Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has urged Nigerians to bear with the CBN amid the ongoing Naira note scarcity.
The presidential candidate made this known in a statement via Twitter as the unrest for the new Naira note in Nigeria increases.
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According to Peter Obi, currency redesign always comes with stiff adjustments globally and the benefits in the long term are worth it.
He further advised the CBN and the Federal Government of Nigeria to make conscious efforts to ease the struggles of her citizens.
The currency redesign is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is an exercise that comes with some inconvenience and pain but it has significant longterm economic and social benefits. Even though there are improvements that can be made,
Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State, has announced the deployment of free Omituntun transport buses to alleviate the state’s people’s suffering from the twin crises of the naira and fuel scarcity that have befallen Nigerians in recent weeks.
Governor Seyi Makinde
Governor Seyi Makinde, who announced this in a statewide broadcast aired on the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), said that the state government was ready to do whatever it can to alleviate the suffering of the masses.
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The governor, who frowned at the resort to violent protests by some residents of Ibadan earlier on Friday, said that while citizens are free to express their feelings peacefully, the government would not condone any resort to violence.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor also put all the security agencies operating in the state on high alert to avert any breakdown of law and order.
The statement also quoted the governor as urging the people to ensure they use their Permanent Voters Cards to usher in a responsible government in the forthcoming general election, adding that resorting to violence breeds other problems.
According to him, the Omituntun Mass Transit Buses would be deployed to more routes within the state for free, in order to ameliorate the suffering of the people.
The governor also said that the state was also working with Chairmen of local governments to provide immediate palliatives for the vulnerable people in order to alleviate the hardships that the twin scarcity of naira and fuel have brought upon them.
He urged all law-abiding citizens and residents of the state to go about their lawful activities peacefully.
The governor said: “My Dear Good People of Oyo State. I am addressing you today because of the prevailing conditions in our state and country that have led to protests and riots, especially in Ibadan.
“First, let me say that I understand the need for these protests. When citizens get pushed to the wall, there is only so much that they can take. “The continuous fuel scarcity and the scarcity of the naira have led to slow economic activities. I must repeat, I understand, and I feel your pain.
“I have always maintained that peaceful protests are fine. When things are not going how we want them to go, we have a right and even a responsibility to protest.
“Let me also state that while we are protesting, we must remember how easily a peaceful protest can turn violent and lead to the loss of lives and property.
The violence that erupted in parts of Ibadan today (Friday) is condemnable and will not be tolerated.
“In response to this, I have suspended all campaign activities forthwith. I have also met with the heads of security agencies in Oyo State to restore calm and maintain the peace in our dear state.
“Violence cannot and will not solve our problems, it only creates new ones. We have another opportunity in a few weeks to move this country in a new direction. Use your PVC, not violence.
“We must not allow elements within us who have other motives to take advantage of peaceful protests to perpetrate evil or push their agendas.
“I urge all law-abiding citizens and residents of the state to go about their lawful activities. All our security agencies are on high alert and so, peaceful residents of the state have no cause to fear.
“As a palliative measure, I have directed that the Omituntun Mass Transit Buses should be deployed to more routes within the state for free. “We are also working with Local Government Chairmen to see what immediate palliatives we can make available to the most vulnerable amongst us to alleviate the hardships that the twin scarcity of fuel and the naira have brought upon our people.
“Once again, we have another opportunity to put an end to oppressive systems and that is through the ballot. For now, I urge everyone to remain calm as we are doing our best to mitigate the hardships.”
The National Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) plans to meet soon to discuss President Muhammadu Buhari’s government’s refusal to pay their members’ eight-month salary arrears.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, confirmed the development to the PUNCH on Saturday, February 4, 2023.
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He, however, explained that the date for the meeting has not been decided by the National Executive Council of the union.
“We (NEC) had met before now and reached resolutions but will meet again to decide on the next step to take, and when we do so, we will let the public know.
“But what I can assure you is that we will meet very soon, and take a decision on this issue of withheld salaries. The FG must pay up these debts. It is our right.
“We have given the government some time to see if there will be any improvement, but they have done nothing. We are collating reports from our members and will take action,” he said.
While lamenting the situation, he said lecturers in Nigerian universities were going through hard times.
“Our members are passing through difficult times while they are doing the same work the FG said they did not do and were not going to be paid for.
“We are doing all these in the interest of the country but this will not be forever. We will certainly meet very soon and take a proper decision at that meeting,” he added.
He said there was no headway on the discussions between the lecturers and the Federal Government, noting that the legal battle between them would continue in February.
Also speaking on the withheld salaries of lecturers, the ASUU Chairman, University of Lagos branch, Dr Dele Ashiru, said he was shocked that the Federal Government had yet to shift ground on the matter.
He also noted that the morale of lecturers at his university had become “very low.”
He said, “As I speak to you now, nothing has changed. Unfortunately, the Federal Government is still adamant. The morale of our members has become so low.
“If the people with the responsibility to develop human capacity for Nigeria, Africa and the world are treated this way, it then shows the premium that those who are governing us place on education.
“It is also not to worry because they cannot give what they don’t have. If we have leaders who are anti-intellectual, they cannot have respect for intellectualism nor honour those who engage in that trade. What is certain is that ASUU will continue to struggle until all monies owed its members are paid.”
Internet users were outraged after seeing a video of alleged bank officials hiding new currencies behind piles of old ones.
In the video which surfaced online, officials could be seen instructing a young man at a bank vault being asked to bring down stacks of old naira notes.
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As the video depicts, the new naira notes had evidently been hidden behind the old ones.
