CBN raises cash withdrawal limits (Vanguard)
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has raised its weekly cash withdrawal limits set for individuals and corporate organisations to N500,000 and N5 million, respectively.
The earlier limits pegged individual cash withdrawals per week at N100,000; while corporate organisations were limited to weekly withdrawals of N500,000.
The reviewed limits under the new policy were contained in a circular number BSD/DIR/PUB/LAB/015/073 and dated December 21, 2022.
The circular by the Director of Banking Supervision, Mr Haruna Mustapha.
According to the CBN, any withdrawal above the set limits must be approved by the Managing Director of the bank in writing. Read more
Fuel scarcity: Depots dry up, Nigerians face bleak Christmas (Punch)
The queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, which were gradually abating recently, suddenly re-emerged on Wednesday in many cities, including Lagos and Abuja.
The development clearly shows that Nigerians face bleak Christmas as fuel scarcity has started taking a toll on motorists, who have hiked their fares.
It was gathered that many depots were currently running out of the product, a development that reduced supplies from depots to retail stations across the country.
In Abuja, many filling stations, particularly those of independent oil marketers, remained closed due to lack of products, while the few outlets of major marketers that dispensed petrol started witnessing queues from mid-day till evening on Wednesday. Read more
Festive travellers to pay more as transporters increase fares by 100% (Guardian)
Interstate transport companies have raised fares by at least 100 per cent as yuletide travels begin nationwide. The fare spike is not unconnected with the nationwide fuel scarcity, attendant hike at available filling stations and demand surge that is typical of this season.
Findings by The Guardian showed that fares on various routes have increased significantly. For instance, a Lagos-Abuja trip on GIGM now goes for N26,500 compared with N11,000 it charged about two months ago.
Trips, from Lagos to Warri, Sapele, Bayelsa and Ughelli, currently charge N12,000, instead of the previous N8,000. Lagos to Port Harcourt fare goes for N15,000, in contrast to the N10,000 charged two months ago.
Operators confirmed that the prices were subject to review as the festive season draws nearer – subject to demand and company policies.
Railway travellers are not also exempted from the fare hike. According to an internal memo of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) sighted by The Guardian, from November 30, 2022, travelling from Lagos to Ibadan on the 24-seater coaches will now cost N9,000 instead of N6,500; the 56 and 68-seater coaches will now cost N6,500 instead of N5,000, and the 88-seater coaches will attract N3,600 instead of N2,500. Read more
Man arraigned for stealing tricycle in Lagos (Punch)
A 29-year-old man, David Ochasi, has been arraigned before the Yaba Magistrates’ Court, Lagos State, for allegedly stealing a tricycle worth N1 million in the Bariga area of the state.
Our correspondent gathered that the yellow tricycle with registration number MD6M14PAXM4F04425 and engine number AK4FM4304886 belonged to one Ayodele Osesan who lives in the same area as the suspect.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Magaji Haruna, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on January 25, 2022, at Odusanya Street, Bariga.
The defendant was arraigned on two counts of theft. Read more
Alaba market shut for Christmas celebration (Sun)
President of Alaba International Market, Electronic Section, Ojo, Lagos, Chief Caminus Amajuoyi has deplored the poor electricity supply to the market, saying it has hampered the ability to unlock its full potential for manufacturing of goods for the local market and for exports.
He stated this during the end of year prayers organised by the union to thank God for all the successes recorded by members in 2022. He also announced the shutdown of the market from December 24 to January 9, 2023.
He said the decision was taken by the union’s executives to encourage members to leave all trading activities and rest and those needing medical attention have the opportunity to go for medical checkups and rest well ahead of the new year.
He counted the provision of solar powered street lights, elimination of fake products and touting from the market as part of the gains for the year, saying the provision of uninterrupted electricity would allow indigenous companies operating in the market to go into full time manufacturing. Read more
Lagos sensitises stakeholders to preventing gas explosions (Nation)
Lagos State Government has urged stakeholders on the need to adhere to safety protocols when they handle and transport gases, to prevent gas explosion.
