Nigerian Newspapers
I listen to music, watch movies and football to relax– Lagos Airport Hotel MD Kayode Adenigba
AS it is typical of people in hospitality business, Kayode Adenigba, the Managing Director of Lagos Airport Hotel, knows how to win people with friendly smiles.
Lagos Airport Hotel is a subsidiary of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, and Adenigba is one of the longest serving members of the group, having joined the organisation about 25 years ago.
While recognising the competition in hospitality business, the MD insists that Lagos Airport Hotel is a unique brand that has been in the business for a long time and has been able to weather the storm. “We are better than others in terms of service delivery, security, facilities, personnel and space, which is one of our unique selling points,” he said.
However, irrespective of the competition in the hospitality business, Adenigba insists that the business will continue to grow. He also dismisses the theory that competition would drive out some hotels from business, maintaining that because of differences in taste and pockets, people would still patronise the new hotels. “The question is how many of the hotels springing up have been able to meet the needs of the clients and the standards required?”
His accounting career started as an Article Clerk with M/S Akinmade & Co, an accounting firm based in Ibadan in 1976.
Adenigba would not attribute the success of Lagos Airport Hotel to himself as the MD. Rather, he would attribute it to the entire workers of the Lagos Airport Hotel. “The modest success we have achieved so far is not for the MD; it is a collective effort. When you are the head of a place, the success of that organisation depends on the way you carry your staff and your management team along.
“You know the human element in any organisation is very important, especially in hotel business, which is labour-intensive. You need to ensure that you empower them. You need to ensure that you train them. You need to ensure everybody knows what they have to do.”
The politics and intrigues in the working place do not bother him. “If I travel, I don’t exercise fear or think that things would not work. I know that things will work. We have a structure and there is discipline. And anybody who wants to lead this type of organisation has to be disciplined.”
So why would a man spend 25 year in the same organisation, especially in the hospitality industry? To this, he said: “If I have to look back, I’ve been in this business for so many years and I have no regret. I have gone through the system for many years and I have been able to master the business.”
While trying not to be boastful about his achievements at the Lagos Airport Hotel, he insists that his background has really helped him, having worked in different subsidiaries in the organisation.
He said: “As a professional accountant cum hospitality business manager, you know it works well when you are a good financial manager, coupled with your experience and knowledge of the food industry. It is perfect and I don’t have a any regret coming to this industry. I’ve enjoyed it and it has been part of me, and I feel good.”
Adenigba rose through the ranks, serving in different subsidiaries of the group. Fortunately for him, he has a high stake in the hospitality business. Telling his story, he said: “I joined the group some 25 years ago, specifically in one of the hotels within the group: Western Hotel Nigeria Limited. I was employed as an assistant accountant.”
With his eyes focused on the future, when he was engaged at the Western Hotel Nigeria Limited, he made sure he learnt all that he could to prepare him for the challenges. Little wonder, when he assumed the headship of the Lagos Airport, past experience became an asset.
He started as an accountant, a role in which he performed brilliantly. This made his employers to make him an auditor within a short period, subsequently rising to the position of company secretary. He was again moved to the estate company within the group, Wemabod, from where he was moved to Sketch newspapers to resuscitate the ailing publishing company. To him, his stint at Sketch is akin to being ‘loaned.’ After stabilising Sketch, he recruited a management to run the newspaper. From there, he was again sent to a familiar terrain, Premier Hotel, Ibadan.
At Premier Hotel, he was the controller of finance and company secretary. But before he could settle down, he was again moved to the printing arm of the Odu’a Group, Odu’a Printing and Publishing Company, as MD. But his stay was also brief, as he was again seconded to the Lagos Airport Hotel as ED finance and administration. The management of the company, after one or two years, promoted Adenigba to a GM in Odua. He was in charge of research and planning.
“We were in charge of overseeing this subsidiary and we were looking at how to brand this place then. But the management just called me and said: ‘Complete this assignment for us.’ That was how I got to this place as acting MD. I thought I was going to spend a few months here, but I found myself being made substantive MD, up till the present moment.”
He is happy that since taking over in the last five years, the hotel has been a success in the area of developing and renovating the facilities. “We made major improvement in the hotel,” he says with pride.
Staying in an organisation for a long time could be boring at times, especially for a chartered accountant. But Adenigba says there is virtue in building a career in an organization. “When you are working with an organisation and you are not running after money, you will succeed. But if you want to make a career in a place, you will have patience.”
