Obi of Akokwa @ 50

Obi of Akokwa @ 50

- By Ingram Osigwe 

Attaining the golden age is a no mean feat. It's a biological, natural milestone that calls for deep introspection and celebration.

One, not everyone crosses the 5 and 0 mark. Many died on the cusp of 50, majorly at 48, 49. Secondly, crossing 50 rekindles hope of longevity.

Therefore, His Royal Highness, Eze (Sir) Ikenna C. Okoli (KSC), Okoli V, Agbakwuruibe III, the 11th Obi of Akokwa, has every reason to be grateful to God. Not only that he has attained the golden age, His Royal Majesty will be clocking 19 years on the throne of his forefathers later this year.

Come February 28, 2021 , all roads will lead to the ancient kingdom of Akokwa. That day is His Royal Majesty's day. On that date, Nigerians from all walks of life, people of goodwill, friends, associates and well wishers will empty into Akokwa to felicitate with Agbakwuruibe 111.

The effervescent Eze ( Sir) Ikenna C. Okoli was born into the Ezesiobuna Royal Family in Obi Uzouhu Village in Akokwa on February 28, 1971.He attended St’ Peter’s Primary School, Akokwa between 1976 and 1982 where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate the same year. Thereafter, he proceeded to Federal Government College, Azare, Bauchi State and Federal Government College, Sokoto, Sokoto State where he obtained his West African School Certificate in 1987.

In 1990, the young Okoli gained admission into the Abia State University, Uturu in Abia State where he obtained a BSc in Sociology/Anthropology in 1994.

Agbakwuruibe 111 is imbued with the zeal for entrepreneurship, hence after his graduation, as young as he was then, he decided to be an employer of labour as he  incorporated Equipment Alliance Limited of which he is the MD/CEO.

His Royal Highness thus  commenced the business of equipment leasing.Till date Equipment Alliance Limited which is also into Earth and marine equipment leasing, is still operational with Head office at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Akokwa is noted for peaceful and orderly ascension to the Obi stool. This explained the seamless emergence of Eze Okoli.After the untimely and painful demise of his late father, HRH Eze Osita C. Okoli (KSC) in the 2002, Eze Ikenna Okoli, as the first son of the late monarch and in line with the primogeniture rule of succession of Akokwa people,  was chosen by his people to ascend the ancient throne as the 11th Obi of Akokwa.

The Obi of Akokwa is deeply committed to the things of God and a dedicated Christian of the Anglican communion faith. No wonder the Ideato Diocese of the Anglican Communion found him worthy of knighthood and conferred him with one.

The same year he ascended the throne the church  investested him as a Knight of Saint Christopher. This was on December 8, 2002.

More wins were in store for him: On the 15th of March, 2005, the Imo State Government under the leadership of His Excellency Sir Achike Udenwa, the then Executive Governor of Imo State recognized and gazetted the name of Eze Ikenna C. Okoli as the Obi of Akokwa with effect from the 5th day of March, 2005.

 HRH Eze Ikenna Okoli  descended from a very long and illustrious line of rulers in the following order:

*Eze Okwarauhu Akokwa

 *Eze Dimonyegbesu Okwarauhu

 *Eze Ezesiobuna Dimonyegbesu

*Eze Dimesoro Ezesiobuna

 *Eze Okwaraononihu Dimesoro

 *Eze Ukachukwu Okwaraononihu

 *Eze Okoli Ukachukwu

 *Eze Joseph Okoli

 *Eze Patrick Okoli

*Eze Osita Okoli

 *Eze Ikenna Okoli (Present Obi of Akokwa)

His Royal Highness, Eze (Sir) Ikenna C. Okoli (KSC), (MSI) Okoli V, Agbakwuruibe III, the 11th Obi of Akokwa is  blessed with three wonderful children.

Notedly, the Akokwa ancient kingdom is a border & nodal  town in Ideato North LGA of Imo state.

It shares boundaries with Aro-Ndizuogu, Uzii, Osina, Akpulu and also a gateway to Anambra state as it shares border with Uga and Umuchu. Akokwa boasts of many industrialist, academics and technotracts.Some of these notables are: Sir Tony Ezenna, OFR, (Ijele Akokwa) Chairman, Orange Group, Chief Charles Anudu, MD/CEO Swift Networks Limited, Chairman of Envoy Oil ltd, Sir Linus Ojimba, Prof. Kevin Ibeh,Commissioner,Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and Pro Vice Chancellor (International) at Birkbeck, University of London, High Chief Fabian A. Onwuachu(Acharaugo) President Emeritus, Peoples club of Nigeria international and Patron/Trustee Peoples club of Nigeria international, Chairman of Tiger foods ltd, Chief Celestine Ebubeogu(Ide Akokwa),Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria 2017 (MBGN), Miss Ugochi Mitchel Ihezue,Late Professor (Chief) Elechukwu Njaka who founded the famous ERNEST GAMES GRAMMER SCHOOL Akokwa.

