Lagos ranked third worst city to live in the world

In spite of the mega city agenda, which the Lagos State government has been pushing for some time, a report released yesterday by The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Lagos as the third worst city to live, maintaining its position at the lowest rungs of the Global Liveability index.
Several other global reports had also said that Lagos, with a population of over 22 million, would in the next few years, become the 4th mega city in the world, with a population of over 30 million. The city placed 138th out of the 140 cities ranked in the latest liveability survey, just above war-ravaged Tripoli and Damascus.
“Of the poorer-scoring cities, 13 continue to occupy the very bottom tier of liveability, where ratings fall below 50 percent and most aspects of living are severely restricted.
“Continued threats from groups like Boko Haram acts as a constraint to improving stability in Lagos,’’ the report stated. Escalations in hostilities in Libya prompted a sharp decline in liveability in Tripoli, according to the report, while Damascus, although seeing a stabilisation in its decline, remained rooted to the bottom.
The top five best countries to live in, according to the report, remain unchanged from last year and they include Melbourne, Australian; Vienna, Austria; Vancouver, Canada; Toronto, Canada; and Calgary, Canada. The liveability survey assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions across five broad categories, including stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Lagos scored highest in culture and environment, followed by infrastructure.
It scored lowest in stability. Three other African cities joined Lagos at the bottom rung of the liveable cities, including Douala, Cameroon; Harare, Zimbabwe; and Algiers, Algeria; ranking 132nd, 133rd, and 134th respectively. While no African city made it to the top 10 most liveable cities, five were in the 10 least liveable cities.

Handsome Odum Uriel has finally release his Single Album Titled "FOREVER YOU REIGN"

Here comes the Newest gospel singer with his New single Album Titled "FOREVER YOU REIGN"

This is a song you will love to listen again and again......

Click below!!!

 FREE Download

Group to Gov Okowa: Don’t kill DESOPADEC

Sen. Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor Delta State

 

WARRI—OIL bearing communities in Delta State have warned Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the state House of Assembly against alleged plans to cripple the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC and divert its fund.
Delta State Oil and Gas Stakeholders Group, DOGSG, which is comprised of Itsekiri, Ijaw, Urhobo, Isoko and Ndokwa ethnic nationalities, said they were aware of a purported ‘clandestine move’ to systematically kill the commission by starving it of fund.
DOGSG, in a statement by Dr. Tagbiretse John, Joseph Ebidenwei, Gregory Eze and Obakpo Goodluck, said that the state of oil bearing communities in the state have deteriorated since the inauguration of the present administration in the state.
The group said: “The reason for the comatose state of DESOPADEC is not farfetched. The non-passage of the 2015 budget of the commission, with barely four months to the end of the year cannot augur well. If the government is organised and the House of Assembly is effective, the 2017 budget would have been at the final stage of its development."
“It is a shame of colossal magnitude that the 2016 DESOPADEC budget is still ‘lost in transit.’ The most painful part of the debacle is that as at today, nobody knows what the budget looks like or how much is contained therein. Nobody knows if the N28 billion budget presented to the House in March remains or if it has been changed and how it has been altered.
“The laws setting up DESOPADEC is emphatic that half (50 per cent) of 13 per cent derivation fund accruing to the state’s coffers from the Federation Account is to be paid directly to DESOPADEC for the development of the oil bearing communities.
They maintained that failure to do the needful would further worsen the already tensed atmosphere in the Niger Delta region particularly in the state.
Meanwhile, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okowa, Mr Charles Aniagwu, while denying the allegations, said that there was no iota of truth in the allegation, adding that anyone accusing his boss of plans to scrap the agency was being economical with the truth.
He said, “The very ordinary Nigerians understand the prevailing situation in the country. It’s not true that there is move to scrap DESOPDEC.”

8000 Boko Haram members voluntarily surrender – Military says

No fewer than 8000 Boko Haram members have voluntarily surrendered to the “Operation Safe Corridor’’ run by the Nigerian Army in the North-East. This is according to the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, who disclosed this at a lecture organized by the FCT Correspondents’ Chapel of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Abubakar at the lecture said the surrendered terrorists were being kept at a camp in Gombe where they would be “deradicalised’’ by the military. He added that more than 10,000 Boko Haram captives had been rescued by the military and that some of them were reunited with their families while others were taken to Internally Displaced Person’s (IDP) camps. He disclosed that the military would soon launch “Operation Safe Corridor’’ to address the menace of herdsmen across the country.

American artistes are scared to work with me – Don Jazzy

Don Jazzy

Nigerian record producer, singer and chief executive officer of Mavin Records, Don Jazzy, has said that foreign artistes are scared to make music with him
Donbaba as he fondly called made the comment while speaking in a recent interview conducted by Boiler room in collaboration with The British Council.
His words: “Most of these American artistes would call you, they believe you have something that they like, so they call you to come and try something out.
A bunch of people that I have tried to work with or have tried to work with me chicken out at the end of the day because they aren’t really ready for the music change; they want me to tweak it till it gets back to their sound.
I can give you your sound, but then, you called me for something and then I try to give you my sound and I want you to do your thing on top of it, which would give the sound a wider recognition but they say they aren’t ready for this switch drastically. I think they are still scared.”
The 33-year-old music producer also added that he started paying more attention to music during the Kennis Music era.
“I would say I started listening more during the Kennis music time because after Storm records, then it was a time for Kennis music and they came with Tuface, Remedies and all.
“At that point, I was still in secondary school and I was like “Yo! They were putting a lot of swags into this my work”. So I started taking note of the music and it started shaping me into what I would like to do but then, there was no way for me to do it.”
The entertainment mogul also said that Nigerian music is designed to make people happy during their struggles. “Everyone is struggling; we all have a problem in the country but there are sometimes when we need that peace of mind.
“While some people are consciously trying to make you aware of what is going on in the struggle, there should be other people that would keep you happy, when you are going through the struggles and that is where we come in.”

