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  • Easter pop-up channel on Dstv, GOtv brings laughter

    Multichoice has announced a new pop-up channel called Naija comedy coming on on April 15.

    The channel promises a 100 percent Nigerian comedy shows – ticketed stand shows, skits, and produced shows; a ticket to viewers for some of the biggest comedy shows they may have missed in the past during the Easter period.

    Last month, two pop-up channels were launched on DStv; M-Net Movies Epic Battle Pop-Up Channel which focused on epic battles from the M-Net movies stable like Troy, Pearl harbour, Saving Private Ryan etc. and SuperheroHQ which included animation series, animation movies, as well as live-action superhero-themed movies like Batman, Superman, Justice League, Green Lantern and Teen Titans.

    “This channel will guarantee rib-cracking jokes from some of Nigeria’s finest comedians. Viewers can look to being a part to some of the biggest ticketed shows in the country” says Martin Mabutho, Chief Customer Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria.

    The channel which will run from April 15 – May 1, 2019, will provide fresh content daily. It is available to DStv Family to Premium package subscribers on channel 197 and on channel 28 GOtv Max subscribers. The show starts daily as from 12:00 Noon.

    Viewers can look forward to Alibaba’s January 1st Concert, also known as the official celebration event of the new year; Comedy Nites with IK, AY Live, The Lord of the Ribs, and Mama Tobi Untamed “The Homecoming”.

  • Firm’s MD remanded for allegedly dealing in substandard engine oil

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday ordered the prison remand of Managing Director of Richbon Nigeria Ltd, Cajethan Muonagolu, following his arraignment by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) through the Federal Ministry of Justice.

    He was arraigned on a four-count charge of dealing in adulterated and substandard engine oil.

    Justice Saliu Saidu granted him bail for N50million with two sureties in like sum.

    One of the sureties, the judge said, must be a civil/public servant not less than Grade Level 15 in the employment of the Federal or Lagos State Government.

    The other surety must be the defendant’s relation who owns a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.

    The court ordered the sureties to deposit their passport photographs, while Muonagolu must deposit his international passport with the court registrar.

    The prosecution and the court registrar are to verify the sureties’ addresses, the judge said.

    Justice Saidu ordered that Muonagolu should be remanded in prison until he meets his bail terms.

    Arguing the bail application, defence counsel Goke Olagunlehin, holding the brief of Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), urged the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms.

    But SON prosecuting counsel, including Messrs Babatunde Alajogun and Adeleke Olofindare, opposed the bail application on the grounds that Muonagolu allegedly committed another offence while the charge was pending.

    Alajogun said the defendant broke and removed SON’s official seal and evacuated 15, 000 cartons of suspected adulterated/substandard engine oil from his company.

    The prosecution said he also allegedly assaulted SON officials in the course of their lawful duties.

    The court ordered the counsel for the prosecution and defence to visit the warehouse to ascertain the breaking of the seal or otherwise.

    Muonagolu and his company allegedly committed the offence last December 12 at ASPAMDA Trade Fair Complex, Lagos Badagry Expressway.

    SON said they conspired to deal in 15,000 cartons of Prime Plasma, Prime ATF and Stanley brand of engine oil which it said are substandard.

    The prosecution said the defendants claimed that the products were genuine, contrary to Section 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act of 2004.

    They also allegedly failed to comply with SON Conformity Assessment Programe (MANCAP) by dealing in engine oil that did not have the requisite MANCAP certification.

    Their arraignment is coming less than a month after SON arraigned four men before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyibo of the same court.

    Uche Johnson, Olaide Shittu, Kingsley Meteke and Abdulquadri Olayinka were said to have adulterated 128 drums and 9.45 litres of engine oil.

    They allegedly claimed that the products with genuine engine oil and sold them to unsuspecting motorists. Their trial is ongoing.

    SON undertook a nationwide raid on suspected adulterated and substandard lubricants in response to consumer complaints about engine failures caused by substandard oil.

    The Organisation is also prosecuting other standards infractions relating to adulterated and substandard lubricants across the country.

