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NAIRA SCARCITY: I’VE BEEN SPENDING N20,000 FOR ONE WEEK – FEMI ADESINA

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Femi-Adesina
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The Special Adviser Media and Publicity to President Muhammdu Buhari, Femi Adesina has revealed how he has been surviving admist scarcity of new naira notes in the country.

Adesina who in his article titled: “Living on shoestring budget”, published on Thursday noted that he has been spending the sum of twenty thousand naira, (N20,000) for one week.

He advised Nigerians who attack banks, loot shops, and engage in civil disobedience to desist forthwith.

Adesina told Nigerians not to take laws into their hands, noting that with time naira will be surplus in the country.

Bellow is the article:

LIVING ON SHOESTRING BUDGET

“We left Abuja on January 23, on a journey that would take us to Bauchi, Lagos, Senegal, Katsina, Kano, and Jigawa States. Return date was January 31, in the evening hours.

Since January 31 was then the terminal date for key denominations of the naira to be legal tender, I didn’t want to be like the unwise cripple, who had been told that war was approaching, but who stayed put in the same spot. So I parked everything I had, every dime, and sent it to the bank. I didn’t want my modest funds to become something fit only for the museum.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) later secured a ten days extension of the deadline from President Muhammadu Buhari, which has now been further extended by a Supreme Court ruling. But it has not changed the fact that I’ve been spending the sum of N20,000 for one week, and I’m still spending it. Shoestring budget? Yes, you are right. That’s what it is.

Major part of our Duty Tour Allowance (DTA) had been paid in old currency, so I’d deposited it in my bank right in Katsina. I returned to Abuja, almost in tabula rasa. Empty. I thought it was just a matter of going to my bank, and getting new currency notes. Whosai! Too optimistic.

For three days, I operated with just the N6,000 I had in my pocket. By Friday, it had shrunk to N2, 500.00. What a huge war chest!

You, a Special Adviser to President of the most populous country in Africa! Are you for real? Just N2,500.00? Well, those in government itch as well, and scratch as hard. That is what some people don’t know. The hen sweats, but its feathers make the sweat indiscernible. There was I, on a Friday, worth only N2, 500.00 in new notes, both home and abroad.

I called my banker, told him my plight, and he first laughed as if laughter was going out of fashion. After seeing that I was serious, he said the best he could do was get N20,000.00 for me, through the Automated Teller Machine (ATM), which was his own entitlement for the day. Well, beggars can’t be choosers, and half bread, as they say, is better than none. I sent my driver to collect the money, and promptly cancelled all the engagements I had lined up for the weekend. When you stay in your house, watching football and making yourself happy, you need not spend much money, if at all.

But the first challenge had to be confronted. The car tank was almost at empty. It would take about N15,000.00 to fill it up. What to do? Buy N8,000.00 worth of fuel, which gave a half tank. We are making progress. And the remaining N12,000.00, one held in a tight fist. Not even an ant could touch it.

Fortunately, my dear late mother was an Ijebu woman. And people from Ijebu are said to be thrifty, and know how to operate on shoestring budgets. I had part of that blood running through my veins.

From Friday till the following Wednesday, I became very gentle, (by force) stretching N12,000.00 as far as I could. Fortunately, there was enough food at home. If there wasn’t, I would drink garri and groundnuts. And why not? That was what the times called for. Pragmatism. No pain, no gain. It was my own contribution to the success of a policy that was bound to do our country good.

I never got any naira inflow in the new week, as my bank had even locked its doors. Firmly. I got there on Tuesday, and only saw forlorn faces of customers, who had doggoed at the place, like the Ijesa man who refuses to take a seat when he comes to collect the money you are owing him. He crouches, and tells you: ‘I sold my wares to you on credit, bending down. I will stool down till I collect my money today.’ And you would do well to answer him, if you love yourself.

Even bank transfers were not going, as the system was jammed. And if you succeeded in sending, how would the recipient retrieve the money, as there was paucity of the new notes. But was there, really? We heard incredible stories of how some banks were hoarding the new notes, while their customers suffered. A bank manager was even arrested in Abuja for having N238 million in his strong room, and refusing to pay out. Others loaded cash in ATM, and deliberately didn’t remove the wrappers, so that the cash won’t dispense. Holy Moses! Nigerians are the enemies of Nigeria.

President Buhari, at a meeting with some Governors of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) had asked for the balance seven days of the 10, which the CBN had asked for, promising that something concrete would be done to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians after the period. I believe in the President. Implicitly. So I was willing to wait.

By Wednesday morning, my fuel was running dangerously low again. Well, if it meant trekking to the office, I would, till succor came. Then my driver came in, as I sat in the living room, listening to news on TV. Idris, who has chauffeured me for almost eight years handed me some crisp notes. N10,000.00. New currency. It felt like ten million.

“My wife got some new notes, and I got this from her. You can use it, and pay me back when you get money,” he said. How touching. Moving. I first divided the money into two, and told him to buy N5,000.00 fuel. Me too, I would ‘buga’ with the remaining amount. And that is what I’m still spending as I write this piece on Thursday morning.

Some people have taken the laws into their hands, because of lack of access to the new notes. They have attacked banks, looted shops, and engaged in civil disobedience. No need. The ravening clouds shall not long be victorious, they shall no longer possess the sky. Cash is coming, more than we need, and our national economy, the political process, and our lives generally, shall be the better for it. Just a little while, and the halcyon days will come. But for now, no pain, no gain. We will surely get there.”

