THE NIGERIAN
10
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2013
Business + Economy Innocent Chukwuma Becomes Honourary NACCIMA Life Vice President
ENUGU - The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has conferred an Enugu-based industrialist, Chief Innocent Chukwuma of Innoson Group, its honorary life Vice President. Performing the ceremony in Enugu, the National President of NACCIMA, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, said the industrialist was honoured following his “tremendous contributions’’ to the economic development of the country. According to him, Innoson developed the automobile policy in Nigeria which is unforgettable. Abubakar described Innoson as a creative, dedicated and focused businessman. “His automobile assembly plant is the first of its kind in the country and remained consistent in business in spite of challenges faced by manufacturers in the country,’’ he said. The president urged
manufacturers in the country to imbibe the culture of cost-saving in order to succeed in business. The Special Adviser to Enugu State Governor on Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), Mr. Anayo Agu, also described the industrialist as a best example of SME. Agu said that Chukwuma had remained consistent and compliant to due process adding that he grew from a mere trader to a world class industrialist. While urging the youth to emulate him, the adviser pledged government determination to develop the SME through capacity building and provision of micro credit facilities. Others, who extolled Chukwuma, included past Presidents of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) and captains of industry.
Local Barbers Record Boom MAIDUGURI - Local barbers In Maiduguri in Maiduguri record increased patronage as barbing saloons adjusted charges to between N150 and N300 for using generating sets. Some residents who spoke with newsmen in Maiduguri said they now patronised the local barbers because of their low charges. It was also gathered that the barbing saloons had increased their charges due to persistent power outage in the national grid and therefore relied on generating sets. Malam Garba Baduku, a resident of Bulumkutu-Abuja, said “local barbers charge as little as N50 per haircut, against N300 in the barbing saloon. “I realise that there is no difference in terms of services provided by local barbers and the barbing saloons because the local barbers have been trained on precautionary measures against transmitting diseases. “The local barbers have come of age too, they use fresh blade for each haircut to avoid contamination.” Malam Ibrahim Gwaska, a civil servant said the local barbers were mobile and could provide services in the offices or at homes unlike the barbing saloon where a customer had to wait on a long queue. Malam Badalla Umar, a resident of Umarari, said he shifted to local barbers because there were no barbing saloon operators in his area. “Sometimes, I pay as little as N50, but when I have enough money I pay more,’’ he said. However, some residents said they would prefer paying more at the barbing saloon than patronising local barbers for health reasons. Mr. Ndahi Marama, a resident of Gidan-Dambe, said he avoided patronising local barbers because of hygienic reasons. “Some of them are not clean enough and wear offensive odour
because of the long trek in search of customers. Malam Ibrahim Maishanu a lecturer at the Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri, said he patronised the local barbers. “Most of them take time to sterilise their instruments each time they finished a haircut. I think that is good enough as far as the issue of preventing disease transmission is concerned.”
While Chief Gabriel Akachukwu described him as “Nigeria’s Bill Gates’’, Chief Rob Anwatu said Chukwuma was a special gift to this generation.
Mrs. Ijeoma Ezeasor of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) said the industrialist was a great investor
who had provided jobs for the teeming youths of Igboland. The recipient, who is the Chairman of Innoson Group,
promised to continue contributing to the economic development of the country. Chukwuma is popularly known as a manufacturer of motor and motorcycle spare parts, plastics and vehicle assembly in NACCIMA circle.
L-R:Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, former Vice Chancellor, UI, Emeritus Prf Ayo Banjo; Registrar, UI Mr. Olujimi Olukoya, National President, Association of Nigeria University, Professional Administrators (ANUPA), Mr. Samuel Nwansat, at the Annual General meeting of Anura in Ibadan yesterday.
Emergence Rule: GSM Networks Remain Blocked - Army
MAIDUGURI - Authorities of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, said that they did not have any immediate plan to re-open blocked GSM networks in Borno. Maj.-Gen. Obidah Ethan, the GOC of the division, announced this when he spoke with newsmen in Maiduguri.
It will be recalled that all the GSM networks in Borno were blocked in May, immediately after the Federal Government declared a state of emergency to enable it to checkmate Boko Haram insurgents. Ethan, reacting to calls by
Borno residents to restore the GSM networks, noted that the blockage had ensured the success of military operations against the insurgents. “What I will say is that for now, the GSM blockage is helping our operations. “But, if the situation improves, we might think of reviewing the
issue,” he said. Ethan advised the people, especially parents who wished to maintain regular contact with their children in school, to seek alternative ways of communicating with them pending the re-opening of the networks.
Repair Refineries Before Selling Them, IPMAN Urges FG
Director-General, NACA, Prof. John Idoko (left), Senior Strategic Information Adviser, UNAIDS, Mr. Masauso Nzima, at a news conference on the World AIDS Day celebration in Abuja yesterday.
SOKOTO - The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged the Federal Government to repair the nation’s oil refineries before their planned sale. The Chairman of the association in Sokoto state, Alhaji Sule Magaji, made the call in an interview with newsmen, in Sokoto. “We in IPMAN are against the plan to sell the refineries but if the federal government will not rescind the decision, the refineries should be made fully functional before being sold. “The government should also take concrete measures to further secure all oil pipelines across the country,” Magaji said. According to him, repairing the
Katsina: 2,500 Widows Receive DAURA (KATSINA STATE) - A philanthropist, Alhaji Umar Tata, has distributed skills acquisition tools to 2,500 widows in Daura Senatorial District of Katsina State. The trade tools included 650 sewing machines, 600 spaghetti making machines, 200 deep freezers, 200 grinding machines and 150 knitting machines. Others were 50 motorcycles, 10 tricycles, 100 water-vendor
Trade Tools
barrows, 120 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 150 bags of beans and 300 bags of flour. Distributing the items to the beneficiaries in Daura, Tata said that the gesture was aimed at assisting the widows to become self-reliant and carter for the needs of their children. He said that all the
beneficiaries were screened before being given the items to ensure that only the targeted persons benefitted from the gesture. Tata, therefore, urged the widows not to sell the items and ensure they maintained them, saying that similar programme would be organised in Funtua
zone in January next year. Speaking at the occasion, a renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Yakubu Musa, commended the philanthropist for the donation and urged him to keep up the good gestures. Musa also urged well-to-do individuals to emulate the good efforts saying, “taking care of orphans and widows is one of the virtues deeds that have been neglected in the society’’.
refineries, securing the pipelines and putting other necessary measures in place will motivate the potential buyers and other investors to be part of the planned sale. He said that it would be difficult or impossible for individuals to adequately protect oil pipelines, noting that “even ongoing efforts by the federal government in that regard seem ineffective”. Expressing fear that the sale of the refineries might lead to total removal of existing subsidy on some petroleum products, Magaji appealed that subsidy should remain even after the sale of the refineries. He stated that retaining the subsidy regime would alleviate the suffering of Nigerians adding that subsidies existed in other countries that were less endowed with oil resources as Nigeria. He admitted that Nigerians were currently enjoying steady supply of petroleum products across the country noting that the federal government deserved commendation for that. He, however, appealed to the government to sustain the tempo “for the common good of all Nigerians”.