American Billionaire Catering for 21 Chibok Girls—FG

Image

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Federal Government has disclosed that an American billionaire has offered to cater for education of the 21 Chibok girls recently released by Boko Haram.

Speaking during a chat with State House correspondents in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, also said the same man has agreed to extend similar gesture to the remaining girls still in the terrorists’ den.

However, the presidential spokesman noted that the 21 Chibok girls were being treated as adoptees of the Federal Government.

“A black American billionaire, Mr Robert Smith, who is currently sponsoring the education of 24 girls from Chibok, among them the first set of escapees from Boko Haram at the American University of Nigeria, Yola has offered to pay for the education of the 21 released through negotiations and is offering to take responsibility for all the others who will hopefully be eventually set free,” he said.

He added that other people and bodies are also interested in the girls.

“The Murtala Mohammed Foundation in the country is equally interested, [in helping the girl],” he added.

Responding to complaints by some of the parents of the 21 Chibok girls that they did not have enough room for interaction with their daughters brought home for Christmas by the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Garba admitted that there were some hitches arising from a lack of understanding of the objective of the trip on the part of some security operatives but that following the receipt of this complaint, a directive has been given from the headquarters for the access by the parents to be eased.

“If the situation persists, please let us know so that the higher authorities will make a further intercession,” he assured.

Addressing an issue of interest to a lot of the members of the governing party, the All Progressives Congress, APC concerning appointments into boards, Mr Garba assured that the process will be fully back on track at the beginning of the new year.

“You know that the reconstitution began methodically, from sector by sector. You should expect that to resume at the beginning of the new year. The President has given directions on what to do,” he said.

Share
Related Stories
Image
12-March-2024

Budget Padding: Senate Suspends Abdul Ningi for Three Months

By Dipo Olowookere Senator Abdul Ningi has been suspended by the Senate for three months over his allegations that the 2024 budget was padded with about N3.7 trillion. The opposition lawmaker was slammed with the suspension at the plenary on Tuesday after his colleagues debated his allegations and interview in the media. Mr Ningi, who was elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Bauchi Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly, had claimed in an interview with BBC Hausa that the N28.7 trillion budget of 2024 was padded with N3.7 trillion. When he was asked

Image
17-March-2024

Manufacturers, LCCI Laud Suspension of Expatriate Employment Levy

By Adedapo Adesanya The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) have lauded the decision of the federal government to halt the implementation of the Expatriate Employment Levy (EEL). The Expatriate Employment Levy, a new policy that was introduced by the federal government aimed to address wage gaps between expatriates and the Nigerian labour force while encouraging skills transfer and the employment of qualified Nigerians in foreign-owned companies. The new fee was $10,000 for staff and $15,000 for directors, which represented a significant shift from the $2,000 paid by foreign nationals for the Combined

Image
08-March-2024

NBC Challenges Judgement Against Imposition of Fines on Broadcast Stations

By Emmanuel Udom The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has challenged the judgement of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which said it has no powers to impose sanctions on erring broadcast stations in Nigeria. Justice James Omotosho had on November 23, 2023, held that the regulator cannot be a judge in its case by imposing fines on broadcast media platforms it believes violated the broadcasting rules. On March 1, 2019, NBC announced the imposition of a fine of N500,000 each on 45 broadcast stations for alleged contraventions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Angered by this, an Abuja-based lawyer, Mr Noah

More Stories
Image
11-December-2016

Nigeria Consumes 12m Litres Of Diesel Daily

By Ladi Patrick National president of Jatropha Growers, Processors and Exporters Association of Nigerian (JAGPEAN), Major General J. Omosebi (Rtd) has disclosed that about 12 million litres of diesel were consumed daily in the country. The president, who stated this recently in Abuja, said blending with 20 percent biodiesel, the country needed 2.4 million litres of biodiesel daily while for 365 days 876 million would be required. According to him, there were very little data of the Jatropha available in the country, stating that it is believed that it is insignificant to the quantity that were required for the policy.

