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The Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) of the Nigeria Police Force has said it would be charging Adachukwu Helen Okafor Esq, the Anambra lawyer that brutalised her 10 years old maid, with attempted murder and child abuse.
It will be recalled that the Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, had placed a N2 million bounty on the head on Adachukwu Helen Okafor, who inserted a hot knife into the private part of her 10-year-old maid who had been living with her for just two weeks.
She also burnt the girl’s cheeks and bottom with hot iron after claiming the little girl sexually molested her six years old son.
National Coordinator for Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Olabisi Okuwobi, who paraded the suspect yesterday in Abuja, said the incident would be presented in court as a case of attempted murder and child abuse.
The CSP, while addressing newsmen, said: “Recall that on the 10th of January, there was a report, you know, in the social media, whereby it was alleged that a female lawyer abused a young girl and she was on the run.
“The Internet was awoken by the news of a 10-year-old girl who had burns all over her body. The girl was a maid to one Barrister Adachukwu Helen Okafor for two weeks.
“The said barrister accused the minor of fondling the organ of her six-year-old son while bathing him.
“On January 29, 2024, the suspect proceeded to tie her hands, her mouth and flogged her.
“She also inserted a hot knife into the girl’s private part and poured grounded pepper into it as well. She also placed a hot iron on the girl’s cheek and on her two buttocks.
“After causing the maid trauma, she locked her up in her toilet from the afternoon of the incident till the evening of the following day without food.
“She took the child the following day naked to the aunt that gave her the girl as a maid, and it was at the point that she dropped the young girl with her aunt, you know without clothes, with the burns on the cheek and buttocks and with blood and water oozing out of the private part that the aunt raised the alarm, and the alarm attracted passersby who brought out their phones and recorded the incident.
“We know what Nigerians do with their phones. And they started recording videos or taking pictures, and this went straight to the social space, which attracted the police of Anambra State Command and the Commissioner for Women Affairs in Anambra State.
“All efforts made to arrest her proved abortive because she took to her heels.
“At that point when all efforts made to arrest her proved abortive, the Honourable Minister right here beside me, also a barrister herself, Barrister Uju Kennedy, took it upon herself that she wasn’t going to keep quiet; that her portfolio covers all Nigerian women and children.
“So she released a N2 million bounty on her head and wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police, who ordered that the petition be handled by the Force CID, and the policemen of the Force CID took action immediately.
“When the woman discovered that the heat was on her, from her hiding place, I believe she advised herself and showed up. She was arrested and her statement taken.
“She is a mother of four children.
“Unfortunately, the young girl, we hope she recuperates better. She is still receiving treatment based on the extensive burns on her. Nobody knows the extent of the internal injuries caused by the hot knife that was driven into her private part.
“The IGP is assuring Nigerians that a diligent prosecution of the case would be carried out. No iota of the incident would be swept under the carpet.
“And this should serve as a note of warning to those who use little children for child labour in the first place.
“As for the suspect, any moment, she would be in court.”
On her part, Kennedy-Ohanenye said: “To Nigerians, I can assure you that when you shout out it is like a command to us; we in government would take it up when you shout out.
“So we are assuring Nigerians that till we get justice for that girl, we would not let go.
“Before she was brought, we had already gone to court with the police and all her bank accounts are blocked.
“She can’t assess her money. We would never agree. In Nigeria now, if you tamper with any child or any woman, you will see action, legal action, any kind of action.
“But I’m equally telling women not to look for trouble.
“So we have handed over this lady, but we are not stepping aside.
“We will keep you informed step by step until she gets the correct justice she is supposed to get.”
Announcing his death, Nollywood actress, Abiola Bayo wrote on her verified Instagram handle, “You will be greatly missed, Sisi Quadri. May your soul rest in perfect peace”.
Details later…
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The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have warned of potential disruptions to industrial peace in Nigerian universities
This is in reaction to the government’s refusal to release the salary that its members withheld, a circumstance that resulted from a strike in 2022 during the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The unions, in a joint letter signed on Friday by the President of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim and General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi, questioned the rationale with which the government released four months withheld salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities but failed to release the withheld salaries of non-academic staff.
