Author: Safiu Kehinde

Safiu Kehinde The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has vowed to intensify efforts in eliminating Ponzi and pyramid schemes, thereby fostering an environment for genuine investment opportunities to thrive in 2025. Dr Emomotimi Agama, the Director General of SEC, made the vow in his New Year message to the capital market community on Sunday. He maintained that protecting investors remained a cornerstone of the commission’s mission. Agama also said that the commission would prioritise key initiatives aimed at deepening market integrity, enhancing investor confidence and driving economic growth. According to him, SEC is positioned with a dual mandate in regulating…

Agency Report A former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Peter Okebukola, has appealed to the Federal Government to prioritise quality education through more investment in the education system in 2025. Okebukola made the appeal while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ota, Ogun. According to him, inadequate investment in education is a significant challenge confronting the country. This development, he said, was a major contributor to poor outcomes in terms of literacy, skills development, and economic growth. The former NUC boss noted that low investment in education also hindered national development…

Agency Report Travellers returning to their abodes and workplaces after the Christmas and New Year celebrations have decried the exorbitant fares across motor parks in Ibadan on Sunday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the commuters claimed to have paid less while travelling for the celebrations than returning. A passenger, Mrs Rose Adeleke, said those who celebrated in their rural communities were surprised at the high cost of transportation getting to the motor parks. She noted that the transport fare from Ibadan to Lagos was raised by almost 70 per cent due to the rush. “The drivers capitalised on…

Safiu Kehinde Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, has mourned the death of the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Nuhu Yaqub. Ododo, in a statement issued in Lokoja on Sunday by his Media Aide, Ismaila Isah, described Yaqub’s death as a sad loss of one of Kogi State and Nigeria’s most influential voices. According to the governor, Prof. Yaqub, who passed away on Saturday in Abuja at the age of 73 after a brief illness, was known for speaking truth to power and opposing oppressive tendencies both in and out of public office. Ododo extended his sympathies…

Agency Report A former presidential spokesman,Dr Doyin Okupe, has described President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to Enugu on Saturday as a game changer. Okupe, in a statement on Sunday in Lagos, said: “The visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Enugu on Saturday is a major game changer.” “Any objective observer can easily discern President Tinubu’s open heartedness and unrestrained affection for the South-East. “He (Tinubu) spoke openly and candidly from his heart and made very significant commitments for support for developmental projects in the south east.” According to him, without any equivocation, the South-East deserves the attention and support…

Safiu Kehinde Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has decried the recent vandalisation of electricity installations within its operational area in Abakaliki. This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Emeka Ezeh, Head of Corporate Communications, EEDC. According to Ezeh, the loss of power supply in areas of Abakaliki was due to the vandalisation of the Udemezue 11KV Feeder in the early hours of the day. He said affected areas include Oroko-onuoha, Udensi, Kpirikpiri, Ogbaga Road, New Layout, Udemezue, Low Cost Housing Estate, and Hilltop Road, amongst others. Also affected by the power outage were notable establishments such as…

Heavy snowfall brought disruption to parts of Europe on Sunday, hitting air travel in the United Kingdom and Germany. A number of airports across the UK closed their runways Sunday because of heavy snow and ice. Vast swathes of the country were under snow and ice warnings on Sunday, including most of Northern Ireland, the majority of Scotland, and a large part of central and northern England, according to the UK’s Met Office. Almost all of Wales is under a yellow rain warning. Manchester Airport, the country’s third largest airport by passenger size according to the Civil Aviation Authority, said…

Three Chinese nationals have been arrested with 12 gold bars and $800,000 (£650,000) in cash in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials say. The gold and money was hidden under the seats of the vehicle they were travelling in, according to Jean Jacques Purusi, the governor of South Kivu province. He said the operation to arrest the men had been kept secret after the recent release of another group of Chinese nationals accused of running an illegal gold mine in the area. Eastern DR Congo has abundant reserves of gold, diamonds and the minerals used to make batteries for mobile…

Safiu Kehinde A 32-year-old Uruguayan striker, Mathías Acuña, has reportedly committed suicide amid ongoing investigation over alleged domestic abuse of ex-partner. Acuña, who played for Ecuadorian club Mushuc Runa, was found dead on the 4th of January in his hotel room in Ambato, Ecuador, approximately 100 kilometres from Quito. According to reports, authorities identified suicide as the likely cause of death. According to Pulse Sport, the striker was under investigation for alleged domestic abuse against his ex-partner, a case that had reportedly resulted in him being fitted with an electronic tracking bracelet. This device was intended to monitor his movements,…

Safiu Kehinde At least, four persons have been confirmed dead following a horrific fuel tanker explosion in Agbor, Delta State. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon along the old Lagos-Asaba Road, after the tanker, which was reportedly carrying petrol, lost control. While the state government confirmed four fatalities, Delta State Police Command claimed only two lives were lost in the tragic incident. According to reports, the explosion also caused significant damage to structures in the area, including First and Access banks situated in the area. As seen in viral videos on social media, residents caught in the devastating inferno scampered…