Ocean News

Former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Marcellinus Chuma Nzeribe, has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.  Nzeribe was convicted for fraud in absentia by Justice Yusuf Y. Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja on May 23, 2022.  The Commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement on Monday, May 30, said Nzeribe, 62, jumped the court bail granted to him by the FCT High Court, Maitama and has since not been seen.  "His last known address is at Block M7, Flat 8, NNPC Housing Estate, Area 11, Garki, Abuja," the spokesperson stated. Uwujaren called on the general public to assist in apprehending former lawmaker. "Anyone with useful information as to his whereabout should please contact the Commission in its offices or report to the nearest Police Station and other security agencies" he added. Nzeribe was first arraigned by the EFCC on October 16, 2020, on a four-cou

Divisional Head, Retail, SME Banking and E-Business, Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Olufunwa Akinmade has explained that the “raison d’etre for launching the Bank’s latest retail product called Yanga is to create a unique product proposition aimed at empowering the underbanked women entrepreneurs in Nigeria”. Akinmade, who stated this during a chat with the media, citing a recent EFInA report, said that “there are 51 million Nigerian women above 18 years of age, with over 41% of the unbanked. Out of these figures, it is estimated that there are 14-18 million female entrepreneurs – mainly in the micro SME category”. Recall that Unity Bank launched the women-focused Yanga account in November 2021 to promote financial inclusion and cater to unbanked women entrepreneurs across Nigeria in the MSME space. Therefore, the new retail product is designed to deepen its beneficial impact on Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs operated by women in the mass-market retail space. According to Akinmade, “Re

The most inspiring and encouraging feature of this great man Amb. Kolawole Akinmosun, the impeccable Personality is that he is consistent; passionate; dogged; resilient; undeterred and a determined character who can never betray trust or confidence bestowed on him no matter the circumstance. A team player of note who believes that standing firm and committed to whatever one believes in, remains the only way and parameter to measure integrity. Amb. Kolawole Akinmosun, age-long dignified personality amongst his kinsmen and women is never acquired or earned by lip service, but through his conspectus placing of premium, on issues concerning and bothering on the welfare and well-being of people around him, which positioned and endeared him to his people for service at all times and at which he has always delivered in all sense of diligence; humility; accountability and humour. Kola as he is fondly called is an ardent promoter of live and let-live; inculcating in those around him, the spirit

Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (FMN) as we all know is a market leader for the Food and agro-allied sector, and owners of the iconic brand ‘Golden Penny. As a notable player within the FMCG industry, FMN, for over 6 decades, manufactures superior quality products ranging from pasta to noodles, ball foods, flour, breakfast cereals, feeds & proteins, starches, edible oil & fats, and sweeteners. Recently, in their always-on proactive response to the needs of Nigerians, FMN rolled out a new 400g Golden Penny Pasta pack. This rollout is the company's proactive response to consumer demand for pasta packs suitable for various occasions. Sequel to its launch, young families, for instance, families of two, three, or even four persons, young adults, and students, find the new 400g pasta pack particularly endearing. With them, FMN just provided a pragmatic solution to their current food demand while maintaining optimum nutritional quality.  Here are five reasons the new product is eliciti

Ex-wife of Nollywood actor, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Maureen Esisi, has reacted after she was offered N350K per night for hook-up by an unknown individual. RedVigor who suddenly become an Instagram sensation shared a screenshot of the chat where the enticing offer was made to her. The alleged negotiator who was trying to seal a deal on behalf of his friend stated that he (the friend) would love to have her for 3-4 nights at the rate of N350K per night and she could possibly make more money if she’ll be willing to stay longer. Read chat below: Reacting to this, Maureen Esisi questioned the sanity of some individuals. See below: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd-rxidtGiC/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Bold BBNaija star, Jumoke Zainab Adedoyin, popularly known as JMK has lamented over the "ridiculously" high cost of living in Lagos state.  According to the trending tweet, her anger is that the "standard is not even worth the cost".  Her Tweet below:

Trending video showing the moment EFCC operatives gained access into the Abuja residence of Senator Rochas Okorocha through the ceiling before arresting him this evening May 24, has been shared online. Video below: https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cd86NX_ot6E/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

