Toks as he is fondly called garnered 124 votes to beat his rival, Prince Foluso Mayowa Adefemi, who polled 93 votes.
The PR guru who contested but lost in the primaries for the same position four years ago, was the Ondo State campaign director of the Goodluck Jonathan presidential campaign for the 2015 election.
He sits atop TPT International, one of the leading PR agencies in Nigeria.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has dissolved the State Executive Council with effect from Tuesday, May 24, 2022
According to a statement by Kevin Ebiri, his special assistant on media, the Chief of Staff to the governor and the Senior Special Assistant (Protocol), have also been relieved of their jobs.
“His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, commends the members of the Rivers State Executive Council for their service and contribution to the development of the State. He has also wished them the best in all their future endeavours.
“Governor Wike, has therefore instructed all the former members of the State Executive Council to hand over to the most senior officers in their respective Ministries” .
More details later…
The Federal Government has reopened the Kaduna International Airport two months after it was closed over attack by bandits.
Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, made the disclosure on Monday.
Naija News recalls that bandit terrorists attacked the airport and killed a security guard. The gunmen were, however, repelled by the Nigerian military deployed to the airport.
Following the attack, Azman Air and Air Peace halted flight operations at the airport.
In a chat with TheCable on Monday, Hope-Ivbaze said flight operations have begun today, adding that Azman Air has resumed its operations at the airport.
“Flight operations to Kaduna airport have commenced today with Azman Air,” she said.
The CEO, Heirs Oil & Gas, Osa Igiehon, in a comment, laid out the steps being taken by the organisation to ensure the implementation of the plans to meet the commitment.
“Decades of underinvestment in the asset cannot be corrected in a few months, since taking over the asset, we have been working arduously on this objective with the execution of flare reduction projects such as follows: AGG (Associated Gas Gathering) compressor uptime improvement, Facility upgrades, provision of gas gathering solutions and Facility off-gas utilisation initiatives,” he stated.
In line with the set objectives, since the acquisition, Heirs Oil & Gas have more than doubled the gas production capacity of OML-17 from 50 to 120 mmscfd within the short period we have operated this asset. All this gas goes into the eastern Nigeria domestic gas market to enhance power generation and create the much-needed feedstock for gas-based industries, sustaining & creating jobs and improving lives.
On the social front, HHOG continues to make meaningful contributions towards improving the livelihoods of Africans. We believe that understanding and addressing the interests of our host communities is critical for achieving success in our operations. We continuously seek opportunities to create a positive impact through community infrastructure development and empowerment initiatives.
As a leading indigenous operator, HHOG remains committed to making a positive impact in Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large.
Various prizes including, N1,000,000, N40,000, N10,000.00 cash prizes, N40,000 Airtime, LED Televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioning systems will be won in the course of the three months campaign. A minimum of two bills payment worth N1000 and five airtimes of at least a total of N2000 in a week qualify a customer for any of the prizes. The promo is open to new customers and existing users of the FirstMobile app.
FirstMobile customers who do a minimum of 6 transactions weekly on the FirstMobile app, will be eligible for the respective rewards: N10,000 cash for 200 winners; Gift items (TVs, Refrigerators and AC) for 10 winners; N10,000 airtime for 340 winners.
On the other hand, 500 customers that carry out a minimum of 10 transactions monthly will win N30,000 cash. The Grand Prize of N1,000,000 will be won by 2 lucky customers who carry out a minimum of 20 transactions or a minimum of two bills payment of N1000 plus five airtime transactions of at least a total of N5000 in a week.
Speaking on the campaign, Chuma Ezirim, FirstBank’s Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Products said, “as the leading financial inclusion services provider in Nigeria, we are delighted to partner with Interswitch, an Africa-oriented technology-driven company, to reward our customers for their continuous patronage. Together with Interswitch, we remain committed to ensuring the continued safety of customers’ funds across multiple electronic payment channels irrespective of where our customers may be across the world. FirstMobile remains another obvious step towards leveraging evolving technologies to bring fast and convenient digital banking solutions to our customers”.
FirstMobile is built to reflect FirstBank’s resolve at reinforcing the digitisation of payment systems, whilst putting customers at an edge to conveniently meet their everyday needs at any time, irrespective of where they are. The app provides convenient access to both financial and non-financial transactions by FirstBank account holders via their mobile devices. It is sleek and convenient to use – evident in its easy enrolment process as all FirstBank customers with Verve and Naira Mastercards can begin using the app without having cause to visit a FirstBank branch. It is also poised to offer a more reliable and more convenient overall digital banking experience.