The unions noted that they would no longer be able to assure the government of industrial peace in universities should the amounts owed by the government are not released.
Earlier, the unions wrote protest letters to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, on February 13, 2024, over the exclusion of the Non-Teaching staff from the payment of outstanding four months salaries.
The letter read, “We are therefore shocked that two weeks after the letters had been sent and received by the appropriate quarters, the Federal Government has remained quiet and refused to take any step towards addressing this very sensitive issue and it seems as if the Federal Government is taking our maturity for granted.
“We like to confirm through this medium once again to the Federal Government that the pressure on us has intensified and we have done everything possible within our ambit to prevail on our members to maintain industrial peace and tranquillity.
“While we appreciate the Federal Government for paying our Academic counterpart, we also deem it necessary that our members are also paid. The various feelers we are getting from our members in the universities and inter-university ventres indicate that we can no longer guarantee and be able to sustain industrial peace in the university sector.
“We therefore use this opportunity once again to call on the Federal Government to do the needful within the next seven days as the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU should not be held responsible should the wheel of administration and corporate governance be grounded to a halt in the University sector, as we have exercised enough patience.
“If nothing is done by the Federal Government to positively address this situation and respond to our previous letters to them, the members of the two Unions may be forced to meet soon to take all lawful and stringent decision on the matter.”
Igbo traders and businessmen in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, under the aegis of the Igbo Traders Association, closed their shops on Friday in protest against alleged intimidation and overtaxation of their businesses by the state revenue agency, the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS).
The Tribune newspapers gathered that the development left many traders and businessmen stranded in such locations as Oko Erin, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, and the General Hospital area, among other places in the state capital.
The Igbo traders said that the revenue agency stormed their shopping complexes at about 10:00 am with a revenue mobile court to prosecute them and lock up their business premises without being represented.
The people, who said that they are not indebted to the revenue agency, added that they are up to date in payment of their taxes and rates, describing the action of the revenue agency as unfair.
The businessmen also appealed to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to assist with a tax waiver or tax holiday, considering the current economic hardship in the country. They said that many of their members stock their shops with goods received on credit.
The coordinator of the 22 zonal chairmen of Igbo traders associations in Kwara state, who is also the chairman of the building materials association in Surulere zone, Kwara state, Chief Aloysius Nwora, said that the tax office wanted to start collecting tax from individual members against an existing agreement with the agency to get the tax collectively.
Also speaking, the first vice president of the Igbo Traders Association, Chief Nathaniel Nwogu, led other leaders and members of the association to the revenue court premises and state House of Assembly to register their grievances. He said that some of the business premises locked up deals in perishable goods.
Chief Nwora, who suggested a roundtable discussion among representatives of the revenue agency, the state government, and the leadership of the Igbo Traders Association for an amicable solution, said that there would not be business growth and development in any unfriendly environment.
“For years, we’ve had this arrangement with the state tax office to collect our taxes collectively and submit them to them. In that way, we as a union have been able to identify our members who do not even have shops, or those who are three or four in a shop, and submit them to the tax office.
“Once we submit that money, the tax office will issue receipts based on the individual names we submit to them. The taxes are in categories of N7,000, N14,000, N25000, and N45,000 like that annually.
This continued until last year, when our members started to receive letters individually demanding another tax ranging from N700,000 to N1.5 million, etc. Most of the people written to had already paid with their receipts from the tax office. Some of us have tax clearance certificates at three-year intervals.
“When they tell the staff of the tax office that they have paid, the staff told them to subtract what they’ve paid before from the new bill they gave us, thereby calculating, like tax, the previous 10 years of outrageous sums like N10 million, N15 million, etc.
We went with our lawyers to explain to them that we’re only owing 2023 tax, which was supposed to be paid in November last year based on our agreement with them, and which we’re already gathering because we closed our meeting in November and opened it in February this year.
