Category: Auto Guid

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has ousted the board and CEO of Consolidated Bank of Kenya in changes that have caught the attention of the regulator and triggered a court battle.

The boardroom coup followed Mr Mbadi’s rejection of the directors’ decision to offer the bank’s chief executive officer, Sam Muturi, a second term from October 11.

Before tapping Mr Muturi’s replacement on October 8, the Treasury CS fired three directors on October 3 after they insisted on Mr Muturi’s second term and rejected the push for recruitment of a new CEO.

Mr Mbadi advised the remaining two of the seven directors to hire Dr Murage Njeru, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi, as acting CEO, prompting Mr Muturi to petition court for his reinstatement or a compensation of Sh76 million.

Dr Njeru’s appointment came days after he stepped down in the race for the Mbeere North parliamentary by-election, which set for November 27, in favour of the candidate of President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

But his appointment has landed Consolidated Bank in trouble after the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) said the lender had breached its rules that demand executives pass a fit and proper test before of their appointment.

Dr Njeru’s appointment came as his brother and another contestant for the Mbeere North seat, Charles Njagagua, was removed as chair of Consolidated Bank.

The by-election is seen as a litmus test for the President’s popularity in the Mt Kenya region following his fallout with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

‘In light of the absence of a substantive board of directors, I hereby appoint Dr Dominic Murage Njeru, who is being seconded from the University of Nairobi as the acting chief executive officer to ensure effective succession management pending his certification by the Central Bank of Kenya,’ said Mr Mbadi in an October 8 letter to the Treasury’s representative on the Consolidated Bank board, Jane Njogu.

Ms Njogu later sent a memo to staff announcing the appointment of Dr Njeru as the acting CEO, prompting protests from the CBK.

The CBK reckoned that that Dr Njeru was yet to be vetted by the banking regulator, who earlier questioned Ms Njogu’s role, arguing it has not approved her second board term that started in September.

‘We bring to your attention provisions of Section Section 9A of the Banking Act which stipulate that institutions are required to ensure that no person is appointed or elected as a director or appointed as a senior officer unless the central bank has certified the person as a fit and proper person to manage or control the institution,’ CBK’s deputy director of bank supervision, Timothy Kimutai, told Consolidated Bank.

‘In addition, CBK Prudential Guideline on corporate governance stipulates that no senior officer shall take up his position prior to being cleared by the central bank,’ he added in the October 23 letter.

Consolidated Bank’s board in a letter to Mr Mbadi in March pushed for Mr Muturi to be offered a second term on grounds that he had delivered the bank’s first profit in 15 years.

But the Treasury CS in September rejected the bid to renew Mr Muturi’s term, urging the board to start the process of hiring a new CEO.

In a meeting held in September, four of the six directors opted to challenge the CS’s decision and insisted on Mr Muturi.

The former chairman, Mr Njagagua, and Ms Njogu sided with the Treasury CS.

‘In view of the foregoing, it was resolved that a letter be written to the Cabinet Secretary seeking further consultation and a reconsideration of the decision by the CS recommending the commencement of the recruitment of a new CEO in view of the fact that the board had instead recommended the renewal of the CEO’s contract for a further three years,’ say minutes of the board on September 12 seen by the Business Daily.

However, on the same date, Mr Njagagua terminated the contract of Mr Muturi, before the board’s resolution was communicated to the CS.

In a letter dated September 17, the CS acknowledged receiving a letter signed by four directors requesting extension of the CEO’s contract but insisted on ending Mr Muturi’s term.

On October 3, Mr Mbadi revoked the appointment of three of the four directors who had signed the letter save for Florence Oluoch, who had been appointed in November last year.

President Ruto revoked Mr Njagagua’s chairmanship on the same day, leaving the bank without a substantive board.

Mr Muturi on October 16 petitioned the court to have him reinstated, arguing that Mr Mbadi had no powers to overrule the board in the appointment of CEOs.

Consolidated Bank has been struggling with leadership gaps with more than half of its top management – six of 11 – serving in acting capacity, denying them full authority to execute their roles.

Albert Anjichi is acting as the bank’s head of legal and company secretary since 2023.

Fred Ronoh, head of finance and administration, and Harrison Muthoka, head of risk and compliance, are also temporal.

Others serving in acting capacity are head of human resources Rose Mukoba, head of retail and SME Josephine Mutunga, who however holds the docket of corporate banking substantively and head of credit Jullie Odadi.

Mr Muturi had banked on a fresh term after the bank posted a profit of Sh12 million for the six months ended June from a Sh84 million loss.

The bank, whose capital levels remained below statutory requirements, cut its operating expenses by four percent to Sh812 million from Sh848 million.

