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User:ZNPArdis6160

2017-11-11T10:45:59Z

ZNPArdis6160:

For the Lagos State Muslim Community, the guidance from the Almighty Allah in the quest to select the Chief Imam of Lagos was the order of the day considering the big vacuum left by the former Imam, Sheikh Garuba Ibrahim Akinola. Akinola, the ninth Imam of Lagos Central Mosque died at the age of 80, on Sunday 24th and buried according to Islamic rites on Monday 25th, 2017. Muslims from far and wide have showered encomiums on the Islamic Icon, but the fact remains that Akinola has left a big vacuum difficult to be filled by his successor. At the Fidau prayer held at the central mosque in Idumota, Lagos, the stakeholder described the decease as a very peaceful man who was passionate about Islam and unity of the entire Ummah. The widow of the Chief Imam of Lagos, Sheikh Garuba Akinola Ibrahim, Alhaja Islamiyah, described her late husband as a caring husband. Alhaja Ibrahim said, that Sheikh Ibrahim was a man any woman could wish to have as husband. "I have been married to him for over 17 years. Baba was a kind man; lovely and caring. He was kind to all his children. Baba loved rice, especially fried rice. He was humane even to people he didn’t know. When those who do not know him want to see him, he will ask us to let them in. Baba would listen to them. If he has what that person came for, he would do it and if not he would direct them to the Central Mosque. Nobody came to him crying without leaving smiling." He said the late Chief Imam was very prayerful. "Before I married baba, my prayer life was not very sound but when I met him, he taught me how to pray well. He said he did not rely on anything except his prayers and the Quran," she said. The deceased’s son, Luqman Ibrahim, said: "He is the best of all fathers I can think of. My father was an epitome love and humility. The love he has for the nation can never be quantified. It gone beyond the love he has for himself, let alone his children. So, in fact we lost a rare gem. I will forever love and miss him. I am short of words. I don’t want to cry," he said. Former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Alhaja Lateefah Okunnu, described him a gentle, God-fearing, and amiable father. Okunnu said: "He was father to all; women and men and we really enjoyed his company and his guidance throughout his lifetime. We will miss his prayer, his advice for those who are in predicament; we will miss his advice as an elder." National President of Anwar-Ul-Islam Movement in Nigeria Alhaji Mudashiru Adekunle Ojelade, said the late chief Imam was very knowledgeable, exceedingly humble and a strong leader for the Lagos Muslim community. Ojelade said: "We will miss Baba’s sense of purpose. The lesson to learn from his death is humility, intervening at crucial moments to make peace when crisis is looming. He is a good example on how to make peace with fellow human beings. He is the kind of person you call into situation when there is tension, when there is need to unify and bring people together." Nasrul Lahi Fatih Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) President Alhaji Kameel Yomi Bolarinwa, described the late Sheikh Ibrahim as a quintessential cleric whose life was exemplary. Bolarinwa said, he was a sincere and truthful man of God who lived all his life upholding the truth as well as striving for love and peaceful existence among various people irrespective of their ethnic and religious backgrounds "Sheikh Ibrahim will be missed especially by the Ummah for his uprightness and his efforts in peaceful coexistence as well as his contributions to the national development "However we are consoled by his great ethical and religious legacies which will continue to benefit the mankind." Bashorun of Lagos and Vice-Chairman, Lagos Central Mosque Executive Council Alhaji Sikiru Alabi Macfoy, said the crowd witnessed at the ceremony was expected going by the personality of the late Chief Imam. "He was a pleasant personality, very dedicated and always rendering assistance to the people. You will think that he was extremely rich which is not true but he was extremely rich in contentment; as he collects, he gives not minding spending all he has to assist the people. He was loved by many. He lived a fulfilled life," Alhaji Macfoy said. President, Muslim Community of Lagos State (MCLS) Prof Tajudeen Gbadamosi, described Sheikh Ibrahim as a good leader, father to all and highly dedicated to the course of Islam and development of Lagos state. An elder stateman Senator HAB Fasinro said Sheikh Ibrahim surprised many who didn’t expect him to hold sway after his installation as the ninth Chief Imam of Lagos. "He was devoted to unity of the ummah and progress of the nation," he said. Deputy President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and President-General, Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria (MUSWEN) Alhaji Sakariyau Babalola described him as a reliable leader and worked for peaceful co-existence among the Muslims and non-Muslims. "We have lost a good person; we have lost a great leader in the Islamic world. I pray Allah be with the family and the ummah he left behind," he said. President of The Companion and MUSWEN Central Working Committee member, Alhaji Musibau Oyefeso, described the late Chief Imam as an embodiment of humility. "He was very passionate about Islam and unity of the ummah. Despite his health challenges, he honoured the invitation of Aiyepe Muslim Community, Ijebu, Ogun State to decorated the community Chief Imam with turban. He does not turned down invitation irrespective of the person’s personality or organisation concerned. We’ll miss him dearly," Oyefeso said. A member of the Lagos community, Alhaji Hakeem Fahm, a United States- based IT expert said the Chief Imam’s demise has created a vacuum too big to be filled. He described the deceased as a scholar who was versed in the knowledge of Qur’an. He tasked the mosque committee to be meticulous in the selection of a new Chief Imam by ensuring that the next Chief Imam is person of impeccable characters and attributes with vast knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence. Sheikh Abdur Rahman Ahmad said the deceased was a man of peace who tried to bring everybody together. "He was in the forefront of promoting religious harmony and peaceful coexistence. We would miss him," he said.

