NRTC WEEKLY: Top 5 trending stories from across the country this week

It’s another NRTC WEEKLY Round Up— on this week’s episode, our focus is on five major stories[as you all know] that made Nigerians discuss

The stories will cut across the top five beats in our media organization, NRTC[ your one-stop hub for rich and reliable content covering entertainment, sports, politics, business, and more].

As always, the country has been filled up with several gist’s and we have tracked many of them for you this week. Why not scroll down and treat yourself?

Also read,  NRTC WEEKLY: 5 stories that made Nigerians discuss this week

The major stories to discuss this week are: Fuel scarcity, new currency, and deadline, Nedu’s ‘Kpekus’ claim on female housemates, Tribunal sacks Osun governor, Super Eagles forwards flying European leagues, and FUTA student commit suicide over fraud allegation.

Business: Fuel scarcity, new currency, and deadline

Photo credit: Internet

Nigerians have groaned over the poor circulation of the redesigned N200, N500, and N1,000 notes, as the deadline is three[3] days away. Several calls have been made to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from different quarters for the extension of the January 31 deadline for the validity of old naira notes.

NRTC in an interview with market women and other Nigerians on the street and checking on trends on social media found out that the new notes are minimal in circulation.

Similarly, our findings revealed that most Nigerians are yet to lay their hands on the two hundred [#200] note with many stating that Banks’ Automated Teller Machines [ATM] are still dispensing old naira instead of the new ones.

More so, NRTC WEEEKLY research shows that beggars on the street and kidnappers have rejected collection of the old currency which means that the new currency is not in circulation as claimed by the CBN. 

“We have not seen the new notes; the deadline is fast approaching. If we make a withdrawal or buy something from the supermarket, they still give us the old note which ought not to be. The deadline should be extended,” most netizens stated.

In a switch reaction, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said the apex bank has supplied banks with the new currency and directed them to disburse it to their customers.

CBN governor,Godwin Emefiele, represented by Musa Jimoh, director, of the payment system management department of CBN at a media briefing in Jos on Wednesday, advised commercial banks to desist from keeping the cash away from the public or face the consequences. 

However, with Emefiele insisting that there was no going back on the stipulated deadline, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said he will demand the Inspector-General of Police to arrest him. 

Gbajabiamila said instead of the House adjourning plenary till February 28 for the elections as planned, the lawmakers would reconvene on Tuesday to take an action against Emefiele and other bank chiefs who fail to demand the Inspector-General of Police show up.

Also read, Emefiele claims Naira redesign has reduced kidnapping, ransom-taking

Fuel

Queening for fuel has again resurfaced in Nigeria with citizens asking “If Nigeria is still an oil producing country?” Another threat to the country’s economy this week was an increase in PMS price.

Nigerians have lamented that the fuel scarcity and increase in PMS price have contributed to poverty, hunger in the country and amidst all this campaign is going on depicting that the leaders do care not about the citizens.

As of the time of filing this report, the price of PMS in some parts of the country stands at #800, #700, #600, #500 per litre which has forced many businesses to shut down.

Could this persist before the general election, “there’ll be voter apathy, robbery, poverty among others,” experts have said.

Politics: Tribunal sacks Osun governor

Photo credit: Internet

The internet went buzzing on Friday, as the Osun governorship election petition tribunal sacked Ademola Adeleke as governor of the state.

Gboyega Oyetola, the former governor and the All Progressives Congress (APC), in August 2022, petitioned the tribunal to challenge the July victory of Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Netizens described the tribunal judgments as the handiwork of APC leaders. They opined that the ruling All Progressive Congress was a party that would always have its way through dubious ways without putting into consideration the citizens.

On a Twitter, NRTC WEEKLY found out that some users stated that the Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi might emerge winner in the forthcoming election while the All Progressive Congress candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be the president to rule the country through court verdicts.

According to them, APC and its leaders should not be trusted with power, having shown Nigerians the opposite of their manifestoes eight years ago.

They said APC is a party fond of false accusations that channel all ways to get to power.

Similarly on Facebook, NRTC WEEKLY found out some users describing the party[APC] as the best thing that had ever happened to Nigeria after sixteen years of PDP misrule. 

