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General News

D. Day as 56m Nigerians Choose between GEJ and GMB

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Pic source: businessdayonline.com
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No fewer than 56 million Nigerians will file out today to elect the next president in an election believed to be the keenest in the history of the country, according to Punch newspapers.

The figure represents 81.9 per cent of the total number of 70,383,427 voters that registered for the election.

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and the opposition All Progressives Congress candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) are once again asking for Nigerians’ votes in this year’s general elections to enable them to lead the country.

The two political gladiators contested in the 2011 general elections won by Jonathan. But this year’s election has generated much tension across the country following the near equal strength of the two major presidential candidates in the poll.

According to Punch, the Independent National Electoral Commission had in February shifted the general elections as a result of insecurity in the North-East and poor distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had said that the commission was empowered by Section 26 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) to shift national elections due to some factors.

He explained that the postponement followed reports by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) and other service chiefs that their agencies would not be able to guarantee security of the commission’s personnel in some parts of the country. Jega had denied that INEC was forced to shift the polls, adding that the electoral body took the best decision under the prevailing circumstances.

“Nobody has forced us to take this decision; it is a very weighty decision, but under the present circumstances, we have taken the best decision and we stand by it,” he had said.

The postponement of the elections was said to have given security agencies the opportunity to reduce the insecurity posed by the Boko Haram terrorist group in the three North-Eastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe as well as to allow the electoral body to improve in its distribution of the PVCs.

INEC, in its bid to ensure credible conduct of the elections, introduced a lot of innovations, including the PVCs and the smart card readers to prevent rigging.

The electoral body also increased existing polling units by 30,000. By this addition, the total number of polling units across the country’s 774 local government areas is now 150,000 from the initial 119,973.

The creation of the additional units was contained in an INEC bulletin signed by the Director in charge of the commission’s secretariat, Ishiaku Gali.

Gali had said the decision to create the additional polling units was taken at the commission’s meeting on August 12, 2014 so as to decongest polling units across the country.

As Nigerians elect the new president today, however, the electoral body has put the current total number of registered voters at 70,383,427 of which Lagos State with 5,426,391 has the highest number of registered voters. Nigeria’s commercial capital is followed by Kano with the second highest number of registered voters of 4,751,818.

Meanwhile, INEC has warned the electorate to shun activities that could trigger off breakdown of law and order as they vote for the candidates of their choice.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti, Mr. Sam Olumekun, and Head, Voter Education in Kwara State, Mr. Jacob Iyanda, asked the electorate to remain orderly while casting their ballots.

Olumekun, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH through the commission’s Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Taiwo Gbadegesin, said, “Voters are to be orderly and follow the instructions of electoral officers. They are not supposed to accept bribe because that is against the ethics of the election.”

Also, Iyanda warned voters or politicians against canvassing for votes during accreditation.

He said, “Voters are expected to come to the polling units with their PVCs. Secondly, they should follow the instructions of INEC officials because they are going to move from one point to the other in the process of accreditation.

“Voters should not canvass for vote, they should not wear any clothe or cap that has symbol of any political party. No symbol of a political party should be found on them. Voters should cast their votes and if they know they want to stay back to watch the proceedings, they should stay quietly and stay out of trouble.

“It is also wrong for them to accept bribe from party agents to cast their votes.

“Voters should make sure that once they finish accreditation between 8am and 1pm, by the time the real voting is supposed to come up by 1.30pm, everybody is supposed to be at the polling units. Once the voters are called to queue up and counted, then it will be difficult to start looking for someone who is not around. So before 1.30 pm, all voters must have converged on the polling units.”

The Deputy Director in charge of Voter Education in Osun State, Rev. Canon Stephen Ojewande, warned politicians and their parties against making provocative comments that could create bad blood among voters.

Urging voters to conduct themselves at the polling units while exercising their civic responsibility peacefully, Ojewande assured them of adequate security.

He also warned that anyone caught canvassing for votes on the election day would be dealt with according to the provision of the law.

Ojewande said, “We want voters to go to their polling units with their PVCs. Accreditation will be done and after this, voting will start. Nobody should canvass for votes during accreditation or voting time.”

Head of Voters Education Department in Oyo State, Mr. Ayodele Folami, said voters were expected to arrive at the polling units by 8am for accreditation.

He said, “We have electoral guidelines guiding the conduct of our staff, ad-hoc members and voters. It is standard rule and having gone through more than a decade of democratic process, we expect voters to have acquainted themselves with the rules. They are expected to be at the polling units by 8am and cooperate with our staff while verifying their PVCs.

“They are also expected to be law-abiding and respect the next voter who could be loyal to a rival party. Normally, political discussion is not allowed around the polling units because it could lead to violence.”

Folami added, “At no time on the day of the election will candidates or their supporters be allowed to campaign. All campaigns stop before the day. Campaign on such day is against electoral guidelines. Any politician who does so on the days of the elections will face the law and could jeopardise his chances or that of his candidate. It is also a crime to take bribe from party agents to cast vote for their candidate on election day.”

