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Politics

GOVERNOR DAPO ABIODUN NAMES KEY ADVISERS

Published

5 years ago

July 10, 2019

Sahara Weekly

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As the Ogun State government settles down to work, Governor Dapo Abiodun has approved the appointment of seven senior aides.
The new appointees are;

Chief Economic Adviser – Dapo Okubadejo;
Senior Special Adviser on Political Affairs – Hon, Tunji Egbetokun;
Special Adviser on Information – Modele Sarafa-Yusuf;
Special Adviser, Government House – Hon. Babatunde Olaotan;
Special Adviser on Job Creation and Youth Empowerment – Mr Lekan Olude;
Special Adviser on Housing – Jamiu Akande Omoniyi; and
Senior Special Assistant on New Media – SF Emmanuel Ojo.

The Chief Economic Adviser, Dapo Okubadejo is a Partner & Africa Head of Deal Advisory & Private Equity at KPMG. He is an expert on Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Project Finance, Investments, Private Equity and business transformation. With about 28 years of professional experience, he has acted as Corporate Financial Adviser to many foreign and local investors in Nigeria and across Africa.

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Dapo started his professional career in Arthur Andersen in 1992 and spent over a decade where he rose to the position of Senior Manager and consulted for more than 40 companies in oil & gas, consumer goods and financial services on many projects in Assurance, Business Strategy & Planning, Financial Restructuring and Business Transformation.

In 2006, Dapo was promoted to the KPMG partnership as an Equity Partner and rose to become the Head of Deal Advisory & Private Equity for West Africa and Africa in 2009 and 2012 respectively. He was elected to the KPMG Nigeria Policy Board in 2017.

Dapo is a recognized expert on Africa business and investments landscape and has been invited as a resource person, faculty, panelist and moderator at many international conferences, seminars and fora such as the World Economic Forum, Harvard Business School Africa forum, London Business School Africa, among others. He has written many articles on investment opportunities in Nigeria and Africa, Doing business in Africa and Private Equity in Nigeria and has delivered many lectures on corporate finance, business valuations, IPO and private equity.

Dapo and his team have won many international awards and recognition, the latest of which is the 2018 Global Financial Advisor award by the Private Equity Africa organization for the second consecutive year.

Dapo Okubadejo holds a 2nd Class Upper Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria in 1990 & as a UK FCO Chevening Scholar, holds a Master of Finance degree in International Finance with Distinction from the University of Glasgow, UK in 2003. He is a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) from the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, USA. He qualified as an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria in 1996 and became a Fellow (FCA) in 2006. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He is an alumnus of the Global Executive Leadership program of INSEAD, France as well as the Lagos Business School, Gordon Institute of Business Studies (GIBS) South Africa, London Business School UK and Harvard Business School USA, where he attended several leadership and management development courses.

The Senior Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Hon. Tunji Egbetokun was Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly between 2008 and 2011. He had also served in the capacity of Senior Special Adviser, Political and Intergovernmental Affairs between 2011 and 2014. Before then, he was Secretary to the Obafemi Owode Local Government.

The new Special Adviser on Information, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, is an award-winning media practitioner with a cumulative 32 years of experience in journalism and Marketing Communications. She has varied experience contributing to, and leading, corporate marketing and internal communications. Sarafa-Yusuf is a respected leader of sponsorships and public relations departments and a Concept developer and coordinator of marketing campaigns which effectively reinforce and build brand image.

The first woman sportscaster in Africa, and a 1996 Nigerian Media Merit Award winner, she has been described as one of the best sportscasters that Nigeria ever produced.
In 16 years of journalism with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Modele was not only a sports broadcaster, she was also a columnist for magazines, a guest writer for newspapers, a script writer for television shows and a producer of documentaries and programmes for radio and television: in fields as diverse as business, culinary, current affairs, crime, and education.

Between 2007 and 2011, she was Globacom’s Head of Sponsorships (West Africa), at which time she led a team of very talented people on projects such as the Glo CAF Awards, The Lagos International Half Marathon, The Glo Premier League in Nigeria and Ghana, and the first-in-Africa relationship with Manchester United FC among others.

Before then, she was Marketing Communications /Sponsorship Manager with Globacom at the inception of the company in 2003.

Between 2012 and 2013, Modele was Director of Marketing at the prestigious American University of Nigeria, and upon retirement, she returned to her first love: the world of journalism. She currently produces and anchors arguably Nigeria’s highest rated TV personality interview program: “View From the Top”. She also works as an Independent Communications Consultant for several organizations.

