The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • KEMI OLOIDI: A woman without financial power cannot fly

    KEMI OLOIDI: A woman without financial power cannot fly

    Kemi Oloidi is the author of Up and About – Memoir of an Expatriate Spouse, who tells her experiences traversing the world with her husband. Married to an expatriate, Oloidi who recently turned 60 in this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde shares her journey in over two decades of living across countries, with tips for younger women who are likely to find themselves in her shoes.

    LET’S talk about your growing-up years and how they influenced who you are today.

    I had my secondary school education at Saint Timothy College, Onike Yaba, that was after attending Federal Government School, which didn’t work for me, as I could not stay in a boarding school. After my secondary education, I worked with the Federal Audit Department for about three years. And then I decided to go back to school where I had my National Certificate in Education (NCE) in 1988 before I got married.

    What  advice will you give to a young expatriate wife?

    There are a couple of advice for a young expatriate wife; if you are in your 30s before you leave as an expatriate wife, I will say count your costs, and do your cost analysis. Find out if you will be able to get a job where you are going, if you are not sure you will get a job, discuss with your husband,  what the allowances will be.

    In my own case, I just got promoted with an increment when we had to move.  I told him, ‘Oga, if I am going to leave my job, how do I live?  I can’t be asking for money for matches all the time. And he said, how much is your salary, I told him, and he said, I will pay you at the end of the month, and he was paying me my salary.

    You need to be honest with your income, a woman without financial power is not good. And when I think I need an increment, I let him know and he plays his part. My sister told me that even if her husband decides to pay her all the money in the world, she cannot stay without working, hence you need contentment to thread my path. That is why I said, do your cost analysis and know if you can be a stay-at-home mum, because in some countries you are not allowed to work without proper documentation as it will require cost implications for the company.  You will also consider what kind of schools your children will be attending and what is the company’s contribution to it, including cars, and housing. Don’t let the euphoria of going abroad overshadow the reality.

    In Nigeria, you have your support system, your friends, family, and all the rest. Abroad, you will be alone until you can settle and make friends, but the initial stage is usually hard. After you have passed that stage, you start thinking, about how you can improve yourself.

    Share with us some experiences living outside the country.

    Our first assignment was in Uzbekistan, it was a socialist country; it is a controlled economy. I heard that there used to be black students in the past, but to be honest, a lot of people would see me then and scream. So, it was difficult to make friends. One day, someone approached me and said she had a weird question to ask, she inquired if we wear clothes in my country, and I just told her no, that I came to their country naked and I got my first dress at the airport. She believed me and even pitied me. Then I offered to invite her for tea when she came, I brought out my photo album and didn’t tell her anything. As she flipped the pages, she saw me in my beautiful dresses, pictures of my family, and my wedding dress. She looked up and asked if this was me in my country and I said yes.

    And she went, ‘Africa is beautiful.’ And guess what, she became my ambassador and told everybody she knew about me. Suddenly, everybody wanted to be my friend. They will wave at me. They will offer to give me tomatoes. Tomato is like fruit for them. That was how I became a superstar in the small city. So it would be best if you found a way to break whatever bias. I don’t think it will be that bad in this era, of technology.

    How were you able to deal with culture shock and being in a different environment?

    That killed me and sometimes I will break down. We spent three and half years in the first country we lived in, Uzbekistan. At some point, I wasn’t going out anymore, people wanted to see what I am buying, hear me talk and so I told my husband I didn’t want to go shopping anymore. He took over with the aid of our driver and housemaid at the time.

    By the time we moved to Kenya, I thought, this was also an African country like ours, but then I realized that East Africa and West Africa are poles apart. I discovered that other than plantains and Ewedu, the Kenyans eat like Europeans. They have their maize and beans that they cook together, no oil, no pepper, nothing they just cook maize, beans and they enjoy it, they serve it at parties. We don’t dress alike either, but we were able to manage as a sizable Nigerian population in Kenya and we made it worth the while for each other.

    What has been your highest point as you turn 60?

    I remember when I turned 50, I tell you, I cried the whole time, because I just looked at myself. My children and my husband organized a dinner for me, and I sat at the table  and I just started crying. My husband and kids were shocked, and I looked at myself and said I haven’t achieved anything other than following their dad. I have nothing to my name. I think I just wasted my life and now I am 50.

    And my daughter said mum, how can you say this? Look at us. Look at my brother. You have raised us. Are you not proud of us? Look at your husband, you have supported him; he is a success. How can you say you have not gained anything? How can you say you have wasted your life? Please don’t do this to yourself. You have achieved everything. My husband couldn’t say anything. He was shocked. Then later in the day he called me and said if you continue to think like this, then you won’t know how to be grateful.

     What is it that we don’t have? We are healthy above all. What do you want? Do you want to be the CEO of a company? And to be honest, I was carrying that idea before he voiced it out that day. I have been thinking, why am I jobless? I realize that as humans, we seem to focus on what we don’t have. So, for my 60th my husband said I must have a party, even though I am not a party person.

    So how long did it take to put your thoughts into a book?

    I started thinking about it in 2012 when my daughter told me I should consider putting my thoughts in a book. In 2017 I decided to sit down and write. Because at that time, we already knew when we were retiring. So, I just picked the countries one after the other and penned them down.

    You have been married for over 30 years, in an age where marriages are failing, what has kept yours?

    To be honest, the first thing is God, the Bible says the people that know their God will carry out great exploits. Then you try and find your own, know your limits. So first of all, you have to be confident in yourself to have a stable home. A lot of us allow our society to shape who we are. Be yourself. Don’t allow anybody to push you, and don’t listen to what people say. Please know what works best for you. People will tease my husband saying he doesn’t womanize or drink. He is a good man, he is listening, but he does drive me crazy because he is a very strict person. For me, I will say prayer is what made my marriage or what makes it still standing because we talked of divorce, I will not lie. There are times I said listen, I don’t think this is working for me, especially in the early stages – the first five years. I am still praying for my family.

    A woman should have a life even after being married, what is your advice to young women in this regard?

    Find your niche. We need fun in life. You have to find what makes you happy. I have friends whose husbands are nothing to write home about. So I always tell them in life, you have to be happy. Find something that makes you happy and do it, we can’t be serious all the time. Continue to pray if you’re still together. If you are a single mother, still pray, pray for your children, pray for yourself, pray for ex. I have seen people who are divorced for years and they still come together, the marriage is fantastic. If you are single and not married, you are looking to marry a good man, keep praying, I’m sure your time will come. I was the last person to be married among my folks of friends. Commit your ways unto the Lord and He will order your steps. Trust Him with all your hearts.

  • Mahmood Yakubu battles to deliver elections with no losers

    Mahmood Yakubu battles to deliver elections with no losers

    Prof. Mahmood Yakubu superintends one of Nigeria’s most talked about institutions, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). As INEC Chairman, he faces an impossible task: to fuse a tumultuous and corrupted electoral culture with the puritan formality of a neutral, ethical oversight. Yakubu was meant to sanitise the country’s corrupt system and the February 25 presidential polls was his litmus test.

    But while the exercise has been hailed in several quarters as a dependable foundation for more remarkable poll administration, a motley of aggrieved parties comprising defeated aspirants and their supporters and some foreign media, accuse the Yakubu-led INEC for holding a flawed election.

    Amid the barrage of commendation, criticisms, and threats, Yakubu’s calling asserts two big changes in Nigerian politics. The first is a paradigm shift from knee-jerk electoral superintending to a proactive, punctilious, cultured ethic – politics after all, is a social science.

    The other big change manifests in the conduct of a technologically-compliant INEC amid unforeseen contingencies; E.g. the procedural shortcomings and resort to manual upload of results to forestall a record 1.2 million attempts by mercenary hackers to hack INEC’s portal and compromise the results of the presidential and legislative elections.

    “On the election day alone, we were able to block more than 200 attacks, and the next day, the attacks geometrically increased to about 1.2 million,” said the Managing Director (MD) of Galaxy Backbone (GBB), Muhammad Abubakar. The GBB is the federal government’s information technology and shared services provider.

    Thus it may be said that under Yakubu’s leadership, INEC successfully neutered criminal cyber attacks on the commission’s portal.

    It’s debatable whether these changes have been good for Nigeria. There’s little doubt, however, that Yakubu has midwifed a remarkable electoral process, albeit suitable and improvable, for keeping Nigeria afloat through the most competitive transitions ever.

    Nonetheless, he suffers virulent criticism of his oversight functions as INEC boss. Critics and supporters of the PDP and LP accuse him of rigging the election for All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who emerged victorious polling a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 6,984,520 to emerge second. Labour Party’s Peter Obi scored 6,101,533 votes to come third and Rabiu Kwankwaso of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) scored 1,496,687 to emerge fourth.

    Against the backdrop of the criticisms, however, it must be said that there are no perfect elections even in the Western world. The United States, for instance, suffers major challenges in its electoral processes including deepening party polarization over electoral procedures, the vulnerability of electronic records to hacking, and the impact of deregulating campaign spending, compounding the lack of professional standards of electoral management.

    There is no gainsaying the 2016 US presidential elections deepened the cracks and hinted at a pervasive problem in the conduct of American elections. Hillary Clinton (Democratic Party) and ex-president Donald Trump (Republican Party) battled through exceptionally bitter primary and general election campaigns polarizing the electorate and generating serious claims of vote rigging, voter suppression, fraud and hacking. The flaws in America’s electoral process have become more apparent over the decades. The contemporary tipping point in public awareness occurred during the 2000 Bush-versus-Gore election count. Several major structural weaknesses, thereafter, exacerbated doubts in the 2016 campaign, thereby worsening party divisions and corroding public trust in America’s electoral process.

    Such anomaly has been experienced by some other major democracies of the world. Hence it is mischievous of a few foreign media to cast aspersions on Nigeria’s electoral process while deliberately ignoring the electoral challenges of their homeland.

    Since 2019, INEC facilities across the country have been attacked over 50 times while its officials and security personnel have been injured and killed, in some cases, especially in Nigeria’s southeast.

    Speaking at the Chatham House, recently, Yakubu stated that “The 2022 attacks constitute the deepest concerns for the Commission…This is so not only because they are increasingly happening closer to the general election, but also because some of them seem to be coordinated.”

    But while violence constituted a major challenge to credible elections in this year’s elections, another hindrance manifested in the scarcity of funding generated by the ill-fated currency redesign and naira swap policy initiated by CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, with the backing of the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari. This impoverished the masses and aggravated widespread insecurity as voter divides resorted to extreme violence to register their resentment.

    Notwithstanding, Yakubu assured that INEC has put in place measures to ensure safe, free and credible elections. The commission’s deployment of technology to protect its portal and the polling exercise via the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was widely hailed as a visionary step well suited to Nigeria’s clamour for a free and fair election.

    But meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from all over the country in Abuja, following the February 25 presidential polls, Yakubu noyed that, “The issues of logistics, election technology, behaviour of some election personnel at different levels, attitude of some party agents and supporters added to the extremely challenging environment in which elections are usually held in Nigeria.”

    Citing that “a lot of lessons have been learnt,” Yakubu stated that INEC will correct its shortcomings en route to the polls for the 28 State governorship seats and the 993 State Houses of Assembly seats.

    He said, “On Election Day technology, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will once again be deployed for voter accreditation and result management. The deployment of BVAS has gone a long way to sanitise voter accreditation as can be seen from the result of recent elections. Since last week, the Commission has intensified the review of the technology to ensure that glitches experienced, particularly with the upload of results are rectified. We are confident that going forward the system will run optimally.”

    Such a pledge by the INEC boss should be enough reassurance to stakeholders in the election. As Yakubu leads the charge of administration and supervision of the March 18 gubernatorial and state legislature elections, the onus is on him, no doubt, to guarantee an efficient exercise.

  • Tough times for ex-Imo Deputy Gov

    Tough times for ex-Imo Deputy Gov

    The immediate past Deputy Governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona, is in the eye of the storm. It remains unclear if his arrest was politically motivated or if security operatives acted based on independent findings.

    In an attempt to absolve itself from the issue, however, the Hope Uzodimma-led state government has distanced itself from the arrest of Irona. Notwitstanding, Kissinger Ikeokwu, legal adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said Irona’s ordeal was politically motivated.

    Acting swiftly, the police pressed charges against Irona on three counts bordering on treason, illegal possession of state government property and for making utterances capable of causing public disturbance.

    The state government had exonerated the governor of the state, Hope Uzodimma, saying that it doesn’t interfere with the affairs of the police but Irona’s spokesperson and the state chapter of the PDP, in separate statements claimed that Irona’s arrest was masterminded by the state government.

    In a gestapo style, Irona, who was the deputy governor of Imo State between May 29, 2019 and January 14, 2020, under Emeka Ihedioha, was arrested in his house by the police.

    A Magistrates’ court in Owerri, remanded Irona in prison custody despite efforts to get his bail. The presiding magistrate, C. N Ezerioha, after hearing the prosecution counsel and defence counsel, ordered that Irona be remanded at the Owerri Correctional Centre.

    Ezerioha said that the court does not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter. Counsel for the ex-deputy governor, S.I Imo, had immediately after he was arraigned moved a motion that Irona be granted bail on self-recognition.

    Imo said that if the ex-deputy governor could not be granted bail on self-recognition, a state lawmaker, Frank Ugboma, representing Oguta State constituency was willing to take him on bail.

    But the lead prosecutor, Sunday Ogbuji, opposed the bail application, saying that the Magistrate lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter. Apart from that, the lead prosecutor said one of the charges preferred on the Irona bothered on felony.

    Ogbuji said only a judge of a high court could grant Irona bail. After hearing both parties, the magistrate ordered that the ex-deputy governor be reminded in prison.

    In her ruling, the magistrate agreed with the prosecution counsel that she lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter or grant the accused bail.

    The judge while ordering that Irona be remanded at the Owerri Correctional Centre, said that the prosecution counsel should make all documents available to the defence counsel to enable them take the next legal action. She also ordered that the case file be transferred to the Department of Public Prosecution.

    The three-count read “that you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did conspire with others now at large, to commit felony to wit: treason and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37(2) of the criminal code, cap c 38, law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.

    “That you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did make several utterances to the effect that you will make Imo state ungovernable and immediately afterwards hoodlums levied several attacks on Imo State with intent to intimidate or overawe the governor of Imo State and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37 of the criminal code, cap, c 38, law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.

    “That you Hon Gerald Irona on the 15th day of January, 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, do convert to your own use two Land Cruiser jeeps (V8 and V6) and one Toyota Hilux vehicle valued four hundred and Ninety-three million naira property of Imo state government thereby committed an offence punishable under section 390 ( 9) of the criminal code, cap c 38, laws of the federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.”

  • Tales of endangered babies, pregnant women in Benue IDP camp

    Tales of endangered babies, pregnant women in Benue IDP camp

    • Expectant mothers lack access to healthcare, suffer hunger, prolonged pregnancy, miscarriages
    • Cholera, malaria epidemics loom from open defecation, over-full latrines, mosquito infestation

    Pregnant women in internally displaced persons camp in Logo, Benue State, have for many years lacked access to health care. Some of them have consequently had miscarriages and narrowly survived death. Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, recently attested to the fact that lack of access to healthcare is the main factor contributing to high maternal, infant and under-five mortality in the country. The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) in its report titled ‘Situation of Women and Children in Nigeria” stated that the country records 576 maternal mortality per 100,000 live births while approximately 262,000 babies die at birth every year. Nigeria may be saved from recording a further spike in maternal and infant mortality rate if urgent steps are not taken to provide medical care for the embattled expectant mothers. INNOCENT DURU reports.

    ERZOO Denen, a 35-year- old mother, was  delivered of a baby last week in  Logo IDP camp, Benue State.

    She said from the time she took in till after she put to bed, she had not had access to medical care. She told our correspondent that she had not been healthy after delivery.

    “I have been having acute stomach ache and waist pain. I sleep on a mat in our tent. I don’t have the means of going to the hospital to see a doctor for treatment. Neither do I have money to buy soap for washing or bathing my baby and I.”

    Erzoo, according to the camp secretary, Levi Otim, is one of the lucky women delivered of a baby without complications.

    He said: “Our women don’t have access to ante-natal care. Some  of the women have miscarriages here in the camp because they don’t have access to healthcare. Some  have late deliveries. They deliver months longer than the usual nine months.”

    “Babies are five times more likely to die and three times more likely to have low birth weight when mothers don’t get prenatal care,” Mom Life, an online publication on mothers, said.

    Checks revealed that all the expectant women in the Logo IDP camp risk falling victims to the challenges identified by Mom Life for women who lack access to prenatal care.

    Comfort Jude, a  20-year-old  expectant mother, is carrying her first pregnancy. She is absolutely naive about how to handle her situation and has no access to medical care.

    “I am  carrying a six-month-old pregnancy. It is my first pregnancy but I have not visited or seen any doctor since I took in.

    “We don’t have any clinic here in the camp. I also don’t have money to go outside of this place for medical care,” she said.

    Before now, Comfort worked in farms for people and earned some income with which she fed and paid her bills. But all that has stopped and  she now battles with hunger on a daily basis.

     She said: “I used to get N1,500 per day working for people on their farms, but it was not enough for me to take care of my daily needs. Now I can no longer go and work for people on their farms because of my pregnancy. I am always here in the camp.

    “As a result of not having daily income again, I have been battling with hunger.

    “I quite know that this is not good for me and the baby I am carrying. I feel very bad about it but there is nothing I can do for now.”

    The husband, she said, was working before they came into the camp but had not been doing anything since they migrated to the camp to seek refuge from attacks by murderous herders.

    She said: “We ran to the camp after herders attacked us and vandalised our home. Feeding has been very difficult for us.  We live inside these tents riddled with holes and we are always at the mercy of mosquitoes.

     “We hardly sleep well all night because mosquitoes come to feast on our bodies. Unfortunately, we don’t have mosquito nets  to prevent them from biting us. 

    “Whenever it rains, we are seriously beaten inside the tents because they are not in good shape.

    “Imagine a pregnant woman being beaten by rain and feasted upon by mosquitoes. It really gives me cause to worry but I know that God will see me through.”

    Comfort’s kinswoman, Blessing Solomon, is nine-month pregnant. The 21-year-old by now ought to have known her due date and prepare for it. But all that is alien to her.

    For her, putting to bed is a matter of anytime and anywhere she falls into labour.

    “I have no money to go to hospital to be delivered of the baby. I will deliver right here in the camp.

    “I have not gone for ante-natal care since I took in. I don’t have the resources to do that.

    “We don’t even have any clinic anywhere close to the camp.

    “At the moment, I always feel very weak and I don’t have access to medications that could make my body strong.

    “I equally don’t have good food to eat. I often eat guinea corn. 

    “I have serious challenge sleeping because there is no mattress for us to sleep on.

    “We sleep on a mat, and that does not make me feel comfortable.”    

    For Lucy Emmanuel, a 29-year-old mother of two, the experience she is currently having differs from what she had during her previous  pregnancies.

    She said: “I went for ante-natal care when I carried the pregnancies of my two children before coming to the camp.

    “The baby I am carrying now does not enjoy that privilege. I don’t have money to go to  the hospital.

    “When you go to  the hospital, they request for money, and I don’t have money for food not to talk of paying medical bills.”

    Currently, Lucy said, she feels very weak because she  does not feed well.

    She said: “I used to eat very well before we came to the camp, but I don’t  eat regularly again since I came to this camp. I always have to go out looking for what to eat with my family.

    “This is a big problem for me  in this condition. I should be eating well at this stage so the baby in my womb can also feed well. But that is not happening because of the situation we have found ourselves here in the camp.

    “I pray that God will see me through.”

    More lamentations from expectant mothers

    The gale of lamentation is not restricted  to the earlier respondents. All the expectant mothers in the camp have unpleasant tales  to tell about their inability to access healthcare .

    Faith Mgboho,  a 25-year-old, is worried about the nutritive value of the food she eats.

    “Hardly do I get balanced diet.  I eat dry okro without fish and meat,” she said, adding: “There is no way of getting money to buy meat or fish. I don’t feel strong because I don’t feed well.

    “I had two children before I came into the camp. I went to the hospital when I had those ones.

    “I have not been able to access antenatal care since I became pregnant here in the camp. The feelings before and now are not the same.”

    Also decrying her predicament, Catherine Ochom, in spite of her condition, still struggles to work for people on their farms in order to have something to eat for her survival and that of her baby.

