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South East Economy: End of Sit-at-Home in Sight

Published

9 months ago

July 30, 2023

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The turn of events in recent times is proving that the unpopular sit-at-home order of a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), led by Finland based Simon Ekpa, may come to an end soon.

This is going by the welcomed intervention of the acclaimed Supreme leader of the group, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, through a handwritten letter directing the immediate end of the order. The sit-at-home order has been in place in the South East since August 9, 2021 to press for the demand of Mazi Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) after he was renditioned to Nigeria in June 2021.

Originally slated to be observed any day Kanu was billed to appear in court for trial in honour, the order extended to every Monday in addition to days of court appearance. With time, and with the alleged leadership of Ekpa from faraway Finland, the order has been called at random, sometimes extending to cover a whole one week.

Consequently, the observance of the forced holiday has grounded economic activities in the region, leading to an estimated loss of N7.6 trillion in productivity, as reported by The Guardian, potential investments as well as loss of lives and personal and government property.

But a twist recorded over the weekend showed that Kanu has come out to call the Ekpa-led group to order, describing it as infamous and reckless, and asking that the unholy order be dropped forthwith.

Confirming the authenticity of the letter by Kanu, IPOB, in a statement, by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, emphasozed the importance of the letter, saying: “The global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) confirms the authenticity of the handwritten note of our Leader penned to the Finland infiltrator and crime minister instructing him to end his infamous and reckless sit-at-homes.

“It is pertinent to make the message disassociating Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB from the senseless enforcement of sit-at-home public to avoid consequences on innocent citizens.

“Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in his wisdom, communicated the message to the infiltrators through the right channel and a source they should trust. The claims that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s handwritten note is fake is part of their mischief to continue in their contract to blackmail IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu with the violent enforcement of the infamous sit-at-homes used to terrorise our people.

“We understand that a power-drunk crime Minister with his inconsequential kangaroo defacto government in exile will ignore the order for the fear of deflating his over-bloated ego.”

He explained that IPOB leadership initiated the Monday sit-at-home in protest of the abduction and rendition of their leader and to make sure that the Nigeria government arraigned Mazi Nnamdi Kanu openly, in a public court where they could see him.

“But our leader instructed that it be suspended so that we don’t torture our people.

“In line with the principle of command and control, we obeyed, and the sit-at-home order was suspended. However, infiltrators who don’t believe in the principle of command and control, which is a core value of IPOB, ignored the order from our leader.”

He said Mazi Nnamdi Kanu had sent messages through his visitors at the Department of State Security (DSS) detention camp to the infiltrators to stop the reckless sit-at-home several times, all to no avail.

“Senator Enyinnaya Abaraibe tabled this message in the red chamber of the Senate, what Mazi Nnamdi Kanu told them when they visited him in the DSS custody with Ohaneze Ndigbo delegates in the DSS headquarters Abuja, where he was illegally and unconstitutionally detained in DSS solitary confinement since June 2021.

“When our leader called for complete peace in Biafraland and to protect our people instead of killing them in one of his court appearances, he was referring to the infiltrators to stop their infamous enforcement of sit-at-home orders and enforcement. That call went on deaf ears. This last message in his handwriting is the last straw.”

Sn investigation conducted by The Guardian revealed that that “since the Monday sit-at-home started, productivity has seriously dwindled in the region; jobs are threatened; there is loss of confidence by investors; insecurity has increased; and there is a near collapse in the infrastructure of the region with the attendant spike in social vices.”

More revelations prove that “between the commencement of the exercise in 2021 and this year, 105 Mondays of the 520 working days have been lost in terms of productivity or any real economic activity. This leaves the South-east region with 415 days in which her people are expected to go to work. Of the remaining 415 days, public holidays declared by the government further deplete the available productivity period in the region.”

It is worthy of worth that successive governors have either attempted to put a stop to the crisis, or buckled under threats of reprisal. Most citizens of the five South East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, who at one time or another another to flout the order and open for business, have either have their businesses destroyed or loose their lives in the bargain. A cross section of Nigerians have mocked the governors, holding that Ekpa is the authentic governors of the South East.

But with the arrival of Governor Peter Mba of Enugu State, moves were made to arrest the crisis. Stakeholders have however, argued that the government of Enugu State has put the cart before the horde as they went after the people instead of after of the perpetrators of the crime.