In Plateau, the police said that they had taken measures, along with all relevant authorities and stakeholders to forestall breakdown of law and order during the polls.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Emmanuel Abuh, said that the police are also in touch with heads of various institutions, including universities, asking them to sensitise members of their communities against being used by unscrupulous politicians or taking the law into their hands.

He said, “Just as we have been briefing various stakeholders on the preparations for the elections, the police are working round the clock. No segment of the society will be left or neglected. Every precautionary measure has been taken to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order.

He added, “As you can see, all the security agencies in the state carried out a show of force round the streets of Jos and its environs. This is to show you that we are serious about the election.”

Assistant Registrar, Information and Publication, University of Jos, Mr. Aaron Abdullahi, said that the institution did not envisage any problem during the polls as students are currently on break till April 16.

Abdullahi said, “The students are currently on break until April 16, but we have adequate security cover on campus right now. UNIJOS security staff members are currently on one-week intensive training from Monday, March 23 to 27. The resource persons are drawn from the police, DSS, military and other security experts.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Commission said the body had deployed 20,000 personnel and 413 patrol vehicles along designated routes for today’s elections.

Corps Marshal, FRSC, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, said this was to ensure sanity on the nation’s highways during the polls.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Spokesperson for the commission, Mr. Imoh Etuk, and made available to Saturday PUNCH in Abuja on Thursday.

It said the commission had drawn a roadmap toward effective patrolling of designated routes on the highways to ensure best road safety practices among road users during the exercise.

It said the 24 Emergency Ambulance Response Centres at the various routes across the country would also complement efforts of the commission.

The routes are: FCT, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa, Taraba, Niger, Kogi, Ondo, Edo, Osun, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kwara states where the centres were located.

He said, “Motorists are hereby enjoined to ensure proper planning and management of trips through maintenance of their vehicles and compliance with traffic rules and regulations.

“ Road users are strictly warned to desist from all road vices such as overloading, speed limit violation, non-use of seat belt, route violation (driving against traffic), making/receiving calls while driving and night trips.

“Details of the objectives of this special exercise include the removal of obstructions from the highways; traffic control/decongestion and public enlightenment campaigns.

“Road users are strictly advised to desist from night trips and ensure that vehicles which ply the highways conform with safety standard,” the corps marshal added.

He listed functional head/tail lights, wipers, tyres, fire extinguisher, caution sign and non-defective windscreen as some of the basic conditions to be met by all motorists.

Oyeyemi urged motorists to call the FRSC Toll Free Emergency Numbers: 122 and 070022553772 to report any traffic crash or any other traffic-related challenges, for prompt response.


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General News

Afe Babalola University Partners with New Horizons to Integrate 4IR Skills into Academic Curriculum

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Deputy Director, ICT, Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado Ekiti, Muyiwa Oladimeji (left); Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde; Managing Director, New Horizons Nigeria, Tim Akano and the University Bursar, Pastor Dupe Babatola, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between New Horizons and the varsity for the integration of 4IR skill sets into ABUAD's academic curriculum in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
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The institution has been lauded for its rapid ascent in academic rankings and its dedication to producing socially relevant graduates since its establishments in 2009 by legal luminary Aare Afe Babalola. It has consistently demonstrated excellence in education and research, and has been recognized as Nigeria’s best university for three consecutive years.

Deputy Director, ICT, Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado Ekiti, Muyiwa Oladimeji (left); Vice Chancellor,
Prof. Smaranda Olarinde; Managing Director, New Horizons Nigeria, Tim Akano and the University Bursar,
Pastor Dupe Babatola, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between New Horizons and the varsity for the integration of 4IR skill sets into ABUAD’s academic curriculum in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Afe Babalola University has entered into a strategic partnership with New Horizons Nigeria to integrate Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) skill sets into its academic curriculum. This collaboration aims to empower ABUAD students with globally relevant competencies in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, 3D Technology, and the Metaverse, Web 3.0, Full Stack, Cyber Security among others. By embedding these cutting-edge technologies into its programs, ABUAD reinforces its commitment to producing graduates who are not only job-ready but also poised to be innovators and wealth creators in the global tech ecosystem.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, and Mr. Tim Akano, CEO of New Horizons Nigeria. The University Bursar Pastor Dupe Babatola, and Mr. Muyiwa Oladimeji, the Deputy Director of ICT were also present at this meeting.

According to Prof. Olarinde, she stated that the partnership aligns with ABUAD’s vision of fostering innovation and excellence and by integrating 4IR skills into the academic curriculum, students are being prepared to meet the demands of the modern workforce and to drive technological advancement.

