The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Yuletide

  • Yuletide: Don’t embark on night journey, FRSC tells motorists

    The Unit Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ilesa,Osun State, Mr Samuel Oyedeji, has advised motorists to desist from  night journey during festive periods.

    Oyedeji told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilesa yesterday that night journey and reckless driving are largely responsible for many of auto crashes during the Yuletide.

    He said that the unit had deployed some of its personnel to ensure that highways have free flow of traffic and motorists adhere to road safety rules.

    He warned motorists on the dangers of night journey, saying that they should embark on their journeys during the daytime.

    Read also: FG to NLC: drop ultimatum on minimum wage

    The commander also urged them to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy before embarking on any trip.

    “The command has embarked on a full-scale enforcement to eradicate reckless driving, overtaking, overloading and use of phone while driving.

    “Majority of the accidents are as a result of reckless driving and night journey in which armed robbers, potholes, grounded vehicles, among others, cause accidents,” he said.

    Oyedeji decried the practice of some commercial drivers packing goods with passengers inside their vehicles and called for a law to check the practice.

  • Yuletide fun at One Lagos Fiesta, Calabar Carnival village, other places

    The yuletide period is here again and the holidays offer people opportunity to  step out of their busy schedules and unwind. As usual, Lagos, Africa’s entertainment hub offers quite so much for leisure seekers. Key cities and towns where the fun would be unlimited are Lagos and Calabar.

    Maybe the biggest draw in the Lagos area during the yuletide period is One Lagos Fiesta (OLF). The OLF will kick off from next Monday, December 24 at five different centres of  Epe, Badagry, Ikorodu, Victoria Island and Agege.

    The Lagos State government offers residents of Lagos the opportunity of not only enjoying and having quality fun, but residents also have the opportunity of winning fantastic prizes. The fun spots are decentralized and easily accessible to residents.

    At the OLF Venues, residents of Lagos will not only see some talented up-and- coming entertainers showcasing their abilities, but would also have see established acts like Olamide, Davido, King Sunny Ade, Adewale Ayuba, Mr.P, Small Doctor and many others.

    Calabar, Nigeria’s tourism capital, would witness huge  influx of fun seekers. The Cross River State capital, this period, is shut down for fun. There are few places in Africa that would witness the kind of fun and activities. It might be difficult getting a flight to Calabar now, but the discomfort of road trips to Calabar could still be endured for the fun that awaits one in Calabar. For those in  Calabar, a most-visit spot for fun at this period is the Carnival Village. It is an all round the clock fun spot for not just for adults but places for the whole family.

    In Abuja, places like Jabi Lake, Millennium Park  and other fun spots usually witness huge number of visitors.

    Hotels under the Marriott Group which include Sheraton Lagos, Sheraton Abuja Hotel and Le Meridien Ogeyi  Place, Port Harcourt are offering a lot.

    The Area General Manager for all the hotels in Nigeria,Barry Curran, said: “That magical time of year is almost upon us and holidays are meant to be fun occasions when we feel happy and connected with friends and family.

    “Across our three hotels, Christmas will come to life with decorations to bring in the festive spirit, caroling to remind us of why we love Christmas, gifts to spread the seasons cheer and delicious meals to excite your palate and make this holiday season truly unforgettable”.

  • Yuletide: Glo donates to charity homes 

    In the convivial spirit of Christmas and the New Year celebration, national telecommunications company, Globacom, has donated food items worth millions of naira to charity organisations across the country.

    The items,which were delivered by top staff of the company to several charity homes in different states, comprised edibles and essentials for children.

    Globacom, in a statement in Lagos, stated that the need to reach out to the less privileged in society underscored the nationwide donation exercise, adding that: ‘’This is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility programmes. It is meant to give the less privileged a feel of excitement during this festive season so that they do not feel forgotten or abandoned”.

    The company, which described the Christmas period as a season of love, urged Nigerians to show compassion and care for others, especially the needy.

    “We must spare a thought for them as we enjoy the Yuletide with our loved ones,” Glo said.