“Unfortunately, they wrote our members to pay N9.7 million within three days, threatening that if they fail to do so, they’ll bring a mobile court, judge him, and prosecute him in his shop. Most of the owners of the affected shops are not even around. They refused to listen to pleas from shop assistants and locked up the shops. That’s why all members locked all their shops in solidarity to say we’re not okay with the verdict passed by the court.
“There is a special court for tax and not a mobile court. We even have cases there,” he said.
Responding to the allegations, the Corporate Affairs Department of the KWIRS, on behalf of the executive chairman, Shade Omoniyi, said that the revenue agency conducted the mobile court on Friday to prosecute recalcitrant taxpayers in the state to ensure tax compliance.
“As part of efforts to ensure tax compliance by residents and business owners in Kwara State, the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS) conducted a mobile court within some business premises in Ilorin today, March 1, 2024, to prosecute three recalcitrant high-net-worth business owners who hide under associations to pay lesser taxes than what is due.
“Having exhausted all necessary measures to ensure that taxpayers remit the appropriate taxes due to the state government without any positive results, KW-IRS resorted to enforcement on the recalcitrant taxpayers in the early hours of Friday as provided under the relevant state law.
“Speaking during the legal action at their respective business premises, the magistrate pronounced that the business facilities be sealed following the evidence before the mobile court that the accused taxpayers defaulted in exercising their civic obligations.
“Taxpayers are enjoined to pay their tax liabilities as and when due to avoid being caught on the wrong side of the law.”
Nigerian gospel singer, Moses Bliss and Marie Wiseborn, his wife, have held their traditional wedding in Ghana.
During the wedding, the couple demonstrated their diverse ethnic origins by wearing Ghanaian and Nigerian costumes.
In one of the clips. Marie Wiseborn’s family gifted the couple with a plaque in appreciation of the singer.
Some of the celebs who attended the ceremony included actress Juliet Ibrahim, content creator Enioluwa Adeoluwa, OAP Layole Oyatogun, and comedians Real Warri Pikin and Josh2Funny.
Moses Bliss and Marie also wowed the guests with coordinated dancing moves.
Gospel singer, Moses Bliss shares how he met his fiancée, Marie
After announcing his engagement in January, Moses Bliss shared how he met his fiancee, Marie.
The singer who announced his engagement on Friday said he met Marie on Instagram.
He said he was tagged in a video of her dancing to his popular song, ‘Miracle no Dey tire Jesus.
He added that they became friends and that the union was orchestrated by God.
“Exactly 1 year ago today, “Jan 20th 2023” I was tagged in this video by @mariewiseborn and the rest is history.
There are some things only God can orchestrate.
“For someone believing God for this kind of testimony, may God divinely work out your testimony in Jesus name.
“When I saw the video, I was like ahh, “I like the way she praises God, wow she dances like David.”
“According to her she doesn’t dance and post online but God kept prompting her to make the video and post, she finally obeyed and made the video by 2am and posted it and miraculously I saw it.
“After a while, we became friends for so many months and here we are today truly: MIRACLE NO DEY TIRE JESUS.”
[Vanguard]
You might be wondering what makes a currency strong. Well, that’s its purchasing power when used to exchange other currencies and for goods and services. In the world today, 180 currencies are officially recognized by the United Nations as legal tender.
Determining the strength of a currency involves both local and international factors in asserting its value. These factors are “supply” and “demand” coupled with the inflation rates, exchange rates, domestic economic growth, and policies enacted by the central or apex banks of respective nations.
I know what’s on your mind. You’re right, the United States dollar is regarded as the most powerful currency in the world and the most traded currency globally. But realistically, it is not the strongest currency in the world.
Another term to consider is currency floating. Sounds strange? When currencies are “floating”, it means the value fluctuates depending on demand and supply. For instance, when the Nigerian Naira weakens against the US dollar, it means Nigerians have to spend more money when opting to buy anything in dollars or traveling to the United States.
In this article, we’ll discuss the strongest currencies with a brief history of each.
10. United States Dollar (USD)
As I mentioned earlier, the United States dollar is the most traded currency globally. It was created in the 1700s as a legal tender in the country and other territories. The United States is the world’s largest economy by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is exactly 1 against itself, all other currencies are worth less than a US dollar. Despite all these accolades, the US dollar is No. 10 on the list of strongest currencies in the world as of today.
