Babatunde Badmus of the department of Theatre Arts has been elected as the new President of the Students’ Union of the University of Ibadan.
Badmus won with 1, 812 votes to defeat Osodua Gbemi who got 1, 315 votes and Oladein Enoch 958 votes.
The Deputy Registrar (Student’s Affairs) Mrs Stella Soola declared the result of the election early Sunday morning.
Badmus thanked those who voted for and declared that U.I Students’ Union is on the verge scientific rebranding with his
election.
Export- focused Nigerian and other West African companies with links to China and other BRIC nations are particularly well positioned to record better profits and revenues.
This indication emerged from the latest research by Regus, the leading provider of flexible workplaces which will be celebrating its Lagos Mulliner Towers centre’s 7th anniversary at the end of the year.
Brazil, Russia, India and China make up BRIC countries.
The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Deng Boqing described Nigeria’s economy as promising while highlighting Nigeria’s potentials for greatness as most populous country in Africa.
He said: “Nigeria’s economy has been performing well in the past 11 months. The GDP grows at a rate of over 6 percent, the crude production stays at around 2.4million barrel per day and your foreign reserve increased to $45 billion.
Regus’ second Global Survey report on export business, which canvassed opinion from more than 20 000 senior business managers in over 90 countries, shows that firms that trade internationally are more profitable than businesses that stick to their domestic markets.
The company’s report according to Joanne Bushell, VP Africa & Middle East not only spotlights the advantages of export orientation for West Africancompanies, it also highlights exporter concerns.
“These include worries about property and paperwork; an issue raised by 78% of respondents and the challenge of building an image abroad, a concern for 35% of respondents while risk management is an issue for 40%.
“Regus has the network, resources and expertise to help current and potential exporters with challenges such as this,” Bushell stated.
She said Regus office centres in locations worldwide are positioned in upmarket business areas and are equipped with the latest office and computer technology – bestowing substantial image benefits on client firms and ensuring market newcomers have the support necessary to make a strong impression.
“Property concerns are obviously outsourced to the solution-providers at Regus as clients do not have to invest in bricks and mortar or sign lease agreements that lock them into sometimes onerous conditions.
“This obviously mitigates many of the risks faced by a new entrant to a chosen export market.
“In addition, Regus products like Virtual Office and Businessworld bestow great agility and enable clients to gradually build critical mass and rightsize their operations in specific markets,” Bushell said.
Regus operates in Lagos and Abuja. It is also represented in Ghana, Senegal and Ivory Coast. In a desirable export destination like China – which according to South African based Standard Bank, is Africa’s single biggest trading partner[2]– Regus has a presence in 52 centers in China. Worldwide, the business is represented in over 1500 locations, 600 cities and 99 countries.
Over 24,000 business respondents from over 90 countries sourced from Regus’ global contacts database of over 1 million business-people worldwide which is highly representative of senior managers and owners in business across the globe were interviewed in September 2012 for the survey.
Respondents were asked which they felt were the biggest challenges to productivity when working from the home. The survey was managed and administered by the independent organisation, MindMetre, www.mindmetre.com
Regus is the world’s largest provider of flexible workplaces, with products and services ranging from fully equipped offices to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the world’s largest network of video communication studios.
Regus enables people to work their way, whether it’s from home, on the road or from an office. Customers such as Google, GlaxoSmithKline, and Nokia join hundreds of thousands of growing small and medium businesses that benefit from outsourcing their office and workplace needs to Regus, allowing them to focus on their core activities.
Then the music changed, bringing about current woes of many men, in spite of some putting a bright face to it. This time wives started travelling abroad, ostensibly to help take care of their grand children abroad. That was when husbands’ problems began. You would think there was a National Conference for Diaspora-bound Grandmothers at which a roadmap was distributed. This is because experiences of many marooned husbands are similar : initially when the first grandchild is born, the wife travels abroad and spends about three months. She returns home, spends about nine months to a year and when the second grandchild is born, she either spends six months to one year or stays back permanently. When they travel for third grandchild, it is a permanent stay.
