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The 2017 diary: January/March

By Victor oshisada
10 December 2017   |   2:33 am
The Lagos State House of Assembly passed a bill to check the spate of kidnapping in the State into Law with stiffer penalties’ including death sentence for offenders.

Aisha Buhari

January 5. Lagos State assembly okays death penalty, others for kidnappers.
The Lagos State House of Assembly passed a bill to check the spate of kidnapping in the State into Law with stiffer penalties’ including death sentence for offenders.

*Another Chibok girl found with baby: Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri discovered another abducted Chibok girl, Rakiya Abubakar, with her six-month old baby during an investigation of arrested Boko Haram terrorist suspects in the Alagarno Areas of Damboa Local Council of Borno State.

January 6. Aisha Buhari denies reports linking her to abuse of privileges. The First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari described as baseless and mischievous, a report by an online platform linking her with allegations of abuse of privileges at the Nigerian High Commission in London. The statement insisted that the First Lady never travelled to London with a large entourage, as portrayed by an online platform.

January 7. Adeboye steps aside, announced new Nigerian General Overseer. A new year shocker came the way of millions of members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)when the General overseer (GO), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye announced a new leader for the church in the country. The new General Overseer of the church in Nigeria was Pastor Joseph Osuolale Obayomi, while the new Church Secretary was Pastor Johnson Folorunsho Odesola and the treasurer, Pastor Joseph Adeyokun. The founder of RCCG was Rev Josiah Akindayomi. The church reportedly had presence in 192 countries globally. The new G.O., Obayomi would oversee the Nigerian arm, whilst Adeboye would remains the G.O of the RCCG wide.

January 8. Why China withholds $20 billions concession loan to Nigeria. Multiple negative growth recorded in 2016 in the country was identified as one of the reasons that the Chinese government withheld a $20 billion concession loan earlier promised Nigeria upon due verification.

January 9. Buhari sacks FRCN boss blamed for Adeboye’s exit as GO. President Muhammadu Buhari fired the Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), Mr. Jim Obaze and ordered the re-constitution of the council. The sacking came two days after Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) stepped down as the General Overseer (GO) of the church in Nigeria, based on a law by the FRCN. The law which Adeboye cited as reason for the re-structuring, allowed specifically limited tenure for general overseers to 20 years or 70 years of age.

January 11. 36, 000 Nigerians cross to Italy in 2016. The desperate search for good life, illegal migrants from Nigeria accounted for 21 per cent of the total 171, 299 immigrants that braved the Mediterranean odds to arrive in Italy in 2016.
January13. Aisha Buhari donates building materials to IDPs in Yobe. First lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari donated building materials to support the resettlement and rehabilitation of victims of insurgency in Yobe state. Represented by Hajiya Yabawa Kolo, Mrs. Buhari delivered the materials in Damaturu to the state’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Aliu.

January 14. Subsidy stages come back as petrol open market price hits N160 per litre. New findings revealed that the market open price of petro hit N160 per litre. This was a result of the landing cost that was within the region of N138 per litre: The upward movement of the price was informed by the rise in the price of crude oil at the international market.
January 16, Professor, three others killed in Maiduguri varsity twin blasts. Police authorities said that the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) twin blasts at the staff quarters’ mosque killed a professor, a lecturer and two others. They were performing early morning prayers by 5:25am. Fifteen people were also injured.

January 18. Nigeria deploys fighter jets, troops as US warns Jammeh. The Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) intensified moves to get the President of the Gambia, Yayah Jammeh, to respect the will of his people expressed at the December 1, 2016, election won by Adaama Barrow. Nigeria Air Force deployed a contingent and fighter jets on standby in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The refusal of Jammeh to quit was making Nigeria to lead ECOWAS countries in a possible military removal of Jammeh.

January 19. The Gambia’s new President takes oath of office in Senegal. The winner of the December1, 2016 election in The Gambia, Adama Barrow was sworn –in as new President. Later, the BBC reported that Senegalese troops entered The Gambia to ensure Barrow assumed power as the country’s new President, quoting a Senegalese army spokesman.

January 20. It’s going to be only America First. Donald Trump becomes 45th President of US. Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and reality television star who opened American politics, was officially sworn-in as the 45th President of the United States, putting Republicans in control of the White House for the first time in eight years.

January 21. MTN’s planned shift in listing date puts Stock Market recovery at limbo. Indications emerged that the planned listing of MTN Nigeria’s share on the country’s stock exchange scheduled for 2017, might eventually not come to pass until 2018. The reason for the shift in date, according to the MTN was because of the economic recession that Nigeria was going through and necessity for the firm to resolve amicably all pending regulatory issues.

January 23. Buhari asks Senate to review stand on Magu, Babachir. President Muhammadu Buhari allegedly pleaded with the Senate to reconsider its rejection of Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The President equally asked the lawmakers to review their stand on the Secretary to the Government of the federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.

January 24.Central Bank of Nigeria keeps monetary policy rate at 14%. The Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) Retained The Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 14 per cent. It was the rate at which the CBN lent money to deposit money banks in the country.

January 25.Fayose foils DSS bid to arrest pastors’ Ekiti. Governor Ayodele Fayose foiled an attempt by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) to arrest Apostle Johnson Saleeman of the Omega Fire Ministries worldwide in Ado Ekiti. The cleric was alleged to have been preaching against alleged lslamisation of the country and asking members of his church in Auchi to resist the killing by suspected Fulani herdsmen whom he said were targeting Christians for decimation.

January 28 CBN to increase list of banned imported items. Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefilee, insisted on regulated foreign exchange regime to ensure that the naira did not go beyond a certain band in exchange market.

*California announces proposal to exit US. The State of California announced a proposal called, “Calexit” that would establish it as a separate nation from the United States of America (USA).

January 29. The Guardian’s property Editor gets real estate award. The Guardian’s property Editor, Mr. Chinedu Uwaegbulam, was honoured by the International Real Estate Federation, Nigeria chapter, as the best journalist in the nation’s real estate sector for 2016.

January 30. Customs seizes truckload of pump action rifles in Lagos. Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) intercepted a truck-load of smuggled arms at Apapa Port in Lagos.

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