The management of Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club have commended First Bank of Nigeria Limited for their support of the prestigious African Patrons Cup; a polo tournament which holds annually at the Club in Kaduna.
The commendation came at the closing ceremony of the 2019 edition of the competition which featured notable polo teams drawn from across the country.
The Bank was lauded for its contribution to the development of Polo at the club. A statement by the club’s management stated “We will like to recognise the sterling efforts of our esteemed sponsors FirstBank, the African Patrons Cup Polo Tournament will never be the same without your support.”
“We sincerely hope that this association will be maintained and that you will continue to support us in our future endeavours”, the statement concluded.
The Africa Patrons Cup Polo Tournament is an annual event put together by Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club to create awareness about the prevalence of Breast Cancer among women in the society.
The weeklong competition which had the participation of over 10-teams saw YY Kangimi defeat Keffi Pony’s by 12-goals to 4-goals for the prestigious Patrons trophy.
Only recently, FirstBank sponsored the prestigious Georgian Cup of Kaduna Polo Tournament for the 100th year, possibly the longest-running sports sponsorship in the world and a Guinness Book of Records potential.
Idowu Thompson, Group Head, Private Banking, First Bank of Nigeria Limited (middle) with some players at the 2019 Fifth Chukker Polo championship held in Kaduna.
Two Nigerian entrepreneurs (former students of the University of Ibadan) and three research students from the Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, have developed a mobile software application to help dairy farmers perform better.
Named the ‘mDairy App’ according to the company’s spokesperson and Executive Director, Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Ore Famurewa, the effort is being made in partnership with FrieslandCampina WAMCO.
“The three students from the Delft University of Technology and the mDairy app co-founders are collaborating to support local dairy farmers at our different Dairy Development Programme (DDP) sites” Famurewa said.
The Dutch students are Margot Ridderikhoff, Jaap Dechering and Betsie Loeffen while the mDairy’s co-founders are Oyewale Abioye and Gbadegesin Alawode.
In 2017, FrieslandCampina WAMCO partnered with the Dutch-Nigerian Students Business Challenge, an initiative of the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry and sponsored by corporations mainly of Dutch origin. The initiative aims to address challenges in Nigeria’s health, energy and food sectors.
Having successfully completed and presented relevant business solutions, a new team of three students attached to FrieslandCampina WAMCO came to Nigeria recently to join Oyewale and Gbadegesin in order to deploy mDairy App, which DDP farmers can use with little or no challenge.
To ensure that all farmers from various socioeconomic backgrounds are integrated, the team is also developing an interactive voice message service which would facilitate easy access.
“The mDairy app once deployed is designed to serve as one-stop-shop for DDP farmers’ information needs” Famurewa explained.
From left, Dairy Extension Manager, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Dr. Adebayo Akinade; Students from Delft University, The Netherlands, Margot Ridderikhoff, Jaap Dechering and Betsie Loeffen; Baale, Fashola Community, Oyo State, Alhaji Tijani Abdulah; University of Ibadan students Oyewale Abioye and Gbadegesin Alawode; with DDP Administrative Manager, Henry Adaobor
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has been asked to commence committal proceedings against the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. Oluwatomi Somefun, and commit her to prison for allegedly flouting orders made by the court.
The request formed the relief in a motion filed by 25 ex-staff of the bank in whose favour the Lagos division of the NICN had given a monetary judgment on July 3, 2019.
The ex-staff, led by John Adeola Taiwo, stated, in the motion filed on December 2, 2019, that Unity Bank was in open disobedience to the orders made by the court on November 12, 2019, and therefore deserved to be committed to prison for allegedly being in disobedience of valid and extant court orders.
The ex-staff had individually sued the bank in 2016 alleging non- payment of some of their outstanding entitlements and gratuity.
The court later consolidated the suits with the consent of parties and on the grounds that the issues were related.
In a judgment on July 3, 2019, in the suit marked: NICN/LA/84/2019, Justice R. H. Gwandu held in favour of the ex-staff and ordered the bank to pay them various sums of money.
But rather than comply with the judgment, the bank appealed and applied to the court for a stay of execution pending the determination of its appeal.
In a ruling on November 12, 2019, Justice Gwandu granted a stay as prayed by the bank but upon certain conditions.
The judge, in the ruling, said: “By the powers vested in this Court under Order 64 Rule 8(3) and in the discretion of this court, I hereby grant the stay of execution of this judgment pending the outcome of the appeal.
“This goes with the condition that the judgment debtor pays the judgment sum into the account of the Chief Registrar, National Industrial Court (an interest yielding account), such judgment sum shall be released to the party that is victorious in the outcome of the appeal.
“The payment of the judgment sum is ordered to be made within five working days, failure of which shall be treated as contempt of orders of this court.
