Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Tuesday, identified entrepreneurship and skill acquisition as key to wealth creation in a nation plagued with unemployment and economic challenges.

Governor Oborevwori made the remark when he received the State Coordinator of the National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, Mr Alao Olusegun and his delegation at Government House, Asaba.

 

While thanking the NYSC for its contribution to the State’s development, Governor Oborevwori said the State Government will look into all the requests made by the State Coordinator and see how the State Government could assist.

 

He commended the Delta NYSC for its entrepreneurship drive saying: “the good thing about the NYSC in Delta State is that they are always involved in entrepreneurship programmes and we continue to see how we can partner together.

 

“I want to assure you that in Delta State, one of our more agenda is to ensure peace and security and I can assure you that we will continue to sustain that peace which we have enjoyed in the last nine months of this administration.

 

“When we have our entrepreneurship programmes we will also invite you to add value because entrepreneurship is very key to wealth creation.

 

Earlier in his remarks, Mr Olusegun appreciated Governor Oborevwori for the wonderful works at the NYSC Permanent Camp at Issele-Uku, describing it as one of the best in the country.

 

He congratulated Governor Oborevwori on his victory at the polls and at the Supreme Court.

 

He said the NYSC is populated by youths with over 15,000 corp members serving in the state and contributing their own quota in the area of education, health, agriculture and so many areas of the state economy.

 

He reiterated the commitment of the NYSC to spreading the corp members to all parts of the state for equal development of the state.

Meta-owned platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, are currently facing technical issues, rendering them inaccessible for many users on Tuesday evening.

 

The outage has Impacted functionalities across these social media platforms.

On Facebook, users were logged out of the platform with a message that read, “The password that you’ve entered is incorrect” while on Instagram, it returned the message, “Something went wrong. There’s an issue and the page could not be loaded”.

 

Login problems and feed refresh issues

 

Users are reporting various issues, such as being logged out of their Facebook accounts, making it impossible to log back in.

Similarly, Instagram users are encountering difficulties refreshing their feeds, with stories and comments failing to load for some individuals. Threads, an app developed by Meta, is also experiencing a complete shutdown, displaying an error message upon launch.

 

Reports on DownDetector, a website that tracks internet service outages, surged rapidly for all three platforms following the onset of the issue. Despite the widespread user complaints, Meta has yet to acknowledge the problem officially

Billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote, has named the 120km road leading to his refinery in Lagos after the late Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the project.

 

The announcement was made on Monday during a special event held in honour of the late banker at Eko Hotel, Lagos, titled ‘Celebrating Herbert Wigwe – A Professional Legacy.’

 

Dangote paid tribute to the deceased, highlighting Wigwe’s dedication and expertise.

 

“To immoratalise my beloved friend, my brother, and mentee, I’ve actually decided to name our major refinery and petrochemical road-out of the 120km road, the biggest road will now be named Herbert Wigwe,” Dangote said.

 

The businessman described him as a dependable mentee who was willing to go the extra mile to support him, his business, and his family.

 

“I am proud to name it after him, my devoted friend, mentee, and supporter. I will forever cherish the warmth of his friendship”, Dangote said.

 

On February 9, Wigwe, his wife, Doreen; son Chizi; and a former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, died in a helicopter crash that occurred near a border town between California and Nevada in the United States.

 

Some of the dignitaries at the event were the Minister of Finance, Wale Edu; President of African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo Olu; the Managing Director of Access Bank in Ghana, Dolapo Ogundimo, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola; the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor; Olayemi Cardoso.

 

The President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Ken Opara, expressed deep condolences on the passing of the late Wigwe.

 

shared his heartfelt reflections on the life and contributions of the departed industry stalwart.

 

He started, “Very difficult to talk about but also very important. It’s not about how long, it’s about the quality and impact. I have known him for over 36 years.

 

His words captured the essence of a relationship that spanned more than three decades, emphasizing the profound impact Wigwe had on those around him.

 

Opara continued, “He was very courageous and a top-notch banker. Worked tirelessly. He contributed immensely to the development of banking in Nigeria.”

 

The Group CEO of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, said Wigwe packed into 57 years what most exceptional people will not pack into in two lifetimes.

 

Herbert was my colleague, friend, brother, and competitor, only Herbert could have been all those things at once,” Agbaje said.

 

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, lauded his achievement in the banking sector.