Others include Late Dr. Otuokere Njaka, the second Republic deputy minority leader of the old Imo State House of Assembly,Engineer Ezekiel Izuogu, The designer of the first made in Nigeria car, John Munonye Nigerian educator and novelist( The only Son), Renowned banker and Economist, Prof Willie Uzoaga and many others 

###

Ingram Osigwe ( Enyioha) is the  MD of Full page international communications Ltd

Exclusive Interview With Thierry Ehrmann, the Founder and CEO of Artprice.com

13 Jun 2011 01:00 Africa/Lagos


Exclusive Interview With Thierry Ehrmann, the Founder and CEO of Artprice.com

PARIS, June 13, 2011/PRNewswire/ -- This 9-page interview explains how Artprice imposed itself as the world leader in art market information, and how it then became the 1st worldwide market place in volume for art works with its standardised market place. These 37 questions, sometimes uncompromising, enable to understand Artprice's incredible history in the last 20 years. The interview also provides a global analysis of art markets in the world, with China that is now the leading market place, its leading position being confirmed for 2011. In the course of this long interview, Thierry Ehrmann also review Artprice's adventure on the Stock Market, with the best scoring in Europe on a regulated stock market in 2005 and 2011.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110609/461260 )

These 9 pages are available in English, for accuracy issues.

1. Could you remind us of how Artprice was created?

2. Who were these targets?

3. Could you continue with how Artprice was created?

4. So what is your added value on this documentary fund?

5. How do you produce your reference prices since a painting is by its very nature unique?

6. How have you been able to get around this problem in such little time?

7. What do you reply to those who ask "why does everyone go on Artprice?"

8. Is the money raised on the stock market, along with funds from the Serveur group and the Bernard Arnault group behind the success of Artprice acquisitions?

9. How do you manage reproduction rights for works on line?

10. Would it be possible to create another "Artprice"?

11. How are you sure you will do auctions?

12. How is it possible to be so behind, in terms of computerisation and the Internet in 2011?

13. Why have you chosen the Abode of Chaos, dixit the New York Times, as Artprice's headquarters, is that provocation or strategy?

14. How would you value Artprice?

15. Could you be clearer, with a specific example?

16. Even your critics are on Artprice?

17. What will be the level of commission you earn on the transactions?

18. Is Artprice ripe for a takeover bid?

19. Does Artprice have any competitors?

20. Is Artprice, being the world leader, abusing its dominant position?

21. Did you try and buy out Artnet?

22. It would appear that other DNS can access the Artprice databases...

23. Do you have any new clients?

24. How is Artprice's financial health?

25. With the volumes we have seen, why hasn't the declaration threshold been crossed?

26. What about the Chinese funds?

27. How long do you think it will be before the legislative course is completed for the Law on the liberation of auction sales?

28. Why haven't you moved away?

29. What have you got to say about the ISF (tax on fortune)?

30. Can we be thinking about rapid transition to the SRD Long Only?

31. Have you backtested your system for future on-line auctions?

32. How far has Artprice penetrated the Chinese market?

33. Did you have any difficulties in becoming world leader? You're sometimes criticised for your procedural attitude?

34. Can we hope for a dividend in the near future?

35. What will be the impact of the change of status after the law on the annual turnover figure?

36. Can we consider that at EUR30 we are only at the beginning of the story?

37. And to end with, what is your prediction for the future of Artprice?

Thierry Ehrmann:

With regard to our commitments, which at the time were very ambitious on the 1999 introductory prospectus, we have met them all, well beyond the prospectus actually, coming through the 2000 NASDAQ crisis, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the 2003 war in Iraq and the big financial crisis which began in 2007 and which is far from over. With this decade, which has been the most catastrophic in the past two centuries, I know of only very few companies listed on the regulated stock market which have come out alive, without increasing their capital and which, during this same period, have acquired an undisputed world-leader position. To close this interview, I sincerely believe that we have only seen 10% of the history of Artprice.

Full interview:

http://serveur.serveur.com/Press_Release/pressreleaseEN.htm#20110606

Source: http://www.artprice.com (c)1987-2011 thierry Ehrmann

Discover the Alchemy and the universe of Artprice: http://web.artprice.com/video/

Artprice is the world leader in art market information with over 27 million auction prices and indices covering over 450,000 artists. Artprice Images(R) offers unlimited access to the largest database of art market information in the world, a library of 108,000,000 images and engravings of art works from 1700 to the present day. Artprice continuously updates its databases with information from 3,600 international auction houses and provides daily information on art market trends to the main financial press agencies and to 6,300 press titles worldwide. Artprice offers standardised adverts to its 1,300,000 members (member log in) and is the world's leading market place for buying and selling works of art (source: Artprice).

Artprice is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris: Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF

Artprice releases: http://serveur.serveur.com/press_release/pressreleaseen.htm

The Art Market in real time by Artprice on Twitter: http://twitter.com/artpricedotcom/

Contact: Josette Mey - tel: +33-(0)478-220-000, e-mail: ir@artprice.com

Source: Artprice.com

News from Penguin South Africa

Lest we forget, the Penguin Prize for African Writing Winners were announced on September 4, 2010.

