OASES NEWS staff had to travel to Barrie in June, Ontario to interview Dr. Adebusola Onayemi who has been unavailable for the past five months due to the nature of his job. The Oases News was delighted to meet such a very humble, inspirational and a man worthy to be emulated and whose name ring bell among the Nigerians here in Ontario evidencing his humility. According to Rev. Dr. Onayemi, “Before anything, God comes first”. He prayed first. After the prayer we commenced business.
Hear his opinion on Nigeria; “Nigeria is such a blessed country and things happening in Nigeria now should not be overlooked. The Health Care System will gradually move positively when things are all right in Nigeria because Nigeria is passing through a test of time so we must put God first in whatever we are doing”. He advised that the Nigerian government should spend more on Health Care and ensures that the citizens have good quality health care .
High quality foods are essential because of common illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes and other avoidable ailments can be regulated with lifestyle. Drink moderately and do physical exercise and you will see the difference. Men should go for prostate test and women should go for annual cancer tests for cervical, breast and other female related ailments. Rev. Dr. Onayemi added that Nigerians in diaspora are ready to help Nigeria through consultation so that the government can move forward in all areas of human endeavour.
Rev. Dr. Onayemi is a specialist Anesthesiologist. An author, an elder and chairman of the board of directors of Yoruba Community Association (YCA) in the Greater Toronto Area in Canada and has recently added another feather to his hat. He was ordained as a Deacon in January 2014 at Celebration Church, Barrie. He has contributed immensely to the Nigerian society financially and morally in Canada. He is a preacher, orator and prayer warrior. He is also the Executive Director of Bis Bus International, a Yoruba language Multimedia Publishing Company. He is the publisher of “Yorùbá: Mo on ko, Mo on kà” (Know how to Write it , Know how to Read it ) a bilingual Yoruba/English magazine. He is the founder of Yoruba Readers’ Club of North America which was established to give Yoruba children in the diaspora a practical way to learn their language and culture.
When it was exactly forty-minutes Rev. Dr. Onayemi reminded OASES News that it was time for him to go to Church, he prayed again and I left for Toronto. I started pondering on this “even if Nigeria is experiencing brain drain now, it will become brain gain if Nigerian government is able to embrace experience and knowledge of Nigerians in diaspora”.
Franklin Adeyeri has over 27 years of experience in professional editorial services. He graduated B.A (Honors) in Communications and Language Arts in 1986 from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria with concentration on Print Journalism.
While in Canada, he attended many academic Institutions among which are the University of Toronto; the Humber College, North Campus; the Seneca College, York University Campus, the Georgian College Barrie and the Automotive Training Centre in Toronto. He has a plethora of qualifications.
Franklin is a Teacher, Banker, Prolific Writer, Publisher/Editor, Graphic Designer, E-Commerce Professional and a Certified Credit Consultant. He is also certified in Automotive Laws and Ethics. Getting to Canada, he made his way to VOX NEWSPAPER where he worked as the Production Editor in 1999.
In 2001, he became the President and CEO of SFA BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Limited and the Publisher of OUTLOOK NEWSPAPER, a community publication in Toronto.
In 2006, he was employed by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. He was the Events and Promotions Facilitator until his resignation.
After leaving the OLG, he worked with many Car Dealerships in the GTA and mostly in management positions. He is currently the Chairman of BOOKS AND RESOURCES FOR AFRICA and the Vice President of Owo Community Association in Toronto, Canada.
He is happily married to Francisca and blessed with children. With 27 years of experience in publishing, Mr. Adeyeri is so enthusiastic to keep the ball rolling. He is now the President and Chief Consultant of VELOCITY Professional Editorial Services", Toronto, Canada. The VELOCITY Professional Editing and Proofreading Services is a unique company in all ramifications. It speaks for itself.
