The former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank Limited, Tokunbo Abiru
The All Progressives Congress (APC) inL Lagos State has confirmed that a former Commissioner for Finance in the state, Tokunbo Abiru, is the party’s consensus candidate for the forthcoming Lagos East Senatorial bye-election.
The party’s state Assistant Publicity Secretary, Abiodun Salami, gave the confirmation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)on Friday in Lagos .
He said the choice of Mr Abiru, who recently stepped down as CEO of Polaris Bank, was agreed upon by party elders, including the APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu.
Mr Salami said Mr Abiru had been successfully screened at the party secretariat, adding that all the other aspirants had stepped down for him in agreement with the party.
“Mr Abiru is the consensus candidate of the party; it is confirmed.
“The elders, under the platform of Governor’s Advisory Council met and consulted widely and they resolved on the choice of Abiru as the consensus candidate.
“The choice has been endorsed by the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; all the other aspirants have stepped down in agreement, it was a unanimous decision, “he said.
Mr Salami said the party would, notwithstanding, still follow the process of affirmation to validate the choice of Mr Abiru as the APC flag bearer for Lagos East Senatorial District.
On Kosofe 2 state constituency bye-election which will also hold on Oct. 31, Mr Salami said the party’s candidate would soon emerge.
He said a lot of work was going on to produce an acceptable flagbearer for the state constituency election.
Mr Salami described APC as the party of the people, saying the party will win both the senatorial and state constituency bye-elections.
NAN reports that the Lagos East Senatorial District became vacant following the death of Senator Bayo Osinowo, representing the area, on June 15.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also declared the Kosofe 2 state constituency seat vacant following the death of Tunde Braimoh, the lawmaker representing the area, on July 10.
Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has recovered the black box of the helicopter that crashed into a residential building in Opebi area of Lagos State.
This was coming as President Muhammadu Buhari and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commiserated with families, friends and associates of people who lost their lives.
AIB officials confirmed that the black box was recovered around 3pm.
The helicopter, a Bell 206, with registration number 5N BQW belonging to Quorum Aviation, an air transportation and logistics company, came in from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with two crew members and a passenger.
Two people were reportedly killed after the helicopter crashed into a residential building around Salvation Road in Opebi, Lagos around 12pm.
Speaking on the development, AIB General Manager, Public Affairs, Tunji Oketunbi, disclosed that investigation has also commenced.
He added that two people were confirmed dead, while another person who sustained injuries was taken to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja for treatment.
Also, confirming the crash, Acting Coordinator of Lagos Territorial Office of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said the accident occurred while the helicopter was returning from training in Port Harcourt.
Meanwhile, Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, while saying the nation awaits report of investigation into the accident by aviation regulatory agencies, prayed God to console the bereaved families, grant peace to the souls of the dead and speedy recovery for the injured.
Sanwo-Olu, in a condolence message signed on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, promised that his administration would work with all the relevant Federal Government agencies to unravel the remote and immediate cause of the accident so as to prevent a re-occurrence in the future.
The governor advised residents of Opebi and its surrounding to go about their business peacefully, saying “there is nothing to fear as men and officers of the state emergency services were promptly deployed to the scene of the crash and they had brought everything under control,” adding that “the environment is also safe and secure.”
Sanwo-Olu prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest and grant the families they left behind the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.
I remember the mid 1990s Pirelli advert where the world famous Italian tyre brand introduced it’s iconic slogan for the first time. The advert featured my school boy hero and one of the greatest Olympians of all time, the incomparable Carl Lewis. Not only did he sport the perfect “flat top” hairstyle, which I dutifully copied but he specialized in the same athletic events as I did, namely the 100m and 200m sprints and the Long Jump. With his perfect and effortless looking running style, “King Carl” as many of us liked to call him because of his total dominance on the world stage, was the perfect candidate for the advert.
Unleashing his explosive power and speed, he took the bends at breakneck speed and all the while maintained perfect balance. Of course, this impossible feat was only made “possible” by the Pirelli tyre thread which made up the soul of his feet, providing perfect grip. And what was the brand’s slogan? “Power is nothing without control”.
The advert was so cool. I thought so back then and I guess I still do. Then, there was another Pirelli advert which featured King Carl but this time, it was a still picture of him in a sprinter’s position at the starting block, wearing a pair of red stilettos. Weird, right? But the significance wasn’t lost on me. Without a moderating influence on power, power can be far more destructive than constructive. Even for the person wielding it.
