The embattled Etisalat
Nigeria on Thursday rallied
to move away from the
shadows of its troubles by
taking a new brand name.
At end of a crucial
management meeting of the
telecom firm in Lagos,
9Mobile was unanimously
adopted by the company as
its new brand name.
Last Monday, the chief
executive of Etisalat
International, Hatem
Dowidar, said Etisalat Group
would, in the next three
weeks, phase out the brand
name in Nigeria.
The decision followed
Emirates Telecommunications
Group (Etisalat Group)
withdrawal of further
involvement in the
ownership of the Nigerian
subsidiary.
Until June 15, the United
Arab Emirates, UAE, group
was a major shareholder in
Etisalat Nigeria, along with
United Arab Emirates
Sovereign Wealth Fund
through Mubadala
Development Company, Abu
Dhabi.
The two affiliates controlled a
combined 85 per cent equity
in the telecom firm, with
Myacinth holding 15 per cent
stake through Emerging
Markets Telecommunications
Services, EMTS Holding BV,
owned by former United
Bank for Africa, UBA,
Chairman, Hakeem Bello-
Osagie.
Opting to part ways with the
company followed the crisis
in the wake of the $1.2
billion (N377.4 billion)
syndicated loan the telecom
firm took in 2013 from a
consortium of 13 Nigerian
banks.
Etisalat Nigeria, Emirates
Group disclosed in a filing
with the Abu Dhabi Securities
Exchange it had transferred
100 per cent of its shares
with EMTS Holding BV, a
special purpose vehicle
established in Netherlands, to
United Capital Trustees
Limited, legal trustees of the
banks.
However, following the resignation a
fortnight ago of its immediate past
Chairman, Mr. Bello-Osagie, and last
week’s reconstitution of the company’s
Board of directors, the issue of the
trading name the embattled firm would
carry brought fresh headache to its
management.
EMTS Vice President Regulatory and
Corporate Affairs, Ibrahim Dikko, had
weighed in with an explanation that the
company had a valid and subsisting
agreement with its former parent
company, to continue using the Etisalat
brand regardless of the recent
restructuring of the Company.
Mr. Dikko gave a hint as to what the new
name of the company could be. He
recalled that at the launch of EMTS in
Nigeria in 2008, “0809ja” was adopted,
to affirm the “Nigerianness” of its origin
and the company’s sphere of influence.
Following Thursday’s announcement of
the new brand name, PREMIUM TIMES
learnt all staff of the company
nationwide were sent notices of the
change of name. The company’s new
name is yet to be unveiled officially to
the public.
Early this week, Mr. Dikko said the new
brand name would not affect the
company’s operations.
New chief executive, Boye Olusanya said
the new management was mandated to
ensure the business was run as
profitable venture.
“What is most important now is to
ensure the business runs and meets its
obligations. We will focuss on getting the
company back on track as soon as
possible,” he said.
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UPDATE: Etisalat Nigeria
changes name, now
9Mobile
July 13, 2017 Bassey Udo

Reps to investigate alleged killing of 97 Nigerians by Cameroon’s gendarmes
Posted By: Agency Reporter On: July 13, 2017 In: News Update, Politics
0 [Comments] image_print

The House of Representatives, on Thursday resolved to investigate alleged killing of 97 Nigerians in the ceded Bakassi Peninsula by Cameroonian gendarmes.

The resolution was sequel to a motion under “Matters of Urgent National Importance’’ by Rep. Babatunde Kolawole (Ondo-APC) on the need to investigate the report.

Moving the motion, Kolawole said, “last week, there were several media reports that 97 Nigerians have been killed in Bakassi by Cameroonian gendarmes.

“This is because they could not afford a N100, 000 levied on each fishing boat.

“This is in spite of the clauses in the Green Tree Agreement signed between Nigerian and Cameroonian Governments which protect our citizens in the ceded areas from harm.

“Apart from these recent attacks, there had been reports of harassments, rape and killings of Nigerians by the gendarmes over the years with the Nigerian government seemingly doing little or nothing to stop it.

“If nothing is done to stop this ugly development, other Nigerian lives would be at risk as the gendarmes may continue to kill Nigerians at will without fear of recriminations.”

Kolawole said that though there were reports that the Federal Government had summoned the Cameroonian Ambassador over the killings, there was need for the House, as the people’s parliament, to send a clear signal.

“We will not sit and watch while the lives of our citizens are wasted with impunity.”

Members spoke in favour of the motion, with some decrying the gendarmes’ perceived use of excessive force against Nigerian citizens in the ceded region.

The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara.

The motion was therefore referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for investigation.

orth Sponsoring Herdsmen, Boko Haram In Bid To Islamize Nigeria – Christian Elders
On July 13, 2017
alleged plot to islamize Nigeria

The Nigerian Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has accused the north of trying to Islamize Nigeria.

NCEF Chairman, Solomon Asemota said this while presenting a paper tagged, “A Quest for peaceful resolution of conflict of ideology, democracy and Islamism in today’s Nigeria,” in Washington.

According to him, the north is using Boko Haram to carry out its sinister plans.

“The prevailing mindset in the North is to turn Nigeria into a caliphate. In the circumstance it may not be far-fetched to suggest that their policies were responsible for, promoted or established directly or indirectly, Boko Haram as an insurgency and Fulani herdsmen all in a bid to justify the theocratic agenda they have for Nigeria,” Asemota said.

“One may ask why it was necessary that the leadership of the Armed Forces, Army, Navy and Air Force, the Police, Intelligence Services and most of the para-military – the NDLEA, Custom etc are headed by only Muslims.”