…Acts as Facility Agent Bank for Nigerian Commercial Banks in the $1.5 Billion Facility to Boost Nigerian Oil Production and Government Revenue
The United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), the leading pan-African financial services group, has acted as Facility Agent Bank for the Nigerian Commercial Banks in a consortium with other international banks in a $1.5 Billion Pre-Export Finance Facility for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its upstream subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
UBA is providing $200 million (Naira equivalent) to support investment growth and liquidity requirements. The facility will provide much needed capital for investment in NNPC’s production capacity, which is of strategic importance to the Nigerian economy and the country’s leading source of foreign exchange earnings. UBA’s position as Facility Agent Bank recognises the Group’s strength in structuring and deploying financing to the oil and gas sector, and the depth and liquidity of the Group’s balance sheet.
The $1.5 billion facility is structured in two tranches. The first tranche of $1 billion, to be repaid over a period of five years, will be provided in dollars. The second tranche of $500 million, will be provided in local currency, over seven years, with UBA acting as Facility Agent Bank, providing $200 million in Naira equivalent. Both facilities will be repaid from an allocation of 30,000 barrels per day of NPDC’s crude oil.
UBA has a strong track record in the resources sector across Africa, having facilitated oil prepayment deals with the NNPC, including its 2013 $100 million participation in the PXF Funding Limited transaction, and a further $60 million in the 2015 Phoenix Export Funding Limited transaction. In Senegal, UBA was responsible for the EUR 240m Revolving Crude Oil Financing Facility for the Société Africaine de Raffinage and in Congo Brazzaville co-funded the $250m crude oil prepayment facility for Orion Oil Limited.
Other participants in the NNPC deal include Standard Chartered Bank, Afrexim Bank, Union Bank and two oil trading companies, Vitol and Matrix.
Speaking on this most recent support for the Nigeria’s petroleum industry, UBA Group Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu stated ‘This has been one of the most economically challenging years that Nigeria has witnessed. With the sharp drop in the price of oil and the ensuing hardship that followed the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the private sector must come together and contribute meaningfully to the economy. This facility is clear evidence of this – UBA is providing investment that will significantly improve Nigeria’s production capacity and in doing so also demonstrating the strength, depth, and sophistication of our commercial banking capability. I believe that together, working with governments, we can create more jobs and more wealth for people, not only in Nigeria, but across Africa’.
The United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with over 20,000 employees and serving over 20 million customers. UBA operates in 20 African countries and globally in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and France, providing retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.
Notwithstanding the pandemic that brought everything to abrupt halt worldwide, popular Nollywood actress, Toyin Haastrup would not just allow herself to be muted by anything. Amidst this, the talented actress was still able to produce two fantastic movies, FERANMI and STRIPPERS which are no doubt belong to the league of the most watched in recent times.
One of the best hands in the industry no doubt, Toyin a, Mass Communications graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University has been in the US since 2012 and there she has been able to continue and explore her acting skills. Her newly released film FERANMI has become talk of the town since released and it’s her second job since she relocated to America.
Her first job, FERANMI was released early this year and the latest, STRIPPERS was released in June. Both movies are doing well in the market.
Peeping into her background after she was asked how she came about acting;
“You know whatever you want to aspire to be started reflecting right from your childhood. Acting started manifesting in me as a child and then in the church where we do short dramas and in school whenever there is end of the year party. So it’s not difficult for me to discover the talent later.” She disclosed.
Talking about her first time on set, Toyin revealed to us that; “My first time was on the set of Osumare a movie produced by Murphy Afolabi, whose under tutelage I grew. It was a mixture of fear and excitement. Fear in the sense that I wanted to meet some popular actors I have not met one on one before. I really was thinking what would be their reactions and remarks. What of if they didn’t like the way I act.
Excitement for the fact that I eventually achieved what has been my utmost desire. I thank God that I was able to cross the hurdles successfully.”
However the beautiful actress didn’t stop without sharing her experience over the recent ravaging and dreaded Coronavirus;
“It was a bad experience I must be sincere. At I point when I was having some strange symptoms I didn’t doubt it that it was COVID-19. I have to run to my physician who prescribed some drugs and I got over it. In fact it has affected many things. My latest work, Thanksgiving would have been completed by now if not for the pandemic that disrupted every plan. But it’s not over until it’s over, Thanksgiving will soon hit the stand anytime COVID-19 is over. It’s going to be launched in an elaborate way both in the US and in Nigeria.”
