Author: Safiu Kehinde

Safiu Kehinde United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has announced plan to raise N239.4 billion through Rights Issue to shareholders. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday and made available to NPO Reports. According to the statement, the Rights Issue, which opened on Friday, November 15, 2024, will gives existing shareholders the opportunity to purchase additional 6,839,884,274 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N35.00 per share in proportion to their current holdings. It is being offered on the basis of one new ordinary share for every five existing ordinary shares held by shareholders, as of November 05,…

Safiu Kehinde The Super Eagles of Nigeria have sealed their qualification spot for the 2025 African Cup of Nations with 1-1 draw against Benin Republic. The Augustine Eguavoen-led Eagles travelled to Benin for the return leg of the qualifier. Having already qualified through Libya’s earlier defeat of Rwanda, Nigeria faced Benin Republic with nothing to lose. However, the host needed a win against the already qualified Nigeria to boost their hope of also qualifying. They jumped into an early lead with a 12th minute opener. The host nation, led by former Super Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr, sought to double their…

Safiu Kehinde Former Ondo state First Lady, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has claimed to have been in politics before his late husband, Rotimi Akeredolu. The late Ondo governor’s widow made this claim in a post on her X handle on Thursday. Betty said her involvement in Ondo politics was to give spousal support and also share her ideas based on her political experience. She said she had been in politics since 2007, long before her late husband. “This information is for the uninformed. I have been in politics since 2007, way before my husband even thought about it. “I contested under ANPP…

Agency Report The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has proposed the sum of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year for submission to the National Assembly on Monday. The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu disclosed this after the Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday at the Presidential Villa. According to him, the Council pegged the price of crude oil at 75 dollar per barrel and proposed N1400 as exchange rate to a dollar with oil production put at 2.06million barrels per day. Bagudu said that the budget proposal included new borrowings of N9.2 trillion to…

Safiu Kehinde President Bola Tinubu has appointed Atiku Abubakar’s former spokesperson, Daniel Bwala, as his Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications (State House). This was announced in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday. As contained in the statement, Bwala emerged in Tinubu’s list of fresh addition to his cabinet which also included three new Director-Generals. The statement also confirmed the appointment of former Ogun State Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Olawale Olopade, as the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission. In the same vein, Abidoye Fagade…

Apple is facing a legal claim accusing it of effectively locking 40 million British customers into its iCloud service and charging them “rip off prices”. Consumer group Which? says the legal action – which it has launched – could result in a £3bn payout if it is successful, with the average customer getting around £70. Apple has rejected the suggestion its practices are anti-competitive, saying users are not required to use iCloud. It said many customers rely on third-party alternatives, and insists it “works hard to make data transfer as easy as possible”. It is another example of the “growing…

The Republican Party have reached the 218-seat threshold to win control of the US House of Representatives. The win creates a Republican trifecta that will make it easier for President-elect Donald Trump to enact his agenda. The Senate, or upper chamber, and the White House had already flipped to Republicans – meaning the new president-elect will now have significant power after he is sworn in on 20 January 2025. The exact margin – likely to be slim – of a Republican lead in the House remains up in the air as several races have yet to be called. Republicans will…

An estimated 4,000 illegal gold miners are hiding underground in South Africa after the government cut off food and water in an effort to “smoke them out” and arrest them. The miners have been in a mineshaft in Stilfontein, in the North West province, for about a month. They have refused to cooperate with authorities as some are undocumented – coming from neighbouring countries like Lesotho and Mozambique – and fear being deported. Illegal miners are called “zama zama” (take a chance in Zulu) and operate in abandoned mines in the mineral-rich country. Illegal mining costs the South African government…

Safiu Kehinde Operatives of the Lagos State Police Rapid Response Squad (RRS) has nabbed three suspected thieves for stealing phones from accident victims along Governor’s Road, Alausa, Ikeja on Wednesday night. This was disclosed in a statement issued on the Squad’s official X handle on Thursday. According to the statement, the suspects identified as Isaiah Adegbenro (38), Edet Johnson (30) and Efe Sowemimo (28) were arrested few meters aways from the accident point while trying to escape with the phones. Following the incident, the trio allegedly approached the crashed vehicle, ransacking the victims’ pockets and vehicle. They were, however, apprehended…

Safiu Kehinde Vice-President Kashim Shettima has the approval of the establishment of a new Disaster Relief Fund by President Bola Tinubu. Shettima made this known at the launch of the Humanitarian Supply Chain Management – Partnership for Localisation Project, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. According to him, Tinubu approved the establishment of the relief fund in an effort to strengthen Nigeria’s humanitarian response system. The Vice-President, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, explained that the fund would provide immediate assistance to disaster victims nationwide with a view to complementing the broader localisation framework.…