Connect with us

News and Report

Ogbunike Cave Carnival Holds In Anambra This December….

Published

on

Having hosted two editions of Ogbunikewalk4life, a Mini Carnival/Health Walk held every December 31, in Ogbunike Cave, Ogbunike, Anambra State, 90 Degrees Entertainment, organisers of the yearly event, has finally unveiled Ogbunike Cave Carnival (OCC).

Organised in collaboration with LIBDEZ Solution Services Ltd, the three-day festival aimed at celebrating the UNESCO World Heritage Site, will commence on December 30 and end on January 1, 2016.

According to Chuks Nwanne, the founder and Creative Director of the carnival, this year’s edition will set the tone for more innovations around the project, as well create platform for youths of the community and tourists to unwind during Xmas break.
OGBUNIKE-CAVE
“In 2013, when we came up with Ogbunikewalk4life, the idea was to use the health walk/mini carnival to set the tone for the main carnival. With the level of success we recorded in 2013 and 1014, it was obvious that the time has come for us to unveil Ogbunike Cave Carnival. What you will witness this year is the original format of the carnival, which has taken us three years to develop,” he said.

Based on the programme plan made available to the media, this year’s carnival will open on December 31 with Ogbunike Five Aside Tournament, a one-day football competition involving eight teams, who will slug it out for the carnival trophy. There will also be a Sport Parade, which will see football fans clad in their different club jerseys, as the parade to the market square (Oyeolisa Market) with traditional Ogene music leading the train.

On December 31, which is the day-two of the festival, the regular Ogbunikewalk4life will take the center stage. The carnival float will take off from the Ogbunike Town Hall, through the usual routes, to the Round Palace of Igwe Ogbunike, HRH John Ositadimma Umenyiora, where guests will pay homage to the King. From the palace, the train will move to the popular Ogbunike Cave, where visitors and tourist will have the opportunity of exploring the tourist destination that has put Ogbunike community on the world map. In the evening of the same day, there will be Carnival Concert/New Year Countdown at the Town Hall, with different musicians and comedians on parade.

 

Ada Ogbunike Beauty Pageant, the grand finale of the carnival, holds on January 1, 2016, at the Ogbunike Town Hall. The event, which will see 10 pretty Ogbunike ladies contest for the Ada Ogbunike crown, will be spiced with musical and comedy performance. Winners will be presented with prizes.

Speaking on the 2015 carnival, the Project Manager for OCC, Adaeze Uzodoh, informed that the team is doing everything possible to stage a successful event this year.

“When we came up with walk4life in 2013, many didn’t give the project a chance. But with what happened last year, it is clear that people are beginning to key into the initiative. So, this year, we are going to surprise guests with the package we are working on. As time goes on, we will update the public on the programme proper.”

Uzodoh, who is also the CEO of LIBDEZ also called on the Anambra State government, corporate organisation and well-meaning individuals to support the initiative.

“Let me use this opportunity to thank the traditional ruler of Ogbunike, Igwe John Ositadimma Umenyiora for his support to this project. From the first edition, he has been a pillar of support for us. Also, Ogbunike Progressive Union (OPU) has been very helpful in making this event a success.

“For corporate organisations, this is an opportunity to come in as sponsors; we will be glad to have you as partners in progress. We also solicit the support of the Anambra State government is growing this carnival to an enviable height. This project has the capacity of projecting the tourism potentials of the state,” she said.

Meanwhile, VISAGE Concepts Nigeria Ltd, a Lagos-based PR outfit, has been unveiled as the communications outfit for Ogbunike Cave Carnival 2015. The PR Company will be responsible for all communication about the carnival, including pre and post event.

“We are glad to be associated with this project, which I believe has the capacity of exploiting the tourism potentials of the cave,” the CEO of VISAGE, Iwuchukwu Chukwudi said.

“For three years that the Carnival has successfully held, we have observed with delight, the deep passion displayed by our young people, while showcasing their interpretation of their cultural identities through their dresses, songs and dance steps. Our joy knows no bounds when we see the joy and camaraderie radiating throughout the land.”

He added that, “we believe it is a project that can showcase the tourism potential of Ogbunike cave while engendering peace and fraternity among the Ogbunike youths. Glad this is happening because it will go a long way to project the famous Ogbunike cave and its inherent potentials to the outside world. It is a project we are glad and excited to associate our brand with.”

Continue Reading
Advertisement

News and Report

Ecobank Alerts Customers on Sim Card Fraud

Published

on

By

 

Ecobank has once again, raised alarm on the dangers of SIM swap fraud, stressing that fraudsters could use it to impersonate them.

In a message to customers via email, the bank explained that SIM swap fraud occurs when scammers use your phone number to access your accounts.

According to the bank, “Scammers impersonate you and trick your mobile phone’s carrier into activating a SIM card, which gives them control over your phone number. It means scammers could potentially enter your username and password when logging onto your online banking platform and then receive the SMS verification code to access your account.

“Protect yourself against SIM swaps, don’t share personal information that fraudsters could use to impersonate you (such as your mother’s maiden name or birthplace) on social media. Never reveal your logins and passwords for your mobile phone, online bank, or credit card accounts to anyone. Please always report any suspicious activity”.

