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Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has set up a disciplinary team to probe two officers of the agency.
The officers were seen in a viral video “manhandling a female worker” at the Regional Hotel in Ojo, Lagos.
The operatives reportedly invaded the hotel in the early hours of June 27.
Olukoyede had ordered the arrest of the officers on Thursday, while promising a detailed investigation of the incident.
In a statement on Sunday, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, said the operatives will appear before the panel on Monday.
He said members of the investigative team are drawn from the promotion and disciplinary committee and the department of ethics and integrity.
“Mr Ola Olukoyede has raised a Disciplinary Team to look into the case of two errant officers of the Commission who allegedly assaulted a female staff of Regional Hotel, Ojo, Lagos,” the statement reads.
Oyewale said the team will recommend appropriate measures.
The statement added that “no stone will be left unturned in getting the officers to account for their unprofessional conduct”.
A rice farmer identified as Taiwo Paul has been murdered by some suspected herders in the Kata Area of Ewekoro Local Government of Ogun State.
PUNCH Metro further gathered that while Paul was allegedly hacked to death by the suspects at his rice plantation in the community, another farmer identified as Peter Danjuma died of electrocution in the Isoyin area of Atan-Ijebu.
The state Police Command confirmed the two deaths in separate telephone conversations with PUNCH Metro on Saturday.
Our correspondent gathered that 26-year-old Paul was found battling for his life in a pool of blood on Thursday after he was allegedly attacked by the suspects.
The spokesperson for the command, Omolola Odutola, told our correspondent that the rice farmer had left his house at Yobo Village to check the crops owing to suspicions of some herders who they suspected had been roaming the area in the past.
When Paul did not return home on time, our correspondent learnt that his twin brother, Kehinde, went to the rice farm to look for him.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Kehinde heard a faint groan from a distance and discovered his twin brother dying in a pool of his blood, bleeding uncontrollably from severe cuts on his hands and right leg.
PUNCH Metro further gathered that all efforts by the deceased’s brother and other villagers to rush Paul to the General Hospital in Ifo failed, as the victim reportedly died on the way.
Odutola further stated that a doctor on duty at the hospital confirmed Paul’s death on arrival.
She noted that a preliminary investigation had begun to apprehend the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
She said, “Detectives from Ewekoro Police Division have visited the crime scene and the hospital for assessment, and photographs have been taken. The deceased’s body was later released to the family for burial.
“Preliminary investigations are ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators, and the case will be transferred to the State Crime Investigation Department at Eleweran for further discreet investigation.”
Meanwhile, another farmer in the Isoyin area, identified simply as Danjuma, was electrocuted to death on Friday morning while feeding birds at a poultry farm.
PUNCH Metro also learnt that he was rushed to the General Hospital in Ijebu-Ode, where a doctor on duty confirmed him dead.
“The detectives of the Atan-Ijebu Police Division have visited the scene of the incident, and photographs were taken.”
Story Highlights
- Nigerian states have experienced a dramatic 123% increase in external debt servicing in the first four months of 2024, reaching N96.52 billion compared to N43.31 billion in 2023.
- This surge reflects heightened borrowing costs amid currency depreciation, significantly impacting state budgets and fiscal health.
- Lagos and Cross River states have seen substantial increases, with Cross River’s debt servicing cost rising by 302%, as states seek relief from rising debt repayment costs.
Nigerian states have witnessed a significant surge in their external debt servicing obligations, marking a 123% increase in the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
According to an analysis of Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), total external debt service payments for January to April 2024 reached N96.52 billion, a substantial rise from N43.31 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year.
In 2023, external debt servicing costs amounted to N120.01 billion, reflecting a 54% increase from the N78 billion deducted in 2022. Notably, 80.4% of what was spent on servicing external debt in 2023 has already been expended in the first four months of 2024, which is 124% more than the total for 2022.
This dramatic increase highlights the heightened borrowing costs among states, potentially impacting revenue and capital budget allocations.
What the data is saying
The data shows that states have moved from spending around N9 billion to over N20 billion monthly, which is more than doubled debt service cost likely due to the naira devaluation.
Also, the debt service payments have moved from a relatively stable amount monthly in 2023 to unpredictable amounts by 2024, reflecting the volatility in the Nigerian foreign exchange market.
- In January 2024, Nigerian states spent N9.88 billion on external debt servicing, a decrease from N13.67 billion in January 2023. This reduction of 27.7% suggests that some states may have less debt service obligations for this month. Also, the exchange rate traded majorly between N830/$1 and N1,000/$1, which was the lowest range within the period analyzed in this report. It appears that the exchange rate factor was yet to be felt in the first month of 2024, as the amount deducted is the same as the average monthly amount deducted for most of 2023.
- By February 2024, debt servicing payments soared to N24.53 billion, a 148.2% increase from N9.88 billion in February 2023. This sharp rise highlights the possibility of currency depreciation impacting repayment costs. Such a leap indicates heightened financial pressures on state budgets.
- March 2024 saw the highest expenditure on debt servicing at N40.41 billion, marking a 309.1% increase compared to March 2023’s N9.88 billion. This dramatic escalation could be attributed to higher maturing debt obligations at the end of a quarter.
- In April 2024, while there was a reduction to N21.70 billion from the March peak, this amount still represented a 119.6% increase over April 2023’s N9.88 billion. The decrease from March may reflect completed debt cycles, yet the continued high levels highlight ongoing financial burdens.
Most hit States
- Lagos State, the economic hub of Nigeria, remains the largest contributor to external debt payments, with expenditures totalling N22.01 billion, a substantial rise from N11.60 billion the previous year, a 90% increase in its debt servicing obligations.
- However, Cross River State experienced the most significant increase, with a staggering 302% rise in external debt servicing, climbing to N5.33 billion from N1.33 billion.
- Following closely, Kaduna State saw a 132% increase in its debt servicing costs. Kaduna State stands out with an increase to N16.04 billion from N6.91 billion in the previous year. It is, therefore, not surprising that Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, recently lamented the huge debt inherited from his predecessor. Sani said the state is now left with a few amounts, not enough to pay salary. The governor noted that the huge debt burden was eating deep into the state’s Federal Allocation, adding that due to the rise in the exchange rate, he was paying back almost triple what was borrowed by the administration of Nasir El-Rufai.
- Meanwhile, states like Bauchi and Ogun saw their debt servicing costs more than double, emphasizing the broad impact of rising debt obligations across various regions. Bauchi State recorded an 88% increase in its debt servicing costs, rising from N2.32 billion in 2023 to N4.36 billion in 2024. Ogun State reported an increase of 196% in its external debt servicing payments, jumping from N1.00 billion in 2023 to N2.96 billion in 2024.
This jump points to an expanding debt burden, emphasizing the importance of prudent financial management to safeguard the state’s economic prospects and maintain fiscal health. These states, with their notable increases in debt servicing, face the challenge of balancing their financial obligations with the need to invest in essential services and infrastructure.
What you should know
Nairametrics earlier reported that at least three Nigerian states Ekiti, Cross River, and Ogun have expressed concerns over the rising costs of foreign debt service due to severe foreign exchange volatility.
One of the states called for a possible suspension of the debt repayment for multilateral loans to ease their cash flow.
The Commissioner of Finance of Ekiti State, Akintunde Oyebode, noted that the financial strain caused by rising exchange rates has escalated the costs of foreign debt repayments. Oyebode also noted that significant deductions from the statutory revenue for savings have drastically reduced state balances.
Similarly, the Commissioner of Finance of Cross River State, Michael Odere, expressed fears about the state’s ability to fund capital projects due to reduced revenues.
He suggested a suspension of certain deductions, including those for multilateral loan repayments, especially when distributable revenue is low.
Nairametrics recently reported that the naira value of the total external debt of Nigeria’s 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) increased by 23.76% from N3.350 trillion to N4.146 trillion between June 2023 and December 2023.
Ekiti, Cross River, and Ogun are among the top 10 Nigerian states with the highest foreign debt stock as of December 31, 2023. There is no data from the Debt Management Office (DMO) on states’ external debt for the first quarter 2024.
As states struggle with increasing debt servicing costs, they have been working to decrease their debt stock. In Q1 2024, states’ total domestic debt dropped by 31% from N5.86 trillion in Q4 2023 to N4.07 trillion and by 26% from N5.48 trillion in Q1 2023.
However, the marked increase in external debt servicing raises concerns about the fiscal health of Nigerian states. The need for prudent debt management and economic reforms has become more pressing, as rising debt costs could divert funds from critical sectors like health and education.
[Nairametrics]
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has disclosed that some customers have not been paid their insured deposits because of the discrepancies in their information.
The Managing Director of NDIC, Bello Hassan, told newsmen in Abuja on Sunday that account names discrepancies in Bank Verification Number (BVN) is delaying the payment.
According to him, the corporation had paid substantial amount to depositors of the defunct bank without BVN account linked issues.
Hassan subsequently urged depositors of the bank who were yet to receive their insured deposit credit alert to visit the NDIC’s website and complete their verification forms for their payment.
The managing director said the verification would also include depositors without BVN alternate account.
He said, ”We have already commenced the payment of customers since June 6. We have paid substantial amount to the customers.”
