High Street

  Still smarting from the internal issues of the imposition of candidates for the National Assembly in the recent general election, People’s Democratic Party in Kogi state faces another major trouble. Former Governor Ibrahim Idris is accused of engaging in an all-out war to impose his son, Abubakar as the PDP candidate for the Kogi state gubernatorial election in November. Emerging details have it that former governor Idris is going about making his son gubernatorial candidate in a manner that is alienating power brokers seeking to help the PDP leverage on the unpopularity of re-election seeking incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello to win the election. Yahaya Bello is facing groundswell opposition within and outside the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in his bid to secure a second term. Bello’s performance – including owing state workers salaries for months – has greatly affected the popularity of his party. And the PDP which should cash in on the situ...

Hadiza, the new wife of Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi would be living apart from first wife Olori Sekinat Aramide – for now. Sources confirmed that based on existing arrangement new wife Hadiza would be primarily based in Abuja with periodic visits to Lagos state. Young king Elegushi popularly known as King Gushi is the Elegushi of Ikate Land, which is one of the pieces of Lagos state. Sources disclosed that the reasons behind the strategy of King Gushi’s new wife, Hadiza opting to live apart from the first wife Seki are two folds. ‘’To protect her business and maintain the peace while the anger of the first wife cools off’’ societynow.ng learned. Olori Sekinat is said to have kicked very against Oba Elegushi’s marriage to Hadiza, the new Olori when she was informed. Sources disclosed Oba Elegushi had stayed well ahead of the consequence of his first wife’s anger -and strong opposition – by informing her of the plan to take a second wife when she could do little or nothing to st...

Another attestation to the value BUA group is bringing to bear on the economic advancement of Africa just came to fore. The Christophe Charlier, the Chairman of Renaissance Capital led the global management of the leading investment to a meeting with AbdulSamad Rabiu, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BUA group today – May 15, 2019. The meeting held at BUA Towers, the corporate head office of BUA Group. Renaissance Capital is a high impact investment bank with focus on emerging and frontier markets, particularly in Russia/ CIS, the Middle East, and Africa. The meeting between Rabiu, the Chairman of BUA Group and the Global Management Renaissance Capital is an offshoot of the Pan- Africa Investor Conference in Lagos. The Pan – Africa Conference is organized by Renaissance Capital. From Left: Kabiru Rabiu, Group Executive Director, BUA Group; Risana Zitha, Head of Investment Banking, Renaissance Capital; Christophe Charlier, Global Chairman, Board of Directors...

Alleged N450m Fraud: EFCC Names Recipients Of N126.5m Disbursed By Belgore The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, told Justice Rilwan Aikwa of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos how Muhammed Belgore, a governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2011 Kwara State gubernatorial election, had disbursed a sum of N126,500,000 (One Hundred and Twenty- six Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) to some  members of the Kwara Senatorial Districts in cash  out of the alleged N450, 000, 000 paid by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke. At the resumed hearing today, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, asked Belgore if he recalled that he had stated, in his evidence, that he saw the money (N450,000,000.00) at the bank, signed the receipt and instructed the bank to safe-keep it for him. Oyedepo further asked Belgore if he recalled that he also stated in his evidence that he cal...

The students of St.Saviours School Ikoyi who made history at the COBIS music competitions in the Netherlands are back. The students who competed at the rated event on behalf of the school won the first prize in Choir Vocal Ensemble and came third in Instrumental Ensemble. St. Saviours School became the African school to win in the competition with this development. This year’s COBIS music competition held on between May3-5, 2019. The history makers were officially welcomed back by Zenith Bank - represented by Adaobi Nwapa, the group Zonal Head, Ikoyi -, Craig Heaton (Head Teacher), Olayemi Edeki (Chairperson Co-Curricular Activities) and Mr. Omole (Head of Music).

Felix Onajite  Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Nigeria Limited, an oil firm owned by Olajide Omokore, that swindled billions of dollars from the flagship subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation – Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, is to refund $1.6bn to the oil firm following recent judgments obtained by the NNPC. NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru, said this was one of the recent achievements of the anti-corruption fight of the oil firm while speaking at the headquarters of the corporation in Abuja on Tuesday, after he was named patron of the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Investigative Professionals of Nigeria. Baru said, “We’ve made a lot of inroads in terms of fraud detection, prevention and control. The most important thing for the economy and any business is to ensure that fraud does not occur. It is not to allow the fraud to take place and then you start fighting it. So, the prevention aspect of fraud is very key. “Under the anti-cor...

