Honeywell Flour Mills Plc has initiated contempt proceedings against Ecobank Nigeria Limited at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The company accused the bank of disobeying an earlier directive by Justice Mohammed Idris that all parties should maintain status quo.

Ecobank had challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the suit filed by Honeywell and its sister companies – Anchorage Leisures Limited and Siloam Global Services Limited.

Dismissing the preliminary objection, Justice Idris held that a cursory glance at the statement of claim shows that the plaintiffs’ claim arose from banking transactions.

This, he said, places the suit within the court’s jurisdiction as provided in Section 251 (1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution.

“The plaintiffs’ claim arose from a banker-customer relationship, as such this court has jurisdiction to entertain the matter,” the judge said.

He held that Ecobank’s preliminary objection lacked merit and awarded N10,000 cost in the plaintiffs’ favour.

Justice Idris adjourned to Monday for hearing of the contempt proceedings.

In a related case before Justice Okon Abang of the same court, Ecobank had, on October 16, filed a motion exparte, praying for an orders restraining Siloam Global Services Limited and chairman of Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko, from operating or dealing with funds in any bank or financial institution pending the determination of the motion on notice for the appointment of a provisional liquidator or interim receiver.

The bank also sought an order directing and compelling all the banks and financial institutions in which Siloam Global Services and Otudeko have accounts, to furnish Ecobank with their details.

It also prayed the court to restraining Siloam Global Services and Otudeko from removing its funds, investments in all banks and financial institutions or alienating/ disposing their fixed and moveable assets within Nigeria.

Justice Abang, however, did not grant the prayers. Rather, he directed Ecobank to put Siloam Global Services and Otudeko on notice.

Meanwhile, Otudeko’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), filed a December 7 motion on notice praying the court to strike out the petition and discontinue proceedings in deference to arbitration.

Yesterday, Olanipekun argued that the court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.

Ecobank’s counsel, Mr. Kunle Ogunba (SAN), argued that the court ought to determine Ecobank’s exparte application of October 16 first.

But Olanipekun argued that his clients had given valid reasons to compel the court to determine the challenge to its jurisdiction before determining the bank’s motion exparte.

Ruling, Justice Abang held there was the need for the court to first determine if it has jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter before proceeding hearing Ecobank’s application.

He adjourned till January 13 for the hearing Siloam Global Services and Otudeko’s application challenging the court’s jurisdiction.

Copied from The Nation Online - http://thenationonlineng.net/honeywell-files-contempt-charge-against-ecobank/

Even more interesting is the latest story on The Nation online: http://thenationonlineng.net/honeywell-files-contempt-charge-against-ecobank/

Adesiji77:
Interesting

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/honeywell-does-not-owe-ecobank-says-bankers-committee/227644/ lalasticlala

Honeywell Does Not Owe Ecobank, Says Bankers’ Committee

Lagos (Nigeria), December 10, 2015 – The Bankers’ Committee, an umbrella body comprising the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Discount Houses in Nigeria waded into the dispute between Ecobank and Honeywell Group over repayment of a N3.5 billion facility granted the latter by Ecobank.

From the records before the court, the Bankers’ Committee has ruled that Honeywell Group has fully discharged its obligation with regard to settling the facility granted it by Ecobank. The Committee’s position was contained in a ruling by its Sub-Committee on Ethics and Professionalism which was mandated to investigate the issue.

Continue reading at: https://www.nairaland.com/2793404/honeywell-does-not-owe-ecobank

Click to read this article on Thisday - http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/honeywell-does-not-owe-ecobank-says-bankers-committee/227644 and on

Stella Dimoko Korkus Blog here http://www.stelladimokokorkus.com/2015/12/honeywell-does-not-owe-ecobanksays.html

akp202:
....when u want to argue cite an example that would land u to a logical conclusion.....the fact that u caught someone stealing has not made the law recognize the person as a criminal....i believe u re aware of the phrase not guilty until proven...u have not answer my question, if truly he is already bankrupt why is eco bank taking him to court to be declared bankrupt. The reason because eco bank does not have d capacity to declare him bankrupt even when he owes ecobank....Now one thing is this the fact that u owe someone and refuse to pay does not mean u re bankrupt.pls take note of that

Honeywell Does Not Owe Ecobank, Says Bankers’ Committee

Lagos (Nigeria), December 10, 2015 – The Bankers’ Committee, an umbrella body comprising the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Discount Houses in Nigeria waded into the dispute between Ecobank and Honeywell Group over repayment of a N3.5 billion facility granted the latter by Ecobank.

From the records before the court, the Bankers’ Committee has ruled that Honeywell Group has fully discharged its obligation with regard to settling the facility granted it by Ecobank. The Committee’s position was contained in a ruling by its Sub-Committee on Ethics and Professionalism which was mandated to investigate the issue.

Continue reading at: https://www.nairaland.com/2793404/honeywell-does-not-owe-ecobank

Click to read this article on Thisday - http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/honeywell-does-not-owe-ecobank-says-bankers-committee/227644 and on

Stella Dimoko Korkus Blog here http://www.stelladimokokorkus.com/2015/12/honeywell-does-not-owe-ecobanksays.html

texazzpete:


Have you tried reading the OP? Slowly, this time.

Ecobank is asking that he be declared bankrupt, and ALL his companies, assets etc be confiscated and dissolved to pay back the loan. So , no, it's not just Honeywell. But you'd know this if you could read simple English.

Honeywell Does Not Owe Ecobank, Says Bankers’ Committee

Lagos (Nigeria), December 10, 2015 – The Bankers’ Committee, an umbrella body comprising the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Discount Houses in Nigeria waded into the dispute between Ecobank and Honeywell Group over repayment of a N3.5 billion facility granted the latter by Ecobank.

From the records before the court, the Bankers’ Committee has ruled that Honeywell Group has fully discharged its obligation with regard to settling the facility granted it by Ecobank. The Committee’s position was contained in a ruling by its Sub-Committee on Ethics and Professionalism which was mandated to investigate the issue.

Continue reading at: https://www.nairaland.com/2793404/honeywell-does-not-owe-ecobank

Click to read this article on Thisday - http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/honeywell-does-not-owe-ecobank-says-bankers-committee/227644 and on

Stella Dimoko Korkus Blog here http://www.stelladimokokorkus.com/2015/12/honeywell-does-not-owe-ecobanksays.html

Lagos (Nigeria), December 10, 2015 – The Bankers’ Committee, an umbrella body comprising the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Discount Houses in Nigeria waded into the dispute between Ecobank and Honeywell Group over repayment of a N3.5 billion facility granted the latter by Ecobank.

From the records before the court, the Bankers’ Committee has ruled that Honeywell Group has fully discharged its obligation with regard to settling the facility granted it by Ecobank. The Committee’s position was contained in a ruling by its Sub-Committee on Ethics and Professionalism which was mandated to investigate the issue.

The records before the court reveal that following a thorough investigation of the matter, the Sub-Committee ruled that the agreement between Honeywell Group and Ecobank to the effect that Honeywell Group pays N3.5 billion as full and final payment of the borrowers’ indebtedness was valid, binding and should be complied with. Honeywell on its part has fulfilled its obligations and Ecobank should likewise fulfill its own obligations.

A further review of the processes before the court also revealed that the Sub-committee ruled that “based on the legal opinion and clarification sought from the Banking Supervision Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Chairman of Honeywell Group was not a ‘related party’ to the transactions as he was not a member of the board of Directors of Oceanic Bank at the time the transactions were consummated”. In addition, “As at the time Ecobank Nigeria acquired Oceanic Bank and by implication the Honeywell Group’s loan facility, and commencement of discussions with Ecobank, the chairman, Dr. Oba Otudeko, CFR had left the Board of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) as a Director.”

The agreement reached by the parties was indeed consummated by the Ecobank’s Management and is valid and should be complied with.

This is the case before Justice Idris J, in which Honeywell has prayed the court to uphold the ruling of the Bankers’ Committee in its favour, following Ecobank’s refusal to do same.

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the political risk insurance and credit enhancement arm of the World Bank Group, along with Seven Energy International Limited (Seven Energy), announces its first engagement in Nigeria’s gas sector today. Seven Energy’s processing facility and pipelines have commenced delivering gas to three power stations and two manufacturing plants—and are expected to have a significant development impact in a country suffering from a severe energy shortage due to the lack of infrastructure to bring gas to the domestic market.

Most international oil and gas companies in Nigeria are focused on offshore oil, while gas is often considered a byproduct and re-injected, liquified for export, or flared. Yet, despite the country’s enormous natural gas reserves, only one third of power is supplied from the national grid. Those connected to the grid face multiple daily power cuts and 55 percent of the population has no energy access. In response, the Nigerian government created the Gas Master Plan in 2009 to increase the gas supply and jumpstart investments in gas infrastructure through market-based pricing, strengthened regulation, increased contract enforceability, and better-aligned incentives.

MIGA is providing a guarantee of $200 million against the risk of expropriation to Seven Energy’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Accugas Ltd. The investment has a strong environmental profile, as Seven Energy’s operations will reduce gas flaring and displace more-polluting fuels such as diesel and biomass.