The Director General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Lanre Mojola gave the advice yesterday at an oil and gas stakeholders’ safety summit held in Alausa, Ikeja.
Mojola, represented by the commission’s Technical Adviser, Mr. Seun Awojobi, said findings showed that gas explosions were often caused by improper handling and storage.
He said: “This summit is important due to gas explosions being reported on a daily basis in Lagos State. At the commission, our objective is to ensure we reduce accidents, incidents, or fatalities that come as a result of the use of cooking gases.” Read more
Delta PDP chieftain, driver die in auto-crash (Tribune)
A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Joe Unuame, and his driver perished in a fatal car accident in the early hours of Wednesday.
Chief Unuame’s Toyota black Jeep, it was gathered, had a head-on collision with a fuel tanker after Umeh junction along Ughelli/Patani road, while on his way to the PDP campaign rally in Patani.
It was further gathered that while his driver died on the spot, Chief Unuame was rushed to a nearby hospital, but confirmed dead after fruitless medical intervention.
Chief Unuame hails from the Akpere-Olomu community, Olomu Kingdom in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. Read more
Vigilantes foil kidnap attempt in FCT council (DailyTrust)
Members of a vigilante group have foiled a kidnap attempt by gunmen at Hausawa in Abaji Area Council of the FCT.
A member of the community security group, who was part of the operation but prefers anonymity, said the incident happened around 11:12pm on Monday, when the gunmen attempted to invade a house in Hausawa, but that a resident immediately alerted some vigilante members in the area.
He said the vigilantes, upon receiving information about the gunmen’s attempt to invade some houses in the area, mobilised and started shooting into the air.
“A neighbour who came out to ease himself saw a torch light flashing and discovered that it was kidnappers. He immediately alerted some vigilantes,” he said. Read more
FTX boss Sam Bankman-Fried heads to US to face charges (BBC)
Sam Bankman-Fried, former boss of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is aboard a plane flying from the Bahamas to the US where he faces fraud charges.
The 30-year-old is being extradited on suspicion of committing “one of the biggest financial frauds in US history”, US authorities have said.
Mr Bankman-Fried, who denies the allegations, may appear in court in New York on Thursday morning.
Two of his former associates have pleaded guilty to related charges. Read more
East 17 never expected Stay Another Day to be Christmas hit: ‘The crowds lose their minds’ (Metro)
Despite being one of the biggest festive tunes of all time, East 17’s Stay Another Day isn’t technically a Christmas banger. ‘It turned into a Christmas song [but] it’s a song about loss,’ Terry Coldwell says about the track, which bandmate Tony Mortimer penned following the death by suicide of Tony’s brother, Ollie.
‘Every year I get loads of messages saying it was played at someone’s funeral – it’s reached into a lot of people’s hearts.’
Released in 1994, the ballad gave the band their only UK Number One, spending five weeks in the top spot.
‘We recorded the demo and then it went to our producers, Harding and Curnow, and they stuck in these tubular bells and made it all Christmassy. We got it back and were all, “Wow!” No one thought it would be a massive Christmas hit at the time, though.’ Read more
Mike Hodges, Get Carter and Flash Gordon director, dies aged 90 (Guardian)
Mike Hodges, the British director known for films including Get Carter, Croupier, The Terminal Man and Flash Gordon, has died at the age of 90.
Mike Kaplan, a longtime friend and producer on Hodges’ final feature film I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, confirmed his death to the Guardian. Hodges died at his home in Dorset on Saturday. A cause of death was not given.
Hodges’ career was bookended with British gangster films: Get Carter (1971) and Pulp (1972), then Croupier (1998) and his final film I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2003). He was also known for his campy cult classic Flash Gordon.
