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POISONED LOVE Episode 3

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For a moment, Sophia's heart blossomed. But, the next moment, she recalled the words of Treasure and she suddenly became bittered. 
"hello, miss," he said, his blue like eyes starring into her bulgy eyes. "care for a ride?" 
Sophia starred at him. Who would say no to someone like that? Who wouldn't want to spend as little as a minute beside someone as cute as that? 
"are you okay?" he asked again, noticing the depression on her face. 
"thanks, but I... I don't need a ride" Sophia replied, starring below. 
"and why wouldn't you?" Steven asked as he stepped down from his car and tried approaching her. 
"stay away from me" Sophia said and stopped him before he got to where she was. 
She walked some steps away from him and shortly, a cab came along and she boarded it without turning back to look at Steven who was out of words. 
             *
 Steven sat on his bed in his bedroom, his back relaxed against the wall, while Michelle sat beside him. 
They were both watching a movie but his attention was definitely not in it. 
He kept thinking of the strange lady he had met earlier. The strange lady that had ignored him strangely. 
That was the first time a lady had ever said 'no' to him. That was the first time a lady had ignored him. 
Who was she? And why was she acting strange? 
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get it off his mind. All he could think about was the strange lady. 
Every lady craved to be with him. But she? She had ignored him like an invisible trash. 
That felt like a slap to his face. 
"Steven?" Michelle called as she touched his face with her palm. She noticed he was absent minded. 
"are you alright? You look troubled" 
Steve took her palms from his face and held them softly. 

“I’m fine”, he replied with a perfunctory smile.
They both remained silent for a while as kept starring at him.
“Steven?” she called again, softly. “do you love me?”
Steven looked at her and scoffed.
“and why the sudden question?” he asked, perturbed.
“come on, Steven. Just give me a reply. I want to know”.
“Michelle, you’re my girlfriend, right? Isn’t that enough for you? Of course, I love you”
Michelle smiled and placed her hand on his thighs.
“I love you very much, Steven. And I wouldn’t want to share you with anyone else. Besides, I can give you whatever you need” she said ardently and started kissing him and after that, they fell on the bed.
*
Sophia couldn’t fall asleep as she kept thinking about Steven and what she did to him earlier. She felt it wasn’t right.
She recalled the look on his face when she had told him to stay away from her. She knew she had really surprised him.
She felt bad for doing what she did. She felt bad that she had ignored her crush, but there was nothing she could do.
Treasury said he was a womanizer and enjoyed playing on girls and perhaps, he was also trying to play on her.
She decided to forget about him as she forced herself to bed.
*
*
Steven parked his car in front of the school garage as usual and was about heading to the library when he sighted her – the strange lady.
Their eyes had ran into each other’s as they both stood still, starring at themselves.
Steven’s thoughts seemed to be muted as he couldn’t think of what next to do.
She starred at him for a while and finally walked away.
Steven felt odd. He felt strange. A twinge of disappointment ran into his veins.
“hey, dude. What’s up?” he heard a voice behind him and discovered it was his friend – his best friend – Oliver.
Steven brightened his face with a smile.
“I’m fine” he replied as they exchanged a nigger handshake.
They walked into the school building and found a place to sit.
“So, tell me, how’s the lacrosse team going?” Oliver asked, beginning to notice an uncanny attitude with his friend.
Steven brought out a drink from his bag, opened it and sipped from it before giving a reply.
“it’s going fine”, he replied.
“hey, man. What’s the problem?”
“nothing. I’m fine”.
“are you sure? You don’t look fine to me”.
Steven left his seat and walked some steps away, starring into space.
“yearsterday,” he started. “I ran into a lady and offered her a ride home”, he paused and looked at Oliver.
“but, she snubbed me!”
Oliver starred for a second and finally laughed.
“seriously?” he asked. “wow! Finally, my ever – loving friend has found a lady that doesn’t think he’s so charming”.
He laughed again.
“come on, dude. This isn’t funny. This is the first time a lady has ever said no to me. This isn’t right. I feel humiliated”.
He sipped from his drink and sighed.
“this isn’t right”, he bemoaned. “nobody says no to me. Nobody’s above my grasp. And that’s exactly what I’m going to prove to her”.