It reduced its staff costs in the six-month period by Sh5 million to Sh349 million, with management forced to look at cost cutting to spur growth as the government continued withholding its support despite persistent calls for cash injection.

Consolidated Bank has been in the red for the last nine years with losses wiping out its core capital to negative Sh731 million.

Its accumulated losses stood at Sh4.4 billion, putting it in breach of all CBK’s capital parameters.

The bank’s core capital to total deposit liabilities ratio is at negative 5.8 percent against a mandatory eight percent while its total capital to total risk weighted assets is at negative 6.1 percent against the statutory 14.5 percent.

The Treasury, which owns 93.5 percent of the bank, has failed to heed pleas to inject cash in the lender for the last 12 years.

For years, flower vases were the kind of thing you only saw in glossy magazines or in the living rooms of Kenya’s wealthy elite, placed on marble tables in hallways or on dinner tables.

But of late, vases are almost in all modern homes, and a number of interior décor entrepreneurs are cashing in on the rising demand. Kenyans are buying from vintage vases sold in antique stores, to those made locally or imported and sold online.

Dorothy Owuor, who has found success with soapstone vases, never planned to be in the décor business. Her journey into making soapstone vases began almost by fluke.

‘I had just moved to Kisii and went exploring in Tabaka, where soapstone is mined. I had no interest in starting a business then; I was just looking for decor pieces for my home,’ she says.

She did not find anything that she liked. ‘I started wondering whether it would be possible for me to create the kind of pieces I wanted for my home. In the process, I discovered a gap in the local design market for people who, like me, wanted unique pieces, which are as good as the ones on international platforms, but with roots from home as well.’

In 2022, she launched her first vase collection under her Soapstone Interiors business, after months of experimentation.

‘We realised that the pieces were being bought not just as flower holders but also as sculptural objects, pieces that could start conversations in homes or offices. So we built a design language around our vases,’ she says. ‘Flower vases now account for around 50 percent of our revenue.’

Though they have been in business for only four years, Ms Owuor believes the demand for vases is on the rise.

‘We’ve seen a lot of appreciation and an increase in the desire for authenticity and local craftsmanship,’ she says.

Social media has been the game-changer.

‘We are majorly on Instagram, and it has helped us reach and showcase our craftsmanship to a very design-savvy audience. We are also able to demonstrate how our pieces are being shipped, styled, and used by both local and international buyers.’

Over the years, her clients have grown to include homeowners, interior designers sourcing for residential and commercial projects, boutique hotels, and lodges who want to reflect Kenyan culture, and collectors and diaspora buyers who are seeking custom pieces.

But the business has its challenges. Beyond the weather-related hurdles, there are logistical challenges.

‘Sometimes it can be difficult to reach high-end buyers without a well-established distribution channel,’ she says.

Increasing male buyers

Another flower vase seller is June Njuraita, who owns Wendo Store Kenya in Nairobi.

‘For the past five years, there’s been an increase in the number of people wanting to share their lives online, meaning that their homes have to look nice,’ she says.

‘And when their audiences watch their content, they are influenced into wanting their own spaces to look good as well, leading to people wanting unique vases.’

She established the business in 2023 with only 50 vases made from ceramic, glass, and stone and sourced from India and China.

‘India is known for having really good rustic pieces,’ she says.

Previously seen as an interior décor item for only women, Ms Njuraita says 30 percent of her buyers are men, who also buy a matching vase, a tray, plus artificial flowers.

Where to put it

So, where do you place your vase so that it stands out as a work of art? Daphine Mutheu, who has been doing interior design for 17 years and is the founder of El Interior Designers, says the vase plays different roles in a home.

‘If you want a statement piece, then you go for bold colours, unusual shapes, and oversized forms,’ she says.

If you want the vase to play a supportive, accent role, then you go for a more subtle tone or a minimalist design to complement the other decor items. And if you want it to play a functional role in the space, then you pick a vase that can hold your choice of fillers. It all depends on your end game.’

The vases that she has seen trending in the market currently are mostly in line with the popular design themes.

‘Most people are going for the contemporary look, so I’m seeing a gravitation toward beautifully-shaped, asymmetrical vases made of ceramic, with glossy finishes and neutral colours, the whites, greens, blacks,’ she says.

‘But there’s another category that’s going for the boho look, and they look for vases with a more natural finish and ones that are functional so they can put maybe a monstera leaf in it.’

When it comes to styling the vases, Ms Mutheu, who is also an author, says there is a difference when styling an office versus a home.

‘For homes pick flower vases that are more playful and flexible, and it gives you more options to work with. You can mix glass, wood, or ceramic pieces, or have different textures, colours, and heights. For offices, however, because it’s a space used by many people and you want the decor to be more accommodating, you’d want to achieve a more formal look. So you’d stick to the neutral colours and shapes and find something simple but that makes a statement as well.’

