Chairman and Managing Director of Chesmstar Group, makers of Finecoat Paints and other allied products, Apostle Dr. Aderemi Emmanuel Awode added another beautiful year to his successful years on earth on Monday, 7th of September, 2020.
In his usual style, the fine man behind the finecoast conglomerate, maintaining the social distancing order, gathered a few friends, staff and family to appreciate God’s abundance joy over him.
He would have thrown a large soiree and made the bubbling with activities with live-band on stage as he does annually but the Covid-19 regulations have caused a restriction as he just had his management staff and family to rejoice with him on his special day.
Awode who left no stone unturned to fete the little gathering was full of joy as he beamed with smile all through at his palatial office at Casso Lagos/Abeokuta expressway where they were given a memorable treat.
As they say, “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” Mr. Awode is one of those whose business success has become a case study as he makes good use of his time and resources to raise others up businesswise.
Following the recent announcement of its financial results for the half-year ended June 30 2020, the Group Managing Director of Access Bank PLC, Herbert Wigwe has assured all stakeholders of the Bank’s commitment to offering greater share value.
“Leveraging investments in digital banking post-merger, we have seen a growth in our retail banking business, as evidenced by the growth in customer sign-on, transaction volume and value, and increased adoption of our digital channels. While the other half of 2020 will remain challenging, digital banking has become more essential than ever in the pursuit of sustainable earnings.
“We are confident that our purposeful strategy, diversified model, and investment in digital solutions will ensure that we remain resilient and continue to support our stakeholders to recover and thrive. I want to thank our employees for their commitment and exceptional work in these uncertain times,” Wigwe said.
The Group recorded gross earnings of ₦396.8bn (+22% y/y), on the back of a 191% y/y growth in non-interest income to ₦150bn, buttressing the efficacy of its strategy and capacity to generate sustainable revenue.
Access Bank also continued to grow its trading and transaction banking income through the optimisation of its channels and electronic banking business, notwithstanding the reduction in transaction charges. Despite the high cost of operation and an increase in its net impairment charge, Profit Before Tax stood at ₦74.3bn.
Despite the shortfalls due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Access Bank maintained a robust capital position, underpinned by resilient and well-diversified business operations. The Bank’s capital and liquidity positions were well above regulatory levels with a Capital Adequacy Ratio of 20.0% and a liquidity ratio of 44.7%.
In the first half of 2020, Access Bank took several actions to proactively identify and resolve loan performance concerns. This was done in line with its long-term approach to risk management and maintaining resilience and sustainability in its balance sheet. The resultant effect of this approach was its NPL ratio of 4.4%, backed with write-offs.
The lender has gone further to announce that investors will get 25 kobo per share as an interim dividend to be paid on Monday, September 28, 2020. According to the Bank, payments will only be made to those whose names appear on the register of members at the close of business on Thursday, September 17, 2020, and have completed the e-dividend registration per directives given to United Securities Limited.
First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider, has graduated 12 successful candidates in the third edition of its Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP). The graduation ceremony held virtually, via the Zoom video conferencing platform on Wednesday, 2 September, 2020.
The Senior Management Development Programme (SMDP) is FirstBank’s intensive modular programme for a select group of senior managers to principal managers who are proven leaders in their respective functions and have been identified as central to the Bank’s succession plan.
Prior to the 2020 programme, 40 exemplary staff had successfully participated in the SMDP. 23 staff graduated in the inaugural edition that held in 2017 and the 2018 programme had 17 graduands.
According to Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, First Bank of Nigeria Limited; “I am delighted with the performance of the third set of the Senior Management Development Program (SMDP) graduands. The set’s performance and response to the various trainings and initiatives have been very impressive and exemplary. The set has demonstrated the gold standard of value and excellence in banking services which FirstBank stands for. The SMDP has been an insightful and impactful journey for the Bank and the participants.”
“I encourage each graduand to maximise the experience and knowledge garnered from the program as they build on their individual and collective contribution to the Bank’s continued growth as well as its efforts in enabling and impacting Nigeria, and the Africa continent at large,” he concluded.
One of Africa’s leading financial institution, Access Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Hassan M.T Usman as its Independent Non-Executive Director, following the approval of Central Bank of Nigeria.
