Ohanaeze: Igbo should forget Biafra

The Southeast should forget the agitation for Biafra, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said yesterday.
The Igbo should work towards the restructuring of Nigeria, their apex socio-cultural organisation said.
“We should forget Biafra and insist on restructuring. There is no Igbo person that is happy with the situation of things in Nigeria. We must seek peaceful ways of resolving the issues,” Ohanaeze President John Nwodo said.
He spoke in Umuahis during the inauguration of the state and local government executives of the Abia State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Nwodo said elders warned Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu against the manner he was going about his agitation for Biafra, but he did not listen.
To the Ohanaeze leader, restoration of Biafra was a tall order, given the constitutional roadblocks which, he said, will not be in the overall interest of Ndigbo in their socio-economic and political relationships with other Nigerians.
He said while youths were justified in expressing their anger at Ndigbo’s marginalisation in national affairs, Nwodo said they should moderate their actions and words. Hate speeches would not resolve any problem, Nwodo said.
The Ohaneze leader spoke of how elders told Kanu and his other IPOB members to tone down their words and desist from denigrating people and groups.
He also said Kanu was told that his insistence on Biafra and boycott of the November 18 election in Anambra State were not acceptable to Ndigbo, hence he should abandon his rigid position and join in the quest for restructuring.
Nwodo justified the proscription of IPOB by the Governors Forum, explaining that what the state chief executives did was to stop IPOB from engaging in its public activities that could spark fatal clashes with security agencies.
He said without the action taken by the governors of the Southeast, that the zone would still have been engulfed in bloodshed, adding that he would not sit by and allow the youth to be cut down prematurely.
Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said Nigeria and the world were passing through perilous times, hence the need to seek peace.
Ikpeazu said: “We believe in justice, equity and fairness. I believe in ‘live and let live’, as nobody delights in being oppressed.”
He advised Igbo youths to respect leaders and listen to advice of elders instead of embarking on agitation to express their frustration.
Ikpeazu said henceforth, youths and any Igbo person or group with grievances should complain to Ohaneze which is in a position to take the matter up with the appropriate authorities.
Abia State President of Ohaneze, Mr. Chimaobim Ajuzieogu said the organisation would “no longer sit on the fence; neither shall we continue to observe as spectators in the affairs that affect us”.
Ajuzieogu said the new leadership of Ohaneze in the state would strive hard to restore the value system of Ndigbo through massive media campaigns, adding that Nwodo should be praised for the “revivalist strategy” he had adopted.
Elder statesman Emmanuel Adaelu, who chaired  the occasion, called for unity among Ndigbo, saying that the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo should be recognised as the voice of the Igbo and no group should try to usurp that authority.
Nwodo also expressed dismay over the spate of hate speech on social media platforms by Igbo youths under the guise of agitating for Biafra.
He said making inciting speeches was capable of causing crisis which could lead to mass violence in the nation, adding that it was pertinent to respect constituted authorities.
Nwodo said the first hand experience that he had during the civil war had given him an understanding of the throes of war, adding that no nation had fought two wars and survived.
“There are 11.6 million Igbo people living in the North and it will be wise for Igbo people living in the South-East and elsewhere to put them into consideration while speaking or engaging in certain activities.
“I urge Igbo youths to desist from activities and comments  that could spark violence in the nation. At the moment what  Igbo people need to fight for is restructuring of  the nation.
“Ohanaeze is in an era of transparency. I assure you that we have not relented in speaking for the Igbo people,especially in the area of restructuring for the benefit of Igbo people.”

Gernot Rohr plans big surprise for Zambia

 • Chipolopolo sweat over ‘injured’ Mweene, Daka

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will not play same formation and style that helped them pick a win and a draw against Cameroun in their last World Cup 2018 Qualifiers against Zambia, reports owngoalnigeria.com.

Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr said during the team’s pre-match conference yesterday that Zambia would be in for a rude shock if they expected Nigeria to adopt the same formation that decimated Cameroun in the previous rounds.Victory will see Nigeria gain an unassailable 13 points, which will be good enough for them to progress to the World Cup as group winners with a game to spare‎.
The 4-0 win and 1-1 draw against Cameroon helped the Eagles to confirm their leadership of the group, but Rohr says they will change the formation that helped them in the games against Cameroon for obvious reasons.
“We know our style that helped us against Cameroun, and we would love to play the same style again, but we know it will be more difficult to do it against Zambia.

“They (Zambia) already know us and our style from the game against Cameroun. So we have to have a good preparation and also change tactics, also to be more dangerous and to be able to surprise them,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Zambia are sweating on the fitness of two of their key players after both players pulled out of their morning training session in Abuja at the astro turf of the FIFA goal project, package B of the National Stadium.

The Chipolopolo had their first training session in Abuja before heading to Uyo, the venue of Saturday’s game ‎against the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the race to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.Already, Zambia have been hard hit by injury ‎in the build up to the game and it got worse for them yesterday when first choice goalkeeper, Kennedy Mweene left the training session few minutes after it started, clutching onto his left thigh in agony.
Mweene apparently injured himself when he made a full length dive to save a shot during the team’s shooting practices, and the Mamelodi Sundowns shot stopper, who is only returning from injury had to watch the rest of the session from the sidelines.

The rave of the moment in Zambian football, Patson Daka was next to depart the session halfway as the Red Bull Salzburg forward ‎suffered what looked like a knee injury shortly after the team started light jogging.Daka was examined by the team doctor, and after a while had to resort to training alone as he did not look entirely comfortable to take part in the full scale contact training the rest of the team had.The degree of the injury suffered by the duo is still unknown as no member of the Chipolopolo team was willing to discuss the issue after training.

Buhari appoints Aishah Ahmad new CBN deputy governor

President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the name of Mrs. Aisha Ahmad to the Senate for confirmation as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
According to the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Ahmad is to replace Dr. Sarah Alade, the Deputy Governor, Economic Policy, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) who retired in March this year.

Alade once served as the acting Governor of the bank following the suspension of the former CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi, now the Emir of Kano.In accordance with the provisions of Section 8 (1) (2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) Act 2007, President Buhari urged the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to consider the expeditious confirmation of Ahmad, who would then resume work immediately.hmad, a seasoned banker, financial advisor is current Executive Director, Retail/Consumer Banking at Diamond Bank Plc.In the same vein, the President has written the Senate, seeking the confirmation of appointment of members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN.

They are to replace four members, whose tenure expires at the end of this year. The nominees are: Professor Adeola Festus Adenikinju; Dr. Aliyu Rafindadi Sanusi; Dr. Robert Chikwendu Asogwa and Dr. Asheikh A. Maidugu.After Senate clearance, the new members are to resume duties next January, Adesina said in a statement yesterday.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday asked the CBN to immediately remove the surcharge placed on commercial banks by the apex bank on destruction of old mutilated naira notes in the country.The lawmakers also directed that the CBN as a matter of statutory responsibility withdraw old and mutilated notes from circulation and re-issue new ones.

The members’ resolutions followed the consideration and adoption of a motion by Sergius Ogun (PDP, Edo), entitled, “call for removal of surcharge by the Central Bank of Nigeria on mutilated notes,” which was unanimously supported at plenary.
Leading debate on the motion, Ogun cited Section 20 of the CBN Act of 2007, which he said provided that “the currency notes and coins issued by the CBN shall be the approved medium of exchange, and as a result, should be accepted for all transactions in Nigeria.”
He lamented the action of the apex bank, which either refused to accept worn out notes from commercial banks, or expects them to pay fees for their replacement.

Ogun said in the past, “such notes were replaced by commercial banks, but now, the banks routinely reject torn, defaced and mutilated Notes which customers bring for deposits.”‎
He further argued that despite the regulatory position of the CBN, it has consistently rejected the notes.Ogun worried that the continued circulation of worn out, dirty and mutilated Notes called for concern, thereby heightening the need for close investigation and constant monitoring of the process of destruction of the notes.

The motion was passed and referred to the House Committee on Banking and Currency to liaise with the CBN to harness the modalities for handling, returning and destroying damaged and mutilated Notes and report back within eight weeks for further legislative action.

