Author: Saint Augustine

Contrary to insinuations in some quarters that the gains recorded at the capital market and the sudden strengthening of Naira against the Dollar and other major currencies immediately after the Presidential and National Assembly elections was due to the personality of the President elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the Managing Director of Cowry Asset Management Ltd., Mr. Johnson Chukwu has said that the rally had nothing to do with the personality of Gen. Buhari. Speaking in an interview with Primetime Reporters in Lagos on Thursday, Chukwu argued that the appreciation was as a result of the acceptance of the result of…

…Calls for separation of governance from politics in future elections The Managing Director, Gold Link Services Limited, Sir Tony Anakebe has decried the delay in the passage of this year’s budget by the National Assembly. Anakebe who was speaking in an interview with Primetime Reporters in Lagos recently regretted the negative economic impact of this development on the nation adding that this was the firstb time in the history of Nigeria where all attention was focused on the election thus making governance a non issue. He advocated that the trend should be discouraged in the future as according to him,…

Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Dikko Abdulahi has said that the two sea going vessels purchased by the Service would empower it to properly curtail the activities of smugglers on the nation’s waterways. Abdulahi who stated this while inspecting the vessels at Marina, Lagos yesterday said with the acquisition of the vessels, marine officers will no longer have excuse for not being able to arrest smugglers on waters. “Of course, they (marine officers) have no excuse again, if they do not arrest smugglers with these vessels, then it means they are the smugglers,” he said. The new…

A total of one hundred and nine (109) entries have been submitted by Nigerians from across the country and beyond for the 2015 Nigeria Prize for Literature sponsored by the Nigeria LNG Limited. Considered Africa’s most prestigious literary award for its uncompromising insistence on excellence and the US 4100,000 (One hundred thousand dollars) cash prize, the NLNG sponsored initiative rotates yearly among the four literary categories of prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. Authors competing for the award typically send their works which are assessed by a panel of judges comprising eminent literary scholars with their decisions and review…

The Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) has denied alleged plan by any of its member to close operations in Nigeria following harsh business environment occassioned by the sliding price of Naira in the international market. STOAN also dispelled rumour making the round that some of its members were unable to pay staff salaries running into months now. The spokesman of the association, Mr. Bolaji Akinola who made this disclosure in an interview with Primetime Reporters in Lagos described such allegations as unfounded as well as the handiwork those he said were always in the habit of accusing the…

More Nigerians and stakeholders in Anambra state have continued to express their disapproval of the   just-concluded National Assembly elections in Anambra State, with the former Governor of the State, Dame Virgy Etiaba and one-time President-General of the defunct Onitsha Markets Amalgamated Traders Association (OMATA), Chief Godwin Okeke advising the aggrieved candidates and vested interests not to lament but to take their grievances to the tribunal for redress. They also urged the voters to take advantage of the last ugly experience and troop out en masse to vote candidates of their choice, pointing out that the state governor, Chief Obiano needs like minds to work…

Spirit of Lagos, a behavioural transformation initiative, has announced it would hold an awards ceremony on May 27, 2015 to celebrate individual and corporate citizens of Lagos who have displayed selfless, civic responsibility and neighbourly acts to effect positive change in Lagos in the last few years. Olaniyi Omotoso, Project Director, Spirit of Lagos, announced this at a press briefing recently saying that the ceremony, tagged Citizens’ Day, was part of ongoing Spirit of Lagos activities to encourage Lagos residents to restore, share and protect those values that made Lagos great. He informed that the awards ceremony which would be…

In a bid to empower its merchants and continuously grow its Seller HQ Marketplace, the platform that houses its merchants, Konga.com, Nigeria’s largest online mall, recently organised a training program for its new and potential sellers. The training, which armed the beneficiaries with the necessary tools to maximize their returns on the platform, highlighted the benefits of being a Konga seller and strategies necessary for the success of Konga sellers. It also exposed them to other relevant tips that will guide them through the Seller HQ registration process. Muyiwa Kolawole, Vice President, Marketplace Operations and Seller Services of Konga.com, informed…

…No fresh application for registration The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has extended the phase-out date for single-hull tankers by five years, with the new date now December 31, 2020. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) had set an initial deadline of 2015. In extending the phase-out date, the Agency noted that the decision was taken in line with the provisions of the IMO which allows member states who do not have the capacity to replace their existing single hull tanker fleet to extend the phase out date of certain categories of tankers in their countries, provided the vessels…

…Says APGA victory in State Assembly elections exposes PDP’s rigging machinery in NASS polls Democracy deepened last Saturday following the free and fair conduct of the State House of Assembly election in Anambra State, with the State governor, Chief Willie Obiano expressing thanks to Ndi Anambra and urging the voters to consolidate on the gains of democracy achieved in the State by voting for the remaining four candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the rescheduled State House of Assembly elections in  Ekwusigo, Anaocha and Aguata local government areas of the State. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), through its…