For those who don’t know, before Usman’s new appointment, he was the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Aso Savings and Loans Plc and an Executive Director at Abuja Investment and Property Development Company Limited.
However, Mr. Usman is the Founder/Chief Executive Officer of New Frontier Development Limited, an investment company focused on financial advisory, hospitality, real estate and proprietary investments in startups and challenged companies in the SME space.
He is also the Founder/Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Al-Qalam (Pen) Foundation, a Non-for-Profit Organization that provides educational opportunities to disadvantaged children.
He was at various times the Deputy Director and Head of Petrochemicals and Gas Unit, Transport Sector Reform Team as well as the Deputy Director Telecoms Reform Lead and Head NITEL Privatization at the Bureau of Public Enterprises. He had also worked with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Arthur Andersen and CitiBank Nigeria.
Usman holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Sussex and a Master of Philosophy in Development Economics from the University of Cambridge.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He is also an Eisenhower Fellow and Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow of the African Leadership Institute.
Over the years, Usman had served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company and Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
Commenting on the appointment of Mr. Hassan M.T Usman, Access Bank Chairman, Ajoritsedere Awosika, said; “We are delighted to be joined by Mr Hassan M.T. Usman, a leader with a rich blend of academic, entrepreneurial and public sector experience which are all relevant to the needs of our Board.”
“As we embark on the next phase of our enterprise transformation, we continue to strengthen the diversity of our board, we are strongly convinced that he will no doubt add significant value to our quest to become Africa’s Gateway to the World.”
The September 19th governorship election in Edo State comes with a lot of promises and perils for the political legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari. Lest he is unaware, his claims to a lasting, positive legacy for the All Progressives Congress, APC, are dependent largely on the outcome of the Edo, nay Ondo elections. Alas, it is almost common knowledge that, where he is not directly affected, President Buhari can be patently detached while maintaining a Grand Canyon of distance.
But there is fire on the mountain in Edo State and with the election a few days away, the president needs to shed that passé toga of detachment and adorn the garb of pragmatic proactiveness. This is because the battle for the heart and soul of the state is not just between Governor Godwin Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate and APC’s Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu; several powerful forces are tugging at the soul of the state for different pecuniary or political reasons.
As a candidate, Ize-Iyamu has run a good campaign so far. He has creditably sold his SIMPLE (Security and Social Welfare, Infrastructure Development, Manpower Development, Public/Private Partnership, Leadership by Example and Employment Creation) Agenda to the electorate, who now perceives him as a cut above the rest – the one who can liberate them from the shackles of under-development and misgovernance exemplified by the incumbent.
As someone, who is also firmly rooted in the politics of the state, he has also clearly debunked insinuations in several quarters that if he emerged governor, he would be under the shadows and viselike grip of former Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
What many don’t know or are deliberately glossing over is that Ize-Iyamu has been in politics at the local and national level longer than Oshiomhole. In 1999, upon the return of democratic government to Nigeria, Ize-Iyamu was appointed as the Chief of Staff to the then Governor of Edo State, Dr. Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion.
During Igbinedion’s second term, he was elevated to the post of Secretary to the State Government (SSG). All this while, Oshiomhole was a mere activist and labour leader – serving as President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. Ize-Iyamu later served as national vice-chairman, South-south zone of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the legacy parties that formed the APC.
Because of his understanding of the Edo political terrain and familiarity with the people, Ize-Iyamu was appointed the Director-General of Oshiomhole’s second term Campaign Organisation and he delivered. So, Ize-Iyamu is no neophyte in politics or a yo-yo that can be tossed about by any person masquerading as a godfather.
This is a fact that has yet to be clearly understood by some frontline members of the APC especially many of the sitting governors and senators, who see Obaseki’s denial of a second term ticket as the handiwork of Oshiomhole. This is the crux of the matter.
Until recently, Oshiomhole was the chairman of the APC. He piggybacked and bankrolled Obaseki’s emergence as governor in 2016. Before that time, Obaseki served in Oshiomhole’s administration as chairman of the Economic and Strategy Team.