See the world’s poorest president who gives out his salary

Most of the leaders in the world are more concerned about looting the country’s funds and building empires for themselves. They do not care about the poor neither do they think about their subjects who voted them in. Most of these leaders only have their own interests and that of their families at heart. They enjoy being treated as first class citizens and do not joke with the luxuries their positions offer them.
Jose Alberto ‘Pepe’ Mujica Cordano, is a highly respected man in Uruguay. He is said to be the world’s poorest president as he served his country between 2010 and 2015 as the 40th president of Uruguay. What made Mujica different and unique when compared to the other presidents that have served was his act of benevolence. His austerity made people refer to him as the world’s poorest president. He chose to live on a farm despite having access to the presidential mansion. He decided to live in a simple house located in a rural area outside Montevideo.
The lifestyle of Mujica is an interesting one as he prefers to live simply despite being paid an amount equivalent to twelve thousand US dollars per month. The intriguing part of this is that about ninety percent of his earning, goes to the poor and small-scale entrepreneurs. After giving out ninety percent of his salary, Mujica is left with an amount that is equivalent to an average Uruguay’s earning per month. Despite his act of charity, he does not feel poor and enjoys his life on the farm, It is quite possible for Mujica to embrace this life of solitude due to the time he spent in jail. His past revealed that he was the former leader of some guerilla group called Tupemaros. This group was a violent one that used a Robin Hood-like strategy to fight for the poor. Fourteen years in confinement remolded him and changed his way of life.
His political views are unsettling considering the fact that he supports the same-sex marriage, abortion rights and the legalization of marijuana. While assessing his way of life and the things he does, people feel he does not act like a president but he is no doubt someone the poor relates with. His leadership style is living by example; his choices clearly reflect that. He does not see himself as someone who lacks the basic things of life as he embraces this lifestyle. In addition to living on a farm, his official car is a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.

Wizkid rejects N25m for international show

Nigeria music artiste Wizkid has confirmed that money is not a problem to him, even though the Nigerian economy is in recession after reports claims that he was offered £50,000 for an international show, which he rejected; saying his brand is not that cheap.
It has been rumored that Wizkid has been charging £100,000 for shows outside Nigeria for sometimes now.
The deal was said to have been brokered by his international management “Disturbing London” affiliated to United Kingdom pop star, Tinie Tempah.
Although, Wizkid hasn’t said anything concerning the rumour yet, we are waiting for his response.

BISHOP OYEDEPO BEGINS MULTI-BILLION NAIRA ‘FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED’ 100,000 CAPACITY CHURCH PROJECT

Bishop Oyedepo’s Winners Chapel begins multi-billion naira ‘fully air-conditioned’ 100,000 capacity church project as Faith Tabernacle attendance surpasses 300,000, becomes world’s largest single ‘weekly’ congregation.

Bishop Oyedepo Begins Multi-Billion naira ‘fully air-conditioned’ 100,000 Capacity Church Project
*Targets 700,000 worshippers every sunday in Faith Tabernacle before end of 2015.
The ‘Wonder Double’ agenda of Bishop Oyedepo, determined to double attendance/membership of all Winners’ Chapel churches worldwide seems to have achieved her desired aim, leading to the building of a new 100,000 capacity (possibly 120,000), air conditioned church auditorium. The present 50,000 capacity auditorium, the Faith Tabernacle which has remained the largest in the world for 16 years has served enormously in this mega-growth phase of the church and would finally become a Sunday school facility as the new project is completed.
The church has thus called in architects to begin drawings for the project which would be completed by 2018. The attendance which grew from 50,000 in Sept 1999 to 140,000 in January 2011and now to over 300,000 (24,000+ home cell groups) as at Sept 27,2015 makes the church the world’s largest single congregation. The Yoido Full Gospel Church (Yoido Soon-Bok-Eum) founded by David Yongi-Cho and now pastored by Young Hoon Lee peaked at 253,000 in 2002. Additionally, the massive cell system grew to 19,515 home cell groups in the same year.
One major difference with the new structure is that it would be fully air-conditioned as worshippers have had to grapple with heat due to weather or after very intense praise sessions at the Faith Tabernacle. The vision by Bishop Oyedepo is to have a facility large enough to service up to a million people on sundays so as to fulfill a prophecy on April 10, 1982 that “very soon, we shall begin to see millions gathering”. The prophecies on that day included that of the printing press, church aircraft, branches, 50,000 auditorium among others. Only the gathering of millions prophecy it seems, is yet to be delivered. While the Shiloh attendance via live connection to all her branches worldwide is already in millions, the Bishop believes that the million gathering vision refers to presence in a single place. Attendance at Canaanland during Shiloh alone is about 300,000.
On December 11th 2010, Bishop Oyedepo had since declared that the Faith Tabernacle had become too small and there was a need to move to a bigger place. Again on Sunday, 30th January 2011, he announced to the pastors, future plans to build a new auditorium. He reiterated in May 2011, that as functional as the 50,000 capacity building was, it had become inadequate. He then spoke humorously to the whole church on Sept 18, 2011 when the building clocked 12 years ” Don’t you think that we have to be in this Sanctuary (50,000 seater) forever, we have to start planning how to build another one. You say ‘what are they going to build? Just relax! When the plan comes, you are going to see the plan and the same God who built this without putting pressure on you or me will do it again. We can’t end in a small sanctuary like this. God couldn’t be bringing all those people and expect that we would be here….for how long? So we have 5 services? Start service at 4am? Or 7 services then you start at 12 midnight?…..we will be stupid not to build another one because the present enlargement is for 7 years. We will also build a place for helicopters to land and there will be no place where we will have helicopters as much as we will have here for Sunday services”.
Today, 4 years later, the church conducts 5 services, necessitating the need for a relocation.
Interestingly, at the time the Faith Tabernacle was completed, it was easily the largest in the world. Today, the revival in Africa has positively ensured that the Faith Tabernacle can not remain so for much longer.
These are the world’s largest mega church projects going on presently-all are located in Nigeria.
#1. MFM’s (Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries) Deliverance Auditorium, Prayer City, Mowe, Ogun State,Nigeria-500,000 capacity (commenced 2011-initially estimated to be completed in 5 years)-Pastor Daniel Olukoya
#2. Salvation Ministries’ Auditorium,Omagwa, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria- 90,000 capacity (commenced 2013)-Pastor David Ibiyeomie
#3. Apostolic Faith Mission’s ‘The Great Tabernacle’, Faith City, Igbesa, Ogun State, Nigeria-75,000 capacity (commenced 2002)-Rev Emmanuel Adebayo Adeniran.
#4. Dunamis International Christian Centre’s Auditorium, The Lord’s Garden, Abuja, F.C.T, Nigeria-70,000 capacity (commenced 2014)-Pastor Paul Enenche.
….I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:18

