322 Nigerian firms shut down in five years - World Bank

Harsh business environment in Nigeria forced about 322 organised private companies to close shop between 2009 and 2014, a report by the World Bank Enterprise Survey has shown.

The report also said out of 5,833 firms sampled in the country within the period, at least1,136 were reported to be at the risk of closing down.

A firm is considered to have closed down or exited if it is confirmed as ceasing operation.


The World Bank Enterprise Survey, which focused on emerging markets and developing economies, covered small, medium and large-scale enterprises in the non-agricultural formal private sector.

The study looked at the effects of factors such as trade, finance, labour, infrastructure, innovation, regulations, taxes and business licensing, crime, informality and corruption on business growth.

Results of the survey, which was published in a report by the African Development Bank, entitled ‘Creating Decent Jobs: Strategies, Policies and Instruments’, identified political environment and corruption as major obstacles to the survival of businesses in Nigeria and other African countries.

Senate proposes bill to create agency for hate speech

The Senate has introduced a  bill that seeks to ascertain a central agency to visualize hate speech within the country.

The bill, sponsored by a former Senate spokesman, who is currently the Deputy Senate Whip, Sabi Abdullahi,  passed presentation on the ground of the red chamber on Tues.

It is titled National Commission for the Prohibition of Hate Speeches (Estb., etc) Bill 2019.


A similar bill sponsored by Abdullahi within the eighth Senate prescribed among others, death by hanging for anyone found guilty of the offence.

Supply suspension: Petrol scarcity hits border towns, fuel now N600/litre

Residents of border communities in Ogun, Lagos, Adamawa, Katsina and Sokoto states  are groaning following the Federal Government’s suspension of fuel supply to areas  within 20 kilometres to  the nation’s borders.

On Thursday, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali, had directed that no petroleum products should be supplied to  any filling station within 20 kilometres to the borders.

 Investigations by our correspondents   in Ogun, Lagos, Adamawa, Katsina, and Sokoto states showed that the government’s order had triggered fuel scarcity and hike in the prices of petroleum products.

For instance, investigations by one of our correspondents  showed the Federal Government’s order had led to fuel scarcity in communities such as Ihunbo, Ilase, Ajegunle, Idiroko and Agosasa in  the Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Also, at the  Seme border in Lagos  on Monday, there were  fuel queues as only two filling stations were selling fuel.

Many filling stations shut in Ogun

The PUNCH learnt that  so many filling stations  within  20 kilometres  to the border in Ipokia, close to Benin Republic had been shut by the Federal Government’s task force on border closure.

 One of the residents of Ipokia, Elijah  Akinola, in an interview with The PUNCH,  accused the security agencies in the area  of sabotaging the economy of the country.

He asked,  “Can you imagine buying a litre of fuel at the rate of N600? Before we can get fuel for N145 in Ipokia, we will need to go to Owode, which is 28 kilometres  away. We don’t know what we can do to survive.

“Before the Federal Government’s order, they (security agents) used to take bribes from marketers  before allowing them to export fuel to Benin Republic. Now that the Federal Government has stopped supply of fuel  supply to border communities, we are the ones suffering.   Artisans, even medical personnel, are the ones suffering.

Punch

Cockroaches are evolving to a point where they'll be nearly impossible to kill

Cockroaches are being born impervious to bug sprays and it’s happening fast.

A Purdue University study found that the commonly found German species of roaches are being born with an immunity to toxins with which they haven’t yet been in contact. The shocking study, published on Live Science, concluded the evolution of the German cockroach, also called the Blattella germanica, develops an immunity to new poisons in as quickly as one generation of offspring.

“We didn’t have a clue that something like that could happen this fast,”study co-author Michael Scharf said. “Cockroaches developing resistance to multiple classes of insecticides at once will make controlling these pests almost impossible with chemicals alone.”

The study was conducted in various buildings in central Illinois and Indiana as well as at Purdue’s labs that had roach infestations. Researchers used various combinations of bug sprays and studied several generations of roaches to reach their conclusion.

