The Nation Newspaper

Tag: gets

  • Keshi gets 14-day ULTIMATUM

    Keshi gets 14-day ULTIMATUM

    •Big Boss must submit a reply on March 12 or…
    •NFF insists on all terms in new deal

    Former Super Eagles chief coach Stephen Okechukwu Keshi has been given 14 days ultimatum to respond to the terms of the new deal sent to him by eggheads of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), if he wants to keep the job.

    Going by the 14-day ultimatum, it means that the NFF will from the midnight of March 12, seek the services of another tactician to handle the team for its two international friendlies against Bolivia in Uyo on March 26 and Black Stars of Ghana in London on March 29.

    Keshi was given the contract details on Wednesday, March 25 by the Eagles team secretary Dayo Enebi and the coach told the NFF president Melvin Amaju Pinnick on telephone on Thursday that it is a slavish deal, without saying categorically if he would accept or reject it.

    Sportinglife exclusively gathered that NFF chiefs are not prepared to shift grounds on any of the clauses inserted in the new deal, although the Big Boss has  vowed not to work with the federation’s technical director, he also won’t accept any working list of players to invite for the country’s matches and he would only be answerable to the body’s president Melvin Amaju Pinnick.

    Sportinglife scooped further that Keshi and Amaju talked on Thursday night and the president told the Big Boss that he should be ready to work within the terms of the new deal if he hopes to retain the job.

    Indeed, Amaju challenged the Big Boss to name any country where the practice of the head coach of the national team reports to the federation’s president, insisting that his role at the NFF is purely for administrative matters and not technical.

    Whispers from the Glasshouse on Friday disclosed that Pinnick confronted Keshi with a recorded tape where he described the NFF president as a liar for telling Nigerians that he had been paid all his entitlements.

    Not much was divulged to Sportinglife about what transpired from the discussion except that the NFF president was disappointed that the coach couldn’t own up to the issue when he asked the Big Boss about it.

  • Akwa Ibom varsity gets new VC

    A new Vice Chancellor has been appointed for Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, by the state government. He is Professor Eno Ibanga.

    Speaking during a governorship campaign at Mkpat Enin, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, said in response to the yearnings of Mkpat Enin people the host community, Governor Godswill Akpabio has approved the appointment.

    The PDP governorship flag -bearer said the move was to cement the wonderful relationship and support the people have given to the PDP administration in the state.

    He also assured that the Faculty of Engineering in the university, which he started working on when he was the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), will be actualized in collaboration with Exxon Mobil and other relevant agencies.

    Udom said the Technical Collage at Ikot Akata will be revisited and upgraded to a standard skill and entrepreneurial acquisition centre for manpower development and its legacy sustained.

    On health, the governorship hopeful pledged to develop the cottage hospitals in the area and to re-equip them for better service.

  • Firm gets MTN job in Benin

    Firm gets MTN job in Benin

    A Nigerian experiential marketing firm, Keskese Limited, has won the experiential marketing business of MTN Benin Republic.

    Consequently, the company is set to open a new office in Cotonou to serve the area.

    According to the Project Consultant, Keskese Limited, Mr Tade Adekunle, the success of the company at the pitch is another evidence of the depth of creativity that drives its experiential business.

    He noted that the creativity of the activation ideas at the pitch presentation was driven by research and deep understanding of the brand’s target audience earned it the business.

    “We are very proud and excited to announce that Keskese Limited has just won the experiential business of MTN Benin Republic. It was a very keenly contested business pitch, but at the end of several rounds of presentations, we were announced and appointed the Agency to handle the business’’, he said.

    Arguably, one of the fastest rising experiential marketing firms in the sub-region, Keskese emerged the agency of choice to handle the brand activation business of the leading telecom company after rounds of keenly contested business pitches which involves several big agencies within Benin Republic, Nigeria and other West African countries.

    The pitch was coordinated by the Dubai office of the MTN Group, which is in charge of MTN business in Middle East and Africa.

    The pitch, which lasted for about two months, started in December, last year and ended in the last week of January with the announcement of Keskese as the winner.

    With this development, the Keskese Project Consultant revealed that the company also plans to open the Keskese East Africa office in Nairobi, Kenya before the end of the year.

  • Assemblies of God gets 650 new reverends

    After serving for a minimum of eleven years on full time, 650 pastors of the Assemblies of God Nigeria have been ordained as reverend ministers.

    The ordained ministers also passed the prescribed examination and screening exercises in accordance with the tradition of the church.

    Among them were 596 men and 54 women.

    They were ordained at the international conference centre of the church, Evangel Camp, in Okpoto, Ebonyi State before national and regional leaders during a 3-day annual leadership retreat with the theme championing the great awakening.

    Conducting the ordination service, the general superintendent of the church, Rev (Dr) Chidi Okoroafor, assured that the event will lead to a great change in their ministries.

    He urged them to focus and depend on God and eschew mundane attractions.