Modele has a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Ife and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Lagos.

Award winning entrepreneur and technocrat with expertise in building and backing enduring companies across African, Olalekan Adeniyi Olude, the new Special Adviser on Job Creation and Youth Empowerment started his career as a Technology Analyst with Goldman Sachs, arguably the largest investment bank in the world. He holds an OND in Electrical Engineering at the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, a BSc in Computer Science and Engineering. Olude is an alumnus of Lagos Business School and the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. His forte is building pan-African businesses and his strength lies in maximizing outcomes for people. Until his appointment, Olude was co-founder and Executive Director at Rovedana Limited, a business process outsourcing company that provides employment to more than 2000 Nigerians across different industries and specializations by upscaling them and placing them into employment with over 100 companies. He was also a co-founder of Jobberman Limited, the leading job site in sub-Saharan Africa and was a founding partner of the African Talents Company in South Africa – a pan African Executive Recruitment Company with offices in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania.

The new Special Adviser on Housing is 50-year-old Jamiu Akande Omoniyi. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA). He started his working career with Berger Paints Nigeria PLC in 1994 where he rose to become Credit Controller. He was Regional Director (North) Abbey Mortgage PLC. In April 2009, he resigned to float his business conglomerate C2Q Holding. The Estate development arm of his company has delivered homes to 5,000 Nigerian families in Abuja and Lagos.

Hon (Otunba) Babatunde Olaotan, the Special Adviser (Government House) was born September 13, 1972, in Ilaro Ogun State. He obtained a 1997 Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Accounting at Federal Polytechnic Ilaro and Higher National Diploma (HND) from the same institution in 1999. After a brief stint at First Bank of Nigeria, he was appointed by the Yewa South Local Government as Supervisor for Agriculture. In 2004, Babatunde Olaotan was in Manchester College of Professional studies, where he studied computer and information technology. He started his working career with NWSG Company in the United Kingdom (UK) before relocating to the United States of America in 2007, where he studied Nursing at Camtech International College Newark Delaware USA. He also worked at Cadia Rehabilitation Wilinton and Regal Height Nursing Home.
He became the Personal Assistant on Political matters to the Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola (Yayi) in August 2015.

HBO is also the Personal Assistant to the new Executive Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun. He was the Deputy Director, Contacts and Mobilization for Dapo Abiodun Campaign Organization. He served as the Chairman Transport committee for Prince Dapo Abiodun Pre- Inauguration activities.

Emmanuel Adediran Ojo is a New Media expert with specialties in New Media Analytics and Digital Marketing. His extensive experience spans over nine (9) years. He hails from Imeko, in Imeko Afon Local Government area of Ogun state. A seasoned professional in the development and deployment of strategic media engagement, Emmanuel Ojo has extensive knowledge of new media trends, tools and analytics platforms and he often deploy same in strategic communication, monitoring, reporting and digital analysis. igital and social media landscape. This unique skill facilitates his significant ability in tracking, monitoring, and analyzing public and personal reputation in a unique form. In his career so far, he has worked with different online groups. He is a resourceful and savvy online specialist who is not only able to oversee various social media channels, but is also able to contribute to its daily content offering and audience conversion.

Ojo was the Head of New Media department at Infostrategy Limited He was also part of the media intervention team for National Identity Management Commission’s, (NIMC) public sensitization on National Identity Number (NIN) project in 2013/2014.

He is a thoroughbred perception manager with proven skills in Public and Political Communication especially in the Ogun state political terrain. He once served as a member of PDP Presidential Online Media team in 2015.

Ojo holds a Higher National Diploma in Business Administration and Management Studies from the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta. He also bagged a Second Class Upper division Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Business Management from Crescent University, Abeokuta. He has attended various Business development and New Media Marketing Trainings and Work Shops across the country and beyond.

Emmanuel Ojo is a recipient of 17 Awards of recognition from various social and professional bodies. In 2013, he was invited into the Junior Chamber International, Nigeria Noble House as a JCIN Ambassador.

Until his appointment, he was the Assistant Media Director for Dapo Abiodun Campaign Organization – DACO and also served as the Secretary, Media and Publicity Sub Committee for the governorship inauguration ceremony.

