The Nation Newspaper

Tag: home

  • Mortgage firm unfolds attractive home ownership plans

    Jubilee Life Mortgage Bank Limited, one of the leading national mortgage institutions in the country, has disclosed that finishing touches have been put in place at the  2 Abesan Estate Project.

    The construction work on the project which is financed by the bank commenced a couple of months ago and comprised blocks of six units of three bedroom flats with all rooms ensuite being offered at N15.5 million per flat with an attractive discount for outright payment.

    The Executive Director of Jubilee Life Mortgage Bank Limited, Mr. Remi Olatunbode, explained that the company developed the Kings Court 2 Estate in Ipaja, Lagos,  with the company’s strategic plan to enhance  functional and peaceful territory that will meet the people’s hunger for good life.“Jubilee Life Mortgage Bank has completed the Kings Court 2 Estate Project which have been designed, built and crafted with purpose. The estate is expected to foster community relationship setting where each homeowner will have a beneficial relationship with neighbours,” Olatunbode noted.

    “We implore the upwardly mobile career professionals to move into this impressive serene estate and enjoy life in one of the fully luxurious flats.”Expatiating he said:  “The homes are ideal either for the young independent executive with a beautiful eye for a quality living or a young family desirous of a safe home. Also, executive professionals, multinational firms seeking a sound investment in corporate accommodation, international or local investors seeking to add to a dynamic, high-performance quality portfolio with excellent return on investment will find homes that will match their intentions.”

    The Jubilee Life Executive Director also explained that the luxury landmark situated at Abesan is fitted with basic amenities and other civil infrastructure, adding that it is designed to provide its residents with peace of mind and security. Some of the features of the new apartments include open car spaces, fully fenced, street lighting system, two transformers, well-fitted kitchen, wardrobes, good painting and bathrooms with heater, interlocked compound, security features, serene environment, etc.

  • Going home tonight? Pray and fast

    Traveller, you must set out/ At dawn,” counselled Wole Soyinka, poet and Nobel laureate, “And wipe your feet upon/ the dog-nose wetness of the earth.”

    Though the protagonist in the poem, ‘Death in the Dawn’ died in a tragic crash, a cruel irony of technology consuming its own creator, the message was clear: set out early and you should reach your destination in time.

    In the Lagos traffic of latter days, however, such commonsense logic would appear to have vamoosed. You may set out early or late; but you must arrive late — very late.  That is why you must not only vigorously pray before leaving your office at the close of work, fasting — dry fasting too — might not be a bad idea!

    Hardball is guilty of arrant exaggeration, right?  Just wait.

    On November 3, two colleagues left The Nation’s Matori, Mushin, Lagos head office, after work.  One, a female, left around 8pm. The other, a male, left around 10pm. The destination of both: Journalists Estate, at Arepo, which though in Ogun State, is on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. If you discount the normal Lagos metropolitan traffic, that trip should last less than one hour.

    But on this day?  The one that left at 8pm reached her house at about 2:10 am — solid six hours later. If she was flying to London from Lagos, she probably would be touching down at Heathrow!

    And the one that left at 10?  Marginally luckier — but just: he got home at about 3am, another solid five hours!  If he was travelling to Accra, Ghana from Lagos, he would have touched down at Kotoka International Airport, at 10:45 and hit his hotel, latest by 11:30. By 3am, he would have had no less than three hours of sound and sweet sleep! Yet, here he was, sweating it out on a jammed road, in a dark night, in the midst of a swearing, angry and cursing stranded co-commuters, in the middle of nowhere!

    You still feel one doesn’t need prayers and fasting to commute to his house, after another hard day’s work?

    But what is it with our country — does Nigeria have so much time to burn on nothingness? Why didn’t somebody somewhere monitor things and take prompt action before they fester beyond measure and inflict on people needless pains?

    The gridlock is said to have been caused by some bad parts on the ever-busy expressway.  But then, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) have their road camps all over the place.  Didn’t their engineers spot a minor rupture on that road, grow into a pothole and extend into a crater, so much so that a three-lane traffic now contracts into a bottle-neck of one, causing that hideous traffic snarl?  Must citizens suffer and die (yes, die: because the stress these avoidable gridlocks inflict could cause some citizens fatal ailments) before the authorities act?