    Justice Saidu adjourned until May 20 for trial.

  • Envoys shock party chair after presidential election

    The national chairman of one of a prominent political party whose candidate contested in the just concluded presidential election was taught a new lesson in diplomacy by the embassies of some foreign countries after the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the election.

    Before the elections, the party chair was said to be in the habit of calling the envoys of some countries to seek their intervention even on very mundane issues. Many of the envoys were said to have indulged him with response before the elections, such that he virtually turned the embassies into his second home.

    Read Also: Algeria to hold presidential election July 4

    But while he savoured the privilege of rubbing shoulders with the envoys of the affected countries, it dawned on him after the elections that he was only being tolerated by them. The party chairman was said to have been shocked to the marrow when, contrary to his expectations, the envoys of the ‘friendly’ embassies inundating President Buhari with congratulatory messages as soon as he was declared the winner of the presidential election.

    The stocky party chairman was devastated and could not believe the contents of the messages conveyed by some of the envoys. In protest, he is said to have stopped picking or returning the calls made to his phone by some of the ‘traitor’ envoys.

    Apparently lost on him is the basic principle of diplomacy; that there is no permanent friend or enemy, only permanent interest.

  • 3,500 child soldiers recruited in Nigeria —UNICEF

    More than 3,500 children, aged between 13 and 17, were recruited by armed militant groups between 2013 and 2017 and have been used in the ongoing armed conflict in Northeast Nigeria, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, has said.

    The organisation, in a statement ahead of the 5th anniversary of the abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls, said the figures may not represent the exact picture of the use of child soldiers by the armed groups, especially Boko Haram.

    “In addition to these children, 432 children were killed and maimed, 180 were abducted, and 43 girls were sexually abused in North-East Nigeria in 2018,” it said.

    The UNICEF said the Chibok abduction, closely followed by another mass kidnapping of another 110 girls in Dapchi, is a grim reminder that widespread abductions of children and grave violations of children’s rights continue to take place in the North-East.

    “Children should feel safe at home, in schools and on their playgrounds at all times,” the statement quoted Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF representative in Nigeria, as saying.

    It asked the parties to the conflict to “fulfil their obligations under international law to end violations against children and to stop targeting civilian infrastructure, including schools.”

    At least 100 of the Chibok girls remain in captivity.

    Since 2012, non-state armed groups in the North East have recruited and used children as combatants and non-combatants, raped and forced girls to marry, and committed other grave violations against children, the agency said.

    It said some of the girls become pregnant in captivity and give birth without any medical care or attention.

  • Council boss empowers 300

    The executive chairman of the Badagry Local Government, Hon Olusegun Onilude, on Tuesday put smiles on the faces of about 300 residents of the council area as part of the empowerment programmes of his administration.

    Speaking at the second phase of the series of the programmes, Onilude said the resolve of his administration to embark on the empowerment programmes which would be on quarterly basis was to reduce poverty in the local government area and enhance the economic potential of the people towards self-sufficiency.

    ”We want to empower not fewer than 300 people and they would be going home with well-packaged hampers, cash support, poultry, fish and pig feeds, fertilizers, knapsack sprayers, maize mixed with apron plus and herbicides. This covers a wide range of the populace comprising farmers, youths, the aged, vulnerable women, the physically challenged and widows. This is meant to turn their lives around for the better, “he said.

    The council boss, who also used the medium to tell the people of the local government area how far his administration had gone in transforming the council area in terms of projects executed that would soon be commissioned, said an ultra modern market at Ikoga, ultra modern primary school at Gberefu, full rehabilitation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Vocational Skills Acquisition Centre at Ajara Iluda and the commissioning of adults literacy centres in ten wards of the council area is expected in the next few months.

    Onilude noted that his resolve to empower the people on quarterly basis was to make dividends of democracy available at the door steps of the people and appreciate them for supporting policies and programmes of his administration from time to time.

    He advised the empowered people to make proper use of the items.