    “I always go and work for people outside the camp in order to get money to feed. I get about N1,000 per day.

    “I endeavor to go out to work every day in order to have something to eat. If I don’t go out to hustle, I will stay all day without food.”

    Though her dint of work enables her to have money to eat,       Catherine said: “I don’t feel happy going to work as a labourer order to have something to eat in this my condition.  

    “There is no doctor or nurse to attend to me. I still defecate in the over filled latrine. I know it is quite unhealthy for a pregnant woman, but what do I do when there is no alternative?”

    Naomi Teyem, a 31-year-old, said she resorts to self-medication anytime she feels sick and has money to buy medications. 

    Her words: “Mosquitoes  bite us mercilessly at night in the tent. I always have body aches.

    “When this happens and I have some money, I would go to the chemist to buy medications. But if there is no money, I will endure the pains like that.”  

    Speaking about her pregnancy, she said: “My pregnancy is  four-month old. I used to be a farmer but I have been doing nothing since I came into the camp.

    “Since I have not been going out to work and earn income, I may not be able to take proper care of my baby.”

    Camp management flay pregnant women’s predicaments

    The management of the camp bemoaned the conditions of their pregnant women, describing them as pitiable.          

    The secretary,  Otim Levi,  said the conditions of the nursing mothers in the camp was very bad.  Levi said: “They are suffering a great deal. They  don’t  have enough food to eat for the womb to be conducive for the baby.

    “There is also no clinic or maternity for them to treat themselves or go for test.”

    He noted that “no doctor or nurse comes around to see them.”

    The camp scribe noted that “some women do have miscarriages here in the camp because they don’t have access to treatment. Others experience late delivery. They always feel very bad about it.

    “One of them you spoke with said her pregnancy was nine months old, but because of improper feeding, she may not be able to deliver on time. She may deliver many months after.”

    Levi also noted that some of the women have their pregnancies going beyond nine months. “They have the problem of delayed delivery because of the unpleasant conditions in the camp aggravated by lack of access to health care.

    “Nothing is being done by the government to solve the problem. We have reached out to them for help to no avail.”

    Making reference to an inmate  who put to bed last week, Levi said: “The woman put to bed inside the camp and there was nobody to take proper care of her. We had no money to take her to the hospital.

    “The medical team brought by an NGO that was helping the women in the camp has left for Makurdi. They were here for a while and have completed their project and left.

    “The inmates are left without access to medical care, and that is highly condemnable.”

    On the challenge caused by lack of toilet in the camp,  he said: “We have informed the revelant authorities but there is no answer from them.

    “The last time the state government provided food for us was on December 24, 2022. The federal government doesn’t bring any food item to us.”   

    How lack of access to ante-natal care spikes maternal, infant mortality – Dr Adesanya

    A public health physician, Dr Rotimi Adesanya, has expressed concern over the predicament of the expectant mothers.

    The physician said it is mandatory for expectant mothers to have ante-natal care.

    He said: “It is during ante-natal care that one would be able to establish if they have pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. These are the things that are common and it is during ante-natal care that one would detect these things that I have mentioned.

    “These challenges can lead to maternal mortality, that is the death of the mother while pregnant.

    “The whole world frowns at maternal mortality. This particular development that you mentioned could add to our maternal mortality rate in Nigeria.”

    Without adequate ante-natal care, he said, “some  things  could affect the mother while pregnant and they are what we call eclampsia and pre-eclampsia.

    “Pre-eclampsia is also high blood pressure in pregnancy coupled  with protein in their urine. Eclampsia is when a woman that has high blood pressure gets to a stage of having seizure.

    “Because the blood pressure is not controlled, the person will move from the stage of pre-eclampsia to eclampsia.

    “Anytime eclampsia happens, it can take the life of a woman. That is why if a woman would have eclampsia at any point during the ante-natal care, they have to bring the baby out irrespective of the age.

    “Whether it is one week, nine months or six months old, the baby has to be taken out so that the life of the mother can be saved.

    “These things may happen if there is nobody checking their blood pressure, urine and sugar level while they are pregnant.

    “These are basic things.  Some of them can be done under the primary health care by sending the community health workers and midwives that are trained.”

    Going down memory lane, he said: “There was a community programme that the federal government launched some years ago. It was about sending some midwives that are trained to  communities to help to reduce  mortality.

    “These are cost-effective measures that can be done because it doesn’t require the wall of a big hospital or special equipment, but the skills of those midwives to help the mother.”

    Talking about the effect of lack of access to ante-natal care on the unborn child, he said:  “This could also make prenatal mortality, that is the death of new born around birth, to be high. Normally, if a woman should have challenges  like diabetes in pregnancy, high blood pressure in pregnancy, the babies normally die towards the end of the pregnancy, except there is an intervention from a doctor.

    “ Some of the babies could have birth asphyxia, and this can lead to cerebral palsy which is a form of disability.

    “It may make the women to give birth to children who right from birth are already having one problem or the other.

    “The recommendation I will make is that starting from our primary health centre,  health workers should be sent to  those IDP camps.

    “These health workers are readily available in the primary health centres and at times they don’t  have much to do.  They can be sent there on a daily or rotational basis.

    “If they have any issue during the ante-natal care, they can now refer them to the nearest general hospital. Leaving them without any skilled medical personnel is actually dangerous and it will continue to increase our maternal mortality.”

    Dangers of suffering from hunger

    Speaking on the women’s complaint that they are often lacking food to eat, Dr Adesanya said: “Pregnant women eat a lot because the babies have to take from what they have eaten. 

    “If they are not eating well, they will have what is called hypoglycemia, low sugar. Such babies will not be able to grow well inside the mother. We call it intrauterine growth restriction.

    “By the time the children are delivered, some of them will have what we call low birth weight- children who from birth are already having  stunted growth, and the mother, who is the carrier, will have challenges of low sugar and will not enjoy that pregnancy period because it will be so stressful.

    “There may be fainting  attacks. I am sure you must have heard of pregnant women fainting on the road. They need more energy.

    “If those women are not having food, it can actually add to the mortality rate we are having.”

     Challenge of mosquito bites for pregnant mothers

    He also frowned at the menace of mosquito infestation in the camp, saying: “Actually, in this part of the world, malaria in pregnancy is actually one of the causes of maternal mortality and the mortality of the new born. 

    “Insecticide-treated nets have been established for life saving, especially in this part of the world.

    “The women we are talking about are likely to have malaria, and when there is malaria in pregnancy, the immunity of the people who are affected is normally low. 

    “Those who are pregnant are badly affected. They will have children with intrauterine growth restriction: the baby will not be able to grow well.

    “When the baby is born, he may have what we call congenital malaria.  The child may have jaundice in the eye starting with malaria from  birth.

    “The mother’s blood level will also be affected by malaria parasites and  she will be anemic. The blood will be so low and it may lead to the challenge of maternal mortality.

    “Insecticide-treated nets can actually be obtained from well-meaning Nigerians. The government can also reach out to NGOs.”

    According to him, Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality ratio, and “this maternal mortality, anytime it happens especially at the secondary and the tertiary stages, there is usually a clinical audit whereby the doctor will do a post mortem analysis to reveal what has gone wrong so that such mistake will not happen subsequently.”

    Defecating in untidy toilet

    Condemning the  practice of open defecation and using  over-filled latrines, Adesanya said: “The World Health Organisation has said there shouldn’t be anything like open defecation anymore.

    “Like you said, because the pit latrine is filled they go for open defecation. That  means we are still far far behind.

    “As a result of the over-filled toilets, flies will be breeding in the place and spreading many diseases like cholera.

    “We have had outbreaks of cholera many times. The common typhoid fever that people mention is also through contamination from faeces. Then we have what is called shigella, and we have dysentery.

    “Worm infestation will start happening because the worm passed out by those who are infected, the eggs will develop and will from there get to those who are not infected. 

    “They will have a series of worm infestation and this worm infestation will drop the blood of the pregnant woman and make her anemic.

    “This will contribute to maternal mortality of those women.”

    ‘Self-medication among expectant mothers dangerous’

    For expectant mothers in the camp relying on self- medication, Dr Adesanya said: “That is very dangerous because where they are buying the drugs, those ones may not have been trained to diagnose sicknesses.

    “To diagnose sicknesses you have to do tests. Even for malaria, you have to do test.

    “If it is for blood pressure you have to check it, and the same applies to other health challenges too.

    “What they are doing is self-medication. The truth is that most of the drugs are not used in pregnancy because it will have adverse effect on the unborn baby.

    “We don’t use drugs indiscriminately for pregnant women. The drugs have to be prescribed.

    “Many of the drugs could also make them to have miscarriages. That is why such should be discouraged.

    “The government should come in.”

    Recommendation

    The physician recommended that “the government should have the political will to attend to the needs of the women. 

    “There should be primary health care. The issue is really under the purview of the primary health care.

    “Staff of primary health centres should be drafted to the IDP camp. The NGOs should come in to support with insecticide-treated nets.

    “Continuous health education should be carried out in the area so that the pregnant women there will not contribute to the maternal mortality and the infant mortality high rate that Nigeria is having.”

    Efforts to speak with the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Ngbea Joseph was unsuccessful as his mobile number was not reachable. He was yet to reply to a text message to him.

  • Tales of woe as naira notes scarcity persists

    Tales of woe as naira notes scarcity persists

    • We’ll collect old naira notes only if the president speaks – traders

    The tales of woe that has accompanied the cash scarcity induced by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s naira redesign policy seem not to be abating, with citizens still struggling to access cash for basic purchases. This is in spite of last week’s Supreme Court judgement. Gboyega Alaka captures some of the unpleasant stories and the predicament of traders.

    To say it has been journey through hell for Nigerians since the self-inflicted naira notes scarcity occasioned by the CBN naira redesign policy, is to put it mildly.

    Many Nigerians would actually say outright that this is one experience no-one in living memory has ever had, imagined or saw coming. Everyone was has been hard hit; from the shop owners, to the hawkers on the streets, to the traders in markets, even beggars and service men/boys at restaurants, who benefit from loose change.

    With it have also come casualties of sorts.

    A woman at a polling unit in Igando area of Lagos State, while celebrating the result of her unit’s poll, right after Saturday February 25 presidential election, which went the way of her preferred candidate, spoke of how an elderly man collapsed and died before her very eyes, while waiting on a queue to collect five thousand naira from an ATM machine.