    That portion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway falls within Ogun territory. But even all over Lagos, bad roads abound. Just after the NAFDAC Lagos office at Oshodi, heading towards Agege Motor Road, is a crater from which many articulated trucks and tankers have stumbled.  Yet, that crater gapes as wide as ever, like some wide-mouthed malevolent god, waiting to swallow its latest victim!

    How long will citizens continue to endure such avoidable pains?  Someone, somewhere must sit up — and fast!

  • Home beckons for IDPs

    Home beckons for IDPs

    For the over 10,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Abuja to benefit from rehabilitation plans, they may need to return to their states of origin, GRACE OBIKE reports.

    Things are no longer as horrible as they once were. The Boko Haram fighters cannot afford to sack communities, kill and abduct residents with any ease these days. They are far from crushed, but their worst attacks seem to be picking out soft targets and detonating explosive devices in crowded places.

    This could be a reason for internally displaced persons or IDPs to start thinking about going back home.

    There are other reasons. Government seems to be taking more care of them now than was the case before the Muhammadu Buhari administration. To benefit from these rahabilitation arrangements, which are taking place in the Northeast, rather than Abuja, the IDPs need to return home.

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has estimated that IDPs in the FCT are over 10,000 and are located in 31 different private camps.

    As Boko Haram is gradually being defeated and pushed to the fringes, some of these IDPs have begun indicating interest to return home, says the Director General of FEMA Abbas Idriss, He explained that one of the settlements within the FCT recently protested at the Human Right Commission, which led to a committee being set up to ensure that they are provided for.

    “We have to face the challenges of the IDPs in the FCT who came in search of a safe heaven and we have been able to trace 31 locations and with over 10,000 IDPs we have been able to render assistance to them, we profiled them, we called relevant agencies like the primary health care, health and human services, USAID so that they can immunise the children and find out other health challenges of the IDPs.

    “When we discovered that they were not getting what was due to them because we do not have any camps in the FCT, we had to look for ways of relocating them back to their states where there are established camps. Recently there was a protest by one of the settlements to the Human Rights Commission, we had a meeting with them and a committee was set up to ensure that we give them the best we can. We feel that they are free to stay in the FCT if they want to but we can only carter to them as well as our limited resources can take but we feel that the better option we need to advise them on it and the best option will be to take them back close to their homes.” Idriss said in a press conference.

    He added that unfortunately, now that the government’s focus is on their rehabilitation, those IDPs in Abuja may not benefit from it since they are so far away, adding that they notified the relevant agencies in Maiduguri about the Abuja IDPs and were told that it will be best for them to return for profiling and capturing to benefit.

    He said. “Now that the focus of the government is to rehabilitate them very well, a stakeholders interaction is presently going on in Maiduguri and those staying here are going to miss out if they are not in the area because we called their state emergency management agencies for a meeting, we informed them that their people are here and they said that they are not aware that their people are here, they said that if their people are here, they can go back, there is place for them to stay, so that they can be profiled and captured, we have gone and inspected the camps in Maiduguri and the facilities available and we are highly impressed by it and so the first 500 IDP’S in the FCT that have indicated interest to relocate will be taken back.

    “When we visited the camp in Maiduguri, we went from end to end of each camp and we were impressed by the level of security at the camps, there are joint military patrols, stationed at the camps, the camps are more secure than where they are right now in the FCT.

    “We are working with all the agencies set up by the Human Rights Commission, all preparations have been made and very soon, we will begin the necessary logistics to start moving them, the first people that we are going to be moving are the first 500 that indicated interest to relocate, we try as much as possible to give them a lot of psycho-social succour, we have a team of experts who go to council them, as religious bodies do their part.”

    Idris who denied any knowledge of his staff stealing relief materials added that the FCT is working on setting up disaster management centres around, in readiness for any form of disaster that may befall residents in the future, in order to have safe and clean environment to keep residents, temporarily while the disaster is being managed by the governments.