MIGA’s backing of Seven Energy forms part of new generation of jointly developed World Bank Group solutions. In addition to MIGA’s insurance, the World Bank supports the country’s sector reforms while the IFC itself and an IFC-managed fund have jointly invested in Seven Energy in Nigeria.

“MIGA’s involvement is an important part of the financial security package that enables us to invest for the long term in Nigeria’s gas sector—a decision that we expect will be good not only for our business, but also for Nigerian citizens, companies, and the economy as a whole,” said Phillip Ihenacho, Chief Executive Officer of Seven Energy.

“On energy, Nigeria is at a crossroads,” said the agency’s Executive Vice President and CEO, Keiko Honda. “MIGA is very pleased to be part of the country’s efforts to reduce its negative impact on climate change by moving toward cleaner energy and reducing gas flaring.”

Pastor or not, No man should be a wife beater. It is wrong under any circumstances; there is no justification for it.

buchilino:
d gal in d first pic looks like MEDUSA

That is Diandra Forrest with her younger sister and they are black Americans.

If y'all think these ones are pretty, y'all should go on Instagram and check out @evonpink @onomeokagbare @omoteniola @albinorella @snowee @maureenremmy @inmyskiniwin. Your eyes will pop out of your sockets. We are albino, we are beautiful and we are proud!

#Gbam!

Good evening.

Please I am having a tough time finding ad agencies that handle adverts for banks and financial houses in Nigeria. My Google search is proving quite futile and I need help to sort it out tonight. Your help will be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

There are many things that may cause concern for the average albino (or any albino really): sight, skin, treatments, general health, comfort, relationships, confidence, psychological and emotional health. I realize that the struggles of the present are a direct reflection of future challenges (of course there is always room for healing of sight) and perhaps there are others who can identify with this. The worst part is when we begin to imagine the little scenarios that could occur or catch us in difficult situations; it can really be nerve-wracking, right?

Of all those concerns though, there is one that has always scared me. What concern?

Continue reading at http://lightskinafrica.com

I recently made the acquaintance of a fantastic older lady at a gathering. She came across as nice, passionate and motherly. I was so intrigued by her that i bugged her endlessly to write some stories for my blog. Although she is a very busy person, she obliged me. Enjoy her stories..

The Brine Night

As a child, I was quite withdrawn. This was cause of concern for my paternal grandmother, so she insisted I attend a boarding school outside Lagos for more exposure. There is a custom at the Secondary school I attended which is to have what we called the Brine Night at the beginning of every new session. The brine night created an avenue to build up the confidence of the new students coming into the boarding house of the school. At the Brine Night, new students were expected to make a performance of some sort either by rendering a songs or reciting a poem. On my first Saturday night at school it was my turn to perform.

Now we all know brine is a solution of salt in water and people believed (and some still believe) the popular myth that albinos are not supposed to eat salted food. As I walked on to the stage for my performance, the audience began to shout, “afin o je yo”...

Catch up with the rest of this story and over 50 more posts on issues on albinism at www.lightskinafrica.com

It is a whole different world you never believe existed!

I recently made the acquaintance of a fantastic older lady at a gathering. She came across as nice, passionate and motherly. I was so intrigued by her that i bugged her endlessly to write some stories for my blog. Although she is a very busy person, she obliged me. Enjoy her stories..

The Brine Night

As a child, I was quite withdrawn. This was cause of concern for my paternal grandmother, so she insisted I attend a boarding school outside Lagos for more exposure. There is a custom at the Secondary school I attended which is to have what we called the Brine Night at the beginning of every new session. The brine night created an avenue to build up the confidence of the new students coming into the boarding house of the school. At the Brine Night, new students were expected to make a performance of some sort either by rendering a songs or reciting a poem. On my first Saturday night at school it was my turn to perform.

Now we all know brine is a solution of salt in water and people believed (and some still believe) the popular myth that albinos are not supposed to eat salted food. As I walked on to the stage for my performance, the audience began to shout, “afin o je yo”...

Catch up with the rest of this story and over 50 more posts on issues on albinism at www.lightskinafrica.com

It is a whole different world you never believe existed!

The #AngelsAmongMen campaign has been running for the past week and a half now across 6 major social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+ and BBM. It has provoke conversation on several platforms but more importantly, it has received incredible support, especially on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and BBM has been massive and priceless.We have had hundreds of retweets, some of which were from popular twitter accounts like GidiTraffic, LagosTrafficAlerts, ShadeLadipo, MazinoAppeal, ToluOgunlesi BringBackOurGirls EAFoundation, MyneWhitman, etc. We have lost track of the amount of post shares we have gotten on Facebook. We have been regrammed and loved on Instagram by many supporters including Annie Macaulay and Joseph Benjamin. The have had a number of bloggers put up posts on the campaign as well

I dare say that the first phase has been a success and the second phase is even more effective and far-reaching than the first. The campaign has attracted a lot of attention from people of all skinned shades and a countless number of them have joined and are still volunteering to join the campaign. You too can still join in and be a part of this movement; you can still make a difference!

