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Chartered Insurance Institute Elects Funmi Babington-Ashaye President

Ashaye picThe Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has elected Mrs. Funmi Babington-Ashaye as its 48th President. The new President, a former Managing Director of Cornerstone Insurance and NICON, is the sixth female president of the Institute.
A statement from the Institute said that the investiture of the new President comes up on Tuesday, July 25 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The statement said that she is an accomplished practitioner and seasoned underwriter with over 30 years cognate experience in the insurance industry.
It said that Mrs. Babington-Ashaye started her insurance career with Royal Exchange Assurance Plc as an Insurance Superintendent in 1987 and later joined Cornerstone Insurance PLC as a pioneer staff in 1991.
It said that through dint of hardwork and exceptional performance, she rose through the ranks and became the MD/CEO of the company within fifteen years. In that capacity, she brought her wealth of experience and creativity to bear on the performance of the company, which easily became the reference point in the industry. Through her sterling leadership qualities, she grew the turnover of the company by over 80 percent within one year and also successfully recapitalised the company.
In appreciation of her invaluable wealth of experience, professional acumen and visionary leadership, she was appointed interim Managing Director of NICON Insurance PLC by the Federal Government to assist in re-engineering the company to a going concern status pending the resolution of the impasse between the insurance industry, the regulator (National Insurance Commission) and the core investor. At the end of her tenure, the FGN specially commended her performance and indeed, offered to retain her as the substantive MD/CEO but she politely declined.
She is described as winner of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London’s JC Lepine Prize Award and that she is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute, London and Nigeria. She is also a Fellow of Chartered Insurance Brokers and Institute of Directors, Nigeria.
Author of a book titled Insurance in Practice: All You Need to Know about Insurance in Nigeria, Mrs Babington-Ashaye is the Founder, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Risk Analyst Insurance Brokers Limited.
The statement said that Mrs Babington-Ashaye promised to reposition the insurance industry during her tenure. “During my tenure, I plan to rededicate myself to the creation of the required awareness that would re-position Insurance through education and public enlightenment.”[myad]

As Publisher, Horatius Turns 50

birthday
Publisher of Frontiernews, an online newspaper, based in Abuja, celebrated his 50th birthday today, July 19. He posed for a photo shop with friends in the Federal Executive Council (FEC). From right: Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on media and publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari; Ibe Kachikwu, minister of State for Petroleum Resources; Dr. Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment; the celebrant, Horatius Eguah; Alhaji Lai Mohammed, information minister and Zainab Shamsunna Ahmed, minister of State for Budget and National Planning cutting a birthday cake.[myad]

Nigeria Will Grow Out Of Importation Of Fuel By 2019 – Petroleum Minister

Minister of Petrolium, Ibe Kachikwu
Minister of Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu has said that he had set a time-line to get Nigeria out of importation of fuel by the year 2019.
He said that by that time, the refineries will be fully working.
The minister, who fielded questions from news men shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting today, Wednesday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said that a steering committee had already been put in place, with him heading it to drive the time-line.
According to Kachikwu, there is a technical committee team already set up headed by chief operating officer in NNPC, adding: “we have had series of meetings with individuals who are willing to put money into the refineries.
“I need to state this clearly: this is not a sale; this is not a concession, this is a financing scheme and there are over 30 people who have indicated interest in that financing.
“They are going to go through the usual due process mechanism to see who qualifies for that financing.
“What we have resolved however, which we have at least have a landing, is that each of the refineries would be repaired by the individual company that built the refinery.
“Who does the work is different from who does the finance of the work to be done. We are still dialoguing with who is going to get the financing opportunity but who is going to get the contracting opportunity to do the work is already decided.
“If you check the companies that built, I think is Chioda in the North and Saitem in Warri, if I’m not mistaken. I have forgotten the one in Port Harcourt but all of them have reached agreement with us in terms of willingness and readiness to do the work.” Kachikwu said that the government is not putting money into this arrangement which he said, is going to be sector led effort.
He said that the financiers are expected to recover their money through incremental volumes that will arise from the production increase, arising from the repairs.
“We are doing about 30 percent performances on most refineries now, so if you get them to above 90 percent template, we are going to use some of the product line to pay for some of the debts and free ourselves from the importation problems.”
The minister said that all the repairs of the refineries today do not cover all our consumption even as he said that the government is banking on the fact that some level of efficiency and upgrade will increase the refineries capacity. “We are banking on the fact that efficiency steps we are taking will reduce the consumption. We have gone from the 50 million liter per day when I resumed office down to today that is about 28 million liters per day.
“So, obviously, efficiency has wiped off smuggling; efficiency has reduced consumption and also whatever gains we made under the subsidy regime by taking the subsidy out has taken out. So if we are reducing the level of consumption and increasing the efficiency of the refineries, we are hoping that we will be able to exit importation completely.
“And this is not building in Dangote refinery that is 165,000 barrel cap on it, or the modular refineries we are looking at or the AGIP we are looking at.
“So I think we are finally on course and we are going to be very aggressive on target.”[myad]