Lighting is essential when trying to accentuate a flower vase.

‘If your vase is the centerpiece, then you definitely need lighting directed toward it so it can stand out. Lighting is also important for vases that have texture, such as stripes or dots, as it brings out that texture and allows people to see and appreciate it.’

The size also matters. The vase would naturally need to be big for a centerpiece, even as an accent piece requires a more toned-down piece of medium to small size.

‘If the room is somewhere where people sit and talk, then having a big vase that obstructs conversation is a mistake. You can place it in a corner instead, and let it make its statement over there,’ she says.

The other mistake is in buying a beautiful vase meant for the spotlight, and tucking it away in a dark corner where nobody can see it.

Similarly, when mixing different vases in a collection, arranging the taller ones in front of their shorter counterparts is another mistake that denies the collection its proper appreciation.

Ms Mutheu advocates for a flexible and fun approach to styling.

‘It’s not just the living rooms, vases can be used in dining rooms, bedrooms, entryways, hallways, even in kitchens, and can be layered with other decor items as well. You can layer them with books, candles, sculptures, trays, or beautiful baskets, or even just mix up different textures and materials for visual appeal.’

Another tip the expert shares is having different vases out at different times of the year.

‘Vases are not permanent. You don’t have to have the same vases in your house throughout the year. You can switch them up every now and then to give your space a fresh look,’ she says.

Stand-up comedy is often dismissed as a mere “side hustle,” sometimes compared to the frivolous skits dominating social media, but anyone paying attention to the Kenyan stand-up scene knows it’s a demanding art form requiring immense intellectual rigour.

The current crop of comedians is a testament to this. We have Ruth Nyambura (a banker), Ty Ngachira (a lawyer), George Waweru (a telecommunication engineer) and Doug Mutai (an entrepreneur), just to mention a few.

And to reinforce that, on the evening of November 1st at the Alliance Française Auditorium, we got the long-overdue recording of Bashir Kiptoo Halaiki’s stand-up special, who just happens to be an aeronautical engineer.

With six years in the Kenya stand-up scene, Halaiki, a witty, sociable, and intelligent character, finally took the leap to tape his first special, simply titled A Halaiki.

Setting the stage

The evening’s atmosphere was first established by Darren, the show’s director. His task was to manage the live taping logistics, setting ground rules with a comedic touch.

He didn’t issue sterile commands, instead, he used his own stand-up ability to gently enforce protocols, ensuring the crowd’s energy was high and everyone understood their role in the recording process. It was a brilliant, almost meta-performance that established the required seriousness while maintaining the mood.

Emmanuel Kisiangani

As the official host he proved to be the perfect choice. His energy was okay (I have seen him do better), I thought his experience in crowd work and improv did a lot of the heavy lifting.

Kisiangani effortlessly transitioned from hosting duties into the first act, immediately engaging the audience with material ranging from the popular Mwafreeka/Raptcha relationship to the relatable struggles of employment, living in Kitengela, and the nuances of marriage.

While his hosting felt perfectly honed, his stand-up set leaned heavily on crowd work and improv, giving the impression of an incredibly smart student who did not prepare for the exam, sometimes struggling to keep up. Though he scattered some brilliant material, the set felt more like a spontaneous clinic in improvisation than a carefully structured opening act.

Titus Mutai

Titus Mutai followed with a very solid set of material that felt prepared and well-rehearsed. While familiar to seasoned fans, his material on his name, relationship arguments, and weight issues was layered with decent storytelling but weak delivery.

He delivered a quality set that at times resonated with the majority of the audience, showcasing a comedian who didn’t need to prepare for the exam because he benefited from a leakage.

Nduta Kariuki

Her performance was wonderfully laid-back and intimate. While she demonstrated a warm, storytelling style, speaking on growing up on the farm and the challenges of gym life, she seemed genuinely shaken by the lights and sheer size of the audience.

Her set felt less about conventional comedy and more like a heartfelt conversation, focused on appreciating her peers and the fans of The Kisiangani podcast.

Like Kisiangani, there was a sense of brilliant content that hadn’t been fully solidified for the magnitude of the event, yes, another brilliant student who didn’t prepare for the exam.

George Waweru

George Waweru (Chai Knees) was prepared. He did a fantastic job of keeping the focus squarely on the laughs. His bits, covering topics like dating, toxic masculinity, wearing the same shirt as Kisiangani and the chaos of protests, were well-tagged, and his delivery was perfectly timed. He was highly present and engaging.

There was a sense of ownership of his set time, a sense of control, earning a huge reaction from the audience and proving that he was that one student who came in fully prepared for the exam.