”What we leverage in making the payment is BVN of customers. We trace alternate accounts in other banks and pay them their insured amounts.
“There are some that we have challenges linking up because of some discrepancies between the names and others.
“We are calling on customers that have not received their alerts in their alternate accounts to come forward and complete their verification forms so that we can pay them.”
On payment of depositors with more than five million naira with the bank, Hassan said they would be paid liquidation dividend.
According to him, NDIC has already commenced the process of disposing the physical buildings and also set the process in motion to make sure that they recover the loans and advances that were granted the bank.
”That is what we use in paying those liquidation dividends. We are not going to wait until we recover everything, no.
“As we recover, we will also advertise to say that we will pay liquidation dividends so that concerned depositors will be on the look out for alerts in their accounts,” Hassan added.
[NaijaNews]
Chinze Ojobo, a distinguished contemporary Nigerian artist with over 25 years of experience, recently captivated art enthusiasts and collectors with her groundbreaking exhibition at the prestigious Thames Side Studios in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London.
Chinze, a Fine and Applied Arts graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, showcased her profound artistic talent through various mediums, including acrylic on carved wood, acrylic on canvas, acrylic on Ankara cloth, and found objects. Her diverse range of works showcased her versatility and creativity as an artist.
The exhibition, which took place between June 15-16, 2024, was a resounding success, drawing art lovers from all walks of life. Chinze’s open studio allowed visitors to witness her latest creations firsthand, providing an immersive experience that left a lasting impression.
Under the theme, “Melting Boundaries,” Chinze’s exhibition shed light on the pressing challenges of climate change, particularly the alarming rise in displaced populations in Africa and around the world due to desert encroachment, flooding, and the hazardous effects of global carbon emissions. Chinze urged society to unite and address these urgent environmental issues through her art.
Her thought-provoking paintings served as a visual narrative, capturing the devastating consequences of climate change and the human struggle against its relentless force. With a deep understanding of the power of art to convey messages, Chinze’s creations evoked emotions, pushing viewers to contemplate the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for immediate action.
Speaking at the exhibition, she emphasised the importance of raising awareness about climate change and its impact on vulnerable communities. She called for a concerted effort from individuals, governments, and organisations to address the pressing issues of global warming, deforestation, and carbon emissions.
Art critics praised the exhibition and commended Chinze’s ability to merge artistic expression with social commentary. Her work was a powerful catalyst for change, encouraging viewers to reflect on their role in preserving the environment and taking steps towards a sustainable future.
As Ojobo’s exhibition came to a close, it left an indelible mark on the art world and the collective consciousness of those who had the privilege of experiencing it. Through her poignant and evocative creations, Chinze Ojobo succeeded in reminding us of our responsibility to protect our planet and create a better world for future generations.
Chinze has exhibited her works in various cities worldwide, including the New York Art Expo, London, Paris, Jo’burg, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Lagos, and Abuja.
[Leadership]
The family of the late former Chief Executive of e-commerce giant, Konga, Nick Imudia has debunked reports that the Group CEO of D.light International committed suicide.
It said that investigations were still ongoing on the cause of his death as suicide had been ruled out.
Refuting news reports that Imudia had called his brother and daughter with instructions before his death, the family, in a statement signed by Dr. Anthony N. Imudia, said reportage of the news of the one-time Konga CEO’s death whilst the family was in the hospital trying to resuscitate him was suspicious.
They said: “The family of Nick Imudia is unhappy with the unprofessional manner the media has wrongly characterised the reporting of Nick Imudia’s death as suicide. This is also supported by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police’s office that has vowed to investigate the sudden death of Nick. Neither did Nick call his brother in America with instructions on how to distribute his wealth, nor placed a call to his daughter with any instructions.
“How come the news was reported so hastilly (less than 3 hours from his death) before his family members even knew about it – and the medical team was still trying to resuscitate him at the hospital! The Imudia family wonders!”
Stating that the former Konga CEO comes from a close-knit family where support abounds, the family added, “Nick never showed any sign of stress and he was not diagnosed as depressed at any point. The thought of suicide in the manner portrayed and hastily reported by the news media is suspect.
“Nick Imudia, until his death was the Group CEO of D.light International with Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was residing. He managed the company’s worldwide operations from Nairobi. Nick was full of life and people that worked closely with him or met him in the last hours prior to the incident surrounding his death were shocked with the media attributing his death to ‘suicide’.
“He was on a short visit to Lagos after a brief trip to the Netherlands and was to return to Nairobi a day after his sudden death. Nick made his initial career mark with Nokia, the Finnish based Telecommunication Company before he was transferred from Helsinki to manage Nokia Asia operations in Singapore.
