Faces At Kehinde Oshadipe's Walk Against Lupus

Oritsefemi, Gloria Ibru, Halima Abubakar Get Stephanies’ Awards

Outstanding acts like Oritsefemi, Gloria Ibru, Halima Anubakar and Bayo Bankole a.k.a Boy Alinco are amongst notable artistes slated to be honoured at the sixth year anniversary celebration of Stephanies Bar & Lounge on Saturday, October 17^th, 2015.

The upscale Bar owned by Nigeria’s towering female clubber, Stephanies Geddes of Stephanies’ Bar & Lounge is at it again. The upwardly mobile society lady is rolling out the drums and the occasion is the sixth anniversary celebration of her classical Bar which holds next Saturday, October 17^th, 2015 at 7pm prompt at the lounge located on Calcutta Crescent, Apapa, La

According to plans, distinguished artistes such as Oritsefemi, Gloria Ibru, Halimah Abubakar and Bayo Bankole famously known as Boy Alinco are expected to be honoured in tradition of the anniversary merriment and for their outstanding contributions to the arts industry.

The event which be hosted be celebrated spinner, DJ Humility will also have other side attractions like fashion shows from a popular designer, performances from rave musicians and A-list comedians.

The hostess for the night, Stephanies Geddes disclosed that, there will also be several prizes to be given away via a raffle draw meant strictly for early birds whilst best dancers shall not be left to go home in vain.   

All the honourees, Oritsefemi, Halimah Abubakar, Gloria Ibru and Boy Alinco, according to the organizers have confirmed attendance at the anniversary show holding at Stephanies Bar & Lounge located on Calcutta Crescent, Apapa on Saturday, October, 17^th, 2015.

The show is meant for big boys, fun seekers, fans, industry watchers and upwardly mobile dudes willing to party, wine and dines and network in a hospitable environment.

Meet Talented Kris, Nigeria’s NextRated Media Entrepreneur!

The name Kris Oziofu Ero might not readily come to mind but the intelligent lady is sure one of Nigeria’s raw talent in the bourgeoning broadcast industry even though she’s one personality oozing a rare unassuming nature.

For Kris who was born, bred and buttered in the Northern part of Nigeria, definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievements, little wonder the good looking model eventually succumbed to pursuing her age-long passion after several years of working behind the scenes.

The dreadlocked loving Kris who’s flaunting a terrific height of 6 ft cut her teeth as a professional model after she graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University-ABU, Zaria where she studied Geography, she then rose to become one of the Glo Ambassadors and has been involved in one or two projects before she fully embraced media and entertainment which she believes are tools for positive change.

The thoroughbred media entrepreneur who hails from Edo State is the Presenter of “A Woman's World”; a flagship programme showing on TVC and designed to celebrate and highlight the many achievements and issues respectively of the African Woman. What stands her out, however is her unique style of delivery that has often been described as engaging and familiar. The show has won several accolades.

Kris is also the concept-owner, producer and presenter of another fans-teeming Radio programme-WellBaby...a talk show airing on Radio Continental 102.3fm every Saturdays at 10am. According to her in a brief chat with National Enquirer, the concept of the radio programme is precipitated on the state of our society and the realization that our children are our future; the show was designed to ensure the all round wellness of children from the foundational stages (as babies and toddlers) by adequately educating parents, parents to-be and all caregivers. In its less than one year run, WellBaby has a growing listener base with an amazing feedback.

Recently recognised as One of the 50 Women changing journalism in Nigeria courtesy of the Yomi Owope driven "Women in Journalism" initiative.

Happily married with 3 adorable children, Kris is a very capable and engaging event host. After conquering a 2 year period of Absolute Amnesia as related extensively in her appearance on The Sunday Interview programme, she is taking up a cause where she will generate more awareness for the condition.

ICPC, Aviation Merge For Nigerian Airports’ Sanity

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, Hajia Binta Bello has expressed delight at the positive results from the collaboration between the aviation sector and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

The Permanent Secretary disclosed this in Lagos recently while delivering the keynote address at the stakeholders' inception meeting on Anti-Corruption measures in the aviation sector organized by the ICPC.

Hajia Binta Bello, who was accompanied by the Directors of Human Resources Abubakar Tsafe and Director Audit, Jibrin Manigi of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Chief Executives of Parastatals under the Ministry  stated that the huge potential of the Nigerian aviation industry could only be actualized in an environment that is corrupt-free, upholds high ethical standards and complies fully with international best practices.

At the occasion attended by the Chairman of ICPC, Mr Ekpo Nta, she said that as part of efforts to sustain growth, confidence and transparency in the aviation industry, the Ministry signed an M.O.U with the ICPC in December 2014, which has culminated into the deployment of ICPC staff for surveillance activities at the major airports, undercover operations for detection of infractions, and mandatory training of selected staff of the Ministry's agencies and other stakeholders on ethics, professional standards and moral values at the ICPC Anti-Corruption Academy (ACAN).

