Hi all...in my opinion, we always want to see the bad side of everything. But we never commend courier companies for good and excellent services. I remember when I wanted to do blood transfusion....it was a matter of life and death and we needed blood from LUTH to UCH...it was a 24hour delivery but because of the urgency, it was given to FedEx from LUTH and they delivered to UCH within 12 hours. I remained greatful to them for this excellent service.

Alejoc:
Somebody may not know about NIPOST Cargo service yet.... I am a self appointed NIPOST Ambassador




NIPOST is a back and better and can carry any goods and deliver to the most interior of locations at one of the best price imaginable.... I have been impressed with their service lately l

I think the problem with us is that we usually want to avoid paying government duties. I quite agree that there are bad elements in every profession, including the courier sector. We have seen quack doctors or lawyers too. But Government duties are sacrosanct, it is never meant to be paid to individuals. It is either paid directly to goverent or collected by government approved agencies, in this case, courier companies. So, find and properly from the company and don't fall victim to fraudulent practoces.

AryaSand:

Yeeeeeeeeeeee! I hope they'll handle my package well o. Thank you for tell me. I'll never use their services again.

I think the problem with us is that we usually want to avoid paying government duties. I quite agree that there are bad elements in every profession, including the courier sector. We have seen quack doctors or lawyers too. But Government duties are sacrosanct, it is never meant to be paid to individuals. It is either paid directly to goverent or collected by government approved agencies, in this case, courier companies. So, find and properly from the company and don't fall victim to fraudulent practoces.

ponti93:
you should have reported them... Normally dhl doesn't charge d reciver

I think the problem with us is that we usually want to avoid paying government duties. I quite agree that there are bad elements in every profession, including the courier sector. We have seen quack doctors or lawyers too. But Government duties are sacrosanct, it is never meant to be paid to individuals. It is either paid directly to goverent or collected by government approved agencies, in this case, courier companies. So, find and properly from the company and don't fall victim to fraudulent practoces.

IYIMAN:
DHL remains the best from my experience. Used both in the past 2 years. DHL never disappointed, timely delivery, no drama. FedEx can drag document all around the world before getting to final destination.

NIPOST regulates the courier industry. They are regulators and at the same time players in the industry. Even though this can put them in an indie advantage, I can assure you that a company like Red Star Express or FedEx have one of the widest reach and network and prices become as affordable as your needs in terms of delivery time, location and weigh.

bigt2:

Can I know how to get through this?

NIPOST regulates the courier industry. They are regulators and at the same time players in the industry. Even though this can put them in an indie advantage, I can assure you that a company like Red Star Express or FedEx have one of the widest reach and network and prices become as affordable as your needs in terms of delivery time, location and weigh.

donqx:


guy beware of Nipost ...they have now patnered with corrupt customs officers and started charging high duties on even registered mail.this is a new development and they are digging their failure graves already. I am sure this is caused by those corrupt dhl fedex tnt staffs whom inform the corrupt customs staffs that they are loosing business and customers to Nipost due to excessive duties , Now those corrupt elements are now with Nipost .beware ..I was charged over 41k few days ago for item worth 22usd at nipost office.item was just a speaker from china registered mail and normal charges before now was 500naira.

I ask the staff he claim it is the new development from customs nipost partnership to charge 2 duties. first custom duties and second nipost duties.

I rejected the item immediately to be sent back to sender.

Hi all...in my opinion, we always want to see the bad side of everything. But we never commend courier companies for good and excellent services. I remember when I wanted to do blood transfusion....it was a matter of life and death and we needed blood from LUTH to UCH...it was a 24hour delivery but because of the urgency, it was given to FedEx from LUTH and they delivered to UCH within 12 hours. I remained greatful to them for this excellent service.

Ucheamani:
FedEx is the worst courier company in Nigeria. I say so because each time I receive a spare part from abroad, FedEx staff collude with corrupt Nigeria custom agent at the Airport to use a wrong HS code so that my duty will be high.
If I receive same from DHL, I not only pay a lower duty but I also get it faster Because DHL have in-house Custom staff in their facility a d they can even allow you to pick up at the airport if you so wish.
DHL is also quite responsive to complaints but FedEx takes forever to answer and they won't do nothing. FedEx service in Nigeria is a crap.

The Total Group in Nigeria which comprise of Total Nigeria Plc and Total Upstream Companies and her partners (NNPC, NAPIMS, SAPETRO, Petrobras & CCNOC) joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Malaria Day. The determination of Total and her partners to eradicate malaria in Nigeria has never waned. The Company has over the years, continued to go into communities to create awareness and educate the Nigerian Populace on how best to protect themselves from malaria. This year the event took place at the Oniyanrin Community, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The Group’s theme for the event was ‘Defeat Malaria’. A total of 1,000 Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (LLITMN) were earmarked for donation/distribution to the members of the community. The Oniyanrin Primary Health Center benefited from the donation and there was direct distribution to residents of Oniyanrin community, especially to families with children under 5 years and pregnant women. Two wards within the Ibadan North-West Local Government area were also reached while 10,000 Information and Educational fliers were distributed as well as a road......https://www.thegeniusmedia.com.ng/2018/05/04/the-total-group-in-nigeria-marks-the-world-malaria-day-2018-in-ibadan-oyo-state/

Eliment of truth

A Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators yesterday listed a number of oil fields and installations as targets for resumed attacks if Federal Government failed to address specific grievances agitating the region.

Following three weeks of consultations and meetings across the Niger Delta region, the group, in resolutions adopted in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, yesterday, also gave Fulani herdsmen one months to the vacate the region or face dire consequences. Signatories to the resolution included, but not limited to John Duku (Niger Delta Watchdogsand Convener, Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators; Ekpo Ekpo (Niger Delta Volunteers), Osarolor Nedam (Niger Delta Warriors) and Simply Benjamin (Bakassi Strike Force).

The resolutions spelt a 90-day ultimatum to the Federal Government (FG) to implement restructuring and resource control, return oil blocs in the region to the Niger Delta people and ensure relocation of the oil & gas companies headquarters to the region. It says, “Otherwise, there would be no one Nigeria.



We shall officially declare Niger Delta Republic after 90 days, if the Federal Government fails to implement the above demands. “We also demand that all the Northerners living in the Niger Delta to quit the region if....https://www.thegeniusmedia.com.ng/2018/01/25/niger-delta-militants-list-chevron-mobil-others-as-key-oil-assets-targeted-for-destruction/

The National Association of Itsekiri Graduates (NAIG) has directed all Itsekiri Trainees in the VTP5/OTP2, and VTP6 Vocational Training program to turn down “On the job training contract extension” with Chevron, noting that Chevron had an agreement with host the Communities before the commencement of training program.

NAIG, in a statement signed its president Mr. Collins Oristetimeyin Edema made this disclosure in an interview with newsmen yesterday in Warri, while demanding for the immediate release of the original OPITO Certificates of all 49 Itsekiri trainees on-board and the regularization of their employment.

The statement reads ‘’We wish to inform the general public, human right activists, Civil Society Organizations that our graduates are being used by the Management of CNL for slave labour and we will put an end to...https://www.thegeniusmedia.com.ng/2018/01/11/disregard-training-contract-extension-naig-tells-itsekiri-trainees-in-chevron/

The National Association of Itsekiri Graduates, NAIG has threatened dire consequences if the Management of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL does not halt the alleged “current employment of Plant Operators” purportedly recruited without informing the company’s host communities.

The apex Itsekiri graduates’ body in a statement made available to Fresh Angle International Tuesday January 2, claimed that “over 50 would-be operators were interviewed by Chevron Nigeria Limited during the week of November 6, 2017 to November 10, 2017 at Oakwood Hotel, Lekki and successful applicants have already done their medical with Chevron awaiting their resumption”.

The statement signed by CEO/President of NAIG, Collins Edema, averred that the recruitment process is “contrary to the GMoU and the Local Community Content guideline of Chevron”, stressing that Itsekiri is host to about 70% of CNL operation in Nigeria and “as such deserve employment based on production quantum”.

While noting also that most recently over 24 persons were recruited for Structural Engineering/Vessel Stencilin positions in Mechanical and Integrity Department in June 2017 “with nobody from the host communities employed”, NAIG added, “Chevron has conducted OPITO training programme for over 10 years for our graduates without an : https://www.thegeniusmedia.com.ng/2018/01/04/group-threatens-chevron-over-employment-of-plant-operators-vows-not-to-accept-any-training-contract-renewal/

Innoson Nigeria Limited and its Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, on Friday withdrew an ex parteapplication they filed against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The other defendants in the ex parte application filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos are the Federal High Court, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police and Guaranty Trust Bank.

In the ex parte application, Innoson alleged that his recent arrest and detention by the EFCC was at the instance of GTB.

Though the ex parte application was filed on Thursday, Justice Hadiza Shagari had adjourned till Friday to hear it.

When the matter was, however, called on Friday, counsel for GTB, Adebowale Kamoru, showed up in court, saying his client knew about Innoson’s move to get injunction against them.

Kamoru, in an application he brought before Justice Shagari on Friday, prayed the court to decline entertaining Innoson’s ex parte application, on the claim that Innoson and his company had suppressed material facts.

Citing several judicial authorities, he prayed the court to grant leave for his client to be heard in the case.

In response, Innoson’s lawyer, Prof. MacCarty Mbaduagha, said he had been instructed by his client to withdraw the ex parte application.

Kamoru did not oppose him.

Consequently, Justice Shagari granted Mbaduagha’s prayer.

“In view of the application of the applicants’ counsel, the application is hereby granted,” the judge held.

TENSION is mounting at Kokodiagbane and other Ijaw host communities of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, in Delta State, over the manner the multinational oil firm is handling the conversion of graduates that participated in its Vocational Training and Operator Training Programmes.

Graduates of Egbema and Gbaramatu Kingdoms, under the auspices of KOMBOT, Moses Yabrade, in statement, yesterday, confirmed that the patience of the people of Kokodiagbene, Opuama, Makaraba, Benekrukru, Okoituure and Tsekelewu host communities was running out over the treatment meted out to their graduates.

He said: “Dissatisfied over how Chevron has handled the Vocational Training Programme 5 /Operator Training Programme 2 (VTP5/OTP2) and Vocational Training Programme 6 (VTP6)’s conversion case, we are speaking out. “Peaceful efforts were made by the three Regional Development Councils, RDCs, of Ijaw, Ilaje and Itsekiri, including the graduate bodies to Chevron to address these abnormalities and injustice over the years but without success .”



“We had towed the line of dialogues with several meetings held between management of CNL and host communities representatives, but all these had met a brick wall. Security agents, representatives of governors of Delta and Ondo states were well informed of this development and participated in ensuring peace resolution of the issue at hand.



“This is to inform the public and CNL in particular to address this issue with all urgency. CNL needs to act because our patience as indigenes of host communities is fast running out. “The VTP5/OTP2 Operation and Maintenance technician trainees are the fifth set to apply for Chevron Training Programme in 2007. They called them for aptitude test, later skilled test (COBRA) and thereafter, did interview in 2008.



101 graduates resumed training at Ogere Training centre, Ogun State in March 2013 after much pressure from host communities. “The training programme regulation is for 18 months before their conversion to CNL staff. Almost five years down the line, they are still yet to be converted to CNL staff, even after completing their classroom training and the on-the-job learning.



“It will be recalled that the purpose of CNL establishing the Ogere training programme, was to address the imbalance/shortage of indigenous (host communities) employment, into the company (CNL), hence the need to establish this program, to train and recruit host community graduates as staffs of the CNL company.



“However, CNL is gradually derailing from her well- thought out plans and intentions in recent years when in 2008, they refused to train over 30 Egbema and Gbaramatu graduates that passed their tests and interviews up to medical stage. CNL has now refused to convert the 2013 batches, thereby creating a negative impression of deliberate witch-hunting of host community graduates,” he said.