“Later in his career with Nokia, he was appointed as the Managing Director of Nokia – West and Central Africa. When Microsoft bought Nokia, he opted to leave the company. Looking for a new challenge, he became the CEO of Konga Nigeria where he reengineered the company’s operation.
“At his prime age and the level of his achievements, people who knew Nick well are all shocked and do not accept the characterization of his death as suicide. Members of Nick’s family do request the media and the general public to allow them to grief their loved one without any unfounded rumour of the circumstances surrounding his death.”
[Vanguard]
As the nation awaits the new minimum wage promised to be sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, the burden of implementing the minimum wage may make many states bankrupt.
The Federal Executive Council, at its meeting last Tuesday, stepped down a memorandum on the report of the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage, to allow for more consultations among the federal and state governments on one part, the private sector and the labour unions on the other part.
Last Thursday, Tinubu met with the governors at the National Economic Council meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima. The meeting, which was expected to deliberate on the national minimum wage, was, however, silent on whether or not it considered the issue.
Also last Thursday, the Southern Governors’ Forum released the communiqué of its meeting held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, with the governors asking that each state should negotiate minimum wage with its workforce.
So This Happened (EP 254) Reviews Tinubu's Order To Civil Servants Abroad To Refund Salary, Others0:12 / 1:01
The labour unions have, however, reacted to the stance of the Ni¬geria Governors’ Forum over their overbearing influence on the minimum wage negotia¬tions.
In a document, titled, “Analysis of State FAAC inflows and state expenditure profile,” of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat, the NGF report warned that implementing the new minimum wage could push states into bankruptcy due to increased recurrent expenditure.
According to the report, the burden of recurrent expenditure already left Abia, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Katsina, Kogi, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara in deficit in 2022.
The report predicted that if the recurrent expenditure increased by 50 per cent, 13 states would fall into deficit, with only 10 remaining financially stable.
The tripartite committee’s recommendation of a N62,000 minimum wage would necessitate over a 100 per cent increase from the current N30,000, potentially leaving only a few states like Anambra, Bayelsa, Borno, Ebonyi, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Lagos, and Rivers with positive net revenues, based on the 2022 fiscal data.
A net revenue is the deduction of recurrent expenditure from the total revenue of the state. When it is positive, it means a surplus, but when negative, there is a deficit.
Also, the total revenue of states is calculated from the monthly revenue from the Federal Account Allocation Committee, internally generated revenue, aids and grants and constituency development funds.
According to the documents, sighted by The PUNCH, Abia, with an employment size of about 58,631 workers, pays N5,837,899,980.40 as wage monthly. Anambra has a 20,541 employment size and pays N1,824,851,308.96 monthly as wages, apart from N894,480,399.62 as pension obligation and N579,694,680.33 for debt servicing.
Bayelsa boasts of 48,213 workforce, paying N5,802,435,178.58 monthly, with N1,194,528,784.40 as pension obligation and N3,535,787,992.48 as debt servicing, totalling N10,532,751,955.46 as total recurrent expenditure monthly.
Benue has about 13,366 workers in its workforce and pays N2,040,184,471.85 as monthly wage, N76,838,634.62 for pension, and N64,685,126,826.08 for debt servicing, totalling N66,802,149,932.56 monthly.
Delta has about 50,871 workers, offering N8,973,081,853.50 as wages, N1,499,886,303.39 as pension, and N72,417,433,139.00 as debt servicing, accumulating to N82,890,401,295.89 in a month.
Jigawa has about 44,831 workers in its employ and pays N2,795,662,113.02 as wages, and N345,987,843.12 as a pension, totalling N3,141,649,956.14 monthly on recurrent expenditure.
Katsina, Kwara and Niger have 19,062, 36,048 and 22,225 workers, with accumulated N139,294,944,565.27, N4,457,268,675.54 and N2,653,614,213.35 monthly recurrent expenditure respectively.
According to the document, Abia has a total recurrent expenditure of N111,983,979,958.62, against a total revenue of N147,637,730,867.73.
For Adamawa, the recurrent expenditure stands at N70,369,399,885.57, against a total revenue of N109,722,949,684.65, while Akwa Ibom boasts of a high revenue of N444,288,683,000, with recurrent expenditure of N235,144,539,000.
Of the states, Lagos has the highest total revenue, amassing N1,243,778,878,170 in 2022, with a recurrent expenditure of N621,043,036,000, followed by Delta, with N702,020,717,460.08 and a recurrent expenditure of N377,905,100,451.83.