The Federal Government has introduced a new tax on phone calls to fund free healthcare for the Vulnerable Group in Nigeria.  The telecom tax is the equivalent of a minimum of one kobo per second for phone calls to boost the funds required to finance free healthcare for the vulnerable group in Nigeria.  This is contained in the National Health Insurance Authority Bill 2021 signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on May 19, 2022. The law defines the vulnerable group as children under five, pregnant women, the aged, physically and mentally challenged persons, and the indigent “as may be defined from time to time”. It specified that the money from the vulnerable group fund shall be expended to provide subsidy for health insurance coverage of vulnerable persons as determined by the council; and for the payment of health insurance premiums for the indigent. Speaking on the development via his Twitter handle, Taiwo Oyedele, fiscal policy partner and Africa tax leader at PwC, said the ne

  The ruling All Progressives Congress APC has postponed indefinitely, the screening of its presidential aspirants earlier slated for Monday, May 23. Although the no reason was given for the alteration of its timetable, the ruling party has been consistent in violating its own timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election. National Publicity Secretary of the parry, Barr. Felix Morka in a late Sunday statement said a new date will be announced in due course. “The Screening Excercise for Presidential Aspirants of the All Progressives Congress APC earlier scheduled to be held on Monday, May 23rd, 2022, is hereby postponed. “A new date for the exercise will be announced shortly. Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted”, the party stated.  

  The beautiful children of Enugu State have composed an emotional tribute to Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as his tenure gradually comes to an end as the Governor of Enugu state. In a one minute and fifty five seconds video that is currently trending online, two brilliant kids could be heard questioning each other on what their fate would be, when Ugwuanyi eventually leaves office in 2023. The two smart kids ended their tribute by saying; Barr. Peter Ndubisi Mbah is the only one they have confidence in, that can sustain the current energy, peace and development in Enugu State. In their words; "As his Excellency, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi's uncommon leadership style gradually comes to an end in office in 2023 and as it ushers in a new political dispensation, we are moved to ask; "Who will give us unfiltered access to Enugu Government house and guarantee a sense of belonging for Ndi Enugu like Governor Ugwuanyi has given  in the last seven years?" They further asked;

World Cup winner and Paris Saint-Germain superstar, Kylian Mbappe has confirmed he will be signing a new contract at Parc des Princes just days after it seemed he will be joining Real Madrid. Mbappe addressed the entirety of the Parc des Princes crowd before Paris Saint-Germain's final home game of the Ligue 1 season against Metz on Saturday night, May 21. The 23-year-old was handed the microphone to announce he has penned a new three-year deal with the French giants - putting an end to a move to Real Madrid.  Real Madrid were extremely confident that they would boast the superstar within their ranks from this summer onwards once Mbappe's original deal with PSG had expired.  But a new bumper contract of about £1m weekly has seen the 23-year-old commit his future to the Parisians. Addressing the crowd, Mbappe explained: "I am very happy to stay at PSG in France. I always said Paris is my home, I hope we continue to play football and win trophies together. Thanks for everyth

…Businesswomen Drags Bank To Court, Demand N10million Damages Three businesswomen and customers of Polaris Bank have dragged the bank before a Surulere Magistrate Court in Lagos over alleged unjustifiable freezing of their domiciliary and Naira accounts with the bank and subsequent illegal deductions on the said accounts amounting to about $30,769 (USD). The applicants – Mrs. Adebomi Orogun, Mrs. Kehinde Banjo, and Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ode, in an originating application brought pursuant to Order 1 Rule 2 of the Magistrates’ Courts Civil Procedure Rules of Lagos State (2009), accused the bank of freezing their USD (US Dollar), Euro and Naira account with the bank without a valid court order. They said the bank proceeded to make unauthorized deductions from their accounts without any justification whatsoever as there was no time they were accused of engaging in fraudulent activities with the said accounts. In her affidavit in support of the application, the first applicant (Orogun) who mainta

Male student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State, reportedly lost his life while his female partner was left unconscious after the two reportedly involved in a long hour of sexual match. The deceased, a National Diploma 2 student identified only as Oromidayo, was from the Civil Engineering Department, while his lover, Aramide, is also in ND 2 level in the Department of Business Administration. According to Sahara reporters, the lovers engaged in a sex romp after they came back from the campus. They were also suspected to have used drugs to enhance their sexual performance. “He is in my Faculty. Yesterday was supposed to be the day we start our examinations but the school was closed down. There was protest yesterday; so he and his girlfriend went back home. They drugged themselves and started having sex. The guy is dead now and the babe who is in a coma is at the University College Hospital” a neighbor of the deceased said.

