Retail lender, Unity Bank Plc has recorded gross earnings of N38 billion for the nine-month period ended 30 September 2023. Also, customer deposits appreciating by 5% to N344.4 billion within the period, an indication of business growth and customer confidence in the Bank. Other key highlights of the 9-month financials include the total assets which stood at N423.4 billion; net fee and income commission, N4.4 billion within the period. However, the recent FX regulation impacted the Bank’s bottom line, a situation that can be reversed as the Naira appreciates. “This also means that the Bank enjoys market confidence which will enable the institution thrive better in the months ahead with increased business conversion, profitability and growth needed to achieve sustainable returns,” she said.

The Ogun State Government has urged its Ondo State counterpart to warn its citizens against launching attacks on residents living in border communities of the two states. The State Deputy Governor, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who doubles as the Chairman, Ogun State Boundary Committee, made this appeal in a statement issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. According to her, the encroachment on Ogun communities comes with assaults on Ogun citizens, most especially residents of Irokun kingdom, and the culprits were allegedly from the Ilaje end of Ondo State. “Irokun, a kingdom in Ogun State has its own traditional ruler, the Onirokun of Irokun, a member of our Ijebu Traditional Council. A statement issued by the then Ogun State government, said that contrary to the position of the Ondo State government, the affected communities fall within Ogun Waterside LG.

By Glazyl Y. MasculinoBACOLOD City – “It’s God’s will.”This was the reaction of Barangay 21 Kagawad Raymund Jude Garcia, who won in this year’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), through the drawing of lots held at the Liga ng mga Barangay building yesterday. Garcia turned emotional as he spoke to the media following his proclamation by the Board of Canvassers (BOC) as the seventh kagawad of Barangay 21. He said that it was his second time to experience a tiebreaker situation after the 2007 barangay election where he also ranked seventh. Based on the data of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), 44 SK Kagawad and six Barangay Kagawad in 19 barangays were affected of the tiebreaking. “Indi puwede na ma agree lang kamo or may ma concede or mapaiway kay dapat ma elect gid ta,” she added.

MitsKart employees were pleasantly surprised after receiving the Diwali gift. The owner of a pharmaceutical company in Haryana has gifted cars to his employees as Diwali gift. The company was started by Mr Bhatia a few years ago and these employees have been with him since then. This happened because of a positive thought," said Mr Bhatia. Mr Bhatia said it was a coincidence that the news surfaced around Diwali, though he had not planned about it.

South-East group, under the aegis of the Coalition of Igbo Unions, has urged the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, to rescind his alleged plan to evict Northern cattle traders from his state. The appeal is coming barely one week after about 70 decomposing bodies and skeletons were discovered near Abia cattle market Lokpanta in the Umuchieze area. “This is because the move by Alex Otti to forcefully eject the Northern businesses at the cattle market will have a negative boomerang effect on Igbo traders in the North and across Nigeria. We have carefully observed that the ‘vacate the cattle market’ ultimatum issued by the governor has greatly increased the already tense socio-political atmosphere in the country. The spokesperson for the Northern traders’ community, Buba Abdullahi, on Thursday at a press conference also expressed their anger over the government’s position, saying it was a subtle directive to evict them from the state.

Heavy smog seen engulfed amid rise in pollution levels at Barakhamba on Nov. 2, 2023 in New Delhi, India. Photo Credit: Hindustan Times | Getty ImagesSchools were shut across India’s capital on Friday as a noxious grey smog engulfed the megacity and made life a misery for its 30 million inhabitants. Smoke from farmers burning crop stubble, vehicle exhaust and factory emissions combine every winter to blanket the capital in a deadly haze. On Friday, levels of the most dangerous PM2.5 particles — so tiny they can enter the bloodstream — were almost 35 times the daily maximum recommended by the World Health Organization, according to monitoring firm IQAir. Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, announced late Thursday that all primary schools would be closed across the capital for at least two days.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted dust haze from Friday to Sunday across the country. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Thursday in Abuja anticipated dust haze with localised visibility of less than or equal to 1000m over the northern states throughout. According to NiMet, thunderstorms are envisaged over parts of Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Edo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta later in the day. It envisaged isolated thunderstorms over parts of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger and Benue later in the day. ”In the afternoon/evening hours, localised thunderstorms are envisaged over Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Edo, Abia, Imo, Enugu, Delta, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa and Lagos states.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, on Thursday, said it was set to provide six million barrels of crude oil to the Dangote Refinery. But in what could be described as a reaction to the report, sources at the NNPCL stated that the oil firm was set to deliver six million barrels of crude oil to the refinery in December. Section 109 of the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) stipulates domestic crude oil supply obligations to refineries, including the Dangote Refinery, NNPCL refineries in Port-Harcourt, Warri, Kaduna and modular refineries. The NNPCL has already taken an equity stake in the Dangote refinery and will start supplying crude oil to the facility. Also, industry sources stated that the Dangote Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, had yet to receive the required volumes of crude oil needed to produce refined products.

