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Tag: call

  • Right call 

    Right call 

    • CBN should collect every dime of its ABP loans from defaulters, while from now sticking to its core monetary functions

    NEXIM — the Nigerian Export-Import Bank — just called for every beneficiary from the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under former Governor Godwin Emiefele, should pay up.

    NEXIM’s locus standi is clear in this matter: its core function is to, by critical credit, help nurture and expand Nigeria’s non-oil sectors, to reduce the country’s over-reliance on oil exports.  Agriculture (with crop processing) is clearly its core portfolio.  So, it’s within its mandate to insist agricultural credit be extended only to real, as distinct from “political” (read fake) farmers.

    NEXIM’s call is unimpeachable — and the ABP less-than-stellar repayment statistics makes it doubly so.

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in clear statistical hyperbole, claimed only 24 per cent (less than a quarter) of the N1.079 trillion ADP credit had been repaid.  But CBN counteracted that figure, insisting 52.39 per cent  (or N503 billion) — slightly above half — had been repaid.

    Still, neither less than a quarter nor just half is good enough for such a pivotal scheme which, was it well executed, could have continued to greatly improve the lot of small scale, or even peasant, farmers; and better enhance food security.

    The scheme was reasonably conceived: a medley of agricultural support inputs (bags of fertilizer, irrigation pumps, et al), plus cash: to pay farm hands, with the many beneficiaries each grossing no more than N200, 000 in cash.

    The payback was even more reasonable: payment to be made in produce, to equate both the loan and the accrued interests.  The farmer would push the produce to the “Anchor” who pays for the crops but credits, with the cash, the loan account of the farmer.

    That way, CBN gets its capital — with interest — back, while the farmer can further sell the excess in the open market.  Besides, much of the stock, if not all, goes into the strategic grains reserves for food security.  Aside, the farmer can access future credit, based on good credit behaviour.

    The snag, however, was that the implementation — particularly rigorous checks and balances to guarantee prompt repayment by most — wasn’t nearly as good as the conception.

    Besides, the abuse and corruption component: many beneficiaries were alleged to have been “portfolio” (read fake) farmers who got the loan but blew it on other things outside farming.

    Some genuine farmers were also alleged to have collected the loans but used them to marry new wives; or add them to complete fares for religious pilgrimages, thinking it was more of grants, not loans to be paid back according to strictly agreed terms.

    Read Also: 2027: Obi, Obidients are not our concern now, we are busy with governing Nigeria – Onanuga

    Yet, others were victims of natural disasters like flooding from excess rain that destroyed their farmlands.  Others never got the implements until well near harvest time, but were too lax not to turn it down.

    Whatever the reasons, it was clear the CBN was not in the position to strongly control the process, leading to the rather poor repayment stats.  Still, the ABP, from CBN data and records, still recorded stunning successes: raising the local production of rice from 3.5 million metric tonnes in 2015 to nine million metric tonnes by 2022.

    That more than double cultivation of paddy rice also sparked investments in local rice mills.  From 10 mills in 2015, the number flared to 68 — a more than 500 per cent jump that validated the vastly increased volume of local rice.  Besides, the 700, 000 beneficiaries in 2017 rose to 4.8 million beneficiaries by 2022.

    That proves the ABP isn’t a bad developmental scheme per se.  It is just that the CBN is better placed focusing on its traditional monetary regulation and control, rather than dabbling into quasi-fiscal duties, though it lacks requisite structure and control to secure loan repayment.

    That is why CBN Governor Yemi Cardoso must stick to his pledge to depart from those activist lanes.

    If ABP must be re-cloned — and why not? — let it be handled by regular banks that have well manned agriculture desks; and are already mandated by law to yield 10 per cent of their loan portfolio to agriculture; and the Bank of Agriculture, which has sound and effective credit control, with rigorous agricultural extension services that can effectively monitor the investment from loan time, all through the planting season, harvest time and eventual repayment period.