NLC, TUC Are Yet To Send Representatives To Minimum Wage Committee – Labour Minister

Minister of Labour and employment, Chris Ngigi
Minister of Labour and employment, Chris Ngigi

Labour and Employment minister, Dr. Chris Ngige has said that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are yet to send their representatives to the recently constituted committee to work on proper minimum wage for the civil servants.
The minister, who briefed news men today on the outcome of deliberations at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, named other groups that had not sent their representatives. As Nigeria Employers Consultative Assembly, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA),  Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.(NACCIMA) as well as Small and Medium Scale Industry Association  (SMSIA).
The minimum wage committee was set up in May this year, with its secretariat domiciled at the National Council for Salaries and Wages Commission.
Dr. Ngige said that the committee had him, the minister of labour and employment as deputy chairman of the committee even as ministers of finance and that of budget and national planning as members.
“The only appointee which is being awaited now is the chairman and we have concluded the process for the nomination. We are waiting for the requisite approval.
“The labour centers that is NLC and TUC are yet to bring their nomination, that is on the workers side.
“These groups will give us  nominations so we are  waiting. Once these nominations are in place the president will now inaugurate the committee.”
The labour minister said that the labour laws are clear and that such laws seek to protect both the workers and the employers.
“You don’t sleep on your right. When you know what is there, that your worker cannot take you for granted provided you also conform to the law. You cannot lock them out and if you do, the law says you pay them for the period of lock out. They too cannot take the law into their hands and embark on strike without giving you the mandatory notice: due consideration and social dialogue with you internally, second level with the ministry of labour and employment and third level is the issue of giving you notice.”[myad]

I Jumped Fence Into Another Person’s Room, Drunken Man Confesses

Suspected kidnapper,
Suspected kidnapper, Idama Endurance

A 31 year old trader, Idama Endurance, accused of kidnapping a six-month old baby girl in Oshodi area of Lagos, has said that he was drunk from a party he attended, jumped over the fence of the compound into the room of the neighbour at 12.00 midnight, but that he did not kidnap the baby.
Idama Endurance from Obiakuruku area of Delta State was picked up by the operatives of the Lagos State Task Force for allegedly kidnapping the baby.
The Chairman of the Task Force, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi said that the suspect would have been lynched, if it were not the quick intervention of his men who were on duty.
Egbeyemi said that preliminary investigations conducted by the agency revealed that the suspect who lives in the same compound with the mother of the child, illegally entered the woman’s room at mid-night.
The chairman said that the suspect would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos for further investigations on the directives of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni.
The mother of the alleged kidnapped baby, 29 year old Mrs. Banke Akinyemi, said that the suspect came into her room around mid-night while she was asleep and took her baby besides her.
She claimed that it was the cried of her baby that woke her up and that the suspect immediately dumped the baby and ran outside.
Akinyemi, who hailed from Ejigbo in Osun State said it was her mother who lives with her and other neighbours within the compound who quickly woke up and apprehended him.
“If not for the intervention of the operatives of the Lagos State Task Force who were on a mid-night patrol, the man would have been lynched.”
However, the alleged kidnapper admitted that he drunk from a birthday party which he attended the previous night and that when he got home at mid-night he had to scale the gate as he could not locate the gate key.
“It was after I jumped the gate that I entered into their room looking for a key to the gate as their door was not locked.
“Since I moved into the compound a year ago, I have been eyeing the mother of the child and when our landlady told me she was two months old pregnant then I immediately stayed off.”
Endurance, who claimed to be trading on ‘linen clothing’ materials at Kairo Market at Oshodi, confirmed that other neighbours within the compound and passers-by had started beating him and calling him ‘kidnapper’ before the arrival of the operatives of the Lagos State Task Force.
The landlady, Mrs. Johnson Esther said she was surprised when the matter was reported to her.
She claimed the activities of the suspect looked suspicious as he normally come home late and usually jumped the gate to enter the compound most times.[myad]

