Business
Amaechi: The Govt House Correspondent’s Perspective
The mere mention of
the name Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi sparks different images in the minds of Rivers people and Nigerians in general. A vibrant, bold and fearless man, Amaechi is a shrewd but blunt politician, who combines activism with governance.
Often times, the amiable governor has said that he wants to demystify governance. He frowns at every bit of protocol and bureaucracy. He views simplicity as a far side of complexity. But the more one seeks to study the simplicity that surrounds him, the more one is confounded by his altruistic nature.
Naturally, the governor is blunt, straight-forward and open to a fault. It is these attributes that imbue him with some element of mystery. He confounds his political opponents and thinks ahead of them, an attribute that has made him survive the treacherous Nigerian political landscape.
Rt Hon Amaechi has, over the years, learnt the political rope fast and adeptly. One phoney aspect of his political journey is that the governor has always leaned to the left. He is a tough Marxist who believes governance should serve the general good of society based on a welfarist policy of free education, health and provision of employment.
For instance, at a time when majority of Rivers men and women were tilted to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the governor was in the National Republican Convention (NRC).His minority stand later paid off, when Dr Peter Odili became deputy governor and he was appointed a Special Assistant on Student Matters. He later joined the Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) along with his political mentor, Odili who was then angling for the governorship of the state.
As if nature was ever smiling to him, Dr. Odili won the governorship in 1999 and Amaechi again trounced his opponents and later emerged as the first Ikwerre man to become the Speaker of the State House of Assembly. Eight years later, he became the first Ikwerre man to become governor of the state. A man of many firsts that is! And now, the governor has joined other progressives in the All Progressives Congress (APC), considered to be a leftist party.
Recently, he told traditional rulers who visited him under the banner of Supreme Council of Ikwerre Traditional Rulers Council that though his kinsmen had considered him a sell-out and working against the Ikwerre interest at that time, now it has paid off.
Amaechi began to nurture a socialist prism which was honed by Marxist university academics like late Prof Claude Ake, Prof Ndemili, Nkem Okoh and others at the University of Port Harcourt where he studied English and Literary Studies. He saw the university environment as a preparatory ground to launch into full time politics to pursue his quest for an egalitarian society. He became a student activist, first as a member of the Students Coalition Against Apartheid in South Africa and later President of National Union of Rivers State Students (NURSS). It was the presidency of NURSS that actually exposed him to actual political currents.
Whatever prism one views the chief executive of Rivers State, one thing is glaringly true of him: he is not a pretender and he embodies simplicity.
Two weeks ago , the young and vibrant governor drove off without any security detail in the early morning of Friday, 16th May, 2014 to go and buy fruits at the Fruit Garden Market in D-Line, Port Harcourt. On reaching there, he was nearly mobbed by women who were excited by the rare opportunity of engaging in business transaction with the governor.
Later same day, while playing host to women politicians of the APC, he explained why he took the action. “ I had told the kitchen to buy me fruits and vegetables because I was told by my doctor friend that if I take fruits and vegetables morning and evening without eating anything, this stomach will go down. So when I told them to buy me fruits and vegetables for three weeks, they did nothing. So, this morning, I asked for fruits and vegetables and nobody gave me anything.
“ A week ago, I had talked to my wife and said you are not the wife of the governor, you are the wife of Amaechi, can you buy me fruits and vegetables? She said no problem, I will buy for you. But this morning, there were no fruits and vegetables and without her knowing, I went to the fruits market. So I have bought fruits and vegetables for myself. If they don’t want to wash it, I will wash it myself because at the end of the day, first and foremost, the governor is a human being”, Amaechi stated.
That indeed is Rt. Hon Amaechi; blunt, active and ‘response-able’. Unlike most governors, he inspects projects, points out specifications and chides contractors who fail to meet expectations. During one of the inspection tours to Artillery, he ordered a contractor to pull down the drains and start afresh. He also arrested a top politician along Aba Road for traffic offence. He, on several occasions, stops his convoy and controls traffic. He also drives himself. A great enigma indeed!
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter