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Konga Chairman, Zinox Group ED Bow Out in Style
Leo Stan Ekeh, serial digital entrepreneur and chairman, Zinox Group has heaped praises on two recently retired executive management staff, Mr. Olusiji Ijogun, chairman of Konga Group, and Mr. Etiene Etukudoh, executive director, Zinox Group, for their immense contributions and years of outstanding service to the companies, even as he expressed deep gratitude to them for their invaluable efforts and sacrifices.
Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh (left) poses with the exiting Executive Director, Etiene Etukudoh (right) and his wife during a valedictory event to mark Etukudoh’s exit.
Ekeh spoke at a smart valedictory event held in honour of Ijogun and Etukudoh.
The event was held at the impressive Yudala Heights located at Idowu Martins, Victoria Island, Lagos on Tuesday, August 3, 2021.
The well-attended event, organized in strict compliance with COVID-19 regulations, saw Executive Management and staff of the Zinox and Konga groups, as well as other guests and associates of the departing staff in attendance.
While delivering his appreciation speech, Ekeh explained his many years of fruitful relationship with the two distinguished personalities and wished them greater heights in their future endeavours.
Ekeh, who described Ijogun as a brother, stated that integrity is a major quality for choice of Chairman for any organization.
“For a company to be successful, the biggest brain is the Chairman and the CEO as they prescribe and supervise the implementation of quality culture, structure and systems. It is not just the knowledge of the business, the integrity of the personality and the quality of leadership.
“The business is bound to fail if the leaders don’t believe in God and that’s a major problem with start-ups in Africa. Konga wouldn’t have survived if I hadn’t known Siji.
‘‘It is a privilege to have Mr. Ijogun as Chairman of the Konga Group and we really appreciate his many efforts,” Ekeh said.
Further, Ekeh drew rich illustrations from his many professional and personal experiences with Mr. Ijogun, noting that his time as Chairman of the Konga Group was a blessing to the entity.
Also speaking about Etukudoh, who spent many performance-filled years at TD Africa where he rose to the position of Managing Director, Ekeh described him as an ideas man who he can always vouch for.
“Etiene is an all-rounder. He worked for all the companies in the Group. He is a good Nigerian and he has style. He’s one young man I can vouch for. He’s brilliant, modern and trustworthy. I have great confidence in him and I always told him when I have new businesses.
“He’s a man of great ideas and we consider it a privilege for him to have worked with us. This relationship is for life. You have me as a father so you can call me anytime,” Ekeh assured.
The event also offered attendees the opportunity to share their goodwill messages as well as their experiences of working with Ijogun and Etukudoh. Many of the speakers were effusive in hailing both men as inspirational professionals who will be greatly missed.
Reacting to the showers of encomiums, Ijogun, a certified corporate guru with a track record of exceptional service with a host of multinationals, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the first Chairman of the Konga Group after its acquisition by Zinox.
He described Ekeh as a calculated risk taker and an unmatched incubator of businesses who can turn profit from waste.
He also predicted a progressive future for Konga and charged the Group to remain resilient by sustaining its impressive growth trajectory.
“Konga’s growth is phenomenal. Nobody knew online platforms would be the order of the day before COVID-19. To the glory of God, Konga has moved from loss-making to profit-making, with over 15 times greater in terms of revenue and I must commend Mr. Ekeh for the deep pockets.
“ Since inception, we’ve added the Health, Food, Bulk and Travel business and still have more in the offing. With influx of investors, Konga will be a major African business initiative in the nearest future,” Ijogun declared.
Also expressing gratitude for the memorable show of love, Etukudoh reaffirmed his loyalty as a brand ambassador for the Zinox Group.
“I am grateful for the honour. In everything, I just wanted a big brand. I want to celebrate everyone who has been a part of my life. It’s been a journey. I came into the Group and made up my mind to demystify what people call the ‘Oga status’.
‘‘After today, nobody remembers the title but how you treated them. I’ll recommend that every staff work closely with the Chairman for at least one year before they leave the company.
“Chairman has been a big brother and his hunger has no part two. I’m grateful to Chairman, his wife, Mrs. Chioma Ekeh and everyone else. This is a great family and we have to keep it growing forever,” he said.
National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced the nationwide digital registration of births and deaths under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system to strengthen legal identity management and improve demographic data.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lokoja on Tuesday, Mr Afolabi Yori, federal commissioner representing Kogi, said the initiative became operational nationwide on July 1, through the VitalReg platform.
Yori described the development as a landmark in Nigeria’s civil registration system, noting that it would modernise birth and death registration through a technology-driven platform that meets international standards.
He said the digital platform would improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity and ensure that every birth and death occurring in Nigeria was accurately documented and securely stored.
According to him, civil registration is more than an administrative process, as it provides reliable statistics that support public policy formulation, resource allocation and national development planning.
“Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, yet millions of births and deaths remain unregistered.
“Birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 per cent,” he said.
The commissioner said that the commission had established 4,011 functional registration centres across the country’s 774 local government areas and was working to expand the number to about 8,000.
He added that the commission was strengthening collaboration with stakeholders to improve the capacity of registration personnel and ensure prompt documentation of vital events through the VitalReg platform.
Yori said the platform would provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, and reduce paperwork, waiting time and unnecessary travel.
