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Nigerians who recharge N100 airtime, and have N5,000 account balance will get cash – FG

<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0QOpm7fUZfgcKABnEcNcQiRr4tnKKP70coIpTe2tR3TA5tpEC8eOTGJc5V1C0jJGPaGQihp5A-k-3VVGCKpF2B5zHkEbSOdvPVsFMhxsrD8Gg7AbzuJAEQZv0kIgChQs1oY0E4LFnim4/s1600/Nigerians-who-top-up-N100-airtime-have-N5000-account-balance-will-get-cash-%25E2%2580%2593-FG-768x432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0QOpm7fUZfgcKABnEcNcQiRr4tnKKP70coIpTe2tR3TA5tpEC8eOTGJc5V1C0jJGPaGQihp5A-k-3VVGCKpF2B5zHkEbSOdvPVsFMhxsrD8Gg7AbzuJAEQZv0kIgChQs1oY0E4LFnim4/s1600/Nigerians-who-top-up-N100-airtime-have-N5000-account-balance-will-get-cash-%25E2%2580%2593-FG-768x432.jpg" width="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: left; clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, says the federal government considers Nigerians who buy N100 call credit as poor and will ensure they get relief cash.<br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The minister, who earlier confirmed that N-Power beneficiaries were being paid their stipends, spoke in an interview with State House correspondents on Tuesday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">NAN quoted her as disclosing that urban poor dwellers with an account balance of N5,000 or less will be among the beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Farouq said the prospective beneficiaries would be part of the additional one million households approved by President Muhammadu Buhari in his national broadcast Monday night.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">“You are also aware that Mr President in his broadcast directed that we expand the beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer by one million. In this regard, we are going to focus more on the urban poor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">“These are people who depend on the informal sector to earn their livelihood. They are daily wage earners and these are people we are really going to focus more on as well as people living with disabilities,’’ she stated.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Farouq explained that aside the National Social Register, Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) and previous record of purchase of recharge cards by mobile phone owners formed part of criteria to identify Nigerians that will get the cash transfer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">“We are also using the mobile network, people that top up their phones with maybe N100, N200. These are the people we consider to be poor and vulnerable,’’ the minister added.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Nigerians have been condemning the methods of the federal government’s disbursement of cash and food items.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Likewise, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) criticized President Muhammadu Buhari for “failure to provide palliatives” to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.</div></div>

Nigerians who recharge N100 airtime, and have N5,000 account balance will get cash – FG

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, says the federal government considers Nigerians who buy N100 call credit as poor a...

Fed Govt in talks with Wike over detained pilots

<div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND4cawrM5aCJvRZ0jDEaY6WQNQxXMxwBMI_3INAURxoOsTTmzuA05zTSIIzl8lBSZ4dEedIM7kRl44WZu7qiz4TJgfG_ibJxMFx0H9FMKKsKYGA0FWkFX2TYeKT3EK-bfmqI41PgurjUh/s1600/Fed-Govt-in-talks-with-Wike-over-detained-pilots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="696" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND4cawrM5aCJvRZ0jDEaY6WQNQxXMxwBMI_3INAURxoOsTTmzuA05zTSIIzl8lBSZ4dEedIM7kRl44WZu7qiz4TJgfG_ibJxMFx0H9FMKKsKYGA0FWkFX2TYeKT3EK-bfmqI41PgurjUh/s1600/Fed-Govt-in-talks-with-Wike-over-detained-pilots.jpg" width="320"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Federal Government is in talks with the Rivers State government over the detained Caverton Helicopter pilots, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, said yesterday.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div> </div><div>The pilots were arrested by the police for flouting the state’s government’s directive by flying into the Air Force Base in Port Harcourt after Governor Nyesom Wike had given lockdown order.</div><div><br></div><div>Wake gave the directive following the spread of COVID-19 and the confirmation of the index case in the Southsouth state.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div> </div><div>Giving an update at its daily briefing on Monday, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Hassan Musa, said there was a need to fast-track the pilots’ release considering threats by various unions in the aviation sector to go on strike.</div><div><br></div><div>He said: “The Federal Government is in consultation with the Rivers State government to have them released as soon as possible because their arrest is taking a different dimension as Air Traffic Union and other unions in the aviation sector are threatening to go on strike.</div><div><br></div><div>“We hope that this misunderstanding will soon be resolved so that we can have them out as their operation was legal.”<br></div>

Fed Govt in talks with Wike over detained pilots

The Federal Government is in talks with the Rivers State government over the detained Caverton Helicopter pilots, the Presidential Task Forc...

FG urges militants to embrace peace

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YyDDKYISkVOCCPtQjR7rqZjSlvQLLDte5wnhGga08IanWIeOTvAqVg-PJRrDsJzABUu3PQR5yyARRefx-K0a6qU2yyRod9MZ89e46os8TlP_Ro_ZdhH_jHcKiUS52u7t223QFmK5_VeD/s2560/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YyDDKYISkVOCCPtQjR7rqZjSlvQLLDte5wnhGga08IanWIeOTvAqVg-PJRrDsJzABUu3PQR5yyARRefx-K0a6qU2yyRod9MZ89e46os8TlP_Ro_ZdhH_jHcKiUS52u7t223QFmK5_VeD/s640/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;"/></a>the federal Government has called on the Niger Delta militants to embrace peace and key into President Muhammadu Buhari’s developmental agenda for the country.<br/>
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Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, made the appeal yesterday at the 40th conference of the Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.<br/>
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Ngige, who was represented by the state Coordinator of National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mr. Nnamdi Asomogha, said the rise in militancy was a negative development for the region in particular, and the country in general.<br/>
He said activities of the militants were to disrupt the oil industry, stressing that Buhari’s administration will secure the country and secure lives and property.<br/>
The minister said the federal government is determined to promote economic growth and wealth creation through a sustained war against corruption.<br/>
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“I am very excited about the theme of this conference aptly entitled: ‘Sustainable development goals… the place of Optometry’.  The message conveyed by this theme clearly aligns with the policy direction of the federal government under the leadership of President Buhari.<br/>
The federal government has put in place a regime of prudent and transparent management of the national resources through the elimination of waste and leakages, as well as deliberate moves to diversify the economy to enhance a broader revenue base, away from over-dependence on oil.<br/>
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“But, we must take cognisance of the fact that the general improvement in the affairs of the country requires the support of good people of the country, rather than destructive activities of some elements. In particular, the Niger Delta contributes significantly to the wealth of the country.”<br/>
He urged the militants to retrace their steps and embrace peace and called on the NOA to key into the national objectives by partnering with government.<br/>
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Governor Nyesom Wike, who declared the conference open, commended NOA for choosing Rivers State to host for programme, stressing that it was an indication that the state was peaceful.<br/>
Wike, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Theophilus Odagme, disclosed that government had invested so much in security, adding that Rivers State was among the states in the country that recognised the germane services of optometrists in the health sector.<br/>
Earlier, National President of NOA, Dr. Damian Echendu said the theme of the conference was a reflective of “our conscious paradigm shift to align our association’s objectives with global and national economic policies such as the sustainable development goals.”</div>

FG urges militants to embrace peace

the federal Government has called on the Niger Delta militants to embrace peace and key into President Muhammadu Buhari’s developmental agen...