Image
13-July-2019

Why ISOPADEC is Under Investigation—Irona

Recently, the Imo State government constituted an investigative panel to look into the management of the Imo state Oil Producing areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC). While some saw this as a welcome development, others claimed it was part of the present government’s agenda to witch-hunt the immediate past government of Senator Rochas Okorocha. But Deputy Governor of Imo State, Mr Gerald Irona explained that the decision to probe the commission was because of reports of mismanagement of the agency by previous administrations in the state. Speaking when he received a delegation of stakeholders from Ohaji, in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area

Image
24-September-2016

Avengers Resume Attack, Bomb Oil Facility In Bonny

By Ebitonye Akpodigha Members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have reportedly destroyed an oil facility in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. This comes when the militants and the Federal Government agreed to a ceasefire to give room for talks. Though lately, the Nigerian government deployed troops to the region in an operation code named ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’, which has caused uproar in some quarters. The NDA disclosed on Saturday via its spokesman, Brig-Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, that it “brought down oil productions activities at the Bonny 48 inches crude oil Export Line” at exactly 8:40pm on Friday. Mr Agbinibo

Image
20-January-2020

Two Money Doublers Grabbed With N45m Fake Notes

By Modupe Gbadeyanka Two suspected money-doublers, Mr Badamasi Sule and Mr Muhammad Muhammad, have been apprehended by operatives of the Abuja zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The suspects were nabbed in December 2019 for allegedly being in possession of counterfeit Naira notes totaling about N45 million. According to the anti-graft agency, the alleged currency counterfeiters was arrested following actionable intelligence report which exposed a syndicate of fraudsters who specialize in printing fake N1,000 notes. They were also found to be in possession of fake $100 bills. It was said that investigations further revealed that two

Image
29-May-2020

CBN Cuts Interest Rates on Intervention Loans to 5%

By Adedapo Adesanya The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has given a one-year moratorium on all principal repayments for COVID-19 intervention loans through its participating Other Financial Institutions (OFIs). This took effect from March 1, 2020, a circular signed by the Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Mr Kevin Amugo, on Wednesday, stated. It also stated that as part of its continued efforts to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on households, businesses and regulated institutions, interest rate on its facilities through the participating OFIs has been reduced from nine percent to five percent per annum for one year effective March

Image
24-March-2022

57% of Africans Without Mobile Money, Bank Accounts—Report

By Aduragbemi Omiyale A new report by a digital financial firm, Banking Payments Context (BPC), has revealed that about 57 per cent of Africans do not hold any kind of bank account, including mobile money accounts. This is despite having a population of more than 1.1 billion people, with sub-Saharan Africa making up a significant share of the global population and also representing the world’s youngest overall population, with a median age of under 19 years. The new report focuses on the regional market environment of Sub-Saharan Africa and relevant implications for key digital banking players. The detailed analysis provides

Image
05-September-2023

Crude Oil: Saudi Arabia Extends One Million bpd Cut till December

By Adedapo Adesanya Saudi Arabia on Tuesday extended its 1-million-barrels-per-day voluntary oil production cut until the end of the year. The Kingdom first applied the 1 million barrels per day reduction in July and has since extended it on a monthly basis. The cut adds to 1.66 million barrels per day of other voluntary crude output declines that some members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) have put in place until the end of 2024. The reduction will put Saudi crude output near 9 million barrels per day over October, November and December and

Image
14-June-2023

Naira Trades N664.04/$1 at Official Market, N753/$1 at Black Market

By Adedapo Adesanya The Naira was officially floated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday, allowing the value of the local currency to be determined by market conditions, especially demand and supply. During the midweek session, the Naira plunged against the US Dollar in the Investors and Exporters (I&E) segment by 40.8 per cent to trade at N664.04/$1 compared with the previous day’s value of N461.67$1, according to data from FMDQ Securities Exchange. Earlier in the day, Business Post reported that commercial banks had been granted the autonomy to trade FX freely, meaning that the rates will be

Ad
Ad
Recent Stories
Image
19-March-2024

Brent Jumps to $86 Per Barrel on Low Crude Exports, Stronger Demand

By Adedapo Adesanya  The price of the international crude benchmark, Brent Crude, rose by 88 cents or 1.0 per cent to $86.22 per barrel on Monday, triggered by lower crude exports from Iraq and Saudi Arabia and signs of stronger demand and economic growth in China and the US. Also, the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude appreciated by $1.01 or 1.3 per cent to $82.05 per barrel, as Iraq, the second-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said it would reduce crude exports to 3.3 million barrels a day in the coming months to compensate

Image
18-March-2024

Cardoso Begins CBN Clean-up, Removes Directors Close to Emefiele

By Aduragbemi Omiyale There are strong indications that some directors at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may have to lose their jobs in the in-house clean-up exercise by the Governor, Mr Yemi Cardoso. Reports suggest that Mr Cardoso wants to let go of some directors who worked closely with Mr Godwin Emefiele, who President Bola Tinubu believes worked to stop him from going to Aso Rock. Recall that during his electioneering campaign, Mr Tinubu accused the former CBN chief and some persons of introducing the botched Naira redesign policy to frustrate him. Immediately after he assumed office on May

