Headline

Rotary Can Help Lagos Govt., Others Solve Problem of Distributing Palliatives- Effiong

Published

6 years ago

April 6, 2020

Editor

A call has been made to the Lagos State Government, individuals and corporate organisations who are currently deploying all manner of palliatives in cash and kind as a result of the effect of the Coronavirus lockdown to use the network of Rotary International.

The call was made by Rtn Michael Effiong James, President, Rotary Club of Ikeja South following the spate of protests and anger over the poor and inequitable distribution of palliatives by government officials and others.

He noted that about 80 per cent of the over 100 clubs in District 9110 are located in Lagos State and they can mobilize their extensive network and know-how to help the government fight this pandemic as well as touch people’s lives.

Rtn Michael Effiong & Rtn Fateema Mohammed at an enlightenment programme after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic

According to the Rotarian who is also a journalist and Editor, Ovation International Magazine, ” I was in tears as I watched the good intention of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to provide succour to Lagosians in form of palliatives being rubbished by poor execution, and it occurred to me that Rotary can actually help to right this wrong.

Demonstrating social distancing at the programme

“Rotary is an organisation of professionals, who as volunteers, are committed to the service of humanity, and therefore,would be able to use their knowledge of needs assessment, project siting, project monitoring and closeness to the communities to good effect.In addition, its time-tested record of probity as a result of the application of the 4-Way test has made Rotary an organisation that is trusted worldwide which is reason it holds the highest consultative status at the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council which oversees many UN agencies.

“In Rotary, we have a wide range of professionals, from medical doctors to nurses, lawyers to engineers, these are not greedy or hungry people, but Nigerians who are genuinely passionate about putting smiles on peoples’ faces, so this is a situation that they are best equipped to handle. They also have partnered with governments and individuals successfully in the past and I see no reason that Governor Sanwo-Olu and Rotary International District 9110 Governor, Rtn (Dr.) Jide Akeredolu cannot join forces.

“That is not all, due to Rotary’s experience with Polio eradication, its huge data bank of facts and figures may actually help the Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) in the area of contact tracing and enlightenment”.

He also used the opportunity to call on residents of Lagos and Nigerians in general to adhere to the instruction of hand washing for at least 20 seconds, social distancing, cleaning of hard surfaces around their homes and most importantly staying at home. He said these measure, difficult as they may seem, will help to flatten the curve, stop the spread of the virus, save more lives and enable us return to our normal day-to-day activities in good time.

He revealed that Rotary International has encouraged clubs to intervene in the fight against COVID-19 and while some have already done theirs, Rotary Club of Ikeja of South and others, are fine-tuning plans to embark on impactful intervention projects as contribution to the global effort.

Headline

Mike Adenuga, Emmanuel Macron Hold High-Powered Meeting in Paris

Published

17 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Accomplished billionaire businessman and Commander of the French Légion d’Honneur, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, CdrLH, has held a private meeting with the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The two powerful citizens of the world held the meeting on Wednesday at the historic Élysée Palace in Paris.

The high-level engagement underscores the longstanding relationship between Dr. Adenuga and the French Republic, as well as his continued relevance in global business and diplomatic circles.

A respected industrialist and philanthropist, Adenuga has been widely acknowledged for his contributions to economic development, telecommunications, energy, and humanitarian causes across Africa and beyond.

The meeting adds to Dr. Adenuga’s growing profile as a bridge between African enterprise and international leadership.

Headline

Free at Last: Burkina Faso Releases 11 Nigerian Soldiers, Aircraft

Published

17 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Burkina Faso has released Nigerian soldiers who were detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country earlier this month, Nigerian officials said.

The release followed a diplomatic intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who dispatched a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet Burkina Faso’s Military Leader, Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday.

In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides resolved the matter amicably and secured the release of the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.

The soldiers had been held for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act” carried out in defiance of international law.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, said the crew encountered a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. It said the landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.

Headline

Corruption Allegations: NMDPRA Boss Farouk Ahmed Meets Tinubu, Resigns

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Eric

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, has resigned following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu amid corruption allegations.

Tinubu, on Wednesday, summoned Ahmed to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, following allegations of economic sabotage and corruption.

Also caught in the web of resignation was the CEO of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, according to a statement on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy.

Tinubu was said to have nominated successors to the senate for approval.

“Tinubu has asked the Senate to approve the nominations of two new chief executives for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC),” the statement reads.

“The requests followed the resignation of Engineer Farouk Ahmed of the NMDPRA and Gbenga Komolafe of the NUPRC.

“Both officials were appointed in 2021 by former President Buhari to lead the two regulatory agencies created by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

“To fill these positions, President Tinubu has written to the Senate, requesting expedited confirmation of Oritsemeyiwa Amanorisewo Eyesan as CEO of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA.”

Onanuga said the two nominees are seasoned professionals in the oil and gas industry.