Author: Lara Olaniyi

As the Dangote Cement Bag of Goodies promo enters its fifth week, two winners, from Abuja and Kano respectively were presented with brand new saloon cars on Monday by the Management of Dangote Cement Plc.

While Alhaji Sanusi Saíd, a businessman won in Kano, a bricklayer, Mr. Emmanuel Boye

Won in Abuja.

Presenting the car in Kano, the Governor the state, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Tourism, Hajiya Binta Lawal Umar lauded the transparency of the promo and thanked Dangote Cement for adequately compensating their customers through the promo.

The Governor said, Dangote, being an honest man has further demonstrated his honesty with the way and manner the promo was transparently conducted.

He said the government recognised the immense contributions of Dangote Group in helping the nation to grow from strength to strength, adding that they were very happy and proud with what Dangote is doing in the state.

On her part, the Marketing Director of the company, Mrs. Funmi Sanni said the company will always look for ways to make the customers happy and that this promo is just one of the many other lofty things that have been lined up for the Dangote Cement customers.

“Aside the fact that we have the best quality cement in the market, we also want to pride ourselves as the best company that give more to the customers in terms of what is due to them. We will ensure our customers are happy, we will always come up with ideas to make them proud of their partnership with our brand. “she assured.

In the same vein, the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Engr. Mansur Ahmed who presented the car to the lucky winner in Abuja lauded Dangote for giving back to its customers’ in a very impressive manner

The winner, who came with a retinue of his kinsmen, business associates and his family members said he could not express his happiness for the “big win”.

“I supply cement and mold blocks but I have not been patronising Dangote cement, so I did not believe the promo was real but the sales team of Dangote Cement visited me severally during the promo to enlighten, and persuaded me to try my luck.

“I sold my Toyota Corolla and invested money in five trucks of Dangote cement, my wife tried to discourage me but I persisted and my life changed for the better.

“Now I know that Dangote means well for the people of the FCT. I now sell 75 bags of Dangote cement every day.”

Managing director and Chief Executive of Dangote Cement, Eng. Joe Makoju has assured the customers of the determination of the Management to always add value and work towards making them happy always.

Speaking recently in Ibadan at the car presentation ceremony for the on-going Dangote Cement’s Bag of Goodies Promo, Makoju said the ongoing Promo is a way of giving back to society, especially the customers, noting that the company would have folded if not for the support and continuous patronage of its teeming customers.

According to him: “We appreciate our customers. We love them. As a company, we have decided to always look for ways to make them happy and one of the ways is what we are here for today. This promo is to enrich our customers as more than N200 million in cash will be won as well as other laudable gifts. We also love our shareholders, they have faith in us, hence their investment in our company and as you can see, we are also in the business of enhancing the value of their investments. We will continue to make our customers happy and also enrich our shareholders. That is our resolve as a company.”

Two customers have already won brand new saloon cars in the ongoing Dangote Cement’s new promo tagged” Bags of Goodies”.

An Abraka Delta State-based cement retailer, Benjamin Igherighe was the first car winner, while a Youth Corper, Godwin Chimezie Success was the second car winner in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The “Bag of Goodies” for customers contains valuable items like Cars, Tricycles, Motorbikes, TV Sets, Refrigerators and cash gifts among others. The first of its kind promo was launched the first week in July in Lagos.

Director, Sales and Marketing, Dangote Cement Plc, Mrs. Funmi Sanni, said the promo was a new initiative in the cement industry for customers in Nigeria. “We are here to change the narratives in the industry. We do everything with our customers in mind. We want to appreciate them for their loyalty to the brand in the past years.”

Sanni, however, hinted that it was not the first time Dangote Cement would be reaching out to its stakeholders in the business. She revealed that the company had in the past years contributed to the growth of its distributors and retailers, who have received items such as distribution trucks and Containers to display their products.

“Inside the Dangote Bag of Goodies are goodies that are carefully chosen to change the lives of 21million customers who will win in the promo.  All the items can fetch money for the winners if deployed to start small scale businesses,” she enthused.

• Sanni, who listed star prizes in the promo to include 43 cars, 24 tricycles, 24 motorcycles, 550 refrigerators, 400 television sets, 300,000 Dangote foods goodies packs and N200million worth of recharge cards said all prizes will be given directly to winners and not channeled through retailers and distributors of Dangote Cement. “We have created 200 redemption centers across the nation where participants in the promo can visit to claim their gifts instantly.”

The European Union (EU) through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday handed over a renovated Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Bachaka community to the Kebbi State Government.

Mr Umar Sani, the in-charge of the facility, said the three blocks of 27 rooms facility also have 15 functional toilets within the building and four outside.

He added that the project also included a solar powered borehole feeding the entire building with portable water.