To set up the FirstMobile app, customers with android phones should visit the Google Play store to download and install the FirstMobile app. Customers with Apple devices can download it from the Apple Store. Once installed, customers are required to open the app, tap the register button, and use their FirstBank issued Naira MasterCard or Verve card to activate the app. After details have been inputted, an OTP code will be sent via an SMS to your phone number that is linked to your bank account and you are then required to Input a 5 digits code that will be your login password, select two security questions and answer them, create a personalised 4 digits transaction pin that will help your confirm transactions. Upon the conclusion of these steps above, click Done and start enjoying the app.
Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Monday, withdrew the suit he filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation over his presidential ambition.
Emefiele, through his counsel, S.T. Maliki, told Justice Ahmed Mohammed that a notice of discontinuance had been filed and served on the defendants in the matter.
The development occurred shortly after the matter was called.
Maliki, who held the brief of Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, said though the matter was scheduled for mention, they had Emefiele’s instruction to withdraw the suit.
“Pursuant to the instruction of the plaintiff (Emefiele), we filed a notice of discontinuance dated and filed May16, 2022
“And the said notice of discontinuance was served on all the defendants on that said date of May 16, 2022, which proof of service is before your lordship,” Maliki said.
The lawyer said of all the defendants, only the 4th and 5th defendants filed a counter-affidavit in response to the plaintiff’s amended originating summons after the notice of withdrawal had been served on them.
He prayed the court to discontinue the suit and make an order striking it out, issues having not been joined by parties in the suits, citing Order 50 of the rules of this court.
Although the lawyer of the 4th defendant, John Aikpokpo-Martins, opposed Emefiele’s intention to withdraw the suit, he urged the court to dismiss the suit with N1.5 million cost.
However, counsel for the 2nd and 3rd defendants, Chris Nevo and T. J. Adi respectively did not object to the withdrawal notice.
For Nevo, he asked the court to award a N1 million cost against Emefiele.
In his ruling, Justice Mohammed held that Emefiele had the right to file the notice of withdrawal.
He said the notice of discontinuance was valid and accordingly struck out.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had, on May 9, reported that Emefiele, through his lawyer, Ozekhome, had approached the court.
He had approached the court with an ex-parte motion, seeking the court’s interpretation as to whether he could run for the 2023 presidential primary while he holds as governor of CBN.
He had sought an order of the court, restraining the Federal Government from removing him from office over his presidential ambition, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.
He also prayed the court to stop the INEC from taking any action against him in the bid to contest in the presidential primary by virtue of his office.
The CBN governor made the prayers in an ex-parte motion dated and filed on May 9 by his lawyer, seeking an order of maintenance of status quo ante bellum pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
Emefiele, in the suit, sued the INEC and the AGF as 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.
But Justice Mohammed, on May 12, also joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and two other lawyers, for themselves and on behalf of members of Save Nigeria, Our Fatherland, as 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants respectively.
The Nigerian economy has continued to show resilience in the face of weak global outlook as the country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 3.11 per cent in the first quarter of 2022.
The National Bureau of Statistics stated this on Monday in its GDP Report. The figure shows the sixth consecutive quarter of positive growth.
According to the report, the first quarter 2022 growth rate further represented gradual economic stability due to strong growth posted by the non-oil sector.
The first quarter 2022 growth rate was higher than the 0.51 per cent growth rate recorded in the first quarter of 2021 by 2.60 percentage points and lower than the 3.98 per cent recorded in the fourth quarter of 2021 by 0.88 percentage points.
The Report reads, “Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 3.11 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in the first quarter of 2022, showing a sustained positive growth for the sixth consecutive quarter since the recession witnessed in 2020 when negative growth rates were recorded in quarter two and three of 2020.
“The first quarter 2022 growth rate further represents an improvement in economic performance. The observed trend since Q4 2020 is an indication of a gradual economic stability.
“The Q1 2022 growth rate was higher than the 0.51 per cent growth rate recorded in Q1 2021 by 2.60 per cent points and lower than 3.98 per cent recorded in Q4 2021 by 0.88 per cent points.
“Nevertheless, quarter-on-quarter, real GDP grew at -14.66 per cent in Q1 2022 compared to Q4 2021, reflecting a lower economic activity than the preceding quarter.
“In the quarter under review, aggregate GDP stood at N45,317,823.33 million in nominal terms. This performance is higher when compared to the first quarter of 2021 which recorded aggregate GDP of N40,014,482.74 million, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth rate of 13.25 per cent.
“The nominal GDP growth rate in Q1 2022 was higher relative to the 12.25 per cent growth recorded in the first quarter of 2021 and higher compared to the 13.11 per cent growth recorded in the preceding quarter.”
Veteran Nigerian musician, Innocent Idibia, better known as 2Face, on Sunday, May 22 paid a visit to his colleague, Sound Sultan’s graveside in New Jersey, United States of America.
Sharing the video on his Instagram page on Monday morning, 2Face wrote that he went to pay his respect to Sound Sultan.
He was accompanied by media personality Emmanuel Ugolee and two others.
Sound Sultan passed away on July 11 last year after a long battle with the Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (throat cancer)
He was buried on the same day according to Islamic injunction.
Telecommunication subscribers are expressing their displeasure over the new Federal Government directive to impose a tax on telephone calls in the nation to fund free health care for the vulnerable.
According to the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2021 signed by the President, Muhammadu Buhari weeks back notes that the new telecom tax in the equivalent of a minimum of one kobo per second for phone calls is a part of the sources of funds required to finance free healthcare for the Vulnerable Group in Nigeria.
A report by the Nigerian Communications Commission revealed that Nigerians in 2020 made 150.83 billion minutes of calls. This translates to 9.05 trillion seconds of calls, meaning the new tax will generate 9.05 trillion kobo, which converts to N90.49bn, yearly.
This new tax is coming despite moves by telecom companies to increase the price of calls, SMS, and data by 40 per cent as a result of an unfavorable operating environment.
The Health Insurance Act notes that the Vulnerable Group Fund is money budgeted to pay for healthcare services for vulnerable Nigerians who cannot pay for health insurance in a bid to subsidize the cost of provision of health care services to vulnerable people in the country.
According to the new Act, every resident in Nigeria is expected to obtain health insurance.
However, telecom subscribers under the aegis of National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, have said they will reject this new move by the government.
The President of the association, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said, “It is quite unfortunate that the government is viewing telecoms as a cash cow. We are saying. There is a lot of corruption in the system, and rather than curb that they want to focus on the telecoms sector.
“What do they mean by vulnerable? Vulnerable people in the nation are probably about 80 per cent of the population, we are all vulnerable. What has happened to the health budget? Why should it touch telecoms again? The government should look elsewhere for money. This new action is only likely to impoverish more Nigerians and they are masquerading as helping the vulnerable. This is not right.”
Other sources of funding outlined in the Act include a basic healthcare provision fund to the authority; health insurance levy; telecommunications tax, not less than one kobo per second of GSM calls; money that may be allocated to the Vulnerable Group Fund by the government; motley that accrues to the Vulnerable Group Fund from investments made by the Council: and grants, donations, gifts, and any other voluntary contributions made to the Vulnerable Group Fund.
Recently, telecom companies wrote to the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Communications Commission, on the worsening conditions of the industry.
According to a source at the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria, telecom companies cannot reject a directive of the government. The source said subscribers would pay more for calls once the tax is implemented.
He added that the NCC and ALTON would meet this week in order to discuss the issues disturbing the industry.
He said, “We are aware of the tax. We had been told before. It is the subscribers that would have to pay for this. This means subscribers will pay more for this service. Telcos cannot say no to this. It is a government directive; we can’t resist the government. I can’t say more about it.
“We are having a leadership summit with the NCC this week and we would discuss some of these issues with the NCC. Presently, telcos are paying more than 36 taxes. This is a law; we cannot reverse it. The president has signed it and before it can be changed, it must go back to the National Assembly.
“Also, we cannot give an implementation date, the government is to tell us that.”
The ruling All Progressives Congress APC has postponed indefinitely, the screening of its presidential aspirants earlier slated for Monday, May 23.
Although the no reason was given for the alteration of its timetable, the ruling party has been consistent in violating its own timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Barr. Felix Morka in a late Sunday statement said a new date will be announced in due course.
“The Screening Excercise for Presidential Aspirants of the All Progressives Congress APC earlier scheduled to be held on Monday, May 23rd, 2022, is hereby postponed.
“A new date for the exercise will be announced shortly. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted”, the party stated.
