The Nation Newspaper

Tag: UK

  • UK sends minister to Nigeria

    UK sends minister to Nigeria

    BRITAIN’S Foreign Office Minister Mark Simmonds will meet with Federal Government officials today for high-level meetings to discuss further assistance.

    The meeting will explore what further assistance and advice the United Kingdom (UK) can provide in support of Nigeria’s efforts to secure the Chibok girls’ release and to deal with the threat posed by the extremist group Boko Haram.

    The UK team of experts, in Abuja since May 9, is co-operating closely with the government and other international partners to provide assistance to Nigeria in dealing with this abduction and addressing longer term challenges.

    Simmonds said: “This is a horrific and heartbreaking situation and the UK wants to do all it can to offer support to the Nigerian efforts to secure the release of the kidnapped girls. We condemn the actions of Boko Haram and all that they stand for. Yesterday’s callous and shocking video of some of the missing school girls will only make it harder for their families to deal with this agonising ordeal. This shows exactly why the UK and others have sent teams to help the Nigerians in their efforts to find them and bring them home.

    “Continuing murders and abductions of school children, particularly girls in Nigeria by Boko Haram are a stark reminder of the threat faced by women and girls in conflict prone areas. Young children are being denied universal freedoms such as an education. They are being denied opportunity and the ability to live their lives as they choose. Girls are being threatened with sexual violence in forced marriages.

    “I look forward to discussing further ways that the UK and international partners can work with Nigeria in helping them secure the girls’ release, as well as how we can assist with economic and developmental solutions to address Boko Haram in the longer term.

    British High Commissioner Andrew Pocock, said:

    “The abductions have been traumatic for the Nigerian people. Britain, as a friend of Nigeria, is working urgently to help the Nigerian authorities in their efforts to find the girls and tackle longer term challenges in the North, such as education and stability.”

    Brigadier Ivan Jones said: “The Nigerian military have welcomed our arrival and we are working together closely to build the information picture and establish where else we can co-operate.

    “No one should underestimate the scale and complexity of this incident and environment. But it is clear that there are areas where we can have a real impact on their capability, building on the close co-operation and training that already exists.”

  • UK sees more scope for refinery closures

    Britain said there was scope for more United Kingdom (UK) refining capacity to close without undermining energy security but set up a new task force to help the struggling sector fend off overseas competition.

    The government’s long-awaited review of Britain’s refining and fuel imports sector comes a week after Murphy Oil said it could be forced to close its loss-making Milford Haven plant in Wales after talks with a potential buyer collapsed.

    In a 44-page report, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said environmental regulation along with the United States shale boom and the rise of new refiners in Asia made it harder for Britain’s seven refineries to compete.

    “Looking to the future, given current overcapacity in product supply there is scope for further rationalisation in the UK without impacting on supply security,” the review said.

    “Government recognises … the benefits of ensuring that refining and imports business sectors are able to operate successfully in the UK, whilst also recognising that ultimately market forces will decide what supply configuration prevails.”

    It announced the creation of a new joint government and industry Midstream Oil Task Force to look at ways of easing the regulatory burden and market distortions to help refiners meet global challenges that have seen their profits dwindle.

    European refiners have struggled with stagnant demand and increased overseas competition which has crushed margins and seen several plants closed or idled in recent years.

    Wednesday’s review into the sector was held after the Coryton plant in the east of England closed in 2012 following the collapse of its owner Petroplus.

     

     

     

     

    That followed the shuttering of the Teesside refinery in 2009, while last year, Grangemouth refinery in Scotland was brought to the brink of closure during a bitter industrial dispute between workers and its owner PetroIneos.

     

    Another 2 million barrels per day of capacity, more than 10 percent of Europe’s total, is expected to shut over the next five years, analysts at Vienna-based JBC Energy have said.

     

    The review said some of that capacity could be British.

     

    “Within the EU itself the UK refineries face particular challenges,” it said. “Some indications to government from industry are that UK refiners can face higher operating costs than equivalent refineries elsewhere in the EU, which has the potential to impact on competitiveness.”

    The challenges facing British refining are structural.

    Older refineries were originally geared to meet gasoline demand. As motorists have shifted to more efficient diesel in recent decades, the sector has been left with a surplus of gasoline and shortage of diesel made up by imports.

     

    The review found this trend was likely to continue, while overall demand for fuel products would fall as Britain moves towards lower carbon sources. Britain’s domestic refineries met 61 percent of overall demand for fuel products in 2012, it said.

     

    That level is healthy by the standards of the International Energy Agency (EIA) whose model for short term energy security, sees domestic cover of less than 55 percent as higher risk.

     

    Broken down into individual products, however, Britain imported a much higher 64 percent of its jet fuel in 2012.

     

    “A mix of domestic and global suppliers, brought about by having domestic refining capacity and a strong import infrastructure helps diversify risk and source of supply, helping ensure resilience to supply disruptions and maintaining security of supply,” the review said.

     

    The government will also establish an industry-owned and operated entity to manage Britain’s emergency oil stocks as it seeks to ensure the UK approach was “efficient and fair for obligated companies in the UK downstream sector”.

     

  • UK pensions make top 10 in global index

    UK pensions make top 10 in global index

    Sustainability of Britain’s pensions system has improved as millionth member joins largest auto-enrolment scheme

    Reforms, such as the introduction of auto-enrolment took the United Kingdom (UK) up the rankings in the Allianz Global Investors Pension Sustainability Index (PSI), introduced in 2009, from 12th place in 2011 to 10th in 2014.

    Auto-enrolment was launched in 2012 and it is being rolled out to more and more employers. By 2016, all workers will automatically be put into a scheme and will save an eventual eight per cent of their earnings.

    The National Employment Savings Trust, (Nest), set up by the government to provide auto-enrolment schemes to companies without their own, has just passed the one-million-member landmark.

