President Muhammadu Buhari is set to name a former North American Bureau Chief of The Guardian, Laolu Akande, as a Senior Special Assistant to lead the media and communication unit in the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report today.
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People familiar with the president’s plan said Mr. Akande’s appointment would be among several others to be announced Monday or Tuesday.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that under the present arrangement in the presidency, there would be only one presidential media and communication office but that individual appointees would be given separate responsibilities.
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Mr. Akande would be deployed to work with Mr. Osinbajo, our sources said.
It is not clear whether the journalist has returned to Nigeria to take up the appointment. He could not be reached on his U.S. telephone on Sunday.
He was however in Nigeria in May to cover the inauguration ceremony for his media agency, Empowered Newswire. He returned to the U.S. shortly afterwards.
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Mr. Akande, a pastor, was a former editor of Saturday Tribune. He cut his journalism teeth at The Guardian in 1989, and was a foundation staff of The NEWS magazine.
He moved to the United States in 1997 after agents of then dictator, Sani Abacha, began harassing him over perceived critical stance of his paper (Saturday Tribune) to the administration.
According to his brief bio on the website of the CANUSA, a Christian organization for which he works as executive director, Mr. Akande is regarded as “the longest serving African correspondent at the United Nations, and the only Nigerian journalist so far to have interviewed a sitting American president in the White House when he interviewed former President George W. Bush.
“He has also exclusively interviewed American folk hero, General Colin Powell, as well as billionaires like Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Donald Trump and several African leaders and presidents.”
An adjunct college professor, Mr. Akande worked with leading American newspapers including the Philadelphia Inquirer, and New York Newsday.
He worked briefly at the United Nations as a press officer and later as advocacy consultant between 2002 and 2004.
The prophetic hall of fame, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry, Lagos has mocked the former governor of Kogi state,Yaya Bello,who has been placed on the wanted list of EFCC to stop running away and submit himself for clarifications since EFCC is not a dragon or python that swallows people.
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The handsome prophet believes that Bello is currently on the run because he knows that he’s guilty of the charges against him.He said at his residence in Ikeja yesterday ” I don’t know why Yaya Bello is running away from EFCC if his hands are clean,for God sake,EFCC is not a dragon or python that swallows people,he should be courageous to submit himself to them,if his hands are clean,why run?”
The prophet Thanked the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu for empowering the body with the necessary powers to go after those who has swindled and looted the common wealth of the people.
Finally,he commended the chairman of EFCC for the bold steps the organisation is taking in order to help recover the looted resources of the Nigerian nation.He encouraged the chairman to continue with his good works,he urged him not to be afraid because he’s praying for him and nothing evil will happen to him.
In celebration of its 40 years in Africa, a leading Afro-focused multinational company, Shalina Healthcare has reiterated its commitment to the delivery of quality healthcare in Africa. Declaring this in Lagos on Friday at the event to wrap up the company’s 2023/24 financial year and celebrate its 40 years of its existence, the Chief Commercial Officer, West Africa of the company, Arun Raj said the company “is determined to continually fulfill its corporate mission of making quality products available to every African at affordable prices.
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According to him; ” It has been 40 years of trust in Africa and these 40 years, the people of the continent have also reciprocated the trust in our quality products and healthcare delivery.”
Also, in his corporate presentation as well as new financial year projection, the Head, Corporate Marketing of the Company, Folorunso Alaran said; “the Company is building on the trust Africans have in its products and services over the year and is committed to healthy Africa. It has been forty years of available, affordable and quality products for Africans.”
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In the words of Mr. Nirmal Jain CEO Shalina consumer Global,
“At Shalina, we believe that every African must have access to good products. And for the last forty years, we have been trusted for our quality products. And more so, through our many initiatives and healthcare interventions, Shalina has continually raised the bar in healthcare delivery.”
Speaking further, Mr. Debajeet Mukherjee CEO Shalina Pharma Global, posited that; “despite the prevailing economic challenges, we do not waver in delivering our corporate purposes of available, affordable and quality health products. It is our belief that economic challenges should not hinder people’s access to quality healthcare. Either the economy is good or bad, it shouldn’t affect the lives of the people in an adverse way. Despite the fact that some companies are leaving Nigeria, we are expanding our team in the country. This is because we have trust and believe in Nigeria.”
In her own presentation at the event, the Company’s Managing Director, Nigeria , Opeyemi Akinyele said the company “is focused to become number one brand in Nigeria and continually promote the best of healthcare delivery in the country. ”
“Through our products, activities and interventions we have been doing greatly to ensure that quality healthcare is available and affordable for every citizen. And this is a promise that will remain unbroken ” She said.
Appreciating the members of staff of the company for their commitment and supporting roles in the company, Akinleye said “without you, your roles and efforts, we won’t be here and the successes recorded in the out gone year won’t be possible. We also rely on your continuous support and commitment in the new year. ”
Meanwhile as part of the company’s end of year activities, many staff members were given awards of excellence in different categories for 2023/24 financial year. Amongst them were Lasisi Abiodun, Best Pharma Delegate, Lawal Abubskar, Best Medical Delegate, Ruth Adesua Adewoye, Best Regional Manager Pharma, Ganiyu Lateef, Best CVD Delegate, Mercy Omoji, Best Regional Manager, Consumer, Uzuma Pascal, Best Zonal Manager, (Global) and Juliet Ngozi Edward, Best Consumer Delegate Global . Winners in other categories included Sandeep Sahu, Folorunso Alaran, Emeka Adimoha, Chiuba Nwaosu among others.
Shalina Healthcare which began its business in Africa in DR Congo in 1984 made entry to Nigeria 25years ago. It currently has about 2500 staffs globally out of whom 2000 are in Africa.
One of the major problems of the Eastern region was the “sit at home” menace which crippled business activities in the entire Eastern region; several lives have been lost in the process of enforcing this as the enforcers have always been very cruel and wicked, killing anyone who refuses to obey the order.
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Disturbed by the cruelty of the enforcers and how many lives that have been lost through this act, the prophetic Hall of Fame, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry, Lagos,made a public declaration that “sit at home” was going to be over in the East.
People didn’t believe it when he said it, everyone believed that only the release of Nnamdi Kanu was going to end “sit at home” in the East.prophet Ikuru said that it would stop even while Kanu is still in detention.
Today,”sit at home” has ended in the East, people now go about their normal businesses on Monday.Today, the dreaded “sit at home” enforcers are nowhere to be found, you can do anything or carry out any business activity of your choice on monday because God has honoured the word of his prophet.
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Prophet Godwin Ikuru is one of the best prophets in Nigeria,he remains a major part of the ruling party in Nigeria.He is the major prophet that brought the president to power .
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