The Nation Newspaper

Tag: laud

  • Customers laud Sterling Bank for rewarding loyalty

    Customers laud Sterling Bank for rewarding loyalty

    Impressed by the ‘One Customer’ experience they had at the exclusive private pre-release screening of the award winning film, ‘Half of a yellow Sun’, Customers of Sterling Bank Plc have commended the lender for providing a platform to access the film before its presentation to members of the local and international community via the public release tomorrow.

    The film is an adaptation of Chimamanda Adichie’s novel, which depicts the story of the Nigerian Civil War, its effects on families and the triumph of love over war.

    A cross section of the Bank’s customers who watched the film at the Silverbird Galleria last Sunday in Lagos, noted that with the sponsorship of the exclusive pre-release screening of the film for customers, by Sterling Bank had introduced a new dimension to banking in Nigeria. In this customer-centric path Sterling Bank has aggressively started rewarding its customers for their loyalty and this has gone far beyond promotions tied to deposits.

    The Nigerian-born British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hollywood actress Thandie Newton and Onyeka Onwenu, Genevieve Nnaji, John Gboyega and Joseph Mawle all contributed in no small way to the palpable pride and nationalist fervor that buzzed through the cinema as the guests enjoyed seeing Nigerians on a world stage telling the nations of the earth our own story our own way. Half Of A Yellow Sun will be screened to the public from April 25 2014.

    This was quite exciting as Sterling Bank a truly national bank, provided a platform for this story to be told to Nigerians of various walks of life united by its one customer mantra. T was an opportunity seized to remind its clients that they are the centre of the brand’s attention, and it was truly a memorable day.

    Mr. Adepegba Ogunlesi, a customer who banks with the Yaba branch of the Bank said after watching the film with his wife, Bisi who is also a customer: “This is a new experience for me and coming during the festive period, there is no other way to celebrate Easter. This is a new dimension to banking and it’s been a sweet experience for me and my wife. For Sterling Bank, it is a matter of time for the Bank to increase its rising customer profile if this innovation is sustained”.

  • Experts Osun’s O’Meal in UK Parliament

    It was a historic moment for Nigeria and Africa yesterday as the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in the British House of Commons, London, commended Osun State’s the Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programme, tagged O’Meals, as a successful model to be copied worldwide.

    Governor Rauf Aregbesola received a loud applause as he made an eloquent and statistical presentation to the British parliament at Committee Room 9.

    He suggested the biometric registration of beneficiaries of the programme wherever it is replicated to guarantee transparency.

    To guarantee a sustainable future for Nigeria, the governor called for the replication of the programme in all states, with appropriate legislative backing extending it to the first nine years of schooling.

    At the meeting presided over by Lord Cameron of Dillington, Aregbesola said technology was the best way to address the concern of development partners and international donors on.

    Regretting that project funds were lost to corruption in the past, the governor said once beneficiaries are registered biometrically, banks linked with the programme funding would rely on the data to process payment.

    He said: “Technology remains the only effective way to remove corruption from the implementation of the HGSF programme. Once biometric registration is introduced to beneficiaries, the data will be linked to banks and vendors would be paid. Beneficiaries are then able to register their biometric features through the Point of Sales (PoS) terminals to guarantee a transparent, corruption-free and efficient HGSF system worldwide.”

    The Lead Health and Education Specialist of the World Bank, Prof. Donald Bundy; the Chief of School Feeding and Chronic Hunger Unit of the World Food Programme (WFP), Peter Rodrigues; Ms. Boitshepo Bibi Giyose of the New Economic Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and the Senior Technical Adviser of the Partnership for Child Development, Imperial College, London, Prof. Josephine Kiamba, praised Aregbesola for successfully implementing the O’Meals despite the state’s limited finances.

    Describing the programme as worthy of emulation by all African countries, Bundy said the scheme would be a safety net for feeding the poorest children in many countries, if Aregbesola’s community-based implementation strategies are adopted.