    The Allianz report also cited the sweeping changes to accessing pensions announced in last month’s Budget.

    Head of Pensions, Europe at Allianz Global Investors, Andreas Hilka, said: “With the introduction of Nest, a simple yet sophisticated auto-enrolment scheme, the UK took an important step towards enlarging the share of people saving for their retirement.

    “Further reform is clearly on the agenda, as the overhaul of the annuities market and the decision to cap auto-enrolment charges show.”

    Australia takes the top spot in the latest rankings, with its two-tier system of lean public and highly developed funded pensions putting the country under the least pressure to reform. Australia is followed in order by Sweden, New Zealand, Norway and the Netherlands in the tables.

    The report said western European countries benefited from their “comprehensive pension systems based on strong, funded pillars”. Sweden and Norway scored well thanks to their “comparatively solid public finance situation”, with Norway’s high legal retirement age and moderately ageing population also helping the country to a high ranking.

  • UK Treasury raises 4.2b pounds in Lloyds share sale

    A Lloyds bank sign sits outside a branch operated by the lloyds Banking Group Plc in London.

    The United Kingdom (UK) government sold a 4.2 billion-pound ($6.95 billion) stake in Lloyds Banking Group Plc, its second disposal since rescuing the lender in the financial crisis.

    The government sold the shares to money managers for 75.5 pence apiece, 4.6 per cent less than yesterday’s closing price, UK Financial Investments Ltd., which oversees the government’s stake in the bank, said in a statement today. The sale cuts the UK’s stake in Lloyds to less than 25 per cent from 33 per cent.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, constrained by the biggest austerity programme since World War II, could use the proceeds from the offerings to fund tax cuts or more spending before the next general election, due next year.

    “The sale has secured further value for the taxpayer and will be used to pay down the national debt,” the Treasury said in a statement. “It is part of the government’s long term economic plan to build a stronger and safer banking sector.”

    The U.K. last sold a 3.2 billion-pound holding, about six per cent of Britain’s biggest mortgage lender, to money managers in September. The shares were sold for 75 pence each.

    The stock fell 4.9 per cent to 75.20 pence in London trading today. That’s still above the 61 pence price at which the government says it will break even after providing a 20 billion-pound rescue in 2008.

    Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley and UBS AG managed the offering. Lazard acted as capital-markets adviser. The government has agreed not to sell any more shares for 90 days following the disposal.

    This week’s sale may be followed in coming months by the first offering of Lloyds shares to individual investors. Lloyds Chief Executive Officer Antonio Horta-Osorio said last month he will ask regulators in the second half for permission to restart dividend payments, the lender’s first since 2008.

    The Treasury said in December it plans to give taxpayers the opportunity to buy Lloyds shares “when the time is right” after a sale to money managers.

  • I regret being away from Nigeria for so long—UK-based Nigerian neurologist who returned home after 34 years

    I regret being away from Nigeria for so long—UK-based Nigerian neurologist who returned home after 34 years

    Michael Egbejumi-David hails from Delta State, but lived abroad for more than three decades. He left Nigeria after secondary school during which he lived in Brazil, United States and United Kingdom, where he studied neurology. In the UK, he worked as public health officer and became Head of Neuro-Rehabilitation Department.  He also found time to write articles and books. His first novel, The Final Come Down Came, was published in 2010.  Weaved with delightful humour, the story is one of a contemporary relationship journey and the everyday experiences of professional Nigerians  as seen through the eyes of a female doctor living in the UK. WALE AJETUNMOBI spoke to him.  Excerpts.

    WHEN did you leave the country? It has been 34 year exactly that I left. After I left Nigeria, I was initially in Brazil, then I went to New York for about eight years before I went to the United Kingdom.

    How do you feel coming back home after decades of your living abroad?

    One of the things I regret in life is that I took my career as my love; I don’t want to say too seriously. But I was quite blinkered; I was so focused that I didn’t come home. This is my fourth time of coming home, which is not very good. I was so obsessed in getting a career that I did not come home. I was here four years ago when my father died. It was then that I took the decision that I would relocate. So it took me four years to do that.

    What has changed in your perception of Nigeria?

    I was born in Lagos and I grew up in the state. But I went to secondary school in what was then called Bendel State. What I think of Lagos in particular is the Lagos I retain in my mind in the 1970s. But the then Lagos disconnects from the reality I see now and what I had in my mind as Lagos because I was not coming home as frequently as I should. I think I am sort of paying for that in some sense. For instance, I find Lagos overwhelming now; it just seems too much. So, I am having to re-learn, to re-adjust, and I found Lagos to be far bigger than I remember from the 70s. I went to some places to see patients and I was told the area is Igando. I never heard those places when I was growing up. I didn’t know there were places like that in the days when I was growing up. There is also one area called Egbeda. I didn’t know there was such an area. The Lagos I knew ended shortly after Ikeja, Ketu and Lagos Island. That was Lagos back then as far I was aware. So, everywhere is changed.

    I think to some extent, I had a romanticised idea of Lagos in particular because for me, Lagos is a home even though in terms of parentage and origin, I am from Delta State. So I am having to re-align and feel a bit of disconnect. Having said that, I think there are parts of Lagos and the country that are more vibrant now than I remember as well; things are happening now that I don’t think were happening. But when I came, Nigeria is a lot more bubbling. A lot of things are happening here. Like in the UK, for instance, you cannot go to any party white or black without playing Afro music. And this is Nigerian music.

    One of the best things that happened to those of us that live abroad is the growth of Nigerian music. Another thing that changed the way people saw us, especially those of us who live abroad, was Nollywood, which came to change the views of other blacks from the Caribbean about Nigerians. They saw Nigerian movies and saw how black people live. They felt that these are black people in charge of their own country. So, Nollywood did fantastically well for us; it made us get a lot of respect around the world.