Politician and Actress Tonto Dikeh’s ex-lover, Prince Kpokpogri is currently in the news after he took to a live session on Instagram to lament over the fact that the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA demolished his Abuja mansion. He lamented bitterly during an his Instagram live session while capturing the aftermath of the demolition of the gate and fence to his house. Link to video below: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CdiBInJFy6B/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdiSGrBoq74/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

In the thick and thin of the upcoming party primaries to herald the 2023 elections, the unfolding scenario for the politicians appear to be anchored on the same old order, but the background expectations of the citizenry seem to suggest the opposite. Representative democracy is important because it gathers the constituent representation of the entire citizenry. However, when representative democracy takes precedence in the functioning of the other power blocks, especially the ‘executive’; it often times creates knowledge gaps in the specific technical areas of function. Technocracy comes in handy to fill the void. There is little doubt that the Nigerian society has gone rudderless in the execution of tasks and clearly devoid of any modicum of technocratic input. Deliberately making wrong choices in fitting candidates for most sensitive positions. Even where the technical depth exists, factors such as sectionalism, religion, clannish instincts and tokenism have not helped matters. A cur

Aspirants for the two largest political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are vacuuming up dollars around the country ahead of their primaries, causing the naira to depreciate further. According to an evaluation conducted, the dollar has been fluctuating between N550 and N570 for the past two months until hitting an all-time high of N595 on the black market on Thursday. The black market rate, which is significantly higher than the official rate of N415/$, is not recognized by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), but what is constant is that dollar has inflated heavily against the naira. The naira has continued to fall against the dollar on the parallel market, according to this newspaper’s findings, as many people scoop up the limited foreign cash. Many commercial banks are reportedly running out of cash as a result of their inability to meet many customer requests. As the scarcity remains, some are concerned that the currency rate could

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Abubakar Atiku, has said he is not afraid to speak on critical issues but that every tweet on his official social media handles must get his approval before publication. Atiku, one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants, said this when he paid a consultative visit to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State at the Government House in Benin. Atiku had earlier condemned the gruesome killing of Miss Deborah Samuel who was accused of blasphemy. The post was soon taken down after a backlash against the former president by some Muslims on social media. According to Atiku, “Every tweet has to get my expressed approval but this one didn’t so I asked them to take it down. “I took a stand about Sharia law and was abused, thrown stones at, but how long did it last? Despite that, I didn’t change my position on that. I am not afraid to take a stand on critical issues,“ NAN quoted him as saying.

I read with dismay, the irritating write-ups on the Enugu State governorship candidature of Peter Mbah dotting some of our WhatsApp fora. The attacks and vituperations on this candidate are becoming as nauseating as the shallow thought processes instigating the write-ups. I hate to say that it gives a below average impression of the level of awareness of Ndi-Enugu in the political process. I am constrained to make this piece because I strongly believe that elections are won on aggressive grassroots buildup and not on energy dissipation on twitter and WhatsApp but often we are pushed to join in the stubbornness of the political arguments even in the face of facts. That much is the problem of Nd’Igbo even at the national levels. Peter Obi is easily the most deserving of the presidency in the minds of Nd’Igbo come 2023 and they are unrelenting in dissipating every energy in the social media about it. The north appears calm, surreptitiously watching events and planning their grassroots’ st

Retired boxer, Floyd Mayweather, visited Nigeria on Sunday. He was in the country for a press conference ahead of his exhibition match against Don Moore billed for Dubai on May 14. The former multi-weight champion also met the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.  

Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has denied authorising the purchase of presidential forms for him. A Northern group on Monday, May 9, purchased the form for Jonathan, insisting he must run for president in 2023. According to the group, Jonathan is the only Nigerian leader who has taken interest in Almajiris as he built schools for them during his tenure.  In a statement signed by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, the former President said he was not aware and did not authorise any group to purchase the form. The statement reads; “It has come to our notice that a group has purportedly purchased Presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms, of the All Progressives Congress APC, in the name of former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. We wish to categorically state that Dr. Jonathan was not aware of this bid and did not authorize it. While we appreciate the overwhelming request by a cross-section of Nigerians, for Dr. Jonathan to make himself available for the 2023 Presid

Engr. Beloved-Dan Obinna Anike is a man after my own heart. Here is a man, who has stood for his generation, not because he was looking forward to leading on the big stage, but because of sheer love for humanity. He is a Christian in the true sense of a Pastor, who is a shepherd of the people. When I think of Engr. Beloved-Dan Obinna Anike, there are certain words that easily come to mind: thoughtful, brilliant, selfless, sympathetic, public-spirited and gentle. Leadership sits so comfortably on Obinna Anike. Twenty-two years ago, he was voted the Student Union Leader of Nnmadi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK). He was probably the youngest Student Union Leader UNIZIK has ever produced, yet he engendered a Revolution in the lives of the students. Obinna Anike pioneered the Students’ Welfare Scheme and the Work and Study Scheme at UNIZIK. He led a successful struggle for the transformation of UNIZIK from a non-residential to a residential campus. As the community leader and organiser, h

   Coalition of Northern groups on Monday arrived at the International Conference Centre in Abuja to purchase the All Progressives Congress’ presidential nomination and expression of interest forms for former President Goodluck Jonathan. Sporting fez caps with the inscription ‘run Jonathan run’, members of the coalition said Jonathan is the most qualified to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari. Although Jonathan isn’t a member of the APC, speculations have intensified in recent weeks that he is set to switch from the Peoples Democratic Party to contest for President in 2023. Addressing calls for him to contest in April, Jonathan had told a crowd of supporters to “watch out”. “Yes, you are calling me to come and declare for the 2023 presidency, yes I can’t tell I am declaring; the political process is ongoing, just watch out,” he said at the time. If elected as President again, Jonathan can only serve for one term of four years, according to the constitution. He was first elected in 2011

Senate President Ahmed Lawan on Monday joined the growing list of presidential aspirants under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He becomes the 24th aspirant to pick the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms for the May 30 primary. A group of his friends led by Chief Sam Nkire, a member of the National Caucus of the party and 15 other Senators, purchased the form for him at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.  

The government of the United Kingdom has retracted its earlier decision to grant asylum to members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).  The UK had in April last year announced its plans to grant asylum to persecuted members of the separatist groups, as part of its refugee policy published at the time. The policy, at the time, was for asylum to be granted to “persecuted” members of the IPOB and the MASSOB.  However, in a May 2022 update of its asylum policy published on its official website, the UK government said, “If a person has been involved with IPOB (and/or an affiliated group), MASSOB or any other ‘Biafran’ group that incites or uses violence to achieve its aims, decision-makers must consider whether one (or more) of the exclusion clauses under the Refugee Convention is applicable. Persons who commit human rights violations must not be granted asylum. IPOB is proscribed as a terrorist group b

Ekiti State Governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Kayode Fayemi will formally declare his intention to run for the position of President of the country on Wednesday in Abuja. His Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, made this known in a statement issued to journalists on Tuesday. According to him, Wednesday’s declaration, tagged, ‘Unveiling My Nigeria Agenda’, would lay to rest speculations on whether Fayemi would run for the Presidency or not. Oyebode said his principal had discussed his plan to run for the number one office with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), traditional rulers and political leaders across states in the Federation. The statement was titled, ‘2023: Fayemi Joins Presidential Race, Unfolds Agenda After Nationwide Consultations With Leaders’. It partly read, “Dr Fayemi’s engagements with political and traditional leaders went on side by side with consultations with his colleague governors, especially those elected on the platform of the