Themain event: Bashir’s execution

When Bashir Halaiki finally took the stage, the evening culminated in an undeniably well put-together performance. Out of fairness to the upcoming release of the special, I won’t detail the material.

However, I can attest that his content was deeply personal, pushing the envelope on subjects like religion and his own background, while maintaining a surprising level of approachability.

What truly defined his performance was the execution. The pacing of his set was magnificent, he moved from setup to punchline with no awkward pauses or noticeable breathing room.

It was evident this was a show years in the making; every joke was lean, well-constructed, and precise. He possessed the committed, focused energy of a self-aware comedian at a crucial moment in their career, similar to watching comedy legends during their breakout specials in the 90s.

The only slight gripe was his stage presence. Though he occasionally moved, and the contrast between his outfit and the background made him stand out, it felt as though he had been strictly directed to stand at one spot.

Sacrificing some of the stage control seen in the other acts. But this minor blocking constraint did nothing to slow the relentless momentum of his tightly packed material. The director, Darren, will undoubtedly have a tough time editing, as there was virtually no fat to trim.

Despite the rain and the slight feeling of a ‘Kisiangani Podcast’ get-together among the performers, the event was a fun experience.

More stand-up

The stand-up special will hit our screens sometime in the future, but if you are still hungry for some Kenyan stand-up comedy, there are events taking place weekly, plus Mammito Eunice, Amandeep Jagde, and Doug Mutai have a stand-up special available on YouTube for free.

The difference between what Kenyan banks charge for loans and pay on deposits has hit its highest level in nine years at 7.44 percentage points, leaving borrowers and savers both worse off despite falling policy rates.

Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) data show that lending rates have eased by just 1.77 percentage points between August last year and September while deposit rates have fallen by 3.65 percentage points in the same period.

The cuts in deposit rates are in tandem with reduction on the benchmark CBK rate.

The uneven adjustment-which placed average interest rate at 15.07 percent in September and deposit rate at 7.63 percent-has pushed the spread to 7.44 percentage points.

This is the highest spread since August 2016, when the gap reached 11.29 percent just before Kenya introduced lending caps to tame the cost of credit.

The widening gap suggests that banks have been slow to pass on lower interest rates to borrowers, even as they moved quickly to cut what they pay depositors – a trend that reflects profit protection in the sector.

Concerns about the mismatch between lending rates and Central Bank Rate (CBR) had prompted CBK Governor Kamau Thugge to intervene more directly through moral suasion and threat of daily fines to improve rate transmission.

In addition, CBK has reviewed the risk-based pricing framework, establishing a common base lending rate for all banks based on the overnight-interbank lending rate, renamed the Kenya Shilling Overnight Interbank Average (Kesonia).

Kesonia is closely tied to the CBR under the interest-rate corridor framework, where overnight lending rates for borrowing between banks are held at no more or less than 0.75 percent of the benchmark.

The total cost of credit to a borrower equals Kesonia plus a premium denoted as K, which is determined according to the risk profile of each customer, but also factors in bank margins plus expected returns to shareholders.

Dr Thugge believes Kesonia has ended ‘all excuses’ for banks not to lower their lending rates, adding that the interest rates on loans should now mirror the prevailing policy rate.

‘There should be no excuse by banks for whatever reason [not to cut interest rates]. There have been quite a number of excuses. This time, there won’t be an excuse. Once we lower CBR, banks should also lower their interest rates,’ Dr Thugge said.

The CBR had hit a 12-year high of of 13 percent in February last year where it lasted up to August of the same year before CBK started

The CBR is now at 9.25 percent, being a 3.75 percentage points cut that has come from eight cuts since August last year.

This means the reduction in the deposit rate to an average of 7.63 percent compared with 11.28 percent at the start of August last year has nearly matched the CBR. However, over the same period, the cuts on lending rates have barely matched the cumulative cuts in the CBR.

Some banks have argued that they have been reluctant to cut lending rates significantly because they still face elevated credit risks in sectors like manufacturing, real estate and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The sharp drop in deposit rates reflects both lower competition for funds and subdued private-sector credit demand. The result has been a squeeze on savers, who are now earning the lowest returns on deposits in nearly a decade, while borrowers continue to face double-digit loan costs.

The last time the interest rate spread was this wide was in August 2016, when lending rates averaged 17.71 percent and deposit rates just 6.42 percent – a gap of 11.29 points.

That environment triggered public outcry and eventually led Parliament to enact the Banking (Amendment) Act of 2016, which capped lending rates at four percentage points above the CBR and set a floor for deposit rates. The interest rate caps were repealed in 2019 after concerns they had curtailed credit access, especially to SMEs.

