Echotitbits – Nigeria News

Author: Abuja Bureau

  • No tenure extension for top management staff of National Assembly, says Gbajabiamila

    No tenure extension for top management staff of National Assembly, says Gbajabiamila

    Idowu Sowunmi

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Thursday denied authorising a letter by his Chief of Staff, Sanusi Rikiji, in which the leadership of the House purportedly insisted on an amended National Assembly Condition of Service seeking service extension for top management staff.

    A memo by Gbajabiamila’s Chief of Staff, dated June 3, 2020, with reference number: NASS/SPK/ADM/VOL.1/520, had surfaced online on Wednesday night.

    In the letter, Rikiji said the leadership of the chamber was opposed to the position of the National Assembly Service Commission which removes the clause extending the services of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, and 150 other management and senior staff members.

    In his letter titled: “Re: Forwarding of Memorandum on the Review of Conditions of Service for the National Assembly Service,” Gbajabiamila said the House could not rescind the 8th Assembly’s resolution on the retirement age of National Assembly staff just like that.

    “I am directed by the entire leadership of the House of Representatives to acknowledge the receipt of your letter on the above dated 01 June 2020 vide NASC/CHO/IPS/II/Il/94 and have deliberated on it.

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    “I am further directed to inform you that the entire leadership of the House of Representatives cannot rescind the 8th Assembly’s resolution on the retirement age of National Assembly staff.

    “Therefore, the House of Representatives maintains the position of the 8th Assembly as contained in the conditions of service jointly passed by that Assembly.

    “Please accept the assurances of our regards,” the letter read.

    It would be recalled that the speaker, in a statement on Wednesday night, said he did not direct issuance of the letter.

    The statement said: “The attention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has been drawn to a letter purportedly emanating from his office allegedly stating his endorsement of the new Condition of Service for National Assembly Staff passed by the 8th Assembly.

    “The Speaker wishes to inform the general public that there was no time he directed issuance of such purported letter from his office as there is a recognised and authorised channel for all correspondences and resolutions reached by the House or its leadership.

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    “The Speaker also wishes to call on the general public to disregard the letter and always rely on official communication channels of the House for news on the position of the House on any matter.”

  • African Development Bank Presidency: I’ll Stand By You, Buhari Tells Adesina

    African Development Bank Presidency: I’ll Stand By You, Buhari Tells Adesina

    Idowu Sowunmi
    President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday said Nigeria would stand solidly behind Dr. Akinwumi Adesina in his bid to get re-elected as President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
    The President stated this at State House in Abuja, while hosting Adesina on a courtesy visit.
    According to him, “In 2015, when you were to be elected for the first term, I wrote to all African leaders, recommending you for the position.
    “I didn’t say because you were a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Minister, and I belonged to the All Progressives Congress (APC), so I would withhold my support. I’ll remain consistent with you, because no one has faulted the step I took on behalf of Nigeria.”
    The President, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, pledged that Nigeria would work with all other leaders and stakeholders in AfDB to ensure that Adesina is elected for a second term built on the record of his achievements during his first term.
    The African Union had already endorsed the incumbent AfDB President as sole candidate for the continent, but some other stakeholders are trying to ensure that Adesina is re-investigated on some allegations, and rendered ineligible to run.
    Giving a background to what was happening in the bank, Adesina, a former Nigerian Minister for Agriculture, said the 16 allegations raised against him were trumped up, “and without facts, evidence, and documents, as required by the rules and regulations of the bank.”
    He added that the Ethics Committee of the bank cleared him of all the allegations, and calls for fresh investigation by the United States of America, were against the rules.”
    He said: “My defense ran into 250 pages, and not a single line was faulted or questioned. The law says that report of the Ethics Committee should be transmitted to the Chairman of Governors of the bank.
    “It was done, and the governors upheld the recommendations. That was the end of the matter, according to the rules. It was only if I was culpable that a fresh investigation could be launched.
    “I was exonerated, and any other investigation would amount to bending the rules of the bank, to arrive at a predetermined conclusion.”
    Stressing that the motive was to soil his name, and that of the bank, the AfDB President said he was proud to be Nigerian, and thanked President Buhari for his unflinching support.
    “You helped me to get elected in the first place, and you have supported me robustly all along, and the African Union unanimously endorsed my re-election,” he declared.
    While commiserating with President Buhari on the death of the former Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, Dr Adesina described Professor Ibrahim Gambari, new Chief of Staff as “a man of integrity, and of global standing.”
  • Dangote, GTBank emerge most admired African brands

