The Supreme Court of Nigeria has ruled in favor of Mr. Patrick Arueze in a long-standing breach of contract case against the popular music duo P-Square, consisting of Peter and Paul Okoye, and their brother Jude Okoye. The court has ordered the Okoyes to pay Arueze approximately N25 million in damages.
The case dates back to 2011 when Arueze invited P-Square to perform at a show in Benin City, but the team failed to show up. Arueze subsequently filed a lawsuit against them in the Edo State High Court, presided over by Justice Esther Edigin, for breach of contract.
The Okoyes attempted to reverse the judgment through a motion dated October 3, 2016, but the court dismissed their appeal. Dissatisfied with the decision, the artistes filed a motion for stay of execution at the Court of Appeal, Benin Division, which was also dismissed. The musicians later issued a cheque through a commercial bank to settle the matter.
However, when Arueze presented the cheque to the bank, the Okoyes instructed their lawyers to file another motion at the Court of Appeal, Benin Division, to stop the payment. The court dismissed this motion as well, deeming it frivolous.
Undeterred, the Okoyes then filed a motion at the Supreme Court, seeking to appeal against the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which had dismissed their motion to stop the payment of the cheque they had issued. They also joined the bank in the motion, a decision that was faulted by opposing counsels, as the bank was not a party to the suit at the Court of Appeal.
Justice Uwani Musa Abba-Aji concurred with the arguments presented by Mr. Patrick Arueze’s legal team, led by E. O. Afolabi, SAN, Dr. Samson Osage, Mrs. Nosa Festus Ajayi, and others. The Supreme Court struck out the Okoyes’ application and awarded an additional one million naira in costs against them.
Commenting on the judgment, Afolabi stated, “Arueze got judgment against them, and they now sent a cheque, but when we wanted to cash the cheque, they went to court to stop it. The court refused, they went to the Court of Appeal, which also refused their stay of execution.
They went to the Supreme Court, and the lawyer now joined the bank, which is not a party to the suit at the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court was not happy and awarded N1m cost against P-Square. Their lawyer did not appear.”
Popular Nigerian singer ad songwriter, Tiwatope Savage, widely known as Tiwa Savage, has said she paid an Information Technology expert to remove her explicit video from the internet.
‘Kele Kele Love’ crooner stated this in a revealing interview with Angie Martinez on Power 105.1 in New York on Wednesday.
The Nigerian superstar added that she paid the IT expert to remove the viral adult tape from all mobile devices accros the country after it was used in an attempt to blackmail her.
Tiwa stated that her biggest fear about her sex tape leaking was that her son might one day see it, hence the need for her to remove it from the internet.
She said: “My biggest fear about my sex tape leaking was that my son might one day see it.
“But I got in touch with an IT expert who hacked the video from the internet and everyone’s mobile device. Right now, you can’t find it anywhere. Even if you had it stored on your phone.”
Recall that the singer’s personal ordeal began in October 2021 when she first announced she was being blackmailed with the sex tape, recorded with a person she was dating at the time.
She stated that the incident had significant repercussions on her career, including the loss of several ambassadorial roles.
Joseph Aloba, the father of late singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad has announced that he has served a notice of the pending DNA test application on his son’s wife, Wunmi, by substituted means.
Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ikorodu granted the order last week Monday.
The Aloba family’s counsel, Monisola Odumosu told Punch on Friday that the notice was pasted at Wunmi’s last known address earlier in the day.
Odumosu said, “The law required that an application to use other legal means to effect service on the respondent be adopted. So as a result of the order granted by the court in this regard, we have served the notice and it was posted at her last known address on Friday morning.”
“We expect her to be in court or his legal representation on May 14, 2024,” the lawyer added.
The Aloba family, through Mohbad’s father, filed a suit seeking a DNA test on the deceased son, Liam.
The family sought an order from the court directing that the test be conducted in a recognised and accredited government or private medical facility within the state at the expense of the applicant.
It also sought an order directing Wunmi to submit herself and Master Liam Aloba for the DNA test.
The application filed by the family also sought an order granting leave to the chief pathologist in charge of the remains of Mohbad presently at the Military Hospital, Yaba Lagos, to take samples of the body of the deceased to conduct a DNA test for Liam.
The family’s lawyer however revealed that an attempt to serve the court process on Mohbad’s wife on Friday, March 8, at her Lekki home was not successful.
The Nigerian movie industry has again been thrown into mourning after the news of the death of another veteran Yoruba Actor Ganiyu Oyeyemi popularly known as Ogunjimi, surfaced on social media on Friday.
Ogunjimi’s death was announced by a Yoruba actor, Kunle Afod, in a post on his Instagram page.
Mourning the actor, Afod wrote, “We tried our best but God loves you more.
“May his soul rest in peace. Baba Ogunjinmi, RIP, Sun re oooo.”
