The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Director

  • Centre honours pioneer director

    Centre honours pioneer director

    The UNILORIN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has advised the pioneer Director of the Counseling and Human Development Centre, Dr. Lasiele Alabi Yahaya, to build on the success he achieved at the centre in his new post.

    Speaking at a send-off ceremony by the centre in Yahaya’s honour last Thursday, Ambali, who was represented by the Dean, Faculty of Education, Prof. Alfred Adegoke, said the management is very proud of the successes recorded by the centre since its inception and Yahaya’s contributions to its growth.

    He urged Yahaya to continue to put in his best in his new office as the Head of the Department of Counseling Education.

    He said: “It is good to acknowledge the contribution of Dr Yahaya to the development of this centre. The university is very proud of him. But I want to appeal to you because there is still more in you and the university management will be very happy to see you display more commitment in your new office as the Head of the Department of Counseling Education.”

    In his remarks, the new Director of the Centre, Dr Abdulrazaq Oniye, praised Yahaya, whose dedication and hard work earned the Centre an acknowledgement from the Federal Ministry of Education.

    Oniye also described the pioneer Director of the Centre as a man who believes in the efficacy of teamwork and diligence.

    “Dr Yahaya is a dogged human mobilizer and a prudent manager of resources who believes fervently in the notion that whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well,” he said.

     

  • Supreme Court director bags doctorate degree

    Supreme Court director bags doctorate degree

     

    The Director of Press and Information at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Dr. Akande Aweneri Festus, was among the graduands conferred with the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the 44th convocation ceremony of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka last month. He has, by this feat, ranked among the first set of PhD holders in Public Relations in Nigeria; a programme pioneered in Africa by the University of Nigeria.

    Dr. Akande, a graduate of Mass Communication, holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, MSc Degree in Public Relations and MBA Degree in Marketing from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also has a BSc (Hons) Degree in Marketing from Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).  He bagged the Chartered Professional Certificate and Diploma in Public Relations from Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and Business Education Examinations Council in 1990 and 1992 respectively. A Journalist, Public Relations Practitioner and Teacher of over 25 years, Dr. Akande had been involved in the training of Journalists and Public Relations practitioners in Lagos State University (LASU), Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Times Journalism Institute, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations School (NIPR); and was the pioneer Director of Lagos Public Relations Academy (LAPRA).

    Dr. Akande also worked with the now defunct Abuja News Day Newspapers (the first print mediumin the Federal Capital Territory), Nigerian Tide Newspapers (Rivers State Publishing Corporation), and TELL Magazine, where he rose to management cadre. He also established the Special Project Unit of FAME Magazine in Lagos. He is an accomplished Speech Writer, Public Speaker and Author of robust international repute, having to his credit the following books: In-Road into Public Relations; Contemporary Media Relations Management; Effective Speech Writing and Public Speaking; Principles and Techniques of Public Relations; Application of Industrial Psychology and Sociology to Public Relations Management; Public Relations Strategy in International Marketing; International Public Relations Management; Dance of a Dead Man; Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: The Man, The Myth and The Mystery; Darkness At Noon (which was published in United States (US) and got the certification of the Library of Congress); among others. He has also published many research papers in different International Academic Journals and co-authored several monographs in the United Kingdom (UK) and the US respectively.

  • Banned Iranian director wins Berlinale’s Golden Bear

    Banned Iranian director wins Berlinale’s Golden Bear

    Embattled Iranian filmmaker, JafarPanahi, has won the Golden Bear at the just concluded Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), for his Tehran road movie, Taxi, which critics described as a victory for freedom of speech and the art of cinematic storytelling.

    The dissident filmmaker, who is banned from making films by the Iranian authorities and forbidden from travelling abroad, stars in his own film as a taxi driver talking to his passengers as he drives them through the streets of Tehran.

    The decision to celebrate Panahi, who has been described as the ‘Iranian Woody Allen’, cements the Berlinale’s status as the most politically driven of the world’s main film festivals. “Instead of allowing his spirit to be crushed and giving up, instead of allowing himself to be filled with anger and frustration, JafarPanahi created a love letter to cinema,” said Darren Aronofsky, the American director and Berlinale jury president. “His film is filled with love for his art, his community, his country and his audience.”

    Although committed to a six-year prison term and a 20-yearban from filmmaking by the Iranian government for attempting to explore the social situation in his homeland, the filmmaker has continued to be celebrated at international film festivals.

