Below are the headlines found on The Punch Online Newspaper for today, Wednesday, 30 August, 2017.
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission has issued a certificate of return to the candidate of the All Progressives Candidate in the Rivers East Senatorial District in the 2015 general elections, Mr. Andrew Uchendu. This followed the decision of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which upheld the June 29, 2017 ruling of []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
With hammer and tongs, the Federal Government is about to criminalise 'hate speech.' A new bill to this effect is receiving the attention of the National Assembly. Already, the executive and legislature have closed ranks, with a target to pass the law that will cauterise speech deemed incendiary, in a record time. However, it seems []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Ihuoma Chiedozie, Enugu The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has threatened to expel the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, for allegedly altering the list of delegates that will participate in the party's coming national convention. The Chairman of the APC in the state, Dr. Ben Nwoye, issued the threat at []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Tuesday announced the reorganisation of its management staff in a major shake-up that affected 55 top executives. The NNPC's Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru, said the new appointments would not only help to position the corporation for the challenges ahead but help fill the gaps created []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
I remember when I visited Zakibiam Yam Market in Benue State in the year 2000. There I saw women hawking drinking water with earthenware pots. I lived in Kaduna at the time and that appeared anachronistic compared to what we had there. In Kaduna, water was hawked in knotted cellophane bags. Sometimes, they had blocks []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Author of 'Practical Steps to Financial Independence' and personal finance coach, USIERE UKO, writes about the future consequences of our current spending patterns Your financial future can be predicted by your current expenditure pattern. It is not rocket science. The clue as to where you are heading financially, irrespective of your level of income, is []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja The Federal Government on Tuesday announced that it had commenced moves aimed at putting together a national digital map that would help curb insecurity across the country. It also stated that the map would further help in improving the country's economy as the recently inaugurated Economic Recovery and Growth Plan was largely []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Everest Amaefule and Ifeanyi Onuba, Abuja The Bank of Industry and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development on Tuesday sealed a N5bn financing pact under the Artisanal and Small-scale Miners Financing Support Fund for the development of the mining sector. The amount, which is to be disbursed to the miners at a single-digit interest []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Maureen Ihua-Maduenyi The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Mrs. Folashade Ode, has urged workers of the company to be vigilant and show dedication to duty. Ode said every worker must update themselves about prohibited items on the export list so as to guide against taking them from shippers. According to []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Joint Venture and Greenville Oil and Gas Limited, as well as the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria Limited, on Tuesday agreed to execute a N259bn gas sale and aggregation agreement. Chief executive officers and senior management officials of the four companies signed []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja The Federal Government on Tuesday said it would link Kebbi, Zamfara and Sokoto states by rail in its ongoing railway modernisation project. The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, disclosed this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal. He said the government was committed to developing []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Ifeanyi Onuba, Abuja The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending, an agency wholly-owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria, has commenced moves to boost rice production with the provision of N1.83bn to 24,732 rice farmers in Kebbi State. The move, according to the Managing Director of NIRSAL, Aliyu Abdulhameed, is in line with []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Femi Asu Oil marketers have said they will embark on mass retrenchment following the failure of the Federal Government to pay the debt owed them for importation of petroleum products as well as the accrued interest on loans from banks and exchange rate differential. The marketers under the aegis of Major Oil Marketers Association of []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Nike Popoola The National Insurance Commission has approved the appointment of Mr. Polycarp Didam as the substantive managing director/chief executive officer of UnityKapital Assurance Plc. According to a statement by the firm, Didam is a thoroughbred insurance professional with membership of numerous esteemed professional bodies. He is an associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Stallion Motors Limited says it is repositioning its new Changan CS35 with the hope of taking a big chunk of the sport utility vehicle market in Nigeria, especially the Compact SUV segment. The automaker has also announced a price offer of N7.9m for the new vehicle entry-level SUV to cater for a growing demand for []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Stanley Opara Owing to weak investors' appetite, the Nigerian equities market depreciated by N52bn, with Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Jaiz Bank Plc, Okomu Oil Palm Plc, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and First Aluminium Nigeria Plc merging as the top five losers. The market consolidated on the previous day's loss as the Nigerian Stock Exchange All-Share []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
