UKEMVERANEWS

President Muhammadu Buhari has declined assent to the Peace Corps Bill, citing financial implication and duplication of duties among reasons for his decision. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, read the letter on the floor of the chamber on Tuesday. Recall that the Peace Corps Bill had passed first, second and third reading on the floor of both Chambers of the National Assembly. The bill was subsequently passed by the National Assembly in 2017 and forwarded to the Presidency for assent.

A staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Quadri Tairu Adewale has cried out for help following his condition which was reportedly caused by electrocution while on an official duty. The man who is married with two children alleged that officials of PHCN Ikeja zonal office in Alausa, Lagos are yet to do something reasonable to help him improve his condition. He shared his story with Seun Oloketuyi who posted it online. I humbly seek for assistance and help after the unfortunate accident of electrocution and the maltreatment meted out to me by the management of PHCN ikeja zonal office Alausa. Am Quadri Tairu Adewale by name and i hailed from epe LG in L/state ,i attended both my primary and secondary education all in epe before an admission to study elect/electronic in olabisi onobanjo university (OOU ) and am married with two kids. I joined NEPA in 2001 through a program by FG called RCM as contract staff and was latter disengaged after unbundling of NEPA ...

The Police Command in Bayelsa on Tuesday confirmed the kidnapping of Mr Robert Desmond, Chief Executive Officer of a pro-All Progressive Congress (APC) campaign group known as the “New Face.” The Spokesman of the command, DSP Asimin Butswat, who confirmed the abduction, said in Yenagoa that the police had commenced investigation to arrest the perpetrators of the crime. A witness, Mike Perekiye, told newsmen that the victim, who was also an APC supporter in the state,  was abducted on Saturday after a social event in Nembe Local Government Area. Mr Victor Isaiah, Caretaker Chairman, Brass Local Council, condemned the act, describing it as wickedness to humanity. Isaiah called on security operatives to do everything possible to secure the release of the victim unharmed. He also urged anyone with information that could lead to his release to report to the authorities for prompt action.

Greek Economy Minister, Dimitri Papadimitriou, has resigned, the office of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday. Papadimitrou stepped down over a scandal that forced his wife, Rania Antonopoulou, to quit as deputy labour minister a day earlier. Antonopoulou had received an annual state subsidy of 12,000 Euros to rent an apartment in Athens, though she and Papadimitrou are reportedly worth a combined 3 million Euros (3.7 million dollars). The couple had used a 2015 law allowing ministers and lawmakers to apply for assistance to rent a home in Athens. The law caused outrage among Greeks, who have endured a series of austerity measures dictated by international bailouts for their country since it went into a financial meltdown eight years ago. The average household income has dropped by one-quarter since then and one in three Greeks lives close to the poverty line.

Nigerian singer and Alterplate boss, Harrysong recently signed  soul singer, Lami Phillips to his record label. Lami Phillips who is popular for her collaboration with M.I , is not a rookie when it comes to making music. He said:”She is full of talent and she does good music. If an artiste understands music, it will be easier for one to relate to him or her. It is not about the age; it is about what she has to offer. Her music relates to people of different ages. “Don’t forget that I am also a songwriter too. I saw something special in her and I believe it is something that every other person will enjoy too. 2Baba is an older artiste, but we still enjoy his music.”

The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngigie, on Monday said the federal government would announce a new minimum wage in September of this year. He made this disclosure in Abuja during the ceremony to mark the 40th anniversary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). The minister appealed to workers for more time for the federal government to be able to ensure state governments would comply with the new wages. “Better late than never because some State governors are still owing and cannot pay the current N18,000 minimum wage to workers, that’s why we are ensuring we bring all stakeholders along and announce the new minimum wage at the appropriate time. “But I can assure you that the third quarter is the maximum time the new minimum wage will be announced,” he said. Meanwhile, in his address at the occasion, the president of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, vowed to take the fight to those who seek to delay the process for the announcement of the improved minimum wage. ...