Rivers amassed N525,588,159,714.88 in 2022, with recurrent expenditure of N186,974,715,774.87; Kaduna had a total revenue of N222,349,875,000 and expenditure of N95,987,999,472.10; Ogun, N297,249,009,626.83, recurrent expenditure of N178,519,010,628.42 and Oyo, with total revenue of N247,156,776,739.70 and recurrent expenditure of N152,077,804,384.65.
Kebbi State had the lowest total revenue in 2022, raking in N92,132,444,588.16 and spent N57,601,464,374.96 on recurrent expenditure, followed by Taraba, with a total revenue of N101,177,283,069.87 and recurrent expenditure of N75,055,201,412.62.
Aside from FAAC allocation, some states recorded poor IGR in the 2022 data compiled by the NGF Secretariat.
Zamfara State generated N6,513,960,477.20; followed by Kebbi, with N8,630,767,122.96; Taraba, N9,744,331,840.01 and Yobe State, with N9,940,554,642.00.
The IGR of Katsina (N12,821,119,042.64), Adamawa (N13,175,774,969.53), Niger (N14,427,373,136.00), Benue (N15,021,223,729.38), Plateau (N15,927,001,739.90) and Imo (N16,711,346,111.18) also showed a poor revenue standing.
The PUNCH reported on October 19, 2023, that 15 states have yet to implement the N30,000 minimum wage for their workers since it was signed into law in 2019.
According to BudgiT, though the 15 states were yet to implement the minimum wage of N30,000, the 36 states of the federation grew their cumulative personnel cost by 13.44 per cent to N1.75tn in 2022 from N1.54tn in 2021.
The civil society organization, in a release, ‘The States of States Report 2023,’ highlighted that the 36 states of the federation grew their revenue by 28.95 per cent from N5.12tn in 2021 to N6.6tn in 2022.
“Put together, the IGR of the 36 states appreciated by 12.98 per cent from N1.61tn in 2021 to N1.82tn in 2022, denoting a strengthened domestic revenue mobilisation capability.
“Nonetheless, the IGR to GDP ratio remained very low at 1.01 per cent. The increase in IGR did not reflect across the board as 17 states experienced a decline in their IGR from the previous year, while 19 states recorded positive growth,” BudgIT said.
The Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, Chris Onyeka, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on minimum wage and its implementation, claimed that many state governors were flouting the Minimum Wage Act and listed the states of Abia, Enugu, Bayelsa, Delta, Nasarawa, Gombe, Adamawa, Niger, Sokoto, Imo, Anambra, Taraba, Benue, and Zamfara as defaulting.
Reacting, the Enugu State chairman of TUC, Ben Asogwa, said the state commenced payment of N30,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustment in February 2020 for state government workers, while local government workers and primary school teachers were paid 25 per cent consequential adjustment.
He, however, said Governor Peter Mbah, on assumption of office, approved the full implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage for both the LG workers and primary school teachers in the state.
The PUNCH reports that the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, announced during a meeting with the leadership of the labour unions that the state would begin payment of N30,000 minimum wage effective June 2024.
Tems is the only Nigerian winner of a conferred category at the 2024 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards.
The results from two viewer’s choice categories, which are fan-voted, are yet to be announced as of this reporting.
The 2024 BET Awards aired live from Los Angeles at 8 pm ET/PT on Sunday (01:00 WAT on Monday).
Tems snagged the ‘Best Gospel/Inspirational Song’ category with her 2024 release ‘Me & U‘.
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The singer defeated Halle Bailey and Kirk Franklin, both of whom were nominated for their respective works ‘Angel‘ and ‘All Things‘.
Burna Boy, Asake, Ayra Starr, Tems, and Seyi Vibez were all earlier nominated for the 2024 BET Awards.
Ayra Starr had led with three nominations for ‘Best New Artiste’, ‘Best African Act’, and ‘Best HER’.
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Burna Boy secured two nominations in the ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artiste’ and ‘Best Male R&B/POP Artiste’ categories.
Tems also bagged two nominations for ‘Best Video Director’ and ‘Best Gospel/Inspirational Song’.
Davido and Lojay were nominated in the ‘Viewers Choice Award’ category for their roles in Chris Brown’s ‘Sensational’.
Asake and Seyi Vibez got one nomination each in the ‘Best International Act’ and ‘Best New International Act’ respectively.
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Apart from Tems, none of these Nigerians has been named a winner in their respective categories.
Noteworthy is that Usher was recognised with the honourary ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.
The BET Awards celebrate black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports, and philanthropy.
See the full list of winners below.