User:ZNPArdis6160

2017-11-10T19:10:56Z

ZNPArdis6160:

Nigeria has pledged its commitment to eradicate poverty through various policies of the Federal Government to transform the nation’s economy , particularly agriculture. Mr Arnold Jackson, Assistant Director, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), stated this while delivering Nigeria’s statement on ‘Eradication of Poverty’ during the general debate at the 72nd Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Jackson said: "One of the policies of government to drastically reduce unemployment and by extension reduce poverty is the N-Power programme, aimed at engaging 500,000 Nigerian youths. "The N-Power provides a structure for large scale and relevant work skills acquisition and development while linking its core and outcomes to stimulating the larger economy. "The beneficiaries of the programme will help in diversifying Nigeria’s economy as well as actualising economic and strategic aspirations of achieving food security and self sufficiency. "No fewer than 150,000 Nigerian young graduates have already been engaged under the N-Power Scheme, while the process of engaging the remaining 350,000 is currently underway". According to him, Nigeria is paying special attention to agricultural development in view of its importance to employment generation, women empowerment and poverty eradication. "Hence, various agricultural schemes have been initiated to create opportunities for women and youth, with the aim of supporting them with necessary infrastructure to attract various levels of agro investments and non-oil export opportunities. "Some of these schemes include the ‘Green Initiative’, ‘Zero Oil Plan’, ‘Zero to Export’, ‘One State One Product’, to mention a few. "Government is committed to ensuring that her agricultural advantages are further boosted through technology transfer, export promotion and rural development, which are fundamentally important for agricultural development in Africa. "Nigeria would continue to encourage other countries to grant market access opportunities to her exportable agricultural and other products," he said. Jackson said it was Nigeria’s firm belief that gender equality and women empowerment would be better achieved through the eradication of poverty and the implementation of appropriate economic measures. "This is why a ‘National Social Protection Policy’ is currently under consideration to address poverty, vulnerability and inequality in the country. "The Nigerian government has also intensified campaign for the Girl Child education in order to secure their future participation in national development. "This effort should be emulated globally to improve the situation of women in the context of the 2030 Agenda. "At the global level Nigeria keys into several initiatives aimed at empowering women and the girl child, such as the ‘She Trades Initiative’ by the International Trade Centre," he said. He said Nigeria rightly acknowledged that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions remained the greatest global challenge and an indispensible requirement for sustainable development. "It is on this premise that Nigeria avows that international cooperation to combat illicit financial flows and enhance asset recovery to foster sustainable development. "This is a practical sincere commitment to eradicating poverty and by extension ensuring the attainment of sustainable development," he said. (NAN)

User:ZNPArdis6160

2017-11-10T14:21:11Z

ZNPArdis6160:

There is hope for thousands of Nigerians disfigured by lymphatic filariasis, a tropical disease which has become a public health concern, says Yisa Saka, the director of Neglected Tropical Disease Programs with the Ministry of Health. Lymphatic filariasis, also known as Elephantiasis is a human disease caused by parasitic worms known as filarial worms and in most cases, the disease has no symptom. The disease, which is common in tropical Africa and Asia, is classified as one of the neglected tropical diseases and one of the four main worm infections. It is transmitted from infected persons to others by mosquito bite. The disease impairs the lymphatic system and can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts, severe disability and social stigma. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the ministry is partnering with the Carter Center in eliminating the disease in two states, Plateau and Nasarawa. Health officials are optimistic that millions of Nigerians would no longer be disfigured by the disease. According to a press statement released by Carter Centre on Friday, Mr. Saka said the ministry, in collaboration with the Center and other partners, "are gaining the advantage over a terrible disease that has plagued people for so long." "This is a great day for the people of Plateau and Nasarawa states, and all of Nigeria, With over 120 million people at risk nationwide, Nigeria is the most endemic country in Africa for the parasitic disease and second most endemic in the world, behind only India," he said. Frank Richards Jr, the director of the Carter Center’s Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Program said eliminating lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem in Plateau and Nasarawa states is a significant achievement that challenges everyone to broaden their appreciation of what is possible. "Success in these two states not only protects the 7 million people who live there, but it also sets a pattern for similar success throughout the rest of Nigeria, as well as in other highly endemic countries." It was learnt that to tackle the disease in the two states’ 30 local government areas, community-selected volunteers mobilised to educate neighbours and annually distributed a combination of free medications. In Plateau and Nasarawa alone, more than 36 million drug treatments for lymphatic filariasis were delivered between 2000 and 2012. Gregory Noland, health program epidemiologist at the Center said over the past two years, more than 14,000 children ages six and seven throughout the two-states have been tested, "and not one of them was found to be infected." Mr. Noland said "this definitive outcome is a testament to the foresight of those who launched the program. "We believe that elimination is possible in one of the world’s most endemic countries. In human terms, these children will never have to worry about being disabled by lymphatic filariasis," he said. Continued surveillance and maximising bed-net coverage are still required to guard against importation of the infection from surrounding endemic states until Nigeria achieves elimination nationwide, Mr. Noland cautioned.

User:ZNPArdis6160

2017-11-09T14:49:16Z

ZNPArdis6160:

Without doubt, churches have denominations and patterns of worship differ, but when you stumble on one, where weird activities are the order of the day and alcohol, animal sacrifices and biblical villains like Nebuchadnezzar, Ahab and even Satan are deified, then you’ve just encountered worship redefined. Tabitha Pearl writes. A Christian worship centre or church is a place where you expect everything but the absurd and the weird. But this was precisely what this reporter beheld few weeks back when she went snooping at "As God said, It Must Be Done, The temple of the Most High God,’ located in Oke-Aro in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State. A mere N100 bus ride from the popular Agege/Pen Cinema Bus-Stop, took this reporter to As God Said Street - the street is named after the church. A short commercial motorcycle ride took this reporter to the church’s doorstep. The temple is flanked on one side by what used to be a mosque and the other by a Celestial Church of Christ, which, strangely, wasn’t holding any service this Sunday. This reporter was however to soon discover during the nearly 10-hour-long service, that the mosque and the Celestial church had to evacuate their locations because of the new "Sheriff" in town. The first thing that catches your attention as you walk into the church premises, depending on your keenness of sight, would either be the rather heavy use of the colours red and white; or the slaughter slab on the far right corner, though carefully concealed by the gigantic red gate. Beside the slab this fateful Sunday was a black goat waiting to be slaughtered and served to worshippers. Makes some sense though. If worshippers have to stay in church up to 10 hours or more, it just might be normal to consider feeding them. Inside the temple, the love for red is even more pronounced. The floor has a fading red colour, which tells you it had originally been painted with glossy red paint; even the choir and a few members bear a touches of red on their dresses. No usher is seen ushering people in; there actually is no need for one, as the sitting arrangement is glaring enough, even to a first timer. Male worshippers sit to the right while female worshippers sit to the left. Another thing you cannot miss as you walk into the temple is the altar. It is divided into two sections: a very high one, probably the holy of holies, reserved for the Most High, should he come visiting; and then a lower one, possibly where the seer, fondly called Papa, preaches from, whenever he returns from a visit to the Most High, which he claims he does often. "I still communed with the Most High last month. I sit and discuss with Him often. I know his form. Who says we can’t see God?" he boasted amidst wild cheers from his followers. On the higher altar is a massive chair, the type you find in kings’ palaces. That’s probably where the Most High sits when he visits. On the lower altar is a replica of that same seat, possibly for the Papa. On the far left of the lower altar is a seat like the earlier ones, only smaller in size. This is where the wife of the seer sits during service, albeit only on the invitation of her husband. Right above the higher altar or holy of holies, is a line-up of some relics, the sort you’re only likely to find in a herbalist’s shrine. The most conspicuous of these would be an elaborate form of a skull, placed in the middle of two crossed bone-shaped pieces of woods - pretty much like the familiar skull and bones image, used to depict danger and death. There is also something like a big calabash, placed in the middle, leaving a first-timer wondering if this is a shine or a temple where God is worshipped. Sunday Nation’s visit coincided with the 6th Anniversary Celebration of the worship centre. It was with great excitement that the seer, Blessed Dike-Oji-Ofo Chukwu announced to the dance-intoxicated congregation that, "Today, we are celebrating our sixth year of moving to this temple." This announcement was followed by an excited cheer from the worshippers. The service, which was said to have begun at 8:30 am, ran for hours unending, with more than half the time spent singing and dancing, and - wait for this - spraying those perceived by the seer to have danced best with money. Interestingly, the children seemed to be more favoured in the money rain, above the adults. In order to be sure if this was the general mode of worship or just a one-off thing to commemorate the anniversary celebration, our reporter sought the opinion of a female congregant. Her excited response was, "When we come to the temple on Sundays, we are not in a hurry. We close when the seer says we will close, even until night, if that’s what he wants." After hours of singing, dancing and collecting contributions (tithe of the most high, answered prayer offering, temple offering, Caesar’s offering, offering of the earth altar - Exodus 20:24) from the congregants, this reporter was almost giving up on the hope of seeing the seer come out to deliver his sermon, when, to the relief of all members, he emerged at exactly 2:00pm - six whole hours into the service. After speaking elaborately about the 6th anniversary and outlining the achievements the church has accomplished in the last six months, part of which, according to him, includes having the street where the temple is located named after it, the evacuation of the mosque and celestial church in the neighbourhood, amongst others; he pronounced many blessings on the worshippers and began the day’s sermon. "In just six years of our moving to this place, the street has been named after us; the mosque and Celestial church that we met here have left for us; no member of this temple has died; I have been made the Mayegun of Fakile land… I prophesy to you, you will not fail, you will succeed, you will prosper; old and young will take risk for you to succeed; big and small will swear an oath for you to rise up and shine. In the name of the ancient of the days, I bless every one of you… In your marriages, you will succeed in the name of the living God. The sun will not smote you by the day, neither will the moon smote you by the night; you will be protected. So shall it be in the name of the king of kings, in the name of the lord of hosts. In the name of the ‘God’ of "Nebuchadneze," I bless thee. The ‘God’ of my ancestors, "Nebuchadnezzar" will change your story. As you have been serving "Nebuchadnezzar", on this first day in the month of September 2017, "Nebuchadnezzar" is your ancestor and he will reward you; Pharaoh will reward you, Ahab will reward you. In the name of the living God I bless thee." After the prayer rain, the seer bellowed, "You’re free to ask me any kind of question after the teaching this afternoon. We are not operating the way other men of God operate; we operate by the inspiration of the living God." After this announcement, the sermon began without any introduction. The seer spoke about bishop and pope, how they are titles given by men not God. "Bishop and Pope is not recommended by God. Check from Genesis to Revelation, you can never see the title of Pope. If you check in the book of Titus, you will see a bishop is a man who is up and doing. All our deacon and deaconesses here, you are the same rank with bishop, there is no special title in that name, bishop. They can deceive men, not somebody like me." Quoting a passage in Titus, the seer asked the congregation to open their Bibles, so they could read together what the bible says about bishops. After searching the book of Titus without success, the seer’s reader came to the congregation’s rescue. The passage was actually in 1Timothy 3:1, not Titus. After the reading, he began another talk about Moses and Zippo rah. Soon, it was question time. "Before I open the floor for questions, I want to appreciate one of my sons. I was in my palace when he called to say he had a gift for the temple. It was surprising what he brought; three cartons of big stout, one carton of ’33 Larger and one carton of Captain Black. We will soon share the drinks, but before then, come forward, my son, let me bless you." After praying to the Most High to bless the young man and prosper his business, the seer called forward a lady whose face betrayed no emotion. It was hard to tell if she was happy, sad or just didn’t care. By virtue of marriage, she had just become a new member of the church and was given a special seat among the women who sat in front row. Soon, it was question time. The first question came from a boy, who was home for the long vacation. He wanted to know why the seer preaches that Jesus is not the saviour of the world and why they don’t pray in the name of Jesus. Indeed, this reporter had noticed all along that they weren’t praying in the name of Jesus, neither was the name mentioned throughout the service. In fact, songs that had the name in the name of Jesus were carefully edited and replaced with Saviour, Lord or Most High. The seer’s response to the boy’s question however, was, "God is the Saviour of the whole world, not Jesus. It is the gospel of John that claims Jesus died for the sins of man; but let me tell you, the New Testament is a lie. The original word of God is the Old Testament; the New Testament is the gospel of men, and untrue." The obviously dissatisfied questioner, was, however, soon silenced with a promise of scholarship for an academic session, for exhibiting great intelligence. The worshippers also went wild with joy at this pronouncement, and everyone soon forgot that the boy’s question wasn’t quite answered. Next, a man who spoke impeccable English, took the mic and asked, "Do you believe in life after life?" The seer’s response was affirmative. "Of course, there is life after life. Every time we say somebody died, what happened is that the person just changed address. Maybe the person closed his eyes (not died) in Oke-aro, he may wake up in Cotonou as a foreigner; or somebody else may sleep in Oke-aro and wake up in Ibadan. That is life after life, continuation of life. That is why the Most High gave everyone 1,000 years to live in this life. When you’ve lived up to 1,000 years, you’d have completed your sojourn in this life, you will now become among the ancestors." The idea of becoming one of the ancestors pleased the worshippers and got them cheering again, loudly. Another worshiper, a lady, asked what this reporter considered a very important question: "Why do you say that our ancestors are Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Ahab? In other churches, they pray against these names." The seer’s response was, "They lack knowledge. Nebuchadnezzar is my ancestors. Satan is my elder brother. See, that name Nebuchadnezzar is not a personality but a phenomenon. It means the wrath of God upon his children. But all those churches that pray against these names don’t understand. Is it possible to have the goodness of God and not have his wrath? That’s Nebuchadnezzar. My daughter, do you understand?" This was followed by a nod from the worshipper and a loud cheer from the congregation. At this point, this reporter burned with curiousity and wanted to ask several questions: "Can they call themselves Christians if they don’t believe in Jesus Christ? Why do they still perform animal sacrifices? Why is the altar divided into two sections and what do the relics on it symbolize? Why do men cover their head while praying? Is it true they drink alcohol during service and why? But it was another female member, who got the mic to ask her question. She began by introducing herself as a first-timer, but the seer counseled her not to call herself a first-timer. "Don’t call yourself a first-timer. There are no first-timers in the presence of the Most High. You are just a lost child, who has found her way home, and the Most High is always ready to receive you. Her question was, "Why did you direct us to read from the New Testament this morning, even though you said it’s all a lie?" That was to be the last question of the day, because the seer was obviously thrown off balance and events soon overtook the question time. "This lady you are seeing is a very intelligent lady;" the seer began. Pointing to the male section, he continued, "That’s her husband over there and it is whatever she says that happens in her marriage." Soon, the question was left unanswered and a prayer and thanksgiving session began for the supposed couple, whom the seer said was believing God for the fruit of the womb. It turns out that this assertion was false, as this reporter had met the couple on their way out and they revealed that they were not even engaged, much less married, and neither had they need for children as the seer had declared. But, why didn’t they refute what he said since it wasn’t true? The guy, who gave his name as Ade, said, "We were directed by a friend to consult the seer to see if we are destined for each other. But with that false prophecy, we know better than to believe anything he says." Drinking time After praying for the couple, the seer asked for the drinks offered by the male worshipper to be brought in. After taking two bottles himself, he opened one bottle each for the women occupying the special seat in front, after taking a swig from each bottle. Children and adults who do not take alcohol were served 7’UP. Amidst the drinking, one lady began staggering for nearly 15 minutes. An easy guess would be that it was the effect of the wine, but she soon steadied herself and requested for the mic. She had a testimony. According to her, her menstrual flow had ceased for about three months, but when she ate kolanut in church the previous Sunday, her menses began to flow again. The seer took time to explain that in the early days of his ministry, he used to serve his members the emblem used in other assemblies (unleavened bread and fruit of the vine) but after a while, the Most High warned him not to give the bread and fruit of the vine to his sons and daughter or else he will slay them. Now, their emblem for communion is kolanut and blended alligator pepper. In a bid to prove his position on the regular emblems, the seer went to his ‘palace’ to produce the unleavened bread, which he ordered them pass round for the congregants to see. A few of them, who had at one time or the other taken the bread, requested to have a taste of it. He obliged them, while announcing, "I know that I said the most high asked me not to give you people this thing, but don’t worry, this one you are eating will not kill you." As at 5;00pm when this reporter quietly left the temple, the service had yet ended. Kolanut was about to be served and they still awaited the meal that was being prepared with the goat that was slaughtered earlier on.

