The Nation Newspaper

Tag: advises

  • Heritage Bank advises athletes on healthy living

    Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank Plc, Ifie Sekibo has tasked stakeholders in the sports industry to key into the vision of the bank to help build a generation of healthy and strong athletes as well as set a platform that will continue to create, preserve and transfer wealth and talents across generations.

    He spoke at the grand finale of the just concluded 2019 Lagos International Para-Powerlifting Championship hosted by the Lagos State Government.

    Sekibo who represented by the Divisional Head, Corporate Communications of the bank, Fela Ibidapo noted, “At Heritage Bank, we understand the importance of sports as an essential part of education, national development and a unifying factor in our diverse cultural setting.

    “Hence, our vision as a generational bank; is one poised to help create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations” in all spectrum of life.”

    Nigeria emerged the overall winner of the competition, winning the 20 gold medals on offer to assert its world dominance in the sport. It also won 15 silver and 7 bronze medals, making a total of 42 medals.

    Cote d’ Ivoire and Cameroon also registered their names in the invitational tourney with three bronze medals each, while Ghana went home with two bronze medals.

    Other countries that participated in the championship were Guinea, Tanzania and Mali.

  • Ambode advises religious leaders to promote peace

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday urged religious leaders to use their influence to curb violence during the forthcoming elections.

    In an address he sent to a workshop for co-chairmen of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) at the council level, Ambode urged them to increase their advocacy, mediation and reconciliatory activities at the grass roots for societal benefit.

    He was represented by Ministry of Home Affairs Permanant Secretary Mrs Toyin Awoseyi at the event  held at the Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.

    NIREC, he said, had more important roles to play “to prevent conflict, bridge divides and build on the peace in the communities.”

    The governor urged the religious leaders to educate the electorate and make them understand their civil responsibilities and obligations.

    He enjoined the participants to spread messages of peace, tolerance, hope and proper conducts, as well as mobilise the people to participate in the elections.

    Home Affairs Commissioner Dr. AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef whose ministry organised the event, implored the clerics to be more proactive and prevent crisis

    “Evidence from other parts of the country and other clime has shown that religion can be manipulated to start and perpetrate conflicts, especially in trying, crucial or transitional period. Nigeria is in its electioneering season, and at this period, faith organisations and religious leaders have, more than ever before, important roles to play so that things go well,” he said.

    ECWA Lagos West Chairman Emeritus Dr. Julius Bamidele Odofin, in his lecture, described NIREC “as an instrument of religious harmony, tolerance, peace and economic development.”

    Peace, he said, was the core value of any religion and all religious scholars must preach and promote it.

    A Lagos State University (LASU) teacher, Dr. Saheed Timeyin, said God made the world pluralistic, noting that humanity should be enriched, and not diminished by it.

    He said man must aspire to overcome conflicts by devising measures that would effectively address them.

    “Our multiplicity is to test our faith. Muslims and Christians must learn to accept one another,” Timeyin said.

  • Ambode advises corps members on projects

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to create projects that would impact in their host communities.

    He gave the advice yesterday during the closing ceremony of the NYSC 2018 Batch “B” Stream 2 orientation course.

    “The major objective of the NYSC is to foster unity among the diverse ethnic groups of our great country through its vibrant youths.

    “I encourage you to create visions and projects that will positively affect the lives of people in the host communities you will be posted to.

    “I also enjoin you to be good ambassadors of the NYSC and the country at large, most especially during the forthcoming general election in 2019, which most of you would participate in as ad hoc staff,” the governor said.

    He encouraged the Corps members to take advantage of the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), an initiative of the state government and the NYSC to prepare them for self-employment

    Ambode urged them to take the post-camp training seriously, to enable them access loans through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).

    The governor’s speech was delivered by Mr. Oluseye Oladejo, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations.

    The state Coordinator of NYSC, Mr Muhammed Momoh, appealed to the  government to help the scheme realise its plans to build its permanent orientation camp in the state.

    “I wish to appreciate the governor for being a worthy father and for the support given to the scheme at all times.

    “While we appreciate the allocation of land for the construction of a befitting orientation camp at Agbowa, I wish to implore the governor to use his good office to make the dream a reality.

    “This will ameliorate the serious challenge of space constraints we face in the present facility,” he said.