Mrs. Oluwatomi Somefun, the Managing Director of Unity Bank
The pronouncements of the judge are what Taiwo and others are now accusing the Unity Bank of flouting and in respect of which they seek the committal of the bank’s CEO in the fresh motion filed on December 2, 2019.
They argued, in court documents, that “the order of the court has been respected by the judgment debtor in the breach rather than observance, in spite of the stern warning by the court that failure to comply shall be treated as contempt.
“It is trite law that the order of a court of competent jurisdiction remains inviolate until set aside and so, anyone who an order is made against must obey it until the order is set aside or discharged. Once an order exists, it must be obeyed.
“It is a clear fact that, in spite of the clear and explicit order of this honourable court, directing the defendant/judgment debtor to pay the judgment sum into the court’s account with the name of the Chief Registrar, the defendant/judgment debtor has continued, with impunity, to do the exact opposite of the order of the court”.
They added that the alleged failure of the bank to pay the judgment sum into an interest yielding account within five days, as directed by the court, “is an outright disregard of the order of this honourable court, making the defendant/judgment debtor liable for contempt of court”.
They added that since the defendant/judgment debtor is not a natural person, the law allows that its principal officer is penalized.
“It is trite law that where the contemnor is not a natural person, it cannot be committed to prison, but the principal officer can.
“In this case, the defendant (a financial institution) is not a natural person, who can be committed for contempt thereby making any of its high ranking officers in the person of Mrs. Oluwatomi Somefun, being the Managing Director, liable to be committed to prison for contempt of court.
“We urge this honourable court to grant them leave to proceed against Mrs. Oluwatomi Somefun, the Managing Director of the defendant and to find her liable accordingly and commit her to prison for contempt of the order made on 12th November 2019”.
REDTV, the online lifestyle network powered by the United Bank for Africa Group, held its annual Rave on Saturday, November 30 to officially kick-off the ‘Dirty December’ season.
Over 25,000 guests attended this year’s event which was held in Lagos and true to its theme, ‘The shutdown’, the rave was the talk of the entire town this past Saturday.
REDTV hosted the creative industry and other guests to an unforgettable night with top business executives, entrepreneurs, celebrities and A- Listers, entertainers, fashionistas and many young people just wanting to have a fun evening.
UBA Group chairman, Tony Elumelu and the CEO, Kennedy Uzoka, were seen mingling with guests and having a relaxed night away from the rigours of work.
The REDTV rave, which has become the annual Christmas season opener to rival, started with a hot performance by Ajebutter 22, BOJ, SDC and TEMS. Upcoming artist, Fireboy, came in and brought guests to their feet with his hot and fresh releases.
The crowd was not disappointed and remained energised when Olamide jumped on stage to shake the venue with his famous songs that had everyone screaming and jumping for joy. International act, Jidenna thrilled the rave fans, just as Burna Boy sauntered in and brought the audience to a standstill at a party that lasted till the early hours of the following day.
UBA ambassador, the star boy, Wizkid had come into the party to the absolute delight of guests who saw him walking in. He mingled with guests for hours and then gave a surprise performance on stage that took the rave to another level.
DJ Consequence, Sparrow and hypemen Shody and Tosan also took turns to entertain the excited youths throughout the night of thrills.
REDTV’s stars of The Men’s Club, Boutique Hotel, Our Best Friend’s Wedding, Red Hot Topics and Inspector K were amongst the guests that featured prominently at REDTV’s night to remember.
The Executive Producer of REDTV, Bola Atta, who spoke at the rave, talked about how the team had put together a stellar event that showcased outstanding performances by some of Africa’s greatest musicians. She said, “It was indeed ‘The Shutdown’, as we surpassed the expectations of our guests. For us, it wasn’t just about organising a party. REDTV is fully in support of the creative industry and through its shows, has been developing new talents behind the scenes as well as on the screens. We wanted to celebrate all those who are making REDTV a success. So we decided to throw a free concert to say thank you and to wish everyone well as the year comes to an end’.
REDTV provided plenty to eat and drink and participants at the event agreed that as always, REDTV has put together the biggest party in Lagos which continued to trend for days after the event was over.
REDTV is a fast paced lifestyle channel that a Aims to project Africa on the global stage. Proudly powered by the United Bank for Africa, the network is an entertainment platform with rich content featuring the very best of Africa.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) — Africa’s leading philanthropy dedicated to empowering African entrepreneurs — will begin accepting applications for the 2020 cohort of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, on January 1, 2020.
Applications are made through TEFConnect, the digital networking hub for the African entrepreneurship ecosystem, created by the Foundation.