User:ZNPArdis6160

2017-11-08T21:30:35Z

ZNPArdis6160: Created page with " Based on its [http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/nigeria-guide/ positive performance] for the first nine months of the year, the Banking stocks listed o..."

Based on its [http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/nigeria-guide/ positive performance] for the first nine months of the year, the Banking stocks listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has recorded a market capitalisation growth of N6.305 trillion. From the data gotten from NSE, this shows a growth of 191.63 per cent from a market capitalisation of N2.162 trillion achieved in the beginning of the year 2017. Also, the 15 listed Banking stocks contributed 51.61 per cent to the whole NSE market capitalization of N12.217 trillion recorded at the end of trading on September 29, 2017. Under the period review, the banking sector of the NSE outperformed others, including the benchmark, NSE All-Share Index, rising by 60.46 per cent.[http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/nigeria.html unhcr.org][http://www.yohaig.ng/recommends/sports-betting/bet9ja/ yohaig.ng]</a> An analysis of the individual stock showed that [http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/nigeria-guide/ Stanbic] and UBA are clear leaders, with 165.46 per cent and 123.60 per cent, respectively. Access Bank recorded a nine-month gain of 79.81 per cent, Fidelity Bank appreciated by 79.52 per cent, while Zenith Bank up by 73.13 per cent. Based on its positive performance for a period of the first nine months of the year, Guaranty Trust Bank emerged the most active and capitalised stock of the sector as it moved from N706.35 billion to N1.18 trillion. Zenith Bank followed with a market capitalization of N731.54 billion, while Stanbic IBTC grew its capitalization to N400 billion. Capital market analysts have [https://www.theguardian.com/world/nigeria attributed] the growth in banking stocks to positive reactions to the impressive performance recorded by the banks in their financial results. The [https://Www.gov.uk/government/world/nigeria chief operating] officer of InvestData Limited, Mr.[http://www.Economist.com/topics/nigeria economist.com][http://www.yohaig.ng/recommends/sports-betting/bet9ja/ yohaig.ng]</a> Ambrose Omordion, said the NSE is currently riding on its longest [https://Www.Gov.uk/government/world/nigeria bullish] run in over a decade. "The All Share Index is already 36.38 per cent up this year and it appears there are still room for some upside. One sector that has garnered significant attention from the point of view of investors is the banking sector", he added He noted that the Banking Index as at September ending [http://Www.Unhcr.org/en-us/nigeria.html recorded] a year-to-date growth of over 60 per cent with nearly all the gains coming this second quarter alone. He added that [http://abcnews.go.com/topics/news/nigeria.htm Banking sectors] typically attract the blessing of the bulls during bullish sentiments and the wrath of bears when investor sentiments are bearish. "Their volume and visibility makes them an easy target. Going by the way the market is surging there is still quite some room for banking stocks, however, some are still trading at par or just above their book values", he noted. Omordion explained that "banks have been helped largely by forex gains without each the high non-performing loans they carry might have ravaged their earnings." Also, the managing director of Highcap Securities and Funds Limited, Mr. David Adonri said, "In the beginning of the year, the economy faced serious headwinds that pushed it into recession in 2016, some banks still posted impressive results and declared significant dividends. my web page; [https://www.theguardian.com/world/nigeria Yohaig]