News

We’ll block loan apps that har@$$ customers — FCCPC

Published

1 year ago

May 5, 2024

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has said it will block loan apps that har@$$ customers.

Speaking in a recent interview, the acting Chairman of FCCPC, Adamu Abdullahi, said: “It would soon be history in the country that online platforms that many people know as loan sharks, where some Nigerians access money quickly to solve urgent issues.

However, if they don’t pay back on time, some of these loan companies send unpleasant messages with their picture to all their contacts.

This hara$$ment has caused many problems in Nigeria, as some people even lose their jobs because of embarra$$ment and disgrace.

We do not agree with that kind of practice because customers are being hara$$ed, even though it’s not directly our problem.

We have involved CBN, NITDA, EFCC, and the Human Rights Commission to form a committee to address the issue.

Since we found out that they operate online and have no physical offices or managing directors, we approached Google and Apple stores to take down all their Apps. We also coordinated with the CBN to block all their accounts.”

News

ILO calls for increased efforts to end child labour in cocoa farms, mining

Published

3 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called for increased efforts to end child labour, especially in sectors such as cocoa farming and artisanal mining in the country.

Dr Vanessa Phala-Moyo, Country Director of the ILO Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone made the call during the commemoration of the 2025 World Day Against Child Labour in Minna, Niger State.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Progress is Clear, But there’s More to Do: Let’s Speed Up Efforts!, End Child Labour’, she noted the need for collective action to protect children’s rights and prevent exploitation.

“There is need for strict measures against child labour and priorities high-risk sectors like cocoa farms and artisanal mining that requires stakeholders collaboration to combat it in the country,” the country director stated.

Phala-Moy, who spoke through Mrs Celine Oni, National Coordinator of Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chains in Africa (ACCEL Africa) Project, stressed that child labour is a breach of the fundamental human rights of children, boys, girls, adolescents and youths.

“We must work to accelerate efforts to institute zero tolerance for child labour in our cocoa farms, in artisanal mining and in our society,” she said.

According to her, a new research by ILO and UNICEF revealed that child labour had decreased from 160 million to 138 million in four years.

“Child labour prevalence has dropped from 9.6 per cent to 7.8 per cent. In Latin America, we saw a drop by 11 per cent while Sub-Saharan Africa saw a 10 per cent drop,” she maintained.

Hajiya Hauwa Zakariya, Niger State Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, as well as Hajiya Hadiza Sheru, Permanent Secretary, Niger Ministry for Women Affairs and Social Development, commended partner’s efforts in the fight against child labour while calling for more from stakeholders in Niger State and the country at large in tackling the menace.

News

Air India plane crash: Tinubu condoles Prime Minister Modi, mourns victims

Published

3 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

President Bola Tinubu has expressed shock over the plane crash involving Air India, which claimed many lives.

Tinubu expressed heartfelt condolences to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government and people of the Republic of India following the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171 near Ahmedabad.

Recall that the plane had on board two pilots, 10 cabin crew, 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

Tinubu in the condolence message conveyed through his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident.

He also offered prayers for the families of the victims, the injured, and the entire Indian nation during what he described as moment of grief.

He also commiserated with the leaders of Great Britain, Portugal, and Canada over losing their nationals on the ill-fated flight.

“The tragedy of Air India reminds us, once again, of the fragility of life and the common bond of humanity that holds us together.

“At this moment of sorrow and pain, Nigeria stands in solidarity with our friend, brother and partner, Narendra Modi, and the people of India. Nigeria also deeply sympathises with the families and friends of other victims on board the aircraft,” President Tinubu stated.

He lauded the swift response of the emergency agencies in India and expressed his confidence in their capacity and compassion to make a difference in the complicated situation.

Tinubu closed the condolence with prayers that the Almighty God receive the souls of the departed and comfort their families.

News

Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: ‘It’s shameful to commission only 30km’ – Rhodes-Vivour slams Tinubu

Published

7 hours ago

June 12, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The 2023 Lagos State Governorship Candidate under the platform of the Labour Party, LP, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has slammed President Bola Tinubu over what he described as the hasty commissioning of the coastal road that is barely 5 per cent done.

Ekwutosblog reports that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is a 700-kilometre project that is expected to take off from Lagos Island to Calabar in Cross River State.

In a statement on his X handle on Thursday, Rhodes-Vivour, said it was not possible to commission a project that is less than 5 per cent and still gloat over it as having done anything spectacular.

“Not only is it shameful to roll out the drums to commission less than 5% of a project, they still had to lie and spew propaganda on the so-called 30km.

“This is the same way the minister of finance went abroad to reel out fake data only to be checkmated by data from the CBN days after. So embarrassing.

“While insecurity is on the rise, they are shamelessly promoting the ‘genius’ of the NSA.

“The harsh truth is that a party fixated on politics and propaganda cannot govern effectively. That is why Nigerians are much poorer today than they were less than a decade ago,” he said.