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  • HEARTS…a story of love, heartbreak and life [PART TWO]

    HEARTS…a story of love, heartbreak and life [PART TWO]

    In pretence, he would gloat with his shoulders raised high in the presence of his goons. However, deep within him was the ensnared little man in manacles and chains of addictions; crying for help. The heaps of adulations from his friends were millstones and burdens weighing heavy on his soul. He felt lost, empty, finished and dry.

    Fast forward into the seminar hall where she is conveniently seated with other participants and of course, the charmer – “Mr Femi”.

    Femi, on the other hand just could not help himself because the innocent-looking, gregarious, and adorable Amarachi had caught his fancy. His mind was so busy with thoughts and plots to win her heart that he unconsciously voiced the words – “I must get her!”. The person seated next to him quickly turned to Femi’s direction and shook is head…he must have muttered – “i am so sorry for you”. Femi quickly comported himself and at least pretended to be listening to the facilitator.

    Read also: HEARTS…a story of love, heartbreak and life [PART ONE]

    Now Femi hasn’t always been a serial womaniser, in fact, he was a well brought up and cultured young man from a well-to-do family. He was an only son amongst three female siblings who were always in the boarding school. His early childhood was not so different from an average child that lives in Lagos. He played on the streets under the sun and in the rain, enjoyed comic books and videos games, displayed some caricature Jackie Chan moves after watching one of the classic movies, and hated to have his bath twice daily; he did what boys his age would normally do.

    However, his days of innocence were coming to an end rather too early at the age of 11 when his entrepreneur dad and banker mom decided to employ Edidiong as a house help. As part of her chores, she was responsible for tending to Femi – from feeding, bathing, down to bringing him from school daily. Femi hardly saw his parents even on weekends. They are usually out of the house before he’s astir in the morning and arrived very late at night when he’s already asleep. He’s always in the company and tutelage of the housemaid who cared less about him, save for her monthly emolument.

    One very unfortunate day, the unexpected happened to Femi. “Femi come here”, Edidiong said with her airy-low voice. She took him to her room, turned the key twice in a clockwise direction to lock the door, and closed the window blinds.

    Read also: HEARTS…a story of love, heartbreak and life [CONCLUDING PART]

    Femi stood transfixed in the centre of the room not having the slightest idea or premonition of what was about to go down. Aunty Edidiong, he said. What are you doing? Why are you locking the door and windows? She walked slowly towards him, drew him close to herself and said “let me show you something!” That was the beginning of the end of the affable and morally cultured Femi. She abused him sexually and threatened to take his life should he report the incident to anyone, especially his parents.

    Edidiong stayed with his family as their housemaid for another seven years. These years were a gestation period into sexual addiction and inordinate foray for Femi. His mind and body had been re-engineered, reconditioned and tampered with by the housemaid so much so that his profligacy and womanising tendencies had reached astronomical proportions before he was 18 years old.

    Now Femi is 29, every night he reminisces about his life – the scores of relationships he had been in, the hearts he had broken and other “touching” stories better left untold. He sheds tears sometimes because he knows that he could be a better man and live a better life instead of the bestial adventure that reeks from his being.

    Femi is the happening guy, the man of the moment, the ladies man, the “oshomo one” of Nigeria etc. These are some of the alias and praise names his friends would usually heap upon him. In pretence, he would gloat with his shoulders raised high in the presence of his cohorts. However, deep within him was the ensnared little man in manacles and chains of addictions; crying for help. The heaps of adulations from his friends were literally millstones and burdens weighing heavy on his soul. He felt lost, empty, finished, and dry.

    Now the program was over and Amarachi had packed her seminar materials and was heading for the bus stop when Femi quickly drove his Mercedes-Benz C-Class beside her, wind down his side window and offered to give her a lift. Please milady, can i give you a ride?

    Watch out for the concluding part…

    By Moses Emorinken

    Email: brandphase@yahoo.com

    Twitter: @memorinken

    Instagram: @memorinken

  • NLC calls for review of minimum wage

    NLC calls for review of minimum wage

    Kwara State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ), Mr Abdulyekeen Agunbiade, has called on the Federal Government to review the minimum wage in the country.

    The NLC chairman made the call in Ilorin on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen on the state of the nation.

