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FG’s CCT Beneficiaries Raise Alarm Over Extortion by Traditional Rulers

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By Abdulgafar Oladimeji.

The beneficiaries of federal government Conditional Cash Transfer(CCT)programme, on Thursday, raised alarm over what they described as their being allegedly extorted by community leaders.

The victims spoke at a meeting organized by The Resource Centre for Human Rights and  Civic Education, CHRICED titled Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT  Redress Mechanism held at Chilla Luxury suites, in Kano.

They alleged that they were compelled to pay between N500  and N1000 each from their monthly CCT  allowance of N5000 to some corrupt ward and village heads in some parts of the state.

A woman leader, who spoke under the condition of anonymity said “to be honest, initially I was afraid to speak out at this meeting,  but with what is happening here today, I feel I should speak out.

“ as a group woman leader, I normally collect monies from the beneficiaries and proceed to hand over the monies  to traditional heads in my area in Gwarzo local government.”

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Also, a CCT payment monitoring exercise conducted by  CHRICED led by Huraira Isiyaku revealed most of the beneficiaries had alleged that they were been intimidated to remitted parts of their transfers for onward transfer to community  leaders in their domain.

Huraira stated  that  investigations conducted by her in  Mallamawa community in Gwarzo local government area revealed how community leaders were illicitly benefiting from the federal government initiative at the expense of the targeted benefactors.

Kano state CCT  Grievance Redress Officer, (SGRO) Halima Mohammed confirmed that several complaints bordering on  extortion of CCT beneficiaries  have been severally  lodged against community  leaders, in the state.

Halima stated that those leader queried  over the allegation have continued to explain  that “ the proceeds been remitted to them by CCT beneficiaries is in respect the agreement they had reached with the beneficiaries before they were been enlisted into the programme.”

The head  Kano state Cash Transfer Unit(SCTU) Aisha Sani Gezawa cautioned that the era of extorting the beneficiaries of the CCT project were numbered.

According to her,   beneficiaries of the federal government initiative have continually complained of been victimized by their communal leaders.

She warned that mechanism have been erected to address the ongoing abnormally surrounding the project, stressing that any staff caught in the act of extortion would be severely penalized..

She decried that  a vast number of the beneficiaries were extorted by their community leaders, hinting that some of the beneficiaries are been extorted by their husbands.

Explaining that some husbands deny their wives the vacuum to properly utilize the monies transfer to them to improve their household economy and hygiene.

The chairman,  CCT, Grievance  Redress Officers Forum, Nalado  Saidu, said to  proffer solutions to the challenge  confronting the CCT project in Kano state would require the  continuous sensitization of beneficiaries o nCCT  policies  and  their rights  to access and enjoy the benefits that accrue from the FG project

 

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Uber Shutdowns Operations in Nigeria

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Ride-hailing company, Uber, has shut down its operations in Nigeria.

In a statement, the company, which came into Nigeria in 2014, said its exit is effective from September 2, 2026.

“We are writing to share some difficult news. After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026.

“Since we first launched in Lagos in 2014, it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of your daily life connecting you with independent transportation providers.

“Whether it was a morning commute, a ride to see loved ones, or exploring the city, thank you for trusting the platform to connect you to a driver to get you there safely. We know this may cause disruption to your routine, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.”

In a memo on Wednesday, the ride-hailing company also announced elimination of roughly 3,300 positions.

The job cuts focused on management and coordination roles, according to its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi.

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“Today, we’re making a number of significant organizational changes across Uber. We are removing layers, simplifying team structures, refining our global location strategy, and focusing our people and investments against the biggest opportunities ahead of us.”

“As a result, we will be reducing the size of our team by about 10%. Everyone whose role has been affected has already been notified, except in countries where we will follow the required local process.

“This wasn’t a decision we made lightly, because it will have a real impact on our teammates and friends who have worked hard for Uber. It’s important to say that these changes are about how we’re organized and what we’re prioritizing, not about anyone’s contributions to Uber, which we will always value.