What I have found amazing about this category of men living alone, following their wives relocation abroad, is that many are not contemplating taking a second wife. Even those in their early 50s who are still randy avoid serious relationships while those who contract temporary marriages soon abandon the venture. I was to learn that the decision against taking a second wife, for many, is generally financially based, given the rising cost of education. “How do you expect me to start training a child from kindergarten at this age”, noted a 60 year old Ibadan resident whose wife and children live in Baltimore, U.S. A. He says he draws inspiration from more elderly people who are in their 70s and in similar situation. He, however, concedes that he feels the absence of his family most during festive seasons when the loneliness hits him. Some not so solvent again take consolation in the dollars and pound sterling from their Diaspora children. Even then, not all are so lucky. It’s a matter of different strokes. There are those who take in house helps, often with unpleasant experiences. An oil company retiree with a big house in upscale Lekki area of Lagos said house helps can be so unappreciative of your assistance and can walk out on you anytime. He narrated an episode where the driver threw the car key at him in the middle of nowhere, knowing that he had difficulty in driving. A common concern among elderly husbands living alone is the health hazard, the dread of falling ill in the middle of the night with no one to assist.
There was the story of a man in the Alagbole area of Lagos who had died three days before the door was forced open when he did not attend a Tuesday church meeting. Many ‘single’ husbands say their wives are always persuading them to come over, that the wives wonder why the husbands choose to stay in the hell hole called Nigeria. Although a few claim they enjoy cooking, many of the live-alone husbands say they don’t find it funny going to the market. Some husbands follow their wives abroad. According to a Festac Town, Lagos resident,” when the second invitation came for my wife to come to London, I told my son he has to send tickets for two, that I can’t stay back again”. After six months, they returned home, but when the wife was to go for the third and extended stay, he declined following. “I find it very boring”, he lamented. There are some husbands who refused to allow their wives travel abroad to help baby sit their grandchildren. One such husband insists : Why should they take my wife away, I raised them, they too must raise their own children.
The problem of absentee wives and lonely husbands is part an overall trend of separation in the family. Economic factor, especially employment, has also contributed to the dispersal of the family, even at local level where, for example, an husband works in Lagos, the wife in Abuja, children in Portharcourt, with dire consequences for family cohesion. Prof. Adelani Ogunrinde, Vice-Chancellor, National University of Lesotho while delivering the Second Commencement Lecture of Bowen University, Iwo on 16th October 2008 highlighted, almost in lamentation, this phenomenon of the dispersed family using his family as an example : He lives in Lesotho, the wife in Abuja and the children in North America. He died about two years later, with the family still dispersed.
Dr. Bisi Olawunmi is a Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Bowen University, Iwo and former resident, Washington, D.C. Email : olawunmibisi@yahoo.com SMS ONLY : 0803 364 7571
A football pitch argument between two amateur players yesterday sparked an orgy of religious violence in Wukari, Taraba State, leaving at least five people dead.
Many others were injured and properties estimated at millions of naira destroyed as Christians and Muslims took on one another.
The Police immediately swung into action to quell the violence and prevent a spill over to the neighbouring states of Benue and Nasarawa.
It was not immediately clear what the argument between the two footballers was all about during a practice session.
Eye-witnesses only said one of the players, a Muslim, pulled a gun and shot the other, a Christian.
Within minutes hell was let loose and the area was engulfed in violence.
News of the incident soon spread to other parts of the town.
Zealots on both sides were said to have capitalised on the confusion to perpetrate mayhem.
An eye-witness said: “The two players disagreed over a football related issue during play. One of them felt too aggrieved. He dashed home and returned with a gun with which he shot the other footballer.”
Yesterday’s violence came barely three months after a clash between Muslims and Christians in Ibi Local Government Area of the state left over 10 people dead, with churches, mosques, commercial and residential buildings torched.
Police Spokesman Amos Olaoye confirmed the crisis, saying heavily armed policemen were drafted to the crisis zone to maintain law and order.
…Sacks transporters from Ojuelegba Under-bridge
Amidst reports that Lagos is a likely a target of Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, Jama’atu Ansaral Muslimana Fi Biladis –Sudan, the Lagos State Government has urged residents to ignore the threats and go about their normal activities.