    In Lagos, the Glo team visited Little Saints Orphanage, Palmgrove; Heritage Homes, Anthony Village; and Living Fountain Orphanage, Victoria Island. Other beneficiaries include Oluyole Cheshire Home, Sango, the Ibadan Motherless Babies’ Home and School for Children with Special Needs, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State;  Mother Theresa Orphanage, Gwarimpa, Abuja  and Hope For Survival Orphanage Home,  Abuja;  Oronsaye Orphanage Home, Benin City and City of David Orphanage, Asaba; Hope House Orphanage, Ikeduru,  Owerri, Imo State and   Missionaries of Charity, Fegge, Onitsha also benefitted from the Glo largesse.   In the South East and South South regions, the Glo team also visited the Nigerian Red Cross Motherless Babies’ Home, Enugu, and the Nigerian Red Cross Motherless Babies’ Home, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State;  Port Harcourt Children’s Home, Borokiri,  and  Gloryland Children’s Home, Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State; Infant Jesus Orphanage Home, Calabar, Cross River State and Motherless Babies Home, Eket, Akwa Ibom State.

  • Yuletide: Onitsha for AITEO sponsored ‘Golibe’ Festival

    Yuletide celebration in Onitsha is expected to be different as the ancient city gears up for the inaugural edition of Golibe Festival, the first of its kind in South East Nigeria and one of the biggest in West Africa.

    Sponsored by indigenous energy multinational, Aiteo Group, The Golibe Festival Onitsha is positioned as a family-friendly, fun-filled festival with high educational content to showcase the city’s rich cultural heritage.

    It promises to fill the gap in entertainment offering available to over 20 million residents and visitors to the South-East, especially from the diaspora, during the yuletide, the organiser said.

    The yuletide season is the time for enjoyment and ‘golibe,’ the Igbo word for rejoice.

    The festival is slated for a period of ten days, commencing with the Onitsha Choral Rendition, an event created to thrill all and sundry in the spirit of Christmas.

    The rendition will also feature a carol singing competition where the finest choral groups in South Eastern Nigeria will perform variety of Christmas songs as well as give their own interpretation of the Golibe theme song. The singing competition will have its grand finale on the 23rd and 24th of December, 2018, at the Ime Obi Onitsha, ushering in the grand festival.

    Specially put in place for the young and the young at heart is the Golibe Dreamland Fun Fair which will feature arcade games and entertainment (bouncy castles, train rides, video games booth), video documentaries about Onitsha people, history, culture and traditions, Cultural dances, arts and crafts exhibition among others. Techquest is also on board with a Robotics Masterclass for children. This will run from the 25 of December to the last day of the festival. Venue is also at the Ime Obi.

    For those who just want to relax in a comfy environment, the The Chill Zone, a hang-out arena for youths and adults which features a cozy lounge arrangement with music, games and gastronomy, is available.

    Besides entertainment, it provides avenue for promoting local talent and identifying new ones. The chill zone will open from Christmas day and run till the 30th of December at the Festival Arena, Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium.

    The festival will also feature the prestigious Ado League, a football competition among the 18 Onitsha villages. It started in the 1990s and has remained an annual event ever since.

    The highlight of the festival will be the Golibe Carnival, the largest street party in South Eastern Nigeria and one of the biggest in West Africa. The carnival will feature a pageant for the Golibe King and Queen, as well as the Golibe Homecoming King and Queen. This will be on the 27th of December.

    As part of the carnival is the Street Arts Festival which will involve Visual Artists and Musicians performing at various venues throughout the carnival route. This event slated for the 28th of December is for the purpose of the revival of Onitsha as the geographical-cultural cross section of what Omambala people used to be and what the town could become.

    The festival will flow into the grand carnival parade scheduled for the 29th of December. Start off for the parade will be at the DMGS roundabout, through the Oguta road/ Ugwunabampka intercession and then Awka road. The parade will end at the Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium.

    30th of December has been set aside specially for an event that will feature masquerades from all over Anambra, Bayelsa, Kogi and other States. Some of the Masquerades to feature at Golibe Festival 2018 include: Ayolugbe, Agbogo Mmuo, Ogolo, Agaba, Ijele, Nnekwu Ugo, Ogwo Tulu Mgbe, Wonder, Ada, Izaga and Enyi (Elephant).

