Former Nigeria Customs Service, Tincan Island Port Command Public Relations Officer Chief Uche Ejesieme (0zor Ishinmili Agulu) and family members buried their father, Chief Alexander Okoye Ejesieme at in Ifiteani Village, Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.

A respected businessman and a figure of inspiration in the community, Chief Alexander Ejesieme’s contributions will be cherished, and his legacy remembered.

The entire town was enveloped with fanfare as prominent Nigerians came to honour the departed and celebrate his impactful life.

The funeral service begun at St. John De Evangelist Catholic Church Agulu by the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor, as soon as his remains and the funeral Cortese which included an horse-drawn carriage arrived the church.

In his sermon The Most Rev. Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor, extolled the virtues of Pa Alexander Ejesieme who reportedly lived a life of dedication and service to God.

According to him,Chief Ejesieme was a man with intimidating kind heart, whose greatness is not in the riches and wealth he has acquired, but in his unrelenting act of generosity.

The burial attracted the presence of
His Eminence, Peter Cardinal Ebele Okpaleke, The Catholic Bishop Of Nnewi Diocese Rt. Rev. Dr. Jonas Benson Okoye, Papal Nuncio To Czech Republic Archbishop Thaddeus Okolo, The Catholic Bishop Of Awka Diocese Most Rev. Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor, The Catholic Bishop of Ekwulobia Diocese, Most Rev. Fr. Professor Obiefuna, Anglican Bishops and Reverends from other Denominations, former Governor Anambra State, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, The Governor Anambra State Chukwuma Soludo represented by His Deputy Dr. Onyeka Ibezim, High Court Judges, Comptroller Anambra/Enugu/Ebonyi Command Comfort Senas Ukpanah, Very Senior Officers Of Nigeria Customs Service, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Nigeria Bar Association Anambra Branch, Onyechi Ikpeazu Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Distinguished Senator Victor Umeh and other Members of the National Assembly,

Pa Ejesieme, who died at age 93 was born in 1927 to late Chief & Mrs. Ejesieme Obikwelu of Ifiteani village Agulu in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra state.

He attended standard school in Agulu during his formative years before on an apprenticeship to late Mr. Okeke Mgbafor of Ifiteani village Agulu, as a metal fabricator here in Agulu where he demonstrated exceptional skills endearing him to the heart of his master.

As the only son of his parents, he sought an opportunity to try his hands in other business ventures, leading to his relocation to Onitsha, where he started learning the trade of kitchen utensils at the popular Onitsha Main Market. Here again, he quickly learnt the trade to the admiration of his contemporaries; shortly after, he started his own business.

He got married to Chief Mrs. Elizabeth Uzoamaka Ejesieme JP (ADADIORANMA) 1963 from Umubiala Village Agulu and the marriage was blessed with 9 children from the same mother among whom is Chief Alexander Ejesieme Jnr, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria

The highpoint of the event was the thanksgiving procession by Chief Uche Ejesieme and his immediate family members, amid soulful renditions from the St. John De Evangelist Catholic Church choir.

The former NCS Tin-Can Island Port Command PRO,described his late father as his best friend and “a man who loathed dishonesty”.

He added: “A very open-minded and passionately detribalised Nigerian, he encouraged and supported his children to see every Nigerian as one.

“He was a natural activist, speaking up against injustice and man’s inhumanity to man, an attribute he bestowed on his children” Chief Uche Ejesieme said.

Mohammed Shosanya

President Bola Tinubu,Friday,directed relevant government agencies involved in the implementation the “no work, no pay” policy against the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to waive that policy in the interest of the affected union.

He also directed that the four months salary of the academic staff be paid to the affected workers.

The presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale,who conveyed this in a statement on Friday, explained that the decision was in exercise of Prerogative of Mercy which the President exercises.

The “No Work, No Pay” Order was instituted against striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) following the commencement of their eight-month industrial action which began on February 14, 2022 and was terminated on October 17, 2022.

He said:”in view of his determination to mitigate the difficulties being felt during the implementation of key economic reforms in the country, as well as his recognition of the faithful implementation of terms which were agreed upon during the fruitful deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has directed the grant of an exceptional last waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order on ASUU, which will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four (4) months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary which was withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.

“The President has directed the grant of the waiver with a mandatory requirement that the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment must secure a Document of Understanding (DoU) establishing that this exceptional waiver granted by the President will be the last one to be granted to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and all other education sector Unions,” Tinubu stated.

Mohammed Shosanya
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the Solid Minerals Development Fund of Nigeria (SMDF), a Nigerian mining-focused development fund, and Xcalibur Multiphysics (Xcalibur), a global leader in airborne geophysics, have partnered to enhance the landscape of geo-scientific data and geological mapping for early-stage mining projects in Nigeria.

The three institutions signed a Cooperation Agreement recentlyon the sidelines of the ongoing Nigerian Mining Week in Abuja.

The partnership will pursue initiatives that enhance the availability of Nigeria’s geological data to interested investors across the globe and design an exploration program for mapping the country’s subterranean mineral wealth,a statement said.

Besides AFC, SMDF and Xcalibur will aim to establish a comprehensive database that effectively showcases Nigeria’s resource potential, thus encouraging long-term investment from banks, mining firms, financial institutions, and individuals.

AFC and Xcalibur,had earlier this year signed a joint venture agreement to partner on mapping, developing and co-financing natural resource projects in Africa, and this initiative in Nigeria is an offshoot of the program.

According to the statement,with this tripartite agreement, AFC and SMDF will jointly explore suitable financing solutions, engage with regulators, support relevant government agencies, and facilitate government discussions while Xcalibur contributes technical support, oversees data quality, and conducts economic evaluation studies, including potential biodiversity and environmental mapping.

Speaking on the agreement, Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of AFC, said, “Nigeria’s abundant natural resources provide a promising foundation for growth and development. However, there is currently a limited understanding of the vast underground mineral wealth within the country. In order to address this, our collaboration with SMDF and Xcalibur seeks to significantly improve the availability of high-quality geomapping data. This ambitious initiative will not only attract valuable mining investments but also pave the way for the development of critical mineral resources in Nigeria with intentional focus on value capture and retention in line with the minerals value chain policy in the country. Ultimately, our goal is to establish Nigeria as a pivotal player in the global energy transition.”

Fatima Umaru Shinkafi, Executive Secretary and CEO of Solid Minerals Development Fund, said, “Over 90% of Nigeria remains underexplored, with significant potential to discover and increase existing deposits. Increased exploration activity is crucial to realising the benefits of the country’s geological endowment and supporting a pipeline of new projects to market. Given that Nigeria accounts for less than 0.5% of the global exploration budget, our partnership with AFC and Xcalibur will act as a stimulus for resource exploration activity, derisk resource exploration in Nigeria, and increase the global appeal of Nigeria as a resource exploration destination.”

“We are thrilled to join forces with the AFC and the SMDF in this groundbreaking project to enhance geophysical data in Nigeria,” said Dario Castellanos, VP Financing and Middle East Director of Xcalibur Multiphysics. ”Our collaboration will bolster the availability of high-quality geophysical data that will attract mining investments and contribute to the development of critical mineral resources in the country. We believe that this initiative will be instrumental in establishing Nigeria as a pivotal player in the global energy transition, and we are fully committed to the success of this exciting project.”