NIGERIAN NOTCH

Senator Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah has moved a motion on the urgent need to checkmate  exorbitant increase and unjustifiable shipping fees charged by shipping companies on Nigerian bound cargoes. Senator Ubah on the floor of the Senate today argued that Nigeria is an import driven economy with excessive dependence on imports for consumption and capital goods. He stated  that the shipping industry, is key in facilitating continuity of economic activities in the country by ensuring sustained supply chains to industries, transportation of essential goods. Senator Ubah raised  concerns over vessels coming to Nigerian ports and the attendant long queue, when compared to other countries. He also raised further concern regarding the fact that the cost of shipping goods into Nigerian ports is the highest in the world, with the figure for Apapa Port costing more than thrice to that of Tema, Ghana, and five times higher than Durban port in South Africa.  He expressed worry over the fact that a repo

Valentine Ozigbo, a Nigerian business mogul and philanthropist, has stressed the importance of emulating Christ Jesus by living selflessly, as Christians worldwide mark Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten period, on Wednesday, February 17, 2021.   Ash Wednesday is a day Christians consider holy and observe it with prayer and fasting. Roman Catholics, Anglican, Methodists, and some other orthodox denominations mark their foreheads with ashes to symbolise both death and repentance. It is the first activity leading up to Easter.  Mr Ozigbo made these remarks to journalists as he left St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Awka, where he observed the Ash Wednesday evening mass. He urged Christians all over the world to emulate the virtues of obedience, righteous living, and sacrifice, which the Lord Jesus Christ exemplified during his time on earth.  According to Ozigbo, who is the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, Lent's sacrificial period presents a moment

Valentine Ozigbo, the immediate past president and group CEO of Transcorp Plc, has congratulated the renowned Nigerian economist, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on her appointment as director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO).  Dr Okonjo-Iweala has served as Nigeria's finance minister and foreign affairs minister from 2003 till 2006. Most recently, she was the country's finance minister and co-ordinating minister of the economy which she served from 2011 till 2015. Her rich resume includes a 25-year stint at the World Bank, where she rose to the number two position of managing director. She was appointed as the director-general of the WTO on Monday, February 15, 2021, after representatives of its 164 member countries held a vote. In a statement issued on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, Mr Ozigbo lauded Dr Okonjo-Iweala as "an icon of excellence, a trailblazer, and a world-shaper." "The world is going through a peculiar time in which the capacities of economies are

By Dr Uche Diala  Each time appointments are made, most of us quickly scroll down the list looking for names of our tribesmen or names that sound like our tribal names. No other considerations. Only extreme selfishness. Next we start posting, tweeting, retweeting and reposting ignorant propositions and lamentations. We conveniently forget that there are over 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria speaking over 500 languages. So for our individual tribe, there are at least another 249 tribes and ethnic groups in Nigeria. What if all those other tribesmen reason and act like we do each time we see a list of appointments or infrastructures? Are we not selfishly marginazilizing all those other tribes and ethnic groups, simply because we are called 'majority tribe'. When we look at appointments made and or projects even from a geopolitical zones perspective, we also quickly forget that there are 6 zones in total in Nigeria and each of those zones has as much right to those appointments and de

Imo State government yesterday, graphically painted a picture of how the former governor of the state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha attempted to dupe the people of their university after N20 billion of public funds had been invested in the institution by the state government. In a world Press conference in Owerri, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy Hon  Declan Emelumba said the current government moved to recover Eastern Palm University, Ogboko from Okorocha when it became obvious that the former governor wanted to fraudulently appropriate the institution to himself. Displaying documents including approval from the National Universities Commission to authenticate the state ownership of the university, Chief Emelumba asked Okorocha to apologize to  Imo people for attempting to steal their commonwealth. According to him,”this is one of the most elaborate  and devious scam to dupe an entire state of their patrimony using the instrumentality of state power” He said that “from th

President Muhammadu Buhari has warmly felicitated with former Minister of Finance and Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her election as Director General of the World Trade Organisation, bringing joy and more honour to the country.  As the Harvard-educated and renowned economist takes up another onerous task of service to the world and  humanity, the President believes her track record of integrity, diligence and  passion for development will continue to yield positive results and rewards to mankind. President Buhari affirms that Dr Okonjo-Iweala, who over the years set major records of economic reforms in Nigeria as Minister of Finance, and later Minister of Foreign Affairs, will excel in her new position and validate the global mandate of repositioning and strengthening the multilateral institution for the greater good of all. The President joins family, friends and colleagues in wishing Dr Okonjo-Iweala well in her new endeavour.