She shared her experience on the latest scourge, rape which has become a phenomenal in the society.
“Longtime ago, a 12year old girl cousin once lived with my mother. The girl was cajoled by an elderly man of about 60 years of age and had carnal knowledge of her. It continued like that until my mummy started seeing some strange features. This eventually led to her taking the little girl to the hospital where it was discovered that she has been raped severally. It’s bad I won’t but join the celebrities that call for severe punishment for rapists”.
Whosoever engage in this should be seen as a rapist because it’s an attempt and similar punishment should be apportioned, no rapist should be left unpunished.”
Bold to tell us her marital status, Toyin declared she’s single but not searching because there’s a man in her life already.
“I’m assiduously working on the release of my latest movie, ‘Thanksgiving’ because I know by the time it’s released it will surely another movie to watch. In fact I really miss Nigeria that’s why I want to launch it both in America and in Nigeria”.
Talking about her next move, this versatile thespian told us about her Instagram chat programme, Relationship Matters where she engage celebrities in a chat about relationship. As if that is not enough, she has also started working on another movie which will be released next year.
The re-election campaigns of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, and his new political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently suffered a major setback, when they were totally disgraced penultimate week outside the Palace of the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.
The governor’s convoy was blocked. The angry residents numbering hundreds booed and jeered at him and his guests. They called him various derogatory names, particularly “thief.” It degenerated into violence, scores were injured and properties vandalised.
That development did not go down well with the governor and the PDP and has generated different reactions from both parties, because of the potential implications it has on the governor’s political fortunes. The direct interpretation of the incident could that he had been rejected by the people and that his defeat is not just imminent, but would be overwhelming.
Not anybody could fathom that level of outrage outside the Benin palace against an incumbent governor and the implications are huge. For one, if it was just the youth, who reacted like that, they had sent a clear signal to the Oba that they weere done with Obaseki.
The reason was simply because in Edo State, the Oba of Benin is well respected in political decisions and a politician, who does not have the backing of the palace would find it very difficult, if not impossible to garner the support of the people.
The PDP claimed that the APC sponsored the attack and that the grand plan was to eliminate the entire opposition leadership, because Obaseki had the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, members of the PDP National Working Commissttee (NWC), Governor Neysome Wike (Rivers State), Governor Ifeanyi Okowo (Delta State), Governor Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto State), Governor Seyi Makinde (Oyo State) and other notable leaders with him.
Earlier, at a press conference, the APC had pointed fingers at Governor Obaseki over the violent incidence at the Oba’s palace. The Vice Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the APC Campaign Council, Mr. Patrick Obahiagbon, specifically blamed the clash on the PDP.
He alleged that the governor resorted to violence, because the duo of former governor and former National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and business mogul, who his government had been victimising for fear that he was planning to pick the APC governorship ticket, Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo.
Obahiagbon stated that after the palace incidence, APC supporters were accosted and attacked on the street of Benin, stressing that it is “unacceptable to us as a party. How long more can we persuade our teeming party loyalists to hold back?”
The former House of Representatives member, who said the opposition PDP unleashed terror on the citizenry by enlisting the support of renowned cultists in Benin, further alleged that Obaseki is working on plans to arrest the duo of Oshiomhole, Okunbo and other APC leaders on the eve of the election for not supporting him. He also claimed that there was a plan to set Okunbo’s farm on fire.
“The PDP and the governor were planning to arrest and detain the former National Chairman of the APC Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on the eve of the election and also set fire on the farm of billionaire businessman, Captain Hosa Okunbo for refusing to back the second-term agenda.
“Obaseki is planning to continue his persecution of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole with trumped-up and inconsequential charges at the eleventh hour of electoral politics. His plan is to arraign Oshiomhole for a probe that has been revealed as nothing but a targeted political witch-hunt and then deny him bail on the eve of election to paralyse the APC.
“He is planning to use COVID-19 as a ruse to neuter grassroots leaders of our party, the APC on the eve of the gubernatorial election by abducting and detaining them in isolation center. This way, disenfranchising them and forestalling the political force they would deliver in pursuant of APC’s victory,” Obahiagbon alleged.