E-Signed
Kunle Somorin
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

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Politics

PUBLIC NOTICE: URGENT APPEAL FOR PEACE AND SECURITY IN RIVERS STATE: A CALL TO ACTION FOR THE PRESIDENT*

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Sahara Weekly

PUBLIC NOTICE: URGENT APPEAL FOR PEACE AND SECURITY IN RIVERS STATE: A CALL TO ACTION FOR THE PRESIDENT

Dear Esteemed Citizens of Nigeria,

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As concerned citizens and representatives of the Dwellers of Coastal and Waterways Communities of Africa (DCWCA), our hearts weigh heavy with concern for the safety and security of our beloved nation, particularly in Rivers State. Recent developments have seen allover the internet news online a troubling plot that threatens to undermine the peace and stability painstakingly built by our coastal communities.

We are gravely disturbed by reports indicating a sinister scheme aimed at disrupting the commendable efforts of Royal Fouchee Security Limited, spearheaded by the esteemed Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo Asari. It pains us deeply to learn that the very guardians of our security, the Nigeria Security Agencies, are allegedly orchestrating an assault on the dedicated workers of Royal Fouchee Security Agency and other private security entities in Rivers State.

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In this hour of uncertainty, we turn our eyes to the highest office of the land, the esteemed President of Nigeria, with an impassioned plea for intervention. Mr. President, we beseech you to heed our call and use your authority to halt any actions that may endanger the lives and well-being of our coastal citizens. Your decisive action is imperative in preventing further escalation of tensions and preserving the peace that is the lifeblood of our coastal communities.

While we cannot definitively prove the political undertones behind these alarming developments, the whispers of suspicion linger in the air. It is incumbent upon our leaders to rise above partisan interests and prioritize the safety and security of every Nigerian, particularly those in our coastal regions who are vulnerable to various challenges.

Let us not forget the lessons of our past, where political differences were allowed to sow seeds of discord and division among our coastal brethren. Instead, let us unite in solidarity, transcending political boundaries to safeguard the sanctity of our democracy and the welfare of our coastal people.

Mr. President, we implore you to intervene swiftly and decisively, sending a clear message that the security and well-being of every coastal Nigerian is non-negotiable. Your actions today will shape the destiny of our nation and reaffirm our collective commitment to peace, unity, and progress.

With unwavering hope and trust in your leadership,

Dwellers of Coastal and Waterways Communities of Africa (DCWCA)
[Tom Inko-Tariah ACI arb
President/CEO]

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Politics

Edi Abali Group Raises Alarm Over Security Threat to Ancestral Home, Assets of Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari

Published

3 days ago

April 21, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Edi Abali Group Raises Alarm Over Security Threat to Ancestral Home, Assets of Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari

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by The Army

Sahara Weekly Reports That The Edi Abali Group has raised an alarm concerning a security threat to the ancestral home and assets of Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari, the Paramount Ruler of Edi Abali Group of War Canoe and Chieftaincy Houses in the Kalabari Kingdom of Rivers State, by the military.

In a public notice issued by the Edi Abali Group it states that credible intelligence has revealed plans by elements within the 103 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Obuama to provoke a confrontation and disrupt the peace in the area.

According to the notice, the plot specifically targets Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari, who is currently out of the country. The army allegedly plans to exploit his absence in order to create a crisis that could be wrongly attribited to the community members, resulting in attacks on innocent individuals. The Edi Abali Group clarifies that there are no issues between their community, the army, and Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari or his company, Royal Fouche Services Limited.

The notice highlights that the tensions arose after Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari spoke out about the involvement of some elements of the Nigerian Army in oil bunkering activities in the Niger Delta. These activities reportedly deprived the government of the much-needed revenue, leading to displeasure among these elements. The group believes that they are deliberately instigating a crisis involving the personnel of Royal Fouche Services to justify an attack on innocent indigenes of the Kalabari communities, particularly in Obuama where Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari is based, as well as the 103 Battalion.

Mr Mpakaboari Pankin Braide said,

“The army in Obuama is aware of his absence from the country and plans to exploit this to create a crisis, which will be wrongly attributed to community members, leading to attacks on innocent individuals.”

The Edi Abali Group calls upon the Nigerian Army to be aware of this plot and to ensure that they are not manipulated into compromising peace and security in the area. They also highlight the proven record of collaboration between Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari and Royal Fouche Services Limited with security agencies in combating terrorism, kidnapping, and insurgency.

The group aims to inform the public, as well as the people of Kalabari and Rivers State, about this planned provocation targeting innocent individuals, including Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari. They emphasize his commitment to supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government and Governor Sim Fubara-led Rivers State Governments in ensuring the safety and security of all Nigerians.

