Category: Economy

EPL: They’ll beat them – Paul Scholes predicts winner of Liverpool vs Man Utd

October 8, 2025 (updated October 8, 2025) Published by

Manchester United legend, Paul Scholes has predicted the Premier League tie between the Red Devils and Liverpool.

However, Scholes believes Arne Slot’s side will beat Man United, insisting that the encounter is ‘predictable’.

Liverpool will welcome Ruben Amorim’s side at Anfield after the international break following their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes said, “Amorim needs to try and get something from Liverpool at Anfield.

I can’t remember the last time Manchester United won a big game.

This group of [Manchester United] players are in such a bad rut that you have no confidence in them that they are going to get out of it.

It is almost predictable that they [Manchester United] will go to Anfield and get beat [by Liverpool].”

BREAKING: President Tinubu Seeks Senate Approval for Fresh $2.3bn Loan

October 8, 2025 (updated October 8, 2025) Published by

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve a new external borrowing plan totalling $2.3 billion.

The fresh loan is aimed at supporting the implementation of the 2025 budget, refinancing maturing Eurobonds, and diversifying Nigeria’s debt portfolio.

The president’s request was contained in a letter read on the floor of the Senate during Wednesday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Tinubu explained that the new borrowing forms part of the $9.27 billion anticipated in the 2025 fiscal framework to finance the budget deficit, with $1.84 billion expected to come from external sources at an assumed exchange rate of ₦1,500 to the dollar.

According to the letter, the loan will be sourced through a mix of Eurobonds, syndicated loans, bridge financing, or direct credit from multilateral lenders — a strategy the president said was designed to optimise borrowing costs and manage risks effectively.

A major component of the plan is the refinancing of a $1.118 billion Eurobond issued in 2018 at a coupon rate of 7.625 per cent, which matures in November 2025. Tinubu described the move as “a standard practice in debt capital markets,” adding that refinancing through Eurobonds or syndicated loans would “guarantee debt sustainability and boost investor confidence.”

He stressed that refinancing maturing obligations was a routine part of debt management and vital to preserving Nigeria’s fiscal credibility. The president also noted that the request complied with Sections 21(1) and 27(1) of the Debt Management Office Act and had already received Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval.

The letter further detailed the breakdown of the borrowing request: “To raise external capital in the sum of USD2,347,465,000.00 comprised of New External Borrowing in the 2025 Appropriation Act (USD1,229,113,000.00) and refinancing of maturing Eurobonds (USD1,118,352,000.00), through any of the following option(s): issuance of Eurobonds, bridge finance facility from bookrunners, loan syndication and direct borrowing from international financial institutions.”

Following the reading of the correspondence, Akpabio referred the request to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt for further legislative scrutiny and directed the panel to submit its report within one week.

The latest borrowing proposal comes barely four months after Tinubu sought legislative approval for $21.5 million and ¥15 billion in loans, alongside a €65 million grant, as part of the government’s 2025–2026 external borrowing plan.

Update On Nnamdi Kanu’s Health Status Emerges In Court

October 8, 2025 (updated October 8, 2025) Published by

The health status of the embattled leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is still under investigation by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

This is as it was revealed in court on Wednesday that the NMA panel set up to assess the health status of the detained IPOB leader is yet to conclude its assignment.

Obasemprire calls that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on September 26 ordered the NMA President to set up a team of medical experts to examine Kanu and determine whether he is still fit to undergo his ongoing terrorism trial.

However, when the case came up on Wednesday, the lawyer for the prosecution, Suraj Sa’ada (SAN), told the court that he was informed that the medical panel had yet to conclude its assignment.

Sa’ada urged the court to give the panel more time to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report.

He suggested that the panel be given another week to enable it to conclude its task.

Defence lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), did not object to the one-week adjournment sought by the lawyer for the prosecution.

Based on the submissions, Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter till October 16.

BREAKING: Tinubu’s Minister, Uche Nnaji, Resigns Amid Certificate Forgery Scandal

October 7, 2025 (updated October 7, 2025) Published by

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has resigned from office.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed Nnaji’s resignation in a statement released late Tuesday.