    The man, she narrated, had lamented the huge margin taken off his money the last time he patronised a POS operators, had come to the bank, having heard the machine was dispensing money.

    Another, narrating her personal story, said her children had to make do with garri without sugar, so much that one of them started vomiting in the middle of the night and she had to rush him to the hospital.

    At the hospital, a private facility, she narrated how she had to undergo another battle of sourcing cash to pay before the doctors properly attended to her boy.

    “Transfer was not going and they insisted on payment before service. In the end, I had to go back home to my neighbours who mopped up all the cash they had. We were still not able to raise the exact deposit the hospital was asking for, but they collected it and commenced treatment on compassionate ground.”

    She finished by saying: “Government should just bring back our naira now that the presidential elections are over. Shebi they said it is to stop vote buying.”

    John Adesanmi, who works as a bus conductor on Egbeda-Ikotun axis of Lagos could not hold back curses, which he rained on the Central Bank governor, Godwin Emefiele and President Muhammadu Buhari. His grouse, he said, was that his aged mother, whom he transfers five thousand naira to every week to feed, had not been able to access the last two tranches that he sent to her. Consequently, the old woman with her grand-daughter who stays with her in their village in Gbongan, Osun State, has had to be battling with hunger for two weeks.

    “What kind of government policy is this that would not allow people to have access to their money?” He queried.

    Traders lament cash obstacles, poor sales

    Aside the human casualty angle, traders have also been lamenting their predicament.

    According to Kingsley Onyebuchi, who sells garri, rice and other grains in Ikotun market, the cash scarcity has really hampered business transactions, especially since the local traders still rely on cash for basic transactions. As a result, he told this reporter that sales have dropped drastically; but he is as helpless as his customers who cannot access cash to buy from him.

    Yes, he has managed to make some sales through transfer, but said there are people, who for some reasons, are not able to do transfers, either because transfers are not going or because they are totally ignorant of the process or have no bank account.

    “For those who don’t have cash and cannot do transfer, I have had to turn them back. Of course that has seriously affected my sales, but what else can one do? Sell to them on mere promises? Most of the customers, I don’t even know their homes; so how do I recover my money if I sell to them on credit and they’re not honest enough to come and pay back? It is better to turn customers back than sell and never get paid. Besides, nobody expected the problem to last this long,” he said.

    Asked if he has resumed collecting the old naira notes as directed by the Supreme Court, Onyebuchi said he needed to get directive from his boss. For now, his answer is, no.

    The story isn’t much different with Saheed Eleran, who sells beef next to Onyebuchi.

    “The quantity of meat I sell has reduced drastically since the naira problem started. I have been surviving on transfers, but I’m sure you’re aware that transfers fail a lot these days.

    “Sometimes a customer makes a transfer and it takes hours before it gets credited to my account. On such occasion, the customer has to wait. That also means that we spend hours attending to just one customer. Cumulatively, that affects the day’s sales and we’re forced to take unsold meat to the cold room.

    “To tell you the truth, I actually prefer cash; so I tell customers to go and get cash from POS operators,” Saheed said.

    When reminded of the exorbitant charges of POS operators, Saheed said “If they don’t give me cash, I will have to spend the same amount of money to buy cash when I need it. So it goes both ways. Yes, I sell meat, but I also need cash to buy pepper, oil to cook and garri to go with it. Would you believe I once used three thousand naira to collect the ten thousand naira a customer paid after buying meat of same amount? That means I lost three thousand naira.

    “At the abattoir, where we get our meat supply, they always insist on cash, even if you’re buying up to N300,000 worth. They tell you the Fulani cattle sellers also insist on cash. Why then should I not insist on cash sometimes?

    As this discussion wound down, Saheed’s customer, who gave her name as Juliet, was having a ‘battle’ with him over mode of payment, with Saheed insisting it had to be cash and Juliet pleading to pay by transfer.

    In the end, Juliet parted with her ‘last’ cash of three thousand but blamed herself for letting Saheed know she had the cash on her.

    “Now, I will have to go source for cash at the crazy POS rates again to buy pepper and other little stuff to cook the meat. To tell the truth, I have suffered due to this cash problem. Sometimes we go hungry because we can’t get cash to buy food. Sometimes, our kids cry endlessly because we can’t provide them with the little things that matter to them, things we’ve always provided them and which they can’t understand why suddenly we’re saying we don’t have cash to provide for them.

    “Just yesterday, a POS operator charged me N1,200 on N5,000; and it was with so much pleading. The most annoying thing about this naira scarcity thing is the fact that one has to buy money at very high prices. Money that I worked for o.”

    I use N20,000 to buy N100,000 cash – Ibrahim, yam seller

    ‘To think this naira problem will persist till this time, despite the masses cry to government, is in itself surprising. How do they expect us to sell our products in a country where people rely on cash for transactions? We are suffering, help us tell the government.”

    The above were the opening words of Ibrahim Ajani who sells yam in Ikotun market.

    “On a normal day, this whole space would be filled with yam tubers, but what can you see? Usually when we offload huge trucks, everywhere will be filled tubers of yam, from which we would supply other retailers around, but what we have is not even enough for us to sell. You can see how scanty everywhere is. It is all we could afford to raise cash to buy. The money we use in buying cash in the farms is extremely high. Imagine having to buy one hundred thousand naira with twenty thousand naira? And to think that we have to make purchases sometimes of up to seven million naira. Now calculate that at the rate of N20,000 on every N100,000. The yam farmers don’t collect transfer. It’s cash or nothing. This has also caused the prices of yam to go up; because we have to add the extra money we spent buying cash. I mean, you buy N100,000 worth of yam, and the POS operator charges N20, 000. That brings the prize to N120,000. As a result, a tuber of yam that should go for N1,200, now goes for N1,500. That also means that a customer who wants to buy five tubers of yam for her family, now buys two or three at most.”

    Ajani continued: “Our government should just have rethink about this policy. If it’s the old money we have to be spending, they should let us know. Now we operate by transfers and by using POS (he pointed at three POS machines lying on some tubers of yam), but the problem is that transfers can be complicated. Sometimes, the POS also declines payment. On such occasion, we lose that business. The other day, I transferred N100,000 to a woman; as we speak, it has not dropped in her account. She even called to tell me that she has been to the bank and they said the money was yet to be credited to her account. On another occasion, a customer purchased tubers of yam worth N10,000. She made the transfer right in my presence and even gave me her number in case it didn’t drop. That is weeks ago, but as we speak, it has not been credited to my account. I have had to let go, having called her several times and she insisting that she had been debited.”

    On the Supreme Court judgement and if he had begun collecting the old notes, Ajani said, “To say the truth, I have only collected it once. And that is because nobody around us is collecting it. I am for collecting it, but that fear is there. If we start collecting it, business would begin to flow again and everybody would be okay. But what if we collect and are not able to spend it.”

    As for Chidinma Okereke of GM Foods, who sells sacks of garri nearby, she will only start collecting the old notes when President Muhammadu Buhari says so in a broadcast.

    “I cannot collect money that I would not be able to spend. But if I see President Buhari announce it and I see banks issuing it from their ATM, then I will start collecting it. Not even the CBN governor; Emefiele’s announcement can make me collect the old notes.”

    On how she has managed to remain in business with the whole naira palaver, Okereke said, “No be small thing o. Take a look at my shed, it’s almost empty. Is that how to remain in business? We have no cash to buy garri; we have to buy money at crazy prices to make our purchases from my suppliers in Delta State and Benin, because the women don’t collect transfers. They don’t want to hear ‘no cash’. At our luckiest, we use N15,000 to buy N100,000 cash. Imagine that. Sometimes we even use N20, 000. And that is why garri prices have gone up. We have to add it up.”

    Cashless compliant fruit seller

    For Frank Stephen, who hawks apples and grapes on a wheelbarrow, however, not even Emefiele and his naira redesign policy would stop him from doing business.

    Even before the now unpopular policy, Stephen already operates his fruit retail business using a POS machine. As a result, the situation hasn’t been as telling on him as it has been on several other retailers.

    “That is not to say the problem hasn’t affected me, because the network sometimes gets jammed, which slows business a lot. Sometimes payments are declined, and what that means is that the customer is not able to buy. I want to sell, he wants to buy, but transaction can’t take place. How bad can things get?

    “I used to sell three cartons of apple a day, but now, I only manage to sell one carton, and with much stress and uncertainty.”

    Asked if he has started collecting the old naira notes since the Supreme Court judgement, Stephen said, “Yes, I collect it, it is Nigeria’s money, it is legal tender, so long as the Supreme Court has spoken.”

  • Parties intensify campaign for governorship, Assembly polls

    Parties intensify campaign for governorship, Assembly polls

    Following the rescheduling of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for next weekend and the consequent extension of the electioneering campaign, political parties have stepped up their campaigns, Correspondents KOLADE ADEYEMI, Jos; ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE, Kaduna; ADEKUNLE JIMOH, Ilorin; GBENGA OMOKHUNU, Abuja; DAVID ADENUGA, Bauchi;  SUNNY NWANKWO, Umuahia; CHRIS NJOKU, Owerri;  ROSEMARY NWISI, Port Harcourt, report

    PLATEAU:

    You can’t win, APC tells PDP

    head of March 18 governorship election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State has warned  the main opposition party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to stop basking in the euphoria that it can win the election.

     It has urged the PDP to get ready to accept defeat.  This was contained in a statement by the APC Publicity Secretary, Sylvanus Namang, who indicated that it will not be in the best interest of the Northcentral state to be in the opposition camp, while the progressives control the Federal Government with the emergence of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu as president-elect.

     Namang condemned recent statements attributed to the PDP, where the party was expressing optimism that it would emerge victorious in the coming governorship election. He described the former ruling party as “desperate and shameless”.

    He said: “The APC Plateau State Chapter has just come across a press release by the desperate and shameless PDP in the state where it is putting high hopes on winning the March 11, 2023 governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

    “Without mincing words, this is a delusional hope as the PDP is only raising false hopes to its hapless and rudderless followers.”

    BAUCHI:

    Group, Dogara canvass votes for APC’s Abubakar

    A support group under the aegis of Friends of Air Marshall SB Abubakar has appealed to residents of Bauchi State to vote for the immediate past Chief of the Air Staff and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), retired Air Marshall Saddique Baba Abubakar.

