… Ihedioha, Ejiogu, Iheaku, Ikenga, Chuma, Ray, Ezeani, Obido, Golden, Alihie, Omire, Biaduo, Echendu, Chinedu, Others Commiserate With Jones Foundation

By Ezekwe Uche, Owerri, Imo State

Friday January 8th,2022. Ideato Nation was literally shutdown by Imo State PDP with heart melting eulogies as they Honoured and Commiserated with Nwabueze’s family over the fallen Hero, their father and Director General of Jones Onyereri Foundation, Late Hon. Chinenye Nwabueze.

The Indefatigable, polished, committed, dedicated and integrity Personified Director General of Jones Onyereri Foundation, Late Hon. Chinenye Nwabueze, a former SSA on Political Matters to the former Governor Emeka Ihedioha, was laid to rest yesterday in his home town , Osina in Ideato North LGA of Imo State, by his immediate family and Jones Onyereri Foundation amidst ocean of tears.

Until his death, Chinenye was the DG of the famous life touching and leading Humanitarian Organization whose primary objective is a continuous service to God and Humanity.

In different speeches and Tributes by friends , well-wishers and Political Associates across Nigeria, they described Late Chinenye Nwabueze, as the most trustworthy fellow in the Nigeria Political space, especially in Imo as his word was his bond.

In his speech former Governor Emeka Ihedioha, described Late Chinenye as a young man who is endowed with sound qualities of Leadership and loyalty. In his exact words, “Chinenyenwa was one of my Political aides and he was outstanding and Resilient. You are forever in my heart, continue to rest in the Bossom of our Lord Jesus Christ till we meet again to part no more” .

On his part, Sir Martins Ejiogu, the Imo State Deputy Chairman of People’s Democratic Party, PDP professed the heart kindness in the person of Late Chinenye whom he described as one of his trusted friend, brother and political Associates whom he has known and worked with through the recommendation of Hon. Chineme Iheaku, Okeosisi of Ideato Nation.

It’s a sad reality that Chinenye Nwabueze is no more. It’s our prayer that he finds rest in the Bossom of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am saddened, I am pained that the Jones Foundation lost a man like Chinenye. May the good Lord continue to console the Jones Foundation family and the Chinenye Nwabueze’s immediate family.

It’s on record the founder Jones Onyereri Foundation, Rt. Hon. Dr. Jones Onyereri (Mmiri Na Anwu) jointly with his brother and friend, Hon. Chineme Iheaku, (Okeosisi Ideato Nation), erected a three bedroom bungalow for the widow and children of Late Chinenye Nwabueze, and Funds for the kids Education as was raised by friends of Late Chinenye Nwabueze and was officially handed over to Mrs Nene Sandra Nwabueze, wife of Late Chinenye.

Dr. Jones thanked His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha and his entrourage, the Imo PDP SWC ably Represented by the Deputy State Chairman, Sir Martins Ejiogu , the State Woman Leader, Hon. (Chief ) Maria Mbakwe and her zonal and LGA women Leader and host of others for joining Jones Foundation to bid farewell to the demised Director General of the Foundation.

The burial which was witnessed by creme la creme of personalities had in attendance, Imo PDP State Working Committee, South East PDP members , the National officals of PDP which amongst them are;

His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Hon. Sir Martins Ejiogu, Hon. (Chief) Maria Mbakwe, Hon. Greg Nwadike, Hon. Refus Omire, Hon. ThankGod Ezeani, Hon. Ray Emeana, Hon. Lawrence Biaduo, Hon. Barr. Magnus Obido, Hon. Barr Golden Nwosu, Hon. Ikenga Mayor Ugochinyere, Hon. Mrs Uju, Hon. Barr. Nkeiru Ibekwe, Rt.Hon. Chuma Nnaji, Hon. Stanley Ekezie, Hon. Kingsley Echendu, Hon. Chinedu Chinakwe, Hon. Modestus Osakwe, and host of other great personalities too numerous to mention.

Rest In Peace Our DG

©Jones media crew

The Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps in Ogun State said no fewer than 228 persons have died in various road accidents across the state in 2021.

TRACE spokesperson, Babatunde Akinbiyi, disclosed this to newsmen in Abeokuta on Friday.
Akinbiyi explained that 831 crashes were recorded during the period under review.
He said 713 motor vehicles and 118 motorcycles were involved in the accidents.
He added that 1,311 people were injured in the various accidents comprising of 931 male and 380 female victims.
According to him, out of the 228 death recorded, 179 were male while 49 were female.
He added that 74 persons were killed in a motorcycle accident while 240 got injured.
Akinbiyi posited that most of the accidents were caused by excessive speed, wrongful overtaking, dangerous driving among others.
He said that TRACE would continue to sensitise motorists on safe driving, saying that there was a need for them to obey traffic rules and regulations.
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The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Life Nigeria, Mrs Funmilayo Omo, tells GODFREY GEORGE how she balances work and family life
What kind of home did you grow up in?

