How 6 Finalists Will Emerge from FirstBank’s Sponsored The Voice Nigeria Season 3 Second Live Show
By Israel Bolaji
Six finalists are expected to emerge through the viewers votes following the second live show of the FirstBank Sponsored The Voice Nigeria Season 3.
UN1TY Limited and Livespot360, producers of the global talents reality series, explained how to vote on the voice Nigeria season 3, sponsored by FirstBank, Baba Ijebu and Airtel.
To keep their favourite vocalists on the show, viewers have to dial *894*7*talent’s code#.
To know the voting code of your preferred contestant to save, visit the Bank’s official Instagram handle and get voting:
The International talents reality series designed to discover and harness music talents in Nigeria is in its third season in Nigeria. Scores of vocalists have performed on the highly competitive show but dropped out going through the Auditions, Blinds, Knockouts, Battles and Live Shows stages.
With an electrifying mix of pulsating musical performances, music training, glamorous fashion and life enriching entertainment, the The Voice Nigeria 3 continues to glitter to the very grand finale
Voting opens on Saturday at 9:00pm and closes at 11:59pm on Thursdays.
Lead show sponsor, FirstBank in a statement by its Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Folake Ani-Mumuney, reiterated that The Voice Nigeria 3 is a Reality TV show designed to discover and promote talented singers to actualise their dreams of becoming international stars which aligns with FirstBank’s commitment to providing a platform for nurturing and showcasing talents and driving social cohesion.
So what are you waiting for, get voting so your favourite is among the six victorious vocalists with the highest votes that would be expected to perform selected songs and keep hope alive for the grand finale as they face the third live show by the weekend.
Organizers of the Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards (HAPAwards), recently celebrated a renowned socialite, businesswoman and philanthropist – Dr. (Mrs.) Toyin Kolade on her birthday.
The African Representative of HAPAwards, Adeola Odunowo led other team members to surprise the Managing Director of Fisolak Global Resources Princess Toyin Kolade at her palatial home in Lagos.
According to Odunowo, the visit and recognition was in honor of the good works, business strides and positive contributions of Dr. Toyin Kolade to development is society.
“We decided to honor her on a special day and also officially present a trophy as the International Business Woman of the Year 2020, from the last edition of HAPAwards, which took place in the United State of America.”
Odunowo further noted the awards appreciation of Dr. Toyin Kolade’s immense efforts to showcase the African heritage and reposition Yoruba culture and tradition around the World. He disclosed that the 5th edition of HAPAwards has already commenced with activities in top gear to make this year’s edition a memorable one.
The theme for HAPAwards 2021 is tagged “Collaboration for Global Development, Peace and Prosperity”, as submissions continue to pour in for different genres and categories. Other winners from last year edition are Richard Mofe Damijo, Patoranking, Rita Dominic, Kate Henshaw and His Royal Majesty, Oba Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, Alara of Ilara Kingdom among notable personalities across Africa and beyond.
The HAPAwards is a US-based award which recognizes outstanding individuals, whose lives have been marked by extraordinary personal and professional accomplishments.
The woman of substance, Princess Toyin Kalode, who is also the sole promoter of Aje Festival (Festival of Wealth) in Ile-Ife, the cradle of Yoruba race, praised and thanked the executives of HAPAwards for the global recognition even with the on-going pandemic which has ravaged the entire World.
According to Iyalaje of the source, as she fondly called, the honor will encourage and motivate her to do more for the less privileged in society while representing Africa on the global stage.
Feelers emanating from sources close to the woman-about-town hints that she is planning the mother of all celebration as part of her installation ceremony as the Iyalaje Oodua by His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Babatunde Adeyeye Ogunwusi, which will take place on July 17, 2021 at the Ile-Ife Kingdom.
Citizens Should Take Ownership Of The Fight Against Drug Abuse – Marwa
The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, General Muhammad Buba Marwa, Ret’d, has advised Nigerian citizens to take ownership of the fight against drug abuse in the country.
Marwa stated this on Tuesday through the agency’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in an early morning conversation with the President of the National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE, Comrade Femi Oyewale.