    He added that according to Labour law, workers salaries should be reviewed every ten years.

    The labour leader explained that Nigerian workers would not settle for any amount less than N50, 000 as minimum wage.

    He declared that labour has not abandoned the call for upward review of the minimum wage for workers in the country.

    The NLC boss said that it was disheartening that Nigeria workers earn the lowest minimum wage among it contemporaries in the world.

    He said that the Labour Minister, Dr Chris Ngige, was not in control of the ministry because the spate of trade disputes across the country couldn’t have been that viral if he had been in charge.

    The NLC chief added a number of strike actions embarked upon by various trade unions were suspended out of sheer patriotism on the part of the labour leaders.

    Agunbiade stressed the need for Dr Ngige to consider his pronouncement as the Labour Minister, which according to him showed clearly that he could handle national trade disputes.

    Agunbiade said NLC was in full support of the call for autonomy of local governments in the country as well as true federalism of the country.

    According to him, for the local governments to be truly autonomous, it must take full control of its fund and appoint its personnel.

    NAN

  • Gov. Tambuwal advises FG to handover roads to states

    Gov. Tambuwal advises FG to handover roads to states

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State on Tuesday advised the Federal Government to handover Federal roads to states governments for effective management of the roads.

    Tambuwal gave the advice when he received the Senate Committee on Works led by its Chairman, Sen. Kabiru Gaya, in Sokoto.

    He said: “There is the need for the federal government handover the roads to states, because states governments are closer to the people and we have more efficient methods of supervision.

    “If this is done, it will go a long way in ensuring that the vast majority of major roads and highways in the country are well maintained.’’

    The governor pledged to work with all stakeholders to ensure proper management and development of infrastructure in the state.

    He solicited the support of the National Assembly to facilitate the reimbursement of fund spent by the state government spent on the repairs of some federal roads.

    Earlier, Gaya said they were in the state as part of the committee’s oversight functions and lauded Tambuwal’s administration for providing basic infrastructure that would enhance the wellbeing of people in the state.

    Gaya assured that his committee would facilitate the reimbursement of the funds used by the state government in developing federal roads.

    He thanked the governor for his commitment towards the completion of the Sokoto-Jega-Yauri -Kontagora road, which is currently under construction.

    The roads to be inspected by the committee included Sokoto-Illela and Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Yauri-Kontagora roads.

    NAN

  • Nigeria, Indonesia agree to reinforce economic ties

    Nigeria, Indonesia agree to reinforce economic ties

    Nigeria and Indonesia have agreed to increase the level of economic cooperation between both countries, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said.

    The agreement was reached on Tuesday at a bilateral meeting Osinbajo held with his Indonesian counterpart, Jusuf Kalla, a release issued by Mr Laolu Akande stated.

    The meeting was on the sidelines of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative ( EITI ) Beneficial Ownership Transparency Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia.

    According to Osinbajo, Nigeria is open for business and more investment and recalled the partnership reached with members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce on Monday.

    “We are looking forward to more Indonesian investments especially in the manufacturing sector in Nigeria, trying to exploit our local raw materials,” he said.

    The vice president also informed his counterpart that the Muhammadu Buhari administration had implemented reforms that had made the Nigerian business environment “a more favourable environment”.

    Osinbajo expressed appreciation to the Indonesian government and extended greetings to President Joko Widodo.

    In his own remarks, the Indonesian Vice President said his country was also ready for more economic cooperation with African countries, especially Nigeria.

    Other issues discussed by the two Vice Presidents included areas of collaboration in the Agriculture and agro-allied sector including palm oil research and production.

    NAN

  • Gov. Obiano reiterates commitment to youths’ empowerment

    Gov. Obiano reiterates commitment to youths’ empowerment

    Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra has reiterated his resolve to empower the youths through skills acquisition, which he also said would reduce crimes and boost national growth.

    Obiano spoke on Tuesday at the 2017 2nd Synod of Cathedral Church of St. Silas, Ihiala in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra.

    The synod with the theme: “Whom Shall I Send, And Who Will Go for Us’’, was attended by Anglican clergymen, lay faithful and invited government officials.

    Obiano said that his vision was that every youth should be meaningful engaged in order to reduce the involvement of youths in anti-social activities and criminality.

