General
Wema Bank Employees Donate Salaries to Save Children at Hospitals
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
For the second year in a row, members of staff of Wema Bank Plc have donated their salary for the treatment of children in emergency wards of three government-owned hospitals across the country.
Since 2016, Wema Bank, one of the leading financial institutions in Nigeria, has made February its month of giving by donating funds to mark St. Valentine’s Day, which holds every 14th of the second month of the year.
The initiative, called Purple Nectar, is designed to touch the lives of people in the communities where the bank operates.
It involves each interested staff donating a day’s Salary for Love as a way of celebrating St. Valentine’s Day.
“Every 14th of February, the world celebrates St. Valentine’s Day. Usually, couples go out on this day as a way of showing love to each other.
“But at Wema Bank, we decided that while it is fine for couples to show love to each other on this day, our focus as a bank should be on showing love to those who need it but are not getting it,” said the Managing Director/CEO of Wema Bank Plc, Mr Segun Oloketuyi.
Mr Oloketuyi, while presenting a cheque to one of the beneficiaries of the 2017 Purple Nectar Initiative at the Children Emergency Ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), said further that, “Some are in critical situations and they need all the help they can get.
“In our own little way of showing love, the staff of Wema Bank decided to put their salaries for that particular day (February 14) together and looked for people who need our love. The demonstration of this love is to support those who need help, especially in health-related issues.”
Children present at the LUTH Emergency Ward when Wema Bank visited were being treated for several ailments.
The mother of a 7-month old baby who benefitted from the initiative, Mrs Ngene broke down in tears as the Wema Bank Managing Director presented a cheque to her.
She thanked the staff of Wema Bank for the kind gesture and managed to smile before Mr Oloketuyi left her son’s bed side.
Another patient at LUTH who benefitted from the Purple Nectar Initiative is a 10-year-old girl who is undergoing chemotherapy. Within the 12 hours before the Wema Bank staff visited, she had taken more than 9 pints of blood.
Her mother, Mrs Soetan, who said her daughter had been at the hospital for 3 months expressed appreciation for the bank’s donation and prayed that God blesses the Wema Bank staff who donated to her ailing daughter.
Wema Bank’s Purple Nectar began in 2016 as part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives focused at helping the less-privileged in the society.
One of last year’s beneficiaries, a physically challenged hairdresser bought herself a wheelchair and set up a beauty shop after getting the Purple Nectar funding. She is doing well and has started production of her beauty care line.
The beneficiaries of this year’s Purple Nectar include patients at the Children’s emergency ward at LUTH, Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Old GRA Port Harcourt and Wuse General Hospital, Abuja.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office with a clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the mandate of the commission as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to a statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the Head of Media & Strategic Communications at the upstream regulator, the NUPRC boss made this assertation during her first town hall meeting with management and staff on Tuesday December 23, 2025.
She further disclosed plans to make the commission a business enabler and re-ignite investments in the upstream sector.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Mrs Eyesan to take over the NUPRC after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Mr Gbenga Komolafe as well as his counterpart in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed.
In her new capacity, Mrs Eyesan also set a firm production ambition of growing Nigeria’s output and increasing gas production.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry,” she said.
The commission boss who has served for over three decades in the oil and gas sector, promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.
The NUPRC head said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.
On leadership style, Mrs Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement, while also soliciting for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.
“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to embrace religious tolerance, peace, and unity, urging citizens of all faiths to reject violence and intolerance amid ongoing security challenges across the country.
In his 2025 Christmas goodwill message issued on Wednesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President emphasised that no Nigerian should suffer discrimination or violence because of their religious beliefs, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to safeguarding freedom of worship and national cohesion.
“As your President, I remain committed to doing everything within my power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect all people of different faiths from violence,” Mr Tinubu said, noting that all Nigerians have the constitutional right to live, worship, and pursue their aspirations in safety and dignity.
The President acknowledged growing concerns around religious intolerance and insecurity, revealing that he had engaged extensively throughout the year with leaders of Nigeria’s two major faiths.
In the last few months, the country faced a spate of attacks including kidnapping of school children and armed terror, involving the death of a high ranking army personnel.
He also said the government would continue to build on these engagements to strengthen collaboration with religious institutions, prevent conflict, and promote peaceful coexistence.
President Tinubu described Christmas as a period for reflection on the message of Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace, urging Nigerians to draw inspiration from values of love, compassion, and goodwill that cut across all major religions.
He commended Christians in Nigeria for their contributions to national development, particularly their role in caring for the vulnerable and promoting harmony within communities.
“The love for God and love for humanity is at the heart of all the great faiths. These shared values must continue to bind us together as one indivisible and resilient people,” he said.
Reiterating his administration’s stance on security, the President said the government’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s unity and stability has remained unwavering since he assumed office in 2023. He stressed that the state would not tolerate violence targeted at any group on the basis of ethnicity or belief.
President Tinubu also appealed to Nigerians travelling during the festive season to exercise patience and discipline on the roads, wishing them safe journeys and returns.
Expressing optimism about the country’s future, the President said that with faith in God and collective resolve, Nigeria would overcome its challenges and build a nation that future generations would be proud of.
He concluded by wishing Christians in Nigeria and around the world a Merry Christmas and Nigerians a happy New Year in advance.
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