The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Interview

  • I can’t believe embattled Maiduguri was the PEACEFUL CITY I LIVED IN FOR 11 YEARS —Ex-UNIMAID registrar Jibodu

    I can’t believe embattled Maiduguri was the PEACEFUL CITY I LIVED IN FOR 11 YEARS —Ex-UNIMAID registrar Jibodu

    For Sir Oladipo Adeyemi Jibodu, life begins at 80. His typical day begins with a walk around his palatial compound in Sagamu, Ogun State, followed by a light breakfast and a glance through the day’s dailies before he starts attending to visitors. As he awaits his 80th birthday anniversary on December 3, the legal practitioner and former Acting Registrar and Legal Officer of the University of Maiduguri, who lived in the now beleaguered North-East city for 11 years, shares with PAUL UKPABIO some of his unforgettable experiences, including returning to school to study Law three decades after he graduated, just to fulfill his father’s wish.

    HOW does it feel to be 80, considering that not too many people are lucky to clock that age these days?

    I will be celebrating my 80th birthday here in Sagamu on the 3rd of December. However, there will also a big event here on the December 2nd, which is the launch of my book to which lots of people have been invited. The governor (Ibikunle Amosun) wrote a tribute, and it is very likely he will be attending too. I feel it is by the grace of God that I have been able to make it to this age. It is not that I have not been ill at other times of my life. But by the grace of God, I have been able to reach this age. I feel well. Like they say in football parlance, I feel in top form. God has done a lot of good things in my life.

    What would say have been the highpoints of your life at 80?

    In terms of knowledge, have been in a number of universities. I studied Law at the University of Ife. I also studied Public Administration at the University of Durham. I was also in Manchester for a big course, which is given to tertiary administrators. With that, I was in contact with a number of influential people in the country. I worked at three federal universities—the University of Ife where I started, then moved to Ibadan and then to the University of Maiduguri.

    The last place offered a real deep experience because we were starting out with a new university. Some of us were recruited in 1972. It was a big event in my life, and I was in that university for 11 years.

    Was it a popular thing to go to the university at the time that you set out to pursue a university education?

    No, it wasn’t at all. As a matter of fact, my late father was not educating her girls. He was not enthusiastic about the idea, even when they were older than us. There was the fear in us the boys that when it came to our turn, he might also say we should go to the farm, because he was a farmer. But as it turned out, when it came to our time, he said he would take us to school. We were lucky because if there was no school for us, life would have turned out differently. So, from primary school, I gradually moved to secondary school, and from there to the university.

    What do you think made your father to give his male children education?

    Well, when we had the opportunity to ask him why he didn’t educate our elder sisters before us, his response was that it was his intention originally to educate the male children who he was sure would be with him forever while the female children would be departing to other people’s houses. However, towards the end of his life, it pained him because the women grew up well too and turned out very right. If you see them, you would not even know that they didn’t go to formal schools.

    Who influenced you the more between your mum and your dad?

    I would say my father. But in terms of closeness, it was my mother. But again, it was my father who gave me spiritual knowledge and education and the necessary information that developed me. So I would say that my father influenced me the more.

    Where did you grow up?

    I started primary school in Sagamu, but my secondary school was outside Sagamu. That was Ahmadiyyah in Lagos. From there, the college was moved to Agege still in Lagos, few years after I started there. That gave me a different exposure. Agege was more or less a village at that time. But it is a big town now (laughs).

    What informed your decision to study law?

    That was a combination of my father’s wish and mine. Though he was a farmer, he did some form of elementary school, so, he should resume as an executive officer and continue like that until I finished the course.

    So, at the end of the day, I didn’t have to sell the car. I was using the car from town to attend lectures on the campus, in the Faculty of Law. That was how I finished the course. I finished the study in three years. It was a time when there were no strikes on university campuses.

    Why did you insist on going back to school to study Law after 33 years?

    That was because it was my late dad’s wish. It was also because it was my desire after that time to study Law.

    When you first got the message that you would be going to work at the University of Maiduguri in the far north, how did you feel?

    It was with mixed feelings because of the messages we were getting from the north then. When my wife heard it, she asked me why I wanted to go to the north. She asked if it was because of the money. She wondered about the menace of flies and then the scorching sun. The same concerns were expressed I the homes of my colleagues who were also penciled down to move to the University of Maiduguri.

