Politicians, policemen, and lecturers should say “God forbid” at least three times daily because every now and then, they’re the target of curses from many Nigerians. And looking at what has happened in the last couple of days, it seems bank staff should also be part of this list. 

Ever since the federal government signed Nigerians up for shege pro-max with the Naira redesign policy, the flaws in our banking system have been exposed for all to see. Many people have had to struggle with bad networks from their banks amidst the naira scarcity, which makes the implementation of the cashless policy seem even more impractical. 

However, the bank that seems to be bearing the brunt of Nigerians’ frustrations the most is Zenith. On February 7, 2023, an angry crowd of customers threatened to burn down their Sango-Ota branch in Southwest Nigeria because they felt ignored. Luckily, a man called MC Tush was able to appease the mob. Unfortunately, their other branches didn’t have the same luck as they have been attacked by customers unable to withdraw the new notes from their accounts. 

There have been clips on social media of their staff jumping fences to escape mob attacks.

Well, Zenith bank finally decided that enough’s enough. And on February 7, 2023, it shut down some of its branches in Abuja and other states around the country. This has frustrated Nigerians, but you can’t complain if there’s no one there to listen to you. 

It’d be interesting to see how Zenith bank tries to bounce back when everything’s over. 

What else happened this week?

A 9-Year-Old Nigerian Graduated from an American High School

For the japa enthusiasts, this might give you another reason to leave Nigeria. A nine-year-old boy, David Balogun, who lives in Pennsylvania, America, has become one of the youngest students in the world to graduate from high school. After attending classes remotely, he received his high school diploma from Reach Cyber Charter School. And some employers still foam at the mouth when you mention remote work. 

He plans to be an astrophysicist and has completed his first semester at Bucks County Community college. This boy would never have to worry about ASUU strike, and if Nigeria had a system that worked, we’d see that we’re blessed with children who are geniuses like David Balogun. 

Video of the week

Question of the week

The Supreme Court has temporarily suspended the February 10, 2023, deadline for swapping the Naira notes. Will this aid politicians in vote buying at the forthcoming polls?

Ehen one more thing…

The pressure on INEC is getting “worser”. There are talks of INEC working with MC Oluomo to distribute election items. Here’s the full gist.

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