Innoson EFCC arrest and the GTB Loan: The facts behind the saga, By James Osareme
Recently, the Innoson/GTBank story has gained so much media prominence, especially following the arrest of the Innonson chairman a few days ago by EFCC. Though the case is pending in court, Innoson has taken the battle to social media. There have been numerous sponsored social media campaigns against the Bank such as #BewareOfGTBank and #WhatIsWrongWithGTBank. The company has also gone Television, with its owner, Dr Innocent Chukwuma granting an interview to TVC, where he claimed he had obtained a judgement of N8bn against the bank. He added that the bank pleaded with him over their inability to pay, and that he graciously offered to accept shares of the bank as payment. GTBank on their part has chosen to remain silent on the matter, perhaps trusting in the integrity of the legal system as against playing to the gallery. Many attempts by us to get the bank’s representatives to comment on the story has proven abortive. A staff of the bank who spoke under anonymity, stated “Irrespective of the issues we are facing with the company, Innoson remains a…..read more on https://www.premiumtimesng.com/promoted/253089-innoson-efcc-arrest-gtb-loan-facts-behind-saga-james-osaremen.html

NothingDoMe:
Case is in court but they used EFCC to arrest him? He nor appear during the court sessions?

Innoson EFCC arrest and the GTB Loan: The facts behind the saga, By James Osareme

Recently, the Innoson/GTBank story has gained so much media prominence, especially following the arrest of the Innonson chairman a few days ago by EFCC. Though the case is pending in court, Innoson has taken the battle to social media. There have been numerous sponsored social media campaigns against the Bank such as #BewareOfGTBank and #WhatIsWrongWithGTBank. The company has also gone Television, with its owner, Dr Innocent Chukwuma granting an interview to TVC, where he claimed he had obtained a judgement of N8bn against the bank. He added that the bank pleaded with him over their inability to pay, and that he graciously offered to accept shares of the bank as payment. GTBank on their part has chosen to remain silent on the matter, perhaps trusting in the integrity of the legal system as against playing to the gallery. Many attempts by us to get the bank’s representatives to comment on the story has proven abortive. A staff of the bank who spoke under anonymity, stated “Irrespective of the issues we are facing with the company, Innoson remains a…..read more on https://www.premiumtimesng.com/promoted/253089-innoson-efcc-arrest-gtb-loan-facts-behind-saga-james-osaremen.html

According to the anti-graft body, his arrest followed his refusal to honour invitation by the Commission having earlier jumped an administrative bail granted him in a case being investigated by the Capital Market and Insurance Fraud Unit of the Commission's Lagos office.

"Chukwuma, rather than honoring invitation by the EFCC, mobilized six truck loads of thugs pretending to be staff of his company to his residence, where they manhandled EFCC operatives. "It took reinforcement from the Enugu office of the EFCC to effect the arrest of the industrialist who is currently being grilled by a team of investigators,"

Badgers14:


You have forgotten this is 9ja. Some one can have army or police bundle another person up and throw them in jail because they had misunderstandings.

Luckly i am sure GTB investors are smart people who know fake news when they see one. Because all this innoson claim is complete nonsense by a man who doesn't want to pay his debt.

humilitypays:
Those working with GTBank should prepare for retrenchment come 2018 because this case has already damaged GTBank's image and people will now have trust issues with them which will lead to lots of top GTBank investors and customers possibly withdrawing their investment and assets....let's watch and see....mass retrenchment loading at Gtbank

According to the anti-graft body,EFCC , his arrest followed his refusal to honour invitation by the Commission having earlier jumped an administrative bail granted him in a case being investigated by the Capital Market and Insurance Fraud Unit of the Commission's Lagos office.

kudosamass:
GTB is on a speed lane to self destruct. As a Bank, this is the most unwise method to settle this type matter. Many companies will certainly think twice before any serious engagement with GTB, even if the Bank is right. The reputation of the Bank will continue to nosedive as long as this case lingers.

For now, it is very clear to all that the Bank is desperate to avoid this payment so as not to go bankrupt. Should the Supreme Court uphold the decision of the Appeal Court, the general public might go into panic withdraws which may likely collapse the Bank finally.

Whichever way this matter ends, the Bank will be the looser because of the negative public awareness created by the case which the Bank invited on itself.
I wish them luck shaaaa!