    “Before I became governor, security situation was bad; several youths were seen idle on the streets.“But today, I have tackled insecurity by engaging the youths imeaningfully in different skills and agriculture.

    “We are doing this to transform the lives of our youths positively,” he said.

    Earlier, the Anglican Bishop of Ihiala Diocese, Rt. Rev. Israel Okoye, expressed regrets that some politicians only empower youths by engaging them as thugs.

    Okoye noted that such negative conduct of politicians would hamper the future of youths and the nation.

    “I am not satisfied with the style of some politicians who have deviated from positive things, but engage the youths as thugs and also engage in campaign of calumny..

    “Many youths are lured into criminality because of unemployment, while some politicians cash in on the unemployment situation to engage them as thugs,” he said.

    Okoye said the Diocese plans to establish the “All Saints Skills Acquisition and Invention Centre”, for the training of youths on various skills.

    The Anglican Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Alexander Ibezim, who also spoke, urged Obiano to sustain the security apparatus that he put in place.

    He said that the improved security had promoted investments, especially in the agricultural sector.

    NAN

  • 2,000 Kenyans march to election board office in Odinga

    2,000 Kenyans march to election board office in Odinga

    Around 2,000 Kenyans marched towards the election board offices in the city of Kisumu on Tuesday, witnesses said, responding to a call from opposition leader Raila Odinga for protests against an imminent election.

    Odinga is boycotting Thursday’s repeat presidential ballot.

    He says the contest, against incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta, will not be free and fair because the election board has not made sufficient reforms, and has called on his supporters to ensure it does not take place.

    “All we know is that there will be no elections. As to how this will be done, we are waiting for the big announcement by Baba (Odinga) tomorrow,” said one demonstrator, market trader James Ouma.

    The government and the election board have said the vote will go ahead irrespective of whether Odinga contests.

    Kenyatta officially won their first head-to-head on Aug. 8 by 1.4 million votes, but the Supreme Court annulled that vote on Sept. 1 over procedural irregularities.

    The ensuing political stand-off has blunted growth in East Africa’s richest economy, and the risk of confrontations has raised security fears in a nation valued for its stability and relative freedom in a region roiled by conflict.

    The protesters in Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, waved branches and blew whistles as they marched.

    After the Supreme Court ruling, Odinga’s team presented a list of demands to the election board.

    Some have been met, opposition monitors will now have access to the board’s computers as results come in, a key official has gone on an extended holiday, and results will not be transmitted without a copy of a paper form from tallying centres.

    The board said it was impossible to meet other demands, such as changing the technology provider – in the short time frame allotted for new elections.

    The Kenyan constitution said fresh elections must be held within 60 days of nullified ones.

    NAN

  • EU agrees on new labour rules to prevent social dumping

    EU agrees on new labour rules to prevent social dumping

    EU countries have agreed on new rules to prevent the so-called social dumping and make employers pay foreign workers the same as locals, the European commissioner for employment said on Tuesday.

    “Equal pay for equal work at same place at heart of SocialEurope,’’ Marianne Thyssen, wrote on Twitter after the meeting of EU social affairs ministers in Luxembourg.

    The 1996 posted workers directive governs the employment of EU workers in other countries within the bloc and mandates certain standards, such as the payment of local minimum wages.

    Trade unions, however, complain that employers often use loopholes to abuse the rules.

    In France and other countries, the directive is perceived as having paved the way for employers to hire Eastern European workers on the cheap, known as “social dumping,” while driving down locals’ wages and social standards.

    French President Emmanuel Macron has been the most vocal critic of the regulations, and has been lobbying Central and Eastern European governments to reform the directive.

    According to figures from 2015, the legislation affects slightly over two million workers in the bloc: Poland, Germany and France were the main sending countries, while Germany, France and Belgium were the main receiving countries.

    The European Commission says foreign workers often receive only half what locals are paid.

    NAN

  • Coca-Cola to invest $90m in Kenya to broaden product range

    Coca-Cola to invest $90m in Kenya to broaden product range

    Soft drinks maker, Coca-Cola, says it plans to invest up to $90 million in Kenya over three years through 2018 to increase its product range in the region.