  • Call for restructuring: Afe Babalola gives IBB kudos

    Call for restructuring: Afe Babalola gives IBB kudos

    •Legal giant says ex-military leader deserves award

    If elder statesman Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) had his way, erstwhile military President Ibrahim Babangida will be honoured with the 2017 Nigeria Peace Award for joining the calls for restructuring. The legal icon and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) believes the time to restructure the country is now. In this piece entitled: “IBB’s call for restructuring – he deserves 2017 Nigeria Peace Award”, the eminent lawyer recommends the immediate convocation of a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) to pave the way for a referendum for Nigeria to have a constitution that is truly the people’s.

    I join multitudes of friends and admirers of the former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) to congratulate him on the celebration of his 75th birthday on planet earth. More importantly, I congratulate him profoundly for joining the call by many compatriots for the restructuring of the country.

    IBB’s position reminds me of what Sophocles, a Greek philosopher, said in his book titled: The Theban Plays

    “Do not let your first thought be your only thought. To think that your will is the only way betrays a shallow mind and an empty heart. It is for this reason that the meadows which move to and fro on a flood river remain unbroken while those that flow against the flood are broken asunder”.

    I salute his courage and brilliance and his ability to position his mind having regard to the situation on ground.

    This is a lesson for Nigerians who remain still and unbending on the issue of restructuring of Nigeria. I challenge them to rise up and embrace what the great Greek philosopher had espoused as far back as 441 B.C.

    To say that the retired general is a different person to different people is like stating the obvious. However, what cannot be denied is that he is a courageous, fearless, highly cerebral elder statesman who could equally be controversial and often misunderstood.

    I congratulate him particularly for embracing restructuring of our dear country thereby joining the ever-growing band of those of us from the North, West and East who have been clamouring for restructuring as the panacea for the myriad of problems afflicting the country today.

    I have been an unrepentant advocate of the need to restructure Nigeria, so much so that I have been speaking, writing papers, delivering lectures across the country on the issue of restructuring since 2002 as the best way to achieve our aim and objectives of building a united and prosperous Nigeria.

     

    1960 Constitution

    Before 1960, our founding fathers met for almost 10 years in Lancaster House, London and took into consideration the fact that Nigeria is a country of nations with about 250 ethnic groups. In their wisdom, they made a constitution which allowed each component part to remain and practice its own culture and grow at its own pace under one umbrella of a united Nigeria and a befitting Federal Constitution.

     

    The military

    Unfortunately, that constitution was set aside by the military who thought they knew better than our forefathers. Again, the same military bequeathed to us the 1999 Constitution under which the centre had become so strong and the component parts so weak that there is virtually no meaningful development in almost all the states prior to the taking over by the military in 1966, our constitution allowed each component part to develop at its own rate. Consequently, there was healthy rivalry between the regions. The West was the most advanced and others followed and the country was developing at fast rate.

    Although, we may not necessarily go back to the regions of 1960, we can substitute for the regions, something similar to it. Certainly, we need to restructure the country. We urgently need a forum where our problems would be discussed and arrive at a suitable federal constitution for the country. In order to solve the problem of unemployment, falling standard in education, recession, crimes including armed robbery and kidnapping, the country needs to be restructured.

     

    Persuading others

    I want to specially commend IBB for his new position and frank talk about the need for restructuring the country. I urge him to go a step further and persuade those still on the fringe particularly some former military rulers to join those of us in the forefront of the campaign of restructuring of the country for a true federalism.

     

    Sovereign National Conference & referendum

    I strongly advise the government to convey a sovereign national conference, the outcome of which will be ratified by referendum which will give birth to the people’s constitution.

    For avoidance of doubt, the outcome of the referendum shall not be subject to the confirmation or approval of the National Assembly which as we all know will not take kindly to such recommendations such as legislators earning only sitting allowances.

  • FG responds to 2Baba’s protest call

    FG responds to 2Baba’s protest call

    Since the idea for the nation-wide protest became the talk of town, singer Innocent Idibia, aka 2Baba, who brought Nigerians’ plight to the government in a new video has stated that he is just a musician, with a point of view and the ear of his fans.

    The protest which is scheduled to hold on February 6, 2017 at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, is targeted at some of the policies of government he perceived are not favourable to the people.

    2Baba said: “I stand with Nigeria. There is enough in Nigeria for all of us to ‘chop belleful’. Enough is enough. We must put Nigeria first and keep all the greedy and selfish people away from leadership.”

