Solomon2day

The Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) is set to change the design of the 200, 500, and 1,00 Naira notes, months before the 2023 general elections. Interestingly, those who call the shots insist that the change is long overdue, although the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed argues that the government of the day was not carried along. The question now is, Why did it take so long for this change since 2015? So far, the CBN has destroyed 6 Trillion Naira-bank notes- this dispensation. Indeed, a lot is wrong about national security, the economy, and socio-political space; while abnormalities persist. The suggestion is that the government of the day is pushing forward face-saving strategies to becloud the sensibilities of worried Nigerians who are conscious of the nightmarish journey presently. Of worry, is the uncertainty that trails the statement of Those-in-Charge, with particular reference to the transition of the government of the day in 2023, although the action and inaction of the po...

For you to be effective in any endeavor, depend on God for strength, wisdom and power. 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Mixed feelings have continued to trail the announcement by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) Mr. Godwin Emefiele that the 200, 500 and 1, 000 Naira notes would be redesigned. A sizable number of Nigerians believe that the action of the apex bank has a hidden motive, considering the fact that the head was once a presidential aspirant of the ruling party. Others however argue that the action would sanitize the monetary system in the country. In this piece, Prof. Olagoke warns of the consequences. Excerpt : To start with, the reasons given by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for the redesigning of the 200, 500, and 1,000 Naira notes must be assessed and evaluated based on present realities. The word redesign becomes an issue because it would involve changes that may not likely go down well with our ethnic, tribal, and religious persuasions. Since it had the approval of the presidency various considerations must have been put in place to allay the fears o...

Charges Include Conspiracy to Forcibly Repatriate PRC Nationals, Attempted Obstruction of a Criminal Prosecution, and Conspiracy to Act as an Illegal Agent of a Foreign Country In three separate cases in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the District of New Jersey, the Justice Department has charged 13 individuals, including members of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) security and intelligence apparatus and their agents, for alleged efforts to unlawfully exert influence in the United States for the benefit of the government of the PRC. In the Eastern District of New York, an eight-count indictment was unsealed on Oct. 20 charging seven PRC nationals – two of whom were arrested on Oct. 20 in New York – with participating in a scheme to cause the forced repatriation of a PRC national residing in the United States. The defendants are accused of conducting surveillance of and engaging in a campaign to harass and coerce a U.S. resident to return to th...

The Health System in Nigeria has passed through a lot of challenging times. This assertion was made on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the Physicians' Week of the Oyo state branch of the Nigeria Medical Association(NMA) with theme, ''Nigeria's Health Care Delivery System and the 2023 Democratic Transition : A Time to Change the Narrative by the Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital(UCH) Ibadan, Nigeria, Prof. Abiodun Otegbayo. ''The Nigeria health system has suffered a lot, this is a backward change. This year's budget gave the health sector an encouraging allocation; over a trillion Naira. The Government of the day and others should manage the budget for the health sector. I just pray that the health system would not collapse. I urge all of you o use your influential positions to help us in the health system,'' Prof. Otegbayo stated. In his presentation on the theme of the week, the Vice Chancellor of the Olabisi Onabanjo ...

Your ability to take difficult decisions would go a long way in determining your survival in business. There must be consistency in making decisions considered to be necssary, but unpopular and difficult, timely. Decisions such as the shutting down of unproductive branches and the retrenchment of redundant staff should not be allowed to linger for so long. Be observant, when you discover that any of your employee is not meeting up to the set standard, it is better to do the needful. When you make hard decisions, wrong strategies, the wrong people and the wrong projects are put at bay.

In the process of making difficult decisions, ask God to guide you to avoiding making mistakes; and be confident that God is working out His will in your life. 1 Samuel-23 : 1-5 1 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. 2 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. 3 And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? 4 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

Environmental pollution has become part and parcel of daily life in major cities in Nigeria as a result of the lack of political will by the appropriate authorities to enforce relevant laws. Street trading and hawking on the main road, road verges, medians, setbacks, drainages, pedestrian bridges and walkways have become permanent features in these cities, since those responsible for the menace are well wishers, supporters and loyalists of political office holders. Even though there are designated market locations, Those-in-Charge are very reluctant to wield the big stick because of the urgent need for political preservation. Indeed, pickpocketing thrives in these locations, as it has become a veritable source of income with the covert cooperation of commuters, transporters and law enforcement personnel. The free flow of human and vehicular traffic would continue to be hindered in these cities, if the political overlords today fail to facilitate not only the regulation of street tr...

The Nigeria Medical Association(NMA) in Oyo state has declared that it shall not endorse any candidate for the 2023 general elections in line with its status as a professional association. This declaration was made on Monday, by the NMA chairman, Dr. Wale Lasisi, during a Press conference to outline activities lined up for the Physicians' week 2022 with theme, ''Nigeria's Health Care Delivery System and the 2023 Democratic Transition : A Time to Change the Narrative'' in Ibadan, Nigeria. ''That is absolutely untrue. We are apolitical, we are not endorsing any candidate, we will not endorse any candidate, we are making plans to invite gubernatorial candidates. NMA is not endorsing any candidate, we are a group of professionals without political bias. We all know that as an association we have members with different political backgrounds.'' Similarly, the National President of the NMA, Dr. Uche Ojinmah has called on Nigerians not to back candidat...

To be successful, it is imperative you develop the ability to engage with people, motivate and inspire them to achieve success. Make people the first on your priority list in your line of business. Success and happiness are crucial and intertwined, for the best results in whatever you do. However, you must not forget to give the adequate attention to your family. Interact regularly with your colleagues at the work place as this brings about the opportunity to discuss prospects, ideas and suggestions that would put you ahead of competitors. Furthermore, interactions serve as forums to set goals and apportions responsibilities and re-emphasize the need for the best practices while on the field. The first priority in the work place is the people. Make yourself always available and accessible to your colleagues and ensure you arrive at decisions collectively. Think of immediate solutions to personal problems while ensuring that regular meetings and discussions are held to address c...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Jeremy Peña will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSA Peña has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of New Mexico, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said United States Attorney Uballez. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice ...

Two years after the EndSars protests on October 2o, 2020, across Nigeria, a number of state governments are yet to compensate victims of the protests. This attitude by political office holders has brought to the fore the mindset of those who represent Nigerians at all levels of public office. Families and communities are still mourning their loved ones who lost their lives as a result of the absence of the will to do the right thing by those who occupy public offices. Obviously, this is an eye opener for all and sundry. However, an Ex-Officio of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who is also a former chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze asks some very important questions : 1)Why were the street lights at the Lekki toll gate switched off on the night of the protests? 2)Who ordered that the Close Circuit Television Cameras(CCTV) be switched off? 3)Who also ordered that the lights of the billboard advertisement be switched off? 4)Why were t...

Presently, all over the world, the debate is on the relevant status of religion in the present era of moral decadence. It is surprising to see the defectiveness of the rule of law or sharia in the developed world as it is measurable through a high degree of orderliness and productivity. It is equally surprising to note that religion is never a dominant factor in these countries. Objective observers from Islamic perspectives submit that in this context, Islam by the scripture is at work in the developed world with low or no number of Muslim population, but in countries where religion dominates to determine the politics, economic and social affairs of the people; Musilms dominate without Islamic tenets via the stand of the cripute protending no Islam. People erroneously conclude that religion has failed humanity, whereas it is mankind that treats religion with impunity to the detriment of the expected benefits of offering just worship. The common factor for the lapses is falsehood in pla...

It is very disturbing that the lack of scale and coherence feature prominently in most of the initiatives to address the youth empowerment challenge in Nigeria. The population of youths who are gainfully employed in the critical economic and social sectors is very discouraging. Indeed, a sizable number of the population do not possess relevant digital skills to fit into these sectors. Indeed, a lot still has to be done to the psyche, value and attitude of the youths in this clime, to enable them to have access to decent work and productive employment. The government at all levels have, over the years, failed to equip young Nigerians with globally sought-after skills to ensure that they are useful not only to themselves, but also to society. In the absence of the interventions of the government and the Organized Private Sector(OPS), the youths have now embraced lawlessness, crime and all forms of criminality as credible means to ends and the political class are taking full advantage ...

Be painstaking when : 1) You respond to God's faithfulness rather than impulse. 2)You read God's Word to evaluate the contents of your spiritual food and to find fulfillment in life. 3) You take into account the ''budget'' beyond the grace of the supplies. Above all, don't settle for temporal pleasures and superficial relationships. Isaiah 55 : 1-11 1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the p...

Nigerians have been called upon to commend or criticize the government when there is a justifiable cause. This call was made by the Ezendigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, Eze(Dr.)Alex Anozie in a Press Release dated 13 October, 2022. ''We must learn to praise the governments, be it federal or state, or local government, whenever they have done well, just like we must criticize when they have not done well.'' ''All Nigerians should be happy with the federal government over their effort towards the completion of the second Niger Bridge. I am particularly happy over this news, because I remember that I was the first Nigerian that voiced out, and called on the Federal Government to construct a second Niger bridge, after which other people joined, that was during our Igbo day ceremony of 2002 at Liberty stadium, Ibadan, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu was our special guest at the occasion. During my address, I called on the Federal Government to construct a second Niger Bridge t...

Free and fair democratic elections are one of the founding pillars of the United States. The FBI is committed to protecting every eligible citizen’s right to vote. Consistent with past practice, the FBI is providing this information to educate voters about Federal election crimes and how to avoid them, and to encourage voters to report suspected violations to your local FBI field office. Election Crimes Election crimes threaten the integrity of elections and undermine public confidence in our democracy. Election crimes fall into broad categories: Ballot/voter fraud Campaign finance violations Civil rights violations, such as voter suppression or voter intimidation While individual states and localities have the constitutional authority and responsibility to manage their own elections and election laws, an election crime becomes a federal crime when one or more of the following occurs: A ballot includes one or more Federal candidates Election or polling place off...

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of American democracy. Individuals who oversee and participate in the administration of elections to include poll workers, volunteers, and election officers, help safeguard the integrity of the democratic process. The FBI continues to prioritize identifying, mitigating, and investigating threats targeting election workers and provides the following information to assist the public in reporting threats of violence against election workers. Threats to Election Workers Threats to election workers not only threaten the safety of the individuals concerned, but also jeopardize the stability of the US electoral process. The FBI defines “election workers” broadly as individuals who have responsibility over one or more aspects of election administration in the U.S., including elected officials, appointed officials, staff, volunteers, contractors, vendors and liaisons. Specific examples of election workers include, but are not limited to: A Sec...

The Powers-That-Be had, in the course of time, lamented that age was a limitation to the capacity to deliver the much expected dividends of democracy to millions of impoverished Nigerians. Indeed, in 1999, a presidential aspirant and a former Governor of Old Andambra state, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu had explained, stressed that no sacrifice was too much for national unity and progress. This was after the merger of the Alliance for Democracy(AD) and the All Peoples Party(APP). Almost eight years later, the APP changed its name to the All Nigeria Peoples Party(ANPP) after the merger with the United Nigeria Democratic Party(UNDP), Dr. Onu was elected the party's national chairman and three years later, the ANPP merged with four other political parties to form the All Progressives Congress(APC). Today, Dr. Onu, who by 2023 will be 72, remains the second presidential aspirant from the South East, after Dr. Alex Ekueweme of blessed memory, even though presently he is not a presidential candida...

The divided tones of labor leaders in Nigeria as the 2023 general elections approaches has been described as a dangerous signal for workers in the country. This assertion was made recently by an Ex-Officio of the Oyo state council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who is a former chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''Why should labor leaders be singing discordant tunes? Selfish interests, of course, are dangerous for Nigerian workers, and the proliferation of endorsements can lead to a divided labor movement in Nigeria. Workers should be vigilant,'' Comrade Emelieze stated.

Meeting together with other believers, ensures that we honor the Lord, grow in our faith, and give a strong witness to the world. Hebrews 10 : 19-25 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

I want to encourage our people, South Easterners, to continue in their prayers trusting God, because I can see God's hands at work trying to use a personality from the South East to deliver and secure Nigeria. To use a personality from the South East as a messiah like God used Moses in the Bible. And I can see a lot of good things, positive things beginning to happen when that person gets into the position of President, and I am very happy because that person is a person of integrity, and he respects everyone from the North, everyone from the South. I have never heard him using any foul or abusive language on any personality. That scores him very high, gives him very high marks in my own assessment. I hail him for that. I don't like the way, for whatever reasons, anybody is using abusive language on anybody, it is not good for our politics, it is not good for our country, Nigeria, because that is how war started in many African countries. Throw me, I throw you. We must no...

Former FBI Special Agent Found Guilty of Accepting Bribes Paid by Lawyer Linked to Armenian Organized Crime Figure LOS ANGELES – A Bay Area man and former FBI special agent was found guilty today by a federal jury of conspiring to accept at least $150,000 in cash bribes and other items of value in exchange for providing sensitive law enforcement information to a corrupt lawyer with ties to Armenian organized crime. Babak Broumand, 56, of Lafayette, California, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, two counts of bribery of a public official, and one count of monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner scheduled a January 30, 2023 sentencing hearing, at which time Broumand will face statutory maximum sentences of 15 years in federal prison for each bribery count, 10 years in federal prison for each unlawful monetary transactions count, and five years in federal prison for the ...

The Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT) Oyo state Wing has appealed to the state government to speedily domesticate the elongation of Service for TEACHERS as approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria. This appeal was made on Wednesday by the NUT chairman, Comrade Raji Oladimeji Ismail at the celebration of World Teachers day with the Theme '' The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers'' in Ibadan, Oyo state. ''Teachers are indispensable and their impact on nation building is a reflection of the great strides globally. State governments should do the needful to domesticate the 40/65 years elongation of service and years of retirement age.'' ''While bringing my address to a close, may I appeal to the government of Engineer Seyi Makinde to please work on the above mentioned for the sustainance of the various achievements recorded in the education sector.''

Millions of Nigerians have remained without suitable and comfortable homes due to the incompetence of Those-in-Charge to provide affordable houses for the impoverished populace. Indeed, political office holders have over the years facilitated the activities of criminally minded Esate Agents and land grabbers in many states, while the Judiciary may have for long been acting out the scripts of their paymasters. How can a Chief Executive appeal to Nigerians to live in peace with criminals in several communities? A number of state governments have now turned the real estate sector to a revenue generation point, while citizens have continued to tell those who care to lsiten unending tales of woe. Interestignly, an unspecified number of cases and incidences of fraudulent practices by illegal practitioners in the real estate sector have overwhelemed police stations and court rooms across the land. Sadly, a few state governments have successfully made the real sector unattractive to invest...

For any society to have peaceful co-existence, the people must be united with high respect for humanity, taking all other factors that differentiate our identities to be secondary. This is what the Holy Quran emphasizes as expected of every house of God to dwell their teachings and sermons on. , ''The Holy Quran 49 : 13 refers, ''O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other, not that ye may despise each other.....'' A high level of respect for these injunctions will make us realize our claim that God is one, as impressed in the same verse above. ''Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted with all things. The Holy Quran 30 : 22 makes us to realize that our differences are creations of God which we must not lose to the disadvantage of others; ''And among ...

Nigerians have been called upon to ignore enemies of destabilization attempting to divide Ndigbo. This call was made by Ezeigbo, Ezechukwujiegosioluebube nala,Ibadan and Oyo state and Chairman Non-indigenous Traditional Heads, Oyo state, Eze(Dr.) Alex Anozie in a chat. ''Any person or persons working towards dividing us ,Ndigbo, the more, are not true friends of Ndigbo, and that may not be the final resolution of whatever misunderstanding they think we are having. As a matter of fact, we no longer have any misunderstandings, as the courts have been courageous enough to see the truth and ensure that justice prevails. Every lover of peace and Ndigbo should be courageous as well to tell those who have refused to obey the court judgments to simply obey them, to enable us sit as brothers we are and finally resolve the whole issue peacefully, all in the interest of peace in the state. These people have applied various destructive tricks in the past, all in their efforts to say n...

When pray onto the Lord to save you. He will. Then you can face the future with confidence and joy. 1 John 5 : 1-13 1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that...