The Nation Newspaper

Tag: gets

  • NEW ATTACKING ROLE: Osaze gets West Brom praises

    NEW ATTACKING ROLE: Osaze gets West Brom praises

    West Brom manager, Steve Clarke, has hailed out of favour Super Eagles forward, Osaze Odemwingie after his return from suspension.

    Speaking with birminghammail.net on Wednesday, the former Liverpool coach revealed that the Nigeria international is more than willing to embrace his wide-positions for West Brom – revealing the role was not new to him.

    The Baggies top scorer striker has been used as a wide forward since Clarke’s summer arrival, a position the Eagles ace also occupied briefly under Roy Hodgson when the ex-Albion man ventured from his usual 4-4-2 formation.

    Due to Albion’s attacking options – they effectively have five strikers vying for one central role and two wide positions – Osaze has found himself on the flank.

    The 31-year-old has spent long periods of his career occupying wider roles, notably at Lokomotiv Moscow and during his earlier times at Lille, although he has expressed a preference for playing more centrally during interviews in the past.Clarke feels his experienced forward’s potency is not diminished from the position he is currently occupying.

    His two most recent performances have certainly taken the eye.

    “He came into the Manchester City game as a substitute and was really lively,” said Clarke.

    “They were starting to tire so it was a good time for him to come on.

    “He made a big contribution last weekend (at Newcastle) as well and has always been very motivated.

    “He wanted to see how the club would develop, he’s happy here, he’s comfortable, he’s a good worker and I have no complaints about him.

    “I remember watching him last season – he scored some goals from the right. He keeps telling me he got a hat-trick against Wolves playing on the right.

    “When we were at Chelsea and played Lokomotiv in a pre-season friendly, he was playing on the right then too.

    “It might be a new position to people watching him here but it’s not a new position to Peter.”

    Clarke feels Odemwingie has more than made up for his sending-off at Fulham. He was given a straight red card for violent conduct after lashing out at Sascha Riether. Odemwingie apologised after the game before sitting out three games.

    He was reintroduced to the side immediately after his ban and has impressed since.

    “It was a blow for him to be sent off at Fulham,” continued Clarke.

    “I said at the time it was out of character. I think he learned from it and he apologised for it. I he showed that in the game against Queens Park Ranger when I put him straight back into the side and he did very well.”

  • Ex-NBA vice-president gets bail

    Former Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Blessing Ukiri was yesterday granted bail by Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court (FHC) 3, sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    Ukiri was arrested and detained last Friday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly converting money meant for his client to private use and money laundering.

    He was arraigned on Monday and the court remanded him in prison custody.

    Ukiri allegedly converted the N35 million judgment sum paid by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to his client, Mr. Samuel Onowighose, to personal use.

    He allegedly used part of the money to buy 150,000 units of First Bank of Nigeria Plc shares, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 14 (1) (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition act.

    Five Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) – A. Akpomudje, Sebastine Hon, B. Nwafor, G. Abibo and Lucius Nwosu – and 36 other lawyers were at the hearing of the bail application yesterday to defend and show solidarity with Ukiri.

    EFCC counsel A. I. Apogha opposed the bail application on the grounds that Ukiri might jump bail or influence the prosecution’s witnesses.

    But Akpomudje insisted that the charge was a bailable offence and his client would not jump bail.

    Justice Agomoh granted Ukiri bail for N2 million and told him to produce two SANs in as sureties.

    The matter was adjourned till November 29.

    Immediately after the court session, Akpomudje told the people in the crowded court room to move to the nearby Law Centre, the state office of the NBA in Port Harcourt, situated within the State High Court Complex, for “jollification.”

    Speaking with reporters after the court session, Ukiri said: “The funds for which I am charged for money laundering are my earned legal fees and a judgment debt against the United Bank of Africa (UBA) Plc in suit No. PHC/156/2008: E. B. Ukiri vs UBA Plc.”

  • Arisekola-Alao’s son gets N75m bail

    Justice Lateefat Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, yesterday granted bail to an oil marketer, Abdullahi Alao, accused of conspiring with others to commit N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

    Abdullahi, son of a prominent businessman, Alhaji Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao, was granted N75 million bail with two sureties in like sum.

