The Nation Newspaper

Tag: operations

  • NSE restructures operations

    The Nigerian Stock Exchange(NSE) has appointed Mrs. Mojisola Adeola as the Council Secretary and Head of the Council Secretariat.  Mrs. Adeola’s appointment follows on the Exchange’s decision to drive greater efficiency and innovation by separating its Legal Department from the Council Secretariat.

    The Council Secretariat which is currently under the Legal and Regulation Division will now be one of a number of departments integrated into the office of the Chief Executive Officer.

    Adeola, a lawyer and chartered secretary, has extensive company secretarial, legal and governance experience, having held prior relevant positions. Most recently, she served as company secretary and legal adviser to Acorn Petroleum Plc.  She holds an LLB degree from the University of Lagos and qualified to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2005.

    Adeola takes over from Ms. Tinuade Awe who served as Council Secretary from January 2011.  Ms. Awe will remain at the Exchange as General Counsel and Head of the Legal and Regulation Division.  In this role, she will focus on driving greater efficiency in the Exchange’s regulatory functions within the zero tolerance rubric, improving its relationship with other regulators, and preparing The Exchange for demutualization.

    Mrs. Irene Robinson-Ayanwale who previously headed both the Legal Department and the Council Secretariat retains her role as Head of the Legal Department where she will focus on protecting the Exchange from legal liability and providing first class legal support for the Exchange’s ongoing initiatives.

    Commenting on this development, chief executive officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Oscar Onyema, commended the significant contributions of Robinson-Ayanwale who combined the two roles reporting to Awe prior to the appointment of Adeola.

    He pointed out that Awe assumed the role of Council Secretary at a challenging time for the Exchange during the interim administration and was instrumental in building the governance structure currently at the Exchange.

     

  • DISCOs warned on use of substandard equipment, operations

    DISCOs warned on use of substandard equipment, operations

    Investigative panel has warned electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) in Nigeria on the use of substandard equipment and non-conformity with best international practices in their operations. The panel said these have been responsible for the alarming rate of electrical accidents and electrocutions in the country.

    The head of the Federal Government’s Investigative Panel on the death of Miss Juliana Oluchi Anekwe, a 300-level student of the University of Lagos, who was electrocuted by a snapped live wire, Mr. Peter Ewesor, gave the warning to DISCOs  in Lagos at the weekend.

    Ewesor who is also the Managing Director and Chief Executive, Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) as well as the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation (CEIF) told reporters that the findings of the panel showed the Onike 11kv line feeder through which its wire, Oluchi was electrocuted, was poorly maintained, and was worsened by the use of substandard, adulterated, unstranded and undersized all aluminium conductors (AAC) with numerous kinks/joints.

    According to the NEMSA chief, the unstranded conductor with continuous arcing at the open kinks/joints, which eventually melted and snapped, fell directly on the late Oluchi and electrocuted her.

    He blamed Eko Disco because the  situation has existed over time without being attended to, adding that the protection schemes and devices in the network were in a state of disrepair and thus failed to respond appropriately for prompt isolation of the line when it snapped and fell on the victim.

    Ewesor stated that the agency immediately after the incident directed the Eko Disco that the Onike 11kv overhead line should not be used in its present status until it has been put right. The agency directed Eko Disco to urgently revamp the protection schemes and associated devices for this feeder line and others in the same state/status to make them functional and effective. This is to guarantee timely clearing of faults as they occur to avoid a repeat of similar incidents in future.

    NEMSA also directed Eko Disco to re-route the 11kv overhead line at University of Lagos underground in view of the heavy human traffic within the campus. It mandated all the Disocs in the country to ensure regular maintenance and patrol of major feeder lines and other networks for early detection and timely rectification of faults.

    “Discos should note that appropriate enforcement orders and possible sanctions will be meted out for non-compliance with recommendations of all previous and future monitoring reports sent to them by NEMSA field electrical inspectors nationwide. These are to prevent future occurrence of similar incidences leading to unwarranted/wasteful loss of lives and property.

    “Distribution companies should take seriously all NEMSA’s reported defects noticed/observed in their networks and effect repairs promptly to avoid occurrence/reoccurrence of similar incidences,” Ewesor said.

     

  • TSA grounds military, security operations

    TSA grounds military, security operations

    The newly introduced Treasury Single Account (TSA) may have adversely been affecting military and security operations, it was learnt.