JUST IN: Ogoni Visit Not Cancelled, Buhari To Be Represented By Osinbajo - Femi Adesina

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNA2FmCEWSyP_weSOEXPSqjIXzZidb28v2eH_rD_CLWmmTOfvreJpPvCgAcmyXI22FCQYDhJ8f_THjpoPfyNAglHp41uZMzwpRDLZD8yLHPfXkMOTWQ0BCoWtbjzPZgUluL_Aj97iZx7J/s2560/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNA2FmCEWSyP_weSOEXPSqjIXzZidb28v2eH_rD_CLWmmTOfvreJpPvCgAcmyXI22FCQYDhJ8f_THjpoPfyNAglHp41uZMzwpRDLZD8yLHPfXkMOTWQ0BCoWtbjzPZgUluL_Aj97iZx7J/s640/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;"/></a>Text from @FemAdesina to @SaharaReporters confirming VP will represent @NGRPresident at Ogoni #NDCleanUp <br/>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymm3ajViQ3vNIFW1wjBY14_If6a2gJ7tcgqY8RKxlBQI_uCn5Q4-ylSCLc3MR8SKsIarHnaRTk1uAeUFHYYzTK-zThE44ZkzKk2vCSjPZ7zX61gGdtefHKs7BU6_ghyHRSwfCz6YC3awz/s2560/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymm3ajViQ3vNIFW1wjBY14_If6a2gJ7tcgqY8RKxlBQI_uCn5Q4-ylSCLc3MR8SKsIarHnaRTk1uAeUFHYYzTK-zThE44ZkzKk2vCSjPZ7zX61gGdtefHKs7BU6_ghyHRSwfCz6YC3awz/s640/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;"/></a><br/>
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                                    SaharaReporters</div>

JUST IN: Ogoni Visit Not Cancelled, Buhari To Be Represented By Osinbajo - Femi Adesina

Text from @FemAdesina to @SaharaReporters confirming VP will represent @NGRPresident at Ogoni #NDCleanUp ...

FG Must Not Submit To Blackmail Of Niger Delta Avengers - Oshiomhole

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_xgUHvrIL2t3EX2Abxg40F7ssEhVEgcOF6Klx_45q234SAbl08vaqSIP0jxMv_jZESICIFyJ6b2gtEtChEyeY_RcR6CiU7oVHSOhguUX6MbiAGE3y4ZNXmCD0bGtPqILnC9QBigFxAya/s2560/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_xgUHvrIL2t3EX2Abxg40F7ssEhVEgcOF6Klx_45q234SAbl08vaqSIP0jxMv_jZESICIFyJ6b2gtEtChEyeY_RcR6CiU7oVHSOhguUX6MbiAGE3y4ZNXmCD0bGtPqILnC9QBigFxAya/s640/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;"/></a>Adams Oshiomhole, governor of Edo state, has advised the federal government not to submit to blackmail of the Niger Delta Avengers, the militant group leading the attack on oil installations in the country.<br/>
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He said the country deserves respect from all, appealing to political elite to assist in promoting and strengthening the bridge of unity.<br/>
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He said this while fielding questions from state house correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.<br/>
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“I don’t think the state should submit to blackmail, for me I think the state‎ should be respected,” he said.<br/>
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“When you are dealing with security issues the options are not best discussed in the media. What I can say is that this president deserves the support of everyone and there is no part of Nigeria that can be better off without the other part.”<br/>
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“The sooner we accept this reality the better it is for all of us. The days of ethnic champions and imaginary divide will not help anyone. I believe that the president has shown leadership, he has shown determination to keep the country going, for once we are enjoying respect ‎in world capitals, in different continents.<br/>
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“We don’t need to be security experts to accept the universal truth that wherever there is insecurity there will be no investment‎ because no investor will go to where is unsafe. And where there is no investment poverty will be endemic because there will be no job for our people.<br/>
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“I appeal to all of us in the south-south, we need to wake up, it is for our own self interest that we make the region the most investor friendly that even challenges that we face, the assets being destroyed is not just national assets, it is our own assets. It is what makes the south-south the hub of the Nigerian economy and when we neutralise that through whatever pretenses, there is something Abiola said which I think is apt in this case, that is, a tree falls in the forest chances are it can only kill somebody in that forest,‎ not somebody at home.<br/>
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“So if somebody for whatever reasons decide to destroy pipelines and thereby compounding the problem of pollution, ‎the cost of cleaning up that area making it attractive either for fishing, farming or other business is a huge cost. Cost not just in naira and kobo, cost in terms of time and in terms of human lives.<br/>
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“But to compound those problems by breaking pipelines, stealing crude oil and destroying farmlands, destroying water ways, I don’t see anybody benefiting from that. So is very unfortunate, I think is important to say that the Nigerian state must not be demystified by gunmen and accept that the environment will be governed by gunmen.”<br/>
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He commended the government for its commitment to the cleanup of Ogoni land, appealing to the people to assist the current administration.</div>