The former governor introduced Obaseki into politics, because all his life, he had been in the private sector as a financial expert and chairman/founder of Afrinvest West Africa Limited (formerly Securities Transactions & Trust Company Limited (SecTrust), which has grown to become a reputable investment banking and management firm in Nigeria. So, Obaseki can legitimately be called Oshiomhole’s political godson. There’s no debating that.
Their common song, however, became a byword, when they fell apart over allegations that Obaseki had become imperious and power-drunk. A case in point was his unconstitutional refusal to inaugurate the House of Assembly in 2019, because he perceived that his predecessor had more loyalists there than he does, which he felt would affect him or so. That issue stagnated legislative activities in the state since last year necessitating the intervention of President Buhari and the National Assembly. The Assembly is still a divided house thereby denying the people quality legislative representation.
Last June, Obaseki defected to the PDP, where he was offered the governorship ticket at the detriment of other aspirants. Many incumbent governors fingered Oshiomhole as being responsible for this defection and went all out to have him removed.
As the reports go, a delegation of angry APC governors met with the president and presented to him three requests one of which was Oshiomhole’s removal, dissolution of the National Working Committee and the constitution of a caretaker committee headed by Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe State.
All of these were granted. The president never made any request of the governors. In fact, reports say that they were shocked that he acceded to all their requests.
Like the President noted in June during the inauguration of the caretaker committee, “It is obvious that the fortunes of the party are currently, in jeopardy, administration of our party is becoming impossible and there is consequently an urgent need for intervention to immediately arrest further drifts and internal wrangling, which may lead to total disintegration.” Those issues are still omnipresent in the party.
Beneath the patina of cohesion put up by the APC leadership, however, there is a simmering animosity and disconnect that can only be remedied by the president. Some APC governors are still sympathetic to Obaseki and are supporting his re-election bid on the PDP platform with an unwritten agreement that if he won, he would return to the APC.
The APC governors’ support for him is deemed a reprisal at Oshiomhole, who they fear might want to stage a return to the leadership of the party. They don’t want him back; neither do they want Ize-Iyamu to win, because of the Oshiomhole factor. It is a dicey situation that does not bode well for the party in the long run. So, how does quid pro quo work for the President?
It is now time for the president to ask a favour of the governors, which is for them to close ranks and ensure that they not only win Edo State; they do so convincingly and move on to Ondo State, which governorship election is in October. He must call the aggrieved governors to order by discouraging and denouncing their apparent anti-party activities, speak to their collective conscience, probably make them swear to an oath of allegiance if that would help whip them into line, and commit them to work for the party and Ize-Iyamu. Failure to do this now could leave a blotch on whatever legacy the president might want to lay claim to after his stewardship in office.
Alfred, a communication analyst, lives and works in Abuja
Stakeholders in the Nigerian Education sector have advocated more private sector investment, tax concession, import duty waivers for educational equipment and special intervention funds to revamp the sector in the face of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The stakeholders comprising public and private sector participants who spoke during the Ecobank Digital Series titled “Education in Nigeria – The role of private investment” noted that education is a critical sector that contributes to human capital development and sustainable future for the country and must therefore not be overlooked. They called on the private sector to invest more in education in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR), scholarships, provision of palliatives, support to reconstruction and rehabilitations of schools across the country.
Key participants at the event included the Honourable Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, represented by the Assistant Director & Head, PPP/NGOs, Elizabeth Afape; The Honourable commissioner of Education, Lagos State, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo; The Honourable commissioner of Education, Katsina State, Prof. Badamasi Lawal Charanchi; The Deputy Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Dr. Suleiman Ramon-Yusuf; Director General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Muda Yusuf and Keynote speaker and Pro-Chancellor Achievers University, Dr. Olabode Ayorinde, and also the National President, Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), Mr. Orji Kanu Emmanuel amongst others.
In his presentation, Professor Olabode Ayorinde, stressed the need for government at all levels to place high priority on the education sector when providing intervention funds, urging commercial banks to also lend more to this sector at low interest rate. According to him, “The private sector has played a significant role in education development. However, funding has been a major issue. A critical analysis shows inadequate infrastructure, lack of equipment and teaching aids, high teacher to student ratio, all of which requires a loan facility to solve. Regrettably, we see the government and its agencies providing intervention funds to the aviation sector, agriculture, creative sector without considering the education sector.”
