The Nation Newspaper

Tag: firm

  • Firm battles to retain N9.2b cooking stove contracts

    •Contractor sues Fed Govt to stop termination

    Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited is battling to retain the N9.2 billion clean cook stove contract and wonder bags.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Fatima Mede, said the contractor, who was hired by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, to supply the facilities had sued the Federal Government.

    She spoke with State House correspondents after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on her ministry’s activities at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    Mrs. Mede said the contractor went to court to forestall the termination of the multi-million contract by the Buhari-led government.

    The Jonathan-led Federal Executive Council (FEC) on November 26, 2014 approved N9.2 billion (Value Added Tax inclusive) to purchase 750,000 units of clean cook stove and 18,000 wonder bags.

    It was awarded to Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited, which has been entertaining fear that the Buhari administration might terminate the contract.

    The permanent secretary, who confirmed the legal action, said her ministry had notified the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation on the development, assuring that the government would argue its position in court.

    When asked if there were plans to terminate the contract, Mrs. Mede said it was subjudiceto comment on a matter pending before the court.

    Her words: “The matter is in court right now, so there is a limit to how I can talk about the issue of cooking stove. The contractor took government to court asking the court to grant an injunction for government not to terminate the contract.

    “We will go there and argue our case. The government will go and we have briefed the Attorney-General’s Office. We will present our case on the issue that led to the contractor taking us to court, it will be explained and the court will decide.”

    Explaining her mission at the Presidential Villa, Mrs. Mede said the President raised concerns about environmental degradation across the country at the meeting.

    According to her, the President was aware a properly managed environment was crucial to the nation’s sustainability, describing as alarming the desertification and deforestation rate in the country.

    The permanent secretary, who said over 43 per cent of Nigerians were affected by the effect of desertification, pointed to the unending clashes between the itinerant herdsmen and farmers because of forced migration.

    Mrs. Mede said the President directed her ministry to consider the promotion of cooking gas, especially in the cities as a way to scale down the rate at which wood was being fetched as fuel for cooking.

    She said: “For instance, if everybody in Abuja is using LPG to cook, the rate at which people cut down wood to sell will be reduced.

    “The President is also concerned about the fact that Lake Chad is receding from the 33,000 square kilometres about two decades ago to just 300 square kilometres which has affected the farmers, fishermen and the livelihood of the people around that area.

    “So, he has directed that we should go and look at the report submitted in 1920 on how to prevent Lake Chad from drying up, so that the communities around, even border communities, including the countries benefiting from activities of fishermen and livelihood, based on Lake Chad are not affected.

    “So, he has directed that we should bring up that report immediately and see how we can promote the use of LPG to reduce the rate at which trees are being cut down.

    “He was also concerned about the level of environmental management, solid waste, erosion control, pollution, air quality, climate change, the general environmental situation in the country.”

     

  • Firm seeks removal of buildings under high-tension wires

    THE Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) Ltd (AEDC) yesterday urged owners of houses under high-tension wires to remove them.

    This is contained in a statement by Ahmed Shekarau, the head, Public Relations and Media of AEDC and sent to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    It warned consumers to refrain from patronising unlicensed electricians when faults occurred on their power lines or appliances.

    The statement said AEDC recorded zero deaths and accidents in the second quarter of the year.

    It noted: “This is the first time such a feat is recorded in the history of the company.”

    The statement added that no worker was involved in a negative incident on safety, health and environment between April and June.

    The Managing Director/CEO of AEDC, Mr. Neil Croucher, hailed the workers for the achievement.

    He enjoined them to sustain the tempo.

    Croucher said since the takeover of the company in November 2013, new investors had raised the AEDC’s Health, Safety and

    Environment (HSE) Policy to a higher level.

    The statement said the AEDC management created a board committee to ensure HSE was integrated in its operations.

    It quoted Croucher as saying that AEDC valued health and environment because its operation was not just selling electricity and making money, but to ensure safe use of the product.

