ONE WORD

By Rosemary Onuoha Some insurance firms have been flouting the Nigerian Insurance Industry Database, NIID, data upload requirement thereby exposing   vehicle owners to harassment from officials of Vehicle Inspection Service, VIS, in Lagos. File: insurance NASARAWA: Tension as PDP senatorial candidate escapes assassination Vanguard Insurance gathered that about 14 out of the 40 insurance companies underwriting motor insurance in the insurance sector have consistently defaulted in uploading data of their motor business on the NIID, even though it is mandatory for them to do so. Consequently, many vehicle owners are being harassed daily by officials of VIS over inability of the VIS officials to determine validity of their insurance certificates, even when they have valid motor insurance policies. The NIID is an information technology-based system that facilitates easy collation and dissemination of statistical and other information relating to insurance. It  a...

A Lagos High Lagos sitting in Igbosere, Lagos Island has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of actress and producer, Monalisa Chinda Coker, on allegations of tax evasion. Justice Adedayo Akintoye had issued the order of arrest on January 21, following an application by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, which had alleged that Coker repeatedly failed to honour a court summons. The application bordering on two counts, accused Coker of a six-year failure to file annual tax returns and failure to pay income tax in respect of her company, Monalisa Code Productions. Prosecution counsel, Yetunde Pitan, told Justice Akintoye that Coker had not appeared in court since 2017, when the charge was filed against her. “The defendant has been served with hearing notice. The proof of service is in the court’s file,” Pitan said, while making an application for the bench warrant. Granting the application, Justice Akintoye adjourned further proceedings till February 2. But on February ...

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RSS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command, have arrested the leader of a four-man fraud syndicate. According to the police, the gang leader, Osuji Chibuzor, 42, and his members used to operate along Ikeja, Ojota, Ojodu, Berger, Ogba, College Road and Agege. Police said that Chibuzor was lured into the waiting hands of RRS operatives after his team had successfully swindled a 34-year-old lady of N165,000. The suspect, whose role in the gang was to prophesy to the victim after he or she must have been lured into their offices at 8, Afolabi Street, Iju-Shaga and 7, Salami Street, Oko-Oba, Agege, disclosed that his gang members used fake dollars to entrap their victims. He said: “Members of my gang are Frank, Stella and Emeka. We used to drive out daily to look for victims and lure them into our trap. After luring a victim to our office, I would be invited as a pastor to pray for the victim. It is in the process of praying for the victim that I ...

(Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP) President Donald Trump said Sunday that the congressional questioning last week of his former lawyer may have contributed to the failure of his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — even as his national security advisor claimed the Hanoi meeting was a success. A high-stakes second summit to strike a disarmament deal with Kim broke up in disarray in Vietnam Thursday, with Trump saying: “Sometimes you have to walk and this was just one of those times.” The summit took place at the same time a Democrat-led congressional committee was grilling Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, who labelled his ex-boss a “racist”, “conman”, and “cheat”. On Sunday, Trump said the hearing may have contributed to the “walk”. “For the Democrats to interview in open hearings a convicted liar & fraudster, at the same time as the very important Nuclear Summit with North Korea, is perhaps a new low in American politics and may have contributed to the ‘walk...

Three suspected armed robbers have been apprehended barely two weeks after they robbed on a woman and dispossessed her of her valuables. The trio of Aisu Anago, 30y; Muritala Alubarika, 42 and Noah Joel, 34, now in police net, had sometime in February, 2019 exhibited their class of ingenuity in the act of robbery, for which one Mrs. Taiye Olotu fell their victim. However, the law of retribution caught up with the young men, who chose to live big without any legitimate source of income, but to arm-twist people, using force and arms. it was, indeed, their dooms day on February 28, when Mrs. Olotu sighted the three-man gang, using the same method of robbing her, and quickly alerted operatives of Atan-Otta Police Division, who were on patrol with their Divisional Police Officer (DPO), SP Abiodun Salami. In her complaint to the detectives, the victim stated that on that fateful day, she boarded a cab from Atan-Otta, going to Idiroko. But half way into the journey, the three other...

Arsenal manager, Unai Emery, has warned Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, that they must accept being substituted. Lacazette has looked upset on several occasions this season, when Emery has decided to replace him in the second half. The Frenchman lasted just 56 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham, before being replaced by Aubameyang. Emery has now told Lacazette that he and Aubameyang must accept his decisions. Asked about Lacazette being unhappy when he is substituted, Emery told reporters: “They need to accept the decision. “I am finding the best decisions for the team and they are playing other matches. “Sometimes I am not happy with them both when their performances are not good when they’re both playing, but I am very consistent in our work to take the best decision and to give them the best performance for us, whether they’re playing together or alone. “For example, next match it is not possible to play both because of the red card in Euro...