    Momoh advised the Corps members to accept postings for their primary assignments in good faith, while carrying out their duties with all sense of patriotism.

    About 2,152 Corps members comprising 1143 men  and 1009 women are to serve in Lagos.

  • Osinbajo advises bourse on long term capital provision

    The Federal Government has urged capital market operators to rise to the challenges of providing long term capital needed to fund development.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who spoke at the Second Capital Market Stakeholders’ Forum organised by joint Senate and House of Representatives committees on Capital Market and other Financial Institutions in Abuja yesterday, said since capital is extremely important for businesses, it implies that the Nigerian capital market would be very important in enabling businesses to take advantage of the various opportunities that have been created by government to access capital, both long and short.

    He said: “Nigeria needs a capital market that would attract investors into various sectors of the economy with the aim of growing and diversifying the economy, creating jobs, improving the quality of life and improving revenue and export sources. In this regard, the Nigerian capital market has a significant role to play in the attainment of these objectives.”

    He said financial markets are known to be engines of growth because of the strategic role they play in the flow of funding.

    Osinbajo also urged the capital market to “take advantage of the business opportunities that have been created by the government, through various tax incentives, investment in capital and also given the diverse resource base of Nigeria. We must not forget to mention the entrepreneurial capacity of the Nigerian, the demand for capital would certainly increase well beyond the current levels and that implies that the capital market indeed must step up its activities and grow to meet the expectations of the large and sophisticated players who would be requiring the services.”

  • SystemSpecs chief advises govt on capacity building

    Indigenous software powerhouse, SystemSpecs, has advised the Federal Government to build local capacity to meet the requisite manpower requirements of emerging technologies.

    Its Executive Director, Deremi  Atanda  who spoke on the sidelines of the seventh German Nigerian Business Forum  at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, said though the economy is prepared to accommodate new technologies, the government should continue to build local capacities.

    He said: “Our economy is more than ready and you can attest to that by the number of technology companies springing up in Nigeria every day. The potential of what they do, how they are being celebrated all over the world, the potential to earn and bring forex into this so we are more than ready and that is why one of the key areas we need to keep looking at is to keep building capacity to make sure that we seize the day.

    “Nigeria needs to seize the day and see its emergence as a giant and technology landscape. It is not one of the areas we can afford to stay back and keep depending on foreign tech, it’s clear that we have what it takes and we should be firmly committed to that across all levels and to just take the Nigeria success story out there for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians. ”

    Atanda said the emergence of new technologies is no threat to jobs, stressing that all that was needed was upskilling.

    “If you have your visions right which takes us back to when man landed in the moon all it took was a vision. So, if there are things we need to address, they are staring us in the face, the vision and first thing is I want to address this issue, once you are committed to that, you will see that there are different ways of solving the problem and particularly about one’s capacity, you can see already, Lagos State is taking a lead and particularly on that, we are partnering with Lagos where young people even those in primary schools are being introduced to the era of programming. So it’s not a future to come, it’s here today.

    “So, solving those problems with technology means developing capacity and manpower and that’s one project I’m very passionate about and can see that once we build capacity from the very root which is not about education curriculum, it’s about capacity for survival, evolution of economies and society, then we are committed to solving our problems. And I think Lagos can be a model for what it takes to create the much needed capacity to address our own problem without reliance on foreign support and technology most of the time,” he said.

  • Speaker advises on security

    The Speaker, Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Mr Onofiok Luke, has advised the Federal Government and security agencies to adopt a more holistic approach to tackling security challenges in the country.

    Luke gave the advice when he hosted leadership of the Nigerian Legion in his office on Monday inUyo.

    The speaker stressed that the labour of the nation’s heroes past would be in vain if Nigerians continued to elevate ethnic and political sentiments above the nation’s unity.

    Luke, who commended security agencies for tackling insecurity in the country, however called for all hands to be on deck to reverse the insecurity trend.

    “We cannot promote the unity of this country by apportioning blames or sticking to tribal or political sentiments.

    “As Nigerians, we have all seen that things are not the way they ought to be, so we must give our security concerns a holistic attention, devoid of tribal or political divides,” Luke said.

    The speaker also commended retired military men for their collective efforts to ensure the security of Nigeria and its unity, adding that some of them paid the supreme price to achieve such feat.