Also, Mr. Akano asserted that “New Horizons is proud to collaborate with ABUAD, an institution that shares its commitment to technological empowerment. Together, we will provide students with the tools and certifications necessary to excel in today’s digital world. It could be recalled that in the first three global industrial revolutions, Africa was not present at the parties of Agric revolution of the 17th century, Industrial revolution of the 18th century, and Information Communication revolution of the 20th century, Africa got late to the party. This explains the large-scale hunger, poverty, and diseases that Africa is battling with today. We are in a new era, the age of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). AGI will determine the trajectory of every profession, going forward. Regardless of whatever course or profession one chooses, there is a component of AGI in it that will decide who is a modern lawyer or obsolete lawyer, who is a modern Doctor or Obsolete Doctor, who is a modern Engineer or obsolete engineer, and who is a modern art student or obsolete art student. Any university today that produce graduates without relevant 4IR skills and certifications attached during their undergrad years is producing obsolete graduates. The four major global challenges confronting humanity are not permanent problems but rather TECHNICAL/Technological problems. A case in point was smallpox, which had killed over 400 million people worldwide. However, when Edward Jenner invented a vaccine, using technology, smallpox got killed itself. Therefore, all the key problems in the world today: hunger, poverty, disease, Climate Crisis, Youth Unemployment are all technological problems that need technological solutions. This is why ABUAD’s partnership with New Horizons is necessary, critical and urgent with a view to ensuring that going forward, the ABUAD graduates have what it takes to compete with the Chinese, Americans and Japanese when it comes to 4.0IR innovations”.

This strategic partnership with New Horizons Nigeria signifies a pivotal step in ABUAD’s mission to remain at the forefront of educational innovation, and to ensure that its students are well-equipped to navigate and lead in the evolving technological landscape.

New Horizons Nigeria is Africa’s largest ICT training organization with over 200 training centres in various universities, high schools, and retail locations across Nigeria, empowering over 100,000 students yearly. New Horizons Nigeria is a franchise of New Horizons International, the world’s largest ICT training institute with Head Office in California and offices in 90 countries worldwide. The institution pioneered the integration of International ICT certification into the Nigeria academic curricular twenty years ago and some of the students that passed through New Horizons training in their respective universities are managing global corporations today in Silicon valley and working with global IT giants like Microsoft, MasterCard, Oracle, Google and Amazon among others.


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UBA Marks 75 Years of Excellence at 65th AGM

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United Bank for Africa (UBA) celebrated its 75th anniversary during its 65th Annual General Meeting, highlighting decades of resilience, innovation, and commitment to service.

Mr. Tony Elumelu, Group Chairman, reflected on the bank’s journey, emphasizing its ability to adapt and transform over three-quarters of a century.

He announced UBA’s impressive financial performance for 2024, including a gross revenue of ₦3.2 trillion and profit after tax of ₦767 billion.

The bank’s total deposits grew by 42% to ₦24.6 trillion, while its loan book expanded by 35% to ₦7.5 trillion.

Mr. Elumelu also addressed UBA’s efforts to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s directive to increase the minimum capital requirement for international commercial banks.

Following a successful rights issue, UBA’s capital now stands at ₦355.2 billion, with plans to raise the remaining ₦144.8 billion later this year.

GMD/CEO, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, reiterated UBA’s commitment to enhancing customer experience through digital banking.

He highlighted the bank’s focus on leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced technology to serve its 45 million customers across 24 countries more effectively.

UBA’s dedication to environmental stewardship and social progress was evident in its 2024 initiatives, including planting 4,550 seedlings to offset carbon emissions and distributing over 13,000 books through the Read Africa Initiative.

The bank’s efforts were recognized with multiple awards, including “Bank of the Year” in five African countries.

As UBA continues its journey, Mr. Elumelu and Mr. Alawuba expressed gratitude to shareholders, customers, staff, and regulators for their unwavering support.

The bank remains committed to innovation, financial inclusion, and driving economic growth across Africa and the globe.


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FBI Sends Team to Nigeria to Track Down ‘Sextortion’ Scammers

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Sextortion scams have become so widespread that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is sending agents to Nigeria to help track down the perpetrators.

FBI Sends Team to Nigeria to Track Down 'Sextortion' Scammers

The agency’s “Operation Artemis” has led to the arrest of 22 Nigerians, half of whom are “directly linked” to sextortion incidents in which victims died by suicide.

Sextortion scams often begin on social media, where perpetrators pose as attractive young women to lure victims—typically unsuspecting teenage boys—into sending nude photos or explicit videos.

Once the images are obtained, the scammers turn to blackmail, threatening to leak the content unless the victim pays up.

In some cases, the sextortion results in teenage victims taking their own lives over fear of the nudes leaking.

In Thursday’s announcement, the FBI noted it’s been “observing a significant increase over the last three years in financially motivated sextortion schemes targeting young males ages 14-17, resulting in more than 20 minor victims dying by suicide.”

The agency is also facing a 30% year-over-year increase in sextortion-related tips.

“According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or IC3, there were over 54,000 [extortion-related] victims in 2024, up from 34,000 in 2023,” it said.

“Over the last two years there have been nearly $65 million dollars in financial losses due to this crime.”

In response, the FBI says 55 agency field offices came together to identify “nearly 3,000 victims of financially motivated sextortion,” which led investigators to track down the culprits in Nigeria.

The US has since extradited at least three suspects from Nigeria.

“These subjects will now be held accountable in the American justice system, with more subjects still awaiting extraditions in Nigeria,” the FBI added.

 

 

 

 


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