The Holy Qur’an, Fath, 48:29 says, “Muhammad is the Apostle Of God; and those who are With him are strong Against Unbelievers, (but) Compassionate amongst each other. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God, because most of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. Like almost every major prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the transmitter of God’s word sensing his own inadequacy. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have announced, ‘An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. But if it is God you worshiped, He lives forever.’”May Almighty Allah continue to shower His blessings and mercy on Prophet Muhammad.

The GSM Association has stated that the manufacturing sector will benefit greatly from the rollout of 5G technology by telecom operators. The global umbrella body of mobile network operators stated that in its latest ‘Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa’ report. According to the report, while 5G is expected to benefit most sectors of the Sub-Saharan African economy, over 32 per cent of the benefits are expected to come from the manufacturing sector. It stated that it would be driven by applications such as smart factories, smart cities, and smart grids, the report said. “Much of the 5G benefit will materialise over the period to 2030, as some countries are in the early stages of deployment and 5G economic benefits will increase as the technology starts to achieve scale and widespread adoption.”

I have been resisting the urge for a marvellous time now to comment openly on the current state of Nigeria, and particularly on the future of Nigeria. And in what and how many ways and times beyond our conscious perception of them have we done so? On Friday, August 4 this year, this column dwelt on the need for us to befriend silence in Nigeria. Everything then came to me in the floating noon dream of a life in our country. I was again transported to a floating dream of a life in our country – but this time it was a midnight floating dream.

In the present economic circumstances of the country, Tinubu certainly cannot close his eyes to the plight of the citizens. The host oil producing communities are warming up for probable confrontation with oil companies over attempt to push the bill in alteration of their entitlement derived from PIA to them to meet. Only time will tell how much punch the new Tinubu gear will pack and for how long the palliatives will subsist. The total external borrowing in the last four months by Tinubu Administration has come to $5.350 billion which is about N4.1 trillion. The Nigerian indebtedness to the World Bank moved from $6.29 billion in 2015 to $13.46 billion in 2022.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a short ruling on Wednesday, gave Emefiele another opportunity to appear in court in person or he would issue a warrant for his arrest. According to a court document, Form 15 (Judgment Summons), following the garnishee order absolute, the CBN had paid Agi part of the $70m, leaving a balance of $53m. At the Wednesday proceedings, Emefiele’s lawyer, Anuga, informed the judge that he had on Monday filed an affidavit to show cause why an arrest warrant should not be issued against Emefiele. In reaction, Justice Ekwo said flouting of court orders would not be allowed and insisted that Emefiele must appear before him. “Orders of court must be complied with and even if no one complies with the order of the court, the court must comply with its order.

The Chairman of the Committee on Aviation Technology, Hon. Thomas Eriyetomi gave the warning in Abuja, during an interactive session with the management of the Federal College of Aviation Technology (FCAT), Zaria. We are committed to working with you to ensure that our airports, airlines, and aviation technologies meet the highest international safety standards. “Today, as we gather here, we recognize the significance of innovation and technological advancement in our Aviation sector. Our doors are open to partnerships that can revolutionize our Aviation sector.

Medical experts at the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, are currently battling to save the eyes of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero. Ajaero was said to have been arrested by men of the Imo State Police Command while leading a protest in the state on Wednesday. Ajaero was seen in a viral video, sitting between two men while he was being rushed to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri. Upah said, “Contact has been made with Congress President, Joe Ajaero, this evening around 15:30 hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri from where he was taken to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri where he is receiving medical attention. “Thoroughly brutalised, his (Ajeoro’s) right eye at the time of contact was completely shut.”