Posted by By Bukola Olatunji and Ayo Aminu on
Profile of some passengers on the Bellview plane
Dr. S.A. Adegoke/ Mrs. B. Braimoh
On Sunday, October 9, a Director at the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Dr. S.A. Adegoke came to the Gospel Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Paris to testify to how God delievered him from a stray bullet a few metres to his house in Abuja, only five days before he arrived Paris for the General Conference of UNESCO. So close was the bullet that he momentarily lost the use of that ear.
A deeply religious man and a pastor in the church in Nigeria, Adegoke gave thanks to God and counseled all that were present in church that day to move closer to God and serve Him in truth because the end could come at any time. Little did he know that the end was indeed so near.
One of the longest serving chairmen of the Science Sector of the Nigerian National Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-NATCOM), Adegoke came back from Paris on Saturday night aboad Air France and boarded the ill-fated Bellview flight 210. Also in Paris and on both flights as Adegoke was Mrs. B. Braimah who only last July, was promoted Director, Education. It was her first and last attendance at the General Conference.
On the phone from Paris last night, Nigeria's Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Prof. Michael Omolewa described the deaths of the many people through the air crash and that of the First Lady, Mrs. Obasanjo as a big blow.
The First Lady, he said, had accepted UNESCO's invitation to anchor the culture aspect of the 60th anniversary celebration of the organisation on November 16, three days after what was to be her 60th birthday too. He, however, said, "rather than mourn, we should celebrate the lives and contributions of these people to the development of the country. We pray that God will heal the wounds.
John Udeka
Mr. John Udeka, who became the Managing Director/CEO of ACB International Bank Plc in May 2004, is a first class accounting graduate of the University of Lagos, whose profile in the industry has risen in recent years as a sound professional with expertise in the restructuring and repositioning of banks.
A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Udeka is joining ACB International Bank from Devcom Bank Limited, where he has been leading the turnaround team, having also played a major role in similar assignments in Equatorial Trust Bank Limited as a General Manager and later as Executive Director.
George Enenmoh
Engineer George Enenmoh is the managing director of Ascon Oil Limited, one of the leading indigenous fuel marketing company in the country and Chairman Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPMA).
He clocked 50 years last July 2 during which he also commissioned his telecommunications outfit, TOPCON and three more fuel storage tanks.
Enenmoh worked hard to confer respectability on local fuel marketing companies better known as independent marketers. And in consonance with his vision for an increased local participation in the strategic oil sector, he paid $50,000 (N6.5 million) early this year to obtain license to construct a 55,000 bpd oil refinery in Delta State at a time major oil companies turned their back on such project.
He took Ascon Oil to a consortium that won an oil block at the 2005 Bid Round.
Maria Sokenu
She was the Managing Director of the defunct Peoples Bank of Nigeria, which was established during the Ibrahim Babangida administration to provide micro-credit for the under-privileged persons in the country to enable them initiate small-scale industries.
Cheick Diarra
He was working for Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as Director-General.
Joseph Agharite
He was the Chairman of Nigerian States and Local Governments SMEs Development Scheme (NIGERSTALG).
Ayodeji Omotade
He was a Permanent Secretary at the Federal Capital Territory. Before then, he had also served in same capacity at the Federal Ministry of Labour.
Mohammed Waziri
He was the Chairman of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) and also member of Board of Trustees of PDP. He was also Chairman, Presidential Committee of Trade Malpractices.
Abubakar Argungu
Argungu who until his death was the Postmaster General of the Federation, would be remembered for bringing sanity into the Nigerian postal services. Since he assumed duty, the delay in mail delivery and spate of pilfering have reduced.