He also believes that he has been lucky because the group has so many subsidiaries, and he had the opportunity of working in some of them. “It was not a single company that I was working with; I was moving round the group. It was not just the hotel. Moving round the group has been a blessing to me, as it has made me to have wide experience. It may be within the same group, but I can assure you, if you work diligently and you satisfy your employer, and you are patient enough, you will get to any level you want to get.
“I rose through the ladder to get to where I’m today by the grace of God, I thank God that He has allowed me to get to this level. But the underline thing is that one should be diligent in whatever he does.”
He would tell you that one of his secrets is that he abhors failure and that he puts his best into whatever he does. “I was not born with silver spoon. Of course, you have to work for it.”
Growing up wasn’t easy for him. “The challenges were enormous. To tell you how difficult it was, I was born into a polygamous home. My father had many children. I was lucky to be the first to be trained on my mother’s side. When you are in a polygamous setting and you are the first to be trained, may be your father has three or four wives, it is not easy. I had to finish secondary school before my immediate younger brother, who is three years younger than me could start secondary school. If he had been a lady, may be somebody would have impregnated her.
Life began for him immediately he left secondary school, as he started fending for himself. ”When I finished my secondary school, it was like this guy should now go and start working. It is not what you have today; that you would finish secondary school and continue. Even going through school was not easy. Developing yourself was not easy. There were challenges and we are praying that our children will not face such challenges. It has not been easy, but we thank God where He has taken us.”
Unlike his colleagues in the accounting profession who prefer the banks and other financial institutions, Adenigba would tell you that he does not envy them for anything. “I’ve never looked at banking job in my life. The only job I’ve ever looked at when I wanted to change my job was to move to an oil company.
The reason why I was looking in that direction was because I had so many of my in-laws in that field, and they wanted to draw me from the hospitality industry. I tried, but unfortunately, it was during the June 12 crisis in 1993. I did some interviews. I know they would have taken me, but because of the crisis in the oil sector then, the thing was prolonged. I just told myself: ‘Let me leave this because I was making progress.’ Though I was not an MD then, I was a head of department.
“I never thought of taking up banking. I was aware that they were making money in those days, and I had the knowledge and capacity. But when you find yourself in a place, you are contented, you should be okay. I don’t have any regret.”
Recognising the demand of hospitality business, he said he has learnt how to marry the home front, leisure and business. He said: “Anybody that is into hospitality business knows that he has to be up and doing. We run hotel business 24/7, and it is different from other businesses. When you work in a hospitality business, you will have to make sure that you programme yourself in a way that you and your business will not suffer.
“You know that the presence of an MD matters. The business that we do involves working late in the night. That is why hotel managers and MDs live very close to their hotels. It is not because of luxury; it is like doctors living very close to their office.”
In all of these, he says, you must be able to create time for yourself. If you work without recreating, you are bound to have some issues. You have to create time to unwind. You have to belong to social clubs. You have to go to the gym and do exercise. Of course, you have to refresh.
”In my leisure time, I listen to music or watch football. I’m not a fan of any club. I watch films and take little wine. I also do some exercise on a daily basis.”
While it sounds good to run a hotel, he insists that the challenges are enormous. These, he said, include power supply, the roads leading to the hotel and the infrastructure in general. “Part of the infrastructure is water. Most of the hotels depend on boreholes. I’m not saying we don’t get water from the water corporation, but how often? You still need to support this with boreholes. In a country like this, security matters and everybody wants a place that is safe,” he said.
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Posted in Nigerian Newspapers. A DisNaija.Com network.
Source: The Nation Newspaper
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•Deploy more personnel as army chief vows to wipe out terror group
•Security beefed up at N’Assembly
Deji Elumoye and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, is under a massive security cordon following threats of attacks by insurgents and the increasing wave of banditry in the contiguous states of Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa and Niger States, THISDAY’s investigation has revealed.
There has been a wave of kidnappings in the outskirts of the federal capital, notably Pegi, Tuganmaje and Kuje among others, which the police have battled in recent times.
The security situation in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was heightened by the pronouncement of the Niger State Governor, Mr. Sani Bello, that Boko Haram fighters who he said sacked 50 villages in the state and hoisted the terror group’s flag, were about two hours drive away from the FCT.
Security has also been beefed up at the National Assembly as operatives, yesterday, thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The deteriorating security situation nationwide prompted the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, to warn that the 2023 general election may not hold, demanding the declaration of a state of emergency as well as the convocation of a national conference.
However, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, yesterday restated the Nigerian Army’s determination to annihilate Boko Haram.