    Panahi’s film, Offside, won the Berlin festival’s Silver Bear award in 2006 and in 2011. But he was prevented from attending te ceremonies because he could not get bail to attend.

    Panahi’s Taxi is the first after his jail term, which again, has been described as his courage against his 20-year ban from filmmaking.

    Panahi’s award was picked up by his niece, one of the film’s young female stars. She, however, broke down on stage saying she was “too moved” to talk. She was comforted by the French actress and jury member Audrey Tatou.

    The award ceremony of the 65th Berlinale was attended by stars including Cate Blanchett, Juliette Binoche, Christian Bale and James Franco. The event was also a huge success for British cinema – Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling won the best actor and actress awards for their leading roles in 45 Years, a much-feted drama directed by the rising star Andrew Haigh in which a long-term marriage breaks down within a week.

    In a further boost to British film interests, Kenneth Branagh was among the stars on the red carpet following the world premiere last Friday of his live-action modern retake of Cinderella for Disney, as well as Peter Greenaway, the British director whose ambitious and sexually explicit biopic of the Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, Eisenstein in Guanajuato, was warmly received.

    Other awards included the Grand Jury prize, or the Silver Bear, for the Chilean director Pablo Larrain for El Club, a film that centres on a group of Roman Catholic priests who have in various ways dishonoured the church and have been relocated to a small seaside town. The jury said it expected the film would become a “classic of the history of cinema”.

  • NSUK appoints Director of Consultancy

    The Vice-Chancellor of the Nasarawa State University in Keffi (NSUK), Prof Muhammad Mainoma, has appointed Malam Yahaya Adadu as the new Director of Consultancy at the university.

    Until his appointment, Adadu was the head of the Department of Political Science. The appointee described this nomination as a call to duty and an opportunity to showcase his knowledge and experience having worked at the same office previously at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) in Plateau State.

    Adadu, a senior lecturer, said: “Even though I have not been given an official handover note yet, I hope to make a difference in the office and in the university at large.”

    The Acting Head of Mass Communication Department, Malam Muhammad Rabiu, said: “Adadu is coming to the office formidably equipped. He was also the chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). With this background, he is equipped to accomplish things. I congratulate him.”

  • Community rejects institute’s director

    Community rejects institute’s director

    The people of Umuokahia Autonomous Community in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State have praised President Goodluck Jonathan, the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike and other key stakeholders who played significant roles in restoring the autonomous status of National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), Aba allegedly proscribed four years ago by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

    They also called on both President Jonathan and the Supervising Minister of Education to resist attempts by “highly placed individuals” who they alleged were working assiduously to ensure that a former Director of the NINLAN under University of Nigeria, Nsukka Campus Prof. Clara Ikekeonwu was appointed a substantive director now that the institute has regained its autonomy.

    While addressing the management board of NINLAN Demonstration Nursery, Primary and Secondary school at his palace, the traditional ruler of Umuokahia community (a community that hosts NINLAN Demonstration Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools as well as NINLAN’s temporary campus), His Royal Highness (HRH) Eze Okey Ananaba called on the Supervising Minister of Education to distance himself from those championing the return of Prof. Ikekeonwu as the substantive director of the institute.

    Eze Ananaba recalled a stale relationship between the host community and the former director of the institute while it was merged with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Campus. He alleged that the former director was running the institute as a personal business without even considering the interest of the host community.

    He said: “We the people of Umuokahia in Obingwa Local Government Area are happy with President Goodluck Jonathan, Nyesom Wike (education minister), Senators Nkechi Nwaogu, Enyinnaya Abaribe and Uche Chukwumerije, among others who played key roles in ensuring that NINLAN was demerged from UNN Nsukka Campus.

    “We are, however, urging the Supervising Minister of Education to distance himself from some persons who are campaigning for the re-appointment of Prof. Clara Ikekeonwu as the institute’s director now that the institute is autonomous.

    “Before Clara was appointed NINLAN director, we had good relationship with the institute, but things changed when she assumed office as the director. During her tenure as the executive director, she never visited this palace for one day.

    “Her relationship with this community until she left was nothing to write home about and so, we are opposed to any move by any person to appoint Prof. Clara the executive director of NINLAN now that the institute has regained its autonomy. Any move to re-appoint her outside the judgment of the Umuahia Federal High Court means that we will head back to court to ensure that the decision of the court is implemented,” the traditional said.

