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Aliko Dangote set to acquire French football club

 

Nigerian business mogul and richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote is reportedly close to buying Valenciennes, a team in the French Ligue 2.

According to French media reports, the CEO of the Dangote Group is about to buy a 60 percent stake in the team.

The Dangote Group which is the largest industrial conglomerate in Africa, had previously expressed interest in buying Premier League team Arsenal, but the deal was unsuccessful.

Valenciennes was founded in 1913, and it currently holds its home games at the Stade du Hainaut.

The team has competed in Ligue 1 for 40 seasons and Ligue 2 for 36 and have won the Ligue 2 championship twice but have never won the Ligue 1 championship.

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Read What Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Said To Nigerians

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has debunked rumors that his health was failing and confirms to Nigerians that he is “very strong”.

After Tinubu jetted out of the country to France at night, there were rumors that he was rushed abroad for medical attention.

Although his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, insisted that the president-elect only traveled to have some rest and recuperate from the election stress, some stakeholders have questioned his state of health and whereabouts.

Speaking with some party supporters shortly after arriving in Abuja on Monday, Tinubu said that he has rested well and refreshed, stressing that he was prepared for the task ahead.

Speaking to the crowd who followed him home, the President-elect said:

“I’m happy to be back. I have rested, I’m refreshed, and healthy and I’m ready for the task ahead. Forget about what the rumor mill may have told you. I’m strong, very strong.”

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2023 UTME: JAMB Urges Candidates To Print Examination Notification Slips Before Monday

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has asked candidates sitting for the 2023 UTME to print their examination notification slips from 20th April 2023.

The notification slip would contain the candidate’s examination centre, date and time of examination as well as other details necessary for taking the 2023 UTME, which commences on Tuesday, 25th April 2023.

Announcing the commencement of the 2023 UTME,  the board Head of Public Affairs and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, said all candidates sitting for the exam are expected to print their examination notification slips before or on 24th April 2023, by visiting https://www.jamb.gov.ng, and click on “2023 UTME SLIP PRINTING” on the menu bar to know the venue and time of their examination.

Benjamin noted that the information on the slip would enable candidate easily locate their centres before the examination.

Also, the candidates are advised to locate their centres before the day of their examination so as not to arrive late at the examination centre, as the commencement time for the examination contained in the notification slips is sacrosanct.

The board, however, warned candidates against going into the examination halls with prohibited items like wristwatches, calculators, flash drives, and phones, among others.

The examination board also restated its zero tolerance for examination malpractice.

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FG Declares Friday And Monday Public Holiday For Eid-ul-Fitr Celebration

To mark this year’s EIdil-Fitr, the Federal government has declared Friday, April 21, and Monday, April 24, 2023, as public holidays.

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Shuaib Belgore.

He congratulated all Muslims for the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan.

Aregbesola also called on all Muslims to imbibe and practice the virtues of kindness, love, tolerance, peace, self-denial, sacrifice and good neighbourliness, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).

“The self-restrain, self-denial, sacrifice and deep spiritual consciousness that accompanied the fasting period should not end but be maintained and improved upon, in order to be a better person and true worshipper”, the minister advises all Muslims.

Aregbesola assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari is fully committed to peaceful transition of government following  successful elections.

He expressed the government’s commitment to the provision of security for the life and property of every citizen and foreigners in the country.

The Minister commended all security agencies for the successes recorded in the fight against criminals across the country.

He urges Nigerians to be part of the nation’s security architecture by being vigilant and report suspicious individuals and activities to law enforcement agencies nearest to them, noting that security is everybody’s responsibility. He admonishes Nigerians also to report suspicious activities and persons to the N-Alert application.

“Aregbesola wishes all Muslims a happy Eidil-Fitr celebration and prays that the peace, blessings and favour of Allah be with you all,” the statement said.

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JAMB Releases Results Of Rescheduled Mock-UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has released the results of over 84,000 candidates who sat for the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME mock examination yesterday.