After you finish shouting INNOSON, you will still go and buy spider.....Na wa oooo

sisisioge:
Na wa o, the only indigenous car plant we have in naija is being robbed and bullied under the watch of Bihari like this! Hian! Nigeria is really messed up!

Well, thankfully, Nigerians are already doing that. I mean, who even drives Innoson?!

Osucoward:


Boycott innoson....Fraudster and low quality cars.

The Igbo sentiments being expressed in some social media circles on the EFCC arrest of Innonson Motors chairman is perhaps not necessary

As explained by EFCC he was arrested for jumping bail. No one should be above the law.

Kingsley1000:
BIAFRA IS OUR LAST HOPE...for those campaigning for atikuchukwu,thunder fire you

THE EFCC VS INNOSON STORY:
THE TRUE FACTS ARE BEGINNING TO EMERGE!

Guys, we are all educated in one way or the other and it’s good to research and get proper facts before commenting or condemning one party over the other. People are saying “free innoson”, without even asking questions on what he did to justify his arrest. Has anyone bothered to get the underlying facts from the Bank or EFCC?

We hear that GTB financed importation of certain spare parts and Goods for Innoson. based on the nature of the banking facility granted to Innoson by GTB, the Goods were imported in the Bank’s name and the original bills of lading which were in the Bank’s name were sent directly to the Bank by the Exporter. Innoson was required to pay 25% of the value of the Goods to enable the bank endorse the shipping documents to him so he can clear the Goods. Innoson approached the bank saying he did not have the 25% to pay, and begging the bank to release the Goods. The bank refused, saying the agreement they both signed must be followed, and that innoson should pay the 25% to get the Goods released to him. Probably out of desperation, Innoson forged the Bills of Lading as well as the Bank’s endorsement (ie the bank’s stamp and Signatures of the Bank’s staff) to clear the Goods from the ports. We hear that Efcc concluded its investigation as far back as 2012 and prepared charges against innoson. The police also investigated Innoson and found him culpable. Forensic examination was also done which confirmed forgery of the bank’s shipping documents particularly as the original bills of Lading were presented by the bank during the investigation. Shouldn’t we be asking: Where are the bank’s goods? How did innoson clear the Goods  from the Ports? Ok, even after selling the Goods, did he pay the money to the bank? I think Innoson should answer these questions. I saw something online about the police charging innoson to court for fraud and innoson refusing to appear in court for trial for two years! Is Innoson above the law?

I know innoson claims he got judgment against the bank and the bank is only trying to victimize him. I am a lawyer and if indeed he has a final judgment, Innoson shouldn't be trying to enforce legal judgement on twitter or Facebook.....Why doesn't he take legal steps to get his money from GTB? I would like to believe that the issue of monetary judgments is a purely commercial issue which is currently before the courts and yet to be fully determined. The issue EFCC arrested him for is a criminal matter (forgery of shipping documents). Should Innoson go free because of his tribe or because he is an indigenous vehicle manufacturer?  Even the shipping company and shipping agents that facilitated the fraud are not left out of the investigation.

For me, GTB and innoson should conclude their civil matters in court, while the law enforcement agents should be allowed to do their job as far as the issue of crime and fraud is concerned.

Kenedex:
they are using EFCC to threaten the man because he has won his case with GTB it is high time these banks will seat tight, how can u over charged a customer to the tune of 700 million and it cannot to detected by ur bank what is the work of your internal auditors and external auditors as well in your bank,I think there is leaders failure in GTB which need to be urgently address before there reputation will be destroyed if not check many customers will like to withdraw there money from this bank now. they are good in over charging customers because they believe no one can challenge them, they should go and compensate the man and stop using EFCC to torment the man. all Nigerians bank are the same because they believe there is no responsible govt to check there activities innoson kudos to you God will protect u and guard u to end , so that the rest will banks will learn from this.

THE EFCC VS INNOSON STORY:
THE TRUE FACTS ARE BEGINNING TO EMERGE!

