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The special adviser to the president on public communication and media, Daniel Bwala, has dismissed the insinuation that Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will suffer the same fate as Ghana’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2027 elections.
Speaking with newsmen at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday, Bwala emphatically stated that what happened in Ghana cannot replicate itself in Nigeria.
In Ghana’s recent general election, incumbent Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia lost to opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate and former President John Dramani Mahama.
When asked if the Presidency is concerned by the outcome of Ghana’s election, Bwala argued that the scenario in Nigeria is different from that of Ghana.
He insisted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been addressing the major challenges facing the country with positive results to show for his efforts.
“If you have been following events in Ghana over the last one year and if you follow the indices, you find out that it is not the same thing that is happening in the two countries. With what Mr. President (Tinubu) is doing in redirecting the economy on the right path, Mr. President is very confident.”
Expressing confidence for APC’s victory in 2027 Bwala said, “The idea of the ruling party losing the election that will not happen, because Nigerian people are seeing what the administration is doing.
“Nigerian people only care about what they are confronted with every day. They don’t actually care whether you are white or black skin or whatever, as long as what matters to them on their dinner table is dealt with, Nigerian people will always stay with you and that is what Mr. President is doing and that is why Mr. President is receiving commendations from every part of the country every day.”
On the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume’s submission that it is not yet the turn of the north to produce Nigeria’s president in 2027, Bwala noted that President Tinubu is currently focused on governance, delivering on the mandate and his electioneering promises to Nigerians people.
He however added that the President is competent and qualified to seek for second term in 2027.
The presidential spokesman said that the President has refused to be distracted by any political talk ahead of 2027.
According to him, “Well for now Mr. President is focused on governance, delivering on the mandate and the promises to Nigerians people and he has refused to be distracted by political talk ahead of 2027.
“He (Tinubu) is very focused on issues that bother the Nigerian people, to make sure that people come out of hunger, to make sure that agriculture brings about the expected revolution, to make sure that our people can deal with their everyday problems.
“So the time for politicking is not yet and when that time comes we are going to be ready for everyone.
“Mr. President’s agenda, which is working well is what will naturally endear Nigerians to vote for him for the second term and Mr. President is more than eminently qualified constitutionally to contest for the second term in office.
“God willing, if God gives Mr. President life and health, we do hope that Mr. President will run his course as provided by the constitution.”
The entertainment industry in 2024 recorded a series of tragic events, and some celebrities narrowly escaped death, which was most recorded in Nollywood.
In this article, Naija News highlights some celebrities who survived ghastly accidents and recounted the experience on their social media pages.
1. Soso Soberekon: On January 4, the music executive survived a ghastly car accident at Okada University, Edo state, which left his car in bad shape inside the bush.
Due to the intensity of the accident, Sosoberekon’s airbags all burst, and some eyewitnesses claim that the car somersaulted before hitting a tree in a nearby bush.
2. BBNaija Chizzy: In a post via Instagram in January, Big Brother Naija star, Chizzy Francis, revealed that he survived a ghastly car accident.
Recounting his experience, the reality TV star stated that the incident was indeed a fatal one and appreciated God for giving him a second chance.
3. Shallopopi and Israel DMW: In Febuary, Davido’s logistics manager, Israel DMW, and singer, Shallipopi, were involved in a car accident in Abuja.
In an Instagram post, Israel said the crash happened while returning from Shallipopi’s concert in Abuja.
He expressed gratitude to God that neither he nor Shallipopi sustained any injury in the incident.
4. Phyna: Winner of the Big Brother Naija, ‘Level Up’ edition, Josephine Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, escaped a kidnapper’s attack in Delta State.
The reality star narrated her experience via social media, revealing how the kidnappers hijacked four cars in front of the vehicle she rode in and abducted the occupants.
5. Zicsaloma: In November, Nigerian skit maker Aloma Isaac Junior, better known as Zicsaloma, expressed gratitude to God in a social media post after he and his team narrowly escaped a disastrous accident at his house.
Zicsaloma shared a video of the aftermath of how a plaster of Paris (POP) ceiling collapsed in his sitting room.
The skit maker stated that no one was injured except for the ceiling fan, which was damaged, adding that one should always get good artisans for building construction.
6. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde: A few weeks ago, veteran Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde expressed appreciation to God after serving a life-threatening health scare.
In a post via her Instagram page, the movie star recounted the experience of undergoing emergency surgery after enduring severe back and chest pain, persistent vomiting, and debilitating stomach discomfort.