It specializes in the following: Editing and Proofreading, Proposal and creative writing, Book Reviews, Copy writing, Admission Essays, Research papers, Online Content, Graduate Thesis, Legal Documents, Medical Reports, Financial Analyst Report, Presentation and Speeches, Blog Writing, Press Releases, Mission Statements, Brochures and Flyers, Corporate Slogans, Video scripts.
The company runs a 24/7 schedule with a tenacity of purpose. The staff takes pride in the belief that there is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs. They do not cut corners. They are professionals who are very dedicated to making sure their jobs are error free. They have a positive demeanor towards their clients bearing in mind that “attitude is the crayon that colors our world”.
For all your editorial and proofreading jobs, contact VELOCITY through this email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
“Burn her, get me tyre, bring the gasoline, kick her, I will punch my own, etc.” sooner than later the victim man or woman is in flames! Her offense? no tangible offence than he/she was soliloquizing, looking confused, making some incoherent statements. It is not only sad but strange that these events still happen in this Africa especially in Nigeria.
How do we escape from people who enjoy killing with inpunity? The terror and unexpectedness of Nigerians towards people with special disabilities? Some victims had died in this wicked ways in what is called summary execution, jungle justice and had their bones disinterred and roasted.
We can never have such a precise record of just how many human beings went up in flames or killed in this manner. Could it happen again? Yes, only in Africa where Health care is being slaughtered in the alter of ostentatious lifestyles – Africans prefer to spend money on their appearance, buy expensive dress, phones, cars, spray money at parties etc. than spend money on their health.
An old woman with probably still limbs and creaking bones was reportedly to have confessed that she was flying from one city called Lagos to another city called Ibadan both in Nigeria. As reported, she was said to have dropped from the sky and turned from a bird to a human being. Story went on and on.
In short, the Police was able to save her from being lynched and was taken to the Police station. Her two adult male children were able to identify her when shown on Television and they went to the Police Station to bring her home. What really happened was that; according to report; the old woman wandered away from the house when her inlaw went to get the old woman her medication from the drug store, upon arrival she could not find the old woman and the search continued until she was spotted on the State Television.
We should know what is called Parkinson, Alzheimer’s and other age related ailments. Memory loss, confusion, disorientation etc may occur as a result of Alzeheimer’s, parkinson, psychosis, dementia etc. Enough of barbaric act!. The Money we waste on Politics, buy expensive cars, building unuseful custom-made houses etc. should be invested in Health Care.
Sunday Omokunmi holds B.sc Economics & MMP (Master in Managerial Psychology) opens up to OASESNEWS how he achieved his feats through hard work, dedication, experience and training he received from CAKASA NIGERIA COMPANY LIMITED which propelled him to become a Project Manager at Energy Group.
A Business Development Manager in the Oil and Gas industry, Mr. Omokunmi worked in CAKASA (Nig.) Company Limited, a notable indigenous Oil Service Engineering Company for over a decade. He also worked for almost a decade with the Energy Group, a conglomerate which is into Oil and Gas, Aviation, Banking, Print media, insurance, Education, Construction and Hotel & Tourism. Mr. Omokunmi has acquired Engineering and Project Management skills without being an engineer.
He helped in the management of human and material resources and also handled logistics that facilitated successful completion of the various projects by the engineers. CAKASA specialises in Engineering, Procurement and Construction services (EPC) in the downstream sector of the Nigerian Oil and Gas sector and has handled many multi-million Naira projects successfully.
According to Omokunmi “There is no doubt that we have great Engineers but not all of them are good managers and this is where we come in to manage the work process. The Engineers design and construct but we provide the logistics, materials and manage the human capital”. It was a whole lot of work to manage the workforce at the Headquarters and also manage the human and material resources of six branches scattered all over the country. One was always on his toe to manage what each of the branch managers was handling at the various Strategic Business Units. I was actively involved in all the various projects the company executed while I was in its employ and with the experience gained, I have almost become an engineer”.