Album of the Year
- 11:11 – Chris Brown
- A Gift & a Curse – Gunna
- American Dream – 21 Savage
- Coming Home – Usher
- For All The Dogs (Scary Hours Edition) – Drake
- Jaguar II – Victoria Monét
- WINNER: Michael – Killer Mike
- Pink Friday 2 – Nicki Minaj
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
- Beyoncé
- Coco Jones
- Doja Cat
- H.E.R.
- Muni Long
- WINNER: SHA
- Silence
- Victoria Monet
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
- Brent Fayaz
- Bryson Tiller
- Burna Boy
- Chris Brown
- Drake
- Fridayy
- October London
- WINNER: Usher
Best Group
- WINNER: ¥$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign
- 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne
- 41
- Blxst & Bino Rideaux
- City Girls
- Flo
- Maverick City Music
- WanMor
Best Collaboration
- WINNER: “All My Life” – Lil Durk Feat. J. Cole
- “America Has a Problem (Remix)” – Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar
- “Barbie World” – Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice (with Aqua)
- “Bongos” – Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion
- “Carnival” – ¥$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign feat. Rich The Kid & Playboi Carti
- ‘Don’t Play With It (Remix)’ – Lola Brooke feat. Latto & Yung Miami
- “Everybody” – Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Uzi Vert
- “Good Good” – Usher, Summer Walker & 21 Savage
- “Rich Baby Daddy” – Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
- Cardi B
- Doja Cat
- Glorilla
- Ice Spice
- Milk
- Megan Thee Stallion
- WINNER: Nicki Minaj
- Sexyy Red
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
- 21 Savage
- Burna Boy
- Drake
- Future
- Gunna
- Cole
- WINNER: Kendrick Lamar
- Lil Wayne
Video of the Year
- “Agora Hills” – Doja Cat
- “All My Life” – Lil Durk feat. J. Cole
- “Barbie World” – Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice (with Aqua)
- “Bongos” – Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion
- “First Person Shooter” – Drake feat. J. Cole
- “Good Good” – Usher, Summer Walker & 21 Savage
- WINNER: “On My Mama” – Victoria Monét
- “Rich Baby Daddy” – Drake Feat. Sexyy Red & SZA
Video Director of the Year
- Benny Boom
- Child
- WINNER: Cole Bennett
- Dave Meyers
- Janelle Monáe & Alan Ferguson
- Offset
- Tems
- Tyler, the Creator
Best New Artist
- 41
- 4Batz
- Ayra Starr
- Bossman Dlow
- Fridayy
- October London
- Sexyy Red
- WINNER: Tyla
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
- “Award All of the Glory” – Shirley Caesar
- “All Things” – Kirk Franklin
- “Angel” – Halle Bailey
- “Come Jesus Come” – Cece Winans
- “Do You Believe in Love?” – Erica Campbell
- “God Problems” Maverick City Music, Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore
- WINNER: “Me & U” – Tems
- “Try Love” – Kirk Franklin
Viewer’s Choice Award
- “Agora Hills” – Doja Cat
- “All My Life” – Lil Durk feat. J. Cole
- “Fukumean” – Gunna
- “Lovin on Me” – Jack Harlow
- “Made for Me” – Muni Long
- “On My Mama” – Victoria Monét
- “Rich Baby Daddy” – Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA
- “Sensational” – Chris Brown feat. Davido & Lojay
- “Texas Hold ‘Em” – Beyoncé
- “Water” – Tyla
Best International Act
- Asake (Africa)
- Aya Nakamura (France)
- Ayra Starr (Africa)
- BK’ (Brazil)
- Cleo Sol (U.K.)
- Focalistic (Africa)
- Karol Conka (Brazil)
- Raye (U.K.)
- Tiakola (France)
- WINNER: Tyla (Africa)
Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act
- Bellah (U.K.)