9. Euro (EUR)
Euro is the next in line in that order, and it’s the official currency of 19 member states of the European Union. It is the second most traded currency in the world and has the second-largest reserve currency. In 1999, the Euro was introduced as a non-cash monetary unit. By January 1, 2002, both currency notes and coins were introduced to participating countries and became the sole currency of the member states from February 28, 2002, of which their respective national currencies ceased being legal tender.
8. Swiss Franc (CHF)
The Swiss Franc is the official currency of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. As one of the strongest currencies in the world, 1 US dollar equals 0.87 Swiss Francs, at the moment. The currency was introduced in May 1850. The zero-inflation policy introduced in the country made the Swiss Franc powerful and a stable currency.
7. Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD)
The Cayman Islands was officially using the Jamaican dollar before the advent of the Cayman Islands Dollar in 1972. The United States 1 dollar equals 0.83 of Cayman’s Island dollar. The currency relies on a fixed exchange rate placed with the United States dollar.
6. Gibraltar Pound (GIP)
The Gibraltar Pound is the official currency of Gibraltar and it is pegged with the British pound sterling. The US one dollar equals 0.78 Gibraltar pounds. The currency was first introduced in 1920 but the right to print notes by Gibraltar began after the repealed Currency Notes Act 1934. The Gibraltar Pounds are denominated in pounds sterling but are not legal tender in the United Kingdom. Regardless, it’s one of the strongest currencies globally.
5. British Pound (GBP)
The British Pound is the official currency of Great Britain. The richness of Britain’s trade activities made the pound hold a significant place in global finance. In the United States, 1 dollar equals 0.78 British pounds. According to the World Bank, Britain is the sixth largest country by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Pound has undergone many changes over the years. It first appeared in 1489 and started to circulate in England in 1694 after the Bank of England was established but the notes were handwritten.
4. Jordanian Dinar (JOD)
The Jordan Dinar has been the official currency of Jordan since 1950 after it replaced the Palestinian pound. The value of the currency has been reinforced by the exchange rates and economic diversity of Jordan. A dollar equals 0.71 of Jordan Dinar.
3. Omani Rial (OMR)
The Omani Rial was introduced after Oman ceased using the Indian Rupee as its official currency. The currency is the third strongest and most valuable in the world. The US 1 dollar equals Omani’s Rial 0.38. The currency was introduced in the 1970s and it’s tied with the US dollar. Oman is between the United Arab Emirates and Yemen at the tip of the Arabian peninsula
2. Bahraini Dinar (BHD)
Bahraini Dinar is the official currency of Bahrain, an island nation in the Arabian Gulf. The currency is pegged with the US dollar; but exclusive to just Bahrain. It is the second strongest currency in the world; 1 US dollar equals Bahraini’s Dinar 0.38. It entered circulation in 1965
1. Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)
The Kuwaiti Dinar is the highest-valued currency in the world. The economic stability of Kuwait driven by oil reserves and a tax-free system has made the currency ranked consistently as the world’s most valuable currency. The Kuwaiti Dinar was introduced in 1960, pegged with the British pound in its early days. A dollar is equivalent to 0.31 of Kuwaiti Dinar. Kuwait is in between Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Much of the country’s wealth is from being an exporter of oil.
Tragedy has struck a family of six in a community in Oyo State after they allegedly ate poisoned Amala.
Reports obtained by Naija News revealed that one person died in the tragic incident which happened in the Temidire Atoyebi area along Ajaawa in Ogbomosho.
It was gathered that the family, consisting of a grandmother, Victoria Adewole, her four children and a granddaughter, all ate the poisoned cassava flour used to prepare Amala on Wednesday.
According to The Nation, the family became uncomfortable a few hours after eating the food.
Sources who spoke to the news platform on condition of anonymity disclosed that the family successfully extracted cassava flour from cassava peels, which they ground and prepared as a meal. This was due to their inability to afford yam or cassava flour.