I am the first of five children. I recall we had cousins staying with us and it was more like a community. My late father was a reverend. So, we had a lot of church activities. All the churchgoing I should have done in my lifetime, I think I have done in my youth. If I don’t go to church from now till whenever, I think I have marked attendance for all. I grew up having a lot of people around. We grew up in the vicarage, so we would always have people come in with their kids. We always had visitors. We always had to cook, entertain, and always had to take part in church activities.
I remember we used to ride bicycles. When I was learning how to ride a bicycle, I fell. At one point, I almost gave up riding. But my immediate younger brother would ride his bicycle all day. He had friends who had bicycles, so they would ride the bicycle all day. I found myself feeling awkward in the midst of mostly boys. We were three females to two males, until one of the girls passed on. So, now, we have a 2:2 male-female ratio.
Would you say the religious background you had has an influence on the person you grew up to become?
Yes, it almost made me to conform to a particular pattern of living, as expected of a pastor’s daughter. I am sure that my colleagues would say I try to be a conformist because I grew up having to do so. It was more like a stereotype. People would say, “This is what is expected of you. This is what you cannot do. These things are not allowed. That is allowed. This is how you should conduct yourself as the daughter of a clergy.” I think that also shaped my growing up to a large extent. We had to participate in church activities. I was even in the choir and I was also a member of the Guild of Stewards at some point. So, all in all, this helped shape me and contributed to why I am the way I am today. Having to conform was there, but as we grew older, we started to break out of that conformity; in our words, we started ‘gaining our freedom’ as we became more independent.
Being the firstborn instills a sense of responsibility in a child. Does your being a firstborn have any bearing on why you are a CEO today?
I think so. I would say that, when we go into retrospection after many years you begin to wonder how you ended up being the way you are. I think my role being the first of five largely also helped to shape my leadership qualities, because I had to look after my siblings. I had to mentor and lead them, care for them and give them direction. Unconsciously, I was building up these traits of a leader. By and large, that must have helped me begin the journey without realising it. I have had to lead and be a forerunner. As part of my childhood, I recall that my mom had to go to school. So, I was left with the responsibility of having to look after my siblings and dad. So, little wonder that fast-track to today, somehow, I am able to inspire people and lead.
How did you come about the idea of studying insurance?
Just like many other parent at that time, my parents wanted me to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer and the like. I wanted to be an accountant. I found myself in insurance because I fell three points short of the cut-off point for Accounting, so I was offered Insurance. Initially, I was very skeptical. My mom really didn’t know what insurance was all about, but I recall at that time that the Dean of the Faculty said to me, “Funmi, give it a shot. If after your first year you don’t like Insurance, you can switch back to Accounting!” I went to the Department of Insurance and I found it very interesting. Fast-track to today, what would I say? I would say it was destiny. That is the word I would use. By God’s grace, I am where I am today because of that decision even though I didn’t set out to do it. I have enjoyed this space and I am very passionate about it (insurance).
You have had a really successful career. What are some highlights of your journey?
I would say joining Enterprise Life Nigeria Limited as MD/CEO, and I would tell you why. This is because when I was in the African Alliance, where I cut my teeth, I felt that I had seen a lot there and had done a good length of time, almost three decades. For me, I was able to get to the peak of my career and I felt I had done well. I said to myself, “If I had the opportunity to start a company, what would I do or not do?” and that is why one needs to be careful of what one thinks and the prayers one says. Till today, I have had the opportunity of being able to start a company which was the experience I wanted to have that took me to Enterprise Life. That is why I would say this is the highlight of my career. It has been the grace of God and my passion. I am very passionate about what I do. I am a very passionate person. I put my all in what I do. Because I do everything perfectly, I don’t allow the pressure to get to me. The passion in me overrides the pressure. That is the reason I have been able to manage and it appears like I have had it smooth all through.
Before your role as MD/CEO of Enterprise Life Nigeria Limited, you had also led in different companies. How has your experience been as a woman in leadership?