He disclosed that the platform was being operated under a Public-Private Partnership with Barnks-forte Technologies Ltd. as the commission’s technical partner to ensure system availability, cybersecurity and continuous technological improvement.
He called on parents, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to support the initiative by encouraging the prompt registration of births and deaths.
Earlier, Samuel Omonakpeme, director in Kogi, NPC State, described the commencement of the digital registration system as another milestone in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system.
Omonakpeme stated that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16.9, which seeks to provide legal identity for all.
He appreciated the Federal Government, the leadership of the commission, UNICEF and other development partners for supporting the implementation of the initiative.
The state director also urged parents, guardians, health institutions, community leaders, religious organisations and the media to mobilise public support for the timely registration of all births and deaths.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that ICT personnel of the commission, led by Ehimoni Kolawole, conducted a live demonstration of the digital birth registration process using the VitalReg platform.
The demonstration showed that the registration process captures the biodata of both parents, while at least one parent must possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN) to complete the registration of a newborn.
Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) has alerted its customers to a fraudulent message circulating on social media, falsely claiming that electricity consumers can receive an additional 20 per cent bonus units when recharging their prepaid meters through unofficial channels.
In a statement issued by the company’s management on Monday, YEDC described the claim as false and urged customers to disregard the misleading information, stressing that it did not originate from the company.
According to the statement, YEDC does not offer bonus electricity units through individuals, agents, personal bank accounts, phone numbers, or social media contacts.
The company advised customers to purchase electricity tokens only through approved cashless payment platforms, including the YEDC Pay App, OPay, Interswitch, and other authorised vending channels, or to visit the nearest YEDC office for assistance.
YEDC also cautioned customers against sharing their meter details or personal information, or making payments to unauthorised persons claiming to represent the company.
The company further urged customers to rely exclusively on information disseminated through its official communication channels to avoid falling victim to fraud.
The management thanked customers for their continued cooperation and reaffirmed its commitment to serving them.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has disclosed that two foreign currency accounts opened in connection with the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) have remained inactive since their creation, with no funds deposited and no transactions recorded.
The revelation emerged on Monday during the ongoing investigation by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing the circumstances surrounding the establishment and operations of the council.
Lawmakers are investigating allegations that the PFIPC was created and operated without a valid legal framework and outside the established procedures required for government agencies and institutions.
Appearing before the committee, representatives of both the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) distanced their institutions from the establishment of the council.
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation stated that it neither created the council nor possessed the constitutional authority to establish federal agencies.
Representing the office, officials explained that the OHCSF is only responsible for approving administrative structures of government agencies after all necessary requirements have been fulfilled.
According to the office, records showed that the council submitted a request on August 6, 2025, seeking approval for its organisational structure.
However, the application was not approved because the required supporting documents were not attached.
The committee heard that despite the rejection of the request, officials linked to the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC)/PFIPC later appeared during the 2025 manpower budget defence exercise and sought approval for staffing and recruitment arrangements.
The office disclosed that the council informed government officials that its activities were being carried out largely through personnel seconded or deployed from other institutions.
Lawmakers were told that the council requested approval for a total of 314 positions. The figure consisted of 14 existing officers and an additional 300 proposed positions.
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service further revealed that concerns later arose regarding documents presented by the council as evidence of its legal backing.
Officials told the committee that upon examination, the documents failed to display essential features expected of an enabling law or valid legal instrument establishing a government body.
Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, head of the Civil Service of the Federation, also rejected claims that her office deployed civil servants to work for the council.
She maintained that the office did not assign personnel to the body and did not provide office accommodation for its operations.
According to her, matters relating to the creation, supervision and oversight of government agencies fall under the responsibilities of other relevant institutions, including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
The Central Bank of Nigeria also provided details regarding accounts linked to the council.Nigerian current events
Hamisu Abdullahi, director at the apex bank, who represented the CBN Governor before the committee, explained that the bank opened two foreign currency accounts following a formal request from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
He told lawmakers that the request was received on July 30, 2025, and instructed the bank to create a United States dollar domiciliary account and a Pound Sterling domiciliary account.
Abdullahi stressed that the CBN only opens accounts for government agencies after receiving official authorisation from the Accountant-General’s office.
However, he disclosed that the accounts never became operational because the council failed to provide authorised signatories required for activation.
As a result, both accounts remained dormant from the day they were opened.
He informed the committee that neither account had received deposits nor processed withdrawals. The accounts also recorded no foreign exchange allocations, remittances, inflows or outflows.Governor election news
According to him, the balances in both accounts remain at zero.
The CBN official further stated that the council did not engage directly with the apex bank regarding the management or operation of the accounts after they were created.
Following the submissions, members of the committee demanded more information as part of efforts to determine the full scope of the council’s activities.
Hon. Abdulmalik Danga, chairman of the committee, directed the Central Bank to submit comprehensive records relating to both the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
The committee requested details covering the opening of the accounts, their operational history and any information connected to related banking activities.
Lawmakers also instructed the CBN to work with commercial banks to identify and provide records of any accounts linked to the entities under investigation.
However, the committee is expected to continue its hearings as more government agencies and officials appear before lawmakers to provide explanations on the controversial council and the circumstances surrounding its operations.
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