    The statement said if electricity was not handled properly, it could cause injury or death, hence AEDC had taken it as its primary responsibility to educate customers on the safe handling of electricity.

    Croucher warned people to avoid vandalism, encroachment on installations and not to tamper with such installations because they were accident-prone areas.

    He said the AEDC management had taken it as its responsibility to ensure education of customers and stakeholders on the safe handling of electricity.

    According to him, AEDC had started its quarterly safety sensitisation campaign in Kogi and Niger states and also at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

     

     

     

  • Firm introduces new App

    Slot Systems has introduced to the market to deepen customers experience and convenience while transacting business.

    Slot’s Managing Director, Nnamdi Ezeigbo, said: “As we are all aware, we now live in an era where business transactions are carried out electronically. In essence, you don’t need to be  present before you can engage in the business of buying and selling. As a company we are aware of this new reality, hence the creation of Slot.ng and the Slot App.’’

    He continued: “With Slot.ng, you can buy all your quality phones and accessories online using the Slot App; it’s like having the 50 Slot shops nationwide at your fingertips. With this new service from Slot, we want to ensure that our valued customers get a whole new shopping experience and also get value for money.’’

    Ezeigbo further said to start, all one needs is to download the Slot App free Google store, click and it takes you to the online store where one can buy his or her phones, accessories, laptops and i-pads, from the comfort of their home or office and have it delivered to them within 24 hours of payment.

    “It’s stress free and it’s convenient,” Ezeigbo added.

  • Firm gets ISO Certification

    Firm gets ISO Certification

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has certified Una & Associates Estate Surveying and Valuations firm, having conformed to necessary prerequisites of quality management system of the International standards Organisation (ISO).

    Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the firm, Mr. Pat Una, was presented an NIS ISO 9001: 2008 certificate by Director, Management Systems Certification, SON, Mrs. Oluremi Ayeni, She represented the Director General of SON, Dr. Joseph Odumodu.

    The NIS ISO 9001, 2008 standard is an approval issued to companies who display competence at providing services that meet client’s needs and regulatory modalities. It enables firms and industries to enjoy robust and global recognition in offering applicable solution to challenges associated with business management quality.

    Una described the feat as “fulfilling”, adding that the firm was the first to achieve such in the industry. He said: “We’ve made history as the first estate surveyor and valuation firm to be certified. It is gratifying and humbling to see that we can.”

    He explained that the firm has been committed to offering quality estate surveying and valuation services to its clients in the last 16 years. According to him, the process of ISO certification kick-started in 2013 with immense investment in capital development, infrastructure, time and resources. The system, he said, was subjected to rigorous examination before certification by SON auditors at the end of the assessment.

    He said: “The greatest of the challenges has been building a team in 15years; having a team of committed, dedicated and trustworthy people who are ready to learn. The requirements for ISO is 250, starting from the infrastructure, human capital, training, auditing, documentation and others.”

    Meanwhile, he urged aspiring firms with the right business discipline to come on board, noting that the procedure requires stern discipline and transparency.

    Speaking during the presentation, Mrs. Ayeni said the achievement will not only list the firm among leading class of companies with efficient management framework, but also engender sustainable growth, which the organisation is on course to achieve.

    Emphasising the imperativeness of quality management, she said: “We commend your effort and we actually want others to emulate this as we aim at sustainable development in our nation. Permit me to remind you that the service you are rendering is extremely important to this nation. We are at a very crucial stage in our national development; whatever we do from this time forward, we want to ensure that the growth we achieve either at company level or national level is sustainable.”

    She added that the system will be placed on six months surveillance to ensure complete sustainability and effectiveness. She however, noted that any act of non-conformity should be rectified under a specified timeframe or will otherwise attract withdrawal of the certificate.