The candidates wrote the rescheduled examination in 387 centres across the country.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, which announced this on Wednesday morning in a statement by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said the exercise was successful.

The announcement came as JAMB vowed that the results of the main UTME would not be released piecemeal but holistically “as the entire results of the entire eight-day exercise would be collated before they would be released to candidates.”

Recall that JAMB had earlier conducted the mock examination on Thursday, March 30,2023. However, some candidates could not sit for the mock examination on account of some technical challenges.

Recall also that the mock examination was introduced by JAMB to test the preparedness of its facilities as well as give candidates the opportunity to have hands-on experience of the Computer-Based Test,CBT environment.

The statement said,”From the foregoing, it is clear that the Board would not shy away from taking much-needed steps aimed at transforming the conduct of public examinations in Nigeria. “

It further read:”With the successful conduct of the mock examination, it became crystal clear that all the  challenges encountered which had led to the rescheduled mock examination were necessary experiences that would serve to make the system even better as the Board has now consolidated the software and is ready to give Nigerians the best.

“Consequently, the results of the examination has since been released by the Board.

“However, the Board would like to stress that the prompt release of results for the mock examination would not be replicated during the upcoming Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination(UTME) scheduled to commence from  25th April, 2023.

“As such, the Board stated that for the main UTME, the results would not be released piecemeal but holistically as the entire results of the entire eight-day exercise would be collated before they would be released to candidates.

“It is to be noted that the Board embarked on the screening of results to ensure that any UTME results obtained by any candidate is not a product of infractions and other unwholesome practices. This measure ensures that the Board would not have to release any particular result and then recall same on account of established case of malpractice.

” In the same vein, assessing the entire results enables the Board to obtain the overall standard deviation and the mean of the performance of all the candidates who sat the examination.

“By doing this, the Board is able to aggregate the general performance of all candidates who sat the examination and factor same into the national education planning template.”

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Hushpuppi’s Associate, Woodberry, Pleads Guilty, Forfeits $8m, Assets

Olalekan Jacob Ponle, the NIgerian man who is more populalry known as Mr Woodberry, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, The PUNCH reports.

He also agreed to forfeit $8 million in proceeds of wire fraud as well as luxury cars and watches to the foreign government.

Mr Woodberry, a known associate of the now-imprisoned internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, better known as Hushpuppi, recently in a plea declaration submitted at the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division on April 6, pleaded guilty to count one of the indictments, the Peoples Gazette reports.

According to his plea agreement, he is required to pay back the sum of $8 million he fraudulently received from the seven companies that fell for his scam.

“Defendant understands that by pleading guilty, he will subject to forfeiture to the United States all right, title, and interest that he has in any property constituting or derived from proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of the offence,” stated the document containing Mr Ponle’s signed plea declaration.

Mr Ponle was also asked to waive his rights to the luxury cars, and designer watches he had stashed in Dubai.

The high-end automobiles include Rolls Royce Cullinan with vehicle no J9153, Lamborghini Urus (N4973) and Mercedes-Benz G-class (G68816).

Other items seized are four Rolex watches, one Patek Philippe watch, three Audemars Piguet watches, three gold and diamond-studded earrings, and six gold neck chains.

Last year, he forfeited 151.8 Bitcoin to the American government.

Mr Ponle was arrested in Dubai on June 10, 2020, alongside Ramon Hushpuppi Abbas, currently serving an 11-year sentence for a similar fraud charge.

Before his arrest in 2020, Mr Woodberry was known for rocking expensive designer wear and showing off his ill-gotten wealth to his massive Instagram followers, the majority of whom had no inkling his luxury lifestyle was funded by cybercrime.

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Dino Melaye Is Not Fit, Competent To Be Kogi Governor – Wike

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has stated that his party member, Dino Melaye is not fit to be the governor of Kogi state.

According to him, Melaye doesn’t have the competence to governor the state.