German cockroaches, which reproduce quickly and scavenge among areas occupied by people, are described in the report as “the species that gives all other cockroaches a bad name.”

Stopping the super scavengers from spreading bacteria and disease in the future will depend on traps and vacuums more so than chemicals, the report suggests.

A Female German cockroach can lay nearly 400 eggs in a lifetime, according to Orkin exterminators. They also note that despite having wings, this seemingly evolving breed of roach “very rarely flies.”

 New York Daily News

The more you give, the more God blesses you - Dangote

Dangote: The more you give, the

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, says some people find it difficult to give without knowing that “the more you give, the more God blesses you”.

Speaking at the 2019 Gold Gala of Florence Otedola’s Cuppy Foundation in Abuja, Dangote emphasised the importance of helping the needy.

The event was organised by the Cuppy Foundation to raise funds for Save the Children, the 100-year United Kingdom-based charity, which is the biggest children-focused organisation in the world after UNICEF.

Save the Children is currently targetting displaced children in the north-east.

Dangote, who made a donation of N100 million, said he would give away most of his wealth to charity before he “passes away.”

“I believe we have made more Nigerians to have a big heart to be giving back to the needy. Nigeria has been good to us. Despite our many needs, we need to also contribute and do our bit. We shouldn’t wait for the government to do every thing. The government has a lot of challenges as we too have ours,” Dangote said.

“Yet, I still think we need to give back. They say, ‘To whom much is given; much is expected.’ Philanthropy in Nigeria is not new. But people find it very difficult to give money away. But I think, the more you give; the more God blesses you and makes you richer.”

He commended Femi Otedola, who made a N5 billion donation, saying the act has shown that Otedola is not only rich but wealthy.

“Femi has declared that he’s not just a rich man but a wealthy person. Now, he has joined the clique of wealthy men who don’t eat their money themselves alone or through their families. They make sure they give to others. For me, one thing I keep saying is that I’ll give away most of my money before I pass on. You know, we have to die one day.

“I must congratulate Cuppy for having a big heart to go and visit those children in Borno. 90 percent of the people I invite from Lagos to follow me to Maiduguri refused. But Cuppy went there, played with them and spent the whole day there.”

Tam David-West dies at 83

Tam David-West, former minister of petroleum and energy, has died at the age of 83.

In a statement on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari mourned the late statesman whom he described as his ally and friend.

We could not immediately confirm the circumstances that led to David-West’s demise.

He served as minister of petroleum and energy under Buhari’s military regime as well as minister of mines, power, and steel under former military president Ibrahim Babangida.

He was also a commissioner of education in the old Rivers state, and was described by the president as “a consultant virologist of national and international standing”.

A statement by Garba Shehu, Buhari’s spokesman, quoted the president as saying David-West had “an indomitable spirit, stood resolutely by whatever he believed in, and was in a class of his own”.

“He commiserates with the David-West family, the people of Buguma, Kalabari Kingdom of Rivers State, the academia, and all those who loved “the forthright Tam David-West”,” the statement added.

“President Buhari prays that God will rest the soul of the committed nationalist, urging all those who believe in the ideals he espoused to approximate same, for the betterment of Nigeria, and humanity.”

David-West wrote many books and was a social critic who spoke strongly on national issues.

VAR: Referees' chief Mike Riley to tell officials to use pitchside TV monitors

BBC Sport

Premier League referees are to be encouraged to make more use of pitchside VAR monitors, referees' chief Mike Riley is expected to tell clubs later this week.

All 20 top-flight clubs will be represented at a meeting with Riley in central London on Thursday.

Top of the agenda will be the ongoing controversies around VAR, which continued on Saturday when Sheffield United had a goal ruled out at Tottenham because of a marginal offside decision.

Riley will be quizzed about various VAR issues, including inconsistencies in decision-making and the time it takes for rulings to be made, which in some instances have been several minutes after goals are scored.

It is acknowledged that solutions are not straightforward. However, it is anticipated Riley will tell clubs the on-field referee will make more use of monitors.