“What I think the Mba-led government should have done is found a way to tackle the menace through outright military incursion or negotiation. He can’t just ask people to flout the order and go their businesses when stories abound as to the consequences of the act. Most people have e in the past been summarily shot and killed. So it was not nice for the governor to ask the people to take such huge risk when there is no safety measures remotely or physically put in place,” a resident told The Boss.

While Anambra state governor, Prof Charles Soludo had during his swearing in on March 17, 2022 stated that every day that there was sit-at-home, the poor masses of the state lose as much as an estimated N19.6billion, the governor of Enugu said that state ‘loses N10 billion every Monday that people observed sit-at-home in the state, stressing that the trend was endangering the $30 billion GDP projection of his administration’.

Mba noted: “It should never be heard that we were cowed because of the threat of violence by these criminals”. He added “the poverty that will befall us for sitting at home will kill us even faster.

“We are losing over N10bn every Monday that we sit at home. Enough is enough. This foolishness must end and it must end now. We cannot marginalise ourselves and still complain of marginalisation.

“So, we must say no to sit-at-home because what it means is that we are destroying our employment, our economy, and our GDP. We must erase it from our memories. We should see it as our shameful past, which we do not want to remember. We must put it behind us and forge ahead, ensuring that we work every working day of the week.”

The abject poverty the exercise has bestowed on the people of the South East remains rather unquantifiable as it has encroached into the education of the pupils and students of the region.

In solidarity with Kanu’s reverse order, Enugu youths, on Saturday, stormed the streets in peaceful protest with inscribed placards reading: “Even Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is Against Sit-at-Home” and “Sit-at-Home Discourages Economic Progress”.

Others are: “We say NO to Enemies of our Dear State and region”; “Sit-at-Home Affects our Mental Health”; Sit-at-home is Affecting our Children Education” and “We Cannot Continue this Way” among others.

It is believed that compliance with the instruction of Nnamdi Kanu through the handwritten letter will bring about a boost in the economic activities of the region and ensure revenue turnover.

The way it stands, everyone in the South East is tired of the ‘illegal sit-at-home order’, and wishes a reverse. And with Kanu’s dissociation of himself from the act, it is now a between behind the South East regin and Simon Ekpa.

Featured

African Countries Working Against Air Peace, Allen Onyema Laments

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Eric

Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has lamented that African countries are frustrating his airline with exorbitant airport charges to prevent it operating seamlessly in the region.

He laid the accusation at the 48th Annual General Meeting and exhibition of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) in Lagos.

The airline chief, however, exonerated Ghana from the negative aero politics.

According to him, all other African countries where Air Peace operate, have continued to employ means of exorbitant airport charges to frustrate the private Nigerian flag carrier from operating into their market.

Onyema said while these African airlines operate flights into Nigeria without limitations, the reverse has been the case as their home countries write to Air Peace not to fly into their country.

He said whenever Air Peace challenged these negativity in court, the countries would reluctantly allow Air Peace to operate but afterwards use exorbitant airport charges to frustrate the airline.

He narrated: “It took us four years to get approval to fly into a West African country but their airline has been coming into Nigeria for many years. When we eventually started flying, they wanted to chase us away with exorbitant airport charges. They told us to pay $12,000 per landing. We cannot implement SAATM in a lopsided way and expect it to work.

“Some countries we fly into send us bills running into millions of euros. When we ask them how we incurred the bill, they won’t respond. We made payment and after making payment, they told us the account we paid into no longer exists and we need to make a fresh payment. I have never seen a country as welcoming as Nigeria but we are being stigmatised in other countries.”

He also disclosed that another African country asked Air Peace to pay 4 million euros as charges incurred, but when asked how they arrived at the charges, they got judgment to enforce the levy in a French court.

The Air Peace boss said the advantage Air Peace has over other airlines is that, it is flying people from other states in Nigeria to London via the Lagos airport, thereby saving passengers over N200,000 they would have paid on local destinations after arriving at Lagos airport.