For more information and more juicy photos from the campaign, visit www.lightskinafrica.com

Universal Energy Resources Ltd (“Universal Energy”) is pleased to announce the commencement of crude oil production from its Stubb Creek Field in Akwa Ibom State, following approval to embark on delivery of oil through Exxon Mobil’s Qua Iboe Terminal, which came on-stream in early February 2015.

With this achievement, Universal Energy has joined the league of marginal oil field producing companies in Nigeria, having successfully completed the construction of an Early Production Facility and building of the necessary 23 km pipeline from the Stubb Creek Field to Exxon Mobil’s Qua Iboe Terminal to enable evacuation and delivery. Commercial oil production from the Stubb Creek Field is at an initial gross rate of 2,000 bpd with plans to increase the processing capacity to 8,000 bpd.

Commenting on this milestone, Bassey Umoh, Managing Director, Universal Energy, said Universal Energy has achieved a major milestone in the long term development plan for the Stubb Creek Field; that is first oil from this marginal field. The marginal field round was executed with the aim of enabling domestic companies to bring smaller marginal fields on-stream and we are proud to have achieved this.

As a team, Universal Energy wishes to ‎express sincere appreciation and thanks to everyone who provided support and significantly contributed to the successful completion of the Stubb Creek Early Production Facility Project in Unyenge, Mbo Local Government Area; from conceptualisation, through to development and achieving first oil delivery. Particular thanks to our esteemed Board Chairman and Members, Seven Energy International Limited (which owns 62.5% equity interest in Universal Energy), other shareholders, our Joint Venture Technical Partner - Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration & Production Company (Nigeria) Ltd and the current Universal Energy management team and our retired and serving staff. We also value the immense contribution of Universal Energy project team and the numerous contractors, suppliers and vendors that have all played a part in the accomplishment of this goal in the development journey of the Stubb Creek Field.

Universal Energy appreciates the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria and its functionaries, the Akwa Ibom State Government, relevant Government Regulatory Agencies including Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEN), Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry (FMTI), Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) Commercial Division, Nigeria Content Development Management Board (NCDMB), as well as Nigeria Security Agencies. Lastly but most importantly, we would like to commend our host communities in Akwa Ibom State for their support in creating a conducive environment for our operations and granting us access to operate in the immediate and outer communities.

We would like to offer our assurance that Universal Energy will continue to uphold the Industry Best Practices while carrying out its operations and in accordance with the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Bassey Umoh
Managing Director, Universal Energy
For more information on Seven Energy please visit www.sevenenergy.com

Seven Energy International Limited (“Seven Energy”), the independent Nigerian integrated gas development, production and distribution company, and its subsidiary company Universal Energy Resources Ltd, announce the commencement of crude oil production from the Stubb Creek Field, in Akwa Ibom State, following approval to embark on delivery of oil through ExxonMobil’s Qua Iboe Terminal.

Seven Energy’s interest in the Stubb Creek field is held through a 62.5% interest in the operator, Universal Energy Resources Ltd. Stubb Creek’s development was conceived and led by the Seven Energy team, resulting in production start up in February 2015 at an initial gross rate of 2,000 bpd. Plans being progressed to increase the processing capacity to 8,000 bpd. The company also constructed a 23 km oil pipeline from the field to the Qua Iboe Terminal to enable evacuation and export.

Commenting on this milestone, Phillip Ihenacho, Chief Executive Officer, Seven Energy, said “Oil production at Stubb Creek marks the successful first phase of our long term development plan, which is designed to deliver commercial development of the field’s oil reserves ahead of the development of the substantial non-associated gas reserves that are also present. In the long term it will bring additional gas production into our existing processing and distribution infrastructure, and so further deepen the growing Nigerian gas market.

Production at Stubb Creek is also important because it marks the attainment of first oil at one of the marginal fields allocated to indigenous companies. This realises the original intention of the marginal field round to enable domestic companies to bring smaller, unutilized fields on-stream, enhancing both domestic ownership and national production, and so revenue.”

The Stubb Creek Field was discovered in 1971 and lies near the mouth of the Cross River in OML 14 located in Akwa Ibom State. It was classified as a marginal field in 2002, and subsequently transferred to Universal Energy, a subsidiary of Seven Energy, in 2004. The field has been developed in a joint venture partnership with Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration & Production Company (Nigeria) Ltd.