It may seem like a quick and easy solution to add the name of an adult child to one or more of your bank accounts if you anticipate needing help managing day-to-day finances. With the ability to tap into the accounts, your offspring can write cheques to pay bills and handle other financial matters while []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Stanley Opara Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, a member of Standard Bank Group, has reported a profit after tax at N24.112bn for the 2017 half year, which represents a growth of 113 per cent compared to N11.317bn recorded in the corresponding period of 2016. For the period ended 30 June, 2017, it reported gross earnings of []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Mudiaga Affe, Calabar The Cross River State office of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation has said that the proposed 260 kilometre superhighway from Calabar to Garkim, which is one of the priority projects of the Governor Ben Ayade-led administration, is not viable. The Manager of the Calabar office of the NCF, Mr. Emmanuel Owan, said the []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
A coalition of Nigerians in the Diaspora is set to raise public awareness of the dangers of irregular migration to Europe. The discourse would also enlighten Nigerians on the legal route to migrate to Europe, a statement from the group said. The campaign tagged, 'Look before you leave', is being championed by the African-German Information []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Investors, regulators, prominent business leaders, business owners, potential investors, policy makers, leading academics are among the invited speakers from Africa and the United States for the 2017 US ' Africa Business and Economic Development Conference, according to a statement by the organisers on Tuesday. The conference, according to the statement, will explore the opportunities []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Oyetunji Abioye The naira recorded a marginal gain at the parallel market on Tuesday, closing at 368/dollar. The local unit had closed at 370/dollar on Monday, the same rate it closed on Friday. On the back of declining dollar supply by the CBN, the naira has been recording gradual depreciation. The local unit, which used []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
The United Bank for Africa Plc says it has made a prudential provision on loans made to 9mobile, the mobile operator formerly known as Etisalat Nigeria. The lender did not give details of the provision but said it had a N38bn ($125m) exposure to 9mobile. UBA said the exposure was secured, and part of a []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Feyisayo Popoola A professor of Information Science at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Zakari Mohammed, has described technology as a key factor to managerial efficiency and success. In his lecture titled, 'Management in the contemporary society', at the 2017 Awards and Fellows' Day Luncheon of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) in Lagos, Mohammed urged []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Nike Popoola The Managing Director, Law Union Insurance Plc, Mr. Jide Orimolade, has said that there is a need for increased awareness on the relevance of insurance for the public to buy into it. Orimolade said this during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos. 'Insurance will eventually work in Africa. All we need do []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Maureen Ihua-Maduenyi Workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways have called on the Federal Government to hasten the payment of their entitlements, which have been pending for about 10 years. According to the workers, apart from a little percentage paid during the Umaru Yar'Adua administration, nothing has been done despite all efforts that have gone into []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Ife Ogunfuwa The Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) has celebrated young managers who demonstrated excellent managerial skills in its 2017 Young Managers' Competition held in Lagos. The three winners, who were members of the Channel Leaders Team, competed with six other participants who formed the Abebe Team and Unique Team. A consultant, Mr. Omaka Faith; []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Stanley Opara The planned merger between International Breweries Plc with lntafact Beverages Limited and Pabod Breweries Limited, has been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The brewer confirmed the requisite pre-merger approvals in a letter submitted with the NSE. In June 2017, International Breweries announced plans to merge with []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
EuroMena Funds, a Beirut-based private-equity firm that has raised $350m since 2006, is planning to almost double assets as it seeks investments in Lebanese-owned companies operating abroad while also backing smaller businesses in its home regions. After a decade of deploying most of its capital in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, EuroMena's latest fund has spent []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
English Premier League side Arsenal have rejected a 50 million bid from rivals Manchester City for Chilean forward Alexis Sanchez. Sanchez, who scored 24 Premier League goals for the Gunners last season, is out of contract next summer and has reportedly said he wants to play for City manager Pep Guardiola. Arsenal have rebuffed all []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Ife Ogunfuwa The professional, scientific, and technical sector, as well as the transport sector, lagged behind all other economic sectors in the provision of jobs for unemployed Nigerians in the first nine months of 2016. Analyses of job creation reports published by the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that the new jobs created in the []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Tana Aiyejina Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi has stated that victory against Cameroon in Uyo on Friday would go a long way in the team's qualification for next year's World Cup in Russia. The Eagles host the Indomitable Lions at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Friday, before travelling to Yaounde for the reverse []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Tana Aiyejina Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has expressed contentment over the commitment of his players ahead of the crucial 2018 World Cup qualifying double-header against African champions Cameroon but admitted that he has a Herculean task selecting his starting XI. Rohr is happy that the Cameroonians are coming at a time the Eagles are fully []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Steady rain prompted US Open officials to cancel 44 singles matches and postpone completion of 11 others under way when showers halted play Tuesday on the New York hard courts, AFP reports. Reigning French Open champion JelenaOstapenko's first-round match against Spain's Lara Arruabarrena was under consideration to be moved under the roof at Arthur Ashe []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