“We studied to find out why Nigerian airlines failed on the London route, we know the issues and we addressed them. It is not totally the fault of Nigerian airlines. If I didn›t go to the media to expose what Gatwick and other airlines were doing to us, we would not have lasted on the Lagos-London route for two weeks,” he said.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, through his representative Hassan Tai Ejibunu, Director of Air Transport Management, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, said the theme of this year’s AGM and exhibition, “Unlocking Africa’s Economic Potential: Travel and Tourism as Catalyst for Intra-Africa Business, Investment and Trade,” is apt.

Keyamo said the theme is in sync with the visionary thought of African leaders to integrate and facilitate trade and investment among the 55 countries of the African Union and eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in the continent, through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He said the five-point agenda, which are in tandem with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinbu, are to “Ensure strict compliance with safety regulations and continuous upward movement of Nigeria’s rating by ICAO, support for the growth and sustenance of local businesses whilst holding them to the highest international standard in the aviation industry, improve infrastructures in the aviation industry, develop human capacity within the industry and Optimise revenue generation for the federal government.”

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Sunil Taldar Named Airtel Africa CEO to Retire As Ogunsanya Retires

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Eric

Airtel Africa Plc has named Sunil Taldar as the next Managing Director/CEO, disclosing the retirement of incumbent Chief Executive Officer, Olusegun “Segun” Ogunsanya, who is due to retire effective July 1, 2024.

Ogunsanya, who joined Airtel in 2012 and led the Nigeria Operations for nine years before becoming Group CEO in 2021, played a pivotal role in maintaining double-digit revenue growth and introducing innovative products across the African continent.

Building on his achievements as CEO, including the launch of the company’s first Sustainability Strategy, Ogunsanya will assume the role of the inaugural Chair of the Airtel Africa Charitable Foundation. The foundation, a separate legal entity independent of the Airtel Africa Group, will focus on digital inclusion, financial inclusion, access to education, and environmental protection.

Upon his retirement, Ogunsanya will provide advisory support to the Chairman, the Airtel Africa Board, and the CEO for a 12-month period. Simultaneously, Airtel Africa announced the appointment of Sunil Taldar as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer to succeed Ogunsanya. Taldar, who joined Airtel Africa in October 2023 as Director – Transformation, will begin the transition to the CEO role alongside Ogunsanya. Following a transition period, Taldar will be appointed to the Board as an Executive Director and assume the role of CEO on July 1, 2024. At that time, Ogunsanya will step down from the Board and retire from the Company.

“On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Segun Ogansanya for his commitment and significant contribution to Airtel Africa plc as Chief Executive and before that as Managing Director and CEO of Nigeria, our largest market in Africa.

“I am pleased Segun has agreed, following his retirement, to assume the new role as Chair of the Airtel Africa Charitable Foundation, where he will bring his visionary leadership to this new philanthropic initiative to advance development and prosperity across Africa. Segun will retire from the Board with our very best wishes and sincere appreciation for everything he has achieved.

“The Board is delighted to appoint Sunil Taldar as the Group’s next Chief Executive Officer. His industry experience, strategic vision, constant customer focus and proven record of delivery will enable him to deliver our strategic objectives and to lead the Group in the next stages of its development.
In respect of the transition period, Segun continues to lead the business very effectively as seen in our financial results. Given that Sunil Taldar has already joined the Group, we are confident that we will have an orderly leadership transition and handover of responsibilities.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Airtel Africa plc

It has been a privilege to spend over 12 years of my career at Airtel Africa and I am proud of what we have delivered for customers across Africa.

We continue to transform lives. Now is the right time for me to handover to a new leader who can build on Airtel Africa’s strengths and deliver on the significant opportunities ahead as I pursue my renewed interest in the empowerment of Africans through digital and financial inclusion in a different capacity beyond the boundaries of for-profit organizations. This has been my ambition after a successful career spanning over 35 years in Banking, FMCG and Telecommunications”.

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Midoil, Ikosi/Ejinrin Host Communities Set up Forum, Hold Inaugural Meeting

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

In a bid to actualise the setting up of a refinery to further enhance the production and distribution of petroleum in the country, and also facilitate the building of more affordable houses to bridge accommodation gap, Midoil Refining and Petrochemicals Company Limited, and its sister company, Serenecity, has inaugurated a forum with its host communities of Ejinrin, Sekungba, Arogbo, Ererufu, Mogo-Olowu, Lumodan, Ododugba, Agiden, and Jagirin.

