapped.

“Their driver was killed on the spot and the bandits fed their dogs with his flesh.

“But the rest are still in captivity, including a husband, his mother, stepmother, two wives and his sister.

“The bandits have demanded a huge amount of money, which runs into millions of Naira. We cannot raise it.

“I am a scholar, I don’t have anything. My job is only to teach people with the books that you can see behind me.

“And they gave us deadline within which the money must be paid or they would kill all of them.

“I know they can do that, looking at what happened recently to a traditional ruler in the state, who was killed by his abductors.

“Therefore, I am pleading for help from the general public so that we can be able to pay the ransom and get them released.”

Professor Pat Utomi, a frontline political economist, has blamed the misery Nigerians are experiencing on the political class.

Utomi the current situation in the country was an indication that the political class has failed Nigerians.

Appearing on Channels Television’s Politic Today, Utomi said called for the return of fuel subsidy regime.

According to Utomi: “The first thing to do is to recognise essential things that Nigerians need fuel for. I will subsidise those things.

“There will be a subsidy. The Americans have subsidy for Agriculture, it is a matter of where you direct it to.

“Nigeria’s political class is responsible for the Nigerian misery. The political class has failed the country.

“Look at the choices we have repeatedly made, look at the kind of National Assembly that we have. The political class needs to come out publicly before the country.

“In South-East Asia, people will come out and do a humiliation from what the public has suffered as a result of the irresponsibility of the political class in Nigeria.”

The local currency's decline worsened yesterday, with the naira falling to N1,639.41 per dollar at the official exchange rate.

The figure yesterday indicated a whooping loss of N34 after the dollar exchanged for N1,606 the previous day, according to the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) rate.

Also the black market rate also dipped yesterday as the naira lost N5 against the dollar, exchanging at N1,645/$1, as against N1,640 the previous day.

The Federal Government has announced that only those with National Identification Numbers will be eligible to buy from the 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice available at a subsidized rate of N40,000 per 50kg bag.

President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, stated during the flag-off ceremony on Thursday, that the rice intervention will be sold strictly on a “one person, one bag” basis.

Kyari explained that the 50kg bags of rice, priced at a flat rate of ₦40,000, are part of the Federal Government’s effort to provide subsidised milled rice to help alleviate the ongoing food crisis in Nigeria.

“This food intervention can be said to be timely considering the times and challenges we are in as citizens of this great nation.

“As one of the numerous efforts of the present administration to cushion the effect of high cost of food commodities, kindly join me in applauding the immense efforts of the present administration such as the release of 42,000MT of Assorted Food Commodities (AFC) to vulnerable and the 30,000MT of milled rice which is being flagged-off for sales to Nigerians today September 5, 2024,” he stated.

On buyer verification, Kyari explained that a multi-disciplinary government task force has been deployed to ensure transparency, broad distribution and the overall success of the initiative.

He emphasised that the process was designed to prevent individuals from obtaining more than one 50kg bag of rice, noting that beneficiaries will be verified through identification methods such as the NIN and phone numbers to prevent fraudulent individuals from accessing multiple bags at the expense of other citizens.

“In view of the above, I urge our dear citizens to cooperate with the relevant agencies of government who will try to serve you to achieve this great initiative of government.

“It is expected that with the injection of 30,000MT (1000 trucks of 30MT each of this important staple into Nigeria’s food balance sheet, it will not only crash the price of rice but also other closer food substitutes and alternatives,” he said.

Speaking on the process Nigerians would have to follow to purchase the rice, the Director of Strategic Grains Reserve, Ministry of Agriculture, Haruna Sule, explained that civil servants can access the grains at designated points of sale by using their Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System details.

“To qualify for the one person one bag, you must have a National Identification Number, of course, you have phone numbers and those in public service are all registered under the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) platform,” he said.

“Once you have any of these three, at the point of sale, with the NIN logged into the system, a code number and a Treasury receipt will be generated, and with that, the buyer can get to the collection centre and pick up his bag. The receipt will indicate, the time and point of collection to eliminate stampede,” he added.

Sule explained that once the buyer provides the code number, a treasury receipt will be issued as proof of payment to the government, adding that the buyer will then receive a receipt indicating the collection point and time.

He further clarified that the collection point is separate from the sales point, adding, “At the collection point, you present your code to our officials, and you will be handed a bag of rice.”

In July, the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, announced the sale of subsidised rice.

Following this, the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, through its Human Resources Management Department, instructed civil servants to register for the purchase of the food item.

However, the government later suspended the plan without providing any explanation for the decision.

The Yoruba Council of Elders, YCE, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to alleviate the suffering of the masses.

They also urged him not further worsen the pains with the hike in petrol price across the nation.

The YCE, in a statement by its General Secretary, Oladipo Oyewole, said though it was hopeful that there will be a positive turnaround in the country, “there is, presently, a lot of suffering in the land.”

The statement reads;

“The YCE remains hopeful that Nigeria will have a turnaround. However, going by scanty information available on Government pursuits and activities, there is, presently, a lot of suffering in the land. Be that as it may, we of YCE stand on our strong position that the interest of the masses to live a good life should be given full attention.

Without regular supply of electricity and with the official announcement of an increase in the price of Petroleum Products (PMS), the current hardship cannot but be increased in daily living by Nigerians. The Federal Government ought to immediately pursue every avenue to make available to our people, the dividends of democracy. Not through the distribution of palliatives (that does not seem to filter to the bottom) but by putting in place avenues to enhance proper/quality living through effective governance administration.

Every Nigerian should be entitled to enjoy our common resources. Indeed, Nigerians are suffering deeply at this time, no light, no fuel, no food. Mr President should, without delay, revisit his drawing board to attend to the short-term needs of Nigerians (the immediate needs of the people) whilst pursuing the long-term vision of making Nigeria a better place for growth and development

As Elders, YCE wants immediate succour for the people to boost the welfare of Nigerians so that all can live in comfort and harmony

As far as this Elders Council is concerned a lot of administrative work by government is (absolutely) required for the masses of this country to live, stay alive as respectable and responsible people. The state of this nation today is a pill that has a bitter taste.

The administration of President Bola Tinubu should do something quickly to ensure proper steering of its intentions to establish and install better governance in Nigeria.

Infact, the Presidency should doall possible to alleviate the suffering of all Nigerians immediately and without delay.”

In the Umudosi community of Obingwa Local Government Area in Abia State, a tricycle rider named Amadi Alozie attacked and killed his mother while she was trying to save her grandson from a suspected ritual assault by his father.

According to Vanguard, community sources said that trouble started for the late woman about 10p.m. when she made an effort to rescue her grandson from his father, who severed his private part in a suspected ritual attack.

It was gathered that the tricycle rider had attacked his son, and severed his private part which made the boy give a loud shout which attracted his grandmother.

Angered that his plan had been foiled by his mother, the tricycle rider attacked the mother and macheted her to death before neighbours could respond to the attack.

A resident of the community told Vanguard that nemesis later caught up with the tricycle rider as he fell into a pit in his bid to escape from the incident.

However, the neighbours were able to rescue the injured son, who lost his private part and is now battling for survival at an undisclosed hospital in the area.