How To Resuscitate 2 Nigerian Sleeping Giants, By Prince E. O. Omadivi

Omadivi

My intention was to urge President Muhammadu Buhari when he was sworn in on May 29, 2015 to bring back two National Assets which were strategic to Nigeria as a nation but the president beat me to it when he announced the resuscitation of our national carrier: the Nigeria Airways.
I will not therefore delve much into that area. But it has to be noted that serious countries desiring to maintain internal and external security will not leave this area to all-comers.
My attention is therefore focused on National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria (NICON), a statutory Corporation set up in 1969 pursuant to the promulgation of the National Insurance decree No. 22 of 1969, later cited as National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria Act (cap.263) LFN 1990 with a loan of 2million pounds, which was repaid in 1971. The Corporation did not take any subvention or capital vote from Government. Rather, it relied solely on Premium Income and Investment from the public and private sectors of the economy.
Based on the UNCTAD report in 1969, it emphasized the need for a strong national company that would among other things, stop the outflow of foreign exchange and pool resources in a company that would be beneficial to the Federal Government.  In a foreword by the late maximum military leader Gen. Sani Abacha  to a book titled: NICON at 25, published in 1994, he stated among other things that “…NICON Insurance, founded in 1969, has grown into the biggest, most outstanding and most reliable Insurance Company in the country and possibly on the African continent, with a reputation based on service and performance.”
As a government company then, NICON assisted government to set up banks, hotels and real estate development. Worthy of mention are Niger Insurance  Plc, Inland Containers Ltd., NICON Hotels Ltd. (owners of the then  prestigious NICON NOGA Hilton Hotel), NICON Trustees  Ltd., National Properties Ltd. and Daily Times of Nigeria (this was held in trust by NICON for government).
In fact, NICON Insurance was instrumental to the smooth movement of seat of government from Lagos to Abuja with the NICON NOGA Hilton Hotel serving as safe haven to Civil Servants and others in 1991.
SALE OF THE INSURANCE GIANT
Whatever may have informed the sale of government assets including the strategic ones, can today be seen as a selfish arrangement. Cronies of government were given these assets for peanuts with allegations that some like NICON, were never paid for.
Although there is a school of thought which believes that government has no business in business, the privatization of NICON, whose midwife was Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) was equally questioned by good spirited Nigerians including the then Yahaya Kwande – led Board of the Company. They based their arguments on the fact that the government company was doing well especially in the areas of assisting the growth of the economy and serving as a huge employer of labour. The proponents also believed that what should have been privatized were the companies that were not doing well. Why, for example, was the Nigeria Railways not privatized? There is no doubt that Insurance is also about reinsurance and it was risky leaving the big assets of government in the hands of small private insurance companies whose asset base put together could not stand that of NICON before its sale All said and done, this hitherto insurance giant which had offices and other property dotted all over Nigeria, big asset base, office in UK and huge investments scattered all over the country, was ‘dashed’ to a core investor whose role in the sale was questionable. The Corporation’s foreign account in UK alone was almost sufficient to pay for the sale by the new investor.
The NICON of the ‘60s, which ended up in the hands of a controversial individual in 2006 is no longer playing the role it was initially set up to perform. Some people now see the once-upon-a-time Insurance giant as a ghost of its old self. And predictably, in a short while, the NICON plaza which represents the company in Abuja and Nigeria will be converted to an hotel.
People who had argued in the past that NICON Insurance was a monopoly did not quite appreciate the meaning of the word. NICON was not a monopoly, rather, a captive market of its owners, the Federal Government, just as the old Great Nigeria, Royal Exchange, Prestige and UNIC.
REVSITING THE SALE OF NICON
While I will not advocate a probe of all government assets “dashed out” as privatized, the case of NICON Insurance has become imperative. The probe should look at how BPE sold NICON without first repealing the act that set it up, the shady sale and more importantly, the balkanization of the Corporation through a dubious unbundling of its assets and the trapped 2.3billion naira staff pension fund in the coffers of the new investor. These and many more are well-known to BPE and their conspirators.
Resuscitating NICON may not necessarily mean giving the same name to the new company. Once the sale is revisited, the Federal Government should set in motion the establishment of another state Insurance Company. This becomes necessary where the old NICON cannot be returned to its original owners. There is not a serious country that will allow its strategic assets to remain unsecured. France and many other countries still maintain state Insurance Companies.
The pathetic plight of former NICON staff, who toiled to make the Corporation what it was pre-privatization, is yet another cup of tea for the Federal Government. They were paid off in 2006 and their entitlements, regarded as shortfalls, are yet to be paid after 11 years of Privatization. Some have died while those still alive and pensionable are not on monthly pension.
It is gladdening to note that the present government is working assiduously to ensure that pension arrears are settled once and for all. It is in this light that we commend PTAD for trying to remove the heap of rubbish left by the dubious BPE and do the needful. Some of the former BPE Chief Executives need to be brought to book for their roles in the shady sales of some government assets, including NICON Insurance. Time shall tell as we wait eagerly for the resuscitation of the two sleeping giants.

Prince Omadivi Emman, a PR & Advert consultant wrote from Abuja.[myad]

Edo Governor Throws Up Benin Specialist Hospital For Privatisation

Obaseki GodwinEdo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki said his administration has resolved to privatize the Specialist Hospital in Benin City to provide world class healthcare services.
According to the governor, the privatization of the hospital will put it at par with the best hospitals in the world and will serve the healthcare needs of Nigerians who ordinarily would have travelled abroad for such services.
He said that the logic of his administration is to woo those who have the resources to travel abroad for treatment to Edo State, for standard healthcare services instead of travelling abroad.
He added that the accruing resources from the medical tourists will be channeled to provide affordable healthcare services for the ordinary Edo people across the state.
He made this position known during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Edo State Government and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) which will provide over two million treated mosquito nets for Edo citizens.
The governor added that many people suffer from malarial compared to renal failure and stressed that primary healthcare is key to improved health of the people.
“We are going to invest massively in our primary healthcare system,” the governor assured.
Obaseki said the MoU was important as it emphasizes what the administration stands for and it’s the beginning of cooperation between his administration and the CRS and other donor bodies in providing affordable healthcare for the people of Edo State.
He said that his administration places high premium on the healthcare of the people, which explains why he appointed the Deputy Governor Hon. Philp Shaibu to head the Edo State Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Net Campaign Committee.
“I hope we will make history by emerging the first state in the country to totally eliminate malaria. Our counterpart fund is available and we are working round the clock to ensure that the time line we set for ourselves for the rollout which is  August 20, this year is met” Obaseki said.
The leader of the team for CRS, Dr. Ikhimioya Uchechuku commended the governor for the collaboration and expressed their readiness to work with the Godwin Obaseki-led administration to ensure that malaria is a thing of the past in Edo State.
The high point of the event was the signing of the MoU. Dr. Ikhimioya Uchechuku signed for CRS while the Secretary to Edo State Government Barr. Osarodion Ogie Signed for Edo State Government.[myad]

Angry Kogi Governor Sacks Academic Union In State-Owned University, Put Security At Alert

Gov Yahaya Bello
Gov Yahaya Bello

The Kogi state government has sacked the state chapter of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) to bring to an end, the union’s seven-month old strike action despite that the government had met 90 percent of its demands..
The governor, who announced the prescription of the academic union today, Wednesday at an emergency State Executive Council (SECOND) meeting, said: “throughout last week, I undertook a tour of the tertiary institutions in Kogi State, with a view to having first- hand information about the problems in the schools. But while others have since resumed, lecturers in Kogi State University have refused to call off their strike.
“As a government, we have fulfilled over 90 percent of their demand and have even gone a step further to pay all outstanding salaries of both cleared and uncleared staff including those that had committed one crime or the other.”
The governor therefore, directed the school management to treat ASUU members who do not resume work immediately as indicating their resignation and for to commence the process of hiring new staff.
He also directed the security agencies in the state to be vigilant and be proactive in preventing any possible breakdown of law and order as result of this decision.
“All law enforcement and security agencies in Kogi State are hereby directed to remain vigilant as usual and be proactive in preventing any breakdown of law and order in any part of Kogi State, whether consequent on this proclamation, or for any reason whatsoever.”[myad]

Taleveras Frowns At Misleading Online Publications, Says We Adhere To International Standards

Talevera legal group Achadu Attah

Taleveras legal team has picked quarrel with what it called ‘misleading online publications’ relating to a case against Atlantic Drilling Fluids, saying that the legal case is not against Taleveras or Igho Sanomi.