Sani said the renovation was completed at a cost of N31.158 million and was one of the several recently completed across the state to provide access to PHC in Kebbi State.

Bachaka, which is 110 km from the state capital, is a border community in Arewa Local Government Area of Kebbi.

The renovation work, which came under the EU funded Maternal Newborn and Child Health in Nigeria (MNCHN) project was aimed at taking healthcare delivery to hard-to-reach areas.

Sani said the building was established in 1999, as a dispensary and was later transformed into a PHC in 2003.

He said the renovated works included plastering of the entire building, changing of all the doors, windows and roofs, remodeling of the toilets, fixing of all plumbing works, well tiled, complete rewiring and other fittings.

He however appeal for the provision of an ambulance for the centre, saying “because of our situation here we need the ambulance for emergency”.

The district Head of Bachaka, Alhaji Yakubu Maiyaki expressed happiness over the gesture by the EU and UNICEF to his community.

He said the development of the centre means that people would no longer go to Argungu and neighboring Niger Republic for medical help.

“We really appreciate the European Union and UNICEF for renovating this centre. On our part, we are going to inaugurate a committee for the maintenance of the place.”

The Bachaka Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Muhammed Hamidu, said the renovation has brought change to the place.

Hamidu, who was represented by the Councillor, Bachaka Ward, Mr Bashir Shafiu, said that it would encourage patients to visit the centre as well as other people from neighboring the Niger Republic.

He commended the efforts of the donor agencies in renovating the place, adding that it has given the centre a facelift which can be upgraded to a general hospital.

The Nigerian Army on Monday handed over 151 repentant Boko Haram insurgents to Borno Government for rehabilitation and re-integration into the society.

Maj.-Gen. Bamidele Shafa, the Coordinator, Operation Safe Corridor, made the disclosure during the handing over of the repentant insurgents at the Bulunkutu Rehabilitation Center, Maiduguri.

Shafa disclosed that the 151 male repentant insurgents comprised 132 adult and 19 minors, who completed 52 weeks of de-radicalization process at its center in Gombe.

He said that the clients were exposed to formal literacy classes, skills acquisition and Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) as well as drug and psycho-therapists during their training.

Shafa explained that the Operation Safe Corridor was designed to encourage Boko Haram insurgents to surrender, provide de-radicalization and rehabilitation programme, to enable them rejoin the society.

“The clients confessed their past misdeeds; denounced membership of Boko Haram group, asked for forgiveness and took oath of allegiance to Nigeria. I believe they are now good citizens to rejoin the society,” he said.

Shafa lauded the state government over its support and efforts to assist the repentant insurgents to reintegrate into the society.

Also, Alhaji Umar Kadafur, the state Deputy Governor, commended the Federal Government over implementation of Operation Safe Corridor to rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant insurgents into the society.

Kadafur said that the state government had adopted effective measures to accept the insurgents willing to voluntarily surrender and to create an enabling environment for them to rejoin the society.

He said that the state government had also directed community leaders to sensitize their people on the need to accept the rehabilitated insurgents, and warned against infringement on their rights.

The deputy governor added that the state government would support rehabilitated insurgents to set up their business, to enable them to engage in productive activities and contribute to the development of the society.

Tela Dandija and Kyari Buguma, some of the repentant insurgents, thanked the Federal Government for the amnesty granted to them and called on the insurgents still in the bush to surrender.

• They also called for support to enable them to set up their businesses in their respective communities.

By Joan Odafe
The Osolo of Isolo, Oba Kabiru Adelaja, on Sunday said that the rate of corruption among public officials would dwindle if traditional means of oath-taking is employed during their swearing-in ceremonies.

Adelaja said that the traditional process would put fear in the hearts of leaders on the need to be upright in their dealings with the people they serve and be accountable for their decisions.

The traditional ruler, who made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that many politicians and government officials lack the fear of God because they see God as merciful and forgiving.

He said that if leaders are made to take oath of office through the traditional gods, most government officials would be more conscientious in carrying out their activities.

“Leaders know they can get away with Christianity or Islam, but if they take oaths based on traditional gods like Ogun, they will never steal, knowing those gods do not accept sorry.

“They know that the gods will not spare them when they err. You steal, you die.

“We must practice our culture; all tribes have different cultures. If it is adopted while taking the oath of office, our leaders will be accountable.

“Let us go back to our culture. Anybody who wants to hold any political office, that needs to carry out projects, should be made to swear before Ogun,” he told NAN.

The monarch decried the rate of corruption among leaders within their short stay in the office, which, he said, could be linked to the state of poverty in the nation.

“Majority of kidnappers being arrested are graduates. After all said and done, they will say it is because the have no jobs,” he said.

The monarch appealed to the various tiers of government to create more employment opportunities for graduates in the country.