    So, when I came in, I went to the Computer Village in Ikeja; it is fantastic. I drove through Oshodi and the street where I grew up, I didn’t recognise those places again. Lagos is fantastic. There are bits of new things; there are bits of roughness, which used not to be there. I feel a bit of hyper-energy, which was never there. Lagos has always been dynamic. You wouldn’t miss New York, Rio De Jenario and London too much. But here, there is another feeling.

    How long have you been practising as a neurologist?

    I started working in 1987. That is a long time ago. But since 2004, I have been managing my own team and head my department. Basically, what we focused on is neuro-rehabilitation. In post-surgery, we try to make sure that people actually have the best care. This exposed me to the management end of my career because for years, I was just a clinician in the strictest sense. But later, I was the head of a department, and sort of manager in human resources. For the first time, I know it is not just prescribe what you want; you have to manage resources. That is what interests me now; I will be more interested in managerial role even it if it is something at the policy level.

    As a physician, one affects life of patients, one at a time. But if you are playing a policy role, then you can detect what happened on a macro level and you affect a bunch of people a whole community – at a time. So, I think that is what I found out in management; it is not just me and my patient. It is what you do to affect the whole population. That is what interests me now; how to manage a healthcare system. In fact, I went back to school and I took a post-graduate degree in management of healthcare system. I did that for about 10 years and that’s where I see my interest.

    Is this the motive for your coming home?

    Well, my motive of coming back here is quite broad. I don’t want to get old abroad at all. In London, I see a lot of black people isolated in their later years. This is not nice given where we come from, our society and community. Here, you play one role or the other in your community; you contribute your experience in terms of counsel to the community. In the main, especially for people I called Afro-Caribbean, the reverse is the case. They become quite isolated the older they become. They are not relevant and almost locked away from the society. People come to look after you; social worker and carer might come and make tea and bread for you. And that is the only person you see that day.

    I just don’t want to be in such situation. A lot of our people have grown old and are experiencing such situation. So, I didn’t want any of that; I have always wanted to come home. In fact, I came home in 1985, wanting to settle immediately after I finished my programme. I applied to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), but they gave one sort of long story. I just left the country immediately. So, I had always wanted to come home. My motivation is not just growing older. Yes, I would love to be in a place where I can manage the healthcare system on a macro level that would benefit people. So it won’t be just me and my patient, one on one.

    What other things do you do in the UK apart from being a physician?

    I do a lot of writing. I am what you would call a social commentator on online and black publications around the world. A few newspapers in Nigeria, including The Nation, have published some of my articles. So, that is something I also want to pursue. I’ve got something to say and I’ve got my style of saying it. The feedback from readers is very positive and this encourages you to do more. So, I want to do a bit of socio-political commentary on a regular basis. I have had a book published and I have written the second book, but I want to publish it in Nigeria. I have mentioned earlier about Nollywood. It is one of the best things that have happened to us. Our music got revamped after Fela’s demise. The youth just took it. That is brilliant.

    You perhaps won’t even appreciate our music until you step out of the country and hear it everywhere. When you go to England and you hear Nigerian music being played on rotation on British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the rest of them, you would know we have done something right. I felt like, oh my God, this is revolution going on in music and movies.

    When I was growing up, TV was not our thing; we read books. We always had a book in our pocket and then we would meet after football to compare notes. I felt I could begin a reading culture, I mean a kind of campaign that would make reading to be fun again. I have been to quite a few bookshops and to airports with request to stock my book. I feel like, what about just reading for pleasure; you get a good book and it transports you from that place and you get lost in the paragraph. The book I have written is what I describe as romantic novel. And people say, ‘wait a minute, you wrote a romantic novel; what’s wrong with you?’ And I told them, maybe you should read it. So, in my head, I felt I could start something as a writer who can write fantastically well, that people would love to take the book, hold it and don’t put it down till they finish. A writer that would make people fall in love with reading good storyline. So, those are some of the things that brought me back home. I want to be relevant and appreciated. Some of us have spent our best energies in other people’s land, leading to the growth of their healthcare sector and contributing to the growth of their economy. So, we contributed our talent, our skills, our abilities and energies for other people. Though, we didn’t do for free; we were paid well and that is fair enough. But, sometimes, life is more than that.

    Home is home after all. I would say I am excited to be home and there are quite a few things I want to do if I get the opportunity to have a say in how healthcare is managed. I will do it well. I also want to write regularly in newspapers and publish books to make people fall in love with reading. I also want to be relevant in my community. Those are the things that motivated me because I didn’t want to get old abroad. That would have been a waste of a lifetime.

    How would you cope with life in Nigeria given the almost perfect environment you have in England?

    I think it would be unfair to ask me to make a comparison. I was discussing with some people in Warri, and one of them was quite shocked that in England, you cannot just go and buy land and build a house. Then, he asked: ‘How do you people get house?…oh you buy it?’ Yes, there are people who build houses, but their number is insignificant. In my years in England, I don’t know anybody who bought a land and built a house. So, I think certain things here make life a little bit tasking. Everywhere has its own problem.

    For instance, I lived in a certain part of New York where shootings just seems to be normal. The neighbourhood is rough and aggressive. But I think there are certain aspects of Nigeria that make life tough. For instance, I am in healthcare profession and I just found healthcare in Nigeria in pieces. And there are brilliant Nigerian doctors abroad that I have worked with. So, I cannot explain the state of healthcare provision here, knowing that these are very good doctors. But, the reality here makes me so uncomfortable.

    One of the things I was told to look out for is that security is not so good. But, thank God so far, it is not as bad as people have painted it. Outside the country, you get scared a bit when people talk to you about security, but I have discovered it is not really as bad. Maybe I am lucky so far, thank God. The electricity situation; people said it has improved. And I said oh goodness, was it worse than this? If it was worse than this, I could imagine how it could be. I found out in Nigeria, you will have to be your own government. You provide your own security, water, light and road. Where I live in Warri, we had to contribute money to buy a transformer and sand to grade the road because the local council won’t do it. So, you become your own government, which is strange. Then, I look at the other side of the coin; taxation here seems not to be very robust. Perhaps, the government is not getting enough tax from the citizens to do some of those things at the local level.