On Thursday, May 9, 2019 Tokunbo Abiru led financial institution Polaris Bank held a media workshop for selected journalists. The workshop which is part of ongoing efforts by the bank at impacting on the journalism profession took place at GRA Ikeja Lagos. Focused on Online Journalism in the era of fake news and titled “He said it, She said it… What is the fact?” the workshop generally seen as impactful was anchored by brilliant journalist Taiwo Obe. Mr Taiwo Obe, popularly known as T.O is the founder of Surulere, Lagos state based Journalism Clinic.  Interestingly the practical approach adopted by Mr Obe at the workshop exposed one of the latest tricks of fraudsters preying on the cashless policy to swindle the public. A news room exercise undertook at the workshop to determine the truthfulness of a news item showed that the use of Point of Sale (PoS) terminal is now a means use by fraudulent element to defraud unsuspecting public. While applying th...

Saturday, May 4, 2019, the finals of the 4th Zenith Bank, Ikoyi Club Interschool swimming Gala held. Grange School Ikeja emerged overall champions out of the 13 thirteen that participated in the swimming competition. The competition is staged to encourage and groom swimming talents in Nigeria in line with Zenith bank’s focus of catching them young across all sporting activities. Here are some of the faces at the annual swimming competition prime to produce world champions.

Senator Bukola Abubakar Saraki is a member of the ruling class by birth, having been born into the Senator Olusola Saraki’s political dynasty in Kwara State. The young Bukola, like most privileged children of the elites, had his path to success well laid out. He had the best education both in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. He also quickly cut his teeth in leadership at a tender age, jumping on the board of Societe Generale Bank in 1990 at just 28, after a one-year practice as medical professional in the UK. Bukola had rapid boardroom capacity development and corporate leadership in the space of 10 years with SG (1990-2000). And at the young age of 38, he entered into public service, becoming the Special Assistant on Budget to President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000. He held this position for the president’s full first term and was credited for initiating the famous and widely praised Fiscal Responsibility Bill. In 2003, Bukola Saraki took his political career home to Kwara State, wh...

Zenith Bank Plc, the largest bank in Nigeria by tier-1 capital and the foremost provider of financial services to multinationals, corporates and SMES in the country, has affirmed its commitment to accord  its growing retail business the same attention and focus that has enabled it become the leading corporate bank player in the country. This is in line with the Bank’s strategic focus of extending its exceptional service offerings to everyone hence encouraging the drive for financial inclusion. Customers can now open a Zenith Bank account with a Zero Balance (N0.00) as opposed to its initial range of N50, 000 – N250, 000. This move highlights the bank’s ability to adapt to the changing needs of the financial environment. The Bank has also upgraded its retail banking offering with innovations such as *966# USSD EazyBanking, Social banking on Facebook and other offerings that will ensure memorable user experiences for its customers. As such, Anyone  interested in openin...

It was with happiness that many of us reported what we believed was a good news involving his royal majesty, Alaiyeluwa Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi Kusenla III getting wedded to his supposed new wife, Hadiza Tanko Yakasai, who is the delightsome younger sister of a Special Adviser to his Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Dr. Umar Ganduje, in the person of Salihu Tanko Yakasai. Salihu had by himself without being forced put the news out a few hours ago, stating that his sister was getting married to an Elegushi and was inviting all and sundry to the event. But strangely after the news of the impending wedding had gone viral and with pictures and videos of family members of the Elegushi at the occasion in Kano, a supposed aide of his royal majesty has come out with a supposed press release as seen below, pooh-poohing the whole ceremony and even rubbishing the claim of even the supposed new brother-in-law of the king. According to the so called aide, Oba Elegushi wa...

A non-governmental organisation, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, has accused Justice Oyekan Abdullahi of the Lagos State High Court of bias in a case between Eniola, the son of the founder of Globacom Nigeria Limited, Mike Adenuga, and his ex-lover, Damilola Ogun. The group, made up of lawyers, in a petition to the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, alleged that on August 6, 2018, a magistrate, T.A. Elias, of the Magistrate’s Court of Lagos State, delivered a judgement giving custody of Athena, the daughter of the two estranged lovers, to Damilola. The petition, dated April 26, 2019, claimed that no appeal was filed by the applicant challenging the judgement of the magistrate’s court. The legal officer of LEDAP, Adaeze Nkonkelonye, in the petition said despite the existing judgement, Abdullahi granted an order in which she relied on a “fraudulent agreement” signed and presented by only the applicant’s counsel which gave custody to the applicant (Eniola). ...

Ace Public Relations expert and grounded brand communicator Rasheed Bolarinwa kick started the new month - May, 2019- on a very bright note. RB as fondly called by friends was honored on May, 1, 2019. Bolarinwa currently a major influence in the corporate communication arm of Polaris Bank was decorated as a "Worthy Osun Ambassador " at the 4th Osun Youth Ambassadors Award themed OYAA 2019. The event held in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state. Deeply connected Bolarinwa was honored for the human capital development he has brought to bear in his area of Osun state.