    Luke called on the legion members to continue to avail Nigeria the benefit from their wealth of experience in tackling its security challenges.

    He called on security agencies to be open to advice and suggestions from experienced crime fighters willing to join hands to pull the country out of the quagmire of insecurity.

    Earlier, the state chairman of the legion, Maj.-Gen. Joseph Esua (rtd), expressed concern that the legion was only remembered and recognised during Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

    Esua requested that the legion be adopted into the state government’s protocol list, to enable it contribute to the development of the state.

  • Obasanjo advises Buhari not to run for second term

    Obasanjo advises Buhari not to run for second term

    •Ex-president writes off APC, PDP

    •PDP rejects third force

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to run for a second term.

    He accused the President of nepotism, having a poor understanding of politics and engaging in blame games rather than accepting responsibility for his failure.

    Obasanjo said he worked against his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to help the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Buhari win the last presidential election.

    But, the situation that made Nigerians to vote massively for Buhari, he said, is playing itself out again.

    The former President, who recently bagged a doctorate degree in Christian Theology from the National Open University (NOUN), issued a “Special Press Statement”, titled: The way out: A clarion call for Coalition for Nigeria Movement, which he gave the media in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    Obasanjo said: “The lice of poor performance in government – poverty, insecurity, poor economic management, nepotism, gross dereliction of duty, condoning of misdeed – If not outright encouragement of it; lack of progress and hope for the future, lack of national cohesion and poor management of internal political dynamics and widening inequality – are very much with us today.”

    “With such lice of general and specific poor performance and crying poverty with us, our fingers will not be dry of ‘blood’,” Obasanjo said.

    The former President urged Buhari not to run for a second term, saying the President needs “a dignified dismount from the horse”.

    “Whatever may be the state of President Buhari’s health today, he should neither over-push his luck nor over-tax the patience and tolerance of Nigerians for him, no matter what his self-serving, so-called advisers, who would claim that they love him more than God loves him and that without him, there would be no Nigeria say.

    “President Buhari needs a dignified and honourable dismount from the horse. He needs to have time to reflect, refurbish physically and recoup and after appropriate rest, once again, join the stock of Nigerian leaders whose experience, influence, wisdom and outreach can be deployed on the side line for the good of the country.”

    Obasanjo said Buhari should consider taking a deserved rest, considering his age.

    “His place in history is already assured.  Without impaired health and strain of age, running the affairs of Nigeria is a 25/7 affair, not 24/7…I only appeal to brother Buhari to consider a deserved rest at this point in time and at this age.  I continue to wish him robust health to enjoy his retirement from active public service.

    “President Buhari does not necessarily need to heed my advice.  But whether or not he heeds it, Nigeria needs to move on and move forward,” he said.

    Obasanjo believes neither the APC nor the PDP can rescue Nigeria, adding that both parties were “wobbling”.

    “I have had occasion in the past to say that the two main political parties – APC and PDP – were wobbling.  I must reiterate that nothing has happened to convince me otherwise.  If anything, I am reinforced in my conviction.

    “If neither APC nor PDP is a worthy horse to ride to lead Nigeria at this crucial and critical time, what then do we do?

    “We cannot just sit down lamenting and wringing our hands desperately and hopelessly,” he said.

    Obasanjo slammed the PDP, saying it was nothing to “write home about”.

    He proposed what he called a Coalition for Nigeria (CN), which he described as a movement that would “drive Nigeria up and forward” and give hope and future to all youth and dignity and full participation to all women.

    “We need a Coalition for Nigeria, CN. Such a movement at this juncture needs not be a political party but one to which all well-meaning Nigerians can belong.  That movement must be a coalition for democracy, good governance, social and economic well-being and progress; a coalition to salvage and redeem our country,” he said.

    Obasanjo dismissed PDP as a better alternative.

    “What has emerged from the opposition has shown no better promise from their antecedents.  As the leader of that party for eight years as President of Nigeria, I can categorically say there is nothing to write home about in their new team.

    “We have only one choice left to take us out of Egypt to the Promised Land.  And that is the coalition of the concerned and the willing – ready for positive and drastic change, progress and involvement,” he said.

