FRlDAY.APRlL6, :1:01:1:
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Omolayole decries marginalisation of indigenous executives r in multinationals ~ REMOsr.industrilllist,
Dr, Michael Omolayole, has charged the Federal Gm'eTTlment and relenlnt stakeholders to address the systematic disappearance of NigeriansasCbtefExecuti\'\! Officers of nmitinalion.llls operating in the country. Omolayole gave this charge in an address at lhe presentation of the biography of the former of Nigerian Chairman BI"e\>'eries PIc, Dr. Felix in Lagos. Ohi\\-wei, recently. He said he and other likeminded people had (omun a group 10 champion the reversal of the Munacceplable trend, M while c:alling on relevant federal ministries, including Fio8nce, Trade and In..-estment, Labour and Internal Affairs 10 join in the cmsade.
He wondered if Mthe currenl global multinationals in Nigeria have all conspired 10 re\ICI'SIe the progress of "'Nigcriollisation- in their enlerprises at the topmost ]e..'{"l lind if they have reduced N"igeria, once again, to a colonial occupied territory, wbose narural resources must be car1ed aWlly and its markets and purchasing power s ucked dl1' like the East Indian Company founded in 1600 did 10 India for almost 300
He said he and members of his group, ",-bich includes Ohiwerei, believed ~any muitin."llional that is InOOng in serious management succession plans for Nigerians to reach the 1~'C1 of the CEO has
become something dose to an C)."pIOiler.~ Omolayole said, '" hope the federal mmisters in the WlriOUS rell!'o"ll.nl ministries. including Trade and Im-estment, Labour, Finance, In ternal Affairs
and so on are liSlening? Our group is passionate about rein\"I!nting the supremacy of the \irtuous Nigerians al the pinnacle of executive managemenl of multinationals in Nigeri<l and beyond. ,"\\Te are willing 10 acl in concert with anylxxl)' inlerested in promoting
the crusade and finding solution to any problem. real or imagined, that may exisL We are not ag:unst multinationals or the !Tee market svstcm. We are product!> ~f the 6)'Stcm. All .....1" "'"ant is to see many 1lI0re virtuous Nigerian CEOs al the top of multinationals in Nigeria. ~
years?~
Omola)'ol!" further noled thai "multinationals have suddenly become deserts, where the trees of human capacity developnlent can no longer tlJrk.-e, let alone flourish to the 1e-.>eI of Nigerian CEOs.-
Wellla Bank boosts Osun school meal progranune Tunde Odesola , Os ogbo
,. A T£MA Bank V V has boosted school
meal
Pic the
programme
introduced by the Osun State Go\-emment wilh a N:i.sm donation. The- programme, which ensures that each pupil in Ostln public: primary schools is fed a balanced diet during school hours. was introduced by the administration of Governor Rauf A.regbesola. TIle Osogbo Zonal MOllllger of the honk, AlT. Olusegun Olawepo, made the donation when he paid a ,isit to the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi LaoyeToman. in her office in Osogbo. A Slatement by tile Press Secretary to Ihe deputy g<M!rnor, Mr. Temitope Ademakinwa, on Wed nesda)'. said LaoyeTomori commended the geslUre of the bank. TIle deputy governor said, I'he programme, named '0 Meal: is demonstration of a Aregbesola's resolve towards en.'qIring that every child in Osun has access to edUC<1tion IITespe<:th'e of accident or circumstances ofbir1h. "Conducive learning en\"ironment and food rich in high protein guara nlee rapid physical and menial de\'elopmenl of C'\'I"l")' child; without which learning and the format ive rears of the children will be
hampered.She added, -In all, a populalion of 155,318 pupils in pu blic: primal) schools is 10 be fed onc:e a day, five days a ....-eek, for a ..... hole yearwith food rich in high protein.. Ille menu includes chicken. fish, beef and egg for 155.318 pupil.. at the cost of Nl,sbn per annum, In the same vein, the feeding programme has opened another window of opportunity for ea)nomic empowennent of citizens of Osun, as no fewer th:m 3,000 women across all the local go....ernmenl areas of the state haw been appointed lI.S food "-endors.~
Job creation:
• L·R:Former President. Nigerian A.ssociation a/Chambers a/CAmmercr, Industry, M ines and Agriculture, Mr. John Odeyemi; Chie/ ExecUlive officer .Financial Consulting, },Jr. Jim Obozei.!; Chief Executiueofficu, lksf a/the World, Mrs. Joy Q/inwokwu; and Director, /\'igeria Empowerment, Mrs. Stella OdunWD. during tlte First Fashion Twile Industry Sta1reholdersJorum in Lagos ...on Thursday. Photo: Olotunji Obasa
Cassava farmers urge FG to release farming loan Akinwa.1e Aboluwad e . Ibadan
T HE
Nigeria Cassa\'3 Growers Association, 0)'0 State Chapter. has appealed to the Federal Gcr."l!mment torelease funds promised its members under the Cassava Trnnsfonnation Agenda. II ",·ilI be recalled that the Minisler of .'\griculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, had said
Jate last year that Nigeria would double its current cassava production from 37 million metric lonnes to 74 mmion metric tonnes per annum with about 166 million C8SSa\'a siems. The Chllinnnn, NCGA in the state, Mr. Muyideen Adekunle, while addressing journalists on Wednesday. said tha t unless drastic s leps ,,'ere taken 10 boast yield. t he 2012 cassava
harvest could be reduced by 75 per OI!Ilt.