    Assisted by all serving and retired executive committee members, Okoroafor performed the sacred consecration.

    The ordination was preceded by the retreat during which the church leaders received fresh auction to function for the next one year.

    The general superintendent said the church will be pursuing a seven-point agenda covering spiritual emphasis, infrastructural development and human capital development for 2015.

    He challenged them to position themselves for divine guidance so that the church can witness a great awakening.

    There was also the general committee meeting during which the leaders took far-reaching resolutions on the church.

  • Bank of Agriculture gets new MD

    Bank of Agriculture gets new MD

    A new Managing Director has been appointed for Bank of Agriculture (BOA). He is Mr. Babatunde M. T. Sadiku who has assumed office in acting capacity. He takes over from Dr. Mohammed K. Santuraki, whose tenure ended last September 26.

    Sadiku was, until his appointment, the Executive Director, Finance & Risk Management, representing the Central Bank of Nigeria on the Board of BOA.

    He holds a Masters Degree, Banking & Finance, obtained in 1993, from the University of Lagos. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (FCIB), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and the Chartered Institute of Credit Administrators.

    His working career started at Nigeria Law Commission and Federal Ministry of Finance in 1983 following which he joined CBN in 1986 as Assistant Manager. He worked for many years and rose to the position of Deputy Director & Head, Sundry Payments Office in the Finance Department and was subsequently seconded to BOA in June, 2012, as Executive Director, Branch Management.

  • Access Bank gets SEC’s approval on N53b rights issue

    The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the plan by Access Bank to raise funds from existing shareholders, paving the way for the bank to open application list for the N52.6 billion rights issue.

    Access Bank Plc is offering about 7.63 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N6.90 to existing shareholders on the basis of one new share for every three shares held. Shareholders of the bank had approved the bank’s proposal to raise additional equity at an extraordinary general meeting in Lagos on October 13, 2014. Access Bank’s share price rose by 4.81 per cent to close at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday at N5.23.

    The bank said the capital raising falls in line with its five-year corporate strategy plan to be one of the top three banks in the country and the “world’s most respected African bank”. The strategy is anchored on four critical pillars including capital, human capital, governance and risk management.

    It added that the rights issue will also enable it to be more competitive and meet the funding needs of its blue chip customers that meet its credit risk criteria.

    Group managing director, Access Bank Plc, Herbert Wigwe said the proceeds from the offer will be used to upgrade the bank’s information technology platforms to enable it provide better services, upgrade the bank’s branch networks and further improve the working environment.

    “The funds raised would provide Access Bank with additional capacity to further consolidate its leading corporate banking business as well as additional capital headroom to support our increasing market share in the SME and retail segments,’” Wigwe said.

    According to him, in spite of the challenging conditions in the nation’s banking sector with regulatory changes and increased competition, Access Bank has continued to sharpen its execution skills, thereby ensuring a solid platform to build on.

    Access Bank Plc had launched a highly successful $400 million Eurobond in June 2014. The transaction followed the bank’s highly successful $350 million five-year senior debt issued in 2012. Access Bank is rated B (Fitch) and A+ Agusto & Co.

    Meanwhile, the Nigerian equity market started the week on a negative note as the benchmark index at the NSE, the All Share Index (ASI), declined by 0.11 per cent to close at 29,779.17 points. This worsened the average year-to-date return at -14.07 per cent.

  • Motailatu gets new Baba Aladura

    Motailatu gets new Baba Aladura

    Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide (MCCSW) has a new Baba Aladura.

    He is His Eminence Elder (Dr) Israel Akinadewo.

    He succeeds the founder of the church, Saint Baba Aladura Dr Isaiah Akinadewo, who passed on to glory last December.

    Akinadewo was enthroned as the new head of the church last Sunday in Lekki, Lagos.

    He paid glowing tributes to the memory of the departed founder who he described as a “perfect example of selflessness and godliness.”

    The new head recalled how his father planned his funeral service and even dug his own grave before passage to glory.

    He said: “He chose the songs he wanted. He even picked the preacher for his funeral service and dug his own grave. He was such a meticulous, detailed person who left nothing to chances.”

    Akinadewo extolled the virtues of the deceased founder, saying he bequeathed a legacy of faithfulness to God and service to humanity.

    According to him: “He left a standing instruction that we must have a new Aladura as soon as he was gone. I gave him N50, 000 few weeks before he died but he kept the money in the room and said we must not spend more than that for his funeral.”

    Rather than waste resources on societal funeral service, Akinadewo explained that his father instructed instead that a foundation should be opened in his honour for the formal training of ministers in Aladura churches and empowerment of the less privileged.

    The deceased, he said, instructed that those who wanted to donate for a lavish funeral in his honour should direct such investments to the foundation.

    Akinadewo assured that the foundation, which took off with his enthronement, will cater for the less privilege and fund the education of ministers in the Aladura movement.