    ”You can count me with such a Movement.  Last time, we asked, prayed and worked for change and God granted our request.  This time, we must ask, pray and work for change with unity, security and progress. And God will again grant us,” he said.

    Obasanjo said having quit partisan politics, he would not support any candidate should the coalition eventually decide to back someone.

    “Of course, nothing should stop such a Movement from satisfying conditions for fielding candidates for elections.  But if at any stage the Movement wishes to metamorphose into candidate-sponsoring Movement for elections, I will bow out of the Movement because I will continue to maintain my non-partisan position.  Coalition for Nigeria must have its headquarters in Abuja,” he said.

    Obasanjo criticised the APC government over what he called serious allegations of round-tripping against some “inner caucus” of the Presidency “which would seem to have been condoned”.

    “I wonder if such actions do not amount to corruption and financial crime, then what is it?  Culture of condonation (sic) and turning blind eye will cover up rather than clean up.  And going to justice must be with clean hands,” he said.

    He said while Buhari must be given “some credit” for his successes in his fight against corruption and insurgency, “it is not yet uhuru!”

    Obasanjo spanked some governors endorsing Buhari for second term on the day that victims of Benue State killings were buried.

    “The herdsmen/crop farmers issue is being wittingly or unwittingly allowed to turn sour and messy. It is no credit to the Federal Government that the herdsmen rampage continues with careless abandon and without finding an effective solution to it.

    “And it is a sad symptom of insensitivity and callousness that some governors, a day after 73 victims were being buried in a mass grave in Benue State without condolence, were jubilantly endorsing President Buhari for a second term!  The timing was most unfortunate.

    “The issue of herdsmen/crop farmers dichotomy should not be left on the political platform of blame game; the Federal Government must take the lead in bringing about solution that protects life and properties of herdsmen and crop farmers alike and for them to live amicably in the same community,” he said.

    The former President highlighted three areas he thinks Buhari has failed, including the reinstatement of former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina.

    “One is nepotic (sic) deployment bordering on clannishness and inability to bring discipline to bear on errant members of his nepotic court.  This has grave consequences on performance of his government to the detriment of the nation.  It would appear that national interest was being sacrificed on the altar of nepotic interest.

    “What does one make of a case like that of Maina: collusion, condonation, ineptitude, and incompetence, dereliction of responsibility or kinship and friendship on the part of those who should have taken visible and deterrent disciplinary action?  How many similar cases are buried, ignored or covered up and not yet in the glare of the media and the public?

    “The second is his poor understanding of the dynamics of internal politics.  This has led to wittingly or unwittingly making the nation more divided and inequality has widened and become more pronounced.  It also has effect on general national security.

    “The third is passing the buck.  For instance, blaming the Governor of the Central Bank for devaluation of the naira by 70 per cent or so and blaming past governments for it is to say the least, not accepting one’s own responsibility.

    “Let nobody deceive us, economy feeds on politics and because our politics is depressing, our economy is even more depressing today.  If things were good, President Buhari would not need to come in.  He was voted to fix things that were bad and not engage in the blame game.

    “Our Constitution is very clear; one of the cardinal responsibilities of the President is the management of the economy of which the value of the naira forms an integral part. Kinship and friendship that place responsibility for governance in the hands of the unelected can only be deleterious to good government and to the nation,” Obasanjo said.

    The former president said his intervention was in Nigeria’s interest.

    “Some may ask, what does Obasanjo want again?  Obasanjo has wanted nothing other than the best for Nigeria and Nigerians and he will continue to want nothing less,” he said.

  • Ajimobi advises tertiary institutions’ governing councils on value addition

    Ajimobi advises tertiary institutions’ governing councils on value addition

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has urged members of the newly inaugurated governing councils of the six state-owned tertiary institutions to come up with creative ideas that will add value and turn around the fortunes of the institutions.

    The governor spoke yesterday in Ibadan, the state capital, while inaugurating the councils, which his administration appointed on January 9.

    The six government-owned tertiary institutions are: The Polytechnic, Ibadan; Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo; Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora; The Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa; The Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki and College of Education, Lanlate.

    They have been on indefinite strike since November 2, last year, over salary arrears and the reduction of their subvention by 25 per cent.

    Ajimobi urged members of the new governing councils to demonstrate creativity and commitment that would add value and bring a new lease of life to the institutions.

