2022 - Page 36 of 134 - SocietyGazette.com

Sekibo, Obi, others harp on security, leadership for economic prosperity

L-R: Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo; Coordinator of the Nigerian Association of Constitutional Law (NACL); Dr. Oruene Finebone – Secretary, Mediacal Women Association of Nigeria, Rivers State Branch; Barrister Sotonye Inyeinengi-Etomi, President of the Men’s League of Christ Church Port Harcourt; Very Rev. (Dr), Ivan Ekong, Asst. Resident Minister, Christ Church Port Harcourt; Figbene Briggs, Regional Head, South South 1 & 2 Zone; Dr. (Amb.) Victoria Ekhomu, Group MD/CEO of Trans-World Security Systems Ltd.; Very Rev. Jonathan Udofia; Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Trinity House, International Christian Worship Center; Elder (Engr.) Stanford Tassie and Alabo (Arc) Duboye Donald Graham-Douglas, during the 2nd Edition 2022 Forum, one-day International Colloquium organized by The Men’s League of Christ Church Port Harcourt, tagged, “What do Nigerians Want?”, held in Port Harcourt.

The MD/CEO of Heritage Bank Plc, Ifie Sekibo and other notable Nigerians have affirmed that the apt way to boost economic prosperity and peace in the country is to start addressing leadership challenges and insecurity.

Sekibo and other notable Nigerians like the Presidential aspirant of Labour Party, Peter Obi, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, Dr. Victoria Ekhomu and Barrister Sotonye Inyeinengi-Etomi, during the 2nd Edition 2022 Forum, one-day International

Colloquium organized by The Men’s League of Christ Church Port Harcourt, tagged, “What do Nigerians Want?”, extensively brainstormed on the kind of leadership the country needs and how to rescue the country from its current debacle.

Speaking on the topic, “The Economy Nigeria Needs to Break Forth,” Sekibo stressed that of important to achieving the transformation the country needs, there was urgent need to address insecurity, which according to him, is the foundation of prosperity, as no nation can achieve much where the is no peace.

Sekibo, represented by the Divisional Head, Strategy & Business Solutions, Segun Akanji emphasized that for security purposes, there must be an established functional and value adding identity system in place.

“On a higher note, I think one of the things that we need to achieve as a country is the issue of functional and value adding identity management, which is still far away from us, although, some people know that we have BVN, NIMC and a few other identity capture systems but they have not been as functional and value adding, like the social security number that most people in advanced economies carry,” he stated.

Sekibo further explained that to achieve a prosperous economy, Nigeria needs to find ways and means by policies to build dual circulation economy which thrives on three pillars.

According to him, we need to focus on building dual circulation economy where we can expand domestic production and demand by making sure that the masses are employed.

“We need to make our people are productive and stop putting subsidy in unproductive zones. When you give subsidy to people with inadequate or no income, they really cannot add value to the economy, and money has a way of flowing away due to import of consumables from other countries and because of this, a larger portion of every consumption or cash given as subsidy gets out of the country,” said Sekibo.

The bank’s helmsman further explained that to expand the domestic production, government must give the private sector support to drive employment creation, technology, which is riding on innovation and manufacturing must be in place and, the population which is an added advantage must be well educated.

He highlighted the need to examine how the country could add value to primary production for global export, emphasizing on reduction of over dependence on foreign markets but rather increase local production for export, whilst also increasing demand on local products.

Sekibo further affirmed that if states could function as proper federating units and take the lead of the competitive comparative advantages therein, wealth creation would be achieved that would bring about the desired changes.

The former governor of Anambra state and presidential aspirant, Peter Obi lamented the huge indebtedness of the country, which he blamed on unproductivity due to the inimical situation of high unemployment rate resulting to over 80million Nigerians being jobless.

He blamed the cumulative failure of government over the years on insecurity, failure to migrate from sharing formula to production formula and lack of will to transform the power sector and the need to focus and support the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

In his paper titled, “The President Nigeria Needs”, Pastor Ighodalo harped on the need for leadership change.

He argued that what the country needs now are leaders who have vision and are ready to sacrifice for the common man, stating, “things must be done differently”.

Ighodalo believed leadership remains the bane of Nigeria’s transformation, stressing that once we get good leadership other things will fall in place.

Prof. Oyewo while speaking on the topic “Restructuring and True Federalism” was of the view that some responsibilities need to be decentralized like the police, power provision and railway.

