Africa's Media Giant
By Lucy Osuizigbo-Okechukwu
Eze Ohamadike Foundation, an NGO, has donated palliatives worth more than N4 million to 300 pupils drawn from a dozen primary schools in Igboukwu, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items included 300 bags of 10 kg rice, 300 school bags, dictionaries, mathematical sets and exercise books.
NAN reports that 28 teachers of the pupils also received N5000 stipend from the foundation.
Presenting the items to the beneficiaries in Igboukwu on Friday, Chairman of the Foundation, Chief Chuks Okoye, said that the gesture was purely an act of charity which had nothing to do with politics.
Okoye, who is also Chairman, Board of Trustees of Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA), said that the donation was aimed at emulating his father’s principle and legacy of reaching out to the masses.
The NGO chairman promised to expand the scope of the annual gesture and extend it to other parts of the council area and the state as a whole.
One of the beneficiaries from Ogwugwuagu Primary School, Francis Anozie, who spoke on behalf of the pupils, thanked the NGO for the donation in the spirit of the season and promised to make the donor proud by achieving academic excellence.
NAN reports that some of the dignitaries in attendance at the ceremony also supported the foundation with cash donations to encourage the NGO. (NAN)
By Muhammad Nur Tijani
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has expressed deep sadness over the passing of an elder statesman, Bello Isah Bayero, who died on Thursday evening.
Bayero was aged 85.
Ganduje, in a condolence message by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Abba Anwar, on Friday in Kano described Bayero’s death as a great loss, not only to his family but the state.
“We received, with the deepest shock, the death of Alhaji Bello Isah Bayero, who died when the state and the nation needed him the most.
“He was a gentleman, whose political leadership helped in the restoration of our democracy.
“As a gentleman, who trained many in many human endeavours, we missed him the most.
“His death is a great loss to Nigerian democracy, our traditional institution and political leadership.
“Bayero was an embodiment of humility, excellence, productivity, openness, transparency, accountability and that he was a father to the state and Nigerian democracy.
“What remains for us now, is to pray for Allah’s forgiveness and blessings on his soul and seek Allah’s guidance to give us all the courage to bear this great loss,’’ he said.
“On behalf of the government and people of Kano state, I am sending this condolence to his immediate families, our royal institution, friends and all other well-wishers of the late elder statesman Bello Isa Bayero.’’ (NAN)
Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun has applauded the Nigerian Armed Forces for ensuring adequate protection of the nation’s territorial integrity as well as the security and safety of the citizens.
Oyetola made the remarks during the inauguration of 2021 Armed Forces Remembrance Day emblem on Wednesday in Osogbo.
The governor also commended the contributions of the armed forces to nation building, particularly the avowed commitment to containing the activities of terrorists and bandits across the nation.
Represented by his deputy, Mr Benedict Alabi, Oyetola described the Armed Forces Remembrance day as a unique opportunity to publicly salute the courage and extol the onerous roles of the outstanding patriots whose preoccupation was the protection of the territorial integrity of the nation; and the collective security and safety of the citizens.
He said: “We say thank you for your role in containing the activities of terrorists and bandits in our nation, especially the north eastern part of the country.
“We thank you for giving up your own comfort so that we all can sleep with our eyes closed.
“We thank you for fighting to safeguard our unity as a sovereign nation.
“We thank you for serving humanity with the outstanding roles you constantly play in global peace keeping operations.
“We thank you for your unparalleled patriotism, which continues to set the pace for us to give our best in the service of our beloved nation. We will never forget.
“As an administration, we are grateful for your sustained commitment and support.
“We pledge to continually do all within our abilities to support causes as this and to work with you in our collective quest for the protection of lives and property.”
In his remarks, Mr Oladimeji Olalere, Chairman, Nigerian Legion, Osun Chapter, lauded the administration of Oyetola for creating an enabling environment for members of the legion to thrive.
Olalere also commended the tremendous achievements recorded by the administration in the last two years.
He said the administration had done excellently well in all the sectors of the economy as manifested in the myriad of infrastructural development across the nooks and crannies of the state.(NAN)
U.S. President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter, his megaphone, to execute damage control after his supporters invaded the Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
Congress was meeting to certify the election of Joe Biden when thousands of Trump’s supporters breached the building, forcing a lockdown with lawmakers inside.
“I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence!
“Remember, WE are the Party of Law and Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue.
“Thank you!,” the president tweeted.
In a similar tweet at the start of the breach earlier, Trump pleaded with the protesters to “support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement”.
“They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!” he wrote.
The president’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, echoed her father’s appeal, tweeting that “any security breach or disrespect to our law enforcement is unacceptable”.
“The violence must stop immediately. Please be peaceful,” she said.
Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the electoral college vote debate in the building, also asked Trump supporters to leave the Capitol immediately and stop the violence.
“This attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Mike Pence tweeted.
Reports say the Federal Protective Service and Secret Service are responding to assist the U.S. Capitol Police.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ms Nancy Pelosi, has requested the help of the National Guard to secure the Capitol, according to sources.(NAN)
By Francis Onyeukwu
Dr Abidemi Babalola, Research Fellow, Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, says governments should engage thorough breed archaeologists to meet the Coronavirus (COVID-19) challenges.
Babalola said this during an exhibition marking 60 years of excavations of archaeological materials in Igboukwu in Anambra on Wednesday.
