You may have not come to embrace the fact that ‘speed means business’ in this age that we are in but making a quick dash into the bank should help you realize the significance of the phrase. Time and again, you would have seen how people come into the banking hall wishing things were done at a faster pace. And sometimes, the crowd becomes so overwhelming that one’s time [for other relevant activities] is eventually encroached upon.

It is in keeping the number of customers in the banking hall within manageable size that a host of banks have now adopted different digital avenues through which customers can do certain transactions without having to go into the banking hall. Talking about digital innovations however, some banks appear to be above the rest in developing and optimizing technological advances that are very effective for their business operations.

Leading the pack in this respect is United Bank for Africa (UBA). This financial institution was adjudged [by EuroMoney Awards] to be the best digitally advanced bank in Africa in 2018, and in the same year, it was recognized by International Financial Magazine as the most innovative digital bank. These feats showed the huge investment that the bank has directed towards digital innovations. Besides being one of the first financial institutions to adopt the Finacle 10x digital platform, the bank is also the foremost to optimize social media platforms for financial services. With an app such as ‘Leo’, the bank’s customers are able to carry out transactions [like fund transfer, airtime purchase, checking of balance and opening of new accounts] through the social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.

But UBA is not alone in the digital upsurge; others like FirstBank, DiamondBank, Wema Bank and so on are also coming up well. Furthermore, a research showing Fidelity Bank’s drive in digital innovation reveals that it is not one (financial institution) that can be swept aside when discussing technological upgradability in the banking sector in Nigeria. Fidelity’s Flashkey is just one of the ways through which the bank is showing off its digital creativity, and the app has surely change how we do fund transfer.

These digital innovations are surely gaining more popularity among customers, and they will be very handy in ensuring that the country operates a cashless economy. However, despite their advantages, there remains a considerable number of the populace that is yet to fully embrace the use of these digital financial innovations. For some persons, it is down to the fact that they do not know how to use them [or lack of knowledge about their existence] while some have decided against using them (digital innovations) because they do not trust the system. Hence, it is incumbent on every financial institution that has adopted any form of digitalization to effectively sensitize its customers on the existence and use of such. On the other hand, it is expedient that some of these financial institutions promptly address issues that may be associated with insecurity and/or operational failure of their technological processes.

Notwithstanding, the Nigerian banking sector is on a digital ascendance and should banks such as UBA, FirstBank and Fidelity continue in their stride – and those lagging behind taking a cue from them – we may be in for an entirely new face of banking in our part of the world in the nearest future.

Middlesbrough FC called him A Rolls-Royce of a midfielder, Fans and even children sing his praises: Nigerias midfielder John Mikel Obi is receiving a rain of tributes from the English Championship Club, which he joined in January.

The Nigerian international even got more accolades after Boro beat Blackburn Rovers away 1-0 on Sunday, He was widely commended for the feat.

Boro are now 5th on the table, with 54 points, with ambition to return to the Premier League in summer.

Having John Obi Mikel is a cheat code in the Championship no midfielder can touch him, said Ryan a Boro fan.

In a season of terrible transfer windows, John Obi Mikel looks like an insanely good bit of business. What a player, noted another fan, Neil Grainger.

Another fan named as Ian Smith tweeted: Rightly or wrongly, Pulis(the coach) gets some stick for us being unable to bring players in, but by that rule he deserves some high praise for convincing Mikel to come to The Boro.

What an absolute class player he is, almost embarrassingly better than those around him today..

To the untrained eye, Mikel Jon Obi (cheers lads @boro) looks like a lazy bastard who doesnt break sweat. After a while you realise hes just a million miles better than everyone else and doesnt need to, wrote Barry Cellnet.

No wonder, the kids and the fans are singing about Mikel, now called the African Zidane, forgetting that the original Zinedine Zidane, though French, has Algerian-African blood in his veins.

Watch the Mikel song, Weve got Mikel:

Mikel Obi is highly loved at Middlesbrough.

Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone)

And the kids version:

Middlesbrough tagged Mikel Obi a Rolls-Royce of a Midfielder. Hes put up phenomenal performances since he joined the club.

The fans came up with a chant for him. Here are two kids singing it.

Video: .

Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone)

Mikel who is 31 years old, started playing in Europe in 2004 with the Norwegian Club Lyn. From there, he became a coveted player by both Manchester United and Chelsea, but ended up with Chelsea where he spent 11 years, from 2006. He left to join the Chinese club, Tianjin TEDA between 2017-2018. He returned to England to play for Middlesbrough in January, invited by coach Tony Pulis.

Source: NAN

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has debunked a statement by Doyin Okupe, crediting Senate President Bukola Saraki with his appointment in 2015.

The Ministers Office described Okupes statement as a bold-face lie. Okupe is the Special Adviser (Media) to the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council.

The entire statement by Dr. Okupe is nothing but fiction writing, for which he deserves a hall of infamy award (in the fiction writing segment). Not one of the claims he made in his statement is true, said Segun Adeyemi, special media adviser to the minister.

For the record, Alhaji Lai Mohammed owes his appointment as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to President Muhammadu Buhari and no one else. It is therefore laughable that anyone will seek to take credit for that appointment.

We challenge Dr. Okupe, who concocted the story in question, to make available to Nigerians any evidence he may have to support his assertion that the President sought the permission of Dr. Saraki to appoint Alhaji Mohammed as Minister.

We understand that Dr. Okupes cheap attempt at mud-throwing is nothing but a proxy fight, rooted deeply in the politics of Kwara State.

We are aware that Dr. Okupes boss is feeling the heat emanating from the O To Ge (enough is enough) movement in Kwara, and that even the strongest of men will become disoriented and disillusioned at losing the support of a people who once venerated them to high heavens. But that is a self-inflicted wound for which Okupes boss, an acclaimed slave master, has no one but himself to blame.

Alhaji Mohammed is very proud to lead the O To Ge movement that is set to finally bring down the Berlin Wall of political hegemony in Kwara State and send Dr. Okupes boss into political oblivion. That will also free Dr. Okupe himself from merely being his masters voice, so he can fully devote his time to his new-found pastime fiction writing.

Source: NAN

By Oluwatope Lawanson

An Ikeja Chief Magistrates Court on Monday remanded a 60-year-old teacher, Benjamin Omole, who allegedly defiled his 11-year-old pupil in a school toilet.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Olufunke Sule-Amzat, ordered that the defendant should be kept in the Kirikiri Prisons, Lagos State, pending the advice of the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant, a resident of Oke-Ona Close in Ifako Ijaiye area of Lagos, is standing trial for child defilement, but he pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecutor, Mr Benson Emuerhi, had told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Jan. 16, at the premises of Atunda-Olu School for Special Needs, situated on Adam Orisha Street, Surulere, Lagos.

He defiled the 11-year-old girl (name withheld) by having carnal knowledge of her, he said.

The prosecutor told the court that the case was reported at the Gender Section of Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, by one Mrs Mercy Ogunranti, a social worker attached to Social Development Centre.

According to Emuerhi, the child refused to eat food given to her by her mother on the fateful day.

She said that she wanted to buy Indomie noodles.

After much questioning, the victim said that the defendant gave her N100,00 after taking her to the schools toilet.

The defendant took the victim to the schools toilet, fondled with her breasts and had sexual intercourse with her, he submitted.

He noted that child defilement contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and attracts up to life imprisonment.

The case was adjourned until April 4 for mention.

Source: NAN

At least 49 out of the 55 African Union (AU) member states have signed a Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

The AfCFTA is designed to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments and acceleration of the establishment of the Customs Union.

It is also expected to expand intra-African trade through better harmonisation and coordination of trade liberalisation, facilitate instruments across the regional economic communities and across Africa, enhance industrial competitiveness and utilise opportunities for scale production, continental market access and better resource reallocation.

It was presented for signature, along with the Kigali Declaration and the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community relating to the free movement of persons in Kigali on March 17-21, last year.

During this time, an action plan on boosting intra-Africa trade (BIAT), with seven priority action clusters: trade policy, trade facilitation, productive capacity, trade related infrastructure, trade finance, trade information and factor market integration, was also approved.

Yet, only 12 countries have ratified it-Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Niger, Chad, Guinea, eSwatini, Uganda, Ivory Coast (Cte dIvoire) and most recently, South Africa, Mauritania and Republic of Congo and an additional six countries have received parliamentary approval for ratification namely Sierra Leone, Mali, Namibia, Senegal, Togo and Djibouti.

All ratifications (approved and deposited) now stand at 18. We have given this background to show the progress of ratification and according to AfCFTA agreement, 22 of the signatory states are needed for it to come into force.

Once into force, it will be the largest in the world in terms of participating countries since the formation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

It is also estimated to boost intra-African trade by 52.3 per cent by eliminating import duties and doubling trade if non-tariff barriers are also reduced.

If all AU member states ratify AfCFTA, they will certainly broaden their national economic horizons and strengthen their regional groupings.
We may say that, a new venture is studied first before it is implemented to avoid untoward eventualities and perhaps that is why only 12 AU member states have so far ratified it.

Lets give those countries that have not ratified AfCFTA more time to study and ratify it only when they are ready to do so.

We shouldnt rush to sign and ratify AfCFTA, but lets first engage in soul-searching and only ratify it after we are sure of its benefits for both the African continent and national economies.

Source

https://allafrica.com/stories/201902180133.html

Source: NAN

By Funmilayo Okunade

An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates Court on Monday ordered the remand of a herdsman, Umaru Abubakar, over alleged murder of a farmer.

Abubakar, 35, whose address was not provided, is being tried on a charge of murder.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Johnson Okunade, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Feb. 13 in Aiyegbaju-Ekiti.

Okunade alleged that the accused murdered one Elijah Ogor, a farmer.

He said that the deceased had warned the accused several times to stop rearing cows on his farm but that Abubakar did not yield until the faithful day when he killed the deceased.

Okunade told the court that Ogor had called his brothers over threats by Abubakar that he would kill him but that before the arrival of the deceased brothers, Abubakar had killed Ogor and escaped.

According to the prosecutor, the offence contravenes Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

The prosecutor urged the court to remand Abubakar in prison, pending an advice from the office of Ekiti State Director of Public Prosecutions.

The plea of the defendant was not taken by the court.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Adesoji Adegboye, ordered that Abubakar should be remanded in police custody and adjourned the case until Feb. 27 for mention.

Source: NAN

Botswana and Zambia have signed the agreement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) meant to create one African market.

The country signed the agreement at the just-ended Africa Union Summit.

Zambia also signed the AfCFTA at the same event.

Botswana and Zambia were among the countries that had not signed the AfCFTA following its establishment on 21 March 2018 in Rwanda, Kigali.

The delay was largely attributed to negotiation on some of the protocols of the AfCFTA, as the countries wanted to consult stakeholders before appending.

Briefing journalists upon his return from the just-ended AU Summit, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi said he signed the agreement in the presence of African Union Commission chairperson, Moussa Faki, and outgoing AU chairperson, Paul Kagame.

He said the agreement would give Batswana the opportunity to benefit from inter-regional trade within the African continent, and greatly contribute to the growth and diversification of our countrys economy.

We have received the documents so that we can rectify the agreement, he said.

Masisi said Botswana recognises the importance of the agreement as one that will liberalise trade of both goods and services for all African countries.

The AfCFTA aims to create a market of 1.2 billion people and a gross domestic product of US$2.5 trillion, across all AU member states.

The Continental Free Trade Agreement would provide Botswana access to the African market estimated at 1.6 billion people in 55 countries.

This means a wider and increased market access for Botswana exports; among which are live animals, beef, salt, vaccines for veterinary medicine, minerals and leather products.

Reports indicate that the AfCFTA envisages the liberalisation of both trade in goods and services in the first phase of negotiations, and will extend to investment, competition policy and intellectual property in the second phase.

The decision to establish the AfCFTA was taken during the eighteenth Assembly of Heads of State and Government in 2012 when the Heads of State and Government decided to establish a Pan-Africa Continental Free Trade Area by 2017.

According to Zambia News and Information Services, Zambian President Edgar Lungu said the country would now work towards ratifying the AfCFTA.

Zambia is already in wide free trade areas through the 16-member SADC and the 21-member Comesa trading blocs. But in a statement issued by the first press secretary at the Zambian mission in Addis Ababa after the signing, Inutu Mwanza said.

The AfCFTA will help resolve the challenges of multiple and overlapping memberships and expedite the regional and continental integration processes.

It will also help to enhance competitiveness at the industry and enterprise level through exploiting opportunities for scale production, continental market access and better reallocation of resources.

Source: NAN

Zimbabwe has shelved its plans to join the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA).

The country declined to sign the agreement because it was to find space to stabilise local industries which are struggling to produce enough quality goods to compete outside.

Industry and commerce ministrys director of international trade, Beatrice Mutetwa said while addressing parliamentarians that more time, like 15 years, would be required out of the ACFTA because the country`s local industry is not producing enough to be able to compete with other countries.

Mutetwa said Zimbabwe was in a peculiar position and needed to work towards achieving an even landscape.

Member countries are requested to open up 90 percent of their markets but Zimbabwe had only offered up 85 percent as considerations are still being made on how the key sectors like tourism and mining will be protected.

Source: NAN

Wake and burial held on Saturday with mourners, including his father, Horacio, paying their final respects to Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala in his native home of Progreso in Argentina.

The 28-year-old died when the plane he was in with pilot David Ibbotson crashed in the English Channel en route from Nantes to Cardiff on 21 January.

The wake was held at the club Sala played for as a youth in his hometown of Progreso before the funeral started later on Saturday.

Among those who attended was Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock.

I would like to find a responsible personsomeone who says to me: this happened; but, well, it seems this was just an accident, said Salas aunt Mirta Taffarel.

Sala was killed when a single-engine light aircraft, flown by pilot Mr Ibbotson, crashed near Alderney just two days after he became Cardiff Citys record transfer.

His body, which was recovered from the wreckage following a privately-funded search last week, was repatriated to Argentina on Friday.

It was then driven from Buenos Aires to the Sante Fe province, where Sala grew up.

Outside the wake, fans draped a banner reading Emi, nunca caminaras solo or Emi, Youll Never Walk Alone.

Its as if he was a member of my family, said a sobbing Lucia Torres, who lives nearby.

Its something I cant understand nor accept because it hurts so much. The town has been in darkness since 21 January.

He represented a lot for us, said Daniel Ribero, president of Salas boyhood club San Martin de Progreso.

Were a small village and Emi was a celebrity, the only player to turn professional.

Ahead of the service, the club posted a message on social media saying: We are waiting for you like the first day you left but this time to stay with us forever. Eternally in our hearts.

The wake got under way at the sports hall in San Martin de Progreso at 07:00 local time (10:00 GMT), and the funeral started at 14:00 (17:00 GMT).

As well as Cardiffs delegation of Warnock and chief executive Ken Choo, Salas former club FC Nantes has been represented by defender Nicolas Pallois and its general secretary.

Warnock said: Hes my player. He signed for me I think he was going to be very instrumental in what we were looking to do and I feel its the only good thing you can do.

Family puts it in perspective. Family is so important, everything here today has shown how important it isit seems like the whole village has got together.

Mr Choo added: We feel very sad and the whole club feels very sad.

Today I think its good for the family to have some closure.

Salas mother Mercedes and sister Romina, who travelled to Europe after his disappearance, have returned to Progreso.

Meanwhile, a campaign to raise funds to find the body of Mr Ibbotson has reached 240,000.

The family of the 59-year-old, who is feared dead, are hoping to raise 300,000.

Sala was born in Santa Fe, Argentina but it was in France that he forged his reputation.

Among the top five goalscorers in Ligue 1 this season, Sala netted 12 times at better than a goal every two games.

That prompted Cardiff to pay Nantes a club record 15m for a man who spent his entire professional career in the French leagues.

Sala was born on 31 October 1990 in the small rural community of Cululu in the Santa Fe province, about 340 miles north west of Buenos Aires.

After progressing through the youth set-up at Argentine side Club Proyecto Crecer, he moved to France to sign for Bordeaux.

But, after making his debut as a 21-year-old, he struggled for game time and a series of loan moves followed.

He spent the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons at US Orleans and Niort respectively, scoring 37 goals in 74 matches.

When he took that goalscoring form into a loan spell with Caen in 2015, Nantes had seen enough and bought the 6ft 3in striker for a reported one million euros.

Three and a half years and 42 goals later came Premier League interest.

West Ham, Everton, Leicester, Crystal Palace, Fulham and Southampton were all linked with Sala, but it was Cardiff who got their man eclipsing the 11m they paid for Gary Medel to sign him.

When his signing was announced, Sala said: It gives me great pleasure and I cant wait to start training, meet my new team-mates and get down to work.

In a later tweet, he wrote: I know the challenge is big, but together we will make it.

Source: NAN

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked Nigerians to blame successive governments since 1999 and the National Assembly responsible for the postponement of Saturdays presidential election.

That will mean blaming 16 years of PDP administration and less than four years of APC for the election fiasco.

Given the increasing tendency to postpone elections and the cumulative failures and corruption over the years, SERAP would, after the elections, pursue appropriate legal action against the government in power and the National Assembly leadership for the catalogue of breaches of constitutional and international obligations, and seek effective remedies for the citizens,SERAP said.

In a statement signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: The postponement of Nigerias elections since 2007 shows a systemic failure of leadership at the highest level of government, and suggests that our electoral process is deliberately skewed in favour of politicians interests, who continue to profit from the corruption and impunity that have characterised the process since 1999, and against those of the citizens.

Calling for the resignation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu rather than addressing the root causes of persistent postponement of elections is a blatant attempt by politicians to scapegoat the electoral commission.

While the INEC leadership ought to proactively push for reform of the electoral system, successive governments and leadership of the National Assembly that have the legal responsibility but have remained largely impervious to revolutionary change of the electoral system, should be held to account for this fundamental breach of public trust.

Foisting outdated electoral system on Nigerians, and spending huge public funds to sustain it, seems in uneasy tension with constitutional provisions and Nigerias international obligations including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, and African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance to which Nigeria is a state party.

Rather than prioritising genuine and comprehensive reforms of the electoral system that would upgrade and modernize our voting processes, successive governments and leadership of the National Assembly would seem to prefer the status quo, presumably to undermine citizens right to participation and to continue to profit from the corruption and impunity that the current system and processes breed.

It is clear that the current electoral process is vulnerable to corruption but politicians would seem to have little incentive to comprehensively reform, upgrade and modernise it. It is unlikely that either the federal government or the National Assembly would take the steps necessary to sort out our electoral system, and improve transparency, accountability and integrity of the electoral process.

We urge Nigerians to take more active role in the fight against corruption, including by putting pressure on the authorities at the federal and state levels and the National Assembly to comprehensively reform, upgrade and modernize our electoral system and processes. Otherwise, citizens right to participate in the governance system will remain a hollow right.

Given that the right to vote is considered a part of an individuals fundamental right to political participation, persistent postponement of elections in the country raises serious questions about the legitimacy and integrity of Nigerias fledgling democracy.

Persistent failure to upgrade and modernize the electoral system has effectively relegated the right of participation to paper tiger status, undermining the ability of citizens to genuinely participate in the fight against corruption and to hold their leaders to account. Yet, a transparent, accountable and modernized electoral process is a prerequisite to the effective exercise of citizenship in a democratic society.

No right is more precious in a democratic country than that of having a voice in the election of those who represent us. That voice is not lost when the electoral process is skewed in favour of politicians interests and against the Nigerian voters. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined by the collective failure to upgrade and modernize the countrys electoral processes.

It is time to push for revolutionary changes in how Nigeria conducts its elections. The changes should effectively deploy modern technology, which has been successfully used in the business and other sectors in the country. Such changes may include the introduction of a national system of Internet voting, to innovative ideas on how to adapt the election systems to facilitate participation by different sectors of the population, to conform with twenty-first century elections.

The postponement is the by-product of a systemic and collective failure by successive governments and National Assembly leadership to provide Nigerians with reliable, efficient and secured electoral system, which has continued to undermine public confidence in elections as well as the publics right to vote and participate in their own government.

SERAP would also deploy the Freedom of Information Act to seek information on details of spending by INEC since 1999, as part of our initiatives to improve transparency and accountability of governmental operations and promote respect for citizens right to participate in the processes of government and governance in the country.

SERAP notes that postponement of general elections has become a recurring feature of the countrys electoral process. For example, the 2007 general elections witnessed late arrival of election materials from South Africa in April of that year, contributing to denying millions of voters their right to political participation.

SERAP also notes that the 2011 general election suffered the same organizational lapses, with the elections postponed for two days after it had commenced. In 2015, the government of former president Goodluck Jonathan postponed the election for six weeks on the pretext that it needed time to reclaim the local governments reportedly taken over by the Boko Haram terrorist group.

The INEC on the morning of the elections shifted presidential and National Assembly elections to 23rd February, 2019. The Governorship, State House of Assembly and the FCT Area Council Elections are to hold on 9th March, 2019.

Source: NAN