March 28, 2019

How NDDC officials allegedly laundered ₦3.6b, by witness

A prosecution witness from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Eyo Bassey Francis, a subway developer and contractor, yesterday told a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, how two officials working for Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Tuoyo Omotsuli and Francis Momoh, used their companies to transfer hundreds of millions of naira to his companies’ accounts for onward transmission to some beneficiaries and for conversion into dollars.

The witness, led in evidence in chief by the prosecution counsel, Ekene Iheanacho, said he embarked on an online platform for users of Internet for NDDC and also did general supply of goods …

Lawsuit filed against Boeing over Ethiopian Airlines crash

The lawsuit was filed in Chicago federal court by the family of Jackson Musoni, a citizen of Rwanda, and alleges that Boeing, which manufactures the 737 MAX, had defectively designed the automated flight control system.

Boeing said it could not comment on the lawsuit.

“Boeing … is working with the authorities to evaluate new information as it becomes available,” it said, adding all inquiries about the ongoing accident investigation must be directed to the investigating authorities.

The 737 MAX planes were grounded worldwide following the Ethiopian Airlines disaster, which came five months after a Lion Air crash in Indonesia that

S&P affirms Access Bank’s ratings

Following the merger between Access Bank Plc and Diamond Bank, one of the global rating agencies, Standard and Poor’s (S&P), Thursday announced that it has discontinued its ‘CCC+/C’ long- and short-term issuer credit ratings and its ‘ngBB/ngB’ Nigeria national scale ratings on Diamond Bank.

At the same time, it affirmed the ‘B/B’ long- and short-term issuer credit ratings and ‘ngA/ngA-1’ Nigeria national scale ratings on Access Bank and assigned the bank a stable outlook.

According to S&P, the affirmation of its ‘B/B’ ratings on Access Bank was based on its view that short-term acquisition risks were likely to be offset …

Trump to meet with Xi Jinping at the G20 economic summit

Trump extends Liberians’ immigration protections in US

Trump last year ordered an end to Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status for Liberians, which was first granted to them during the presidency of his fellow Republican George W. Bush and enabled the immigrants to work and protected them from deportation. Advocates estimate that roughly 4,000 Liberians in the United States are protected by DED.

Trump had declared a one-year “wind-down” period, which set the final expiration date of the status as March 31. But on Thursday, Trump said he had changed his mind, winning unusual praise from some immigration advocates who have fought his policies in courts during the …

$30m Greater Lagos IV pipeline begins operation

Indigenous gas & power portfolio company Axxela Limited has put into operation its Greater Lagos IV (GLIV) gas pipeline network and the newly renovated Elegbata Sports Complex.

Greater Lagos IV (GLIV) is Axxela’s gas pipeline network, developed by its Gaslink Nigeria Limited subsidiary in partnership with the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC).

Spanning from Ijora through Lagos Island’s Marina axis, the multi-million dollar pipeline will supply gas to commercial and industrial off-takers along its route, and already has First Power and Island Power among its customers.

The firm’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Rasheed Olaoluwa, said: “This occasion demonstrates our continued …

NUFBTE warns firm against engaging expatriates

The National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) President, Comrade Lateef Oyelekan, has advised   Lacasera Company management not to allow expatriates take over positions meant for Nigerians.

He gave the advice when  Lacasera Company new Managing Director, Mr. Chinedum Okereke, visited NUFBTE executives in Lagos.

Comrade Oyelekan, who is also the vice president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), told reporters after the meeting, that part of their discussions  was how the company would ensure that it secured Nigerian jobs from expatriates.

Oyelekan said: ‘’We said he should use it to protect the interest of Nigerians because if …

Ondo shuts hospital for training ‘quack’ nurses

Ondo State Government on Thursday sealed off a private hospital in Okitipupa reportedly owned by Dr. Odusola Aribo for training auxiliary nurses against the established law.

The Acting Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Dr. Dipo Durojaye, after being briefed by the Ministry’s Monitoring team, who monitored hospitals in Okitipupa, said Aribo also started a hospital without following laid down regulations.

Durojaye added Aribo did not register the hospital with the State Ministry of Health, which makes it illegal.

He said it would not be business as usual in the State health sector as government will descend heavily on quacks and …

Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique reports five cholera cases

Five cases of cholera have been confirmed in Mozambique following the cyclone that ravaged the country killing at least 468 people, a government health official said Wednesday.

Cyclone Idai smashed into Mozambique on March 15, unleashing hurricane-force winds and heavy rains that flooded much of the centre of the poor southern African country and then battered eastern Zimbabwe and Malawi.

The Red Cross has previously warned of a “ticking bomb of disease” and called for the deployment of medicines and health professionals to avert a full-blown health disaster.

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‘Politicians use party vehicles to carry drugs Anambra’

‘Nigeria has 15 million drug addicts’

The Chairman Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse, Brigadier Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa on Thursday in Katsina declared Nigeria has about 15 million drug addicts.

Marwa, who described the development as alarming, further put the global average rating of drug use and abuse at five per cent.

He however stated the rating for Nigeria was 15 percent.

The former Lagos State Military Administrator spoke after leading members of his committee to the Katsina Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

 He said: “We have an emergency situation before us regarding the issue of drugs abuse

$768.4m – Third largest jackpot in US lottery history

Unless you are a Wisconsin resident who got all winning numbers: 16, 20, 37, 44, 62 and the Powerball number 12.

A single ticket sold in the state matched all six numbers to win the third largest jackpot in US lottery history, lottery officials said.
“Due to strong ticket sales, the jackpot climbed to an estimated $768.4 million at the time of the drawing with a cash option of $477 million,” the Multi-State Lottery Association said in a statement.
“The lucky ticket holder(s) will have the choice between an estimated annuity of $768.4 million, paid in 30 graduated payments over