Gas supply to facilitate addition of 560MW of additional generation capacity into the grid

Seven Energy International Limited (“Seven Energy”), the indigenous Nigerian integrated gas Company has commenced the supply of gas to the 560 MW Calabar National Integrated Power Project (“NIPP”). The commercial delivery of gas to Calabar NIPP commenced in March 2015, and is being executed through Accugas, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Seven Energy. When operating at full capacity Calabar NIPP will increase national power generation by over 10%.

Gas is being supplied to the power plant from Seven Energy’s Uquo Gas Processing Facility in Akwa Ibom State through the Seven Energy pipeline network. The gas supply will enable the power plant to complete commissioning and start delivering electricity into the national grid.

Commenting on the achievement, Phillip Ihenacho, Chief Executive Officer, Seven Energy, said; “Delivering a cost effective and reliable gas supply is critical to providing sustainable power supply into the national grid to meet the government’s reform objectives and to facilitate industrial development. I am delighted that our ability to deliver an indigenous gas solution, from end to end is now being recognised by a broad range of industrial and power sector customers. Not only will the gas we supply drive enhanced power generation, but when combined with improvements in transmission and distribution it will also facilitate industrial and commercial developments which will have a far reaching impact throughout the community, stimulating industry and generating employment as a result.”

Steve Tierney, Managing Director, Accugas said “The Calabar NIPP is a major power plant in Calabar and a further endorsement of the quality and reliability of our services. Our strong capability across the region with ownership of gas reserves and pipeline infrastructure have enabled us to commercialise our gas assets, delivering a solution that the market has been demanding for many years. We are ready and look forward to adding more customers to our network across the South East of Nigeria, bringing affordable and reliable gas to a wider audience.”

Seven Energy has continued to champion an industrial gas revolution through the development and production of natural gas, and, critically, its commercialisation through investment in processing and distribution infrastructure, where the Company has invested over $1 billion in the south east region of the Niger Delta in the last 5 years.

With significant capacity built into its distribution infrastructure, the Company is capable of providing a long-term supply of gas to additional off takers for power generation and for local industry.

Since the commissioning of the Uquo Gas Processing Facility in 2014, Seven Energy has begun the supply of gas to other off takers such as the Ibom Power Company, Notore Chemical Industries Limited and the United Cement Company of Nigeria, also in Calabar.

This is not a screenplay!

Perhaps the key character in the narrative would have wished it was one - for a Nollywood flick with the title Your Oga or Your Life or The Lucky Escape or the like.

Mumuni (not real name) is the driver of the Publisher of Africa Oil and Gas Report, Toyin Akinosho. On the morning of 20 March, before boarding a flight to Abuja, Akinosho gave Mumuni N5,000 to buy fuel for the generator at his residence on the outskirts of Lagos. That was what took Mumuni out of the house at about 7 O'clock that evening. He had not even got to the neighbourhood filling station when the drama started.

Mumuni takes over from here: “As I came out from our street to enter the man road, I saw a white Hilux (mini truck) following me. I wanted to branch into another Road but because they were still following me, I decided to go straight. But they still followed me. At 41 Road, there is a junction that you can branch from, to Ikoyi or to the (exit) gate. It was at that spot that they blocked me with their car and stopped me. They came down and were asking me, where is Toyin Akinosho?’ and I told them that I don't know who Toyin Akinosho is; that I have never heard that name in my life before. I also told them that (the) publisher's car is my personal car and that the name Toyin Akinosho does not ring a bell. It was at that point that they returned into their vehicle and drove off.”

Mumuni recalled that the suspected assassins were five. He continued the narration:
“They entered their car and I kept moving because I thought it would be unwise for me to go back home right away. As they moved, they were moving slowly and then later turned to the roundabout that leads to Ikoyi; but I went straight to gate. But as I looked into my side mirror, I saw that they were still following me and I thought to myself that if I went home, they might still trace me to the house to know where we were staying. So, I went straight and bent towards Four Points (By Sheraton Lagos hotel) area. The car has an e-tag (per-paid toll identification) so I just passed the toll gate but it was like they paid and were delayed a bit. But the traffic light stopped me; it wasn't up to one minute that I was at the traffic light that I saw that they were coming but then, the light passed me so I drove off. I passed in front of Four Points and followed Ajose Adeogun Street. On that street, there is a club that Oga goes to. It was there that they caught up with me and rammed my car by the side and I ran into a culvert and the bumper was damaged.”

What happened next? “Then, one of them came out of the car and slapped me on my face and said, ‘We are asking you for the last time, where is Toyin Akinosho?’ I told him that I don’t know the person who bears that name. On hearing that, another one said to me: ‘I can waste you o’ but I told him that if he wanted to kill me, he should do so, but I insisted I neither knew Akinosho nor ever heard of his name. Then they left me there and entered their vehicle and left. People that were around there started coming out to assist me drag the car off the culvert.”

