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Tag: UK

  • Diamond Bank to conclude sale of UK subsidiary before year end – Official

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Diamond Bank Plc, Mr Uzoma Dozie, has disclosed that the bank will conclude the sale of its subsidiary in the United Kingdom before the end of this year.

    According to the bank chief, the exercise is still under the change of ownership process.

    Recall that earlier this year, Diamond Bank Plc struck a deal with British industrialist, Mr Sanjeev Gupta, after selling its West African subsidiaries last year.

    According to Reuters, the financial institution expects loans to grow 5 percent by the end of the year after credit declined in first half.

    In May, Diamond Bank posted a 2017 loss, its first time in the red in six years after selling assets to conserve capital and to focus on its home market.

    Its half-year 2018 pretax profit declined 69 percent to 2.92 billion naira, hurting its shares, which fell a further 1.60 percent on Tuesday.

    Diamond Bank said it expected loan growth to return, growing five percent this year after credit declined in the first half by 3.6 percent.

    Weak economic growth hurt loan growth in Nigeria last year. However, as the economy improves the bank expects loans to grow especially as the central bank introduces liquidity to the banking sector targeting credit to manufacturers.

    “The loan growth would come from corporate banking. With the turnaround in GDP we would begin to see opportunities in fast moving consumers good, manufacturing,” the bank said on a call with analysts.

    Meanwhile at the close of transactions on Tuesday, the bank’s share price lost 2 kobo or 1.60 percent to close at N1.23k per share.

     

  • PDP chairman, Uche Secondus asks UK to expel Buhari

    National Chairman of Nigeria’s major opposition party, People’s Democratic Party, Uche Secondus has called on the United Kingdom to expel President Muhammadu Buhari from her country.

    The Chairman alleged that Buhari, who is currently in London on vacation, planned the Tuesday morning National Assembly siege from there.

    The National Assembly was sieged by masked operatives of the Department for State Services, preventing lawmakers from entering the assembly complex.

    Secondus noted in a statement that the President left the country to UK for 10 days medical leave to enable the “nefarious activities they lined out against democracy be executed in his absence.”

    He said the UK should not allow its environment be turned into a haven for anti-democracy conspirators.

    Secondus said the final plan for the invasion of National Assembly was made when the outgoing Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, visited the president in London at the weekend.

    The party last week accused the APC government of planning to invade the National Assembly and impeach Senate President Bukola Saraki, who only recently defected to the PDP from APC.

    It said President Buhari’s 10-day holiday in London was a part of the grand scheme aimed cowing the National Assembly, especially members of the assembly that are in the opposition.

    However, Secondus commended Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for sacking Director-General of the DSS Lawal Daura.

    Osinbajo also described the invasion of the National Assembly by the DSS agents as “a gross violation of the constitutional order, rule of law and all accepted notions of law and order.”

  • UK condemns DSS siege at National Assembly, demands respect for lawmakers

    The British High Commission on Tuesday condemned the invasion of the National Assembly siege by masked officials of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The United Kingdom Government reiterated its commitment to the actualisation of a democratic process that recognises the rights of Nigerians to participate in election process.

    “We are aware of media reports of a situation at the National Assembly this morning. We are closely monitoring the situation and other political developments in Nigeria.

    “The United Kingdom supports a process whereby the people of Nigeria can exercise their democratic right to vote and be voted for. We favour a free, fair, credible and peaceful process and the independence of institutions, which allow for that,” Joe Abuku, a spokesperson for the UK Embassy in Abuja, said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

    The statement comes hours after Ben Murray-Bruce, a senator from Bayelsa State, asked that foreign sanctions be meted on those involved in the siege at the parliament.

    Murray-Bruce accused senior officials of the Buhari administration of being involved in the blockading of the National Assembly by masked officials of the State Security Service, saying he would help ensure that their visas and those of their families are revoked by Western countries.

    The National Assembly was taken over by SSS operatives, supported by the police, earlier Tuesday, amidst claims that there was an attempt to forcibly remove Senate President Bukola Saraki from office.

    Scores of senators and members of the House of Representatives were initially blocked from entering into the National Assembly premises, but all of them were later allowed to move in after threatening to force their way in.

    The security operatives also blocked all other staff members of the National Assembly, including the clerk of the parliament, as well as journalists and other independent observers of legislative process.

    There was a protest by civil society groups to force the security agencies to back down, but they declined. All the lawmakers who entered the premises were unable to conduct much legislative process since the clerk and other staff members were unavailable.

    The development has been widely condemned by opposition politicians, including Atiku Abubakar and several state governors, who warned against the use of security agents as repressive tools against an independent arm of government.

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who has been called on to act to check the excesses of security agencies, responded by summoning Lawal Daura, the head of SSS, and Inspector-General Ibrahim Idris.