During the brief interaction, Marwa explained the committed efforts of the agency to ensure that drug abuse in Nigeria becomes almost nonexistent.
He however emphasized that citizens must brace up and support the agency through accurate information about the activities of drug agents and their corresponding abuse.
“We need citizens’ supports to be successful. In fact, citizens should take ownership of the fight against drug abuse in the country.
“With the little resource available to us at NDLEA, we are building high-tech manpower to deal with any situation. We, therefore, urge citizens to support us with accurate information about the activities of drug agents and we will respond swiftly,” he requested.
In like manner, Marwa called on the media for more support in the agency’s campaigns against drug abuse, saying the government needs sane citizens and individuals to progress in its policies and developmental programmes.
He added that what mostly fuels criminal activities is traceable to drug-enhanced insanity.
He, therefore, called on parents to redouble efforts in their children’s proper upbringing and tasked the media with elevating the campaigns against drug abuse.
“We thank all our media partners for the huge supports. We are particularly grateful to NAOSRE for all its supports. NDLEA needs more of it because if we fail to do so, anyone could fall victim to drug provoked crimes,” he stated.
The NDLEA boss explained that at the moment, there are about 20 million Nigerians affected by drug abuse saying the agency, nonetheless, is on top of the situation.
Earlier, Oyewale Femi reaffirmed NAOSRE’s commitment to the goals of NDLEA in the struggle to stamp out drug abuse in the system.
“We are committed to your advocacy against drug abuse. NAOSRE is proud of the renewed fight against drug abuse by the new leadership of NDLEA headed by General Marwa. Be assured of our media supports,” he promised.
Oyewale maintained that the cardinal focus for the establishment of the association is to promote sustainable harmony amongst security, safety agencies and the citizens through unbiased reportage.
The Lagos House of Assembly on Monday called on the Governor of the state, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to increase the number of officers in the Neighbourhood Safety Corps.
The lawmakers also urged Mr. Sanwo-Olu to equip the Neighbourhood Saety Corps, the state’s security agency so that it can adequately protect the lives and property of residents.
The House further resolved that the Governor should call on the commissioner of police in the state to intensify efforts to secure the state and look at ways to inculcate the Neighbourhood watch to stem crime.
The resolutions of the lawmakers resulted from the attempt on the life of Hon. Olawale Rauf Age-Sulaiman, the state’s legislator representing Amuwo Odofin 2 on July 8, during a political rally ahead of the forthcoming local government election.
While the lawmaker escaped death, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), whose name was given as Kayode Samuel and who stood beside him, was hit and later confirmed dead.
Raising the issue as a ‘matter of urgent public importance’, Hon. Age-Sulaiman narrated how he escaped death from gunshot adding that the incident occurred in Oriade Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
“I heard some people making noise while the campaign was on and I called for calm but I didn’t know that there were some elements who came with another intention.
“We were about going out when somebody told me not to go out and two persons stood beside me and right there I heard a gunshot sound and the next person beside me shouted my leg with blood-stains,” he said adding that he escaped by the whiskers.
Commenting on the incident, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, condemned the use of thugs to settle political matters. He also urged that security in the county be given more seriousness through the establishment of state police, while supporting the equipping of the Nieghbourhood Watch to stand in.
“The commissioner of police should investigate the issue,” he said adding that politicians and other Nigerians are not safe at this period.
While Hon. Yinka Ogundimu suggested that the Governor should be called upon to protect lives and property by asking the commissioner of police to intensify efforts, his colleague, Hon Tobun Abiodun, urged people to desist from crime.
“Killing one individual can cause a family eternal sorrow,” he said as he used the opportunity to call for the establishment of state police.
“I know our government is very responsible, but we want to use this opportunity to call on the Governor again,” he said.
Hon. Adedamola Kasunmu, noted that with the increasing crime rate in the society, the call for the establishment of state police for the protection of lives cannot be over-flogged, while admonishing the government to in the meantime make do with properly equipped Neighbourhood watch.