But the saga didn’t end there. Mumuni decided to sleep in the car where the incident happened on Ajose Adeogun because the impact on the steering affected its controlling mechanism. He chose the option of sleeping in the car because “we had recently bought two new tyres and I didn’t want them to loosen the tyres at night because that place is usually lonely and quiet at night before day-break.” Apart from the tyres, Mumuni thought that the battery could also be stolen. “Whatever happened would still be on my head,” he said, not giving a thought to the danger he exposed himself to. “I know that it is not worth my life, but I just can’t leave the car there,” he reasoned.
Something happened during the small hours.

The men were back. There’s this line in Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger: “Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago. ‘Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.” Yes, this time, it was “enemy action” or an action that suggested that the suspects were not friends. “As I was sleeping in the car, around 2am,” Mumuni continues, “they came to meet me and used the edge (barrel) of a gun to wake me up. They then collected my phone and the N7,000 that I had on me and left saying that since I did not want to say the truth, they’d go with those.”

Mumuni has a theory: “It was like they went to check the (Contacts on my phone) whether they would see Oga’s name on my phone but I saved Oga’s number with the name ‘MAE’”

What is MAE? “Nothing,” said Mumini, who is from ….., explaining, “I just saved it as such because to spell his name, Toyin Akinosho Alfred, is difficult for me.” His theory could be right. “Around 5 a.m, they came back and dropped the phone on my body. I was even asleep then but I felt something drop on my chest as they threw the phone at me.” After he was threatened with the gun, Mumuni, somehow strangely, decided to sleep atop the booth instead of inside the car where he had first slept. “That was where they came to give me back the phone and told me that I was lucky,” he stated.

Soon after he was rammed into the culvert, Mumuni had called Akinosho to narrate the incident. The latter advised him to “be careful.”
He has been grounded since then.

Now, why were the five looking for Toyin Akinosho? Lingering question.

I used to think racism was a thing of the whites. There have been and still are lots of complaints of how Africans are treated when they travel to other countries. You would think that with all that experience of racism and having been colonised, Africans will be one of the most tolerant people on the face of the earth; for where?!

Racism has unfortunately come to Africa or in this case, discrimination. It is now being practiced by Africans themselves. In fact, it has become distastefully prevalent in Nigeria or how else do you explain what the big deal is in being an albino or “Afin” as some people call it?’ I’m black, you are white; does it really matter? Why exactly do we pay so much attention to people’s skin colour without even getting to know them one on one?

In Nigeria, when we see a white person from Jand or Yankee, we stare in admiration. Meanwhile, when we see an albino here in Naija, we stare in disgust. Some will even stand still and stare until the person notices. Haba! Some of us don’t even mind walking or sitting side by side with a white person from overseas but when it’s an albino, we then feel uncomfortable. Isn’t that hypocritical?

Continue reading here https://seyiogunsi./2015/04/17/mercy-vents-naija-of-double-standards/

MARKETING MANAGER – eloPhotos.com

Location: Ikeja, Lagos (Nigeria)

We are one of the biggest photography business brands in West-Africa with about 10 years experience. The company created other subsidiaries that have equally played crucial roles in the photography industry.

We require a suitable candidate to fill the role of Marketing Manager. The candidate must be confident, self-motivated and result-orientated. The role will involve providing business, product development and marketing support to the organization.

DESCRIPTION:
 Responsible for planning and leading the execution of marketing activities for strategic photography-related subsidiaries of eloPhotos.com. Execution will meet corporate, and brand/business unit objectives.
 Work with the CEO to develop new concepts and strategy for the photography products/services.
 Drive awareness and positive perception of all eloPhotos-related brands into the defined markets.
 Implement the overall brand strategy, brand re-positioning, marketing of new products and overseeing the implementation of all communication and brand materials.

QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE

To read more, visit www.caritasoilblog..com

Good Morning Nairalanders,

I trust you are having a pleasant morning.

Please I need you help badly!

I have this survey i need to turn in 3 hours from now and the number of respondents I have is limited.

Please help me fill this form (females only please) http:///forms/k5WsRydxmP

I promise that it is short and straight to the point

Thank you for your help and support

Good Morning Nairalanders,

I trust you are having a pleasant morning.

Please I need you help badly!

I have this survey i need to turn in 3 hours from now and the number of respondents I have is limited.

Please help me fill this form (females only please) http:///forms/k5WsRydxmP

I promise that it is short and straight to the point

Thank you for your help and support

Good Morning Nairalanders,

I trust you are having a pleasant morning.

