The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Emeka Okeke

  • Customs’ Eastern Area Command generates N4.89bn

    Customs’ Eastern Area Command generates N4.89bn

     The Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service ( NCS ) has generated N4.89 billion within eight months.

    The Area Comptroller, Mr Suleiman Mohammed, made the disclosure to newsmen on Monday at a stakeholders meeting in Enugu.

    Mohammed said that the N4.89 billion was about 45.3 per cent of the projected revenue target of the area command for the year.

    According to him, the 2017 revenue target of customs for the three states is N10.84 billion

    “The total amount realised as at August (from Jan. 1) stood at “Four Billion, Eight Hundred and Ninety Five Million, Three Hundred and Eleven Thousand, Eight Hundred and Five Naira, Seventy Seven Kobo (N4, 895,311,805.77) representing 45.3 per cent of the target for the year,’’ he said.

    The comptroller attributed the shortfall in revenue of the agency to the lack of border areas in the three states under the command.

    He said: “the three states covered by the command have no land borders and as such no frontier stations, rather it’s an excise oriented area with at least 20 excise factories under its control.

    “Besides, only 14 excise factories are functional presently whole six are temporarily closed-down.”

    Also speaking, Chief Raymond Okonkwo, the Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders ( NAGAFF ), urged stakeholders in freight industry to tackle facilities related problems at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

    Okonkwo said: “there is a need for stakeholders who have interest in the development of the airport structure to come together to ensure that things are the way they should.

    “The run-way at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport is not of the standard to attract international flights.

    “When facilities at any airport runs short of international regulations, you know that there is a problem as no airline will put his aircraft at risk.’’

    Speaking, the representative of Triax Group of Companies, Chief Emeka Okeke, called on South-East governors to join hands with the Enugu State governor to see that the airport becomes truly international in its operation.

    “We should not leave this thing for one state alone. I don’t know why the governments of the South-East states should not come to support this international airport project.

    “Let us start with one international airport before talking of cargo airport and the rest of them.

    “Enugu is the main eastern-base and this problem should be addressed squarely,’’ Okeke said.

  • UPDATE: Lagos building collapse death toll increases

    UPDATE: Lagos building collapse death toll increases

    Two more bodies have been recovered from the collapsed three-storey building at Ilasamaja, Lagos, bringing the number of deaths recorded to three.

    The deceased were recovered between 12:18am and 12:32am, said the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and Incident Commander of the operation, Adesina Tiamiyu.

    According to him, three people died, 19 were rescued and some were still feared trapped.

    Among the deceased was a 25-year-old Plumber, Emeka Okeke, from Enugu State, whose boss was inconsolable Thursday night.

    The boss who gave his name as Okeke and identified himself as the deceased’s uncle, was held by rescue workers from jumping on the rubble.

    Crying and speaking in Igbo, Okeke said he left his two brothers-Emeka and Chima- at the site Thursday afternoon before leaving for Festac.

    He said they were both his brothers and were handed over to him by their parents so that he could teach them plumbing.

    “What do I tell my people? These boys were given to me by my brothers to train. Where do I start from? God! Why me?

    “They were working together. I left both of them here this afternoon and I went to Festac. We all slept here with other workers. I was just coming back to sleep now, so, we can continue our job tomorrow. I didn’t know something bad happened here. I didn’t even here about it until I got to the site.

    “Death should have taken me instead. It should have taken me and left my two young boys, who are just starting life. I should have died in their place,” said Okeke who refused to admit that one of his brothers might still be alive.

    “My people have been calling Emeka’s phone since. It’s ringing but he wasn’t picking. Look at the phone in his pocket. It’s there inside his pocket. God! What did I do wrong?” Lamented Okeke.

    The Nation observed that paramedics, at the instruction of Tiamiyu, took him and checked his blood pressure, before they showed him a place to sit down. Okeke, who wanted to sleep at the scene until his other brother was found, was advised to follow an ambulance to Isolo General Hospital so that he would check if Chima was among the injured.

    Most of the victims recovered from 9pm had at least one of their legs amputated, with suspected spinal cord injuries.

  • Edith Jibunoh moves on

    Edith Jibunoh moves on

    EDITH Jibunoh is your modern day super successful woman who has come clean and good from playing hard and square on the field populated by men. The daughter of Dr. Newton Jibunoh, the popular adventurer and explorer, has worked in the MDG Office of the Nigerian Presidency and the World Bank, where she worked on East Asian countries and External Affairs at the Bank’s UN office.

    Edith who has since remarried Emeka Okeke after her short-lived marriage to Stan Rerri was dissolved has not rested on her oars. The woman who has written severally on African development and governance is now Global Policy Director at ONE Campaign.

    Edith joined ONE as Manager of African Outreach, during which time she built an extensive network of African policy makers, NGOs, private sector companies, media outlets, academics and artists. Among several of her innovative programmes, Edith designed the popular ONE Africa Award which annually honours civil society groups exemplifying innovation in pursuit of the MDGs.

  • Emeka Okeke dumps Carat MP

    Emeka Okeke dumps Carat MP

    HARDWORKING Emeka Okeke, the chief executive officer of Carat Media Perspectives, has resigned his appointment with the media agency after pioneering and leading the agency for over a decade. We gathered that Okeke dropped his letter of resignation which will take effect on 31 December 2013 but it was a struggle before the board approved it.

    Sources say that the media strategist is up to something that would shake the industry. It is believed he is moving to set up his own independent media outfit. Okeke joined Insight Communications in 1995 from Advertising Techniques, rising through the ranks to become the agency’s media director. In 1998, he was seconded by the group to Mediacom Ghana as the pioneering General Manager, doubling as the supervising director for Mediacom’s operations in Togo, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire. Emeka returned to Nigeria in 2002 and was appointed Media Director at Insight, occupying the position until the group appointed him again to pioneer Carat Media Perspectives as managing director.

    Emeka led the new agency on a winning streak, clinching several blue chip businesses including Heineken Nigerian Breweries, Friesland WAMCO, Procter & Gamble, Nokia, Vitafoam and MTN.

    Sources said the chairman of the group, Biodun Shobanjo, called a meeting to announce Emeka’s resignation and address the agency community on the future of the agency.