Nnaji’s resignation comes amid growing controversy over his academic qualifications.An investigation which revealed that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) disowned the Bachelor of Science degree certificate in Nnaji’s possession, stating that he did not complete his studies at the institution and was never issued a certificate.

According to UNN Vice-Chancellor Simon U. Ortuanya, Nnaji was admitted to the university in 1981 but failed to complete his academic programme and was therefore not awarded any degree.

Reports further revealed that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) also denied issuing the certificate of national service being presented by Nnaji, describing it as inauthentic.

Full List: 16 States To Experience Five-day Flooding

October 5, 2025 (updated October 5, 2025) Published by

The Federal Ministry of Environment has issued a warning that several locations across 16 states may experience heavy rainfall, likely to result in flooding, between October 4 and October 8, 2025.

ObasEmpire reports that the National Flood Early Warning Centre made this known on Saturday, in a flood alert signed by the Director of the Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Usman Bokani.

The centre predicted that the flooding might affect 39 locations across the 16 states.

The ministry urged relevant stakeholders and state governments to take precautionary measures to mitigate the potential impacts of the predicted flooding.

The states and locations likely to experience flooding are Delta State (Asaba), Yobe State (Damaturu), Sokoto State (Isa), Zamfara State (Anka, Bungudu, Gusau, Kaura-Namoda, Maradun, Shinkafi), Katsina State (Jibia), Oyo State (Kisi, Oyo), Kebbi State (Ribah, Sakaba, Yelwa), Kano State (Gwarzo, Sumaila, Karaye) and Niger State (Kontagora, Mashegu, Mokwa, New-Bussa, Rijau, Wushishi).

Others are Kwara State (Kosubosu), Benue State (Agaku, Buruku, Gboko, Katsina-Ala, Ugba), Borno State (Briyel), Bayelsa State (Brass, Ikpidiama, Odoni), Cross River State (Edor, Ikom), Rivers State (Itu, Ahoada), and Enugu State (Nsukka).

According to the National Emergency Management Agency, as of September 20, at least 232 persons had lost their lives, while 121,224 others had been displaced following floods that swept through parts of the country

The 2025 flood dashboard shows that at least 339,658 people have been affected so far, with 681 sustaining various degrees of injuries.

I Spent Thousands Of Dollars For This Event – Moses Bliss Cries Out After Being Denied Visa For Worship Concert

October 4, 2025 (updated October 4, 2025) Published by

Nigerian gospel singer, Moses Bliss, was unable to perform at a major worship event in Tanzania after facing visa challenges.

ObasEmpire understand that the concert, which reportedly attracted over 60,000 people, was set to take place on October 2, after Bliss’s earlier performance in Kenya.

Bliss and his team planned to fly from Nairobi to Tanzania for the free event.

However, upon reaching the airport, they discovered that their visas had not been approved, despite prior confirmation from the organizers.

Efforts to resolve the situation included contacting various authorities across Africa and seeking intervention from government officials and ambassadors, but these attempts were unsuccessful.

The team was later advised to try obtaining visas on arrival in Dar es Salaam, yet Tanzanian immigration officials denied them entry when they landed at midnight.

Bliss described the experience as painful, given the extensive preparation and resources invested to make the event free for attendees.

He said, “Hello my family in Tanzania. I’m here in Tanzania right now, I’m not just allowed to come. It’s very unfortunate that I couldn’t make it to worship with us today. I heard there were about 60,000 of you who came out. I’m sorry, I did my best.

We made every contact possible from everywhere around Africa. We even got presidential intervention, talking to different people in government and ambassadors, but we couldn’t get visas.

They told us we would get a visa on arrival, and we landed. We’ve been here now for about six hours. No way to go in, the immigration won’t let us in. Apparently, no visa on arrival again for us.

It’s very painful because we’ve been praying and looking forward to this event for so long. We’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to make this event absolutely free for you to just come and worship the Lord Jesus with us.

“I did everything within my power to be with you guys tonight to worship Jesus with you. They didn’t let us in. We’re here now in Tanzania, just waiting for the next flight to take us back to Kenya, Nairobi. Hopefully, we’re able to do this next time. Thank you for your support, thank you for believing. It’s fine, it is well.