He urged the other Houses of Assembly in the federation to start calling for state police so that the National Assembly would take it serious.
In his contribution, Hon. Setonji David said those against state police are enemies of the country.
Other lawmakers who spoke included Desmond Elliot, Kehinde Joseph, and Rotimi Abiru.
Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni, who presided over the sitting on behalf of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, said the incident was shocking. He also commiserated with the family of the deceased.
Primate Ayodele’s Warnings To South Africa Comes To Pass Few Days After Release Of Prophecy Book
The nation of South Africa is currently under security threat after protesters and rioters took to the streets to perpetrate violent and criminal acts. In the last few days, shops have been looted, people have been killed and generally, there is tension everywhere, whereas this much was revealed earlier by Primate Ayodele in his Warning to the Nations book.
This is according to information made available due to the persecution of the former president of the country, Jacob Zuma who was sentenced to prison for issues relating to corruption.
Meanwhile, a popular Nigerian prophet, Primate Ayodele had prophesied this current situation being faced in South Africa. His prophecy on South Africa is contained in his 27th annual book of prophecy titled Warnings To The Nations released on Friday, 10th Of July 2021.
On page 220 of the book, Primate Ayodele noted that if charges against Jacob Zuma isn’t properly handled, it will lead to protests, violence, destructions of lives and properties.
Just as Primate Ayodele said it, the situation in South Africa now is scary due to the violence, killings, properties that have been destroyed so far and this is because of the jail term handed to the former President of the country, Jacob Zuma. The president has deployed the military to the streets yet no positive outcome has been made yet.
Read His words below
Of a truth, Primate Ayodele his one of the greatest prophets to have come out of Africa. He isn’t one who gives prophecies without them coming to pass
HOW CUSTOMERS’ INCREASED TRUST IN FIRSTBANK’S *894# USSD BANKING CAN BOOST THE FINANCIAL INCLUSION DRIVE
The path to financial inclusion holds different marketplace barriers and opportunities in different countries, but the push continues because of proof that an increase in economic activities among the financially vulnerable can reawaken a comatose economy. For Nigeria, the last three years have seen significant growth of the financial inclusion rate from 56.8% in 2016 to 63.2% in 2018. FirstBank’s *894# USSD banking service is playing a key role in it.
FirstBank’s *894# USSD banking initiative is already averaging about 99 million transactions monthly, with a naira worth of (N’m) 370,543 on these transactions. This figure includes the undergraduate doing a mobile airtime recharge; the trader receiving a mobile payment from a customer; the IT person hurriedly buying a data bundle to keep business afloat; the anxious father paying his daughter’s hospital bills for treatment to commence, and the busy worker in Lagos transferring money to his parents in the village since he cannot get to a banking hall.
This is just a rough sampling of the financial transactions that amounted to over N3.6 trillion in transaction value on the *894# USSD banking service in 2020. There is practically no financial emergency that the USSD service does not come in.
The problems that the *894# USSD service from FirstBank of Nigeria Limited is solving is the only justification for the rapid traction it has gained since it was introduced in 2015. It is easy to see Nigerians trust and confidence in the USSD system, with the Bank rapidly growing from 9.5 million customers on the USSD feature to 12.26 million customers within the last year. Over 1.02 million of the figure, are customers who registered in the first 6 months of 2021.
The first and perhaps the most attractive feature of USSD banking has got to be that it can be done from any kind of phone and without any form of internet connectivity. Although smartphones are getting more common, there is still a high poverty rate and many financially vulnerable people who cannot access internet banking. The internet penetration in Nigeria is still below the ideal, so users have to deal with poor internet connections in some areas.
That is why this kind of banking service that can be accessed without internet connectivity is ideal for the financial inclusion drive. The *894# USSD feature can be used across the four major GSM network operators in the country, meaning there is no added demand on the users.
Getting started on the service is as easy as dialling *894*0#, and creating a pin. With that done, you can do airtime and data purchase for yourself and other parties, transfer funds to other accounts, make a BVN enquiry, check your account balance and get a mini statement.
