The Nation Newspaper

Tag: met

  • Ladies shine at ‘Ocean’s 8’ Met Gala-themed premiere

    It was a myriad of fashion as hundreds of A-list stars, celebrities, entertainment and fashion bloggers and leading socialites stormed the grand premiere of the ‘Ocean’s 8’ on Sunday, June 17.

    The premiere which took place at the Filmhouse Cinemas, Lekki, Lagos was themed after popular fashion exhibition, the Met Ball, which was a key factor in the movie’s plot.

    Among artistes who turned up with a peculiar fashion statement were Kate Henshaw, Osas Ighodaro, Toke Makinwa, Omoni Oboli, Shaffy Bello, Inidima Okojie, Linda Osifo, Mimi Onalaja, Jemima Osunde, Waje, Simi Drey and hundreds more.

    Guests were treated to cocktails and light food, while granting interviews to the press pool eager to know what they were wearing and how they felt about the big night.

    According to the management of FilmOne and FilmHouse Cinemas, ‘Ocean’s 8’ premiere was much more than just coming to see a movie; rather it was about celebrating achievement and seeing leading women in a different light.

    The movie features brilliantly talented actresses like Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter.

    Ocean’s 8 is a standalone movie which rides on the earlier Ocean’s trilogy. With the key protagonist, Daniel Ocean dead, his sister comes out of prison with one mission; revenge for past hurt. She recruits seven other women as they plot what would be one of the biggest heists.

    Sponsored by Diamond Bank, Zaron, Coca-Cola and others, the premiere was also an opportunity to bring together women of distinct backgrounds and professions, which informed the organisers’ choice of guests, social influencers and partners.

  • Athletics met its target-Ogba

    Athletics met its target-Ogba

    President of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Solomon Ogba has said track and field met its target by winning 10 gold medals at the just concluded African Games in Congo Brazzaville.

    The AFN boss told SportingLife that he promised that the athletic team would do its best at the Games by doing the necessary thing to excel, stating that some never believed that the athletes could deliver 10 gold medals.

    He said Nigerian athletes should be appreciated instead of the criticism they face whenever they fail at international events. “Some athletes are gifted and with little training they become world class and are able to win medals at the Olympics and World Championship.

    “Only few Nigerians can boost of individual medals at the Olympics and must have put in a lot to achieve that. I consider them exceptional athletes with exceptional abilities,” he added.

    He noted that Nigeria has never been stronger in the short distances races at the world level and only get to win medals at the relays if it has three top athletes. “Three good athletes in the 4X100m relay race can give us medals and that is where we have excelled at the world level. Change over robbed us of a medal in 4X100m men in Congo, but we will continue to strive to make our team better,”he said.

    Ogba said the AFN would also continue to encourage it’s athletes to improve on areas it has comparative advantage and improve their performances.

    According to Ogba, Team Nigeria had done well at the just concluded Games, considering that the achievement came on away soil unlike in 2003 when we hosted the games and did well.

  • BPE: why 10,000Mw can’t be met

    Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Director-General Benjamen Dikki has blamed gas flaring for Nigeria’s inability to generate 10,000 megawatts (Mw) of electricity.

    He said the country has enough reseviour of gas to generate electricity.

    Dikki said: “Instead of wasting gas by flaring it, we can channel it to the power sector. Due to gas shortage, the power sector cannot generate enough electricity megawatts(Mw). We are producing less than 6,000Mw of electricity. We are hovering between 4,000 and 5,000Mw of electricity, when we are supposed to generate 10,000Mw. We have been targeting 10,000 Mw for sometime now. Have we achieved it?

    “The country is flaring millions of metric tonnes of gas daily, because there is no infrastructure in place to capture it for productive use. To take the gas to where it is needed, what has Nigeria done in this regard? Nothing.‘’

    He lamented that gas shortage continues to hinder the growth of the power sector.

    He said it was wrong to insinuate that political problems were responsible for the hitches in the generation, distribution and transmission of electricity in Nigeria, arguing that gas shortage is affecting the industry.

    He said the insinuations in some quarters that  politics was causing problems in the power sector was an attempt to distract the attention of the government from the real issues hindering the growth of the industry.

    Dikki explained that  infrastructural deficit in the gas industry was having a spillover effects on the sector.

  • Why we met Obasanjo, by Shehu Sani

    Why we met Obasanjo, by Shehu Sani

    Why did former President Olusegun Obasanjo join the rescue mission for the over 200 abducted Chibok girls? It was to open new channel of dialogue for the girls’ release, says the President, Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, Comrade Shehu Sani.

    Sani said yesterday that some Boko Haram contacts had audience with Obasanjo to open a new channel of negotiation with the sect members to rescue the girls.