Once there is decentralization, he believes that the state will have less dependence on the centre, “rebalancing of the constitution in terms of power and security. So, there is reason for state police.”

Oyewo maintained that regions are closer to the people, thus it will boost security, the economy and sense of belonging by the populace.

He also identified data and planning as key factors in ensuring that programmes are tailored towards the people.

Fitch Reaffirms Ecobank Nigeria’s Stable Outlook

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Ecobank Nigeria Limited’s (ENG) Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘B-‘ with a Stable Outlook. Fitch also affirmed the Bank’s Viability Rating (VR) at ‘b-‘ and National Long-Term Rating at ‘BBB (nga)’. The rating agency released this rating last week, stating that the Bank’s IDRs are driven by its standalone creditworthiness, as expressed by its Viability Rating. Fitch had in January also rated Ecobank Nigeria Limited’s (ENG) Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘B-‘ with a Stable Outlook.

According to the report, though “ENG has a moderate market share of Nigeria’s banking sector assets (3.9% at end of 2021), its franchise gets an edge and benefits from being a subsidiary of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI; B-/Stable), a large pan-African banking group with operations spanning 33 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)”.

The report stated “rising global risks will weaken domestic operating conditions as any downside to operating conditions, “Inflation (17.7% in May 2022) is expected to remain stubbornly high, posing downside risks to real GDP growth forecasts of 3.1% and 3.3% in 2022 and 2023, respectively. However, downside risks are somewhat mitigated by strong oil prices, which should also underpin growth in non-oil sectors and banks’ asset quality”. It stated.

It reiterated that the Viability Rating of Ecobank Nigeria reflects its standalone creditworthiness despite the concentration of its operations within Nigeria’s challenging operating environment, high credit concentrations, asset-quality weaknesses, modest profitability, and weak capitalisation in the context of these risks. It also reflects a sizeable franchise and a healthy funding and liquidity profile.

“Ecobank Nigeria ENG has a Shareholder Support Rating (SSR) of ‘ccc+’. Fitch sees a high propensity in ETI to provide support given ENG’s importance to the parent’s pan-African strategy as its largest subsidiary (22% of group assets at end of 2021) and its presence in SSA’s largest economy. Fitch observed that rising global risks will weaken domestic operating conditions. Inflation (17.7% in May 2022) is expected to remain stubbornly high, posing downside risks to real GDP growth forecasts of 3.1% and 3.3% in 2022 and 2023, respectively. However, downside risks are somewhat mitigated by strong oil prices, which should also underpin growth in non-oil sectors and banks’ asset quality”. it stated.

Technology firms provide more opportunities for micro businesses in rural areas

B2B e-commerce platforms continue to provide increased access to products, for micro businesses in underserved areas as they expand their e-commerce services, reaching the retail market end in the underserved rural communities across Nigeria.

Alerzo’s Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Adewale Opaleye, said the B2B e-commerce firm was revving up its market presence with an ambitious expansion drive to bring the benefits of digital solutions closer to Nigerians irrespective of their locations, especially micro businesses operating in the underserved rural communities.

“Our strong presence in the South-West and continued expansion to the North-West and Central consolidate our desire to grow in a sustainable manner and continue to serve those that are underserved,’’ he said.

Speaking against the backdrop of the impact of e-commerce on the national economy, Opaleye stated that e-commerce players in the country were offering digital solutions that enabled informal retailers to access a vast assortment of goods and commodities with ease and faster, thereby saving them lot of time, energy and resources, and ultimately bring down their operating cost.

“On our Alerzoshop retail app, we have a vast assortment available to our customers to choose from, and we offer free delivery in all the over 13 cities we’re currently operating in. We change the landscape for the retailers through our one delivery at a time model,’’ he stated.

Opaleye added that, ‘‘for the past two years, we have delivered to informal retailers at no cost. With our delivery services, retailers save time, energy, and resources that they would have otherwise expended in restocking. These benefits have resulted in 85 per cent of our retailers reducing their two to four times a week restock trips to zero.”

He noted that Alerzo was committed to alleviating the peculiar challenges which micro business owners in underserved areas go through. According to him, some of the challenges include difficulty in accessing goods on time occasioned by dearth of infrastructure such as good road network, long distance to the market and lack of adequate transportation system to move purchased goods to the stores.