Guys, we are all educated in one way or the other and it’s good to research and get proper facts before commenting or condemning one party over the other. People are saying “free innoson”, without even asking questions on what he did to justify his arrest. Has anyone bothered to get the underlying facts from the Bank or EFCC?

We hear that GTB financed importation of certain spare parts and Goods for Innoson. based on the nature of the banking facility granted to Innoson by GTB, the Goods were imported in the Bank’s name and the original bills of lading which were in the Bank’s name were sent directly to the Bank by the Exporter. Innoson was required to pay 25% of the value of the Goods to enable the bank endorse the shipping documents to him so he can clear the Goods. Innoson approached the bank saying he did not have the 25% to pay, and begging the bank to release the Goods. The bank refused, saying the agreement they both signed must be followed, and that innoson should pay the 25% to get the Goods released to him. Probably out of desperation, Innoson forged the Bills of Lading as well as the Bank’s endorsement (ie the bank’s stamp and Signatures of the Bank’s staff) to clear the Goods from the ports. We hear that Efcc concluded its investigation as far back as 2012 and prepared charges against innoson. The police also investigated Innoson and found him culpable. Forensic examination was also done which confirmed forgery of the bank’s shipping documents particularly as the original bills of Lading were presented by the bank during the investigation. Shouldn’t we be asking: Where are the bank’s goods? How did innoson clear the Goods  from the Ports? Ok, even after selling the Goods, did he pay the money to the bank? I think Innoson should answer these questions. I saw something online about the police charging innoson to court for fraud and innoson refusing to appear in court for trial for two years! Is Innoson above the law?

I know innoson claims he got judgment against the bank and the bank is only trying to victimize him. I am a lawyer and if indeed he has a final judgment, Innoson shouldn't be trying to enforce legal judgement on twitter or Facebook.....Why doesn't he take legal steps to get his money from GTB? I would like to believe that the issue of monetary judgments is a purely commercial issue which is currently before the courts and yet to be fully determined. The issue EFCC arrested him for is a criminal matter (forgery of shipping documents). Should Innoson go free because of his tribe or because he is an indigenous vehicle manufacturer?  Even the shipping company and shipping agents that facilitated the fraud are not left out of the investigation.

For me, GTB and innoson should conclude their civil matters in court, while the law enforcement agents should be allowed to do their job as far as the issue of crime and fraud is concerned.

mexxmoney:

How could innoson have given a false audit? Was he the one who conducted the audit? Both parties agreed on a auditing firm to conduct it and they came out with the illegally deducted sum of over 700 million naira. GTB disputed it and conducted their own audit and still came out with a sum of over 500million naira illegally deducted from innoson's account. Read the story again, the quarrel is not about whether they owe him, GTB has already admitted to that. The quarrel is about the amount of interest to be paid on the money. Innoson is demanding 22% interest while GTB is insisting on 7%. In any case, the matter is in court and both the high court and court of appeal have ruled in Innoson's favour. They are now at the supreme court and I believe GTB has seen the handwriting on the wall so they decided to use underhand tactics.

Mr Chukwuma was arrested at about 11 am on Tuesday at his residence in Enugu.

The company, in a tweet, accused EFCC officials of storming the residence and arresting Chukwuma “like a common criminal without any prior invitation”.

But the anti-graft agency denied the claim, insisting that the Innoson boss failed to honour a prior invitation and accused him of jumping bail.

“His arrest followed his refusal to honour invitation by the commission having earlier jumped an administrative bail granted him in a case being investigated by the Capital Market and Insurance Fraud Unit of the Commission’s Lagos office,” a statement by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, read.

“Chukwuma rather than honouring invitation by the EFCC, mobilised six truck-loads of thugs pretending to be staff of his company to his residence, where they manhandled EFCC operatives.”

According to the statement, it took reinforcement from the Enugu office of the EFCC to arrest the industrialist.

The EFCC said Mr Chukwuma “is currently being grilled by a team of investigators”.

You complain banking is too stressful, the banks take initiative and you complain its exposing you to fraud. Abi you won go banking hall go cue.