FG Must Not Submit To Blackmail Of Niger Delta Avengers - Oshiomhole

Adams Oshiomhole, governor of Edo state, has advised the federal government not to submit to blackmail of the Niger Delta Avengers, the mili...

FG, ex-militants meet, vow to end bombings

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmKPJpKEyskOm-Q4oBhoA8FYV-LTVRZC4TNa21SN6jnzH5QXTKIrCAF2TB3mz-SqkK9QIozAQm8WJvK1cYMxxFmbU080aoiUzwQ3r6MW-r9F9kBNieXz9v2BNdhWBGkhU42OKSY1ng8Bx/s2560/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmKPJpKEyskOm-Q4oBhoA8FYV-LTVRZC4TNa21SN6jnzH5QXTKIrCAF2TB3mz-SqkK9QIozAQm8WJvK1cYMxxFmbU080aoiUzwQ3r6MW-r9F9kBNieXz9v2BNdhWBGkhU42OKSY1ng8Bx/s640/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;"/></a>FEDERAL Government and former Niger Delta militants rose from a meeting at the weekend and pledged to work together to put a stop to the spate of bombings and pipelines vandalism in the country.<br/>
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The meeting convened in Benin, Edo State, by the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Matters and coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Brigadier General Paul Boroh, and attended by Phase one, two and three ex-militants of the amnesty programme from Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Edo states, ruminated on how to put an end to reccurring bombings, particularly of oil installation and facilities.<br/>
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He expressed optimism that the outcome of the meeting would end the circle of violence in the region, saying, “we have all resolved that we will put our heads and hands together to prevent the re-occurrence of this type of thing. Collectively, we (Federal Government and Niger Delta Avengers) have agreed to work as a team to prevent re-occurrence. We feel bad that it is happening, it is affecting our economy and it is affecting development and we are very concerned about it.”<br/>
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Brigadier-Gen. Boro who spoke to journalists after the meeting, said the bombings in the Niger Delta was inflicting pains on Nigerians and reducing the economic fortune of the country. He called on those carrying out the bombings to discuss whatever issues they have appropriately rather than resort to other means.</div>

FG, ex-militants meet, vow to end bombings

FEDERAL Government and former Niger Delta militants rose from a meeting at the weekend and pledged to work together to put a stop to the sp...

