The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has imposed fines totaling ₦1.35 billion on nine Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) for failing to ensure the availability of Naira notes through Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) during the yuletide season. Each of the affected banks was fined ₦150 million for non-compliance with the CBN’s cash distribution guidelines, following spot checks on their branches. This action underscores the apex bank’s zero-tolerance stance toward disruptions in cash flow, particularly during peak demand periods. The sanctioned banks include: Fidelity Bank Plc First Bank Plc Keystone Bank Plc Union Bank Plc Globus Bank Plc Providus Bank Plc Zenith…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
Former Minister of Communications and Alternate Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (Rtd), has described the impeachment of Mr. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly as the “Law of Karma” in action. In a detailed statement released on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, Olanrewaju reflected on the political journey of the ousted Speaker, warning that his fall was inevitable due to past decisions and political missteps. The retired General recalled his earlier warning to Obasa during the 2023 political process, advising him to allow an…
A Lagos-based advocacy group, the De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, has strongly condemned a recent statement by Nigeria’s Minister for Youths, who suggested that Seyi Tinubu is fit to govern Lagos State. In a press release issued on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, the group described the Minister’s comments as “careless” and a personal opinion that does not reflect the views of Lagosians across the state’s five divisions: Epe, Lagos Island, Badagry, Ikeja, and Ikorodu. The group asserted that Seyi Tinubu, despite his public profile, does not have ancestral ties to Lagos State and cannot lay legitimate claims to its political or…
On Monday, the Lagos State House of Assembly impeached Mr. Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker; and immediately elected and swore in Mrs. Mojisola Meranda (APC-Apapa I), the former Deputy Speaker, as the new Speaker. Prior to her election as the new Speaker, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda was the deputy speaker of the 10th Lagos State House of Assembly. She was first elected as a member of the House in 2015, representing Apapa constituency 1. She was re-elected in 2019 and 2023. Mrs. Meranda, a Lagos blue blood, was the Chief Whip of the ninth house. Before her time in the House, Mrs.…
The Lagos State House of Assembly has impeached its Speaker, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa, in a dramatic move that has sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape. The decision was made during an emergency plenary session held on Monday in Ikeja. Following Obasa’s removal, the House elected and immediately swore in Mrs. Mojisola Meranda (APC-Apapa I), the former Deputy Speaker, as the new Speaker. In a related development, the Chief Whip of the House, Mr. Mojeed Fatai, was unanimously elected as the new Deputy Speaker. The Clerk of the House, Mr. Olalekan Onafeko, was not spared in the wave of leadership…
The Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) has called on the Federal Government to increase the allocation to the Cancer Health Fund (CHF) in the 2025 Appropriation Bill, stressing that the current budgetary provision of ₦150 million is grossly inadequate to meet the growing demand for cancer treatment in the country. Addressing health journalists in Abuja on Saturday, the NCS President, Prof. Abidemi Omonisi, appealed for the allocation to be raised to ₦1 billion, noting the financial burden its treatment places on patients. “The CHF is a commendable initiative by the Federal Ministry of Health, providing counterpart funding to support indigent cancer…
Operation against criminal activities in the North-West region has yielded results when troops of the Nigerian Army killed over 25 terrorists and injured 18 others in Zamfara State. The operation, codenamed Operation Fansan Yamma, was conducted by Sector 2 of the Joint Task Force North West. The success of the mission was revealed in a statement on Sunday by Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, the Coordinator of the Joint Media Coordination Centre. According to Abdullahi, the troops dismantled several terrorist hideouts in the Fakai area of Shinkafi Local Government Area (LGA) on January 10. “Some of the camps cleared include that…
Firefighters battled relentlessly into Saturday night to contain massive wildfires raging across Los Angeles as strong winds reignited flames, threatening untouched neighbourhoods. At least 16 people have been confirmed dead in the devastating fires, which have left communities in ruins and tested the resilience of thousands of firefighters and millions of California residents. Despite heroic efforts, including precision aerial water drops, the Palisades Fire continued its march eastward, approaching the Getty Center art museum and pushing north into the densely populated San Fernando Valley. “We’re a nervous wreck,” Sarah Cohen shared with The Los Angeles Times as her Tarzana home…
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has commended the repatriation of $52.88 million in recovered assets linked to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, by the United States government. It also lauded the collaboration between Nigeria and the U.S., describing it as a significant step in the global fight against corruption. In a statement by CISLAC’s Executive Director, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the organization urged the Federal Government to ensure the funds are utilized transparently and directed toward tangible development projects that benefit the citizens. “According to the Minister of Justice, these funds are earmarked for rural electrification…
The Government of Niger State complied with the conditions precedent in the laws, duly notified NERC, and requested the transfer of regulatory oversight for the intrastate electricity market in the state,” the statement read.