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Tag: Richard Akinnola

  • Richard Akinnola Foundation empowers widows, children of late journalists, activists (PHOTOS)

    Richard Akinnola Foundation empowers widows, children of late journalists, activists (PHOTOS)

    The Richard Akinnola Foundation has distributed food items and money to widows and children of late journalists and activists.

    Akinnola is a Nigerian journalist, author, lawyer, and activist. He was the editor of the Vanguard Newspaper and is an executive director of the Centre for Free Speech organization.

    He noted that it was the first phase of the end-of-year party/empowerment for the widows of journalists and activists, which is its 12th-year episode.

    In his words: “To God be the glory, we successfully held the first phase of the end-of-year party/empowerment for the widows of journalists and activists. This is our 12th-year episode. The second phase would be for those outside Lagos. This is the only activity we make public. The rest are done behind the scenes. We give God the glory.”

    Some of the food items distributed include bags of rich, indomie, toiletries and cash tokens.

    Speaking during the presentation of the items in Lagos, Mr. Richard Akinnola said the gesture, which started about 13 years ago, will be extended to widows of late journalists and activists outside Lagos.

    Akinnola said: “This year’s empowerment is special because we have decided to extend the gesture to widows and children of late journalists and activists outside Lagos. It has not been easy sustaining the programme, especially with the economic hardship in the country but we will continue to do our best to put a smile on the faces of widows and children of late journalists and activists in the country.

    “Everyday journalists and activists struggle to beat deadlines to keep ahead of their job. They rarely find time to rest, which is not good. Stress and exhaustion is now major killer, and we advise that every journalist and activist must find time to rest.”

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Widows of journalists, who were killed in a ghastly auto crash on Ilesa- Ife expressway on August 2, 2013, during a Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, assignment, yesterday, received the cash sum of N200,000 each from the Richard Akinnola Foundation.

    See the photos below:

    Richard Akinnola Foundation empowers widows, children of late journalists, activists (PHOTOS)

  • Rights Activist, Richard Akinnola describes CBN’s Naira redesign policy as “financial coup”

    Rights Activist, Richard Akinnola describes CBN’s Naira redesign policy as “financial coup”

    A veteran Journalist and Rights Activist, Richard Akinnola, has described as “financial coup” the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to launch new designs and replace high value Naira notes, without informing the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning , Zainab Ahmed.

    Recall that the Minister had dissociated herself from the Naira redesign policy fixed for December 15, 2022 by the CBN.

    Akinnola, on social media, stated: “If the current Finance minister was not informed about the present change, l can understand. It was a financial coup that must not leak. Besides, the CBN is an independent institution.”

    He explained that during the currency change of 1984, “the arrangement was basically between the Head of state, Major-General Buhari and the CBN Governor, If I’m not mistaken, Abdulkadir Ahmed.”

    According to him, though, that exercise was more sudden in its implementation than the present one.

    “Years later, l later learnt that Buhari told the then CBN Governor that if the exercise leaked, it must have been from the CBN Governor’s end. I learnt that even the Chief of staff, Tunde Idiagbon was not in the know. So, if the current Finance minister was not informed about the present change, l can understand. It was a financial coup that must not leak. Besides, the CBN is an independent institution,” Akinnola said.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday voiced his support for the decision of the CBN to launch new designs and replace high value Naira notes.

    This was as he noted that the nation would gain a lot by the new initiative, especially its impact on illicit monies.

    According to a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari spoke in a Hausa radio interview with the famous journalists, Halilu Getso and Kamaluddeen Shawai, to be aired Wednesday Morning on Tambari TV on Nilesat.

    The statement is titled ‘CBN has my backing in replacing Naira notes, says President Buhari.’

    “Buhari said reasons given to him by the CBN convinced him that the economy stood to benefit from reduction in inflation, currency counterfeiting and the excess cash in circulation.

    “He said he did not consider the period of three months for the change to the new notes as being short,” the statement read.

    The President added that ”People with illicit money buried under the soil will have a challenge with this but workers, businesses with legitimate incomes will face no difficulties at all.”

    According to the CBN, the existing notes would cease to be regarded as legal tender by January 31, 2023.

    Explaining the development, CBN Governor, Dr. Godwin Emefiele, lamented that 85 percent of the currency in circulation is being hoarded by Nigerians.

    He urged Nigerians to deposit their Naira notes, adding that the deposit fee would be waived for transactions below N150,000.

    Emefiele added that the redesigning of Naira notes would help to curb counterfeit notes, as well as hamper ramson payment to terrorists and kidnappers.