For non-customers, this feature allows you to open a bank account in a couple of minutes without having to visit the banking hall. You can open a bank account, receive your account number immediately and start transactions on it right away. The claims of “instant banking, anytime, anywhere” can’t get more real than this.
There is even an added security step, requesting a second-factor authentication (2FA) for transfers above N20,000 as a way to secure customers from being ripped off their funds. There is a cumulative maximum daily transfer limit of N100,000 to both FirstBank and other banks accounts.
Onyeali-Ikpe’s Seven Point Agenda: Building A Future-Ready Fidelity Bank
John C. Maxwell, an American author and speaker, is a widely acknowledged thought leader. Maxwell asserts in one of his most famous quotes, which encapsulates the true essence of leadership, “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails”.
Fidelity Bank CEO, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe is leading the financial institution through a significant evolution of business culture with the primary objective of improving operational efficiency and expanding market share. Mrs. Onyeali-Ikpe is adjusting “the sails” to ensure that her colleagues at Fidelity Bank have the wind at their backs as they work toward common goals and individual successes.
Currently, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe has her sights fixed on positioning the bank as one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, which leverages automation and robotics to replace manual and repetitive processes. The global lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic was a messenger unlike any other, signaling that Nigeria’s traditional and over-the-counter banking systems are no longer viable.
Since assuming office in January 1 2021, the bank’s first female CEO and MD, has outlined a seven-point agenda to move the bank further in its quest to become a tier-1 bank that is well-positioned to outlive the competition and serve well into the future.
Overview and timeline
Fidelity Bank’s seven-point agenda focuses on brand architecture, brand building and refresh, talent development and transformation, product and service delivery, agility and performance discipline, digital transformation, and regulatory compliance.
In accordance with this, here are the bank’s strategies for ensuring that it attains its objectives:
1. The bank intends to embark on an Innovation Drive through the implementation of new processes, techniques. The bank is also executing fresh ideas to ensure continuous process improvement, reduce cost to serve, increase competitiveness, improve brand recognition and value, build new partnerships and relationships, drive turnover, and increase profitability.
2. Brand refresh with the aim to increase top-of-mind awareness of the Fidelity brand by external and internal stakeholders.
3. Workforce Transformation to create a future readily supported by a high performing and empowered workforce. This will be achieved by deepening the skills and competencies of staff across the bank, entrenching a culture of high performance, and embedding new ways of working in the bank. So far, the commencement of capacity building training for staff and senior management training are some of the initiatives implemented.
4. Service Excellence which is intended to build brand loyalty through personalized and seamless customer experience delivery. This is already underway with the award-winning virtual assistant IVY. This revolutionary chatbot handles simple tasks like account opening to complex tasks such as complaint resolution, bill payment, transferring users to a live agent, loans, fixed deposit applications, and answering random questions.
5. Digital Transformation involves an end-to-end digitization across all facets of the business. In line with this, the bank has launched a novel digital service —Pay Yourself —which revolutionized payday for salary earners and SMEs.
6. Performance Discipline to ensure focus on strong fundamentals, asset quality, and strategic cost management. Initiatives already carried out in this regard include;
– The Policy Familiarization Program —a capacity-building project geared towards building a knowledgeable and versatile staff network/raising subject matter experts in all business areas that kicked off in March.
– The One Culture Project- which was initiated to reinforce enabling behaviours and value systems towards fulfilling the bank’s goals
– Project Alpha- aimed at helping the bank develop a robust and holistic learning and development framework for all staff.
7. Accelerated Growth which will drive aggressive market penetration and business diversification. This will be achieved through deeper penetration in key retail markets.
Other initiatives geared towards deepening growth include by the Onyeali-Ikpe led management includes; accelerated play in the SME segment, renewal of institutional banking, and drive for transaction-based propositions in corporate banking.
With this seven pronged agenda, Onyeali-Ikpe led Fidelity Bank is well on its way to leading the sector while revolutionizing Nigeria’s financial landscape.
