NEWS
Coca-Cola Takes Five Lucky Winners to 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup
By Edozie Obasi-Eze
Five lucky winners have emerged in the just concluded Coca-Cola Nigeria ‘Believe and Win’ Under the Crown Promotion. The winners will have a unique and once-in-a-lifetime experience of an all-expense paid trip to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
It was gathered that this promotion builds on continued efforts to delight and refresh consumers across the country with rewards worth over N400m comprising instant airtime winnings across all mobile networks.
The five winners, according to a statement from CCNL, were selected from each region of the country – Lagos, West, East, Central, and North regions, through live draws in Lagos under the watchful eyes of officials of the National Lottery Regulatory Commissions (NLRC), and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), both of which applauded the company on its willingness to give back to consumers through football.
Congratulating the winners, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Alfred Olajide, urged them to make the most of the opportunity while enjoying the live action at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The first winner unveiled was Salihu Usman Wavah, a trader from the North region. Reacting to his winning, the unassuming Salihu was overwhelmed with emotions, during his official unveiling at the Coca-Cola Nigeria Office in Lagos. He described his winning as an opportunity of a lifetime. He said that his initial thought when he was notified was the incredulity of the entire situation as it seemed unbelievable.
In his words; “I want to thank God for this opportunity, I feel elated and proud. I appreciate Coca-Cola for this great privilege. When I first received the call, I was pleasantly surprised but skeptical, however, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt when the calls kept coming in from Coca-Cola. It’s been such a dream come true for me”.
The second winner under the promotion was Emordi Victor Olise, a final-year university student from the Central region, who decided to participate in the promotion with no particular expectation in mind. According to him, the promo initially became real to him when he received airtime after he dialed the code under the crown and subsequently, he could not contain his joy when he got the call from Coca-Cola during the live draw.
“When I got the first airtime, I said to myself that this is real, and I kept trying. Some days later, I received a call and was asked if I participated in the Coca-Cola Believe and Win Promo, I answered affirmatively. I was asked further questions and was thereafter confirmed to be a winner. I was very happy because I never thought that it was going to be so simple”, Emordi recounted.
The third winner, Emeka Philip Mordi, however, related a different experience. The businessman from the East region explained that he was grateful for the rare privilege. According to Mordi, his daughter encouraged him by religiously making the entries on his behalf through his preferred phone line. He maintained that his daughter had so much confidence in the promo and the company, Coca-Cola, that each time they shared a Coca-Cola beverage at home, she would tell him to dial the codes under the crown with his phone.
“My daughter consistently encouraged me to participate, saying, ‘Daddy you must go to Qatar’. A few days later, I got a call from an unknown number and was hesitant to answer but I picked up the call on the second ring. I was asked some questions, and to my utmost surprise, I was told that I had won a trip to Qatar”, he said amidst smiles.
The fourth winner was a young woman, Adefunke Ademokoya from the West region, who had decided to enter the promo for fun and the possibility of winning airtime. She indicated that she was not initially enthused about possible winnings as her family had dissuaded her from falling prey to scammers. However, her doubts were dispelled in the days that followed as she was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from Coca-Cola on her winning a trip to Qatar.
“This will be my first time traveling out of the country and I’m so glad that this is an all-expense paid trip. I’m sure that I’m going to have a lot of fun when I get to Qatar to watch the World Cup”, she excitedly remarked.
An enthusiastic Taiwo Olatunji was the fifth winner of an all-expense paid trip to Qatar under the ‘Belief and Win’ promo. He explained that one of his friends introduced the promo to him while they were enjoying a Coca-Cola beverage together. On his first attempt, he received airtime after dialing the code and this first winning provided the necessary inspiration to try again.
“The day I got a call from Coca-Cola would always be a day to remember as even my neighbors knew that something good had happened to me. I was very excited and I cannot wait to be in Qatar live. As a football enthusiast, I know that I’m going to have a wonderful time over there, all thanks to Coca-Cola and their amiable team”, he said passionately.
As official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup, the Coca-Cola Believe and Win Under the Crown promotion reflects Coca-Cola’s continued support for the football passion point across the country and a follow-up to other football-related activities as the 2022 FIFA World Cup games begin.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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