Omokunmi did not forget to add this remarkable sentence about CAKASA’S Manpower Development and Training which according to him was the source of his present opportunity. ‘’It is a company that does not joke with staff training and manpower development and I must confess that I gained immensely from the various trainings and courses” Omokunmi stated.
OASES NEWS was able to track down this man of many parts called Omokunmi and it took OASES News over three months to be able to get his approval for this interview. Please read on:
OASES NEWS: How long have you been in the Oil and Gas Industry and how did you work your way up?
ANSWER: Let me start by saying that my knowledge about Oil and Gas dated back to when I was in the University. I studied Economics Statistics and one of our major courses was Petroleum Economics. Through this course, I had the knowledge of oil growth prospects and trading in the international market. The knowledge aroused my interest to work in the oil and gas sector after leaving the school. Therefore, my employment in CAKASA in 1992 provided me the opportunity to get deeply involved in this important sector of the Nigerian Economy. So, I have since been working to manage Managers, Project Managers, Branch Managers and also engage in the recruitment of engineers and other categories of employees for over twenty years now.
OASES NEWS: How many projects have you handled or participated in?
ANSWER: I have handled and participated in many projects. Without sounding immodest, I want to say that I have almost lost count of projects I have engaged in. Permit me to mention but a few of them.
In CAKASA, I participated in big projects such as the construction of tank farm for Texaco Nigeria, Lube blending plant for Mobil Oil Nigeria, tank farm for Obat Petroleum Limited (reputed to be one of the biggest in the West coast of Africa), the Kaduna Refinery Cooling Tower Project and the various turnaround projects for the refineries.
At Disc Communications Limited, a telephone and satellite television outfit where I worked briefly after leaving CAKASA, I participated actively in all of our major projects. We rendered a whole range of communication services such as community wired phone, paging services, Internet services, satellite television and television production. These range of services involved a lot of activities such as laying of cables, mounting telephone exchanges and many more which I coordinated in terms of providing logistics, materials and human resources.
At the Energy Group also, I handled and participated in so many projects. When I joined the Energy Group in 2004, the major business focus was in oil and gas before the promoter ventured into buying many more companies in other industries.
We built our depot and established over three hundred (300) gas station in all parts of the country. Some of the stations, majority of which are mega, were acquired, that is, outright purchase while some others were built from the scratch by the company. I was directly involved in the building of some of the stations and also in the acquisition and renovation of those that were acquired. I was also involved in the construction and running of the depot.
One other major project I got involved in was the Turnaround exercise for the various companies acquired by the group. The group acquired companies in the aviation, print media, hotels & tourism, construction, banking and insurance. Many of these companies were either underperforming, moribund or dead at the time of acquisition. I was a team leader on Fact Finding exercise to all these companies for the purpose of turning them around. The turn-around exercises in many of the companies were successful.
OASES NEWS: Give me an example of your biggest success in CAKASA and other places you have worked?
ANSWER: Thank you. Whenever I look back at my period in CAKASA, I always cherish the memory of what I was able to achieve for the company. The biggest was when CAKASA was awarded ISO 9001. I considered it the biggest because of my deep involvement in the certification process. We worked on defining and redefining of work processes and procedures and the responsibility of coordinating the whole activities fell on me. I was a trained internal quality auditor who had to train others and audit our work processes before the auditors Bureau Veritas conducted their audit that led to the award of the certification. It was a lot of work having to ensure that everything was in order at the company Head office, branches and the various project sites.
The certification, no doubt, opened up many more business opportunities for the company. In the Energy group, I would like to consider my supervision of construction of a mega station from inception to commissioning as a major achievement.
OASES NEWS: What are the business opportunities you see in the Oil and Gas industry especially with non-engineering staff?
ANSWER: opportunities abound for everyone in the Oil and Gas industry irrespective of whether you are an engineer or not. The industry requires the services of various categories of professionals and so it is not an exclusive preserve of the engineers. Again, what matters most is the interest and readiness to develop one's knowledge in order to be relevant in the industry. Hard work and the knack for learning cannot be overemphasized. Many of the thriving oil companies are owned and managed by non-engineering professionals.