  • Firm wages war against hypertension

    Pharmaceutical giant, Neimeth International has announced a 50 per cent reduction in cost of its hypertension medications. It said the gesture aims at reducing the ever- increasing cases of hypertension in Nigeria.

    Neimeth’s Managing Director, Mr Emmanuel Ekunno, spoke at Ibadan, the Oyo State capital during the conferment of FITGAH ambassador on Prof. Babatunde Salako, the Provost College of Medicine University of Ibadan.

    Ekunno, who remarked that 70 per cent of Nigerians on hypertension medications usually go on drug holiday as a result of their inability to purchase the drugs due to high cost, saying such action, exposes them to complication of the disease such as stroke and kidney damage.

    He also said the price reduction was to increase affordability, availability and accessibility to hypertension medications.

    While urging individuals to know their status by regularly having their blood pressures measured, the Neimeth boss advised that Nigerians should not be victims of hypertension, but victors by equipping themselves with information on the disease and taking appropriate steps to regulate their blood pressures.

    He said: “You need to equip yourself and be a better patient. By losing 10 per cent of body weight translates to 10 per cent reduction in blood pressure.”

    Ekunno said the company had decided to embark on the fight against hypertension through a multi-pronged approach, including mass screening, establishment of cardiovascular support units and collaboration with clinics and pharmacies to make drugs available, adding that Neimeth’s dream is that anti-hypertensive drugs will be free in Nigeria.

    The Vice-Chancellor University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who commended the company’s collaboration with scientists at the university, described hypertension as a disease that is rife with many dos and don’ts, urging that the firm comes up with hypertension medication which its use is once in a year.

    He canvassed more research into the incidence of hypertension in the community, saying that ordinarily, it was expected that hypertension cases should be more in urban areas rather than in rural areas.

    Appreciating his conferment as FITGAH ambassador, Prof. Salako said Neimeth should be commended for championing the fight against hypertension, adding that the price slash was exemplary and epitomises a robust approach to taming hypertension, which he described as a silent killer.

  • Firm takes oral health campaign to schools

    Firm takes oral health campaign to schools

    In a bid to ensure better oral health in children, Unilever Nigeria, makers of Pepsodent toothpaste, has embarked on a 21-day behavioural change campaign to educate children on the usefulness of brushing their teeth day and night.

    Speaking at the launch of Pepsodent Oral Health Schools’ Programme in Lagos, Brand Building Director, David Okeme, said the 21-day behavioural change campaign aims at preventing oral health challenges that affect children’s learning ability.

    “The campaign is borne out of the need to reduce the impact of dental cavities as available data revealed that almost 100 per cent of adults globally suffer from dental cavities and 60 to 90 per cent of school children have cavities,” he said.

    Continuing, he said: “This is part of Unilever’s global oral care social missions agenda to improve the oral health of 100 million people by 2020; by convincing them to brush their teeth day and night to stay healthy and happy and live a more enjoyable and fulfilled life.

    “In partnership with the Nigerian Dental Association, Universal Basic Education Board and the Federal Ministry of Health, Pepsodent is committed to improving the oral health of 10 million children in Nigeria by 2020 through the Brush Day and Night Schools’ Programme. One million school children will be reached directly in 2015.

    “We believe kids can change the world by adopting healthy oral habits and they, in turn, can convince their parents to do same.”

    In the same manner, President, Nigerian Dental Association (NDA), Dr. Bode Ijarogbe said children are more vulnerable to dental cavities because they consume more of sweetened food.

    “Children are the ones that have flair for sugar-based products like sweets, cakes, chewing gum, candies, chocolates and even some of the syrups that are taken as medicine. But in this case, we refer to fermentable sugar, that is, sugar that can be acted upon by the bacteria in the mouth.

    “Normally, everyone has bacteria in the mouth and other parts of the body. But as regards formation of cavity, the bacteria in the mouth only become very dangerous in the presence of fermentable sugar-based diet. The sugar acts as diet for the bacteria and produces a by-product of dilute acid which eventually results in cavity formation, resulting in holes which gradually become larger and eventually into tooth ache.