WISDOM FOR DURABLE WEALTH - Pastor David Ibiyeomie (SalvationMinistries)

 

WISDOM FOR DURABLE WEALTH
MATTHEW 6:33
A.Take delight in God's Work
B.Be a Tither
C.Give offering/ be a GIVER
Tithing is a covenant initiator why offering is a covenant facilitator.
An offering must be 

ented with a merry heart
1st Corinthians 13:3
You don't give trash to expect treasure from God
If you want to enjoy durable wealth, your offering must cost you something.
1st chronicles 18-29
2nd chronicles 20:20
Psalm 126-sacrificial offering.
Proverbs19:17
TITHING
TYPES OF TITHING.
1. Personal Tithe
2. Corporate Tithe
MEN MADE BY TITHE
1.ABRAHAM
GENESIS 19:17-23
2.JACOB
GENESIS 28:20-32
3. JOHN (BILLIONAIRE IN AMERICA)
4. JESSIE PENNY
*experience is not a good teacher, it is a bad teacher. Learn from other people's Mistake.
5. DAVID IBIYEOMIE
WHAT TITHE IS NOT
*You don't give tithe, you pay tithe!
*Tithe is not a sacrificial giving. It is God's portion.
* Tithe is not a vow
*Tithe is not prophet offering
*Tithe is not welfare offering, Charitable offering.
*Tithe is not to be shared
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS WHY MANY DON'T TITHE
1. Being unemployed
~Luke 16:10
2.Being a student
3. Being a widow
~ Mark 15
4.I am too little to pay tithe
~Matthew 25:24-25
5. I am not a fool
~Daniel 22
6. Ten percent is too much
~ Galatians 6:7
8.I am building a house
~ Psalm 127:1
9. The pastors are using our money to buy houses and cars
10. I am retired and on pension
~Psalm 92:14
11. I don't want anyone to know how much I have
~ Daniel 11:32
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT PAYIN TITHE
MALACHI 3:8-12
1. Stops your heavens
2. Hardship
3. You expose your self to satanic attack
4. Hinderance from enjoying Gods presence
5. Unnecessary expenditure
6. Self imposed curse
7. You become a robber
8. You are marked for extinction.
BENEFITS OF PAYIN TITHE
1. It preservers your life
Malachi 3:8
1st peter 5:8
2. God gives you Divine idea
3.you enjoy God's blessings
Malachi 3:10
4. Near success syndrome is terminated
Malachi 3:11b
5 favour
6.blessins
7 open heaven
~ Malachi 3:12

WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW ABOUT PASTOR DAVID IBIEYOME

