Monthly Archives: September 2022

Rage in Imo, as soldiers continue to kill residents, brand them IPOB

By Nnamdi Ukwatar, Correspondent Imo state indigenes have raised alarm over silent killings of unarmed innocent residents by troops deployed to check Biafra agitations in the Southeast while branding them, as members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB. While sending ‘Save-our-Souls’ message to the international community, the residents have disclosed that, the killings usually happen during raids on suspected camps of the IPOB and its security arm, the Eastern Security Network, ESN. IPOB has been at the forefront of agitations for an independent state of Biafra, which they nned to be carved out from south-east and parts of south-south. ...

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Nigeria’s lending rate high, amid growing inflation

By Steven Ndubueze, Corresponent Governor of Nigeria’s apex bank, Godwin Emefiele has announced the rise in the lending rate amid growing inflation. The Central Bank Chief has raised the interest rates for local bank lending to 15.5 percent, its highest level, just two months after it was pegged at 14 percent. It comes on the heels of the spiking inflation, exceeding the 20 percent mark as at August 2022. Emefiele has noted that, the monetary policy committee voted unanimously to raise the rate, after deliberating on the impact of the widening margin between policy rate and the inflation rate. “The ...

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Russia claims win in Ukraine ‘sham’ referendum

The ‘sham’ referendum by Russia to annex part of Ukraine territory has ended with Russia claiming vicory. Moscow-installed officials in the regions are now claiming almost total support among those, who took part in the disputed votes on joining Russia. The polls were denounced and described as a sham by Ukraine’s government and its allies. In the absence of international recognition, the process was not monitored independently. The votes were held in the breakaway eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Ballots in Russian-occupied parts of the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia were also organised. Refugees scattered across Russia were ...

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FG plans micro LNG plants in communities

By Nnadi Ukwatar, Correspondent Federal Government has said, it is planning to open micro Liquefied Natural Gas, LNG, plants across several communities in the country to stave-off the rising costs of the product. Address the rising prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, in the country, the Chairman, Natural Gas Expansion Programme, NGEP, Dr Mohammed Ibrahim said, the federal government was fully focused on ensuring that LPG was made available to Nigerians at the affordable rate. He reassured that, in no distant future, the company would build micro LNG plants in every part of the country, as government wants to demystify ...

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MSF urges UN to include Nigeria in 2023 funding plans

By Sylva Emeka-Okereke, JP, Publisher Disturbed by high level of malnutrition in Nigeria, especially in the northwest, the Medicines Sans Frontier, MSF has urged the United Nation to include the country in its funding plans in 2023. MSF or Doctors without Borders is an international humanitarian, non-governmental medical organization of French origin, noted for its projects in conflict zones as well as countries affected by endemic dieases.   The international organization has attributed the situation to insecurity, high food prices, as well as the impacts of climate change, noting with dismay, that gunmen have been terrorising the northwest, killing and ...

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2023 election campaigns begin, amid tight hurdles for presidential contenders

By Sylva Emeka-Okereke, JP, Publisher The race started with over 60 aspirants. Out of this number, the rulling All Progressives Congress, APC, had 28 while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had 18 with other political parties trailing the number. Rules were set and at the end of the whistle, only 18 splinters emerged successful.   The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has cleared 18 candidates to contest for the February 2023 presidential election. As the electioneering campaigns have started, some of the issues that would be at the front burner in the national discussed would include insecurity; unemployment and ...

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Opinion: Nigeria’s 2023 Elections and the Challenges Ahead

By Idayat Hassan Nigeria may be experiencing its longest run of uninterrupted democracy, but its quality remains very much in need of improvement. Just 34.75 per cent of eligible Nigerians voted in 2019 and a similarly low, or lower, turnout in 2023 would further undermine the credibility of the poll. But given the prevailing insecurity across the country…difficulties in registering for permanent voter cards in insecure areas in Northern and South-East Nigeria and the likely rampant misinformation and disinformation that will emerge in the lead up to voting day…means that fewer Nigerians may vote next year than in 2019. With ...

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Sterling Bank restructures, may change name

By Sylva Emeka-Okereke, JP, Publisher One of the major commercial banks in the country, Sterling Bank Plc may likely restructures and might change to a new name, after receiving shareholders approval to convert from a core banking business to a holding company, according to its board yesterday. The bank has to brace-up for the opportunity to gain majority stakes in the companies in which it currently has a substantial stake. The announcement came, a week after the bank called a court-ordered shareholders’ meeting as part of the final key stages of corporate reforms. The lender will be known as Sterling ...

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Sex Scandals: Retired Chicago Priests under investigations

By Our Reporter The Archdiocese of Chicago has asked three retired Priests to stay-out of the Ministry while investigations into allegations of sexual abuse of minors nearly 50 years ago begins, according to a press statement from the Archdiocese yesterday. It was disclosd that the allegations against Reverend Fathers John J Rudnik 87, James E Flynn 80 and John W Clemens 75 are being investigated by the Archdiocese. Each of the retired Priests, according to the statements, has one allegation against him from nearly 50 years ago. The church hierarchy said, all the Priests are cooperating with the investigations, as ...

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UK pound slides against African currencies

By Steve Ndubueze, Correspondent African currencies have peaked, gaining grounds against British pounds. As the continental currencies are shoring-up in the exchange market, the Pound maintains gradual fall to record low. Yesterday, the pound briefly slid by as much as 4 percent against the US dollar in Asian markets to an all-time low of $1.0382. Nigeria Naira gained 0.0022 higher than pound compared to over the weekend at the rate of 0.0021 percent against the pound. It shows that N50 will buy 0.11 pounds at interbank exchange rates. In the same way, Kenyan shilling gained 0.15 percent against the pound. ...

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