    Reacting to the proposed protest, Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, while speaking in an interview with Lagos Talk 91.3FM, said those who are calling for the protest are people who supported the last government and are still pained that they lost the last election.

    ”This is a country of about 180 million people,” he said.

    “It is impossible for 180 million people to think the same way. Yoruba has a saying that if you all sleep and put your heads in the same direction, and then you are all foolish because you would be breathing in one another’s mouth and lungs.

    “Don’t forget the last election and how it went. Somebody scored 12.5 million votes; another scored about 15 million votes. There are some people who are still in that election mode. They have not gotten out of it and till today, they are still living and ‘romanticising’ about the past. What they don’t know is that that past is gone and gone forever. Majority of those calling for the protest are still in election mode. Majority of them are people that have resolved not to see anything good in this administration simply because the man they wanted lost at the polls.”

  • Clarion call for restructuring

    Many disasters and problems we have had in Nigeria had been basically man-made by Nigerians – leaders and followers alike to fellow Nigerians.  Can we call buildings collapse natural?  Many of these had led to deaths in our cities.   If it is not Boko Haram, it is the Niger Delta militants at work, with very sophisticated weapons taking lives at will.  What about the damage to the Niger Delta areas being caused by oil spillage and other environmental degradations?  The Fulani herdsmen are not spared of their contributions to the string of calamities, as if cattle rearing is just beginning in Nigeria!  What about the inexplicable rampant kidnapping for ritual purposes?  There seems to be no end to it.  No one is in doubt that with all these, good governance in Nigeria may not be in sight for a while.

    How then can there be a ‘nation’ when lives are taken in large numbers and money is being looted or stolen in billions?   Law and justice have been strangulated by the so-called “Rule of Law” which has made it impossible to call the big thieves to order, while the little thieves who steal for survival are not spared.  Why won’t the poor people steal, when they have no jobs or they do not receive salaries due to them accordingly? Many Nigerians struggle for political offices not because of the services to be rendered or jobs to be done, but because of how much will be available for sharing, stealing or looting!  Service to the nation is no longer the order of the day.  What is in there for me is the goal and main objective.  What an irony of faith?  Politics for stomach infrastructure and politics for easy living, for self, and family remain the “in thing”.

    In the US, the thinking of the ordinary people is as enshrined in the constitution “We the People…”  In Nigeria, the struggle is “me for my family and my pocket”, to suck Nigeria dry.  No wonder, many politicians and public office holders are busy scrambling for whatever they can scoop of what is left in our treasuries.  The reason for this is that corruption has changed our political paradigm.   It will certainly take a very long time for a reversal of the corruption trend in Nigeria. Only very few people seem to have much at stake in the direction the country is drifting.  Our President does not seem to be able to find the solution as he is being hampered on all sides as he struggles to fight the uphill corruption fight.

    It is an open secret that Nigerians say openly and shamefully that “it is a mess to be called a Nigerian”.  What an unpatriotic statement!  No wonder the brain drain continues and Nigerian professionals and technocrats are moving to other lands for   greener pastures on a daily basis. The spirit of patriotism has waned and the psychological and emotional ties to their fatherland and motherland have been severely weakened, if not completely severed.  This must be halted as a matter of urgency.

    On a daily basis, the cry for severance, breakaway, restructure, etc. rents the air.  All news media channels – electronic and prints and social media are inundated with calls from ethnic groups to be treated as equal partners in progress and development.  Equality of access to a nation’s resources is necessary for peace and progress in   Nigeria and this is not so at the moment.  We should do all that is possible to put an end to marginalization of ethnic groups and every semblance of citizen classification (overtly or covertly) as first, second or third, must be jettisoned.  Equal (opportunities) citizenry of Nigeria has to be the new order, if Nigeria will continue to be “ONE”.

    I am not one of those who predict dooms for the nation.  Rather, I think about how we can move our nation – Nigeria forward.  Over a long period of time I have seen and realized that those who mean well for Nigeria never get to work for her.  I have also noticed that when many of them struggle to get to the positions to help Nigeria, they get frustrated and discouraged, because the atmosphere and environment for progress is not congenial to proper development.  The level of corruption everywhere, is so pervasive that it is impossible to make meaningful moves towards success.