However, their distress call for help after eating the meal prompted their concerned neighbours to rush to their aid and transport them to a private hospital located in the Ogbomoso Baptist High School area.
Tragically, it was reported that the granddaughter passed away during this ordeal.
Subsequently, the victims were transferred to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso.
It has been learned that medical professionals are currently working tirelessly to save the remaining members of the family.
“One of the children managed to disclose that it was cassava peels that they ground and made into flour, which they prepared as amala since they could not afford to buy yam or cassava flour.
“The complication from the peels, which could have been poisoned or contaminated, resulted in the death of the youngest granddaughter, whose immune system might be very low.
“The mother and her other four children are still battling with life in the hospital. We plead with kind-hearted people to please assist the family in whatever way they can so that fatality is no longer recorded among them,” one of the sources told journalists.
The Chief Medical Director of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Prof. Olawale Olakulehin, confirmed the development to newsmen stating that four of the five surviving family members are currently showing positive signs of recovery while undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Regrettably, one of the victims is in critical condition, and unfortunately, another member of the family passed away before reaching LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in Ogbomoso, he noted.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has urged Yoruba monarchs not to abandon the use of supernatural powers to defend themselves and their territories from marauders, warning those disinterested in such powers to step down from their thrones.
Naija News reports that the monarch spoke on Thursday during the inaugural Yoruba Security Summit, which was convened in response to the escalating insecurity in the Southwest and the tragic killings of traditional rulers in Ekiti and Kwara states.
Following the summit’s conclusion, a communique was issued and signed by the Ooni of Ife, together with other monarchs, such as the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade; the Owa-Ajero of Ijero Ekiti, Oba Joseph Adewole; and the Akarigbo of Remo, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi.
The monarchs of the Southwest region agreed to several measures to address insecurity, including organising regional security summits led by Southwest governors and empowering and strengthening the Amotekun Corps with enhanced training, financing, and modern weapons to tackle local security challenges.
They emphasised the importance of traditional values and the roles of Yoruba traditional rulers in combating banditry and kidnapping.
The communique also urged the incorporation of traditional rulers into the national security framework and called for the reinforcement of the judicial process to ensure appropriate punishment for offenders.
The summit concluded with a call for strong support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and emphasised the need for regular Yoruba security summits to address evolving security dynamics.
The communique partly reads, “Yoruba people should take full control of their forests, homelands and farmlands.
“The Yoruba, especially traditional rulers, should make recourse to their natural resources, including natural powers, to combat banditry and kidnapping; that Yoruba Obas should not jettison traditional values.
“Government at all levels should recognise the roles of traditional rulers and factor them into the national security architecture.
“The entire Obas in Yorubaland should work in unison to ward off the evils of banditry and kidnappings, as each of the states can only succeed in chasing the marauders to another state.
“Any Oba who is disinterested in Yoruba culture and custom should abdicate his throne for anyone who is deeply versed and interested in Yoruba traditions.”
Tension engulfed the Igueomo community along the Benin-Agbor Road following a tragic incident where a stray bullet, allegedly fired by police officers, resulted in the death of a man.
The community was thrown into mourning and outrage over the incident, which occurred on Wednesday evening.
The victim, identified as a Hausa man, was reportedly at a Point of Sale (POS) operator’s stand to transfer N4,000 to his wife in his village when the tragedy struck.
According to reports from Daily Trust, the incident unfolded as police were attempting to apprehend some hoodlums in the area. In the ensuing chaos, as the officers chased the suspects and fired shots, a bullet hit the innocent bystander, leading to his immediate death.
Eyewitnesses narrated that the deceased had just completed the transaction and was attempting to flee the volatile scene in search of safety when the stray bullet struck him.
The unexpected loss has sparked widespread condemnation and grief within the community, with many decrying the reckless use of firearms by law enforcement.
In response to the killing, a significant number of youths from the area mobilized and took to the streets, blocking the Benin-Agbor Road in a spontaneous protest.
The demonstrators demanded accountability for the victim’s death and called for immediate action against the involved police officers.