The stakeholders, including Midoil and representatives of the host communities have since held their inaugural meeting at the Ererufu Community Townhall in Ikosi/Ejinrin Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, where matters of cordiality were raised and discussed.

Speaking to The Boss, the Executive Chairman of Midoil, Mrs. Elizabeth Omolara Akintonde (JP), said “The Forum was set up to promote cordial relationship between the management of Midoil Refining and Petrochemicals Company Limited and its host communities of Ejinrin, Sekungba, Arogbo, Ererufu, Mogo-Olowu, Lumodan, Ododugba, Agiden, and Jagirin.”

Addressing the communities, and other invited guests present, according to a statement by the Media and PR Consultant of Midoil, Mr. Gbenga Onayiga, and made available to The Boss, Chief (Mrs.) Akintonde noted that the Forum would provide a veritable platform for unfettered interaction with representatives of the communities and the company henceforth.

“This day, April 18, 2024, is quite remarkable for all of us as we hold our inaugural meeting to solidify our cordial relationship towards a common objective. This Forum will enable all concerned to deliberate on matters that will bring further developmental ideas and job creation to you, our Host Communities, Ikosi/Ejirin LCDA and Lagos State at large,” she said.

She reiterated the need for inclusivity in the planning and execution of the multi-billion Dollar project which would change the landscape of the area while appealing for the cooperation of all stakeholders.

According to Chief (Mrs.) Akintonde, “the Midoil 3 in 1 investments pursuant of its human capital development would provide massive employment and reduce poverty in Ikosi/Ejirin LCDA and Lagos State.

“In this light, we have directed contractors handling the Refinery and the Serenecity Construction Projects to patronize indigenes (in particular the women folks of the host communities) in the supply of basic building materials.”

The Midoil Chairman also promised to secure slots for youths from the host communities to pursue relevant technical courses at higher institutions of learning in Lagos State, to prepare them for absorption by the company when the Refinery commences production.

Introducing the contractors for the projects, Chief (Mrs.) Akintonde urged the community leaders to be good hosts to ensure a seamless and speedy execution of the landmark project.

The event also featured the inspection and familiarisation tour of the refinery location at Sekungba/Ejirin, with one of the stakeholders, UNILAG Consult, accompanied by security agencies and contractors that will be handling the fencing of the 364 hectares of land.

In attendance were Representatives of the major host communities led by their traditional rulers, including the Baale of Sekungba, Chief Solomon Omotayo; Baale of Arogbo, Chief Adesanya Oyenubi and Baale of Ererufu, Elder Gabriel Lawal.

The CEO of Gidi Real Estate Investment Limited, Mr Tobi Akerele, whose company is amongst the new investors in the Midoil 3 in 1 Investment Opportunities, other investors and stakeholders was also in attendance.

The company’s newly appointed Architect, CORNELIAN MELIRATE LIMITED led by its Senior Partner, Ms Jane O. Udoukpo, Midoil Legal Adviser, Harris-Isa, Omoloju & Co as well as the Legal Adviser of Ererufu, Arogbo and Sekungba communities, Barr T.A. Ogunlana were also present.

Others include friends of the company, Mrs Kofoworola Olowolagba and the Midoil Toastmaster, Mr Bennet Ogbeiwi.

Responding to the Chairman’s address, the communities’ youth leaders expressed confidence in the Midoil projects and the Board of Directors.

They pledged to give their utmost support to all consultants, contractors as well as keep the company in prayers at all times.

It would be recalled that on March 1, 2024, Midoil concluded the first phase of groundbreaking, involving Midoil Serenecity: A City Within a City.

Consequently, the 2nd Phase of Midoil 3 in 1 Investment, the Modular Refinery Ground Breaking & Foundation Laying ceremony for the fencing and Entrance Access of the Refinery Land will take place on July 12, 2024 at Ejinrin/Sekungba, Lagos State.

The purpose, according to Chief (Mrs.) Akintonde, is to stop the incessant sale and encroachment of the land by unscrupulous “Omo Onile.”

Incorporated in April, 2012, Midoil Refining and Petrochemicals Company Limited is poised to distinguish itself as a leading and reputable refining and petrochemicals company with the capacity of refining 100,000 barrels per day.