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Showing posts from September, 2019

Many students affected as Queens College Lagos records yet another epidemic breakout

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Many students of Queens College in Lagos have been affected following another epidemic outbreak in the school. This latest incident comes two years after three pupils of the school died from water-borne infections. This is coming just two years after three pupils the school, died from water-borne infections.

Kanye West is reportedly taking a break from secular music, will only make Gospel

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Kanye West  is set to take a break from making secular music, and will be delving into gospel from now on.  The rapper and father of four, 42,  is set to drop a new album gospel album  Jesus Is King  in October 2019, and there are new reports that Kanye is done with secular music and will be operating as a gospel artist from now on.

DSS frees arrested political activist, Chido Onumah

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The Department of State Services has released Chido Onumah, the journalist, political activist who was arrested at the Abuja airport on Sunday. Onumah was released about 10pm at the headquarters of the secret organisation. According to him, he was interrogated over his book ‘We are all Biafrans’, which he launched three years ago and especially why he wears a T-shirt emblazoned with the title of the book.

Fashion retailer Forever 21 files for bankruptcy protection in the US

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Fashion retailer Forever 21 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US. The company said it plans to "exit most international locations in Asia and Europe" but would continue to operate in Mexico and Latin America. It expects to close up to 350 stores worldwide, a spokesperson said, including as many as 178 US stores.

'Stop begging for government appointments' - Rotimi Amaechi tells women in the maritime industry

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Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation has urged women in the maritime industry to stop peddling gender inequality as the reason they don’t get appointments in Nigeria, rather he urged them to focus on building their competence and lifting one another.    Delivering his keynote address at the 2019 World Maritime Day celebration with the theme: “ Empowering Women In The Maritime Community ,” in Lagos on Thursday, September 26th, Amaechi said the appointments were not about gender but about the class one belongs.     According to him, women can only get appointments if they merit it.

IMF names Kristalina Georgieva as new head

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Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva has been selected as the new managing director of the International Monetary Fund. Ms Georgieva, who was previously Chief Executive of the World Bank, becomes the first person from an emerging economy to lead the IMF. She will succeed Christine Lagarde, who is leaving to become head of the European Central Bank (ECB). Ms Georgieva was the only nominee for the job.

Nigeria at 59: FG declares Tuesday public holiday

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The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, October 1, as public holiday to mark Nigeria’s 59th Independence Anniversary. This was announced by the Permanent Secretary,Ministry of Interior, Mrs Georgina Ehuriah, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

EFCC Boss, Ibrahim Magu expresses concern over alleged corruption in N-SIP programme Osinbajo superintends

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The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Ibrahim Magu, has raised an alarm over an alleged corruption in the National Social Investment Programme and Anchor Borrower’s Programme which Vice President Yemi Osinbajo superintends.  Speaking at the 15th Anti-Corruption Situation Room organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda in Kaduna on Tuesday September 24, Magu who was represented by the anti-graft agency spokesperson Wilson Uwajuren, said they are working to make sure they don't create more crisis as corruption has crept into the programme. 

No refund for federal roads repairs – FG tells Governors

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President Muhammadu Buhari has asked state governors not to fix federal roads if they will eventually demand refund for the rehabilitation.  The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja when he appeared before the House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on Abandoned Federal Government Projects (Works) from 1999 till date. According to the minister, the President issued the directive due to the humongous amounts being claimed by the governors after repairing federal roads in their states.

Dangote opens Africa Centre in US

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Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, on Tuesday opened the Africa Centre in New York, United States.  The opening of the centre comes on the sidelines of the commencement of the United Nations General Assembly in the US. Some of those who attended the opening ceremony are president of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, and billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola.  Others are the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi I; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa. See more photos below;

Those criticizing FG's rate of borrowing are ''unsuccessful and backward'' economist - Fashola

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Nigeria's Minister of Works and Housing Fashola Babatunde, has described those attacking the rate of borrowing by the Federal Government as ''backward and unsuccessful economists.” Fashola who was a two-term governor of Lagos state, took a swipe at the Federal Government's critics when he spoke at the Lagos Business School yesterday September 24th. According to Fashola, people who are faulting the government's rate of borrowing are largely unsuccessful individuals.

Evacuation: Air Peace crew rejects allowances, offer to work for free

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Taking a cue from their boss, Allen Onyema, the 18-man crew of Air Peace which evacuated Nigerians from South Africa have returned their allowances, saying it is their sacrifice to their fatherland in the ongoing mission to evacuate Nigerians from xenophobic South Africa. The Chairman of Air Peace Airline, Mr Allen Onyema, confirmed this development while commending the crew for imitating him in selfless service to their country and for the sake of their countrymen and women.

APC files counter appeal against PDP at Supreme Court

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The All Progressives Congress has filed motions challenging sections of the September 11 presidential election tribunal judgement, and seeking the nullification of evidence proffered by the PDP and accepted by the tribunal. In a cross appeal filed in an apparent reaction to the PDP’s earlier application before the Supreme Court Tuesday, the APC asked the apex court to disregard a number of evidence and witnesses noted for the PDP at the Court of Appeal. Following the September 11 decision affirming the election of President Muhammadu Buhari, the PDP on Tuesday filed its request before the apex court challenging the decision.

Tribunal judgement: Atiku Abubakar formally files appeal at Supreme Court

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Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the February 23 election, has formally filed an appeal against the judgement of the presidential election petitions tribunal at the Supreme Court. The appellants want the apex court to hold that the tribunal erred in its decision to dismiss its petition against the election of President Muhammadu Buhari. Atiku and his party filed the appeal on five grounds.

Lionel Messi wins best men's player of the year

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Lionel Messi won the best men's player at the Best Fifa Football Awards in Milan as Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk missed out on the top prize. It is the sixth time Messi has been voted the world's best, after wins in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015. The 32-year-old Argentine helped Barcelona win La Liga and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. United States forward Megan Rapinoe won the best women's player award.

Emmys 2019: Full list of winners

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The 71st Primetime Emmys Awards kicked off on Sunday night, Septemeber 22, in Downtown Los Angeles. The biggest win of the night went to Game of Thrones. The show got best drama series, plus Peter Dinklage won best supporting actor in a drama. Below is the full list of winners at the 2019 Emmys Awards;

Charges against Sowore confirm’s FG’s unprecedented level of paranoia - Soyinka

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Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, says the Muhammadu Buhari administration has attained an “unprecedented level of paranoia” following the charges of treason filed against the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore. In a statement on Saturday, Soyinka said the nation had failed to learn from past experiences. He said,  “This is utterly depressing news. So, the Sowore affair has moved beyond harassment and taken on a sinister direction. Outside the country where I happened to be engaged at the moment, I can testify that the immediate reaction around me was to dismiss this as yet another grotesque product of fake news, of which Nigerians have become the greatest practitioners. I confess that I also joined in this school of thought – at the start.

FG charges Sowore of treason, money laundering, cyberstalking President Buhari

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The Federal Government has slammed a fresh seven-count charge against detained political activist and convener of the RevolutionNow Protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, accusing him of treason, money laundering and cyberstalking President Muhammadu Buhari. The case was filed at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court and it comes 24 hours to the expiration of the 45-day period the court permitted the DSS to hold him. Also charged with Sowore in case FHC/ ABJ/CR/235/2019, is Olawale Adebayo Bakare (aka Mandate), who was arrested in Osogbo, Osun state.

#COZA : Pastor Fatoyinbo asks court to dismiss Busola Dakolo’s rape lawsuit, demands N50m as damages

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Founder and Senior pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss the rape lawsuit filed against him by Busola Dakolo.  The COZA founder who asked for dismissal of the lawsuit on grounds of incompetence and frivolity, also demanded to be awarded N50m as damages. 