At the time of writing this report, the cause of death has not yet been ascertained.
Why Nigerians should help me to change my accommodation – Dunamis ‘celebrity’ testifier, Vera Anyim
AdminVera Anyim, the lady who became famous because of the controversy that trailed her recent testimony at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja, has reached out to Nigerians for support in finding secure accommodation.
Anyim made the appeal in a video that started making the rounds on the internet on Thursday.
Anyim’s testimony, initially questioned by the church’s Senior Pastor, Paul Enenche, sparked widespread debate online.
Enenche interrupted and questioned the credibility of Anyim’s testimony at his church.
The woman, who claimed to have graduated with a “BSc in Law” from the National Open University of Nigeria, was accused of lying by the senior pastor.
He said that her speech did not align with that of a law graduate and insisted that no such degree as a “BSc in Law” existed.
The incident ignited varied reactions on social media when it was discovered that the testimony was genuine, with some calling on Enenche to apologise for his actions, while others defended his stance.
The church had in a statement, apologised to Anyim.
They stated that the Senior Pastor’s actions were driven by a dedication to maintaining standards of excellence and integrity within the church community.
Anyim who recently returned from a sponsored vacation at Portland Resorts Hotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is now seeking assistance from Nigerians to secure new accommodation.
She deemed her current living situation unsafe and calls upon the public for support.
She said, “I want to say to Nigerians, you know this thing that happened is a thing of joy, I never dreamed of it, it came this moment, I never dream of being a celebrity.
“It just came all of a sudden. I never prepared for it. I want to use this medium to urge us to assist me with accommodation because I am not buoyant now to rent a house. Where I am staying now is risky and insecure. It is a very open place and everybody has already known I am a celebrity.
“When I left Abuja, some people in my compound didn’t know what was happening, but I was there, and so many of them have heard what was going on. Some have said they are waiting for me. My brother, who stays with me, told me that people gathered, all waiting for me.”
She expressed concern that people might misunderstand the situation and assume she received a large sum of money during her time in Port Harcourt
The chairman of the Port Harcourt-based resort, Azubuike Ihemeje, had invited Anyim for an all-expense paid trip.
“That is why I am voicing out, asking for assistance to enable me to get a place I can stay so that my life can be safe. As I’m talking to you, I’m just hiding myself so that people will not come and misbehave at my side.
“So, please, if there is any way you can help me for me to get accommodation where I can be secured as a human being, intelligent people know what I am talking about.
“I don’t need to move or stay anyhow. If you don’t mind, you can assist me. Nothing is too small.”
[Punch]
18 years tertiary education admission age limit: WAEC, JAMB, NECO shouldn’t register underaged again for exams — Parents’ body
AFOLABIThe National Parent- Teacher Association of Nigeria (NPTAN) has expressed support for the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman’s recent pronouncement to peg the tertiary education admission age limit in Nigeria to 18 years instead of the current 16 years.
The national president of NPTAN, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, expressed his backing on this on Wednesday during an exclusive interview with Nigerian Tribune.
He, however, urged the Federal Government to co-opt the three major examining bodies in the country, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and the National Examination Council (NECO) to make the proposal a policy that would work effectively.
He said the three examination bodies have significant roles to play on the matter.
He said parents, who rush their children’s education are mostly the rich and the educated ones, who can afford to send their children to private schools which usually admit underaged children without considering their emotional maturity.
Danjuma explained that for the minister of education to have aired his view again about the 18 years age limit for tertiary education admission is a way of reminding parents of the risk to rushing their children’s education.
He said the Federal Government should in that case, compel WAEC, NECO and JAMB to henceforth register only students, who are in the appropriate class and have attained the ages required for the examinations they are conducting.
He said, based on the national policy on education, each examination targets certain students at a specific level of education.
He said, for example, “NECO and the state government examination boards which conduct common entrance examinations into Federal Government colleges and other secondary schools for primary six pupils as applicable should no longer register pupils below 11 years and they must not be in terminal class and likewise, WAEC and NECO should not also register students who are below 17 years or in SSS3 class for the senior school exams.
Similarly, he suggested further that JAMB should not also register/allow students below 17 years to sit for its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
He pointed out that children need to be six-year-old to start primary school education and spend another six years before going to secondary school, where they will spend additional six years to reach age 18 to become fully matured to go to tertiary institutions where they are expected to live independently.
While noting that all these examining bodies usually request for ages of candidates during registration, Danjuma wondered why such a request should be a mere request rather than to be a gatekeeper to block underaged registration.
He said once the underaged were not able to scale through those stages of examinations right from primary, secondary and then to the UTME level, it would be difficult for them to secure admission into universities, be it public or private.
He added that JAMB as a clearing house for university admissions in the country for example had greater opportunity to block any underaged from sitting for its examination or issuing an admission letter.
He said the money these various examination bodies are making from their candidates through registration could be largely responsible for them not to bother to block the underaged sitting for their examinations.