    Wither Nigeria, with all the factors which do not augur well for continued progress and development?  The killings by Boko Haram and the militants, the harassments of innocent Nigerians in virtually all parts of Nigeria by the herdsmen, the ritual kidnappings, the kidnappings for ransoms, remain the order of the day.   Budget paddings and the pervasive corruption and indiscipline are so colossal, endemic, ubiquitous and perhaps incurable.

    With the current state of affairs in Nigeria, I am tempted to think that, the earlier the entity called Nigeria is fragmented or restructured the better it is for peace and progress to return.  There are far too many ethnic groups to expect a miracle harmony. It may also be presumptuous to expect two dominant religions to continue the never ending completion at the expense of the ordinary citizens.  The earlier the restructure is effected the better it will be for each fragment to survive either as separate nations or as sub-units of the United States of Nigeria!  The tribes and tongues are just too many to be successfully harmonized.  The British colonial masters knew this ab initio.  Our experience so far with democracy should have convinced us that our model of democracy is far from being ideal for a nation as diverse as Nigeria.

    I am aware that this is a bitter pill, I have put in the mouth of many Nigerians with this statements. Of what use or benefit is the present ding dong relationships between religions, tribes, states and cultures in Nigeria?  One will ordinarily think that there is strength in diversity.  Our diversity, on the other hand, is crippling us, as many tribes are being made to feel inferior/superior to one another. The net result is uneasiness, anger, displeasure and strife among the people who are supposed to be brothers and sisters.

    Must we wait until Boko Haram kills more people before we save the lives of those remaining?  Must we wait until the militants destroy all the pipelines and the oil structures before we let them go or we realign with them?  The Biafra people have never stopped clamouring to go.  Should Nnamdi Kalu be allowed to die in prison only to find out that Nigeria will eventually fragment or break into separate nations?  The Fulani Herdsmen will not stop their war until they realise that they might soon be needing visas to cross to other lands/states/nations, soon to emerge!  There is war on all fronts in Nigeria.  The wars must end and the most obvious and permanent solution is restructuring and we already have the template!

    The pride in motherland Nigeria is waning fast.  The only pride we can count on is in ‘Soccer’ and we can’t even successfully transport our soccer ambassadors to the RIO 2016 Olympics, without the hitch of having them stranded in Atlanta, Georgia. We also made negative headlines on it around the world!  How can a nation in disarray breed a patriotic citizenry?

    Our diversity and large population do not result in joy, peace and progress of the ordinary citizens.  Nigerians are suffering and wallowing in abject poverty.  Governments do not seem to care for the welfare of the people, as long as the leaders’   salaries are paid ON TIME!  Other workers can go without salaries for months on end!  What a nation with no sympathy for the poor workers!

    This is the time for decision and we need to act fast.  Let’s all be wise and come together as brothers and sisters with different philosophies.  We need to recraft the modality for our peaceful co-existence.  Definitely, tribes and tongues are different, we still can come together as united sub-units. If we need a referendum to actualize this, let us institute one now.

     

    • Prof Akinyemi writes from United States.

  • Call for women empowerment

    Strengthening of women farmers is key to a successful agricultural growth and rural development, a social entrepreneur, Abigail Anaba, has said.

    Anaba, an associate with Agro Nigeria, said building a group of successful women agri-food entrepreneurs that provide role models will contribute to economic growth and improvement of rural income and food security.

    She called on women in agriculture and institutions to support the empowerment of farmers, particularly in agri-business activities.

    Recognising that, women are responsible about 80 per cent of food production, Anaba said the national objective should be to strengthen inclusive growth, employment generation and sustainable livelihoods for women producers and agri-business entrepreneurs.

    To this end, she urged relevant institutions to work with government and other stakeholders to support women farmers with incentives to enable reap the benefits of profitable agriculture.

    She quoted Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, who said “when women are empowered and can claim their rights and access to land, leadership, opportunities and choices, economies grow, food security is enhanced and prospects are improved for current and future generations”.