He said, “The irate youths who were armed with sticks and machetes, barricaded the road and ensured that no one have access to the either side of the road. A police vehicle that attempted to pass the road was vandalized.”
According to him, the incident forced many passengers to disembark from buses and trekked to their destinations.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chdi Nwabuzor, who confirmed the incident, said investigation was on to identify those involved in the operation.
One Adebayo Olamide Azeez, a suspected ritual killer, has revealed how he lured seven women through a dating app, “MyChat,” and killed them for ritual purposes.
The 32-year-old suspect disclosed this on Thursday during a parade held at the Officers Mess, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta.
He informed that he was a member of a ritualist gang that specialized in killing women and selling their body parts for different purposes.
Members of the gang, including Moses Abidemi Awuraji, Oluwo Samuel Monday, Peter Oluwalolese, Jamiu Yusuf, Akinwunmi Ifatosin, Sherifff Agbai, and Osojieahen Alioneitouria, had been earlier paraded by the operatives of the Command. They were arrested over the alleged killing of a 35-year-old woman, Sulaimon Adijat, for a money ritual.
He was arrested by the Police after being on the run.
The State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, while parading the suspect, said he was arrested on Friday, February 23, from his hideout.
Alamutu said the suspect conspired with Moses Abidemi Awuraji, an herbalist, to kill the victims for money ritual.
“The suspects strangled their victims to death and dismembered their body parts and sold them to Oluwo Monday Samuel and Alfa Ariwo (who is still at large) for ritual purposes.
“The three suspects confessed to the killing of ten different ladies at the Igbo Olomi residence of Moses Abidemi,” Alamutu said.
Narrating how he lured and killed the victims, Adebayo said, “I got the ladies from MyChat, which is a hookup app. I just talk to them that I want to hook up with them whenever Moses Abidemi Awuraji contacted me that they needed human body parts.
“They will call me that they need body parts; I will go on the app and chat the ladies for a hookup. I don’t know the ladies before; we don’t have any conversation before. I only talk to them on the app. I ask if they are available, and we negotiate on the amount they want to collect. When we reach an agreement, I will send my address to them, and they will come over to me at Atan-Ota.
“I will pick them up and call Moses Abidemi Awuraji that they are around; I will then take them to Moses Abidemi Awuraji’s house in Igbo Olomi, Atan-Ota, and inside his sitting room, we will kill them.
“Abidemi’s wife (Awuraji Mariam) will pin their legs down while I strangle them.
“I joined the gang in September 2023, and we have killed seven ladies. These are the ladies that I brought to the house that we killed.
“I don’t know what they use the corpses of the ladies for; my job is just to source for the ladies and bring them in. They don’t usually tell me the amount they will give; at times, they will pay me N30,000, other times, they gave me N40,000.
“I can’t say no to them whenever they ask me to bring the ladies. I don’t know who they sell the body parts to, and I don’t ask them about it. My own is just to source the ladies and collect my money.”
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The Lagos State Government has decided to pay the same amount of money, which is N35,000, as a monthly palliative allowance to its primary school teachers, just as it has been done for the secondary school teachers and other civil servants in state employment since January.
The state’s commissioner for basic and secondary Education, Mr Jamiu Alli-Balogun, dropped this hint during a stakeholders meeting between the officials of the ministry and the leadership of the state’s chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) held in his office on Wednesday.
According to a statement made available by the head of the public affairs unit of the ministry, Mr Ganiu Lawal, on Thursday, the commissioner disclosed that the state’s governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had already approved the parity in the payment, directing that all the primary school teachers should also now be paying the same N35,000 with other civil servants against the N20,000 they were paid before.
The wage award is a palliative allowance to lessen the financial burdens due to economic hardship on the state’s government workers, just like many other Nigerians pending when the national minimum wage review will be completed.
In his remarks about the development, NUT State’s chairman, who led the executive committees to the meeting, Mr Hassan Akintoye, commended the state government and Governor Sanwo-Olu in particular for the gesture.
He stated that the development would certainly appease the grievances of teachers at that level of education against the initial disparity.
While appreciating the state government for its unwavering love for teachers and the development of education generally in the state, the NUT boss promised a stronger commitment of teachers to the state education development.