He is a compassionate minister with strong, anointed shoulders to bear the responsibility of shepherding God’s people. The truth is that Pastor David Ibiyeomie, Presiding Pastor, Salvation Ministries, based in Port Harcourt, has a practical approach to the Word and has been performing wonders and miracles in the lives of thousands of people using the power of Jesus Christ.
A dynamic and charismatic preacher with a vision directed by God and motivated to carry on the will of the Heavenly Father to build heavenly-minded people, Pastor Ibiyeomie has always been guided by character-conscious living and this has made his life a roadmap for many who wish to live by Godly principles. “I believe that a man that has lost character has lost all. I have always lived in accordance with His principles so that my character can bring more people to Christ. Godly character remains the bedrock of a great future and as someone said, “Men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of power are feared, but only men of character are trusted.” This underscores the great value of character. To be intelligent, wealthy and powerful is good, but without character it can be likened to a very handsome man with leprosy. Character is the nucleus of life’s worth; those who embrace godly character brace up today for greatness, so living a godly character is the principle that I have always asked God for,” he declared.
Born on 21 October, 1962, Pastor Ibiyeomie had his primary and secondary school education in Port Harcourt before he proceeded to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology where he studied Microbiology, after which he came to Lagos. Visionary and hardworking, he had plans of making a living through his profession, but God had a bigger plan, which is to make him a winner of souls for His kingdom. He became born again in 1995, and few weeks later enrolled at the Word of Faith Bible Institute, an arm of Bishop David Oyedepo’s Ministries, in 1996 where also he met his wife "Pastor Mrs Peace Ibieyome". There he was greatly influenced by the Bishop’s impactful teachings of the word, and the vision to establish and run a church-based ministry became very clear. Steamed in the divine grace of God, the Salvation Ministries started in April, 1997 with less than 30 worshippers, and since then, Pastor Ibiyeomie, through an undiluted and insightful teaching of the word of God, has been training, mentoring, impacting and transforming many men and women into successful and enterprising individuals both in the secular and spiritual spheres of life.
Nigeria is today being challenged by developmental issues such as ethnic crisis, insecurity and corruption, and this ebullient and dynamic preacher believes that the church has a major role to play in eradicating them. Elucidating on this, Pastor Ibiyeomie said: “Apart from the financial poverty in our nation, there is widespread spiritual poverty, that is why some Nigerians are involved in terrorism and corruption. While the government provides for our economic need, the church has the burden of shaping and re-shaping the people’s minds and helping in the maintenance of our national unity. We have very brilliant minds in Nigeria, but the problem has always been with their character, so every family and the church have the role of building brilliant Nigerians with godly character.”
Asked why he thinks crime rate has been increasing despite the continuous rise in the number of churches in Nigeria today, the Port Harcourt-based preacher and televangelist who has given countless people the spiritual and practical foundation on which they are successfully building their lives replied: “Though churches in Nigeria have their own challenges, saying they have not been making positive impact is not correct. A few people who lack the understanding of God’s words believe that churches are neglecting their primary role by talking about God-given prosperity. But people are not imagining what our country could have become if these churches were not available. Churches have continued to preach and teach the populace on what God demands from us. Many Nigerians who profess Christianity today do not take time to read their bible even when they are in church, some do not even go to church again, and people easily blame the church for their action and inaction. This is not right.”
Continuing, he said, “The misplacement of values by most people in today’s Nigeria and the recognition and honouring of people with questionable character have made many of our youths to now place money before character. The core problem of our nation and many other nations of the world is that crime rate has been on the rise due to lack of godly character. Where godly character is lacking, then integrity will equally be lacking, and where integrity is lacking, corruption will thrive. I agree that churches in Nigeria have more work to do in order to help our national character, but these churches have not stopped working, only that the government and every family have to re-define their priority and place character before material wealth. The best way to improve our society is improving on our individual character, being dependable and trustworthy.”
As part of the divine vision received from God, Pastor Ibiyeomie runs a virile television outreach named “Hour of Salvation” through which millions across the world have been reached, saved and impacted by his transformative teaching of God’s word. Apart from this, Salvation Ministries has been training people who have given their lives to Christ so that they can be better equipped to spread the Gospel of Christ. The Word of Life Bible Institute (WOLBI), a non denominational institute established and managed by Salvation Ministries has also become a reference among the bible schools in Nigeria today.
Undoubtedly, David Ibiyeomie remains one of the most revered spiritual leaders in Nigeria of today but he has always stated that hardwork, diligence, faith and divine grace are the vehicles that bring favour to man. Because his sermons are thorough, directed against sin, poverty and corruption, and always challenging, Salvation Ministries and its presiding pastor have continued to grow in membership and popularity. Stating the reasons for this, the recipient of the honourary doctorate degree in Divinity from Bradley University, United States said: “I cannot attribute the growth to anybody, I am just an instrument in the hand of God, God is the main factor. Salvation Ministries has continued to touch lives in many ways and the grace of God has been sufficient for us, that is why we have gone this far”.
Pastor David Ibiyeomie does not just preach and teach prosperity and all-round success, he has proven his love for humanity by helping the needy. Money to the poor, care for the widow and orphans and scholarship to indigent youths are a few ways through which he has been touching lives positively
Advising Nigerian youths, the author of several life-changing books emphasised: “Education is important, but every genuine success starts with a vision and a godly character makes it come to pass. Every youth should make God his or her primary focus”

Consumers health at risk as fake sausages circulate retail markets

Nigerian consumers are at risk health hazards that could result from increasing circulation of fake sausages which are making real wave into the markets, further questioning the regulatory checks of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), BusinessDay findings show.
A visit to different retail shops across Lagos State, particularly around Ikeja, Oshodi, Gbagada, Abule Egba and Victoria Island revealed that these sausages bearing no expiration dates, manufacturing or batch numbers contrary to NAFDAC’s regulation are being sold to innocent consumers, most of whom do not check for dates on products before consumption.
“The shelf life of sausages is very short and it is exposed to microbial contamination. Without expiry dates, there is no other way one can ascertain if the product is still safe for consumption. Eating expired ones could lead to food poisoning and many people have died as a result of that,” said George Nwaha, a Lagos-based pharmacist.
Doyin Odubanjo, public health expert said consuming these expired products could be deadly.
“Once a product is expired, what the makers are saying is that they can no longer guarantee the state of that product because whatever preservative method they used is no longer effective. This is very dangerous and could become poisonous. When someone consumes such product, he or she could become very sick and die,” Odubanjo said.
Specifically, ‘Gala’ and ‘Beefie’, two products of UAC Food Limited and Chi Limited respectively are the targets of the perpetrators considering their increasing demand in the consumer market, a development experts say should have been a source of concern to the manufacturers especially in routine market checking on their products.
One of the retailers angrily responded to our visit, saying, “What kind of question is that? I bought this sausage (name withheld) directly from their makers and people have been buying. What is my business with date or no date? If you don’t like it, then leave it. I’m not begging for customers”.
“People have been buying them. You know I bought these products and I have to finish selling my goods as well. If they don’t finish buying them, will I pack them to my children to consume?” another retailer in Victoria Island told BusinessDay.
Other retailers that spoke with BusinessDay maintained that they bought the fake products directly from the company.
“Most times they don’t write dates because…Look inside this cartoon, that is how I saw them. You can see how new the wrapper is,” also said a retailer on Victoria Island.
At Ikeja, the situation is not different as some retailers try to convince sausage consumers who appeared confused that the products without expiry dates were good for consumption. “It is fresh. I just bought it today. Touch it and see how soft it is,” she said.
Moved by the health hazards posed by these sausages, BusinessDay visited one of the makers of the products Chi Limited, aimed at tracing the source of their product at various retail outlets in Lagos but efforts to get a response from the company or their media personnel was unsuccessful.
“Anybody can fake these products. The companies have been complaining”, Christiana Obiazikwor, chief public relations officer, NAFDAC said in defense of the agency. Meanwhile she noted that “Nigerians don’t check for the expiration dates. That is the problem we have. We don’t read labels. Even the scratcher on the products, both educated and non educated Nigerians don’t have the patience to scratch and check for product genuity.”
At UAC Food Limited, the company said it has a process in place that ensures every single Gala that leaves their factory is appropriately coded with production details.
“This definitely cannot come from us. It is really a big surprise to me,” said Joan Ihekwaba, General Marketing Manager of UAC food Limited after inspecting some samples of the product.
“Our products are always coded with batch no, expiry date and time of production. Even the shift of production is coded so, if there is any problem along the line we can trace it to the operator. It’s even good this information is getting to us because it means that something must be happening outside,” she said.
According to Kelechi Alaribe, Operations Manager, UAC Foods Limited, “The coding machine is designed in such a way that no gala goes out without it being fully coded. The time of wrapping and everything would be indicated as part of the consumer information. There is no way any omission can come up.”
Ihekwaba said in as much as they would like to ensure that they maintain the confidence that consumers have bestowed on them by rooting out the perpetrators, she could not do much because her hands are tied. “It’s so amazing how consumers take this product everyday as if their daily life depends on it and indeed with that in mind, we take care to make sure we don’t disappoint them. We know the economy is biting hard on everyone and a lot of people are doing stuff to ensure that they survive. If we catch the culprits, we’ll blacklist them.
“We don’t produce these gala wrappers here, they are supplied to us. So, it means between where it’s produced and the time it gets here anything can happen. So, it is not impossible for you to see the complete replica of our packaging. There is a limit to what we can control.”
Consumers who spoke with BusinessDay narrated their experiences.
Jeffrey Umoh, who resides in Ikeja area of Lagos, had already consumed one when he realized he should have checked it.
“I was famished on Tuesday so I bought a package of gala and a bottle of soft drink around Abule Egba. I usually check for dates but that day, I didn’t check probably because I was too hungry to check or because I’d come to trust the brand. Besides, the sausage was soft and fresh. I’d finished eating when someone came to buy gala and complained about the dates not been there. I quickly grabbed the wrapper which was now lying on the floor and to my shock; I discovered there was no date. Throughout that day, I was not myself,” Umoh said.
“When I went to buy sausage close to my house, the woman opened the showcase and was trying to give me the ones under instead of the ones on top. Immediately, I became suspicious. I thought they were expired and so I checked when she handed them to me. When I did not find the expiry date, I asked her and she told me that was how she bought them,” Juliet Okoro, a consumer who resides in Gbagada said.
Bayo Ojo, another consumer in Victoria Island said, “I’ve stumbled on expired one before but I was compelled to check because the packet was looking rough. If it wasn’t, maybe I would have fallen prey.”