    Perhaps, that is a very good excuse for the government. But then, Nigeria is not a poor country. I just found out that life depends on how you choose to live it and what you want to do as an individual. So, you don’t let things stop you. When most of us went abroad, yes, we were younger and hungrier, but we were quite determined. It was not easy when we got there. We went to school full time, we worked full time. Most of us lived four in hostel. So, we struggled and did what we had to do. Quite a few of us scaled through and got well-paid jobs. But then, it was not easy. You have to be determined.

    That is what I said to people sometimes, when they say ‘oh…I don’t want to go to Nigeria’. I told them, when you were going abroad, you struggled like hell. Don’t let that stop you. There is no paradise on earth; every place has its own little problem. I am not saying everything here is hunky-dory or sugar and spice. No, some things are quite frustrating. For instance, I found out that what should take you 10 minutes can take some sort of two days to be accomplished in Nigeria. And that can be quite frustrating. But you have to calibrate your mind to the system.

    Would you say it is a good decision, leaving your lucrative profession abroad and coming back home?

    Yes. I will say that. So far, I am enjoying my stay here. I like the fact that I am home. I think as professionals, who lived abroad, you always find something missing. For us, something is missing. And it took me a while to realise that what is missing is that feeling you get when your plane lands at Muritala Mohammed International Airport. I can’t explain it. You would just know you are at home; you would just know you belong here and matter to the people. You look around you, and the next thing you see is your people. I can’t explain it. That is what is missing abroad.

  • UK Markets Watchdog to probe competition in pension sector

    The Financial Conduct Authority said it would investigate the sales practices in the pension industry to better understand why retirees don’t seek out better deals and switch providers.

    Pensioners could boost their income by an average of seven percent, equivalent to 71 pounds ($118) a year, if they switched their provider to find a better annuity deal, the FCA said, citing a survey of 25 firms. Around 80 percent of people could get a better deal, the FCA said in an e-mailed statement. The market “is not working well for consumers” the FCA said.

    “The need to get an income in retirement unites us all,” Martin Wheatley, the FCA’s chief executive officer, said in an e-mailed statement. “But once you’ve bought an annuity you can’t change your mind.”

    The FCA, set up in April to police U.K. markets, has the power to make rules for financial markets where a lack of competition affects consumer rights. The Office of Fair Trading last year settled a probe into fees charged by firms in the 275 billion-pound market for defined contribution workplace pensions, requiring them to audit pension plans and strip out unfair charges.

    For most people getting the right annuity could mean the equivalent of an extra 1,500 pounds in savings so we need to understand why they aren’t shopping around and switching,” Wheatley said.

    An annuity is a financial product that provides a regular income in exchange for a lump sum. U.K. rules allow retirees to take a quarter of their pension in tax-free cash while the rest must be converted into an annuity.

    “The low levels of switching, despite the clear benefit in doing so, and lack of options for people with smaller pots are both key factors in the FCA commissioning a market study,” the FCA said.

    The final results of the FCA’s competition study will be published later this year, the regulator said, and may lead to recommendations on how to improve competition among market participants.

     

  • I wish I didn’t have tattoos –Singer Seyi Shay

    I wish I didn’t have tattoos –Singer Seyi Shay

    Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua, a.k.a. Seyi Shay, is one of the female artistes doing the Nigerian music industry proud. This beautiful and sexy songstress, in this interview with BABATUNDE SULAIMAN, talks about the main reason she relocated to Nigeria about two years ago after a successful career abroad and other interesting issues

    COULD you tell me about your growing up in the UK?

    For me, growing up was pretty humble. I grew up in the UK with my mum, who was a single parent. She had four of us and I am the youngest. It was a nice, warm and loving household.

    So, if you were raised by your mum alone, didn’t you miss the fatherly love?

    Yes, I did, as I grew older. But when I was young, I didn’t feel it because my mum provided for us very well. So, I didn’t really feel that my dad was not there.

    At what age did that realization dawn on you?

    It was when I was about 18 or 19 years old.

    Did you ask your mum any question about the breakup?

    Yes, I asked her and she told me it was just the normal break up in a relationship. By the time I was born, the relationship had broken up and she had moved back to Nigeria.

    So, have you reunited with your dad?

    Yes, I have, since I was 23.

    What did you miss, not having your dad around when you were growing up?

    I missed the advice from a man; I missed being treated like a princess or the daddy’s little girl. Besides, my mum had to work often because there was no dad around.

    I know you first showed evidence of a girl who has a talent for music when you were six years old. So, looking back now, how were you able to do that?

    Really, I was following my mum to her choir practice at the Celestial Church of Christ, UK on Saturdays at that time. I also used to sing with my neighbour, Mariah, who was my best friend at the time. Then, I used to sing a lot in the house and my mum used to allow me to sing in both my primary and secondary schools with the choir.

    Are you from an art-inclined background?

    My brother was a very successful club and radio DJ in London; my mum was a chorister; my sister used to compose songs for the BBC; my immediate brother was quite musical too and my dad is actually a pastor of a church, but I don’t think he has much musical talent.

    How old were you when you showed the world that you could sing

    It was 14 when I went on a tour with a choir called London Community Gospel Choir. The tour consisted of singing Christmas songs in 13 cities across Japan. It lasted three weeks and I enjoyed it so much that I came back to London and told my mum that I wanted to be a singer. Of course, my mum was not really happy about that initially. She wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer. But she realised that my extra-curricular activities revolved around music; so, she enrolled me in music and drama classes. With her help, I went to the University of East London and obtained a degree in Music Business Management. And thanks to her again, I am still into music now. I now use my talent to earn a living, which is really good.

