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Tag: Asiodu

  • Retired Perm Secs set to honour Asiodu at 90

    Retired Perm Secs set to honour Asiodu at 90

    The Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS) is set to honour its founding chairman Chief Philip Asiodu at 90 to commence the 2024 CORFEPS week slated to hold between the 5th and 7th of March.

    During a press briefing in Abuja, Dr. Goke Adegoroye, National Publicity Secretary of the group, disclosed that CORFEPS is a body registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) with membership comprising top civil servants who retired after attaining the grade of Permanent Secretary and higher.

    He explained that Chief Philip Asiodu, CON who currently sits as Chairman of the Board of Trustees was the foundation Chairman of the Council. He was succeeded by the late Mrs Francesca Yetunde Emanuel, CON the first female federal Permanent Secretary as the immediate past Chairman.

    The current Chairman is Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, CFR, a former Federal Permanent Secretary and retired Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, who upon retirement from the civil service was appointed Minister of Defence and later Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

    He said that the CORFEPS WEEK this year has been slated for 5-7 March 2024 “and it is coming at an opportune period to enable us celebrate one of the icons of the Nigerian Civil Service, Izoma Philip Asiodu, founding Chairman of CORFEPS and Chairman of the Council’s Board of Trustees, who is 90 years old today, 26 February 2024”.

    Dr Adegoroye further unveiled plans for this year CORFEPS WEEK saying it is in three parts, spread over three days.

    According to him: “Tuesday 5 March, 2024:The Colloquium, at the State House Conference Hall, which is open to the public, by invitation.

    “Wednesday 6 March 2924:Annual General Meeting, at the Atiku Hall, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, for members only.

    “Thursday 7 March 2024: Investiture of the Grand Patron, President C-in-C (Tentatively)”.

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     “The Colloquium, to which the President has been invited as Special Guest of Honour, will be chaired by His Royal Highness Olu Falae, The Olu of Ilu Abo, Akure land, retired Federal Permanent Secretary, and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and former Minister of Finance.

     “The Theme of the Colloquium is REFLECTIONS ON NIGERIA’S PUBLIC SERVICE: WAY FORWARD FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE.

    “The Lead Speakers are: Dr. Bukar Usman, OON a highly distinguished retired Perm Sec in the Presidency, who is to give the general overview, Dr. Timiebi Koripamo Agary, OON retired Perm Sec with a highly distinguished tour of duty as Perm Sec Federal Ministry of Labour, who will present the Insider’s Perspective, Mr. Martins Oloja, MD/Editor-In-Chief of The Guardian, Nigeria’s foremost Journalist on Public Policy, who will present the Outsider’s Perspective.

     “There will be three discussants, all retired Perm Secs, namely: Amb (Dr.) Godknows B. Igali, OON, Amunna Lawan Ali, OON and Dr. Goke Adegoroye, OON.”

  • How to get Nigeria working again, by Kolade, Asiodu, others

    Former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr. Christopher Kolade and a former Super Permanent Secretary, Chief Philip Asiodu, yesterday called on Nigerians to place national interests above personal considerations.

    They spoke under the aegis of burdened elders, a group of concerned elder statesmen committed to good governance and prosperous nation, during a parley with reporters in Lagos.

    Other members of the elders group include Prof. Anya Anya, Elder Syngle Wiwge, Chief Folake Solanke, Prof. Akin Mabogunje and others.

    They said Nigeria will work again when Nigerians begin to pursue collective interests capable of meeting individual yearnings.

    Kolade pointed out Nigeria has been held down by years of pursuing individual and sectional interests at the expense of national goals.

    According to him: “This country will work when we stop looking at how to get personal gains at the expense of national interests. We have to stop considering how to get the best benefits for my family, group and sections.

    “When Nigeria’s interests are pursued, we can rooms for all groups and sections to be at their best.

    “We must stop playing on our differences and work towards common goals and grounds.

    “That is when we can be sure this country with the best human and natural resources can become one of the most advanced in the world.”

