The Naira yesterday appreciated to N1,660 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,662 per dollar last weekend.

However, the Naira depreciated to N1,550 per dollar in the official foreign exchange market.

Data from the Daily Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) published by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, showed that the indicative exchange rate for the naira rose to N1,550 per dollar from N1,540 per dollar last weekend, indicating N10 depreciation for the naira.

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate depreciated to N1,545.1 per dollar from N1,533 per dollar last week Friday.

Consequently, the margin between the parallel market and NFEM rate narrowed to N110 per dollar from N122 per dollar last week Friday.

Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, the founder of Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church, SPAC Nation, has revealed that his ministry does not collect tithes and offerings from members.

Adegboyega disclosed this while opening up on his source of income which he linked to businesses and managing companies in the United Kingdom, UK.

Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today, the flamboyant pastor said: “I have brought people from prisons and made them multi-millionaires and the testimonies are public.

“I have raised people and they became CEOs of black corporations in the UK.

“I’m not a person that believes in wealth, I believe in people and I have raised a lot of people.

“If anybody knows us around the world, they will know us for having people, I have supported 250 SMEs in Nigeria with one million each over the past two years and they are doing well.

“We started businesses, we raised companies here. What we do is that we invest in little businesses and watch them grow, that is what sustains us here.

“Even as a church, we don’t take tithes and offerings, we watch these businesses grow.”

The founder of Salvation Proclaimers Anointed Church, SPAC Nation, Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, has opened up his lifestyle and source of income.

Naija News reports that the controversial pastor in an interview with Channels TV’s Politics Today, linked his flamboyant lifestyle to businesses and managing companies in the United Kingdom, UK.

Adegboyega said he does not believe in wealth but he is passionate about raising people who have turned multi-millioniares.

He also disclosed that his church does not collect tithes and offerings.

He said, “I have brought people from prisons and made them multi-millionaires and the testimonies are public.

“I have raised people and they became CEOs of black corporations in the UK.

“I’m not a person that believes in wealth, I believe in people and I have raised a lot of people.

“If anybody knows us around the world, they will know us for having people, I have supported 250 SMEs in Nigeria with one million each over the past two years and they are doing well.

“We started businesses, we raised companies here. What we do is that we invest in little businesses and watch them grow, that is what sustains us here.

“Even as a church, we don’t take tithes and offerings, we watch these businesses grow.”

Nigeria and Nigerians had a good outing at the 2024 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Award, scooping several laurels at the event, which held on Monday night in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The CAF awards which celebrates football brilliance and outstanding achievements across the continent, celebrated many talents on the African continent both at individual and team levels.

Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman was the star of the night as he won the coveted CAF Men’s Footballer of the Year Award after a brilliant year for club and country.

In the women’s category, Zambia’s Barbra Banda emerged as the CAF Women’s Footballer of the Year Award.

There were wins for Nigeria in other categories, including the goalkeeper of the year, won by Chiamaka Nnadozie, National Team of the Year and representations in the Best XI for both men and women categories.

Below is the full list of winners of the 2024 CAF Award.

Men

Player of the Year

Ademola Lookman (NGR)

Club Player of the Year

Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns/RSA)

Goalkeeper of the Year

Ronwen Williams (RSA)

Young Player of the Year

Lamine Camara (SEN)

Coach of the Year

Emerse Fae (CIV)

National Team of the Year

Ivory Coast

Club of the Year

Al Ahly (EGY)

Best X1

Andre Onana (CMR); Achraf Hakimi (MAR), Kalidou Koulibaly (SEN), Chancel Mbemba (COD); Mohammed Kudus (GHA), Sofyan Amrabat (MAR), Franck Kessie (CIV), Yves Bissouma (MLI); Mohamed Salah (EGY), Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman (both NGR)

Women

Player of the Year

Barbra Banda (ZAM)

Club Player of the Year

Sanaa Mssoudy (FAR Rabat/MAR)

Goalkeeper of the Year

Chiamaka Nnadozie (NGR)

Young Player of the Year

Doha El Madani (MAR)

Coach of the Year

Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe/COD)

National Team of the Year

Nigeria

Club of the Year

TP Mazembe

Best XI

Andile Dlamini (RSA); Michelle Alozie, Osinachi Ohale (both NGR), Lebohang Ramalepe, Karabo Dlamini; Linda Motlhalo (all RSA), Rasheedat Ajibade (NGR), Ghizlane Chebbak (MAR); Barbra Banda (ZAM), Asisat Oshoala (NGR), Tabitha Chawinga (MAW).

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman on winning the 2024 CAF Men’s African Footballer of the Year.

In a statement on Monday night by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu also hailed Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie for clinching the CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award and the Super Falcons for being named the Women’s National Team of the Year.

The awards were announced Monday night at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, Morocco.

The President joined millions of Nigerians in celebrating these athletes, describing them as worthy ambassadors for showcasing their talent and bringing honour to the country on the continental and world stage.

The President express belief that this recognition by Africa’s highest football authority will inspire other upcoming athletes to remain steadfast in pursuing their dreams.