    What height did you really take your career to before you came back home?

    I was part of a British girl group called From Above, which was managed by Beyonce’s father. When he took us under his wings, he signed us up and took us to Houston, USA, where we lived. We were trained there on how to perform on stage technically, how to perform in the recording studio technically, how to give interviews and how to dress, speak and talk. He managed us for four years and it really helped. He put us on a reality show, Breaking From Above, for the MTV and that was a huge success because it was shown in over 166 countries around the world. We also went with his daughter, Beyonce, for her 2010 ‘I am the Beyonce’ tour. We opened the show for her every night across the UK and it was fantastic. We presented the award for the Best New Act to Bruno Mars at the time and it was a very beautiful experience because he is one of the biggest artistes in the world now. So, you can imagine what it means that I presented him with an award just three years ago.

    At what point did you begin to nurse the idea of coming to Nigeria to launch your career?

    Towards the end of my relationship with my girl group, I started to think of a plan B; and thank God, I had already met with Sound Sultan by that time. Also, I had already done backing vocals for Tuface Idibia in Ukraine when he was on his Europe tour; so, I was already quite connected with the Nigerian music. Sound Sultan advised me to come to Nigeria and give it a try. So, I took his advice, came to Nigeria and met with Deola Art Alade of Soul MusiK Productions who took me under her wings and I also met with Cecil Hammond of Flytime Entertainment who also took me under his wings. They just helped me craft and guide my artistry as a Nigerian artiste.

    So, what were your fears when you were coming?

    Really, I had many fears. One of the fears was that my mum had passed away in 2006; so, I felt that I was going to Nigeria to live more or less alone. This was because I knew that the relationship with my dad was not strong enough for me to say that I was going to live with him in his house. Though I could (and can), I just didn’t want to. I wanted to show the world that my mum raised me well and that I would be able to stand on my own. Of course, I have a family in Nigeria. So, that fear was about living alone in Nigeria. The second fear was maybe I would not be accepted as an authentic Nigerian girl trying to do Nigerian music. My other fear was that I just won’t generally make it because I wasn’t singing the right music.

    Did you say you were not singing the right music?

    No, I said one of my fears was that I would come to Nigeria and not be singing the right music. I was scared that I was going to come to Nigeria and sing a type of music that wouldn’t be understood by the Nigerian people.

    So, was that the experience when you eventually came home?

    When I came to Nigeria, I got on with a very good team. I teamed up with Del B, who is a producer for Kcee, and Harrysong, who is a song writer for Kcee; so, we started making music. With their help, I was able to relate to music lovers by singing the right kind of songs like Loving your way, Irawo and Killing me softly featuring Timaya.

    How far or close are you to your dreams when you were coming home?

    I don’t try to look into the future because I believe that only God can see our future; I am not clairvoyant. I prayed before I came to Nigeria that God should guide me and make me successful. So, everything that has happened in the past two years has been to God’s glory. This has made me to be very happy because I am doing what I love. Of course, I want more exposure and more success.

    So, how do you feel knowing that you have gained some recognition in this short time?

    I feel very, very blessed and happy that people know who I am. I, however, know that there are those who know my name, but don’t know what I look like..

    If you were to write about your experience in 2013 in a book, how would you describe it?

    In January, 2013, Seyi Shay began to perform alongside international and national artistes like Tuface, Wizkid, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige. I have continued to push my songs, Loving your way and Irawo. The video of Irawo was released in mid 2013 and it got some rave reviews. I signed endorsements with Etisalat, Harp and Solo Phones. So, I would say 2013 was the beginning.

    How did you clinch the Etisalat endorsement?

    I heard that Etisalat was looking for me. For some time, they were considering me, but weren’t sure until I performed with Sir Shina Peters at the Etisalat Cloud 9 event in Lagos. I performed for 45 minutes on stage with a live band and I apparently wowed the crowd. Later, some Etisalat officials came to me after the show and said they wanted to sign me on.

    How much does the deal worth?

    I can’t tell you because it is in my contract with them alone. But there is a lot of rumours making the rounds. I have heard some people say N20million, some say N50million and different kinds of millions.

    What are you doing to build your brand?

    We are looking closely at my image i.e. my hair, clothing, the kind of music I am singing and the kind of publications we do. We are also keeping the brand tight by making sure that everybody in the team has a role to play and go out to do it.

    What are the challenges you are facing given that you are operating in a male-dominated industry?

    I am in my own lane really; so, I don’t look either to the left or right. I don’t look at anybody as a competitor per se because I don’t feel that it is good to compete with people that are in the same house as you; so, everybody should just encourage each other. The males have more luck in this industry. But I think that will soon change. If the females continue to drop good videos and do better music, you will start to see that the females are almost on the same line as the males. This is because I heard someone say on the radio sometimes ago that women actually speak more sense in their music than the guys do. That might be true and I think the public will soon begin to realise that and support us more.

    But a popular pop musician once said that Nigerian female singers are not deep and that all they have to sell to the world is sex!

    Well, at the end of the day, sex sells! The truth is, if you really like music, you will know the female artistes that have good music and those who don’t have.

    I read one of your interviews, where you said that love has not been fair to you. But did you actually say that?

    I didn’t say that. Yes, I read it too. It is very possible that I could have said something along that line and they misquoted me.

    Okay, Seyi Shay, has love been fair to you or not?

    I have not been fair to love and you can quote me on that

    How?

    It is because I have always put my career before my relationship with any man. But it is now time for me to let love in and give love a chance.

    How do you achieve that?

    By spending time with my other half, getting married and having kids when the time is right.

    Are you in a relationship at the moment?

    Yes.

    Okay, tell me about the lucky guy who has stolen your heart.

    I can’t disclose that because I need to protect his privacy.

    What do you love most about him?

