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OPINION: Citizen Egbeyemi’s potpourri of half-truths about CLI

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The Chairman, Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, popularly called Private Sector Participant Operators, Mr. Oladipo Egbeyemi is a very passionate man. Passion is good when it is about noble and profitable things.

But Egbeyemi’s passion is not about the Cleaner Lagos Initiative. This fact is crystal clear in the interview he recently granted a national newspaper.
In that interview the AWAM chairman said, “Our members are busy doing what they know how to do best, which includes collection of refuse and dumping of the refuse at designated places.”
But when asked to respond to the claim that about 80% of PSPs had agreed to work with Visionscape, he said, “Then why are you still finding so much refuse on the streets?”
But the truth is, majority of the PSPs are ready to work with Visionscape and a lot of them are already doing that. It is only Egbeyemi and his faceless instigators that are bent on undermining the Lagos people, the State Government and Visionscape.
Citizen Egbeyemi showed he was miffed that Visionscape offered to pay the PSP operators N30,000 per trip to Epe landfill to elicit sympathy. But he did not mention that not every PSP operator will go to Epe to dump waste as Visionscape has made arrangement for them to drop it at Transfer Loading Stations (TLS) in strategic locations across the State – Agege, Oshodi, Tapa, while the company will convey the waste from the TLSes to the engineered landfill.

In the interview, Egbeyemi lamented that government was not giving PSPs the opportunity “to viably operate, to have the opportunity to purchase new trucks in case the ones I am using now get bad, to expand and be able to thrive.” Perhaps in his hurry to whip up undeserved sentiments, he deliberately refused to mention the fact that government had made provision for PSPs to access N2.5bn loan facility at low interest rate to boost their services, especially in getting modern compactors. Currently, many PSP compactors often break down on the road.

The AWAM chairman denied that Visionscape had made any investment in infrastructure. But Visionscape is constructing the first engineered landfill in West Africa, a multibillion naira investment. The firm is doing the complete modernisation of the TLSes and providing brand new waste depots. Thousands of waste bins of various sizes have been distributed across Lagos and hundreds of brand new waste utility vehicles are already deployed while more are still expected.

Egbeyemi went ahead to repeat the now popular lie that Visionscape gets a certain amount from the state government. The figure being allegedly given Visionscape changes depending on who is telling the story. But this time, Egbeyemi put it at N700 million.
But this is false. Visionscape operates a performance based contract. The fee payment issue is on public record. It is also mind-boggling that people like Egbeyemi have reduced the contract Visionscape has with government to only waste collection when it is actually a turnkey public-private partnership arrangement.
The state government and Visionscape do not say they don’t need PSPs. The PSPs renamed Waste Collection Operators were asked to focus on commercial waste while Visionscape do residential. The PSPs screamed blue murder.

Consequently, Visionscape waved the olive branch at them. The company ceded even the residential waste collection to the WCOs. It asked them to sign a one-year-contract. The new arrangement is for the WCOs to get the waste from the residences, drop it at the TLSes, and Visionscape will convey it to the Epe landfill.

I personally do not see any reason Egbeyemi and his fellow travellers should reject that offer, After all, if they perform as expected, the contract can be renewed.

Do the Egbeyemis of this world really want a cleaner Lagos?
If they do, then they should join hands with the state government to ensure the success of the CLI.

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Organiser unveils speakers, panelists for the 2024 Industry Summit

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The organiser of the Industry Summit, an annual gathering for professionals and experts in brand marketing, finance, sustainability, and entertainment, has announced the speakers for the fifth edition of the summit in Lagos.

 

 

 

The event themed: Sustainable Marketing for Growth would feature the marketing director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Emmanuel Oriakhi as keynote speaker while the head of unit, sustainability at Access Bank, Mrs. Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan and manager brand, strategy & communications at Stanbic IBTC, Ms. Rita Akao would feature as guest speakers.

 

 

 

The summit, which is scheduled to hold on Friday, May 3rd, 2024 at the Marcelina’s Place Ikeja GRA, Lagos would feature some exhilarating panel sessions with some of the contemporary professionals in the Nigerian brand and marketing industry.

 

 

 

The panelists include; Ms. Chioma Mbanugo, Head of Marketing PZWILMAR, Mr. Abiodun Coker, Team Member Media, UBA, Mrs. Mabel Adeteye, Head, Brand & Marketing Communications, Wema Bank PLC, Mr. Kevin Olumese, Marketing Communications Specialist, and Mr. Adeola Kayode, Head, Brands & Creative Services, 9mobile Nigeria.

 

 

 

Others who have confirmed participation are Ms. Aisha Anaekwe, Head, Brands & Comms, Coronation Group, Mrs. Victoria N’dee Uwadoka, Public Relations, Public Affairs & Sustainability Lead, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr. Samson Adeoye, Public Relations Manager, Airtel Nigeria, Mrs. Oluwatosin Odiagbe, Marketing Manager, Simba Solar and Ms. Arinola Shobande, Head of Marketing, Showmax.