Dollar scarcity: Parents of overseas students weep in banks

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEios8dKSqqVdwhD4RHn_iX4irkJ91vhtrXKdEsiW4awxK8jnQ0Gvw-5TY6URKEQUXvRtkZVCGgcsSL9u0QER5V45-19WjFXVIaMDvivoqsYENtnLcx7XkmcRb2oAR2iHiIrP-lD5aLERGRq/s2560/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEios8dKSqqVdwhD4RHn_iX4irkJ91vhtrXKdEsiW4awxK8jnQ0Gvw-5TY6URKEQUXvRtkZVCGgcsSL9u0QER5V45-19WjFXVIaMDvivoqsYENtnLcx7XkmcRb2oAR2iHiIrP-lD5aLERGRq/s640/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;"/></a>CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele<br/>
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Fisayo Falodi, Success Nwogu, Jesusegun Alagbe, Demola Olonilua and Armstrong Bakam<br/>
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As dollar scarcity worsens in Nigeria, parents who have children schooling abroad have taken their frustrations to banks, with some of them weeping openly, as Saturday PUNCH observed.<br/>
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Investigations by our correspondents revealed that the frustrations by some parents who cannot access forex to send to their children abroad have brought out their emotional sides, while affected students have been crying out for help in foreign lands.<br/>
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When one of our correspondents visited some banks along Muritala Muhammed Way, Unity Road and Taiwo Road in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Wednesday and Thursday, some bank customers, who were there to buy dollars, expressed disappointments at the scarcity of the currency.<br/>
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One of the customers, Alhaja Salamatu Ajibola, who practically broke down in tears, lamented that the education of her two children schooling in the United States had been threatened by the development.<br/>
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She added that her children had been going without food due to her inability to send them money for their upkeep.<br/>
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Ajibola said that it had been difficult for her to send her children dollars for their personal and educational needs. She said she had visited one of the banks several times, hoping to send dollars to her children, only to be told that the currency was insufficient to meet customers’ demands.<br/>
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Another tearful parent, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on the condition of anonymity, in a first generation bank in Bauchi State, said it had become impossible for him to meet the financial needs of his children schooling abroad.<br/>
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She said she was seeking other ways of sending money abroad due to the difficulty she was facing in getting dollars to send to her children.<br/>
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“Our children abroad are crying and we parents are also crying,” she said.<br/>
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“They are confused and we are also confused because we can’t send money to them and they can’t receive. They are in misery, hunger and depression.<br/>
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“They can’t even feed well because they can’t get money for their upkeep.”<br/>
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She, therefore, called on the government to “create an escape route so that children will not continue to suffer.”<br/>
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Also, Mr. Jimoh Abdulganiyu, whose son is studying medicine in Ukraine, said he could not get dollars, even at the black market, to send to him.<br/>
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Abdulganiyu said his son was given a warning letter by the school authorities over delay in payment of accommodation fees and he risks being asked to vacate the dormitory soon.<br/>
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He expressed fears of the possibility of buying fake dollars because of the pressure of getting dollars, which has been pushing parents to the parallel market.<br/>
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He said, “Sometimes, I would get to the bank by 6.40am, before the official opening hour, to stand a good chance of getting dollars through the Western Union or Money Gram.<br/>
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“And this does not mean that I would automatically get the dollars, I still have to lobby before I could get it. Even at that, there is a limit to the amount I can get.”<br/>
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One of our correspondents, who visited two commercial banks in the Sabo, Yaba area of Lagos on Thursday, observed that there were no dollars for sale. Sabo is a black market hub for forex activities in Lagos.<br/>
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There, a 65-year-old man, Mr. Obafemi Solomon, who also expressed frustration with the situation, struggled to fight back tears as he narrated his ordeal.<br/>
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Solomon said he was indebted to some of his friends in the United States, where his daughter was schooling.<br/>
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Solomon said his friends had had to bail him out of the financial problem because he felt it was unwise to exchange naira for dollars at the present exchange rate.<br/>
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He said, “What I am doing right now is to beg my friends who are in the US to help me pay for my daughter’s tuition. It does not make any sense to change naira for dollars and send to her. There is even no dollar to buy.”<br/>
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A pensioner, Mr. Olu Ajibade, who resides in Ekiti, also shared his plight, saying things had not been this tough in the past four years that his son had been in Middlesex University, London.<br/>
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Calling for the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, Ajibade said, “Now we rely on the black market and the forex rate is very high. If you don’t go to them then you are left to face the bank and they have so many rules you have to oblige to before you can get money from them.<br/>
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“You will have to fill so many forms, get a letter from the school and go through so many rigorous processes. With that, it is not even guaranteed that you would get money from them. Honestly, it is not easy at all. Unfortunately, there are no other alternatives. The black market that could have been an alternative is not properly funded. The truth is that if you want to buy £3,000 in the black market, they tell you that they don’t have more than £800. For instance, we needed to pay school fees of about £10,000 but all we could do was pay half because of the scarcity of foreign currency.”<br/>
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A Nigerian student studying in a US university, Adebayo Kabiru, told Saturday PUNCH that he would have gone bankrupt if not for the menial jobs he was doing.<br/>
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In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, Kabiru said, “My parents have not been able to send me money since January. At a point, I got frustrated, but I had to do something. So now, I do some menial jobs to pay for my upkeep.”<br/>
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Also, a student studying in Russia, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH, said she was about to be deported because her visa had expired and her parents could not send her money to renew it.<br/>
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She said, “My father has been trying to send me money for the past two weeks for me to settle my visa problem and other things, but has been unable to do so. I am about to be deported and when that happens, I will lose the opportunity of rounding off my last session here in Russia.”<br/>
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Simon Uwem, a student studying for his Master’s degree at a university in Indiana, US, revealed that Nigerian students abroad have been having rough times.<br/>
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He said, “I have been able to survive because I have a research position in school and I get paid very well. I was hired by the school for the job. The truth is that if you are intelligent, you will survive.<br/>
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“But it has been so tough for some students here. Asking your parents for $1,000 means they need to look for N400,000. Some students don’t even get to hear from their parents any longer. They have resorted to doing menial jobs or marrying Akata (American citizens) here.<br/>
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“A professor recently spoke to me about getting more foreign students from Africa and I told him that finance had become a challenge even if such students get scholarships. A textbook here costs up to $200. It has been quite tough.”<br/>
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<b>Source;</b> <b>PUNCH</b></div>