There is need for more intervention of e-commerce platforms to reach the underserved, and to further boost the national gross domestic product (GDP) of which the informal retailers are critical. The informal retail segment makes up the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) bloc which serves as the engine of economic growth contributing 50 per cent to the GDP and 80 per cent of the country’s total employment.

B2B e-commerce platforms have significantly impacted the manufacturing, distribution and retail value chains by supporting them with tech-driven digital solutions including warehousing and logistics infrastructure, and fulfilment solutions. B2B e-commerce platforms like Alerzo have their presence in rural areas and are reaching the underserved with access to extensive catalogue of products and logistics. Through texts, phone calls and logging on to the site where applicable, customers now easily place orders and get the goods delivered swiftly without being charged for delivery. So, unlike the deprivation of past years which micro business owners in underserved areas faced, most of them today can boast of better and faster access to goods and commodities.

Nigerian Army Reacts As Officers Reportedly Plan Protest In Abuja

The Nigerian Army has described as untrue, reports from certain quarters that some officers and soldiers are planning to storm Abuja in protest of their poor working conditions, non-payment of entitlements and other issues.

The Army in a statement on Wednesday signed by its spokesperson, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu said the allegations could have been ignored but the clarification became necessary because of the weighty nature of the claims made and the need to tell Nigerians the truth.

He told members of the public to ignore the reports of any planned protest.

Nwachukwu in debunking the report, argued that the Nigerian Army has never had it this good in terms of welfare and equipment for the personnel which has in no small way contributed to the victories recorded against bandits, terrorists and other criminals.

He said generally, working conditions have improved while new measures are constantly being introduced to make life easier for the soldiers and officers of the Nigerian Army under the current leadership of Lt. Gen Farouk Yahaya.

According to him, some faceless persons who want to cause disaffection are the ones behind the reports of a planned protest.

The Army statement titled ‘PHANTOM REPORT ON PURPORTED DISQUIET IN THE NA OVER POOR EQUIPMENT, WELFARE, A FAILED ATTEMPT AT INSTITUTIONAL BLACKMAIL’ reads in full: “The attention of the Nigerian Army(NA) has been drawn to yet another mischievous report peddled by some online media, alleging serving officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army are planning to storm Abuja, to protest over unpaid emoluments, poor working conditions and other unsubstantiated allegations.

“Judging by the unprofessional and irresponsible manner in which the release was made, citing faceless persons, it could have been ignored. However, the weighty nature of the claims demands some clarification for the sake of well meaning Nigerians.

“It is on record that officers and soldiers of the NA under the leadership of Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, like never before, have witnessed exceptional positive changes in the moral and physical components of the force. It is, therefore, crucial to state in very clear terms, that the NA has never had it so good, given the quantum of combat and logistics equipment that have been injected into the theatres of operations, a circumstance that has evidently turned the tide against the complex array of threats facing the nation. This is in addition to welfare packages introduced by the current leadership of the NA.

“More also, aside prompt payment of salaries and operational allowances, welfare flights have been inaugurated, which significantly reduced the burden of troops travelling in and out of the theatres to see their loved ones. This is also in addition to huge commitment on the medical needs of wounded-in-action officers and soldiers and the barracks communities. Scholarships are also being awarded to children of officers and soldiers killed in action in the ongoing operations.

“It is worthy of note, that across all NA Barracks there are deliberate efforts at providing conducive working and living conditions for troops and their families. These interventions in the form of massive barracks construction and renovation works, with visible footprints are bringing succour to NA personnel nationwide.

“The desperate effort by the authors of this unpatriotic report to give ethnic and religious coloration to the activities of the NA, is nothing but an inglorious attempt to woo unsuspecting members of the public with bigotry bargains, laced heavily with evil intent. It must be made crystal clear that the NA remains a symbol of national unity and therefore cannot afford to be divided along ethnic or religious lines.

“Suffice to state that the NA under the current leadership has remained resolute in carrying out its constitutional role and will vigorously continue to implement welfare programs for the benefit of all personnel. Troops deployed in ongoing operational engagements are putting in their best for the nation and should be encouraged, rather than plotting disaffection amongst them. All personnel are urged to remain steadfast and unswayed by the antics of unpatriotic elements, who for selfish gains want to plunge the nation into chaos.”

Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi fingered In N250 Million Money Laundering Scandal

Presidential candidate of Labour party, Peter Obi’s corruption case has been unveiled as his N250 Million money laundering scandal has resurfaced.