By Dele Sobowale “Nigeria complied with OPEC cut deal in February – Kachikwu” – Report The report went on to disclose that Nigeria, which produced 1.792 million barrels per day in January, went down to 1.685 million in February in compliance with the agreement by members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC to reduce supply and raise crude prices. Unfortunately, OPEC and Nigeria are caught in a no-win situation. Each time they reduce production to push crude prices up, they make it more profitable for American shale oil producers to increase their own supply and grab more of the global market share. Already, the Us has overtaken Nigeria as a supplier of crude to the United Kingdom. Our cutback will certainly open more of that market to the Yankees. 2019 Budget Presented by President Muhammadu Buhari at the at a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja Community leader cautions Igbo in Lagos As most of our readers are aware, the 2019 budget was...

Shareholders seek punitive measures on directors By Peter Egwuatu THE number of quoted firms sanctioned by the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, for flouting its post listing rules rose by 28 percent  in 2018 reflecting decline in quality of corporate governance among firms in the nation’s capital market. Shareholders, however, blamed the NSE and other regulators for this decline in corporate governance, citing their unwillingness to sanction directors responsible for the default of post listing rules. Financial Vanguard investigations show that the number of listed firms sanctioned and penalised by the NSE for flouting the post listing requirement of timely disclosure of interim and audited financial performance for the year 2018 rose by 28 percent to 36 from 28 in 2017. However the amount of penalty imposed dropped by 12.6 percent to N200.3 million in 2018 from N229.2 million in 2017. Stockmarket Contravention of post listing requirements in 2018 The 36 firms that d...

Nigeria’s vice president Yemi Osinbajo Enabling business includes the promotion of norms and customs, laws, regulations, policies, international trade agreements and public infrastructure that facilitate the movement of a product or service along its value chain. The reverse is inhibitive. For long, Nigeria has suffered from the inhibitive developments, wittingly and unwittingly, with its economic consequences, including the reputational risks of being known as unfriendly business environment. It is indeed, fast becoming a cliché for corporate organizations to say “hash operating environment” in explaining their difficulties in making profit in the country. However, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has been on awareness campaign, with the goal of delivering reforms to improve the doing business environment, and moving Nigeria into the top-100 on the 2020 World Bank Doing Business Index (DBI). According to the World Bank, Nigeria registered 75,...

Best Food Farm greenhouse PHOTO: FEMI IBIROGBA FEMI IBIROGBA, Head, Agro-Economy Desk, writes on how farmers make millions of naira through space, water-efficient and crop-protective technologies of greenhouses. Inadequate farm irrigation facilities in Nigeria and dramatically changing climate as a result of ozone layers depletion have affected quality and quantity of food produced in the country. The World Bank collection of developmental indicators indicates that the total agricultural irrigated land in Nigeria as of 2004 was 0.30474%, and, one of the latest reports by the International Food Policy Research Institute says as of as of 2018, “only one percent of Nigerian cropland is irrigated,” meaning most farmers can cultivate their fields only during the rainy season. This also leaves farmers and food-insecure populations very vulnerable. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMeT), in February 2019, warned farmers to expect lower and erratic rainfalls which might affect p...

Police officers wait to escort staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with electoral items to a polling station (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) • Gunmen kill three soldiers, others in Rivers, Kaduna • Police to focus on crisis-prone areas during elections Against the backdrop of crises in different parts of the country, the governorship and house of assembly elections scheduled to hold at the weekend may be marred by violence. Already, the crisis in Benue State has continued to claim lives. The military yesterday blamed certain powerful forces for the recent attacks on communities in the state. The Force Commander, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Maj-Gen. Adeyemi Yekini, who made the allegation at a press briefing yesterday in Makurdi said such individuals instigated the attacks on communities shortly before a major election in the country ostensibly to disrupt the exercise. “It is obvious that some forces are instigating violence in Benue; it is no...

A coworking station in Lagos The traditional offices have recently been superseded by coworking spaces which have proliferated all over the world. Shared spaces concept is not only great choice for small and growing businesses but also chosen by big corporations. It brings about the creation of a thriving community and fostering networking, such offices are becoming more and more popular among millennials and, thus profitable for their owners. According to a survey conducted by Deskmag, a magazine about coworking, about 1.7 million people will be working in some 19,000 coworking spaces across the globe by the end of 2018. Of the total number of coworking spaces, 29 per cent were opened over the past two years. About two-thirds of that total anticipates expanding their area by an average of 70 per cent, and a third are planning to open at least one more location. In Nigeria, the development is fast usurping the traditional office space, creating more void than anticipated i...