    The masquerades will hold a procession along the Carnival Route and stopover at homes of selected eminent indigenes and residents of Onitsha.

    Capping off the festival will be the Crossover Night Concert on the 31st of December. The Cross Over Concert will be a celebration and thanksgiving concert that combines gospel and Afro-Pop music in a world class concert setting with lights, sound, stage effects and adrenaline, and musical performance by A, B & C -List Artists from across the country. The event will start at 8pm

    For a city hosting a major festival, Onitsha meets the full criteria for the Golibe Festival. Onitsha is one of Nigeria’s biggest cosmopolitan cities, strategically located in the east and serves as a gateway to the Igbo heartland as well as the rest of Nigeria.

    Over 100,000 guests are expected to flood the city of Onitsha for the festival.

  • Fed Govt opens Lagos-Ibadan road for Yuletide

    From the Federal Government came a Christmas gift to all Nigerians.

    The government today temporarily opened the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which has been undergoing major repairs for close to two decades.

    The opening brought instant relief to residents, travellers and users of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor.

    Speaking with our correspondent, the Federal Controller of Works Mr Fred Kuti said impediments on all the junctions on the expressway were being removed to pave way for free flow of traffic, especially during the Yuletide.

    Kuti debunked speculations in the social media that the road would have been opened earlier, saying no date was fixed for the opening of the road earlier than December 19.

    The controller said the reason was to give relief to travellers during the festive period.

    On phone yesterday, Kuti added: “I am on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway right now for a final check on the road before we open it up tomorrow (today). It is not as if we gave another date apart from this. I have had cause to debunk such reports. We are going to open up all areas that were blocked to pave the way for free flow of traffic during the festivities.”

    He said the roads would be closed again after the festivities for works to continue on its repairs and rehabilitation.

    According to him, it is in the interest of everybody that the road be closed so that the work would be completed on schedule.

    Kuti said the Ministry of Works resolved to remove all barriers at affected junctions to ensure free flow of traffic, thereby reducing the pains and stress of travellers, motorists and commuters.

    The controller, who thanked the motoring public for their understanding, patience and cooperation throughout the period of the closure and diversion on portions of the road, added that the opening was intended to absorb the high volume of traffic due to the Christmas and New Year festivities, with many people travelling in and out of Lagos State.

  • Yuletide: Buhari, Senate committee to ensure petroleum products’ supply

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari and Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) Chairman Senator Kabir Marafa at the weekend met to deliberate on measures to ensure smooth supply of petroleum products in the festive period and beyond.

    Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Marafa stated that there are adequate quantities of the products that will last six months.

    But he said some technical issues are threatening to disrupt the free flow of the products to the populace.

    The senator was optimistic that the issues bordering around payment of subsidies, forex differentials and interest will soon be resolved from the outcome of the meeting with the President and forthcoming meetings with stakeholders in the next few days

    On why he was at the Villa, Marafa said: “Basically, there are two issues. One is regarding the committee I chair in the Senate – that is the Committee on Downstream. There has been some disquiet in the industry regarding marketers’ payment with Ministry of Finance, Debts Management Office (DMO) and the Central Bank, which we feel if not carefully handled, some enemies of the administration might bring about technical issues that could lead to queues on the line, especially government has provided enormous quantities of petroleum products across the country that can last the country up to six months through Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    “So, some people are not too happy about it and they want to sabotage the efforts of the government.

    “So, I’m the chairman and the President being the Minister of Petroleum Resources, I came to share some information and tap on his versatile experience in the industry as a former Minister of Petroleum Resources 40 years ago; so there is abundant experience there.”

    On the threats by depots owners to shut down with the festive period around the corner, he said: “That is what I said. So, we are now talking of technicalities. There is fuel in the country, in our seas and in our depots all across the country. But there are some technicalities now regarding payment of subsidies, forex differentials and interest, which this government inherited.

    “They are not a creation of this government. However, government is a continuum and when the President came in, he was confronted with it and he agreed and said fine, I have stopped subsidy but since there are claims, we will look into it and pay.”

