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Christmas: Preach Love, Pray for Divine Guidance on Leadership, Nigerians Urged

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Nigerians across the nation have been urged to show love and embrace forgiveness and reconciliation during the Yuletide season, in line with the spirit of Christmas. They were also enjoined to seek divine guidance in choosing the right leaders for the country during the coming polls in 2023.

This was the message at the 2022 Christmas concert held at the Catholic Church of the Assumption, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos at the weekend. The concert was held to mark a triple celebration of 10 years of Episcopal Enthronement of Archbishop Alfred Martins, 10 years of Anthony Cardinal Okogie as Emeritus Archbishop, and 60+2 Years of the Catholic Church of the Assumption-Falomo parish.

Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Martins, in his message at the concert said, “We are here today to celebrate a Christmas concert, the 62nd anniversary of the parish and the 10th anniversary of my predecessor’s retirement and of my assumption of office, so this makes this celebration unique.”

As the country moves into the election year 2023, Archbishop Martins said, “Certainly one thing that we must all do, all Christians and indeed all people of goodwill, is to pray for guidance in choosing the right leaders to lead us at different levels. Our situation in the country is such that without the help of God, we certainly are incapable of doing it by ourselves.”

He insisted that “citizens should deliberately listen keenly and with a critical mind to what politicians have to say and, even seek to know what is behind whatever it is they are saying. We must try and discern it because we need to really be well informed in order to be able to choose the right persons to lead us at this critical time of the country.”

He also called for full participation in the electoral process, getting one’s voter’s card while urging INEC to ensure that the cards are well distributed to ensure that Nigerians carry out their civic duties in this regard.

Looking at the security situation of the country, Archbishop Martins said “we charge President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the assurances given in regards to the election to be free and fair without interference. We hope that he will ensure that happens by making sure that the security agencies are thoroughly prepared and that they carry out their duties without any fear or favour.

“Also, the politicians themselves should recognise that if they throw up chaos, it is not going to affect the people alone; it will also affect them and their chances. It will affect the well-being of the nation, and therefore all of us just need to be equitable in our perspective,” the cleric added.

The Catholic Church of the Assumption Parish Priest, Very Rev. Fr. Francis Ike added that “today is all about the spirit of Christmas, a time to listen, sing, reflect, pray and sit back and share pleasantries and relax.”

He pointed out that the concert gathering is not just a carol but much more than a carol, calling for love and peace to reign in the country. He explained that “we should build a country where we see one another as brothers and sisters, where someone from the north can relate freely with someone from the south, and someone from the east can also relate freely with a person from the West.”

The Christmas concert committee chair, Dame Marie Fatayi-Williams stated that “usually, we do a Christmas carol in the church, but this year we have three major celebrations, as the Catholic Church of Assumption Falomo parish, Lagos clocks 62 years.

“We are also privileged to be able to celebrate 10 years of Episcopal Enthronement of Archbishop Alfred Martins, and 10 years of Anthony Cardinal Okogie as Emeritus Archbishop,” she added.

Dame Fatayi-Williams noted that the Parish could not celebrate its 60th anniversary due to COVID-19 pandemic. According to her, “Jesus Christ is the reason for the season, urging us to leave no one behind but to recognise our interconnectedness in the love of God, love of man and love of creation.”

Going into the New Year, Fatayi-Williams said “we are going into an election year and we should seek for reconciliation, forgiveness and peace. Those are the messages that will be forever preached.”

She explained that “we can restore peace and harmony back by embarking on actions of simple lifestyle changes as a family both at home and in the church to restore harmony to creation. We can all go ‘green’ by giving someone a tree seedling as a gift, and planting more trees to celebrate Christmas and other landmarks.”

She further called for the reuse and recycling of plastic, proper disposal of refuse, energy conservation and avoiding indiscriminate dumping of waste, saying that, “We as a family and parish resolve to sign up to the Laudato Si Action Platform (LSAP) to save the planet -the Earth- our Common Home”

A lot of performances featured at the Christmas concert. These included a glorious performance by Francesca Chiejina, a Nigerian-American classical and opera singer, the host choir, the Sanctuary choir of Ikoyi Baptist church, the Elites Chorale, the Playhouse Voices amongst other parish groups rendering glorious compositions to praise the King of Kings.

Then Archbishop Adewale Martins concluded by saying “This has been a fantastic evening and only Jesus could have made this possible” He then prayed over, blessed and turned on the lights to the imposing Christmas Tree.

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Innovation Meets Vision As Glo Partners Samsung to Unveil New Galaxy S26

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In a convergence of technology and vision, digital solutions leader Globacom has entered a partnership with global electronics giant Samsung to introduce the much-anticipated Galaxy S26 Series to the Nigerian market. It is a device conceived for a generation that lives, works and dreams in real time.

The unveiling, held at Globacom’s corporate headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, gathered an august assembly of high-net-worth customers, industry figures and members of the media. The atmosphere was not merely ceremonial; it was symbolic — a quiet affirmation that when global engineering meets indigenous connectivity, innovation finds its true signal.

As part of the partnership, Globacom has commenced an exclusive pre-order window for its subscribers. Each Galaxy S26 purchased at any Gloworld outlet nationwide is bundled with 18GB of complimentary data under the Glo Smartphone Festival Data Plans delivered as 3GB monthly for six months.

In addition, customers receive a distinguished Platinum Number eSIM, accompanied by up to 10GB of extra data monthly. It is a proposition crafted not as an afterthought, but as a deliberate statement of value.