Tanzania, please hear me, you were not at fault. You came out in numbers, ready for God, and that moves me deeply. I owe you not just an apology, but a promise, by God’s grace, I will return.”

Traders Count Losses As Fire Guts 26 Shops In Lagos’ Bariga Market

October 2, 2025 (updated October 2, 2025) Published by

Traders in Bariga Market, Lagos State, were thrown into wailing on Wednesday after a raging fire destroyed no fewer than 26 shops, leaving goods worth millions of naira in ashes.

Obasempire understands that the incident occurred barely 24 hours after the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) hosted a summit on tackling emergencies across the state.

Confirming the sad development in a statement issued on Wednesday, LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the Bariga Market fire started at about 4 a.m. and spread quickly through the market before emergency responders arrived.

Further information received at the incident scene revealed that the fire started from one of the shops and quickly spread to other shops because the key-clamp shops were supported and partitioned by wooden frameworks,” Oke-Osanyintolu explained.

He added that by the time responders arrived, several shops were already fully engulfed in flames.

Oke-Osanyintolu noted that the fire was eventually brought under control through the combined efforts of emergency responders, who worked to prevent it from spreading to other sections of the market.

While the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, he confirmed that no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.

The fire was extinguished through collaborative efforts of emergency responders and was quickly contained and prevented from spreading to other parts of the market. The incident scene was proactively managed to avoid any secondary incidents,” he said.

The agency’s damage report indicated that 26 key-clamp shops were destroyed, with properties worth millions of naira lost.

Many of the traders, who arrived at the market after being alerted, were seen weeping uncontrollably as they counted their losses.

This is all I have. Everything I worked for is gone. I don’t even know how to start again,” the PUNCH quoted one trader, who preferred not to be named, lamenting.

ObasEmpire reports that Wednesday’s tragedy adds to the growing list of fire incidents in Lagos.

BBNaija star, Cross is ENGAGED

October 1, 2025 (updated October 1, 2025) Published by

The former Big Brother Naija reality star proposed to his woman, Chinonso.

The reality star took to his X page to share videos from the romantic proposal while showing off his fiancée alongside the ring.

Guys, my love of my life said yes,” Cross wrote as he shared a video on SnapChat.

He also captioned the post: “The most happiest man alive. Thank you Jesus”.

Anybody That buys 1 litre of fuel in Nigeria,NUPENG and PENGASSAN Are getting money out of it- Danzaki

September 30, 2025 (updated September 30, 2025) Published by

Mr. Lawal Danzaki, National President of the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP), has accused the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) of extorting truck owners and marketers, warning that such practices are worsening hardship for Nigerians.

Danzaki, who made the allegations during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, said the unions were collecting daily levies from petroleum marketers and truck owners who were not even their members.

As I’m talking to you now, the NUPENG PTD are getting a lot of money on daily basis from the truck owners and the marketers of filling station whereby we are not their members. Somebody that own filling station, a marketer, is not a NUPENG member or PENGASSAN. Somebody that own a truck is not their member, but they will put their shop for any depot that is loading. We must pay them between 100,000 to 150,000 before our truck load,” he said.

According to him, these charges eventually increase fuel prices for ordinary Nigerians. “And this kinds of money we are giving them, they are extorting us and at the end we are extorting Nigerians. The burden is going back to the Nigerians. Anybody that buys one liter in Nigeria, the NUPENG and PENGASSAN are getting money out of that,” Danzaki alleged.

The ADITOP President further criticized the unions for attempting to control the operations of private investors, including Africa’s largest refinery. “Dangote build his refinery. They wanted to control his refinery that when will he work and when he will not work. So this kind of thing that NUPENG and PENGASSAN are doing, they should come back to their drawing board. They know that their union is to help their workers and they will get their entitlement from the dues they are collecting from the salary of their workers,” he stated.

Danzaki also noted that union membership must be voluntary and should not be imposed on truck owners or petroleum marketers. “They have to understand that there is freedom of association. There is freedom of speech in this country. So they should not force people to be their members. That’s what they are doing all over the years,” he added.

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