    He said, “I have heard of several occasions that the IDPs complain of people running away with their relief materials and I have said that as far as I’m concerned I have not gotten any report of our staff stealing relief materials, our people have been trained on emphaty.

    ”FCT planned to establish permanent camps in preparation for emergencies in the FCT, before any form of disaster occurs, it is part of our plan to establish it but this camp is not an IDP camp but for disaster management, we cannot establish IDP camps here because it is against the law, camps need to be established close to where disasters happen which is the reason why we do not have camps for the IDPs that came to the FCT.

    “The responds team on our emergency toll free numbers is working with other relevant agencies to ensure that emergencies are effectively met around the FCT by quickly connecting to closest and relevant agencies when people call in for emergencies.”

     

  • ‘I’m at home with portraitures’

    ‘I’m at home with portraitures’

    At any time you encounter a two-year-old baby you will appreciate his innocence. The expression on his face will also tell if he is anxious, happy or sad unlike adult who will pretend. These are among features that attract young Nigerian artist Oluwaseyi Gbadebo to produce many portraitures and paintings of children and pet faces.

    Gbadebo’s solo art exhibition, Synonyms opened last Saturday at Quintessence Gallery, Lekki Lagos is showcasing these similarities between the traits of a child and that of a pet, especially the expression on their faces. No fewer than 25 paintings will be exhibited and will include bold images of children between ages one  and 10 as well as pets. The artist who trained at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, uses palette knife to splash vibrant colours on canvas thereby creating images that are almost jumping out of the canvas space. His colour application is one tool with which he conveys his emotions in a near impressionistic manner.

    “I love children and the joy on people’s faces lures me to do portraits. I am more of a portrait artist though I am still evolving and I will dig deep portraiture. In fact, capturing the likeness of a mortal being on canvas is like immortalising him because after his death, the artwork will remain,” he said at a preview session.

    Gbadebo who is shortlisted among the finalists in this year’s LIMCAF in Enugu, recalled that he got engulfed by portraiture after overcoming some challenges in portraiture class in his 300 level programme at the university.

    Gbadebo said: ”God is the creator of man, woman is his helper and children are his heritage but dog is man’s best friend.” Of Synonyms (a tale of man’s heritage and man’s best friend) and why the focus on children and pet, he said: “The subject of children and dogs has always enthralled me. I’m inspired by their character, the facial expressions they display and how they tend to live in the moment. They don’t remember the past neither are they worried about the future. These values of theirs are beautiful and they inspire me as a person. I noticed that with children and pets (dogs in this context) we tend to be very free as persons. While children seek attention, dogs retain the capacity to read our mood and then act accordingly.  I remember Coco (now late), my brother’s Boer bull dog. Whenever I was excited, Coco was excited but whenever I was sad, Coco was silent and she laid low. The Parisian artist, Francoise Nielly, inspires me by her bold and colourful approach to painting, but I find balancing my works in terms of mixture of techniques and use of colour personally suitable.

    The aim of this exhibition is to portray the wonder, innocence, self-less nature and beauty of childhood and also the loyalty and beauty of dogs. This exhibition is set to echo the values they stand for and to make society appreciate them more and most importantly to be grateful to God who has planted them in our lives.”                                                                                        The management of Quintessence started working with Gbadebo in 2012 when they noticed the potentials in his paintings and this stimulated the desire to give the emerging artist a solo exhibition.

    According to curator of the exhibition, Moses Ohiomokhare, Gbadebo is thrilled by expressions and has found great joy in children and animals. “His style is different from the stylised works that are in the market today. The body of works he has created also tends to show how much he has been influenced by animals in his youth as pets. Dogs are called man’s best friend because of their intelligence, loyalty and devotion and children being innocent and loving beings are best of friends of dogs,” Ohiomokhare said. Synonyms which will run till November 11 will feature works such as Lala, I hear you, George, Lunch time. Others are Rex, Baby’s rage and Max.