Born in Bristol in 1932, Hodges first worked as a chartered accountant, then spent two years serving on a Royal Navy minesweeper around fishing ports in the north of England. It was there that he “witness[ed] horrendous poverty and deprivation that I was previously unaware of”, an experience that he later said had informed Get Carter. “I went into the navy as a newly qualified chartered accountant and complacent young Tory,” he wrote in a letter to the Guardian, “and came out an angry, radical young man.” Read more
Avatar 3 and Avatar 4 scenes already shot, Director James Cameron reveals (Deadline)
As Avatar: The Way of Water continues to blow up worldwide, James Cameron has indicated he’s game-planning far into the future.
Writer-director Cameron has told Entertainment Weekly that he’s shot scenes from a proposed Avatar 3 and Avatar 4 concurrently with the recently released sequel.
He did so to avoid having the younger cast members age-out.
The Way of Water introduces Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, who was 7 years old when cast and is now 13) and Spider (Jack Champion, who was 12 when cast, but is now 18). Because Champion was “growing like a weed,” the second, third, and first act of the fourth movie had to be done in one production, Cameron said. Read more
Justin Bieber close to $200m deal to sell his music rights (Variety)
Justin Bieber is nearing a deal to sell his music rights to Blackstone-backed Hipgnosis Songs Capital for around $200 million, sources confirm to Variety. The news, which has been rumored for weeks, was first reported Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal.
The deal, which sources stress is not yet done, includes Bieber’s shares of his publishing and recorded-music catalog, which sources tell Variety will continue to be administered and owned (respectively) by Universal even if the deal closes.
Reps for Bieber and Hipgnosis either declined or did not respond to Variety‘s requests for comment.
The news arrives during a troubled time for the singer, just weeks after he postponed the remaining dates in his “Justice” tour until an unspecified time “next year.” The tour, which was originally scheduled to launch in 2020, has been postponed or delayed several times, initially due to the pandemic but most recently following his bout with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare virus that in his case caused facial paralysis. It finally launched in March and covered most of North America, but he postponed the remaining dates early in June after announcing his difficulties with the disease. Read more
Bob Dylan offered Coronation Street cameo after revealing he’s a fan (NME)
Bob Dylan has been offered a cameo role in Coronation Street after revealing he’s a fan of the ITV soap.
In a Q&A with The Wall Street Journal posted on Monday (December 19) , the musician shared some TV shows he enjoys binge-watching.
“I’ve binge watched Coronation Street, Father Brown, and some early Twilight Zones,” Dylan said. “I know they’re old-fashioned shows, but they make me feel at home.
“I’m not a fan of packaged programs, or news shows, so I don’t watch them. I never watch anything foul smelling or evil. Nothing disgusting; nothing dog ass.” Read more
President Zelensky tells US Congress Ukraine ”alive and kicking” in defiant address (Mirror)
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine “against all odds” is “alive and kicking” as he thanked Americans for their support in a speech to Congress in Washington.
Zelensky received thunderous applause from lawmakers before making his address to a joint session of Congress.
“I hope my words of gratitude resonate in each American’s heart,” the president began as he said it was a “great honour” to speak in the chamber.
“Against all odds, doom and gloom, Ukraine didn’t fall, Ukraine is alive and kicking,” he said. Read more
UFC: Adesanya, Usman remain top in latest rankings (Punch)
Former UFC champions, Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman remain in the top three of the latest UFC pound-for-pound rankings despite both losing their belts in 2022.
Bleacher Report updated the rankings after the final pay-per-view of the year at UFC 282 in Las Vegas.
All that is to say not much has changed since the last update of the rankings, but since this will be the final update of the year, it shows how the pile is set heading into 2023.
At number 10 stands Deiveson Figueiredo, Aljamain Sterling at number nine, Alex Pereira in the number eight spot, number seven is Charles Oliveira, Leon Edwards takes number six, Islam Makhachev in fifth, and Francis Ngannou in fourth. Read more
Pedro, Olopade, Korblah 36 others battle for winner-takes-all N3m prize (Guardian)
US-based emerging golf star, Tokunbo Pedro, Nigeria’s number one player, Sunday Olopade and Ghana’s top golfer, Amos Korblah are among 39 stars confirmed for the winner-takes-all Ultimate Golf Challenge billed for Ikoyi Club’s Golf Section tomorrow.