 

 

 

While Oriakhi would be speaking to the topic, ““New Age Marketing – Catalyzing Transformation Through Value Chain Innovation, Technology, Analytics & Sustainability”, Victor-Laniyan and Akao would present papers on the topics; “Aligning organizational objectives with sustainable marketing for the good of the people, society and business, and “Reimagining Sustainable Growth Through Green Marketing” respectively.

 

 

 

In the press statement signed by the Publisher of The Industry Newspaper/Convener of The Industry Summit/Awards (TIES), Mr. Goddie Ofose, he said that “The 5th edition of the Industry Summit is focusing on sustainable marketing, which is a purpose-driven practice that works to orientate businesses, brands and society towards a sustainable future, influencing appropriate awareness, aspiration, adoption and action across economic and sociocultural systems by taking necessary accountability for its impacts and opportunities.”

 

 

 

“In today’s ever-evolving world, debating whether to incorporate sustainability into business strategy is no longer an option. Considering a values-driven approach when developing business strategies can be vital to long-term success” he said.

 

 

 

Therefore, we have carefully selected these professionals and experts to deliberate on the subject matter, highlight challenges and proffer solutions where private and public sectors could take lessons from and improve upon whatever they have been doing,’ Ofose added.

 

 

 

The Industry Summit/Awards is a brainchild of The Industry Newspaper Limited, publishers of The Industry Newspaper (theindustry.ng) and 789marketing.ng.

 

 

 

The summit is designed to bring together industry leaders across the continent in all sectors in the quest to rev up conversations that will move the Nigeria business, economy and communication industry forward.

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IBEDC records 1,459 energy theft cases in January, February

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The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company said it has recorded 1,459 cases of energy theft by its subscribers between January and February 2024.

This was disclosed in a press statement signed by the firm’s Chief Key Accounts Officer, Mr. Johnson Tinuoye, on Tuesday.

IBEDC added that it is actively pursuing investigations and legal actions against individuals and businesses involved in the theft in collaboration with the Federal Government Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences.

Identifying the cases, IBEDC said they included various offences such as meter bypass and illegal meter tampering, which resulted in significant financial losses amounting to hundreds of millions of naira for the company.

The statement read, “We want to send a clear message to our customers that energy theft will not be tolerated. Our collaboration with the Federal Government Special Investigation and Prosecution Task Force on Electricity Offences underscores our commitment to ensuring a fair and just electricity distribution system.

“Energy theft not only undermines the integrity of our operations but also deprives IBEDC of the revenue necessary to provide quality services to our customers.”

Tinuoye emphasised that under the Electricity Act, energy theft is now recognised as a criminal offense, carrying severe penalties including imprisonment stressing, “In the Osun region, two individuals were apprehended for stealing energy through meter bypass and illegal connections. Their cases have been formally charged in court for prosecution.”

IBEDC further urged customers to refrain from engaging in any form of energy theft, emphasising that the consequences can be severe, as there is no room for negotiation with the SIPTEO Task Force team, which is actively patrolling and investigating instances of energy theft for prosecution.

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Copyright Breach: NCC Drags MTN, Others To Court Over Musician’s Works

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The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has filed criminal charges against MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd. and four others over alleged copyright infringement.

The charge with number FHC/ABJ/CR/111/2024 filed in the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court was obtained by journalists on Monday.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the four other defendants in the case include the chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola; Nkeakam Abhulimen, Fun Mobile Ltd.; and Yahaya Maibe.

In the three-count charge, NCC alleged that the defendants, between 2010 and 2017, “offered for sale, sold and traded for business’’, infringed the musical works of an artiste, Maleke Idowu Moye, without his consent and authorisation.

The commission alleged that the defendants used musical works and sound recordings of Mr Maleke with subsisting copyright as caller ringback tunes without the authorisation of the artiste.

The musician’s musical works and sound recordings allegedly infringed upon included 911, Minimini-wanawana, Stop Racism, Ewole, 911 instrumental, Radio, Low Waist, and No Bother.

The defendants were also alleged to have distributed the musical works to their subscribers without authorisation, thereby infringing on the rights of the artiste.

In the third count, the defendants were alleged to have in their possession, other than for their private or domestic use, the artiste’s musical works and sound recordings.

According to NCC, the alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under section 20 (2) (a) (b) and (c) of the Copyright Act, Cap. C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The case has yet to be assigned to any judge, and no date has been fixed for the mention.

Meanwhile, no official statement has been released by any of the defendants as at the time of filing this report, while all efforts to get reactions from MTN by New Telegraph proved abortive.

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