  • A dishonour to Crowther at home

    It is two years since the Bishop Ajayi Crowther Diocese in Iseyin, Oyo State, organised a fundraiser on October 26, 2013, for the completion of a new church building for the Bishop Ajayi Crowther Memorial Anglican Church in Osoogun, the birthplace of the illustrious 19th century cleric who in 1864 was ordained as the first African bishop of the Anglican Church at a ceremony in England. It is a testimony to Crowther’s quality that in the same year he was also given a Doctorate of Divinity by the prestigious University of Oxford.

    It was in Osoogun, in present-day Iseyin Local Government, Oyo State, that his life began as well as the story of his life.  It was in his village, Osoogun, that Fulani slave raiders seized him in 1821. He was eventually sold to Portuguese slave traders at the age of 12. The young Ajayi of Yoruba ancestry was rescued by the British navy and taken to Freetown, Sierra Leone.

    Crowther later described his initial enslavement as “the unhappy, but which I am now taught in other respects to call blessed day, which I shall never forget in my life.” In his progression to priestly prominence, he took an unlikely path carved by unlikely destiny helpers. For him, slavery turned out to be a springboard to celebrity.

    In Osoogun, there stands a storied tree. It is said that Crowther and other captives were tied to this tree before they were sold into slavery.  Nearby, there are ruins of a place said to be Crowther’s home, where he was enslaved. There is no architecture in the ruins. A signpost said to have been erected by the Iseyin L. G. to indicate touristic intentions, has no visible inscription.  Crowther’s statue stands in an open space at the centre of the village. Approaching Osoogun, the sight and state of a secondary school named Bishop Ajayi Crowther Memorial High School, signified official neglect.

    Osoogun looked abandoned on October 3, when I attended a Thanksgiving/Holy Communion Service in the village to mark Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther Day Celebration 2015. In particular, the new church building, which was started in 1992, and the reason for the October 2013 fundraiser, looked like an abandoned project.

    The special service took place at the church, which is still under construction more than two decades after construction commenced. To paint a picture of the unpicturesque church building, or more specifically, the church building in progress, or in the process of progress, it is sufficient to say that the structure is a dishonour to Crowther.  The building lacked a roof, doors and windows; and palm fronds were used to cover areas of congregational presence. It was unbelievable that building a decent new church to honour Crowther could be so difficult. The old church, built between 1958 and 1960, is in a dishonourable state.

    The 2013 fundraiser had a target of N10 million, which may be inadequate today. Whatever is adequate for completing the new Bishop Ajayi Crowther Memorial Anglican Church, Osoogun, can be conveniently provided by, for instance, the Oyo State Government, the Iseyin L. G., telecom players MTN and Airtel whose giant masts tower above the village, and the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, which has declared October 3 as an annual Crowther Remembrance Day. For how much longer will the special day be celebrated in such undignified circumstances right in Crowther’s hometown?

    Crowther’s stature was strikingly defined by a  June 30 ‘thanksgiving and repentance service’ in England, where none other than the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, publicly expressed remorse for the sin against him.   Welby is the most important leader of the Church of England and the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. His apology on behalf of the Anglican Church was a testimony to institutional regret.

    The Church of England demonstrated a capacity for self-examination and re-examination that deserves attention. The historic admission of guilt highlighted the long history of racism and the scope of racially inspired but misguided chauvinism. It was also a lesson in injustice of a colonial colour.

    Welby’s words concerning Crowther, who is regarded as the father of Anglicanism in Nigeria: “We in the Church of England need to say sorry that someone was properly and rightly consecrated Bishop and then betrayed and let down and undermined. It was wrong.”  He also said in his sermon: “In spite of immense hardship and despite the racism of many whites, he evangelised so effectively that he was eventually ordained Bishop, over much protest. He led his missionary diocese brilliantly, but was in the end falsely accused and had to resign, not long before his death.” It is relevant to observe that Crowther died of a stroke in Lagos in 1891, which was possibly connected with his desolation.