The Central Bank of  Nigeria (CBN) has directed that banks and other financial institutions must settle customers’ complaints on issues of overcharge, unauthorised deductions and other matters within two weeks. Mr Tajudeen Ahmed, The CBN Head of Complaints Management Division, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja. He said the CBN would ensure that bank customers received redress on issues of excess charges or unauthorised withdrawal. Ahmed reiterated the apex bank’s commitment to eradicate short payment of interests and end the culture of excess and arbitrary charges. According to him, the CBN has since issued a circular, which could be found on the Its website showing all legitimate bank charges. He explained that any charge outside what is contained in the circular was not allowed and should not be charged. “The consumer protection department issued guidelines to banks dated August 16, 2011, directing all banks and other financial ins...

The Green Party of Nigeria (GPN) said on Tuesday that the reordering of the 2019 elections timetable by the National Assembly would lead to unnecessary huge financial burden on the country. The party’s Chairman in Edo, Mr Roy Oribhabor, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Benin that the GNP was seriously bothered about the move by the legislators. He also said that the GNP would back holding the elections in one day. “We are seriously bothered about the logistics problem and the financial implications of this legislative action considering the hard situation in Nigeria today,” Oribhabor said. He said rather than re-ordering the elections, NASS should explore the possibilities of fixing all the elections to hold in one day. “We have listened to all arguments for and against the reordering, but they all lacked the direct solution to our political problems, I therefore called on NASS to use its legislative power to fix the election for one day...

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has registered only about 100,000 .ng domain names since its inception in 2007. The President of NiRA, Mr Sunday Afolayan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos  that Nigeria had yet to be where it should, in terms of .ng domain name. NAN reports that the .ng domain name is the domain name system for Nigeria the same way .uk is to the United Kingdom and .za is to South Africa. The .ng domain name system is useful for anyone who wishes to set up a website in Nigeria and/or for Nigerians. “South Africa with about 56 million people has registered one million domain names and Nigeria with 180 million people has registered only 100, 000 domain names; so, we are not there yet. “Right now, we should be talking about three million .ng domain names but we are talking about 100, 000 only. “There is a gap between Nigeria and South Africa in terms of domain names registration, and we need to close that...

Controversial nollywood actor, Uche Maduagwu has turned himself to a prayer warrior online after he dedicated a full post of lengthy prayer words to thee popular nollywood actress, Rita Dominic Even though the hidden intentions of the prayer is unknown but it’s almost possible to be because of the actress inability to get married despite achieving old age. Uche shared a mixed photos of him and the actress together and wrote the below words on it: ”God will answer your prayer this year…  @ritadominic I see the hand writing on the wall of certainty, this year will definitely not pass you by… They say “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”. @ritadominic I don’t know that particular THING that has been your number 1 prayer point before God, but i am optimistic that God will answer you this year, sometimes people mistake our smiles for perfection, but nobody really knows our little unsaid prayers to God, all they see is the beautiful makeup, and grea...

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been spotted by security agents in Ghana, according to a media report. There has been controversy over the whereabouts of the IPOB leader who was last seen in public in September 2017 before the military launched Operation Python Dance II — apparently to quell the agitation for the breakaway of south-eastern Nigeria Since the military raided his home in Aba, Abia state, there has been speculation that he was arrested and might have been killed. At some point, Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia state, said Kanu was in London. His court trial for treason has stalled and Enyinnaya Abaribe, the senator who served as Kanu’s surety when he was granted bail after spending 18 months in detention, has sought to be discharged from the obligation after his disappearance. However, security sources have informed TheCable that Kanu was ferried to the Niger Delta creeks by militants at the height of Pyth...