Not unmindful of the attacks on him just on the ground of assumption that he was the preferred candidate for the governorship and his perceived support for the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Okunbo was quick to state that he had no hand in the embarrassment the governor faced at the palace.
He said: “I condemn the booing of the governor and the PDP team, and the reprisal attack. I am particularly pained that some ungodly insinuations in some quarters have linked me with the unfortunate saga.”
But away from all the rhetoric, the governor’s goodwill is fast dwindling among the people and so also is his political fortunes.
In 2016, his cousin, Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki categorically urged the people not to vote for him. He didn’t stop at that, he stepped down his ambition and endorsed Ize-Iyamu of the PDP then on the ground that he was the “best candidate” for the election.
“I will rather support Pastor Ize-Iyamu, who represents the collective aspiration of Edo people than support Godwin Obaseki, who is being promoted by external political and economic investors,” Obaseki stated in 2016.
Talking about making a choice between Ize-Iyamu and Obaseki, his first cousins said: “Osagie is actually an uncle and Godwin is a cousin, so both of them are family. But it is not the family I am looking at because I can no longer wish Edo State based on family filiations; I cannot because someone is my brother because we answered the same name wished away the collective patrimony of the entire Edo nation.
“You don’t need to be told I am a very convinced young man, I have come to praising my conviction even as a young boy, when we were fighting as a CLO Director, running radio Kudirat and in Godwin I would not lie, I see nothing that represents my vision to change Edo State.”
The APC candidate, Ize-Iyamu, also feels there are enough reasons why the people don’t want the governor to have a second term. In a recent interview, he said contrary to claims that Obaseki has been a performing governor, who is hated by a political godfather that is mad at him because he was not allowing the access to the state’s purse, but identified several factors that made the governor ineligible for a second term.
“They say we have a technocrat as a governor. How can you have a governor, who didn’t pass his school certificate? How was he able to enter university with three credits and none of them were English and Maths? He is always talking about godfather. Who is the godfather? This is the governor, who increased security votes of the state from N6bn to N7.5bn. The money goes to him.
The APC governorship hopeful said Governor Obaseki is not getting the people’s support, because he has not made good his campaign promises in the education, security and health sectors, and that despite all accolades he receives for his major achievements in the education sector, Edo Best, he did not employ teachers throughout his first term of office.
While he continues to appeal to his supporters not resort to violence, Ize-Iyamu has repeatedly assured the people of the state that given the opportunity to lead, he would ensure that the people experience economic growth and infrastructure development.
Thus, from the orchestrated show that held outside the palace of the Oba’s place to the much anticipated election of September 19th, it is evident that the battle is already a lost for Obaseki and that indeed, the governor’s defeat would come handy as a critical lesson in poor and vindictive leadership. Importantly, re-electing Obaseki coud mean rewarding treachery, betrayal and ingratitude.
Another interesting movie is due for release soon from the stable of Authority Films the producer of Opeyemi, Authority and ogun owo (jealous) .
Titled Woli Osole (Wired Prophet) the latest effort is full of suspence and intrigues not known before now, to be associated with the activities of Prophets.
Speaking on the new work, its director and producer Temitope Omosowon also known as (Woli osole) explained why it took him years before he could come up with the ‘banger’ of a movie.
According to him, the industry is full with a lot of talents who know their Onions, while some are push over, hence, his decision to step back a little and ”see how it’s works to relaunch for better because the industry isn’t a childs play”
Tope further explained that the new movie story line is not an indication that he has something against any church, religion or any individual. He explained however, that the movie is to warn the world to be careful of the end time Prophets who hide under the umbrella of Jesus Christ preforming miracle, but might have gotten their powers through sources other than that of the Almighty God .
Some of the established names in the movie include Ladi Folarin, Tunde Usman (okele), Yemi odunodu, Merit Adewale, Allwell Ademole ,Basayo Idowu Gold, Oriyomi Olanrewaju and Olakunle Afuwape aka Lambebe.
Tope Omosowon who is from Owa akoko in ondo state was born in Lagos. His late mother popularly called Iya Adura was of the C&S Moses Orimolade stock during her life time.
The Senate has cleared Ocean Marine Solution Limited (OMSL) of allegations of illegal security activities at the Secure Anchorage Area (SAA) of the Lagos Ports.