    While calling for the setting up of an audit panel of inquiry to investigate the activities of the former director, Eze Okey Ananaba appealed for the re-instatement of disengaged workers that were not paid their entitlement since 2007, appointment of a substantive director that will carry the community along in the scheme of things, employment opportunities for citizens of the area and full implementation of Umuahia Federal High Court judgment on suit No. FHC/UM/CS/84/2007.

    Earlier in an address, Dr. Patricia Ijioma who visited the palace in company of other members of staff revealed that they were on the familiarisation tour to introduce the newly members of the constituted governing board of the school to the royal father and to inform him that NINLAN has regained its autonomy from the UNN.

    Mrs. Ijioma, soliciting the co-operation of the royal father with the management of the school, expressed hope that their visit would further strengthen the institution’s relationship with its host community.

    Recall that the Federal Government, in a bid to promote the teaching and learning of Nigerian local Languages, in 1993 through the Ministry of Education headed by Prof. Babatunde Aliyu Fafunwa, had established Nigerian French Language Village (NFLV), Badagry Lagos State, Nigerian Arabic Village (NAV), Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State and National Institute for Nigerian Languages, along Ogbor Hill New Umuahia Road, Umuokahia Autonomous Community Abia State respectively, with only NINLAN out of the lot being backed by Decree 117, now Act 117) that empowers it to fulfill the objectives for which it was set up.

  • Okumagba is Abbey Building Society Director

    A FORMER Commissioner for Finance Delta State Mr Bernard Okumagba has joined the Board of Abbey Building Society Plc (a Mortgage Bank) as director.

    A statement from the company stated that the Board of the Mortgage Bank approved the appointment on August 22, this yaer. The appointment is subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    Okumagba holds a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Nigeria in 1987. He is also a qualified chartered accountant and an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He worked in several banks from 1991 to 2007.

    His banking career started in Oceanic Bank Plc where he was from 1991 to 1994 and worked in both the Financial Control/Strategy as well as the Corporate Banking divisions.

    Thereafter, he worked in Crystal Bank, Fidelity Bank Plc, First Atlantic Bank Plc and United Bank for Africa Plc from 1994 to 2007.

    He held various positions at these banks, including Senior Manager, Corporate Banking Division, Head of Internal Control/Audit Division, Chief Inspector and Principal Manager, Consumer and Commercial Banking Division among others.

    He left United Bank for Africa (UBA) in August 2007, following his appointment as Commissioner for Economic Planning in Delta State. He served from August 2007 to November 2010 and was appointed Commissioner for Finance and served from November 2010 to May 2011. Mr Okumagba was reappointed Delta State Commissioner for Finance in July 2011 and held this position until July, this year.

    A scion of the Okumagba family in Warri, Bernard is Chairman Regents Consults Limited and Noly Insurance Brokers Limited.

     

  • TECHNICAL DIRECTOR JOB: Amodu, Laloko, Peters to wait

    TECHNICAL DIRECTOR JOB: Amodu, Laloko, Peters to wait

    Trio yet to get appointment letters

    If  SportingLife’s findings in Abuja are anything to go by, the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may have put the appointment of Shaibu Amodu, Kashimawo Laloko and James Peters as Technical Directors of the national teams on hold.

    The trio were recommended by the Technical Committee, with Amodu recommended for the position of the Technical Director, while Kashimawo Laloko will be the Assistant Director in charge of Youths, with James Peters as the Assistant Director in charge of the female teams.

    SportingLife’s investigations at the Glass House secretariat of the NFF revealed that though the Board members of the Federation accepted the recommendations of the technical committee, they insisted that certain grey areas relating to the appointments must be sorted out first before the three technical men would be engaged.

    SportingLife’s source who was privy to the board meeting held last week Wednesday, said: “Members accepted the recommendations of the Technical Committee, but they wanted certain questions to be answered first before the appointments are made.

    “They had nothing against the coaches that were recommended, considering their pedigree and technical abilities, but they wanted some things to be sorted out first before they are engaged,” the source said.

    Confirming this, the NFF General Secretary Musa Amadu said that no appointment letter has been issued to any of the coaches. “We have not engaged any of them for now. We have not issued any one of them appointment letters”. Asked when the Federation would issue the letters to the coaches, the scribe said: “We would do that when we are ready, but that may not be now,” he concluded.