    What I did was to sit my wife down and ask her a straight question. I asked if she was interested in going to Maiduguri and she said that wherever I went, she would go and she would take all our children with her so we would all go together. I was so elated with her response. When the time came, we all left for Maiduguri. We didn’t have to discuss with anyone again after that.

    When I got there, I became the Acting Registrar. But you know, there was the issue of language, and the people there wanted their own person to be the registrar because the registrar had to be interacting with their Emirs and other traditional rulers who then did not understand other languages than theirs. I was not surprised. And when a registrar was appointed, I was compensated with University Legal Officer, and that was because I had been to the Law School. I was also placed on the same scale as the Registrar.

    Did you enjoy your stay at the University of Maiduguri?

    Yes, I did. It opened a lot of positive avenues for me. I went to London so many times. At times, it was to buy uniforms for the university. At other times, it was on matters of sponsorship. I was nominated for a course at the University of Manchester, and that was an important course for my career too.

    How long did you work at the University of Maiduguri?

    I spent eleven years there. And at the point of retirement, I was lucky I had a house, which was a bungalow, at the GRA. So I retired there and planned to remain in Maiduguri to practice Law. I left the university house. For two years, I was practicing Law in Maiduguri. But one day, I woke and something touched my brain. I recalled that my extended families were still back in Sagamu. It occurred to me that I might as well return to Sagamu, since I could practice law even there. It was after then that we returned to Sagamu.

    Today we hear of the many woes of Maiduguri in terms of Boko Haram’s activities. How do you feel about it?

    I feel bad because there was a lot of merriment, a lot of friendship in that place for us. I have so many good memories of the town. Since the hostilities started, sometimes I stop to wonder what could have become of me and my entire family if I had stayed put in the town. At a time I was calling my friends over there to return home, but they refused. But we thank God that though they stayed back, they fared better. My friends in the university didn’t die. Some of them have even become professors. So it’s not all bad stories.

    How was Law School?

    It was okay. But there were initial fears from my friends and other people at the University in Maiduguri that I might not do well there. Their fears were anchored on the fact that even the younger ones were failing easily at the Law School. But as it happened, I passed well even at the first try. I enjoyed it actually.

    You also have children who chose to study Law…

    Yes. But at that time, they were not yet out of the university. It was two or three years after that they started coming out of the university. Now I thank God I have a son, Tokunbo, who is a honourable judge in Ogun State. He decided to study Law like I did. I am very proud of him. He became a judge at 43; that is a record. I have a daughter too who has taken after me.

    She is equally brilliant but didn’t come out of the Law School immediately because of issue of illness. That affected her and affected the time she concluded Law School.

    How about the other children?

    The others have passed out of the university but are in other disciplines.

    Some of your contemporaries who travelled abroad then returned with foreigners as their wives. Why did you marry a foreigner?

    (Laughs) First, that didn’t happen because I already had a wife before I left. You know what that would have meant if I had returned with a white lady as wife. Secondly, not many people really liked to go out there and marry a white lady. Some of them are good and some of them are bad. To start with, not many of them will want to return to Nigeria with you. And for the few that may follow you to Nigeria, if there is any little quarrel here, they just go back. They can’t endure the kind of things that our women here endure. For instance, when the option of going to Maiduguri came up for me, my wife told me that where ever I went, she would go. That made me to love her more.

    Are there special kinds of food you take?

    Not really. But I try to take light food in the morning. I take eko and akara. But in the afternoon, I love to take egusi soup with eba, rice, tuwo and so on. And in the evenings too I take light food.

    Do you do physical exercise?

    Yes, I do. But I limit all such exercises to the confines of my compound. Another reason why I may have longevity is that I do not over-exercise myself with unnecessary socials. I have always been a social person, but I restrict that to events involving close ones. There was a time I used to drink alcohol, beer especially, when I was working. But these days I have limited it to water or soft drink.

    Are you a member of any social club?

    Yes, but not many. In the university days, I was much more involved. After that, I was personally not involved in societies because I was more interested in reading books. You know with Law, I had to read almost every day and study a lot of times to meet up with cases, so that really took a lot of time off my hands, and I didn’t have enough space for societies and clubs.

    So, what do you really do these days?