The Permanent Secretary stated further that in practical terms, the collaboration with ICPC has contributed immensely to the drastic reduction in the activities of touts and unscrupulous elements at the nation's airports.

Hajia Bello, while advising the ICPC to sustain the tempo of its surveillance activities at the airports, assured the Commission of the Ministry's total support and also implored sister agencies at the airports to do same.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta said the Corruption Risk Assessment in the Aviation sector inception meeting for stakeholders is bringing together key drivers to deliberate and implement strategies developed to fight the menace. 

The Managing Director of FAAN, Engr. Saleh Dunoma expressed confidence that this collaboration will yield the needed results. Engr. Dunoma said FAAN had deployed several strategies in the past and will continue to support efforts at helping the Authority achieve its mandate of a safe, secure and customer centric airports.

Goodwill messages were delivered by the Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Muktar Usman and heads of other aviation agencies.

The session later broke into the business sessions where the Police, Customs, Immigration, NDLEA, Port Health, and other stakeholders discussed strategies for implementation.

Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo Speaks To National Enquirer, “We’re All Indebted To Nigeria”

An audience with Professor Yemi Osinbajo, His Excellency the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is like meeting a next door neighbour, the man who’s holding the record of being the first ever celebrated Pastor to be elected as Nigeria’s second citizen is an epitome of humility, and this is one toga that’s standing the duo of Gen. Mohammodu Buhari and the VP out. And quite unlike other aides, the few on the trail of the VP are unassuming; it didn’t take the thoroughbred professional, Laolu Akande who’s the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media & Communication a second to give our proposal to speak to the VP a nod, “that’s not a problem, just tell me about you and your antecedents, then what questions are we looking at”, his words and just after then, he gave us the assurance of meeting to speak with him. The dateline was Saturday, September, 26^th, 2015 at the prestigious Ocean View, Eko Hotel & Suites where one of the newest “Senior Advocate of Nigeria”-Dr. Muiz Adeyemi Banire-SAN is being honoured, it was quite a rowdy but an interesting chat as the VP spoke with National Enquirer’s Editor, Tunde Moshood and Tabloid TV’s Faith Irabor.  You’ll be privileged to read and listen to the broadcast version of the exclusive interview.            

Your Excellency Sir, what’s the shortest way out of this economic logjam?

Well, as you know, there’s great hope, I think we’re dealing with difficult economic situation, but we’ve laid out economic plans which we believe will surmount many of the obstacles that we have, but of course the challenges are there as you know the oil revenues have dipped substantially, you also know of course that we’re still trying to ensure that we block the loop holes as there are in the whole public finance system, so there’s every hope, and am extremely hopeful that we’re going to see a new day in Nigeria.

Nigeria will be 55 in few days, what are your wishes for the nation?

Well, all I can say is that, we have a great nation, this nation is going to be great and there’s plenty we need to do to make it greater but it’s going to be the joint efforts of each and every one of us, all of us must work together to make this nation even greater.

Your Excellency, how does the title of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria-SAN make the judicial system better?

As you know, it’s a recognition of superior talent, hardwork in the profession and every recognition of value has a way of improving, not just the image but also the sense of attainment of everybody involve in the profession, so you can see that when you honour those who have done well, when you give them a privilege, then it encourages everybody else to do well, I think that’s one of the good reasons why we must continue to have the rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria because it does encourage everyone else to excel in the profession

Finally, what can you say about our current Fitch ratings of BB- despite the fact that JP Morgan expelled Nigeria from its Bond Index for Emerging Markets?

This is one good question that’s very interesting…well, I think the BB- rating is a welcome development, the nation was really at the peak of its economic struggle when this government came in, we had to formulate various strategies and despite the downturn of oil revenues, despite the worst condition on an account of our revenue falling, Fitch as an international agency affirmed our long term foreign and local currency credit rating at BB- and BB respectively as at the end of 2014 December and that’s very good, now, the point of the matter of course, is that, if the ratings have not changed despite the worst economic situation, it’s because there’s great hope on the part of those who have rated and because we’re on the right economic plans, right economic plans for recovery and that’s the right way to go, we’re settling in for right thinking, we’re ensuring that by blocking the loop holes, we’re fighting corruption, we’re ensuring that there’s transparency in public finance, we have tight monetary policy at the moment but that’s temporary, we have plans, serious plans for agriculture, we’re going to input zero-based budget in our policy, our budget plans have been well laid out, we have our methods of approach for our economic plans, I think we’re well on the right path, what is happening is that, the rating agency has looked at the future and have looked at the plans and they can see great hope in our future, so where else is expected for the agency to look at.

FAAN Head Honcho, Engr. Dunoma Gets Presidential Thumb-Up For Dynamism

Being at the top of his career has not changed his simple character and his quiet demeanour. Engineer Saleh Dunoma, the Managing Director/CEO of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) would rather bank on his track records instead of indulging in showmanship.  And this must have informed his being noticed to be tipped for the highly coveted National Productivity Award by the President, Mohammadu Buhari. The dynamic man of quiet lifestyle, Engr. Dunoma no doubt appears to share the character traits of simplicity and personal integrity with the President.

