…applauds guests at its 11th-anniversary lecture series for their honour, support
By Anthony Isibor
ALTHOUGH the Realnews 11th Anniversary Lecture series has come and gone, the lessons drawn from this year’s theme “Threats of illicit Funds Flow to the African Economy” will for a very long time remain relevant. The lessons include highlighting the danger of illicit funds flow to the economy and how governments could plug the hole to generate the revenue needed for governance. Hundreds of people from all walks of life attended the lecture series, which began in 2014 and their reactions testified to the success of the lecture, which was delivered by Edwin W. Harris Jr., director general of ECOWAS Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa, GIABA.
Before the delivery of the well researched, educative and informative lecture, Ahmed Kuru, managing director of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, prepared the ground for what was to come from the lecturer in his keynote speech, when he agreed with Harris Jr. that the topic of the lecture was timely and appropriate to stop the scourge of IFFs from draining funds for nation building and development and channelling it into nefarious activities like terrorism, which currently afflict some African countries like Nigeria where Boko Haram operations have persisted for more than a decade.
The huge success recorded at the lecture, which was also simultaneously streamed online on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, explains why Maureen Chigbo, publisher of Realnews, has again applauded the resource persons, who devoted time, energy, and other resources to educate and enlighten the audience, who were at the lecture, the nation and Africa as a whole, on the adverse effects of Illicit funds flow, IFFs, on governance.
Among those who the management of Realnews Magazine and Publications Limited singled out for special praise after applauding all the guests, who made time out of their busy schedules to grace the occasion, include Kuru, Edwin Harris, director general of ECOWAS Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa, GIABA, who was the guest lecturer, and the discussants – Kayode Adedayo, director of Proceeds of Crime Department of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and Felix Obiamalu, associate director, Legal and Sanctions, National Financial Intelligence Unit, for the success recorded at the annual lecture.
Also special appreciation should go to Mohammed Bello-Koko, managing director, Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, who was the chairman of the 11th Anniversary lecture series of the magazine held in Lagos, on Thursday, November 17, and Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC. Both Bello-Koko and Aminu were represented by Durowaiye Ayodele, general manager, NPA and Reuben Mouka, director, Public Affairs, NCC, respectively.
The appreciation of the management is also extended to the special guests, including Peter Obi, presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Dakuku Peterside, former director general of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Tola Adeniyi, former managing director of Daily Times, Martins Oloja, managing director of The Guardian Tony Onyima, former commissioner of Information, Anambra State, Reverend Father David Akala, three members of Realnews Hall of Fame – Nkemakolam and Dokun Adedeji, Boboye Oyeyemi, who was represented, and hundreds of other guests who graced the event, including online publishers, members of Nigerians Guild of Editors and those who joined online.
Some prominent people, who joined the lecture via Zoom included, Simbi Wabote, executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Reverend Father Augustine Ebido, Hakeem Bello, special adviser to former Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola, Amb. Stanley Chukwuemeka, Collins Steve Ugwu, Kemi Yusufu, Larry Segun, Mohammed Ashiru-Baba, among many others.
Realnews’ expression of gratitude also go to the blue chip organizations and companies, whose financial commitment ensured that the lecture plans were successfully executed. They include the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMD, Nigerians Ports Authority, NPA, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Nigeria Export Import Bank, NEXIM, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, First Bank of Nigeria, FBN, Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, Johnwood Hotel, Abuja, Access Bank and EcoBank Nigeria.
While the event was going on, Realnews team spoke to some of the guests to get a feedback on the performance of online publication in the last 11 years of its existence as it strives to realize its vision of building a reputable and world class media institution whose watchword is professionalism and integrity.
Excerpts from the guests on Realnews in the eye of others:
Dakuku Peterside described Realnews as authoritative and dispassionate in its coverage of very serious issues. He also praised Realnews for reporting balanced stories.
He stated that Realnews strongest points have remained economy and politics, and urged the magazine to step up and report Innovation, Blue Economy and Technology.
Reuben Morka, director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, simply described Realnews stories as ‘Very impressive’.
According to him, Realnews has remained very strong in writing balanced stories and urged the magazine to invest more in reporting issues around ICT and Telecommunications.
Babatunde Farinloye, FRSC Lagos Sector Commander, praised Maureen Chigbo, publisher of Realnews, for doing very well in ensuring that the magazine has remained educative and unbiased in its reports.
Farinloye, who also appreciated Realness in its mission towards promoting safety of lives and properties and its service to humanity, however, added that there is always room for improvement.
Felix Oguejiofor, publisher of the Oracle online newspaper and former editor of the Saturday Guardian, described Realnews as a reliable source of information, especially as it relates to politics and the economy of Nigeria.
Oguejiofor also congratulated Realnews for a very well organized annual lecture with a very topical issue as its theme.
Jude Chiedozie Nwauzor, head, Corporate Communication, AMCON, noted that Realnews has remained deliberate and consistent in delivering her objectives. Declaring satisfaction at the news magazine, he said that the stories from Realnews have always been balanced.
For Steve Nwabuko, a legal practitioner and secrets of the Credibility Group, and Akosa Chijioke Gerald, Realnews has been very analytical and incisive, truly real and balanced in news reporting and has been doing exceptionally well in reporting breaking stories.
However, Nwabuko also advised Realnews to institute University Essay Competition for Undergraduates in Start-Up’s, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Jeffery Isima, Specialist on African security and development questions and a Politician added that Realnews is versatile, connected and provides nice, topical and incisive issues.
Rita Akhuemokhan’s impression of Reanews is its passion for reporting undiluted stories. She also urged the news magazine to increase its reportage of fashion.
Similarly, Beady Nnanna, CEO of Beadysworld TV, stated that Realnews is simply doing a good job, especially in balancing its stories.
Adedayo, on the other hand, praised Realnews for its professionalism and urged the news magazine to do more stories on IFFs and money laundering in Nigeria and Africa.
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-Nov. 27, 2023 @ 16:45 GMT |