    Anaba urged  women to take  advantage  of Growth and Employment in State-Wholesale and Retail sector (GEMS4), Enterprise Challenge Fund  that  aims to  encourage,  develop and adopt innovative business models and approaches that will create jobs and improve the income of financially challenged women engaged in Wholesale and Retail trade.

    She said the £3.5 million private sector development matching grant fund seeks to support initiatives from Lagos, Kano, Cross River, Kaduna and Enugu.

    Through the initiative, she said GEMS4 is set to provide both technical and financial support of up to £150,000 for eligible private sector actors whose business or innovative entries will ultimately result in the creation of jobs and improved incomes for economically challenged women within the sector.

  • IGP Abba’s unconstitutional call

    IGP Abba’s unconstitutional call

    SIR: Millions of Nigerians have been having a good laugh since the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega last Friday punctured the illegal and unconstitutional warning of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Suleiman Abba a day before that voters should vote and go home; that the police will to protect our votes.

    On the national television a day after, the INEC chairman came on air to educate and sensitize Nigerians that there is no provision either in the constitution or in the Electoral Act that gives the police the right to tell voters what to do on election day, that they can wait but should conduct themselves peacefully and in orderly manner in policing their votes so that it is counted and announced publicly in their presence. The duty of the police is constitutionally and solely to provide security on election day, just like other days, no more, no less.

    IGP Abba must be a wag to think in his wildest imagination that Nigerians will be intimidated or gullibly surrender the protection of   their sacred votes to the Nigeria police bearing in mind their antecedents, which is not endearing. This same IGP whose organisation cannot recover over 200 girls abducted by criminals for about 340 days now; what a shame! Is this not the same IGP that ordered his men to desecrate the federal legislature through unlawful closure last year and who in solidarity with President Jonathan, illegally withdrew the security aides of the speaker? It is this same IGP that sat in his office while behaving like the Lord of the Manor by assaulting our sensibilities and democracy.

    Honestly, this IGP is a first class example of a lawless officer who has no respect for the constitution and constituted authority, hence one is not surprised that he has good company in AIG Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu of “I will kill 20 civilians for every one policeman killed,” amongst others.

    However, to say that we weren’t expecting this illegal and irresponsible warning from Mr. Suleiman Abba prior to the 2015 general election is to be economical with the truth about the antecedents and character of this police officer and his office. It was in this same country and during elections in the past that Suleiman Abba’s predecessors like Hafiz Ringim, Ogbonnaya Onovo and M.D. Abubakar warned voters not to take their phones to polling units.

    So in effect, Mr. Abba is not saying anything new but only following the tradition of his predecessors with regards to perpetuation of illegality and unconstitutionality. Therefore, like the Nigerian voters dealt with his predecessors in the past by ignoring and daring them, so also will Nigerians do with Mr. Abba’s latest reckless, inciting and offensive warning which should be ignored for what it represents – illegality.

    Come March 28th and April 11th, 2015, Nigerians should go to the polls in a peaceful and orderly manner to vote wisely for a candidate of their choice and wait till the votes are counted and publicly announced in order to engender citizen’s participation and ownership of the process.

    Your vote is your power; use it wisely, so says a popular aphorism.

     

    • Nelson Ekujumi,

    Surulere, Lagos.

  • The call, the passion, the destiny

    Too many people hold on to the past and allow the negative experiences of the past define their present and future. This should not be. Where you are coming from should not in any way determine where you going.

    In his book THE CALL; THE PASSION; THE DESTINY, Abiodun Mabadeje helps you understand that the success you desire to attain is predicated on how you move from your present state into the future you desire, irrespective of the circumstances of your past. If you desire to move forward, you cannot keep looking back into your ‘unfortunate past’.

    Life is full of challenges. The road is never smooth for anyone and running away from challenges will not solve them. Many dwell only on what they have gone through in life, unable to look beyond their past or present circumstances. To succeed, you have to confront and overcome your circumstances. You must not allow fear and pessimism hold you back.

    One very fundamental point the book explains in the detail, which many people are ignorant of, is the Law of Attraction. To succeed, you have to align yourself with the reality of the Law of Attraction. This Law states that “I attract into my life whatever I give my attention, energy and focus to, whether positive or negative.”