Dollar scarcity: Parents of overseas students weep in banks

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele Fisayo Falodi, Success Nwogu, Jesusegun Alagbe, Demola Olonilua and Armstrong Bakam As dollar scarcity ...

Federal Government Ends Kerosene Subsidy, Price Per Litre Moves from N50 to N83

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During the weekend, the Federal Government increased the price of kerosene from N50 to N83 per litre and is due to take effect. However, this shows the removal of subsidy which was previously placed on Kerosene believed to be a commodity mostly used by low income earners.<br/>
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The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, in its product pricing template released over the weekend, however, stated that the N83 per litre price applies only to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), meaning that other petrol stations and dealers can sell higher than the stipulated amount.</div>

Federal Government Ends Kerosene Subsidy, Price Per Litre Moves from N50 to N83

During the weekend, the Federal Government increased the price of kerosene from N50 to N83 per litre and is due to take effect. However, th...

FG bans importation of "I pass my neighbor" generators

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k1I_xzc8XMs/VkyR4zUZ-qI/AAAAAAAAGPA/dN0m36Vnc_M/s2560/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k1I_xzc8XMs/VkyR4zUZ-qI/AAAAAAAAGPA/dN0m36Vnc_M/s640/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;"/></a><br/>
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The Federal government has banned the importation a very common brand of generator locally called "I pass my neighbor". The Controller, Federation Operations Unit Zone A, Lagos of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Madugu Sanni Jubrin, made this known to newsmen yesterday Nov. 17th.<br/>
“The smaller generators have been banned by the Federal Government because it is causing air pollution and destruction of our lungs and breathing system.<br/>
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That is why they have banned it but people are still interested in smuggling them in, that is why we intercepted them. If you go to the market, you still see them because people have imported them before the ban. So it is the leftover they had before the ban that they are selling because the law did not backdate the ban and it is not an absolute prohibition. It is prohibition by trade which means you cannot bring it in large quantity and sell to the public. That is the type of prohibition we have on this but if you buy one piece, Customs will not seize it.</div>

FG bans importation of "I pass my neighbor" generators

The Federal government has banned the importation a very common brand of generator locally called "I pass my neighbor". The Cont...

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