The NAFDAC Head of Investigation and Enforcement, Federal Taskforce, Embugushiki-Musa Godiya, also said the agency would work to ensure that fake cosmetics and other counterfeit products were completely wiped out of the country.
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2023: Nigeria needs good leaders, not religion – Pastor Ojubanire, Ethiopian Church Head
…Bemoans buying and selling of Naira notes
By Jeleel Olawale
The Senior Pastor of the Ethiopian African Church of Christ, Pastor Babatunde Ojubanire (JP) has declared that Nigeria needs a good leader at this critical period, saying Nigeria cannot afford to miss this opportunity of electing good leaders who could recover the country.
Ojubanire who spoke with NewsDirect shortly after the church service held in Ile-Ife, said the church has been praying to God for good leader.
According to him, people are saying muslim/muslim ticket, no, but what is paramount is that we need a good leader.
“What we need is good leader, whether muslim/muslim or christian/ christian”.
“Moshood Abiola/Kingibe was voted under muslim/muslim ticket, people voted for them without looking at their belief. If muslim/muslim candidate will be good for Nigeria, then, it’s good. Those with Christian/muslim and or muslim/christian, what do they do? They were punishing us. Religion should not be a parameter to choose good leader.
“What concerns us as a church is for Nigeria to be peaceful and allow everything to be in order. The church members are also coping with the situation”.
He said the church has no position on who to vote for, since members of the church are all partisan, but can only advise politicians to allow peace to reign and eschew violence. He noted that the mind dictates for individual who to vote for. “Let everybody keep it in mind who he or she is going to vote for. The duty of church is to pray for Nigeria for God to choose good leader for us”.
“The church cannot give directive to members to support a particular candidate because members of the church belong to different political parties. There is no directive to members to vote a particular candidate. No good church would do that, so, no directive to members”.
Speaking on Naira redesign crisis, Ojubanire said the policy affected members of the church, the pastors and the whole congregation, stressing that as the head of the church, he said he has 5,000 on him because he could not withdraw his money from the bank.
“The policy is a good one, but implementation is bad. It affected us badly. When you want to introduce a policy, you must be well prepared, understand the advantages and disadvantages, think of how it will affect the populace.
“We are bigger than those ruling us. They should have considered people living in rural and urban areas before implementing the policy. I deposited my money in bank but I couldn’t withdraw it, which is a great problem.
“Nigerians are in problem because of the policy. The policy is affecting ordinary people. The timing is short. We should have been allowed to spend the new and old naira together until it is faced off from the circulation. They should extend the period more to enable people spend the money because the new Naira notes in circulation is not enough”, Ojubanire said.
The Senior Pastor noted that some people said it would improve our economy but the implementation is poor, adding that some people kept the money somewhere, which can equally ruin the economy. “If they keep the money in banks, it will not boost the economy but outside bank, it would work out for us positively as a country”.
He said the attitude of some bankers are worrisome, claiming that they withdraw the money from ATM and sell it to some other people for clandestine gain. The money issued to customers inside banks is as small as N3,000 to N5,000 which is peatry amount of money.
“The buying and selling of naira notes which many people have resulted to, is evil and an ungodly act which will have grave consequence on those involved in the illicit act. They are making life more difficult for ordinary people. “How can I buy naira with naira, it is totally wrong, it is not good at all, a bad attitude indeed.
“Establishing POS is good because of its numerous advantages but they should not impose exorbitant charges on us. The amount charged by POS operators is too much”, Ojubanire declared.
He recalled that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State, sometimes alleged that a governor withdrew the sum of five million naira from his bank and kept it in his house because he owns a bank. This attitude is bad, many people are suffering. He knew them, even President Mohammadu Buhari knew about it, it is bad.
He, therefore, called on federal government and Central Bank governor to look at the populace and solve the naira and fuel crises within shortest period. “Let everything be in order and print more money. The banks should circulate the money according to the rule. The church is praying to get out of the crises. So, the only thing we can do is to pray”.
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Invoke executive order for state, LG police, Afenifere tells Tinubu
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, on Saturday, urged President Bola Tinubu to invoke an Executive Order for the establishment of state and local government Police.
Afenifere, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi,in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, also called for the erection of close-circuit television sets and deployment of modern technology for security purposes in strategic locations to end insecurity.
Ajayi said, “There are indications that Tinubu is desirous of putting an end to this deleterious menace. Towards the end of January this year, he approved the procurement of digital tracking tools to enhance the apprehension of bandits, terrorists and armed robbers.
“On Monday, April 22, this year, he used the occasion of addressing participants at the African Counter-Terrorism Summit which opened on that day in Abuja to assure everyone of his government’s readiness to ensure greater security. Unfortunately, recent happenings have not shown that the President’s desire in this respect is being worked upon.
“President Tinubu should get state and local government police off the ground immediately through the invocation of an Executive Order while the process of amending the Constitution continues.
“Close circuit television sets, deployment of modern technology for security purposes including drones must be effected immediately.”
He explained that the statement was motivated by the recent reports of banditry and kidnapping in Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo, Kogi, Zamfara and Niger States, respectively which made a research organization declare Nigeria as one of the top nations where kidnap ranks highest globally.
Ajayi noted that Fulani herders and farmers’ clashes kept occurring in Osun, Ondo and Oyo State; Otu, Igbeti and Alaga in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State were the latest victims.
The Afenifere spokesperson also said, “In order to end insecurity, enhance people’s welfare and ensure the sustenance of Nigeria as one of the top investment destinations in Africa as desired by the government, there is the urgent need by the Federal Government and security agencies to be more innovative and decisive.”
He lamented that banditry, including armed robbery, kidnapping was still occurring on South-West roads such as Lagos-Ibadan, Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode; Akure-Ilesa-Ibadan; Ore-Ijebu Ode-Lagos, Ikirun-Osogbo-Ilesa; Lokoja-Abuja, Owo-Benin and Ibadan-Iseyin-Saki.
“Latest reports have it that on Monday, May 13 instant, eight cocoa farmers were kidnapped at Marindoti Cocoa Farmers’ settlement in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State. Three students of Millicent Secondary School in the same area on their way to write their Senior Secondary School Examination, were also kidnapped at the same time.
“A sum of N31 million was reportedly paid to ransom three people who were kidnapped at Longe village on Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road last week Sunday. On Thursday, May 16, one Seliat Adeniji (nee Raji) was kidnapped in her Ebedi home in Iseyin, Oyo State. Her guard was killed in the process.
“Hon Bello Hassan representing Zurmi/Shinkafi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives last Tuesday claimed that terrorists have sacked about 50 communities and abducted over 500 people in his area of Zamfara State as bandits overran Zurmi, the second most populous town in the state killing palace officers as well as policemen.”
To put a serious check on all these, the Afenifere spokesman said that there was an urgent need to dig deep into the roots of the menace and to be decisive in applying the necessary measures.
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NAFDAC shuts cosmetic shops in Lagos, seizes counterfeit products
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has shut three shops and raided others during a clampdown on the sale of unregistered “Dr. Teal’s” brand of cosmetics in Lagos State.
The agency disclosed this in a post on its X handle on Saturday, stating that the action came after a complaint from the trademark holder.
The statement read, “NAFDAC has shut down three cosmetics shops and raided others, targeting the sale of unregistered ‘Dr. Teal’s’ brand cosmetics. This action follows a complaint from the trademark holder regarding potential counterfeit products.
“Two suspected shops along Excellent Line at the Trade Fair Complex were targeted, resulting in sealed shops and invitation letters issued to attendants.”
It added that another development unfolded at Okas Global Link Limited where NAFDAC confiscated over 200 cartons of various Dr. Teal’s products and other unregistered cosmetics, suspecting them to be the source of distribution.
A shop identified as Cubana Stores at Phil Hallmark Plaza was also reported to have been sealed for stocking and selling the moisturising body and bath products of the alleged unregistered Dr. Teal’s brand.
NAFDAC added that according to its regulations, shop owners found guilty of selling unregistered products face penalties of up to ₦5m fine.
It said shop owners were also being questioned as part of ongoing investigations.
In the statement, the agency emphasised the health risks associated with fake cosmetics, stating the potential dangers of using products containing harmful substances.
News
Traders, soldiers clash at Banex Plaza in Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has deployed intelligence officers to Banex – an electronics and telecommunications gadgets market, in Abuja following a conflict that ensued between soldiers and some traders on Saturday.
A viral video seen by our correspondent on X on Saturday showed a multitude of civilians overpowering some soldiers during a free-for-all fight at Banex.
The Defence Headquarters, and the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments as of press time.
Meanwhile, a trader who simply identified himself as Abdul, told our correspondent on Saturday that the conflict ensued over the sale of a mobile phone.
“There’s a problem at Banex now. Some soldiers came to complain about a phone, and during an argument with the traders, a fight ensued,” Abdul simply revealed.
When contacted over the development, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh said the Commissioner of Police, Benett Igweh has deployed officers of the FCT Intelligence Response Team to the scene of the incident.
“The CP has deployed the Intelligence Response Team to the scene,” Adeh confirmed.
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