GODWIN JEDY-AGBA: A Tested Player in Oil Sector

A gold fish has no hiding place; so the age-old adage goes. If this assertion is true, then Chief Godwin Jedy-Agba, is at the threshold of what could be its sweetest epoch of statesmanship and politics.

Following his emergence as the ministerial nominee, the nooks and crannies, business and political circuits of Nigeria are ecstatic with joy.The emergence of a technocrat of note, Chief Godwin has thrown the oil sector into euphoric fits of pleasure and expectation. He arrived like a lightning shaft from Eden, to command the applause of a critical senate; and by the time Jedy was done with his screening, the hallowed chambers of the Eighth National Assembly was swoony from his speech and measured élan.

For over thirty minutes, he dazzled lawmakers of Nigeria’s upper legislative chamber from the hot seat during the ministerial screening session. The intense conference of parliamentarians and President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees established the depth and brilliance of Godwin who took his time to enlighten the lawmakers about issues pertaining to country’s ailing oil sector.

 It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that Godwin has a patriot’s heart and the soul of a revolutionary. Appointed Minister-nominee with a view to serving as the unsullied force of hope that would endow President Muhammadu Buhari’s patriotic, heartfelt efforts to rid the nation’s oil sector of ineptitude and corruption.

 Yes, one of Nigeria’s very experienced energy administrators, Godwin Jedy-Agba, is a minister-nominee of President Muhammadu Buhari. And there is, understandably, song and dance in the quarters of those who know the capacity and experience of the nominee in the oil and gas sector.

Notwithstanding his previous temperate, restrained and strategic foray into partisan politics, his accomplishments and exploits as an astute administrator have not diminished a bit. His administrative savoir faire and legerdemain had been writ-large in his public service trajectory from which he retired at the NNPC.

 While the likely portfolio that would be assigned to the Prince of Obudu from Cross River state is not the subject of this piece of writing, it is, however, not in doubt that Buhari has made up his mind about using the few “technocrats”-like Abubakar Malami (SAN), Sunday Dare (journalist) Osagie Ehinare (consultant physician) et al, in his list to man some specialized ministries to demand value for knowledge and experience.

And, if this is the intendment, then one does not need a crystal ball to guess where Jedy-Agba, a former Group General Manager (GGM), Crude Oil Marketing Division (OMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will likely be assigned: perhaps, not far away from the petroleum ministry. While it is unlikely the President will hands off his direct control of the Petroleum Ministry, as the substantive Minister-in-charge, he will need a brilliant and effective minister of state who can be saddled with all the basic responsibilities of the ministry without caving in.

If the politics of administration is played with humility and wisdom, a minister of state can enjoy the privilege of full control with the confidence of the President to boot. Nothing suggests to the contrary that Jedy-Agba cannot be trusted to deliver on a presidential mandate with tact and precision. That will be in spite of the salacious narratives by detractors and traducers who are on a voyage of upending a luminous epoch that beckons.
 With President Buhari’s commitment to consolidating on the achievements of his first four years in the saddle, attention is focused on experience. The president appears unprepared to gamble with “untested hands”.

He is greatly seeking to make a better impression in his second term of office. To do this, he cannot afford to put square pegs in round holes. Buhari cannot afford to deploy a learner who cannot take the pressure off him in the administration of the critical petroleum sector.Besides, time is of the essence. While the nation is waiting to see the ministers hit the ground running, critics are also waiting to feast on the administration’s mistakes.Viewed from any angle, Jedy-Agba is a good pick who could help the administration to weather the storm in the entire oil industry.

It could be recalled that Jedy-Agba’s onerous tasks as Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division, NNPC had put him in a good stead to manage a complex terrain. He was responsible for liaising with Crude Pricing & Technical Evaluation Section on Price movement and other input data for market reports. He also monitored and analyzed consumption of other energy types, terms of cost availability and relative impact on world petroleum supply/demand balance. Jedy-Agba was simply vast and deep; and was capacitated enough to handle his huge responsibilities.

UBA Enriches More Customers, Doles Out N30m in 3rd Draw of ‘UBA Wise Savers Promo’

Pan African financial institution, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has again rewarded another 20 customers who have emerged winners in the third quarterly draw of the UBA Wise Savers Promo winning N1.5 million each, bringing the total amount won so far by 60 customers to N90 million.

The electronic raffle draw, which was held at the UBA Head Office in Lagos on Wednesday, July 31st, was witnessed by the relevant regulatory bodies including the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Lagos State Lottery Board and Consumer Protection Council.

Lucky customers who emerged winners in the latest draw cut across all regions of the country. They are Yusuf Muhammed; Adebakin Anuoluwapo Elizabeth; Babatunde Temidayo Ruth; Christian Emetole; Nwabuife Ikeagu; Omoye Amiengheme; Ogechukwukanma Okoh; Akinyemi Abidemi Betty; Okoro Chukwuma and Chukwu, Patricia Nnenna.