The event held at the National Commission for Museum and Monuments (NCMMN) centre, Umudege, Igboukwu.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exhibition was jointly organised by Babalola and Dr Kingsley Daraojimba of Archaeology and Tourism Department, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
According to Babalola, from historical accounts, the COVID-19 pandemic which began in Wuham, China, was not the first of its kind in human history.
“If governments could engage the services of archaeologists, through their expertise, they can uncover how past pandemics recorded in the past were treated.
“Such findings might help end this present problem,” the archaeologists argued.
He added that the exhibition was part of three-year-old activities on the continuation of work on Igboukwu archaeological discovery which was started 60 years ago by Prof. Thurstan Shaw.
Prof. Anslem Ibeanu, the immediate past Head of the Department of Archaeology and Tourism, UNN, also called for the establishment of radiocarbon dating laboratory in Nigeria.
Ibeanu said such laboratory would help facilitate more archaeological discoveries capable of developing the tourism sub-sector in the country.
“If government invests in this area, it will help open the tourism industry which has the potential to provide jobs for millions of people in our nation,” he said.
Dr Emeka Okonkwo, the current head of the department, said UNN and Cambridge University as well as other partners were working hard to get more information on the archaeological materials found in Igboukwu.
He said efforts were on to include Igboukwu in the world heritage list, adding that more assistance was required for the accomplishment of the target.
Also, Daraojimba, co-organiser of the event, said since 2018 when he and Babalola began the project, efforts had been made to integrate the community in advancing archaeological discovery projects.
“We have visited Igboukwu community several times, engaged primary school pupils across the three quarters of the town, with the aim of laying basic foundation on archaeological discovery here,” he said.
Wife of the late traditional ruler of Igboukwu, Nwakego Ezeh, thanked the Federal Government for the NCMMN centre in the area and also Prof. Shaw for pioneering Igboukwu archaeological discoveries.
Others who spoke at the event were Dr Alex Anozie, the traditional ruler of Igbo people living in Oyo State and Mr Christian Ike, the President-General of Igboukwu community, among others. (NAN)
Vice President Mike Pence says the violence must end after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol.
“The violence and destruction taking place at the U.S. Capitol Must Stop and it Must Stop Now,” he tweeted.
“Anyone involved must respect Law Enforcement officers and immediately leave the building,” he added.
In a second post, Pence said “those involved would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Pence was earlier presiding over a joint Congress session to certify the results of the November presidential election.
He had defied Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss, saying he could not claim “unilateral authority” to reject the electoral votes of states that Biden won.
Trump lashed out at Pence afterwards, tweeting that he “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.”
Similarly, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has said that the chaos at the U.S. Capitol “borders on sedition and it must end now.”
Meanwhile, the mayor of the U.S. capital, Muriel Bowser has issued a 6 p.m. curfew after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building.
“Today, I’m ordering a citywide curfew for the District of Columbia from 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6, until 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7,” Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote on Twitter. (dpa/NAN/
U.S. President Donald Trump told his supporters “to go home now” hours after they stormed the U.S. Capitol.
“I know your pain, I know your hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us,” Trump said in a one-minute video posted on social media.
“But you have to go home now, we have to have peace, we have to have law and order,” he added.
Trump had come under increasing pressure to call on the protesters to leave the grounds of the Capitol and denounce the action.
He repeated his baseless allegations that the election was “fraudulent,” claims with which he riled up crowds earlier in the day.
“We love you, you’re very special,” he said in the clip, addressing his supporters in the nation’s capital, which included a melange of right-wing groups such as QAnon supporters and militia members. (DPA/NAN)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday joined other leaders in condemning the scenes of violence in the United States (U.S.)
“Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress.
“The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power,” he wrote on Twitter.
Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, called the events “utterly horrifying.”
Masses of angry pro-Trump protesters clashed with police and stormed the U.S. Capitol, where lawmakers were due to certify president-elect Joe Biden’s win in the November election. (dpa/NAN)
By Itohan Abara-Laserian
The board of Access Bank Plc on Wednesday announced complete acquisition of Cavmont Bank Ltd by its Zambian subsidiary, Access Bank (Zambia) Ltd.
Mr Sunday Ekwochi, the bank’s Company Secretary, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Ekwochi said the acquisition was completed after the bank fulfilled the key conditions, including regulatory approvals.
“The merger of Cavmont into Access Bank Zambia is expected to take place before the end of January.
“Following which Access Bank Zambia will emerge as a stronger well-capitalised banking franchise with improved scale and capacity to deliver sustainable and best-in-class financial services in the Zambian market,” he said.
According to him, the bank looks forward to realising the synergies from the transaction and achieving further growth of the combined platform to the benefit of all stakeholders.
“Growing our presence in Zambia remains a strategic priority for Access Bank and with the conclusion of the proposed merger with Cavmont, the bank looks forward to realising the synergies from the transaction,” he added. (NAN)
By Lydia Ngwakwe
The First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has named Mrs Yemisi Edun as the Acting Managing Director of the bank in the interim, while Mr Adam Nuru is on leave.
This was contained in a statement signed by the FCMB management and obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) via the bank’s Twitter handle.
“In line with normal corporate practice, Edun is Acting as the Managing Director of FCMB in the interim period, while Mr Adam Nuru is on leave.
“She has not been appointed as the substantive Managing Director,” the statement said.
Recall that Nuru volunteered to go on leave to enable the bank to investigate the paternity allegations against him.(NAN)