  Says the Special Operation targeted at reclaiming public space from criminals The Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has today, Monday, 15th February, 2021 flagged-off a reinvigorated special security action plan, code named ‘Operation Puff Adder II ’ to reinforce the ongoing fight against banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes in the country. The new special operation, which will be intelligence-led and community-driven, will be executed in sustained collaboration with the Armed Forces, the Intelligence Community and other sister security agencies. It is aimed at re-dominating and reclaiming the public space from criminals that are bent on threatening the internal security order across the country and bringing them to book.   The IGP, during the flag-off of the Special Operation at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, noted that Operation Puff Adder II is an initiative of the Force conceived from a deliberate and critical evaluation of the pattern a

 - DIG in charge of South-West, David Folawiyo, mni to coordinate Operations   The Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni, has ordered the immediate deployment of Police Intervention and Stabilization Forces to Oyo State to reclaim the public space, reinforce security and bolster public confidence in the areas affected by the recent crisis in the State.   The deployments, consisting largely of intelligence and operational assets of the Force, include four (4) Units of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), seasoned operatives from the Force Intelligence Bureau and one (1) operational/surveillance Police helicopter from the Police Air-wing department.   The Intervention Force is charged with the responsibility of reinforcing and stabilizing security in the State, preventing further breakdown of law and order, protecting lives and properties and ultimately enhancing public safety and general security in the State. The Intervention Force is being coordinated by a Deputy Inspector Ge

Udoka Estate secretariate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Awka was thrown into a joyous mood on Valentine's Day of 2021 when Valentine Ozigbo, a business mogul, fulfilled his promise to donate eight vehicles to the executive committee of the party.   Recall that on January 16, 2021, Ozigbo, the frontrunner in the Anambra 2021 governorship election under the PDP, pledged to donate the vehicles to key party officials at a high-powered meeting with the Anambra State Executive Committee (EXCO) and Local Government leaders. The donation is the first of its kind in the history of PDP Anambra chapter. During the brief event, Ozigbo, who is the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, addressed the state's PDP leaders saying, "I am thrilled to be with you once more and, I am even more delighted that this event is coincidently being held on a special day, St. Valentine's day, a day of global celebration in memory of the power and importance of love

Diaspora Coordinator of Young Nigerian Voices, Chief Nnanna Okere has called on Nigerians from all walks of life to support a President of South East extraction come 2023. He however endorsed the minister of state for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba towards taking a shot at the presidency and is very optimistic that he will become the next Nigerian President. Chief Okere who is the coordinator of Imo Diasporas Support group for Senator Hope Uzodinma Governorship Election in 2019, said for the sake of justice and equity, the next president of Nigeria, should come from South East to balance the generational  power shift of the presidencyz and a younger personality and political leader like Nwajiuba, should be given all the necessary to achieve this vision. Going down memory lane, he recounted thar the political trajectory of Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba over the years, and why he is fit for the job  can't be contested. He however said that, he first met the minister when he (Nnanna

Valentine Ozigbo, the leading Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in the 2021 Anambra governorship election, has admonished Nigerians, to reflect and manifest love in all their dealings with one another as the world celebrates St. Valentine's Day.  In a statement issued on Sunday, February 14, 2021, in Awka, the Anambra State capital, Mr Ozigbo stressed the importance of selflessness, compromise, and unconditional love.  According to Ozigbo, the immediate past President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, Valentine's Day should not be a one-day celebration exclusively for friends and families or lovers. In fact, it should be the real essence of our existence - to positively touch as many lives as possible, every day. "As we mark this year's Valentine's Day let us show and share unconditional love, let us spread the goodwill message of love to one another, especially those who are less fortunate than we are," Ozigbo said.  "There is an abundan