David Adeleke a.k.a Davido, has released dates for his latest “30 billion Africa tour, ” after expressing excitement on his social media platform successes recorded from his two hit singles, “If” and Fall” The two songs, ‘If’ and ‘Fall’ have gone diamond and platinum respectively. Davido who just completed a “UK tour” which included performances in Birmingham, Manchester and London said the tour will include to five different countries. The current Best African Act (MOBO) revealed the different countries in a picture to his fans on Twitter and Instagram. He wrote in a caption, “30 billion Africa tour starts next month!! What countries will you be attending” #30BillionAfricantour!! We not stopping. New music comes too”. 30 billion Africa tour will kick off on March, 3rd, 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda. The music star will showcase his talent to Central Africa when he will be performing in Kinshasa and Brazzaville respectively. West African cities, Niamey and Dakar will also have the opportu...

As at the last count, no woman has expressed intention to be president of Nigeria come 2019. It is still a man’s world. So far, nine men are known to be eyeing the seat of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in 2019.The field is still open though for more to come seeking their parties’ nomination for the race proper.And largely too some of these ambitions are laced with bareface intrigues,implicitly running with the hare and hunting with hound. Top of the list as at today is former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who has been in the wings, fuelling his ambition to be Nigeria’s president. Considered to be one of the most prepared to be president, Atiku Abubakar is perhaps the only one among the top eight contenders who has a ready blueprint, who has been in the saddle, who has a wide network of political allies, funding ability, and other prerequisites working for him. A little confession: I was a member of a think tank he set up more than 10 years ago to design a c...

HMD Global has on Sunday launched Nokia 8 Sirocco that spots dual rear cameras and curved glass design at the Nokia Mobile launch event in Barcelona. The smartphone is a redesigned version of the Nokia 8 flagship launched last year, also featuring a precision-crafted stainless steel frame. The company says the stainless steel frame of the new Nokia 8 Sirocco is 2.5 times stronger than 6000 series aluminium used in the predecessor, and it’s also more compact in height, width, and thickness than the original. It bears a slightly different rear camera setup, and IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. The Nokia 8 Sirocco is an Android One smartphone, with the company touting the use of stock Android as well as promising swift updates. Nokia 8 Sirocco price, availability The Nokia 8 Sirocco price has been set at EUR 749 (roughly NGN350,000.00), excluding taxes and subsidies, what HMD Global is calling the global average retail price. While HMD is yet to reveal the Nokia ...

The pregnant woman who was rescued by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps from suspected kidnappers in the Badagry area of Lagos State on Sunday morning is dead. According to available information, the woman, who was operated upon successfully and delivered of a baby boy, died on Sunday afternoon. The FRSC Badagry Unit Commander, Fatai Bakare, confirmed the development. Bakare said: “We blocked the vehicle and found them struggling with the woman to keep shut. “They had planned to drop her off on the expressway as they were speeding, but the pressure mounted by those chasing them from behind did not allow them to do that. “We discovered that the woman was injured and took her to Ola-Oki Hospital at Ibereko. “It was the closest to the scene of the incident and within 20 minutes, she was delivered of a baby. She had to be operated upon because she was in pains. “However, before we returned, the mob had caught up with the robbers and got tyres with whi...

Fuelled by growing sophistication of hackers and proliferation of criminal marketplaces and cryptocurrencies, the annual cost of cybercrime has hit $600 billion worldwide, researchers said Wednesday. A report by the security firm McAfee with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies found theft of intellectual property represents about one-fourth of the cost of cybercrime in 2017, and that other attacks such as those involving ransomware are growing at a fast pace. Russia, North Korea, and Iran are the main sources of hackers targeting financial institutions, while China is the most active in cyber espionage, the report found. Criminals are using cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence and encryption for attacks in cyberspace, with anonymity preserved by using Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, the researchers said. “We are seeing the bad actor community taking advantage of the innovation in the technology industry,” Steve Grobman, chief technol...

London-based non-governmental organization focused on human rights, Amnesty International, has launched its 2017/2018 edition annual report detailing state of human rights in 159 countries, including Nigeria. TheNewsGuru reports the 409-page report, which lists human rights abuses from the civil war in Syria to Police brutality in Kenya, covers all major human rights issues in Nigeria. “The armed group Boko Haram continued to carry out attacks, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Reports continued of extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and torture and other ill-treatment, which, in some cases, led to deaths in custody. “Conditions in military detention conditions were harsh. Communal violence occurred across the country. Thousands of people were forcibly evicted from their homes,” the report noted. The report listed the fifteen human rights challenges facing Nigeria to include armed conflict; arbitrary arrests and detentions; internally displaced people (IDPs); ...

