News Star newspaper

Honda Accord wins Yahoo! award

GBENGA ADERANTI
The four door Honda sedan has won the first yahoo! Auto Award.
The award tagged Yahoo! Autos Excelerator Award is the first auto award to be organized by yahoo.
The award, according to yahoo! will remain an annual event henceforth.
According to Yahoo! Honda emerged no 1, based on user interest, intent and satisfaction. These factors are measured by search queries, leads submitted, rating and reviews by Yahoo! users.
However, unlike other sponsored awards, the service provider said it’s award "is not sponsored by any manufacturer and Yahoo! is not being paid for this initiative."
Yahoo! said Honda emerged tops as a result of multi-dimensional factors- performance, safety and comfort played major role.
"In capturing the fancy of Yahoo! users, the Honda Accord Sedan relies on fresh styling to set it apart from others in the mid-size category. A bold grille, large jeweled headlamps and crisply executed character lines gives the Accord a commanding presence more in line with European luxury models.
The Honda Accord sedan is slightly larger than its main rival, the Toyota Camry. Compared with the previous Accord Sedan, the new car has a wheelbase that has increased by nearly an inch, and the overall length has increased by nearly 5 in. And at 72.7 in. across the beam, the Accord is an inch wider than the Toyota."
The Honda Accord Sedan comes in LX and EX versions. Both the LX and EX trim levels come with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces a robust 177 bhp, which is delivered to the front wheels via a choice of a 5-speed manual or automatic transmission. Top level EX-L models can be equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6 making 271 bhp. That engine not only delivers power, but good fuel economy thanks to an ingenious cylinder deactivation system that allows the powerplant to run on either three or four cylinders when under a light load.
In addition, the Accord’s ample output is enhanced by variable-assist power steering that provides ample feedback through the twisty bits and an easy action in low-speed parking maneuvers. Independent suspension and 4-wheel disc brakes imbue the car with a lively personality that has become a Honda hallmark.

Oyo commits N16bn to transportation

PETER DADA, Ibadan 
Oyo State government has earmarked a total sum of N16.2billion, on road construction and rehabilitation with a view to enhancing good road network throughout the state.
Governor Adebayo Alao Akala made this disclosure while presenting the 2009 budget to the state House of Assembly last Thursday , saying his administration really committed a good deal the construction of roads in the outgoing year (2008).
According to the governor, some road contracts in Ibadan, the state capital which were hurriedly awarded by the administration of his predecessor, Senator Rasheed Ladoja have been seen by the present administration as white elephant projects and were beyond the resources of the state.
As an alternative to these of these projects, Governor Akala said that the state goverenment had reawarded another road contracts in Ibadan which according to him were Challenge-Odo Ona Elewe- Apata roads, Queens Cinema-Dugbe Oke Ado Molete road.
Although works on the said awarded road contracts had not taken-off but the state chief executive maintained that any moment from now, work would commence at the sites .
He also disclosed that apart from Ibadan City, all the roads contract in other towns and villages in Oyo State in the outgoing year were awarded to open up the hinterland and allow for free flow of agricultural produce, most especially the foodstuffs to the various markets in and outside the state.
"A lot of attention is also being paid through the activities of the state roads maintenance agency to the repair of existing intra and intercity roads, which suffered enormous damage during the last rainy season," he stressed.
It could be observed that out of N120.74 billion proposed for 2009 budget in Oyo State, transportation took the largest share with N16.2bilion, closely followed by Health with N13.7 billion while Education sector took N6.4bilion.With this huge sum of amount budgeted for transportation, the problem of traffic congestion in Ibadan and other major cities in the state is expected to be a thing of the past as the governor also promised to provide mass transit system from Ibadan to Ogbomoslo, his home town.
‘’ This administration would consolidate its efforts at enhancing public transportation by putting in place an efficient and affordable mass transist system starting from Ibadan and Ogbomoso in the next financial year" Akala assured.To execute this project, Oyo State number one citizen revealed that a total sum of N7billion had been set aside in the proposed expenditure, noting that his administration had focused on the implementation of sustainable public transportation system.
A source close to the Akala told News Star that he (governor ) had signed a deal with a bus manufacturing company in Asia to import luxury buses into the state to be plying roads in Ibadan city, emulating Lagos BRT system.

Forum discusses ways to move auto business forward

GBENGA ADERANTI
Stakeholders in the Nigerian automobile business will on Wednesday converge on Lagos to discuss ways to move the auto marketing business to another level.
The programme which has been tagged the ‘National conference on automobile marketing- A day with auto sales legend of our time’ is expected to have the best brains in the industry in attendance.
One of the organizers of the conference, Mr. Samuel Adikpe, in a statement, said the objective of the conference would be to empower auto marketers for personal development and maximization of profits through increased sales.
"Auto sales business, like the financial and telecommunication sub-sectors, is a billion dollar investment undertaking. The expectations of most investors and
employers are for their marketing teams to ensure good returns on their investment in terms of volume sales.
However, this is not always the case. Some have however made it, through thick and thin in this same business as auto
marketers. How was this done, and how can the up and coming marketers package themselves that will result into attainment of sales target, and increase volume sales to the satisfaction of their employers? That is the objective for the conference."
The event which holds at Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi will have in attendance, the biggest Toyota distributor in Nigeria, Chief Michael Ade.Ojo (OON), Chairman, Toyota Nig Limited; Chief Molade Okoya Thomas, Chairman, CFAO Group; Alhaji (Dr) Sanni Dauda (MON), Chairman, Peugeot Automobile Nig Limited; Chief Williams Anumudu, Chairman, Globe Motors.
The event will be chaired by Chief Olusola Dada, President, Institute of Directors of Nigeria, (IoD). Dr Oka Obono, International Communication and Marketing Consultant, UI, Ibadan, is also expected at the event.
The statement also said, Federal Government would be represented by the Minister of Transport, Dr. (Mrs) Diezani Allinson-Maduekwe.
Also expected is Prof Bamidele Badejo, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation.
The organisers said the the lecturers would share personal experiences to the participants on how they made it to the top in spite of stiff competitions. They will also teach on how to advance the needed tips to increase volume sales by the marketers.
The conference has been endorsed by both both the federal and the Lagos State government.