But the Governor of Katsina State, Hon. Bello Masari, cautioned against declaring a state of emergency, saying doing so isn’t the solution to combat the security challenges facing the country.
The security of the nation’s airports was also in focus yesterday as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) said there was no threat to them.
THISDAY’s investigations showed increased presence of troops, police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel and intelligence operatives at the three strategic entrances to the city notably, Keffi, Zuba and Gwagwalada.
More checkpoints were also mounted around Gwagwalada and Keffi.
THISDAY also observed increased intelligence deployment at the entrance and the borders of FCT with contiguous states.
Beyond the borders, there were more deployments and police patrols inside the city and increased intelligence deployments as well.
Security sources told THISDAY: “There are deployments here and there but they are routine. Alertness is key to a secure environment.”
It was also learnt that security agencies were involved in frenzied meetings throughout yesterday.
The meetings, coordinated by the office of the Chief of Defence Staff under the new joint operational strategy of the armed forces, were aimed at coordinating a joint response to possible threats of attack to the FCT.
“I understand the security teams have been meeting for some days now and if you look around you, you will notice that there are increasing patrols and numbers of security personnel. The threats are not been taken lightly,” a source said.
National Assembly workers, lawmakers and visitors also had a harrowing experience accessing the legislative complex due to heightened security in the area.
Security operatives thoroughly screened every vehicle approaching the National Assembly complex in Abuja, impeding both human and vehicular traffic.
The Sergeant-at-arm of the National Assembly and other security agencies supervised the operations, leading to huge traffic build-up inside the complex.
Legislative staff, visitors and lawmakers were seen patiently waiting for their cars to be searched so that they could go ahead with the business of the day.
Some staff and visitors at some point got tired of waiting and were seen alighting from their cars to trek from the gate to the complex.
Meanwhile, the ONSA has said there is no threat to the nation’s airports.
A statement by the Head of Strategic Communication, Mr. Zachari Usman, said the reports of threats to the airports were an internal correspondence of security threat assessment misconstrued as security threat to the airports.
PDP Demands State of Emergency
In a related development, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday demanded the declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the 2023 general election might not hold if the federal government failed to tackle insecurity.
He called on the federal government to summon a national conference to address the spike in insecurity.
Secondus added that the national caucus of the party will meet today to discuss the state of the nation.
Addressing members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Abuja, Secondus said: “We are worried Abuja is not even safe. It is no longer politics. We got alert of plots to bomb and burn down our airports.
“We urge the federal government to declare a national state of emergency in security. There is the need to call a national conference to discuss the insecurity in the country.
“There may not be any election in 2023 in Nigeria due to insecurity. This government must listen to the people. The Buhari government should call a national confab to discuss security and state of the nation. It is no longer politics. This time we are not playing politics. Let’s keep politics aside and move the nation forward.”
He said the country had been grounded, regretting that there had been no matching response from the federal government.
Secondus said in the past, terrorism in the North was confined to the North-east, but with the report of Boko Haram occupying villages in Niger State, terrorism had spread to the North-central
“Herdsmen are also menacing in the West; gunmen causing havoc in the East; and the militants in the South; all killing, looting, raping, maiming and burning down homes. The situation is bad; Nigerians all over are living in fear,” he said.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the problem of Nigeria was outside of the PDP headquarters, while pledging the support of the Senate to the declaration of state of emergency in security.
Abaribe said he deliberately decided not to speak on the floor of the Senate but to allow the APC senators to speak so as to avoid being accused of giving a partisan colouration to the issue of insecurity.
He stated that only electoral reforms would give victory to the opposition party in the 2023 general election and ensure a democratic defeat of the APC-led federal government.
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, commended the NEC and the PDP leadership for their collective efforts at resolving the House leadership crisis.
The NEC meeting adopted the position of Secondus, calling on the federal government to convoke a national conference to discuss the state of insecurity in the country, according to a communiqué read by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
Army Chief Vows to Wipe Out Boko Haram
The army yesterday reiterated its commitment to wipe out Boko Haram.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, told reporters in Maiduguri, Borno State that Boko Haram had been defeated in many encounters and would continue to be defeated until it’s annihilated from Nigeria.
“We will take on Boko Haram decisively, and we are committed to the focus of the operations, which is the total annihilation of Boko Haram from Nigeria,” he said.
The COAS, who was visiting the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri for the fifth time since his appointment four months ago, said the visit was to boost the morale of the troops, reassure them and listen to any issues affecting them.
Earlier, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Farouq Yahaya, lauded the visit, which he said had continued to boost the morale of the troops.