Adel"'mle said the association had earlier written to the state Agriculturnl Credit Corporation for a loon of Nl23nl 1.0 assist 820 farmers loculth7ltel,s60hectaresof cassaX1I, but did nOI get any response. He said that the liInners had prepared the land for cultivation but were waiting
Covenant varsity to sign MoD with cOlllpanies
A UTI-IORITIES of the .l"l.cm"Cllanl Unh~rsily, OIa, Ogun Stllte. ila""e said the lllstitution will sign Memoranda of Understanding with corporate organisations in the country 10 employ the sch00l'sgraduates.. The Dean, Student Affairs, of the university, Dr. Akan "''illiams, stated this in an inleni(.....· ....ith the News Agency of Nigeria al Ille sideline of an e\"I!nt to mark the unh-ersity's maiden career fair on Tuesday in
0",. Williams said Ihal such collaboration "'"as necessary due 10 the high rate of unem,)loymcnt among Nigerian grndu;:Jtes. Hesaid, -"VearecurrentJy
with top-rated talki ng orpillisarions. which bave indicaled interest in ha\ijng some of our students upon the completion of their various programmes in the university. 'The whole essence of this fair is to bridge- Ille gap between the gown and industry by way of exposing our students to what the industry expects of them in the external context. ~Of con rse, we know that these students. on graduation, could opt to be on their own. seek for employment or chose to fur1hl!J' their studies. So, we at our own end wa nl to ensure that the fu ture of those who chose to work after grnduating is
secured. Williams, who said that the fair was going to be an annual event. noled thai 11 lot morecompanies had already indicated interest in luning job placement collaboration "'ilh the l1 uiversity. He said alread}'. a notable company had offered job placcment.'5 for 15 students af the UW\ti'Sily after graduation. lbe dean added that the relationship I\-ould be sustained in line with the efforts put in place by the university to equip ils students with skills de\'Clopmcnt stde---b)~side formal edllC<llion. The National Sales Company Manager, PZ PIc, one of the participating
companies, Mr. Satisha Kunwal. also told NAN that the career fair "'"as one of SlId! avenues 10 catch )'Ollng graduates. He said, MWe are here to also search for such talents who could fit into our company because we believe they have a Jot to offer. We are a\\-'al'l! of the kind of training that thesE' students are gelling here in preparation for \\--ork al the mernal context. ·We are cou\;nc:ed that at this stage. they could possess such qualities like aC:C:Ollntability, the drive, create networks and oneness.· NAN I"CIXlrts that eight orpnisoltions p;lI'ticipated in the fair.
for loans needed 10 procure tools and planting malerials to be used in culti\-ation. MCassava needs appropriate timing and once you plant at the wrong time, your hal"\'eSI is bound to suffer. That is wby we are calling on Ille government for timely assistance.- he said. Adclmnle said the corporntion had assured lhe farmers thai loan fonns would be made a\"aiJable on Tue:sda). but railed as a result af the ongoing strike byci",il 5en'8n15 in the state. He said that the stale governmenl had)'!!t 10 fulfil its promise on the proposed c:assa\'3 processing cenlJ"t!. was learnt that the representative of the Federnl Gm'l!mment was in the stale a week earlier to sign agreement with the state government on agricultul1Il assistance. 1be c:hainnan said the fanners were assured at a meeting held during lhe \isit that the Federal Go\'Crnment "...ould not renege on its promise to assist lhem. Adekunle, who said the planting ge3SOn for cassa\"a would expire in e<lriy May, Ul'f,ed the governmenl to make good its promise to farmers for impll)\'e'i );eld.
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