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Bank

ZENITH BANK REWARDS HACKATHON WINNERS WITH N77.5M CASH PRIZE AT ZENITH TECH FAIR 4.0

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ZENITH BANK REWARDS HACKATHON WINNERS WITH N77.5M CASH PRIZE AT ZENITH TECH FAIR 4.0

 

A total sum of N77.5 million in prize money was won at the end of a keenly contested hackathon session at the Fourth Edition of the Zenith Tech Fair, themed “Future Forward 4.0: Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity & Growth Imperatives – The Impact of AI “, which held on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The prize money was shared among ten finalists who emerged from the over 1,700 contestants that took part in the hackathon, with JumpnPass, a self-checkout technology solution reshaping the retail landscape in Africa emerging as the overall winner and taking home the grand prize of N25 million. This is in addition to a six-week mentorship and incubation program designed to help them grow and scale effectively, which will run from December 2024 to February 2025.

The first runner-up, CreditChek, a credit and verification service provider which leverages AI and open banking to streamline income and credit history verification for financial institutions, won N20 million and a mentorship programme, while the second runner-up, Salad Africa, a start-up which offers seamless integration of credit products for digital platforms and software companies won N15 million as well as a mentorship programme. Other finalists who took home N2.5million each include Regxta, CashAfrica, Middleman, Messenger, Pocketfood, Famasi Africa, Kitovu.

Earlier during the programme, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON, in her welcome address expressed her appreciation to the Founder & Chairman, Dr Jim Ovia, CFR, for birthing the idea that led to the establishment of the Tech Fair initiative 5 years ago, she thanked him for his vision and foresight in utilizing technology to revolutionize the world of business and banking.

Commenting on the Hackathon, she said, “This prestigious annual event was created to empower and nurture young fertile minds. We hope to produce the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk from the Zenith Bank Hackathons in the nearest future. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, 70% of Nigeria’s population are youths which is an economic asset when properly harnessed. This is part of the reason why Zenith Bank is hosting this event to support the development of technology startups. Their success not only fosters innovation and growth in Nigeria, but it also plays a vital role in creating employment opportunities for our youth.” She also stressed on the importance of innovation and embedded finance in ensuring strong and enduring institutions. According to her, “it is paramount that we adapt and adopt technology to stay ahead of the curve. We have seen various cases of companies that failed because of their lack of innovation. It is quite obvious that when companies fail to innovate; they can easily be displaced, so this is not the time to be orthodox, innovation should be a top priority for us.”

In his goodwill message, The Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu called for a global approach to doing business in the country. According to him, “What we need to do is to be able to enhance our product and services in order to compete in the world. We can’t continue to act local, we need to think global. Anything that we’re doing now, we need to be able to know that we are not just serving a local market, we actually want to serve the global market, and that’s why I’m glad that consistently, for the past four years, I have kept up with the Zenith Tech Fair. I am sure 5.0 should be bigger and better than what we have today, but for us as a government, what we need to do is to continue to use platforms like this to reassure you of our readiness to provide an enabling environment for your ideas and innovative solutions.”

Described as a huge success by participants, the Fair featured the launch of the bank’s digital wallet, EazyByZenith, which will help to support the bank’s retail and financial inclusion strategy. The fair also included presentations on the leading technological innovations that cut across different aspects of life, such as Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Risk Management, Compliance, Financial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and Communication Technologies, with the keynote address, “Banking Transformation in a Digital World”, delivered by Robin Speculand, a renowned Strategy & Digital Implementation Specialist.

The event also featured goodwill messages by Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank; His Excellency, Hon. Kashim Shettima, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (represented by Dr. Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to the Presidency on Economic Matters). Other eminent IT practitioners from top global brands who also made presentations include; Robin Speculand, renowned Strategy & Digital Implementation Specialist; Danilo McGarry, Global Expert on Digital Transformation and AI; Jania Okwechime, Partner, Africa, AI & Data Leader, Deloitte; Rupert Nicolay, Director, Microsoft Worldwide Financial Services.

The panel session had Wole Odeyele, Client Technology Lead for Microsoft Inc. as its host, and featured six discussants including Ada Jabaru, Founder & Director, Nistad Limited; Funke Opeke, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, MainOne; Guy Futi, Chief Executive Officer, Orda; Dr Auwal Adam Sa’ad, Founder, ZamzamPay; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General/Chief Executive Officer, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The Zenith Bank startup pitch competition and incubation program seeks to identify and fast-track the growth of high-potential Nigerian startups innovating in key sectors, including Embedded Finance, Cybersecurity, Fintech, HealthTech, Agritech, E-commerce, and more. The program provides an ideal platform for startups to showcase their groundbreaking ideas and gain access to invaluable resources to scale their businesses.