    He said the Federal Government’s indecision to swap the girls or storm the insurgents’ hideout is unhelpful.

    Sani urged Nigerians not to vilify Ahmed Salkida, who negotiated the botched backdoor deal between the government and Boko Haram.

    In a statement in Abuja, Sani said Salkida should be praised for his initiative to free the girls.

    He said: “This statement is in response to the reports and the enquiries on the Abeokuta meeting with the former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some family members of the Boko Haram group: This is to confirm that the meeting actually took place and I was part of it.

    “The meeting was solely aimed at exploring the possibility of opening a new channel for dialogue or negotiation with the sect members towards securing the release of the abducted Chibok girls held in captivity for over a month.

    “The meeting appraised the reportedly collapsed back door deal that was later cancelled by the government. I wish to also confirm that the report of the intervention of Mr. Ahmed Salkida in negotiating the release of the Chibok girls is credible.

    “I personally introduced Salkida to the Government and spoke about him in many of my previous interviews. He has tried his best in the past and of recent to help in resolving the insurgency through dialogue but was on all occasions frustrated by the government.

    “Mr. Salkida should not be vilified but should be appreciated. Mr. Salkida’s attempt could have actually seen to the release of the abducted girls.

    “The meeting in Abeokuta was aimed at repackaging and salvaging the dialogue option: It was generally agreed that the initiative cannot take off without the consent of the government”.

    Sani insisted on negotiation with the insurgents in the nation’s interest.

    He added: “It’s significant for Nigerians to note that negotiation is the only safer option to get the girls back home. The consequence of the use of force to rescue the girls is clear.

    “The indecision whether to swap or to storm is also not helpful. Our children are our precious seeds for tomorrow’s harvest. We cannot celebrate democracy day with our children in chains.

    “The ongoing insurgency is now part of our history and the challenge before us is not to allow it to be our fate. With national solidarity and resilient spirit we shall overcome.”

  • I’ve never met kidnap kingpin Kelvin , says Ovie of Agbon

    The Ovie of Agbon Kingdom in Delta State, HRM Mike Omeru, Ogurimerime Ukori 1, was recently placed on the spot by the activities of Kelvin Oniarah, the suspected notorious kidnap kingpin, who used Kokori, a community in the kingdom, as a base. In this exclusive interview with SHOLA O’NEIL, Southsouth Regional Editor, the monarch spoke on the Kokori debacle and clarified some misconceptions regarding his perceived role.

    Your Majesty, Kokori, your community has been in the news of lately, what is responsible?

    I know there is problem in Kokori, one of the sub-clans in my Kingdom; there are six sub-clans that make up Agbon Kingdom and Kokori is just one of them. As the Ovie of Agbon Kingdom, as soon as I was chosen, I became elevated above Kokori. I am not the Ovie of Kokori, but the Ovie of Agbon. I do not have a palace in Kokori, what I have is my personal resident.

    The reason why I still live there is because there is no palace yet in the traditional headquarters of our kingdom that is Isiokolo, also headquarters of Ethiope East Local Government Area. But now there is plan in place to build a befitting palace in Isiokolo, a building committee is working to actualise a permanent place. It is necessary to make this point because people seem to think that Kokori is a kingdom or the headquarters of Agbon. The headquarter is Isiokolo, where my staff of office was presented to me by the Delta State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.

    There is a report that your palace or private resident was attacked because Kelvin was arrested during a peace meeting you organised….

    …(cuts in) That is not true; it is a malicious lies being peddled by people whose intention I cannot understand but who certainly don’t mean well for the kingdom or Kokori.

    Kelvin, from what I hear about him, is a very small boy; even his father may not have been born as at the time I left Kokori in 1959. So, there is no way I can arrange meeting for somebody I do not know and whose contact I do not have.

    He may know me, owing to my prominent position in the community and kingdom, but I certainly do not know him and have never had any contact with him. He is too far my junior to have that kind of connection that was claimed. So, the truth is that there is no way I could arrange a meeting with Kelvin. That was falsehood thrown into the minds to cause disaffection and to cast me in bad light.

    Now there is a problem in the sub-clan what are you doing to restore normalcy?

    You see, let me explain the structure of the kingdom to you, so that your reader can understand how it works. Yes, I am from Kokori, but as the traditional ruler of the whole Agbon clan, we have machinery for resolving issues like this.

    My contact with the sub-clan is through council of elders, that is how the administration works. A matter like this can only be tackled by the king when it is brought to his attention through the council of elders of the sub-clan involved, if they feel they cannot resolve it on their own. It is brought to the Ovie-in-council by elders after which the council deliberates and resolves it. It is not just a matter of an ovie, there is a structure and process that is laid down over the decades.

    Having said that, as a father of all the sub-clans, I am trying to reach out to the community to see how far they have gone to help them see that the matter is resolved amicably.

