Debt and stock market players in West Africa plan to complete the harmonization and validation of regulation for trading and settlement of securities by June, Lamido Yuguda, chairman of West Africa Securities Regulators Association, said at a conference in Lagos.
The rule will facilitate the establishment of a common market in the region for the issuance and trading of financial assets across member countries, Yuguda, who’s also the director-general of the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission, said.
The capital market regulators’ umbrella body was founded in 2015 to foster market integration in West Africa.
[Bloomberg]
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday presided over emblem appeal launch for 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.
Naija News reports that the emblem launch was held at the state house, Abuja.
Speaking at the launch, Tinubu commended troops of the Nigerian armed forces for security “this great nation.”
He said: “Our foremost objective is to provide a conducive environment free from threats and criminality to enable all who reside within our borders to thrive and live in peace.
“For this reason, we owe a debt of gratitude to our gallant troops who have risen to the challenge of securing this great nation.”
He stated that the armed forces remembrance day embalmed remains a symbol of remembrance and a beacon of hope for a peaceful future.
“It is also our humble way of appreciating the veterans and the families of their fallen colleagues,” Tinubu said.
“I wish to call on all Nigerians and non-Nigerians residing in the country irrespective of their political affiliation or religious beliefs to adorn the emblem with pride and identify with those who laid down their lives for the peace and security of our dear nation,” the president added.
[NaijaNews]
The Bayelsa Gubernatorial Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged its supporters not to be deterred by the delisting of its candidate for the Nov. 11 poll, Chief Timipre Sylva.
This is contained in a statement issued in Yenagoa by Mr Perry Tukuwei, the Director of Media and Publicity of the Council on Wednesday.
“The Bayelsa APC Gubernatorial Campaign hereby urges our dear people of Bayelsa not to be deterred with recent happenings in the polity as we match towards the victory post at the Nov. 11 Governorship Election.
“We are clearly miles ahead with a well thought out Renewed Hope for Bayelsa agenda as well as resounding successes recorded in campaign activities across communities culminating in the decision by people of the state.
“To look the way of Chief Timipre Sylva and Joshua Maciver as the next Governor and Deputy Governor respectively.
“Our dear people of Bayelsa, do not fear. Do not be discouraged. We are on course with no distractions,” he said.
He added:“Our lawyers are very well on top of the situation as we expect victory at the Court of Appeal. We will win.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday published the list of candidates for the election without the name of the APC candidate in compliance with the ruling of a Federal High Court that disqualified him from the election.
The APC had filed an appeal challenging the court decision and applied for a stay of execution of the judgment pending the outcome of the appeal.
[Newsguru]
A FORMER Head of Civil Service (HOS) of the Federation, Mallam Adamu Fika, is dead.
Aged 90, the elder statesman died on Tuesday, mid-flight while returning to Kaduna from a London hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
Funeral prayers will be held for him today at Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna.
The death of the nonagenarian was announced by the Secretary Fika Emirate Council Potiskum, Yobe State, Ali Gimba Fika in a statement.
“Mallam Adamu Fika, the Waziri of Fika was a renowned and seasoned educationist and administrator, a native of Fika, Yobe State, born in 1933 in Fika, Yobe State.
“Fika is the first and only Nigeria’s Head of Service to resign because he was not comfortable being at the helm of affairs when by his training, he perceived the civil service was being destroyed,” the statement read.
The late Fika during his life held several prominent positions, including: Head of Civil Service of the Federation in 1986, as well as permanent secretary at various federal ministries, that include Internal Affairs, Commerce, Communications, among others.
[NaijaTimes]
Profile: Adeola Alli, the Pharmacist bridging the gap in accessing medications through technology
AdminAdeola Alli can be described as a pharmacist and visionary healthcare advocate who has made remarkable strides in bridging the healthcare gap in Nigeria.
With a fervent commitment to improving access to medication, she has dedicated her career to innovative solutions to access medications for individuals in Nigeria to avoid unavoidable loss of lives.
She identified a gap in Nigeria’s healthcare system when she encountered challenges in sourcing specialized medications for her child.
Her mission, therefore, is to provide access to medicine and healthcare solutions for the long-term survival of Africans and hopes her business success will be an inspiration to young women on the continent, skeptical of entering the technology industry.