    I have virtually retired home. I can do a whole month without going out these days. I sleep, wake, refresh myself, walk around the house, do my exercises and receive visitors. People come here to see me. However, I spend a lot more time on church matters. And before I left my service for the church, I became the Lay President, which is the highest office one can get to in the Methodist Church, and the Baba Ijo. I have been that for 10 years now. It is a life position because one is there on merit. I was also given the highest award, the Knight of John Wesley, which enables me to attach ‘Sir’ to my name.

    Going through your photo album, one notices that you have an attraction for ‘agbada’ as an outfit…

    (Laughs) I was good at ‘tying up’ too, appearing most of the time in formal clothing as a lawyer. My son had to take most of my suits later. Bt much later also, he was picking his own suits each time he went to London. I love wearing agbada. I feel good in the traditional outfit. It has always been a usual kind of dressing for me.

    Do you consider yourself a fulfilled man?

    I believe that God has blessed me in many ways, so I can say that I am fulfilled.

    At 80 what will you say has been your greatest possession?

    (He looks up) That will be my family. I am indeed grateful to God for my children. They have been good to me. For this celebration, for instance, they have taken it upon themselves to celebrate me. They decided within themselves that they would handle all the finances by themselves, even the clothing and shoes for my wife and I are all coming from them. What else should be the joy of a father? Moreover, they have given me good grandchildren and great grandchildren. I enjoy their company a lot and usually look forward to seeing them.

    What made you decide to write a book about your life?

    It was when I looked back over the years and realised the exceeding grace of God on me. I felt compelled to put it in writing. Every picture of my life has been influenced by His grace.

    At what point did it occur to you to write it?

    It had been on my mind for a long time. But because of the hard work of combining the public service and the service to the church as a lay president, I could not start as early as I thought I would. Being lay president is a busy position for anyone. I had to attend meetings at several places. One has to attend meetings with the Bishop as time calls for it and, personally, one has to hold several meetings too. But immediately I left the position of lay president, I began to write things down in 2014.

    Any regrets?

    No, no. No regrets in whatever way. However, life is difficult in Nigeria. I hear some people say that if they are to return to life, they want to be given birth to in America (laughs). For me, I will like to come back to Nigeria. That is because Nigeria is good. I also believe that the country is still going to be better. We should just push ahead. With determination, we as a country will keep getting better.

  • Amaechi: why Buhari calls me ‘executive driver’

    Amaechi: why Buhari calls me ‘executive driver’

    The Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, last weekend in Lagos had an interaction with select editors. The former Rivers State governor, who restricted questions to the affairs of his ministry, explained the Buhari administration’s comprehensive plan for rejuvenating the comatose rail system, the challenges being faced along the line and how the challenges are being tackled. DELE ADE-OLUWA was there. Excerpts:

    THIS administration has an ambitious rail project but the question remains, why are you piling up loans instead of developing the rails through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) or getting private companies to come and finance it instead of loans and public funds?

    I challenge anybody to show me anywhere in the world where railway lines are built by private funding business. For them, it does not make any economic sense for a private business to put money in railways. There is nowhere in the world where railway has been constructed by private funds.

    But what has the Transport Ministry, under your leadership, been doing to revamp the railway?

    There are three key factors that aid development. The first is steel and you know Nigeria has no steel; the next is power and the third is railway. Railway is expensive to construct, private funds are not used to construct railways. We are fixing all the narrow gauge, which is about 3,500 kilometres. GE (General Electric) and the consortium is expected to bring $2.7 billion to fix the old rail line from Lagos to Kano, to Funtua. They will also fix from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, and they will recover their funds for 20 to 30 years depending on what we agree on. But when it comes to construction, which private company will bring $1.5 billion for the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan railway line for instance? So, usually, the government bears the brunt so that the economy can grow.

    Imagine that we finish re-constructing the narrow gauge. The day we made the rails to function, the price of tomatoes would reduce drastically because we would then be able to convey cheaply and more conveniently, bulk quantities of tomatoes from the North to Lagos and other states in the South.

    So, the objective of this government is to ensure that at least all the state capitals have rail services. So, if you check Lagos-Ibadan, it will be completed in December 2018. By January 2018, hopefully if we get the loan, we will start Ibadan-Kano. We have constructed Abuja-Kaduna and we are constructing Lagos-Ibadan. We will not wait for that to finish but by next year, we will start Ibadan-Kano. Once we complete that, we have 1,500 km standard gauge but we had earlier given the contract to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), hoping that the Chinese would fund Lagos-Calabar. The Chinese came back two months ago and said they don’t have money to fund the Lagos-Calabar rail project. So, we are going round looking for money; we have proposals.