     The group spoke at a news conference in Kaduna that the APC governorship flag bearer in Bauchi has the blueprint to modernise the state, adding that they are lucky to have such a distinguished Nigerian in the race for the governorship.

    The convener of the group, Alhaji Iro Sardauna, said SB Abubakar has what it takes to make a difference in the lives of the people.

    Also, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has endorsed  Air Marshal Sadiq Baba Abubakar (rtd.

    The former Speaker who was a member of the Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, while  addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, urged the electorate to tow the path of honor by voting out Governor Bala Mohammed from office.

    He described Abubakar as a father who will bring succor to the people of Bauchi State.

    The former speaker who controls three local government areas (Bogoro, Dass, and Tafawa Balewa), is not on good terms with Governor Mohammed after a misunderstanding between the duo. Dogara, who was among those who contributed to the governor’s emergence, had threatened to work against him at the 2023 gubernatorial poll.

    KADUNA:

     ‘ADP has not dropped out of governorship race’

    The national leadership of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) has dispelled the rumour making the rounds that its governorship candidate in Kaduna State has stepped down for the candidate of another political party.

    In a statement, its national secretariat said the party’s candidate Sani Sha’aban has no intention to step down for anyone because he is the choice of the people.

    The statement, which was signed by its National Secretary, Victor Fingesi reads: “The Action Democratic Party (ADP) has observed with dismay the malicious and mischievous rumour making the rounds that we are going into an alliance with another party and that our governorship candidate has stepped down for the candidate of another party.

    “This rumour is no doubt intended to malign the good name of our party and its governorship candidate ahead of the forthcoming governorship election. Without a doubt, the candidate of our great party, Sani Sha’aban, is the choice of the great people of Kaduna State. He remains the candidate to beat at the polls.

     “We hereby categorically state that he is in the race to win the election. He has no intention of stepping down for any other candidate.”

    KWARA:

     Students root for AbdulRazaq

    • PDP accuses governor of inducing voters with money

    The National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS) and the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) have endorsed the re-election of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

    The two student associations declared their positions during a colloquium organised yesterday in appreciation and recognition of the performance of the governor in the education sector.

    During the event, which took place in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, the state government donated two Sienna buses to NAKSS and the state chapter of NANS.

    NAKSS President, Mr Hassan Hawal who spoke on behalf of the students, said the education sector has experienced significant improvement since the advent of AbdulRazaq’s administration.

    He described the intervention as a paradigm shift in the literacy level of the state, adding that students in the state public schools now compete favourably with their counterparts anywhere in the world.

    Hawal recalled that many state-owned tertiary institutions were shut down due to unpaid salaries of lecturers and non-accreditation of courses before the present administration.

    Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr Afeez Alabi assured the students that the governor places a high premium on education as a way of developing the state into a model that would be second to none.

      Also yesterday, the  state chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the administration of Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq of moving huge sum of money from the state coffers into private bank accounts for subsequent disbursement to induce voters during next weekend’s rescheduled governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    Speaking to reporters  in Ilorin,  the Director-General of the PDP Campaign Council, Prof Ali Ahmad said the party’s legal team has been directed to notify the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of the development.

    He said: “We have correct   information about how political office holders, private individuals outside government, influential people in our society, and even bureaucrats receive massive money from government accounts and these individuals then either retain the funds as their own to buy their support while some others are charged with paying a huge part of the money in tranches of N20,000, N30, 000 and N10,000 to ordinary voters.

    “This is a big political scam that is going on in our state. Thank God that the new financial regime being promoted by the APC government has also ensured there is an acute scarcity of cash and so the people involved in this scam are being forced to transact this fraudulent business using the banks. This means the transactions can be traced.”

    ENUGU:

    Ohanaeze youths back PDP candidate

    An Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide (OYC) has restated its support for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Enugu State, Mr Peter Mbah.

    Its National President, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike said Mbah is the most competent among all the candidates standing for the election. The group’s position is contained in a statement  by Nnabuike  in Abuja.

    The OYC president urged the electorate to look beyond the party and vote for a man who could transform Enugu State. He said Mbah has outlined clearly how he would manage the affairs of the state.

    He said: “He has captured every sector and all segments of the society, including the youth. His competence is also top-notch as we have seen in his successful business career.

    “This is why we are begging the people of Enugu State not to miss this golden opportunity of electing a man who is prepared for the job.”

    Nnabuike said the choice of candidates should not be decided through party leanings, but on the capacity of the various individuals in the contest.

    OGUN:

     ‘Tinubu behind Abiodun’s re-election’

    The senator-elect for Ogun West Senatorial District, Senator Solomon Adeola has indicated that the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully in support of Governor Dapo Abiodun’s re-election.

    Adeola’s declaration is contained in a statement by his media aide, Mr Kayode Odunaro.

    In the statement, Adeola debunked a report on social media platforms that Tinubu was against the re-election of the Ogun governor.

    He said the president-elect is fully behind Abiodun and all the other candidates of the APC in Ogun in the forthcoming governorship and House of Assembly elections.

    Odunaro said the senator spoke at a stakeholder’s engagement organized to campaign for Governor Abiodun in Ota. He said: “The APC’s victory in Ogun during the last election is not complete until the re-election of Abiodun as governor and the election of all members of the State House of Assembly.

    “A fake news being spread on social media about Tinubu being against Abiodun’s re-election in favour of another party’s candidate from Ogun West is the handwork of desperate politicians. They already foresaw their defeat at the election.

    “Let me assure you that our party, the APC and the president-elect, are fully committed to ensuring that the party’s governorship and assembly candidates are returned elected without exception.”

    SDP candidate steps down for Adebutu

    The Ogun State Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Tony Ojeshina has stepped down from the governorship race and declared support for the candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu.

     Ojeshina, who was flanked by his running mate, Mr Gbenga Oluyemi, and the SDP Deputy Chairman, Mr Sola Coker, made the declaration while briefing reporters yesterday in Abeokuta.

     He said all the party’s state House of Assembly candidates are still in the race for the March 18 election.

     Ojeshina explained that the collaboration is designed to power from ‘the cabal at Oke Mosan’. He said: “The political alignment was informed by the need to forge a common front to remove our dear state from the list of misgoverned and impoverished states.

    “We have been assured of simplified and transparent governance processes, with the sole purpose of improving the quality and standard of living of our people.”

     He also emphasised that the alignment was only hinged on the need to work for the victory of the PDP, saying he has not left SDP for the main opposition party.

    RIVERS:

     Amaechi solicits Igbo’s vote for APC

    Former Minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has appealed to Ndigbo in Rivers State to vote for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole in the forthcoming governorship election.

     Amaechi, who spoke at a one-day stakeholders meeting of the APC and Igbo traders in the state yesterday regretted all the losses the people have suffered to policies deliberately skewed to attack their businesses and investments.

     He pledged to make it up for them if Cole is voted into power in the election, adding that an APC government will abolish the discrimination meted out against non-indigenes.

     He pleaded with the Igbo residents to support Cole’s governorship bid for a better Rivers State, urging them to come out en masse with courage and vote for the APC from up to bottom.

     He said: “I am begging you; on Saturday please every Igbo man and woman should come out and vote for the APC because your destiny will be determined by this election. If we win, we will go back to the plan of building a market, hospital, houses, and schools in Eleme that will cater for all traders in the state. We need you to stand, but you must come out and vote for us.”

    LAGOS

    Waste managers unite for Sanwo-Olu

    The Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN)  in Lagos has urged residents of the state to re-elect Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for continuity and consistency of a cleaner Lagos.

    The group said this during a media parley organised by AWAMN, in conjunction with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), which held at Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday.

    Managing Director/CEO, LAWMA, Ibrahim Odumboni, commended Sanwo-Olu’s administration for its support for LAWMA in the past three years, adding: “There’s been improvement on the management of wastes in the state. We are here to let you know that a lot is being done by this administration to make it happen, with effective collaboration with our PSPs and other stakeholders.”

    While appealing to all tenants in Lagos State to return Sanwo-Olu for a second term to ensure continuity in waste management, Odumboni stated: “We also want to let you know that for this administration, we want continuity so that the PSP can begin to prosper, and we can begin to see a lot of changes.

    AKWA IBOM

     Court to INEC: List Udofia as APC  candidate

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to list Mr. Akanimo Udofia as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the governorship election in Akwa Ibom.

     Justice James Omotosho gave the order yesterday in Abuja following an application by Udofia asking that a consequential order be made to allow the electoral umpire list his name as APC’s governorship candidate .

     Justice Omotosho, in his judgment, held that the case of the plaintiff was justiciable, subsequently granted the prayers and ordered INEC to list him as candidate of the APC in Akwa Ibom governorship election.

     Udofia and Sen. Ita Enang, a former presidential aide, were in court asking the court to decide the authentic candidate of the APC in the Akwa Ibom governorship race.

     The APC had declared Udofia as winner of its governorship primary having won a majority of votes cast at the polls.

    Enang, however, approached the Federal High Court challenging the nomination of Udofia.

    He based his suit on grounds of alleged irregularities, claiming that Udofia was not qualified to contest the APC’s primary election having participated in the governorship primary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) where he lost.

     In its judgment, the trial court agreed with Enang and voided the primary election that produced Udofia and ordered a fresh election to be done within 14 days excluding Udofia’s participation.

     OYO

     Accord sacks leaders for endorsing Makinde

    For endorsing the incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next week’s Saturday governorship and state houses of assembly elections in Oyo, the Accord Party has relieved all its executive members in the state.

     The National Chairman of Accord, Muhammad Nalado,  in a statement in Abuja, said the Oyo State chapter’s decision to back another party’s candidate was anti-party and against the ethos of the Accord Party. 

    He said his party has a standing and a strong candidate for the governorship election in the person of Adebayo Adelabu.

    Nalado added that the NWC also resolved to constitute a five man Caretaker Committee to steer the party to victory and also manage the affairs of the party in the build up to the governorship and State Assembly elections.

    He said the five man caretaker Committee members are: Alhaji Isiaka Salami, who will serve as Oyo State Caretaker Chairman, Bashiru Ayobami, who will serve as Caretaker Secretary, Hon. Fatai Salawu, Bimpe Martins, Ayodele Oyajide, who are members of the Caretaker Committee.