He said the supply of candidates’ National Identity Numbers (NINs) as part of their registration alone is enough to aid the implementation successfully.
Danjuma, therefore, emphasised that the bulk of the work is more on the hands of the government and the various examining bodies and lesser on the parents.
He stressed that it is the government and its agencies that will implement such policy and not the parents.
He, therefore, urged the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, to without delay work the talk by tabling the matter with appropriate quarters to make it become a national policy and not a mere political statement.
Meanwhile, the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNUs) says it can’t react on the matter now.
The secretary general of the committee, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, gave this position on Tuesday in an exclusive interview with Nigerian Tribune when he was asked for the committee’s reaction to the subject.
He said: “The committee has not discussed this matter you raised.
“There is no official communication from the ministry of education yet; when there is, we shall review it and make an appropriate response.”
The Naira has slumped seven times in recent days against the US dollar at the foreign exchange.
FMDQ data showed that the Naira recorded a seventh drop against the Dollar, quoting N1309.88 per Dollar on Thursday from N1308.52 on Wednesday.
This represents a N1.36 loss on a day-to-day basis.
At the parallel market section, the Naira dropped between N1,300 and N1,370 on Thursday from between N1,250 and 1,300 the previous day.
In the last four days, Naira has recorded depreciation against the Dollar in the FX market.
Last week, the Naira dropped three times against the Dollar in the foreign exchange market.
Accordingly, the Naira had lost N237.14 since April 17, 2024 when it traded at N1,072.74 per Dollar at the FX market.
The development comes despite the Central Bank of Nigeria releasing 10,000 dollars each to BDC at N1,021 to a dollar with a caveat to sell at most 1.5 per cent above the bought price.
This is the third recent intervention for BDCs amid the bank’s effort to defend the Naira.
BDC operators blamed peer-to-peer cryptocurrency platforms like Binance for the recent depreciation of the Naira against the dollar in the foreign exchange market.
Telecommunications operators in the country including MTN Nigeria and Globacom have asked for Federal Government approval through the Nigerian Communications Commission to raise their tariff.
The development came after foreign exchange losses and rising energy costs forced some of the operators to post losses last year.
The telcos’ proposal to raise their tariff came barely 24 hours after MultiChoice, a South African pay television company raised its tariff. Several companies including Discos and brewing companies have also raised their prices in recent times.
On Thursday, the telcos, under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecom Companies of Nigeria and the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria, issued a joint statement asking the government to expedite the approval.
The two bodies in their statement explained, “Despite the adverse economic headwinds, the telecommunications industry remains the only industry yet to review its general service pricing framework upward in the last 11 years, primarily due to regulatory constraints.
“For a fully liberalised and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence.”
The associations called on the federal government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability.
The telecom industry appears to be among a few sectors that have yet to review their prices despite the rising inflation in the country amid other economic challenges. They blamed this on the regulatory restraints that have been preventing them from pricing appropriately.
Efforts to reach the commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Mouka, on whether the request will be considered proved abortive as of press time on Thursday. There were no responses to calls, WhatsApp messages, and text messages sent to his line.
The NCC regulates prices in the telecom industry, and telecom operators are not allowed to implement any price changes without the regulator’s approval. The regulator has said a cost-based study is being conducted to determine if it would approve price increments for the operators.
The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, said in a publication on Thursday that cost reflective tariff was non-negotiable.
“We have seen the impact of price control in other segments of the economy, like power. If providers cannot operate sustainable business models, then they’ll stop investing. When that happens, the existing infrastructure starts to crumble.
“For power, a consumer can choose to take ownership of the solution by buying a generator, or a solar panel. For fuel, the government can step in as a provider of the last resort and manage a subsidy regime that mitigates the impact on the population. Those options are not available in the telecoms sector. There is no self-help solution,” he explained.
The industry has faced significant increases in operational costs occasioned by the scarcity of foreign exchange, network expansion, and upgrades, which have also negatively affected the bottom lines of the operators.
Investment in the sector has also dwindled to $134m in 2023 from $456.8m in the previous year, a decline of $322m, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
The decline represented a decrease of approximately 70.5 per cent.
MTN Nigeria Plc has disclosed a substantial loss of N740.4bn for the fiscal year 2023, a notable surge from the N81.8bn loss reported in 2022, marking an alarming 804 per cent increase, equivalent to N658.6bn.
This drastic financial setback is primarily attributed to the effects of the foreign exchange market liberalisation that commenced in June of the previous year.
MTN clarified that it applied an official exchange rate of N907.11 per dollar, based on NAFEM (Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market), as of December 31, 2023.
This implies that the reported loss might escalate further if the prevailing exchange rate between the naira and dollar remains unchanged by the end of March, coinciding with the publication of its Q1 results.