    Dangote, GTBank emerge most admired African brands

    Idowu Sowunmi

    For the third time in a row, Dangote Group has emerged as the most admired brand of African origin by consumers.

    Also, GTBank has emerged as the most admired financial brand in Africa and the United Kingdom’s BBC retained its media category ranking as the most admired media brand in separate category sub-surveys.

    This was disclosed in a survey of 100 Africa best brands announced in a novel global virtual event that incorporated the market openings of Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria.

    African brands only occupy 13 of the 100 entries, seven less from last year.

    The consumer-led survey sought to establish brand preferences across Africa. The survey was conducted among a representative sample of respondents 18 years and older, in 27 countries which collectively represent 50 per cent of the continent, covering all economic regions and accounting for an estimated 80 per cent of the population and the GDP of Africa.

    The 2020 survey was conducted between February and April 2020 and yielded over 15,000 brand mentions and over 2,000 unique brands.

    Established 10 years ago, the Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands survey and rankings have become the most authoritative survey, analysis, and metric of brands in Africa.

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    Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa and Brand Leadership, Thebe Ikalafeng, during an online interactive session via Zoom, said: “African brands have an important role in helping to build the image, competitiveness and transforming the continent’s promise into a real change.”

    He expressed concerns that 10 years after “the triumphant FIFA World Cup in South Africa which globally highlighted the promise and capability of Africa, and despite the vibrant entrepreneurial environment, Africa is not creating more competitive brands to meet the needs of its growing consumer market”.

    Global Client Development Manager, GeoPoll, Caitlin van Niekerk, in his remarks, said: “The reach and accessibility of mobile across the continent enabled us to survey respondents across a representative sample of countries quickly and effectively, giving us vital and timely results at a critical time. Kantar has been the insight lead for Brand Africa since inception in 2010.”

    In his reaction, Group Chief Corporate Communication Officer of Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, said the management was not unexpected of the ranking because the company has a long standing reputation for quality, relevance compliance and social stewardship.

    According to him, “Our mission and vision engage and inspire us to by extension connects us with both our internal and external stakeholders.

    “We fervently believe that only Africans can develop Africa, and this gives us stronger sense of relevance in all the countries where we have our operations.

    “We are touching lives by providing their basic needs and empowering Africans more than ever before; creating jobs reducing capital flight, helping government conserve foreign exchange drain by supporting different industrial infrastructural projects of African government.”

    Chiejina noted that Dangote Cement has been producing high quality and affordable cement, reducing poverty, engaging in unprecedented philanthropy and above all respecting the laws of the land where we operate.

    He said: “All these are our credo and we do not compromise it, it is our way. And the ranking is just an acknowledgement of all these by our stakeholders, We keep our brand promise and stay authentic.”

    Out of the top 100 brands in 2010/11, only half still appear in this year’s list due to mergers, acquisitions and the obsolescence of many brands.

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    The most prominent changes are in the technology category with the demise Blackberry (#32 in 2010/11), the consolidation of Vodafone (#54 in 2010/11 and now #13 in 2020) which acquired Vodacom in 2008 and re-branded in 2011, Etisalat (#40 in 2010/11) re-branding to 9 Mobile in 2017 and Motorola (#39) being acquired by Lenovo in 2014.

    A Chinese brand, Tecno, has raced up the ranking from #33 to #5 in the rankings – a dominant performance for one of China’s premier global brands that are not even sold in China.