The return of a large spread has seen CBK call out banks for not passing the benefits of a lower CBR to customers. This points to a long-standing issue of weak monetary transmission which has seen the regulator unveil a new loan pricing formula.

The widening spread is translating into improved profitability for banks. A faster drop in the cost of funds compared with the price of loans has seen banks maintain a growth in profit amid a soft economy.

CBK data shows Kenyan banks pre-tax profit for seven months to July grew by 8.75 percent to Sh177.7 billion from Sh163.4 billion in a similar period last year.

Equity Group, which is the only one that has so far published nine-month earnings shows net profit grew 32.6 percent to Sh52.12 billion in the period, mainly supported by Kenyan operations where there was a 51.2 percent rise in net earnings to Sh31.09 billion.

The persistence of high borrowing costs threatens to undermine the CBK’s efforts to boost private-sector credit, which had posted negative growth between November last year and March this year before recovering slightly to close September at a growth of five percent.

The declining deposit poses a challenge for savers given that inflation has been rising, hitting 4.6 percent in September compared with three percent at the start of the year and 2.7 percent in September last year.

In what can be described as a commendable departure from an entrenched disposition by its political elite to blame outsiders for the challenges confronting the region, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has unveiled concrete home-grown initiatives designed to address the problems of poverty and underdevelopment in Northern Nigeria. At the end of the Northern Nigeria Investment and Industrialisation Summit (NNIIS), convened by the NEF in Abuja from September 29 to 30, the group announced the formation of the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Council (NNEDC) to serve as an institutional framework to implement a new Northern Nigeria Economic Development Master plan.

The NNIIS focused on security, policy coherence and private capital as building blocks of the region’s economic emancipation and transformation, with particular emphasis on mining, agriculture and power. It is well known that Northern Nigeria is immensely endowed to flourish in the mining and agricultural sectors given her vast arable land and bounteous mineral deposits, while power and other critical infrastructure are imperative to unleash the potential of other dormant sectors for the benefit of the people of the North and the country’s economy as a whole.

This initiative by the NEF is far more productive than the recent preoccupation, for instance, by sections of the northern elite with blaming the incumbent President Bola Tinubu administration for allegedly marginalising the region in terms of appointments and budgetary allocations for infrastructure projects. Detailed statistics released by the presidency have since debunked this notion and it is heartwarming that the NEF is charting a more positive cause. It is up to the elite of the North to seize the bull by the horns and assume responsibility for the development of their region; a task that no one else can do for them.

Following the showcasing of investment opportunities by investment promotion agencies, corporate sponsors and deal room/matchmaking sessions, it is significant that pledges worth over $10 billion were made by investors across the mining, agriculture and power sectors. This is surely a foretaste of the tremendous potential of this regional development initiative if its foundational principles and blueprints are meticulously and efficiently implemented.

For one, the scope of participating stakeholders at the summit that produced these developmental initiatives was wide-ranging and comprehensive. They included representatives of the Federal Government, northern state governors, academics, private sector operatives, civil society representatives, financiers and development partners.

The truth is that all hands must be on deck to meaningfully address the conundrums of poverty and underdevelopment that have ravaged and made most parts of the North a hell on earth. However, we believe that representatives of the local government councils, traditional rulers and community leaders as well as security agencies in the region should also have been part of the deliberations.

Equally important is the need to work closely with the newly established North- East, North-West and North-Central Development Commissions to actualise the region’s developmental goals. It is important for the region to cultivate and link up with international development partners to aid in achieving these goals.

A key feature of the summit was the signing by the governors of the region of the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Charter, through which they committed their states to a unified regional economic vision. There is no reason why the state governments should not be more impactful in realising developmental objectives and improving significantly the well-being of their citizens given the humongous resources available to them as a result of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms.

The implementation of the Northern Nigeria Economic Development Master plan (NNEDM) will be coordinated jointly by the NEF and the Northern Nigeria Governors’ Forum, which will also supervise the new Northern Nigeria Economic Development Council. It is indicative of the seriousness that went into the deliberations that a Joint Implementation and Monitoring Taskforce (JIMT) has been charged with overseeing transitional actions and publishing an operational roadmap within 60 days.

There is a sense of urgency about the action plans and prescribed mode of operations that suggests a desire to go beyond the talk shops that previous summits represented and transform theory into visible practice this time around. For instance, the NNEDC has been charged with issuing quarterly scorecards to track measurable outcomes such as jobs created, energy capacity added and investments mobilised. We agree with the Director-General of NEF, Professor D.D Sheni, that this event signalled ‘a decisive pivot in Northern Nigeria’s development journey and that ‘With security as the bedrock, policy coherence as the framework, and private capital as the engine, Northern Nigeria can transform its endowments into sustainable growth ‘.