“Some of these publications are misleading, grossly inaccurate, and it is thus proper to set the record straight.”

In a statement today, Tuesday, the legal team said that one of its core activities since 2000 is sourcing, trading and engaging in third party contracts, including oil and gas upstream operations.

The statement said that due to its capacity, trading expertise and financial strength, Taleveras had continued to source and engage in procuring third party oil contracts.

“Taleveras performs on these contracts handling the physical delivery, risk management and logistics from start point to its numerous first class end users and major refiners. This process involves verification of the contracts with the issuing authority to authenticate and further compliance with our lending banks internal due diligence processes.

“This is no different from International trading standards performed by the numerous international and major oil and gas companies operating in Nigeria.

“As it relates to the US department case against Atlantic drilling fluids, please note that Taleveras and the other two major oil trading houses, were not faulted for embarking on a legitimate transaction, as all payments were made based on legitimate third party contracts with private companies and not NNPC.”

The statement stressed that the ultimate aim of contracting is to off-take crude oil from asset productions, adding that neither Taleveras nor its associated companies lifted any oil from this production.

It explained that terms of the agreement were breached and hence a legal dispute and appropriate filings made in respected court of jurisdiction, saying that from now, they would refrain from making further comments. [myad]

Finance Ministry Releases Over N243 Billion Paris Club Refund To 36 States, FCT

Kemi Adeosun
Kemi Adeosun

Nigeria ministry of Finance has announced the release of the sum of  N243, 795,465,195.20 Paris Club refund to 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This is another tranche of Paris Club refund which represents over-deductions on Paris Club, London Club Loans and Multilateral debts on the accounts of States and Local Governments from 1995-2002.

A statement from the ministry said that the payments were made to the states and FCT after the President had approval it on May 4, 2017.

Breakdown of the payment showed that Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Kano and Rivers states received the largest disbursements of N10 billion each.

The statement said that this second tranche of Paris Club refunds is a “partial settlement of long-standing claims by State Governments relating to over-deductions from their Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocation for external debt service arising between 1995 and 2002.”

The statement added that Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun explained that these debt service deductions were in respect of the Paris Club, London Club and Multilateral debts of the federal and State governments.

Adeosun was quoted as saying: “while Nigeria reached a final agreement for debt relief with the Paris Club in October 2005, some States had already been overcharged.”

The funds were released to State Governments as part of the wider efforts to stimulate the economy and were specifically designed to support states in meeting salary and other obligations, thereby alleviating the challenges faced by workers.

According to the ministry, the releases were conditional upon a minimum of 75 per cent being applied to the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions for States that owe salaries and pension.

The ministry said that it is reviewing the impact of these releases on the level of arrears owed by State Governments, saying that a detailed report is being compiled for presentation to the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, as part of the process for approval for the release of any subsequent tranches.
The disbursements are contained in the table below:

S/NSTATEAMOUNT PAYABLE (NGN)
1ABIA5,715,765,871.48
2ADAMAWA6,114,300,352.68
3AKWA-IBOM10,000,000,000.00
4ANAMBRA6,121,656,702.34
5BAUCHI6,877,776,561.25
6BAYELSA10,000,000,000.00
7BENUE6,854,671,749.25
8BORNO7,340,934,865.32
9CROSS RIVER6,075,343,946.93
10DELTA10,000,000,000.00
11EBONYI4,508,083,379.98
12EDO6,091,126,592.49
13EKITI4,772,836,647.08
14ENUGU5,361,789,409.66
15GOMBE4,472,877,698.19
16IMO7,000,805,182.97
17JIGAWA7,107,666,706.76
18KADUNA7,721,729,227.55
19KANO10,000,000,000.00
20KATSINA8,202,130,909.85
21KEBBI5,977,499,491.45
22KOGI6,027,727,595.80
23KWARA5,120,644,326.57
24LAGOS8,371,938,133.11
25NASARAWA4,551,049,171.12
26NIGER7,210,793,154.95
27OGUN5,739,374,694.46
28ONDO7,003,648,314.28
29OSUN6,314,106,340.62
30OYO7,901,609,864.25
31PLATEAU5,644,079,055.41
32RIVERS10,000,000,000.00
33SOKOTO6,441,128,546.76
34TARABA5,612,014,491.52
35YOBE5,413,103,116.59
36ZAMFARA5,442,385,594.49
37FCT684,867,500.04
TOTAL243,795,465,195.20

[myad]

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