    Rodrigues said Osun had shown practical ways to achieve the best result as the cost per child, per day and per annum demonstrated by Aregbesola clearly showed that the HGSF programme saves money and guarantees food security.

    Promising that WFP would, in six months, provide evidence to back this assertion, Rodrigues said: “The programme is very complex. We need to get the local governments to buy into it and change the mindset of the host government.”

    Aregbesola said from April 30, 2012, when the programme was rebranded as O’Meals, to December 31, 2013 (330 school days), enrolment in elementary schools increased from 203,858 to 252,793 representing 24 per cent increase.

    He said his administration had spent N3,813,700,000 on the programme, which covers pupils from primary one to four.

    Aregbesola said: “The cost per child per year is N15,100 (£57.60) and the cost per child per day is N45.70 (£0.17). In the same breath, 3,100 women were appointed and re-trained as community-based food vendors, while 462 out-growers of fish were successfully empowered for massive fish production to cater for the programme.

    “In line with our promise two years ago to introduce the highly nutritious cocoyam to the food timetable, our administration mobilised a professor from the state university to train 1,000 farmers, including 90 women, in the Pink Cocoyam Rebirth Scheme.”

    Aregbesola expressed hope that other states in Nigeria and the Federal Government would adopt the Osun model of the programme.

    He said: “We require more support from our technical partners in capacity building to achieve biometric registration and digitisation of O’Meals to guarantee transparency and efficient resource management.”

  • Tinubu, Ajimobi, others laud Alaafin at book presentation

    Eminent personalities from all walks of life yesterday extolled the virtues of the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, at the public presentation of a book, titled: Chieftaincy Laws in Nigeria: Principles and Practice.

    They described him as a rare breed, who loves history and culture.

    The book was written by Mr. Tope Fadaunsi and Mr. Elias Adedokun in honour of the monarch. It has 10 chapters, 289 pages and examines the importance of chieftaincy laws in Nigeria.

    The event was held at D’Rovans Hotel in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said Oba Adeyemi is highly respected among Yoruba rulers, not because of his personality, but because he has “the weight of history behind him and the weight of contemporary endeavours”.

    Tinubu, who was represented by Prof. Adebayo Williams, said since the monarch was installed in 1971, he has been protecting the interest of the Yoruba.

    He said Oba Adeyemi has gone through “cold and hot wars” for the Yoruba.

    Tinubu said: “Only a man with a sense of history can do what Alaafin is doing. He is an incredible man of destiny. Before his installation, his father knew he would become a king. That was why he allowed him to live with four Yoruba monarchs.”

    The former Lagos State Governor described Oba Adeyemi as “an exceptional man, a scholar, diplomat, historian, anthropologist and warrior, whom God has a purpose for on earth”.

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi described the traditional ruler as “an intelligent man and a custodian of culture”.

    He praised the writers for honouring the monarch and said he would consider the possibility of distributing the book to secondary school pupils.

    Former Oyo State Governor Omololu Olunloyo called for a review of chieftaincy laws in Nigeria.

    He said the Alaafin, who is a boxer, is the only monarch that can recite 10 pages of history by heart.

    The Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Obateru Akinruntan, said the Alaafin is “an epitome of intellect, who is respected by all”.

    Niger State Commissioner for Information Prof. Mahammed Kuta Yahaha, who represented Governor Babangida Aliyu, said the Alaafin represents honour, culture and character.

    He said: “You are a successful monarch. In Nigeria, people do not trust politicians again, but they trust and rely on you. We are honoured to be associated with you.”

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his Bauchi State counterpart, Isa Yuguda, were represented.

    Oba Adeyemi said the federal system of governance has excluded the traditional system of governance.

    He said the book would protect our culture and tradition.

    The Alaafin thanked the writers for their initiative and thanked the guests for honouring him.

    He prayed for peace and progress in the country.

    Also present were Minister for State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ms. Jumoke Akinjide, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan; the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdulazeez Arisekola-Alao; Chairman of the Odu’a Investments Limited Mr. Sarafadeen Alli and former Minister of Power and Steel Elder Wole Oyelese, among others.