It was envisaged that would happen from the point VAR came into use in the Premier League but Riley advised referees not to use them in order to prevent additional delays.

It is now felt the on-field referee is best placed to make marginal calls because they are more aware of the flow of the game and the atmosphere at the time.

CAN faults NYSC for expelling corpers who refused to wear shorts, trousers

The Christian Association of Nigeria has criticised the National Youth Service Corps for expelling two corps members who refused to wear trousers or shorts for religious reasons.

Two female corps members – Okafor Love Obianuju, with call-up number EB/19C/0523; and Odji Oritsetsolaye, with call-up number EB/19C/0530 – were expelled from the 2019 Batch C Stream 1 in Ebonyi camp over the weekend.

Speaking with The PUNCH on Sunday, however, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the CAN President, Rev. Adebayo Oladeji, said the two ladies should not be victimised for holding on to their faith.

Oladeji noted that the Nigerian Law School denied Firdausa Al Jannah Amasa from being called to Bar in 2017 because she refused to remove her hijab, but the institution had since retraced its steps.

He said the NYSC also ought to be more tolerant.

Nigerian business mogul Cosmas Maduka launches $35 million Rice mill Anambra

Nigerian business mogul Cosmas Maduka, one of Nigeria’s most successful businessmen, has built a rice processing mill in Anambra, a state in Nigeria’s southeastern region, at a reported cost of $35 million.

According to a report by ThisDay, the rice mill which was constructed by Coscharis Farms, a subsidiary of the Cosharis Group which Maduka controls, was officially launched last Tuesday at a ceremony in Anambra attended by Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele and various Nigerian state governors.

The first phase of the rice mill which has a milling capacity of 40,000 MT per annum was launched on Tuesday, but the entire project is expected to have an annual milling capacity of 120,000 MT when completed by the end of 2020 according to a press statement by Maduka.

Coscharis Farms Limited, a subsidiary of Coscharis Group, is an integrated rice processor that started operations in 2014 to meet part of the estimated 5.9 million MT annual rice demand in Nigeria. Coscharis Farms currently has close to 3,000 hectares of land for rice cultivation in Anambra and an irrigation system on its farm to enable multi‐cycle rice cultivation. Coscharis Farms has a robust farmer out‐grower development programme within Anambra State, and its environs that aims to reach thousands of farmers that could provide rice paddy to its mill when completed.

“We want to process paddy harvested from our farm into best quality rice. We want to contribute significantly to the government’s efforts to ensure food sufficiency through local production of rice. In addition, we want to set the pace for production of best quality local rice that will cause our people to change their preference from imported rice to locally milled rice which is known to be rich with important nutrients,” Maduka said at the launch of the rice mill.

Otedola donates N5bn to daughter's DJ Cuppy Foundation, as Dangote gives N100m

Billionaire business mogul, Mr. Femi Otedola, on Sunday night, donated a sum of N5 billion to save the children against acute malnutrition in the Northeastern part of Nigeria.

Mr. Otedola made the donation at the inaugural his daughter’s DJ Cuppy Foundation Gold Gala held at Transcorp Hotel in Abuja.
Otedola made the donation through his first daughter, Miss Tolani Otedola.
While speaking at the event, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, said Otedola’s donation to save the children was the largest donation to charity in Nigeria today.

According to him, “We don’t need billionaires or millionaires to start doing something, the likes of DJ Cuppy who are already doing something that affects lives is a good example.”
On his part, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who also donated N100 million, said that the country needs more Nigerians with a big heart to give back to the needy, saying the government should not be allowed to do it alone as the government already has a lot of challenges.

Pete Edochie reacts to criticism

Pete Edochie, veteran Nollywood actor, says he is not disturbed by a recent claim by Lotanna Odunze, a US-based illustrator better known as Sugabelly, that he is a ‘bad actor.

The illustrator had slammed the actor for his lack of flexibility in movie roles.

“Pete Edochie is a really bad actor. He’s been playing the same role his entire life,” she had written.