The super rich and quite handsome monarch, said to be one of the youngest royal fathers in Nigeria, who reigns over the vast IKATELAND on the island tomorrow, May 3, 2019 in far way Kano State would at a Nikkai ceremony, which we trust would be massive or lush by all standards take as his second wife, the delectably stunning 'Hadiza Tanko, who is the younger sibling of the Special Adviser to the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Dr. Umaru Ganduje, that's talking about SalihuTanko Yakasai The very excited elder brother of Hadiza had taken to his social media pages on both Twitter and Instagram to happily announce the upcoming betrothal, excitedly inviting the whole world to be there to celebrate with the family. The light skinned Hadiza, who is a stunner par excellence we hear has been the hearthrob of the young king who is in his early 40s for a while now. Hadiza from our findings, is a 'Business Development Manager' at a oil and gas firm. The first wife of "Ob...

The incessant cases of poor handling of women reproductive health issues by health institutions would be on the front burner as an Non Governmental Organisation, ARHF is launched on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at the Whitehouse Hotel and Event Centre, Toyin street, Lagos. ARHF stands for Abebi Reproductive Health Foundation and is the brainchild of a group of medical personnel and a media practitioner, Ladi Taiwo of Black Heritage Radio (BHR), a United Kingdom based online radio platform in memory of his sister, Oluwakemi Olabisi Abebi Omirin (nee Taiwo) who died in November 2018 following a botched procedure to remove an ovarian cyst at a private hospital in Ogba, Lagos. The foundation intends to educate, guide and support women who might have been diagnosed of ovarian cyst or fibroid on and about second opinions and other forms of treatment. Where surgery is inevitable, it shall recommend qualified and experienced Reproductive health personnel who would carry out such in a safe, hy...

A crook and contempt are friends. The shady character excites the scornful tribute of   a sneer every time the discussion segues to him. More often than not, the crooked man despoils and looms in the public’s consciousness, like a troll from a medieval horror. Consider the case of Dafe Sejebor, the former Group General Manager (GGM) of the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) for instance, due to his perceived crookedness,   he has been arrested alongside 46 others in a sex trafficking sting in the U.S. The sting conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Katy Police Department, resulted in the arrests of 47 people on human trafficking charges, officials announced in a Wednesday morning news conference. Houston Police Sgt. John Wall said the sting operation ran from March 19-29 in the Katy area and Fort Bend County. Wall said of the 47 arrests, 27   were female and 20 were male. Eight were charged with human trafficking-r...

  The jury is still out on why an institution like the First Bank PLC of Nigeria would condescend to forge signatures, lie about a non-existent relationship with a lawyer, and, consequently, bring its decades of hard-earned reputation into self-inflicted disrepute. As the story goes, the banking behemoth had claimed that it hired one Godwin Imakhai, a legal practitioner and notary public, to perfect a tripartite mortgage agreement between it, Dr Francis Nwufor and his wife, Doris (owners of Whiteplains British School, Abuja), and Mrs Frances Ibe and Mr Emeka Ibe (directors of France Lee Nigeria Ltd, the former owner of the school’s land). The controversial agreement, according to First Bank PLC, was made at its Shippers House offices, Lagos, on January 27th, 2014. Under the purported mortgage agreement, the bank could, at a short notice, acquire and take over the school’s property – comprising six buildings with four floors each estimated to worth N6 billion – at Plot 52...

The Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank Segun Agbaje, Its Chairman Mrs Osaretin Demuren and the Company Secretary Erhi Obebeduo are set to physically appear before the Federal High Court Awka to show cause why they should not be committed for contempt and sent to prison for their willful, deliberate, wanton and unlawful violation of the subsisting Orders of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, Awka division and or for interfering with or obstructing due administration of Justice as epitomized by acts of hooliganism, thuggery, extreme lawlessness and condemnable impunity exhibited by them on the 29th and 30th of March, 2019 and on the 1st of April 2019. The relief is contained in an application filed before the court by Counsel to Innoson Nigeria Ltd, Prof McCarthy Mbadugha ESQ against Guaranty Trust Bank on its acts of thuggery, extreme hooliganism and outright lawlessness in breaking into all the properties of GTB which have been distressed and se...

The business empire of Jite Okoloko, one of the alleged strong allies of former Delta State governor, James Ibori, and a big beneficiary of the nation’s economic patrimony under the sixteen years of the Peoples Democratic Party’s administration that ended in 2015, appears to be heading for difficult times, if the unsavoury news filtering out of Eroton, Midwestern Oil and Gas as well as Notore Chemicals, the three diamonds of the empire, is anything to go by. Sources disclosed that Notore Chemicals has been battling with operational challenges in the aftermath of its largely undersubscribed attempt to raise fresh working capital from the Stock Exchange last year. The firm, sources said, has had to review its ambitious expansion and diversification plans it hoped to fund with the expected fresh capital injection that did not materialize. It is also said to be battling with huge cash calls occasioned by its liabilities while several contract and junior non-contract staff are said...