    This raises questions which you must answer: What do you give your attention to? What do you focus on? What do you expend our energy on? When you fill your mind with negative thoughts, the Law of Attraction states that you will simply get more of the same. It is time for you to think deeply so as to determine whether the challenges you currently face are self-afflicted as a result of attraction or by reason of your thoughts.

    In Chapter Two, the author raises another critical question: Who are you? This is a question of identity. It is one you must answer, because if you do not know who you are, you will not know what you are about or why you are here.

    If you cannot answer this question, you will have the problem of misplaced identity. Many people are trying to be who they are not – they talk, walk and even dress like someone else. Knowing who you are helps you function as you should; living your own life and not someone else’s.

    You must note that to truly identify who you are you must go back to your source, the One who created you – God Almighty – because you were created not by accident but to fulfill destiny. He has the blueprint of your life.

    As the author clearly states, you MUST have a vision: a comprehensive sense of who you are and where you are going. Anyone without a vision does not have a future. Your vision might seem gigantic and your challenges insurmountable. However, keep the Law of Attraction in mind, envisage the future you want, forget the past and project into the future.

    Everyone is called to do something or be something. What are YOU called to do or be? It is time to step out and be bold, bearing in mind the Law of Cause and Effect; that actions determine reactions and input determines output.

    Get out of the “Good Old Days” mentality. To live in the future you dream of, consider the words of Isaac Newton, “Everything (or object, or life) remains in a state of constant rest until an external force is applied”, and do what you need to do right away.

     

     

  • A call for decorum

    SIR: Nigerians are perennial critics of those in position of authority. Of recent, religious and respected former leaders now top the chart of spokespersons of political parties and politicians seeking elective positions.

    Our religious, past and present political leaders who are supposed role models must guard their utterances on burning national issues. For religious leaders specifically, they should endeavour to preserve and maintain absolute neutrality, poise, solemnity and serenity known for their vocation by shunning any bait capable of knowingly or unknowingly dragging them into the murky waters of Nigerian politics.

    Nigeria should not be written off despite obvious challenges. Her situation can be salvaged not by condemnation but by patriotism, good works and good behaviour of all, fervent prayers and supplication for those in position of authority.

    One statement that epitomises the concept of good leadership and followership was offered by Abu Bakar, the first person according”

    Uganda Muslim Brothers and Sisters Standard” to lead the Muslim Community after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in his first address as Khalifa – or head of the Islamic state. He told his audience “I have been chosen to rule over you, though I am not the best among you. Help me if I am right; correct me if I am wrong. The weak among you will be strong until I have attained for him his due… and the strong among you will be weak until I have made him give what he owes…” Nations grow and develop by concerted effort of all citizens; not only by policies, programmes and endeavours of those in positions of authority.

    Do we regard the powers that be as ordained by God, speak mildly to them perhaps they may accept admonition or fear of God? This election year should rekindle in all of us the burning desire for collaborative effort, unalloyed support for our government; fervent intercessions and passionate interventions for our leaders.

     

    • Sunday Onyemaechi Eze,

    Zaria, Kaduna State

  • Editors call for Keshi’s removal

    Editors call for Keshi’s removal

    The Guild of Sport Editors, the umbrella body of all managers of sports in the Nigerian media, has called for the immediate removal of Stephen Keshi as caretaker coach of the Super Eagles following Saturday’s disgraceful loss to Sudan in a 2015 AFCON qualifier in Khartoun. The body wants the new executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) to ask Keshi to stay away from the team for the reverse fixture of the AFCON qualifier in Abuja on Wednesday.

    ‘The Guild feels Keshi should not be honoured with a place on the Super Eagles bench on Wednesday in the reverse fixture after toying with the emotions of over 100 million football loving Nigerians through his unnecessary arrogance, unguarded and sometimes insulting utterances as well as questionable invitation of players to the national team,”said the Guild’s president Tony Ubani in a statement on Sunday.

    ‘We also want the NFF not to re-open contract extension talks with Keshi who seems to have lost the motivation to take the Eagles beyond where they are now.”

    The body wants the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF to take a holistic look at football development in Nigeria starting with the leagues.