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Why I Stopped Going To Church -Daddy Freeze

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I stopped attending church after my pastor suspended me from front row seat after my divorce

Popular media personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze, has disclosed that he stopped attending church after his pastor expelled him from sitting in the front row following his divorce.

Speaking in the latest episode of the Teju Babyface Deep Dive podcast, Daddy Freeze said shortly after his divorce in 2014, the pastor of the church he was attending, asked him to start sitting at the back seat since he is a divorcee.

The OAP explained that before his divorce, he was a church worker and was very active in the organisation of the church’s programme but he was expelled immediately after his divorce.

He said he decided to stop going to church instead of “hiding” in the back seat.

He said he started studying and researching the scriptures on Sundays, which led him to discover that most of the things Nigerian churches preached were “flawed.”

Daddy Freeze said, “My marriage had always been troubled and in 2014 it came to an end. And I remember I used to do events in my church. The church minister used to pay me then to do events which I celebrated. At least, the pastor was not eating all the money, he was sharing with the people who were working.

“I was booked for an event that I used to do for the church, and I got a call that I should cancel it because of my divorce or pending divorce drama. And I was like, ‘Because I’m going through a divorce does that remove God from me?’ I questioned that too.

“Then the pastor came to my house and we had a conversation. He was like, ‘I’m not telling you not to come to the church but when you come to the church, sit at the back.’ And I was like what’s all this? So, that made me sit at home on Sundays. Instead of going to church and hiding, is it not better that I sit at home?

“So, sitting at home on Sundays now started feeding the holes in my brain.”

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Bobi, The World’s Oldest Dog Ever, Dies Aged 31

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Bobi, the world’s oldest dog ever, has died after reaching the almost inconceivable age of 31 years and 165 days, said Guinness World Records (GWR) on Monday.

His death at an animal hospital on Friday was initially announced by veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker.

She wrote on Facebook that “despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough, for those who loved him.”

There were many secrets to Bobi’s extraordinary old age, his owner Leonel Costa told GWR in February. He always roamed freely, without a leash or chain, lived in a “calm, peaceful” environment and ate human food soaked in water to remove seasonings, Costa said.

He spent his whole life in Conqueiros, a small Portuguese village about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of the capital Lisbon, often wandering around with cats.

Bobi was a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo – a breed of livestock guardian dog – according to his owner. Rafeiro do Alentejos have a life expectancy of about 12-14 years, according to the American Kennel Club.

But Bobi lived more than twice as long as that life expectancy, surpassing an almost century-old record to become the oldest living dog and the oldest dog ever – a title which had previously been held by Australian cattle-dog Bluey, who was born in 1910 and lived to be 29 years and five months old.

However, Bobi’s story almost had a different ending.

When he and his three siblings were born in the family’s woodshed, Costa’s father decided they already had too many animals at home.

Costa and his brothers thought their parents had taken all the puppies away to be destroyed. However, a few sad days later, they found Bobi alive, safely hidden in a pile of logs.

The children hid the puppy from their parents and, by the time Bobi’s existence became known, he was too old to be put down and went on to live his record-breaking life.

His 31st birthday party in May was attended by more than 100 people and a performing dance troupe, GWR said.

His eyesight deteriorated and walking became harder as Bobi grew older but he still spent time in the backyard with the cats, rested more and napped by the fire.

“Bobi is special because looking at him is like remembering the people who were part of our family and unfortunately are no longer here, like my father, my brother, or my grandparents who have already left this world,” Costa told GWR in May. “Bobi represents those generations.”

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“You Have No Right As A Single Mother To Give Relationship Advice” – Influencer Tells Tonto Dikeh

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Tonto Dikeh, has found herself in yet another controversy following some comments she made. This controversy centers around her stance on marriages and relationships, and it has drawn criticism from a man known as UncleNasco, who is a content creator and influencer.

Earlier today, Tonto Dikeh had made a rather bold statement regarding infidelity in relationships and marriages. She stated that cheating is not a mere mistake, but a conscious and deliberate process.

According to her, individuals who decide to cheat typically engage in a series of steps, including talking to the person they intend to cheat with, meeting up, and ultimately having a sexual encounter. Tonto Dikeh even went a step further by suggesting that women who are cheated on should respond by cheating on their partners with other men as a form of revenge.

Uncle Nasco took to social media to express his disapproval of Tonto Dikeh’s comments. He made it clear that, as a single mother, she had no right to offer relationship advice to married women and individuals in committed relationships.

He argued that her perspective was invalid, especially since she was not currently in a marital or committed relationship herself. Uncle Nasco suggested that if Tonto Dikeh was feeling depressed or dealing with any emotional struggles, she should openly express her emotions rather than providing unsolicited advice to others.

This is not the first time Tonto Dikeh has stirred controversy with her statements. In August 2023, she made a statement that garnered significant attention. She boldly claimed that there was no man born of a woman whom she feared. She even went on to list some of her perceived toxic traits and expressed her unwavering self-confidence, which she believed made her seem as though she owned the world.

Tonto Dikeh made it abundantly clear that she was not concerned about what others thought of her and that she prioritized her own happiness, sometimes appearing selfish in that regard. Moreover, she firmly believed in the principle of “an eye for an eye,” which influenced her perspective on infidelity, leading her to recommend that women should respond to cheating by cheating in return.

Reuben Abati

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