 

The governor also recalled how Wigwe was instrumental with a few others to mitigate some of the risks that came with Covid 19.

The Bank of Ghana has suspended the Foreign Exchange Trading Licences of two Nigerian-owned banks, Guaranty Trust Bank Ghana Limited and FBNBank Ghana Limited.

 

The suspension takes effect from March 18, 2024, for one month.

 

The suspension was announced in a statement, on Monday, by the Ghanaian apex bank.

 

The suspension comes in response to various breaches of foreign exchange market regulations which include incidents of fraudulent documentation within their foreign exchange operations.

 

Bank of Ghana has suspended the Foreign Exchange Trading Licences of Guaranty Trust Bank Ghana Limited (GTB) and FBNBank Ghana Limited (FBN), effective 18th March 2024, for a period of one month, in accordance with Section 11 (2) of the Foreign Exchange Act 2006, (Act 723).

 

This is as a result of various breaches of the foreign exchange market regulations, including fraudulent documentation in their foreign exchange operations which have come to the attention of the Bank of Ghana.

 

“The licence will be restored at the end of the one-month suspension period once the Bank of Ghana is satisfied that they have put in place effective controls to ensure strict adherence to regulations to the foreign exchange market.” the statement read in part.

 

The Ghanaian apex bank said the development “is in strict accordance with Section 11 (2) of the Foreign Exchange Act 2006, (Act 723), underscoring the Bank of Ghana’s commitment to maintaining the integrity and stability of the foreign exchange market.

 

“The suspension serves as a direct consequence of the banks’ failure to comply with established regulations, highlighting the central bank’s zero-tolerance policy towards regulatory non-compliance,” the bank said

Cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has announced plans to discontinue all services related to the Nigerian naira.

 

Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange platform, was accused of exploiting the Nigerian currency, Naira, leading to its free fall in value.

 

The company is, in addition, facing allegations of terrorism financing, money laundering and tax invasion, among others.

 

Nigeria is one of the largest peer-to-peer crypto markets in the world. Between July 2022 and June 2023, crypto transactions in the country reached $56.7bn, according to Chainalysis.

 

But the company, in a statement on Tuesday, advised users to withdraw NGN, trade their NGN assets or convert NGN into crypto.

 

The statement read, “Users are encouraged to withdraw NGN, trade their NGN assets or convert NGN into crypto prior to the discontinuation of these NGN services.

 

“From 2024-03-08 08:00 (UTC), any remaining NGN balances in users’ Binance accounts will be automatically converted to USDT based on the conversion rate below.

 

Binance will not support deposits of NGN after 2024-03-05 14:00 (UTC). Withdrawals of NGN will not be supported after 2024-03-08 06:00 (UTC).

 

“After 2024-03-08 08:00 (UTC), Binance will convert any remaining NGN balances in users’ Spot and Funding wallets into USDT on behalf of users at a ratio of 1 USDT = 1,515.13 NGN.

 

Please note that the conversion rate is calculated based on the average closing price of the USDT/NGN trading pair on Binance Spot in the last seven days.

 

“The conversion may take approximately up to 24 hours or longer. USDT tokens will be credited to users’ Spot wallets thereafter, and users can confirm receipt of the tokens via the Convert History page.

 

“If users hold less than 0.00000001 USDT worth of NGN in their Spot and Funding wallets, they will each receive 0.00000001 USDT in their Spot wallets after the conversion.”

 

The PUNCH had last week reported that the Federal Government allegedly detained at least two senior executives of Binance, a crypto currency exchange company.

 

According to a report by Financial Times, both executives flew into Nigeria last week following a ban on their website and were arrested by officials of the office of the National Security Adviser and their passports

seized.

 

The arrest came amidst efforts by the government to rein in speculation on the naira by cracking down on cryptocurrency exchanges.

 

Recently, the government through the Nigerian Communications Commission blocked the online platforms of Binance and other crypto firms to avert what it considers continuous manipulation of the forex market and illicit movement of funds.

 

It also sent operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to arrest Bureau De Change operators at the Popular Wuse Zone 4 in Abuja.

 

On Monday, the executives of the foreign firm were expected to appear before the House Committee on Financial Crimes but they instead sent their lawyers to represent them

 

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Human Services in Taraba, Zirra Mathias Bubanani has confirmed an outbreak of Lassa Fever in the state after an NYSC member from Damare orientation camp tested positive.