  • Ogun, Lagos to set up joint development commission, says Abiodun

    A Lagos/Ogun joint development commission is in the offing , according to Ogun State Governor-elect, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

    Abiodun, speaking at a strategic session with the state chapter of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other members of the organised private sector at Agbara, Ado-Odo-Otta council area of the state, he said he and his Lagos State counter-part, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu were on the same page on the proposal.

    Read also: Amosun’s govt owes N170m deductions, Ogun Poly workers allege

    The planned agency, he said, would help drive the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of both states and enhance rapid development and transformation of their border communities.

    Abiodun also said that improved security and upgrading of infrastructure would be aggressively pursued by his administration.

    The governor-elect was with his running mate, Mrs. Noimot Oyedele – Salako at the meeting.

  • ‘Why South East should produce House of Reps Speaker’

    A group of APC supporters from the South East on the platform of APC South-East Renaissance Group said on Thursday that in the spirit of equity and justice and the promise by the President to run an all-inclusive government during his second term in office, the party leadership should cede the position of Speaker of House of Representatives to the region.

    The group said ceding the position to the South East will be the only way to tell them that they are still part of the Nigerian federation and give them the voice to dissuade agitators back home who are clamouring for a Biafra Republic, stressing that denying them the position will amount to silencing them as they will have nothing to take home.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja, Convener of the group, Hon. Chris-lance O. Onyemechara, said when the zone was denied the position of principal officer in 2015, it was on the premise that the APC did not have any ranking member from the zone, adding that in 2019, the party now have some ranking members from the zone.

    He said ordinarily, they expect the party to cede the position of Senate President to them, arguing that since the party has already zoned that position to the North East, they should follow the principles of federal character and cede the Speaker to the South East.

    He argued that it was injustice being meted out to people from the South East that led to the civil war, pointing out that at the end of the war, they were made to believe that there was no victor and no vanquish.

    He said: “Today, I bring to you the valid concerns of a people; and give voice to the utter trepidation of more than 20 million Nigerians of South-East extraction spread across the country. Many of these people love this country so dearly and have invested in this country with their blood and sweat.

    “They are eager to integrate into the mainstream as development partners of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC). But we always find ways to throw up walls of barrier on their faces. We hardly ever give them a fair deal.

    Read also: Edo Speaker, predecessor bicker over sporadic shootings at legislative quarters

    “Such harsh scenarios saw our forefathers opting out of the union with such firm resolve that they were willing to go to war to challenge injustice, even at the cost of a million lives. Many did not desire war, but the system left them little or no choice.

    “When the dust of that war settled and the white flags were up, there were assurances and reassurances. The words went out: no victor, no vanquished.

    “And for whatever it was worth, we were asked to remain in the union for we were better as one nation. Not a few of our people believed that. Most told their children who passed it on through many generations that we are stronger together.

    “But many years down the line, the South-East and indeed the former eastern region and many others are still faced with rejection, denials, deprivations and exclusion, of political and socio-economic ramifications.”

  • ‘Negative reports about Nigeria scare away tourists, investors’

    THE Acting Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Alhaji Kabir Momoh, has identified negative reports as tool affecting tourism sector’s growth, saying such reports scare away foreign investors.

    He was speaking during the 2019 travel journalists’ training with the  theme: Building A Sustainable Destination Through Tourism Reportage.

    He called on travel journalists to be conscious of the effects of their writings in building Nigeria as a viable tourism destination.

    He said: “The media is indispensable in championing the  cause of tourism development. The media can do this through effective and organized reportage that will promote  sustainable tourism industry.”

    Director General of the Nigerian Tourism and Development Commission(NTDC), Folorunsho Coker, said: “Tourism cannot thrive unless the media promotes it. The media is the bedrock of tourism. My primary interest is on environmental journalism. If you do not talk about yourself, no one will.

    The President of the  Federation Tourism Association of Nigeria(FTAN), Alhaji Rabo Saleh, also  called for positive reportage about tourism in the country.