Meanwhile, Airtel Africa reported a 99.6 per cent decline in its post-tax profit to $2m at the end of the nine months ended December 2023 from $523m at the end of the same period in 2022.
The key driver behind these losses was the liberalization of the forex market in June 2023, which led to a 96.7 per cent devaluation of the naira from N461 per dollar in December 2022 to N907.1 per dollar by the end of 2023, MTN disclosed in its audited financial results for 2023.
Telcos threaten
Speaking with The PUNCH, the President of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Tony Izuagbe, explained that telcos are running at a loss and may not survive this year should tariffs remain the same.
Izuagbe warned that if urgent action is not taken, many telecom operators may be forced to shut down operations, leaving millions of Nigerians without access to vital communication services.
He emphasised that the current tariff regime is insufficient to cover the costs of providing services, and urged regulatory bodies to address the industry’s challenges and support operators in maintaining the quality of service.
The current price of diesel, ranging from N1300 to N1500 per litre, has placed a substantial financial burden on operators, who consume an average of 2000 to 3000 litres per month per base station, Izuagbe analysed.
In 2023, telecommunication companies spent about N429.43bn on diesel for base stations, an increase of 34.57 per cent from the N319.11bn they spent in 2022. This is because diesel prices soared in 2022 and remained at an elevated level in 2023.
In 2022, the telecoms industry noted, “The telecommunications industry has been heavily financially impacted following Nigeria’s economic recession in 2020 and the effect of the ongoing Ukraine/Russia crisis. This has increased energy costs, (which constitutes an appreciable 35 per cent of ALTON’s members’ operating expenses).”
Telcos use an average of 40 million litres of diesel per month to power telecom sites.
ATCON President expounded, “We all know the challenges of inflation, which is affecting operators. Let’s take a typical diesel price, for example, which is sold at N1500 per litre or even N1300. On average, a typical base station would use about 2000–3000 litres in a month.”
Analysing further, he stated, “The cost per gigabyte of data in Nigeria is about N250. By the time you look at the expenses incurred in maintaining a base station, you will discover that revenue will not be enough to cover them.
“This excludes colocation and infrastructure services. By the time they mark up their charges, the operators will also be suffering.”
He revealed that many operators were already cutting back on infrastructure investments to mitigate losses and warned that if drastic measures are not taken, many may not survive the year.
Izuagbe acknowledged that the NCC has been working to address some of the challenges facing the industry, but emphasized that more needs to be done to ensure the survival of telecom operators.
He described the situation as a “chicken and egg scenario,” where it is difficult to improve the quality of service when operators are struggling to survive.
He urged the NCC to take further action to address the challenges facing the industry, including the issue of compensation for damaged infrastructure, to ensure that telecom operators can provide the quality of service that Nigerians deserve.
A commission official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the issue, conveyed that the operators were left with no choice but to seek a tariff review approval from the commission. However, such approval might not be granted due to the prevailing high cost of living.
The official said, “Telecommunications cannot do anything without the commission’s permission. There can’t be any increment in cost without regulatory approval. That is what the law says. They can only keep agitating. The telecommunications sector is unlike other sectors that can increase their prices at any time without notice or recourse.”
Subscribers, economists back telcos
Subscribers and economists who spoke with The PUNCH backed the move by telecom operators to increase tariffs to stay afloat.
As of March 2024, industry statistics obtained from the NCC website showed that there are at least 219 million subscribers.
The President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, called for a marginal increase in tariff prices.
According to Ogunbanjo, the increase is necessary to help operators offset the rising cost of operations, including the purchase of equipment in dollars, which has been affected by the fluctuating exchange rate, and the removal of fuel subsidies, which has led to an increase in the price of diesel used to power base stations.
The NATCOM president acknowledged that telecom companies were facing significant challenges, including the need to improve services, deploy infrastructure, and power their base stations.
He noted that a slight increase in tariff prices would not be detrimental to subscribers but would rather help operators continue providing services and investing in infrastructure.
A slight increase in tariff prices would not be detrimental to subscribers but would rather help operators continue providing services and investing in infrastructure, Ogunbanjo pinpointed.
“A slight increase will not be bad so as not to suffocate the operators. They need to improve services, they need to deploy infrastructure, and it will be difficult if the situation doesn’t improve. They have to continue to power their base stations. Recently, they had issues with the undersea cable. All these issues have compounded their woes,” he buttressed.
Professor of Economics at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sheriffdeen Tella, told The PUNCH that the move was long overdue.
The cost of operation for telecom operators has increased significantly, making it difficult for them to sustain their businesses, the academic stated.
“When I see the cost of sending text messages, I discover that they haven’t increased their charges. Generally, the cost of operation has increased, and it’s the government that is supposed to reduce the cost of energy, the interest rate, and all those indicators.
“So, since the government is not doing that, they cannot stop them. So there is a need for the government to review its policies. The need to intervene generally in the economy,” he elaborated.
