Awwal Ademola Blog

To those who are familiar with the taxation and fiscal policy circle in Nigeria, Taiwo Oyedele does not need introduction. To those who read popular dailies like Guardian and BusinessDay, his face should not be strange either. Widely regarded as one of the most respected authorities on tax matters in Nigeria, the unassuming Taiwo is a partner (compare Executive Director) in the Nigerian office of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the world’s largest professional services firm. Taiwo has one of the fastest  career rises you can think of anywhere in the world. He joined PwC like any other person, passing test and interviews, did his NYSC there, and a little over 7 years later, became a partner, equivalent of Executive Director in companies. Think hardwork and diligence still do not pay in our society? How did this young man that was raised in a village in Ondo state do it? It’s a mostinspiring story. Follow me. BACKGROUND DOESN’T GET HUMBLER Taiwo was born in a village called Ikarem...

A top intelligence analyst, who was part of the Obama administration, Mr. Matthew T. Page, has thrown light on the claim made by former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, that the State Department invited 12 northern governors to Washington to seek their support on the need to achieve regime change in Nigeria during the 2015 Presidential election. Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan Former President Goodluck Jonathan, who lost the election to President Muhammadu Buhari, also alleged international conspiracy in the build up to the elections. The statements of both Aliyu and Jonathan were revealed in a new book, entitled ‘Against Run of Play’ by Segun Adeniyi. However, Page, who provided the details of the meeting in an interview with Jonathan’s former aide, Reno Omokri, claimed that the northern governors came to the meeting with a prepared speech that read like a petition against the ex-President. His assertion which is contained in Omokri’s new book, ...

Billionaire Businessman JIM OVIA Full Biography FULL NAME:       Jim Ovia DATE OF BIRTH:  November 4, 1951 OCCUPATION:     Bussinessman NET WORTH:     $850million(2015) MARITAL STATUS:  Married INTRODUCTION     Jim Ovia is a Nigerian billionaire businessman who founded Zenith Bank in 1990. After gaining degrees at both Southern University and University of Louisiana at Monroe, he attended Harvard Business School. He was rated among the top 10 richest in Nigeria 2015. EARLY LIFE AND BACKGROUND     Born November 4, 1951 at Agbor, Delta State, Jim Ovia attended Southern University Louisiana, where he obtained a B.Sc in Business Administration in 1977 and North East Louisiana University, where he obtained a Masters Degree in Business Administration in 1979, both in United States of America. He is also an Alumnus of Harvard Business School (Executive Management Program). He serv...

A modular refinery and petro- chemical industry is to be established in Eghudu, Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, by a United States of America-based Nigerian business man, Mr Charles Ihaza. Already, about 453.9 hectares of land have been provided for the take – off of the project by the community. Ihaza, who spoke at an Open Forum on Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, on the Eghudu Refinery in Benin, yesterday, said that the project, which is expected to cost over $2 billion, will produce 80,000 barrels of refined petroleum products daily. Oil pipeline He told the forum that with his vast experience in one of the largest refineries in the United States of America and with no fewer than 100 engineers under him, he knew all about the refinery processes and was already discussing with the relevant Federal Government agencies for the immediate take – off of the project. He said: “I choose to site the refinery in Eghudu to help our people back home in ...

MTN Nigeria office In one fell swoop, South African telecoms firm, MTN, on Friday sacked 280 of its employees in Nigeria, in a major job cut that affected about 15% of the company’s entire Nigerian workforce. Those affected by the move include some 200 permanent employees and about 80 contract staff across various cadres, ranging from new graduates to senior managers, multiple sources told PREMIUM TIMES. Many of those sacked spent up to 15 years with the company having joined MTN as it opened its business in Nigeria in 2001. Our sources said affected workers were given a dismal severance of 75% of their gross monthly income multiplied by the number of years with the company. “Given that the company is about 16 years old in Nigeria, the severance package brought pain and discontent among the affected staff,” one source said. “With the payoff structure, senior managers with 15 years of service were left with about N15 million. Most of the staff got less than N5 million.”...

Osogbo—The founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Bisi Akande had urged Nigerians to pray fervently for President Muhammadu Buhari’s health. A statement by Chief Akande in Osogbo yesterday, read in part: “The health of the leader is intricately intertwined with the health of the nation. It is more so in a delicately fragile union of nations called Nigeria. I did not see President Buhari at the wedding of his adopted son in Kaduna, last Saturday. I was sad and I wept. “When last we met at the wedding of his daughter in Abuja, last December, I complained to him that I was not happy about his stressful looks. His reply connoted some allusions to circumstances where an honest man fighting corruption is surrounded mostly by unpatriotic greedy ruling class. He felt painfully frustrated. “He assured me he would soon be going on vacation. I then knew that corruption has effectively been fighting back. And I prayed for Nigeria. That ...

There are reports that a certain state governor has allegedly impregnated a female corps member serving in the state. According to Stella Dimokokorkus who reported the story without mentioning names for obvious reasons, the female corper was serving in the government house. However, one thing led to another and she became pregnant. She was allegedly flown abroad and some quarters even say she has even given birth to twin babies. What a way to serve the country! Read how SDK reported the story below: "This gist will show you the Gateway if you read it properly because the whisper are so strong and all over, you cannot miss it. The governor of a state has impregnated a Corps member serving in the state according to rumour mongers oh. READ ALSO: Corp member shot by suspected cultist in Delta state finally laid to rest (photos) "This Corps member according to whisperings belongs to either batch B or C of the present batch and while some say the particular governors office is her ...

President Goodluck Jonathan has defended his decision shunning entreaties to make his assets public while in office between 2011 and 2015. Former President Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the State House in Abuja The former president, whose action is captured in the new book, ‘Against the Run of Play: How an incumbent president was defeated’ by Segun Adeniyi, argued that he did not believe that declaring his assets publicly could stem the tide of corruption or degrade the level of terrorism in the country. Jonathan said: “It is not the President declaring his assets that will end Boko Haram and whether I am criticised from head to toe I will not declare my assets publicly; it is not right; I did not even want to declare my assets as VP but was forced by the then President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. “The law is clear. A public officer should declare his asset, and if there are issues, then the relevant agencies would have a basis to assess whether you have amassed ...