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THOUSANDS OF PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTERS HAVE MARCHED IN CITIES ACROSS EGYPT TO DEMAND THE RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENT ABDEL FATTAH EL-SISI.

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Videos posted on social media showed demonstrators chanting “rise up, fear not, Sisi must go” and “the people demand the regime’s fall” late on Friday.

Protests were reported in the capital Cairo, the second-biggest city of Alexandria and Suez, according to Aljazeera report.

Officers in civilian uniforms confronted the demonstrators who tried approaching Tahrir Square in Cairo. Several arrests were also made in the capital, and there were reports of tear gas being used on demonstrators.

The demonstrations came after self-exiled Egyptian businessman and actor Mohamed Ali accused President el-Sisi of corruption and called on people to take to the streets and demand the leader be removed. el-Sisi has dismissed the allegations as “lies”.

“If el-Sisi does not announce his resignation by Thursday, then the Egyptian people will come out to the squares on Friday in protest,” Ali said in a video posted on Tuesday

Former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker, Dimitar Berbatov, has announced his retirement from football.

This is coming 18 months after leaving India’s Kerala Blasters, bringing an end to a glittering 20-year career.

The 38-year-old, Bulgaria’s record goalscorer, also played for CSKA Sofia; Bayer Leverkusen; Fulham; Monaco; and Greek side PAOK.

He has been without a club since leaving India’s Kerala Blasters 18 months ago.

“Someone told me I need to say something, and seeing that people were asking me, especially back home, I need to give a farewell message,” Berbatov wrote on Instagram.

“My last game was more then one year ago, so I think it’s the right time now to stop, and it’s long overdue.”

The gifted striker, who won two Premier League titles with Manchester United and was named Bulgaria’s Footballer of the Year seven times between 2004 and 2010, added that he planned to remain in soccer in some capacity.

“When I think about it, it’s never the end, because I will stay in the game one way or another,” he said.

Berbatov joined Manchester United from Tottenham in 2008 for what was then a club record fee of 30.75 million pounds (38.38 million dollars) .

He made his Bulgaria debut in 1999, aged 18, but retired from international football in 2010 after scoring 48 goals in 79 matches.

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NIGERIAN BANKS ARE PROFITABLE ENTITIES, AS EVIDENCED BY THEIR ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BANKING INDEX. HOWEVER, ONE ASPECT OF THE BANKING INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA MANY PEOPLE DISLIKE IS THE FACT THAT THE BANK CHARGES SEEM TO BE A LOT AND ON THE HIGH SIDE.

Usually, at the end of every month end, I receive four alerts (in quick succession) from my bank, all of which are bank charges. One of the charges is usually withholding tax, another about value-added tax. The other two would then be account maintenance charge and SMS charge. These charges would be sent to me in addition to the N2.50 and N50 value added tax and transfer commission I pay each time I transfer money to third parties in other banks. But that’s not all; I also get another alert for capitalised interest.

By the time I do the calculation, about 33% of the capitalized interest would have already been taken back by the bank in the form of various types of charges. If you then add the transaction by transaction transfer charges, the interest would almost zero.  I am sure that this happens to a whole lot of people. So, that got me thinking about how I can minimise the bank charges. Then I downloaded the CBN Guide to Bank Charges and what I found is food for thought which I have decided to share with all and sundry.

How to minimise bank charges

The starting point to minimising the bank charges you pay is to get familiar with what charges your bank can subject you to. Getting to know about such charges entails reading the CBN guide to bank charges or keeping it handy as reference material. Not only will it help you know about the fees, but it can also act as a veritable companion when trying to recoup unauthorized charges from your bank.

According to the Jews, every shekel, dime or kobo counts. So, if there are ways to reduce bank charges, take advantage of them as much as you can because, at the end of the period, such charges add up.  So here are a few ways to reduce such charges:Minimise installment paymentOne way to minimise the N50 per transfer charges is not to pay in installments. I know this may be difficult when contracting a project to someone. I have had to pay multiple transfer charges of N50 each because I had to pay by installments as the project progressed.
Deal more with people with the same BankAnother way to avoid the transfer fee is by dealing with people that have the same bank as you. When you transfer from one account to another in the same bank, otherwise called intrabank transfer, you avoid payment of transfer fee and the value-added tax attached to it.
Select only the banking products that you need

Banks have many financial products on display and each has its own fee characteristic. Some of them bestow some status symbol but they come at a cost and if you are no ready to pay for that cost, do not opt for such a product. For example, an American Express Black Card is an invitation-only credit card used to proclaim status both in spending and creditworthiness. It is an elite card used by celebrities and the ultra-rich. It is a card made of anodized titanium but not everyone that receives the invitation buys into it.If you do not travel or do not engage in regular foreign currency transactions, there is no need to get a foreign currency denominated credit or debit card where you pay $20 annually as maintenance fee only to show that you belong to the crème de la crème in the society.

Use Prepaid cards instead

The CBN guide indicates that there are no charges for loading and unloading a prepaid card. If that is the case and you can afford it, use prepaid cards rather than pay the N1,000 initial issuing price for a credit or debit card in addition to the renewal fee of N1,000Restrict ATM use to your bankTry as much as possible to restrict ATM withdrawals to your bank and use it in third-party banks only in emergencies. By so doing, you will save yourself the third-party charges. Per the CBN guide, On-us (withdrawal from issuing bank’s ATM) attract no charges, but Not on-us (withdrawal from other bank’s ATM) in Nigeria attracts a fee of N65 after the third withdrawal within the same month. You will save yourself the N65 if you restrict your ATM use to your bank.

Opt out of SMS Transaction Alert: SMS transaction alerts on customer induced transactions attract a fee of N4.00 per alert and if you do volumes of transactions per month, that adds up to a lot. Although the alerts may help you keep a tab on fraudulent activities on your account, you will save a lot of money by opting out of SMS alerts. All it takes to opt out is completing an indemnity form that will free the bank from any liability should there be a fraud on your account.

Use Email Alert Instead:

Email alerts do the same thing that SMS alerts do, only that you only see them when and if you check your emails. The good news is that email alerts carry no charges. Therefore, use email alerts and form the habit of checking your emails frequently especially after initiating a banking transaction.

Avoid requesting for Statements of Account:

It is mandatory for your bank to send you your monthly statement of accounts free of charge, however, any special request for statements of account, attracts a fee of N20 per page. Depending on the number of pages, that too can add up. Instead, if you have online access to your account, you can always query for your transaction history by defining a starting and ending date, which is what the special statement request would do for you. By using online access to access your transaction history over a period of time, you can avoid the charges that come with a special request of statements.

Avoid Issuing Dud cheques:

In countries like America, it is a crime to issue dud checks. While it is not as much a crime in Nigeria, it attracts huge charge or penalty. Usually, the issuer is charged 1% of the amount on the dud check or N5,000 whichever is larger. This means that the minimum you will pay by issuing a dud check is N5,000 which can be avoided by avoiding such practice.

Use Software Token (OTP) instead of Hardware Token:

To consummate your online transactions, you require a token. Such tokens come in two forms- Hardware and Software tokens. Hardware tokens attract a cost recovery fee subject to a maximum charge of N4,000 but software tokens are free except where they are sent via an SMS in which case a fee of N4 per SMS will apply. In addition to the initial payment of N4,000 for a hardware token, they also cost additional N4,000 for replacements due to physical damage, loss or expiration.

Now, Do the Math:

The CBN Guide on Bank charges states the fee chargeable by banks for each activity or product but that does not guarantee that the banks will charge at that rate especially where the guide makes such charges either negotiable or as having maximums. For example, upon checking the CBN issued guide on bank charges, I noticed that section 3, states that account maintenance fee is negotiable but subject to a maximum of N1 per mille. Permille stands for the Latin word, per thousand. This, therefore, means that if you execute a transfer worth N100,000 within a month, you are required to pay an account maintenance fee of N100, so if you do the math and you find out that you are charged more than should be, then call your bank and find out why.

Stay Informed:

Try to be and remain informed about bank charges as they are subject to change by referring to the most current version of the CBN Guide on Bank Charges.

Internet hackers are now everywhere! They look for every way possible to either clone you or take over your online accounts completely. Now, they are crawling through a medium you may think they can’t penetrate, and that is WhatsApp!

Below are their strategies and steps you can take to secure your account.

1. It is advisable for every WhatsApp user to upgrade the app security as a good measure to protect your account from being hacked.

2. Hackers are now taking over people’s accounts, and the not too good aspect of it is that, you are not likely to know that your account has been hacked and that your phone number has been changed without your knowledge.

3. If you are very sensitive, the only thing you observe is that you are being exited from different groups you belong on WhatsApp.

4. Or friends may call to inform you when the hacker starts sharing contents they suspect are not likely to come from you, but if you are used to sending such messages, (meaning the hacker is cloning – replicating you), it may be long before people suspect they’ve been relating with a wrong person!

5. Same hacking style applies to Facebook, as Facebook owns WhatsApp and both accounts are somehow linked. So, if it is possible to take over your WhatsApp account without your knowledge, they can do same for the Facebook.

6. After taking over the account, they will change the number to their own number in all groups you belong and that number will still carry your name, while they post messages as if you are the poster.

7. It could be very embarrassing the type of messages they share with your name – they are mostly out to scam people or share X-rated adult contents with phishing scripts to steal passwords and credit cards information once you click on the content.

WHAT TO DO

1. On your WhatsApp, kindly go to Setting, from there, go to Account, then go to Two-Step Verification.

2. You will be asked to type Six-Lettered Code. After you do that, you are also asked to give an email address. Please, supply every information and click OK to submit.

3. Ensure you safe your password, you may store it in your passworded notepad, or write it somewhere so you won’t forget, as occasionally, you may be asked to input your password when attempting to use your account.

3. Once you do that, your account is secure. Whoever attempts to hack into your account will be asked to input the secret code, meaning that it is only you or whoever you authorise that can gain access into your account.

4. You can also do this to all your online accounts: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Emails, LinkedIn, and others.

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Corps Marshal of FRSC, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi Reports had it that the commission and Dangote Group had agreed that the company’s trucks will not ply roads at night.

The Federal Road Safety Corps has said that it has not banned Dangote trucks and motorists from embarking on night journeys.

The Corps’ Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem said this while clarifying a story attributed to him on the subject matter to a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday.

Reports had it that the commission and Dangote Group had agreed that the company’s trucks will not ply roads at night.

According to Kazeem, FRSC never announced that it will stop Dangote vehicles from plying roads in the country from 7pm to 7am.

“FRSC did not say it will impound Dangote vehicles after 7.p.m.

“The commission never said so. We were quoted out of context that we will impound their vehicles.

“We usually have safety meetings with Dangote group.

“One of such meetings was held on Tuesday where far reaching decisions were made and nothing was said that we were going to impound their vehicles.”

Kazeem explained that the FRSC did not have powers to impound vehicles at night saying that there was no law that said that the commission could restrict such vehicles.

He further said that what the commission could do was to only highlight dangers of night journey.

NAN reports that the commission had tasked the group on prompt removal of broken down vehicles and the need to intensify efforts towards achieving professionalism in the recruitment, training and certification of its drivers.

Kazeem quotes the Corps Marshal Mr Boboye Oyeyemi to have directed that all Dangote trucks to be fully installed with Speed Limiting Device before Dec. 31.

“Dangote to provide details of any driver who commits traffic infraction to FRSC for subjection to Emotional Stability Test

“The Company to provide details of any driver who runs away after a crash to FRSC for flagging on the database so as to track such drivers.

“Foreign number plates on the company’s trucks to be replaced with Nigeria Number Plates before Dec. 31.”

Gbajabiamila Speaker of the House of Representatives, has hinted that the lower chamber of the National Assembly will ensure that Nigerians get adequate supply for the electricity they pay for.

Speaking when he received management team of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) during a visit to his office in Abuja, Gbajabiamila said it was the House’s responsibility to make life easier for Nigerians.He frowned on the practice of estimated billing by electricity distribution companies (DisCos), assuring that the House would not tolerate a situation where DisCos take advantage to present outrageous bills to Nigerians, hence the resolve by members to revisit the issue and enact a law that would end estimated billing.

“The issue of estimated billing has been in the front burner. It has been in this House and we will revisit it soon. We can’t allow the DisCos to continue to do what they have been doing over the years.

“You said DisCos need to be recapitalised, I don’t know what you mean by that. These are private companies. Do you mean that the government should come in? Maybe you should explain more on that,” he said.Commending the current management of TCN led by its Managing Director, Malam U. G. Mohammed, Gbajabiamila tasked them to work closely with the House and relevant committees to achieve its goals.

He called for a periodic review of the performance of DisCos, saying the House would do everything within its powers to ensure that TCN delivers on its mandate to Nigerians.

Earlier in his presentation, Mohammed said the company has been repositioned since the current management took over, saying some of the challenges have to do with the DisCos, noting that there has been no investment in the companies and that they need $4.3 billion investment for optimal capacity.

He also noted that the past management of TCN under Manitoba did not perform well in the four years it managed the company, as it was enmeshed in several challenges, including non-audited accounts for the period.

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Nigerian billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola has taken up the medical expenses of legendary reggae

singer, Majek Fashek who is terribly sick and stranded at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London.

Otedola’s intervention came after Majek Fashek’s manager, Uzoma Day Omenka, painted a pathetic picture of the dire situation the musician is in.

Confirming Otedola’s magnanimity to LIB, Uzoma Day said, ‘we really appreciate him for coming through and taking care of the hospital bills. Its a huge relief and we are grateful. We however still need more support from well meaning Nigerians to take care of other expenses.

According to him, Majek is recuperating and hopefully will be out of danger in no time

After 12 years of power outage in Ondo South, the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) has said that within the next few weeks its electricity would be reconnected by the organisation.

The Executive Director of the company, Engr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele gave the assurance while speaking with reporters yesterday in Akure, the state capital.

According to him, all is now set for the re-commissioning of electricity restoration projects in the area. Oyedele said the restoration of electricity supply had been completed in communities like Ajagba, Igbokoda, Okitipupa and Igodan Lisa (OSUSTECH) while rehabilitation of Ore- Okitipupa 33KV line had equally been completed.

He also said that work was on-going on rehabilitation of Okitipupa to Ilutitun 11KV through Ikoya, rehabilitation of Igbotako to Ilutitun 33kv line through Ijuodo, and the rehabilitation of Ore to Irele 33kv line.

The Executive Director said residents of the southern part of Ondo state who have been in total darkness for the past 12 years would smile as the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is expected to commission the electricity projects soon.

Oyedele stressed that electricity restoration projects was through the efforts of the federal government. He said” it is now certain that the people of the area will have power supply because the job have been completed. Right now what we are doing is re-commissioning test, our work is to restore power supply.

“This project were conceived by the Vice President, designed by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company and awarded to contractors that have passed the test and it has nothing to do with any individual, state, local government or politics”, he said.

It would be recalled that over 1,000 communities in the six local government areas of the district had been without power supply following an alleged indebtedness of the electricity consumers in the senatorial district.

But, the Executive Director said he was not aware of any debts owed by individuals.

Oyedele also disclosed that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had signed an agreement with the Disco in supplying meters to all customers across the country.

The Lagos police command has advised the public, especially job seekers to be mindful of the activities of job scammers when seeking employment in order not to fall prey of their antics.

The Command gave the advice on Sunday in a statement through the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, NAN reports.

The statement said that Ojo Police Station on Saturday, arrested one Mr Emeka Emmanuel, 29, of Ijaniki, Iyana Iba for impersonating as an official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to dupe innocent people,

“The suspect was in possession of a fake EFCC ID card which he used in parading himself as an EFCC operative.

“The suspect duped innocent citizens under the pretense of providing them employment with the EFCC as operatives,” the statement said.

It said that one Mr Olaposi Semiu of Agbara, a victim of the fake EFCC’s operative antics, said that the suspect (Emmanuel) collected the sum of N51, 000 from him over a month ago.

According to the statement, the money was for securing employment for his son as an EFCC operative.

It said that the suspect had confessed to the crime and would soon be charged to Court.

Source : NewsFlagship

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The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), has said that the federal government has decided to extend the partial closure of the country’s borders beyond the 28 days earlier slated.

According to Channels Television, Monguno disclosed that the partial closure of the borders between Nigeria and Benin Republic has yielded results, including the arrest of about 100 illegal migrants, adding that illegal arms and hundreds of bags of imported rice have been impounded.

He said that the major reason the federal government decided to partially close the borders has to do with insecurity, adding that it is the responsibility of the government to protect its citizenry and secure its international borders.

Earlier the Comptroller General of Customs, Hammed Ali had said that Nigeria borders would remain closed until the neighbouring countries respect Nigeria’s policy on food ban and other contraband importation.

Ali while addressing Customs personnel and community leaders at the border town, Maigatari, which connects Nigeria and Niger Republic, lamented that criminals were coming in through Nigeria’s porous borders to perpetrate crimes freely.

“Most of the criminals are not committed by the citizens of Nigeria. They come in at will and go out at will because our borders are so porous. They come and create havoc and they disappear.

“This is why the President directed that we should go on and embark on this drill to ensure that we put into place a proper procedure for in and outflow of people.

“We must also get our neighbours to agree with us on the protocols of transit routes,” Ali said.

According to him, Nigeria has enough food and is willing to go to all extent to ensure its borders are no longer porous.

Speaking in the same vein, the Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, said the federal government’s directive was important to ensure that people do not enter into Nigeria or leave Nigeria through illegal means.

“A border is a place where there are Immigration and Customs. If you want to enter into Nigeria, there is a border. The rule is that you pass through the border. If you are going pass through the border, carry your documents with you,” he said.

The Comptroller of Customs also explained in an interview with journalists that the border closure has yielded positive results and would remain closed till neigbouring countries cooperate with the Nigerian government.

Nigeria has shut its borders with neighbouring countries including, Benin Republic and Niger for about a month