Steph Nora Okere needs no introduction in Nollywood. The actress was among the generation of actors that started the soap-opera revolution in Nollywood. Speaking in an interview with Broadway TV, she recounted how she was sexually harassed in Nollywood. According to her:”If I say I haven’t been sexually harassed I will be lieing. It made me set up my NGO. “My family told me not to talk about it. I was harassed by a foremost producer who put a knife to my neck. It’s a story for another day . I stopped acting for 2 years, my family asked me to quit Nollywood. A producer put a knife to my neck and asked me to strip. “A producer lured me to his house, told me to put off my clothes, put  a knife to my neck , what is worse than that? My family never supported me having acting as a full time job but when I started doing well and they started seeing me on TV, they started loving it until the producer guy did what he did and they said ‘that was enough of acting.”

The international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) lifted Libya from the list of countries unable to fight money laundering and terrorism financing, the Central Bank of Libya said in a statement. “A major achievement was made with a decision issued by the FATF, after Libya was included in the list of states subject to follow-up with respect to ability to apply standards and obligations to combat money-laundering and terrorism financing crimes,” the bank said. The Bank stressed that this “achievement means FATF’s approval to Libya complying with all the requirements and obligations to combat money laundering and terrorism financing crimes, in accordance with international standards. “The approval also positively reflects the reputation of the Libyan state and enhances the confidence of international financial and economic institutions in the Libyan financial and banking institutions.” FATF is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1989 in France to develop policies...

enator Abdullahi Adamu [APC, Nasarawa West,] who took a swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo for  criticizing President Muhammadu Buhari, has been removed from office as  the Chairman, Northern Senators Forum,  over allegations bothering on mismanagement of N70m belonging to northern governors. Adamu was on Wednesday said to be replaced by Senator Wamakko Aliyu as the new Chairman of Norther Senators Forum. According to a Senator @ShehuSani it was alleged that some monkeys took the money belonging to northern. Recall that Adamu who recently attacked Obasanjo in a media briefing said the former president ought to be on trial for his activities while in office. Adamu’s words on Obasanjo: “Chief Obasanjo said President Buhari is selective in his anti-corruption war.  I agree with him because if the President were not selective, Chief Obasanjo himself would be in the dock today on trial on charges arising from the pursuit of his third term...

Peter Omobuwa, a corporal in the Nigerian Army on Sunday opened fire at an Army Captain, I.F Ibiama at Banki Junction, Borno State. A special situation report issued from the Headquarters of 21 Brigade, which coordinates Operation Lafiya Dole, to the Headquarters of 7 Division and exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, indicated that the incident occurred at about 9.12pm. According to the report, Corporal Omobuwa is attached to the 151 Battalion of the Nigerian Army. It added that the injured officer was moved to the Brigade Medical Centre where he was stabilized, while the corporal was arrested and is in the custody of the Military Police  myvictoryb.blogspot.com

Wanting to avoid prying eyes of parents and grandparents, younger generation of social media users are now dumping Facebook and moving to not-too-friendly-to-older-age-groups Snapchat. According to eMarketer’s latest forecast on social network usage, Facebook is losing younger users at an even faster pace than previously expected, and while the social media platform was able to count on Instagram to retain that younger audience in the past, Snapchat may now be siphoning away more users. “This year, for the first time, less than half of US internet users ages 12 to 17 will use Facebook via any device at least once per month. “Facebook is still adding monthly users overall, but older age groups are mainly responsible for this. The number of total Facebook users in the US will reach 169.5 million this year, up just under 1% from 2017. “Meanwhile, Facebook’s proportion of social network users accessing the platform will continue to decline over the forecast period,” eMarketer...