News
APC chieftain urges end to protests in response to president’s appeal
By Francesca Hangeior
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has urged the organisers of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest to listen to President Bola Tinubu and end the protest.
Oyintiloye said that since the President had acknowledged hearing their grievances, they should embrace dialogue as suggested.
The APC chieftain, speaking to newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, said that the wanton destruction of property, looting, and killing of innocent Nigerians could not be justified in the name of a protest.
He noted that the reported killing of about 10 persons in Niger, Borno, Kano, and Kaduna during the protest was disheartening.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, acknowledged that there is no doubt about the hunger in the country but stated that going violent against the government and the people was not the best way to address the present situation.
He said shutting down a fragile economy like Nigeria’s for 10 days would be counter-productive, resulting in more suffering for the masses.
The APC chieftain also expressed dismay at the destruction of the federal government’s multi-million naira digital innovation park in Kano, among other properties.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, acknowledged the constitutional right to protest within fundamental human rights but stressed that the protest should be properly managed to avoid escalating into riots.
He said that the protest, which had resulted in killing, looting, and destruction, could no longer be described as a protest but a riot.
He added, “Such riot acts contravene section 71 of the Criminal Code Acts of Nigeria which explicitly states that ‘Any person who takes part in a riot is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.’
“Therefore, protesters must be careful not to allow their activities to be interpreted as a riot, which is a punishable offence.”
Oyintiloye noted that while the organisers of the protest might have genuine reasons for holding a peaceful protest, there were individuals, who could be described as enemies of the nation, who might want to use the protest to destabilise the government.
He appealed to the youths and the organisers to embrace dialogue, adding that President Bola Tinubu meant well for the country.
“I want to appeal to the youths and the organisers of the hunger protest to embrace dialogue and allow the President to do what is needed.
“Protest is a constitutional right, but killings, looting, and destruction of both government and private property are not permitted by the law.
“Let’s be cautious of the fact that there are some disgruntled individuals who are planning to use the protest to destabilise the government. We must not allow this.
“There is no doubt that there is hunger and poverty in the land, but we can rest assured that the President is doing his best to improve the economy, but this cannot be achieved within a year.
“Let’s give the President the chance to address the situation, and let’s embrace dialogue for the peace and stability of the country. The President has spoken; let’s listen to him and give the administration more time,” he said.
Oyintiloye commended the security agencies for their efforts in safeguarding lives and property during the protest and urged them to continue to be professional in the discharge of their duties.
He also appealed to the protesters not to provoke the security agencies, whose responsibility is maintaining law and order in society.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Thursday failed to beat Benin Republic in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, qualifier as two West African neighbours settled for a 1-1 draw in Abidjan
With the results, Nigeria officially qualified for the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON, securing a top-two finish in Group D,
Benin opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Mohamed Tijani capitalized on a corner delivery from Junior Olaïtan, heading the ball into the center of the net.
The Super Eagles found themselves trailing despite creating opportunities, with Victor Osimhen and Moses Simon both testing Benin’s defence.
In the second half, Nigeria intensified their attack and were rewarded in the 81st minute when Osimhen met Simon’s cross with a precise header to level the score.
Benin fought hard to reclaim the lead, but Nigeria’s defence held firm, preserving the draw.
Nigeria’s qualification for TotalEnergies CAF AFCON marks a relief for fans and sets the stage for their preparations for the tournament. Benin, meanwhile, remains in contention but will need positive results in their final game to have any chance of progressing.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has suspended, with immediate effect, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Agency, Shehu Hadi Ahmad, indefinitely.
This was made known in a statement by the Senior Special Adviser to the Minister of Public Communication and Social Media, Olalere Olayinka, on Thursday.
Circumstances leading to or surrounding the suspension of the secretary were, however, undisclosed as of the time of filing this report.
According to the statement, the suspended Executive Secretary has been consequently directed to hand over to the Director of Engineering Services in the FCDA.