On his part, Dr. Suleiman Ramon-Yusuf, of the NUC, attributed the poor state of the nation’s economy to the inability of the private sector in making the right impact on the education sector, noting that endowments, scholarships and bursaries would create access for schools to admit more students. He disclosed that the NUC will continue to provide an enabling environment for education and learning to thrive in the country, urging the private sector to invest more in human capital development, while limiting undue interference from the investors.
Also on the Ecobank Digital series platform, Dr. Muda Yusuf of the LCCI, called for government’s intervention in the education sector, especially at the foundation level, maintaining that it was not easy to sustain the education sector with loans from the commercial banks because of high interest rates. He canvassed for tax concession for private investments in education, adding that “Licensing for private universities should be made easy to enable inclusiveness and a model that will include scholarships and bursary should be enacted.”
In her contribution, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, said there are more private schools in the state than public schools and most of them may not survive the grueling effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to her, “Land and access is the main hinderance to building of more schools in Lagos State. Currently, the government is working on synergy between the public and private sectors, reviewing and optimizing the school curriculum, improving the quality of primary education, investing in teaching aids for schools and much more.” Towing the same line Prof. Badamasi Lawal, Commissioner for Education, Katsina State, posited that “Initiatives for teachers development, public and private sector partnership, better and favorable legislation, corporate social responsibility like scholarship, bursary and tax concession would go a long way in providing the enabling environment for education sector to thrive in the country.
Segment Head, Public Sector, Ecobank Nigeria, Mrs. Annabel Ikuenobe, stated the readiness of the bank to keep supporting the growth of the education sector in the country. She enumerated the bank’s several products and initiatives available for Ecobank customers. According to her, one of our products to serve the education sector is the “Ecobank School Bundle. The bundle comprises of a current account, which runs at a zero maintenance fee. We also have in place digital banking services, which include PoS, corporate card and Omnilite for easy disbursement of funds; E-billspay, to support collections and administration of the school portal, which promotes remote learning for students, receipt generation and the school’s communication management. Loans are also available for Ecobank customers.”
Welcoming guests earlier to the Ecobank Digital Series, Carol Oyedeji, Executive Director, Commercial Bank noted that private sector participation in the education sector cannot be overemphasized. She stated that education ensures a brighter future for our generation. She enjoined all stakeholders to proffer ways forward for the sector. She noted that the Ecobank Digital Series is a virtual programme organized by Ecobank to educate and enlighten the public on crucial issues of public interest, especially as it relates to their financial freedom.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Tuesday revealed that at the heat of the bloody clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria, the United States President, Donald Trump, once asked him why he was killing Christians.
This was just as the President charged ministers and other top government officials to go “on the offensive” in defending his regime and its achievements.
Buhari said these in his closing remarks at the two-day ministerial performance review retreat held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
At a point, the President digressed from his prepared speech and narrated his encounter with Trump on the bloody clashes.
He said he managed to explain to the American leader that the clashes were not about ethnicity or religion.
He said, “I believe I was about the only African among the less developed countries the President of United States invited.
“When I was in his office, only myself and himself, only God is my witness, he looked at me in the face, he asked, ‘why are you killing Christians?’
“I wonder, if you were the person, how you will react? I hope what I was feeling inside did not betray my emotion, so I told him that the problem between the cattle rearers and stagnant farmers, I know is older than me not to talk of him. I think I am a couple of years older than him.
“With climate change and population growth and the culture of the cattle rearers, if you have 50 cows and they eat grass, any root, to your water point, then they will follow it. It doesn’t matter whose farm it is.
“The First Republic set of leadership was the most responsible leadership we ever had. I asked the Minister of Agriculture to get a gazette of the early 60s which delineated the cattle route where they used meagre resources then to put earth dams, wind mills even sanitary department.
“So, any cattle rearer that allowed his cattle to go to somebody’s farm would be arrested, taken before the court. The farmer would called to submit his bill and if he couldn’t pay, the cattle would sold, but subsequent leaders, the VVIPs (very very important persons) encroached on the cattle routes. They took over the cattle rearing areas.
