Governor Sule's Son, Hassan Is Dead

 Hassan AA Sule, son of Governor Abdullahi A. Sule of Nasarawa state has died, IGBERETV reports.

Hassan died on Friday morning after a brief illness. Honourable member representing Lafia North Constituency at the Nasarawa State House of Assembly Hon. Barr. Muhammed Ibrahim Alkali who confirmed the news described it as a "shocking" development. 

“I share my deep condolences with His Excellency, Engr Abdullahi A. Sule, over the passing of his beloved son Alh. Hassan. I pray that Allah (SWT) grants him Aljanatul Firdaus and comfort his family", Alkali said.

New Naira Notes: CEOs Of Commercial Banks Back Extension Of Deadline

 Chief Executive Officers of Commercial Banks in Nigeria have lent their support to the House of Representatives’ call for extension of deadline for the use of old naira notes.

They gave their support at a meeting with the house ad hoc committee on Banking and Other financial issues on Thursday in Abuja.

CBN Applauds Banks In Ogun Over Circulation Of New Naira Notes

 As the January 31st deadline for the phasing out of the old N200, N500 and N1000 note approaches, officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Abeokuta Branch on Thursday visited various Mobile money/Point of Sales agents in Ogun State to monitor the implementation of its recently introduced cash swap policy.

The cash swap programme is targeted at fast-tracking the withdrawal of the old notes from circulation.

The apex bank recently directed its super agents to swap the old N200, N500 and N1,000 naira notes for the newly redesigned notes under the policy.




“Super agents are companies licensed by the CBN to recruit agents for the purpose of agency banking”.

The agents were expected to swap up to N10, 000 per person while amounts above N10, 000 would be treated as deposits”.

The officials, who visited agents across the state including; Ijebu-Ode, Sango Ota, Ilisan-Remo, Ikene, Sagamu amongst others said the move was to ascertain whether the super agents are truly disbursing the new notes to the POS agents who are expected to further circulate it to their various customers as directed by CBN.

Speaking with journalists during the monitoring exercise, CBN Deputy Director, Banking Supervision Department, Jayeola Olugbenga, said, the essence of the visit was to create awareness for residents of the state, especially the rural dwellers was to ensure that the new note is circulated across the state.

The Director noted that the CBN was intensifying efforts to make sure that the new N200, N500 and N1000 notes are circulated before the deadline.


His words “We want people to be aware, especially people in the rural areas and for this new note to go round that’s why we have distributed this money to the super agents . We are moving to ensure that they already have the money and they are giving people.

“We have moved around and we have seen that ATMs that were not functioning are now functioning so there is no more excuse for people.

“N500,000 is given to an agent per week so those that have received only 250 or 300 will still go back to get the rest. We want to assure the general public that the money is there and more ATMs are functioning,”he added.

He expressed satisfaction that all the super agents in the state are operating in compliance with the directive of the apex bank.

“So far we are happy because all the nooks and crannies of this state the super agents are functioning and from our interview, people are happy with this development.”


Also, the Deputy Director for Research Department, CBN Dr Adeniyi Olatunde Adenuga stressed that the exercise will help in the area of financial inclusion.

He said “Now we have to go to rural areas. That aspect will help us in the areas of financial inclusion. With these agents, people can come with their old notes and get a maximum of 10 thousand naira.

Olatunde added “people must embrace this programme, what we are doing is to sensitize them to ensure that we mobilize them for them to see the new notes and embrace.

NRM Gubernatorial Candidate In Adamawa, Aliyu Maina Is Dead

 The gubernatorial candidate of the National Rescue Movement, NRM, in Adamawa State, Alhaji Aliyu Maina, is dead.

Maina’s death has been confirmed by Olusola Afuye, the National Publicity Secretary of NRM.

His death is coming less than 30 days to next year’s general elections.

He was reported to have died on Wednesday, 25 January after a brief illness in Abuja, same day the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial candidate in Abia State, Professor Uchenna Ikonne, was confirmed dead.

“According to the statement from the family, late Alhaji Abba Maina died on Wednesday, January 25 at his residence in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, after a brief illness.

He has been buried according to Muslim rite. We pray to Almighty Allah to protect his family and all his loved ones,” Afuye said.

While calling on political and business associates to show late Maina’s family care and love during the mourning period, he said details of arrangements would be made known to the public after consultation with his family

APC Bot Member, Benjamin Apugo Dumps Party, Drums Support For Peter Obi

 A strong man of Abia politics and Board of Trustees, BoT, member of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Prince Benjamin Apugo, has solicited support for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, saying that his integrity, competence and proven track record of achievements have put him ahead of other contenders of the seat.

The APC chieftain who addressed newsmen yesterday in his Ibeku Umuahia country home, also drummed support for the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Dr Alex Otti, saying he has the capital to rebuild Abia.


Prince Apugo debunked media reports that he had endorsed the Abia APC governorship candidate, High Chief Ikechi Emenike, dismissing the report as misleading.

He said he never gave his blessings to the governorship ambition of Emenike, and cautioned against any attempt to use him for political glory.