- Crystals (UK)
- Duchess (Brazil)
- Holly G (France)
- Jungle (France)
- Makhadzi (Africa)
- Oruam (Brazil)
- Seyi Vibez (Africa)
- Tyler Icu (Africa)
BET Her
- “16 Carriages” – Beyoncé
- “Blessings” – Nicki Minaj feat. Tasha Cobbs Leonard
- “Commas” – Ayra Starr
- “Fly Girl” – Flo feat. Missy Elliott
- “Hiss” – Megan Thee Stallion
- WINNER: “On My Mama” – Victoria Monét
- “Saturn” – Sza
- “Yeah Glo!” – Glorilla
Best Movie
- American Fiction
- WINNER: Bob Marley: One Love
- Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse
- The Book Of Clarence
- The Color Purple
- The Equalizer 3
- The Little Mermaid
Best Actor
- Anthony Mackie
- Colman Domingo
- Damson Idris
- WINNER: Denzel Washington
- Donald Glover
- Idris Elba
- Jeffrey Wright
- LaKeith Stanfield
Best Actress
- Angela Bassett
- Ayo Edebiri
- Coco Jones
- Danielle Brooks
- Fantasy
- Halle Bailey
- Issa Rae
- WINNER: Regina King
YoungStars Award
- Akira Akbar
- WINNER: Blue Ivy Carter
- Demi Singleton
- Heiress Diana Harris
- Jabria McCullum
- Jalyn Hall
- Leah Jeffries
- From Van
Sportswoman of the Year Award
- Ah, Wilson
- WINNER: Angel Reese
- Coco Gauff
- Flau’jae Johnson
- Juju Watkins
- Naomi Osaka
- Sha’Carri Richardson
- Simone Biles
Sportsman of the Year Award
- Anthony Edwards
- Gervonta Davis
- WINNER: Jalen Brunson
- Jalen Hurts
- Kyrie Irving
- LeBron James
- Patrick Mahomes
- Stephen Curry
Shehu Sani, a former senator representing Kaduna central, says politicians from the northern part of the country have not used political power for the benefit of their people.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, Sani said the current situation in the north is a “product of the failure of governance and leadership” in the region.
The former senator said the northern region is battling the problems of insecurity, poverty, and out-of-school children despite the political power that the region has enjoyed in the country.
“The situation in the northern part of Nigeria today is a product of the failure of governance and leadership that has happened in the country for over four to four decades,” Sani said.
“Political power that ought to have been used by people who come from our own part of the country to improve the economy, better the lives of people, and address the problems of poverty, destitution, and underdevelopment has actually not been utilised for such purposes.
“We have some of the richest businessmen and politicians in the country, but the level of poverty you have seen is a reflection of what leadership and opportunity were used for.
“In all indices, the north lacks behind. Sometimes you ask what all these powers are being used for.
“If any person will compare what is happening in the north and the southern part of Nigeria will wonder what power is being used for.
“Power has been toxic to our people. It has not been used for the benefit of our people for a very long time.”
I still get my salaries paid to me as a civil servant from Nigeria - UK cab driver confesses
AFOLABI
Despite leaving Nigeria for the UK two years ago, Sabitu Adams gets paid each month as a junior official at a government agency back home.
Adams, who now works as a taxi driver in the UK, had his name changed by a BBC report to protect his identity.
The taxi driver has yet to resign from his job in Nigeria.
Adams is one of the thousands of ghost workers, a rampant issue in the Nigerian civil service.
Each year, the government carries out biometric verifications and reels out numbers representing discovered ghost workers, and money saved.
But no one is ever announced to have been arrested or prosecuted.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu directed that all civil servants drawing salaries from the government after relocating abroad should be made to refund the money.
Tinubu also ordered that the culprits’ supervisors and department heads be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud while they were in charge.
Adams told the BBC that he was not worried about the president’s directives because he earned better as a taxi driver in the UK.
“When I heard about the president’s directive, I smiled because I know I am doing better here – and not worried,” the 36-year-old said.
The cab driver said he did not resign “in case I choose to go back to my job after a few years”.
Adams was quoted as saying he had an arrangement with his boss in Nigeria who is a “relative”.
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, IRCC, has said over 71,459 Nigerians obtained Canadian citizenship between 2005 and 2024.
IRCC is a department of the government of Canada responsible for matters relating to immigration to the North American country, refugees, and Canadian citizenship.
The number places Nigeria in the 10th position on the list of new Canadian citizens by country of birth.
The data released by the immigration office showed that while new Canadians come from at least 196 countries and territories, the top 10 places account for nearly half of all new citizens.\
IRCC said the data highlighted the diversity of Canada’s new citizen population.
Irene Bloemraad, political sociologist and migration expert, told CTVNews that high levels of citizenship were good.
Bloemraad said research showed a correlation between holding citizenship and better economic outcomes.
“Canada stands out among other immigrant-receiving countries in the very high level of citizenship among immigrants in the country.
“High levels of citizenship are a good thing: research shows a correlation between holding citizenship and better economic outcomes, a greater sense of belonging to Canada and, of course, the ability to participate in elections and have a say in policy,” Bloemraad said.
The IRCC data revealed India as the leading source of new Canadians since 2005, with 536,279 individuals obtaining citizenship.
The Philippines follows closely behind with 395,694 new citizens, and China takes third place with 292,325.
Beyond these top three, a diverse range of countries contribute significantly to Canada’s growing citizen population.
Pakistan comes in fourth with 180,999 new citizens, followed by Iran (130,998), the United States (99,652), the United Kingdom (98,837), Syria (72,706), South Korea (71,939), and Nigeria with 71,459 new citizens rounding out the top 10.