Adeola founded OneHealth after bringing over 15 years of business expertise in the pharmaceutical and business sectors. She has garnered recognition and support from various influential organizations.
Early life and Academic background
She has a Master of Pharmacy from the University of Manchester and an MBA from the Instituto de Empresa (IE) Business School and studied Business/ Managerial Economics at Harvard Business School.
She has served as a pharmacist in various positions at Well Pharmacy in the UK and Concord Pharmacy and CVS Health in the US after obtaining pharmaceutical licenses from both the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Foray into Pharmacy
Adeola’s career in pharmacy kicked off at Well Pharmacy (formerly known as The Co-operative Pharmacy) in 2009, where she began as a pre-registration pharmacist. By 2012, she had become a pharmacy manager.
Her journey continued as she joined Concord Pharmacy for a year, before making a significant move to CVS Health in 2015, where she dedicated 2 years and 6 months of her professional life.
About OneHealth
The genesis of OneHealth is a story deeply rooted in Adeola’s personal experience. It all started when Adeola and her family relocated to Nigeria.
It was during this transition that she faced a significant challenge, the unavailability of specific medications for her son who had suffered from infant Asthma.
This personal struggle gave birth to OneHealth. Adeola vividly recalls,
- “OneHealth started with my inability to get some medications for my son, and then I had to order it and have it shipped to Nigeria. Then I realized that for people who have these conditions long-term, it could be a huge challenge if one could not access their medications when they needed them.”
This moment of realization marked the beginning of a mission to bridge the gap in healthcare accessibility in Nigeria.
As a mother of three children, Adeola’s deep care for their well-being was a driving force behind her commitment to making a change believing that everyone, irrespective of age or status, deserves easy access to specialized medications when needed.
Initially, OneHealth took the form of a physical pharmacy but evolved to meet the growing needs of the community and went digital to reach a wider audience.
The business empowered Adeola Alli to harness the potential of technology in ensuring timely and appropriate access to essential medications.
Achievements
Adeola has been acknowledged by Google for Startups Accelerator Africa and has been selected as one of the esteemed recipients of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund.
Additionally, OneHealth secured funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its participation in the Investing in Innovation initiative.
Her passion for healthcare and entrepreneurship led her to participate in Nigeria’s First Digital Startup Accelerator Program, an initiative hosted by Forbes and powered by the Global Startup Ecosystem in 2020.
Her dedication to innovation was further highlighted when she became a Startup Lab Finalist for the Global Health Summit in 2020 and a featured speaker at the prestigious Ehingbeti Lagos Economic Summit in 2021.
Moreover, Adeola’s commitment to advancing healthcare through technology and innovation is evident in her involvement in a Microsoft Accelerator program through OneHealth.
She has also been a prominent speaker at notable events such as the Africa Digital Health Summit and the Cyber for Health Care conference by the Cyber Peace Institute.
Adeola Alli continues to lead OneHealth towards transformative impacts in the healthcare industry.
Adeola, in her personal life, enjoys networking, and fitness and cherishes the moments she spends with her friends and family.
[Nairametrics]
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has distanced himself from the alleged campaign of calumny against the minister of state for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkiriuka Onyejiocha.
Kalu said this in a statement by his chief press secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, in reaction to a press conference addressed national coordinator of Progressive League of APC Youth Voters, Usman Shuaibu in which the allegations were made.
The deputy speaker said he shares a healthy and robust relationship with Onyejiocha both as a sister and worthy partner in the government of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Were it not for purposes of protecting the unsuspecting members of the public who may inadvertently be hoodwinked by a tirade of spurious narratives, the office of the deputy speaker would never be bothered about making a rebuttal.
“What rather comes to mind is that the press conference was misdirected or at best, done without the consent of the minister who obviously would be embarrassed by it because it has the imprints of a people on a mission to infamy and perfidy.
“But the fact that Onyejiocha has not yet disassociated herself from the press conference leaves a huge worry and casts aspersions on her person as to what manner of a minister would be creating an impression of someone deliberately courting trouble where none exists.
“From what is conceivably right and true, Onyejiocha is a sister whose integrity would be brutally assaulted by a group that chooses to drag her name to raising false accusations,” he said.