    It is noteworthy that Welby said: “We are sorry for his suffering at the hands of Anglicans in this country. Learning from their foolishness and from his heroism, we seek to be a church that does not again exclude those whom God is calling. We seek new apostles, and the grace to recognise them when they come.”

    Crowther, described as “extraordinary”, played an undeniably effective role in evangelism in the early days of Christianity in Nigeria. “Today, well over 70 million Christians in Nigeria are his spiritual heirs,” Welby said in tribute to his pioneering efforts.

    Crowther’s achievements are remarkable, considering his unremarkable beginnings. Following his conversion to Christianity and his baptism in 1825, he adopted the name of a visible British clergyman of the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS). He studied in England and attended the Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, where he advanced his exceptional interest in languages, which became of immense use in evangelism.  Crowther made history when he was ordained as the first African bishop of the Anglican Church.

    To his credit, Crowther’s language skills produced the first Yoruba translation of the Bible, which was completed in the 1880s, and a Yoruba version of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. These projects illustrate how seriously Crowther took his Christianity. He also produced primers for the Igbo language and the Nupe language.

    Something should be done without delay by those who have power and resources to ensure the completion of the monument to Crowther in Osoogun. It is good for Crowther’s name.

  • ‘I am at home with portraitures’

    ‘I am at home with portraitures’

    At any time you encounter a two-year-old baby you will appreciate his innocence. The expression on his face will also tell if he is anxious, happy or sad unlike adult who will pretend. These are among features that attract young Nigerian artist Oluwaseyi Gbadebo to produce many portraitures and paintings of children and pet faces.

    Gbadebo’s forthcoming solo art exhibition, Synonyms opening on October 24 at Quintessence Gallery, Lekki Lagos is to showcase these similarities between the traits of a child and that of a pet, especially the expression on their faces. No fewer than 25 paintings will be exhibited and will include bold images of children between ages one  and 10 as well as pets. The artist who trained at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, uses palette knife to splash vibrant colours on canvas thereby creating images that are almost jumping out of the canvas space. His colour application is one tool with which he conveys his emotions in a near impressionistic manner.

    “I love children and the joy on people’s faces lures me to do portraits. I am more of a portrait artist though I am still evolving and I will dig deep portraiture. In fact, capturing the likeness of a mortal being on canvas is like immortalising him because after his death, the artwork will remain,” he said at a preview session.

    Gbadebo who is shortlisted among the finalists in this year’s LIMCAF in Enugu, recalled that he got engulfed by portraiture after overcoming some challenges in portraiture class in his 300 level programme at the university.

    Gbadebo said: ”God is the creator of man, woman is his helper and children are his heritage but dog is man’s best friend.” Of Synonyms (a tale of man’s heritage and man’s best friend) and why the focus on children and pet, he said: “The subject of children and dogs has always enthralled me. I’m inspired by their character, the facial expressions they display and how they tend to live in the moment. They don’t remember the past neither are they worried about the future. These values of theirs are beautiful and they inspire me as a person. I noticed that with children and pets (dogs in this context) we tend to be very free as persons. While children seek attention, dogs retain the capacity to read our mood and then act accordingly.  I remember Coco (now late), my brother’s Boer bull dog. Whenever I was excited, Coco was excited but whenever I was sad, Coco was silent and she laid low. The Parisian artist, Francoise Nielly, inspires me by her bold and colourful approach to painting, but I find balancing my works in terms of mixture of techniques and use of colour personally suitable.

    The aim of this exhibition is to portray the wonder, innocence, self-less nature and beauty of childhood and also the loyalty and beauty of dogs. This exhibition is set to echo the values they stand for and to make society appreciate them more and most importantly to be grateful to God who has planted them in our lives.”                                                                                        The management of Quintessence started working with Gbadebo in 2012 when they noticed the potentials in his paintings and this stimulated the desire to give the emerging artist a solo exhibition.