“Acting isn’t quoting proverbs. But Nigerians live and die by seniority, so the older he gets, the less anybody is able to point this glaring elephant in the room out

While speaking with The PUNCH Newspaper, the veteran actor said he remains unperturbed by people’s comment about him.

‘‘I’ll be honest with you: I’m indifferent to opinions expressed about me, because they don’t make sense to me. If Pete Edochie is a fantastic actor, thank you very much,” he was quoted as saying.

“It doesn’t mean anything to me; it has absolutely nothing to do with me. If you start responding to things that don’t make sense, there is that danger of reducing yourself to the level of that person.

“I’m mentally occupied 24 hours on a daily basis. I trained formally as a broadcaster and by the grace of God, I happen to be an articulate individual. I don’t have to advertise that, every other person knows that.

“I don’t even see most of these things and I don’t give a damn about it and don’t care. You have a right to express any opinion about me but it doesn’t mean anything to me.

“I have 13 grandchildren and I have been successfully married for 50 years. I’m living in my own house and comfortable.

“I don’t have time for all these things. What matters is that Pete Edochie is alive, kicking and enjoying himself.

“On April 7, I’ll be 73. There are few people of my age who are active. If I start responding to individuals, it means that I don’t appreciate God who created me.”

China: We won't fund Mambilla power until Nigeria settles legal dispute

The Chinese government has asked Nigeria to settle the legal dispute over the $5.8 billion Mambilla power failing which it would not provide the funds for the project.

In 2006, the China Gezhouba Group Corporation of China (CGGCC) and China Geo-Engineering Group Corporation (CGGC) had won the bid for a joint venture to execute the hydropower project with a proposed capacity of  3,050 megawatts — the single biggest power plant in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, in 2003, the ministry of power had awarded the build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract of the project to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL), a local content partner.

This was followed by the signing of a general project execution agreement (GPEA) with SPTCL in November 2012.

However, in November 2017, the ministry signed another engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Sinohhydro Corporation of China, CGGCC and CGGC to form a joint venture for the execution of the PROJECT — excluding SPTCL.

As a result, SPTCL dragged the federal government and its Chinese partners before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, France, over an alleged breach of contract.

Leno Adesanya, chief executive officer of SPTCL, claimed the company had spent millions of dollars with financial and legal consultants to raise about $6 billion for the execution of the project, yet the company has suffered a lot over the years “through improper administrative interruptions and interventions”.

Due to the ongoing legal tussle, Nigeria risks $2.3 billion fine over the proposed 3,050-megawatts facility conceived in 1982.

In a letter dated September 18 to Sale Mamman, minister of power, seen by TheCable, He Yongjun, project manager for the Chinese partners, maintained that the China Exim Bank, which is expected to provide 85 percent of the joint funding, will not finance the project until the legal issues are resolved.

“The Chinese government is showing a positive attitude towards the Mambilla Project. However, according to financing policy of China, the Export-Import Bank of China cannot provide loans to a project with legal disputes, which is the main reason why the project has not entered into substantive financing negotiations so far,” Yongjun said.

“On 5th September, 2019, Yang Jiechi, Special Representative of President Xi Jinping informed the Nigerian President and Commander in Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari that unless the legal dispute is resolved, conforming out of court settlement funding for the loan will not be accessed.

“A meeting shall be organized by the Ministry of Power for negotiation between the relevant authorities of the Nigeria government, SUNRISE, and the members of the EPC Contractor JV to resolve the legal disputes through amicable negotiations so as to let the plaintiff withdraw the lawsuit.

“Should such negotiation fail, if the Nigeria government considers that the arbitration result is beneficial to the Nigeria government, it is suggested that the judicial department of Nigeria (Attorney General) issue a formal legal paper to the Chinese authority confirming that: the legal dispute has no effect the Mambilla Project.

“And the Nigeria government requests China to start project financing negotiation as soon as possible, financing of the Mambilla Project cannot be stagnant due to legal disputes.