    Asiodu called for conception and implementation of national development plans without deviation by successive governments.

    He lamented national progress has been stunted by distorted plans of successive governments as against sticking to holistic implementation regardless of change in government.

    He said: “We have to stick to whatever long and short plans we come up. It doesn’t matter what party wins or comes to power.

    “These plans must be sacrosanct. We can make adjustments after clearing with the masses. But we must plan well before no nation develops without planning.”

    Wigwe said the elders are committed to working for a new Nigeria until their last breath.

    “We need to retake Nigeria. We should operate with systems instead of running personal plans and visions,’’ he stressed.

    Anya said the elders have an obligation to redirect nation “before we meet our makers for the sake of unborn generations and accountability before Him.”

    He called on Nigerians to jettison tribal and sectional causes to make the nation work.

  • How Nigeria can overcome challenges, by Asiodu

    How Nigeria can overcome challenges, by Asiodu

    Former  Petroleum Secretary Chief Philip Asiodu has said the country will overcome its socio-economic challenges if public servants adhere to 50 per cent of the 4-Way Test of the Rotary Club.

    Asiodu spoke at the weekend in Lagos as a Special Guest of Honour at the investiture of Rotarian Isichei Osamgbi, as the 33rd President  of the Rotary Club Ikoyi.

    He noted that the Four Way Test is all-encompassing in dealing with issues of principle and dedication to work and would help in development, if applied in service delivery.

    The Rotary 4-Way Test; (1)  Is it the Truth (2) Is it Fair to all concerned (3) Will it build goodwill and better Friendship, and (4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned, will address incompetence, lack of dedication and quality service delivery adversely affecting the public service, he said.

    According to him, Nigeria will be better off if public servants adhere to the 4-way test in their activities.

    Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs  Prof. Viola Onwuliri , who was the Guest Lecturer, decried the high level of the vulnerability of the girl child in Nigeria.

    Prof Onwuliri, who spoke on “Empowering the Girl-“Child for Sustainable Development”, called for collective collaboration between Rotary Club and other relevant bodies to give the child her rightful place in society.

    Osamgbi said the Rotary Club Ikoyi has been in the business of doing good in the last three decades.

    He said: “Our focus is to impact on more lives. Someone near you needs cataract surgery; we will undertake at least 100 of such surgeries in this Rotary year. We will build a blood bank and are partnering with the  Police Hospital in Falomo, Lagos. where we carried out some renovations recently, among several other projects the Club plan to undertake in this Rotary year.”

  • Asiodu lecture series debuts

    Some concerned technocrats and business executives have instituted the Philip Asiodu Lecture Series (PALS) in honour of Chief Philip Asiodu, renowned economist, technocrat, retired permanent secretary, ex-minister.

    In a statement by Chairman of the Organising Committee, Peter Osamgbi, said Chief Asiodu approved the institution of the Lecture Series because of the need to x-ray Nigeria’s economic challenges with a view to proffering solutions.

    This year’s theme is: The Proper Role of Oil in the Context of Accelerating Growth and Development

    The event will hold on February 22, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Vice President and Treasurer, World Bank, Arunma Oteh, will be the guest speaker. The  event will be chaired by foremost industrialist, Chief Chris Ogunbanjo.

    Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon will be the Special Guest of Honour.

  • Faulty privatisation destroyed energy sector, say Asiodu, others

    Faulty privatisation destroyed energy sector, say Asiodu, others

    President Goodluck Jonathan was yesterday criticised over his inability to fix the power sector since he assumed office six years ago.

    Stakeholders in the sector, who were apparently miffed about the deplorable state of the country’s electricity, did not spare his predecessors as well.

    They spoke at a public presentation of a book titled:” The Development of The Nigerian Electric Power System.”

    The book was co-authored by Lawrence Amu and Foluseke Somolu, who are engineers.

    A former Special Adviser on Economic matters to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Philip Asiodu, said the current electricity problems were due to faulty privatisation programmes embarked upon by Jonathan.