Tella also highlighted the need for subscribers to adjust to the new reality and understand that operators cannot continue to operate at a loss.
He warned that if the situation is not addressed, more companies may be forced to leave the market, which would have negative consequences for the economy.
An economist, Aliyu Ilias, stated, “The move is justifiable, and the telcos and the NCC have been doing well. The way they have even approached the situation is commendable.
“The environment they operate in is not different from the environment others are operating in. It is a tight move, but the government needs to work with them to know the percentage they intend to increase the tariff,” Ilias argued.
A United Kingdom-based Nigerian man, Olubunmi Abodunde, has beaten his wife, Taiwo, to death with their son’s skateboard, Daily Mail reports.
The couple, who had three children, arrived in the UK from Nigeria in 2022 and always clashed over alleged affairs and arguments about bills.
According to the news platform, 48-year-old Abodunde had been repeatedly investigated by Suffolk Police about domestic violence and was due to go on trial for murder but changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday after a jury had been sworn in.
During the abuse, officers heard ‘a number of bangs’ inside the house, which Abodunde had gone into, despite bail conditions imposed the day before that banned him from the property following another violent episode.
When they finally entered 25 minutes later, they found the wife, 41-year-old Taiwo, with her ‘skull smashed in’.
However, Judge Martyn Levett, sitting at Ipswich Crown Court, warned him the only possible sentence was life imprisonment.
Suffolk Constabulary has referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct, which confirmed three officers were under investigation.
An IOPC spokesman said, “We advised two Suffolk officers that they are under investigation for potential breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour at the level of gross misconduct.
“We advised another officer that they are under investigation at the level of misconduct.”
Abodunde had a history of jealousy and suspicion and accused his wife of having affairs. He had been investigated by police a number of times over alleged domestic violence incidents before his wife’s death.
He was arrested on April 27 last year when police arrived at the couple’s home in Newmarket, Suffolk, and found Mrs Abodunde with a split lip.
Later that day, he was freed on police bail with the condition that he stayed away from the marital home and didn’t approach his wife.
But after working a night shift at Tesco, he went home just after 9 am to allegedly pick up his mobile phone.
Two officers arrived at 9.20 am to take a statement from Mrs Abodunde about the previous night’s incident and heard repeated banging noises inside.
But it wasn’t until 9.55 am that they forced their way in after getting approval from senior officers and found Mrs Abodunde ‘obviously dead’ near the front door.
A post-mortem examination later showed she had been throttled until she fell unconscious, then stamped on until her ribs were broken before her husband used the skateboard to finish her off. The blows were so violent that the skateboard was damaged.
Prosecutor Simon Spence KC told the court the banging officers heard was likely to have been Abodunde continuing to attack his wife after she was unconscious or dead.
Mrs Abodunde had a job as a care home assistant in Cambridge, but her husband, who had trained as a civil engineer, was unable to find work in his profession and took shifts at Tesco and Wickes.
After his arrest for the murder, Abodunde was taken to hospital “because he appeared to have some sort of mental episode”.
He later claimed in a police statement he had acted in self-defence, saying, “My wife has subjected me to physical abuse for a number of years.
“On November 28, we got into an argument. She ran at me with a knife, I grabbed the knife and cut my hand. I was defending myself.”
But the court heard while he did have an injury to his hand, there wasn’t a knife near his wife’s body.
Nneka Akudolu KC, defending, said the level of violence was ‘completely out of character’ for her client and might have been affected by medication he was taking. But she said no medical evidence would be provided to support this claim.
Detective Inspector Dan Connick, of Suffolk Police, said after the hearing, “This was an awful attack on a woman that has had a lasting impact on the community and, most importantly, on the victim’s family.
‘We are pleased that Taiwo’s family will no longer have to go through the pain of a trial.
‘Our thoughts remain with Taiwo’s family and friends and hope this result will bring some small comfort to them.’
Taiwo Abodunde worked for Cambridge Manor Care Home, which provides dementia care and residential and respite care.
A spokesman for the facility, which is owned by TLC Care, said: ‘We are all deeply shaken and upset by the tragic death of Taiwo, who was a much-loved member of our home community.
‘Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with her family. Taiwo always cared for those we support with compassion and kindness, and she will be greatly missed by all of us and our residents.’
Abodunde was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on May 9.
A financial data and media company, Bloomberg, has ranked the Dangote Refinery above the top 10 biggest refineries in Europe.
According to data compiled by the business news platform, the refinery has more capacity than many European ones.
The $20bn-worth refinery located in Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos State, can refine 650,000 barrels of petroleum products per day.
The report sighted by our correspondent on Thursday stated that this is over 246,00bpd capacity, more than Shell’s Pernis Refinery, which is located in the Netherlands.
It added that the Pernis Refinery, which has an installed capacity of 404,000bpd, is the biggest in Europe. The BP Rotterdam Refinery in the Netherlands has a capacity of 380,000.