CBN throws more light on cash-less policy deposit/withdrawal charge

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Many Nigerians think the charges will be on the entire money deposited/withdrew. Now CBN in a tweet has made a further explanation to clear the air.

Nigeria seeks fresh $2.5bn loan from World Bank

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Despite a $2.4bn loan obtained by Nigeria in 2018, the country is set to obtain a fresh loan of  $2.5bn  from  The World Bank. The Vice-President for the African division of the World Bank, Hafez Ghanem, said this during an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday.

Teacher didn't rape pregnant 12-year-old girl, they are lovers - Adamawa NUT Chairman

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The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Chairman in Adamawa State, Comrade Rodney Nathan has debunked claims of a teacher raping a 12-year-old schoolgirl in Namtari. The NUT Chairman also revealed that the schoolgirl was a student of Government Secondary School and the suspect was a primary school teacher in a village in Adamawa State. He further stated that it was too early for the Adamawa Police command and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps to conclude that it was rape as the 12-year-old student had keys to the the teacher's house as at the time of his arrest.   

#NigeriaAt59: Presidency releases timetable for 59th Independence anniversary celebration

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The Federal Government has released the timetable of events for the celebration of the country's 59th Independence anniversary.   In a press release signed by Willie Bassey, Director (Information) at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the anniversary will celebration will commence on Monday, September 23, with a press conference at the National Press Centre, Abuja.    

House of Reps asks CBN to suspend implementation of cashless policy

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The House of Representatives has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN to suspend the charges imposed on cash deposits in the implementation of its cashless policy. The order for the suspension of the policy was issued during plenary on September 19th.  This is coming after a circular was released on Tuesday September 17th, where the CBN directed all deposit money banks in the country to charge 3% processing fees for withdrawals and 2% for deposits of amounts above N500,000 for individual accounts. The apex bank also directed that all corporate account holders will be charged 5% processing fees for withdrawals and 3% for deposits of amounts above N3 million.

Paul Okoye floats record label (FDI)

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Paul Okoye has revealed  to his millions of followers on social media  floated a record label he simply named - Fire Department Inc. 

Public outcry on N5.5bn SUVs, an insult – Senate Majority Leader

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The Nigerian senate has described the public outcry over the 9th senate's plan to buy N5.5bn SUVs for members of the red chamber as an insult.  Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, the Senate Majority leader Yahaya Abdullahi said the 109 senators will pay back for the cars at the end of their 4-year legislative tenure. Insisting that they do more work than Ministers, Abdullahi added that their status as senators is not undeserving of an SUV. In his words;

Osinbajo’s office has been rendered useless, impotent —Afenifere

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Afenifere, the Yoruba socio-cultural group, has said that the office of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, has been rendered useless, impotent and irrelevant by some very powerful persons. This is coming after the Economic Management Team which was chaired by the Vice President was suddenly dissolved on Monday September 16th and replaced with an advisory council that would report directly to President Buhari.

Ycee calls out his former record label owner

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Nigerian musician, Ycee has called out his former record label boss who shared a photo celebrating the fact that the label had reached a record milestone of 100million 'song streams' across all digital platforms, with acknowledging the artistes. In January 2019, the rapper confirmed he had parted ways with his former label, Tinny Entertainment under controversial circumstances.

Andela sacks 400 employees in Africa

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Andela, a tech company has sacked over 400 of its employees. 250 are from Nigeria and Uganda, with an additional 170 potentially impacted in Kenya. Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the firm, Jeremy Johnson, announced this today saying the move was necessary for restructuring of the company's talent pool in line with global market demands.  

South Africa again frustrates evacuation of Nigerians as Air Peace is denied landing permit

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The evacuation of the second batch of Nigerians from South Africa owing to xenophobic attacks, suffered an interruption on Tuesday following the delay in granting landing permit to Air Peace. The airline has volunteered to evacuate Nigerians willing to return to the country following the recent violence against foreigners in the southern African country. The airline in collaboration with the Federal Government had on Sept. 11 evacuated the first batch of 187 Nigerians from South Africa.