“However, if the Nigeria Government believes that there is a better way to resolve legal disputes, we support it. In any case, the settlement of legal disputes should not be delayed.”

China kick-starts development of 6G technology less than a week after rolling out 5G network

The news came less than a week after the country rolled out its superfast 5G network.

The country's Technology Bureau has formally set up a team of experts to work on the next-generation mobile internet connection, state media said today.

A total of 37 telecommunication specialists drawn from universities, institutions and corporations are on the panel, which is tasked with laying out the development of 6G and proving the scientific feasibility of it.

The country's Technology Bureau has formally set up a team of experts to work on the next-generation 6G mobile internet connection just a week after launching 5G.

The country's Technology Bureau has formally set up a team of experts to work on the next-generation 6G mobile internet connection just a week after launching 5G

The news was announced during a 6G launch ceremony in Beijing on Sunday, according to a report by Chinanews.com.

Wang Xi, deputy minister of the Technology Bureau, said at the conference that the bureau was set to work with the experts to design a specific research plan for 6G and carry out preliminary research.

Twitter CEO, Jack follows Tacha on Twitter as the second Nigerian after Genevieve Nnaji

Excitement fills the camp of the Titans as BBNaija’s Tacha got followed on Twitter by Jack Dorsey, CEO Twitter.

Recall that Twitter co CEO, Jack flew into Nigeria on a working visit yesterday as part of his African trip this year.

And Natacha Akide popularly known as has been trending on Twitter and many social platforms worldwide for more than two months now, even after the end of the reality TV show, courtesy of her large fan base known as Titans


Today the CEO of Twitter just followed Tacha making her the second Nigerian after actress Genevieve Nnaji to be followed by Jack.

Pastor Joshua's miracle pool

Meet Pastor Joshua Iginla, the founder of Abuja based Champions Royal Assembly church.
Asides being a fine pastor and one of the finest of his generation, he has a miraculous swimming pool inside his church premises in Kubuwa Abuja and it is called  "Pool Of Bethsaida” .

The Pool of Bethsaida has healing powers and can heal any sickness under the sun even Ebola and HIV/AIDS once you enter to swim.

 But this is not the main gist; this Pool of Bethsaida is not free, it cost a whooping sum of 50,000 naira for you to take a swim and solve all your problems in this life.

Guess what; church members are queuing up in large numbers to swim after paying 50k; the amazing thing is that, the swimming pool is never in short supply of customers, as the queue to swim is endless.

According to Kelvin who shared the news on Twitter:

“For those who are too poor to pay 50K, there is an anointed bottle water sourced from the "pool of Bethsheba." It goes for 10K.
I am not sure it has as much healing power as paying 50K to submerge yourself in the pool itself.
I mean, you cannot cheat God. It issa Pay as you go” he concluded.

So here you have it; since Nigerians are going through tough times, Pastor Joshua came up with a masterstroke and one of the biggest inventions to ever come out of this side of the world called “Pool of Bethsaida”, so once you’ve submerged yourself in the pool of water, your problems and sicknesses are gone and gone forever. Wonderful isn’t it?

Remember that Pastor Joshua who is a baby boy was once in the news for cheating on his wife and getting his side chick pregnant.

Senate proposes three-month jail for social media offenders

The Senate  has introduced a bill to regulate the use of social media in  the country.

The bill, which passed  first reading at plenary on  Tuesday, proposed   N150, 000 fine or a three-month jail term for any individual who posts false information on social media.

The bill titled, ‘Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulations Bill 2019’ sponsored by Senator    Sani  Musa also prescribed a penalty of between N5m and N10m for any  corporate organisation that refuses to block false information after being  cautioned  by the  regulatory agency.


The bill also stipulates that telecommunication firms that allow their networks to be used to disseminate false information could face sanctions.

Musa,  who represents  Niger East in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, told reporters  on Wednesday that  the move  was aimed at guiding social media  users and not designed to gag the media.

He said,  “Nigeria is not only for the  government but for every Nigerian and we must all work towards moving this country to where it needs to be.