    The Nation learnt that the joint military operations at Ikorodu, which started over the weekend, were being impeded by logistics.

    Security sources, who lamented the difficulties they were experiencing, wondered why the Federal Government included them in the TSA, since they do not generate revenue.

    A very senior security officer, who spoke under anonymity, said President Muhammadu Buhari should understand that “security operations are usually spontaneous”, adding that “no one can estimate the amount that will be required”.

    He said nearly all security agencies had been crippled by the TSA, adding that providing welfare for foot-soldiers in the Ikorodu operation had been difficult.

    Another source wondered how effective it would be for security agencies to have to apply to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) before fuelling operational vehicles to pursue criminals.

    He said: “This TSA has almost crippled our operations. Security agencies should have been exempted from it since we are not money generating agency. It is very difficult to keep men and material intact in an operation without enough resources.

    “There are certain emergency situations that require spontaneous action. But with this TSA, one has to apply to the CBN, which may not understand the importance of urgency.

    “I just hope that the president, who also has security background, will understand that it cannot work in our situation.”

    “We are not a money generating sector; at least, not yet. So, they should weigh the options and consider which is more suitable, especially at this critical time.”

  • Manufacturers seek clarifications on power supply operations

    • MAN commends Fed Govt for dropping planned VAT increase

    Manufacturers have called for clarification on the role of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and the Transitional Electricity Marketing Company. To them, it will ensure a lasting panacea to the challenge of erratic power supply stifling their operations. They made the call on the heels of firms suffering from epileptic distribution of power.

    Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Apapa Chapter, Mr. BabatundeOdunayo also joined on the call for government to be committed to investment  in power generation and supply to aid efficient management of the various sectors of the value chain.

    Speaking at the 6th business luncheon of the association, Odunayo lamented the hiccups in the sector, noting that the high cost of production of alternative energy source negatively affects the profitability of manufacturing operations and competitiveness of their products.

    He regretted that the chunk of indigenous Nigerian businesses are into retailing as against manufacturing, which they are meant to do, as a result of the unhealthy operating system occasioned by high infrastructure deficit.

    He stressed that for meaningful growth in the manufacturing sector the current challenges in energy and other infrastructural deficits must be effectively addressed.

    “Until now, the Nigerian industry has clearly not been efficient in meeting the needs of consumers. The irregular energy service being provided and its rising high cost have weakened the manufacturing sector over the years. This weakening emanated from heavy investment in own-generators, full complement of spare parts, use of expensive diesel and the investment in full complement of staff for the maintenance of generators.”

    Despite her stand as the largest country in Africa, accounting for almost 15 per cent of the continent’s population, Odunayo noted that Nigeria has the lowest per capita energy consumption (40Kw/000 inhabitants) when placed side by side to South Africa’s 270Kw/000 inhabitants and Indonesia’s 120Kw/000.

    He also expressed disenchantment in the transformation agenda wrought by the previous government, saying it planned to achieve 12 Gigawatts capacity in 2014, 14 Gigawatts in 2015, and 20.3 Gigawatts by 2016, but failed to meet the projections. He added that Nigeria still struggles with 4 Gigawatts.

    He urged government to provide a financially enabling ambience to revamp the sector. He said: “Unfortunately in an era where the country is financially crippled, so much investment is yet to be made in the transformation in regards to power sector. A lot of money is required and if investment is not made, you cannot expect magic to happen. We have the right transformation agenda, which are very clear with, but the financial capability to invest and expand capacity remains something that is eluding us.”

    Deputy Managing Director, Eko Distribution Company Plc, Mr. Ramesh Narayanan, said certain factors constrain the supply chain at the level of power generation, transmission and distribution. Some of the impediments, according to him, include inefficient cum outdated technology and dearth of national grid. “This is responsible for the bottleneck hindering access from power source to the point of use, hence resulting in poor quality of supply,” he said.

    He called for substantial investment and upgrade of facilities in the power sector and further  advised that plants with improved generation capacity should be situated in proximity to power sources such as pipe lines to reduce cost of operation and enhance efficiency.

    “Users should support the efficiency cause by using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in lieu of fluorescent lamps, install capacitors when using inductive load, switching devices off when not in use and avoid illegal abstraction of energy,” he said.