When God says he created the woman to be a help mate to man, one of the helps I earnestly believe He has in mind, is to provide a balance. This could simply be a balanced view on issues or an alternative approach to moderate a testosterone driven rash line of action. It could mean to provide a much needed eye of compassion regarding a matter. It could on the other hand be to offer a forward focused intervention, required to nurture and build thereby countering the “grab it all now” syndrome which often besets us men. It could even be to massage our male ego while cleverly steering us away from a counter productive stance. Of course it would be foolish to say all women are the same, but with the higher propensity for women to show compassion and to care about the welfare of others, (which is what government is meant to be about). I strongly believe a government which lacks a sufficient number of women will be handicapped by having one hand tied behind it’s back.
Women by their very nature are more inclined to ensure policies are passed that will provide an enabling environment for their children and future generations to thrive. God is well aware of how boys and men will gladly scatter everything rather than be seen to step down. The intervention of women can stop us from doing what we will almost certainly regret later on, even if we’re not wise or humble enough to admit it. Without that balance in our lives, we’re almost certainly doomed, as we’ll keep taking actions which are so obviously not in anybody’s long term interest, including ours.
A help mate is not a lesser person but someone who complements you to make you more complete. For those who have watched ralley racing, you would have noticed that there are always two people in the racing cars; the driver and the navigator. Should the driver decide to go it alone, there are really only two possible outcomes. One, he would crash out of the race or two, in order to avoid crashing, he would have to drive very slowly. Either way, he can’t possibly win.
This tells us very clearly that the navigator is not superfluous. He’s neither unnecessary nor is he a passenger. He’s actually half of a team because without him both the driver’s dexterity and the car’s huge horsepower would be as good as useless. Without him, the driver wouldn’t know what’s ahead. He wouldn’t know when it’s safe to accelerate or when it’s prudent to decelerate. He wouldn’t know when a bend is coming up or where he can make up for lost time. For all intents and purposes, the power at his feet would amount to nothing if he doesn’t know how best to control it. A sudden rush of blood to the head, causing him to speed up at the wrong moment could land him in a ditch that he won’t be able to get out of. The help mate is therefore not an appendage but a crucial partner in your journey if you’re to have any hope of finishing on time or even finishing at all. She sees what you don’t see and ensures you both cross the finish line. It’s one thing to have the throttle at your feet but it’s another thing to know how to get to where you want to go.
The motive behind having women in government and in positions of authority should not be to merely play to the gallery as that doesn’t do anybody any good. Neither should it be a cosmetic gesture, as if we’re doing the womenfolk a favour. Instead, it should be because we recognize it’s necessity as we’ll merely be shooting ourselves in the foot by doing otherwise. If we genuinely desire to make progress as a nation then we must be intentional and we must take deliberate steps that will give us the best chance of success. I close with this. We should always keep in mind that with the right mindset, there can be great strength in what appears to be weakness. Equally wise is it to keep in mind, just how brittle and weak power can be when there’s an absence of restraint or a moderating influence. I couldn’t agree more with Pirelli’s submission that power really does amount to nothing without control.
Changing the nation…one mind at a time.
Oladapo Akande is a Surrey University (UK) English graduate with a Masters in Professional Ethics. He’s an alumnus of the National Institute for Transformation and a two time author; The Last Flight and Shifting Anchors. He writes from Lagos.
A Bell Helicopter 206B3, belonging to Quorum Aviation Limited, Friday crashed into a building around Salvation Avenue in Opebi area of Lagos State.
Information has it that the helicopter dropped from the sky around 12pm at Salvation Bus Stop in Opebi and killed two people.
Confirming the report, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said two people died in the crash
According to LASEMA Director General, Femi Oke-Osnyintolu, three people were on board the aircraft when it crashed.
He said the agency received distress calls concerning a privately operated helicopter that crashed into 16A Salvation Road, Opebi in Ikeja and immediately activated the emergency response plan.
He said one person was in intensive care unit at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), while the two dead bodies have been deposited in mortuary.
“The helicopter was carrying three (3) people, one is in the intensive care unit at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, while the other two were killed on impact and their bodies have been deposited in mortuary.
“We are on top of the situation, especially crowd control. Operation is ongoing and more updates will soon follow,” he explained.
LASEMA alongside with other first responder teams are still at the scene of the crash as at the time of filing this report.
Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum and Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Brigadier General Tukur Buratai at the inauguration of the new Tukur Buratai Institute for War and Peace, Buratai, Borno State.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has said his State is the worst affected by terrorism occasioned by Boko Haram attacks, which has left many citizens still in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
The Governor stated this on Thursday while inaugurating the Tukur Buratai Institute for War and Peace built as part of the concerted efforts to overcome the challenges of insurgency in the Northeast.
Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum and Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Brigadier General Tukur Buratai at the inauguration of the new Tukur Buratai Institute for War and Peace, Buratai, Borno State.
Further in his remark, Zulum lauded the foresight of the Nigerian Army in building the institute, located in Buratai, Biu Local Government Area of Borno state.
The Governor expressed regret that the insurgency had “inflicted debilitating impact” on the state and the neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
He said: “I’m not unaware of where we were before the inception of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and the successes recorded by the military in the war against terrorism.
“With the level of destruction of infrastructure and displacement of people from their communities, we have the task of rehabilitating them.
“The task before us now is to return the people to their communities and restart their means of livelihoods,” he said.
The Governor, who determined to see displaced people in Borno return to their homes said that it was for such reason that the state government was devoting its limited resources to empower and encourage the people to return to their communities.
Zulum, reckoning that “the army is a reliable partner in this endeavour,” assured that his government shall work with the institute to design a template and programmes for peace building, reconstruction and development of violence-riddled communities.
Restating his commitment to continually support the Armed Forces, and appreciating the sacrifices of gallant troops, Zulum said: When we occasionally criticise them, we do so with a view to improving on our successes and not out of lack of appreciation”.
Also speaking at the event, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, regretted that one of the greatest challenges facing the world today is terrorism with its huge toll on human lives.
He noted that Nigeria has had its fair share of terrorism in the form of Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast part of country.
He stated that to rout out terrorism and return peace to the affected areas, the military had been working substantially with the support of government and other security agencies.
The Army Chief said that the success of the troops would enable the IDPs to go back to their communities and resume their normal productive activities.
“This is the surest way to put in a nail on the coffins of insurgency,” he said.
He commended the troops for their sacrifices in defending their country, saying the Nigerian Army would continue to treat their welfare and families with topmost priority.
He also commended the people of northeast for their continued support, without which the successes achieved would not have been possible.
“Continue to support our security agencies with timely intelligence as the war on terror is a collective responsibility of all,” he admonished.
Giving more detail on the project, He said that the institute was part of Nigerian Army’s aim of understanding all forms of warfare, particularly new forms of asymmetric conflict, including terrorism and insurgency.
He added that the institute has six centres, including research, documentation, counter-terrorism and insurgency, cyber security, strategic communication and centre for museum and archives.
“The Tukur Buratai Institute aims at training and capacity building for military personnel as well as civilians in counter-terrorism and insurgency, humanitarian responses, peace building and construction”, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) said.
Executive Chairman of Atlas Petroleum and Oranto Petroleum, Arthur Eze, has categorically denied recent news report of his involvement in a partnership with ADM Energy on the ongoing Marginal Fields Bidding Round in Nigeria.
On August 3, ADM Energy announced its successful pre-qualification in the Nigerian Government’s 2020 Marginal Field Bid Round, as the exclusive technical partner of Nigerian company, Oilbank International.
But, Eze on Thursday accused Oilbank International of fraudulently using his name and presented him as its Chairman, leading to media reports stipulating his partnership with ADM Energy.
“The misuse of my name and reputation is a blatant fraud. I am not involved in any shape or form in the management of Oilbank International, nor do I serve as its Chairman of the Board.
“Consequently, neither I nor my companies Atlas Petroleum International and Oranto Petroleum have ever had in any way, shape or form, any discussion about a potential partnership with ADM Energy,” said Eze.
While the Nigerian Marginal Fields Bidding Round is expected to attract a lot of international partnerships to inject necessary capital and technology into the country’s marginal acreages, it’s the duty of foreign partners to do their due diligence before partnering with local entities.
“If Atlas Petroleum International wants to acquire and operate a marginal field, it can do so on its own rights and does not need partnership with small companies like ADM Energy or Oilbank International to pursue such an opportunity.
“This is further demonstration that all stakeholders must adhere to President Muhammadu Buhari’s call to end corruption and promote sound and transparent business practices and corporate governance standards across the energy sector,” Eze added.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, have congratulated President of African Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina, on his re-election for a second term in office.