Some of the measures outlined to achieve the sectoral goals of the development initiative include mobilising capital market instruments such as infrastructure funds, sukuk/green bonds, and project bonds to finance generation, transmission, distribution and off-grid/mini-grid solutions in provision of power; institutionalising land administration reforms, including digitised cadaster, clear titling and time-bound consent with community benefit agreements and grievance redress mechanisms to modernise agriculture and launching a Northern Nigeria Capital Mobilisation Programme to leverage Direct Foreign Investments, pension funds, as well as sovereign and diaspora capital, among others.

This initiative to extricate Northern Nigeria from the stranglehold of poverty and underdevelopment acquires added urgency as the socio-economic situation in the region continues to deteriorate with attendant worsening youth unemployment, declining agriculture, a collapsed industrial sector, a dearth of qualitative social services in education and health and gradual descent into existential anarchy.

Some features of the abysmal quality of life in the North include high child mortality with 187, 134 and 97 deaths per 1,000 live births in the Northeast, Northwest and North central, respectively; about 16 million out-of-school children; high rates of malnutrition, with millions of children in particular affected by stunting, wasting and anaemia; high electricity deficit worsened by incessant vandalisation of public power supply infrastructure; over 90 per cent reliance on firewood and charcoal as cooking fuels with deleterious effects on human and environmental health, as well as drastic plummeting of agricultural productivity as a result of sustained insecurity and the consequences of climate change.

Impressive as these proposals for fundamental transformation in the North are, we can only hope that they indeed transcend rhetoric and impact the development of the region positively. Northern Nigeria is too richly endowed to continue to be bogged down by the blight of poverty.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Bauchi State Investment Summit, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar 111, stressed the need for such summits to translate into practical results as the North’s challenges called for homegrown solutions motivated by visionary leadership.

In his words, ‘We come together, deliver fine speeches, and host prominent industrialists – but at the end of it all, what do we achieve?.No one can develop our region better than we can. We must take charge of own destiny ‘. These are words of truth and wisdom.

Fercullen Irish Whiskey has made its debut in Lagos.

Head of Sales, Ryan Stapleton, said: ‘We are delighted to launch Fercullen Irish Whiskey. I am sure people who know good wine will love it. The launch showcases our best of brands.

‘We showcase unique product launches and are excited about this whiskey as the cask was hand-chosen by our ambassadors.’

The event, attended by Elozonam, Uriel, and Denrele, celebrated the brand’s heritage and craftsmanship, with an after-party.

The party introduced four expressions of Fercullen Whiskey: Fercullen Falls, Single Malt, 15-Year and the 21-Year.

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have raided Zhibi, a community neighbouring Dei-Dei town in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) but located in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State.

Abuja Metro learnt that the attackers abducted a businessman, Muhammad Shuaibu, along with his two daughters – a 200-level university student and her younger sister.

A member of the family told Abuja Metro that the assailants broke into the victim’s home around 12am on Friday through the backyard door after destroying a burglar-proof padlock.

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‘They did the same thing in the room where the wife of the family head was sleeping. She woke up suddenly to see them inside her room, so she quickly ran toward her husband’s room,’ the source recounted.

The source added, ‘They summoned all the family members to the sitting room, threatening to take all of them. But the wife knelt down and kept pleading with them to spare her baby. That made them spare her and the baby.’

According to the source, the attackers seized the mobile phones of the man and his wife and also demanded foodstuffs, which were not available in the house.

He said the police outpost in the area has only a few personnel, and efforts to get a response from the Dei-Dei Division did not yield any result, as, according to him, they always insist that they are under the FCT command, while the area falls within Niger State.

It was further learnt that no communication had been established between the kidnappers and the victims’ relatives as of Monday afternoon when our reporter visited the residence.

The Police Area Commander in Suleja, Muhammad Sani Musa, did not respond to phone calls made by our reporter on Monday.

However, a police source in the area confirmed the attack, adding that efforts were ongoing to track the abductors.

DESPITE the ongoing madness in the local political landscape, the Philippines also got good news one after the other recently.

In a matter of only 24 hours, Jessica Sanchez won America’s Got Talent (AGT), Kirk Bondad was proclaimed Mister International, and Veejay Floresca took home the grand prize in Project Runway US.

Sanchez’s victory was imminent after a stunning, soul-stirring performance of ‘Die with a Smile’ ( a collaboration between Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga) during the final show before Americans started to cast their final votes.

Sanchez is from Chula Vista in San Diego and married to Ricky Gallardo. She recorded a short video upon getting home: ‘I cannot believe what just happened. I was a complete mess onstage emotionally, and I’ve just been doing interviews and stuff, and I still feel the adrenaline and I’m soaking it all in with my husband. I’m just so honored and so grateful to everyone who believed, cheered and voted for me.’