While describing her recovery process as a ‘fight for her life’, Omotola reflected on the importance of gratitude and the fragility of life, urging his fans and followers to join her in thanksgiving to God.
[NaijaNews]
The Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON) has directed its members to strictly operate within the business hours of 8 am to 6 pm or face disciplinary actions.
This follows an earlier important directive issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Security Agency (NSA) to licensed Bureau De Change (BDC) operators that their operational business hours must be between 8 am and 6 pm.
This disclosure is contained in a memo titled, ‘CBN’s Directive On Opening and Closing Hours of Business’ issued by ABCON to its members on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, and seen by Nairametrics.
The order by the CBN may not be unconnected by its efforts to address some of the malpractices at the retail end of the forex market and create a transparent and well-regulated system.
Non-compliance will lead to penalties
While stating that the directive is with immediate effect, ABCON in its memo, warned its members that any deviation from these stipulated operating hours will result in sanctions.
- It also advised all licensed BDCs operating in airports across the country to abide by the regulations of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on business hours.
The memo from ABCON read, ‘’We wish to bring to your attention on an important directive issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Security Agency (NSA) of the Directive that all licensed Bureaux de Change (BDC) must operate strictly within the operational business hours of 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Nigerian time.
‘’This directive is effective immediately, and any deviation from these stipulated operating hours will result in penalties. It is crucial that all members comply with this new regulation to avoid any punitive measures.
‘’The BDCs operating in all airports are advised to abide by the NCAA regulations on Business hours.
‘’We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and expect full adherence to ensure smooth and compliant operations across all BDCs. Thank you for your cooperation.’’
What you should know
The CBN released revised guidelines for the Nigeria Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), signaling a major shake-up in the country’s FX operations.
- The updates, contained in a circular dated November 29, 2024, consolidate all FX windows, redefine the roles of market participants, and introduce stricter compliance and transparency measures.
- This latest move is part of the apex bank’s efforts to address long-standing inefficiencies in the FX market while creating a transparent, well-regulated system.
- A major focus of the revised guidelines requires that all FX transactions be priced through the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS), a centralized platform that will also publish daily FX rates for public access.
Also, in the revised CBN guidelines, licensed BDC operators are allowed to purchase foreign exchange directly from authorized dealers, subject to a monthly cap set by the apex bank.
And for the BDCs, these changes mean more access to FX and stricter oversight.
[Nairameterics]
The United States Embassy has urged visa applicants with interviews scheduled after January 1, 2025, to make at least two visits to the Consulate General in Lagos as part of their immigration visa process.
The US Embassy announced this directive in a post on its X (formerly Twitter) page on Tuesday.
It reads: “For applicants with interviews scheduled after January 1, 2025, you are required to visit the Consulate General in Lagos at least twice during the immigrant visa process.
“This new process is designed to help you prepare for your visa interview and to prevent significant delays in processing your immigrant visa.”
According to information on the embassy’s website, the first visit will include an “In-Person Document Review” with a consular officer.
“This review ensures that applicants are prepared for their visa interviews. The review allows applicants to retrieve any missing documents ahead of their visa interviews, helping to avoid delays in application processing,” the embassy explained.
“The second interview, on the other hand, is with a Consular Officer. The date for this interview will be scheduled for applicants by the National Visa Center (NVC).
“If you do not complete the In-Person Document Review before your visa interview, you will be required to reschedule your appointment.”
The embassy stated that these changes are intended to improve efficiency and minimize delays caused by incomplete documentation.
[Vanguard]
There was pandemonium in the early hours of Wednesday when fire engulfed the ever-busy Alaba Rago (Ram) Market in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
It was gathered that the fire, which started at about 12 midnight, destroyed items worth millions of naira.
At the time of filing this report, the immediate or remote cause of the fire could not be ascertained.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), and other responders were on the ground battling to put out the raging fire.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Femi Oke-Osayintolu, and the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, stated that the situation had been brought under control to prevent it from spreading to other properties.
Details later…
I’m Proud Of My Igbo Origin, Culture – First Igbo Chief Imam Of National Mosque, Tochukwu Usman
AFOLABI
The first Igbo Muslim to be appointed as Chief Imam of the National Mosque in Abuja, Professor Iliyasu Tochukwu Usman, has said he is unapologetic, being an Igbo and the culture of the Igbo nation.