Please I need you help badly!

I have this survey i need to turn in 3 hours from now and the number of respondents I have is limited.

Please help me fill this form (females only please) http:///forms/k5WsRydxmP

I promise that it is short and straight to the point

Thank you for your help and support

Good Morning Nairalanders,

I trust you are having a pleasant morning.

Please I need you help badly!

I have this survey i need to turn in 3 hours from now and the number of respondents I have is limited.

Please help me fill this form (females only please) http:///forms/k5WsRydxmP

I promise that it is short and straight to the point

Thank you for your help and support

Accra (Ghana), March 17, 2015 – With more than 4,200 oil and gas blocks identified, Africa is the last true oil and gas frontier. About half of these blocks are open, subject to force majeure. More than 80% of the 1,300 blocks in North Africa are licensed, while in sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that only about 30% of 2,900 blocks are licensed. In the sub-Saharan regions, it is evident that many new opportunities still exist, especially for the exploration and production (E&P) companies that are willing to take risks.

In realization of these inherent opportunities in the sub - region, the maiden edition of the Sub-Sahara Africa Upstream Oil & Gas Summit & Exhibition has been scheduled to hold in Accra, Ghana from 1st - 3rd April 2015 with theme “Unlocking Potentials in sub-Sahara Africa Upstream Oil & Gas”. The summit is organized by Zenith Professional Training (ZPT), a firm with several years’ of building oil and gas capacity through industry specialized training.

The Summit and exhibition, in its maiden edition is aimed at bringing to the fore the intricacies of the oil and gas sector, the potentials of the industry and the sizable share of global reserves and resources deposited in Nigeria, Ghana and other oil-producing countries in the Sub-Saharan African region.

Issues to be discussed range from cross-border matters, particularly for stakeholder licenses, financial instruments for marginal fields, local content drive, to security and safety in extractive industries and sustainable management of resources. Beyond discussions, the event affords participants the opportunity to showcase their organizations" brand and products, launch company’s new products and services, increase product awareness across the Sub-Saharan African region, face to face contact with potential clients and clients’ customers as well as networking with key decision makers.

It is expected that the summit and exhibition will attract many key industry players from across Africa and beyond. The exhibition will provide a veritable opportunity for established Exploration & Production Companies, Marginal Field Companies, State Governments, Government Agencies, Legal & Financial Services Providers, Exploration, Production & Processing Technology Manufacturers, Exploration, Production & Processing Service Companies, services providers, equipment manufacturers and new entries to interact and showcase their potentials.

Visit Site for more info

Media Inquiries:
Nigeria/Ghana:
Innocent Nwani
Innocent@caritaspr.com
+234 816 853 6627

The Fred Hallows Foundation focuses on the comprehensive treatment of cataract blindness, but also tackles other causes of blindness, including trachoma and refractive error.

An estimated 32.4 million people around the world today are blind and another 191 million are visually impaired. Simple interventions, such as inexpensive medication and surgery, can restore people’s sight, productivity and livelihoods, giving lasting benefits for individuals, their families and whole communities.

Half of global blindness is caused by cataracts – a clouding of the lens of the eye that can be treated by a simple surgical procedure – and the World Bank has identified cataract surgery as one of the most cost-effective of all public health interventions.

The "Behold The World" Campaign is a sensitization of the global society on avoidable blindness as it affect people in both developed and non-developed societies. It is a call to support a worthy cause to reduse the rate of handicap in the world. \

Join the "Behold The World" campaign on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Behold-The-World/949942111696466
and on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/
Read more about the Fred Hollows Foundation here: http://www.hollows.org.au/

Save an eye to #BeholdTheWorld!

I once gave a glimpse of people's reactions to albinos in [url][url]Ko K’Aye[/url[/url]]. What I did not say is, that scenario only accounts for less than 5 minutes of the average day of an albino; you cannot even begin to imagine how tough it can be.

The point-blank staring and name-calling can be very quiet unsettling and upsetting most times (if you let it). Here are a few of the names I have been called over the years, “Afin”, “Oyinbo”, “Unfortunate European”, “Whitey”, “Snow White”, “igo Oju”, “Four Eyes”, “Bat Eyes”, “Orisa”, “NEPA”, “Ebora”, “BonfrereJo”, “Afin o reran osan”, “Onyiocha”, “Ostrich”, “Yellow fowl”, etc.

Now, as you walk by, kids will chant, “Oyinbo pepper, if you eati pepper…” I do not blame the kids though, they are simply amused but every now and again, you see an adult who should know better, tap their kids and say, “Look, See Afin!”