Wike stated this during a media chat on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Recall the screening committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had cleared Melaye, Reuben Atabo (SAN), and eight others as aspirants for its ticket in the forthcoming Kogi State governorship election.

The others are Engr. Musa Wada, Sen. Atai Aidoko Ali, Barr. Mohammed Kabiru Usman, Abayomi Awoniyi, Bolufemi Olarotimi, Abdullahi Haruna (SAN), Gideon Ojata and Idoko Kingsley Ilonah.

Wike stated that the former Kogi West lawmaker is not worthy to be the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming election.

According to the governor, Melaye is an “actor” and does not have any qualities to lead the people of the North Central State.

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FG Bars Palmpay, OKash, Others From Accessing Customers’ Photos, Contacts

Loan and bank apps will no longer be allowed to access customers’ contacts or photos from May 31, 2023.
This was made public by the federal government through the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Babatunde Irukera.
Irukera revealed this following the latest policy by Google.
Recall that Google, in its April 2023 policy updates, said digital money lenders in Nigeria, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Kenya are to conform to regulatory rules or be taken down from Play Store.
The firm said only digital money lenders that have adhered to and completed the Limited Interim Regulatory/Registration Framework and Guidelines for Digital Lending, 2022 (as may be amended from time to time) by the FCCPC and obtain a verifiable approval letter from the Commission will be allowed on its platform in Nigeria.
Google had said, “Policy preview (effective May 31, 2023): This article previews changes included in our April 2023 policy updates.
Categories
News

FG Bars Palmpay, OKash, Others From Accessing Customers’ Photos, Contacts

Loan and bank apps will no longer be allowed to access customers’ contacts or photos from May 31, 2023.
This was made public by the federal government through the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Babatunde Irukera.
Irukera revealed this following the latest policy by Google.
Recall that Google, in its April 2023 policy updates, said digital money lenders in Nigeria, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Kenya are to conform to regulatory rules or be taken down from Play Store.
The firm said only digital money lenders that have adhered to and completed the Limited Interim Regulatory/Registration Framework and Guidelines for Digital Lending, 2022 (as may be amended from time to time) by the FCCPC and obtain a verifiable approval letter from the Commission will be allowed on its platform in Nigeria.
Google had said, “Policy preview (effective May 31, 2023): This article previews changes included in our April 2023 policy updates.
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Dismiss Three Opposition Parties’ Petitions Against Me – Tinubu Begs Tribunal

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Bola Tinubu has asked the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) to dismiss petitions filed by three opposition parties challenging his victory in the February 25 election.
NAN reports that the APC called on the tribunal to discountenance the petitions in three separate responses filed at PEPC’s Secretariat, Sunday night by Thomas Ojo, a member of the party’s legal team led by Lateef Fagbemi, in Abuja.
The three political parties: Action People’s Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), had, in separate petitions, challenged the emergence of Tinubu as Nigeria’s President-elect.
AA, in the petition, sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu, APC and Hamza Al-Mustapha, its factional presidential candidate and former CSO to late General Sani Abacha.
APM, in its petition, joined Tinubu, Kashim Shettima, INEC, APC and Kabir Masari, who stood as a vice-presidential placeholder during the primaries before he was substituted with Shettima.
APP dragged INEC, APC and Tinubu to court as respondents.
In the suits, marked CA/PEPC/01/2023, CA/PEPC/04/2023 and CA/PEPC/02/2023, AA, APM and APP are respectively challenging the result of the presidential poll on the grounds of alleged substantial non-compliance with the electoral laws of Nigeria, as well as the INEC guidelines.
Responding, the APC faulted the claims by the political parties.
Meanwhile, the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party (LP) ‘s counterpart, Peter Obi, are also challenging the election outcome.
Tinubu and Shettima, the Vice-President-elect, are, however, within time to respond to all the petitions by the political parties.
However, based on provisions of the law, a respondent has twenty-one days to reply to a petition after a service.

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