United Bank for Africa Plc has issued 6,839,884,274 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N35 per share in a rights issue to raise N239.4bn in a bid to meet the fresh capital requirements of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The rights issue which opened on Friday (today) allows existing shareholders to purchase one new ordinary share for every five existing ordinary shares held by shareholders as of November 05, 2024.
In late March, the CBN announced an upward review of the minimum capital requirement for banks in the country.
In a letter to the shareholders informing them of the rights issue, the Group Chairman of United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu, noted that following the resolution of the Group’s shareholders at the Annual General Meeting held in May 2024, authorising the establishment of the N400bn Equity Shelf Programme, UBA will embark on a Rights Issue, as the first step in its broader capital raising programme.
“UBA’s Rights Issue aims to raise N239.4bn, through the issuance of new ordinary shares to our shareholders. The primary objective of this rights Issue is to further strengthen our capacity to take advantage of growth opportunities and sustain our leadership in the banking industry,” Elumelu said in the letter.
On the use of proceeds, Elumelu noted that, beyond regulatory compliance, the funds will expand the Group’s lending capacity, invest in digital infrastructure, support sustainable business practices, and expand the group’s African operations.
Elumelu also highlighted how UBA is driving economic growth across Africa, saying “Our historic partnership with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, where UBA pledged up to $6bn in financing over the next three years to support eligible SMEs across Africa underscores our commitment to fostering economic development.”
It was revealed that application for the provisional allotment of the Rights to the new ordinary Shares will be made exclusively through the NGX e-offer portal, during the offer period, while existing shareholders may also apply for additional shares above their provisional allotment as described in the Provisional Allotment Letter. Shareholders who are customers of the Bank are also encouraged to access their Rights through UBA’s internet banking and mobile banking channels.
At the end of the third quarter, the gross earnings of UBA appreciated by 83.2 per cent year-on-year to N2.39tn from N1.31tn in the same period of 2023. Its profit before tax went up by 20.2 per cent to N603.48bn from N502.09bn in Q3 2023, while profit after tax also rose by 16.9 per cent to N525.31bn from N449.26bn recorded a year earlier.
The lender’s total assets rose to N31.80tn, representing a 54.0 per cent increase over the N20.65tn recorded at the end of December 2023.
In the 2023/2024 report year, UBA won ‘Bank of the Year’ awards in eight of its subsidiaries – Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Republic of Congo; Sierra Leone; Tanzania, as well as the Regional Award for Africa and in 2024 has won World Best Frontier Markets Bank and Best SME Bank Africa.
UBA Plc offers banking services to more than 45 million customers, across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points in 20 African countries.
AFCONQ 2025: Nigeria’s Super Eagles fail to beat Benin Republic in Abidjan
Wike suspends FCDA secretary indefinitely
UBA to raise N239bn via rights issue
Just in: Terrorists ambush military truck, kill all soldiers on board
Nigerian Dancer, Korra Obidi Attacked with acid, stabbed on stage In UK
Meet Rare Gem 16 Years Old Chiaza, CEO of ‘RUN MARKET PLACE’
-
News23 hours agoMikel Obi explains how Kai Havertz dishonoured Chelsea fans
-
News23 hours agoEniola Shokunbi: 12-yr-old Nigerian girl invents air filter, gets $11.5m funding
-
News23 hours agoAlleged scam: EFCC Impounds Okowa’s Passport
-
News22 hours agoOsimhen : No permanent move, Napoli tells Galatasaray
-
News23 hours agoBuilding houses for judges: It’s Tinubu’s policy for judicial independence, not mine-Wike explains
-
News21 hours agoSad! Body of COAS, Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja, ready to be airlifted to Abuja(Photos)
-
News21 hours agoConfusion as Chinese Tears Naira Notes in Protest During Lagos Govt Raid(Photos)
-
News12 hours agoSAD! Popular gospel film producer Baba Gbenro passes on