“So, I tried and explained to him (Trump) that this has got nothing to do with ethnicity or religion. It is a cultural thing.”
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria, in its reaction, described Buhari’s revelation of his conversation with Trump as weak.
CAN’s Vice President and Chairman of the association in Kaduna State, John Hayab, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said, “Buhari and his government will never stop from amusing us with their tales by moon light because what is happening in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina , Birnin Gwari, Southern Kaduna, Taraba, Plateau and others cannot be described as a cultural thing.
“President Buhari’s weak story about his conversation with President Donald Trump further confirms why his government does not care about the killings in our country by calling them cultural things.
“Just this (Tuesday) evening, I received a report from the Kaduna Baptist Conference President about the number of their members that have been killed by bandits in Kaduna State from January 2020 to date to be 105 and our President will call it a cultural thing? All we can say is may God save our Nigeria.”
One of Nigeria’s leading and front-line Juju music act, Yinka Best has been in the news of recent, especially after a successful launch of his newly released 3 albums at a go in America, United Kingdom and Nigeria.
In this exclusive chat, the ‘Ko Gb’oge Wa’ crooner opened up on his musical career, experience in the United Kingdom and most importantly his grievances with afro juju act, Sir Shina Peters. Excerpts…
What has been happening to Yinka Best?
A lot has been happening to Yinka Best, ups and downs, hustling and bustling to make ends meet. I am also trying to promote my newly released albums.
You appear to stay out of the country now?
Not really. Although, I have been traveling around when I am needed for shows outside the country. This shuffling has been made possible with the support of God, fans, friends and family.
What are you cooking presently?
At the moment, I am working on the production of video and promotion of my albums.
With your exposure to the outside world, how would you compare Nigeria’s music industry with America and Europe?
There is no basis for comparison with Nigerian music, because Nigerian music, to an extent and on its struggling note gone far and wide and recognized all over the world. There is nothing really to worry about because Nigerian musicians are doing well. All we need is the support of the government to make things work better.
Talking about your brand of music, what exactly is happening to Juju music?
I want to correct this impression that I play only JuJu music, I also play highlife and Jazz music. And as for JuJu music, a lot has been happening. For instance, there’s no love amongst some JuJu artistes that we look up to. Some of the leaders we look up to in JuJu music are not responsible at all. The wicked amongst them is Sir Shina Peters. All the problems we are having now in JuJu music stems from him. He does not want other JuJu musicians to grow, he wants everything to be all about him alone and this is affecting the JuJu music industry. Most of my colleagues in JuJu music have one or two things to say about his attitude towards them. It high time someone spoke out. We can’t continue like this. I can only speak for myself on this issue; Sir Shina Peters has been on my case for the past 20 years, from blocking me from shows and also not allowing promoters home and abroad to work with me. Despite all these, I still try to be at peace with him and all my effort has been made futile. Imagine Sir Shina Peters saying he doesn’t want to have any dealings with someone that’s associated with King Sunny Ade when I invited him to the launch of the album I produced in honour of King Sunny Ade, for his role and contributions to JuJu music.
Personally, I feel this is highly disrespectful to the person and position of King Sunny Ade. Sir Shina Peters even went on to request for money before he could honour the invitation. Unfortunately, he did not attend the event.
How has Juju music fared in the last couple of decades?
To God be the glory we are pushing ahead JuJu music. Thank God for someone like King Sunny Ade, he has been a great support and pillar in the JuJu music.
What exactly are the factors working against the progress of Juju music?
Number one factor is jealous. Also are greed and selfishness, especially from our so called leaders like Sir Shina Peters. People we should be looking up to are the ones letting us down. There are lots of JuJu artistes that need support but they are being let down by his act of greed. He is all about himself. We need to support one another and work on copy right. Don’t wait until Yinka Best, Wale Thompson, Segun Nabi, Dele Taiwo and Tayo King release albums, let us promote originality. Another advice I will like to give to all JuJu musicians is that achievement is not about tactics, it’s about commitment, hard work and perseverance.
What efforts are people like you making to turn things around for good for Juju music?
