Uduaghan honours Okagbare as Delta Youths' Ambassador, rewards her with N2.5m

Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta on Friday honoured Blessing Okabare as the state's Youths' Ambassador, for making the country proud at the 14th IAAF World Athletics Championships.

The championships held in Moscow, Russia, from Aug. 10 to Aug. 18.

Uduaghan also announced a N2.5 million cash reward to the athlete and an annual $120,000 training grant to her for the next three years, ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Okagbare won Silver and Bronze medals in long jump and the 200 metres, respectively, at the championships.

The governor also announced that the state government would reward the athlete with parcels of land in Asaba, the state capital.

Daniel Esebiminor, the coach who discovered her, and Gabriel Okon, the athlete's coach at the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), got cash rewards of N2 million each.

The governor also announced a $20,000 reward for Okagbare's international coach, John Smith, for his role in her success at the games.

He noted that youths in the state were talented in sports, adding that if well harnessed, could earn them an income and also make the state proud.

Uduaghan tasked the state's Sports Commission to intensify efforts and identify at least three athletes, to be trained for the 2016 Olympics.

He thanked President Jonathan for honouring the athlete, and commended the AFN, the state Sports Commission and all others, for their roles in bringing her to the limelight and international recognition.

Earlier, the Chairman of the state's Sports Commission, Mr Amaju Pinnick, thanked the governor for establishing the commission and empowering it to develop sports in the state.

He attributed the successes achieved in the area of sports in the state to the governor's commitment to sporting activities.

Pinnick assured the governor that new talents were being discovered in the state, adding that other younger athletes had started recording successes in both national and international engagements.

Also speaking, Chief Solomon Ogba, President, AFN, said that Uduaghan had played a vital role in the development of sports in the state, noting that Delta had been excelling in sports.

'When you took over Okagbare, the story of her life changed. For 14 years, Nigeria never won anything at such championships.

'The laurels won by Okagbare have today put Nigeria in the 19th position on the medals table in the world,'' he said.

In her response, Okagbare, who sobbed while reading her address, thanked the state governor and all who played vital roles in her success.

She appealed to the Federal and State Governments to make more efforts toward developing facilities for the training of athletes in the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan announced cash rewards of N3 million and N3.5 million for Okagbare and her coach,  Esebiminor, respectively, in Abuja on Wednesday.

The president added that the athlete and her coach would also to be conferred with national honours, later in the year.

Buhari Blasts PDP Over Corruption and Insecurity

The ruling PDP and former head of state General Muhammdu Buhari yesterday engaged in a war of words over corruption and insecurity in the country.

While Buahri slammed the ruling party, saying it had worsened the suffering of Nigerians through acts of corruption and insecurity, the PDP replied that the former military leader had lost touch with contemporary politics. The party asked if Buhari was still in politics.

General Buhari, who spoke at his Kaduna office while receiving members of the Buhari Vanguard on a courtesy visit, said the opposition parties have to come together to rescue Nigeria from the PDP.

He said: 'Since 2005, we realized that the only way we can stabilise the system is for the opposition parties that have representation in the legislature, either at the state or federal level, to come together and face PDP, because the PDP has no intention of social justice, PDP has no intention of accountability. PDP is not interested in security.'

General Buhari, who lamented the infrastructural decay under the ruling PDP, asked Nigerians, 'What was the position of Nigeria before 1999 and what is it now — when PDP assumed command in terms of security, infrastructure, other social services led by education, health care, drinking water. What it was then, what is it now and what have we earned, where is the money?'

'It is on this we realized that it is important that we come together and face the PDP. But all these efforts will be an exercise in futility if we don't ensure that election is free and fair,' he said.

But the ruling PDP chided the former leader for misinforming Nigerians in order to achieve 'his decaying presidential lust'.

The national publicity secretary of the PDP who reacted to Buhari's comment said: 'The first question I ask is this: is Buhari still in politics? I thought the man has retired from politics. Anyway, he is not important in the scheme of today's politics because he has lost his bearing, maybe due to his decaying presidential lust and desire.

'We wish the former military leader desires to toe the path of honour by quietly disengaging from politics for the younger ones who have kept faith with the nation's movement to the next level rather than still allowing himself to be used in a party that is grappling with ethnic and religious togas. Such a man who is oblivious of the performance of the present PDP-led administration in the country does not deserve a lengthy response,' Metuh said.


My life is under threat, says PDP candidate who rejected victory

The councillorship candidate of the PDP in Shawo South-West ward in Offa local government area of Kwara State, Mr Afolabi Jimoh Olawole, who rejected the victory attributed to him following the recent rerun in the local government yesterday disclosed that his life has been under threats.

Mr Afolabi, who was declared the winner of the ward election by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission in the election, surprised the public when he declared that he was not the winner.