The Senate resolution to that effect was passed on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 consequent upon the consideration of the report on the investigation into the allegation by the Joint Committee on Navy, Marine Transport and Finance.
The Senate said that OMS should be commended for its genuine national interest in investing over $400 million into the security at the SAA in particular and the Nigerian waterways in general.
This, according to the Upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, the OMS did “by providing the needed platforms and logistics for the Nigerian Navy to effectively perform 24/7/365 patrol operations as well as to provide the required protection for vessels waiting to berth at the Lagos Ports.”
It stated that since “no fraud is found in the operations of the OMSL and is operating at no cost to Government, OMSL should be allowed to continue its operations at the SAA until such a time when a better and more cost-effective system is put in place by the Government.”
Read below the full details of the resolution as issued by the Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly and the full report of the Joint Committee on Navy, Marine Transport and Finance:
Just as everyone sets out to achieve their dream no matter how they start out, the same could be said for the Nigerian singer and songwriter, Dada Dolapo better known by his stage name, Didi.
Didi was born and bred in the popular Ebute-metta area of Lagos, Nigeria where he had his primary and secondary education. Born in the early ’90s, the young talent developed an interest in music at a very tender age and as such started listening to the likes of Fela Anikulapo Kuti which further developed into a passion for music and that became the first step to his growing process.
Fully based in Lagos Nigeria, the graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University already has chart-topping songs to his credit with smashing collaborations from the Afrobeats frontliners such as Zlatan Ibile, Reekado Banks and more.
Speaking during a recent chat, Didi highlighted that: “His music is not just about the sound, but also as a messenger of love, a voice for real life situations and also as an advocate for growth and development. In his words: “I like talking about Peace in the society, be it marriage, politics, insecurity and the like because I believe that an artiste you should be a mouth piece to the voiceless, speak for love, peace, truth to power and consequently effect changes that would warrant development in the country. Your music is your voice”.
This comes as no surprise as the artiste has been greatly influenced by the likes of Fela Kuti and others who were social crusaders ensuring the right things were put in the right places.
Didi started out professionally in 2008 while still in the university, and proceeded to his self-owned independent label – SWEETMUZIK RECORDS in 2016.
The artiste disclosed that he is ready to release new music during the second half of the year 2020 while urging his fans and followers to be expectant as he promises to make it timeless.
First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion services provider, has announced that the 2020 edition of its annual FinTech Summit is scheduled to hold on Thursday, 6 August 2020 by 12.00 noon. The event will be virtually held via Zoom Meetings.
The 2020 edition of the summit, which is the fourth in its series is themed; “How Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence will Disrupt FinTech in Nigeria” and will be discussed by experts, key and leading players, policy influencers and regulatory officials in the Nigerian financial, banking and technological climate. To participate in the event, click the link https://www.firstbanknigeria.com/business-banking/smeconnect/fintech-summit/registration/ to register.
Chinedu Echeruo, founder of HopStop which was sold to Apple for $1bn will be leading the discussion as the Keynote speaker alongside other panelists; Musa Itopa Jimoh, Director, Payments System Management Department and Aminu Maida, Executive Director, Technology & Operations, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS).
Representing FirstBank in the panel of discussants are Callistus Obetta, Group Executive, Technology & Services and Chuma Ezirim, Group Executive, e-Business & Retail Products
Speaking on the event, Mr. Gbenga Shobo, Deputy Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria Limited said; “at FirstBank, we have been at the forefront of employing technology in the delivery of financial services in the country exemplified by our various products and services such as FirstMobile, USSD Banking services, FirstMonie Wallet, FirstMonie Agent Banking, FirstAdvance loans provisions
The 2020 edition of our FINTECH summit will build on the successes achieved in the last three editions. We welcome the panelists as we look forward to the shared knowledge which will be integral to deepening the continued growth of banking technology, especially its impact on the Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria and the continent at large.
Technology continues to play a fundamental role in driving financial inclusion and strengthening the growth of SMEs that contribute significantly to the development of the country.
We encourage members of the public, players in the fintech and financial climate to register, as there is knowledge for everyone,” he concluded.