Bloomberg also reported that the GOI Energy ISAB Refinery in Italy was built with a refining capacity of 360,000bpd.
Also, the TotalEnergies Antwerp refining facility in Belgium can refine 338,000bpd.
Others listed in the report were the Orlen Plock Refinery in Poland with 327,000bpd; Shell’s Rheinland in Germany with 327,000bpd; Miro Refinery in Germany with 310,000 capacity; and the ExxonMobil Anterwep Refinery in Belgium with 307,000 capacity.
It added that the Saras Sarroch Refinery in Italy had 300,000 capacity; the ExxonMobil Fawley in England had 270,000bpd capacity.
The Bloomberg report described the Dangote Refinery as a ‘game changer’ and said it was taking advantage of cheaper US oil imports for as much as a third of its feedstock as it started up.
According to analysts, the refinery has been shipping products in recent weeks while readying two units to enable petrol output, which will deliver a long-promised transformation of the fuel market in Nigeria and the region.
“Dangote is going to influence Atlantic Basin gasoline markets this summer and for the rest of the year,” an oil expert, Alan Gelder, told Bloomberg.
According to the average estimate of analysts at WoodMac, FGE, and Citac, the refinery is running at about 300,000 barrels a day, nearly half its nameplate capacity.
The complex has started shipping jet fuel, diesel, and naphtha as it widens to a full slate of products.
Reuters recently reported that the Dangote oil refinery could end a decades-long petrol trade from Europe to Africa, worth $17 billion a year.
Reuters, quoting analysts and traders, said the Dangote refinery was heaping pressure on European refineries already at risk of closure from heightened competition, adding that the refinery would be the largest in Africa and Europe when it reaches full capacity.
About a third of Europe’s 1.33mbpd average petrol exports in 2023 went to West Africa, a bigger chunk than any other region, with most of those exports ending up in Nigeria, Reuters said, quoting Kpler data.
Dangote Refinery has begun selling diesel into the Nigerian market, crashing the pump price from N1,600 to N940 in less than a month.
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IT is beginning to look as if cars are now built to last a life-time. Surprisingly, such cars are not even from established brands that you might be thinking of.
Ordinarily, most people would think that such cars are made in Germany, Britain, America, Japan or Korea. But they are wrong.
The cars that are giving world renowned automakers sleepless nights are from China.
Have you imagined that a car built in China could offer 10 years or 1,000,000 kilometer warranty? Or that a car could float on water in case of emergency? This is the new bar that the Chinese automakers are setting.
Leading this new technology exploits are the Jetour and BYD companies and other Chinese makers are gearing up to surpass the competition in no time.
For instance, the new Jetour T2 Sport Utility Vehicle is offering 10 years/one million kilometer warranty and a host of new technologies that could make renown automobile makers look like learners. This five seater SUV comes with array of features that are not common in its segment, thereby giving other traditional brands serious concern for worry. Roof rails, bulging wheel arches, striking tailgate and high-tech light signature, stand the SUV out.
Measuring about 4.78 meters long which is slightly shorter than the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Jetour T2 comes with imposing front end with its large grille, LED headlights and lower guards.
The T2’s clean cabin comes with 15.6-inch HD central screen as well as 10.25-inch instrumentation and a centre console that houses the gear selector and driving profiles. Ventilate and panoramic roof with snapdragon 8155 chip and 12-speaker Sony audio completes the luxury feelings in the T2.
Power is at your control with the 2.0 Turbo petrol engine which delivers 254 PS and 390Nm of peak torque. This engine is linked to a seven-speed DCT dual-clutch automatic gear and six generation BorgWarner all-wheel drive system.
Features such as remote parking, lane assist, 360 camera, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam guidance, fatigue detector, blind spot monitoring and automatic braking, are standard features of Jetour T2.
Another shocker from the Chinese automaker is the BYD Yangwang U8 SUV which delivers unrivalled off-road prowess and can be driven off-land too. It can float like a boat in flood even when the water gets up to the window level.
BYD revealed that the upcoming U8 Premium Edition was designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, including flash floods. If you’re ever caught in a flood, the SUV will elevate its suspension, turn off its engine (more on that in a bit), switch its HVAC system to re-circulation mode and seal its windows so that it can remain afloat up to 30 minutes, according to CarScoops. The vehicle can do more than just float, though. It can also drive forward at speeds of up to 1.8 mph. You’ll be able to maneuver around objects if necessary, too.
Water readiness is far from the U8’s only attractive feature. The full-size SUV is being pitched as a Chinese alternative to the ultra-chic Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and Range Rover. Its unique hybrid power train, the U8 is an extended-range EV (EREV), which means it pairs a four-motor electric power train with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that acts as a range extender. BYD says the setup produces 1,200 hp and has a range of 621 miles.