How to save money for the things you want

Most people are prone to impulse shopping and get what they want when they want it. They bring out the check book, credit card or debit card, and make the purchase right then and there, without regards to the cost. This is called instant gratification.
Instant gratification feels good at the time, but later, once the realization of what the real costs are, short term gratification can turn into a long term headache.
When you want something and it is not a priority in your life, the wise thing to do is to save the money to buy it and not charge it or pay for it with money that you know you need for things that are more important.
You all know that there is a difference between what you want and what you need.
What you want are things that you see, or hear about, that makes you feel the urge to possess them, whether you need them or not.
What you need are basic items that help sustain you for the good of your health and your everyday living experience.
There is nothing wrong with wanting things that you don’t need, but there may be a problem when you buy things that you don’t need and you can’t afford, simply because you want them.
There is nothing wrong with getting something that you want at a later date by saving for it but your priority should be spending the money that you have on the things that you need to sustain your living experience.
Some years back, saving money was a big deal but it doesn’t seem that way today. With ATM’s at every bank, and in malls and shopping centers, and credit cards from every bank and every major department store, saving money has become a very hard thing to do.
But saving your money is possible, especially if you develop and incorporate a good plan for saving and a budget strategy that you can live with.
Learning self-control and self-discipline can go a long way in helping you save for the things you want.
Remember, if you start a savings account and put money into it on a regular basis, with the savings and the interest that the bank will adds to it every month, your saving will grow and you will have more buying power in the future.
To be sure, it takes time and effort to save money, but it is truly worth it in the long run.

Jumia redefines Nigerians’ online shopping experience

Jumia, Nigeria’s no 1 online retailer is poised to consolidate on its achievements with innovative concepts that will further expand her brand equity in the business terrain after four years of pioneering the revolution that dramatically changed the face of retail shopping in Nigeria.
The online mall outlined her plans at a media roundtable and facility tour on Thursday at the company’s head office in Ikeja.
During the facility tour, Indrek Henloo, global CEO of Jumia services explained the processes involved in transferring tested and approved products from vendors and sellers, through the fulfilment centres to the final consumers.
According to Thomas Simonet, senior Vice President, Vendor Management, Jumia has 12,000 registered vendors out of which 5,000 are active and they all receive trainings and ongoing support on how to maximise visibility and sales.
“With Jumia, a young producer of garments, bags or cosmetics in one town in Nigeria, can have the opportunity of showcasing his or her product to millions of prospective customers at no cost. That is quite revolutionary.” Simonet said.
In her presentation, Chidinma Ifepe, head, Customer Operations, listed persistent customer focus in taking company decisions, swift handling and resolution of customer complaints as key factors behind the company’s outstanding customer service delivery.
“The 2015 e-commerce customer service award won by Jumia was a positive industry nod which reflected the high level of customer satisfaction achieved collectively by the entire workforce,” she said.
The management team disclosed that a partnership, which will see Jumia investing massively in supporting Nigerian brands to create more jobs and drive economic growth, would be launched in few weeks.
Omolara Awoyemi, Partner Relations Manager, spoke on various payment options that have made customers loyal to Jumia and explained how innovations like cash-on-delivery, and free returns within 7days changed the face of online shopping in Nigeria.
“What drives my team and indeed the massive acceptance of the Jumia brand is the consistent pursuit of convenient and secure payment options through a secure server. There are other new payment options like Jumia pay- direct, the book on hold plan- where orders can be made online and then payment via ATM or other payment forms.
“Other issues such as prompt processing of customer refunds, charge backs and card payment reversals as well as prompt resolution of issues relating to credit reversals, cash refunds and online pre-paid orders, have helped to ensure maximum satisfaction and retention of Jumia customers,” Awoyemi said.