Many factors will stand against the re-election of the outgoing governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki at the September 19 governorship election. But very importantly, his decision not to carefully select those he picked as enemies and refusal to heed the advice of unbiased Edo indigenes, who urged him not to escalate his political war with his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiohmole, would haunt him.
Rather than bury his ego, Obaseki did not only fight Oshiohmole, he ended up pissing off most of the prominent leaders in the state and notable members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and started building his own political structure that could not even survive the party primary selection stage of the nomination process.
Perhaps, when the governor narrowed down on a very prominent Edo son, businessman and renowned philanthropist, Captain Idahosa Okunbo, as the possible choice for his replacement, he did not hesitate to launch a desperate and aggressive smear campaign against the retired commercial pilot.
Obaseki’s resort to taking his fight to Okunbo would definitely have negative consequences on his second term ambition for obvious reasons.
One, it gave him up as a desperate politician. Two, he pissed off a lot of Edo indigenes, because they considered the oil magnate an easy going individual, who does not deserve to be humiliated and thirdly, it portrayed the governor as a disrespectful person. This is more so because Okunbo said it repeatedly that he was never interested in the Edo governorship.
But the man Obaseki chose to attack has an impeccable personality and also enjoys a lot of goodwill among his people. Little wonder, one Hon. Marvelous Zibiri, who was believed to be acting the governor’s script said, had described Okunbo in unprintable names, because of an encounter the businessman had with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in 1995 and for which he was exonerated.
Although Zibiri later recanted and apologised profusely, his deliberately careless statement soon released a floodgate of reactions that nearly consumed him, such that the governor’s camp, believed to have instigated him, also immediately abandoned him and left him to his fate.
Then another one, Adaze Emwanta, wrote equally false narratives about Okunbo in what confirmed that the governor’s men had been assigned to start the character assassination project against him.
He was very embarrassed by how recklessly the governor targeted him and so also were his friends from home and abroad. The people were amazed at the deluge of falsehood that was maliciously created to destroy his hard-earned reputation and lower it before the general the public all in the name of politics.
Okunbo had narrated that in 1995 during the era of General Musa Bamaiyi as the NDLEA Director-General, a petition was written to the anti-drug agency, querying how he came about his wealth and acquisition of choice properties. But he immediately instituted a legal action against the NDLEA in a case with charge No: MOT/L/163/95 at the Miscellaneous Offences Tribunal, Lagos.
It was concluded that the prosecution had not made out a prima facie case to warrant him to even defend himself, and as such, was discharged and acquitted of all charges on a ‘no case’ submission.
“I’m wondering what I had done wrong to deserve these reckless, false and malicious attacks on my person from individuals associated with the incumbent administration,” Okunbo lamented during the attack on him.
Though he said he had endured deliberate character assassinations from people he described as “beasts of no gender,” an apparently disappointed Okunbo added: “I would no longer gloss over any intentional mischiefs that do incalculable harm to my person, name, business and brand.”
Many Edo State indigenes did not take kindly to the governor’s course of action. A number of them came to the open, not only to defend the person of Okunbo, but to also condemn the orchestrated and coordinated attacks. The people were collective in the description of Okunbo as a man of impeccable integrity.
Admonishing those running the errands of attacking Okunbo, a lawyer and Apostle of Edo renaissance, Daniel Osa-Ogbegie said, “if one is sent an errand of a slave, one should carry it out as a child (a freeborn).” He meant that they were doing the wrong thing and should not just do it because they were pushed to do so.
Just as the Latin word: Vox populi, vox Dei, meaning the voice of the people is the voice of God, a long list of people from different walks of life had come out to vouch for Okunbo’s impeccable integrity.
Former House of Representatives member, Hon. Sunny Aguebor, who described him as a man of integrity, said the attack on him was baseless and unfounded.
“You have built a name and business empire for yourself over the years. You are a man of strong character. Sir, I advise you to kindly disregard the cheap, malicious character assassination. It does not deserve your precious time. My father told me only a tree with fruits attracts stones. You are a big tree with so many fruits, so stones are expected,” Aguebor urged Okunbo.
Also, reacting to the attacks on Okunbo, a lawyer and Assistant Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Mrs. Bisi Idaomi, assured the philanthropist that the people of the state would take up his fight if the governor’s men do not desist from peddling further falsehoods against his person.