There are many untapped areas in the Nigerian oil and gas industry that many more people can engage in once they have the required information, skill and knowledge. There are many opportunities available especially in the downstream sector of the industry. The population of people that require the use of petroleum products increases by the day and unfortunately, the power sector remains largely unstable and the refineries are becoming almost moribund. We require, more than ever before, investors for the refining of petroleum products in Nigeria for local consumption and possibly for exportation. So, the cake, I believe, is big enough for everyone interested to get a bit to bite.
Materials procurement and supply management, which happen to be another area of my specialisation, also create windows of opportunity especially for those who have the know-how. As the industry opens up, there is increased need for materials and equipment supply. The local content policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria has equally helped in expanding the scope of opportunities for the citizens. There are also vast opportunities in the gas sector which are largely untapped.
OASES NEWS: What are your strengths and future targets?
ANSWER: My ambition is to successfully run my company to become one of the leading oil and gas companies in the world. I believe it is achievable going by my strong interest and the accumulated experience in the industry.
When talking about strength, we can talk about the education and experience I have acquired in the industry for over twenty years, coupled with the strong network of the industry players I have established over the years. I have colleagues who are successful players in the industry, so getting things done would not pose any problem. I have also acquired adequate trainings especially in leadership to be able to manage my company(ies) successfully.
OASES NEWS: From your experience and based on the positions you have occupied , which section of the oil and gas industry would you consider underperforming?
ANSWER: The section I can consider as performing most poorly is the downstream sector - from product refining to distribution to the ultimate consumers. Due to the inefficiencies built into the system, the products do not get to the consumers as expected thus creating scarcity of Petroleum products most of the time with the attendant hardship to the citizens.
Our low refining capacity and the incessant menace of pipeline vandalism have all combined to contribute to the disruption that is always experienced in the product distribution channel. This has led us with no other option than resorting to importation of refined Petroleum products. So, there is a large room for improvement in the sector.
There are also opportunities in the gas sector waiting to be tapped as we currently loose a lot of revenue through gas flaring.
OASES NEWS: what do you specialise in now and how do you want others in developed countries like the U.S.A, Canada etc to assist in making your business buoyant?
ANSWER: We currently do equipment and material supplies to the Oil companies, carry out installation and maintenance work on their facilities. We also do petroleum product supplies to companies and other categories of consumers. At the moment and because we are just starting off, our equipment and material are sourced locally and this has not helped us much. We have the capacity, in terms of knowledge, to undertake big projects and do the procurement of our materials internationally but we are being limited by finance and other forms of support that can be got from abroad. We are open to doing business with reputable companies abroad.
We are looking at issues such as Agency Agreement and other partnership arrangements that are mutually beneficial. There is a whole range of products such as hose and fittings, valves, pumps, flow meters, fuel and gas dispensers, fire equipment to mention but a few that are in hot demand in the country.
On the aspect of petroleum product marketing, we are working on how to expand our business horizon by having our complete distribution channel from depot establishment to product refining/importation and retail outlets for fuel and gas. We are also desirous of working in partnership with foreign companies to realise this vision.
OASES NEWS: What did you gain from the companies you worked for and what impact do they have on your work now?
ANSWER: I gained a lot from my working experience. Foremost, all the companies I worked for embraced staff training and manpower development. So I benefitted immensely from their training programmes. I have developed and emerged from the greenhorn I used to be before embarking on my working career. I have been moulded to become a leader in the corporate world. The entrepreneurial spirit in me is now very high.
I have learnt that technical competence alone do not make great managers, values and good personal ethics are also fundamental. I have learnt the rudiment of corporation turnaround. I have learnt that integrity is the bedrock of success and that the world is full of boundless opportunities and platforms to create and make a difference.