BYD isn’t the first company to think about making a land-based electric ride that can travel through water. Elon Musk has had the same idea for the Cybertruck. Last year, the company’s CEO posted on X, then known as Twitter, that the eagerly anticipated EV would be able to “serve briefly as a boat.” We’ve yet to see the finished Cybertruck—the examples that have rolled off the line have only been production candidates—so it remains to be seen if the ability will be available.
The digital lending landscape in Nigeria has witnessed significant growth, with an array of licensed loan app companies offering credit facilities to both individuals and businesses.
These companies, licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), play a crucial role in providing financial services to the informal sector.
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has been instrumental in developing a regulatory framework to address concerns regarding unethical practices in loan recovery, such as harassment and defamation. This collaboration with industry regulators aims to ensure ethical and professional conduct among digital lenders.
The Limited Interim Regulatory Framework and Guidelines for Digital Lending, spearheaded by the FCCPC, have led to the registration and approval of over 260 digital lenders that meet the required standards. However, it’s noteworthy that only a fraction of these lenders are licensed by the CBN, subjecting them to stringent guidelines and ethical practices in loan recovery.
Here are 16 CBN-licensed loan app companies actively operating in Nigeria’s digital lending space:
- Fast Credit Limited (FCL): Offers investment and loan products to individuals and SMEs, including micro and nano loans via its mobile app and USSD service.
- Baines Credit Microfinance Bank Limited: Provides quick digital loans and salary advances for various sectors, including salary earners and MSMEs.
- Greenbond Finance Company Limited: Facilitates instant loan services through its app Apply 24/7, offering salary advances and asset finance without collateral or guarantor requirements.
- Ekondo Microfinance Bank: Focuses on credit facilities tailored for clients in the South-South region, offering civil servant loans, salary advances, and fast cash.
- Accion Microfinance Bank: Offers personal and business loans, including a School Fees Loan for easy payment facilitation.
- Newedge Finance Limited: Provides instant loan services through multiple apps such as Palm Credit, New Credit, Easy Buy, Xcross Cash, and Xcash.
- Shepherd Trust Microfinance Bank: Offers savings, investment, and loan products to MSMEs, with individual loans available to qualifying salary earners.
- Firmus Microfinance Bank: Provides financial services to individuals and SMEs, offering various loans through its mobile app, including personal, house, school, and car loans.
- Cashbridge Microfinance Bank: Offers business loans, school fees loans, and home loans, among others, designed to fulfill customers’ financial goals.
- Zedvance Finance Limited: Provides instant collateral-free loans through its MoneyPal App, tailored to customers’ specific needs.
- Credit Direct Limited: Focuses on quick turnaround loans with minimal documentation and efficient processes, emphasizing customer service.
- FairMoney: Processes instant loans of up to one million naira, along with banking services, for individuals and businesses.
- Branch International Financial Services: Offers personalized loan offers through its mobile app, with loan eligibility determined using smartphone data.
- Carbon Finance and Investments Limited: Provides a range of financial services, including personal and business loans, payments, credit scoring, savings, and investments.
- Renmoney Microfinance Bank: Grants personal and micro-business loans ranging from N50,000 to N6 million, alongside savings and banking services.
- Links Microfinance Bank: Provides a one-stop approach to banking services, including savings, loans, and investments through its Sofri mobile app.
NYSC Service Not A Disqualification For Ministerial Appointment - Court Dismisses Suit Challenging Musawa’s Appointment As Minister
AFOLABIA Federal High Court, Abuja, has dismissed a suit seeking to reverse the appointment of Hannatu Musawa as Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy by President Bola Tinubu.
Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment, held that the plaintiffs lacked locus standi (legal right) to institute the suit.
Justice Omotosho also held that even where the plaintiffs were vested with the legal right to file the matter, the suit, itself, lacked merit.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, on July 27, 2023, transmitted Musawa’s name, among names of minister-designates, to the Senate for confirmation.
Musawa, a lawyer and immediate-past Presidential Adviser on Culture and Entertainment Economy, was screened by the Senate on Aug.1, 2023, and was sworn in as minister on Aug. 21, 2023.
At the time, the minister who hails from Katsina State was appointed, she was alleged to be a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member.
Against this backdrop, the Incorporated Trustees of Concerned Nigeria, Chief Dr Patrick Eholor and Thomas Marcus, who were 1st to 3rd plaintiffs respectively, filed the suit before Justice Omotosho.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1198/23 filed Aug. 30, 2023, the plaintiffs sued President Tinubu, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Musawa as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
They prayed the court to determine whether by provisions of Section 2(1) and (3) of the NYSC Act and Section 4(9) of the NYSC Bye-Laws (Revised 2011), Musawa, who was a corps member at the time, was not prohibited from becoming a federal minister.
They also urged the court to determine “whether by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), whether the same qualification of a member of House of Representatives is not also the same qualification for the appointment of 3rd defendant (Musawa) as a minister and whether the same qualification is not mandatory for her to be a federal minister of Nigeria.”