The Chief Imam of Abuja National Mosque and the first Igbo Professor of Arabic Studies said like all cultures there are good and negative ones.
He stated that while his religion is against some of Igbo culture, some are in line with what the religion teaches.
Usman from Enugu stated this at the unveiling of the Imams of the National Mosque, Abuja, by the Secretary-General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Prof. Is-haq Oloyede.
“I want to say this, unapologetically. Actually, every tribe has a culture and every individual has a culture, whether you are Muslim or Christian. In every culture, there are positives and negatives.
“For instance, in Igbo land, there was a time when twins were killed because they are seen as abominations in the society and we know that even a practicing Christian would not accept this kind of culture.
“For instance, as a Muslim, my religion prohibits me from indulging in alcoholism and I know that part of my culture is that whenever we have festivals, alcohol is consumed. As a Muslim, this kind of culture is an abomination because my religion prohibits it.
“So in every tribe, there are good and bad cultures. I accept good Igbo culture. In the South East, we have good communal relationships where we are our brothers’ keeper. I accept that.
“When a brother, whether Muslim or non-Muslim has a problem, I assist. This is a good culture. But any culture that has to do with idol worshipping, for instance, even our Christian counterparts don’t accept that. I am a Muslim and Igbo man who will always try to foster the good Igbo culture that is in line with the teachings of my religion,” he said.
Earlier, Oloyede said the NSCIA, since the establishment of the National Mosque in 1984, has been appointing, in succession, qualified Muslims who are worthy in character and scholarship to oversee the spiritual activities of the faithful.
Oloyede stated that the clerics were unveiled after their consideration by the General Purpose Committee and endorsement by the National Fatwa Committee.
“So you can see that we are not just appointing an Imam from the South East, South-South Zone, we are indeed appointing two imams from that zone. That shows clearly that in Islam, it is about qualification,” Arise TV quoted him.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has described as fake a circular that it authorised the sales of foreign exchange to Bureau De Change operators in the country.
The circular dated Tuesday, 10 December, had claimed that the apex bank sold $20,000 to each legible BDC operator at N1,300 per dollar rate.
“Following the ongoing reforms in the foreign exchange market, aimed at achieving an appropriate market-determined exchange rate for the Naira, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has observed the continued price distortions at the retail end of the market, which is feeding into the parallel market and further widening the exchange rate premium,” the fake circular reads.
However, CBN, in its official X account on Wednesday, described the circular as fake.
This comes as the Naira has firmed up in the past seven days against the dollar at the FX market after CBN introduced the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System (EFEMS) for transparent FX transactions.
Although in the past two days, the Naira had weakened at the black market to N1660 per dollar, the country’s currency gained against the dollar on Tuesday at the official market to close at N1,525.
DAILY POST reports that the last time CBN intervened in the black market was in September 2024 when it sold FX at N1590 per dollar to BDC operators.
Former lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye has expressed excitement over the decision of the Federal Capital Territory High Court on the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello’s money laundering case.
Recalls that the FCT High Court, on Tuesday, remanded Bello in Kuje Correctional Centre pending his bail application.
Justice Maryann Anenih also adjourned hearing in the N110bn money laundering case brought against the former governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to January 29 and 30 and February 25 and 27 for hearing.
Reacting, Dino in a post on his official X handle, said he predicted Bello’s imprisonment about six years ago.
According to the former lawmaker, “6 years ago, SDM predicted Yahaya Bello would end up in prison.
“Today, he will be spending Christmas in Kuje prison. All powers belong to God”.
Ghana Election: You Are The Architect Of Nigeria’s Suffering, You Owe Nigerians An Apology – LP Knocks INEC Chairman
AFOLABI
The Labour Party (LP) have lashed out at the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu for commending the conduct of Ghana’s presidential election.
Naija News reports that Yakubu, in a video clip on Sunday, praised the rancour-free conduct of Ghana’s election, pointing out lessons for Nigerian politicians.
Reacting in an interview with Punch, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, accused Yakubu of manipulating the 2023 presidential election to favour President Bola Tinubu and asked him to apologise to Nigerians.
He insisted that the INEC boss should be the one to learn from Ghana and not the other way round.
He noted that there were no stories of ballot boxes snatching and glitches during Ghana’s presidential election.
Ifoh said though the LP had moved on from what transpired in 2023, “It is a shame that the INEC Chairman should be talking when, in this case, he should be the one to learn from Ghana.
“He was the architect of exactly what Nigerians are suffering today.
