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Obiekwu Counsels Footballers, Sportsmen To Plan For Retirement

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By Sola Alabadan

Ex-Nigerian International, Kingsley Obiekwu, has advised active sportsmen and women to save and invest their earnings to avoid running into hitches when they retire.

Obiekwu said recently that he went into the commercial transport business to complement his earnings from his coaching job.

He said “As an ex-player, I want to advise the younger ones that if money comes there to save and invest because football and sports is something that you do within a period in life. If you retire, you begin to struggle if you don’t save enough.

“In my case, I did not waste my money, at least I have a house. Imagine the landlord throwing your property out because you can’t pay rent, it would have been worse.

“Our club managers and administrators should also complement the effort of state governments by making sure they pay players and coaches.

“I have players in my former clubs whose marriages have crashed because they can’t provide for their families, you can’t develop football without developing those making it happen,” he stated.

The story elicited reactions from the public including Super Eagles Skipper, Ahmed Musa, who made a cash donation of N2 million to the Atlantic ’96 Dream Team defender to cushion his financial crunch.

Obiekwu said though the story came as an embarrassment to some of his family members, there was nothing to regret for telling the world what he was passing through.

He said that when he wanted to go into the transport business years ago, his wife discouraged him on the grounds that it would be debasing for a man of his class in fame and fortune.

“I want to thank God for everything. Some members of my family have been calling me to express embarrassment over the story but I told them not to worry because I played the game and I know what I feel.

“The story is making an impact with a lot of reactions. Being a popular person, I cannot hide; Nigerians will be interested to know how their ex-heroes are faring, but I have told my family not to worry, that I will handle it.

“So yesterday, the Media Officer of the Super Eagles who works in a radio station called me to inform me that somebody wanted to speak with me and I said he should give him my number.

“Musa called me and said he had heard my story and that he and his teammates will do something but meanwhile, I should give him my account number and in about an hour’s time, I got an alert of N2 million, I appreciate that a lot,” he said.

Obiekwu, who said he was forced to retire at 30 in 2004 due to health reasons, said a number of ex-internationals were passing through hard times and while urging them not to be ashamed to speak out instead of dying in silence.

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Business

emPLE Unveils Endowment Plan For Savings, Protection

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emPLE Life Assurance Limited has announced the launch of BETA Life, an endowment policy designed to empower Nigerians to grow their wealth, secure their future, and protect what matters most.
The product offers a unique combination of protection and savings in one simple, flexible plan helping Nigerians meet their financial goals, while staying protected through life’s uncertainties.
With three cash benefits spread over the policy term, BETA Life helps customers plan for real goals, be it education, rent, homeownership, or business without having to wait till the end of the tenure to benefit from their plan.
Speaking on the launch, Rantimi Ogunleye, MD/CEO of emPLE Life Assurance Limited, said: “BETA Life is more than a product; it’s a solution built around the realities of our customers. It’s for the parent who wants to secure their child’s future, the entrepreneur planning ahead, or the individual who wants to save smartly without losing the safety net of protection. We’ve brought together savings and life insurance into one plan, because we believe financial empowerment shouldn’t mean choosing one over the other.”
With flexible policy durations and multiple payout points, BETA Life is designed to adapt to a customer’s journey while providing peace of mind. In the unfortunate event of death or permanent disability, the plan ensures that loved ones or the policyholder are financially supported, proving that life insurance can be just as much about living well as it is about preparing for life’s uncertainties.
This launch is a continuation of emPLE’s mission to make life insurance more inclusive, relevant, and empowering, giving more Nigerians the tools to build financial resilience with confidence.

