Michael Larbie is the Chief Executive Officer of Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria, a subsidiary of the South Africa based FirstRand Group. In this interview, Labie speaks on the bank’s effort to distinguish itself in the intensely competitive Nigerian banking industry. He also spoke on the forthcoming general election and its impact on the economy.

THE  Nigerian elite leading the country to the February, 2019 general elections have reduced the contest essentially to personal squabbles and a contest of insults rather than ideas. This is not unexpected as in almost all cases, the colonialists created for us, zombies as elite.  An elite class incapable of basic reflection, one that accepts foreign dictation and is alienated from the people it leads. In turn, the people are alienated from the state; they do not have  the same attachment or loyalty they had  to  their pre-colonial societies. So a corrupted culture has developed in which people see the elite from their communities who loot the national treasury, as heroes bringing back their  share of the ‘national cake’. In many cases, the thieves are given chieftaincy titles, turbaned or knighted.

Leading stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos State are gathering today to take briefings from party leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu amidst apprehensions on the intentions of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.

Akure—SUSPECTED kidnappers weekend went on a rampage at three different locations in Ondo state by abducting another lecturer, school children and three others including a couple.

YENAGOA—NO fewer than 10 persons, yesterday, narrowly escaped death when a tanker laden with fuel rammed into four commercial tricycles, popularly known as Keke Napep in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Ambrose Omordion is the Chief Research Officer at Invest Data Limited. In this interview, he spoke about the performance of Exchange Traded Funds, ETFs, and urged the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, to up its effort on enlightenment campaign about activities of the exchange and products available for trading.

The economy has actually influenced and impacted on our business and the delay in the release of the budget also impacted negatively on the business.  Recently, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, said that if care is not taken, the economy might go back into recession. 

Doha—Current and past decision makers as well as defence experts from across the world, yesterday, rose from the 18th Doha Forum with a declaration that military force alone was not enough to deal with terrorism.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has charged finance houses to maximise opportunities offered in the revised guidelines to expand their scope of business and increase their contribution to economic growth.  

THE Federal Government, has disclosed that through the Economic Recovery Growth Plan, ERGP initiated about one and half year ago, about $4.7 billion investment has been identified in agriculture and transport focus labs with a potential to create about 129, 000 jobs.

The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, has refuted the claim that the Nigerian capital market is one of the most expensive in the world, saying that cost of transaction in the market is quite friendly.

Super Eagles midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi has backed the national team to win the Africa Cup of Nations next year based on the club performances of the team’s players.

Ageing Robert Mugabe exhibiting the senility and imbecilities of some old people stubbornly refused to leave office even after 80 as his country headed into economic abyss and destruction. Eventually, the people who hitherto had allowed him to have his way had enough. He is now spending the rest of his days in quiet obscurity. That is a typical African leader for you. They don’t care if the nation is in ruins as long as they cling to power at all costs.

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has been formerly admitted as full member of the  Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB).

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is expected to sustain its aggressive liquidity mop up this week in response to inflow of N498 billion into the interbank money market