The big dream started 20 years ago when as an 11-year-old hopeful, she joined AGT but didn’t make it very far. In 2012, she almost won American Idol, finishing runner-up to Philip Philips.

In a post victory interview, Sanchez talked about her big dream. ‘That dream started on the AGT stage a long time ago and I think it ignited this fire in me to believe in something bigger. Even though I didn’t make it through that time, and I was devastated as a 10-year-old, I’m so glad to have found that little bit of strength to keep going, and throughout the years it’s really been hard and challenging trying to find myself as a woman and as an artist. But you know, the biggest message is perseverance and just finding that little bit of faith to push though and believe in yourself again. So, here I am, the AGT winner of Season 20, and it’s just so amazing and so crazy,’ she enthused.

Floresca was a surprise winner for Project Runway’s season 21, which has been bashed consistently for many things: choice of designer contestants and judges, constant bickering and drama, boring outputs, and just the overall quality of content in many aspects of the show.

But in the end, after the many plot twists, the US immigrant from the Philippines made history as the first-ever transgender winner of the series, much to the delight of his fans and followers.

Once more, Floresca has proven that not giving up on our dreams is indeed very crucial because it is the reflection of our deepest desires and potentials.

‘If you have thought long and hard about something and it feels right, and it does consistently feels good, then you should not let anyone talk you out of it. Reaching for our dreams require bravery. And bravery is not the absence of fear but the strength to keep moving forward despite every hurdle. The path may seem challenging, even rough, but being brave means embracing all these struggles and continuing, knowing that the reward is always worth the effort you give,’ she told us when she first learned that she made it to season 21 of Project Runway.

Floresca added, ‘Giving up was never an option because it can lead to missed opportunities. I’ve always wanted to be a designer-a good, successful and respected designer. I know Project Runway will open bigger doors and make this dream of mine come true.’ For her feat, Floresca, who competed in the local version of Project Runway in 2008, won a cash pot of $200,000, plus six-month representation by Agentry PR, a mentorship program with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and a spread in Elle magazine.

And then there’s Kirk Bondad, who won Mister International in Thailand a few days ago. Bondad, only the third Mister Philippines to have won the crown after Alexander Aquino in 2001 and Florencio Mata Jr. in 2014, was obviously nervous before he was called out as the winner.

‘Your vision is unique to you and only you, and even if others might not see what you see, it is what you think and and what you feel that matter most. After my devastating loss in Mister World, I knew I cannot give up on my dreams,’ he told us before flying to Thailand earlier this month.

Bondad, who is half German and half Filipino, carries his mom’s surname in all his modelling and pageant activities. His father’s surname is Wachsmuth.

In summation, these victories reaffirm that it takes courage to pursue a dream, especially when others doubt or dismiss it. Just always follow your inner voice, keep your heart and intentions real and pure, and your mind undistracted. It is always okay to reset, restart and refocus, but never give up on your dreams.

Indeed, the big wins of Jessica Sanchez, Kirk Bondad and Veejay Floresca only confirm that big dreams, when pursued with courage, mindset, determination and hard work, have no deadlines.

MOST visual artists treat solo exhibitions as platforms to showcase something new, something fresh. Then there’s acclaimed abstractionist Katrina Cuenca, who, in her latest one-artist presentation, made no bones about maintaining the status quo.

‘As with all of my work, it’s the same principle,’ she said about the theme of her most recent exhibit at Art Lounge Manila-Alabang, underscoring instead the consistent sense of optimism that radiates from her colorful, kinetic artworks. ‘The intention is always for the viewers to feel some semblance of peace and happiness-a sense of calm.’

In no way does Cuenca’s statement suggest a lack of vision. If anything, it feels more like a refreshing approach, one that challenges the notion that novelty serves as the lone currency of an artist’s creativity. While Cuenca’s own practice has evolved into other mediums, she chooses to ground her artworks on the principle it’s best known for, communicating the same message she still finds fulfilment in spreading.

As always, positivity shone bright in her latest show, Elysium. Around 30 artworks comprised of paintings and her newer ventures into sculpture filled Art Lounge’s high-ceiling exhibition space at Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang from September 17 to 29.

During the artist’s reception over the weekend, the self-taught Cuenca shared that she tries to keep true to her practice’s identity no matter what. The exhibit’s featured series, for instance, was created during a ‘dark period’ following her mother’s passing. And yet, her artworks still hold form as vintage Cuenca with its twisting forms and entrancing palette, reminiscent of a betta fish dancing underwater. It’s a disarming sight, eliciting from the viewer a sense of surrender, as if saying let go and let be.