Image
18-March-2024

Profit-Taking Depletes Nigerian Exchange by 0.40%

By Dipo Olowookere The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited succumbed to profit-taking on Monday, shedding 0.40 per cent despite a bullish investor sentiment. The local bourse ended with 27 price gainers and 18 price losers today, implying a positive market breadth index. The selling pressure was just investors booking profit after gains in the past few trading sessions, especially in MTN Nigeria, GTCO, Zenith Bank and others. The heaviest price depreciation was recorded by McNichols, 9.30 per cent, closing at N1.17, and was trailed by DAAR Communications, which shed 8.97 per cent to 71 Kobo. UPDC declined by 7.89 per cent

Image
18-March-2024

NCC Announces 90% Restoration of Voice, Data Services After Cable Cuts

By Adedapo Adesanya The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has announced that voice and data services affected by undersea cable cuts last week have been 90 per cent restored. In a series of tweets signed by Mr Reuben Muoka, the Director of Public Affairs at the commission on Monday, March 18, the NCC said, “Following the disruption on March 14, 2024, which affected data and voice services due to cuts in undersea fibre optics along the coasts of Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal, we are pleased to announce that services have now been restored to approximately 90% of their peak utilization capacities.”

Image
18-March-2024

Unity Bank, SkillPaddy to Train Female Software Engineers

By Modupe Gbadeyanka At least 1,000 female software engineers will undergo a training programme organised by SkillPaddy through its Count Her In tech programme with support from Unity Bank Plc. The IT skill development and empowerment initiative is intended to bridge talent supply gaps while providing individuals with the opportunity to meet their training goals and launch careers in the tech industry. It was disclosed that about 40 young girls will receive full sponsorship from Unity Bank in the special training initiative which was conceived as part of activities to commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day 2024. All beneficiaries of

Image
18-March-2024

Your Moods Soundtracked With Spotify’s New Daylist Feature

Throughout the day, your mood changes, and so does the music you listen to. Last night might have been an island vibes riddim Monday night, while this moment is more of a nostalgic 2010s Tuesday afternoon. The point is, that you’re ever-changing, and your playlists should be too. Say hello to daylist, your day in a playlist. This new, one-of-a-kind playlist on Spotify ebbs and flows with unique vibes, bringing together the niche music you typically listen to during particular moments in the day or on specific days of the week. It updates frequently between sunrise and sunset with a

Image
18-March-2024

Stanbic IBTC Adopts Mala Kachallah Model School, Three Others

By Modupe Gbadeyanka Mala Kachallah Model School in Maiduguri, Borno State; Methodist School Mbiafun Nkwono Ikono, Akwa Ibom State; Aramoko District School, Aramoko Ekiti State; and Magin Rafi Model Primary School Tudun Wada, Sokoto State have been adopted by Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc. The leading financial services provider in Nigeria revamped these citadels of learning under its Adopt-a-School programme structured on the company’s Social, Environmental, and Economic (SEE) framework, which aligns with its mission to be a responsible corporate citizen. It was learned that Stanbic IBTC renovated and rebuilt classroom blocks, provided modern and conducive learning environments, furnished classrooms, established

Image
18-March-2024

Nigeria’s Data Regulator Investigates Alleged NIMC Breach

By Adedapo Adesanya The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) is investigating allegations of unauthorised access to the personal data of enrollees in the database of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). This was disclosed by Mr Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of the data regulation body in a statement signed by Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, NPDC, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye on Monday. He said the investigation is a further regulatory measure to be taken by the commission in the wake of public concerns over reports of illegal access, to the personal data of enrollees by a shadowy entity called

Image
18-March-2024

Russia Validates Partnership with Republic of Congo

By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh Over the years, Russia and the Republic of Congo have had good bilateral relations and, undoubtedly, there are still prospects for strengthening these relations, especially in the economy and security spheres as underlined during the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Denis Sassou-Nguesso in the Kremlin. “Our countries have always had friendly relations that have been developing this way for 55 years now. Our trade is growing – by over 60 per cent – although, unfortunately, the numbers in absolute terms are still modest. But, we have good potential in several industries, such as energy, the processing

Image
18-March-2024

2,250 Professionals for Interswitch Job Shadowing Programme

By Modupe Gbadeyanka An initiative known as Job Shadowing Programme designed to empower about 2,250 professionals through immersive training, tailored coaching, and mentorship sessions has been introduced by one of Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce companies, Interswitch. A statement disclosed that the mentorship sessions would span diverse disciplines such as engineering, product management, operations, marketing, finance, and human resources. The firm explained that the scheme was designed to nurture emerging talent and enhance capabilities within the continent’s tech sector. Scheduled to run from March to June 2024, participants will immerse themselves in comprehensive training, gaining insights into industry