Things you should know about your rights as a debtor by "FDCP ACT"

If you’re drowning in debt, it can seem as though there’s no way out. And it doesn’t help that creditors could be calling you — maybe even your family members and neighbors are looking for you. It may seem that you are at the mercy of debt collectors, but the truth is that you have rights, and you have protections from unscrupulous collectors. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) spells out practices that debt collectors can’t engage in. So, know your rights, and don’t be afraid to report debt collectors who violate these 6 provisions in the FDCPA:
1. Debt Collectors Have to Stop Calling If You Tell them To
The hitch? You have to do it in writing. So, if you don’t want debt collectors to call you anymore, you need to write a letter (keep a copy for yourself) and send it along. I recommend using certified mail to prove the debt collector received the letter. After receiving your request, debt collectors can only contact you, by mail, to let you know of certain actions that will be taken (including a lawsuit).

2. You Have a Right to Verify the Debt
Debt collectors have to send you written notice of the debt amount and the name of the creditor, as well as let you know you have a right to dispute the debt within 30 days. This has to be sent within five days of the first communication with you. You have the right to have this debt validated, and you have the write to dispute. Once you ask, in writing (use certified mail and keep copies), for verification or if you dispute, the debt collector can’t try to collect until the matter is settled.

3. You Ask Collectors Not to Call Your Workplace
If debt collectors know your employer doesn’t want you to answer personal calls at work, or that your employer objects to these calls, they can’t call your workplace.

4. Don’t Pay More than You Owe
Ask for verification. Debt collectors can’t misrepresent your debt, claiming you owe more than you do. Additionally, they can’t tack on extra fees that aren’t allowed by your original credit agreement. Make sure you understand your original terms, and the law. You don’t have to pay more than what the law allows.

5. Debt Collectors Can’t Harass You on the Phone
The FDCPA considers certain actions harassment on the phone, and it is illegal for them to engage in these actions:
Threats of violence
Profanity or abusive language
Personal insults
Calling before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
Repeated or continuous calls
Threats of arrest (no warrant will be issued for regular debts)
Debt collectors can’t harass you, and you should note harassment from debt collectors and report it.

6. Debt Collectors Can’t Inform Third Parties about Your Debt
Debt collectors aren’t supposed to publicly share your debt. Indeed, the only people that debt collectors can legally inform of your debt are the credit reporting agencies, your attorney, the creditor, the creditor’s attorney, your legal spouse, or, if you are a minor, your parents.
Additionally, debt collectors aren’t supposed to repeatedly call third parties, such as neighbors, for information about your location. If there is reason to believe previously provided information is false, a debt collector can call a third party once to get location information (but they cannot discuss the debt in the process).
Tagged as: Credit, Debt
Is your student loan putting a burden on your finances? Did you know chances are good that you are paying too much? Check out Credible and take a look at the current student loan rates. You can probably refinance through them here and get a better rate, lowering your money payment and improving your cash flow. It’s quick and easy to give it a shot. You may be surprised by the results.

Aviation fuel price may force airlines to fly from Ghana

 

 Experts in the aviation sector say increase in the price of aviation fuel from N105 to N220 per litre in Nigeria may soon cause airlines operating in the country to move to Ghana where aviation fuel is sold for N110 per litre.
Two days ago, Emirates airline for the first time flew to Ghana to buy fuel for its Abuja flight. A source who craved anonymity told BusinessDay that British Airways also buys fuel from Ghana. The source said more airlines will soon leave for Ghana to buy fuel since it is cheaper to buy from the country.
Similarly, Air France last week announced that from 2017, the airline will commence three weekly flights to Accra in Ghana from Paris-Charles de Gaulle.
These flights will be operated by Airbus A330 with a capacity of 208 seats until 27 March 2017, then by Boeing 777-200 with 312 seats.
“The aviation fuel cartel causing a 100percent increase in fuel price has forced Emirates airlines to go to Accra to buy fuel. This is making Nigeria lose businesses and revenues,” Nogie Meggison, president, Airline Operators of Nigeria told BusinessDay.
Meggison explained that this development will have a ripple effect on other sectors of the economy such as the hospitality sector and catering services.
He explained the hotels, where the crew will be kept, the manpower, the landing and parking space fees and other charges that should be paid by the airlines to the Federal Government as charges will soon be paid to Ghanaian government, a development analysts see as a colossal loss to Nigerian economy.
He called on the Federal Government to intervene into the issue by ensuring that it revives the Warri Refinery’s Jet A1 pipeline –hydrant system for the supply of aviation fuel.
For instance, about 15 million air travellers passed through Nigerian airports in 2015. The figure for 2014 was about 14million.
Consequently, the analysts say this number may reduce by over 30percent with the current price of aviation fuel which is incurred in price of tickets sold to passengers with low purchasing power.
Specifically, BusinessDay’s findings show that operators in the Nigerian aviation industry may have lost at least N45 billion in revenue to aviation fuel scarcity from April to June when fuel situations worsened.
The conservative figure was arrived at based on losses incurred due to flight delays and in some cases outright cancellations that have resulted in hardships to travelers.
BusinessDay further gathered that domestic airlines generate an average of N2 billion daily from ticket sales, amounting to N180 billion in the last three months, while N500million is also lost daily to the scarcity.
The implication is that the sector may have lost 25 percent of the amount or N45 billion in 90 days.
Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, executive chairman, Arik Air, said that with 126 flights daily, the airline needs about 500,000 litres a day to fuel its flights.
BusinessDay’s checks also show that the eight domestic airlines operating in Nigeria need about 1.2million litres of aviation fuel daily, while about 21 international airlines operating in the country need approximately 1.8million litres of aviation fuel daily.
This shows that for both international and local airlines operating in Nigeria, N660million is spent daily on fuel.
This development is coming at a time when the government of Ghana few weeks ago reduced aviation fuel price by 20 percent in a bid to make Ghana’s aviation sector attractive to investors.
Aviation fuel is central to the operations of an airline as it constitutes between 35-40 percent of an airline’s cost.
According to John Mahama, president of Ghana, “We have consulted with the national petroleum authority and the national petroleum authority has agreed to adjust the cost of aviation fuel and reduce it by twenty percent.
“I am sure this will improve the volumes that the airlines take and make Ghana a prepared destination for fueling up,” the president added.
John Ojikutu, secretary-general, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, (ART) told BusinessDay that it is expected that businesses try as much as possible to cut cost. According to Ojikutu, airlines will fly from countries where aviation fuel is cheaper if the situation with fuel price persists in Nigeria.
“Aviation fuel price is also linked to neglect in repairing the pipelines and failure to revive the Warri refinery’s Jet A1 pipeline –hydrant system for supplying aviation fuel,” Ojikutu said
Ojikutu mentioned that other reasons are costs of transportation, demurrage on the tankers and insufficient number of fuel dispensing trucks.
This situation has severally led to cancellations of flights and high air fares, thereby discouraging people from flying in Nigeria, he said.
BusinessDay checks also show that up till 1992, jet-A1 supply to MMA was through pipelines from Ejigbo or NNPC depot. The supply from the MMA depot to the hydrants on the apron where fuel is dispensed to aircraft, were done also through the pipelines. The method then was quality assurance in practice and cost effective.
“Unfortunately, since the pipelines got ruptured in 1992, nobody in NNPC, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) and even the airlines- the end users-, raised serious concern on why there had been no repairs of the pipelines in 24 years,” Ojikutu added.

