- Ooni of Ife denies the alleged $180,000 marriage scam
- Crypto exchange, OKX, discontinues services in Nigeria
- President Biden suffers COVID-19 infection, says White House
We have highlighted the five most important developments in the news today, Thursday, July 18, and present them below.
5 issues in the news that should matter to you today
1. Ooni of Ife denies the alleged $180,000 marriage scam: The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has denied allegations of a marriage scam involving the monarch on July 17, he described the story as a baseless allegation that he swindled one Ms Fagbule in a $180,000 marriage scam.
According to a statement by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Moses Olafare, the Ife monarch said, “It is worrisome the level at which ladies have been making themselves victims of marriage frauds on the internet despite our several warnings to the general public, particularly ladies whose ultimate ambition is to become queens of the Ooni by all means.
“The following assertions are hereby made for necessary clarifications: That the news as posted by a X handle called ‘99% OPPRESSED’ is fake, untrue and absolutely an unfounded allegation only adopted as a nugatory character assassination tactic, aimed at achieving cheap popularity with a view to drawing huge followers/traffic for avaricious monetisation from X.
2. Crypto exchange, OKX, discontinues services in Nigeria: Cryptocurrency exchange, OKX, has announced plans to discontinue its services in Nigeria, citing recent changes in local laws and regulations. The exchange, in a statement sent directly to its users on July 17, said this decision was based on its ongoing assessment of policies in the markets it serves.
“We are discontinuing OKX services in Nigeria after recent changes in local laws and regulations.
“From August 16, 2024, our customers will no longer be able to open any new positions or access any services on the platform, with the exception of withdrawals and closing/redemption of open positions,” the statement read.
The company said that from August 16, users “will only be able to withdraw your assets; you will not be able to deposit or transact otherwise.
3. Tinubu writes National Assembly, requests N6.2trn addition to 2024 budget: President Bola Tinubu on July 17 requested the National Assembly to amend the 2024 Appropriation Act with an increase of N6.2 trillion. He also asked that the Finance Act 2023 be amended to impose and charge windfall tax on banks and provide for tax administration and related matters.
The requests were contained in a letter read on the floors of both chambers by the Senate President, Goodwill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, on July 17.
In the letter, Mr Tinubu requested that the 2024 Appropriations Act be amended to allocate an additional N3.2 trillion for capital expenditures and N3 trillion for recurrent expenditures, stating that the funds would be sourced from the Federation's Consolidated Revenue Fund.
4. UI students protest 10-hour electricity rationing, tuition hike: Students of the University of Ibadan, on July 17, staged a protest to express their grievances following the schedule of a 10-hour electricity supply on campus and a hike in tuition by the university management.
The protest started in the late hours of July 16 and continued on July 17, with the students carrying placards at the front of the university gate.
The Students’ Union President, Aweda Bolaji, in a statement, sought the reversal of the new electricity schedule and tuition increment.
5. President Biden suffers COVID-19 infection, says White House: The United States President, Joe Biden, has tested positive for COVID-19 and is suffering mild symptoms, the White House announced on July 17.
“Earlier today, following his first event in Las Vegas, because of his age following for COVID-19.
“He is vaccinated and boosted, and he is experiencing mild symptoms. He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
6. Senate sacks Ndume as Chief Whip over anti-Tinubu comments: The Senate, on July 17, stripped Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, of his role as the Chief Whip and replaced him with his counterpart from Borno North, Senator Tahir Monguno.
Ndume’s removal as the Chie Whip of the 10th Senate during plenary was a sequel to the request made by the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress.
The APC National Working Committee, in a letter co-signed by the National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, and the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, called for the removal of Ndume as the Chief Whip of the Senate.
Ndume was stripped of his seat as a principal officer and vice chairmanship of the Appropriation Committee. Akpabio then announced him as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tourism.