Apugo accused the APC-led Federal Government of neglecting Abia State, saying there is no federal presence in the state.

” APC has not done anything for Umuahia and Abia State where I come from”, he regretted.

He also said that the APC had not done much for Ndigbo, and urged voters to vote based on the competence and integrity of candidates and not for the party logo in the forthcoming polls.


Apugo took a clean sweep of the Igbo political elite making uncomplimentary remarks on Obi, describing them as myopic and self-centred saboteurs.

He urged Igbo voters not to be discouraged because of the unpatriotic activities of such elements who he said could rarely visit their communities.

According to him, Obi’s presidential ambition and candidature have brought respect and honour to the Igbo race.

He recalled that this would be the first time Nigerians from different ethnic, religious and political backgrounds would be rallying behind a presidential candidate of South East extraction.

Apugo urged Ndigbo home and abroad to come out en mass and vote for credible candidates of their choice in the forthcoming elections.

I Didn’t Brush, Bath For Days Over ‘Shanty Town’ Role — Chidi Mokeme

 The Nigerian actor, Chidi Mokeme has recounted how he was able to interpret his part in the six-part television series “Shanty Town.”

The series tells the tale of a gang of prostitutes, who want to free themselves from the influence of a notorious kingpin but quickly learn that doing so will be very challenging due to political corruption and family ties. 

Mokeme has proceeded to win the hearts of many fans and garner a wealth of awards with his portrayal of the kingpin Scar.

The actor claimed, in a BBC Pidgin interview on Thursday, that he had to undergo drastic physique changes in order to play his part.

He said, “Some of the body modifications I did to enter into the character of Scar was to shave off my hair and go bald. I also did not take my bath for a few days before going on set so that when they say I should do something dirty, I can do it freely because I know I am not clean.

“Sometimes I don’t brush my teeth and when I open my mouth to talk to people, they wonder what kind of a person I am.

“I don’t smoke but I had to smoke about three packets per day to make my voice sound the way it did in the series.” 

Mokeme also revealed that he is finding it difficult to separate himself from the character Scar.

“The character and I have become one and it will take some time before we can let each other go,” he said.

“Scar and I are struggling with each other on who owns my body. I told Scar that I’m through and that he can go but if I can be allowed to, I will remain as Scar.” 

‘Shanty Town’ is Mokeme’s comeback movie after a long hiatus due to a battle with Bell’s Palsy.

Shutdown Institutions To Enable Students Vote During Elections, Reps Urge Fg

 House of Representatives, yesterday, urged the federal government to shutdown institutions of higher learning to enable the students collect their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs and vote during the general elections.

The House specifically urged the government to temporarily close down the school during the exercise.

The parliament made the call through the National Universities Commission, NUC, the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, the National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCCE and the Federal Ministry of Education.

The House also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make special arrangements for the students to collect their PVCs.

The resolutions followed the consideration of a motion at the plenary by Hon. Kabir Ibrahim.

Presenting the motion, Ibrahim noted that, according to available statistics, there were over 2.1 million students currently studying in Nigerian Universities, while over 2.4 million were students in Polytechnics,
Monotechnics and Colleges of Education across the country.

He also noted that academic calendars of various tertiary institutions were structured in a way that most students are disenfranchised as school calendars do not take into consideration the timelines and date for elections.

He said: “This lack of flexibility makes it difficult for students to participate in the electoral process.

“3.8 million of the newly registered voters are students, accounting for 40.8 per cent of the total number of newly registered voters as stated by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at the Commission’s 2022 third quarterly meeting with political parties in Abuja.

“These students who constitute 40.8 per cent of the newly registered voters, have their polling units sited in states outside their campuses, thereby necessitating traveling outside their respective institutions to vote in the 2023 elections.

“Tertiary institutions are not considering academic breaks for students during the general elections, despite having knowledge that most students registered outside their campuses during the continuous voter registration exercise, which took place during the prolonged Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has devolved permanent voter cards (PVCs) distributions at the registration areas and wards across the 774 local government offices throughout the federation.

“Distribution of PVCs at the Wards has ended, and the exercise moved back to the Local Government/Area Council Offices, thereby further limiting the chances of the students to collect their PVCs which is a precondition for voting at the Polls.

“While the students are busy with academic activities, the Independent National Electoral Commission is engaged in distributing PVCs at the wards across the 774 Local Government Areas of the federation which deprives students of the opportunity to collect their PVCs”.

Ibrahim also expressed worry that the tertiary institutions did not consider periods of elections in designing academic calendars, as most of them conduct semester examinations when the preparations for the general elections were almost completed or when the polls are going on, thereby disenfranchising the students from exercising their civic duties.

“The INEC has enormous statutory powers to make special arrangements for students to collect their PVCs to vote.

“The National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and the Federal Ministry of Education, as the regulators of tertiary education in Nigeria, have the statutory powers to direct both the public and private tertiary education institutions in Nigeria to suspend academic activities pending the conclusion of the general elections”, he said.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committees on Tertiary Education and Electoral Matters to liaise with the agencies to facilitate the process and report to back within one week.