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Telegraph honour late Capt. Okunbo, Lawan, Sanwo-Olu, Emefiele others.

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Mrs Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes Founder and others
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In what could best be described as well-deserved service to humanity and Nigeria, the management of Daily Telegraph Publishing Company, publishers of the New Telegraph, Saturday Telegraph, and Sunday Telegraph, on Friday posthumously honoured the late Capt. Hosa Wells Okunbo, as the quintessential philanthropist in 2021.

Other top awardees in different categories include Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Good governance); his Ogun, Kogi, Abia, and Ekiti colleagues, Dapo Abiodun (Digital economy), Yahaya Bello (youth empowerment), Okezie Ikpeazu (filling missing link in SME development), and Kayode Fayemi (Urban democracy on a mission), respectively.

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele (Banker with a difference), Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Silver (Re-engineering Nigeria’s oil sector), among many others.

Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, who bagged the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award in Politics, said the award was to make the beneficiaries do better in their various fields of endeavour.

The colourful ceremony, which was held at the Balmoral Hall of the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, had in attendance the Chairman and Publisher of the Telegraph titles, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman and Publisher of This Nigeria newspaper, Mr Eric Osagie, and many others.

Earlier in a one-minute silence in honour of the late business mogul, a former Director-General of Nigerian Maritimes Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, described Capt. Okunbo as a great Nigerian who left impacts on the lives of people he had contacts with.

Speaking shortly after receiving the award, daughter of the late business mogul, Mrs Adesuwa Okunbo-Rhodes, said the posthumous investiture was a huge honour to the family.

She said, “My dad was a lover of people and he always had a listening ear for everybody that came to him with a challenge. It is not only about his resources but also his time which transcended beyond ethnic lines, he was a lover of this Nigeria.

“He taught us a lot about sacrifice and being focused. Amid all his successes he understood clearly that everything he had was from God and that he was a vessel of impact in Nigeria. Giving him this posthumous award means a lot, it highlighted who he was. I know that he will be smiling where he is in heaven at the moment.”

She also advised the younger generation to live a life of impact, adding that they should be intentional about giving.

“It is not about how much money you have in your bank account but the lives that you have touched through acts of kindness and generosity. My dad was a man of impact, generosity, and kindness and I think that is the attributes that we should imbibe and that is what he has left behind. It is not about the wealth he left behind but how we can carry on with that life of empathy, kindness, and generosity,” she added.

Also speaking, the late captain’s younger brother, Mr Bright Okunbo, said he felt proud of his brother and happy that he lived a good life.

“That is what we are seeing again with this award. After his funeral to date, it has been a testimony upon testimony from all the individuals he had contacts with. How he touched their lives one way or the other and that is why this recognition is still going on today because he was a man that lived for the people, a selfless life. His name was the good thing that he left behind for the family. As they say, a good name is better than riches and fortunately for my brother, he had both,” he said.

Similarly, Mr Morrison Okunbo, another younger brother to the late business tycoon, said, “The award goes to show that all we have to leave for in this world is to leave a good name. A good name is far better than riches. My brother was intentional about leaving a good name behind. He never joked with his integrity.

“So far, this is the third posthumous award and I know there are more coming. It tells you that the only good legacy you can leave behind is that good legacy and it is a lesson for everyone. My brother lived a good life.”

Late Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo was a billionaire philanthropist and Business Mogul who pioneered Marine security with the establishment of Ocean Marine Solutions Ltd with over 50 vessels.

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Economic: Osinkolu Assures Nigerians Of Better Days Ahead 

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Dr Olusegun Osinkolu
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A financial expert, Dr Olusegun Osinkolu has appealed to Nigerians to exercise patients with the economic team put together by President Bola Tinubu, noting that relief will soon come.

Osinkolu assured that Nigeria will soon witness a great turn around by the time the economic team swings into full action.

“we will heave a sign of relief soon as the story would change for better”.

The Ayede-Ekiti born All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain in a statement issued on Friday and released to newsmen, described the appointments of the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Yemi Cardoso and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun as a round peg in a round hole.

Osinkolu, who was a banker of repute, described them as gentlemen and men of integrity, who are masters on their field of appointments.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for the appointments, describing it as well deserved and has raised the bar and shown that competence is the parameter for public service.

“I want to formally thank President Bola Tinubu for considering the duo of the CBN Governor and Finance Minister for their appointment.

I commend his open-mindedness to embrace and usher in vibrant patriots into the national mainstream politics.

“I wish to state that their appointment is not only well deserving, but also falls in line with Mr. President’s penchant for talent discovery that has characterised his bold and giant strides in Lagos state and the nation at large.

“I affirm that this particular appointment is a round peg in a round hole,”he stated.

He urged the duo of the CBN Governor and finance minister to focus on the vision and mission of Mr President, by refocusing through their short, medium and long term measures.

He assured Nigerians that the CBN and it’s Finance ministry under their watch will operate transparent monetary policies, while his administration will not tolerate and work towards correcting the errors made by past administrations.

He further urged the duo to comply with all constitutional duties and ensure that financial policies of the country are of international standard and in support of the Tinubu-led administration.

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Senator Natasha lauds NDDC, NLNG partnership on local content

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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, lawmaker representing Kogi Central senatorial district has commended the pact between Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), to develop local content capacity.

Both NDDC and NLNG recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to leverage shared aspirations and collaborate on diverse fronts in the delivery of sustainable development projects in the region.

Reacting, Senator Natasha urged NDDC to consider the need to be the primary recruiters of their trained workforce to achieve effective service delivery.

She gave the charge on Thursday during an interactive session between Senate Committee on Local Content and the NDDC Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku.

As the Chair, Local Content Committee, Natasha tasked the NDDC on the need to not only build capacity and equip their workforce but also engage them efficiently.

“NDDC should consider being the primary recruiters of their trained workforce. Artisans or skilled professionals such as ICT workers can be absorbed by NDDC contractors, which in turn, will enable the commission reach the most vulnerable and neglected youth,” she said.

She also pledged to partner with NDDC on building a database of artisans within the country to strengthen the workforce and by extension achieve microeconomic growth for Nigeria.

“Local Content Committee intends to deploy innovative thinking for positive results, thus, we are building a database of carefully profiled artisans who have been trained by NDDC, SMEDAN, etc.; and work modalities to have the oil & gas companies, as well as government contractors, recruit from the pool of verified workforce.

“This would help curb unemployment by keeping the jobs locally. Such a project would also help the Local content board, NDDC and other agencies monitor and evaluate the performance of our collective capacity-building efforts towards achieving a common microeconomic growth for Nigeria and Africa at large,” she added.

In his remarks, the NDDC MD accepted her proposal and looks forward to a synergy with the Local Content Committee to develop strategies, and in turn, engage trained workforce for employment opportunities.

 

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Update: 2024 Appropriation Bill Passes Second Reading At House Of Reps

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House of Rep in Session
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The House of Representatives has passed the N27.5 trillion 2024 budget for a second reading.

The House leader, Julius Ihonvbere, on Thursday, November 30, while leading the debate on the general principles of the budget, commended President Bola Tinubu.

Ihonvbere noted that national security and education which got significant allocations will be enhanced if implemented.

He said, “Nigeria will be more secure with the allocation to defence and security. As a teacher, I am impressed by the emphasis on basic education. I am sure that education will be better off this time.”

 

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