However, Tinubu and governor’s under the APC have hailed the judgement describing it as one that reflects the will of the people who voted massively for the party and Oyetola in the election.

At press time, Adeleke had headed to the appeal court to challenge the judgment Tetsea Kume, who read the majority decision that Oyetola won the election polling 314,931 to defeat Adeleke who scored 290,666.

Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who lost to Oyetola five years ago was sworn in as the 6th civilian governor of Osun State last year, December 27th, 2022.

Entertainment: Nedu’s ‘Kpekus’ claim on female housemates

Photo credit: Internet

On Monday, Nigerian on-air personality, OAP, Chinedu Emmanuel, popularly known as Nedu on “The Honest Bunch” podcast with former BBNaija star of ‘Level Up’ Doyin, said most ladies who featured on the popular reality TV show, Big Brother Naija, have ‘Kpekus(sex)’ to offer. 

He went further that apart from Kpekus, most of them went there to get customers [men] without any substance after their days elapsed on the show. 

His claim sparked many reactions from former BBNaija stars, actresses, actors and netizens who expressed disappointment over the claim. 

To some former BBNaija female housemates, Nedu was totally out of his senses and was only on the interview show to split nonsense out of his skull.

Furthermore, the female housemates stated that Nedu’s foolishness was the reason his wife cheated and bring him a bastard son, saying no woman will be willing to settle down with a dullard like him. 

Defending their female colleagues, some male former BBNaija stars noted that Nedu’s claim was not hundred percent accurate, letting out that ninety—five percent of female housemates have their legit works before and after the show. 

They went further to caution him on what to splitted about the BBNaija stars because both the male and female were on the show to better their life. 

However, some netizens reaffirmed that Nedu’s claim was accurate, saying it looks like magic to them when seeing the BBNaija stars making out days after getting into the house.

They further opined that many of them thought the show was to make money and get fame but it got clearer after the show ended which resulted in many of them fading away. 

Read the full story here, Most Ladies Go To BBNaija To Get ‘Customers’, Says Nedu

Sport: Super Eagles forwards flying European leagues

 

Photo credit: Facebook

Three Super Eagles strikers, Victor Oshimen, Ademola Lookman and Teremas Moffi are flying in their European leagues with the highest goal scored so far this season. 

Oshimen of Napoli topped the highest goals scorer in Italian league with 13 goals in 15 matches with Lookman of Atlanta coming behind as second highest goalscorer with 11 goals in 18 matches. Also doing fantabulous was Moffi of Lorient club in the France League 1 with 12 goals in 19 matches. 

With these players and more in form this season, the 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations moved to 2024 over weather concerns and is likely to be won by Nigeria the three times winner of the competition. 

As the tournament set to take place in Ivory Coast between January and February 2024, Nigerians have called on the Nigeria national football Head coach, José Peseiro to do everything possible to land the trio in the squads to take part in the competition. 

The coach was unable to invite Oshimen and others into the 2022 World Cup qualification lost to Ghana football federation.

To some Nigerians, if the Portuguese who was appointed on May 15, 2022 and have lost five games he has taken charge should be sacked, if he failed to land players who can help in lifting the cup again. 

Currently, the trio are the target of major football clubs in Europe’s top Leagues. 

Metro: FUTA student commit suicide over fraud allegation

 

Photo credit: Facebook

Tears flow freely at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) as a-300 level student of the department of Industrial Design, Olona Babajide Joseph committed suicide in his off-campus apartment located in Aule in Akure, the Ondo State Capital. 

Joseph took his life over a fraud allegation levelled against him by his departmental association and the HOD, disclosed by Enoch Omoniyi, the deceased close friend and neighbour.

Reacting to the incident, Netizens and some Nigerians blamed the HOD for calling the deceased parents informing them that their son was fraudulent. 

Furthermore, they condemned the nonresponse to mail attitude of the digital bank — Carbon, in which the deceased transferred one hundred thousand naira (₦100,000) the departmental due requested by the President. 

Read the full story here, FUTA student commits suicide over fraud allegation

This is where we will be dropping the cotton for this week’s edition of NRTC WEEKLY and don’t forget to join us next week for another mind-blowing edition.