The Galaxy S26 Series itself is a study in assured sophistication. It fuses next-generation processing power with a sleek, immersive display, enhanced camera intelligence, durable battery performance and privacy screen technology. Its Agentic AI capabilities introduce a more intuitive user experience, one that anticipates need, protects data and enhances productivity.

In essence, it is a device built not merely to function, but to empower.

Speaking at the event, Samsung’s Product Manager, Sellout Platinum, Mr. Solomon Osibeluwo, described Globacom as the first partner to host the S26 masterclass session — a testament, he noted, to the enduring strength of the relationship between both organisations. He reaffirmed Samsung’s commitment to deepening this alliance, adding that the S26 Series has been meticulously engineered to enrich the calling, browsing and overall digital experience of Nigerians.

In his address, Globacom’s Head of Gloworld, Mr Mohamed Rabie, underscored that the collaboration is anchored on delivering real and measurable value. Premium technology, he remarked, must travel with meaningful benefit. He expressed pride that Globacom stands as the first partner to offer both the masterclass engagement and immediate pre-order advantages following the device’s launch in Nigeria.

Encouraging Nigerians to experience the device firsthand at Gloworld outlets nationwide, Rabie concluded with quiet conviction: “this moment transcends the unveiling of a smartphone. It signals the unfolding of new possibilities powered by intelligence, sustained by partnership, and carried on the dependable wings of connectivity”.

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FCCPC Uncovers Patterns of Price Manipulation by Local Airlines

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has uncovered patterns of price manipulation perpetrated by some local airlines during the last festive season.

The findings are contained in the interim report released on Thursday by the Commission’s department of Surveillance and Investigations, according to a statement signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, and made available to The Boss.

Recall that the Commission announced an industry-wide investigation earlier in January.

The forensic exercise benefitted from data collated by the Commission from airlines operating local routes in the country.

The report compares domestic airline pricing from the December 2025 festive period with post-peak January 2026 fare levels.

Preliminary analysis indicates that fares recorded during the December peak were materially higher than those observed in the post-peak period across several routes despite relative stability in critical operating variables like fuel price, government taxes and foreign exchange.

The differences observed in fares therefore appear to reflect airlines’ arbitrary pricing decisions, including yield management and capacity allocation, rather than any variation in regulatory fees.

Route-level analysis shows that higher fares coincided with periods of reduced seat availability during predictable seasonal demand peaks. On some high density routes, peak fares were clustered within relatively narrow ranges across several operators.

For instance, on certain corridors like Abuja-Port Harcourt, peak fares were several times higher than corresponding post-peak levels. On selected routes, the difference in the price of a single ticket reached approximately ₦405,000. Median fares across the sampled routes also rose markedly during the festive window when compared with post-peak benchmarks.

However, the interim report recognises that seasonal demand pressures, scheduling constraints and fleet utilisation may also affect pricing during peak travel periods.

These factors remain under consideration as part of the Commission’s ongoing review.

Commenting on the release of the interim report, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the review is part of the Commission’s statutory responsibility to promote competitive markets and safeguard consumers.

“This assessment is intended to provide clarity on pricing behaviour during predictable peak travel periods. The Commission’s role is not to disrupt legitimate commercial activity, but to ensure that market outcomes remain consistent with competition and consumer protection principles under the law,” Mr. Bello said.

He noted that the Commission is conducting further structural and route-level analysis before reaching any conclusions.

“It is important to emphasise that this is an interim report. Our next action will be dictated by full facts established at the end of the review exercise.  Then, the Commission will decide whether any regulatory guidance, engagement or enforcement steps are necessary, strictly in accordance with the law,” he said.

The report identifies the possible relevance of Sections 59, 72, 107, 108, 124 and 127 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, which respectively address the prohibition of agreements in restraint of competition, the prohibition of abuse of a dominant position, the offence of price-fixing, conspiracy to commit offences under the Act, the right to fair dealings, and the prohibition of unfair, unreasonable or unjust contract terms.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bello announced that foreign airlines will come under FCCPC radar after the ongoing review of local airlines in view of widespread complaints of exploitative fares they allegedly charge Nigerians on certain routes compared to fares in neighbouring countries that are of equal distance.

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Many Killled, Houses Torched As Terrorists Unleash Deadly Attacks on Adamawa Communities

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At least 25 ⁠people were killed and several houses torched after ​gunmen attacked two villages late on Tuesday in Adamawa State, northeast ‌Nigeria, residents and the ‌state governor said on Wednesday.

The attackers struck Kirchinga in Madagali ⁠district ⁠and Garaha in neighbouring Hong, two villages on the edge ​of the Sambisa Forest where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operate.

The twin raids highlight the enduring insecurity in Nigeria’s ​northeast, the epicentre of a 17-year Islamist insurgency, despite years of ⁠military ⁠campaigns.

Abubakar Lawan Kanuri, the ⁠village ​head of Kirchinga, told Reuters the attackers arrived on Tuesday evening ​dressed in military uniforms ⁠that initially led residents to mistake them for soldiers on patrol. He said 18 bodies were recovered after the gunmen swept through the community.

In Garaha, seven people were killed when ⁠gunmen on more than 50 motorcycles stormed the village and attacked ⁠a nearby military base, said resident Musa Isa, who added he “narrowly escaped.”

They advanced from several directions and hit the military base, killing three soldiers. Four fleeing residents were shot, and a school was also burned. Many villagers have since fled to Mubi, the nearest big town, Isa said.

Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri condemned the attacks ⁠as “cowardly acts of terrorism” and vowed not to “let terrorists undermine our efforts to restore peace and stability,” according to a statement from his spokesman.

Source: usnews.com

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