Nobody has a smooth journey. I don’t think so. Even men don’t have their journeys smooth. Life is not a straight line. Life is more of a curve. I would say that in my journey through life, it hasn’t been smooth, for two basic reasons. Firstly, as I said, nobody has a smooth journey. Secondly, there is always that piece of being a woman, whether it is written boldly or just there within the lines very blurred. Prior to my role as the MD/CEO of Enterprise Life, I used to also lead a company, African Alliance. I have also had to take various leadership roles in various capacities, not just work. The truth is that there have been challenges. In some cases, I have had to work twice as hard as my male counterparts just to prove myself. I have also had to balance all this with my home and some social commitments and expectations of the society. You cannot be in a society like ours and be socially deaf to what happens within that place. Balancing it, especially as a woman, has been challenging. That is why I said we have to do more work that men would have to do.
How exactly have you been able to, in your role as MD/CEO, balance work and family lives?
I would say that, first, there is a God factor. I always say to people that there is nothing you can do on your own. You can only do and achieve so much with the grace and by the help of God. When you say ‘balancing’, the way and manner to balance is circumstantial. It depends on the situation and seasons. There are seasons where you have to give more attention to work. At such times, you’d find out that the home would feel the brunt but you require having a supportive family. If the family is not supportive, there would be an imbalance. That is the truth. There are times when the demands of the work are not as much as the demands of the home. At such times, you are able to prioritise home and still pay attention to work. The amount of time devoted to work is then toned down. You have to give that attention. So, you see that this depends solely on the situation. At this point, I say, thankfully, that my kids are grown up. But they didn’t grow up overnight. In the course of having to nurture them and build a career, I have had to find balance by paying less attention to certain things. So, when I need to give attention to the children, my social life becomes zero. It is the children, work and zero social life. When the children are in school or they have a holiday, then, I gave more time to work; I have some time for socials and then I spend some time with them. In the midst of all these, I must also make sure to create an oasis of sanity for myself; this is what you would call ‘me time’. Here, I am able to catch my breath and think through issues. That ‘me time’ happens, sometimes, when everyone is asleep. I would say that finding a balance is determining how you want to prioritise depending on the situation and season.
Do you identify as a feminist?
To be honest, with you, I don’t. I am bold to say I am not a feminist. I believe that we all have our places and we need to know our places. We are all unique. We all have our space and we all deserve to thrive, depending on where we find ourselves and what we feel is our calling.
Will you say Nigerian women are being given enough opportunities to take the lead in nation building?
From my perspective, I would say that Nigerian women haven’t had enough opportunities to lead. I think they can do better. They can do more. You would always see that space. If you go back in time, you would see that we had more Nigerian women excelling, leading and managing better. If more women are given opportunity, I think that you would have them do much more and excel far beyond what we have now. I think that the platform must be there for more women to thrive and take the lead.
You are involved in so much philanthropy and giving back; what inspires you to do this?
I think one of things we need to learn as human beings created by God is that we are here for a purpose. This purpose is not about us alone and what we want. Life and success are not measured by what you accomplish. I say to people that we all have to define what success means to us. Strictly speaking, the level of success of any individual is measured by the level of impact that person has made. A life without impact has not added any value to this earth. You come to this world and accomplish all you want, and it is all to yourself and you have not impacted anybody, you have not fulfilled your purpose or added value. That is why I do what I do. That is why I am who I am.
Was this why you started the Funmi Omo Foundation where you are the promoter?
The foundation is as a result of wanting to impact lives and not the other way round. Part of what I owe my society is to be able to give back. So, I must also be able to give back because of the grace I have enjoyed.
Why do you think Nigerians find it very difficult to insure their property?
First, I would say that they find it difficult because they have not come to the full understanding of the value that insurance brings to the table. When you don’t fully understand something, you cannot be fully involved. Another reason for a general apathy towards insurance is trust issues. A bit of a misconception is there. Misconception can also be linked to not being too educated or aware.
How can insurance firms help build this trust in Nigerians?
We have to continue to educate and create awareness. We would continue to build confidence. The way by which we can build confidence is to ensure that obligations are honoured and when there are claims, they should be honoured. When there are enquiries, the response time has to be good. When payments need to be made, they should be made in a manner that is convenient to the customers. The combination of these would help to increase consciousness and appreciation of insurance, and of course, increase patronage of insurance.
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Father of late Dowen college student, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., has stated that the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force are conspiring to cover up the circumstances surrounding his son’s death.