Lagos to get 13 per cent derivation as Fed Govt okays four Aje oil wells

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode , Lagos State

The Federal Government yesterday said four of the five Aje oil wells were approved for crude production in Lagos.
Chairman of the Indices and Disbursement Committee of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, announced this when he led members on a visit to Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, at the Lagos House, Ikeja.
Mohammed said the committee was in Lagos to verify crude oil and gas production from Aje oil wells for the purpose of disbursing to the state 13 per cent Derivation Fund to in line with the constitution.
He said the commission had set up an Inter-Agency Technical Committee, comprising the RMAFC, Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation and the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to determine location of the Aje oil wells.
Mohammed said the technical committee recommended that for the purpose of the derivation fund as spelt out in Section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution and provision of the Allocation of Revenue Act 2004, Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Aje oil wells fall within 200m isobaths and therefore should be attributed to Lagos State.
He said as a result, the commission and members of the Inter-Agency Committee had to embark on a working visit to the wells to conclude the process.
Mohammed said the outcome of the visit would promote national unity as well as the socio-economic development of Lagos State and Nigeria.
“It is also important to state that the commencement of oil production from Aje oil wells.
Mohammed said the technical committee recommended that for the purpose of the derivation fund as spelt out in Section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution and provision of the Allocation of Revenue Act 2004, Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Aje oil wells fall within 200m isobaths and therefore should be attributed to Lagos State.
He said as a result, the commission and members of the Inter-Agency Committee had to embark on a working visit to the wells to conclude the process.
Mohammed said the outcome of the visit would promote national unity as well as the socio-economic development of Lagos State and Nigeria.
“It is also important to state that the commencement of oil production from Aje oil field by Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company Limited is the first time oil is being produced outside the Niger Delta basin and therefore of a significance in diversifying the source of crude and gas production in the country,” Mohammed said.
Ambode said the commencement of crude oil production in the state would enhance the economy of the state and nation.
He added that it was significant for the nation’s economy that the state emerged as the first oil producing state outside the Niger Delta basin.
He described the visit by the committee as remarkable, adding that it signals the official step that takes the state to the final destination that makes us to become an oil producing state.
“We are glad to receive this delegation. We also want to thank the Federal Government, most especially President Muhammadu Buhari, for making this to happen promptly. I want to say that this has been the quickest action that has been taken by RMAFC since I have known the commission.
“I used to be a former account general so I had a lot of transactions and relationship with RMAFC. Within a span of about 60 days of when we wrote, and even before we wrote, this technical committee was actually set up. It gladdens me to say that the institution works and is working for Nigeria,” he said.
Ambode also hailed members of DPR and NBC, saying they both contributed to the process of discovery and production of crude oil in Lagos.
The governor urged other states to activate the mineral deposits in their domain as a means to boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
“It would also give us revenue independence in a manner that there would be equal growth from all nooks and corners of Nigeria. I am happy that RMAFC has taken this step and to say they should also encourage other states to engage in such activities to allow them activate whatever mineral deposit we have in the states in conjunction with the Federal Government, so we can diversify revenue and growth and create a balanced growth and development for the country,” he said.
The Aje field was originally operated as Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 390 before it became Oil Mining Lease (OML) 113 after going through due regulatory processes, exploratory and appraisal. It was discovered in 1996.
The oil field was awarded to YFP as a sole risk contract to encourage the growth of the upstream oil industry.
It is located 24 kilometres offshore Nigeria in water depths of about 1,476 feet (450 metres), and pending the outcome of exploration and appraisal at OPL 310, operated by Afren, Aje field is estimated to hold the largest oil reserves among fields outside the Niger Delta basin.
According to experts, Aje is unusual for a Nigerian field because it lies in the Benin Embayment on the eastern edge of the West Africa Transform Margin, rather than the Niger Delta, and reservoired in the Cretaceous, unlike the prolific Tertiary fields of the Niger Delta. Following appraisal, Aje was declared commercial in 2009. However, the high proportion of gas made the field difficult to attract investment early.