The money laundering scandal happened during his administration as the governor of Anambra state though he was cleared by the house of assembly then.

However, some of his defense then has unsettled political commentators especially on twitter and at the moment, has caused series of arguments.

The matter was first brought up by Seun Osewa, the founder of Nairaland who said his life hasn’t remained the same since he read the news about the N250 Million money laundering scandal.

Why We Directed Zamfara Residents To Acquire Guns – Matawalle

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has said his directive to residents to acquire weapons was for self-defense.

In a statement on Tuesday by his media aide, Jamilu Magaji, the governor made the remark while inaugurating some security committees in Gusau, the state capital.

The governor disclosed that his directive is backed by extant legislation, adding that his government was aware of the misgivings expressed in some quarters regarding the new measure.

Matawalle added that his directive was part of the administration’s efforts to tackle protracted security challenges in the State, stating that his government had explored all options to address the issue to no avail.

He added that the measure was meant to encourage the communities suffering almost daily from the inhuman aggressions from the bandits to acquire firearms to defend their communities.

The governor said: “Self-defence is a natural instinct and has always been part of human survival strategy.

“As those entrusted with the safety of lives and property of the people, we will do everything possible to uphold this responsibility within the ambit of the law.

“We are also aware that the security forces are doing their best to combat this formidable challenge.

“Their efforts are, however, hampered by the lack of adequate modern warfare equipment and the dearth of personnel.

“Our decision to mobilise people to secure their communities is, therefore, for the people to complement the efforts of the conventional security forces in dealing with banditry and fishing out informants

“The acquisition and usage of firearms by the public, who desire to do so, would be governed by the Nigeria Firearms Act.”

The governor explained that apart from dialogue, reconciliation, and disarmament, his government regularly engaged with Federal Government and neighboring states.

Matawalle added that the mobile telecommunication networks were shut down to give security forces the leeway to take the battle directly to the bandits.

The governor further said that his administration had provided modern RUGA settlement for nomads and logistics support to security agencies, including vehicles and drones.

He said that in recent weeks, the state has witnessed increased attacks in some parts of Gusau, Bukkuyum, and Gummi Local Government Areas.

Matawalle said that the government had provided 20 new Hilux Vans and 1,500 motorcycles to the committee on security to commence operation.

Woman finds huge frog inside bowl of ice cream bought from a store

A lady took to her Facebook page to share a photo of the huge frog she discovered inside a bowl of ice cream she bought from a store.

The lady with username, Tracy Wiemelt Holtman revealed that she bought the Blue Bunny ice cream and it was sealed. However, after it was opened, a frozen frog was found just under the cover.

She stated that she believes the store bought it from the factory that way because the seal had not been tampered with.

She then went on to add that she will be returning the ice cream to the store. Here’s what she wrote on her Facebook page,

So I literally just bought this blue bunny ice cream from hyvee. Morgan opened it tonight and look at what was in it. This has to come from the factory this way bc it was sealed. Guess I will be taking back to the store bc they won’t believe me if I just tell them.

In other unrelated news, a young Nigerian lady made a video of the “epic fail” she suffered after she decided to listen to the whisperings of the devil on what she should do to her hair.

The lady, identified as Naomi, who is a beauty content creator, was documenting a process of styling her hair but little did she know an action she took was going to leave her partially bald. Watch her video here

PDP BoT Chairman Threatens To Expose Obasanjo’s Secrets, Gives Him 48 Hours Ultimatum

The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin has challenged former President Olusegun Obasanjo to provide clarification on his recent statement about Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the PDP.
Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna State on Monday, Jibrin said Obasanjo should clarify his statement within 48 hours or risk his secrets getting exposed to Nigerians and the entire world.

Naija News reports the threat from the PDP BoT chairman follows a statement credited to Obasanjo in which he said picking Atiku as his running mate in 1999 was a mistake.

“One of the mistakes I made was picking my number two when I wanted to become the president. But because it was a genuine mistake, God saved me,” Obasanjo was quoted to have said while interacting with some secondary school students at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State.

However, Jibrin in his reaction said Obasanjo must openly accept or deny the statement credited to him about Atiku within 48 hours or risk getting his secrets exposed.

He added that the former President’s statement might be coming from a place of bitterness and resentment for being denied the opportunity to execute a third term agenda.