    It is his drive, his heart and his ability to be strong and honest.

    How is he different from the other guys you have been in relationships with?

    I haven’t had many relationships. I have only had two: when I was in the university and now.

    How is he better than your last man?

    He understands me more; he has respect for me and he can handle my career.

    But a lot of men can’t handle women who are constantly in the public glare. So, how is he coping?

    Yes, you are right. He is doing well and that is why I like him very much.

    Is he also in the entertainment industry?

    Maybe; maybe not.

    You have to make it clear because that is what often gives birth to rumours. For instance, it is being rumoured that you are in a relationship with Vector, following what happened at the last Felabration, where he kissed you.

    Well, it is not Vector I am talking about and I will not disclose who the person is because I have not discussed with him if it is okay for me to mention his name yet. I want people to focus on Seyi Shay as an artiste and an ambassador of the Nigerian music to the rest of the world.

    Are you also into tattoo because I can see one in your arm?

    Yes, I have two, but I am not a tattoo freak. I did it when I was in London. But now, I wish I didn’t do them and I won’t advise anybody to do it.

    Why?

    It is just because for you to take them off, it is going to cause a lot of money and it is going to be hurt.

    When you were doing it, what were you thinking about?

    I wanted to be cool, fresh and …

    Now, you regret doing that?

    I don’t regret it sa, but I just wish I didn’t do it.

    Would you say it has been worth the while coming to Nigeria?

    Yes, I think moving to Nigeria to pursue music was one of the best moves I have made. Though I had a lot of grand experiences internationally, I am having better exposure in Africa and I am being appreciated more in Africa at the moment. It is more about talent in Africa; but internationally, it is more about the pretentious and fake things, which doesn’t make you to have any substance. So, I would rather be in a continent, where I can actually be an ambassador and a revolutionist.

    How has it been since you signed on to J-management?

    No, J-management is my partner. They are director and I am as well the director of my brand. They are very good so much that I also hired them to manage my brand. They are brand managers and my partners. It is a very unusual arrangement, but we understand one another.

    What part of your body do you consider the sexiest?

    My legs!

    What about them?

    They are long! Though some people have abused them, I like them. When I go to the gym, I always focus on my legs. I don’t focus on my stomach or arms, but my legs because they need to be strong for the dancing I do on stage.

  • UK plans reform to end pension system, lottery

    Retired workers would be allowed to switch to better paying pensions under government plans to tackle “murky” practices among insurance firms.

    Steve Webb, the pension’s minister, wants pensioners to be able to switch to better annuities regularly in the same way that home owners can change their mortgage deals every few years.

    The proposal would end the current “lottery” in which many pensioners are trapped in potentially poor-value schemes until they die.

    In an interview with The Telegraph, Webb sets out his blueprint for an overhaul of the private pension system.

    He also plans to help the long-term sick and introduce curbs on the hidden fees that can cost customers thousands of pounds.

    The intervention comes before a report from regulators that expected to accuse pension firms of making excessive profits from millions of people converting their lifetime savings into annuities.

    Currently, most people are forced to use their pension savings to buy an annuity, paying an annual income for the rest of their lives. For many people, it is the biggest financial decision they will make. However, in recent years annuity rates have plunged, trapping many people in poor-value schemes that have destroyed the value of their lifetime savings.

    The ability to switch annuities after retirement would trigger a revolution for savers and kick-start an industry catering for people who are shopping around to boost the value of their pension.

    Webb, a Liberal Democrat, said the Government must tackle “the whole issue of cost” for people buying annuities, as well as the “hidden charges” from insurers.

    “When you take out a mortgage, in a few years if rates change you can switch your mortgage. But when you take out an annuity, that is it for life. This could easily be for a quarter of a century. Why shouldn’t you be able to change your annuity provider so a few years later somebody else could offer you a bigger pension?

    “Why shouldn’t you be able to shop around?”

    The annuities market has been attacked for exploiting people’s confusion about the complicated arrangements and putting people off “shopping around” for the best deal when they retire – a decision that cannot be reversed.

    The problem has become particularly acute after the demise of final-salary pensions in the private sector, which do not require people to buy annuities.

    Webb accused insurance firms of engaging in “murky” practices when selling annuities to retiring workers, with extra charges that can add up to thousands of pounds.

    “There are almost murky things at the point where you buy an annuity,” he said. “There are odd percentages going in funny places for no good reason.”

    He called for greater clarity in the charges insurers make when selling annuities.

    “We need to ensure it’s transparent,” he said. “This is a complicated transaction for many people. The industry understands this stuff, the public don’t.

    “I think lottery is a fair word. We are worrying about charges, but if the outcome at retirement can differ by 15 to 20 per cent or more just because of whom you go to, that’s a huge difference and so there can be an element of a lottery in that.”

    Last month, a consumer watchdog warned that regulators were failing to stop insurers and pension brokers from ripping off elderly people when they buy annuities. Mr Webb said the 400,000 people who buy annuities every year “need value for money”.

  • Marriage? I don’t care what people think–KC Ejelonu

    Marriage? I don’t care what people think–KC Ejelonu

    KC Ejelonu fits perfectly into the description of a lady with a come-hither look. Apart from her ravishing beauty, she is also brainy. Before she launched her acting career in the nation’s movie industry, otherwise called Nollywood, she had lived and worked in the UK, where she obtained a Master’s degree in International Marketing. In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, KC Ejelonu, who is a toast of movie producers, speaks on her foray into Nollywood and love life, among other things.

    IT is four years now since you relocated to Nigeria from the UK to pursue your acting dream; so, would you say the decision has paid off?

    Yes, it has paid off. I say this because I knew what I wanted from a tender age. And when I set my mind to do something, I just go for it. So far, it’s been great, fun and challenging.