EFCC uncovers another $5m cash given to Fayose by Obanikoro

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered another $5million (N1.040billion) cash allegedly given to Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose by former Minister of State for Defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, it was learnt yesterday.
The cash is part of the N4.7billion slush funds traced to Obanikoro’s company, Sylva McNamara.
Out of the $5 million, EFCC’s investigation has shown how Fayose allegedly gave his associate , Abiodun Agbele, over $1million as part-payment for the acquisition of four chalets in Lagos.
The bubble burst when Agbele took the $1million to a Bureau De Change (BDC) operator, Ahmed Uba, who transferred the cash to Still Earth as part-payment for the properties.
Also, the EFCC has grilled Ekiti State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General Kolapo Kolade, who admitted that he facilitated the agreements for the four properties.
Kolade, who may face EFCC interrogators on August 30, it was gathered, said he was paid N1million for the job.
According to a top source in the commission, the ongoing investigation of Fayose for allegedly receiving N1.219billion from Obanikoro, also revealed that he got another $5m cash (N1.040billion) from the ex-minister.
“Our investigation so far has shown that out of the $5m Fayose gave Agbele $1million which Agbele gave to a BDC operator who transferred the money to Still Earth as part-payment for the properties bought.
“Going through the accounts of Fayose, you could see a lot of transactions. Kolapo Kolade , now a commissioner in Fayose’s cabinet was the one who arranged the agreement between Still Earth and J.J. Technical.
“We have interrogated the owner of the BDC Jamil Uba, who told us how he asked his staff to attend to Agbele. Jamil said ‘I instructed Abba Ahmed Uba to transfer the money into Still Earth accounts because Abba Ahmed Uba was working under me that day when Agbele sold $1million at the rate of N208, which is equivalent of N208million.”
The EFCC team has also discovered that one of the companies used for the purchase of the properties , J.J. Technicals Limited, was not in the picture until the owners were invited for questioning.
The source said: “Agbele got Maroun Mechleb, a Lebanese and contractor to the Ekiti State Government to provide a company, J.J. Technicals Services Limited whose name was used in making the agreement for the sale of the four chalets in Victoria Island by Still Earth.
“J.J. Technicals Services belongs to Maroun Mechleb’s junior brother, Joseph and his brother-in-law. They gave him the company’s document to help them prospect for contracts in Ekiti State. He gave the company’s document to Agbele without their knowledge.”
The two Lebanese, Joseph and Maroum Mechleb have told the EFCC that they had nothing to do with the purchase of the four properties in Lagos.
The source quoted Maroun Mechleb as saying: “I also saw an agreement with my signature between Noga Hotels Nigeria Limited for the sum of $1.1m. I am not aware of the agreement even though my signature appears on it. The agreement is between Noga Hotels Nigeria Limited and J.J . Technical Services. My brother who owns the company does not know anything about the whole agreement with Noga Hotels Nigeria Limited.”
According to the source, Joseph Mechleb said: “I did not know that the company was used to buy any property. I don’t know of any property(ies) that J.J. Technical Services bought. I hear of Fayose but have never heard of Biodun Agbele.
“I don’t know of any company with the name, Still Earth. I got to know of a property that was bought with J.J. Technical Services few weeks ago when our manager told me that the EFCC has invited me to Abuja. I am not a signatory to the said account.
“I don’t know the said property. I don’t know where it is located . I have never heard of any property purchased with J.J. Technicals before.
“I have not done any project in Ekiti State before. I only go visiting and sight-seeing. I visit our site in Imore, Ikere Road. I don’t visit Fayose in Ekiti. It is Maroun that works in Ekiti
State.”
Kolade, who was grilled by EFCC, it was learnt, said he knew of the agreements for the four chalets.
He said: “Sometimes in early January 2015, Abiodun Agbele approached me that he and his friend wanted to buy a property in Lagos and gave me the particulars of the property situated on Victoria Island and that I should keep them and conduct a search.
“I did and advised him that the property is free from encumbrance. About a month later or there about, he came to me and said the property had been paid for and that I should help them go to Lagos to collect the agreements from a company called Still Earth. I went to Lagos and collected the agreements. It was in respect of two chalets; the agreements were between Still Earth and J.J. Technicals.
“The two agreements I signed for them at Still Earth, I brought them to Ado -Ekiti. Upon looking through the documents given to me at Still Earth, the agreement with which Still Earth bought the property from a company called Noga Hotels was also given to me.
“I noticed that Still Earth Company newly bought the property from Noga and had not perfected their papers.
“The staff of Still Earth said they could get Noga Hotels to make an agreement directly with my clients, J.J. Technicals so that they don’t do double consent but the money she asked for was ridiculously high and going through the document, I saw that the lawyer that acted for Noga Hotels is one Adekunle Ojo, who incidentally is my friend.
“I told my client, who asked me to discuss with Lawyer Adekunle Ojo if he could work on the agreement between Noga Hotels and J.J. Technicals Services. I called Mr. Adekunle Ojo, he agreed , he said his chambers will collect N500,000 if he did that. I told my client, they said he should go ahead.
“The money was given to me and I paid it into his account. When the documents were ready, he handed them over to me and I handed them over to Agbele and one white man who both came to me to collect same.
“The white man signed and they took the agreement away and gave me N500,000 as my fees. That is all I know about the first two chalets.
“After about two months or thereabout, Agbele called me that he has given my number to the Still Earth people and they will call me. Later that day, someone from Still Earth called me that I should send my e-mail address. I did and the person sent to me an offer letter in respect of yet another two chalets in the same estate on Victoria Island.
“I told Agbele and he said I should accept the offer. I did by replying the e-mail. I didn’t hear anything again until one day Agbele called me again that I should help him collect documents from Still Earth Limited in respect of the two chalets.
“This second set of agreements was made between a company called Signachorr and J.J. Technicals Services. I took them to Ado-Ekiti and handed them over to Agbele. The white man did not come with him the second time.
“Agbele said I should help him approach Mr. Adekunle Ojo to help him write an agreement between Noga Hotels and J.J. Technical Services. I did and Mr. Adekunle Ojo sent the second set of agreement . I was also given N500,000 for him which I also paid into his account. I was also paid N500,00 for my efforts.
“When I approached Mr. Adekunle Ojo to help write an agreement between Noga Hotels and J.J. Technicals in respect of the two sets of agreement, he demanded for copies of the agreement between Still Earth and J.J. Technicals as a confirmation that J.J . Technicals actually bought from Still Earth.
“I was given a copy of the agreement to give him and I actually gave him. He also called to inform me that he also confirmed from Still Earth that J.J. Technical actually bought the properties before agreeing to prepare the agreements. I don’t know who J.J. Technical is.”