    Some people have indicated interest in funding part of the Calabar-Port Harcourt rail project and we are talking with them. We are talking with other groups who want to fund Port Harcourt-Maiduguri. The central line we intend to complete next year starts from Itapke-Warri. The president has directed us to start from Abuja-Itakpe but by next year, we are sure to launch the train services from Itapke-Warri while we are looking for money to construct Abuja-Itakpe to join the one we have completed from Itakpe to Warri.

    But these are plans…?

    They are not just plans, they have gone beyond planning. Most of those we are discussing with, we are not just talking about taking loans, what we are discussing with them is for them to bring ten per cent equity, while we (FG) bring ten per cent equity. The company we would form as special-purpose entity, SPE, will then borrow the remaining 80 per cent.

    What we are trying to do is to also get private individuals to join us to borrow the money and run it; and because their company has participated in the loan, they will all run it to pay back.

    So, you have a stake?

    Yes, we have a stake. So, we allow them to run and see whether they can recover the money while we make our contributions to pay part of the money.

    Can you give some kind of timeline?

    You can’t do that until you have all the funds. I will be able to say that by June 2018. But, I can tell you that Lagos-Ibadan will be completed in December, 2017. Don’t forget that the contract for the Lagos-Ibadan is three years but because I know Nigerians wanted to see results, I told them no because the Chinese government told us that they construct 1000 km per year, so, why should 126km take them three years? They said it was a double carriage way but I told them that even if it was a double carriage way, they should break themselves into gangs and that five gangs could complete it in a year. That is what they are doing and by December this year, they will start laying the tracks.

    Tell us your plans for Apapa, especially with the traffic gridlock on that axis.

    We are talking with GE to initiate what we call the interim phase agreement. The interim phase agreement is a plan to put in place a structure that can get the rail to start running no matter how slow.

    Nigerians will be interested to know when the trucks will leave Apapa.

    I don’t know about the trucks… I was explaining to you that there was an interim phase agreement and it is to enable us put the cargo on the rail. So, GE is bringing in six narrow gauge locomotives in the next one month, they will also bring in 100 wagons. With the six locomotives and 100 wagons, we will then begin to transfer the goods from the seaport.  All Lagos bound freights will likely be transported to Papalanto. I won’t accept Ebute Metta because trucks have taken over the roads.

    So, I said instead of that, they should move to Papalanto and pick up their goods but the non-Lagos goods should go straight to their locations, no matter how long it takes them to drop all of them in Papalanto. The best thing is to leave all Lagos goods at Papalanto and the rest goods will be transported direct to their destinations. That I have directed.

    We are in a hurry because some of you are not patient enough, you want the results delivered despite the time constraint that we have.

    It is a good plan but it is an over ambitious one.

    It is good to have ambition.

    You probably may not be able to deliver with the rate you are going…

    Let me tell you why one should be ambitious. Lagos-Kano was on board in 2006, the Lagos-Calabar was on board before we came in. President Buhari came and said we should not award any contract but that we should construct those two rail lines. You can hear me say now that we are looking for money. People politicise the issue of railway, but it has to do with economics and has nothing to do with politics.

    By the way, it is enough if we get the narrow gauge to 200kph but Nigerians said they want speed train. So, it is the politicisation of development but what I tell people is that they should not politicise development, we are Nigerians.

    So, if the President tells the Minister for Transport, I want you to deliver the railways but one thing I can say to the public is that I am not under pressure by the President. The pressure I am under is the pressure of making sure that there is result but not for me to do it in certain areas. The decision to itemise the railway projects is left to me.

    What is driving the rails are economic goals, that is why you see I am pursuing the central line. There are two types of economic zones that you can look at here. One is that the solid minerals are found more in the North East. So, you see why we develop the Port Harcourt rail because once Nigeria leaves oil and goes into mining, you will see the benefit of the rail. If you don’t have rail, forget about mining.

    The reason the President is pursuing the rail is because of the diversification of the economy, if we are going to diversify our economy, it means that we are going to depend greatly on the North East not just for food but for the mining.