    While you were in the UK, it seemed you had quite a lot of friends in the Nigerian movie industry …

    (Cuts in) When I was about 15 or 16, I started an online blog or magazine. I was doing that and I got noticed by DJ Abass, Ayo Shonaiya and Ronke Apampam. They were with Ben Television. Anytime they were recording, they would call me to come to the studio, so I was meeting people and learning things. Then, there was a magazine show that I had to co-host from the age of 18 or 19. But my dad was like, “No, you are too young for this.” So, I had to step back.

    In the past years, you have acted in a number of critically acclaimed movies. So, what will you say is your unique selling point?

    When they call for auditions, I go for it. Apart from this, I am myself when I attend auditions. They look at me and say, ‘She stands out’. Sometimes, when you see me at an audition, you probably won’t recognise me because I will have no makeup on and will probably be in jeans and shirt. But sometimes, I dress up if I know what character I am going to audition for. If I know I’m going to audition for a mother, then, I will dress the part; if I know I’m going to audition for a spoilt brat, I dress the part and I act it the whole day. So, I stay in character. Basically, it’s just me being myself. I would say good communication skill, good diction and being able to interact with producers.

    It is believed that there are different cliques in Nollywood; so, which of them do you belong to?

    I don’t belong to any clique.

    I thought you would say Emem Isong’s?

    Not really with Emem Isong. It was a bit funny because I got introduced to Emem Isong through Omoni Oboli. She said she was having an audition, but she hadn’t fixed a day. She wanted to see me, so I went to see her. While she was on location, I waited for her. Lancelot was the director. While they were filming, he was waiting for one of his cast members and that girl kept taking ‘forever’ to come. She was late and Lancelot was really upset. When she came in with her Louis Vuitton luggage, bag, hair and all sorts of crap, she was really dressed up. And I was like, ‘this girl is so pretty.’ Immediately, Lancelot was like, ‘Are you the girl we are waiting for?’ And she said, ‘Yes’. She walked in with so much air and confidence. I was saying to myself, ‘Oh my goodness! They’ve been waiting for this girl for like over an hour and here she is strolling in like she’s the boss’.

    So, Lancelot was like, ‘Get into makeup.’ The next thing he said was that they should let them rehearse and it was with the late Mr. Enebeli of blessed memory. While they were rehearsing, I found out that she couldn’t speak properly and her diction wasn’t so great. And I thought to myself that if you go through your script and you realise you can’t pronounce some words correctly, make sure you learn how to pronounce them before you get on set. So, Lancelot was so upset and he started shouting. Then, she started crying and I felt sorry for her. I was scared because I was like, ‘Oh my God! Look at this director just talking to this girl anyhow.’ That was the first time I was seeing that.

    But then, I understood where he was coming from because time is money and you can’t keep a director waiting. Next, he just looked at me and said, ‘You read this’ and I did. And he just said, ‘Get into makeup.’ So, that was how I got into the first movie with Emem Isong. So, I kept going for auditions and they were asking me why I was coming. But I insisted that I play different roles, so they have to audition me to see if I can play those roles. I know as an actor, you should be able to play any role. Nevertheless, I prefer to go for audition.

    Do you still go for auditions as much as you used to?

    Hmm! I still go for auditions, but not as I used to. Back then, when I heard of any audition, I won’t even bother about whose audition it was or what it was about before attending it. But now, if I hear of any audition, I try to find out if it is a movie, a series or stage play. So, I still attend auditions.

    Have you ever experienced what happened to the girl you talked about earlier?

    Not really. Usually, I am good at time management. If you stay in the UK, time management is really important. So, I think the only time a director screamed at me was when I first moved back. My accent was really strong. Vivian Ejike noticed it and said I needed to switch. At that time, I was still learning how to switch and it was difficult. So, I was filming and I was supposed to speak Nigerian accent.

    I don’t want to say that I got lost, but the English accent just came out and the director screamed! He said, “You this girl” and I said, ‘I’m sorry.’ But over time, I have learnt to switch. Africa Magic actually helped me. I watch Africa Magic every day; I am not kidding you. I watch Africa Magic Yoruba and Hausa. And my maid will speak to me in Pidgin and Yoruba. In a matter of months, I could switch accent.

    You said in one of your interviews that people initially were seeing you as a hustler or a prostitute when you introduced yourself as an actress after your return. Did that make you want to change your mind at some point?

    No!

    Do you live solely on acting?

    No. A lot of people don’t know I actually do have a 9-5 job. When I moved back, I did my NYSC and went for a job in an oil and gas company. After that, I dedicated a year straight for acting and I went back to my 9-5 job.

    So, you still keep your regular job?

    Yes, I still have it. I actually don’t tell that to people because most directors will think that I won’t have time for their jobs. But my job is very flexible. All I need to do is give a proper notice to my boss.

    With your accent, there is the tendency for some of your colleagues to think you are actually ‘forming’…

    If you think I am ‘forming’, then, you actually must think I am better than you are and you must feel threatened by me. People do and I read about things. Sometimes, some colleagues tweet about it. I really do not let it bother me because at the end of the day, I am here to work. If you have a problem with me, that’s your business.

    I read an article you wrote for a newspaper titled: ‘Serial Liar’. Is lying what you dislike most about people?

    My dad always told me not to use the word hate; rather, he said I should actually use the word dislike. So, when I use hate, it means I really, really can’t stand that person that is lying. I have met a couple of serial liars along the way. I met this certain guy who was a serial liar and he was my friend and I hate him for that.

    So, he inspired you to write that article?

    Yes. His own was way out of it. Sometimes, you watch a movie and you see stuff like a guy asks someone’s hand in marriage; and later, you see the same guy getting married to someone else. That was it.

    Do you still have time to write as a columnist?

    I don’t actually write for Daily Independent anymore. But I still do some writings. I just finished writing a series and a movie actually. Yeah, I am doing a bit of that at the moment.

    You’ve featured in one or two music videos. Is video vixen something you want to pursue on the side?