According to the statement, except on issues of collective patrimony in Abia State or of national significance in APC, Kalu does not share a direct political affinity with Onyejiocha so as to be engaged in a feudal struggle.
It said both officials hail from different political constituencies and so, there is no basis for a political war at all.
“Kalu’s passion is to engender a new paradigm shift in political leadership especially as it affects the youth of this country.
“Besides, at the moment, Onyejiocha as a minister functions under the executive arm of government while Kalu is preoccupied with legislative duties at the National Assembly.
“With these obvious distinctions, it then beats an imagination that Kalu from Bende Federal Constituency, unusually preoccupied with a plethora of national engagemets would effortlessly pick up a quarrel with his sister from Isukwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency.
“It will suffice to say that the office of the Deputy Speaker sees this as a false alarm and deliberate plot to cause a disaffection between a brother and his lovely sister.
“Recall that Kalu has used every opportunity to seek support for Onyejiocha,” the statement reads further.
[Leadership]
The Federal Government has warned that any officer whose records could not be verified on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) will be delisted on Friday.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, said this in a statement, on Wednesday.
The statement signed by Mohammed Ahmed, Director, Communications, in her office, said the two-week exercise which will end on Friday, October 27, 2023, was put in place as an act of magnanimity for officers who did not take part in the earlier verifications.
He recalled that the Federal Government commenced the implementation of the IPPIS in 2007 with a view to attaining transparency, accuracy, safety and reliability in the management of Personnel Records, while also curtailing avoidable excesses in personnel costs.
“In 2013, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), being the repository of official records and information on all Public Servants, was saddled with the responsibility of cleansing the record on the Payroll.
“Leveraging on technology, the Office opened a verification portal in April, 2017 and directed all public servants to carry out online update of their records. The office carried out aggressive sensitization and publicity via the official, conventional and social media. An initial period of three months was given for compliance, which was extended to one year, May, 2018, to enable all officers update their records. This was the first phase.
“Sequel to another wide publicity accompanied by numerous pre-verification sensitization visits by IPPIS staff to Ministries, extra-ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs), nationwide, the second phase of the exercise, the physical verification, commenced in 2018. In this regard, 500 staff from the OHCSF were trained and deployed, in well communicated and coordinated phases, to the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT between 2018 and 2019 to enable officers carry out the physical verification in their states and save them from traveling to Abuja,” Mohammed said.
He said having committed substantial financial and human resources over a period of seven years to verify the records all civil servants on the IPPIS platform, the office was left with no option than to suspend the salaries of those who failed to participate in the exercise with effect from September, 2023.
He said, “Consequent upon this, some of the erring officers besieged the OHCSF with pleas to be given the last opportunity to comply. The portal was therefore, magnanimously reopened from October 3-13, 2023 for them to update their records.
“The officers were then asked to come to Abuja for the physical verification exercise as the office had already committed and exhausted the budgeted funds and unable to further deploy staff to the states for the exercise.
“Adequate arrangements were put in place for a smooth exercise in designated areas of the FCT, however, the officers’ impatience and lack of orderliness in the first two days made the exercise rowdy. This has been duly addressed and the two-week exercise, scheduled to end on Friday, October 27, 2023, is progressing very well.”
He insisted that the aforementioned officers are the architects of their inconveniences for not being compliant with official directives.
He said, “However, the verification of records of all Civil Servants will be finalized at the end of the ongoing exercise and any officer whose record could not be verified will be delisted from the payroll of government.”
[DailyTrust]
The Nasarawa State University lecturer, Dr Comfort Adokwe, who was abducted on Sunday, has been released.
DAILY POST reports that Adokwe, a lecturer in the Faculty of Administration at the university and a Deputy Director, Gender Studies, of the school, was abducted on Sunday night by gunmen from her residence in Angwan Jaba in Keffi.
Speaking with DAILY POST on phone, Timothy Adokwe, brother to Comfort, confirmed the release.
“Yes, she was released around 8:30,” he said.
He said the kidnappers initially demanded a N100million ransom.
He confirmed that the family paid an undisclosed amount to secure her freedom.
