NIGERIAN NOTCH

Access Bank has finally acquired 100% of Kenya’s Transnational Bank Plc and its 28 branches, as the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) gave its final nod. In October 2019 we gathered that Access Bank from the first quarter of 2020, would expand its footprint across Africa. The bank, which is the largest in Nigeria by customer-size, had embarked on this path seven months after merging with another Nigerian bank, Diamond Bank. When will takeover be effective? Nigerian Notch learnt that 100% of the shareholding of Transnational Bank will become that of Access Bank from February 1, 2020, after receiving approval on December 24, 2019, for the acquisition. In a statement, the Kenyan bank regulator, CBK, stated that, “Access Bank Plc’s business model mainly focuses on corporate and retail banking and its strong group support is expected to drive Transnational Bank Plc’s business growth for the benefit of the Kenyan economy and the banking sector.” Kenyan banking industry in inorganic pha...

Imo State Chapter of Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria, OMPAN congratulates the new Governor of Imo state, Senator Hope Uzodinma (Onwa) on his Supreme Court victory and swearing in as the duly elected Governor of Imo state on 15th January, 2020. They urged His Excellency to extend an olive branch to all governorship candidates he contested alongside with and those he had cases with at the tribunal up to the Supreme Court and carry everyone along in the scheme of things, noting that Imo belongs to all of us. We need to move Imo forward and all hands ought to be on deck so as to make Imo a prosperous state,the release narrated. Imo OMPAN prayed his Excellency all the best as he steers the affairs of the state and in the same spirit, we ask your Excellency to continue from the legacies and good works of past administrations of the state which acts as a foundation to the betterment of Imolites because government is a continuum. The release said that "We have ...

Pandemonium broke around Ekoro area, Abule-Egba, Lagos, as pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation exploded in the area. The fire erupted after some vandals allegedly ruptured the pipeline in a bid to scoop fuel. Though, the estimated value of the properties lost to the incident could not be ascertained but sources said several millions of naira have been lost already. Sources revealed that some residents in the area have abandoned their homes, leaving with some vital documents like credentials and property documents. Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Oluwafemi Okeosanyintolu, who confirmed the incident said, “There is a fire incident at the area. We are already coordinating.” Also, the Director-General, Lagos State Fire Service, Margaret Adeseye, said three fire service station had been deployed in the area to curtail the fire incident, adding that no casualty had been recorded. “Yes, a fire incident is ongoing. Thr...

I am very glad, and I feel highly fulfilled, that at Last Justice has been served on the Imo governorship election matter. This rare victory is victory from God Almighty. It is victory that reminds us that as God of Justice, our Heavenly Father will never abandon the course of Justice. Even when the road is rough, daunting and hazy he remains faithful I therefore dedicate this victory to God. Indeed I lack enough words to express my debt of gratitude to the Almighty. To him be glory, praise and adoration forever and ever. Amen. In this historic moment, the judiciary stands out for special commendation. Once again that revered temple of Justice has by this historic judgement reassured Nigerians in general and Imo people in particular that the judiciary remains the real bastion of hope for Justice. History will remember that in the face of a spirited attempt to subvert Justice with a web of smartly crafted technicalities, the judiciary did not cave in but instead painstakingly unta...

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state has ordered the immediate probe of his predecessors, Ikedi Ohakim, Rochas Okorocha and Emeka Ihedioha. Governor Uzodinma gave the order shortly after he was sworn into office this evening as the new Governor of Imo State. He also ordered that within the next four days, the Accountant General of the state should send him the comprehensive financial status of the state from May 29, 2010, till date. He ordered that payments for all ongoing contracts within the state, be suspended till further notice. Recall, that the Supreme Court through a unanimous decision yesterday installed him him as Governor, while sacking Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, of the PDP who until now was at the helm of affairs of the state. Since his emergence many schools of thought has believed that he has indeed come to redeem the image of the state, while pundits are of the view that its going to be business as usual. Going by the divine mandate of his accession to the exalte...

Senator Hope Uzodinma has been sworn in as the governor of Imo State. The governor-elect and his deputy, Professor Placid Njoku, were sworn in by the Chief Justice of the state, Justice Pascal Nnadi. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Imo State Government House, hours after Senator Uzodinma received his certificate of return from INEC in Abuja and one day after the Supreme Court nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha and declared him the elected governor of the state. The National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of the State, Senator Rochas Okorocha and governorship candidate of APGA in the 2019 governorship election, Ifeanyi Ararume were among those in attendance at the swearing-in ceremony. Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka, who had predicted that Senator Uzodinma will emerge as governor of the state, was among those who were present at the event. The priest had drawn a large crowd upon his arrival as many swarmed his car praising him for his predict...

The Supreme Court on Tuesday nullified the governorship election of Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State, declaring Hope Uzodinma as the rightful winner of the exercise. The apex has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue certificate of return to Uzodinma immediately.

The rot in market management in the state has been exposed further, with the demolition of illegal lockup shops in Agbaedo Market, in Nnewi. The Anambra State government, through the Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Wealth Creation, last week, demolished illegal lock-up shops built in Agbedo Market, Nnewi, by some market leaders and stakeholders, who were alleged to have connived with the interim management or caretaker committee in the market that was set up to look after the affairs of the market for 6 months. The Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Wealth Creation, Uchenna Okafor, who visited  the market in the company of the chairman, Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Chike Maduekwe, ordered for the demolition, as it was not approved by the ministry nor was it approved by Anambra state Physical Planning Board. The commissioner,  also ordered for the seizure of materials meant for erection of about ninety lock up shops in the market, and frowned at the actions...

 ....Opens Multi Million Mansion House in Atani Prince Chijioke Mbanefo the highlife mastero, and the king of highlife in Nigeria, has floated a charity foundation, which is geared towards taking care of widows, orphans and the less privileged in the country. The foundation, Prince Chijioke Mbanefo Charity Foundation, was officially opened on the 5th of January 2020, at his country home in Atani, where he invited friends and well wishers to join him in opening his multi million mansion. In his welcome address at the official launch of the foundation, Prince Chijioke Mbanefo, said he is humbled because of what God has done for him over the years. He was thankful that God has seen him through the industry for over 20 years, which has produced 50 albums in the market. He however stressed that anytime he looks around and see people suffering it pains his heart, knowing how it feels, for one to be in sure misery. He stated that he resolved to set up the foundation as a way of...

Dikoye Oyeyinka, 33, has been billed as one of the most promising Nigerian writers of his generation. He went to some of the finest schools in his West African homeland but says that like the majority of his classmates he “didn’t know about Biafra until I was 14”. When he did begin to find out about the brutal civil war that nearly tore Nigeria apart, it was not in the classroom. Instead it was a schoolmate in his dormitory who showed him a separatist leaflet demanding Nigeria’s southeast break away from the rest of the country. Before then Oyeyinka had known nothing about how leaders from the Igbo ethnic group declared the independent state of Biafra in 1967. He knew nothing of the conflict that resulted and the 30 months of fighting and famine estimated to have cost over a million lives before the secessionists surrendered 50 years ago in January 1970. “We’ve had a very brutal history, the older generation went through a lot of trauma,” Oyeyinka told AFP. “We just...

Iran said Saturday it “unintentionally” shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people aboard, in an abrupt about-turn after initially denying Western claims it was struck by a missile. President Hassan Rouhani said a military probe into the tragedy had found “missiles fired due to human error” brought down the Boeing 737, calling it an “unforgivable mistake”. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau demanded Saturday that Iran provide “full clarity” on the downing of the plane, which Ottawa says had 57 Canadian citizens aboard. “A full and complete investigation must be conducted,” Trudeau said. “Iran must take full responsibility.” Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei offered his condolences and ordered the armed forces to address “shortcomings” so that such a disaster does not happen again. The acknowledgement came after officials in Iran denied for days Western claims that the Ukraine International Airlines plane had been struck by a missile in a cat...