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Business

NEW BPP DG COMMITS TO EFFICIENCY AND STAFF WELFARE FOR IMPACTFUL SERVICE DELIVERY

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NEW BPP DG COMMITS TO EFFICIENCY AND STAFF WELFARE FOR IMPACTFUL SERVICE DELIVERY*

*_…begins review of bureau processes to enhance government procurement systems_*

The Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, has outlined his vision to drive efficiency, enhance staff welfare, and reinforce the Bureau’s regulatory mandate in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed hope mandate and his commitment to improving Nigeria’s economy. This was made known during an interactive session with staff of the Bureau at the State House Banquet Hall on November 20, 2024. Dr Adedokun emphasised the urgency of delivering results as well as improving trust in the government procurement system to support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, declaring, “Let us work together to get value for money for Nigeria’s developmental processes and achieve President Tinubu’s mandate of making Nigeria’s economy better.”

Furthermore, in a bid to strengthen operational efficiency, the DG also announced key reforms, including introducing Service Level Agreements for the bureau’s processes ensuring that letters are treated within 3 (three) days, and ensuring reports are completed within 14 (fourteen) days. He also highlighted plans to secure a sustainable budget that would improve the working environment and provide better welfare for staff.

Dr Adedokun firmly stated the Bureau’s resolve to uphold its regulatory integrity under his watch. He warned that officers are prohibited from visiting Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) unless on official assignments stressing the need for officers of the Bureau to stay above board. He further declared that contractors are no longer allowed within the Bureau’s premises to ensure that officers can perform their duties without undue interference and influence.

Calling for a collaborative approach, the DG urged staff to embody the Bureau’s regulatory values by adhering to procurement guidelines, avoiding delays, and striving for excellence. “As a regulator, you must be seen to be guided by the procurement process,” he stated. He assured the team of an open-door policy, encouraging innovative ideas that could propel the Bureau to greater heights.

The session also featured a visit from former DG, Engr. Emeka Ezeh, OFR, FNSE, who led the Bureau from 2009 to 2016. Engr. Ezeh commended President Tinubu for appointing Dr Adedokun and urged staff to provide their full support to the new leadership. He encouraged staff to focus on leaving a legacy of excellence, saying, “Work in a way that you will be celebrated wherever you go in life.”

Senior Directors, including Engr. Nasir Bello and Engr. Isaiah Yesufu reiterated the importance of supporting the DG’s vision while emphasizing adherence to the Bureau’s operational guidelines. Staff also welcomed the session, sharing their perspectives on improving the Bureau’s operations and pledging their support for the new leadership.

In a related development, Dr Adedokun sought collaboration with the Presidential Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy (PODES) led by its Head, Mr O’tega Ogra, who is also the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital/New Media, during a courtesy visit to his office on November 21, 2024. The DG emphasized the need to enhance the Bureau’s public engagement and visibility in line with the all-of-government communications approach being espoused by the PODES.

Mr Ogra congratulated Dr Adedokun on his appointment and highlighted the key role BPP plays in advancing Nigeria’s development agenda. O’tega further expressed his commitment to collaborating with the Bureau in amplifying its communication efforts and ensuring Nigerians understand and appreciate its critical role in national governance.

Dr Adedokun’s leadership marks a new chapter for the Bureau of Public Procurement, focused on accountability, efficiency, and impactful service delivery. His vision aligns seamlessly with the Federal Government’s goals of economic transformation and sustainable development as well as President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.

Janet McDickson
Director, Information & Public Relations/Head, Media-BPP

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Blessing CEO Reveals Real Reasons Men Cheat On Their Wives

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Blessing CEO Reveals Real Reasons Men Cheat On Their Wives

Blessing CEO Reveals Real Reasons Men Cheat On Their Wives

 

Interestingly, self-acclaimed relationship expert Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, has revealed that Nigerian men cheat for fun and not because they don’t love their wives.

 

Blessing made this known during an interview on Arise TV. She also claimed that men cheat because of the distractions they face in their marriage.

Blessing CEO Reveals Real Reasons Men Cheat On Their Wives

Okoro further stated that most men cheat out of ego and because the country does not have laws backing infidelity in marriages.

 

In her words:

 

‘’A lot of men cheat for ego, for fun. Not because they don’t love their wife or their wives are not curvy, it’s just lawless in the country that gives them the confidence to cheat.

 

“The fact is, if the law states that men who cheat will be jailed for 20 years, you’ll see that men can be faithful

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