đď¸ It's getting a little too hot in here
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In this edition:
Someone forged the Presidentâs signature?
Itâs hot as hell!
Nigeriaâs inflation is not great
This edition is a 3 minute read
When you need funds, forge the presidentâs signature
The Nigerian authorities have requested Interpol's assistance in apprehending three suspects accused of stealing $6.2 million from the central bank by forging then-President Muhammadu Buhari's signature. An incredible thing to admitÂ
This plea comes after Boss Mustapha, a senior official in Buhari's administration, testified during the trial of Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of Nigeria's central bank.Â
Mr Mustapha told the court in Abuja, that neither he nor Mr Buhari had given their signatures to approve the withdrawal of the $6.2m. He said it was forged. In his words, 'Looking at the signature, it is a faint attempt at reproducing [former] President Buhari's signature'.Â
When shown the document used to withdraw the funds, Mr Mustapha said it 'did not emanate from the office of the president'.Â
Last week, the EFCC declared Emefieleâs wife, Margret Emefiele, wanted for allegedly conspiring to defraud the government out of âŚ1.8 billion and the $6.2 million in question.
Emefiele, already on trial since June 2023 for mismanagement of federation funds, faces additional charges.Â
For this count, following Mustaphaâs testimony, the alleged accomplices in the theft are Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar, and Odoh Ocheme, a former central bank employee.
Prosecutors say Emefiele used these allegedly forged documents to withdraw of funds from the central bank vault in January 2023. Emefiele says the allegations are âbarefaced liesâ.
The suspects are believed to have left Nigeria, which is why the authorities have asked for Interpol's help.
Itâs getting a little too hot in here
If you have a feeling it has been hotter than youâve ever experienced in Nigeria, youâre not too far off. According to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nigeria has been experiencing some of the worst heatwave we have had in a while, and itâs going to get worse.
The agency says if you feel like peeling your skin, or you are unusually irritable, itâs all because of the heat! (theyâre Nigeriaâs weather experts so they would know)
They warn that high temperatures like this can lead to fever, dehydration, heatstroke and can even be fatal, so take safety seriously â drink loads of water, stay out of the sun as much as possible, donât do any overly excessive exercises in the heat, use fans, and wear lightweight clothing to mitigate exposure to high temperatures. Also, some plants in your home might help cool the airÂ
 Climate activists attribute the unusually high temperatures to global warming, exacerbated by activities like bush burning and deforestation. Theyâre asking the government to help the people by taking these threats seriously and stop cutting down trees.Â
If youâre curious about the link between this deadly heat and how the government is treating Nigeria's trees and nature reserves, check out the Bioverse NG conference on the 29th of February. Register and see more details here.
Nigeriaâs inflation rate is hotter
Nigeria's inflation reached 29.90% in January 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).Â
In December 2023 inflation was 28.92%. This time last year, inflation was around 21.82%.Â
Food inflation also surged to 35.41%, driven by higher prices of various food items. Tinubu has however âtaken stepsâ to address food costs by distributing grains of millet, maize and other grains to âpoor Nigerians nationwideâ for free. Itâs like Jesus with the fish.
Despite high inflation rates, the CBN remains optimistic. The CBN governor says he assures us that the inflation rate will drop to 21% this year.Â
The CBN aims to rein in inflation through policy measures and improved agricultural productivity. InnovativeÂ
Nurses on strikeÂ
Nurses from the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) chapters in Abuja and Lagos staged protests against the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) over newly introduced certificate verification guidelines.
The revised NMCN guidelines stipulate that applicants seeking certificate verification from foreign nursing boards must have two years of post-qualification experience.
It also requires nurses to obtain a letter of good standing from their Chief Executive, usually a medical doctor, during the verification process.
They also increased the verification process from a few weeks to 6 months Â
Nurses argued that these changes undermine their professional autonomy. They also suspect that the policy is aimed at reducing the rate at which nurses leave Nigeria to practice in other countries.
The protesters highlighted broader issues within the nursing profession, including inadequate welfare, low salary scales, and staffing challenges.
They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the new verification guidelines must be revised and urged for a free and expedited verification process.
The Registrar of NMCN, Faruk Abubakar, assured protesters that their grievances would be addressed promptly and claimed that the policy aims to protect the interests of Nigerian nurses.
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