    Justice Okunnu also granted N100 million bail to Abdullahi’s co-defendant, Olarenwaju Olalusi, a Sterling Bank Plc official.

    The judge did not order Olalusi to produce a surety.

    She directed that Abdullahi’s sureties must be resident in Lagos State and must be employed.

    They must also depose to an affidavit of means.

    She added that one of the sureties must own a property in Lagos State. The other must be a director in a public or private organisation in Nigeria.

    Justice Okunnu said the sureties must produce three years’ tax clearance and that their documents should be verified by an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The judge ordered Abdulahi to deposit his international passport and other travelling documents with the court’s chief registrar.

    He must not travel without the court’s permission.

    The judge also directed him to report monthly to the EFCC office throughout the duration of his trial.

    Justice Okunnu said Olalusi would be granted bail on the condition that his employers would provide a N100 million bail bond.

    The judge said: “The bond should be backed up with a bank guarantee, which is to be deposited with the chief registrar of the court.”

    She also directed Olalusi to deposit his international passport and other travelling documents with the chief registrar, adding that he should not travel without the court’s permission.

    Justice Okunnu said Olalusi should also report monthly to the EFCC office throughout the duration of the trial.

  • NCRIB gets new chair

    The Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Lagos Area Committee, has elected Mr Patrick Ikponmwosa as its new chairman. He takes over from Mr Tunde Oguntade whose tenure has expired.

    At the investiture, which took place at the NCRIB National Secretariat in Lagos, the new Lagos Area Committee chairman said his tenure would leverage on the cooperation of past leaders as well as take initiatives that will clear the air on the misconceptions about who insurance brokers are and what they do, adding that he would better the lot of the insurance industry.

    He said: “It is my belief that most of the misconceptions about who insurance brokers are and what they do has been caused by ineffective communication with these relevant stakeholders.‘’

    Speaking on other strategies he intends to employ, Ikponmwosa said the Lagos Area Committee under his leadership would give greater attention to public awareness crusades to major and potential clients.

    He also said: “We shall be more visible in schools, sports arenas, licensing offices and other spots to present insurance to the people. It is my belief that if people could identify genuine insurance practitioners, then the days are over for charlatans and fakes.”

    He pledged to support and complement the national body in the area of training and human resources. “We shall periodically undertake research to distill training needs of members and coordinate our efforts with the national body,” he said.

    The Council said it would continue to support and strengthen the Area Committee system, describing it as the only sure way of getting across to most of the brokers who live in various parts of the country.

    Its President, Laide Osijo, said: “The Area Committee system was informed by the realisation that most of the practitioners are domiciled at the grassroots and any attempt to reach them effectively must be done through these platforms.”

  • Eko 2012 gets NBC’sN100m sponsorship

    Eko 2012 gets NBC’sN100m sponsorship

    Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), the authorised manufacturer of Coca-Cola products, has lent weight behind the 18th National Sports Festival which is to be hosted by Lagos in November.

    At a ceremony held at the Iddo House, Lagos head office of the company yesterday, Segun Ogunsanya, NBC Managing Director, presented a cheque of N10 million and a value-in-kind worth another N100 million to the Local Organising Committee, LOC of the Games, which is tagged Eko 2012.

    He explained that the value-in-kind would include various products of NBC which would be branded specifically for Eko 2012 and distributed at all the activation points of the Games. These include bottled water, fruit juices and other drinks from the stable of the company.

    According to Ogunsanya, NBC has over the years enjoyed a warm relationship with the government and people of Lagos State and also thrived in the environment. He said the sponsorship of the Games was therefore NBC’s way of giving back to the society which has provided an enabling operating environment for the company.

    He further said that NBC and Coca-Cola hold sports in high esteem which informs their partnership with major international sports fiestas, including the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, among others.

    Receiving the sponsorship package, Molade Okoya-Thomas, Chairman of the Sponsorship and Marketing Sub-Committee of the Games, expressed deep gratitude to NBC for its support despite the harsh economic climate. He assured the company that it would derive great value from the partnership with the organisers.

    Also responding, Dr. Kweku Tandoh, Secretary-General of the LOC, commended NBC and urged other corporate organisations to take advantage of the Games to connect with their prospective and existing customers. “Eko 2012 is the place to have your products and services for maximum dividends on investment,” he said.