The PDP candidate, who was honoured with an award by a group of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari supporters known as 'Buhari Vanguard' at the general's office in Kaduna, said he rejected the declaration to save his conscience.

Mr Afolabi, who spoke to newsmen through his associate, Barr. Abdulkarim Mohammed Alabi, said he had been receiving threat messages from different quotas ever since he rejected the offer.

'Yes, I can confirm to you that between then and now, Mr Afolabi has been receiving several text messages from different quotas, in respect of his courageous denouncement of the electoral robbery that happened in Offa,' he said.

GTBank bags 2013 Best Banking Group in Nigeria

Guaranty Trust Bank plc; One of Nigeria's leading Banks, has won the coveted '2013 Best Banking Group - Nigeria' in the 2013 Annual World Finance Banking Awards in an announcement made on Friday, 13th September, 2013.

Outlining the rationale for GTBank winning the '2013 Best Banking Group - Nigeria award', judges commented that the Bank scored high marks in innovation and product offering in the financial services industry, regional reach to cover high growth markets, significant proof of continuous development, good Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility.

According to World Finance's correspondent, 'We rely on reader insight and experience to provide nominations to the judging panel, and we relish hearing about new experts and burgeoning markets. Our award programmes are tailored to provide a comprehensive analysis of the very best in each market'. World Finance cited GTBank's clearly defined customer centric strategy dedicated to improving the client experience, innovative financing solutions tailored to client needs, investments in new technology, and unique industry specialization as important factors in winning this award.

Commenting on this award, Segun Agbaje Managing Director/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc said we are proud to receive this award and are delighted that our performance over the years has earned global recognition. Segun Agbaje attributed the Bank's achievements to the loyalty of its customers and the commitment of its employees, who constantly strive to give 100% above customer expectations every single time.

According to the Managing Director, 'We are a Proudly African and Truly International Institution and we are committed to the ideal that our stakeholders should be better off for partnering with us. This principle influences our operations, products, style of service delivery and corporate culture'.

Guaranty Trust Bank plc has introduced several innovations over the last 5 months in its bid to further consolidate its position as a service focused bank in Nigeria. These include the introduction the of the GTBank social banking; the first of its kind by any Nigerian Bank allows GTBank Social Account holders transfer money, purchase airtime, pay bills, and confirm their account balance on Facebook and the introduction of a 'Fast Track' banking system that allows its customers deposit and withdraw money within its branches using their debit cards.

The Bank's half year audited results which were released on the floor of the Nigerian and London Stock Exchanges recently showed gross earnings of over N113.52 billion and Profit Before Tax of N57.36 billion over the period.

Former Governor of Ondo State, Chief Olusegun Agagu is dies at 65

Former Governor of Ondo State, Chief Olusegun Agagu is dead.

He died yesterday less than twenty hours after returning to the country from a trip abroad.

He was aged 65 years. An aide of the former Governor, Yemi Olowolabi told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that the former governor slumped and efforts to revive him proved abortive.

He was later confirmed dead.
Born February 16, 1948 at Okitipupa, Ondo State, he was elected governor of Ondo State from Many 29, 2003 until February 2009 when a court voided his re- election on account of electoral malpractices.

Bureau of Public Enterprises BPE takes over PHCN

The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, has said that PHCN successor companies would be handed over to their new owners as from October 1, 2013.

Dikki, who made this known at a breakfast meeting of the Lagos Business School in Lagos yesterday said with the power sector in private hands Nigeria would benefit from increased power supply, adding that it would also boost in agricultural and industrial development among other positive developments.

He said that in order to boost power supply in the country, strong incentives and support from the Federal Government is needed to encourage the private sector investments in gas. He said the bulk of electricity generated in the country was through gas-fired plants, saying at present that the country does not have the capacity to supply enough gas to support the envisaged increased capacity, particularly now that the private sector is about to take over power generation and distribution in the country.

Dikki who was represented at the by the Acting Director, Electric Power, Mr. Ibrahim Babagana, said Nigeria was blessed with the largest reserves of natural gas in the world, noting however that necessary investments were needed to be made to access the gas to produce power.

While appealing for understanding among Nigerians as the power sector reform would not bring about immediate changes, he said investments in the sector would take time to achieve results and that construction of new generation capacity would take two to five years to achieve most of the results envisaged.

He lamented there was paucity of skilled manpower in the sector and inheritance of an aged and unmotivated work force, explaining a clear strategy would be formulated by the new owners to manage the movement from state-run to privately managed entities.

Dikki recalled that in 1999, the Nigerian electricity power sector had reached the lowest point in the history of the country as only 19 out of the 79 generation units in the country were operational, while average daily generation was a mere 1,750 megawatts.

According to him, 'no new electric power infrastructure was built between 1990-1999, the newest plant was completed in 1990 and the last transmission line built in 1987, an estimated 90 million people were without access to grid electricity and accurate and reliable estimates of industry losses were unavailable'.


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