Timothy, however, lauded the military and the Department of State Services, DSS, for their involvement in the release of his sister, saying that though they could not go closer to avoid any harm to Comfort, they monitored via satellite.
“Actually, the police were not there, but the military and the DSS were involved, but at the outskirts because they tried to monitor from their satellite and know the location, but you know, they can’t just enter directly,” he said.
Adokwe said his sister has been taken to an undisclosed hospital for medical checkup, adding that she is okay and has reunited with her husband and daughter.
He urged the government to ensure development reaches some areas dominated by kidnappers.
He said the VC of the university who was kidnapped in the past was rescued from the same location.
[DailyPost]
The Supreme Court has scheduled judgements for Thursday (October 26) in the appeals by Atiku Abubakar/the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi/Labour Party (LP) against the September 6 judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), which affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the last presidential election.
It was learnt that the court has sent notices to parties to that effect.
A seven-member panel of the court, headed by Justice John Okoro, heard the appeals on Monday and reserved judgment to a date to be communicated to parties.
[Nation]
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday conceded to the request of Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for federal intervention on security and infrastructure development crisis in Kaduna State.
President Bola Tinubu at a meeting with Gov. Uba Sani and others at the State House
Governor Sani visited the President at the State House, Abuja. The Kaduna Governor visited President Tinubu with the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas; and Honorary Adviser, Dr. Yusuf Hamisu.
READ ALSO: Tinubu receives ‘Quick Win Report’ on fiscal policy, tax reforms
The Governor in a statement highlighted:
President Tinubu with Gov Uba Sani and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas
Senator Uba Sani
@ubasanius
President Tinubu, Gov, Sani, Speaker Abbas, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, and Dr. Yusuf Hamisu during the visit at State House
I had the honour of visiting our dear leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR along with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and Honorary Adviser, Dr. Yusuf Hamisu. We sought the President’s interventions in the critical areas of security and infrastructure in Kaduna State. His response to our requests was positive.
[NationalDaily]
More...
The Senate on Wednesday sworn in Amos Yohanna as the new Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District.
The swearing-in was performed by the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the plenary.
Yohanna, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party replaces Abbo, who was sacked by the Appeal Court last week Monday.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja had sacked Abbo, a member of the All Progressives Congress.
Delivering judgment on Monday, the three-member panel presided over by Justice C.E. Nwosu-Iheme, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a Certificate of Return to Yohanna as the duly elected lawmaker representing the area in the National Assembly.
The appellate vacated the tribunal judgment which had earlier affirmed Abbo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the senatorial election.
INEC had declared Abbo the winner of the February 25, 2023, parliamentary election.
But aggrieved by the electoral body’s decision, the PDP, Yohanna, went to the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election.
In its ruling, the tribunal dismissed Yohanna’s petition for lacking in merit.
Not comfortable with the judgment of the tribunal, the PDP candidate, through his counsel Johnson Usman, SAN, approached the Appeal Court.
The Court of Appeal, after hearing arguments from parties, agreed with Usman that based on Section 137 of the Electoral Act, 2022, the results tendered clearly showed that there was no compliance with the Electoral Act.
The court, thereafter, deducted the invalid votes from both parties and found that Yohanna and the PDP won the election by a majority of lawful votes.
In the wake of the judgment, Senator Abbo described it as a coup on democracy but told his supporters to be calm.
Details later…
[Punch]
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has asked former US President Barack Obama, King Abdullah of Jordan, former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former Ireland President Mary Robinson, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to intervene as mediators with Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza.
Kukah made this call during an interview with Arise Television on Tuesday.
He noted that, when looking at the past, the Palestinian predicament has developed into an unaddressed and unrecognised issue, manipulated by powerful nations, with the five Permanent Members treating the Palestinians as mere pawns, lacking any clear, meaningful objectives.
The Bishop said, “America has to be in the room because they are, for now, pound for pound, the most powerful nation in the world.
“There are so many battles that are being fought simultaneously, and there’s a lot of heavy lifting to be done, but primarily, my concern is that we need to deploy a certain level of moral courage and moral authority to say: “Listen, people, it can’t go on like this.”
He also stated that the United Kingdom must be present for highly practical strategic considerations, as they were the ones entrusted with the mandate.