State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba and his counterpart in the Ministry of Environment Mr. Tunji Bello who spoke to journalists shortly after monitoring the February edition of the monthly sanitation exercise said the government has put measures in place to ensure the protection of lives and properties.
The commissioners who during the exercise led a team of their personnel to comb under bridges and hidden places in Surulere local government area of the state of filth and suspicious materials said the state government and its security agencies are already working on security reports available to the
“I will say categorically that Lagos is safe, Lagosians should not entertain any fear. We have done all we are supposed to do for Lagosians to live safely. I want to just tell them to go about their normal duties without entertaining any fear.
“The idea of Boko Haram coming to attack Lagos is nothing to scare anybody. This is a proactive government and Lagosians have confidence in their government. Lagos is home to everybody and I don’t think anybody in a right frame of mind will want to extend act of terrorism or violence to Lagos. No matter how you look at it people have one interest or the other in Lagos, ” Ibirogba stated.
Bello said the decision to send transporters under the bridge in Ojoelegba packing became necessary to clean up the place and get rid of some unscrupulous elements hiding in the garage to perpetrate evil.
He said the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) will take over the garage and ensure the transports polluting the place do not return to the spot and constitute nuisance.
Meanwhile, the government has beefed up security at the Lagos State Governor’s and his deputy’s entrance gates, just as vehicles are not allowed into the state government secretariat.
Our reporter learnt that the directive was given by top security aides to the state governor.
By this development our correspondent was told by the police officers deployed to man the gates that visitors and workers at the Lagos State Secretariat Alausa are barred from entering or exiting through the gates unless they have been cleared by the Office of Head of Service Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe.
The security personnel on duty turned blind eye to pleas from staff of the state government to allow them entrance to resume their duties scheduled for weekend, saying he was acting on instruction from a superior officer.
President Goodluck Jonathan, Former United States President, Bill Clinton and the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Thursday said the development of Eko Atlantic City will help drive the tourism potential of the country.
They spoke at the dedication of the 5,000,000 square metres reclaimed land for the development of the City designed to provide infrastructures that will house 250,000 people and provide employment for about 150,000 residents in the state.
The over one billion dollar city cost one thousand dollars per square metre with an average plot averaging 1,000 square metres.
The NJC said “Justice T. D. Naron of High Court of Justice, Plateau State was recommended for compulsory retirement to Governor David Jonah Jang sequel to the ‘Findings’ by the Council that there were constant and regular voice calls and exchange of mms and sms(text) messages between Hon. Justice Naron and one of the Lead Counsel for one of the parties to the Suit in the Osun State Gubernatorial Election Tribunal contrary to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria vide Section 292(1((b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.”
A tweet debate organized by the Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition (NYCC, Nigeria) on the environment will hold on Saturday, February 23.
The debate tagged Can Social Media save our planet? can be followed with the hash tag (#AdoptAPlanet) from 3PM GMT (4PM Nigerian time).
The tweet debaters include TMS Ruge, (@tmsruge, Lead Social Media Strategist – Connect4Climate, World Bank, Washington /Uganda, Corrie Frasier (@global_convo, Social Good Summit- Seattle, USA , Abang Mercy-Asu (@AbangMercy , environmental Advocate and journalist, Nigeria and Blossom Nnodim (@blcompere , Partner, New Media Nigeria Ltd. Nigeria .
The programme will be moderated by the founder and director, NYCC Nigeria, Esther Agbarakwe, @estherclimate. The official twitter handle of the Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition is @NigYCC.
The event is expected to inspire the youth to begin to think about ecological governance.
According to the organisers, “protecting the environment has never been more important than it is right now with the staggering explosion of the human population, ever-growing depletion of natural resources, and the residual effects of pollution and global warming being felt everyday in our modern society.”
“Many environmentalists have made a concerted effort to reach the public with their message through social media websites in an attempt to raise awareness. For those that are already interested in environmental issues, technology has made it possible for them to be updated instantly on recent reports and environmental issues, such as 2012 flooding in Nigeria (#NGFloods), oil spill in the Niger Delta, etc.
“Rallying people together through social media puts a tremendous amount of pressure on government as in the case of #savebagega (Lead Poisoning in Northern Nigeria) to release funds for the environmental remediation and full support to victims, ” the organizers stated.