“I’m sure you’re asking, ‘Why, and why now?’ particularly since our business is performing so well. Over the last 5+ years, Uber has grown by orders of magnitude, with our top line nearly tripling. We’ve built new products, expanded into new businesses, reached more consumers and supported more earners, and become a much larger and stronger company. But that growth has also brought complexity: more layers, more coordination, more fragmented ownership, and in some cases structures that made sense when businesses were smaller but no longer serve us well at our current scale.

“Our opportunity from here is enormous: we have the chance to bring Uber to hundreds of millions more people; to invest even more in drivers, couriers and merchants; and to innovate across our core businesses and build the autonomous future.

“The changes we’re making today are designed to do two things: make Uber simpler and faster, and create more capacity to invest in our future. A leaner organization will mean clearer ownership, faster decisions, and more time spent building rather than coordinating. It will also generate savings that we intend to reinvest in growth, innovation, and the capabilities that will matter most over the coming years.

“It’s our job as leaders to make these difficult calls, and to give you transparency into our thinking and our decision-making process.”

The layoffs are the latest round of job cuts for Uber, which eliminated roles in customer service and HR earlier this year.

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Author of ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ Languishes in Billion Dollar Debt

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Robert Kiyosaki, the author of the bestselling ’Rich Dad Poor Dad’ book, has accumulated an estimated $1.2 billion debt connected to his aggressive real estate investment.

According to reports, the debt is the estimated amount the 79-year-old author and his business partners borrowed to acquire approximately 1,500 property units as Mr Kiyosaki continues to expand his real estate holdings.

Despite the significant debt, Mr Kiyosaki does not appear apprehensive about the liabilities, maintaining that borrowing money to acquire income-generating assets is a strategy commonly used by wealthy individuals.

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“So, I’m a billion two in debt,” the author said on the ‘Get Rich Education’ podcast recently, adding that people “should not do what I do, right? But I studied it since 1974… If you’re going to learn to use debt, you’d better take some education.”

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Mr Kiyosaki’s ex-wife and business partner, Kim Kiyosaki, revealed that the debt did not reflect the amount her ex-husband personally owes.

She stressed that it is connected to the real estate properties owned by them and their business partners, adding that Mr Kiyosaki’s personal share of the liabilities is small.

Vanity Fair estimated Mr Kiyosaki’s share of the debt at around $30 million to $60 million.

“We have a lot of apartment houses with our partners. So technically, yes, we have all this debt,” the ex-wife told Vanity Fair.

Speaking to the magazine, Mr Kiyosaki stated, “If it all comes to hell, you can talk to my attorney. Firewalls—that’s the way the rich play the game.”

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Maulud: Best Choice Specialist Hospital Congratulates Kano Governor, Muslims Globally

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The Chairman of Best Choice Specialist Hospital, Kano, Auwal Lawal Muhammad (Dan Malikin Garo), has congratulated the executive governor of Kano State Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the good people of Kano State and Muslims across the world on the occasion of the Maulud celebration commemorating the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

In a statement he personally signed, Lawal commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his efforts towards fostering unity among the people of Kano State.

According to the statement, the chairman was amazed on how governor Yusuf placing emphasis on the development to the state particularly in matters concerning religion, saying such initiatives would help reduce divisions, promote mutual understanding and strengthen peaceful coexistence across the state.

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He urged Muslims to use the occasion of Maulud to strengthen their relationship with Allah through increased devotion and prayers for peace, stability and prosperity in Nigeria and Kano State.

The Chairman of Best Choice also praised the Governor for his efforts to improve the healthcare sector in the state.

He cited the renovation and upgrading of healthcare facilities, provision of modern medical equipment, as well as the training and development of healthcare workers as some of the administration’s efforts towards improving healthcare delivery in Kano.

Auwal Lawal further commended Governor Yusuf for his dedication, compassion and commitment to the wellbeing of the people, noting that his efforts continue to have a positive impact on the lives of residents across the state.

He prayed for continued peace, unity and prosperity in Kano State and Nigeria, while wishing the Governor and the people of Kano a blessed Maulud celebration now and beyond.

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