Hyundai consistently ranked among world’s top-valued brands

•  Named in top-40 most valuable brands for three years by Interbrand
• Global brand value reaches US $13.2 billion, up 5.1% year-on-year
• Result reflects increased product competitiveness and defined blueprint for future mobility

 
Hyundai has maintained its position as one of the world’s 40 most valuable brands for the third year in a row, according to the latest Best Global Brands report from respected international consultancy Interbrand.

 The carmaker retained its place as the world’s 35th most valuable brand and sixth most valuable automotive brand, despite challenging conditions in many global markets. Interbrand’s rankings are calculated using companies’ financial balance sheets combined with marketing activities, while also reflecting each brand’s potential profit.

The analysis assessed Hyundai’s brand value as growing to US $13.2 billion for 2017 - a 5.1% increase on the previous year. The ranking comes after Hyundai sold 4.86 million units annually worldwide, and places the Hyundai name above Audi, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Porsche.

This follows a period of exponential growth for South Korea’s leading automotive manufacturer that has seen a fourfold increase in brand value since 2005, rising from US $3.5 billion to its current record value.

 “Hyundai Motor aims to be a lifestyle brand rather than simply an automotive brand, so we are building on our ‘Modern Premium’ brand direction and moving into new automotive spaces that allow people to experience our brand value at every touchpoint,” said Wonhong Cho, Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company.

 “Our brand philosophy and blueprint for future mobility has resulted in the rise of our brand value and, in addition to quality, technology and price, our creativity and innovation will lead us to achieve sustainable brand growth in the future.”The ranking is based on a combination of attributes, each contributing to a brand’s cumulative value.

These include financial performance of branded products and services, the role the brand plays in influencing customer choice, and the strength of the brand in commanding a premium price or securing earnings for the company. 

 “A key element of Hyundai Motor’s sustainable growth in brand value was its ongoing commitment to the development of its vision for ‘Future Mobility’, in spite of tough market conditions,” said Mike Rocha, Global Director of Brand Valuation for Interbrand.

“Hyundai Motor is working incredibly hard to realize its vision for Future Mobility by developing affordable autonomous driving technology and connectivity for everyone, under its brand direction, ‘Modern Premium’.” In addition to maintaining its reputation for the highest quality, Hyundai also strengthened its global product portfolio, including the new-generation Azera and significant upgrades to the Sonata, both available in Africa and the Middle East and featuring the latest evolution of Hyundai’s unified design language.

Internationally, the company unveiled the Kona premium compact SUV and the i30N, the first model of the company’s high-performance N lineup.

The i30N draws on Hyundai’s involvement in motorsport, in addition to demonstrating its desire to put thrilling driver experiences at the heart of new car development. In outlining its future direction, during the past year Hyundai also set out its blueprint to move into new automotive spaces, which incorporates the launch of 15 eco-friendly vehicles by 2020.

The company is also advancing its research into affordable autonomous driving and connectivity technologies, through its future-focused Project IONIQ and open-innovation collaborations with external parties. “Hyundai is adding excitement to our brand, both for the products we have now and for those we will be bringing to the market in the future,” said Hyundai’s Head of Operations for Africa and the Middle East, Mike Song. “We are well-established as a dependable brand, and the increasing value of our name shows that we are also transformed into a desirable brand.” 

The annual Interbrand Best Global Brands report identifies the 100 most valuable global brands, analyzing the ways in which the strength of a brand benefits organizations, from delivering on customer expectations to driving greater economic value.Beyond its innovations in new products, Hyundai continues to grow its brand identity through high-profile marketing campaigns. These include long-term sponsorships of major art installations at the Tate Modern in London, and at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and also the opening of an interactive brand experience at the Hyundai Motorstudio in Goyang, South Korea.



Other initiatives included ‘Shackleton’s Return’, a campaign following the grandson of legendary polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, as he explored Antarctica with a standard 2.2-litre diesel Santa Fe. Within two months of launching, the campaign exceeded 140 million views on YouTube, the highest number of views for an automotive campaign. In the United States, a promotion for the American football Super Bowl showed military personnel stationed in Poland experiencing the match with their families at home, using satellite technology and 360-degree immersive pods to transport them to the stadium. A video of the initiative attracted more than 41 million views.

