Headlines

Pascal Dozie, founder of the defunct Diamond Bank Plc and former chairman of MTN Nigeria, has died at the age of 85.

A statement issued by his family on Tuesday confirmed that the prominent businessman passed away in the early hours of April 8, 2025.

The statement, signed by his son, Uzoma Dozie, reads: “With deep sorrow, but with gratitude to God for a life well spent, we announce the passing of our beloved father, Pascal Gabriel Dozie, on 8th April 2025. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a man of unwavering Catholic faith. His life was marked by service to God, his family, and his country.”

Dozie is survived by his wife, Chinyere, his children, grandchildren, and other relatives.

Born in 1939, Dozie played a key role in the development of Nigeria’s banking and telecommunications sectors. He founded Diamond Bank in 1990, which grew into one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions before its merger with Access Bank. He later handed over the leadership of the bank to his son, Uzoma.

Dozie also served as the pioneer chairman of MTN Nigeria, where he was instrumental in the telecom company’s entry into the Nigerian market and its subsequent growth.

In recognition of his contributions to the country’s economic development, he was awarded the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

President Bola Tinubu has officially declared April 7 of every year as National Police Day in honour of fallen officers and to recognise the sacrifices and service of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.

The announcement was made on Monday by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented the President at the maiden National Police Day celebration, held at the Eagle Square, Abuja, as part of events marking the 2025 Police Week.

In his address, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building a modern, professional police force, equipped with advanced tools and technology to effectively combat crime and maintain public order.

He stressed the need for a proactive and well-supported police system, stating that it is essential for the nation’s security forces to remain ahead of those who pose threats to Nigeria’s peace, welfare, and prosperity.

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has approved the payment of gratuities owed to retired civil servants since 2012, marking a significant move to address the decade-long backlog.

According to a statement issued on Monday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, the state government has commenced the disbursement of N1 billion as the first phase of payments. The initiative, the statement noted, is part of the administration’s efforts to fulfil its commitment to pensioners and resolve liabilities inherited from previous administrations.

“For over a decade, many of our retirees have suffered due to the non-payment of their gratuities. This administration is putting an end to that hardship,” the statement quoted Governor Okpebholo as saying.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to the welfare of retired workers, stressing that those who served the state deserve to receive their entitlements without further delay.

“We recognise the sacrifices made by our retirees, and it is unacceptable that they have had to wait this long for what is rightfully theirs,” he said. “Our administration will not only clear these arrears but will also put measures in place to ensure such delays do not happen in the future.”

Okpebholo further stated that the payments would be made in phases and guided by a structured verification process to ensure transparency and fairness.

“This is just the beginning. We will not abandon our pensioners. We are determined to ensure that those who served Edo State diligently are treated with the respect and care they deserve,” he added.

The National President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Alhaji Haruna Kankara, on Sunday, revealed that about 20 states are yet to implement the N70,000 new minimum wage for local government workers and primary school teachers.

Speaking to The PUNCH, Kankara listed the affected states to include Yobe, Gombe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross River, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Borno, Sokoto, and several others.

The disclosure comes months after President Bola Tinubu signed the Minimum Wage Act, 2024 into law on July 29, 2024. The new law increased the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000, representing a 133 percent increment, in response to the country’s economic challenges.

Following the passage of the law, approximately 20 states began implementing the new wage structure. These include Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Niger, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Jigawa, Gombe, Ogun, Kebbi, Ondo, and Kogi, among others.

Kankara, however, noted that while some states have commenced payment to state government employees, they have excluded local government workers and primary school teachers.

“We truly have the challenge of so many states, like about 20 that have not started implementing the new minimum wage,” he said.

“Some have started paying the state workers, leaving out the local government workers and primary school teachers, but we have continued to engage and plead with them to do the needful for these workers. Some of them promised but failed to fulfil their promise, but we are hoping that just very soon all of these would have been resolved,” Kankara added.

Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended Umrah, business, and family visit visas for citizens of 14 countries, including Nigeria, Egypt, and India, as part of preparations for the upcoming Hajj season.

Officials speaking to ARY News said, “The suspension of Umrah, business, and family visit visas is aimed at preventing unregistered individuals from attempting to perform the pilgrimage.”

The move comes amid concerns over the rising number of pilgrims attempting to join Hajj without official permits. In recent years, many visitors have overstayed their visas, contributing to overcrowding and serious safety risks, News Arab reports.

Authorities also expressed concern over the misuse of business or family visit visas by individuals who enter the Kingdom and work illegally, a violation that “disrupts the labour market and breaches visa conditions.”

The Saudi foreign ministry stated that the new measures were implemented “to streamline travel procedures and enhance safety during Hajj.

It added, “Individuals found to be staying in the Kingdom illegally may face a five-year entry ban.”

The countries affected by the ban are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Jordan, Algeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Yemen, and Morocco.

Despite the suspension, ARY News reported that Umrah visa holders will be allowed to enter the Kingdom until 13 April. The restrictions are expected to remain in place until mid-June when the pilgrimage concludes.

During the 2024 Hajj season, at least 1,301 pilgrims died—most from heat-related causes. A large proportion of the deceased did not hold official Hajj permits.

Saudi authorities reported that approximately 400,000 unregistered pilgrims participated in the Hajj last year, with a significant number coming from Egypt.

Each participating country is allocated a limited number of Hajj permits under a quota system distributed by lottery. However, due to the high cost of official packages, many people seek alternative, unauthorised routes.

At least 13 members of a vigilante group have been reportedly killed by suspected Lakurawa insurgents in an attack on the Maori community in Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

According to Daily Trust, the incident occurred when the vigilantes attempted to resist the attackers who were rustling cattle from the community.

A resident, identified as Ibrahim Augie, told the newspaper that the vigilantes mobilised to repel the terrorists but were ambushed and overpowered.

“The vigilantes hid to attack and recapture the rustled cattle, but they didn’t know the Lakurawa had already seen them, and they were shot and killed,” he said.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Kebbi State Police Command, Nafiu Abubakar, for comment were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, have scheduled the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for April 9 in Abuja.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by Mr. Ibrahim Umar, spokesman of the Peter Obi Media Reach.

According to the statement, the NEC meeting will be followed by an interactive session involving major stakeholders and other key organs of the party.

Expected attendees include Mr. Obi’s 2023 running mate, Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed, serving and former senators, as well as all senatorial candidates from the 2023 general election.

Also invited are current and former members of the House of Representatives, 2023 House of Representatives candidates, members of the National Caretaker Committee, and the National Transition Committee.

Other stakeholders expected at the meeting are former governorship candidates who remain in the party, representatives of the NLC/TUC Political Commission, and members of the former National Working Committee.

Umar said the meeting, convened by the two party leaders, has become necessary to clarify issues surrounding the recent Supreme Court judgment.

The Supreme Court had, on Friday, ruled that the Court of Appeal lacked jurisdiction over the internal affairs of the Labour Party.