    Land locked neighbouring countries do not import through Nigeria again, they import through Lome, Cotonou and Ghana. There are several factors but one of the factors is that there are no rail lines that get up to their countries. So, I believe that if we do the Lagos-Kano and connect from Kano-Niger Republic, they have no reason to say they cannot come to our area.

    The other reason they gave are the numerous checkpoints. If they put their goods on the railways, there is no need for checkpoints, which will boost the economy of Nigeria too. So, the rail development is focused on economic development.

    You are trying to do so many things at the same time. You said you are not under pressure…

    (Cuts in) No, I did not say I am under pressure that is why I am doing all these things. The President is not pressurising me on the choice of where to go. I am under pressure to carry out economic development. Since the President has said he wants to diversify the economy which is his focus and the focus of this government, we are less interested in oil and more interested in economic diversification. If that is what he is saying, then there will be no economic diversification until we deal with railway.

    Because you’re doing so many things at the same time, are you not worried that you may probably not achieve or complete anyone?

    Why don’t you wait till then? I have been a speaker for eight years, my record is there; I have been a governor for eight years, my record is there; I have been minister for two years, why don’t you wait? It was less than six months after I became minister that we fixed Abuja-Kaduna rail line. Don’t forget that it was abandoned before I came for lack of funding.

    What are your big challenges?

    Funding and I have said that several times and that is why you see me trying to run everywhere to look for funds. You see, it is not every country that gives money even if it is at commercial rates. There are so many countries out there looking for money, it is not only us.

    Nigeria is also looking for money to fund the budget.

    Why don’t you for the first time praise the Buhari government? When we came, what was the per capita recurrent ratio? It was below 20 per cent per capita and then, the current was 84 per cent. In our first year, we did 25 per cent. The difference between us and the rest is that we don’t borrow for the government, I hope you got that? We lend money for projects.

    To be paid for by the government…

    Are you saying we should not borrow? We must show a bit of understanding of the issues; you cannot even run the economy without borrowing. There is no economy in the world you can run without borrowing. The United States of America is borrowing trillions of dollars. We have not surpassed the ratio. Every day, we look at the ratio and ensure that we do not surpass it. Are you asking us not to develop?

    Some people have argued that we need to look at the Railway Act of 1965 and amend it

    The Railway Act is before the National Assembly, the Act has been there but I think it has passed Second Reading in the National Assembly and hopefully, they will pass it. Let us give them some time for them to pass it.

    How would you assess this government, especially in your ministry?

    Whether Nigerians accept it or not, we did not promise to perform miracles. We knew there would be challenges. I was chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, I knew the huge stealing that was going on; I knew that Nigeria was bleeding.

    Now, when we took over what we did not expect as we landed was that oil price would crash the way it crashed. We didn’t also know that there was a political plan to drown the economy if they lost. While we looked at the economy when we came in, our economic experts said we needed to spend ourselves out of recession. We were told that we needed to pump money into the system. Which government has come to power and started paying contractors of the other party that was in government?

    Did you mean contractors of previous governments?

    Other governments will ignore them and employ their own contractors; instead, the President directed that we needed to put money in the system for two reasons. One was to bring back the economy, the second reason is that to restore the economy, you have to make the people consume. For the first time, we spent over $1 trillion on capital and most of them, we were paying the contractors for contracts that were awarded by the previous government, including that of Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and Jonathan. We could not award contracts of our own till 2017.

    So, when anybody says assess the government, you must look at what we are doing vis-avis the noise we are making. The problem we have is that we are not making enough noise. Everybody is doing his or her work quietly.

    The Buhari administration…

    Anyone who can’t speak about Buhari does not know the man. I acted as his Director-General for ten months, so, I know the man very well. I know the things he wants and the things he does not like. I can tell you that the man is committed to the development of Nigeria. One good thing about the man is that once he makes up his mind to be focused on the development of Nigeria, he has to achieve that development that he wants.

    What is important to him is a united country that provides for the poor and the rich. Have you seen our convoys? I have not seen a minister that has more than three cars. How many previous administrations have you seen like that? The ministers, realising the spirit of the government or body language, knows that it is the right thing to do; you just know that it is a waste of money to have ten cars for a minister.

    I drive myself, I don’t have a convoy. Anywhere I go, I drive myself. I have always driven myself as Speaker and governor and now as Minister. During the campaign when I drove the President, he used to call me executive driver. It is not about being a minister, it is what I love doing.