    ”The success of any country’s football depends on how it is able to develop its league to not only provide quality players for the various national teams but also provide employment for millions of Nigerians.”

    The body cited England who last won a major tournament some 48 years ago but its FA has developed its league to be the best in the world with millions of job opportunities for its people and wished the new NFF emulated them. Ubani said: ”We demand a total restructuring  of the various leagues and an enforcement of all laws guiding club football in Nigeria. A situation where clubs do not have youth teams and where players’ salaries are not paid promptly cannot engender growth. We want the new NFF executive committee to be bold in taking some decisions on the administration of football in the country,” Ubani said.

  • Call to ‘higher service’

    Call to ‘higher service’

    The Nigerian institute of Management (NIM) has conferred its highest professional award of fellow on 27 persons. The ceremony climaxed activities marking this year’s edition of its Fellows and Spouses Day Luncheon , reports NNEKA NWANERI

    Tt is a tradition that has kept the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) going. Yearly, the Institute confers its highest professional membership on selected people. This year, 48 persons were chosen as fellows, making them eligible to use the suffix, FNIM, after their names. The Institute, which has 200,000 members, instituted the award in 1963.

    Twenty seven of fellows were honoured last Thursday at the Shell Hall of the Muson Centre in Lagos during the NIM Award, Fellows and Spouses Day Luncheon. The remaining 21 will be honoured in Warri, Delta State, during its conference between September 21 and 23.

    The Shell Hall throbbed with activities. It was decorated in the NIM colours of blue and red. Before long, more tables and chairs were brought in to accommodate those standing behind the hall.

    Everybody stood for the rendition of the National Anthem. The NIM Code of Conduct was read by its President and Chairman of Council, Dr Nelson Uwaga. It was followed by his welcome address, in which he highlighted the Institute’s activities since his assumption of office eight months ago.

    “Fellow’s upgrade is not a destination or an end in itself. I, therefore, implore the recipients not to be contented with just adding the designation, FNIM, to their names but to see it as a call to higher service to the Institute, the management profession and the nation. From this day forward, each of you is required to devote more of your time, talent, treasure and thinking to the service of the Institute and mankind,” Dr Uwaga said.

    In a lecture titled: “Random Thoughts on NIM and its Fellows,” a former Director of Tower Aluminium Plc, Mr Akinbayo Adenubi urged the awardees to always wear their lapel pin, because it opened doors for a lot of other fellows in the past.

    Another fellow, Chief Tonye Korubo-Owiye, spoke of how the awardees were selected.

    Chairman of the Awards Committee Mrs Pat Anabor called out those conferred with awards.

    The trio of Chief Timothy Adebutu; Mrs Georgina Hollist and Mrs Funmilayo Green, who are septuagenerians were conferred with Life Membership.

    Four others comprising two individuals and two firms got corporate awards. They are: Mrs Rabi Sodangi, who got the Chris Abebe Award; Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Tuyo Award; Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mobolaji Bank, Anthony Award and Zenith Bank, Management Excellence Award.

    The Fellows are: Imo State Deputy Governor Eze Madumere; former Governor of Rivers State Sir Celestine Omehia;  Special Adviser on Technical Matters to Akwa Ibom State Governor Etido Iyang;  Chairman of Danvady Group of Companies Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong; Commodore Adesoji Babalola;  former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor in Charge of Corporate Services,  Suleiman Barau; Imo State Commissioner for Finance Chike Okafor; Deputy Managing Director, Domestic Bank of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Apollos Ikpobe; Mrs Esther Obijoye of Professional Women’s Advisory Board of the American Biographical Institute;  Maj Gen Salihu Uba; Publisher Pharmanews, Ifeanyi Atueyi; Ahmed Zaria; Chukwuemeka Eleh; Muiz Oseni; Alhaji Mohammed Dukku; Akwa Ibom State Commissioner  for Information and Communication  Aniekan Umanah; Alhaji Rasak Oyetola; Ahmed Yusuf; Obong Inuaeyen; Mohammed Musa; Chief Godwin Obasuyi; Gabbidon Meheux; Mokikan Femi and Ifiok Umunna.