‘That’s how I wanted to feel [during that challenging period,]’ she said, ‘and I think people can relate to that, as well.’

The message pervades Cuenca’s Elysium. In the sizeable 44′ x 77′ painting Regal Atmospheres, we see her signature forms bursting from a void, its motion and drama heightened with a strategic framing made of silverleaf. Cuenca also uses goldleaf in other artworks, pointing to how as a self-confessed ‘Discovery Channel nerd,’ the idea that people are attracted to shiny objects like gold always stuck with her. She remembers that it’s also described as a ‘happy color,’ that interacting with it releases happy hormones.

‘It’s a sort of lucky charm,’ she said. ‘It’s like whoever is the custodian of my work, I’m giving that person luck.’

The same goes for Cuenca’s auspicious Talisman series, which features golden diamond backgrounds that accentuate her dynamic figures. Meanwhile, the exhibit also presented Cuenca’s more recent forays into glass sculptures, including the cerulean Fractus Caeli, which appears like an elemental block taken straight out of the ocean, frozen in time.

Cuenca’s experimentation with different materials and explorations into other mediums demonstrates her natural inquisitiveness. ‘As an abstract artist,’ she said, ‘it’s my job to keep experimenting.’

She’s also excited to test the artistic potential of various items, just like dichroic films, stretched beyond its industrial applications. Even the way she paints puts limits to the test. Her process involves her placing the canvas upside-down and in other different positions just to see how her forms dance at every angle.

What remains constant amid all the changes, however, is the positive, inspiring and enriching energy of her artwork.

Cuenca said, ‘I think that’s where I found my purpose.’

MOST visual artists treat solo exhibitions as platforms to showcase something new, something fresh. Then there’s acclaimed abstractionist Katrina Cuenca, who, in her latest one-artist presentation, made no bones about maintaining the status quo.

‘As with all of my work, it’s the same principle,’ she said about the theme of her most recent exhibit at Art Lounge Manila-Alabang, underscoring instead the consistent sense of optimism that radiates from her colorful, kinetic artworks. ‘The intention is always for the viewers to feel some semblance of peace and happiness-a sense of calm.’

In no way does Cuenca’s statement suggest a lack of vision. If anything, it feels more like a refreshing approach, one that challenges the notion that novelty serves as the lone currency of an artist’s creativity. While Cuenca’s own practice has evolved into other mediums, she chooses to ground her artworks on the principle it’s best known for, communicating the same message she still finds fulfilment in spreading.

As always, positivity shone bright in her latest show, Elysium. Around 30 artworks comprised of paintings and her newer ventures into sculpture filled Art Lounge’s high-ceiling exhibition space at Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang from September 17 to 29.

During the artist’s reception over the weekend, the self-taught Cuenca shared that she tries to keep true to her practice’s identity no matter what. The exhibit’s featured series, for instance, was created during a ‘dark period’ following her mother’s passing. And yet, her artworks still hold form as vintage Cuenca with its twisting forms and entrancing palette, reminiscent of a betta fish dancing underwater. It’s a disarming sight, eliciting from the viewer a sense of surrender, as if saying let go and let be.

‘That’s how I wanted to feel [during that challenging period,]’ she said, ‘and I think people can relate to that, as well.’

The message pervades Cuenca’s Elysium. In the sizeable 44′ x 77′ painting Regal Atmospheres, we see her signature forms bursting from a void, its motion and drama heightened with a strategic framing made of silverleaf. Cuenca also uses goldleaf in other artworks, pointing to how as a self-confessed ‘Discovery Channel nerd,’ the idea that people are attracted to shiny objects like gold always stuck with her. She remembers that it’s also described as a ‘happy color,’ that interacting with it releases happy hormones.

‘It’s a sort of lucky charm,’ she said. ‘It’s like whoever is the custodian of my work, I’m giving that person luck.’

The same goes for Cuenca’s auspicious Talisman series, which features golden diamond backgrounds that accentuate her dynamic figures. Meanwhile, the exhibit also presented Cuenca’s more recent forays into glass sculptures, including the cerulean Fractus Caeli, which appears like an elemental block taken straight out of the ocean, frozen in time.

Cuenca’s experimentation with different materials and explorations into other mediums demonstrates her natural inquisitiveness. ‘As an abstract artist,’ she said, ‘it’s my job to keep experimenting.’

She’s also excited to test the artistic potential of various items, just like dichroic films, stretched beyond its industrial applications. Even the way she paints puts limits to the test. Her process involves her placing the canvas upside-down and in other different positions just to see how her forms dance at every angle.

What remains constant amid all the changes, however, is the positive, inspiring and enriching energy of her artwork.

Cuenca said, ‘I think that’s where I found my purpose.’