    Daura was summarily dismissed and asked to hand over to the most-senior official behind him, a move that has sent ripples through the country’s political and security circles.

  • NASS Siege: PDP commends Osinbajo, demands Buhari’s expulsion from UK

    …says president perfected NASS siege when Akpabio visited him in London

    Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) on Tuesday commended Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo for his timely intervention on the siege by the National Assembly by masked officials of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The party however condemned in strong terms the invasion by the DSS.

    Speaking on the development, the National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus said the United Kingdom should expel President Muhammadu Buhari from the country, alleging that the Nigerian leader planned the siege from there.

    Recall that President Buhari is currently on vacation in London.

    The PDP chairman accused the president of hiding in that country to plan the undermining of democracy in Nigeria.

    Recall that security officials, mainly from the DSS, on Tuesday prevented lawmakers, staff and journalists from gaining entrance to the National Assembly.

    The siege was only lifted in the afternoon, several hours after it began. During the barricade, lawmakers were eventually allowed in while other categories of people were barred.

    The incident, believed to have been planned to remove Senate President Bukola Saraki, led to the sack of Director General of the SSS, Mamman Daura, by Acting President Yemi Osibanjo.

    Secondus in his statement said the UK should not allow its environment be turned into a haven for anti-democracy conspirators.

    In the statement signed by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, Secondus said the final plan for the invasion of National Assembly was made when the outgoing Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, visited the president in London at the weekend.

    “When an executive arm in a democratic setting muscles up other arms of government, the correct name for such administration is autocracy and dictatorship,” Mr Secondus said.

    “Nigerians and international community have continuously watched this administration, harass and intimidate the legislature and judiciary as well as others in opposition in their bid to create a dictatorial regime.

    “All over the World, the parliament is the bastion of democracy and rule of law anybody not willing to alien himself to them is trying to create anarchy in the land,” he said.

    The opposition leader than called on President Buhari to resign.

    “We are aware that when a regime exhausts idea of what to do and loses the legitimacy that brought it to power, it could be dangerous like a bull in China shop. But truth is that Nigeria will survive this regime and laugh last.”

  • UK rejects consignment of agricultural products from Nigeria

    The United Kingdom (United Kingdom) authorities have rejected a consignment of agricultural produce from Nigeria worth N5 million for failing to meet up with the expected requirements.

    Head of Inspection at the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) in the South West Zone, Dr Moses Adewumi, made this disclosure at a news conference.

    He disclosed that the consignment contained bitter leaf, wrapping leaf, pumpkin leaf, waterleaf, native pear, backyard eggs, amongst others.

    Adewumi, however, emphasised that the goods were rejected because they did not have phytosanitary certificates.

    A phytosanitary certificate is an official document issued to indicate that consignments of plants, plant products or other regulated articles meet specified phytosanitary import requirements and are in conformity with the certifying statement of the appropriate model certificate.

    Adewumi informed reporters at the briefing that the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) requires that within the movement of agricultural produce or commodities around the globe, the commodities must be free from pest.

    According to him, “On this case, now we have as much as about 41 Worldwide Standard For Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM), which guides the transfer of commodities.

    “When you find yourself sending commodities beyond the shores of the country, the worldwide process is that it should be accompanied with a phytosanitary certificate, that’s the well-being of the commodity being exported.”

    He said, “Any commodity not accompanied by the certificates is against the law,” explaining that, “That’s the reason all these consignments have been returned to the nation (Nigeria) due to the fact that most of them weren’t accompanied with phytosanitary certificates.”

    But Adewumi said NAQS was making efforts to ensure exporters and non-exporters know about these requirements to prevent such from happening in the future.

    Recall that last year, some consignments of yam exported from Nigeria to the USA at a ceremony in Lagos attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Audu Ogbeh, were rejected on account of poor quality.

  • Osinbajo takes over government as Buhari commences 10-day vacation today

    Osinbajo takes over government as Buhari commences 10-day vacation today

    President Muhammadu Buhari will begin another round of vacation to the London, United Kingdom, today (Friday).

    The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday.

    Adesina said Buhari would be away for 10 working days.

    He said Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo would be the acting President during the period.

    The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari begins a 10 working day holiday from August 3, 2018.

    “In compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, a letter has been transmitted to the President of the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives to that effect.

    “While the President is on vacation, the Vice-President will be in an acting capacity as President.

    “President Buhari will be in London for the holiday.”

    Recall that Buhari had between February 5 and 10, 2016 embarked on a six-day vacation when he remained in London.

    On June 6, 2016, he embarked on another 10-day vacation to attend to an ear infection.

    Adesina had explained then that Buhari was battling with what he called “persistent ear infection.”

    Adesina had said although the President had been examined and treated by his personal physician and a specialist in Abuja, both doctors advised him to go for further evaluation as a precaution.