The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme is open to entrepreneurs from across Africa, either with new startup ideas or existing businesses of less than 3 years existence, operating in any sector. Successful applicants will join the over 9,000 current beneficiaries, from 54 African countries, and receive business training, mentoring, a non-refundable $5,000 of seed capital and global networking opportunities.
Last year, the Foundation received about 216,000 applications, with 42% coming from women entrepreneurs, from every country on the continent.
The Programme is a 10-year, $100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 young African entrepreneurs. The goal is to create millions of jobs and the revenue required for the sustainable development of the continent, implementing the philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions the private sector as the growth engine for Africa and emphasises the importance of creating social and economic wealth.
According to the Foundation’s 2018 Impact Report, 70% of the total number of businesses in its alumni network were still operational two years after benefitting from the Programme. The report also identified an increase of 189% revenue generated and 197% increase in the number of additional jobs created by beneficiaries post-graduation from the Programme, as well as a 100% commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Governor Elect of Bayelsa State, His Excellency, David Lyon paid a courtesy visit to Prophet T.B. Joshua today to show appreciation to Gods goodness upon his life through the ministry of SCOAN.
In an atmosphere of faith and expectation, T.B. Joshua entered the Altar and proceeded to recognize the presence of the David Lyon who was decked in a white attire with his entourage in The SCOAN Live Sunday Service which is ongoing .
While giving him a charge , T.B. Joshua admonished him to meet the expectations of his people who voted him.
“He is not a new person to us because he is a brethren. He has been a hardened believer in the blood of Jesus. I know God will use him.”he stated.
Speaking further he said , “I want you to know that the only way Bayelsa people will believe you are the one they voted for is for you to meet the expectations of the Bayelsa People”
Charging the congregation too he said they should remember him in their prayers, “He is banking on our prayers because the best is yet to come. “
Finally, he told the governor elect that he has a word of wisdom for him, “I am at your service. By that I meant I will make sure the expectations of the Bayelsa people is executed.
I have a word of wisdom for you . It is better to live purely upon the fruit of God’s goodness than to live plentifully upon the product of our sin”
It would be recalled that David Lyon was declared winner of the just concluded gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, November 17, 2019.
Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will succeed the outgoing Governor Seriake Dickson, who has ruled the state since 2012
History was made at the just-concluded ‘Thai Silk Festival’ which held in Bangkok, Thailand as Kiki Okewale, one of Nigeria’s Queen of Blings; dazzled the world with her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother.Kiki, the recipient of several styles and achievement awards was at the Grand Finale Thai Silk Festival at the Eden Zone Central on November 18 to Friday, November 22’ 2019.
The International ‘Thai Silk Fashion Week’ is organized at the behest of Queen SIrikit by the Thai Tourists Assistance Foundation, in collaboration with members of the foreign diplomatic corps in Bangkok, as part of the annual ‘Celebration of Silk’ project to showcase modern and traditional Thai silk and designs.
This year’s fashion exhibition involved 43 International fashion designers from over 60 countries, showcasing their collections, made from Thai Silk. Hope by Kiki Okewale is the only couturier from Nigeria participating in the special event.
At Thailand, Kiki was the special guest of royalty; she was invited by the blue-blooded Princess Sheikha Hend Al Qassemi of the Emirate, who is a descendant of the royal family of Sharjah, and both the organizer of the Dubai Fashion Week, as well as the proprietress of ‘Velvet’, the popular fashion and lifestyle magazine.
Her understanding of luxury and unique representation of royalty with elegant quality are some of the reasons distinguished women keep coming to her for their style needs.
With her Hope by Kiki Okewale brand, she has authored another chapter in her fascinating catalogue of firsts by blazing the trail as the first Nigerian to be so honoured and recognized in the far Eastern Country.
The popular style icon and CEO of Hope by Kiki Okewale is distinctive stock and creations, has seen her shoot to the top of the fashion and clothing business in Nigeria within a short period of time as she boasts of several women of class and elegance as clients, from A-list celebrities and Nollywood icons, to top women politicians and business leaders.
Just last April this year, Hope by Kiki Okewale became the first and only Nigerian, nay African designer to showcase at Dubai Fashion Week.
Nothing but euphoria will witness the maiden edition of The Naija Pepper soup Festival as top Nigerian entertainers are set to make December 14th a day that will forever linger and remains memorable.
First of its kind, The Naija Pepper soup Festival was conceptualized to bring about the lost memory of that special cuisine discovered and first prepared in West Africa even when some people believe it’s of foreign origin. The Naija Pepper soup Festival however is a celebration of culture using food {Pepper Soup} as a common denominator. The festival features varieties of Nigerian Pepper Soup and the major accompaniments of a Pepper Soup experience drinks and music.