The officials could be heard in the video telling the man to load up their machines with the new naira notes.
If Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, loses the election, he has promised to accept it in good faith.
Atiku Abubakar
Speaking to BBC Pidgin, he stated that he would not be the first loser; hence he would accept his loss in good faith.
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He went on to dismiss claims of corruption against him, emphasizing the fact that he has been investigated and nothing was discovered.
He said:
“All what I know, all corrupt practices or corruption allegations against me have been investigated in this country more than anybody else and nothing was found against me. That audio has disclosed nothing new.”
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has made a significant promise that petrol will be available and reasonably priced within 14 days.
This was disclosed by the IPMAN National Operations Controller, Mike Osatuyi, during an interview on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Wednesday, Febuary, 1 2023.
According to him, there would be the availability of fuel in two weeks’ time and all stakeholders have agreed to sell fuel at affordable prices to reduce the burden on Nigerians.
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He said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and all other stakeholders across the downstream petroleum value chain met on Tuesday in their bid to end the crisis.
“Yesterday, there was a meeting in Abuja and the president of IPMAN was there and he gave me feedback on the meeting. So, I can say the NNPC is ready to find a solution to the crisis. They’ve now agreed that they will open more depots for IPMAN to be loading products through their platform at official price and this is what we have been clamouring for for years.
“From what I gathered now, they are given 14 days to clean up the mess. By the next two weeks, we should be able to buy at a very reasonable price. We must all work in the interest of Nigerians and let Nigerians benefit from this subsidy,” he said.
On the issue of smuggling, which the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority had earlier said was a major cause of the fuel crisis, Osatuyi said all hands must be on deck to put an end to it.
He said the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers must direct its members not to transport fuel trucks to neighbouring countries.
“When it comes to all the challenges causing the fuel crisis, you can’t rule out the bad eggs across all strata of the system. But at the same time, it takes everyone to say drop this nonsense and let us be born again,” Osatuyi added.
Unidentified armed men have attacked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra State.
According to reports, the gunmen also attacked the Nnobi Police Station and a residential building within the station, located also in the same Council Area.
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The hoodlums, armed with IEDs, petrol bombs, and other explosives invaded the facilities at about 1:45 am on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, in four unmarked Sienna vehicles.
Although, details of both attacks are still sketchy, however, a source said the hoodlums were repelled by the security operatives before they could carry out any dastardly act.
The source said that the gunmen, while shooting sporadically killed a 16-year-old boy, a relative of a serving policeman in the station, while the another victim, a 15-year-old female, sustained a gunshot injury and has been taken to the hospital where she is receiving treatment.
Confirming the incident, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, said security had been reinforced in the areas, just as the situation is still being monitored.
According to Ikenga, “Anambra State Police Command today 1/2/2023 has reinforced security deployment in the state, following an attack on the INEC office in idemili South, Ojoto and Nnobi Police Station.
“The hoodlums came in their numbers by 1:45 am today 1/2/2023, with four unmarked Sienna vehicles, armed with IEDs, Petrol bombs and other explosives, invaded the INEC office, the Police Station and the residential building in the station.
“Unfortunately, one boy aged 16 years, a relative of a serving policeman in the station was murdered by the armed men, while the other, a female aged 15 years old sustained a gunshot injury. She has been taken to the hospital where she is receiving treatment.
“The situation is being monitored and further details shall be communicated, please.”
A boy who entered a shipping container during a game of hide-and-seek was discovered a week later in another country.
The boy was found in a different country a week after the hide-and-seek game with his friends.
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The 15-year-old who hails from Bangladesh has been identified as Fahim. He said to have been playing with friends in the port city of Chittagong on January 11. Fahim hid inside the container and fell asleep, India Times reports.
Apparently, the container was then loaded on a commercial ship headed to Malaysia. This was where the boy was discovered in West Port.
Fahim was said to have fallen asleep only to wake up 2,000 miles away from home and in Malaysia. It turned out that he sailed with an Integra container ship across the Indian Ocean after he was mistakenly locked up.
However, officials said he had a fever and was taken to a nearby hospital for examination. Following an investigation, officials gave a report that the teen had wandered into the container. This was of course, during a game of hide-and-seek.
Nonetheless, the Police had initially suspected the boy had been entangled in a human trafficking scheme.
According to reports, popular businessman Ikechukwu Ogbonna, also known as IVD, has been remanded in Kirikiri prison.
IVD and Bimbo Ogbonna who passed on a few months ago.
Blogger Cutie Julls has shared an update on her Instagram page about the death of the late wife of IVD, Bimbo Ogbonna who passed on a few months ago.
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According to the Instagram blogger, IVD appeared in court today, January 31st, 2023. He was accompanied by his lawyer and relationship expert turned friend, Blessing CEO. IVD was reportedly charged with involuntary manslaughter by Lagos State following details leading to his wife, Bimbo’s death.
In her words, she wrote;
“BREAKING NEWS:
Lagos-based auto dealer, IVD has been just been remanded in Kirikiri prisons
Earlier today, IVD who appeared in court in the company of his lawyer and Blessing CEO was charged with involuntary manslaughter by Lagos State following the details leading to the demise of his wife, Bimbo Martins.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has extended the deadline for exchanging old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes from the three series of Naira until February 10th, 2023.
The CBN responded to pressure from concerned Nigerians following the disruption caused by the introduction of the redesigned currency.
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This was announced in a statement by CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, on January 29th, 2023. The original deadline of January 31st, 2023, was set after the introduction of redesigned notes in December.
The extension has, however, been made to accommodate the collection of more old notes as there is a shortage of the redesigned notes currently in circulation.