As the curtain fell on her second Live In Lagos concert, Eko Hotel felt like the latest stop in a decade-long victory lap for Asa. Supported by a majestic 30-man orchestra, the singer put together a strong contender for concert of the year, and it was only April. The spectacle provided further evidence that there is still space in the A-list of Nigerian music, for the Parisienne and her timeless Afro-cosmopolitan sound, but it’s also a space that she’s had to fight for.
This week makes it 10 years since Asa released her eponymous debut project, an album that is almost unanimously adjudged to be a classic. But it is also an album that almost never happened. Asa has gone on to release two other studio albums since then: Beautiful Imperfection (2010) and Bed Of Stone (2014). Not only internationally, but also through Alaba distribution channels. This is important because even though she probably spends more time in the city of Lights than she does in the city that never has light, Asa continues to remain a revered musician back at home.



In addition to her remarkable studio albums, Asa has two live albums. At least two other projects have surfaced without her permission, and the singer’s reaction to their release has given us a peek into another side of her. Asa is normally reserved and guarded, which adds to her mystic, but there have been moments when she’s shown that there’s some steel beneath that soft exterior. Last year, GTBank saw that side when Asa publicly distanced herself from the theme song she had made for the bank years ago. All isn’t well with that relationship, if indeed there’s still any, and it might have been pure coincidence that the bank launched an aggressive #737 campaign shortly afterwards, complete with new musicians, but either way, it didn’t look good.



The manner in which Asa disassociated herself from GTB was cold-blooded, however, it was the way she broke ties with her erstwhile label, Question Mark Records, several years prior, that really let Nigerians know that there was more to this singer than meets the eye. In the mid-2000s, former MTV employee Kevin Lucciano-Gabriel set about assembling arguably the most versatile roster of artists at the time: Question Mark. Rapper ModeNine was the biggest star on the promising label that also had Nnenna, a sultry soul singer; Asa, a more acoustic-soul alternative; the edgy Street Monks duo; and Silver Saddih, the R&B heartthrob. Cobhams was the sinew that brought the artists together musically, but the relationship between the visually-impaired producer and Asa was particularly special.



Theirs was a match made in heaven – Asa occasionally combined her soul sensibilities to her Yoruba aesthetics and brought both to Cobham’s polished, worldly production. Cobhams would produce Asa’s entire debut album later on but in the meantime, both the singer and her producer were signed to a label that Asa would claim never understood her music. Despite the early promise, Question Mark was a label in perpetual turmoil and in 2006, Asa joined a growing list of artists who no longer shared Kevin’s vision and made for the exit. The singer alleged that Kevin and co were trying to sign her to an international deal behind her back, which isn’t shocking because Asa already looked and sounded like a misfit within the larger Q-Mark All Stars collective.



Asa also alleged that her former boss used mafia-style tactics to force her to stay. There were even reports that she had a gun pulled on her. Even though these were mere allegations, Kevin immediately became public enemy number one. It didn’t even matter whether the allegations were true or if Asa was violating the terms of her contract, for in a fight between a powerful male music exec and a bespectacled female soul singer, armed with only a guitar and a dream, the people were always going to take one side.



Through the years, Kevin has always maintained that all he wanted was for artists to respect their ‘contractual obligations’. But Asa had other plans at the time; she would sign with Paris-based Naive Records and release “Jailer” – a one-part political freedom song, one-part middle finger at her former employers.
“I’m talking to you jailer /Stop calling me a prisoner”



However, Question Mark one-upped Asa by releasing another version of “Jailer”. In fact, the label had several other records from the singer that they packaged and released after her exit, and they’ve been letting them go as if they were posthumous 2Pac albums or something. Asa sued Q-Mark for releasing the last one, Down On Me (2014), without her consent, the status of that lawsuit hasn’t been made public. But even though she has taken her grievances from the court of public opinion to the court of law, “Jailer” will be remembered as the subtlest of freedom fights, and the classic album that contained it, the ultimate declaration of freedom.

Niaja

Zenith had a fence, yet they robbed and killed a cop

A fence lets criminals know where the security post is and that could be very dangerous to the bank

Security is more than a fence, it is always good to leave the enemy guessing so that they do compromise your defence system