 

This followed the release of an investigation on a sample taken from the Corps member by the National Reference Laboratory, NRL, Abuja when she presented symptoms similar to that of Lassa Fever by health workers in Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola.

 

The state government has, therefore, advised members of the public to take necessary precautions by adhering to good hygiene and sanitation habits.

 

It warned residents to avoid unnecessary contact and ensure proper storage of leftover foods and food items to prevent rat infestation.

A Bus Rapid Transit driver, Sunday Bukola, has reportedly crushed a five-year-old simply identified as Malik to death at Palmgroove in the Onipanu area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident occurred at about 1:30 pm on Saturday.

Our correspondent also gathered that the driver crushed the victim, his brother, and his mother as they attempted to cross the BRT lane.

A police source told our correspondent that the deceased died on the spot while his sibling and mother sustained varying degrees of injuries.

The bus driver hit the deceased, his mom, and his brother. Their names are Malik, aged 5 years old, and Basit, who is two years old.

 

They were crossing the BRT lane at Palm Grove. They were rushed to the hospital, but Malik died on the spot, while Rofiat and Basit were rushed to the hospital, where they were receiving treatment for various degrees of injury.

 

When contacted, the state’s command Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.

 

He added that the driver has been arrested and an investigation is ongoing.

 

He said, “The corpse has been evacuated and deposited at the mortuary. The driver was later arrested and is in police custody, and an investigation is ongoing.”

 

Last year, PUNCH reported that the Lagos State Police Command had confirmed that three people died after the two motorcycles they were riding on collided with a BRT vehicle in the Alakija area of Lagos.

 

 

The Police Command in Kaduna State has announced 39 Computer-Based Test (CBT), centers for the 2022 Nigeria Police Force Recruitment.

 

The recruitment is for Police Constables, scheduled from March 5 to March 6.

 

said the command wished to notify residents of the state who applied for the 2022 police recruitment that the Police Service Commission, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, would be finalising the ongoing 2022 recruitment exercise nationwide.

 

“The CBT for Kaduna state residents will take place from Tuesday, March 5, to Wednesday, March, 6 at the specified venues.

 

“Only those who have successfully passed will take the examination. participants in the screening exercise should visit https://apply.policerecruitment.gov.ng to print their schedule slip, showing the venue, date, and time of the aptitude/CBT test.”

 

He disclosed that the venue and examination centre are divided into four.

 

He said the four centres included , Kaduna metropolis centre which has 24 sub centers , Zaria centre 10, Kafanchan centre has two, and Soba centre has three.

 

Hassan said the Commissioner of Police(CP), in Kaduna state, Mr Ali Dabigi directed all Area Commanders, State Intelligence Department’s Operatives (SID), personnel from Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD), and Divisional Police Officers to locate and provide adequate security coverage for the centers within their jurisdiction.

 

” They are to collaborate with JAMB officials, staff of the Ministry of Police Affairs, Police Service Commission, and all other relevant government agencies tasked with supervising the test for a smooth exercise.

 

Dabigi extends his best wishes for success to every candidate and urges them to conduct themselves honorably throughout the exam period, ” Hassan said.

CONDOLENCE VISIT TO Air Comdr EK JEKADA

The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State Engr. Dr.Sani ManYahaya led a Team of two to visit Kaduna to commiserate on behalf of the Management, Staff and Students of the Polytechnic with the family of our immediate past Governing Council Chairman and Chairman APC Kaduna, Air Comdr E.K. Jekada, mni, PhD, on the sudden passage of his beloved son, Mr David Dodo Jekada.

The Rector during the visit informed the Chairman that the entire Polytechnic is indeed grieving with him and his family in this sad moment and will continue to pray for him and his entire household for necessary strength and the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss of an illustrious son.

The Rector informed the Chairman of the overwhelming condolence messages across board, within and outside the Polytechnic which is a manifestation of the indelible impacts of the immediate Council Chairman during his brief but eventful tenure in the Polytechnic.

It is pertinent to inform the entire Polytechnic Community that Air Comdr Emmanuel Jekada exhibited a rare display of courage, and faith during the condolence visit to him in Kaduna. He expressed his appreciation to the Polytechnic Community and prayed for peace and progress of the Polytechnic.

Rector was with the Registrar of the Polytechnic, Alhaji Isiaka Tunji Agboola on the condolence visit.

 

E-Signed

Sola Lawal

Protocol, Media & Public Relations Officer.