The one-day 39-hold tournament guarantees the winner N3 million, among other exciting prizes.
Pedro is Nigeria’s youngest prospect, who plays on the U.S Tour, while Amos Korblah, a serial winner in the West Africa circuit, is a prominent figure in the Nigerian golf scene.
Speaking on the tournament, which draws top professionals from across the country, as well as in West Africa, Grand Patron of the Ultimate Golf Challenge, Otunba Femi Pedro, promised that the 2022 competition will be bigger and better than the first two editions, adding that it is the only one of its kind where professionals are brought to play 36 holes in one day with the winner taking all the money.
“It not only tests the mind, it also test the players’ perseverance and doggedness in one day.
“We started the tournament in 2019 to promote professional golf in Nigeria. In the last edition the winner got N2 million, but this year, the prize has risen to N3 million. Read more
Gamr to partner NFF on FIFAe Nations Cup (ThisDay)
Gamr – esports and gaming technology company has announced that the company has reached an agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), to support the NFF as a Technical Partner for the participation of the federation in the FIFA approved FIFAe Nations Cup Competition.
The FIFAe Nations Cup is the pinnacle event for esports players to represent their countries on a global stage. This competition involves players competing for their country at the regional level and then, qualifying as one of the 24 Nations to participate in the finals.
In partnership with the Nigeria Esports Federation, the initial campaign will feature a comprehensive grassroots programme for the emergence of player representatives that will represent Nigeria in the online qualifiers in April, 2023. Read more
Marcus Rashford maintains flying form to get United back in the groove against Burnley (IrishIndependent)
If it is a time of year for Christians to celebrate, Christian Eriksen has had little to savour this month.
He must have imagined his first game of December would be in the last 16 of the World Cup for Denmark, not the last 16 of the Carabao Cup for Manchester United. But, after the anti-climax of underachievement on the global stage, he at least set United on the path to a less prestigious trophy. He may have dreamt of facing Argentina; instead he struck against Burnley.
A scorer of three goals in Qatar, Marcus Rashford maintained his fine form, capping a 50-yard solo run with a strike to see off the Clarets, and life after Cristiano Ronaldo began with a comfortable win.
With three of the supposed big six already out and another set to follow tonight, United have reasons to believe their debut season under Erik ten Hag can bring glory. Read more
England star Beth Mead crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022 (Guardian)
Beth Mead has been crowned the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2022 after firing England to a history-making European Championship that propelled women’s football into the mainstream.
The 27-year-old saw off competition from Ben Stokes and Ronnie O’Sullivan to win the prize, hobbling onto the stage at MediaCity in Salford to collect the award after seriously injuring her knee last month.
Mead said she was “speechless for once” and held back tears as she thanked her mother, who is receiving treatment for cancer, and received a standing ovation from the sporting stars in the crowd.
Mead said: “I certainly wouldn’t have done this without my dad, my mum and all my family. Most of all this is for women’s sport and for women’s sport heading in the right direction. Let’s keep pushing girls and doing the right things.” Read more
Andy Murray hits stunning passing shot to seal big win against Jack Draper (Tennis365)
Andy Murray believes his hard work on the practice court is starting to repeat rewards after he edged out Jack Draper in a thrilling final set tie-break as the first day of the Battle of the Brits ended with Scotland and England all-square at 1-1.
England forged ahead at Aberdeen’s P&J Live Arena courtesy of Dan Evans brushing aside Aiden McHugh 6-4 6-2 before Murray and Draper went to a deciding 10-point tie-break after each winning a set.
It seemed Scotland would fall further behind when Murray trailed 6-3 but the former world number one won four of the next five points to level at 7-7 before a couple of match points came and went as Draper refused to wilt.
The two-time Wimbledon champion did not waste the third opportunity as a scorching running forehand down the line secured a 6-2 1-6 12-10 victory to the delight of those in attendance. Read more