Idaomi said: “Here is a man, who does more for our people, leaders, students, women from Edo extraction than those in the present Edo State government – sending one of your aides to insult and peddle falsehoods about our son would be resisted by the ordinary Edo man and woman within the ambit of the law. This is a firm promise.”
To another former House of Representatives member, Hon. Samson Osagie, Okunbo is as an inestimable asset in Edo’s socio-cultural and economic framework saying, “Those whose official duty is to malign and pull down others usually don’t go far in life. We must continue to extoll our own frontline generals in business, politics, administration and in all facets of human endeavours.
“For those with power today, remember there is nothing permanent in life, not even our positions today. We stand with Captain Hosa at this moment of the ineffectual attempt of some carpet beggars and unfriendly people to undermine his humanity,” he said.
The publisher, Mid-west Herald and former Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Orobosa Omo-Ojo, also lent his voice to the discussion. He eulogised Okunbo’s sterling records as a youngster. He said he had been “tested and polished by the vagaries and the whimsical arbitrariness of Nigeria’s economy and political uncertainty. Like precious metals, the storm only brought out your gem!”
Others like Hon. Razak Edo-Osagie said Okunbo’s intimidating and progressive profile has been a source of worry to some, including his friends. Also, Hon Festus Ebea and many more commentators assured him that the people would resist any attempt to malign him.
The prevailing scenario was aptly captured in Osa-Ogbegie’s response to Emwanta where he said, “Wẹ will nọt accept Godwin Obaseki’s recourse to strangulation of the businesses and politics of Ẹdo sons and daughters anymore. There are better ways of playing politics without all these shows of desperation and aggression.
“It is gratifying to note that a majority of Ẹdo people is pleased with Captain Idahosa Okunbo. I am sure the palace is also pleased with him. God Almighty and Enikaro oghe Ẹdo hia will continue to serenade him with all good things.”
This is a brief capture of how people responded to attacks on Okunbo by the Obaseki-led government. It showed that the people didn’t want their son messed up in the otherwise intractable political war between Obaseki and Oshiohmole and that is the general feeling among a majority of the people and so it has to stop.
Despite the advice not to do so, the governor successfully made an enemy with Okunbo and that is one enemy too many, because though he is not a politician, he enjoys a huge support among the people of the state and that support is now working in the favour of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
The governor’s predicament would have been minimised if he had taken heed of the advice of the Okanlete of Esan Land, Major General Cecil Esekhaigbe (rtd), who as far back as early 2019, warned him to desist from going into the election, quarrelling with those that supported him to win his first term election.
He suggested that instead, he should forge a working alliance with them. But the governor felt otherwise. He added more enemies to his battles. And when he began to receive torrents of endorsements for second term and acknowledgment of good performance by his so-called supporters, Esekhaigbe (rtd) told Obaseki that the endorsements were not enough to win him a reelection.
He said any attempt for the governor to alter the political structure on which he came to power would have negative impacts on his reelection.
“He (Obaseki) should be conscious and resist the temptation of being misguided by the assumed support of many political soldiers without weapons. It is obvious that the political class in the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to realise the need for genuine rapprochement between the Governor and his predecessor.
“Every well-meaning APC stalwart should support the state party chairman towards this rapprochement, as they must be conscious of the fact that Edo State is not a one-party state. This is not the time to play the ostrich and subterfuge is not a virtue.
“I am not convinced the governor has enough ammunition from these drumbeats of war and proliferation of endorsements. The imminent battle is a needless one as it fails the requirements of jus in belloand jus ad bellum (a just war and a justification for war).”
Surely, Obaseki is aware that he has a very formidable opponent in the person of Ize-Iyamu, whose ambition is a response to calls by notable leaders, who consider him capable of putting his wittiness to work in policy formulation, ensuring more even distribution of wealth, proper management of human and natural resources.
Although the jury is already out, it is only proper to let an irreverent and ungrateful Obaseki stew in his own juice. September 19, here we come!
Isn’t it an irony that Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, a self-effacing, patriotic, hardworking, sincere and compassionate individual, has been continuously drawn out of his beautiful and enviable private life, just because a pretentious cartel that feigns to ‘hate money’ but lives a life that only money – perhaps illicit money – can sustain wants what he has?
It therefore belies logic that a private individual, who has continued to invest his hard-earned money into staggering, commendable philanthropy, to ultimately improve the cause of humanity, is the target of the sudden attacks of some people, both on the political and business fronts.