    Oh, no! I won’t call myself a video vixen and I won’t call the characters I played video vixen. I actually played the role of an actor. They said they didn’t want a model or a video vixen. They actually wanted an actor. So, I actually did the things they wanted. With Tiwa Savage, there was a bit of acting in it. The video the public can see is not what we actually did. They were a lot more. There was actually a short film we did before the main video. They just put a little bit; we had a script.

    Have you got the opportunity to actually play a romantic role?

    Wow! Not really. I would say the only romantic role I have played is in A New You for Ebony Life TV. A New You is a romantic comedy. I played alongside Diana Yekinni and Shawn Farguar.

    So, what was it like?

    It was fun. It’s a small cast and I got to play the lead, which was a bit hectic. I got to play a married woman who felt her husband didn’t find her attractive, so she never used to take care of herself so much until I saw my husband’s colleague and she was hot. So, I had to step my game up. You should watch it.

    What about the kissing part…you once said that kissing in Nollywood movie isn’t always real…

    Yes, I did. I made it believable and people actually thought, ‘Oh my God! That was deed. Meanwhile, the interview you are referring to is old. That was a reference to old movies. When you see people kissing then, they were actually kissing each other’s necks.

    Whom did you kiss?

    Amsean.

    If he was an actor you were not in any way attracted to, would you make it that believable?

    Yes, I’m actually not attracted to any actor in Nigeria.

    Since then, have you been able to give love or dating a chance?

    Hahahaha! The word love is strong.

    Dating?

    I haven’t given it a chance.

    Why?

    I think it will come. What I have noticed with people who walk up to me is that they sort of size you up and then try to put up themselves up to your level. But it will only take a matter of time. If you give that person a month or two, his true colour and attitude will come to the open. So, that has been the case. I’m not in a relationship. I meet people and I go out on dinner dates. I just try to get to meet people. I have found myself and I believe I will find the right person for me.

    What about the proverbial ‘biological clock’?

    I mean if my parents are not putting pressure on me, I don’t care what the society thinks.

    Do you still live with your uncle?

    I wanted to live by myself. I wanted to get my own place, but my dad was against it. He feels I still need that family grounding, but I am my own person. Everyone in my family has known that since. For your information, I still make my decision and I tell him. I don’t go to him and tell him these are my options, so he can help me to choose. I make my decision and I tell him.

    Do you have a social life?

    I actually don’t. I am trying to. I go to watch movies alone; and sometimes, I get calls from my friends. If it’s a friend’s birthday, I go. Within my estate, there is a bar, so I am usually there. That is about it. In Nigeria or in Lagos, they don’t do so much activity. If it is not clubbing, there is nothing. But I want to go bowling, playing games and doing so many other things. It is not about clubbing and I really don’t like clubbing. With clubs, you get your hair done; you go in and come out and you smell cigarette. I really don’t like that.

  • Nigeria lauds U.K.’s support in debt management

    Nigeria lauds U.K.’s support in debt management

    Vice-President Namadi Sambo over the weekend hailed the United Kingdom (UK) for its support to Nigeria, particularly in debt management.

    Sambo made the commendation when he received the reports on the partnership between the UK-Department for International Development (DFID) and the Debt Management Office (DMO) on debt management in Abuja.

    “It is a memorable day in the history of Public Debt Management in Nigeria as I receive two reports on the partnership between Department for International Development (DFID), UK, and the Debt Management Office (DMO) of Nigeria.

    “The reports cover a period of 15 years of DFID support to Nigeria on Debt Management while the second report covers the 14 year-period of DFID assistance to the DMO after it was established in 2000.

    “It is indeed appropriate for me to first of all, acknowledge the deep mutual understanding and support that exist between the United Kingdom and Nigeria in all spheres.

    “The historical tie between our two countries is the underlying basis for the partnership between the DFID and the DMO which has resulted in the great strides recorded in the area of (debt) management since the commencement of the project in Nov. 1998.”

    He described the reports as a case study of successful government to government partnership.

    The reports were titled: “15 Years of UK Partnership with Nigeria on Debt Management: Lessons for DFID Wider Approach to Building Capacity”; and “14 years of Strategic Partnership between the DFID and DMO-Nigeria”.

    Sambo noted the long-standing relations between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, particularly through the activities of DFID in the country.

    The vice-president observed that the partnership was a peculiar example of how a Nigerian agency could maximise benefits from a development partner.

    Sambo also commended the staff members and management of the DMO for their remarkable achievements in the management of the nation’s debt profile.

    According to him, the achievements of the DMO in recent years constitute an integral part of the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “The principal objective of government is to ensure that the economic and social well-being of our citizens are enhanced through sound economic management such as being witnessed in the DMO’s commendable achievements.”

    In her remarks, the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, recalled the historic events that led to the establishment of the DMO.

    She noted that the collaboration between the DFID and Nigeria had been a successful journey, which had produced a first-rated agency on debt management in Africa.

    Also, the Director-General of DMO, Dr Abraham Nwankwo, said that the report was an assessment of a strategic partnership which commenced in Oct. 2000 and terminated in March 2013.

    He said that the DMO with the support of DFID was able to achieve debt relief for the country, develop the country’s bond market and reconstruct the debt profile.

    He said it also successfully established Debt Management Departments in the 36 states and the FCT.

    “Nigeria now has a comprehensive debt data base of the federal and state governments.”

    In his contribution, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Andrew Pocock, said the report was a genuine Nigerian achievement and an indication of a strong UK-Nigeria partnership worth celebrating.

    He noted that Nigeria was now sharing its expertise with other African countries on debt management.

    The high commissioner urged continued political commitment from the country’s leadership for the activities of the DMO.

    A DFID Consultant, Mr Alex Duncan, presented highlights of the report which, he said, was prepared by himself, Prof. Dora Akunyili and Menachem Katz.