Author: Opalim Lifted

The Central Bank of Nigeria has refuted claims of cash scarcity at banks, automated teller machines, Points of Sale, and Bureaux de Change in various major cities nationwide. Chronicle NG reports that the apex bank clarified the situation in an official statement that Isa AbdulMumin, the Director of Corporate Communications, shared on their X account on Thursday. The statement, in part, said, “Our findings reveal that the seeming cash scarcity in some locations is due largely to high volume withdrawals from the CBN branches by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and panic withdrawals by customers from the ATMs. Furthermore, the CBN…

An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 struck the central Philippines on Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. The offshore quake was at a depth of 19.2 km (12 miles), USGS said, off the central province of Eastern Samar. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of damage and aftershocks in an advisory, but there were no immediate reports of casualties. The Philippines lies on the “Ring of Fire”, a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is prone to earthquakes. The Ring of Fire is a string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity, or earthquakes, around…

An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province on Thursday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The Indonesian Geological Agency (BMKG) pegged the magnitude at 6.3 with no tsunami potential. The epicentre of the quake was onshore and at a depth of 25 kilometres (15.5 miles), located 15 kilometres from the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province, Kupang. The quake was strongly felt in several cities in the province, but there were no immediate reports of damages. Hotel guests at the Aston Hotel in Kupang were panicking when the quake hit, said Samuel Malohana, a hotel employee.…

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has described the detention of Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Imo State, as an act of lawlessness, impunity, criminality, and rascality in Nigeria. Chronicle NG reported that officers of the Nigerian Police detained Ajaero during a protest in Imo State. Obi posted on his verified X page, “What happened to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in Imo State yesterday has come as a rude shock to most Nigerians. It says a lot about the state of affairs in our country today”.…

Former presidential aide Laolu Akande has urged President Bola Tinubu to embrace criticism by making himself available for public scrutiny, while he also advised him to monitor his appointees, especially the ministers, regularly. Akande added that the progress and development of a nation require effective collaboration, stating that the president was right in admitting that he’s not perfect. “If you listen to the speech of the President, he did say that he is not perfect. And that is a very important thing to say because, as you would find out from the work of nation-building, the work of national development…

Peter Obi, the former Anambra State governor, has called for an investigation into the incessant fire outbreaks nationwide. Chronicle NG reports that the former Anambra State governor expressed sadness over the horrifying situations in these harsh economic times. Obi posted on his verified X page, “There have been reports of incessant fire outbreaks across the country within the last 24 hours. The first was a fire outbreak at the first Niger Bridge, Onitsha, and the second was at Ladipo Plank Market, Amukoko, Lagos, among others. “Thankfully, there was no loss of lives in the reported cases, but these unfortunate mishaps…

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (OAU), said it was meeting the officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following the arrest of 69 suspected Internet fraudsters, many of whom are students of the university. Fifty-eight of the students were later released on Wednesday. In a midnight raid, officials of the EFCC stormed hostels outside the OAU campus, including Fine Touch and Superb hostels in the Oduduwa Estate, Ile-Ife, broke into rooms, and arrested the students. The Students’ Union President, Akinremi Ojo, said on Wednesday morning the union had details of “72 students picked up from the hostel…

The United Kingdom has observed that Nigeria is fast becoming a regional and global powerhouse with the various reforms and multi-sector reorganizations the Bola Tinubu-led government has initiated since assuming office in May 2023. The British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, made the observation in a goodwill message he gave at the 2023 Cabinet Retreat held for ministers, presidential aides, permanent secretaries, and top government functionaries on Wednesday in Abuja. The envoy, who assured the nation of the UK’s continued support in the spirit of mutual respect and partnership, also observed that Nigeria, at the moment, is faced…

Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has recounted her ordeal in a Ugandan prison. Chronicle NG reported that Tems and Omah Lay were arrested, charged, and subsequently detained in prison in Uganda for making an appearance at a concert held in the country at Speke Resort, Kampala, on Saturday, 12th of December 2023, despite COVID-19 social distancing regulations. However, speaking in a recent interview with Angie Martinez of Power 105.1 FM, New York, Tems insisted that they didn’t break COVID-19 rules, claiming that “it was a setup.” The Oscar-nominated diva said she thought she wasn’t going to…

A mob in Onitsha, Anambra State, set two suspected thugs on fire close to Sokoto Road and the Main Market. It was gathered that the incident happened around 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday. Eyewitnesses in the area said the mob first lynched the suspects before setting them on fire. “The tricycle operator had dropped a passenger and his goods in the market, and as he was about to move, those boys approached him and attempted to dispossess him of his money before the mob descended on them, lynching them before setting them ablaze,” the source said. Efforts to speak with some…