“He owes Nigerians an apology. We didn’t hear of electoral violence, snatching of boxes or any glitches whatsoever (in Ghana). The people spoke through their votes. Their votes counted and the Ghanaians are happy with it,”
The Nigerian Senate has declined approval for the dismissal of an employee from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
On Tuesday, the Senate instructed the Corporation to reinstate Engr. Aniekan Paddy Ukpe, a former District Engineer, whose employment was terminated in March 2023.
The Senate also mandated that the former District Engineer receive all due entitlements, emphasizing that there was no evidence connecting him to the vandalism of railway tracks within his area of responsibility.
Senator Neda Imasuen (LP, Edo South), who chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Public Petitions, brought this issue to the Senate’s attention.
The matter arose from a report submitted by the senator, which was based on a petition from the Engineer, claiming wrongful termination of his employment by the Corporation.
In his petition, Engr. Ukpe stated that he served as the Senior Civil Engineer overseeing the North Central District, which includes Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, and Nasarawa states.
He recounted being informed of a vandalism incident involving railway tracks on September 19, 2022, at Kamuru Station in Zonkwa, Kaduna State.
Upon receiving this information, the Engineer reported the incident verbally to the District Manager and filed a formal complaint with the police.
This action resulted in the arrest and prosecution of the offenders, two of whom received two-year prison sentences.
Ukpe’s petition indicated that rather than receiving praise from the District Manager, he was accused of underreporting the incident.
Consequently, the District Manager issued him a query and referred the case to an investigative committee.
He contended that the conclusions reached by the committee were prejudiced and tainted by inconsistencies, resulting in his termination without a sufficient chance to present his defence.
The NRC, through its Managing Director, Engr. (Dr.) F.E. Okhiria, defended the decision to terminate his employment, attributing it to a failure to fulfill his responsibilities.
The NRC asserted that Engr. Ukpe failed to inform his superiors about the incident promptly and exhibited a lack of urgency in addressing the situation.
The corporation maintained that his conduct was in violation of the Railway General Rules of 1964, justifying his dismissal.
More...
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has apprehended 10 persons on INTERPOL’s watch list while attempting to enter the country.
Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, disclosed this on Tuesday during the inauguration of the NIS Technology Innovation Complex in Abuja by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“In the last couple of days, 10 people on the INTERPOL and immigration wanted list were apprehended in one week.
“Before now, those individuals would have entered Nigeria, causing terror. But under the new leadership, Nigeria is a no-go area for any criminal element,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
The newly inaugurated NIS Technology Innovation Complex boasts advanced features, including a command and control center for monitoring regular migration, an NIS data hub, an ECOWAS biometric card production center, an interior data center, and a solar power station to ensure sustainable energy supply.
The minister stated the ability of the complex to assess the risk levels of individuals entering Nigeria, detect irregular migration, and oversee unmanned borders across the country.
He said the solar-powered station is projected to save the country over N300m annually in energy costs.
“We decided to implement an end-to-end energy solution. The 0.5KW solar power plant is 100 per cent operational and connected to the facility,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The minister further noted that the NIS has trained 250 officers to ensure 24/7 surveillance, operating in eight-hour shifts.
“For the first time in the history of this country, we now have over 200 borders under comprehensive surveillance. This state-of-the-art technology has revolutionized our border governance,” he added.
Tunji-Ojo also revealed that the facility houses an automated visa system that ensures visa approvals within 48 hours and produces ECOWAS travel documents for seamless regional mobility.
“We now have an ECOWAS travel document that will facilitate easy movement and travel. “We now have an automated visa regime with 48 hours of visa approval,” he added.
President Bola Tinubu commended the innovation and described it as a vital step in modernizing Nigeria’s immigration infrastructure and enhancing national security.
The minister reaffirmed his commitment to improving service delivery while declaring that the measures will not only fortify Nigeria’s borders but also reduce inefficiencies that have cost the country billions annually.
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has revealed that his administration will never consider negotiating with bandits.
He stated that the Zamfara State Government is not in any rush to strike a deal with the militants in order to restore peace to the state.
The governor also debunked reports of kidnappings by bandits in the Maradun Local Government Area of the state.
Reports had emerged that gunmen kidnapped more than 50 women and children in a raid on Kakin Dawa village, with the State Police Command allegedly stating that more operatives had been deployed to the area.
However, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Lawal described the news as false and inaccurate.
“I am not aware of that incident. I am here in Zamfara State, and I haven’t heard about that incident,” he said.