    He said then that the President would, therefore, use the 10-day break to see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist in London.

    Buhari returned to Nigeria on June 19, 2016, after spending 14 days in London.

    He again left the country on January 19, 2017, on what the Presidency described then as a medical vacation.

    When the trip was prolonged, presidential aides announced that the President would be staying back in the British capital to enable him to collect results of some medical tests conducted on him.

    Buhari returned to the country on March 10, 2017, after a 49-day medical sojourn, saying he had never been that sick in his life.

    He then gave an indication that he would return to London for further check-ups.

    After missing public events, including three consecutive weekly Federal Executive Council meetings which raised anxiety in the country, Buhari on May 7, 2017, returned to London for medical consultations.

    He returned to the country on August 19, 2017.

    The President had also on May 8, 2018, embarked on a four-day medical trip to the UK.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had in a statement said, “President Muhammadu Buhari will tomorrow (Tuesday) undertake a four-day trip to the United Kingdom.

    “In the course of the technical stop-over for aircraft maintenance in London on his way back from Washington last week, the President had a meeting with his doctor.

    “The doctor requested the President to return for a meeting which he agreed to do.

    “President Buhari will return on Saturday, May 12th.

    “On his return, the President’s two-day state visit to Jigawa, which was postponed because of the All Progressives Congress Ward Congresses, will now take place on Monday 14th and Tuesday, 15th of May.”

  • Alleged church fraud: Nigerians petition US, UK, to probe ‘dollar seeking’ pastor Funke Felix-Adejumo [Video]

    Not less than 4,761 people and counting have signed a petition to stop popular Nigerian preacher, Rev. Funke Felix-Adejumo from allegedly defrauding residents of United Kingdom, United States, and European Union.

    Recall that the clergy has been trending for weeks on social media for demanding for huge donations.

    Na wa Ooo!

    A post shared by Tunde Ednut (@tundeednut) on

     

    The petitioners spread across the United Kingdom, United States, and European Union.

    The petition was started in the United Kingdom by one Mayowa Olaiya on change.org in order to stop her from “coming to the UK to defraud the people and the country.”

    In Mayowa’s words: “Funke Felix Adejumo is one of a group of Nigerian religious Charlatans who regularly visit the UK to defraud the people and the country. They ask people to sow seeds for miracles and breakthrough and flee from the country with the funds without paying tax. They go from Churches to churches; this is a religious cabal network.”

    So far, over 745 people have signed the petition which is seeking 1000 signatures.

    The U.S petition was started by Daniel Audu who wrote: “We are determined to stop the extortion and money laundering going on in the united states by fraudulent Nigerian pastor rev Funke Felix Adejumo.

    “She hides under the pretense of being a woman of God and extort money from gullible unsuspecting members in different Nigerian churches across the United States. We have reason to believe this woman is laundering money from the united states through the pretense of a church. This is an illegal money laundry channel and we need to regulate or stop this extortion.”

    FUNKE’S SEED Season 1: Episode 10 – This episode is titled ‘OPERATION FEED THE SHEPHERD’ – Previously on ‘FUNKE’S SEED’, our aunty once again ‘didn’t plan this’. She never seems to plan any of her ‘seed’ collections. She seems to love that line as she uses it regularly. – In this episode, She asks for 5 men and 5 women to sow a seed of $1000 each for life not to the church, but to the pastor or man of god???? ??? – Did I here her say every year until Jesus comes?? Don’t miss it???? ??? – Did I clearly hear her say Don’t put it in the offering box??? ??? – Did I also hear her say just make sure it doesn’t go to the church?? Is she alright??? Has it gotten to this??? ??? – Let me tell you dingbats something, you are God’s field and the word of God is his seed and should be sown by preachers into you, NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND!! – Watch my teaching recorded earlier today on ‘gospel marketers’. It’s available on YouTube.com/daddyfreezeteaches – By the way, a lady set up a petition to ban Funke from the UK, I have signed it and if you want to sign as well, click on the link ???in my bio! ~FRZ – #FreeTheSheeple – ◄ Mark 4:20 ► New Living Translation And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” – ◄ 1 Corinthians 3:9 ► New International Version For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

    A post shared by FRZ (@daddyfreeze) on

    The third petition is by Simon Peter who is trying to stop her from “entering the EU to defraud people and the country.” 144 out of the required 200 people have already signed.

    However, while others are campaigning vehemently against the pastor, some other people are spreading messages of how her preachings have affected their lives positively.

    the clergy and her ministry are yet to respond officially to these petitions and allegations of extorting congregants. herself is yet to

  • BREAKING: UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson resigns

    BREAKING: UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson resigns

    Controversial UK Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, has resigned mere hours after Brexit Secretary David Davis also left his post, as the political crisis over the UK’s Brexit strategy intensifies ever-further.

    Johnson’s sudden departure came a mere half hour before Prime Minister Theresa May was due to address Parliament about her new Brexit plan, the provisions of which have enraged angered many Euroskeptic Tory MPs. In a statement widely shared in the media, a Downing Street spokesperson thanked Mr Johnson for his work and said a replacement would be announced shortly.

    The announcement came after he failed to attend the international Western Balkans Summit in London, which fueled much speculation a resignation was forthcoming — fellow attendee Michael Roth, German Minister of State for Europe, tweeted by early afternoon the gathered were “still waiting for our host.”

     

    (Sputnik)

  • Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to become Israeli citizen, gets UK visiting Visa

    Chelsea football club owner, Roman Abramovich can enter Britain on a visitor visa after gaining Israeli citizenship, Theresa May’s spokesperson has said.

    The Russian billionaire “can come as a visitor for six months but will need a visa to live, work or study in the UK,” the spokesperson added.

    The clarification came after Mr Abramovich was granted citizenship in Israel after failing to renew his visa to Britain.

    Russia’s 11 richest man’s UK visa application had been “taking longer than usual” to process amid increasing tensions between London and Moscow, sources told Reuters.

    It has been reported that Mr Abramovich would have to explain the source of his wealth to receive a new British visa.

    Commenting on his new Israeli citizenship, the Kremlin said Mr Abramovich had every right to take it under Israel’s ‘law of return’ for Jews.

    “The Kremlin doesn’t think anything about this,” government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

    “An entrepreneur has received Israeli citizenship. So what? It is his right.”

    Mr Abramovich, who is Jewish, flew to Tel Aviv on Monday and obtained documents confirming his status as an Israeli citizen, the Israeli news site Ynet reported.

    The country’s interior ministry confirmed Mr Abramovich had gained citizenship there, The Times of Israel reports, adding that he is now the country’s richest man.

    An official at Nativ, a government department that deals with Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union, said Mr Abramovich had applied for an immigration visa at Israel’s embassy in Moscow.

    They added: “His documents were examined under the ‘law of return’ and he was indeed entitled to immigrant status in Israel, and as a result he was issued an immigration visa.”

    Israel’s law of return gives every Jew, or child or grandchild of a Jew, the right to Israeli citizenship.

    Relations between Moscow and London have been strained since the poisoning of former Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury in March.

    Britain has blamed the attack on Russia but the Kremlin denies any involvement.

    The UK said this month it would review long-term visas of wealthy Russians after the poisoning.

    Mr Abramovich has been a regular visitor to Israel and Ynet said he had bought a property that was formerly a hotel.

    The building is based in an old Tel Aviv neighbourhood close to the Mediterranean shore.

  • Why Obasanjo’s criticism of Buhari should be ignored – APC UK

    Mr Ade Omole, a leader of the United Kingdom chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says former President Olusegun Obasanjo´s criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari should not be taken seriously.

    He spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja while reacting to Obasanjo’s accusation of the president and the ruling APC government as “ underperforming.’’

    Omole said Obasanjo´s criticism of Buhari was full of contradictions when critically examined, adding that the former president’s campaign was all about power struggle.

    According to Omole, Obasanjo´s attacks are personally motivated and an unalloyed attempt to manipulate the masses and the electorate ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    “The timing is quite key and it is his personal push to unseat President Buhari; it is easy to criticise any government, Trump and the current British Government are severely criticised every day,” he said.

    He called on Nigerians to continue to support the Federal Government, saying it was doing everything possible to improve the well-being of the people.

    Omole added that the support of Nigerians was critical to enable the president get a second term in office and consolidate on his developmental initiatives.

    “He deserves a second term and we are delighted that he has decided to go for re-election, and we shall fully support his bid.

    “I strongly believe that President Buhari has done more than expected by most Nigerians considering the situation in the country before he assumed office in 2015”.

    “This APC-led government is making steady progress, especially in the areas of economy, tackling insecurity and corruption as well as power and transportation,” Omole said.

    Omole said Buhari’s approach to the country´s economic and security problems was sustainable and long-lasting, adding that he had also earned the support of the international community.

    He also said the president had worked ceaselessly to restore the morale of the Nigerian military by re-organising and equipping the armed forces.

    Omole also said the president had ensured continued peace in the Niger Delta through consistent funding of the amnesty programme for former militants.

    Buhari, he added, had also ensured the implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan to boost the country’s economic recovery.

    “He has expended tremendously on capital infrastructure projects nationwide and has ensured effective implementation of the Treasury Single Account and increased government revenue by over N3 trillion in the last three years.

    “He has also entrenched transparency and accountability in the system and has ensured the implementation of the Bank Verification Number (BVN) system”, he said.

    This, according to Omole, ensured the tackling corruption by plugging loopholes for siphoning public funds and tracking of illicit funds through multiple accounts.

    NAN