But that’s easy to decipher, anyway. They desire what he has, not just in terms of money or influence, but good deeds, character and sound upbringing. Even the Holy Book talks about the spirit of envy and victimisation. It condemns it, because it’s evil; not of the Lord.
The latest spin against this illustrious son of Bini Kingdom was from the stable of the Editor, Saturday title of the THISDAY Newspapers, Yemi Adebowale. It’s been a long time I read a title editor of a major national daily plunge cheaply into the arena with mutilated facts, discarding every iota of circumspection.
First, this was disturbing somewhat, because journalism, like a few other great callings, is guided by basic and simple rules, however, considered by its practitioners as golden.
Thus, for a title editor of a major and prominent national daily, balancing accounts is sacrosanct, whether it is a column, analysis, feature or basic news story. But, in the event, that your facts had not been confirmed, the rule says, leave out. You cannot claim to be under any form of pressure to the detriment of the credibility of your company and the hard earned reputation of other people, whom you can only aspire to be. Pray you get any close.
However, after researching into Adebowale’s kind of person, it was not disappointing to learn from some of his colleagues, both within and outside the newspaper company, how he is wired. He accords details and research no respect.
One would be committing same offence to, therefore, reel off some of the commentaries about him. But to the THISDAY management, there’s a lot to do to help him. The likes of Adebowale requires periodic re-training to measure up to standard in every definition of the word, if he must start to live up to billings.
That said, it is also disturbing to note that anyone would be back in this station and on this very matter over the Secured Anchorage Area (SAA) of the Lagos Waterways, managed by the Ocean Marine Solutions Limited, a going concern owned by Captain Hosa and which has lived up to its reputation over the last 14 years.
There’s no debating the fact that the Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman has more than an official interest in the SAA and does not hide it except for the likes of Adebowale, who would rather gloss over the obvious but focus on sheer pizzas and flashes – without any substance whatsoever.
Even if the renowned love of Hadiza’s life was a stakeholder in the sector and wanted everything to go his way, did it mean others with equally critical stakes in the sector and the Nigerian project should be destroyed on account of the billionaire in question?
Let’s revisit the facts again, perhaps, for the record. There’s no gainsaying the fact that the cooperation and support provided by the Ocean Marine Solution Limited (OMSL) to the Nigerian Navy in securing the Lagos delineation of the nation’s waterways has been the biggest relief savoured in recent time against unceasing pirates’ attacks, which in turn has boosted revenue significantly.
Anyone would appreciate this more, when the situation is juxtaposed with the experience of investors and stakeholders in the Port Harcourt axis of the waterways, the home state of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, where the pirates have continued to have a field day, without as much a resistance from any security architecture put in place and designed for such purposes.
But in Lagos, with the cooperation and support that the OMSL has continued to give to the Nigerian Navy, the state now has its Secured Anchorage Area (SAA) sufficiently protected, a situation that is not only encouraging to investors but has further motivated stakeholders to function more effectively.
It’s bad enough that some stakeholders had earlier approached the NPA leadership on the need for better security funding for the Lagos waterways, to which it replied it could not muster the amount of money in question, before they turned to OMSL for this effective and mutual cooperation, which has continued to yield desired results.
This also informed why stakeholders in the industry frowned at a recent order, which allegedly came from the Hadiza-led NPA, threatening to arrest and sanction operators at SAA. That was to say the least, disturbing and counterproductive. The stakeholders even wrote a letter to that effect to the president, Muhammadu Buhari, and had it published in some of the major national dailies.
On the contrary, as a function of procedure and protocol, assuming there were allegations of infractions, which must be entered properly for record purposes, the right thing to do would have been to report the development to the Nigerian Navy, which in turn, would investigate such claims and take appropriate action to stem the tide.
But to sit in the comfort of her office and out of sheer vendetta, victimisation and favouritism, dish out orders to the Navy to arrest vessels they were meant to protect, not only questioned her understanding of the operations of that sector but also spoke to getting unduly involved in a purely business and security concerns.
To think that the agency under Hadiza has no alternative security architecture in place in the event that the frustration of OMSL continues, the resort to rethinking the allegations of sabotage in the many attacks by the pirates might be inevitable.