    According to him, bureaucracy has been hindering smooth payment of outstanding arrears owed depot owners, which was inherited by the Buhari administration.

    “But now, the bureaucratic nature of the computations is what dragged up to this time and depots owners are not too happy with what the Ministry of Finance has done and may be some other agencies.

    “So, we have been on it in the Senate and the House of Representatives for almost two weeks now. Finally, today, I have had quality time with Mr. President and we have looked into the whole thing.

    “By next week, we will invite all the stakeholders. I believe we should be able to get to the root of the matter. As for the depots owners, we are going to plead with them again to give more time, especially now that we have discussed with the head of the executive arm of government.

    “So, I’m sure everything will be resolved in the next few days.”

    He added that the second issue that brought him to the Villa was the political situation in his state, Zamfara State.

    With the courts now handling the issues that trailed the state All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary elections, he was confident that the issues would soon be resolved.

  • Yuletide: TRACE to begin advocacy in motor parks 

    The Mowe/Ibafo Unit Command of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) will on Monday commence door-to-door advocacy at all motor parks along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

    The exercise, according to the  Divisional Commander, Olusola Ojuoro, is aimed at sensitising road users, namely, motorists, passengers, okada riders and  pedestrians on the importance of obeying traffic rules and embarking on defensive driving culture to prevent road accidents during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

    The programme, he said, was in accordance with Corps Commander Abdulfatai Olaseni Ogunyemi’s directives to make the highways safer during the festive period.

    Ojuoro spoke on Thursday shortly after the removal of damaged vehicles obstructing the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway causing a very traffic snarl.

    He said the motor park advocacy would further make the road users strictly adhere to traffic rules during the rushing hours.

    He said the park advocacy /campaign would feature rallies, distribution of safety flyers and controlling of traffic, among others.

    According to Ojuoro, the corps had deployed enough personnel and equipment to patrol the critical corridors such as the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway for quick interventions and evacuations of obstructions on roads.

    He implored motorists to be patient while driving, adding that Julius Berger had planned to open some diversions on the highways on December 22 to further ease the free flow of traffic.

    He urged motorists to avoid drunk driving, overloading, excess speeding, wrongful overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol and fatigue.

  • Yuletide: LASCOPA warns shoppers on product information

    As the Yuletide draws near, the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) has called on consumers to pay more detailed attention to commodities they buy, particularly the commodity information, especially consumable products, before making purchases. The General Manager of LASCOPA, Mrs. Kemi Olugbode, made this call at the weekend while answering questions from journalists.

    According to her, checking the products properly before buying, would help consumer determine the wholesomeness of the products and drastically reduce the purchases of harmful consumable goods. She said consumers should look out for product information like expiry date, best before and date of manufacture and even the packaging of products, if they are properly packaged or not.

    Olugbode said a team that went to FESTAC for enforcement, led by Deji Badejo, an Assistant Director in the agency, had earlier visited the supermarket and found some products on display for sale as reported by a consumer, and directed that the products be removed immediately as they were hazardous to human health.

    “They went back today for enforcement of the order if the supermarket has not complied but found that the products have been removed to the store though most of them had been sold, we ordered that the products be destroyed and that LASCOPA must be present during destruction. These are consumable products like tomato paste that were either expired or about to expire,” she said.

    Advising consumers, Olugbode said, “health is wealth, take your time to check products, what you consume is very important to your health. Don’t consume products hazardous to your health, check expiry date, best before date, date of manufacture etc. Make enquiries about what you want to buy. If you are not sure about a product, stay away, don’t be deceived,” she said.

     

  • UI ushers in Yuletide with Christian fiesta

    Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, is set to host the first ever-Christian Festival of Arts and Creativity at the Chapel of Resurrection, University of Ibadan on Saturday, December 1.

    The fiesta, tagged Holyway Arts Festival and with the theme, The Story Changer, is being put together by Holyway Christian Outreach in collaboration with the Chapel of Resurrection in the university. The festival is the brainchild of Dr. Gbenga Dele Ajayi, a film expert and minister of the gospel, and features music, drama, choreography and carol renditions among others.