In his words, “I wish to appeal to former President Obasanjo to come out openly to repeat what he has said. Whether or not he was misquoted or meant what was credited to him.

“Although he has not debunked what was reported, one can assume that what was quoted to have been said by him is correct, but if he fails to openly come out and say which is correct in 48 hours, you will hear the bombardment and I will have no option but to break the egg and tell the whole world and Nigerians who is Obasanjo.

“There is no doubt Obasanjo may still be angry with Atiku even after helping him to succeed but perhaps for truncating his third term agenda, in any case, Alhaji Abubakar Atuku is our presidential candidate and I can tell you for sure that he will be the President in 2023 Insha Allah”.

Speaking further on the emergence of Ifeanyi Okowa as Atiku’s running mate and not Nyesom Wike, Jibrin said a high-powered team is been put together to beg the Rivers State Governor and others like him who might have been offended by the recent outcome of events ahead of the 2023 elections.

He said Wike remains a highly respected leader of the party.

”Governor Wike is a great party man who fought for the party, when the committee is constituted, in which we will also bring other contestants together, we will go and meet with Governor Wike and appeal to him even if it means kneeling down to beg him.

“It is our belief that in any contest, there will always be a winner and a loser and we must take whatever comes our way as the will of God who gives power to whatever he wishes at the time he wishes,” he said.

Gbajabiamila is pride to Lagos, face of effective legislature – Lagos Assembly

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, and members of the House on Monday showered encomium on Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who recently clocked 60.

The members of the House spoke during plenary describing Gbajabiamila as one who has brought pride to Lagos State.

Speaking about Gbajabiamila’s legislative acumen, Rt. Hon. Obasa described the Speaker of the House of Representatives as “a legislator who carries out his duty with passion and dedication. He has sacrificed his own personal interest in the interest of the people.

“You will recall during the reign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); he was awarded a national honour, but because he had reservations the way and manner the country was being managed then, he rejected the offer.

“This shows that he has always been with the people and serves in the interest of the people. He has also contributed a lot to the development of legislative institutions in this country.”

The Speaker thereafter directed the Clerk Barr. Olalekan Onafeko to transmit a congratulatory letter to the celebrant.

The Deputy Speaker, Hon. Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni, in his congratulatory message described Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila as an example of what a legislator should be .

“He has shown that the older the wine, the better the legislature,” he said.

Majority Leader of the House, Hon Sanai Agunbiade, described Gbajabiamila is a man that is charismatic of the office he occupies.

“He is calm, composed and each time you watch him preside, you would know an experienced legislator is presiding,” he said.

The Deputy Whip of the House, Hon. Mosunmola Sangodara, described Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila as a great leader who has brought developmental projects to Surulere constituency.

“He is a very outstanding man. His success cannot be far-fetched as this trait can be seen in his mother who was once a Local Government chairperson and performed very well during her time,” she said.

In his contribution, Hon. Temitope Adewale from Ifako-Ijaye said Speaker Gbajabiamila had shown to the world that there is credence in legislature .

“We are celebrating a man from Lagos who has rose from the ranks to become the ‘number four citizen’ in the country,” he said.

While lending his voice to the debate, Hon. Sa’ad Olumo opined that “Gbajabiamila had done everything in terms of quality representation. He has great impact on us in his capacity and representation.”

Primate Ayodele’s Prophecy On CJN Tanko Muhammad’s Incapacity Comes To Pass

Nigerians were greeted with the news of the chief justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad resigning from his position willingly, citing health related issues as reasons behind his actions.

This was an unexpected development as the CJN and top judiciary officials were still in an argument last week when the former was accused of diverting funds for his children’s political ambition.

However, records have it that popular prophet, Primate Elijah Ayodele had revealed in January 2021 that the incapacity of the chief justice of Nigeria will soon be exposed as he had seen it in the spiritual realm.

Over one year after, the truth about the incapacity of the chief justice of Nigeria has finally been exposed as prophesied by Primate Ayodele and surprisingly, it was exposed by the chief justice himself when he can no longer hide it.

This has fulfilled the prophecy of Primate Elijah Ayodele, just as many prophecies of his has been fulfilled to God’s glory.

In Nigeria and Africa, there is no prophet that is as vocal as Primate Ayodele and he has a record of prophesying on issues no other man of God dares talk about. His prophetic releases hit the internet almost on a daily basis apart from the new year prophecy and his annual book of prophecy titled Warnings to the nations.