DSS fails to release Sowore after meeting bail conditions

Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) has again refused to release the detained publisher of Sahara Reporters despite him meeting his bail conditions.

On Wednesday, the SSS said it had closed for the day, and would not review a document presented by Mr Sowore’s lawyers showing the bail conditions had been met, one of the lawyers, Emmanuel Ogala, told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Sowore who was arrested on August 3 met all his bail conditions on Wednesday and the release warrant was signed by the judge, Ijeoma Ojukwu, Mr Ogala said.

The lawyer added that when they arrived at the office of the State Security Service however, the SSS officials told them that the office closed at 3:30 pm.

Mr Sowore, a human rights activist, was arrested and detained on allegations of treasonable felony after he organised a nationwide protest with the hashtag #RevelutionNow.

He was granted bail on October 4 for the second time after an initial bail granted him in September by another judge was not honoured by the SSS.

Mr Sowore said the conditions for the October 4 bail were stringent and approached the court for a variation.

Though the court varied Mr Sowore’s second bail on October 21, he could not immediately meet the new conditions. His lead lawyer, Femi Falana, informed the court on Wednesday during Mr Sowore’s trial that the activist had met his bail conditions.

According to Mr Ogala, however, Mr Sowore’s release could not be effected on Wednesday because of the claim that the secret police had closed for the day.

SSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, did not return calls and SMS sent to him on the matter.

Our roads are not as bad as they are portrayed - Fashola

Babatunde Fashola, the minister of works and housing, says Nigerian roads are not as bad as they are portrayed to be.

Addressing state house correspondents on Wednesday after the federal executive council meeting, the former Lagos state governor said most road projects in the country would have been completed but for funding challenges.

“The roads are not as bad as they are often portrayed. I know that this is going to be your headline, but the roads are not that bad,” he said.

“When I come here to announce that a particular amount was approved for a contract that doesn’t mean the amount has been paid contrary to what you suggest.

“You are mindful also that minister of finance, different arms of government are escalating the fiscal challenges we face as a nation in trying to fund the budget.

“You are also mindful that the last few budgets in Nigeria for almost 20 years have been deficit budgets and these are terminologies that are realities and I think we should acquaint ourselves with if we are not just to report the news but also educate the public.

“You must also be aware that between awarding a contract and also mobilizing to the site there is a distance. First of all, we have to have an agreement that is the relationship between the ministry of works or any other ministry and the ministry of justice, then there is a role that banks play, they have to give a guarantee.

“Building materials – rocks, laterite, quarry, iron rods have to be ordered, construction companies don’t keep them.

“The process of producing blasting rocks requires approval from the office of ministers of justice and even the office of the NSA to get approval to get dynamite. All of these are the things that go on. So the point that I am making to you is that there is a distance between approval, implementation, actual construction and the result.”

Speaking further, the minister said road construction projects will be continued when the rains are over.

“So what we experienced in this year is unusual, it’s not a good time to be in the transport system. We also want this season to quickly end so that we can go back to work during the dry weather.”

Fashola assured Nigerians of a massive mobilization of contractors for roads rehabilitation ahead of the yuletide season.

Tragedy in Port Harcourt

A tug Boat Kills A Worker.
One Mr Emmy yesterday lost his life due to lack of safety at his place of work.
The heavy equipment fell on him,and he was confirmed dead at the spot.

The accident happened at ABULOMA jetty,Port-Harcourt,Rivers-State.
He worked with NABO company.

Two Catholic nuns pregnant

The Catholic Church has launched an investigation after two missionary nuns became pregnant while working in Africa.

The two women, who belonged to separate religious orders in Sicily, are now expecting children despite their vows of chastity.

One of them, a mother superior, found she was several weeks pregnant while the other woman discovered the news when she complained of stomach pain.

Both nuns are now facing an uncertain future in their profession and the scandal has caused 'consternation' among the clergy.

'They both breached strict rules of chastity but the welfare of their children is uppermost.'

The nuns may now choose to give up their monastic life altogether and focus on raising their children