A Nigerian and Zambian won the two prizes for non-fiction and fiction.

The following is the report from Penguin South Africa.

“We were overwhelmed by the number of entries for these two awards and, after hearing from
the judges and readers who read the submissions, encouraged by the writing talent
coming out of our continent. Congratulations to the two worthy winners.”
Alison Lowry, CEO, Penguin Books South Africa




NON-FICTION
Pius Adesanmi - You’re Not a Country, Africa!



In this groundbreaking collection of essays Pius Adesanmi tries to unravel what it is that Africa means to him as an African, and by extension to all those who inhabit this continent of extremes. This is a question that exercised some of the continent’s finest minds in the twentieth century, but which pan-Africanism, Negritude, nationalism, decolonisation and all the other projects through which Africans sought to restore their humanity ultimately failed to answer. Crisscrossing the continent, Adesanmi engages with the enigma that is Africa in an attempt to make meaning of this question for all twenty-first century Africans.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Pius Adesanmi was born in Nigeria but now lives in Ottowa, Canada.

FICTION
Ellen Banda-Aaku - Patchwork




Destined from birth to inhabit two very different worlds – that of her father, the wealthy Joseph Sakavungo, and that of her mother, his mistress – this emotive tale takes us to the heart of a young girl’s attempts to come to terms with her own identity and fashion a future for herself from the patchwork of the life she was born into. Beautifully constructed, warm and wise, this is a novel that will transport the reader to a world in which we can all become more of the sum of our parts.


AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Ellen Banda-Aaku was born in Zambia and now resides in London, England.

2010-09-15 - The Postmistress Wins 2010 Exclusive Books Boeke Fiction Prize - Readers' Choice

2010-09-09 - Melly, Mrs Ho And Me.

2010-09-08 - Damon Galgut's In A Strange Room Shortlisted For The 2010 Man Booker Prize

2010-09-06 - Penguin Prize For African Writing Winners Announced

2010-08-27 - Cooked In Africa - Finalist For A 2010 Loerie Award

2010-08-19 - Penguin Books South Africa - Best Trade Publisher Of The Year

2010-08-18 - 2010 Booksellers’ Choice Award - Spud Learning To Fly

2010-07-28 - 2010 Man Booker - Long-list

2010-07-23 - Little Ice Cream Boy - Shortlisted For The 2010 M-net Literary Award

2010-07-15 - Why Africa Is Poor

2010-07-07 - Penguin Books South Africa Announces Penguin Prize For African Writing Shortlist

2010-07-06 - Tooth And Nailed

2010-06-25 - Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Series

A Letter From America

Dear Michael Chima,

Taxpayers didn't cause this economic crisis, but we sure are paying the price.

Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis leads the way in the predatory, self-serving culture that gets executives rich at the expense of everyone else.

In just two weeks, Bank of America's shareholders will meet to decide CEO Ken Lewis' future at the company. Our government - and by extension, taxpayers - are the single biggest shareholder of Bank of America's stock.

This is our chance to send a message that it's time for Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis to go.

We're asking you to sign a "taxpayer's proxy card" to show your support for firing Lewis and reforming Bank of America - and we'll deliver it directly to Bank of America.

Click here to watch our shocking new video about why we need to fire Ken Lewis, and sign your name to a "taxpayer's proxy card."

Banks like Bank of America built a business model on screwing customers, pushing dangerous products, and burying customers in more and more debt. It would be bad enough if Ken Lewis' Bank of America just screwed its customers and taxpayers. But that's not all - the company also screws its workers.

Just days after receiving its first $25 billion bailout, Bank of America was caught hosting a conference call to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act - legislation that would help all working people, including Bank of America employees.

Enough. We need real reform, and it's clear Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis is part of the problem, not the solution. It's time for taxpayers to tell Ken Lewis to go.

We need you to take the next step right now. Watch our shocking new video and sign your "taxpayer proxy card" to vote out Ken Lewis.

We'll be in touch over the next several weeks about how we'll escalate our campaign to fire Ken Lewis. It's the kind of change our country and our economy so desperately need.

Thanks for all you do.


In solidarity,

Stephen Lerner
SEIU.org

P.S. Mark your calendars - save the date on April 28th for a big action related to our campaign.


Foreclosure Activity Increases 9 Percent in First Quarter According to RealtyTrac(R) U.S. Foreclosure Market Report
GLOCK, Inc. Announces Growth in Fiscal Year 2009 and Release of Rough Textured Frame 9x19 Pistol
U.S. Hispanic Internet Audience Growth Outpaces Total U.S. Online Population by 50 Percent
New IBM Study Highlights Exploding Demand for Smarter, Faster Rail Systems
Merrill Lynch Fund Manager Survey Finds Risk Appetite Returning as Aversion to Banks Eases
Mustang Celebrates 45 Years as King of the American Road
GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer Announce Innovative Agreement to Create a New World-Leading, Specialist HIV Company
'American Idol' Hits the Road as Simon Fuller and AEG Live Announce the 'American Idols Live!' Tour 2009
M/V LIBERTY SUN Arrives Safely in Kenya