Paternity Mess: FCMB Finally Replaced Suspended Nuhu Adam With First Female Managing Director
Yemisi Edun, who took over the reins of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in an acting capacity in January after the immediate past Managing Director Adam Nuru proceeded on a leave, has been appointed the tier 2 lender’s new chief, the FCMB Group said Tuesday.
She becomes the first female CEO of Subomi Balogun-backed FCMB, the appointment having received the blessing of the industry regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the financial services group said in a note to the Nigerian Exchange Limited seen by PREMIUM TIMES.
In January, the bank’s board appointed Ms Edun, who was the bank’s executive director/chief financial officer at the time, to hold the fort for Mr Nuru, to allow for an investigation into a paternity scandal involving the former CEO, Moyo Thomas, a one-time FCMB employee and Tunde Thomas, her late husband.
The high-profile misconduct probe, the culmination of a petition signed by over 1,400 Nigerians, followed an allegation that Mrs Thomas, who had informed her husband of her decision to leave for the United State with the kids, called Mr Thomas on arrival that none of the two kids, who had known the 45-year-old as their father, was his
Buhari To Have Security Discourse Dinner With 109 Senators
President Muhammadu Buhari will tonight at 8pm meet with the 109 Senators of the National Assembly at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This follows a resolution of the Senate on April 27, 2021, mandating the leadership of the upper legislative chamber to schedule a meeting between the president and the 109 senators to discuss the high rate of insecurity across the country.
The meeting was conveyed in a letter received from the State House and read during plenary on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, by President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The invitation letter for the scheduled meeting from the statehouse reads, “I write to inform the Distinguished President of the Senate, that President Muhammadu Buhari will host a dinner of Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Tuesday, July,13, at 8 p.m.
“The venue is at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.’’
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, read the President’s letter on the floor of the Senate at the commencement of plenary.
Lawan asked his colleagues to arrive the Senate wing of the National Assembly for take off to the Villa by 7pm.
At Last! Senate Rejects Onochie As INEC Commissioner
The Senate on Tuesday said the nomination of Lauretta Onochie, an aide to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was rejected because of her partisanship and breach of federal character principle.
In a statement titled, ‘Senate confirms five nominees as INEC Commissioners, rejects Lauretta Onochie’, by Ezrel Tabiowo, Special Assistant (Press) to President of the Senate, on Tuesday.
The statement quoted Chairman of the Committee, Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano South), as saying that the committee also received several petitions against the nomination of Onochie.
He disclosed that the petitions against Lauretta Onochie were against the backdrop that her involvement in politics and alleged membership of a political party.
He explained further that her nomination violated the Federal Character Principle as there is already a serving National Electoral Commissioner from Delta State, Barr. Mary Agbamuche-Mbu who was screened and confirmed by the 8th Senate.
“In the case of Ms. Lauretta Onochie’s, having studied her curriculum vitae and other relevant documents, followed by exhaustive interaction around the petitions against her nomination which she responded to accordingly, including attesting that she is not a registered member of any political party”, Gaya said.
According to the lawmaker, the Committee bound by the provisions of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amendment) on Federal Character Principle, refused to recommend Onochie for confirmation.
“Therefore, based on the provisions of Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) on Federal Character Principle as earlier stated, and in order for the Committee and the Senate to achieve fairness to other states and political zones in the country, the committee is unable to recommend Ms. Lauretta Onochie for confirmation as a National Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission,” he explained.
However, the Senate confirmed five other nominees followed the consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on INEC.
The Red Chamber also suspended the nomination of Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam (North Central) for further investigation by the committee.
Those confirmed include Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru (North-West), Prof. Muhammad Sani Kallah (Katsina), Prof. Kunle Cornelius Ajayi (Ekiti), Dr. Baba Bila (North-East), and Saidu Babura Ahmad (Jigawa).
On the nomination against Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam, the committee recommended that “his confirmation be stepped down pending further legislative action by the committee.
“Accordingly, the Senate while confirming the five nominees, adopted the recommendations of the Committee by rejecting Onochie’s nomination and stepping down that of Professor Adam for further action.”
