Business News
What President Buhari said to Nigerians on the eve of 2019 presidential election
President Muhammadu Buhari has, on the eve of the 2019 presidential election, address the nation. The president urged Nigerians to come out en masse to cast their vote for candidates of their choice for the Presidential and National Assembly elections and he also commended Nigerians for their patience and peaceful conduct.
The President expressed his disappointment in the election umpire for the postponement of the election initially scheduled to hold last week.
Dear Nigerians,
Finally, we have reached the eve of the rescheduled first round of this year’s general elections.
Tomorrow, the polls open. Tomorrow, we affirm that Nigeria stands as a democracy and that no worldly hand can deter us from this wise and fitting path we have chosen for ourselves.
While democracy is the most beneficial way to select a nation’s leaders, it is far from the easiest thing to achieve and maintain.
It requires a combination of patience, tolerance, compassion, diligence, wisdom and hope. These traits exist in us the Nigerian people. Because of who we are, democracy has the chance to flourish in this land.
Thus, I commend all of you for your patience and peaceful conduct so far during this electoral season and especially during this intervening week following the postponement of the February 16 elections.
Many were worried and thought the worst might happen. You proved them wrong by showing that you are a great people with an abiding love for peace, democracy and the unity of our country.
According to the daily INEC public briefings given this week, the Electoral Commission says it is ready and fully prepared to conduct the election in a free, fair and transparent manner.
I believe INEC realises the profound and weighty duty that rests upon it.
We must cast aside doubt and have faith that INEC will rise to the occasion. We must believe and encourage INEC to fulfil and honour this responsibility it owes to our country.
As your President, I hereby ask all Nigerians with voting cards to participate in defining the future of our nation by exercising your democratic rights tomorrow. I urge you to go out and vote.
I say this because elections are the cornerstone of representative governance. And voting constitutes the highest and best expression of the sovereign will of the people to choose the government that best represents them.
It is only upon the freely expressed will of the people that government truly dedicated to the welfare, rights and interests of the people can be found.
Do not allow anyone to discourage you from the exercise of your rights as citizens and voters tomorrow.
To vote means that you believe in Nigeria and the excellent things the future holds for this nation and its people.
No matter our political leanings, we all believe in Nigeria, in the noble principles for which it stands and in the values we strive for our beloved nation to uphold.
All who are able must vote so that we may better perfect this democracy and continue to build the greater nation we seek.
Do not be afraid of rumours of violence and unrest. Our security agencies have worked diligently to ensure that adequate security measures are in place.
You will be able to vote in an atmosphere of openness and peace, devoid of fear from threat or intimidation.
International and domestic monitors and observers are assured of their safety and freedom of movement needed to perform their important functions.
As we thank domestic monitors and observers for their contributions to our democracy, we also thank the international groups for the friendship and concern they have demonstrated to our nation.
We appreciate their efforts in encouraging us to further entrench and strengthen our democracy.
Tomorrow is an encounter with history in which you, the people, shall affirm your collective belief in our national greatness and in our future.
I ask that you embrace and hold on to the importance of the moment soon to be upon us.
Honour your civic duty as voters by going to the polls tomorrow to vote for the government of your choice, for the government that will lead Nigeria toward its finest destiny.
As citizens, there is no greater duty than this and no greater honour. Tomorrow, I know you will once again make Nigeria proud of its people.
May God bless our democracy and forever bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Corporate Press Releases
Customers to win salary-4-life, business grants, rent advance and cash rewards in Diamondxtra quarterly draw
The DiamondXtra Reward Scheme is the most rewarding way to save.
Leading retail bank in Nigeria, Access Bank Plc is set to reward more than 1,000 DiamondXtra customers with various grants and cash prizes in the second DiamondXtra quarterly draw of Season 12 scheduled to hold on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.
According to Adaeze Umeh, Head, Consumer Banking, Access Bank Plc, “We are gearing up for the DiamondXtra quarterly draw this month and we will be rewarding more than 1,000 lucky customers with various cash prizes, business grants, family health insurance, rent advance and other exciting rewards. It is the bank’s little way of rewarding its loyal customers and creating more value to meet customer needs during these trying times. We rewarded ten customers last month with N1million each at the monthly draw and we are here again to reward more customers in the quarterly draw.”