    Major highlights of the performances are The visit of Edward, written by Gbenga Ajayi but directed by Yemi Akintokun and Island of sin, also written and directed by Ajayi.

    The fiesta, instituted as a yearly event to usher in the Yuletide, the cleric explained, uses the instrumentality of arts and creativity to discover and nurture talents, and win souls for Christ. Speaking on the place of arts and creativity in Christian evangelism, the filmmaker said: “Jesus Christ made use of stories and parables to illustrate his teachings and catch the attention of his listeners. In the process, He was able to drive home his points.”

    Ajayi added:  “God has given us talents, and He expects us to use the talents to glorify Him as Jesus revealed in the parable of the talents.”

     

  • Yuletide: Be wary of special offers or deals

    The time of the season is here again. We are gradually approaching the Yuletide. It is only 28 days to Christmas and then, the new year. The excitement is progressively and stealthily building up. Pages of newspapers and magazines are getting filled up with the advertisement of mouth-watering promotions and special offers. The social media is not left out either.

    Major shops, malls, businesses have one offer or that for consumers. They are all trying to entice and get the buyer’s attention with one special deal or another.

    With signboards such as ‘60% off’, ‘30% flat discount’ and ‘buy-one-get-one-free’ outside showrooms of fast moving consumer goods, textile stores, supermarkets, mobile phone stores and even shops selling high-end products, it is impossible not to shop.

    However, before you head to the nearest mall, or place orders to that Online store, do the basic math of how the prices work and tricks stores employ to attract you.

    Price anchoring: Online still use original and list prices as a point of reference to understand the value of an item and how good the sale price is. Also, most shoppers are aware that stores regularly use fake, inflated prices to manipulate customers into thinking the inevitable, that is, discounts are impressive. In other words, a 50% off sale is the real price, while the original price mentioned on the product is just a mythical figure meant to give a false impression of the value of the item.

    Look for alternatives: Mrs. Edith Ike wanted to buy a TV during a sale. She was tempted with the price of a 50-inch screen until she realised that the model was old and the features outdated. She finally decided to buy a smaller screen TV with the latest features, which fit in her budget. Researching various options in purchases is essential.

    Double discounting: Studies have shown ways in which private labels can exploit consumers’ innumeracy. One is to befuddle them with double discounting. People are more likely to see a bargain in a product that has been reduced by 20%, and then by an additional 25%, than one which has been subject to an equivalent 40% reduction.

    Attitude to discounting: Shoppers prefer getting something extra for free to something cheaper. The main reason is most people are not so good at fractions. Consumers often struggle to realise, for example, that a 50% increase in quantity is the same as a 33% discount in price. They overwhelmingly assume the former is better value. For instance, a company sold 73% more hand lotion when it was offered in a bonus pack than when it carried an equivalent discount. In another example, say a store gives you a sale offer-if you buy one nail polish for a regular price of N200, you can buy a second one for 40% off the regular price. Here, you save only N40 behind a bottle and are compelled to buy the second bottle to get this discount.

    Context effect: Imagine that you have selected two pairs of shoes. You like both and they are both on discount. But one costs N3,999 and the other N1,999. Which one will you buy? Chances are you will go for the one that costs N1,999, say experts in behavioural economics. This is because any product featured next to a higher priced product will appear to be cheaper. But if you evaluate each separately, it may not be as good a deal as it looks. This is called context effect.

    The strategy is to place a high priced decoy next to an often overpriced but “cheap” product which the vendor wants to push.

    Impulsive buying: These may include clearance sales, displays, promotions and advertisements which affect the desire to buy something on impulse. Shops, supermarkets and other retail outlets are designed in a way that the environment and visual aesthetics trigger consumers to make unplanned purchases. One common example is placement of items next to the cash counter.

    Make sure you plan your shopping in advance. Ask yourself a series of questions before heading out. Is the purchase going to improve your life in some way? Is the purchase supposed to make you feel better? Avoid doing shopping for therapy. Do not carry all your credit cards and avoid shopping in large groups and of course do the math.