“We are honoured, we are grateful, we are encouraged by those visits. You provided us guidance, logistics and other things we required. We are most grateful for those visits,” Yahaya said.
State of Emergency Won’t Solve Security Challenges, Says Masari
Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, has, however, said declaration of a state of emergency won’t solve the security challenges facing the nation.
Masari, who spoke yesterday with journalists after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari at the State House, Abuja stated that he was against the recent call by the House of Representatives for the declaration of a state of emergency in the security sector as it would not solve the problem.
According to him, declaring a state of emergency will not achieve the desired effect as the security structure and personnel to be used to execute the emergency are already overstretched in a bid to safeguard lives and property.
Sourced From: THISDAYLIVE
Tribune Online
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 165,110. The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday. “55 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Lagos-21, Yobe-19, Ogun-6, Akwa Ibom-3, Kaduna-2, Plateau-2, FCT-1, Rivers-1.” YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE COVID-19: Nigeria Recorded […]
Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Tribune Online
Sourced From: Tribune Online
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The people of the South East region have been urged to explore the power of negotiation and mutual settlement in the face of ongoing killings and security challenges in the zone because the east can not afford another war at present.
Stakeholders from the South-East geo-political zone made the remark on Thursday, at the unveiling of the book, “Igbo, 50 years after Biafra,” written by Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage Services, Joe Igbokwe, held at Ikeja G.R.A.
Speaking at the unveiling of the book, the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Cutis Adigba,
urged the people of the South-East to learn to build bridges across the country, so that they can realise their ambition of producing the next president of Nigeria.
Adigba urged leaders from the zone to discourage the move and agitation by some youths in the South East to go to war and secede out of Nigeria.
Also read: Banditry: Disregard viral video, Niger State gov’t urges residents
He said that Igbo have always found it difficult to rule Nigeria because they refused to build bridges across the six geo-political zones that made up Nigeria.
While describing the agitation as uncalled for, Adigba noted that after two decades that Nigeria returned to civil rule, the Igbo has predominantly identified with only one political party.
He maintained that remaining in one party can not advance the cause of the people of South East and cannot make them realise their objective of producing an Igbo man as president.
He maintained that the publisher of the book, Igbokwe played politics outside his state, so that the Igbo race can be integrated with one another race.
Adigba said the failure of the Igbo to reintegrate with other ethnic nationalities politically was responsible for the retrogression of the race in Nigerian politics.
Igbokwe, also addressing guests on the occasion, maintained that the Igbo are not advancing politically because they refused to be integrated into National politics, lamenting that, despite their success in business, they are not successful in playing politics at the national level.
Corroborating Dimgba, Igbokwe noted that there was the need for the Igbo people to stand up and build bridges so that their objective of producing the next president of Nigeria could be realised.
According to him: “I have decided to raise my voice, I hope my people will hear me while trying to quell the effect of the war, our people are spoiling for another war, mayhem is being unleashed in Igbo land, and there is palpable fear.
“Those who could speak have lost their voice, mindful of the consequences of their actions, I am calling on all Igbo leaders to speak up because all actions carry consequences, consequences of the silence will be too dastardly to sustain.
“Those silently supporting the wild wind should be careful or else they hand over to their children,” he said.
Igbokwe urged those spoiling for war to jettison their plan and embrace dialogue, urging them to learn from the South West region that despite the challenges faced after the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, they did not go to war, and the region had the opportunity of producing two of her sons for presidential position in 1999.
“You have to build bridges to become president of Nigeria, but it is unfortunate the Igbo are burning bridges.”
Speaking at the event, Chief Uche Dimgba who is the coordinator of Igbo in All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos, described Igbokwe as “a Frank, fearless and reliable leader, who based his views on issues and stand by his opinions, and we the Igbo have confidence in him and believe he can lead us aright.”
“He is a leader we Igbo believe in and we will follow him. If he can serve all the governors produced in Lagos State since 1999, he is a better man to follow because he possesses all the experience that can be of benefit to Igbo both at home and in the diaspora.”
The post Attacks on S’East: We must explore all options of negotiation — Stakeholders urge Igbo appeared first on Vanguard News.
Sourced From: Vanguard News
The government said that no worker should stay back beyond 6:00 p.m. within premises of buildings undergoing construction.
The post Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.
Sourced From: Premium Times Nigeria
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Nigeria records 55 new COVID-19 infections, total now 165,110
Military, Police Ring Abuja to Forestall Boko Haram Attack
UFC: Usman gets N584m after beating Masvidal
Insecurity: Lagos bans occupation of abandoned buildings
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