Buhari, who felicitated with Adesina on behalf of the Federal Executive Council and Nigerians in general, explained that the news of the victory came during the Council of State meeting, which was attended by former heads of state, Senate President, governors, some ministers, and senior government officials.
Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, applauded reelected president’s versatility, experience at both national and international engagements, saying he believed that Adesina would “further deploy these qualities to energise the pan-African financial institution.”
He urged him to remain “focused and steadfast in pursuing the noble goals of making life better for Africans through various development plans, already captured as High 5s.”
The statement explained that the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, announced the good news of Adesina’s reelection to which Buhari led a round of applause immediately, saying: “He (Akinwumi Adesina) deserves it.”
The Nigerian President extended appreciation to the African Union for its endorsement of Adesina much earlier, and to shareholders of the bank who worked tirelessly to ensure the return of the visionary leader.
Buhari rejoiced with family, friends and professional colleagues of Adesina over the re-election, while commending members of staff and Board of Governors of the bank for their consistent support for the former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and his management team.
While pledging full support of his government to ensure a successful tenure for the bank’s leadership, the Nigerian President prayed God to continue to strengthen Adesina and his team for greater good to the continent.
In his congratulatory message to Adesina, who hails from Ogun State, Abiodun described his reelection as a blessing to Nigeria.
“On behalf of the good people of Ogun State, I congratulate Dr. Akinwumi Adesina on his re-election as President of the African Development Bank.
“It is not surprising, and it is indeed a blessing to our great nation, Nigeria to have retained leadership of the regional institution, when one considers the many developmental contributions by the bank to member countries.
“I wish him a successful new term that will steadily continue to take the African region to greater heights,” the governor said.
Cascais, 10 July 2018 – The first edition of the EurAfrican forum held under the High Patronage of the President of the Portuguese Republic and the Government of Portugal, is a one-day exclusive High-Level Forum. With the theme “Crafting Coalitions for Change, this action-oriented platform aims to foster stronger collaboration between Europe and Africa in order to promote a shared green and inclusive growth, to uncover new business opportunities and to create synergies between innovation models.
For the first time, EurAfrican Forum would be held exclusively online between September 3 and 4, bringing together personalities from the public and private sectors, and also representatives of civil society, entrepreneurs, activists and scientists.
This year’s edition would focus on challenges and common points, with the theme: “In Search for a Common Ground in a Post COVID-19 World.”
The programme would focus on five panel discussions, including: Perspectives on AU-EU relations; Matrix Energy Just Transition Made in Africa; Emerging and Fast Track Business; African Culture Feeding the World; and Connecting the Unconnected Due to the Global Public Health Crisis.
Many international conferences have been cancelled or postponed due to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but at a time of risk and uncertainty, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Portuguese Diaspora, Filipe de Botton, believed that it’s a crucial moment for us to be together.
“The only way to respond to a global crisis is to reestablish links, not only with political and private decision-makers, but also with civil society, in order to acquire a collective vision and establish global solutions.
“Thus, we made the decision to hold the EurAfrican Forum Digital, so that we can play a role in the recovery of our economies” said Botton.
The forum would bring together the biggest protagonists of change on the African and European continents, namely businessmen, activists, leaders and public and private decision-makers and all those who have been contributing to the construction of a positive dialogue between the two continents.
Talks would continue, and the Digital Forum would provide the necessary tools for working together to find common ground in a post-COVID-19 world.
EurAfrican Forum 2020 is an independent platform that brings together all those who are building a positive dialogue between Africa and Europe, including entrepreneurs, activists, researchers and policy makers.
In a bid to reposition the Amnesty Programme, President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday approved the appointment of Col. Milland Dixion Dikio (rtd) as Interim Administrator with effect from August 21.
This followed the President’s approval of the disengagement of Prof. Charles Quarker Dokubo from Office as the Coordinator, Amnesty Programme with immediate effect.
Dokubo has been directed to hand over all official matters to the most senior officer of the Programme.
Buhari, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, appreciated the services of Dokubo to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and wished him the best in his future endeavours.
It would be recalled that the President had suspended Dokubo in February based on the recommendation of a caretaker committee set up to look into allegations and petitions against him.
The committee was asked to ensure that allocated resources are properly utilised in consonance with government’s objective of alleviating problems in the Niger Delta region.
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