ECOWAS To Honour Buhari With Democracy Icon Award

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has finalised arrangements to honour President Muhammadu Buhari with an award in recognition of his achievements in the defence and promotion of democracy as a system of government throughout the subregion.

ECOWAS Chairman, Guinea Bissau’s Umaro Sissoco Embalo, made this known on Tuesday at a bilateral meeting with the president on the sidelines of the ongoing 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries in Doha, Qatar.

According to a release issued by presidential spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, President Embalo said the Nigerian president had done more than any other to support democratic governments in West Africa, just as he had done exceptionally well, waging battles against the emergence non-democratic regimes.

For this, said the ECOWAS Chairman, Buhari will have his name on the Roll of Honour in the community’s new headquarters building upon its completion in Abuja, so that future generations of West African citizens will know about the greatness he achieved and to copy his laudable examples.

Responding, Buhari welcomed the proposition, stressing that democracy is the best pathway to bringing together diverse people and a dependable vehicle for the achievement of national development.

Oshiomhole Acknowledges Cheers From Security Officials At ICC, Abuja

 That Moment Oshiomhole Stopped At ICC To Acknowledge Wild Cheers From Security Agents , Nigerians(Video)

We have always advocated on our platform that wherever you find yourself, whatever position God gives you, it is an opportunity to show grace and kindness to mankind, and today we were moved by the show of love showered on Oshiomhole by the people of Abuja, a long distance away from Edo State, which he once governed.

Oshiomhole won our hearts at the International Conference Centre when he went to collect his certificate of return as an elected senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. On his way out, he heard some security agents hailing and congratulating him from a distance, so he turned and stopped to acknowledge their cheers.

After greeting the security officers, the ovation grew louder, and numerous Nigerians were seen rushing around him to take pictures with him. 

The moral of this story is to always stay true to yourself. As Oshiomhole was celebrated today in distant Abuja, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki was shamed and chased away this  same day at Uwelu spare parts marketplace in Benin City.

A tale of two governors, one loved for what he did for his people and the other loathed for what he did not do for his people, please watch the video and leave your views.

Ireti Kingibe: Peter Obi Tweets False Info About Abuja Senate Seat, Deletes It

 Peter Obi throws Lamba again, Then Quickly Deleted it 

This is not true. Sen. Khairat Abdul Razaq Gwadabe served as a senator from FCT.

Rejection Of Old N500, N1,000 Spreads As Nigerians Ask For Official Statement

 The enthusiasm that greeted the Supreme Court judgement that the old N500 and N1,000 notes should be in use till December 31st 2023, has dissipated as a widespread rejection of the old notes by bank customers, transporters and other businesses took over the financial and economic space.

The rejection of the old notes is driven by the continued silence of the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on the court judgement.
Meanwhile, banks have started effecting cash withdrawal limits of N100,000 per week for individual customers.

However, the money is paid in old banknotes which most customers refused to collect.

According to a top bank official, customers are insisting that there must be an official statement approving the old N500 and N1,000 notes as legal tenders before they can accept the notes.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the banker who heads one of the branches of a Tier 1 bank said: “Everybody (customers) that came to my branch today rejected it (old N500, N1,000 notes). They said people are not collecting it, and I tried it. I gave somebody an N1,000 note to go to a popular restaurant in Lagos to buy me rice, but the restaurant rejected it. I gave another person N500 to use it to board a commercial bus to see if transporters will accept it. The person came back and said the commercial buses refused to collect it too.

“In the case of the old N200 banknote, the President spoke and everybody adhered to it. So why are they not speaking now? They (customers) said President Mohammadu Buhari or CBN Governor should say okay to the Supreme Court ruling.
“Unfortunately that is what they are even bringing for us here. We held a meeting and they said more notes are even coming, the N1,000 and N500.”

The banker also confirmed the commencement of the cash withdrawal limit. He said: “Yes, they even said we should be doing N20,000 per customer per day. That is what the circular our banks sent to us today said.

When contacted on the above development, Acting Director of, the Corporate Communication Department, CBN, Dr. AbdulMumin Issa, said, “There is no official statement on the old N500 and N1,000 notes.”

The development in Lagos is also noticed in Ibadan, Oyo State capital yesterday, where bank customers said they would not take the old banknotes from their banks since the banks had earlier on Monday claimed that they were waiting for CBN or the President before they can dispense the old banknotes.

They wondered why the banks are now giving it out without the pronouncements from the two authorities.
A staff of one of the tier-one banks told Vanguard that her bank started dispensing the old banknotes because on Monday the CBN sent back the old Naira banknotes they had earlier deposited at the apex bank last week.

She hinted that she also made a personal withdrawal of N30,000, to be used for personal spending, but regretted that she could not use it for transactions as traders and commercial motorcyclists rejected it.

“I also made a withdrawal of N30,000 old notes but unfortunately I became stranded when I wanted to pay an okada rider and he rejected it. Since that was the only money I had on me, I was also affected by the scarcity of new naira notes, I had to call someone that brought N500 for me to settle the bike man.”

She said though there is no official statement from the CBN on the acceptability of the old naira notes, following the Supreme Court judgement, there was hope that the situation would get better in few days to come. Commenting on the cash crisis, Tajudeen Olayinka, CEO, of Wyoming Capital and Partners said: “Cash scarcity could have been avoided or minimized if cash withdrawal limit set by CBN was met by banks and CBN between January and February 2023 when the old notes ceased to be legal tenders.