As I said earlier, I have been working on my albums and also encouraging up coming artistes. I believe when more albums are released, it will help to lift souls and promote sanity. I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity especially, juju music. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves good music. One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain
Allegations of rigging are the standard shibboleth and apocalyptic rhetoric of an opposition party and a weak candidate especially, in this part of the world. Although it is fast becoming a norm too in some of the most civilised parts of the world, it is, however, a stale and unmelodic tune that many Nigerians no longer bob or weave to.
The reality is that it is almost always the unpopular candidate or the self-styled underdog that typically raises such fatuous and unfounded allegations while attempting to whip up sympathy forgetting that Nigerians have become wiser to this spoof over the years.
Expectedly, in Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate in the September 19th governorship election, Governor Godwin Obaseki, are beating the torn drums of electoral manipulation again. It is a way of life for them.
Immediately he jumped ship and got the ticket of the PDP to fly its flag in the election, Obaseki and his cheerleaders went to town raising fears of a potentially flawed election while taking no prisoners; everyone is in on the plot. From the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, everyone is culpable except them. How convenient!
We have not forgotten that weeks before the March 9, 2019 governorship and state assembly elections in Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike claimed that the APC-led federal government had planned to use the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army to disrupt the election and had “mapped out local government areas, where they will initiate violence to ensure that elections are not conducted as they did during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.”
Wike also accused INEC of plotting to print illegal gubernatorial ballot papers that would exclude the newly registered political parties to implement the rigging plans. Despite these allegations, Wike eventually won the election and no one heard anything about rigging again.
Now, as the chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council for Edo Governorship Election, Wike is back with the oldest trick in the book. Early August, he whimsically claimed that the PDP had gathered enough intelligence report about the plan to rig the election and would scuttle it at the appropriate time.
But nobody is swayed. Even a pre-schooler now knows that his political brand depends on such inflammatory chestnuts. Therefore, no one is taking him seriously, not least, the concerned people of Edo State.
The immortal saying of late American President Abraham Lincoln that; “You can fool all the people some of the time; you can fool some of the people all the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time,” pretty much sums up how imbecilic the people of Edo consider Wike and PDP’s wild allegations about the integrity of the elections.
No one is blind or deaf to the fact that Wike was merely echoing Governor Obaseki’s escapist rhetoric so that when he is eventually voted out, he can conveniently claim, like other sore losers before him, that the election was manipulated in his opponent’s favour.
Well, what the PDP has failed to accept is the unpopularity of its candidate. More than any period in the history of elections in the state, there is palpable confidence that votes will be accurately counted and they would count in the final analysis. Consequently, the electorate seems extra motivated for this election. And you can’t blame them.
As far as they are concerned, Obaseki is a complete, bungling failure, who is now swinging and getting high on his puerile imaginations, because defeat stares him starkly in the face. Why would he even think that Edo people would re-elect him after presiding over the most chaotic and retrogressive four years in the history of the state?
Why would he be allowed anywhere near Government House beyond the expiration of his four year-term after mismanaging the commonwealth of the state; plunging the economy into quicksand and generally weakening the socio-ethnic and political fabric of the state? Unfortunately, neither the PDP nor its candidate is promising anything serious or substantive.
Rather, Obaseki has been ululating about Making Edo Great Again, MEGA, hare-brained rehash of President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan.
Instead of campaigning on the strength of his achievements, if there were, Obaseki and his party have been distracting and deflecting from proper electioneering, resorting instead to name-calling and pointless propaganda. Whether mega or minuscule, Obaseki has proven incapable of whatever is contained in his resonantly empty agenda that was dead on arrival.
Conversely, during his eight-year reign as governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole redefined the art of governance, rejuvenated the flagging faith of the people in the system, rebuilt the infrastructure and renewed the economy. He created an Edo State that was the pride of indigenes at home and in the Diaspora. He made being called an Edolite worth its weight in gold anywhere in the world.
On the strength of the foundations he had laid, the progressive comrade lent all his weight behind Obaseki, believing that having served in his government as Chairman of the Edo State Economic and Strategy Team; he would build on his legacies. Alas, Obaseki derailed and went on wanton misrule.
Several well-intentioned attempts by well-meaning Edo indigenes to make him stay the course were sneered and scowled at. Many came to a sorry pass for even daring to offer concrete and critical interventions.