    Governor AkinwunmiAmbode, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mr. Olalekan Akodu, reassured MAN of its commitment to ease the process of doing business by removing all bottlenecks associated with business operations in the state.

    Praising MAN, he described the association as a front line stakeholder in the resuscitation of the manufacturing sector, noting that its official input is vital to the development and growth of the economy. He added that the government will seamlessly support their operations.

    In a related development, MAN has commended the Federal Government for dropping the planned increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT). Acknowledging the cancellation, the association said it was a timely move as the manufacturing environment remains unfriendly. “Increasing the VAT rate will, therefore, only exacerbate the challenges of the manufacturing sector as well as the cost of production and make local products even less competitive,” the association said.

    It continued: “Nigeria is a high cost environment with many challenges that have lingered on for decades. Manufacturers in Nigeria are faced with the challenges of providing own infrastructure, which in some states of the federation are subjected to taxes by the government.

    “A situation where a manufacturing company is forced to run on generators most of the time, is to say the least, unacceptable. This accounts for about 40 per cent of the cost of production whereas in some climes, these are taken for granted.  Lending rates in Nigeria, especially to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), are about the highest in the world.”

    In a statement signed by the MAN president, Mr. Frank Udemba Jacobs, he said major challenges include infrastructure, cost, environmental and social challenges.

  • Glo Xchange agents begin operations

    Globacom has announced its readiness to roll out the first set of market-ready agents for its mobile money service, Glo Xchange.

    This new development follows the  launch last year of Glo Xchange, which is Nigeria’s first mobile money super-agent network in the country. It was followed by a training for thousands of the agents in over 30 states in the country.

    The company said in a statement in Lagos that no fewer than 10,000 proficient Glo Xchange agents would be added to its super-agency network in the next 12 months to deliver the much-expected mobile money revolution in Nigeria.

    The Glo Xchange Agents, Globacom explained, would operate from designated mobile money outlets, such as kiosks, shops, pharmacies, supermarkets and mega stores in strategic locations.

    These outlets will complement the over 160 Gloworld and Glozone shops, which are offering Glo Xchange services to customers along with branches of all Globacom’s mobile money partners, such as First Bank, Ecobank, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Zenith Bank.

    Head, Mobile Money Financial Business in Globacom, Mr. Esaie Diei, said Glo Xchange was introduced to speed up financial inclusion in the country. It added that this will take cashless transactions and e-payments to the grassroots.  With mobile money, he said the mobile phone users could make payments, do transfers, buy airtime, pay bills  for example Dstv, GoTV, PHCN etc, pay expressway tolls and conduct any such financial transactions without cash exchange, but through the mobile phone.

    Diei said the company has also in-built innovative features to enhance security, convenience and effectiveness of the operations.First, the service comes with a dedicated toll-free Agent-Care short number 33003 for quick assistance to Glo Xchange Agents.

    Secondly, a dedicated USSD Short Code, *800#, has been introduced to allow Glo Xchange Agents to access the mobile money services of any Mobile Money Operator (MMO).  There is also an application to inform the end-user of the nearest Glo Xchange Agent location.

    “The customer can have more information by dialling the USSD Short Code *800# free of charge,” Diei added.

    He said robust communication campaign, including TV commercials, TVCs, Radio and market storms nationwide will be part of the activities to create awareness about mobile money services, and educate millions of mobile phone users on the benefits of mobile money service. All businesses which would join the Glo Xchange Network will get the reward of being the pioneer for the mobile money revolution in Nigeria added.

     

  • Striking workers ground MTN’s operations

    Striking workers ground MTN’s operations

    If MTN is your network, you may have experienced some delays with their call centres yesterday.

    Reason: About 2,000 workers at the South African mobile phone operator went on strike demanding higher pay, union leaders said, threatening a prolonged walkout at the nation’s second-biggest telecoms firm.

    Spokeswoman for the Communication Workers Union (CWU), Zodwa Kubeka, said its members at MTN want a 10 per cent pay rise and higher allowances for work done over weekends and holidays, its embers of have downed tools.

    They have gathered at the company’s headquarters in Johannesburg to demand changes to their salary and bonus payments.

    Other demands include the return of canteen subsidies, cellphone allowances and the introduction of a rewards programme.

    Unions are demanding a ten per cent wage hike and sixteen per cent bonus.