    He said: “A lot of negative information has been written about Nigeria, and this cannot help the growth of tourism. If we want tourism to grow, we have to talk about the positive sides and nobody will do that for us. We have to do it, and ANJET has been playing that role.

    “I am sure they will continue to play that role for us to attain that.  This is another good time for us. The elections have just been held and we are supposed to have a new government in place.

    “Unfortunately, we don’t have a ministry of tourism and culture, but we are under information. Therefore, we call on President  Buhari, as a matter of urgency, to create a ministry of tourism and culture so that tourism will be given its place.

    “If we want tourism to replace oil, we need to fund it. All the parastatals need to be funded properly, so that tourism will take its rightful place.”

  • It is ridiculous to say we bomb innocent people – Air Force

    The Nigerian Air Force has described as ridiculous insinuations that its air strikes in Zamfara State were targeted at innocent people

    The Air Force  spokesman, Air commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said in Abuja that some media reports insinuating that Operation Diran Mikiya killed only innocent civilians in the areas attacked and not bandits, were untrue.

    “The NAF finds such reports rather ridiculous because most of the locations attacked are within the Rugu, Sububu and Kagara Forests general area, which are known armed bandits hideouts that have been attacked in the past, without any outcry,” Daramola said.

    He added: “for the avoidance of doubts, the public is to please note that the locations attacked from 8 to 11 April 2019 were selected based on human intelligence (HUMINT) reports obtained from security agencies and other government sources, traditional and community leaders as well as reliable, vetted informants.

    “NAF also has Special Forces (SF) personnel operating in some of the areas attacked, who provided additional intelligence. These were all further confirmed by days of detailed day and night Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions to ensure proper targeting for avoidance of collateral damage.

    “To further ensure this, as standard practice, NAF attack aircraft on air interdiction missions are accompanied by ISR platforms that guide them to designated targets. Furthermore, NAF pilots, by training and in line with extant Rules of Engagement (ROEs) for the operation, do not attack any location if it is observed that non-combatants, especially women and children, are present. In such cases, the pilots would rather return to Base with their ammunitions unexpended. Consequently, it is inconceivable that the NAF would attack locations where innocent civilians reside.

    “ In view of the foregoing, the NAF finds it rather mischievous that anyone would spread such deliberate misinformation whilst the Service is doing its best to effectively respond to the challenges facing the good people of Zamfara State and its environs.”

  • Ecobank sells $450m Eurobonds to refinance debts

    Pan-African financial institution headquartered in Lome, Togo, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, has issued Eurobonds valued at $450 million to investors.

    Its proceeds are expected to be used by the bank to meet its general corporate obligations, including the refinancing of a portion of debt it owes banks.

    One of the arrangers of the bond sale, Renaissance Capital, disclosed in a statement that Ecobank sold the Eurobonds yesterday 9.75 per cent.

    Ecobank trades its shares on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

    The bond sale is the first from a publicly quoted bank on the Nigerian bourse in over a year.

    The last by a Nigerian-listed bank was the $400 million Eurobonds issued by Fidelity Bank Plc in October 2017. The Fidelity Bank five-year paper was sold at 10.75 percent, but the price on those notes has since risen, sending the yield down to about 8.8 percent.

    According to Bloomberg yesterday, the Ecobank five-year senior unsecured notes yields rank among the highest from emerging markets in 2019.

    The transaction lured strong demand from development banks and financial institutions, Samuel Sule, director of the financing group at RenCap, said in the statement.

    The other arrangers were Deutsche Bank AG, Standard Bank Group Ltd and Standard Chartered Plc.

    The yields are about the juiciest since Ecuador sold $1 billion of 10-year sovereign debt at 10.75 per cent in January, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

    Yields on those securities have dropped to nine per cent as sentiment toward emerging markets improved and the government secured a $4.2 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund.

    Ecobank raised $200 million in loans last year which are due for repayment in November. Many lenders in its biggest market of Nigeria are looking to raise funding to finance their operations or increase capital reserves after a 2016 recession triggered a surge in non-performing loans and stricter accounting rules increased impairments.