“I am not aware that 50 people were kidnapped in Maradun Local Government. Whoever gave you that information, it’s not correct.”
According to Lawal, the North-Western state has not recorded any kidnapping incidents in the last six months.
“There may be pockets of kidnapping here and there, but I can’t rule that out. These and all the measures put in place are not what they used to be in the past. In the past, hardly a day went by without hearing that 300 people were being killed.
“Within the last six months, I don’t think there has been any such incident reported in Zamfara State. Insecurity is still there, but we are making conscious efforts to handle it to the best of our ability,” he said.
The nation’s political elite has started the process of rigging the 2027 general elections, Prof Adele Jinadu has said.
Delivering his keynote address at the Policy Dialogue on “State of Anti-Corruption Policy and Practice in Nigeria,” in Abuja, yesterday, the Professor of Political Science said known party members were being appointed as commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
His words: “They have started the process of rigging the next general election through the appointment of known party members. Next year, many commissioners will be due for re-appointment. They will use the power of appointment to put those who will do their bidding.
‘’Vote buying is done through procurement, they are amazing war chest for 2027. EFCC should go to party primaries where they give huge amounts of not only naira but even dollars to buy party tickets, instead of going after poor voters who get just N2,000 or N4,000.
“Nigerian citizens have been deceived for too long. The battle has begun. We are at a critical point. Time is running out but it is not too late. We have to adopt the Night Watch Man approach.
“You must fight for the future. We should not just fold our arms doing nothing. I am not tired of fighting. We must give not give up. We must speak truth to power.”
Assessing the nation’s anti-corruption fight, he observed that political interference had not allowed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corrupt Practices and Offences Commission, ICPC, to do their jobs.
According to him, the interference comes in various ways, including the constant removal and replacement of chairmen on the two organisations, with EFCC having the ninth chairman since its establishment in 2003.
On the wide-spread corruption in the country, Prof. Jinadu said: “The tragedy of our democratic politics and the underlying causative roots of the problem of corruption is that our political class continues to push its self-interest, almost to the point not only of their own self-destruction but also of stultifying our national development.
“What we need to do now is to bring morality back into our politics and firmly reject the politics of immorality, that is at the heart of our country’s problem of corruption.”
Describing abuse of power as the worst form of.corruption, Prof Jinadu said: “The abuse of the power of incumbency has reached disturbing heights of impunity in our country’s Fourth Republic.
“The worst form of political corruption, it fuels other forms of corruption in the country. It makes nonsense of the ex-ante indeterminacy of democratic elections, the possibility of today’s winners becoming tomorrow’s losers and the possibility of today’s losers becoming tomorrow’s winners in our politics of electoral succession.”
He called for judicial reforms in order to properly tackle corruption, saying “we must begin a process of reforming our legal system in fundamental ways, and away from their excessive formalism and elitist bias, in order to engender a more progressive, activist and public interest legal culture, which will provide legal anchor for social and distributive justice as state policy.”
The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has disclosed he encourages his daughters to retaliate whenever their husbands hit them.
Disclosing that domestic violence and wife battery form 45 percent of cases in nine Shari’a courts of Kano in the past five years, Sanusi said he usually tells his daughters this when they are getting married.
He made this known at the National Dialogue Conference on Gender-Based Violence, GBV, prevention from an Islamic perspective themed: ‘Islamic Teachings and Community Collaboration for Ending Gender-Based Violence.’
According to Sanusi: “You can take that verse and say that as a husband, I’ve been given this permission to beat my wife light. And nobody will deny that, nobody will say it is haram if you comply with all the rules. But if you live in a society in which those rules are never applied, nobody who is angry remembers to look for a chewing stick or a handkerchief.
“They just slap these women and punch them and kick them and beat them. I just wrote a doctorate thesis on family law, and I researched nine Shari’a courts in Kano. 41% of the cases over a five-year period had to do with maintenance. 26 per cent had to do with harm. And out of those, 45 per cent were cases of wife beating, or domestic violence. And when we go to the content analysis, not one case of wife beating was light beating.
“It just does not make sense. Now I said it before, and I know I’ve been attacked for it, and I’ll continue saying it. When my daughters are getting married, I say to them, if your husband slaps you, and you come home and tell me my husband slapped me, without slapping him back first, I will slap you myself because I did not send my daughter to marry somebody so he can slap her. If you do not like her, send her back to me. But don’t beat her.”