    “If this is not quickly addressed, it results in severe pain which could lead to loss of manpower at work for adult and school absenteeism for the child. The kids are the major target in this programme because they have more cravings for sweet foods. And when these children adopt the habit of a healthy oral lifestyle, they can then spread the message to their parents,” he said.

    Dr. Ijarogbe advised the public to brush their teeth twice daily to reduce the incidence of cavities.

    “We often advise that people should brush their teeth twice a day; probable in the morning and night after dinner.  They should brush with fluoridated toothpaste. NDA wants to be sure that when people brush, they brush with fluoridated toothpaste. As such, we have subjected Pepsodent toothpaste to test before we endorsed its use by the public. We are sure that it contains fluoride. Fluoride is an active ingredient in toothpaste that helps to prevent tooth decay,” he said.

    Commenting on the value proposition of Pepsodent toothpaste, Category Manager, Oral Care, Unilever Nigeria, Bunmi Adeniba said the Pepsodent Triple Protection is one big breakthrough formulation that gives three benefits that one would ordinarily have gotten in three different toothpastes.

    “Pepsodent gives you three benefits in one brush. The unique formulation of Pepsodent Triple Protection guarantees protection against cavities, stains and bad breath. These are the most prevalent oral care needs in most homes,” she said.

  • Workers shut down firm over gratuities

    Workers shut down firm over gratuities

    Workers of Beauty Fair Laboratories Limited, a cream and perfume making firm stormed the company yesterday, demanding payment of their gratuities following their sack.

    It was gathered that they were sacked on Friday, following an alleged theft of 10,000 pieces of product packaging jars from the store.

    The Nation gathered that when the workers got their sack letters last week, they locked the company’s chairman, Mr Fola Ogunlesi, in his office, demanding their gratuities.

    It took the intervention of riot policemen for the chairman to regain his freedom.

    Yesterday, the workers barricaded the entrance, alleging that they were sacked to enable the  company recruit casual workers for cheap labour.

    Neither the chairman nor his children, was around during the protest.

    The workers denied stealing from the firm, accusing the management of using that as smokescreen to sack them.

    Wahab Adisa, the store keeper, denied that any material is missing from the store.

    If there was a theft, Adisa said the chairman’s son and Director, Olumide Ogunlesi, who is always the last person to lock the store and keep the keys, should be in the position to explain how the materials got missing.

    Adisa, who claimed to have been with the company for 15 years, said he personally took the delivery of the jars when they were imported in June and counted them after they were moved into the store. He said some of the materials had been used for production, alleging that the management wanted to frame up the workers to have reason for sacking them.

    He said: “I am in charge of extra reach jars, which they claim are missing. Towards the end of June, a senior management staff ordered a staff in charge of the labelling order, Aaron Chukwuma, to take stock of the jars without my consent. But Chukwuma came to inform me about it and I told him there was no way to get accurate figure since part of the jars had been used for production immediately after they were brought from abroad.

    “Based on the stock I took after we took delivery of the consignment, I counted 53,850 pieces and I made the figure available to the management. They started using the jars immediately. When I took the stock again, I discovered 9,333 differences, which were used for production. Then, I made the figure available to the management but they responded that the jars had been stolen by workers.

    “If the jars were truly stolen from the store, they (management) are the ones that keep the keys. The moment we leave the factory, they would lock up everywhere and keep the keys in secret places known to them.”

    Ben Imoikor, chief chemical mixer, who claimed to have been with the company since 1994, said he was no longer interested working for the firm, because of his chest problem, which resulted from long hours of exposure to chemicals’ fumes.

    Imoikor said he had a clinical operation to remove a growing lump of tissue from his left hand last year. He said he decided to resign to prevent his early death because of the constant occupational illness he suffers.