Upon favourable resolution of the questions, the plaintiffs sought an order nullifying the initial recommendation, resolution to be a minister, appointment and swearing in of Musawa as a minister.
They sought an order setting aside the swearing-in of the minister.
They equally sought an order of mandatory injunction setting aside all official actions as may be carried out by her acting in any official capacity from the commencement of and swearing in of the minister to the final conclusion of the suit.
They also prayed the court to make an order for payment of general damages in the sum of N100 million against all the defendants.
In their affidavit, they argued that Musawa was mistakenly screened by the Senate and appointed as a minister to supervise the Ministry of Culture.
But the 1st and 2nd defendants in a joint preliminary objection dated and filed Feb 15, sought a dismissal of the suit for want of jurisdiction.
They argued that her appointment was done in line with extant laws as she was duly nominated, screened by the Senate and appointed by the president.
According to them, there is no law that hinders the 1st defendant from appointing a person still serving as an NYSC member as a minister.
They further argued that the only qualification is the same as a person contesting for the post of a member of the House of Representatives.
They submitted that the NYSC certificate or completion of NYSC is not amongst the basic requirements for appointment as a minister, urging the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the plaintiffs are incompetent to institute this suit.
On her part, Musawa, through her lawyer, argued that the 1st plaintiff was a non-existent entity and thus, not a juristic person to institute the action.
Also, she argued that none of the plaintiffs had shown how they had suffered special injury to the exclusion of all Nigerians to qualify them to maintain the suit.
In the judgment delivered on Tuesday by Justice Omotosho and the certified true copy of it sighted on Thursday, the judge agreed that for a person to be qualified for appointment as a minister, he must fulfil the conditions in Section 147 (5) of the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, Section 147 (5) says no person shall be appointed as a minister of the Government of the Federation unless he is qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives.
“It is clear from the above that the qualification for being a member of the House of Representatives will guide the qualification for being a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
The judge said that based on Section 65, and subject to Section 66, a person shall be qualified for election as a member of the House of Representatives if he is a citizen of Nigeria and has attained the age of 30 years.
He said it equally provided that a person shall be qualified for election under Subsection (1) of this section if he has been educated up to at least school certificate level or its equivalent; and he is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that party.
“The constitution has made it crystal clear the qualifications and grounds for disqualification as a minister and being a serving corp member is not one of such grounds.
“As a matter of fact, a person to be appointed as a minister only needs to show that he has been educated up to secondary school level.
“Thus the National Youth Service Corps Certificate which can only be attained by graduates who have completed the scheme is a surplusage to the basic requirements to be a minister.
“I therefore hold that there is nothing stopping the 1st defendant (Tinubu) from appointing the 3rd defendant (Musawa) as a minister as she is eminently qualified to be so appointed.
“In final analysis, the plaintiffs lack locus standi to institute this action.
“Even where they are vested with locus standi, the suit lacks merit — same is hereby dismissed,” Justice Omotosho declared.
The toxicology tests to determine the cause of death of the popular Nigerian music star, Ilerioluwa Aloba, known professionally as Mohbad, have been completed, with results now forwarded to the Lagos State police.
The tests, conducted in the United States, aim to provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the singer’s untimely demise.
Lagos State counsel, Oluwaseun Akinde, disclosed to the coroner’s court in Ikorodu last November that while the autopsy of the external body was concluded, the toxicology test, focusing on internal analysis, was pending at the time.
The recent completion of this test marks a significant advancement in the investigation.
An official from the Lagos State government, preferring to remain anonymous due to restrictions on public communications about the case, informed Punch that the toxicology results were received by the state’s DNA and Forensic Centre last week.
The results were then transmitted to the police earlier this week to assist with further investigations.
The source said, “The toxicology test is ready and given to the police. We projected 10 weeks from the outset but it came in before then. It was received by the DNA and Forensic Centre last week and has been sent to the police.”
A source in the Lagos State Police Command who also spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not permitted to speak to the press confirmed the receipt of the result.
The source said, “The toxicology report is with us. It arrived on Monday but it is medical jargon for us. We don’t understand what it is. So it has been sent to the pathologist that carried out the autopsy to analyse and interpret it.”
The Director of Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, Richard Somiari, on March 20, said that the toxicology result would be ready in the next three to four weeks.
Somiari, while testifying during a coroner’s inquest into the death of the singer, said, “We expected to get the first set of autopsy results in three to four weeks and re-confirm to authenticate the cause of the death.”
He said, “We searched for multiple possibilities, to check if poison was involved in the death of Mohbad since no actual cause was mentioned.”
The forensic expert assured the public of adequate security and monitoring of samples for the autopsy.
He said, “We have a place where items are stored for safety and security of results. There is a procedure for monitoring samples moved abroad.”
Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.