    Kokori has been known as a very peaceful place until this problem started. I have helped to build the community and I have no cause to want to destroy it.

    There are insinuations that the insecurity is because you are not popular with your people

    Whoever is responsible for that is very mischievous and must have said that because of personal or selfish interests. Let me tell you, I was President General of Kokori for over five years and I had an excellent relationship with persons in Kokori and the kingdom.

    The first thing I did as a President General was to tell my people that I did not want to be involved in the issues of oil matters in the community. I kept my words and was never involved in the activities of Shell or any company for that matter because I am not cut out for that kind of thing. You can go and check it out anywhere.

    I have my own personal career and business. You know that I am the Chairman of Niger Cat Construction Company. I was instrumental to the construction of the road that links Kokori to Eku – that is a road that has three bridges. I also did the roundabout in the town and several other projects. I have been very active in the development of the community.

    Since 2005 during my late mother’s burial I have been giving out scholarships to two Kokori indigenes of Kokori every year. Some of the beneficiaries have graduated now and some, about six, are still on as I talking to you. I also have done empowerment programme for indigenes of the community. I sponsored some indigenes to learn trade of their choice and after the completion I funded their start-up with equipment for their trade.

    What is your reaction to reports that the unrest, particularly attack on your palace, is connected with your emergence as Ovie of Agbon?

    There is no connection at all. My emergence as Ovie is completely peaceful and totally rancour-free. It is only natural that I emerged because I was the most senior traditional Agbon Chief from Kokori as laid out by the 1979 edict of then Bendel State, now applicable to Delta State.

    It was because my selection was peaceful and rancour-free that there was no litigation resulting from it; nobody went to court. There were only two qualified candidates from Kokori and during the electoral college votes, the 30 elector present voted enmass for me. Based on that my name was sent to the Agbon Council of Chief.

    At the Agbon (Kingdom) level, there are 51 kingmakers headed by the existing Otota. Of this number, 48 were present during the selection and 43 of them voted to confirm me as the Ovie – 43 out of 48, how popular could a candidate be with that figure? It was after that selection that my name was sent to the State Government for the presentation of staff of office.

    The problem in Kokori predates my selection as Ovie, it has been there a long time ago as far back as 2011 this boy (Kelvin) has been operating and disturbing the area. For somebody to relate it with my kingship or selection as Ovie is a great disservice to the kingdom.

    People are complaining about militarisation of the community, they say they are suffering…

    I am the one that has suffered most from the insecurity in Kokori. I have suffered physically, you see the destruction of my palace and mayhem there. I have also suffered invitation by security because of the activities of this same Kelvin. At a point, the Commissioner of Police invited me for questioning because of the matter. He thought as the king, I was somehow connected in the matter. It was after the meeting that he realised that Kokori is just a microcosm of my kingdom and he saw that I was not in any way connected. I am not the Ovie of Kokori but of Agbon Kingdom.

    If you also remember, it was the insecurity in Kokori that made the governor refused to give me staff of office from September (2012) to march (2013).

    There is also a report that some persons who are not unhappy about your emergence are using the youths to cause mayhem.

    It is possible; most of the things happening in Kokori may not be unconnected. But there is no iota of doubt that I am the most qualified person for the stool. The kingship matter is completely outside the matter.

    Yes, some disgruntled persons may be using the youths to foment trouble but the kingship is not a subject of controversy or debate as I have said time and time again.

  • I met Suntai in hospital, says Taraba Acting Governor Umar

    Taraba State Acting Governor Garba Umar has said Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai is still in the hospital, contrary to reports that he has been discharged and could walk to the hospital for check-ups.

    Umar said he met his boss still on hospital bed. He was addressing reporters in Jalingo, the state capital, after his return from Hannover, Germany, to see the state of health of his boss.

    The acting governor came back without a word from the ailing governor to the people of Taraba.

    On whether Suntai can talk, walk or jog, Umar said: “The governor’s health is stable.

    “I was in Germany to see my beloved boss. I met him. He told me his mind. His eyes were on me. I was with him. When he was to take tea (the weather was cold) I met with his wife and left. I came back to see him the following day.”

    Fielding more questions from reporters on the governor’s state of health, Umar said: “The fact is, I met him in the hospital, but his condition has stabilised. It is what I saw that I can talk about.”

    Asked if there was likelihood of him (Umar) becoming the substantive governor, he said: “An acting governor is the governor. When you are acting – like in my case – you are the governor. I have all the powers that the Constitution gives a governor. I prepared the 2013 budget and I am paying workers’ salaries. So, what power again? And it is the same government. The only difference is that the people are feeling the absence of my boss.”

    On projects, Umar said: “I will continue with my boss’ programmes.”