    He said: “Our institutions have been bedevilled by lots of challenges, which are not from us as a government… We have carefully selected you, having found you to be men and women of proven integrity to add value to our institutions.

    “I know all of you by your professionalism, value and competence. We believe in your ability to reposition the institutions. There is no doubt in my mind that you all are equal to the task, and you will make a difference.”

    On salary arrears, which led to the closure of the institutions by the workers’ unions, Ajimobi said his administration was not responsible for the payment of salaries but had been “magnanimous in giving quarterly subventions to the institutions”.

  • NPA advises officers, truck drivers on safety standards

    • As new image maker resumes

    The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, has directed officials to ensure that truck drivers at the seaports observed the Minimum Safety Standards (MSS) in their operations.

    Ms Usman gave the directive at the opening of a capacity building workshop for the drivers, organised by the NPA and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

    Represented by the General Manager, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), Mr. Ahmed Yusuf, Ms Usman said the agency would continue to collaborate with agencies at the ports to build an effective synergy that would ensure that trucks doing business at the ports complied with  minimum safety standards.

    Ms Usman, while commending the organisers of the workshop, urged the participants to practise what they learnt from the event.

    In his welcome address, the Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, said the MSS was first introduced in the oil and gas sector when the FRSC commenced the implementation of the scheme

    Omeje, represented by the Legal Officer of the Command, Bonaventure Nnamani, lauded the NPA for the partnership and also enjoined participants to open their minds to safety standards.

    The NPA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the FRSC on the implementation of MSS for trucks operating at the ports.

    The MoU empowers NPA and FRSC to raise Joint Inspection and Certification (JIC) teams to oversee its full implementation.

    Meanwhile, the new General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications Division of the NPA, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi Goje, has assumed duties.

    Goje was the general manager, Eastern Zone, before his redeployment to the division.

    He began his  career with the Borno State Government as Land Officer in the Ministry of Land and Survey, shortly after his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) assignment in 1983, and rose to  Deputy Director in charge of Land Administration in 1992.

    He transferred his service to the NPA in August 1993 as traffic manager, and has since managed the Traffic Department effectively.

    He was senior traffic manager in Lagos Port Complex, assistant general manager at Eastern and Western Zones, and port manager, Onne Port Complex, among others.

    The Borno State indigene attended the University of Maiduguri and Bayero University, Kano where he bagged Bachelor of Science Degree (B.Sc.) in Geography and a Masters in Land Resources.

    He has attended several management courses in and outside Nigeria, among which are Port and Shipping Management, Logistics, Transportation and Port Training in New York; a performance culture in a concessioning system, South Africa; Strategic Management and Policy.

    In an interactive session with the officials of the division, Goje directed his officers to key into the management thrust, which is anchored on “Excellence of Service” prioritising a most“effective synergy with team work as our theme”.

    According to the new image maker, result is key in the activities of the divisions, adding that this must be geared towards the NPA brand appreciation through commendable information management and dissemination.

    “I have high hopes we will deliver on our targets and responsibilities,” he said, adding, “As professionals, we have to think of the best way to ensure we sustain plausible publicity mileage for the NPA and its management utilising technology and innovations.’’

  • CP advises parents on kidnapping

    Kano state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Rabiu Yusuf yesterday in Kano urged parents in the state to always be mindful of the movement of their children so as to prevent them from falling victim of kidnapping and abduction.

    Mr. Yusuf who spoke during the quarterly meeting with Eminent Personalities Forum (EPF), agreed that abduction of children has become a major security challenge in the state in recent times.

    He, however, noted that adequate cooperation from members of the community had helped the police in controlling the menace of kidnapping, cattle rustling and armed robbery in the state.

    “We have the challenges of stealing of children and we have advised the parents to always ensure that they care of their wards, they take of the minors, let them not allow them to roam about most especially during odd hours,” he noted.

    He further stated that, “really we have recorded tremendous successes, we have been able to at least to some extent reduce the menace of kidnapping. The problem of cattle rustling has been solved.

    “Armed robbery cases have reduced to the minimum level. So to some extent really we have recorded a  lot successes within the period under review.”

    Commenting on the large turnout of EPF members to the meeting, Mr. Yusuf said it was a clear testimony that the police and the people are working in synergy to ensure a crime-free society.