Tagged ‘Ibadan Invasion’, the maiden edition which has been endorsed by Oyo State Government will hold on 14th December 2019 at Agodi Gardens and put together by Portyer.
In his speech during a courtesy visit to his office, the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Hon Wasiu Olatunbosun applauded the entire team for bringing out such unique concept.
“All I have been seeing here is Amala festival, Pounded Yam galore and so on, celebrating pepper soup seems and looks very unique to me and I believe so it will to other people, it’s a welcome idea and we can’t but give it the needed support”.
However, the brain behind the festival, Mr. Rotiwa Arowa, CEO Portyer Event said “It’s an experience no one can afford to miss, a special experience and the first where over 50 cooks will be on ground to prepare different kinds of pepper soups for people to consume, this is one area that has not been explored and another huge potential for tourism attraction. it will also go alongside music and entertainment as top and popular Nigerian singers like Obesere, Eedris Abdulkareem, Adex of Artquake, Klever Jay etc will be on stand to thrill guests”.
When asked why the choice of Ibadan as the venue for the maiden edition, “ Ibadan is the political capital of Yorubaland and as it is, it is the indigenous capital where event of this magnitude can hold, though plans are on to extend the subsequent editions to other parts of the Naija but we have to start from the cradle.”
Heritage Banks, Adron Homes, Noble FM, Oyo State Government and top media organizations are throwing their weights behind the Naija pepper festival, “Ibadan Invasion”.
This is definitely good news as help has finally come for the complete operations of former Nigerian youth international Sani Shehu also known as Sani Emmanuel, you will recall we reported earlier that the 2009 FIFA U17 tournament Golden Ball winner has been down with leg injury (Achilles Tendonitis), and Evangelist Bisola Hephzi-bah Johnson’s Bisola Johnson’s Foundation has been at the forefront of those trying to raise money for his treatment.
It was also well covered when former teammate and friend Ogenyi Onazi, decided to foot part of the bill to the tune of N1.4million which he had already paid into a Lagos based hospital that is supposed to carry-out the operation sometimes last week. However, help has come from a new direction has one of those who were reached by the social media campaign seeking help for him, later reached-out to the anchor of Brekete Family on Human Right Radio 101.1 FM Abuja, who in turn brought the young boy to the live programme where he was promised an all-expense paid proper treatment in Germany.
This information was made known to us be the convener of Bisola Johnson’s Foundation, who while appreciating the Brekete Family also frown at role of religious leaders who turned blind eye to his plight, the statement on her Facebook account states “Brekete Family is taking up Sani Emmanuel’s case. Shame to religious people. I bless God for this.”
TRACE announces the next edition of TRACE Live, headlined by the legendary rap icon, Reminisce. Themed, ‘OG b4 iG’ and taking place at Terra Kulture on November 28th at 9pm, this edition of TRACE Live will shed a spotlight on Reminisce’s musical journey and take the audience through the root of his inspiration.
Always a night filled with rich music and cultural appreciation, TRACE Live celebrates the beauty of music by highlighting a blend of live vocals, instruments, dancers, and an energetic audience. Previous performers include Flavour, Adekunle Gold, Falz, Tubaba, Wande Coal, Reekado Banks, Runtown and Simi.
Remilekun “Reminisce” Khalidsafaru is a singer, songwriter and rapper who has immensely influenced Nigeria’s rap culture since 2008. The rapper, who blends both Yoruba and English, is considered a music industry icon, and an influence on the newer generation of rappers.
His first ever single, 2008’s “Ever Since” shot him into the limelight. Subsequently, the indigenous rapper has dropped hit singles such as “Ponmile”, “Tesojue”, “Kako Bii Chicken”, “Local Rappers” and “Oja”. The musician has 4 studio albums to his credit – Book of Rap Stories, ALAGA IBILE, BABA HAFUSA and EL-HADJ. As a testament to his talent transcending borders, in 2014, Reminisce was featured in a TIME Magazine article which tagged him as, “one of the seven world rappers you should meet”.
Reminisce is undoubtedly a rap scene thought leader, who has been acknowledged by the industry as an OG before the influence of social media. This special combination of TRACE Live and Reminisce is sure to bring the experience of a lifetime to show goers, while reminding everyone of Reminisce’s incredible catalogue and talents.
TRACE Live, Lagos’s largest live show series, is presented by TRACE in partnership with Cabal Entertainment and Bolanle Austen-Peters. The show is proudly sponsored by Lord’s Gin, Munch It, Pepsi and Tom Tom.
Tickets are available at NairaBox.com.
For TRACE friends and fans outside of Lagos, watch the OG b4 iG live stream here.
Keep up with all things TRACE, and watch out for the next TRACE Live announcement here, and on all of our social media platforms: @tracenaija