    More light on railway development.

    What I have decided to do on the railway is to ensure that we keep to timelines, so the first week of every month, I am in Lagos. During the week, we had a meeting with the Chinese contractors, the Lagos State government, Oyo government, Ogun government, NRC chairman to assess what we did the previous month and see whether we achieved them.

    Our target is to commence laying of tracks by December 2017, we will try but we are having challenges. We have challenges of gas pipelines, we have power assets on the alignment, we have written, no response; we have four bridges that are challenges to us; we have found solutions to three of them to allow the trains pass. We are doing all that and hope that the society will be understanding and give us time to allow us finish. The time they gave us is four years. We don’t have money, so we have to borrow.

  • How I escaped death in encounters with daring gangs—Rivers F-SARS commander

    How I escaped death in encounters with daring gangs—Rivers F-SARS commander

    A lawyer and Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Mr. Akin Fakorede, who hails from Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti State, is the Commander of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) in Rivers State. In this interview with our Bureau Chief in Port Harcourt, BISI OLANIYI, he explains his relationship with Rivers State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, and proffers solutions to kidnapping and other crimes.

    Most people are familiar with the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). But they suddenly started seeing your men in black T-shirts F-SARS (Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad) inscription. Why the sudden change in nomenclature?

    The full nomenclature is F-SARS, which stands for Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). It has been in existence for decades in the Nigeria Police Force, but the operational capability of SARS became improved with IGP Ibrahim Idris at the helm of affairs. He identified SARS as one of the tactical teams that could be engaged to combat various extreme crimes: kidnapping, armed robbery, communal attacks, cult-related gang wars and other violent activities that have bedevilled our country in recent times.

    Since you became the helmsman of F-SARS in Rivers State, how many of the extreme crimes have you been able to combat?

    Violent crimes are a daily occurrence in the Niger Delta. Managing extreme crimes and violent groups is done on a daily basis. We are always dealing with kidnapping, cult and robbery gangs, as well as snatching of vehicles with arms from unsuspecting citizens and gunmen who invade communities from time to time.

    With your experience over the years, what is the way out of kidnapping, militancy, cultism and other crimes in the Niger Delta?

    Tackling the crimes will require an integrated approach, especially many actors working together to deal with the security challenge in the Niger Delta. Security is key. In addition to security, we also need to fight crimes with jobs, morality and with the leaders setting proper examples for the youths to follow.

    READ: How I escaped death in encounters with daring gangs—Rivers F-SARS commander

    How can crimes be fought with morality?

    It involves leaders of churches and mosques placing emphasis on Godly principles. You must be your brother’s keeper. You must not take what does not belong to you. You must not put your hope in earthly things and you must not be too materialistic. You must develop the spirit of contentment, to live a good life. Part of what is responsible for the high rate of crimes is poor moral upbringing of our youths and the attraction to filthy lucre and material things, which have taken over the time-tested and proven principles of contentment.

    You admonished people not to put their hope in earthly things. Are you a child of God?

    I am a Christian. I am a child of God. I am a man of faith. I believe in every word of the Bible.

    Did you join the police because you did not have other options?

    I developed interest in the Nigeria Police Force and joined in 1992 as a Cadet Inspector from the Police Academy, Kano, along with Frank Mba, one-time Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, and many other young people of my age. I chose a career in the Nigeria Police Force and I have not looked back since then.

    I did not opt for the police out of frustration. I joined the police because I have love for the job. I had many options then, but I decided to choose the police. The concept then was that the Police Academy, Kano, was going to start as a university during the regime of former military President Ibrahim Babangida.

    The concept of Police Academy, which is today a federal university, started way back. Part of the information we had was that the university would start as far back as 1992. Unfortunately, it did not start. But we had to go through the regular training, which was very fine, and we learnt a lot.

    How has it been, since you joined the police?

    It has been rewarding and challenging. The police force has given me a lot of opportunities. I have served with the United Nations (UN) under the UN African Mission in Darfur, a region in Western Sudan where a major armed conflict began in February 2003. I was part of the pioneer UN team in Darfur on December 30, 2007. I have also served with the African Union (AU) in Somalia. I have been privileged to go on overseas training.