I have learnt about managing people, even difficult people and what it takes to manage an organization through the turbulent times. I have learnt to always render quality services to the customer and the enduring principle of loyalty, a principle that has taken many organizations to their pinnacles. Above all, I have learnt that POWER BELONGS TO GOD.
OASES NEWS: What are the effects of the on-going crisis in Nigeria on the oil and gas business and how would you advise the government to handle it to avoid having negative effects on the oil and gas business?
ANSWER: I guess the crisis you are referring to has to do with the problem of terrorism and insecurity in the country. It is unfortunate that we are witnessing this kind of ugly situation now that we are just making efforts to settle the country down to proper democracy. There is no doubt that the development has created a setback for our country as we have lost and still losing human and material resources to the insurgency. The issue of terrorism which used to be alien to us is now a serious source of tension in our country.
We are a country of loving people living together in harmony before the current problem. I believe it is a passing phase for the country and I hope we shall soon get out of it.
The problem of terrorism in Nigeria has been condemned worldwide and the Nigerian government, with the assistance of foreign countries has been doing everything possible to solve the problem. Firstly, to secure the release of the abducted school girls and stamp out every form of terrorism and insecurity in the country.
The government needs to, more than ever before, provide adequate security for the citizens and foreigners alike in order to encourage inflow of investment to the country. The government is also advised to create enabling environment for the teeming unemployed youths to be meaningfully engaged in order to reduce available hands for crime. The government should do everything possible to curtail the activities of the terrorists and provide adequate security cover for our oil installations and facilities.
Mr. Sunday Omokunmi is the Operational Director of Beeline Services Limited, a company engaged in procurement, supply, installation and Petroleum products marketing.
A Nigerian-Canadian Editor-In-Chief of OASES NEWS; (a New Online News Media) Michael Kehinde Abiodun based in Toronto, Ontario, sat down with one of the Toronto Mayoral Candidates; Karen Stintz to feel her pulse on the on-going Mayoral race in Toronto. According to Michael K. Abiodun, OASES NEWS would go round the candidates to know what make them fit for the job.
Karen Stintz is the present city councillor in Toronto representing Ward 16. Karen was the former chair of the Toronto Transit Commission from 2010 until February 2014 before she stepped down to run for mayor. She holds BA, MSc and MPA degrees She has good plans for Toronto as she is “poised to solve human and vehicular traffic problems facing Toronto” that make Toronto rail transportation system congested especially during the rush hours. She promised to put more buses on the road if elected.
Her appearance on “Undercover Boss”, posing as Ruth Bear, which aired February 16, 2012 came up. She explained that the importance of doing that was to be able to figure out what could be cut and what should not be cut in the budget. According to Karen “you have to be creative to know how people feel, feel the pulse of the workers, be part of them, put yourself in their shoes ”. She went further; “Cutting the budget without taking the workers into consideration would be unfair. So I try to be humane and show a human face before any cut in the budget”.
According to Karen; “Toronto’s incredible ethnic diversity is one of its greatest strengths; visible minorities are now the majority in the city”. Karen attended the Yoruba Picnic organised by the Nigerian Community under the umbrella of Yoruba Community Association (YCA) on Sunday June 6, 2014 which she described as one of the best picnics so far and she said it was carnival-like. Interestingly, she said “I had a wonderful session with the Nigerian Community members at the picnic and was happy to see the huge attendance.” Karen posited that with what she witnessed at the Picnic, clearly there is solidification of cohesion and harmony evidencing the spirit of diversity and multi-culturalism in Canada regardless of ethnic, colour and race”. Karen said that “Nigerians are industrious, well-educated, amiable, supportive, responsible with enviable culture and Nigeria as a country is known all over the world”.
She added that her coming to this picnic gave her the opportunity to discuss a range of issues with residents and promised to ensure that more parks would be made available if elected as Mayor of Toronto since social gathering is a connecting centre.