The United States track and field community paid tribute to California-based athlete David Torrence on Tuesday after the Olympic middle-distance runner was found dead in Arizona, AFP reports. Torrence, 31, who represented Peru in last year's Olympics, was discovered at the bottom of an apartment block's swimming pool in Scottsdale early on Monday, local media []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Chelsea signed Eden Hazard's younger brother Kylian from Hungarian club Ujpest on Tuesday. Kylian will start his time with Chelsea as part of their development squad and the midfielder could make his debut in the understudies' fixture against Sunderland on September 9. 'Kylian Hazard has today signed for Chelsea from Hungarian side Ujpest, and will []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Enyimba coach Gbenga Ogunbote has not hidden his desire to lead the Peoples Elephant to victory in their match day 37 fixture of the Nigeria Professional Football League at outgoing champions Rangers International on Sunday. Enyimba are in the hunt for a top-three finish as they sit in fourth spot behind leaders Plateau United, MFM []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Bolivia will have to forfeit two 2018 World Cup qualifiers for fielding an ineligible player after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected their appeal on Tuesday, AFP rports. The decision by CAS in Lausanne means the country can no longer qualify for next year's World Cup finals in Russia. Bolivia played defender Nelson Cabrera []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Former world number one Maria Sharapova made a triumphant return to Grand Slam competition Monday after a 15-month doping ban, outlasting second-ranked Simona Halep 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 at the US Open, AFP reports. The 30-year-old Russian, who had only one hardcourttuneup match due to a nagging forearm injury, swatted 60 winners with 64 unforced errors, []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Venus Williams celebrated her 20th anniversary at the US Open on Monday as the tournament celebrated 20 years of Arthur Ashe Stadium, where she claimed two of her seven Grand Slam titles. Williams was a 17-year-old upstart with beads in her hair when she rallied to defeat Latvia's Larisa Neiland 5-7, 6-0, 6-1 in the []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
The maiden Ibadan Mesiogo Golf Championships will hold from October 4 to 8 at the Ibadan Golf Club, with professional golfers from Nigeria and globally taking part, organiser of the event, 3e Actuaries, has said. The tournament, themed 'Beyond Golf in Ibadan', has a prize tag of N10m with the top-ranked golfers from the event []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Mediterranean giants Italy and Spain meet in a Russia 2018 World Cup qualifier in Madrid on Saturday with the Azzurri looking to pull off an away win. Pay TV company StarTimes has promised to broadcast the encounter live in Nigeria. The two sides have seven points lead in Group G, after five wins from their []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Many may not realise that the Nigerian Constitution promotes, and depends on, the individuality and the unleashing of the citizens' entrepreneurial spirit to drive commerce. This constitution empowers Nigerians to practise capitalism, or at least a market-driven economy. Capitalism is the economic system that permits private ownership of the means of production. It gives freedom []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
It is gladsome that President Muhammadu Buhari is back, looking recovered and strong. Every Nigerian, I mean every well-meaning Nigerian, is happy to see him return alive. His long absence from the scene, expectedly, had created shades of opinions, legal, moral and subjective pontifications in public discourse. The fact remains, however, that nobody ever wished []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
In its recently released Capital Importation Report, the National Bureau of Statistics stated that the total value of capital imported into Nigeria in the second quarter of 2017 was estimated to be $1.79bn. While this represents, on a year-on-year basis, a remarkable increase of 43.6 per cent from the $1.04bn recorded in the second quarter []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Nigeria's education system is in dire need of overhaul. Things are not just right in that sector. Unless something urgent is done to arrest and redress the rot in the system, the country's future seems bleak. The leaders of tomorrow being prepared by today's education authorities cannot, sadly, deliver global competitiveness. From the primary to []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Chidiebube Okeoma, Owerri Thirty members of staff of the Imo State Pension Board have been arrested by operatives of Department of State Services for pension fraud to the tune of N650m. According to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, the suspects were nabbed after an investigation showed that 92 cheques were used []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta An Iveco truck driver has died in an early morning auto crash which involved two other trucks on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Sources said the accident occurred around 4.45am on Tuesday at the Aiyetoro end of the busy highway. The Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Babatunde []
Wed, 30 Aug 2017
Sodiq Oyeleke No fewer than four students of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, were injured on Monday in an attack unleashed by suspected cult members on a private students' hostel. PUNCH Metro learnt that the attackers stormed the hostel under the pretext of searching for a stolen laptop. They were, however, repelled by some occupants, []
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