Good Day! Below are Summary of News Stories Across Nigeria and Abroad:
1. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has renewed calls on political parties to consider Saturday’s Governorship and States Houses of Assembly election as a contest and not a war. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC Chairman said this at an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja. Yakubu urged political leaders to refrain from acts that may mar the election or compromise the security of INEC personnel, observers and other stakeholders. DAILY POST
2. No fewer than 12.9 million cyberattacks have been recorded from within and outside the country during the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly polls. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami, disclosed this on Tuesday, saying over 6.9 million attacks were recorded on election day alone. According to Pantami, the attacks were successfully blocked owing to the sophisticated infrastructure on the ground by different agencies of government charged with the responsibility of protecting the nation’s cyberspace. CHANNELS
3. The International Air Transport Association, on Tuesday, disclosed that the trapped funds belonging to foreign airlines operating in Nigeria have reached $743,721,097 from $662m in January 2023. IATA disclosed this in a letter addressed to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, signed by the Area Manager West and Central Africa, Dr Samson Fatokun, and obtained by our correspondent in Abuja. According to the letter, IATA and the global airline community seek an invention from the minister for the resolution of airlines blocked funds issues in Nigeria. PUNCH
4. The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, has said that his principal’s visit to the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has nothing to do with politics. He said it is preposterous for anyone to link the Governor’s visit to politics or elections. According to report Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday morning, shared a picture of himself and Oyedepo on his verified Twitter page. The post, however, sparked reactions from some Nigerians who claimed that the governor has been going from one church to another in a desperate bid to get votes ahead of Saturday’s election. VANGUARD
5. Controversial Nollywood actor Yul Edochie has commended Tems and her controversial outfit for the 2023 Academy Awards. The actor complimented Tems for upholding the pride of Nigeria in the midst of the ongoing social media discussion regarding her “view-blocking” Oscars dress. She was hailed as one of the best-dressed celebrities at the 95th Academy Awards; however, other people criticised her for blocking the view of those behind her with her gown. In a comment on the hot topic, Edochie shared his two cents and compared her to American actor Will Smith, who was the internet’s talk of the past Oscar ceremony. Notwithstanding the accusations around Tems’ dress, Yul praised Tems for putting Nigeria on the map and advised her detractors to attend the Oscars first before criticising her attire. PULSE
6. Nigerian Breweries Plc has revealed that its business has been heavily impacted by the current cash crunch in the country. In December, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) replaced old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes with news ones, triggering Naira scarcity that has worsened in recent weeks. In an interview with Bloomberg, the chief executive officer of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Hans Essaadi, said the company has faced a tough challenge as Nigerian Breweries Plc depends on cash for about 80 per cent of its retail sales. LEADERSHIP
7. Nigerians will now pay a new fee of 1,000 naira for National Identity Number (NIN) integration and verification. Spokesman of the National Identity Management Commission , Kayode Adegoke said the new arrangement was in furtherance of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy’s directive to streamline passport application, renewal and issuance processes. He said every Nigerian seeking NIN verification would pay verification fee of 1000 naira ; African countries, 3.00 dollars for organizations or its equivalent in other currencies and other countries 10.00 dollars or its equivalent in other countries. NIMC and NIS have agreed on a revised applicant journey that will significantly improve the speed of passport issuance and re-issuance and reduce the traffic visiting the NIS offices. The NIN service, fees, and the new NIS process will go live on 1st April 2023. DAILY TRUST
8. Facebook parent company, Meta Platforms Inc. has announced on Tuesday that it cut more 10,000 jobs, coming as the first tech giant to reveal a second series of mass layoffs as the industry prepares for a deep economic downturn. The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mark Zuckerberg made the announcement on the backdrop of Meta shares that jumped 6% on the news, according to Reuters. The widely anticipated job cuts are part of a wider restructuring that will also see the company cancel hiring plans for 5,000 openings, scrap lower-priority projects and flatten layers of middle management. VANGUARD
9. A 24-year-old British man, Antonio Neill, has been banned from every stadium in the United Kingdom for three years after he racially abused Brentford football star, Ivan Toney, on social media. English Police have described the ruling as a “landmark ruling,” being the first of its kind to be issued under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act of 2022, according to Sky Sports. The 24-year-old sent the racist message to Toney on October 14 last year, who shared a picture of the abuse received via his Instagram account. Northumbria Police supported by the Metropolitan Police afterwards, launched a full investigation into the matter. The message, which officers treated as a hate crime, was traced to a suspect who was then living in the North Shields area and on January 25, Neill, of Robert Street, Blyth, pleaded guilty to sending an offensive message when he appeared before magistrates in Newcastle. PUNCH
10. The Force Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has declared the current member of the House of Representatives representing Bauchi Federal Constituency, Hon Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi, wanted. Abdullahi was declared wanted alleged criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt, disturbance of public peace and culpable homicide. The police further announced N1 million reward for anyone with useful information that could lead to the arrest of the 45-year-old lawmaker. DAILY POST
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