He said teachers’ roles in providing quality education for the people of the state are unquantifiable.
How many of the world’s strongest currencies do you know? On the flip side, here’s everything you need to know about the weakest currencies in the world.
A currency becomes weak if a country’s exchange rate is regressing. This is as a result of internal policies, inflation and the economic situation of the country. It is possible for you not to be aware of the weakest currency in the world but I’m certain you know of the most popular which is the United States dollar. But surprisingly, the dollar is not the strongest (see the strongest currencies here).
The value of a currency depends on the demand and supply while some are pegged – that is, the currency is valued at an agreed rate. The foreign exchange rate is an indicator of a country’s economic wealth. Through it, the economic future of a country is clearer.
Actually, the exchange rate is not usually stable, it fluctuates as dictated by the market. Let’s quickly talk about factors that determine foreign exchange. They are Inflation and Interest rates:
Inflation
If the level of inflation of a country is low, the currency will definitely have higher value but if it is the other way, the value will definitely drop. Inflation is a big influence on the currency exchange rates of a country.
Interest
A shift in interest can have an impact on the currency value. If it rises, lenders will want more interest and this would attract more international investment. This would automatically lead to a rise in exchange rates.
Now, let’s go back to the essence of this article. I’ll break down the weakest currencies in the world from the least weakest.
10. Iraqi Dinar (IQD)
Iraqi Dinar is the official currency of Iraq. Inflation has rendered the currency to one of the weakest currencies in the world. Political instability is a major contributor to the state of Iraqi Dinar. The currency is issued by the Central Bank of Iraq and its first circulation was on April 1, 1932, replacing the Indian Rupee which had been the country’s official currency since World War One. The United States one dollar equals 1,312 Iraqi Dinar.
9. Ugandan Shilling (USH)
Ugandan Shilling became weak due to Uganda policies that have had a negative impact on the economic status of the country. The East African Shilling was replaced with Ugandan Shilling in 1966. Another shilling was introduced in 1987 due to high inflation. One US dollar equals 3,938 Ugandan Shillings at the moment.
8. Paraguayan Guarani (PYG)
Paraguayan Guarani has been affected by high inflation, poverty, unemployment and corruption. Paraguay is one of the poorest countries in South America. Even though the country exports soybeans and cotton, the economic situation has overpowered its effect. Currently, one US dollar trades at 7,278 Paraguayan Guarani.
7. Guinean Franc (GNF)
Guinean Franc is the official currency of Guinea. Political instability and corruption led the currency to its weak state. Sadly, every year, the currency devalues despite having natural resources like gold, aluminum, and diamonds. One US dollar is currently equivalent to 8,597 Guinean Franc.
6. Uzbekistani Som (UZS)
So many efforts have been employed to improve the economy of Uzbekistan but have been fruitless. The industrial output of the country has really declined which is also affecting the currency value. Important to note that Uzbekistan is still grappling with the effect of Covid-19 pandemic on the economy. As of now, one US dollar is equivalent to 12,501 Uzbekistani Som.
5. Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
The Indonesian Rupiah has failed to improve over the years. This can be traced to decreasing foreign exchange reserves and the dependence of Indonesia on the export market. All efforts to strengthen the national currency have been abortive. One US dollar equals 15,562 Indonesian Rupiah at the moment.
4. Laotian Kip (LaK)
Laotian Kip is the official currency of Laos People’s Democratic Republic. This currency was never devalued but issued at a very low rate in 1952. The Central Bank of Lao maintains the currency, but it’s among the weakest in the world. The current exchange rate of one US dollar in Laos People’s Democratic Republic equals 20,900 Laotian Kip.
3. Sierra Leonean Leone (SLL)
The value of Leone declined drastically due to corruption and other financial scandals in Sierra Leone. Poverty is also another factor, which led to the downfall of the economy. Leone was introduced in 1964 as a replacement of the British West African pound. 20,969 Sierra Leonean Leone is side-by-side with just one US dollar at the moment.