To join the winning train, all you need to do is keep saving if you have a DiamondXtra account already. “If you don’t have an existing account, simply dial *901*5# to open a DiamondXtra account with just N5, 000 and save multiples of ₦5,000 to increase your chances of winning,” Adaeze told newsmen in Lagos.
Some of the DiamondXtra rewards for the quarterly draw include:
- Salary4Life (N100,000 every month for 20 Years)
- Rent for a Year for 21 lucky customers
- One Year Family health coverage for 7 lucky customers
- N1Million business grant for 6 lucky customers
- ₦500,000 for 15 lucky customers
- ₦100,000 for 45 lucky customers
- ₦50,000 for 300 lucky customers
- ₦20,000 for 300 lucky customers
- ₦10,000 for 300 lucky customers
The DiamondXtra Reward Scheme is the most rewarding way to save, don’t miss out on this opportunity to become a millionaire or a star prize winner. To participate; simply open a DiamondXtra account, save in multiples of ₦5,000 and you stand the chance to win amazing prizes in the quarterly draw this month.
Hospitality & Travel
FG bars aides of VIPs from airport terminals, to grant loans to airlines, others at 5%
The minister insisted that face masks must be worn at all times inside the airport and airplane.
The Federal Government has barred all non-travelling aides of public office holders and very important personalities (VIPs) from gaining access into the Airport terminal.
This is part of the measure and aviation protocol designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease and ensure safety of the passengers and workers in the aviation sector.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, during Monday’s briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
Sirika said that this measure applies especially to Governors, Ministers, National Assembly Members, Judicial officers and Military officers as the practice of having their Personal Assistants and Special Assistants, who they insist on seeing them off up to the aircraft though not travelling with them, would be stopped.
The Aviation Minister in his statement said, ‘’Henceforth, all VIPs will no longer be permitted to bring non-travelling aides into the Airport Terminals. This especially applies to Governors, Ministers, NASS members, Judiciary and Military officers.’’
While speaking on the new procedures during this COVID-19 era, the minister said that mandatory temperature and symptoms checks will be carried out at the airport terminals and frequent washing of hands should be done at the airports. He also said that face masks must be worn at all times inside the airport and airplane and anyone who does not do that will not be allowed inside the airport terminals.
He pointed out that physical distancing will be maintained at all times just as unruly passengers will not be allowed to board the aircrafts or fly as no pilot will be allowed to fly a plane carrying an unruly passenger.
He revealed that the processes of compression, heating, cooling and filtration that aircraft cabin air is subjected to, takes out 99.9% of all organisms including viruses etc. that’s why cabin air is safer than most other environments.
The aviation minister also stated that operators in the aviation sector including airlines, ground handling firms and others, will be given loan at 5% interest rate with effect from 2021. He, however, noted that the modalities for the loan is being worked out with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning
It can be recalled that Sirika stated this in an interactive session with the senate committee on Aviation where he said that any VIP coming into the airport this time around as a personality, minister or even members of the national assembly will not be carrying their aides into the airports anymore.
Appointments
Vodacom Nigeria gets new MD
Vodacom Business is a leading pan-African telecommunications provider wholly-owned by the Vodacom Group.
Vodacom Business (Nigeria) Limited has appointed Mr Valentine Chime as the Managing Director of its operations. According to a statement from the company on Monday, the appointment is at the instance of the board of directors.
He will now drive the company’s vision of becoming Africa’s leading cloud and digital service provider, the statement read.
Prior to this appointment, Valentine Chime was with Aruwa Capital, a private equity company investing across West Africa. He also worked at Kaizen Venture Partners, a private equity company focused on distressed assets. He has held various C-suite positions in a number of portfolio companies in different sectors.
READ ALSO: Africa seeking extra $44 billion to deal with COVID-19 pandemic
Chime expressed his enthusiasm to take up the position and challenge of building the Vodacom brand in the country. He said:
“Vodacom Business Africa (Nigeria) Limited is well-known and very respected in the industry, and I look forward to taking up this mission.
“Covid-19 has accelerated digital transformation, and we are perfectly positioned to deliver intelligent connectivity through seamless delivery of cloud and digital services and technologies to our clients.”
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Vodacom Business is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Vodacom Group, and a leading pan-African telecommunications provider that came into Africa since 1992.
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