Ecobank also reminded the customers that the bank will not ask them to provide their personal or financial information, stressing that when they receive an email that includes a link to a website, they should ensure that the website is legitimate before visiting the site.

Ecobank further, urged customers not to respond to emails, SMS and unsolicited calls from people they don’t know asking for your personal or banking information.

Continue Reading

News and Report

Bribery: UK court restricts Diezani’s movement, EFCC begins extradition

Published

on

By

A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Monday, appeared before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in the United Kingdom over an alleged £100,000 bribe.

The district judge, Michael Snow, granted Alison-Madueke a £70,000 bail.

Snow further imposed other terms on Alison-Madueke including an 11 pm to 6 am curfew, an electronic tag to be worn by her at all times and a £70,000 surety to be paid before she could leave the court building.

Although she did not formally enter a plea, her attorney, Mark Bowen, informed the court that she would plead not guilty, Reuters reported.

Her next court appearance will be on October 30 at Southwark Crown Court, which deals with serious criminal cases.

In August, the UK’s National Crime Agency said it suspected that Alison-Madueke had accepted bribes in return for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts.

In a statement published on its website, NCA said the ex-Nigeria minister “is alleged to have benefitted from at least £100,000 in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family, and the use of multiple London properties.

“Her charges also detail financial rewards, including furniture, renovation work and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from high-end designer shops such as Cartier jewellery and Louis Vuitton goods.”

In March 2023, the NCA also provided evidence to the US Department of Justice that enabled them to recover assets totalling $53.1m linked to Diezan’s alleged corruption.

Head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, Andy Kelly, said the “charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation. Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries. We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat,” Kelly added.

Diezani was the minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Shortly before Jonathan handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, she left the country for the UK.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alleged that the former minister stole $2.5bn from the Nigerian government while she was a minister.

Efforts by the EFCC to arraign her have been unsuccessful as she has not returned to Nigeria since 2015. But the anti-graft agency said on Monday that it had commenced an extradition process to bring Diezani back to Nigeria to face trial.

The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said, “The EFCC welcomes, with keen interest, the arraignment of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, at the Westminister’s Court in London, United Kingdom, following alleged bribery allegations.

“Although the charges preferred against her at the London court, are diametrically different from the 13 counts, bordering on money laundering that the EFCC has raised against her, it is instructive to note that criminality is criminality, irrespective of jurisdictional differences. No crime can go unpunished. The money laundering charges for which Madueke is answerable to the EFCC, cover jurisdictions in Dubai, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Nigeria.

“To bring the former Minister to trial in Nigeria, an arrest warrant has been obtained and extradition proceedings have been initiated. The commission is on course on her trial. She will soon have her day in our courts.”

 

Continue Reading

News and Report

Mike Adenuga-led Conoil rewards shareholders with N1.73 billion dividend

Published

on

By

  • Conoil Plc declares a substantial $2.2 million dividend for fiscal year 2022. 
  • Shareholders to receive N2.5 per share in recognition of Conoil’s outstanding financial performance. 
  • Mike Adenuga’s leadership drives Conoil’s profit before tax up by 60% in 2022.

Leading petroleum marketing firm Conoil Plc, headed by the third-richest man in Nigeria and multibillionaire businessman Mike Adenuga, has declared a sizeable dividend distribution to shareholders of N1.73 billion ($2.2 million).

The $2.2-million payment, which is the last dividend for Conoil’s fiscal year 2022, is equivalent to N2.5 ($0.00319) per share for all 693,952,117 of the company’s outstanding common shares.

At Conoil’s 53rd Annual General Meeting, which took place on September 22, 2023, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, shareholders accepted this choice.

According to the information reaching us, the final dividend, which recognizes Conoil’s outstanding financial performance in its 2022 fiscal year, will be deposited to shareholders’ accounts on September 29, 2023.

Conoil’s profit before tax increased dramatically under Adenuga’s direction, rising from N3.83 billion ($4.9 million) in 2021 to N6.13 billion ($7.84 million) in 2022 while confronting various obstacles and a challenging working environment. During the same period, earnings after tax rose by an equally astounding 60%, from N3.08 billion ($3.94 million) to N4.96 billion ($6.35 million).

The increasing profitability of the petroleum-marketing subsector boosted Conoil’s profits per share to N7.14 ($0.0091), a stunning 60.8 percent rise over the N4.44 ($0.00568) generated in 2021.

The company’s board of directors decided to approve a final dividend of $2.2 million, or N2.5 ($0.00319) per share, as a result of this exceptional achievement.

Conoil has strengthened its position as a major player in Nigeria’s petroleum marketing sector under the shrewd leadership of Adenuga. The business is well known for its proficiency in the marketing of a variety of lubricants sold under the “Quarto” brand, including diesel, kerosene, gasoline, aviation fuel, and other liquids.

Adenuga, a well-known telecom tycoon and one of Africa’s wealthiest billionaires, continues to have majority ownership in the oil marketing firm of 74.4 percent, or 516,298,603 shares, further solidifying his position as a key player in the continent’s oil sector.

Conoil’s dedication to providing value to its shareholders and its tenacity in overcoming obstacles in the Nigerian market are both shown by this dividend payment.

Continue Reading

Trending