Al Parsai, a Toronto-based immigration consultant, said the data underscored Canada’s commitment to multiculturalism and diversity.
Parsai said: “The consistent number of new citizens from countries like India and the Philippines reflects their significant contributions to the Canadian labour market and society.
“The rise in new citizens from countries experiencing conflict, like Syria and Ukraine, highlights Canada’s role in providing refuge and support to those in need.
“The fact that new citizens come from nearly 200 different countries and territories showcases Canada’s global appeal and inclusive immigration policies.”
In November 2023, Canada announced a new immigration-level plan for skilled workers, caregivers, families, and other classes.
In a statement released by the citizenship and immigration Canada (CIC), the North American country will target the admission of 485,000 new immigrants.
“In 2025 and 2026, Canada will look to welcome 500,000 new immigrants in each year,” CIC added.
The Canadian government said the immigration plans will be for economic, family, refugee, and humanitarian classes.
Nigerian singer, Burna Boy has again sold out the 80,000-capacity stadium in London.
The Grammy-winning singer on Saturday thrilled his audience with a spectacular performance at West Ham United’s London Stadium.
Burna Boy performed some of his hit songs including ‘City Boys’, ‘On Form’, and ‘Last Last’ while bustling concertgoers sang along.
The London concert was opened with comedy performed by Nigerian skit maker and comedian, Sabinus.
Also performing at the concert were several Nigerian music stars including Omah Lay, Phyno, Shallipopi, Odumodublvck, Seyi Vibez, BNXN, and Pheelz.
The Malian singer Salif Keita and the Swedish singer Snoh Aalegra were the international guest performers at the concert.
This is not the first time Burna Boy will be selling out a concert at the London Stadium.
In 2023, Burna Boy became the first African artiste to sell out the 80,000-capacity stadium.
Born Damini Ogulu, Burna Boy started to gain fame after releasing ‘Like to Party’, the lead single from his debut album ‘L.I.F.E’ (2013).
In 2021, the singer set a record in Nigeria after his fifth album ‘Twice As Tall’ won the ‘Best World Music Album’ category at the Grammy Awards.
Over the years, Burna Boy has performed and sold out some notable venues across the globe.
Media
80,000 Capacity London Stadium fully sold out for the second time by Burna boy ? pic.twitter.com/iFg1yi6v6W
— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) June 30, 2024
Buhari govt shielded Ex-Gov from prosecution over $200 million in offshore assets — Obono-Obla
AFOLABI
The former Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Okoi Obono-Obla revealed that the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government shielded a former governor from prosecution over $200 million in offshore assets.
Obono-Obla made this revelation in an interview on Mic On Podcast.
He referenced several cases of high-profile corruption, expressing frustration over the lack of decisive action on the part of the government.
Noting the magnitude of corruption he encountered, Obono-Obla highlighted a specific case involving the recovery of extravagant assets.
He said, “For instance, there was this case where somebody had 80 brand new armored S-Class Mercedes Benz cars, along with houses, farms, motorcycles, and more, all discovered in a single location in Jabi.
“We intervened, questioned whether customs duties were paid on these vehicles. It turned out, they hadn’t,” he added.
Speaking on tax evasion, Obono-Obla said, “I wrote to the Federal Inland Revenue Service about these assets, questioning if taxes were paid. They confirmed no records of tax payments.”
He noted the panel’s proactive stance in securing a court order to take custody of the assets pending further legal proceedings.
The former chairman revealed efforts to investigate offshore assets linked to a former senator and governor.
He said, “Through the Panama Papers, we discovered offshore properties worth over £200 million belonging to a prominent former governor and senator.”
Recall that the former chairman submitted detailed reports to President Buhari and the Attorney General (Abubakar Malami, SAN) after the investigation.
But, Obono-Obla was reportedly sacked on August 15, 2019 during the President Buhari administration.
His sack letter said Obono-Obla would face “criminal prosecution on matters related to his alleged financial dealings, as uncovered by the ICPC upon investigation.”
“The government may ask the University of Jos to withdraw his law degree and the Nigerian Law School to debar him from practice,” the letter added.
Betty Irabor, a friend of Joke Silver, the husband to Olu Jacob, has said Olu Jacob is well, and alive, asking everyone to ignore the flying news of the actor’s death.
Betty Irabor took to her X account on Sunday evening on 30th June 2024, to debut the rumor of the passing away of the veteran actor Olu Jacob
In her tweet, she wrote, “Olu Jacob is well and alive.. pls ignore all rumors of his passing.”
Media
Olu Jacob is well and alive.. pls ignore all rumors of his passing.
— Betty Irabor (@BettyIrabor) June 30, 2024