    MTN is currently offering a five per cent salary hike, a four percent bonus, plus a guaranteed 13th cheque.

    Call centre agents and IT technicians are amongst those striking.

    However, the telco said it had contingency plans in place to mitigate the effects of a strike described by the CWU as “the biggest industrial action in the company’s history”.

    The dispute centres on annual bonus payments, but this is one of many battles between MTN and the union, which is pushing for bargaining rights.

    The union said it had experienced rapid growth in membership and was demanding a recognition agreement based on sufficient representivity. The CWU said it could achieve more than 50 per cent in some bargaining units in MTN.

    MTN had offered the four per cent in conjunction with a guaranteed 13th cheque — about eight per cent of annual salary — as part of a review of the bonus model, MTN chief human resources officer Themba Nyathi said.

    This, he said, had exceeded the original demand from the CWU, which had subsequently also asked for an across-the-board salary increase. Salary increases above five per cent would hinge on an individual meeting or exceeding performance criteria, which was company policy internationally, Mr Nyathi said.

    The CWU is not recognised nor does it have bargaining rights at MTN SA, which has no recognised trade unions. The union said it had about 2,000 members at MTN.

    Mr Nyathi said the union had 19 per cent membership at MTN SA — or about 1,000 out of 5,000 staff — thus the company anticipated most of its workers would not strike.

  • ‘Competition’ll not affect our operations in Ghana’

    ‘Competition’ll not affect our operations in Ghana’

    The competition on the Lagos-Accra route will not deter it from flying into the West  African sub-region because of the robust relationship between Nigerian businesses and the neighbouring countries, the Managing Director,  Medview Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, has said.

    He said what matters to an airline was not the number of operators in a route, but the quality of service offered.

    He spoke in an interview in Lagos against the backdrop of plans by Medview Airlines to start flights between Lagos and Accra next week and  the competition on the route.

    He said the airline was propelled by the need to offer a window for Nigerians to have more options in their choice of carriers in facilitating their business and educational pursuits as well as other concerns between Nigeria and Ghana.

    Bankole said the airline was fine- tuning plans to expand flights to the five countries in West Africa it has been offered by the Federal Government.

    He listed the countries to include Senegal, Côte D’ Ivoire, Mali, Gabon.

    Bankole said the desire to extend flight operations into Ghana would assist Nigerian passengers connect into Europe and other parts of the world, where foreign airlines offer cheaper fares.

    He said the commencement of operations into Accra would facilitate such window where Nigerians could access Ghana by air and enjoy the lower fares available to other countries.

    Apart from the huge business transactions between Nigeria and Ghana, Bankole said flights into Ghana would further open up the market for many Nigerians who live are in many communities in Ghana.

    Bankole said: ‘’Looking at the market, Ghana as a country is significant  because of its relevance in terms of stability.

    “This is in terms of the gains of its stable democracy and Ghana as a connection to other countries in the West African sub region. And flight connections into other parts of the world including Europe and other places.

    ‘’A lot of Nigerians fly into Ghana to connect flights into other countries  for many reasons.

    “The reason many Nigerians fly into Ghana to connect flights into other parts of the world is predicated on the fact that the air fares offered by many foreign carriers from Nigeria into Europe and other destinations is  very high. In fact, it is prohibitive.

    “If you carry out any comparison, you would realise  that air fares from Ghana into Europe is cheaper. And not only that Nigeria and Ghana belong to the same African family.

    “There is a trading relationship between Nigerian and Ghana. Nigeria and Nigerian businesses are well represented in Ghana even in their communities.

    ‘’This large population of Nigerians in Ghana needs a passage by air to come back home.

    “That is why Medview Airlines is tapping into this window to provide the best services to facilitate such movement across national borders.

    ‘’Another angle to the business is that we want to make the airline the carrier of choice to move goods across the countries.

    ‘’Recall that half of the Ankara made in Ghana is sold in the Nigerian market.

    ‘’So, both countries have common relationship that require movement by air to facilitate it.

    “The basic motivation for this is create an avenue to bring our people back home.

    ‘’Another consideration is the large number of Nigerians schooling in Ghanian institutions , who would require to come back home all the time.

    “That is another catchment for passengers. That is why Medview  Airlines is providing the intervention.

    ‘’As an airline we have been around with our feasibility study in the Lagos-Accra route, with on time departure we are convinced we would have a good flight operation.