To support this position, which her spin-doctors were blinded to, not only did the Senate clear OMSL and give it a clean bill to continue with its good work of assisting the Nigerian Navy to protect the Lagos waterways by providing the much-needed logistics after listening to the submission of stakeholders; the OMSL has also enjoyed commendation from foreign partners for doing an irresistibly good job at the Lagos waterways.
In addition, the submission by Captain Hosa on the operations of OMSL at SAA during the Senate hearing was so stellar that he left the chambers with his shoulders high and other stakeholders as well as the legislative committee members proud of him. He knew the issues and sold them conveniently without resorting to lies or cheap blackmail.
Therefore, to fault Adebowale’s submission that Hadiza “came to the job with a reform agenda, largely, to block leakages of revenue and stifle contractors from taking advantage of the NPA to line their pockets with money due to the federal government”, the opposite has been the case. He would do well by doing some soul-searching.
Sadly, Hadiza came to the job with crass immaturity and gross inexperience in a highly technical turf and rather than take the pains to learn the intricate nuances, she’s been preoccupied with just one agenda: to protect the business concerns of an individual, known in the industry as the love of her life. How is that doing the job of the federation entrusted to her or executing a reform agenda?
There’s no way to spin this, picking on Captain Hosa alone is a clear indication that there’s more to it. Adebowale mentioned some other interests but not the names of those behind them. He, however, went all out depicting Captain Hosa in his compromised mindset, because Adebowale thought the retired commercial pilot was his pay master’s problem at NPA.
As an editor of the category that THISDAY generously but erroneously placed Adebowale, he would have saved himself some embarrassment, if he had spoken to other stakeholders, say in LADOL and the BUA Group and asked how much of victimisation they had so far suffered in the hands of Hadiza, just because she was and is still determined to protect the interest of just one man. I’m sure they would speak to him off-the-record to, at least, cure his poisonous ignorance.
It was, therefore, not surprising in any form or shape that people, who were supposed to supervise as well as guide a delinquent and irreverent MD would also go on a national television to corroborate lies and fictions, only to justify their premeditated plans against an innocent man, who is legitimately doing his business and following the laws of the land.
The interesting thing is that the heads of both the ministry and the agency are products of the approval of the Senate, the same way the senate had given SAA a clean bill of health to continue with its operations. We either live by the laws of our land or quit when we are too big to be guided by them.
Captain Hosa has chosen to be a patriotic Nigerian, who would do right and seek justice, wherever and whenever his rights are impugned. The current play at SAA is not an exception. He is by far more of a blessing than those, who are abusing their privileged positions today. But tomorrow, when they are no more, posterity would speak to their records too, in clear unmistaken language.
Zenith Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading financial institution, has commenced its “Zenith Beta Life” Promo to reward customers of the Bank with gifts every week starting from 31st July 2020 to 30th July 2021.
During this period, fifty (50) customers will be selected via raffle draw each week and rewarded with gifts worth NGN30,000.
The Promo is open to existing and new Zenith Bank customers with the following raffle qualifying criteria:
– maintain a minimum deposit of NGN5,000 for the period;
– request and collect a Zenith Bank Card; and
– download and register on the Zenith Mobile App or register for *966# EazyBanking.
Zenith Bank Plc is recognised as one of the most customer-focused financial institutions in the country and was voted the most customer-focused bank in Nigeria for the retail and SME segments in the 2018 KPMG Annual Banking Industry Customer Satisfaction Survey (BICSS).
A clear leader in the digital space with several firsts in the deployment of innovative products, solutions and an assortment of alternative channels that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions, Zenith Bank has clearly distinguished itself in the Nigerian financial services industry through superior service quality, unique customer experience and sound financial indices.
In recognition of its track record of excellent performance, Zenith Bank was voted as the Best Commercial Bank in Nigeria 2019 by the World Finance and the Best Digital Bank in Nigeria 2019 by Agusto and Co. The Bank was also recognised as Bank of the Year and Best in Retail Banking at the 2019 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Awards.
More recently, the Bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria, for the third consecutive year, in the Banker Magazine “Top 500 Banking Brands 2020”, number one Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the “2020 Top 1000 World Banks” Ranking published by The Banker Magazine, Best Bank in Nigeria 2020 in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards 2020, and Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020.