Then the popular questions, “Why does your head shake?” “You are holding your phone so close, can you see?” They wave their hands in front of your face, “Can you see my hand, how many fingers?”. “Can you see in the dark?

Experience has thought me that most people feel no guilt in making crude remarks either because they are unaware of the effects of their words, because they simply do not care, or worse, because they actually set out to demean. I have often wondered why…

It may be fear which stems from an unconscious belief that to name something is to control it. People truly are likely to be controlled by repetitious name-calling when they begin to believe the name and act accordingly. This is the reason why albinos must never subject themselves to name-calling and most rise above.

Another reason may be lack of knowledge, curiosity or a genuine desire to learn. However, most people are faced with a frustrating inability to express questions constructively or with emotional intelligence. Albinos must therefore learn to excuse unknowing name-callers on this premise. Some people tease in order to get to know others better or to express affection. This kind of teasing usually does not hurt. However, if the person being teased does not have a positive self-image, and is uncomfortable with albinism, even affectionate teasing will hurt.

As part of society, we all hold a responsibility to educate the people around us; do not condone any form of name-calling. As for my white-nation brethren, you owe it to yourself to be happy and confident; it is handwork in this kind of environment but you are worth the handwork….

Ultimately, both sides of the divide must work to ensure that the albinos in the society can enjoy a measure of psychological health.

#SayNoToNameCalling

#LightSkinAfrica

As I approached the bus pack at Berger…

“Oyinbo!”

“Who be Oyinbo? Na afin jor.”

“Ha! But this afin fine well well oh”

“Tufiakwa! I no fit marry afin oh”

“Na that one dey worry you? Abi make you no born afin sef”

I stopped short, turned back, cocked my head and stared at the group of bus drivers; then I burst out laughing and turned round again. As I walked away, I quickly glanced backwards to see the confused expression that I knew would be on all their faces.

I should have been upset, yes? I agree. Why did I laugh then?

)Is it because I am ignorant of the implications of their statements? Is it because I am unaware that their statement actually represents the mentality of the average Nigerian? It is because I am unaware that the average albino still has a long battle to fight to “earn” acceptance? No! No!! No!!! I am well aware of all that.

As I settled down in the bus and stared back at a strange woman who obviously does not know what it means to “steal glances”, I remembered all the people who had done “Olorun maje” to my face over the years and I chuckled some more (Thinking I was laughing at her and feeling embarrassed, the woman adjusted in her sit and looked away).

Read more @ www.seyiogunsi.

It is time to balance the scales! I have made sure to give a glimpse into the challenges that the average albino faces in Africa. However, I also hold a conviction that no matter how society treats us, we owe ourselves to break from all societal, physical and psychological restrictions (don’t tell me it is hard, I am not exactly unaware now, am I?) and reach for the best that you can; after all, it is not society’s life now, is it?

It is possible to break out of the status quo because there are people who have. To demonstrate this, I have pulled out successful stories from one of the most difficult and intolerant industries of any country. Here are short bios of “some” of Africa’s albinos that have broken ground in the modeling industry. Enjoy…


Diandra Forrest

Diandra Forrest is one of the most popular African-American albino top models. Diandra is setting a trend which would encourage other albinos to “emerge” from their shells

Having had a difficult childhood when she was often called Casper (You know the cartoon? Lol!), Diandra has become a spokesmodel for other albino black people, after learning of their mistreatment, particularly in East Africa....

Read more @ https://seyiogunsi./

Check out https://www.nairaland.com/2141857/open-letter-declaration-refunded-funds for an update from Mrs. Omo-Ojo herself.

Good morning Nairalanders and Nigerians,

I sincerely appreciate all the support and encouraging comments I have received concerning my complaint about UBA. This campaign started on Twitter on Sunday afternoon with the intention of getting UBA to do the right thing and return the money fraudulently removed from my account. With a rigorous Twitter campaign, they finally paid attention because they requested for my phone number and account details on Monday.

Yesterday morning, I headed out to a funeral without taking my phones. Upon my return, I realized that I had several missed calls; most of them were from the contact person I had been corresponding with in UBA.

As I scrolled through my text messages, I saw an alert that shows I have been credited with N1.2m, the same amount that had been fraudulently withdrawn from my account. I also saw another text message from the same Admin contact informing me that the Bank has refunded my money.

In order to be doubly assured, I called my account officer to check my account balance and his feedback affirmed that the money has been paid. This battle to recover my money has lasted for more than one year. What could not be achieved in one year has been made possible within 48 hours due to your prayers and support.

Once again, thank you for your support. Justice has been done on this case! UBA has stepped forward and done the right thing.

Warm regards,
Signed
Omo-Ojo Gloria (Mrs.)