2. Vietnamese Dong (VND)
Vietnamese Dong is the official currency of Vietnam. The economic situation in the country devalues the currency. The transitioning from a centralized economy to a market based one devalued the currency. The State Bank of Vietnam manages the currency. Vietnam’s currency exchanges at 24,639 Vietnamese Dong to one US dollar.
1. Iranian Rial (IRR)
The Iranian Rial has been affected by different kinds of crises. In 1979, the termination of the Islamic Revolution made foreign investors withdraw from the country; the nuclear programme and political unrest are factors that contributed to the weakness of the currency. As of now, one US dollar is equivalent to 42,055 Iranian Rial.
Nigerian Gospel singer, Moses Bliss and his Ghanaian fiancé, Marie Wiseborn on Thursday had their much anticipated traditional marriage with the hashtags #Foreverbliss #MMBliss24 #Foreverbliss24 at the Underbridge, East Legon, in Ghana.
The traditional wedding ceremony, acclaimed to be a fusion of Nigerian and Ghanaian cultures, including the Ghanaian “knocking” ceremony, where the groom’s family formally requests the bride’s hand in marriage.
The celebration knitted the rich blend of Nigerian and Ghanaian traditions, as the ceremony was thronged with the vibrant shades of traditional Ghanaian attire and Southern Nigeria outfits.
The couple’s attire and that of their families was a harmonious blend of Ghana’s colorful ‘kente cloth’ and Nigeria’s regal ‘aso-oke’ fabric and George material.
Highpoint of the ceremony was the grand entrance of the bride in the popular ‘Adowa Dance’ with her bridesmaids, alongside other traditional dancers.
Moses Bliss and Agyare-Wiseborn announced their engagement earlier this year, had their civil wedding in Abuja, on February 27.
The singer had also last Tuesday shared the news of their marriage with a few pictures from the civil wedding on his Instagram page.
Mose Bliss also expressed his excitement over the new milestone and doted on Marie by calling her his “personal gift from God,” in the post.
He wrote: “Civil wedding done! It’s official I’m legally married to my personal gift from God @mariewiseborn Lord we are grateful for helping us this far.”
The singer posted another video later in evening where the newly weds were seen gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes while exchanging their vows.
Marie sat as Bliss serenades her on a grand piano, singing a song he wrote just for her.
Bliss posted an elaborate posted video of his elaborate proposal to Agyare- Wiseborn on the 19th of January.
Moses Bliss later revealed on his Instagram handle that he met Marie on Instagram after she had tagged him in a video of herself dancing to his song Miracle No Dey Tire Jesus.
“I was like ahh, ‘I like the way she praises God, wow she dances like David,” as they say, the rest is now history.
(NAN)
..seeks help for less privileged
Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, says he has cancelled the yearly birthday carnival for his 67th birthday on March 3.
K1, however, urged his family and friends to rather use the occasion to reach out to the less privileged in the society.
K1, in a statement on Thursday, said the decision was informed by the current economic situation in the country.
The statement reads: “To the glory of God Almighty, I shall be turning 67 years on this planet earth on 3rd of March 2024.
“A joyous day for me, that many of my friends and associates across the globe usually joined with me and my family to celebrate.
“My fans both home and abroad always make the best out of that day in history.
“Now that the day is near and inside of me, there is nothing much happening in our country Nigeria to warrant me celebrating at this point in time.
“Many people are praying for survival at this point, to feed well is a big issue for many, and as someone that benefits from many of this people crying and lamenting, I share in their pains and see no reason I should be celebrating.
“Yes, I agree what our country is passing through now is not permanent and government is trying in a possible way to get things fixed and I believe God Almighty shall open ways and better direction for the leadership of our dear country.
“I, hereby, implore and request all my loved ones, instead of coming to celebrate, eat and drink at this time, please choose this my coming birthday celebration to help someone nearer to you.
”To at least secure a better living at this critical period of our nation’s travails to share how ever small the gift to people.
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“God Almighty shall replenish your pockets in multiple fold as you choose to get along with me on this.
“I thank you immensely and I shall live to appreciate you all soo very much till my last day on this planet earth.”