    But the company, he said, did not accept his resignation. Rather, he was given a sack letter on Friday. He demanding his gratuity from the company.

    The company chairman could not be reached; his son, Olumide, refused to pick our reporter’s calls.

    When The Nation sent a text to him, Olumide replied at 3:34pm, saying: “Good day to Mr. Ajetunmobi. Sorry am (sic) seeing your text late. I am in a meeting and will get across to you.”

  • Firm urges support for N20b Calabar port dredging project

    The Managing Director, Calabar Channel Management Limited (CCM), Mr. Bart Van Eenoo, has urged those who lost out in the bid for the dredging of the Calabar Port, which his company won to be honourable in defeat and support it for early completion of the project for the benefit of Nigerians.

    CCM is the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)’s Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) comprising a consortium of companies led by Niger Global Engineering & Technical Company Limited with world number one dredging company-Royal Boskalis and Westminster Dredging that is dredging the Port and is expected to maintain the Calabar navigation Channel.

    A statement issued ostensibly in reaction to call by Nigerian Shippers Council to probe the dredging contract, explained that there was nothing fishy about the contract as “the entire contract followed due process, obtained all the necessary approvals and vetting of the agreement by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) before its execution”.

    He said the losers in concert with a cabal in the sector were not happy with the progress made by his company to dredge the Calabar Port which in the past, remained a drain on the national treasury and have resorted to the campaign of calumny and falsehood.

    He said activities at the Calabar Channel were similar to those at the Bonny and Lagos Channels and wondered why the losers would single out “Calabar Channel to constantly put it in bad light even when the contract is being executed by a consortium made up of world class dredging companies.

  • Kanu denies controversial sports firm

    Kanu denies controversial sports firm

    Former national soccer team captain, Kanu Nwankwo, has disassociated himself from Capstone Sports Management, the United Kingdom-based company.

    The former African Footballer of the Year, who starred for some clubs in the UK, alerted general public, clubs and other football stakeholders he had nothing to do with the company.

    “This is to inform the general public, clubs and all sports business marketers, agents, directors of football in Europe, Africa, Asia, America and anywhere in the world that Kanu Nwankwo, ex Arsenal and former national captain of Nigeria, hereby declares publicly that any company and clubs as well as football stakeholders dealing with Mr Samuel Okoronkwo of Capstone Sports Management UK is doing it on their own risk henceforth be careful,” Kanu said.

    This follows allegations the company had been using the name of the football legend to raise its profile.

    Okoronkwo, whose profile suggests he is a leading barrister with 29 years of commercial, professional and legal practice experience, runs Capstone Sports Management.

    Capstone Sports Management made headlines for the wrong reasons in 2013 after Arsenal sued the company, which was a corporate box holder at the Emirates Stadium, for £375,000 after an alleged bust up over unsliced bread

    The football side launched a High Court writ against the company amid claims it stopped paying for executive seats after Arsenal staff refused slice bread the company’s guests had brought into the team’s corporate box.

  • Firm renovate primary school

    Plusworld Roofing has concluded arrangements to  restore or renovate the roof of one public primary school in the country.

    Its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. John Igbaifua made this known in Lagos.

    He said for the change that Nigerians were clamouring for to come to reality, all hands must be on deck, adding that one of the best and easiest ways to effect change in any society is via its education system.

    “As Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘Be the change that you want to see in the world’. The change we so much desire starts from us. The easiest way to achieve this is by supporting sound education for the young ones, especially at the primary school level because only sound minds make sound decisions.  The environment where the students are thought goes a long way in determining the success or failure of any education policy. Good environment breeds sound education which in turn breeds sound mind and sound minds make sound decisions,” he said.

    Igbaifua added that though no specific school had been chosen, the lucky one would eventually emerge through voting by the public via the social media network, noting that this started last May and the school with the highest votes gets the nod.

    Early this year, the company,  with two of its foreign partners, organised a training for  youths in roof repairs and maintenance.