    According to curator of the exhibition, Moses Ohiomokhare, Gbadebo is thrilled by expressions and has found great joy in children and animals. “His style is different from the stylised works that are in the market today. The body of works he has created also tends to show how much he has been influenced by animals in his youth as pets. Dogs are called man’s best friend because of their intelligence, loyalty and devotion and children being innocent and loving beings are best of friends of dogs,” Ohiomokhare said. Synonyms which will run till November 11 will feature works such as Lala, I hear you, George, Lunch time. Others are Rex, Baby’s rage and Max.

  • CU donates to home as Oyedepo clocks 61

    CU donates to home as Oyedepo clocks 61

    Covenant University (CU) has donated food, as well as educational and household materials to Stephen’s Children Home, Abeokuta.

    The university also provided free medical services to the people of Ishaga Onilado village in Ado-Odo/Ota, Ogun State.

    The university, through its Community Development Impact Initiative Committee (CDIIC) and David Oyedepo Day of Service (DODOS), extended its humanitarian gesture as part of the activities marking the 61st birthday of its Chancellor, Dr David Oyedepo.

    The DODOS was instituted by Covenant University Alumni Association in September 2012 during Oyedepo’s 58th birthday and to recognise his selfless service to humanity.

    The CU team was led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Taiwo Abioye, and the Chairman of the Committee, Dr Humphrey Adebayo.

    Items donated include: science laboratory equipment such as microscopes, galvanometers, venire calipers, books, calculators and other instructional materials.

    The university also donated food items, clothing, toiletries and an unspecified amount of money.

    Prof Abioye, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Ayo, said: “The items are being donated in line with Dr David Oyedepo’s passion for education and development of the black race. Dr Oyedepo’s passion for education led him to establish the Kingdom Heritage Model Schools (KHMS) and Faith Academy around the country, as well as Covenant and Landmark Universities.”

    Prof Abioye enjoined the children to be focused on the Lord who never disappoints. “Don’t think your situation is bad. There are people who are worse off out there but God cares for everybody,” she urged.

    Also, the Chairman of CDIIC, Dr Humphrey Adebayo, said the visit formed a part of Oyedepo’s investment in humanity and to celebrate his 61st birthday with the children in the Home.

    Responding, the Head of the Home, Rev Isaac Wusu, expressed appreciation for Oyedepo’s kind gesture.

    According to Wusu, the facility started almost 15 years ago with eight children, adding that today, it has over 400 children, most of whose parents were victims of religious uproar in the North.

    Also at Ishaga-Onilado village, the university gave free medical services to 183 adults and children. The services focused on vaccination and immunisation, blood pressure measurement, blood sugar screening, body mass index, de-worming, dietary counseling, dental consultations, as well as free eye checks and glasses.

    In his response, the Baale, who represented the village head, Elder Ebenezer Ogunnibi, congratulated the celebrator and wished Oyedepo long life and good health.

     

  • Bajaj unveils home appliances

    Bajaj unveils home appliances

    Indian manufacturing conglomerate Bajaj Electricals Limited has launched its range of home appliances in Nigeria.

    To enhance distribution, the company  named Polaris Trade and Logistics Limited (PTL) its distributors.

    A subsidiary of Bajaj Group of Companies, Bajaj Electricals Limited, has, for seven-and-half decades, impacted the global industrial landscape and the Indian economy, charting the course in small appliances, including lightings, transmission towers, special projects and power distribution.

    Executive Vice President, Bajaj Electricals Limited, Pradeep Patil, told a group of traders, salesmen and brand ambassadors at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, venue of the launch, that  Bajaj is an enigma in small appliances and a market leader in fans, lightings and power distribution.

    He said: “Bajaj Electricals has through its wide range of products provided convenience and happiness to millions of homes in India and other international markets… and with the same passion and commitment we will proudly assert these world-class products in Nigeria.”

    Patil, who is the company’s Business Unit Head, Kitchen Appliances, said: “Appliances isn’t only about quality products but the overall experience of the users and our goal, just as we did in India, is to change the experience of users and bring happiness to many more homes in Nigeria.”

    He applauded PTL, Bajaj local partners, describing the company’s experience in brand management and customer service as unprecedented with full infrastructure facilities for distribution, sales and aftermarket services nationwide.