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Business

Sovereign Trust Insurance Appreciates Nigerian Workers As May Day Holds

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As the world marks this year’s edition of Workers’ Day on Thursday, May 1, 2025, the Managing Director of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Mr. Olaotan Soyinka has lauded the efforts of Nigerian workers and their contributions to national development.
Soyinka, who spoke at the company’s Appreciation Day Ceremony in Lagos, noted that a virile and dedicated workforce is instrumental and germane to the progress of any society.
He said the date, May 1, should be seen as a very important one because it is the day set aside to celebrate and give due respect to workers all over the world regardless of their social strata in the society.
According to him, “every legitimate form of work is as important as the other and credence must be given to all and sundry without any bias”.
In appreciating the staff of Sovereign Trust, Soyinka congratulated them and urged them not to relent in the judicious discharge of their duties as they strive to maintain the worldclass standard of the STI brand.
He further said that the management of the company will not stop at investing in the development of the its human capital, while also placing technology at the heart of its business operations. He equally assured the members of staff that their labour will not go in vain as they contribute their quota to the growth and advancement of the organisation.
He wished them a hearty Workers’ Day and encouraged them to always make the customer the focal point in their day-to-day activities.
He said”our customers should be at the heart of our business just as we must not compromise on delivering service excellence at every given opportunity thrown our way”.
The Head of Human Resources for Sovereign Trust, Adeola Onichabor, in her response to the managing director, thanked the management for the uncompromising stance in investing in training and human capital development for members of staff both at the local and international level.
She stated that Sovereign Trust has on parade an array of professionals in different fields of specialisation who effectively compliment the efforts of the professional underwriters in the organisation.
She equally used the opportunity to thank and encourage her colleagues to continue in their stride of hard work and dedication to the ideals of the company.
She enjoined them to also respect and honour one another in the discharge of their duties as the organisation strives to maintain best practice standards in the comity of insurance companies in the country and beyond.
Some members of staff who had been with the organisation from inception were equally recognised and appreciated for their commitment, unwavering dedication and contribution to the growth of the organisation in the last 30 years of the company’s formation.
Sovereign Trust is an equal opportunity employer of labour with an uncompromising stance on high ethical standards and astute professionalism. The Head of Human Resources and Capital Development equally used the opportunity to wish every Nigerian worker and workers globally, a happy celebration on Workers’ Day come May 1, 2025.

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Business

PenCom Strives To Recoup N1.3bn Unpaid Pension Contributions From Media Houses

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Executive Secretary of Nigerian Press Council, Dr. Dili Ezughah and the Director General of National Pension Commission, Ms. Omolola Oloworaran during a recent working visit to the Council in Abuja.

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has stated that newspaper organisations are owing over N1.3 billion in unpaid pension contributions for journalists. This was disclosed by the Director General of PenCom, Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, who led a delegation to the Nigerian Press Council in Abuja.
Oloworaran expressed concerns over widespread non-compliance with the Pension Reform Act 2014 among media establishments.
Consequently, PenCom and the Nigerian Press Council have entered into a strategic collaboration to prevail on newspaper organisations to settle the huge pension liabilities owed to their employees.
The PRA 2014 mandates that employers remit monthly pension contributions into employees’ Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) not later than seven days after salary payments.
According to the PenCom DG, many media houses have failed to adhere to this requirement, prompting the Commission to assign Recovery Agents to audit and determine their outstanding pension debts and applicable penalties.
Recently, the PenCom DG has been leading an aggressive enforcement drive, building strategic partnerships with regulatory agencies aimed at recovering unpaid pension contributions from organisations running into billions of Naira.
However, the focus on the media sector is highly significant being the first time of conducting such high-level engagements towards resolving the lingering issue.
Oloworaran said journalists deserve to retire with dignity as they play a vital role in ensuring accountability across the public and private sectors.
Media organisations, in turn, must lead by example by fulfilling pension obligations to their employees.
She appealed to the Nigerian Press Council for support in advocating compliance within the media sector, emphasising that pension contributions are a critical safeguard against old age poverty.
“Pension is a vital component of our social security system, and even the government has begun to take it more seriously,” she added.
In response, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Press Council, Dr. Dili Ezughah, pledged the council’s support and commitment to addressing the issue.
Dr. Ezughah said the Nigerian Press Council would escalate the matter to relevant stakeholders, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors, highlighting the significant impact of unpaid pensions on journalists’ welfare. He decried the failure of media organisations to remit pension contributions as a significant challenge in the Nigerian media industry.
The discussions culminated in the establishment of a joint working group of PenCom and the Nigerian Press Council, tasked with ensuring a speedy resolution of the issue.

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