About a week to Christmas Day, shoppers have condemned the worsening naira scarcity, with many of them expressing frustration over their inability to make vital purchases for the Yuletide celebration. Findings by The PUNCH on Sunday revealed that banks were still rationing cash over-the-counter, while several Automated Teller Machines visited did not dispense cash. Our correspondents who visited ATM galleries in Lagos, Abuja, Osogbo, Makurdi, Sokoto, Edo, and Gusau, among others, observed that many of the machines had run out of cash. On Friday, many bank customers could not get access to cash OTC in many baking halls across the…
Author: Lilian Azuh
A popular actress, Mercy Aigbe, has recalled that she almostleft the industry over sexual harassment. In an interview with ‘Your Views’, atalk show on TVC, she said, “I once met a producer in Surulere, and I expressedto him how much I would love to act. He told me he had an upcoming film, andinvited me to his office for an audition. I passed three stages of theaudition. After the last audition, I was given a minor role. I told him thatwas not the character I was auditioning for, and he replied that the directorsaid he did not know me, and…
Air fares on domestic routes for Yuletide travels have increased astronomically forcing travellers to weigh options of patronizing other modes of transportation as bookings for intended trips between Lagos and Southeastern routes for Monday December 18, 2023 hit N171,500 on a one – way booking by one of the carriers. Passengers are not only trapped in the difficulty of raising more funds to purchase their tickets ,they are also struggling to get seats aboard the aircraft as most seats have been taken by early booking. Investigations by The Nation reveal that despite the harsh economic conditions more people still opt to patronise…
The performance of Nigerian artiste, Oludipe David, better known as Spyro, at the Harvesters International Gospel Center’s Christmas carol session in Lagos State on Sunday had elicited mixed reactions. The church invited celebrities to the event, including Daniel Effiong, Bisola Ayeola, Dorathy Bachor, Sharon Ooja, Uzor Arukwe, Adeh Gbolahan, and Kenneth Ophopho, according to the event flyer Many people have voiced their criticism of the choice to showcase a secular musician at a religious gathering. Comments have surfaced on social media, where Nigerians asked questions about whether it was proper to invite the artistes to play in a place of…
A Yaba Magistrate’s Court has remanded a Lagos driver, Godwin Waheed, for allegedly kidnapping, detaining, and sexually assaulting a girl at the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos State. The police brought the defendant on Thursday before Magistrate Patrick Nwaka on two counts bordering on unlawful confinement, detention and defilement of his supposed passenger. The 44-year-old was alleged to have conveyed the victim as a passenger in his Toyota Sienna, after which he kidnapped, detained and defiled her. According to the police, Waheed used a dagger to threaten her to undress inside his car, and after that penetrated her. Luck was said…
It promises to be a spectacular celebration of extraordinary talent as FirstBank, Nigeria’s premier bank takes centre stage as the lead sponsor of the highly anticipated ‘A Night of Queens’ concert. The all-female showcase of musical and creative talents will take place on Sunday, December 17th, 2023, at the prestigious Eko Convention Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos. In collaboration with Livewire Concerts, an international entertainment company in Nigeria, FirstBank aims to create a lasting impression on the audience with this groundbreaking flagship musical event. The energy, excitement, and fun that these talented women bring to the stage are simply contagious,…
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, has expressed worry over the resurgence of armed robbery in the South-West. It called on the Federal Government and security agencies to rise to combat the rising cases of insecurity, particularly armed robbery and kidnapping. In a statement on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere expressed worry about “the armed robbery attacks at two commercial banks in Ikere, Ekiti State last Wednesday resulting in the death of three Amotekun security personnel in addition to serious harm inflicted on some other innocent people.” It noted that the Ekiti incident came barely…
President Bola Tinubu congratulates Nigerian-born Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience and top-flight researcher, Ijeoma Uchegbu, on her election as President of Wolfson College, one of the 31 colleges of the University of Cambridge. Professor Uchegbu, renowned for her innovative work in nanoparticle drug delivery, is currently a Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience at University College London (UCL). President Tinubu celebrates the outstanding accomplishment and commends Professor Uchegbu for being an excellent ambassador for the country and for her relentless efforts to advance the frontiers of pharmaceutical science. The President applauds Professor Uchegbu as epitomizing the ingenuity, brilliance, and hard work that are…
Minister of Labour and Employment Simon Lalong has left President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet, it was learnt at the weekend. Lalong, immediate past Plateau State governor, has opted to take the Plateau South Senatorial seat which he won. He is due to be sworn in this week by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, sources said last night. Lalong, the Director-General of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation in the rundown to the February Presidential poll, was declared loser of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He challenged the result, and victory was given to him by the Court of Appeal Lalong,…
Anita Joseph With a curvaceous body that is the envy of many, fast rising actress and model Anita Joseph surely has an edge over most of her contemporaries in the industry. However, aside acting, which she began in late 2004, Joseph is also a singer and dancer and hopes to release her debut effort very soon. Since her emergence, the fun loving thespian has displayed her acting prowess in over 20 quality movies and intends featuring in more, especially on the foreign scene. Interestingly, her most challenging role so far is the monster hit Titanic Tussle, which is still being talked…