He affirmed that their determination, discipline and confidence underscore the administration’s resolve to build a better Nigeria where everyone thrives and succeeds.

‘‘These athletes embody the essential Nigerian Spirit. They signpost the best in us as a nation. Let no one ever write us off. I am incredibly proud of them.

‘‘Thank you for making Nigeria proud and keeping our flag flying.

‘‘Thank you for winning medals for Nigeria both at home and abroad. You will win more in the future,’’ the President said.

Former National Vice Chairman, North West, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has stated that former president Olusegun Obasanjo and other past leaders are responsible for the challenges plaguing Nigeria.

He insisted that the decision of Obasanjo and others to produce “anointed successors” makes them part of the problem.

Lukman stated this while reacting to Obasanjo’s remark that even Satan produces leaders but such are bound to fail, while those chosen by God will succeed.

Speaking via an open letter titled “Satanic Leadership and Nigeria’s Boiling Point,” Lukman urged Obasanjo to accept his past mistakes as Nigeria seeks solutions to its challenges.

He charged the former President to stop dwelling on the “vain glory” of his past and recognise that all Nigerian leaders since independence share responsibility for the leadership crises plaguing the country.

According to him, “Your Excellency inadvertently institutionalized the practice of imposition of candidates in our political parties.

“Without going into details, you will recall how in PDP, ahead of the 2007 elections, under Your Excellency’s leadership, the practice of imposition of candidates became the political robe of the PDP.

“Eventually, being the ruling party for sixteen years, the imposition of candidates became an acceptable political rule.

“With imposition, basically, our democracy lost its bearing and became a shadow of the worst authoritarian system.

“The major challenges faced by Nigeria since independence are a result of attempts by past leaders, including Your Excellency, to produce ‘anointed’ successors.

“This has contributed to the political crises and the resulting social and economic challenges, which have worsened under successive administrations.”

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it has deployed 1,102 operational vehicles to ensure hitch-free movements of citizens during the yuletide.

Olusegun Ogungbemide, the corps public education officer, said on Monday that the FRSC has also deployed its personnel, including the special marshals, to the highways.

“These logistics include the deployment of 157 administrative vehicles, 754 patrol vehicles, 143 ambulances, and 48 tow trucks, which brings the total to 1,102 operational vehicles,” he said.

Ogungbemide quoted Shehu Mohammed, FRSC corps marshal, to have said that the mobilisation is aimed at curtailing excessive speed, overloading, dangerous driving and overtaking, lane indiscipline, and other traffic offences.

 

He urged members of the public to download the FRSC mobile application for real-time traffic reporting and updates, adding that they can also utilise the corps’ social media handles —facebook.com//frscnigeria,Instagram.com//frscnigeria, twitter.com//frscnigeria — in case of emergency.

“The directive also mandates the commanding officers to ensure effective collaboration with military units, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),” Ogungbemide said.

“We also have collaboration with the Directorate of State Services (DSS), NGO Ambulance Service Providers, National Network on Emergency Road Services (NNERS), and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), among others.

 

“The operatives will be charged with the responsibility of identifying alternative routes to assist motorists during gridlocks and giving notification of traffic-distressed areas for intervention.

“The public can also call the 122 toll-free number as well as the National Traffic Radio live lines: 08052997848 and 09139600107, which are available means to reach FRSC to report traffic situations anywhere in the country.

“The public can also reach the situation room at 07054005754 and 07054005712, respectively.”

Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has admitted that the immediate-past Muhammadu Buhari-led administration deceived Nigerians during its eight-year tenure.

He made the revelation during an interview on the ‘Mic On Podcast’ with popular TV achor, Seun Okinboloye.

Dalung, a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) during Buhari’s first term in office between 2015 and 2019, stated that the administration lied to Nigerians.

According to him, “I am completely disappointed because what we told Nigerians was not what happened. We lied; we deceived Nigerians. Even though we used ‘people deceive people,’ referring to the PDP, for our campaign, we were a replica of what we accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of.”

Dalung recounted how he confronted Buhari about the worsening state of insecurity and hardship in the country at the time.

“When we came in, it was just the North-East that had security issues. By 2020, it was not even possible to travel from Abuja to Kaduna. I told the president, ‘If you don’t believe me, roll out a brigade of guards now, and I’ll join you. We’ll drive from Abuja to Daura. If bandits don’t attack us, I’ll go and die in exile.

“To be fair to the president, he expressed surprise, meaning that some of the things I told him, he was hearing for the very first time,” Dalung added.

The former minister also revealed that Buhari was often unaware of significant incidents occurring under his administration.

Dalung narrated an incident where the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) clashed in Asokoro District of Abuja, holding the community hostage for three days, without the president’s knowledge.

“It was me, during a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, who informed him about the incident. I expected it to be on the agenda, but it wasn’t. I had to introduce it through AOB (Any Other Business), and the president was completely confused listening to what I was saying.

“At the end of the meeting, we even left without any closing prayer because he was visibly angry. On my way to the office, I saw those two agencies, directly under his office, holding a community hostage for three days over whatever interest they had, and the president didn’t know,” he recalled.