CBN imposes additional charges on bank transactions

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Effective Wednesday, September 18, cash deposits and withdrawals from individual bank accounts are to attract addition charges, the Central Bank of Nigeria said on Tuesday. In a circular to all deposit money bank (DMBs), the Director, Payments System Management Department at the CBN, Sam Okojere, said henceforth 3 percent processing fees would be paid for withdrawals and 2 percent for deposits of amounts above N500,000 for individual accounts.

Xenophobia: Over 1000 Nigerians register to leave South Africa

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Nigeria Consul-General in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, said the number of Nigerians willing to come back home from South Africa has increased to over 1000, with an average of 100 being registered daily for evacuation. He said 320 of them have been registered to be evacuated on Tuesday Sept. 17. Adama disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, while giving update on plans to evacuate the second batch of Nigerians.

26-year old electrocuted after phone she was charging fell into the bath

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Evgenia Shulyatyeva, a 26-year old A ccountant was electrocuted after the mobile phone she was charging "slipped" into the bath.  died within minutes after the device fell into the water she was in. Her heartbroken mum Vera found her dead at her home in Kirovo-Chepetsk, west Russia. Now the Russian Investigative Committee is investigating the death, the latest in a string of similar tragedies in the nation.

FG orders NCC to block over 9 million unregistered SIM cards in Nigeria

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In line with the directives of the Honourable Minister of Communications Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami on assumption of office to all Agencies and Parastatals under his purview, the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has submitted its baseline short-term performance targets report.  In a press release signed by the Spokesperson to the Honourable Minister of Communications, Uwa Suleiman, he said that the report signed by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission contained precise figures of improperly registered SIM cards in use around the country.

Report says Farmer-herdsmen clashes displaced more persons in Nigeria than Boko Haram insurgency did in the first half of 2019

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The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in a report released on Thursday, September 12th says criminal violence in North-West Nigeria as well as farmer-herder clashes in the Middle Belt region, displaced more persons than Boko Haram insurgency did in the first half of 2019.    According to the report, 140,000 persons were forced to leave their homes between January and June.

Adele files for divorce from estranged husband, Simon Konecki

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Singer Adele and her estranged husband, Simon Konecki are officially going their separate ways five months after announcing their split.  Recall that on April 19, the 31-year-old singer and her 45-year-old husband who she share a 6-year-old son Angelo with, announced their split in a joint statement after 7 years of being together.  Court documents showed that Adele filed for the divorce in Los Angeles. The divorce came three years after they secretly got married and two years after she confirmed their union during an acceptance speech at the 2017 Grammys. 

Davido and girlfriend, Chioma are engaged!

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Nigerian musician and DMW boss Davido and his longtime girlfriend Chioma are engaged! The couple confirmed the news by posting on their respective Instagram pages.

Xenophobia: 187 Nigerians arrive Nigeria, South African Government bring tries to frustrate the evacuation

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187 Nigerians out of the 320 Nigerians expected back home were successfully evacuated to Nigeria as it was learnt that the South African government brought up new immigration rules to frustrate the evacuation process.  The 187 passengers were aboard the Air Peace Flight which arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 9.43pm.

Federal Government to increase VAT from 5% to 7.2%

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The Federal Executive Council which President Buhari presided over on Wednesday September 11, approved the increment of value added tax (VAT) rate from 5% to 7.2% percent.  The Minister of finance, budget and national planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed confirmed the increment at the end of the cabinet meeting. The new rate which will take effect from 2020 is however subject to an amendment of the VAT act of 1994 by the national assembly.