Sex In High Places: IGP Is A Randy Man, Impregnates Junior Female Officer, Dating Another – Senator Misau

Wednesday turned the heat on Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris exposing how he allegedly impregnated a female Police Officer and married her secretly in Kaduna.

Misau said the IGP married the Police Officer whose name he simply gave as (DSP Esther) when the female officer became 4 months pregnant for him.

Misau said the Police Chief was neck deep in another affair with another female Police Officer, (Amina) just about the same time.

Misua made the allegation on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday when he gave explanations about what transpired between him and the IGP while Senate was on recess.
Misha told his colleagues that the IGP attacked his person and that of his father who retired as
Assistant Inspector General because he dared to expose the massive corruption that was going on under the watch of the IGP.


Misua exposed how the Police generate huge revenue in form of special duties and deployment of officers to oil companies, banks and even to private individuals.

He also exposed how officers are forced to give bribe with as much as N2.5 million for promotion; accusing the IGP of favouring his those close to him especially his “women” with “plum” appointments and transfers.

He said it is against Police Act for the IGP to engage in illicit affairs with female officers and even getting married to one while in service.Misua also accused the IGP of illegally diverting funds meant for the purchase of Armoured Personal Carriers.

He said instead of buying 8 (APC ), Idris diverted the money to buy for himself luxury vehicles.
On his discharge from the Police, Misau said his exit from the police was properly processed and document with the Police Service Commission.

The Police had labelled him a “deserter” a tag, Misau said shows the IGP has no knowledge of the workings of the police institution.
Senate refers the matter to two Ad-hoc committees.

One to examine the issues of ethics as it relates to the disengagement of Misau from the Police, the other to investigate allegation of corruption and misappropriation of funds in the Police.
Source-City Rovers

Prince Bolu Akin-Olugbade Honoured

For some wealthy Nigerians, the usefulness of their huge wealth lies in keeping money in their pockets or splashing it on the most expensive things money can buy. 

Not so Prince Bolu Akin-Olugbade. For Aare Kankanfo of Owu Kingdom, money is not just a ticket to a life of opulence and comfort, it is also the key to unlock the gates of hope for the poor and the downtrodden. 

In the South West region in particular, Akin-Olugbade  is more like a deity because of his kind and generous nature which has left an indelible mark in the minds of many indigent people in the region who have at one time or the other benefited from his humanitarian gestures. 

On account of his generosity towards needy people, he was last week honoured with Philanthropist personality of The Year Award by Leadership Excellence Awards (LEA) 2017, the initiative of Association of Online Publishers, recognising outstanding Nigerians in their respective choosen career and  their human kindness to the society, Akin-Olugbade adjudged the award , setting the stage for his emergence as the Leadership Excellence's  Philanthropy of the year. Receiving the award, the celebrated billionaire thanked the organizers of the award for the honor done on him, bestowing such a prestigious award.

Baru: A Reporter'S Nightmare

Since he was appointed Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on July 4, last year, Dr. Maikanti Baru has been a nightmare to reporters.

He neither grants interviews nor takes reporters’ questions at events or after delivering lectures – the few occassions when he meets face-to-face with reporters.
He also does not give his telephone number(s) to reporters.

A few months ago, the NNPC refuirbished tanks and he was in Lagos to inaugurate them.

On such an ordinarily happy occasion, when they thought he would be disposed to speaking, the reporters’ attempt to ask him some questions was rebuffed.

It is not unusual for security men to form a ring around the NNPC GMD immediately after finishing his lecture delivery and after an address to visitors at the NNPC headquarters in Abuja.

Baru rose through the ranks in the NNPC to become an Executive Director before his appointment as GMD to replace Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who blew the whistle on his activities with his August 30 letter to
President Muhammadu Buhari.
That was the situation at the time the minster’s letter found its way to the media on Tuesday.
Since that time, it has been virtually impossible to reach Baru, a PhD holder and First Class Mechanical Engineering graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to speak on the matter.