    DELTA

     Group threatens sabotage against PDP

    Concerned Political Appointees’ Forum (CPAF) in Delta State has threatened to work against the interest of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if the incumbent fails to pay their allowances.

     The group that comprises Special Assistants, Senior Special Assistants and Executive Secretaries, said it will be better to lose the election if Okowa wants his political appointees to go home crying after serving the government for four years.

    “Governor Okowa should not expect the political appointees to reject juicy offers from the opposition parties when he refused to pay their allowances.”

    It said if the PDP must win the state all hands must be on the desk to work for the party which includes paying the political appointees their entitlements before the elections.

    “It is said that a hungry man is an angry man and no one should expect an angry man to be at peace with the man who made him angry. It will be better if we rock the boat than allow the Governor to have his way at all times. If Okowa wants his political appointees to go home crying after serving the government for four years, then it’ll be better we sink the boat for everybody to cry.”

     ABIA

    PDP raises alarm, alleges plot to rig

    The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has uncovered plots by two major oppositions in the state – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) to rig the upcoming Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

    The PDP in a statement issued Thursday by its Acting Publicity Secretary and Vice Chairman Abia North, Abraham Amah, alleged that both parties have perpetrated the plot at several held in Owerri, Imo State capital and Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State.

    The party also alleged that some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were part of the planned electoral fraud.

     The PDP Publicity Secretary in the statement said “We have information and concrete evidence that the governorship candidate of the APC held a meeting with officials of INEC at Owerri and perfected plans to rig the election in his favour.

    “We use this medium to inform the APC that the charade that saw the emergence of Hope Uzodinma as the governor of Imo State through the backdoor will not be allowed under any circumstance to happen in Abia State.

    “A similar meeting was held at the Isiala Ngwa residence of the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP with officials of the INEC with a view to rigging the election for him.

    “That too, will not happen and has collapsed like a pack of sand.

     IMO

     LP governorship aspirants kick over N25 million interest forms

    Some aspirants of the Labour Party in Imo State have kicked against a sum of N 25 million being cost for governorship interest forms.

     They said it was abnormal for the fee to be unilaterally increased from N7.5 million to N25 million.

     The aspirants expressed their displeasure Thursday at the part’s secretariat in Owerri.

    Their outburst followed the dissolution of the state executive and inauguration of a new executive committee.

    Former State chairman of the party, Ambrose Onyekwere, who confirmed the dissolution, however said, it was normal as his tenure had expired.

    But a source from the party noted that the dissolution may not be unconnected with the scheduled primary of the party which comes up in less than two weeks.

    The source also claimed that this was also part of the reason why the governorship interest form was increased from N7.5 million to N25 million.

    The source however explained that the party leadership decided to hike the price to place a hurdle on the aspirants that had earlier indicated interest in the governorship position before some new money bag politicians took over the party in the state.

     “The governorship interest form was sold for N7.5 million last year but today it’s sold for N25 million. We’re already having a lot of money bags picking the forms. They have realised that the Labour Party is a good brand and everybody wants to be identified with it,” the source  said.

    ABIA

    Abia governorship candidates sign peace accord

     Governorship candidates of various political parties in Abia State on Thursday signed the Peace Accord ahead of the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on March 18.

    The Commissioner of Police in the State, Mustapha Bala, who spoke during the exercise, said the state command would not compromise the peace and security of the state during the forthcoming Governorship and State Assembly elections.

    He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other actors concerned with the conduct of the election to provide a level playground for all the candidates participating in the election.

    “This clarion call for a peace accord meeting with governorship candidates and their party chairmen, is one of the numerous measures of achieving this desired objective.

    “Let’s remember that we are all brothers and sisters with different political ideologies; Adopt the spirit of sportsmanship with the hope of coming together later as there is always life after election.

    “We should also allow, support and encourage INEC as umpire to perform their duties without interference.”

    KADUNA

     Makarfi raises alarm over plans to arrest 80 PDP members

    Former Kaduna State Governor and National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi has raised the alarm over alleged plans by authorities to arrest and detain 80 members of the party from participating in the forthcoming Governorship and state House of Assembly elections.

    Makarfi’s alarm was coming on the heels of the arrest of three top PDP members of the party in the state by security operatives over alleged inciting statements early in the week.

    Makarfi further alleged that PDP was in possession of the list of those penciled down for arrest before next Saturday’s elections.

     The former governor said those penciled down for arrest were drawn from Kudan, Sanga, Igabi, Lere, Kachia, Jaba and Kaduna North Local Government Areas of the state which are believed to be PDP strongholds.

    To this end, Makarfi warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government in the state of arbitrary arrest of some PDP members.

  • Morris, Jeftha, Khoza, Other South African Professionals for The Peak Performer Recognition 2023

    Morris, Jeftha, Khoza, Other South African Professionals for The Peak Performer Recognition 2023

    • …As The Peak Performer Magazine Debuts in Africa

    The Peak Performer (TPP), a platform where African industry leaders, culture shapers, and game changers gain insights to achieve peak performance, has rolled out the drums to recognise some crème de la crème in Africa at the maiden edition of TPP 100.

    The event, dedicated to celebrating highly esteemed leaders across Africa, will be held on Thursday, 23rd March 2023, at the Muson Centre in Lagos, Nigeria, on the theme, “In Pursuit of Greatness!”

    Among the 100 personalities are the Head of Corporate Education Delivery, GIB, Lorraine Toni Morris; the MD, Masukumo Consulting Services, Celestin Jeftha; the Managing Director, CLM Africa, Mbulelo Clive Khoza; the Founding CEO, Awqaf, Mr. Zeinoul Abedien Cajee; Head, Corporate Education Delivery, GIBS Business School, South Africa, Lorraine Toni Morris; Founder, Esta Viviers; and the Director, Connect The Dots Training and Consulting, Noorene Sallie.

    These personalities fall within 14 categories ranging from TPP Elite, Hall of Fame, and Legacy to Excellence across multiple professions, among a host of others.

    According to the Editor-in-Chief of TPP, Dr Abiola Salami, “A panel of jury carefully selected these captains of industries after a rigorous process from the 1,683 entries we received across the continent.”

    The convener noted that these 100 recipients are being honoured for their commitment to excellence and sterling contributions to greatness in diverse sectors on the African continent.

    “In our work with leaders over the past decade, we discovered that if we genuinely want to inspire growth across the continent, we need to tell the authentic African story by spotlighting credible leaders with admirable skills on the continent.

    “Therefore, in our quest to find these credible leaders, we called for nominations in 2022, leveraging the 27 Skills in exceptional Leadership TM. This led to the 1,683 entries recorded,” he expressed.

    Meanwhile, TPP 100 recognition comes alongside the debut of The Peak Performer (TPP), a premium African thought-leadership platform that delivers content online and offline.

    The Peak Performer magazine will be available in both print and e-version. TPP targets one million downloads for the e-version and ten million readers of the online platform within the first six months of launch. It’s called TPP Project 1+10 million.

    The platform kicked off online in early 2022 with valuable content for both aspiring and exemplary industry leaders. “Based on our overall goal to have inspired 1 billion Champions by Thursday, 30th November 2026, TPP aims to be the essential provider of insights to every leader seeking growth in their pursuit of greatness,” says Salami.

    According to the world-class performer strategist, leadership development and leadership branding are two strategies global leaders leverage to record outstanding results. This is what we are birthing in Africa with The Peak Performer.

    The magazine features inspiring stories and experiences of leaders in sectors ranging from technology; problem-solving & change; leadership & entrepreneurship; environment, social & governance; personal growth & transformation; people, productivity & synergy, among others. All these align with our resolution to build Africa, one mind at a time.

    Peak Performing Africa started unofficially in 2012 with CHAMP, a full-service consulting firm trusted by high-performing business leaders for providing workforce development, advisory services, and executive coaching for C-level executives.

    While acknowledging support from various parties, Salami said, “We appreciate the visionary organisations and individuals who took a chance on us to collaborate with us and showcase their brands – personality, thought leadership, products, and services as we kick-start The Peak Performer.

    We, therefore, call on everyone interested in the growth of Africa to collaborate with us in our drive to be the essential provider of insights to every leader seeking change in their pursuit of greatness.

  • Tinubu: President-elect against all odds

    Tinubu: President-elect against all odds

    Bola Ahmed Tinubu has earned his dream: He is President-elect, Federal Republic of Nigeria. Against all odds, he triumphed at the February 25 polls.

    But his victory was no walk in the park. It was fashioned through armistice and fissured friendships. It was sired through sleepless nights with mortal foes. And though he never shuddered from the dire rouge of rationed goodwill and irrational contempt, the man aptly titled Jagan Borgu and Asiwaju of Yoruba land understood that he was in for the battle of his life.

    For the new President-elect, his date with destiny sprouted amid wild and coordinated obstacles: the pronounced perfidy of friends, and desertion by his trusted lieutenants and associates within his party. Add all these to the seeming indifference of the presidency at taming hindrances cast in his path by the ruling party’s bungled currency redesign cum naira swap policy and you have a perfect recipe for failure.

    But even imperfect will may triumph above perfect odds; however daunting the obstacles on his path, Tinubu made stepping stones of them.

    Born in Lagos on March 29, 1952, to the illustrious Tinubu family of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu schooled at St John’s primary school at Aroloya, Lagos, and continued at the children’s home school in Ibadan, Oyo State. In 1975, he travelled to the United States to further his education. With the support of a doting mother, the Late Abibatu Mogaji, he attended the Richard J. Daley College in Chicago, Illinois, where he made the college’s honours list.

    He subsequently transferred to the Chicago State University, Illinois, graduating with honours in 1979 and earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (Accounting and Management).

    As an undergraduate, Tinubu was honoured with the Outstanding Student’s Award, The University Scholar’s Award and the Certificate of Merit in Accounting and Finance.

    In his first year at Chicago State University, Tinubu was given the rare privilege of teaching other students of his faculty in remedial classes. Tinubu was awarded the prestigious Summa Cum Laude for scoring 3.54 out of a possible 4.0 GP. Upon graduation with honours and several awards, he worked for major blue chip companies including US-based Arthur Anderson, Deloitte Haskins and Sells (now called Deloitte Haskins and Touche) and GTE Service Corporation – the largest communication and utility company in the United States.

