Top Bizman, Kola Karim Supports Atiku's Campaign With $ 30.5 Million

Kola Karim, the polished and stylish international businessman and CEO of Shoreline Energy has a specialty, starting companies and nurturing them to success. Building extremely viable international partnerships is also one of his innate characteristics. What many may however not know about him is that he is fiercely loyal to his friends and whenever any of his friends needs support, he is always there to lend a hand. If his friend has an aspiration, to him, it is all or nothing. He never supports in half measures; he goes the whole hog.

The news now is that Kola Karim has built yet another partnership. Thanks to the man whose company recently acquired 51% stake in Entrepose, a leading provider of construction and mechanical services to International Oil Companies, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign has received a major boost.

Kola Karim has promised a support of $ 30.5 million. He also promised another ₦ 9 billion before the end of January. With that, Atiku will have no problem prosecuting his presidential campaign. Apart from the funds coming at the right time, it will most likely turbo-charge the former Vice-President’s campaign which is already moving at full gallop.

Those in the know have revealed that the relationship between Atiku and Karim did not just start. They have been close from way back and not only does Atiku believe in him as one of Nigeria’s most successful entrepreneurs, he had always seen greatness in him even as a young entrepreneur. Karim on the other hand believes in the Atiku project, especially for the good of Nigeria and Nigerians.

Apart from Shoreline where he is the CEO, Karim controls a number of other companies including Costain West Africa where he is Chairman of the Board. 49-year-old Kola Karim has also been a Director of Nigerian Ropes Plc since March, 2008

Oyo OMPAN Holds A Day Seminar

The Association of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria (OMPAN), Oyo State chapter is set to hold a day seminar in Ibadan.

This was disclosed in a Press Release signed by state's Chairman of the Association, Mr. Remi Oladoye and made available to journalists by PRO of the Association in the state, Dare Adeniran.

According to the release, the seminar with the Theme 'Online Journalism and Media Integrity in Nigeria', comes up tomorrow Thursday 27 December, 2018, at Dapo Aderogba Hall, NUJ Press Centre, Iyaganku GRA, Ibadan by 10am.

Mr Bisi Oladele, South West Bureau Chief of The Nation Newspaper, is the guest lecturer at the seminar while Ambassador Wale Ojo Lanre, Associate Editor Nigerian Tribune would also be speaking on Developmental Journalism.

“Association of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria (OMPAN),  Oyo State chapter is a group of online journalists who have come together to hoist excellence, professionalism, honesty and  objectivity as part of the association's core values.

Consequent upon the need to improve the skills and knowledge of our members, however, we are organizing a periodic seminar/workshop for training and teaching members on how to promote  media integrity and enhance a better society through balanced and objective  news coverage,” the statement reads.

‘Don’t Be Deceived By Presidency’s 2023 Promises’, Atiku Warns Igbos, Yorubas

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged the South West and South East geo-political zones of Nigeria not to be deceived by assurances that their zones would produce the president in 2023. The charged came on the heels of promises from the Presidency regarding which zone would produce the President in 2023.

Last week, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha had stated in Owerri  that the South East would get its turn to produce the president in 2023 if it supports President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term.

A similar situation played out in Ibadan on Saturday as the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo urged Yorubas to throw their weight behind the President’s second term bid in order to get a chance to produce the president in 2023.

In a statement signed by spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Kassim Afegbua, Atiku accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of trading with 2023 in a bid to return to power at all cost.

“In its desperation to hang on to power despite its abysmal failure so far, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Presidency, have resorted to trading with the lure of 2023 presidency, promising both the South East and South West respectively of the 2023 Presidency in exchange for votes.

“Giving out two promises has exposed the insincerity and dubious intention of the Buhari-led federal government with the people of the South East and South West geopolitical zones with empty promises of bequeathing power to the two zones at the same time in 2023. This is why Nigerians cannot take the APC and the Buhari presidency serious any longer, as we prepare for the 2019 election,” Atiku said in the statement.

The PDP Campaign Council went on to state that “two principal officers of the same government cannot be fooling Nigerians with vainglorious promises all in the name of re-election. Such discordant tunes by the first and second citizens of our dear country have exposed lack of synergy, and display of double standard and double-speak by chieftains of a government that has continued to display wanton desperation to hold on to power at all cost in the face of monumental failure.”

The statement continued: “How can the President be promising South-Easterners the Presidency when his Vice President is also promising the South-Westerners same position in 2023, all in the name of 2019 re-election?

“This is a clear show of deceit, desperation, crass insincerity and hypocrisy of the highest order. This is a clarion call on the South-Easterners not to trust such carrot being dangled before them as it has become obvious that this government neither fulfills promises nor keeps any covenant.

“The same government cannot promise the Igbos and Yorubas at the same time if it were sincere about the shape of politics of 2023 Presidency. This government has an uncommon reputation for deceit, lies, insincerity and hypocrisy especially when it has to do with its 2019 re-election bid.

“Nigerians are beginning to see through the pretensions and dubiety of purpose of the Buhari-led federal government; a government that has shown its incapacitation and leadership atrophy in the last three years and crippled the fabric of our collegiate solidarity and unity through nepotism and cronyism. The President cannot on the one hand be playing God by decreeing which zone it intends to bequeath the reins of power, while his Vice President on the other hand is also promising his South West zone of same position. This is a typical feature of power hawkers, in their desperation to hoodwink buyers to patronise their morbid products.

“The Nigerian public must wake up to this double-speak and vote out this inconsistent government in 2019. It is a responsibility that every Nigerian must buy into in order to save the country from further maladies and mis-governance.”