News

Published

5 years ago

January 31, 2019

Eniola Olayemi

Hotel Workers Kill London Returnee-Owner, Manager In Lagos

Owner of Etashol Hotel and Suites, located on Budland Street in the Ojodu Berger area of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Olusola, and the manager, Tunji Omikunle, have been murdered.

It was gathered that the deceased were drugged, tied up and strangled by a gang that included some workers at the hotel.

Olusola, who had lived in London, United Kingdom, for 35 years, was said to have returned to Nigeria recently and opened the hotel for business in March 2018.

It was learnt that the 56-year-old had issues with some of the workers, who allegedly defrauded the hotel of millions of naira.

Two of the workers were reportedly sacked after the police were invited to look into the matter.

Last week Thursday, a gang said to have consisted some of the sacked workers and some still in the employment of the hotel, allegedly conspired among themselves and drugged Olusola and Tunji.

They allegedly deactivated the Closed Circuit Television cameras on the premises, dragged the manager into a toilet, where his hands and feet were tied. Tunji was strangled, after which the suspects proceeded to Olusola’s room and strangled her too.

Relatives of the deceased said that the suspects fled the hotel, as family members met the lifeless bodies of the victims in the hotel.

The case was reported at the Ojodu Abiodun Police Station. A family member of the late businesswoman, said Olusola was planning to lease out the hotel and return to London when tragedy struck.

She said, “The incident happened on Thursday night cum Friday morning. I was called that my sister had been murdered by the boys working for her in the hotel.

From what I learnt, the manager had dragged one of them, called light, to a police station for involvement in fraud in the hotel. There were also cases of stealing involving these guys.

Two of them were sacked.

On Thursday night, the men tied Tunji’s hands and feet and strangled him. I think it was after they had killed Tunji that they got access to the card that opens my sister’s room.

They went to her bed, tied her up and strangled her.”

The woman’s 12-year-old son, who was to go to school on Friday morning, was the first to discover the mother’s corpse.

Around 7am when the school bus came to pick him, a vigilante member, who had tried unsuccessfully to reach the deceased businesswoman on the telephone, insisted on knowing her whereabouts from the son.

The boy was said to have found her dead on the bed in her room. The family member added, “The child sleeps in a room in the hotel. Tunji used to wake him up and prepare him for school.

But when the boy did not see the manager that morning and his school bus had arrived, he quickly got himself ready and ran out.

However, a vigilante member, who had suspected that something was amiss after noticing some of the workers’ movements the previous night, waited at the hotel’s gate.

The man had called both Tunji and the woman on their phones without getting any response. When the boy was hurrying to school that morning, the man said he should go and call the manager.

The boy went inside and returned, saying he could not find the manager. He was hurrying to get into the school bus when the man said he should go and call his mother.

He went to her room and raised the alarm after discovering her corpse.” It was learnt that Olusola, who hailed from Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, had separated from her husband.

Tunji’s uncle, Chief Tunde Omikunle, said the deceased was survived by his wife and twin children. Tunde said, “He grew up with me before learning fashion designing.

And when he was done, the family got a shop for him; he even had apprentices until last year when he said he had been employed as a manager in the hotel.

His wife, a graduate, had just been delivered of a set of twins. She stays in Ibadan.

In fact, he wanted to go to meet his family in Ibadan when his boss asked him to wait. It was that night that he and the boss were killed. From what we know, two of the sacked workers conspired with those still there to carry out the act. They drugged him and took him to a toilet, where he was strangled.

Although they destroyed the CCTV in the hotel in order to cover their tracks, we still got to know that they were responsible for the killings.”

The case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, where one of the workers was being interrogated.

A source said the police had recovered the ropes used to commit the crime. “There was no stab wound or anything on the corpses. The victims were strangled.

We recovered the ropes used to commit the crime,” the source said. The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident, adding that investigation was ongoing.

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VETERAN BANKER, JIM OVIA, APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF NIGERIAN EDUCATION LOAN FUND BY PRESIDENT TINUBU

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

august24admin

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia, CFR, as the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). This was announced in a State House Press Release by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale on April 26, 2024.

According to the statement, ‘‘the President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds and of ensuring that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.’’

Jim Ovia, CFR, is the Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, one of Africa’s largest banks with over $21.4 billion in assets and shareholders’ funds of over US$2.4 billion as at December 2023.

Zenith Bank is a global brand listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

In addition to major operations in Nigeria and other West African countries, the Bank has sizeable operations in London and Dubai.

Jim Ovia is the Founder and Chancellor of James Hope University, Lekki, Lagos which was recently approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to offer postgraduate degrees in business courses.

James Hope University commenced activities in September 2023.

Through his philanthropy – the Jim Ovia Foundation – he has shown the importance he accords good education.

In support of the Nigerian youth, Jim Ovia Foundation offers scholarships to indigent students through the Mankind United to Support Total Education (MUSTE) initiative. Most of the beneficiaries of Jim Ovia Foundation scholarship are now accountants, business administrators, lawyers, engineers, doctors etc.
He is the author of “Africa Rise and Shine”, published by ForbesBooks.

The book which encapsulates Zenith Bank’s meteoric rise, details the secrets of success in doing business in Africa.

He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (OPM), University of Louisiana (MBA), and Southern University, Louisiana, (B.Sc. Business Administration). Jim Ovia is a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Community of Chairpersons, and a champion of the Forum’s EDISON Alliance.

In recognition of Jim Ovia’s contributions to the economic development of Nigeria, in 2022, the Federal Government of Nigeria honoured him with Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR. Also, in May 2022, Jim Ovia was conferred with the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Earlier, he has been conferred with the national awards of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR, and Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, in 2000 and 2011, respectively, as a testament to his visionary leadership and contributions to Nigeria’s financial services sector.