It would also have surprised many Nigerians that the country’s newspapers were not full of congratulatory messages to Engr. Dunoma on the announcement of the award to him, not because he does not deserve it, but because it reflects his quiet and simple disposition to life.

 Yet Dunoma is a very hardworking professional, as attested to by the well deserved award of the National Productivity Award bestowed on him by Mr. President, based on the recommendation of the National Productivity Centre of Nigeria.

For the records, Engr. Dunoma also received the award as the 2014 Best Emerging Airport – Africa region at the 4^th Annual Emerging Airports Conference and Exhibition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates quietly.

To those who know him or work with him, Engr. Dunoma is a man of high personal integrity. He would rather let his handiwork and performances speak for him than blow his own trumpet.

Dunoma, a civil engineer was appointed Managing Director of FAAN in March, 2014 following a reshufflement in the Management of the Authority where he was until then, the Director of Projects.  Since then, he has worked hard at providing leadership duties expected of him; to enable FAAN, discharge its services at international standards. He has done this in a very professional and unobtrusive way, such that he has been able to carry along various stakeholders in the country’s aviation industry.

Last year, Engr. Dunoma rightly recognised that one of the biggest challenges facing the industry was to ensure that the ongoing upgrade and construction of new airport facilities round the country were done to specification and at highest professional standards. Thus, Dunoma set to work, along with his lieutenants at FAAN, working tirelessly to push forward to completion the ambitious aviation construction projects.

Another big challenge was making sure that our country, Nigeria retained the Category One recertification of our airspace and airport facilities by the US Federal Aviation Authority, FAA, after the recertification exercise.

Indeed, even before he became the chief executive of the government agency, he had been the FAAN’s points-man in the supervision of all these high priority aviation projects.

The Ahmadu Bello University-trained civil engineer had been appointed FAAN’s Director of Projects in 2012, a critical position which gave him direct supervisory responsibility over the ambitious Airport Re-Modelling Project involving at least, 22 federal airports round the country.  

A consummate team player and dedicated professional, Dunoma has spent over three decades in FAAN, a period which has afforded him the opportunity to become an expert in various aspects of aviation facility management, especially in the key areas of security, safety, infrastructure development and maintenance.

Dunoma started his aviation career in the Civil Engineering Department of FAAN in 1980 and rose through the ranks to the zenith.

But even with his appointment to the top job, Dunoma has remained simple and unassuming, preferring to motivate his lieutenants and staff of the aviation agency to deliver top performance in their onerous duties to the country.    

Dunoma recently announced that FAAN would soon start an intensive training of aviation security, airport rescue personnel and fire- fighters. He said the strategy is geared towards promoting safety, security and airport excellence, according to ICAO standards.

Only last week during the airlift of the last batch of Muslim pilgrims at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, he inspected the ongoing construction of the new terminal where he expressed confidence that the terminal will further expand the potential of the ancient city as a hub of commerce and industry.

The FAAN helmsman was also recently at the annual general assembly, conference and exhibition of the Airport Council International (ACI) which held in Panama, a fortnight ago. Dunoma, who was a panellist at the event, emphasized the great prospects of the Nigerian aviation industry to a body that accounts for 590 regular members operating 1,850 airports in 77 countries.

For his diligence in service and hard-work, Engr.Dunoma has received several awards notably, the Distinguished Service Award for Aerodrome Rescue & Fire Fighting Services, Airport Excellence in Safety Award by the Airports Council International (ACI) and a Merit Award of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE amongst others.

Dunoma, the simple, quiet achiever and highly experienced aviation technocrat continues to inspire the men and women he works with at FAAN and beyond, while he keeps his eyes firmly focused on the job at hand.

 By FAAN Spokesperson, Yakubu Dati

Femi Branch Reincarnates With Wife In Aunt Maria

Have you seen this thoroughbred star actor, Femi Branch of late? Anyway, he’s not been around, he’s been seriously busy at a location with his new flick, Aunt Maria where he played 2 roles; one of a male and of a reincarnated woman. As you read this, the interesting movie is just been wrapped up and will be heading for editing soon. And one thing you need to look out for is that, you’ll be privileged to see the wife of the award winning actor playing a role in the yet to be released movie.

According to Femi Branch who’s the producer of the movie, “Aunt Maria”, of course, my fans will have the added benefit of seeing my wife acting alongside me but I won’t give that out for now, they should just be on the look-out for my own Ibitola, he told us during a brief chat.

What an interesting movie you would say, Aunt Maria tells the story of how a dead man reincarnates in form of a woman to revenge for his family for being duped when he was alive, it is produced by Femi Branch, directed by Toka Mcbaror with special prosthetics by Hakeem Effect. Below are some of the location pictures.