Others are Adejoke Olarinoye; Fatoki Hassan; Nwokocha Ikechukwu Emmanuel; Owolanke kole Emmanuel; Ferreira Adesola Afolatomi; Emmanuel Omoigui; Uzoigwe Anthonia; Elesin Titilayo Oluwabunmi; James Suleiman Umar and Lawan David Nahinokan.

The ongoing promo, which commenced in September last year, is expected to run till September 30, 2019 and will see a final 20 customers from across Nigeria become millionaires, winning N30 million in the last quarter of this year.

At the end of the fourth promo, a total of N120 million will have been won by 80 customers.

Speaking during the event, UBA’s Group Head, Consumer & Retail Banking, Mr. Jude Anele, said that since the promo began late last year, the bank has been impressed at the level of response by its customers and the general public across the country, adding that the purpose of the campaign is to reward loyal customers while encouraging the savings culture.

He noted that there has been a remarkable increase in the number of participants in this edition compared to the previous one, adding that the bank’s objective of helping customers’ save for the rainy day is being achieved.

He said: “It is very easy to spend money but to save is a habit all must imbibe. Our key objective is to encourage our customers to save regularly. We are here to support our customers and to encourage them to save as well.”

Anele urged other customers to take advantage of the subsequent opportunities the last quarterly draw will offer.

The Group Head, Transaction and Electronic Banking, Sampson Aneke, who also spoke at the event said, “There is no better time to give back and delight customers than this challenging economic period where people need all the support they can get to make life more meaningful. With this in mind we decided to prioritise our customers as we always do at UBA by giving them plenty to cheer about and that is the reason why another 20 customers have been made millionaires today.

Aneke noted that the promo is consistent with the bank’s novel initiatives in prioritizing customers, and said it was necessitated by the invaluable belief the Bank has in its customers.

“We will continue to listen and give them nothing short of the best that they deserve. UBA will not relent, because we are impressed with the impact this has made so far and will continue to touch the lives of our loyal customers positively,” he explained.

The criteria for qualifying for the draw is to save at least N30,000 in a UBA savings account or in instalments of N10,000 each for a period of three months. Those yet to be UBA customers can open a savings account on any of the numerous bank channels, including Magic Banking (*919*20#) and LEO, or in any of the UBA branches across the country, and start saving to stand a chance of winning.

United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading pan-African financial services group, operating in 20 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, the United States of America and with presence in France.

UBA was incorporated in Nigeria as a limited liability company after taking over the assets of the British and French Bank Limited who had been operating in Nigeria since 1949. The United Bank for Africa merged with Standard Trust Bank in 2005 and from a single country operation founded in 1949 in Nigeria – Africa’s largest economy – UBA has become one of the leading providers of banking and other financial services on the African continent. The Bank which was awarded the Best Digital Bank in Africa by the Euromoney awards in 2018, provides services to over 17 million customers globally, through one of the most diverse service channels in sub-Saharan Africa, with over 1,000 branches and customer touch points and robust online and mobile banking platforms.

The shares of UBA are publicly traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Bank has a well-diversified shareholder base, which includes foreign and local institutional investors, as well as individual shareholders.

How Primate Ayodele Warned Buhari Against Death In The Villa

Foremost prophet, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, has once again been confirmed a true vessel of God, as another of his 2019 prophecies comes to pass.

At the public unveiling of the 2018/2019 edition of his annual prophecy book, Warnings to The Nations, in March 2018, Ayodele had urged the presidency to pray to avert 'death in the Villa'. This prophetic warning published on page 47 of the book says "Let The President Pray Not To Lose Any of His Aides".

Two days ago, an aide of President Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Tijani Yusuf, who was an assistant in charge of special duties, passed away.

According to the servant of God, only those with the gift of prophetic insights alone would understand divine messages in details,

because obedience affects legacies.

"If we abide in God, He will abide in us and lead us on the narrow path," Ayodele posits.

-Ademola Alade

Nigerian Young Female Engineer, Olukemi Olufunto, Appointed Minister in UK

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has appointed Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch, aged 39, as Children and Families Minister, as part of his government reshuffle. Badenoch is a British Conservative politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Saffron Walden.

She was born in Wimbledon, London to Nigerian parents. Her childhood was spent in Lagos and the United States. She moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 16. She has been the MP for Saffron Walden since 2017 after replacing Nadhim Zawahi.

She once told MPs in Parliament about her own experiences of poverty and how she used to do her homework by candlelight.

A software and IT engineer, Badenoch studied systems engineering at Sussex University and also has a law degree. She has worked in the banking sector for Coutts and RBS and is a mother of two.

