Vanguaid

History Beckons and I will not be Silent (Part 1)     Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR     My attention has been drawn to some of the tirades on social media following my frank response during an interview on Channels TV regarding the “investments” Mr. Peter Obi claimed to have made with Anambra state revenues. Sadly, several of the comments left the issue of the interview to probe or suggest motives, inferred from my response on “investment” that I am opposed to Peter Obi’s ambition and therefore committed a “crime” for which the punishment is internecine abuse and harassment even to my family. Some people even suggest that the gunmen who went to attack a checkpoint at my hometown on Saturday 12th November but were gunned down was part of the mob reaction. I used to think that for decent people, certain conducts are off-limits, and that in Anambra, politics is not warfare.   Of course, as a Christian, I know that telling the truth can be very costly, even suicidal....

Vanguaid The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has denied a purported plan to introduce N2,000 and N5,000 notes in the country  On the heels of plans to redesign a few currency notes, some Nigerians especially on social media had insinuated that N2,000, and N5,000 notes would also be introduced by the apex bank. But the CBN Director of Currency Operations, Ahmed Bello-Umar, during an interview with the Voice of America, Hausa Service on Monday, stressed that the highest currency denomination in Nigeria remains the N1,000 note. While calling on Nigerians to be wary of fraudsters and fake news peddlers, Mr. Umar said anyone caught with fake bank notes should be reported to law enforcement agencies. “There won’t be any denominations above the N1000 note. Therefore, there is nothing like N2000, N5,000, or N10,000 as being speculated. “The highest value of the naira is still N1000. And for now, there is no reason or plan to increase it.