    At Deloitte Haskins and Sells, Tinubu broadened his experience by participating in the auditing and management consultancy services of General Motors, First National Bank of Chicago, Procter and Gamble, International Harvester, GEC and other Fortune 500 firms.

    On his return to Nigeria and with his international experience in Financial Management, Tinubu joined Mobil Producing, Nigeria, as a Senior Auditor and he retired as the company’s Treasurer.

    Driven by his charitable nature, Tinubu saw communal service at the grassroots as a veritable tool for political and social development hence he spearheaded several charitable projects for community development in Lagos. And as a leader of the Primrose Group, a political action organisation, he pushed for progressive changes in the politics of the state.

    Eventually, he opted for public service in exchange for his lucrative job at Mobil. Tinubu ventured into mainstream politics as a founding member of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and in 1992, he was elected as the Senator representing the Lagos West Senatorial District.

    At the National Assembly, he distinguished himself as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Finance, Appropriation and Currency – a foremost committee of the Senate.

    With the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election and the consequent military takeover by Late Gen. Sani Abacha, Tinubu became a founding member of the pro-democracy group, the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which for several years, battled the military for the soul of Nigeria.

    Tinubu suffered several arrests and detention, and constant threats to his life forcing him to flee the country in 1994. He, however, joined NADECO abroad to continue the agitation for a restoration of democratic governance in the country.

    After the death of Gen. Abacha in 1998, he returned from exile to be part of a proposed national reconciliation and development process. With the return to civilian rule, in 1999, he contested the Lagos State governorship seat and won thus commencing his two-term public service as an Executive Governor of Lagos on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

    Between 1999 and 2007, Tinubu received several awards for excellent service. These include Best Governor in Nigeria (2000) by the Nigerian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce; Best Practices Prize in improving the living environment (2002), awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works and the UN-Habitat Group; Best Computerized Government in Nigeria Award by the Computer Association of Nigeria (2000).

    In 2003, he emerged as the only re-elected governor of the Alliance Democracy (AD), who survived the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s strategic takeover of the southwestern states. This set him on regular collisions with the PDP government, led by ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo – especially over his creation of additional 37 Local Council Development Areas for Lagos.

    A Supreme Court judgment in his favour stated that Obasanjo’s federal government should release the seized statutory allocation of the Lagos State Local Government funds but Obasanjo declined.

    During his eight-year tenure as governor, Tinubu invested heavily in housing and education programmes, providing free education in all public primary and secondary schools including payment of WAEC/NECO fees as well as all internal examination fees to ensure that indigent children do not drop out of school. He also initiated new road construction, required to meet the needs of the fast-growing population of the state. He also re-engineered Lagos’ fiscal regime from a monthly internally generated revenue (IGR) of N600m to about N10 billion per month.

    Tinubu was actively involved in the creation of the Action Congress (AC) political party as a recourse to the decimated Alliance for Democracy (AD). Within a few months, he transformed this new party into a credible opposition to the PDP in the country.

    Having bestrode the political scene, like a colossus for three decades, grooming proteges and leaders including two-term Lagos governor and incumbent Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, two-term Osun governor and incumbent Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, his politics culminated in pursuit of his presidential ambition.

    So doing, Tinubu banked on his experience in the public and private sectors.

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was another attestation to his political savvy. He wooed the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) led by Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, the Congress for Political Change (CPC) led by Muhammadu Buhari, and his ACN, to form the APC thus thwarting the PDP’s boast to stay in power for at least 60 years.

    In 2015, the APC won the presidential elections with its flagbearer, President Muhammadu Buhari, thus ending the PDP’s 16-year rule. The party reenacted the feat in 2019 after which permutations about Tinubu’s presidential ambition attained greater resonance.

    After months of speculation, Tinubu formally declared his intention to run for the country’s presidency in January 2022. His declaration triggered an avalanche of intrigues as Vice President Osinbajo, who he recommended as President Buhari’s deputy and who had served as Tinubu’s Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice while he was Lagos governor, subsequently declared his intention to contest the nation’s number one seat with him.

    Tinubu rebuffed attempts to disqualify him and impose a consensus candidate, in the person of Senate President Ahmed Lawan, on the APC, insisting that the party stuck to its democratic tenets by holding a primary election.

    Tinubu subsequently polled 1,271 votes to clinch the ticket ahead of former minister of transportation Rotimi Amaechi (316 votes), VP Osinbajo (235 votes) and Senate President Ahmad Lawan (152 votes).

    However, Tinubu’s travails did not end with his emergence as APC’s presidential candidate. Few weeks before the February 25 polls, the Godwin Emefiele-led Central Bank of Nigeria struck with an ill-advised currency redesign and naira swap policy thus creating naira scarcity and inciting the angst of frustrated Nigerians against the ruling party and its presidential candidate.

    The currency redesign policy was clearly interpreted as a ploy to hinder Tinubu’s success at the polls, and he condemned it, calling out his antagonists at a packed rally in Ogun State. The policy subsequently backfired, especially in the north where large segments of the electorate vowed to vote for Tinubu irrespective of the onslaught against him within and outside his party.

    In the most wide-open presidential election Nigeria has seen since 1979, Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat 17 other candidates including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar (6,984,520 votes) of the PDP and former Governor Peter Obi (6,101,533 votes) of the Labour Party in the election.

    As he received his Certificate of Return on Wednesday, March 1, Tinubu beamed with the fulfilment of his lifelong dream.

    But in apparent cognisance of the task before him, he promised the youths an improved nation and acknowledged in his acceptance speech that, “there are divisions amongst us that should not exist. Many people are uncertain, angry and hurt; I reach out to every one of you. Let the better aspects of our humanity step forward at this fateful moment. Let us begin to heal and bring calm to our nation.”

    As he gets set for his inauguration on May 29, his major rivals, Atiku and Obi, are spoiling to challenge his victory after spurning his offer of reconciliation.

    Whatever the arguments against his politics, Tinubu looms as ritualized personality, a streamlined pond, and a totem for sloganeering. He is formidable to his foes yet inspiring to loyalists.

    His composure even in the face of unfounded and trumped-up allegations is appreciable. His acceptance speech titled, “Era of Renewed Hope,” for instance, highlights his appreciation of the Nigerian situation and why he must hit the ground running.

    It also highlights his understanding of the prerequisite for being a patriot seeking to serve Nigerians of vast bigotries, intellect, and stripes.

    Nigeria is in a state of war, a frigid blank zone under siege of insecurity, unemployment, and economic depression, to mention a few. 

    Tinubu says he is up to the task.

  • At 89, Otunba Balogun lives for others

    At 89, Otunba Balogun lives for others

    By Yemi Odusote

    Good men, they say, hardly live for themselves. Their stories are never told with hisses in disillusionment, but rather intense interest, for the many positive morals they present to the larger society. So are the testimonies of Otunba Michael Olasubomi Balogun, CON, the Asiwaju of Ijebu Christians, an archetype of divine favour, founder of the FCMB Group and an apostle of humanitarianism who has constantly demonstrated in different ways and at all times, his total surrender to serving God and humanity.

    “I am a child of God, and the good Lord has been kind to me. Whatever you see in me now is a divine gift. So why do I have to hold back in good deeds,” Otunba Balogun, in a reflection stated this while giving insight into why he uplifts individuals, institutions and communities. He is that rare breed Nigerian synonymous with good works, excellence, panache, humanitarianism, and philanthropy, who graciously deploys personally earned fortune to assist others in need, be they individuals or institutions. This season is another opportunity to commemorate his birthday, a very instructive occasion, far beyond the merriments that usually flow across the land, in different shapes and forms, to appreciate and thank the Almighty for all He has done in the life of a man, who holds his creator in utmost adoration.

    It avails the opportunity not only to felicitate with him but also to use the intriguing phases of his successful life, to wit his ever-flowing rivers of humanitarianism, to impact lives, teach principles, shape generations, and indeed inspire others. A man who founded, nurtured, and sustained hugely successful organisations in our kind of clime qualifies for a study, for as it is commonly said, in every success, there is a story, and in every story, a moral. The Hallmarks of Labour Foundation (HLF) recently wrote, “We are pleased to inform you that Otunba Olasubomi Balogun has emerged as Winner of the HLF Role Model Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Governance. His selection is in recognition of his leadership and outstanding contributions to entrepreneurship and corporate governance which set him apart as a Great Nigerian Role Model”. The HLF award memorialised some of his values – hard work, determination, perseverance, integrity, courage, and kindness.

    Without a doubt, Otunba Michael Olasubomi Balogun would have lost count of the honours and awards from within and outside Nigeria celebrating this legend. As far back as 1994, he had become the holder of the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine Al merito della Repubblica Italiana (Knight of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy), conferred on him by the Italian President. He holds several revered traditional and cultural titles in recognition and appreciation of the number of lives touched and transformed, not minding religious and ethnic divisions. They include Otunba Tunwase, the Olori Omo-Oba of Ijebu, Asiwaju of Ijebu Christians, the Baba Oba of Ijebu-Ife and the Asalu-Oba of Ijebu Mushin and many others from other parts of Nigeria. The Federal Government also decorated him with the high honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

    Baba, as he is fondly called, is a national treasure whose influence and good deeds extend beyond the shores of Nigeria. And there is no better moment to celebrate the life of an African visionary, entrepreneurial model, and astute banker (The Grand Master of Nigeria’s financial services sector), than the occasion of his 89th birthday.  Born on 9th March 1934 at Ijebu ode, Ogun State, Otunba (Dr) Michael Olasubomi Balogun attended several schools, including Igbobi College, Yaba Lagos, before heading to England, to study Law at the London School of Economics. Armed with the requisite qualifications, he returned to Nigeria and joined the Ministry of Justice, Western Region, as a Crown Counsel and Parliamentary Counsel in the Federal Ministry of Justice. He later moved to the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB), where he advocated the establishment of a merchant bank. He joined that same subsidiary of NIDB, ICON securities, in 1973.

    Other major moves of his illustrious banking career include ICON Ltd and City Securities before he later applied for a merchant banking license that birthed First City Merchant Bank.  Of the institutions and businesses that require the most and the best in setting up, a bank naturally comes first, requiring a concert of ideas from persons of diverse professional callings. Hence they are usually set up by groups of investors, not so in the case of FCMB, which is solely the idea of Otunba Balogun. Not just that he set it up, but he imbued it with a culture of excellence that has endured over time.  To his credit, he was the first to create a special dining room for bank employees and insisted they wear dark and conservative suits. And he also introduced the elegant, memorable, likeable, and relatable bank architectural model synonymous with the average FCMB branch, now widely adopted in different iterations by banks in the country.