Obinwanne Okeke (a.k.a Invictus Obi) to forfeit $11 Million, faces up to 30 years in prison for wire scam

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A federal grand jury in the United States has indicted Obinwanne Okeke for $11 million fraud. The decision affirmed the investigation of the U.S. Department of Justice, conducted by the F.B.I, and now set the stage for commencement of criminal trial. Besides the indictment, the jury also recommended that Mr Okeke be made to forfeit at least $11 million in cash and asset or both if convicted.

Election: Tribunal dismisses PDP’s claim security operatives rigged for Buhari

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The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed parts of the PDP petition alleging that the ruling APC used security officers to manipulate the 2019 election. The court’s decision followed an application by INEC seeking the nulification of various parts of the petition by the PDP. The PDP had in its petition accused the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari, and major government agencies including INEC and security agencies of culpability in the manipulation of election results to the benefit of Mr Buhari.

International students will now be allowed to stay in UK for 2 years after studies

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International students will be allowed to stay in the UK for two years after graduating, in a policy U-turn on post-visa studies. Currently i nternational students are   only permitted to remain in the UK for up to four months after completing their studies under rules that were introduced by Theresa May when she was the Home Secretary.

Court orders permanent forfeiture of Diezani’s $40m jewellery, customised iPhone

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The former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke has lost the bid to retrieve her jewellery and a customised gold iPhone forfeited to the Federal Government. This happened as the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday ordered the permanent forfeiture of the 2,149 pieces of jewellery and a customised gold iPhone, valued at $40m, recovered from the former minister’s house in Abuja.

Xenophobia: First batch of 320 Nigerians to return on Wednesday – Envoy

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The Consul General of Nigeria in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, has said that the first batch of the Nigerian returnees from South Africa would depart South Africa for Lagos on Wednesday. Adama told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that the first batch of returnees, are expected to depart South Africa by 9:00 a.m Wednesday. The consul general also disclosed that Air peace had indicated interest to evacuate over 600 Nigerians that were willing to return to their country following the latest xenophobic attacks.

Robert Mugabe dies at 95

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Zimbabwe’s long term president and former leader Robert Mugabe is dead, and according to multiple news outlets from inside the capital city passed away in a Singapore hospital after battling ill health. Robert Mugabe was known has a modern day dictator in the modern era of democracy after been in power all the way from 1980 to 2017.  Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa director for Human Rights Watc, said Mugabe’s nephew told him about the former Prime Minister’s death.

Nicki Minaj announces shes’s retiring from music

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American popstar and rapper, Nicki Minaj, has left many fans and followers in shock after she announced that she will be retiring from the music scene to start her family.  Earlier, the rapper dropped a bomb in the world of hip hop today. She went to Twitter to announce her retirement. Her tweet read:

YouTube and Google fined $170m for children’s privacy violations

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Google has agreed to pay $170 million in a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission and New York’s attorney general over charges that YouTube had made millions of dollars over the years from violating children’s privacy laws. The fine is by far the largest ever imposed on a website for violations of the 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires companies to obtain parental consent before collecting data on children under the age of 13.

Lagos set to re-introduce environmental sanitation

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Lagos State Government is set to re-introduced the monthly Environmental Sanitation as an enabling law to back up the implementation is on the way. Commissioner for The Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello during a stakeholders’ meeting with Association of Commodity Market Women and Men led by the Iyaloja General of Nigeria, Chief Mrs Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, said the invalidation of the exercise by a court sometimes ago was a temporary setback which would be reversed very soon.

Breaking: South African government denies xenophobic attacks

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The South African government have denied reports that their citizens are carrying out Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. The country’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Monroe, made this known when he met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in Abuja today after he was summoned. Speaking at a media briefing after the meeting with Onyeama, Monroe said the recent attacks were not ''xenophobic'' in nature but are rather mere  ‘sporadic acts of violence’.

FG summons South African High Commissioner over xenophobic attacks on Nigerians

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Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs has summoned the South African High  Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.   The envoy is expected to meet with the minister by 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. According to a senior official official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebenfa;