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According To Uba Sani, 70% of Adults In The North Do Not Have Bank Accounts.
The gubernatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress(APC) in Kaduna state, Senator Uba Sani, has said that 70% of adults in the North are unbanked, which partly explained the high level of poverty in the area.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
He said he is the only senator that has two bills that have been signed into law in the 9th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The lawmaker said that he has sponsored 31 bills and seven of them have been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, waiting for the president’s assent, adding that ‘’and by the Grace of God, I will ensure that three or four of these bills are assented to before I leave the senate.’’
Senator Sani who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District, challenged the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) gubernatorial candidate who was in the House of Representatives for 8 years on the bill he sponsored or moved a motion in the period.
The legislator further said that the New Nigerian Peoples Party(NNPP) candidate has moved a few motions in his four years as senator but there was not a single bill to his credit.
The gubernatorial candidate made these disclosures when he addressed the Political Committee of the Kaduna chapter of Nigerian Labour Congress(NLC) on Friday.
According to him, all his 31 bills, including the ones that have been assented by President Muhammadu Buhari, centre on people’s welfare, especially the Bank and Other Financial Institutions Act(BOFIA) amendment Law which focuses on financial inclusion for the downtrodden.
Senator Uba Sani said that 70% of adults in northern Nigeria are unbanked and this partly explains the high level of poverty in the area, adding that that is why ‘’I included a clause in the BOFIA bill, mandating anyone that is 18 years and above should be financially included.’’
The Senator also said that the amendment Bill to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria(AMCON) Law, is aimed at instituting justice and equity as well as ensuring transparency.
‘’In 2009, when banks were going down because of the global economic recession, Nigerian government brought out N4.7 trillion to buy bad loans from the banks.
‘’ What it means is that individuals borrowed money from the banks to the tune of N4.7 trillion, and the banks themselves were going down and this will affect the entire economy.
Senator Sani recalled that AMCON was created to take over those loans and it paid money to the banks in order to keep them afloat and AMCON was mandated to recover that money.
‘’But when I came into the Senate in 2019, I looked at the list and realized that 350 Nigerians were responsible for the N3 trillion debt. And who are these Nigerians?
‘’Most of them have houses in America, in the United Kingdom and Dubai. Some of them even had private jets,’’ the gubernatorial candidate disclosed, adding that about 2,000 Nigerians were responsible for the remaining N1.7 trillion debt.
Senator Sani said that what these figures show is that Nigerian tax payers money was used to save some banks and AMCON has been unable to recoup this money from some rich people, who seem to be above the law.
According to him, it is unacceptable for few elites to live off the commonwealth of the nation and the practice is also undemocratic, adding that ‘’I kept complaining in the Senate and saying that we need to amend the AMCON Act.’’
The legislator then asked AMCON officials what the impediments against the recovery were and they said that most of the debtors are rich and powerful people who frustrated their efforts with endless litigations.
The gubernatorial candidate said that he discovered that most of the collaterals that these big time debtor pledged before taking the huge loans, were properties or assets that were less in value to the loans that they collected.
‘’The total loans against their names, like I said earlier, was N4.7 trillion but the value of their assets was just N700 billion. This means that there was insider trading. And most of these collaterals are assets located in their villages and towns,’’ he said.
Senator Sani who is the Chairman of Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, said that he amended the AMCON Act, by inserting a clause that allows for asset tracing, which means that AMCON can trace any of the debtors’ houses that is located in any part of the country, irrespective of the one that they pledged as collateral, and seize them.
‘’Those debtors have mansions in Abuja but they gave the houses in their villages as collaterals. As we are speaking, Mr President has assented to the amendment on 31st November 2021. Today, I was told that because of that amendment, AMCON has recovered N1.5 trillion,’’ he disclosed.
According to him, the money will be channeled to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) in Nigeria and the owners can access the loan with their Bank Verification Numbers as collaterals. ‘’That is why we have been given loans,’’ he added.
According to Nivo News, the General Overseer of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has declared what he described as divine judgment on bandits and their alleged sponsors responsible for insecurity across parts of Nigeria.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Speaking on Sunday at the church’s headquarters in Ota, Ogun State, during a sermon themed “Covenant Day of Vengeance,” Oyedepo stated that those behind killings, kidnappings, and violent attacks would face divine retribution. He further claimed that within the next seven days, consequences would begin to manifest against those he accused of fueling unrest in the country, assuring worshippers that the coming week would be marked by “testimonies of vengeance.”
He was quoted as saying that judgment had been pronounced on individuals responsible for such acts and their supporters, adding that the outcome he referenced would unfold within a week.
In a related remark during a recent midweek service, Oyedepo also acknowledged the presence of fraudsters within and outside religious spaces, warning that his identity and images were being exploited for fraudulent schemes. He urged members of his congregation to remain vigilant and committed to truth to avoid falling victim to scams involving impersonation.
He recounted a case where an individual allegedly posed as him in an attempt to defraud unsuspecting victims, noting that such incidents highlight the growing sophistication of fraudulent activities.
A political disagreement has emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State following Governor Abdullahi Sule’s reported endorsement of Senator Aliyu Wadada as his preferred successor ahead of the 2027 governorship election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
According to Nivo News, the move has sparked tension between the governor and his predecessor, Umar Tanko Al-Makura, who faulted the decision, describing it as premature and not properly consulted within party structures.
Al-Makura, a prominent figure in the state’s political landscape, expressed displeasure that he only became aware of the endorsement through media reports. He argued that the decision should have involved wider consultation, warning that such early endorsements could undermine internal party processes.
He further noted that the APC had not begun its formal nomination process, insisting that declaring support for a candidate at this stage was inappropriate and ahead of schedule.
The controversy was further heightened by former Inspector-General of Police, Muhammad Adamu, who is also aspiring for the APC governorship ticket. He rejected the endorsement, stating that no individual has the authority to impose a candidate, and reaffirmed his intention to contest in the party primaries.
In response, Governor Sule, through his media aide, defended the endorsement, stating that it was consistent with political traditions in the state. He referenced past succession arrangements, including Al-Makura’s own endorsement of him, arguing that the current process was in line with established practice but being conducted more transparently.
The governor’s camp clarified that Senator Wadada remains a preferred aspirant and not the party’s official candidate.
Senator Wadada, reacting to the development, called for calm among party members, describing the situation as part of normal political competition. He also downplayed tensions with other aspirants, noting that the contest should be seen as a democratic process.
Meanwhile, support for Adamu continues to grow in parts of Nasarawa South, where youths, women, and stakeholders have openly backed his ambition, alongside broader endorsements for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Adamu, however, maintained that he remains firmly in the race, accusing some political actors of inconsistency in the unfolding succession dynamics.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has described as unnecessary the denial issued by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) regarding an invitation allegedly extended to him for the groundbreaking ceremony of an ecumenical chapel at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
According to Nivo News, the Sultan’s media team maintained that an official invitation was duly sent to His Eminence requesting his attendance as Royal Father of the Day. The statement explained that the event also listed key dignitaries, including the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, as Distinguished Guest of Honour, and Senator Oluremi Tinubu as Mother of the Day.
The Sultan’s office emphasised that his participation in the proposed Christian event would promote interfaith harmony, noting his role as Co-Chairman of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC). It added that globally, religious leaders often engage in events outside their faith traditions as part of efforts to encourage unity and peaceful coexistence.
The response follows an earlier clarification from CAN, which denied issuing any invitation to the Sultan and stated that the document circulating in public was not from the association. CAN further explained that the communication in question originated from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and insisted that it had no involvement in inviting the Sultan to the event.
While acknowledging that the SGF’s office was linked to the invitation process, the Sultan’s media team expressed concern over CAN’s denial, describing it as unnecessary and capable of creating misunderstanding, especially since the Sultan did not request to attend the ceremony.
The statement also urged religious bodies to focus on messages that strengthen unity and promote peaceful coexistence among Nigerians of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds.
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