    “With improvement on our flight services and a lot of innovation in what other carriers have not done, we are convinced our foray into Ghana is a done deal.

    ‘’We are not afraid of competition on the Lagos – Accra route.

    ‘’What is important is the number of airlines flying the route but the quality of service.

    ‘’What would mark us out is the quality of flight services.”

    He said the airline was set to consolidate its operations on the Abuja – Jeddah and Dubai routes, which he affirmed many Nigerians are excited about.

    He said: ” The authorities of Ghana were not ready to assist  us, but, we have to work hard to achieve this.

    “We have five destinations in  West Africa. Where government designated us. We are working towards Abidjan, Mali, Libreville. We are taking it step by step.

    ‘’With time we would expand into all the routes.

    ‘’We are trying our best to assist Ghana with STABO  and other companies to enable them come back.

    “The Ghanaian authorities were not willing to assist because, they say three Nigerian carriers are flying into Accra without a single Ghanaian carrier flying into Lagos.’’

    He continued: “But we have done our best to ensure the operations would run seamless.

    ‘’We are looking beyond Accra to fly to Bamako, Libreville, and other countries.

    ‘’On the Dubai operations, we are very ready, we have put our house in order and the Nigerian community is ready for us.

    ‘’We need to support our airline , because only Nigeria carriers would offer jobs to its nationals , not the foreign airlines coming in here to make money.

    “I have travelled to Saudi Arabia and Dubai to prepare for the operations. We need to support our own carriers. We are going to create jobs and have Nigerian flavour on board.”

     

  • Always Moving Forward entry extended

    Always Moving Forward entry extended

    Procter & Gamble Nigeria has announced the extension of its ‘Always Moving Forward’ entry closing date to August 3 to allow more participants.

    The campaign is aimed at giving young teenage girls the opportunity to talk about their goals, dreams and aspirations on what they hope to become in the next 10 years.

    The Brand Operations and Integration Manager, P& G, Tolu Pogoson, said the decision to extend the contest was influenced by the desire of more teenage girls to participate in the contest.

    The ‘Always Moving Forward’ contest encourages young teenage girls between 12 and 18 to articulate their dreams and forecast their achievements in the next ten years.

    The girls are expected to provide answers to the question: “Who will you be in 10 years from now?” in their essay which should be titled: “Me in 10 Years”.

  • Military happy with operations in Borno, says spokesman

    The Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said yesterday that the military was satisfied with its ongoing operations in Borno.

    Olukolade said this in an interview on the sideline of media tour of military operations in Maiduguri.

    He said the troops had been able to sustain momentum in terms of the offensive against the terrorists.

    “The bases we visited were part of the responses to the terrorist offensive and that is an achievement; the military had moved close to where the insurgents are. It shows that the military had taken over the land. “

    The defence spokesman said the morale of the soldiers was high, adding that ‘’we are expecting to see more successes from the troops’’.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a group of reporters visited military camps in and around Maiduguri.

    The group visited 7 Division Headquarters, 7 Division Garrison, military check points in and around Maiduguri, amongst others.

    At the camp on the outskirts of Bulanbuli, the soldiers were seen carrying out their duties.

    The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, Maj-Gen. Ahmed Mohammed, told the troops that the Federal Government was happy with their operations.

    “That is why we are here to say a big thank you and to convey the nation’s appreciation.

    “I wish to thank you for your courage and dedication.”

    The reporters were also taken on patrols, which lasted from 9pm till 12.30am, around Maiduguri and its environs.

    The essence of the tour, according to Olukolade, is to have a first-hand information on the operations of the troops.

  • We’ll sanitise cargo operations at MMA2, says Bi-Courtney

    Operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), has promised to sanitise operations at the terminal “for security reasons”.

    The organisation said there is need to ensure sanity in cargo operations in and around the airport terminal, adding that this was the reason it asked genuine cargo agents to pay N150,000 annual registration fee to reorganise its cargo shed.

    In a statement by its spokesman Steve Omolale-Ajulo, BASL noted that though a few of the agents kicked against the fee, majority, who appreciated the need for sanity in cargo operations at the terminal, have paid up.

    The statement added: “In fact, we have held series of meetings with genuine cargo agents during which we highlighted the benefits of registering them. One of these is to provide conducive offices for them at a highly subsidised rate, among others…”