“I found that Gordon Brown, not only has the intellectual capacity, but he is also somebody who is visibly invisible, so I thought he would be a good representation,” he added.
According to Kukah, the world is grappling with a generation of young individuals who are making their voices heard, seeking a transformed world and a new way of life, and this conveys to hegemonists that any identity constructed will eventually cease to exist.
Kukah stated that a key takeaway for Nigeria from the Israel-Hamas war is the potential harm in using identity as a weapon.
He said that it is absurd for anyone to take a human life in the name of religion.
The cleric said, “We (Nigeria) are not the only diverse country in the world. It is important that the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come to terms with the fact that there are processes.
“People must now be punished for crimes they commit.
“The weakness of the Nigerian state is largely responsible for the rising role and place of non-state institutions.”
“Why should my complexion or the language I speak be an issue? Right now, it is, and we do not have a process for redress, so this is why all these things about religion continue to come back.”
[Vanguard]
Following a consultation with the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, the Northern Consensus Movement has withdrawn a 14-day ultimatum it earlier issued to Igbo residents in the North to quit.
NCM, which is an amalgamation of community-based socio-cultural and economically-inclined northern organisations, issued the ulimatum after Otti converted Lokpanta Cattle Market to a daily and non-residential one.
The governor’s decision was viewed as a quit notice to northerners.
The NCM, however, rescinded its order after a meeting the governor had with the leadership of the Umuchieze Cattle Market.
The group’s President, Awwal Aliyu, who led the leadership of the Umuchieze cattle dealers to the meeting at the governor’s residence on Tuesday, announced the decision to withdraw the quit notice.
Aliyu said at the meeting with the governor, they realised that there was no tribal sentiment attached to the state government’s decision.
He declared that Otti means well and is interested in the security and safety of the traders at the cattle market contrary to earlier allegation that he had asked northern residents in the state to leave.
“I’m using this medium to say that we have cancelled that 14-day ultimatum that was given to easterners,” he declared.
He commended the governor for agreeing to assist the vulnerable members of the northern community in renting accommodation outside the market as well as holding periodic meetings with them on issues concerning their wellbeing.
Aliyu advised northerners in the state to be law-abiding, respect constituted authorities, and be good ambassadors of the Northern people, wherever they find themselves.
The governor, while receiving his guests, restated that his interest in making the Umuchieze Cattle Market a daily one is to end the killings, kidnappings and other criminal activities going on in the market.
The governor emphasised that he is a detribalized Nigerian, noting that he does not know about segregation and can never be associated with tribalism.
He stated that the government’s earlier directive was misunderstood and pointed out that the aim of making the market a daily one was to secure the place in the overall interest of traders and residents alike.
Otti said that the meeting convened at his instance was to explain the true position of the government, adding that without security, there would be no development.
“Anytime we allow religion and ethnicity to play a role in what we are doing, we are missing the point. What I have come to do in governance is to give service to the people. We want everyone living in Abia State to live in peace and harmony,” he said.
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a suspect identified as Ridwan Akintoye, who was believed to specialise in stealing mobile phones of patients on admission at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.
Our correspondent further learnt that visitors who had come to see their loved ones in the sick bay were not left out of Akintoye’s theft as reports of multiple phone robberies dominated the medical centre.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the suspect was said to have frequented the hospital from Lagos under the guise of voluntary blood donation while targeting unsuspecting patients and their loved ones.
An eyewitness who did want to be mentioned in the media revealed that the increasing cases of phone theft forced the management of the medical centre to place undercover surveillance on the premises.
The eyewitness told our correspondent that the surveillance was meant to monitor the activities of the visitors on and around the premises.
Meanwhile, unaware that there was undercover surveillance in the area, the 24-year-old was said to have been exposed while stealing the mobile phones of some unsuspecting victims.
Our correspondent further learnt that Akintoye fled the scene after suspecting that he had been exposed.
Speaking, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Monday, said the suspect had confessed to having been coming from Lagos State to commit robbery in the facility.
Odutola said, “The phones he stole included the Infinix Hot 9 and Android TCL belonging to Hameed Aderibigbe and Folarin Israel. We arrested him when he was fleeing the premises.”