    Having attained the pinnacle of banking success, Otunba Balogun shifted his focus to philanthropy and now lives a life of giving more than anything else. He is using his success to give back and make a positive impact on others. People are often amazed at his level of generosity and how it has become a way of life. When something has become a way of life, it defies scheduling – it just happens. To institutionalise this way of life, he set up the ‘Otunba Tunwase Foundation that has become a source of blessing to many.  One of his favourite quotes from the scriptures is, “Children are a heritage of the Lord…” because he loves and values children, which motivated him prioritise their well-being by building the Otunba Tunwase National Paediatric Centre – a massive multi-billion-naira health care centre now fully donated as a total gift to the University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan. You will find that quote from the scripture etched on the massive infrastructure.

    He also uplifts individuals and communities through scholarships, empowering the disadvantaged to pursue their dreams, achieve their goals, and make a positive impact beyond their communities. To his credit are over 300 education scholarships offered to Nigerians from different walks of life. So, it is unsurprising that many accomplished people always warm-up to him, saying he is their benefactor and role model. He is a man of the people who has it all and owes God a river of thanks.  The average man desires to attain long years before departure from this terrestrial plane, but many rarely make it to their 80th birthday anniversaries. For this reason, Otunba Balogun appreciates the grace of seeing multiple tens and still counting. Much more so, celebrating all these in the soundness of mind at almost 90.

    His birthday anniversaries are occasions for giving thanks because it takes Godly grace to celebrate 89 and do so in good health, a sound soul in a sound body. Fervently, Otunba Balogun prays thus: “I want my God to use me. I want to spend the rest of my life serving God and humanity. I want my God to allow me always to show my appreciation. I am not asking for anything again in life. All the beautiful things of this life God has given to me”.

    He was 13 when he found peace with God and gave his life to Christ, despite coming from a family of staunch Muslims. Otunba shared his journey in the following words: “Incidentally, my late mother was educated. I confided in her that I was going to convert to Christianity. The late Bishop Segun, a priest at Porogun Church in Ijebu Ode, converted me at 13. Having accepted Jesus, I just found myself loving Him”.

    As he lives his life of selfless service, so do recognitions and awards flood his way. He also has the American Biographical Institute Inc’s Distinguished Leadership Award for outstanding contributions to the development of Investment Banking.  Otunba Michael Olasubomi Balogun is also a recipient of the University of Ibadan’s Degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his outstanding achievements, both in the field of Law and his contributions to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.  For a man of his status with chains of business concerns to think about, a sound mind is a priority asset, yet it is an asset that has not eluded him in any way. For this and the gift of four accomplished sons and a peaceful, loving, and caring wife as their mother, he has God to thank. “God gave her to me”, he says philosophically, “I believe there was a manifestation of God’s influence on my choice”, with each passing day acting as confirmation of this.

    As the Olori Ebi (and head of all the princes) at the Arojojoye Ruling House in Ijebu Ode, Otunba Balogun rolls out the drums to appreciate, celebrate and thank the Almighty God for keeping him alive, strong and sound-minded with cerebral memories even at the age of almost 90, let us join his family, friends, staff and the good people of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State to celebrate the gift -Olori Omo-Oba Akile Ijebu, to humanity. Let all men of goodwill doff their hats today for this rare gift of a man and chorus for him, the prayer of many more days in the land of the living, in good health of body, mind and soul.

  • ‘How I made a vow to care for children with deformities’

    ‘How I made a vow to care for children with deformities’

    Laja Adedoyin, founder of Heart of Gold Children’s Hospice. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she takes you into her world, how she made a vow to take care of children with deformities , challenges encountered during COVID -19, getting support , having a succession plan and more.

    I look after 68 children with different levels of disabilities. Some of them also you would see and think everything is okay. It is not so and some disabilities can be seen, especially when people have a physical disability. Then you also see the other group that we call congenital, children that were born with severe deformities and one of the things that we do here is to give them what we call palliative care, pain management, making life easy for them to live even though we know we cannot do it all.

    For some of these conditions, you can also do surgery for, and some you cannot do anything. An example of some of those children, you are going to see today. But you would see from afar because of COVID, because of their vulnerability we have to be extremely careful. So, we don’t really allow people to go upstairs. We did up till about two weeks ago and then we had to stop again. What I am going to allow you to do today is to get to their open space which is their play area, and then you can see them from the dormitories, the male and female dormitories.

    What has been the experience of having to run this place?

    It’s been very tough. 19 years ago, on 2nd October 2003, we opened our doors. And over the years, I want to say that Nigerians do give without any iota of doubt. Nigerians are very supportive, but then we also have the nationals, that are non-Nigerians but also contribute a lot to the growth of this place. First of all, I want to talk about the Indian community in Lagos. They have been with us for about 15 years and whether you are talking about the Indian Christian community, the Muslim communities, and the Punjabis. This is where they come to and we are very grateful to them today. I also want to talk about the Igbo Community because there is no point shying away from things that are real, they support us massively here. Then our Yoruba community, our Muslim community. So, this house is what I call a melting pot of all sorts of individuals, companies, and churches. Then we are registered with the Lagos State Government, registered with the Federal government and we are accountable to the Lagos state government. 

    What inspired you at the very beginning?

    Usually, when people come here, and see my children, they ask me why these kinds of children. And my answer is, ‘why not’. They never asked to be born this way. But because I made a vow. I had an accident in the year 2000 with this leg. My film was showing at the National Theater and I was going from the main office to the box office. In those days, they used to have the box office around that area and as I crossed, I slipped and this leg got twisted back. It got to a point where they were going to amputate the leg. I made a vow, God if you heal me, heal my leg, this is what I am going to do. So, it wasn’t like I had a vision or sleeping and God called me. If HE had called me that time, I probably would not even have answered because then I was more into parties, enjoying life. But, I am happy where I am today. In fulfillment of that vow, that is why I am here today. A completely new person.

    Was it easy at the beginning?

    Nothing comes easy. Nigeria is like, one minute it is okay, then the next minute it is medium size, then next minute it is a complete downturn. In terms of the way people relate, the way people give at that time, it is quite different from what it is today. Nigeria has taken another dimension, things are pretty bad right now and I don’t think that there is any household that would not feel it. But that does not mean my children would not exist. When they see my children, people ask me, you keep saying your children. Yes, they are my children. I am the mother, I am the father. The communities have been very good to us. It is not just money, when people come here the first thing I ask is have you seen my children before. So, if you want to give us anything, go upstairs, see them. If you make up your mind that it is okay then you can give. But then, some people would say don’t do anything; you cannot hold anything against them. They would go; it could be another five or ten years. Someone came here not too long ago; saw me on TV, Funmi Iyanda’s show in 2002. Also, here we hardly solicit for help, we don’t write letters, but help will come.

    How would you describe SNF Foods support to the Hospice today?

    They have  supported us overtime and what can we say but to say thank you. We pray for their company to continue to grow in leaps and bounds. Then they can extend the hand of giving, not just with Heart of Gold, there are other homes who also recommend Heart of Gold to their own giver.

    If there is anything like reincarnation, would you still do this?

    Yes, I would do this again.  When I started, I went to Alausa to register a children’s Hospice. At that time, there were none in the country. There are homes for people with disabilities but this is what you call end of term. They are most likely to go; they are not likely to live into adulthood because of the various forms of disabilities. Some of these disabilities are the types that people would see and not take their eyes away. We are all disabled. It is just that some are not showing, we all have our streaks of mental breakdown. We are also disabled, even in our thoughts to other people.

    Where do you get the children from?

    In Lagos State for example, if you find a child, you go to a police station, the police would write a cam diary report, they would in turn take the child and if possible  the person who found the child report to JWC, Juvenile Welfare Center. There is one at Alakara, another at Adeniji Adele on the Island. They will call Lagos State Ministry of Youths and Social Development, they would then determine where the child would go.

    If the child is not okay, the child would definitely come here. Someone called me last week and said someone is pregnant and the child would come to us. I said how can you determine that a pregnant person would give birth to a disabled child. I said the best thing is to wait but even after delivery you cannot come to me. You have to go to the Ministry at Alausa. It is a clear cut division of labour; the end product is what we get.

    Let’s talk about one or two memorable moments?

    You can hardly get what you call a hundred per cent. You can get what you can manage that we can all manage. For example, my daughter was very small when she came. You can see that she is growing but things are not okay.For my son over there , it is the vocal chord.  But , whether they are okay or not, that does not mean that we will not keep managing them. For my dear here , the situation would remain the same , just to manage to adulthood. I pray that she will be able to live up to that age.

    Where do you see Heart of Gold in the next 5 or 10 years?

    If I am alive. I am here now, tomorrow is not guaranteed. But whether tomorrow is guaranteed or not , there are things that are in place already. You cannot be successful without succession. What happens to my children, when I am no longer here . All of them would be safe . For instance , the four corners of this building do not belong to me or to my blood children. It belongs to my children here. Now, who is going to look after them. Of course, there are plans already. A year before Gov Fashola left office , I sent a message that I wanted to see him . The day we got this house , I said to him :’ would you allow my house and the children to go to the Catholic church’.

    So, a year to his exit , I went to see him and said that it is not when I die . It is about working alongside the Reverend sisters , so that the transition would be smooth. It also gives a kind of assurance that nobody would come here to claim from my family. There is no inheritance as far as this building is concerned because people would want to take the building but they don’t want my children. We are already talking with the sisters. We had a meeting which gave me 100 per cent assurance that my children are safe and the legacy would continue. It is only in Nigeria that you are the chairman, MD , CEO and then its family business. I take my exit and I go.

    Are there skills like music that is developed ?

    Yes, they sing and dance. We danced outside . Every January, Gbajabiamila comes here . This year we danced Buga and Gbaja danced so well.

    In all this, what lessons have you learnt?

    That there is nothing to life. Instead of waste , if you are able to impact positively things would be better . But , if you look at the whole thing , from my 60s ,you lie down and discover that there is nothing there. So, do as much as you can, don’t be frivolous. Don’t be too extravagant , just eat and dream. You can dream in the afternoon. You don’t have to be sleeping to dream, dream of where you are going.