The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.

News

PRESASS 2024 Ends In Abuja As Aviation Minister Keyamo Tasks Participants On Downscaling Climate Information

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

august24admin

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has tasked participants at the Regional Forum Workshop on Seasonal Forecasts of Agro-hydro-climatic characteristics of the rainy season for the Sudanian and Sahelian zones of West Africa and the Sahel (PRESASS), to downscale outcome of the workshop to their local communities.

Left to Right: Director General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Engr. Clement Nze, Representative of AGRHYMET DG, Dr. Abdou Ali, Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, Dr. Rowland Abah, Representative WMO Rep. For North, Central and West African Regions, and ECOWAS Commission Representative,
Gbenga Erin, at the closing session of 2024 Regional Forum Workshop on Seasonal Forecasts of Agro-hydro-climatic characteristics of the rainy season for the Sudanian and Sahelian zones of West Africa and the Sahel (PRESASS), in Abuja on Friday, 26th April, 2024.

Mr Keyamo who spoke in Abuja during the closing ceremony of the workshop on Friday, 26th April 2024, said;
“The outcome of the Regional Climate Outlook Forum for West Africa and the Sahel is a great planning tool for governments and policymakers across the region. We are very aware of the great challenge of the 21st Century, climate change, extreme weather events and food security to mention a few. To combat these challenges, it has become imperative that weather and climate information are not only accurate but also produced and disseminated early. Thus, the need for Early Warnings. It is based on this that the Nigerian Government deemed it fit to provide all the necessary support through the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and AGRHYMET Regional Centre to host this year’s forum here in Abuja”.

Continuing, Mr Keyamo said;
“The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has taken seriously the issuance of Early Warnings for its citizenry to de-risk sectoral activities and avert losses. Earlier in the year, the Government through NiMet had a public presentation of the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), an early warning tool that highlights vital Weather and Climate information that may affect socio-economic activities in air, land, and water transportation, agriculture, water resources, disaster management and mitigation, health, tourism, sports, power & energy etc. A similar event was recently held by NIHSA where the Annual Flood Outlook was released to Nigerians”.

“As we settle down to listen and discuss the details of the forecast produced for West Africa and the Sahel Region for the 2024 rainy season, my message is that as we return home to our various countries with the informationand forecast from this year’s forum, we should ensure that these products don’t end up inside the shiny offices in our capital cities. The real work of downscaling them to our local and rural communities just started. This is the only way the United Nations’ target of Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) by 2027 can be met”, Mr Keyamo concluded.

In his own remarks, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Professor Charles Anosike, commended AGRHYMET and ACMAD for sustaining the Regional Climate Outlook since 1998. He congratulated them and the local organising committee for putting together a successful forum.

Mr Rowland Abah who represented the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Representative for North, Central and West Africa, said; “The output of this workshop provides additional Early Warning information for the countries in West Africa and the Sahel to support localized forecast and effective planning to mitigate climate-related hazards envisaged in 2024”.

Concluding, Mr Abah remarked that; “Climate change poses existential threats, and this is why the United Nations Secretary General has urged all countries to ensure that Early Warning Systems cover all citizens by the year 2027”.

The Director General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Clement Nze, and other representatives of other related agencies were present at the closing ceremony.

This year’s PRESASS brought together participants from 16 countries from the West African region and lasted from 22nd to 26th April, 2024.

For more on NiMet, visit www.nimet.gov.ng

News

World Malaria Day: LAWMA Boss Makes Case for Clean Environment

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

august24admin

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, has underscored the importance of maintaining a clean environment, to combat the spread of malaria.

He said this in a statement marking this year’s World Malaria Day, themed: ‘Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world’.

The World Health Organization (WHO), had noted that approximately 249 million cases of malaria were reported worldwide in 2022, with an estimated 608,000 deaths, occurring mostly in tropical and sub-tropical regions, and remaining a major global challenge.

He said that while malaria was primarily transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes, the prevalence and severity of the disease could be significantly reduced through preventive measures, anchored on a clean environment, as one of the most effective strategies.

According to him, “In the fight against malaria, prevention is key. One of the most effective preventive measures is to eliminate mosquito breeding sites by ensuring a clean and hygienic environment. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, waste dumps, and other unhygienic areas. By keeping our homes and surroundings clean, we can significantly reduce mosquito population and consequently, the transmission of malaria.”

Gbadegesin urged residents to actively participate in efforts to maintain a clean environment, by shunning indiscriminate refuse disposal, cleaning their surroundings, and patronising assigned PSP operators, adding that individual actions could have a significant impact on public health outcomes.

“Each of us has a responsibility to keep our surroundings clean. By properly disposing of waste, eliminating stagnant water, and adopting good sanitation practices, we can protect ourselves and our communities from the devastating effects of malaria”, he stressed.

The LAWMA boss reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to promoting environmental cleanliness and public health, with effective collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste across the state, while also implementing educational campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of environmental hygiene.

“As the world marks World Malaria Day, I want to reassure residents of LAWMA’s total commitment to promoting environmental sustainability and public health. Through collaborative efforts between government agencies, communities, and individuals, a cleaner and healthier environment can be achieved, leading to a significant reduction in the burden of malaria and other vector-borne diseases”, he stressed.

For more information about LAWMA’s initiatives and how to support efforts to maintain a clean environment, please visit www.lawma.gov.ng or call our toll-free numbers: 080000LAWMA (08000052962), 07080601020 and 617.