Organisers of the maiden Lagos Media Marathon have revealed that intending participants can start registering for the race from 12.00 p.m. today. The organizing committee, led by Tony Ubani, advised interested road runners to visit the official website for the marathon, lagosmediamarathon.com to complete the registration process. “Yes, the registration process starts by noon on Monday… we have been receiving a lot of messages from people to know when the portal for registration will be open and we want to announce that from Monday, people can start the process of being part of this historic event,” Ubani said at the weekend. As earlier stated by the organisers, those in the media and related industries, as well as students, will register for free. However, other members of the public, who want to be part of the event, will pay a token of N3, 000. With the payment, intending runners are guaranteed among other things, quality running bibs, goodie bag, as well as a finisher’s...

By Babajide Komolafe THE International Monetary Fund said that the global banking system could lose about $350 billion to cyber-attacks IMF Managing Director, Christine Lagarde disclosed this while making the call for better regulation of the banking system as a requirement for building a safer, more sustainable and ethically sound financial sector. Speaking in London on Thursday while delivering in a paper titled: “The Financial Sector: Redefining a Broader Sense of Purpose, delivered at the 32nd World Traders’ Tacitus Lecture, Largade noted that a better financial sector is more important than ever to help deliver on what our 21 century so badly needs namely higher employment, greener growth, and good living standards for all. IMF She  said: “ The key to achieving this goal is to reshape finance into something that is more aligned with societal values and more connected to the interests of all stakeholders: from customers, to workers, to shareholders, to local commun...

Thousands of people marched in Paris and other French cities Sunday to protest Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid to stand for a fifth term in office. The demonstrations coincide with large-scale rallies in Algeria to denounce the ailing president’s bid to hang on to power. Bouteflika, 82, uses a wheelchair and has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013. He flew to Switzerland a week ago for what his office described as “routine medical checks”. Organisers said 10,000 demonstrators from Algeria’s large diaspora gathered in the Place de la Republique, in central Paris. Police put the numbers at 6,000. Many waved their national flag or wore it over their shoulders, shouting, “out, out”, an AFP journalist at the scene witnessed. Organisers said about 1,000 turned out in the Mediterranean port of Marseille in the south, and a few hundred in the southwest city of Toulouse. Although Bouteflika has been increasingly frail since suffering a stroke...

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar on Sunday left the door open for a potential move to Spanish giants Real Madrid. Neymar The world’s most expensive footballer is currently recovering from a foot injury which he suffered on January 23 and has been linked with a return to La Liga ever since joining PSG from Barcelona in 2017. “In the future, everything is possible,” he told Brazilian television channel Globo.   “I’m not saying I’m going to Real Madrid, calm down. Everybody knows I have already accomplished my dream which was (playing for) Barcelona. “Real Madrid is one of the biggest teams in the world, every player perceived to have an interest in the club wants to play for them. Right now I’m very happy in Paris.” Neymar said Barcelona’s Lionel Messi had sent him his regards after hearing about the Brazilian’s most recent injury. “At the time I needed support the most, from people and the team, the best in the world came to me to say ‘I’m here to help...

Everything you need to live well Apart from make-up, tying your gele is another problem so many women face. You might not call it a problem but not everyone wants to just tie a gele like someone going for a prayer meeting – you really have to do it well. Let’s do this. Who must have seen the auto-gele somewhere, somehow. It has the prefix ‘auto’ because the idea is to do it once and make it permanent. So, you do not have to go through the stress over and over again. It is perfect for cultural dresses. For women who might not want to wear an Ankara or a laced dress, the rose gele is just the right thing to wear. It fits in quite naturally. The flowery umbrella gele is a multi-friendly kind. You could wear it either with your cultural dress or your print dress. However, the dress must have designed quite well. You don’t want your head gear outshining your dress For free-styling, the two-toned butterfly gele is just the right thing to wear. It kind of remind...

Meet Mrs Adeola Ogunmola Sowemimo, Nigeria’s first female Pilot with Qatar Airways. The  Nigerian woman flies the Dreamliner Boeing 787. Talk about making a whole gender and nation proud! Source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/03/meet-nigerias-first-female-pilot-with.html

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), says it will not rescind its decision on the use of biometrics in the conduct of its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). JAMB candidates This is contained in the board’s weekly bulletin issued on Sunday in Lagos. According to the bulletin the importance of biometrics in the conduct of the board’s examination cannot be overemphasised. It noted that the Biometrics Verification Machine (BVM) was introduced by the board in an attempt to get rid of the numerous forms of examination malpractice. It said the BVM was a security mechanism used for the authentication of candidates’ identity as it provided access to the individual data, based on physiological characteristics. “The core value of a biometric verification process lies in its ability to provide extra layers of security and protection against counterfeiting and impersonation. “The increasing threat of identity fraud during the board’s UTME before the ...