  • Ikazoboh becomes Canada-based IISD director

    Ikazoboh becomes Canada-based IISD director

    The former Interim Administrator of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Emmanuel Ikazoboh, has been appointed a member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

    The institute is a public policy research think tank that contributes to sustainable development by advancing policy recommendations on international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change and energy, natural and social capital.

    Ikazoboh is a former Managing Partner/Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte West & Central Africa. He and Papa Kwesi Nduom, the Convention People’s Party’s flag bearer for the 2008 elections in Ghana, are the only two Africans on the board of IISD that has 25 members.

    Ikazoboh was welcomed to IISD meeting in Ottawa, Canada last month.

    In the appointment letter, IISD said of Ikhazoboh: “Given your experience and areas of action, as well as your deep understanding of the region’s priorities, your name would be an outstanding addition to our Board.”

    Ikazoboh, who is the Executive Chairman of Hedonmark Management Services Limited, was the interim administrator of the NSE between August 2010 and April last year.

    He studied Finance and Accounting at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos. He holds an MBA in Financial Management and Marketing of the Manchester University Business School.

    He is a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants and of the Nigeria Institute of Taxation.

    He has over 25 years experience in the management of high profile advisory assignments for Federal Government institutions, state governments and private sector clients, in Nigeria.

    He has attended leadership and senior management courses with Deloitte and was one of the helmsmen seconded to Kellogg Senior Management School at the Northwestern University Chicago.

     

  • Ondo commissioner ‘slaps’ director

    Ondo State Commissioner for Transport Nicholas Tofowomo yesterday allegedly slapped a director in the Ministry of Works, Mr. M. Afeniforo.

    The ministry’s workers protested for several hours and gave the state government a five-day ultimatum to remove the commissioner.

    Sources said Tofowomo approached Afeniforo for a tractor, but was told that all the tractors were on sites.

    Afeniforo also reportedly explained to Tofowomo that the Commissioner for Works, Gboye Adegbenro, had gone to inspect road projects at Ilara Mokin.

    Tofowomo reportedly phoned Adegbenro and told him that Afeniforo said he had diverted all the tractors to his home town.

    Sources said the director took exception to this, insisting that he did not tell the Commissioner for Transport that tractors had been diverted to Ilara-Mokin.

    It was learnt that an argument ensued and the commissioner allegedly slapped the director.

    Workers, led by officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), converged on the Ministry of Works and protested the alleged assault.

    The Chairman of the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), Mr. Solomon Adelegan, intervened and cautioned the workers.

    The Head of Service, Mrs. Kosemani Kolawole, invited Afeniforo and the permanent secretary to settle the matter.

    It was learnt that Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi went to the ministry and apologised to the workers, but they insisted on Tofowomo’s sack.

    Several calls made to Tofowomo were not replied.

  • Coca-Cola appoints new Managing Director

    Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited has appointed Adeola Adetunji as its Managing Director.

    He will replace Kelvin Balogun from January 1, 2013. Balogun is now President, Coca-Cola Central, East and West Africa (CEWA) Business Unit.

    Adetunji is the General Manager for Manufacturing and Trading Services; he serves as Managing Director for Waveside (Pty.) Limited, a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company in South Africa.

    Adetunji has spent 19 years in Coca Cola, serving in areas spanning finance, marketing and operations.

    He joined the company in Atlanta in 1993 and was appointed the South Africa Division Accounting Manager three years later.

    He led Coca-Cola in East Africa between 2003 and 2005 and helped to stabilise the business in Southern Africa between 2005 and 2007, before he moved to bottling operations in July 2008 as the East and North Africa Operations Director for Coca-Cola Sabco.

    Prior to joining the Coca-Cola, Adetunji worked in audit and consulting with Spicer and Oppenheimer (now Nexia International) for over three years.

    He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife), Nigeria and an MBA in Finance and Strategic Planning from the University of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, United States.

    “We are very pleased to have another strong professional in Adetunji to lead the Coca-Cola business in Nigeria, one of our strategic growth markets,” said Nathan Kalumbu, outgoing President of Coca-Cola Central, East and West Africa, who will be moving up as the Group President for Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group.

    “We are confident that he would focus on delivering our system growth plan, leveraging the solid groundwork laid over the past two years,” he added.

    Adetunji said: “I am excited at the opportunity to return to Nigeria as steward the Coca-Cola business; and I look forward to working with the team to further strengthen the fundamentals of our business and grow our market leadership.”