  • Cocoa farmers laud Oyo

    The Chairman, Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) in Oyo State, Mr Joel Ojediji, has praised the government for providing 800,000 cocoa seedlings to farmers.

    Ojediji, who spoke in Ibadan ,the state capital, said the farmers needed more seedlings.

    According to him, farmers had initially asked for 1.5 million seedlings.

    He said that farmers’ demand became necessary following the monitoring by officials of the state Ministry of Agriculture, who inspected the nurseries and found them to be up to standard.

    He said :“We will proceed to transplant seedlings from the nurseries to our farms in the month of May.”

    The chairman said the 800,000 cocoa seedlings were provided free of charge by the government to the farmers through the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN).

    He said from all indications, he could predict a bumper cocoa harvest at the end of the cropping season.

    While praising the Federal Government’s agriculture policy, the chairman said : “The Agricultural Transformation Agenda in the area of cocoa has been highly successful.”

  • MONTHLY SATURDAY BOXING SHOW: Boxers, coaches laud organiser’s consistency

    MONTHLY SATURDAY BOXING SHOW: Boxers, coaches laud organiser’s consistency

    Coaches and amateur boxers in Lagos have expressed delight at the consistency of the organisers of the Monthly Saturday Boxing Show, an initiative of the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame (LBHF), in conjunction with the Lagos State Amateur Boxing Association (LABA).

    With nine bouts lined up, the 39th edition of the competition got underway Saturday at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba, as some of the boxers and coaches that spoke to SportingLife praised the initiators of the competition for keeping to their promises thus far.

    Veteran coach Joseph Mensah, speaking on behalf of other coaches, said over the years the LBHF has given amateur boxers in the state a new lease of life by ensuring they are in competitive mood month in, month out.

    “I have always said that the Saturday Boxing Show is a competition that has come to stay. You can see how happy the boxers are because every month they have a platform to express themselves. You are also a witness to the impact the competition has had on the growth of boxing in the state.

    “This was evident in the performance of our boxers at the last two National Sports Festival (NSF), especially the last one hosted by Lagos. Mr Wale Edun and his team deserve all the accolades for bringing back boxing to its glory days,” he said.

    But for former captain of the Lagos State boxing team, Olaide Fijabi, who represented the boxers, the competition is the best thing that has ever happened to the state.

    He said with the progress that have been made so far, Nigeria will soon be relying on the state for amateur boxers to major competitions internationally.

    “With this competition in place, Lagos is on the verge of becoming breeding ground for amateur boxers in the country like we used to have it,” he stated.

    Meanwhile, in the ten bouts staged, Tunji Okunsanya defeated Taiwo Taofeek in 52kg weight category, as Sodiq Osupa went down to Sodiq Olabanji in the 56kg weight category. Also Aliu Ibrahim defeated Yusuf Iloriogun in the 60kg weight category.

    In the 25kg weight category, Wahab Adeniji of the Aceedy Nursery and Primary School, Mushin, lost to Wahab Kukoyi of Degrace Nursery and Primary School, also of Mushin, while in another 25kg weight category bout, Yusuf Adeniji of the Arowosegbe Nursery and Primary School, Bariga, lost to Ganiyu Quadri of Sunfab College, Bariga.

    It was almost going to be an all-school affair, when Oladosu Idris of the Unity Junior High School, Yaba, defeated Fadipe Tobi of Comprehensive High School, also of Yaba in the 30kg weight category, as in what was the exhibition bout of the day, Adedeji Adeniji of the Aboru Junior High School, Oshodi, lost to Adekunjo Gbenga Oshodi Comprehensive High School, in the 38kg weight category.

    The only female bout of the day was between Toyin Adejumola and Ann Odenigbo in the 64kg weight category, Adejumola however won the bout in a unanimous decision. In the 64kg weight category bout between Folorunsho Kuyoro and Mohammed Yusuf, Kuyoro won, as Abayomi Ishola defeated Sunday Oladele in the 75kg weight category.

    The next edition will come up last Saturday of the month of March.