    In a statement on Tuesday in Nairobi, the company said the wider range of soft drinks in the country would begin in 2018 but did not give details of the range of products

    Coca-Cola, which is the leader in the Kenyan soda market with brands like Coke and Fanta, said it had invested a total of $17 billion in Africa since 2014.

    According to the company, the amount doubles what was invested in the continent a decade before.

    The group, however, faces growing competition in Kenya from other soft drinks producers like SABmiller and PepsiCo.

    NAN

  • Russia holds spot as China’s top oil supplier for 7th month

    Russia holds spot as China’s top oil supplier for 7th month

    Russia held on to its position as China’s top crude oil supplier ahead of Angola and Saudi Arabia for the seventh straight month in September.

    According to a breakdown of commodity trade data released by the General Administration of Customs, , imports from Russia in September were almost 1.545 million barrels per day, up 60.5 per cent from the same month in 2016.

    It showed that for the first three quarters, crude volumes from Russia gained 18 per cent year-on-year to nearly 1.2 million bpd, also holding firm its top ranking.

    The lower cost of Russian crude and China’s shift to cleaner diesel was the key driver behind the record Russian oil purchases.

    “Many teapot refineries are not equipped with hydrotreating units to cut down sulfur. That means they need to import crude with lower sulfur content to meet the cleaner diesel quality,” said Harry Liu of consultancy IHS Markit.

    The widening spread between Brent-linked crudes and Middle Eastern benchmark Dubai also made Russia’s ESPO grade, priced off Dubai, relatively attractive, Liu added.

    Meanwhile Angola, China’s second largest source of crude, supplied 11.7 per cent more oil than a year earlier at 1.14 million bpd.

    Angola also maintained the second spot for the January-September supplies ahead of Saudi.

    Supplies from Saudi Arabia were up 9.6 per cent in September year-on-year at about 1.04 million barrels per day (bpd).

    Shipments for the January-September period dipped 0.6 per cent on year at 1.03 million bpd.

    Russian supplies could climb further in 2018 as privately run conglomerate CEFC China Energy agreed earlier this month to buy 220,000 to 260,000 bpd of oil from Rosneft, as part of a $9.1 billion investment in the world’s largest listed oil company.

    Shipments from Iran were up 59 per cent in September from a year earlier to 784,060 bpd.

    Traders with knowledge of Iran’s oil sales said the hefty growth was spurred by resumption of condensate lifting and as Chinese firms lifted more oil from joint venture productions in Iran.

    U.S. supplies in September were 120,580 bpd, up 260 per cent on year, and for the January-September totaled 127,150 bpd, after the country started exports to China in 2016.

    China’s total crude oil imports in September climbed to the second highest on record at around nine million bpd, buoyed by purchases from CNOOC and as independent refineries returned from maintenances.

    NAN

  • UNILAG: Emeritus professor urges incoming VC to build on Bello’s achievements

    UNILAG: Emeritus professor urges incoming VC to build on Bello’s achievements

    Emeritus Professor, Nimi Briggs, the Pro-Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, on Monday appealed that whoever succeeds Prof. Rahamon Bello as Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University of Lagos ( UNILAG ) should build on his achievements.

    Briggs spoke at the Public Presentation of the Book, “Walking the Vision,’’ in honour of Bello, whose tenure ends in November.

    “Bello’s successor must be silent on his mistakes and that of the past VCs, concentrate on how to build on the good work they have started and let posterity judge.

    “Bello has done excellently well; he is human and cannot solve all the problems of UNILAG,’’ the Emeritus professor, who was the book reviewer, said.

    He described Bello as a remarkable man deserving of a national honor, s and said the book is a reliable account written by those who worked closely with the VC.

    Prof. Jerry Gana, a former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of the institution, also lauded the contributions of Bello to the development of the university.

    Gana, represented by Dr Isuwa Dogo, CEO, Kishima Nigeria Limited, said Bello had piloted the institution toward achieving the vision of the founding fathers of the institution.

    Also, Dr Bolanle Babalankin, the current Pro-Chancellor of the institution, said the book was written for inspiration and guidance in University governance and for life well spent.

    In his response, Prof. Bello, thanked God and dedicated the book to all the Council members who worked with him.

    According to him, the council members gave the enabling environment for him to work and achieve what was recorded in the book.

    Prof. Bello resumed office as UNILAG VC in November 2012.

    NAN