Court fixes March 29 for hearing on suit asking Malami to revoke OPL 245

A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed March 29 for the hearing
of a suit seeking the revocation of OPL 245 awarded to oil giants
Shell and Eni.

In April 2018, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA)
had filed an ex-parte motion, seeking an order for Abubakar Malami,
attorney-general of the federation (AGF) to revoke the licence on
grounds that it was awarded illegally.

Giving details of the court’s proceeding in a statement on
Wednesday, Lanre Suraju, executive director of HEDA, said the group
was represented in court by R.A.O Adegoke and Aishat Odekunle.

Both counsels according to him, asked the court to grant its
request to probe into processes involving the license which HEDA
said were flawed.

Adegoke said that all parties had been served their processes,
which had prompted “preliminary objections” from the
defendants.

“The Plaintiff equally filed its reply to all, hence, counsel to
the defendant applied for a short date for the hearing of the
matter,” the statement read.

“O. Ojo and M. Nwodo stood for the 2nd Defendant, Abiodun Rufai
for the 3rd Defendant and E. A. Ejiga, (Miss) for the 4th
Defendant.

“The 2nd Defendant objected and rather requested a date for the
hearing of the preliminary objections filed by the 2nd -4th
Defendants which challenge the jurisdiction of the court and this
was seconded by the other defendants.

“Consequently, the court adjourned to the 29th day of March 2019
for the hearing of the preliminary objections of all the defendants
after which it will then give its ruling and decide whether there
is a need to hear the Plaintiff’s application or not.”

OPL 245 is one of the largest oil blocks in Nigeria.

Kabir Dangogo @70: Celebrating a Veteran PR
Guru
By Abdulsalam Mahmud

It is safe to conclude that he was a doyen of Public Relations.
Yet, Mallam Kabiru Dangogo is one celebrated public figure, yours
truly never dream of meeting someday. Of course, I have heard about
his radiant, vivacious and affable personality. I have read the
deluge of tributes about him, published by ace writers, on notable
tabloids. The way he revolutionized the profession of PR. His
brilliant exploits as a crisis communicator cum manager.

Born on February 21, 1949, Mallam Kabiru Dangogo schooled and
bagged different academic degrees from both Ohio University,
Athens, United States in 1981, and University of Leicester, United
Kingdom (UK) in 1987. He was the Managing Editor of New Nigerian
Newspaper between 1988 and 1989. He was once a Senior Lecturer at
Kaduna Polytechnic (KADPOLY) in the late 80s; and then became the
Press Adviser, for the United States Information Service in
1990.

After 32 years of working for various corporate organisations,
Mall. Dangogo voluntarily retired at Union Bank on June 26, 2005,
as the Assistant General Manager (AGM) Corporate Affairs.

He is a member of several professional bodies across the globe.
In 1981, he was elected a Fellow of the International Radio and
Television Society (IRTS) New York. He was the founding President
of the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB)
between 1986 and 1988.

Mallam Cutting his birthday Cake

In 1996, he received the NIPR President’s Award for Excellence
in Public Relations; and became a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute
of Public Relations (NIPR) in 2000; a Fellow of the Advertising
Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) in 2005. He also received
the Lagos State Chapter of the NIPR Award for Excellence in Public
Relations in 2005, among others.

The NIPR Fellow was also a one-time Secretary-General of the
African Public Relations Association (APRA) from 2002 to 2006,
while also been the Chairman, Nigeria Chapter of the International
Public Relations Associations (IPRA) between 2002 and 2006.

Mall. Dangogo was all these, and even more, some years ago.
Then, I will soon get to have a chance meeting and acquaint myself
with him. At the Image Merchant Promotions Limited (IMPR’s) main
office in Wuye, he visited Alhaji Yushau Shuaib two days back. Alh.
Shuaib, though Mall. Dangogo’s protégé, is someone who has since
gone ahead to etch his name in gold in Nigeria’s PR firmament. He
has won every merit award that is there to be won in the field of
PR. He has been recognized for his professional excellence and
extraordinary accomplishments as a prolific image-maker. Both here,
and outside the shores of the country.

Just recently (last December specifically), he travelled to
Barcelona, hometown of one of the most glamorous football clubs in
the world, Barca. While he went empty-handed, Alh. Shuaib, the
author of the classic bestseller, “An Encounter with the
Spymaster”, came back with a beautiful award plaque. But I can’t
say if Ya-Shuaib, as my boss will prefer to call himself, got a
monetary prize attached with the award he carted away in Spain. If
he did, we, his staff, weren’t told.

Sorry. I digress. Back to the tale of Mallam Dangogo’s visit to
IMPR office. Like he came, he left quietly, but with an infectious
smile beaming all over his face. I would have concluded that the
elderly, yet cheerful man was an angel. But no. I was yet to arrive
at that conclusion when Ya-Shuaib sauntered into our newsrooms. I
was dazed when Mr. Shuaib, upon entering said, “Mahmud, do you know
the man that just left right now? Well, if you don’t know, that’s
one of the doyen of Public Relations in Nigeria.”

However, I was excited that though I couldn’t get to speak to
him, I saw the inimitable PR juggernaut who I only knew on the
pages of newspapers.

Mal. Kabir Celebrated PR Interns

Thursday, February 21, 2019, was the day the veteran PR guru
turned 70. Again, Ya-Shuaib hosted Mallam Dangogo in his exquisite
office, when the erstwhile PR guru came calling. He informed him
that the company’s intern, who are mostly students of Mass
Communication, will like to have a brief interface with him at the
boardroom. But that was not it. Mr. Shuaib had something up his
sleeves. He wanted to play a fast one on Mall. Dangogo. Thus, he
secretly organized a surprise birthday celebration for his
mentor.

Kabir
Dangogo with IMPR Staff

At exactly 4pm, the methodical Dangogo was ushered into the
boardroom by our swashbuckling Oga at the top, Alh. Shuaib. Though
an accomplished VIP, Mall. Dangogo, I would say, seemed not to have
any air around him. He was at best: humility-personified, as he
gently walked in. Amidst revelry, I and my colleagues, rented the
air with a ‘melodious’ happy birthday song for the septuagenarian
Dangogo.

In a remark, Mallam Dangogo expressed gratitude to Alh. Yushau
and entire staff of both PRNigeria and Economic Confidential
online/magazine media. He informed his hosts that he can’t recall
when he last commemorated his birthday, just as he has even
forgotten his date of birth.

With a sense of nostalgia, he recalled the glorious days of
Public Relations, where decorum, ethics and professionalism were
the core principles guiding the profession. He then lamented the
appalling state of PR in contemporary Nigeria. He pointed out that
Public Relations is not just about writing impressive grammar-laced
press releases or eloquently speaking English during press
conferences. He advised the young staff of IMPR to be hardworking,
diligent and strive to abide by the ethics of the profession.

Mal Kabir who is 70 Congrats Arafat on 17th
Birthday

Though it was an occasion to rejoice with the revered Mallam
Dangogo, Master Arafat Abdulrazaq, an intern at the company also
turned 17, the same day with the veteran crises manager. After an
attractive group photograph session, the PR icon was then joined by
his hosts to cut his 70th birthday cake. Getting to meet Mallam
Dangogo, for a rising journalist like me, is a rare privilege. I
pray I should also attain greater accomplishments like Mall. Kabiru
Dangogo—later in life. It will, for sure, be a dream come true for
me. Till then, I wish to extend my hearty “Happy Birthday”
compliments to him, and wish him fruitful happy returns in the
years ahead.

Mahmud, a PRNigeria Staff Writer wrote in from Abuja. He can
be reached at babasalam1989@gmail.com