Tinubu Appoints Three New NUPRC Executive Commissioners

By Adedapo Adesanya The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the nomination of Mr Zacch Adedeji as the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Mr Adedeji, who appeared at the upper chamber for his screening today, revealed his plans to improve the nation’s revenue, referring to the dearth of information in the oil and gas sector. The FIRS boss promised that most of the leakages would be halted. According to him, the core problem in the country is that of proper data, adding that developing data upon which decisions will be made is fundamental. He explained that this would enable

By Adedapo Adesanya President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of three new Executive Commissioners to serve in the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). He also approved the redeployment of one current Executive Commissioner along with these three personnel who will take up their duties after their confirmation by the Nigerian Senate. The new executives are: Mr Bashir Indabawa — North West — Executive Commissioner, Exploration & Acreage Management Mr Kelechi Ofoegbu — South East — Executive Commissioner, Corporate Services & Administration (Redeployed) Mr Enorense Amadasu — south south — Executive Commissioner, Development & Production Mr Babajide Fasina —

By Adedapo Adesanya The Senate has officially confirmed Mr Adamu Aliyu as the substantive chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). He was confirmed following a screening session at the plenary on Thursday, a day after President Bola Tinubu pleaded with the upper chamber to speed up his confirmation. The screening commenced at approximately 11:50 am following a request by Mr Bamidele Opeyemi to temporarily suspend specific Senate rules, permitting external individuals to enter the chamber. The Deputy Senate President, Mr Jibirin Barau, led the screening of Mr Aliyu, who was the Attorney General of

By Adedapo Adesanya Prices of crude oil were down on Monday by more than 3 per cent amid growing worries about the global energy demand outlook due to prolonged COVID-19 lockdowns, especially in China. Yesterday, the country intensified lockdown efforts, which had earlier centred primarily on Shanghai but have now spread to the capital, Beijing. Investors are now concerned that increased restrictions in the world’s largest oil importer will be put in place and that more cities will be affected. Chinese authorities also announced mass testing for all people in the Beijing district, further adding to the sense of panic,

By Dipo Olowookere Between 2018 and December 2021, the agent banking of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Firstmonie, recorded transactions worth over N17 trillion, Business Post reports. The bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Adesola Adeduntan, who disclosed this in an interview with ThisDay, said the financial services were carried out in 817 million transactions by over 150,000 Firstmonie agents spread in 772 of the 774 local government areas of Nigeria. According to the veterinary doctor turned banker, this has arguably made First Bank the largest bank-led network in Nigeria, and indeed Sub-Saharan Africa. “The Firstmonie initiative has been a very

By Modupe Gbadeyanka The importance for human capacity development amongst staff of financial institutions for improved operations has been emphasised by the MD/CEO of Heritage Bank Plc, Mr Ifie Sekibo. Speaking at a 3-day yearly Internal Control and Audit Conference organised by Heritage Bank in Lagos, Mr Sekibo said training acquired personally and arranged by corporate organisations to individuals was useful not only to the person but key to the corporation growth. However, he advised staff participating at the conference to be rigorously committed in upholding integrity, as their job qualities define each person’s character. Also, Mr Sekibo stressed the

By Adedapo Adesanya Nigerians have expressed outrage as the Lagos State government ordered the mass burial of 103 people who died in violence linked to protests in October 2020, whose bodies were not claimed by relatives. In a memo dated July 19, 2023, which can be found online and later confirmed by the state government, the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led government approved N61.285 million for the mass burial of 103 persons, which many believe are victims of 2020 shootings at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, though the government has maintained that nobody was killed in the incident. The Lagos State Ministry

By Modupe Gbadeyanka The federal government has said each youth in Nigeria is entitled to an interest-free loan of N250,000 to N5 million and all is needed to claim the fund are phone number, account number and the Bank Verification Number (BVN). The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, who made this disclosure, the fund is from the N75 billion approved by President Muhammadu Buhari for youth empowerment for three years. In a meeting last Friday with religious leaders and 77 District Heads from the 23 local government areas in Kaduna State, the Minister said the

By Dipo Olowookere The German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Dr Barbara Hendricks, will visit Kenya from 28th September to 1st October. The visit is part of a trip to three African countries on the occasion of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in South Africa. A number of African countries had called for lifting the bans on trade in ivory and rhino horn. Both Germany and Kenya are against such relaxations. Prior to her departure, the Minister made

By Modupe Gbadeyanka A research centre on malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS constructed in partnership with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, has been commissioned by Governor Samuel Ortom. During the ceremony, Mr Ortom thanked the Federal Government for choosing Benue State among the North Central states to site the project, assuring that his administration would support the research centre to achieve the purpose it was established. According to the Governor, the centre would provide the information necessary for government to formulate and implement policies that would reduce the diseases prevalent in the state.

By Investors Hub European stocks are subdued on Thursday as investors digest mixed earnings updates and awaited new developments on global trade disputes. While the U.K.?s FTSE 100 Index has edged up by 0.2 percent, the French CAC 40 Index and the German DAX Index are both down by 0.4 percent. U.K. retail sales unexpectedly declined in June, but the quarterly growth rate was the fastest since 2015, preliminary data from the Office for National Statistics showed. Retail sales dropped 0.5 percent from the previous month, while economists were looking for a 0.2 percent increase. The decline came after two