Ask the billionaire businessman and philanthropist, Captain Idahosa Wells-Okunbo. He is still smarting from the many plots hatched by the governor and his agents to bring him into disrepute for selflessly wanting to help the state and later, to mediate in the faceoff between the governor and his predecessor.
Obaseki’s warped form of gratitude to Oshiomhole and others, who gave him wings on which he flew unfettered was to betray and batter them in the media and wherever else he could and destroy and defame the same state he now seeks to make great again.
Obaseki and his cohorts should be reminded that the APC has no reason under the sun to rig the election. Apart from fielding Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, a widely acclaimed popular candidate, a true son of the soil and accomplished administrator, who has diligently served the state since 1999, the APC’s achievements in the state have opened the people’s eyes to the fact that government can work for the people.
Also, for the first time in the history of democratic governance in the state, there is religious inclusivity; Ize-Iyamu’s deputy is Malam Gani Audu, a Muslim. That is a massive bloc of votes, which the PDP can never come close to.
And with his SIMPLE (Security, Infrastructural development, Manpower development, Public-Private Partnership, Leadership and Employment creation) Agenda, which has lucidly enunciated policies and programmes that are projected to create thousands of jobs in education, agriculture and rural development, housing, electrification, fire service, industrialisation, waste management system, social empowerment, and the water supply sector within four years, Ize-Iyamu has won the hearts of the people.
What more? Rather than play dirty like the PDP, he is resolutely and remarkably going about his campaigns, selling his manifesto of hope to an otherwise harried people. Having done his homework well, Ize-Iyamu is banking solidly on the people, not any phantom rigging machinery to take over the mantle of leadership in the state. Can somebody please, wake Mr. Obaseki and the PDP up from their imminent defeat-induced slumber to smell the coffee?
The sudden emergence of Covid-19, a pandemic disease rampaging the entire world and the financial capabilities of many been obstructed with thousands of people losing their jobs and sources of income.
Globally, the experience has been so dastardly and hitching because losing one’s sources of income is simply unimaginable. Our dear country, Nigeria is not an exception as top blue-chip corporate organisations have drastically reduced their staff strength, sacking quite a humongous number of their workforce. This has brought unbearable situations into so many homes with many families at the helms of breaking apart because of the financial incapability of the breadwinner.
To avoid these aggravating pains and exasperating experience, the Publisher of one of Nigeria’s most widely read softsell TOP SOCIETY MAGAZINE’S, Isaac Ifeanyi Agwazim has decided to organize a 3-Day Wealth Creation Summit in partnership with Satoshi Africa. The theme of the summit is “CRYPTO-CURRENCY, THE NEXT OIL”. The summit will hold on Tuesday 15th, Thursday 17th and Saturday 19th September, 2020. The Three-days summit is scheduled to hold by 11:00AM daily.
The summit will focus on maximizing the enormous opportunities in crypto space. It will also educate the attendees on how to use their mobile phone to create wealth in the comfort of their homes and workspace. The Country Director of Tonoit Africa and Leader Satoshi Africa, Engr. Edward Igberaese, a Blockchain expert will take the audience on the training and impact deep knowledge on how to be successful in crypto currency faming.
This summit is organized to rescue worrying Nigerians on their financial status. A lot of people have asked questions like: how do I change my financial status, how do I take charge of my resources, how do I build a stable income at this hard time, what other businesses can I venture into? But attending this crypto currency farming summit will go a long way in solving this puzzles.
Additionally, a lot of phone users are caught up in the web of wasting their data on frivolities rather than being involved in all these, it is better to stop wasting precious times and make money without stress through this summit. It is time to convert your phones into an asset.
Some of the speakers at the summit are Modupe Adebayo a.k.a Lady Billion Dollars, Engr. Levi Johnson, Pastor Okey, Mr. Enobong.
How to register for this life changing summit, simply send your NAME & DATE (eg. ISAAC AIFEANYI AGWAZIM, THRU. 17TH SEPT. 2020) to 08180221535. The details of the summit with venue shall be communicated to you upon your registration.
You shall definitely be glad you did as the summit will give a new turn into your financial life and give you the much anticipated success you have always desired.