This was contained in a statement signed by Oromoni Snr. on Wednesday, a copy of which was sent to our correspondent, which was a response to the legal advice issued by the Lagos State Department of Public Prosecution on Tuesday.

The management of Dowen College had stated that the late Oromoni Jnr had sustained injuries from playing football.
However, Oromoni Snr stated that the evidence from the autopsy has contradicted the school’s claims.
He said, “The management of Dowen College, Lekki Lagos has always claimed that my late son sustained the injury while playing football.
All evidence gathered so far has shown that this is not the true story but a way to cover up their negligence.
“Based on the outcome of the autopsy report which contradicts the story of Dowen college, it is my firm belief that there is a conspiracy among the officials of Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Command to cover up the circumstances surrounding the gruesome death of my son, Late Sylvester Oromoni Jnr.”
He added that it was shameful for the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police, Lagos State Command to exonerate the five Dowen College students and staff despite his son’s final testimony.
“It is my belief and a shame on the Lagos State Government to have allowed this kind of gang up against an innocent boy who died as a result of negligence from the management of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos.
“There is a clear oral statement from my son before he died and his schoolmates that he was tortured and given an unknown substance suspected to be POISON which led to his death.
“It is disheartening that in the DPP advice, the State of Lagos claims that the five suspects have no case to answer,” Oromoni stated.
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Nigerians may have to pay more for digital services as the Federal Government has introduced a policy requiring foreign companies that provide digital services in the country to collect and remit Value Added Tax to the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

As reported by the Punch, The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said this during the public presentation of the 2022 budget in Abuja on Wednesday.
She said that the new policy is contained in Section 30 of the Finance Act which amended the provisions of Section 10, 31 and 14 on VAT obligations for non-resident digital companies.
The Minister said, “Section 30 of the finance act designed to amend section 10, 31 and 14 of VAT is in relations to VAT obligations for non-resident digital companies and the mechanism that will be used is to restrict VAT obligations mainly to digital non-resident companies who supply individuals in Nigeria who can’t themselves self-account for VAT.
“So if you visit Amazon, we are expecting Amazon to add VAT charge to whatever transaction you are paying for.
“I am using Amazon as an example. We are going to be working with Amazon to be agreed to be registered as a tax agent for the FIRS.
“So Amazon will now collect this payment and remit to FIRS and this is in line with global best practices, we have been missing out on this stream of revenue.
For clarification, the Minister said, the new law applies to foreign companies that provide digital services such as, “apps, high-frequency trading, electronic data storage, online advertising” among others.
Speaking further, Ahmed noted that in line with Section 4 of the Finance Act, non-resident companies are now expected to pay tax at 6 per cent on their turnover.
The Federal Government had in 2019 disclosed plans to tax foreign digital service providers offering services to Nigerians according to amended provisions in the 2020 Finance Act.
However, this is the first time the government is setting a specific tax rate.
Ahmed said, “Section 4 of the ACT which is taxation of e commerce businesses owned by non-resident companies on a fair and reasonable turnover basis has been set at 6 per cent.
“This provision empowers FIRS to access non-resident firms to tax on fair and reasonable basis of turnover and from digital services provided to Nigerian customers.”
She said the move was aimed at modernizing the taxation of Information Technology and the digital economy in line with current realities, adding that this is in conformity with the provisions of the National Development Plan 2021 – 2025.
Earlier in December 2021, Facebook, in a statement, disclosed that it will, from January 1, 2022, begin to charge VAT on the sale of advertisement to advertisers, regardless of whether they’re buying ads for business or personal purposes.

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The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested three teenage suspects for alleged attempted ritual killing.

A statement on Tuesday by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Asinim Butswat, said the suspects were nabbed with the collaboration of youths in the Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.

It identified the suspects as Emomotimi Magbisa, Perebi Aweke and Eke Prince, who are all 15 years of age.
According to the command, they “allegedly accosted one Endeley Comfort ‘f’ 13 years, hypnotised her to follow them to the apartment of Emomotimi Magbisa in Sagbama community, cut her finger and sprinkle the blood on a mirror for ritual purposes.
“Vigilant youths noticed the suspicious movements of the suspects and raised alarm.
“The suspects were subsequently arrested and some substance suspected to be charms were recovered from them. The suspects have confessed to the crime.
“The victim was rescued and rushed to the hospital for medical attention. The suspects have been transferred to the Anti-kidnapping unit for discreet investigation.”
The Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, Ben Okolo, commended the efforts of the community youths for vigilance in the area.

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One person was reportedly killed while about five others sustained varying degrees of burns after an explosion rocked an illegal refinery in the creeks of Warri River in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State on Thursday afternoon.

One of the sources, who would not want his name in print, said that the victims got burnt when fire gutted their local refinery site as they were busy refining petroleum products in the creeks.
The police public relations officer for Delta State Command, DSP Bright Edafe, could not be reached for confirmation as of the time of filing this report.
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