    “With the vast experience of our partners in Nigeria, we will continue to expand our network and introduce new and world-class products and inspire trust,” Patil said.

    Reassuring of the quality and reliability of Bajaj products, PTL’s Managing Director, Mr. Parimal Vipani at the success of Bajaj two-wheeler and tricycles commonly used for commercial transportation in Nigeria as evidence of Bajaj ingenuity, reaffirming the technological excellence of Bajaj in home appliances.

    “Bajaj products are strong and durable and I’m convinced it will be an added value to each and every household of Nigerian family,” Vipani assured.

    He continued: “PTL has demonstrated exceptional resilience in brand management with uninterrupted network of branches across the country’s six geo-political zones that would speed up the distribution of Bajaj products and services to customers regardless of their locations.

    “Within the group, we already have good infrastructure and network of branches across the country through which we shall be able to distribute Bajaj products and services to our customers.

    Earlier, the High Commissioner of India, Mr. A. R. Ghanashyam praised the initiative of the duo of Bajaj Electricals and Polaris Trade and Logistics for introducing Bajaj appliances to Nigeria.

  • Police arrest 20 in raid at Uwazuruike’s home

    Police arrest 20 in raid at Uwazuruike’s home

    The Imo State police command yesterday arrested 20 persons when it raided the home of the leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike.

    But Uwazuruike was not  arrested.

    When The Nation visited the compound in the new Owerri Area F, policemen prevented visitors from entering the compound.

    MASSOB’s Director of Information Mr. Chris Muocha said the whereabouts of the MASSOB leader was unknown.

    “Up till now, we don’t know the whereabouts of our leader. But we know that our members, including Uwazuruike’s personal security, were arrested and taken to zone 9 from where they will be taken to Abuja, but we don’t know if he was among them or if anything has happened to him.”

    He warned that the security agencies should not take the group’s peaceful disposition to mean cowardice.

    “We are warning the security agencies to leave MASSOB alone and concentrate on fighting Boko Haram because no person or group has the monopoly of violence.

    “We will not continue to watch while our unarmed members are brutalised. We need our own republic, the Republic of Biafra, and no amount of intimidation or harassment will stop us,” Muocha said.

    Confirming the incident, police spokesman Mr. Andrew Enwerem said the raid was not unconnected to the group’s activities.

    He said police’ presence in Uwazuruike’s premises and other flashpoints in the state were to check a possible breakdown of law and order, adding that there was no express order to arrest Uwazuruike.

    “The Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, has declared total annihilation of criminal elements and the raid is in line with that directive. You will also notice an increase in police patrol across the state,” Enwerem said.

  • Nigerian-born French athlete indicates interest in representing home country

    Nigerian-born French athlete indicates interest in representing home country

    Nigerian-born French athlete, Ayodele Ikuesan, on Friday indicated interest to feature in international competitions for the nation.

    Ikuesan, 30, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that she had competed for France in several major competitions such as the London Summer Olympics in 2012.

    The athlete, who won a gold medal for France in the 4×100 metres race in the Mediterranean Games in 2009, is also a specialist in the 60 metres dash.

    In the 100 metres dash, Ikuesan returned a time of 11.62 seconds at the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) Diamond League in Dessau, Germany

    She said she wanted to use her talent to win laurels for the country, if invited for international events.

    “I have competed for France at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the London Summer Olympics in 2012, and several other European championships and I am now ready to feature for my home country.

    “My desire to compete for Nigeria is simply because of my growing passion to represent my fatherland at the international level.

    “I understand Nigerians are talented in the 100 metres and the 4×100 metres like Blessing Okagbare, who I really admire.

    “I am prepared to contribute my own quota. I understand that the rule is for me to wait for one year before being eligible to run. I am prepared to wait,’’ she said.

    Ikuesan said that she would focus on upcoming events in 2016, stressing that she had made efforts to meet with officials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), on her resolve.

    “I have faith in my mission to compete for Nigeria and I believe the federation will consider my desire to compete and help me fulfil my childhood dream,’’ she added.