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

It’s another edition of NRTC WEEKLY Roundup — in this week’s edition, we are focusing on five trending stories across the country.

As usual, 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 we all know, a day can’t pass without trending stories and we have tracked many of them for you this week. Why not scroll down and treat yourself? 

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

Politics: Governorship and house of assembly elections, business: Naira deadline extended, sport: Champions League, metro: Corper involved in Lagos train and BRT clash buried, entertainment: Burna Boy to perform at UCL final are the stories NRTC WEEKLY will be discussing. 

Politics: Governorship and house of assembly elections

Some weeks back on the NRTC WEEKLY episode, we discussed the presidential and national assembly elections where millions of Nigerians elected their new president as well as lawmakers. It’s yet another Saturday for Nigerians in 28b states out of the 36 states to determine their governors for the next four years.

While the governorship election will only be held in 28 states because the governorship elections of eight states (Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun, and Ondo have been held off-season due to litigations and court judgments, the house of assembly will hold across the 36 states.

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

The 28 states are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara.

NRTC WEEKLY gathered that before the postponement of the election from March 11 to March 18, 2023, which is today, the main focus is on Lagos and Oyo states. In Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu was the talk of the town and in Oyo State, it’s Seyi Makinde.

In the just concluded presidential and national assembly elections, Labour Party won Lagos and some states as well as swept most of the representative seats which made Nigerians conclude that the party will pull the same score to defeat the incumbent Governor, Mr. Sanwo-Olu.

Mr. Seyi Makinde of Oyo, he’s the remaining contestant among the G-5 governors Nigerians are looking up to perform magic today because three of them lost their Senatorial elections to opposition parties. 

“They’re now on the street begging, spending the money they’ve embezzled for people just to vote for them because if they fail to do this, they’ll lose. 

“They are now barbers, hairstylists helping people to make the hair at their salon which you’ll never see unless the election is fast approaching. 

“It’s high time for Nigerians to wise up because politicians are always desperate to get what they want from the masses.” Some Nigerians said. 

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

Will Mr. Sanwo-Olu and Mr. Makinde win as citizens of Lagos and Oyo States go to the polls tomorrow? Let’s wait for the results to be announced by INEC returning officers. 

Business: Naira deadline extended

For months, NRTC WEEKLY had reported on how Nigerians have been groaning as scarcity of the newly redesigned naira hit hard. Our findings for the past months show that many businesses are not working, and death records among others.

But, there’s excitement in the air this week as President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele bowed to pressure and ordered the old N200, N500, and N1000 naira notes to remain legal tender till December 31, 2023.

Nigerians couldn’t hold their excitement as the order was given, but upon their excitement, NRTC WEEKLY investigation revealed that both the old and new notes are minimal in circulation.

Most Nigerians who spoke with us lamented the stress they went through in getting the old notes in Banks, adding that some Banks are not dispensing and Point of Sales (PoS) Operators are still charging high. 

“When they know the old notes will remain legal tender, they shouldn’t have stressed Nigerians. We waited months to hear from the CBN Governor to address Nigerians, only to come out after Buhari had denied him. 

“Many have died from this scarcity of naira, many lost jobs, etc which was as a result of disobedient to a court order.”Nigerians say. 

NRTC WEEKLY earlier reported that the Supreme Court judge ordered the old notes to remain legal tender but traders were adamant because Emefiele and Buhari didn’t talk. 

Now that the old notes remain legal tender, Nigerians are finding it hard to see. “Where do we go from here?”

Sport: Champions League

During the week, many stories have surrounded the ongoing UEFA Champions League, starting from overrated teams crashing out at the Round of 16, and breaking records among others.

Erling Haaland, a 22-year-old Manchester City player became the third player to score five times in a UEFA Champions League match rewriting record books since he announced himself in the competition with a first-half hat-trick on his debut.

Haaland has scored 33 goals in just 25 UEFA Champions League appearances, making the 19th list of all-time Champions League scorers.

Haaland and his club (Manchester City) will be facing the Bundesliga team, Bayern Munich in the quarterfinal of the competition.

The draw was announced yesterday by UEFA. According to the draw, Napoli will take on rival AC Milan, Inter-Milan will play Benfica while Real Madrid and Chelsea Chelsea will be meeting again.

Last UCL, it was a tough battle between the England and Spain clubs as they met again. In 2021/2022, Chelsea beat Real Madrid at home 3:2, and the La Liga club retaliated by beating Chelsea 3:1 to advance to the semifinal of the cup. 

NRTC WEEKLY found out that immediately after the draw was announced, social media went agog as fans of the two clubs took to their social media pages to debate who’ll win.

To Chelsea fans, it’ll be revenge for the last meeting while Real Madrid fans are confident the blues will cry again. 

Metro: Corper involved in Lagos train and BRT clash buried

Tears flowed freely as the remains of Oreoluwa Aina, a 28-year-old National Youth Corps member, who was involved in the Lagos train accident which occurred on Thursday, March 9 laid to rest. 

Oreoluwa who was serving with the Curriculum Services Department of the Lagos State Ministry of Education in Alausa was among the six victims who were confirmed dead by the state government.

The late corps member’s burial was attended by a delegation of the state government led by the Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo was present at the burial.

Speaking after the burial, the deceased father, Femi Aina said his daughter was preparing for a master’s degree in the United Kingdom, UK, after completing her service year before the tragic incident.

The bereaved father added that the late corps member was dear to “everyone around including church, school and at work.

Reacting to the tragic incident, Nigerians who took to their social media handle condemned the BRT driver [alleged to have been responsible for the accident] for reckless driving.

“He should be prosecuted for killing innocent Nigerians — it’s very sad seeing a serving dead body being sent back home to her parents.

“Any other person involved should not go unpunished.” They said. 

Entertainment: Burna Boy to perform at UCL final

The Internet went buzzing on Thursday, as UEFA Champions League announced that Ebunoluwa Ogulu, professionally known as Burna Boy will be performing at the competition final in Istanbul.

Reacting to the announcement, Burna Boy stated that he was elated to have been selected to perform at the Pepsi stage this year.

According to the Grammy award winner, music and football are the ultimate combinations.

Congratulatory him, netizens wish him success ahead, urging him to continue making the country proud.

“It can only be Odogwu. This is huge. Go and make Nigerians proud.”

The netizens added that it’ll be nice seeing him perform on the stage with Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen playing the final in Istanbul. 

Here, the cotton of this week’s episode of NRTC WEEKLY will drop. Join us for another edition next week as we take you around the trending lists in Nigeria.