Said Mr Mpakaboari Pankin Braide

Secretary Edi Abali Group Of War Canoe and Chieftaincy Houses,

“We want the public, people of Kalabari and Rivers State to be aware of this planned provocation targeting innocent individuals, including Alhaji Mujahid Abubakr Dokubo-Asari, who remains committed to supporting the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government and Governor Sim Fubara-led Rivers State Governments in ensuring safety and security for all Nigerians.”

Released and signed by;

Mr Mpakaboari Pankin Braide

Secretary Edi Abali Group Of War Canoe and Chieftaincy Houses

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Politics

Nigeria: The Changing Governance Story

Published

5 days ago

April 19, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Today, however, Nigeria is home to the largest single-train refinery in the world, with the capacity to process 650,000 barrels of crude per day

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Nigeria: The Changing Governance Story

By Temitope Ajayi

Sahara Weekly Reports That Tracking many stories of remarkable progress currently taking place in Nigeria can be a challenging task. This is so because these important stories are lost to some who daily indulge in the cacophony of adverse reports. These negative news often dominates the headlines.

With a 24-hour news cycle that tends to focus mainly on distasteful narratives, several Nigerians have been made to accept the view that nothing good is happening in their country.

Those who rely on the mainstream media and social media as the only sources of news and information they consume are the worst hit by the cycle of misinformation that portrays our country as descending rapidly to the edge of the precipice. However, the reality is different: the country is making progress in leaps and bounds.

Late Swedish physician and Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institute, Hans Rosling, his son, Ola Rosling, and daughter-in-law, Anna Rosling, extensively dwell on this subject in “Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think,” a book published in 2018. In the book, the authors demonstrate that most people are made to hold the wrong notion about the state of the world because the media project data, analyse trends and select stories to make people assume that things are getting worse around them. The authors assert that a majority of people view the world as poorer, less healthy, and a more dangerous place to live in than it actually is. In other words, many people believe they are living in a worse period in the history of mankind because of misinformation.

The same situation the Roslings describe in their book is at play in Nigeria, where individuals, interest groups, activists, analysts, self-serving politicians, and opposition elements constantly project and amplify negative stories.

It is as if we are in a race with those who can say the most horrible things about our country. Yet, we have an abundance of good stories to tell the world. We seem so numb to the good news that we are dismissive of breakthroughs and innovative trends. For instance, we downplay the significance of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and its possibilities to reflate the economy.

Many people forgot so soon that we had been importing petroleum products for over three decades because the state-owned refineries are moribund. Our national economy bled, and the country was in a fiscal cul-de-sac for those years as a result of subsidy payments on petroleum products.

Today, however, Nigeria is home to the largest single-train refinery in the world, with the capacity to process 650,000 barrels of crude per day. Cynics do not see this as a breakthrough.

Nigerians who are 60 years old and below started seeing modern rail infrastructure in 2016 when the All Progressives Congress-led administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the standard gauge rail system, beginning with the Abuja-Kaduna route, later Lagos-Ibadan and then the Warri-Itakpe.

The national rail modernisation project is progressing with Kano-Katsina-Maradi and Kano-Kaduna standard gauge rail projects at different stages of completion. The contractor working on the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri narrow gauge recently announced the completion of the Port Harcourt-Aba section. While the Federal Government is rallying stakeholders to promote economic integration across the country, the Lagos State Government recently launched two metro rail lines -Blue and Red Rail lines – as part of the state’s elaborate master plan to build a modern and efficient megacity. Like Lagos State, there are visible signs of remarkable, quantifiable progress in several other states, including Kaduna, Kano, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, Kebbi, Borno, Gombe, Oyo, Ekiti and Ogun, among others.

A few weeks ago, the President Bola Tinubu-led administration embarked on the construction of the 700 kilometres Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway that will connect nine coastal states in another bold move to bolster economic growth further and open up the country to productive economic activities.

While it may be very easy for critics and other armchair analysts to ignore these developments and their significance to remaking Nigeria, there is no gainsaying that these projects and many more that are ongoing or about to be instituted across critical sectors are the core of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Indeed, it is hard to process why the so-called critics and cynics can not see the Lagos-Calabar Highway project as a clear demonstration of the President’s commitment to harnessing the potential of our renascent Blue Economy.

Despite what is bandied by the most vociferous critics

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