    He said the hopes of many Nigerians were dashed following the inability of the power generation companies (GENCOs) and distribution companies (DISCOs) to improve electricity supply two years after the Federal Government sold the assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to them.

    He said: “The government chose a wrong model when it sold the assets of PHCN to private investors in 2011. The issue of what we can do and what we are capable of doing as regards the sector was not taken into consideration by the out-going government. Instead of the government to look for people who can do the job and further deploy them into areas where they are needed to achieve productivity, it did not.”

    He said the sincerity, transparency and urgency which successive governments attach to the issue of electricity contradicts the happenings in the sector.

    He said the Obasanjo administration took some steps to revive the power sector, adding that politics took over the management of the sector after ex-president left office in 2007.

    Asiodu, also a former chief permanent secretary to former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, said corruption is endemic in the sector and the country.

    He said a concept called: “Emergency Power Turbines” was developed during Obasanjo’s regime by some Nigerians to misappropriate funds.

    “By this, people collected money, travelled abroad to buy second-hand turbines and come back to say that they have paid for new turbines. When this happens, the issue of collecting, for instance 15 per cent as bribe is certain,” he added.

    He said the government approached notable institutions to carry out a study on where thermal and hydro-power plants would be sited in the country to ensure optimal generation of electricity.

    “Up till today, nobody in the Ministry of Power could lay hands on the report; the report is nowhere to be found,” he said.

    According to him, the in-coming government of Gen. Muhammad Buhari needs to revisit the issue of operation of the turbines and hydro plants to improve power supply.

    The Managing Director, Sahara Power Limited (owner of Ikeja Electric, formerly Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company(IKEDC), Kola Adesina, said wrong tariffs and low electricity generation are two critical problems in the sector

    Adesina, whose company recently bought Egbin Power Limited, said the sector was battling  institutional problems.

    Amu, one of the authors of the book, urges government to recall the systems and practices that existed in the sector before to achieve the desired results.

    He singled planning as the hallmark of electric power system, urging the in-incoming government to plan and implement policies in the sector to avoid mistakes made by past governments.

  • Fashola, Asiodu demand action plan on sustainable energy

    Fashola, Asiodu demand action plan on sustainable energy

    Government has been urged to develop an action plan that will support energy generation and application to meet the needs of the citizenry without compromising future generations.

    At a walk organised by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and the Lagos State Government, supported by Chevron Nigeria Limited and other corporate institutions, Governor Babatunde Fashola said energy generation pattern over the decades has plced severe pressure on the environment.

    Represented by his Special Adviser on the Environment, Mr Taofeek Folami, he said: “Energy is the golden tread that connects economic growth, increase social equity and create an environment that allows the world to thrive. Development is impossible without energy and sustainable development is impossible without sustainable energy.”

    Speaking on the theme of the walk “Sustainable energy for all”, NCF President Chief Philip Asiodu said Nigeria must join the others to promote and adopt renewable and sustainable energy options that would help to mitigate the dire consequences of environmental degradation in addition to a bold re-afforestation programme.

    He said: “Nigeria must join the rest of the world to promote and adopt renewable and sustainable energy options that will help to mitigate the dire consequences of environmental degradation, in addition, of course, to a very bold re-afforestation programme.”

    He stated that recent study showed that Nigeria has huge solar energy and wind potentiial, biomass and other renewable sources. Fortunately, the cost of large-scale solar energy plants is becoming more competitive with improvements in technology.

    Asiodu added that the message from the event was that, in whatever position we found ourselves, whether as a student, youth, home builder, bread winner, parent, government official or corporate executive, we must keep the environment in our subconscious and think renewable energy, to guarantee a robust, healthy and economically viable future for our children and the generations yet unborn.

    The event was aimed at sensitising the public on the need to change attitudes that are inimical to the environment while promoting sustainable development in Nigeria. The Walk, which kicked off at the Lagos Government House, Marina, saw government officials, representatives of civil society groups, representatives of corporate organisations, students and members of the public in their hundreds walking with fanfare in and out of Marina, Lagos.