Businessman faults assassination claim, says friend wooed wife

Victor and Adebayo

A businessman, Adebayo Orekoya, aka Bobby Ibadan, says his friend, Adelakun Victor (Ade Lexus), planned to seduce his wife, Pearl.

He said the claim by Victor that he wanted to assassinate him, was a ploy to distract the police from the truth.

He explained that some men arrested and tagged assassins by the police in Lagos State were actually sent to monitor Victor’s movement so that he could get him (Victor) red handed when he made a pass at Pearl.

PUNCH Metro had reported that the police arrested 46-year-old Adebayo after he allegedly sent a gang from his hometown in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to Lagos to kill Victor at a bar.

IFC, MasterCard expand electronic payment agreement

The International Finance Corporation, an arm of the World Bank Group, has signed an agreement with MasterCard Incorporated to establish a risk-sharing facility, which is expected to provide millions of people in emerging markets access to electronic payments.

A statement by MasterCard described the agreement as a crucial step in the organisations’ ongoing collaboration to increase universal financial access by 2020.

“Electronic payments lower the cost and increase the security of transactions, benefitting small businesses and consumers; financial institutions in developing countries are keen to expand services but are often held back by collateral requirements necessary to cover settlement risks,” the statement added.

US embassy saves N20m on electricity charges

                                                                    US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle

The United States’ Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, on Wednesday explained how his office had been able to save N20m in electricity charges each year.

Speaking at the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Alumni Mentoring Series Earth Day Programme in Abuja, Entwistle noted that poor electricity supply was not helping the nation’s economic development efforts and the environment.

He said, “One area of ongoing concern is Nigeria’s power utility system. We are all frustrated by the sporadic power outages that negatively affect both our personal and professional lives. These disruptions affect nearly all businesses, but are most detrimental to manufacturing companies.

Bode George worked for Tinubu – PDP Chief

                                                                                        Chief Bode George

A Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Babatunde Gbadamosi, has accused the leader of the party, Chief Bode George, of colluding with the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to ensure PDP’s defeat in Lagos.

He, therefore, called on George to resign immediately.

However, in a swift reaction, George described Gbadamosi as an irresponsible man who may be suffering from a mental problem.

Gbadamosi, who came fourth at the PDP governorship primary last year, said the party would have performed better at the poll if the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Musiliu Obanikoro, was given the ticket.

Patience Jonathan to quit as African First Ladies President

                                                                                   Mrs. Patience Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan’s loss in the March 28 presidential election has started taking its toll on his wife, Patience.

Arrangements had been concluded for her to quit her position as the President of the African Ladies Peace Mission, two months before the expiration of her tenure.

The mission comprises of wives of Presidents of all African countries.

Mrs. Jonathan was elected the mission’s President at its seventh summit held in Abuja in July 2012 and her tenure would have expired in July 2015 when a new president would have been elected.

But because she will cease to be Nigeria’s President’s wife from May 29 when her husband will hand over power to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari , Mrs. Jonathan had summoned an emergency summit of the mission for May 15 for the purpose of electing her successor.