Karen was quick to say that she is a legitimate candidate for the position of mayor because of her enviable proposals for the city. Karen emphasised that she has a nostalgic feeling for the TTC she chaired between 2010 and 2014 because of her unmatched and exemplary performances during her tenure, which has really improved her reputation in the eyes of the people.
The first International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) took place in New York City in June of 1967. Since then, thousands of products have been announced at the yearly show, including the VCR in 1970, the CD Player in 1981, HDTV in 1998, 3D HDTV in 2009 and Ultra HDTV, Flexible OLED and driverless car technology in 2013.
Tech expert Brett Larson and KillerApps.TV gave a glimpse of the cutting-edge tech unveiled at the CES 2014:
TV Tech. Beside the big introduction of the new Ultra HD or 4k TV technology, DISH Network introduced three new ideas. Extending the capabilities of a Hopper, the SuperJoey gives users the ability to watch and record up to eight shows simultaneously. The Wireless Joey system opens up installation options where coaxial or Ethernet wiring is difficult to achieve or undesirable, like above the fireplace or in the kitchen. And Virtual Joey provides a nearly identical experience to the Hopper's hardware-based Joeys within the new Sony PlayStation 4 with a Joey app for the PlayStation 3 system and select smart TVs.
For the home hobbyist. Brother featured the ScanNCut machine -- a revolutionary new home and hobby cutting machine with a built-in scanner. It's the only home and hobby cutting machine that can take an image, photo or hand drawn sketch, scan it and allow you to precisely cut the shapes or outlines you want to create unique, one-of-a-kind scrapbooks, greeting cards, appliqués, quilts, and crafts.
Gaming Tech. The Logitech PowerShell Controller + Battery turns the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5, and iPod touch (5th generation) into a mobile gaming console. Just insert the device into the PowerShell like a standard case, and enjoy favorite games on the go, with double the play time, thanks to an onboard battery.
Wearable Technology. The LG Lifeband Touch is a physical activity-tracking wristband with a full touch OLED display. It offers a convenient way to view key fitness data such as time, distance, speed, number of steps taken, calories burned and projected pace. The device enables data to be easily transmitted to LG's smartphone app for the connected user's convenience and tracking.
The connected car. Audi presented its newest electronic technologies at CES in Las Vegas for the fourth year in a row. The Audi stand showcased the integration of 4G LTE technology into Audi connect services. This technology allows for a faster transfer of data to the car for info on parking availability, social media, video streaming and more.
What if colleges could predict whether students would drop out of college before they had a chance to? How helpful would this information be in reducing dropout rates and increasing graduation rates?
Well, a new system may be able to help do just that.
"We have identified factors that can be predictors of student success, which gives colleges the ability to flag at-risk students," says Eric Reich of Higher One's Campus Labs platform. "Now, thanks to Higher One's Campus Labs platform, colleges are able to use sophisticated data analysis techniques to understand more about students."
Clues to how students are doing include how often they participate in campus activities (like sporting events or student organizations), how often they use campus services (such as checking in at the financial aid office, career center or computer labs) and how engaged they are with their own course work (providing course feedback or visiting professors during office hours).
All of these actions create data that institutions can capture, and all of these actions have been shown to increase the likelihood of a student to graduate. It makes sense, but only in recent years have schools embraced the technology that can gather and analyze these data so the college can really identify at-risk students and "tweak" their programs to help.
"Using Campus Labs, an advisor can actually detect patterns of students who are not successful and intervene to give them the guidance at the critical time -- before it's too late," says Reich.
Just look at Northern Arizona University, which recently partnered with Higher One to help the University collect data, collaborate across divisions, embrace student assessment and ultimately guide decisions by administrators.
"Freshman outreach has been very successful for us," says Erin Grisham, executive director of educational support service at Northern Arizona. "Students we meet with retain at higher rates than those we don't meet with."
