Headline

Lagos NUJ holds maiden unifying cultural day, preaches love, unity

Published

9 months ago

August 25, 2023

Lagos NUJ holds maiden unifying cultural day, preaches love, unity

(Photo: Edo/Delta State cultural dance session during a cultural day event organised by the Lagos Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists as part of activities to mark the union’s 2023 Press Week on Thursday in Ikeja)

The Lagos Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Thursday called for love and unity among Nigerians.

Its chairman, Mr Ajayi Adeleye, made the call in Ikeja, at the maiden cultural day event organised as part of activities to mark the union’s 2023 Press Week.

Journalists from different ethnic groups showcased thier colourful cultural attires, dance, music and meals.

Different media houses dressed in thier traditional clothing exchanged meals as people moved freely between tents to share with one another.

Ajayi said the union decided to go beyond the media rendezvous usually celebrated annually by adding glamour of culture to boost unity among journalists.
“This programme has come to promote unity of tribes in spite of our diversity.

“Everybody is happy wining and dining, there is food from various parts of the country. Everybody should be free to eat whatever he wants from any chapel, we are one family,” he said.

Ajayi urged the union to ensure continuity of the programme, while urging Nigerians in the Diaspora to join hands in developing the nation.

He said a new visionary government was in place and those in the diaspora should come back home with ideas and investments toward achieving the renewed hope agenda.

“As Nigerians, we should be our brother’s keeper, we should be united, we have no home than Nigeria,” he said.

He reeled out achievements of his administration, promising that by September, the union’s guest house in Somolu would be inaugurated.

High Chief Sunday Ossai, President General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Lagos State also appealed for unity, saying Nigerians should not allow politics to cause division.

“I want to appeal that politics should not divide us. No matter what happens, politics should not divide us,” he said.

Ossai, who led the traditional breaking of Kolanuts prayers and the Igbo cultural dance session, said elections were over and all parties should allow healing in the spirit of brotherhood.

The traditional leader, who was accompanied by Eze Uche Digba, the Eze Ndigbo, Ikeja said Nigerians needed to live in love and unity.

Other activities at the event included march past by various media, dance and singing competitions with cash rewards to winners.

The event had in attendance traditional leaders of some other ethic groups and NUJ executives from Zone B led by the Vice President, South West, Mrs Ronke Shamo.

Headline

EFCC bars dollar transactions, orders embassies to charge in naira

Published

4 days ago

May 11, 2024

Desmond Ukafor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has barred foreign missions based in Nigeria from transacting in foreign currencies and mandated them to use Naira in their financial businesses.

The EFCC has also mandated Nigerian foreign missions domiciled abroad to accept Naira in their financial businesses.

The anti-graft agency said the move is to tackle the dollarisation of the Nigerian economy and the degradation of the naira

The Commission, therefore, asked the government to stop foreign missions in Nigeria from charging visa and other consular services in foreign denominations.

The EFCC gave the advisory in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, for onward transmission to all foreign missions in the country.

In the letter, the EFCC said it issued the advisory because the practice of paying for consular services in dollars was in conflict with extant laws and financial regulations in Nigeria.

In a letter dated April 5, 2024, which was addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, titled: “EFCC Advisory to Foreign Missions against Invoicing in US Dollar,” the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede expressed dismay over the invoicing of consular services in Nigeria by foreign missions in dollars.

The EFCC cited Section 20(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which makes currencies issued by the apex bank the only legal tender in Nigeria.

The letter read, “I present to you the compliments of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and wish to notify you about the commission’s observation, with dismay, regarding the unhealthy practice by some foreign missions to invoice consular services to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country in United States dollar ($).

“It states that ‘the currency notes issued by the Bank shall be the legal tender in Nigeria on their face value for the payment of any amount’.

“This presupposes that any transaction in currencies other than the naira anywhere in Nigeria contravenes the law and is, therefore, illegal.”

The commission further stated that the rejection of the naira for consular services in Nigeria by certain missions, along with non-compliance with foreign exchange regulations in determining service costs, is not just unlawful but also undermines the nation’s sovereignty embodied in its official currency.

The letter continues: “This trend can no longer be tolerated, especially in a volatile economic environment where the country’s macroeconomic policies are constantly under attack by all manner of state and non-state actors.

“In light of the above, you may wish to convey the commission’s displeasure to all missions in Nigeria and restate Nigeria’s desire for their operations not to conflict with extant laws and regulations in the country.”

Diplomatic sources said yesterday, May 10, that some embassies were wondering whether the EFCC’s advisory represented the position of the Federal Government.

Headline

Prince Harry visits sick Nigerian soldiers in Kaduna

Published

4 days ago

May 11, 2024

Alero Danjuma

Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.

The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.

Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.

Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.