Govt. To Shut Lagos-Ibadan Expressway From August 3 *see why

Despite concerns raised by motorists and other road users, the Federal Government has said there is no going back on the four-month planned partial closure of sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for reconstruction.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Adedamola Kuti, said on Sunday the planned partial closure starting from August 3 would not be postponed even with the next month’s Sallah holiday trips and other religious activities that would increase traffic on the road.

According to him, the aim is to complete that portion of the road before Christmas when the traffic is expected to be heavier.

“What we are doing is to finish the project before Christmas when more people will be travelling. We are not closing the road totally; we are providing routes where people will follow and once everyone is patient, everything will go well,” he said.

The Federal Road Safety Corps had last week notified the public that Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the construction company handling rehabilitation work on Section 1 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, had given notification of its plan to commence intensive work on the Berger-Kara end of the road on August 3, and would close some sections for four months.

In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Sunday, the Ogun Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Clement Oladele, said the partial closure of the 1.4 kilometres portion of the road had been postponed before and any further delay would affect its delivery date.

“The project is expected to be delivered by 2021 and any further postponement will affect the date,” he said.

He urged motorists to use alternative routes such as the Lagos-Ota-Itori-Abeokuta and Ikorodu-Sagamu roads during the period.

According to Oladele, palliative work is also ongoing under Ogun River Bridge at the popular Kara Cattle Market to help improve traffic flow.

-Ademola Alade

''We Outlawed ElZakZaky Members Criminality Not Shi'ite Movement'' ...Buhari

Presidency has said the proscription of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) has nothing to do with banning the larger numbers of peaceful and law abiding Shiites in the country from practicing their religion, instead it was to discourage wanton violence, murder and willful destruction of public and private property.

The Presidency explains that contrary to the claim by IMN that it had been banned from practicing its religion, President Buhari’s administration has not banned Shiites from observing their five daily prayers and going to Mecca to perform the Holy pilgrimage.

Their position is blatantly false and deceptive.

The IMN is deliberately changing the narrative in order to gain sympathy and divert the attention of the world from its terrorist activities, including attacking soldiers, killing policemen and a youth corps member, destroying government ambulances and public property, consistently defying authority of the state.

The Presidency notes that the banned organization was taken over by extremists who didn’t believe in peaceful protests and instead employed violence and arson, driving fear and undermining the rights of others and constituted authority.

The Presidency agrees that the constitution protects freedom of worship, but not to the detriment of the society, especially where such freedom harms others, and breaks law and order.

The Presidency insists that such criminal behavior and disregard for rights of others and human life will not be tolerated by any responsible government, explaining that everywhere in the world protesters operate within legal boundaries and conduct themselves peacefully without molesting others, or engaging in murder and killing of security personnel or destroying public and private property.

The Presidency regrets that despite all efforts by the government and other well-meaning Nigerians to make the IMN militants to see reason and abandon violence, such appeals fell on deaf ears as they killed, maimed and destroyed willfully, constituting daily nuisance to workers, commuters and other innocent citizens.

Having defied appeals to operate peacefully, and given their seeming determination to destabilize the country, the government had to act before the situation goes out of control, after admonishing many times over that people should not use religion to perpetuate lawlessness.

“We are fighting lawlessness and criminality and not pursuing a policy of discrimination against any group,” the Presidency stressed. “You cannot be in court while at the same time engaging in violent protests, molesting people and inflicting pains on others, which includes taking innocent lives.”

Primate Ayodele's Fulfilled Prophecy on Boris Johnson's Presidency, Tunisian President, Others

''Only the Spirit of God can probe into the future and reveal hidden secrets accurately,'' noted the servant of God at INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele, as he looked back in review of some of his divine messages now coming to fulfilment.

Aptly, the famous seer had revealed in a December 2018 press parley at his church which was published in various news mediums including on page 35 of City People magazine of January 16, 2019, thus; ''let us pray against the death of a sitting president.''

On Thursday, 25th of July, 2019, President Beji Caid Essebsi of Tunisia, died.

Prophecy, according to Ayodele, is for those who can see, belief, understand, and be habituated, with great effects. Therefore, when he prophesies, he is speaking the instruction and warning from God.

Primate Ayodele had earlier prophesied the presidencies of both the sitting American and Ghanaian's Donald Trump and Nana Adokufo respectively, at a time even keen event analysts gave them slim chance. 

In a similar fashion, Ayodele in 2015 had warned that former President Goodluck Jonathan, would be unseated. It came to pass. He equally prophesied the presidency of Patrick Talon of Benin Republic against the choice candidate of the then ruling party. All of these prophecies came to pass.

The latest of the fulfilled prophecies by Ayodele is the appointment of Boris Johnson as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, which, interestingly, he revealed in 2017. The cleric specifically said that former PM Theresa May would not survive the Brexit conundrum.

Indeed, true prophets of God are centrally positioned by God in order to serve as the link between Him and the humankind. In some cases, however, people's disposition to issues spiritual often fail the test of sincerity and determination.

-Ademola Alade