“The fact that CBN did not release a sufficient amount of new banknotes to replace the old ones, and could not also provide near cash alternative in lieu of insufficiency of cash, worsened the situation.

Use of ATM or PoS machines cannot be taken as a near-cash alternative

Speaking at the backdrop of the Court ruling and the compliance by the banks, Mallam, Garba Kurfi, Chief Executive Officer, APT Securities & Funds Limited, said: “It’s a good development and will bring relief over the cash shortage but much better if CBN can release the old notes with it. Also, the FG should make a pronouncement so that it will be generally accepted as legal tender as many people are not accepting it for transaction purposes.

Prof Uche Uwaleke, President, of the Association of Capital Market Academic of Nigeria, ACMAN said: “It’s a welcome development.
“The directive to banks to accept the N500 and N1000 notes, in compliance with the Supreme Court judgement, portrays the CBN as a law-abiding Institution. It will also help to clear the uncertainty and confusion surrounding the legal tender status of those old naira notes.

“The cash crunch may linger for some time bearing in mind that the CBN has not said it would re-circulate about N2 trillion of old currencies already mopped up which explains why it has retained the cash withdrawal limit.

‘‘The way forward, in my opinion, is to ensure that banks have the lower denominations of the old and new notes in sufficient quantities to dispense over the counter as well as load in their ATMs.

Reacting, Mr David Adonri, Vice Chairman, of Highcap Securities noted that since the CBN has not been able to print and supply new currency notes to replace the withdrawn ones, it is proper to reintroduce the old notes so as to end the current excruciating scarcity of cash.

He stated: “As more new notes come into circulation, hopefully, the old notes will gradually be withdrawn. If CBN had implemented the policy properly by supplying the same quantity of new notes to replace the withdrawn old notes, the economy would not have suffered the kind of dislocation it is currently experiencing’’.

Organ Harvest: I Thought I Was Being Scammed By Doctors - Ekweremadu Tells Court

 The trial of Ike Ekweremadu resumed on Tuesday. The embattled former Deputy Senate President, who is facing charges of organ trafficking, on Tuesday March 7, told the court that he thought was being "scammed" by doctors, IGBERETV reports. 

60-year-old Ekweremadu is accused of conspiring to facilitate the travel of a 21-year-old man, David Nwamini, to Britain to use him as an organ donor for his sick daughter, Sonia. 

Nwamini, a street trader from Lagos was to be paid up to £7,000 in exchange for a kidney, the Old Bailey heard. Nwamini was promised opportunities in the UK for helping Mr Ekweremadu's daughter. 

Ekweremadu, his wife Beatrice, 56, daughter Sonia, 25, and medical "middleman" Dr Obinna Obeta all deny the same charge. 

The street trader was falsely presented as Sonia's cousin in a failed bid to persuade medics at the Royal Free Hospital in London to carry out the £80,000 private procedure, the court was told. 

Giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London on Tuesday, Ekweremadu was asked about an invoice for £8,000 he received via his brother Diwe on 8 February 2022. 

In his message, Diwe wrote he had received a "huge invoice" from a consultant doctor. 

He wrote: "It looks like they're all out to exploit people's unfortunate situation," the court heard. 

The defendant told jurors his view was that he was being "scammed". 

Defence barrister Martin Hicks KC asked: “Why not at this stage say we are being scammed Dr Obeta, end of, stop?”

Mr Ekweremadu replied: "My daughter's life was on the line so if we stop we will be putting my daughter's life in danger. So we just keep moving. “Everybody was obviously taking advantage of my daughter's ill health.” 

The defendant was also asked about an unsigned affidavit dated 19 January 2022 which was recovered from Dr Obeta's home in Southwark, south London, which falsely stated that the proposed donor was Sonia's cousin. 

Mr Ekweremadu told jurors: “I felt embarrassed because that's not true and I told my daughter to ignore the document.” 

He added: “I told her not to sign it... If you sign an affidavit you have to tell the truth.” 

Asked who created the document, the defendant said: “I have no idea.” 

Mr Ekweremadu added his family had written to a court in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, to find the origin of the affidavit. 

Mr Hicks told the court: “It's a forgery.” Mr Ekweremadu agreed. The trial continues.

List Of Male And Female Senators Who Have Represented Abuja Since 1999

 Federal Capital Territory Senatorial District in Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria covers 6 Local Governments which include: Abuja, Abaji, Kwali, Bwari, Gwagwalada and Kuje. FCT senate district has within its territory Nigera’s seat of power (Aso Rock Presidential Villa, the National Assembly and Judicial headquarters). Philip Aduda is the current representative of FCT Senatorial District.

List of senators representing FCT

Khairat Abdulrazaq-Gwadabe--- PDP 1999 - 2003 F
Isa Maina--- PDP 2003 - 2007 M 
Adamu Sidi Ali--- PDP 2007 - 2011 M 
Philip Tanimu Aduda--- PDP 2011– 2023  M
Ireti Heebah Kingibe--- LP 2023-?  F

Anybody With The Last Name Vivor Has A Very Strong Lagos Pedigree - Reno Omokri

 Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri has stated that anyone with the last name 'Vivor' has a strong Lagos pedigree, IGBERETV reports.

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivor is currently the Labour Party's gubernatorial candidate in Lagos state.

Reno wrote on his Twitter handle;

"Anybody with the last name Vivor has a very strong Lagos pedigree. The name is short for Survivor. The Vivors are people who endured slavery and made it back to Lagos more than a century ago as survivors. Rhodes-Vivor means they survived Rhodes and lived to tell. 

#TableShaker"