    Ministering at the occasion, the General Evangelist of the church, His Eminence Elder (Prof.) Joseph Otubu, said the Aladura movement has a rich heritage that the current generation must appreciate.

    Tracing the historical evolution of some of the church’s doctrines, Otubu said they were founded on biblical percepts, lamenting that many of them have been abused by successive ministers.

    He called for reformation in the Aladura movement, saying churches under the umbrella must innovate to keep abreast of modern trends and developments.

     

  • Committee gets 48hr ultimatum to reconnect Borno to national grid

    Committee gets 48hr ultimatum to reconnect Borno to national grid

    Minister of State Power, Hon. Mohammed Wakil has disbanded the Technical Committee on Reconnection of Borno state and issued a forty eight hour ultimatum for reconnecting the state to national grid.

    Wakil also directed the Transmission Company of Nigeria to speed up work on the 330/132/33 kv sub station in Damaturu which when completed will improve quality of supply to  Borno and Yobe.

    He said Borno should have three sources of power supply from the national grid.

    His Special Assistant on Media, Olawale   Rasheed, said following a meeting on the black-out crisis, the Minister took direct charge of the reconnection efforts, insisting that Maiduguri must be reconnected irrespective of security and sabotage challenges facing the state.

    The Minister took the decision after high level review of the situation on ground with security and intelligence personnel, especially when reports indicated that sabotage and insurgency are twin evils responsible for the persistent blackout, he said, adding that Borno people were no longer ready to take any further excuses for the continuous black-out.

  • Etihad Airways gets US clearance

    Air travellers on all Etihad Airways flights to the United States (US) from this week will experience the benefits of arriving in the US having precleared US Customs and Border Protection at the Abu Dhabi Airport.

    The US pre clearance  have  opened for the early flight to New York JFK  and San Francisco flights since last week, and they conveniently connect with inbound services from Mumbai, Delhi and other cities in India and the Indian Subcontinent.

    The new early morning US pre-clearance operation complements the mid-morning one, which caters for Etihad Airways passengers on flights to Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York JFK, and Washington, D.C., who proceed through the facility.

    The airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer, Peter Baumgartner, said: “We’re delighted that from this Thursday (last week) all air travellers flying to the United States from Abu Dhabi will enjoy the benefits that US Customs and Immigration preclearance offers.

    “Since its opening in January last year, the US pre-clearance has been extremely popular with air travellers, particularly those from the Indian Sub-continent and Middle East region. More than 325,000 people have passed through the facility, arriving in the United States as domestic passengers.”

    The pre-clearance process provides passengers with the unique opportunity to pass through all required checks including US customs, immigration and security conveniently, while in Abu Dhabi, before they board their flight to the US, enabling them to avoid queues on arrival.

    Another the key benefit of US pre-clearance is that baggage security screening meets United States TSA security standards, allowing air travellers, who connect a US domestic flight, to have their baggage checked through from Abu Dhabi to their final destination.

    US pre-clearance at Abu Dhabi Airport is one of its kind in the Middle East, and the United Arab Emirates’ capital is one of a small group of airports around the world that offer passengers pre-clearance into the US.

    During its first 12 months of operation, the US pre-clearance in Abu Dhabi has improved the passenger experience through the introduction of automated passport control (APC) kiosks and greater numbers of officer processing desks.

    The self-service APC kiosks expedite the US entry process for American, Canadian, and eligible visa waiver programme (VWP) international travellers, by providing an automated process through US pre-clearance’s primary inspection area.

    Meanwhile, Etihad  Airways has been recognised as one of the top- 10 safest airlines in the world.

    The internationally-regarded website www.AirlineRatings.com selected Etihad Airways as one of the safest airlines for this year, out of a list of 449 global airlines monitored, while only 149 of the 449 have the top-seven-star safety ranking.

    The Airline Ratings’ system takes into account a variety of factors related to audits from aviation’s governing bodies,  lead associations,  government audits and the airlines’ own records.

  • Amosun gets backing

    Amosun gets backing

    The Senator Ibukunle Amosun (SIA) support group in Ijoko, Ogun State, has called for support for the governor’s second term ambition.

    The group’s spokesman, Babatunde Tajudeen, said: “Ogun State was created 38 years ago. From inception till date, the state has been governed by 15 military administrators and civilian governors.

    “But Governor Amosun‘s administration has achieved phenomenal feats that his predecessors were unable to attain.

    “The building of the Ijoko-Agbado-Akute-Berger Road with several overhead bridges is on-going.

    “More of these overhead bridges, six lanes and sometimes eight or 10-lane roads continue to emerge in various parts of our state.

    “We envisage that about 20 overhead bridges would dot the landscape of Ogun State.

    “Amosun has achieved what we had hitherto been made to believe was impossible.

    “Disgruntled politicians are out to destroy his good works because he has refused to do ‘business as usual’.

    “I wish to advise every indigene to support our governor so that he can take our dear state to the Promised Land.”