    The Nigeria Police Force has also given me an opportunity to train and qualify as a lawyer from the University of Calabar (UNICAL) in Cross River State. I later went to the Nigerian Law School, Enugu Campus. Then, there was no Yenagoa Campus. I was called to the Bar in May 2007. I also have a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from UNICAL. Presently, I am running a master’s programme in Law in a Nigerian university.

    There have been challenges and there are challenges on a daily basis. I have escaped death on many occasions from armed gangs/armed robbers. I have accosted very daring groups of armed robbers in the Niger Delta, especially in Rivers State. We fought our way to escape. We had gun battles with various armed groups. God has always given us victory.

    Also: Wike, Rivers F-SARS Commander’s face-off worsens… as Rivers council ejects anti-robbery squad

    Have you led an operation in which you lost some of your men?

    I have lost my men on many occasions in the course of duty. Death is one of the prices we pay as police officers in order to ensure the safety of lives and property of other citizens, as well as prevent the breakdown of law and order.

    How do you motivate your men when they see lifeless bodies of their colleagues?

    We always let them understand that it is a privilege to serve and give up one’s life for the greater good of one’s country. Anybody called to take up that task must consider him/herself honoured. The men have also come to understand that some people must stand up for Nigeria and stand on the path of what is right.

    On October 5, 2017, a delegation of the Niger Delta Bishops and Ministers’ Forum, also known as United Bishops and Eminent Clerics Initiative of Nigeria Inc., gave you an award. How does it feel receiving the award at a time that Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, and his allies in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) decided to declare war against you, accusing you of professional misconduct and taking sides with the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and calling for your transfer away from the Niger Delta state?

    The award was very inspiring, highly motivating and very sobering indeed. It was never arranged. I do not know the eminent personalities across the Niger Delta region who gave me the award. The award means that in the midst of all the noise and distractions, we still have people who genuinely recognised that we are doing so much to keep them safe. That is very humbling, and I am very grateful to all the members of the Niger Delta Bishops and Ministers’ Forum for the honour and their support.

    How will you react to the accusation that you and F-SARS operatives are always involved in kidnapping, armed robbery, extortion of innocent members of the public and illegal arrest of many law-abiding Rivers residents?

    The allegations against F-SARS, coming from whatever quarters, are completely false and are without a single evidence or proof. The SARS in Rivers State is a unit of the Nigeria Police Force, with operatives who are disciplined, professional and committed to their duties. We have encouraged members of the public to report any infraction from any member of the unit (F-SARS). Any officer that acts in a manner unbecoming of a police officer will be disciplined in line with existing regulations.

    On September 25, 2017, it was alleged that operatives of F-SARS killed a taxi driver, Mr. Ajibade Ademisoye, 42, at Rumuakunde community, Emohua town in Emohua LGA, accusing him of being a cult member, which led to massive protest against F-SARS. Why was Ademisoye killed?

    Ajibade Ademisoye was a notorious cult member. On the day of the incident, he was in the midst of 12 other members of his gang at Rumuakunde community, Emohua. On the fateful day, Ademisoye and his gang sighted a police patrol team, opened fire on them and shot a policeman, Sgt. Okoroma Gift, who was later rushed to the hospital. The F-SARS operatives responded to the gun attack by Ademisoye and his gang. Ademisoye was not alone. He was with other persons who took to their heels after the shootout with the police. He was not driving a taxi. He was not killed at a checkpoint. He was killed in the bush in Rumuakunde community, Emohua.

    After the shootout, we took the shot policeman and Ademisoye to the hospital. While Ademisoye was being attended to in the hospital by the medical team, they found in his pocket two rounds of live ammunition, and the medical personnel had to call the police. At the scene where the incident took place, the policemen recovered one locally-made pistol and two live cartridges.

    Ademisoye might be a taxi driver, but he was not driving a taxi when he had a confrontation with the men of F-SARS. The people who protested and the persons who were levelling unfounded allegations against F-SARS were not at the scene of the incident. We were there, but they were not there. If they were there, they would have seen the policeman that was shot by the cultists. Other gang members who were with Ademisoye on the day of the incident, why are they not coming out to identify themselves and to testify on his behalf?

    While we commiserate with Ademisoye’s young widow, his children and other members of his family, we maintain that the deceased engaged in activities that were not acceptable to the law and could only have himself to blame. Members of the public must know that Ademisoye was not an innocent citizen. His fate was as a result of the consequences of his action. You cannot shoot at policemen and expect them not to defend themselves. You cannot shoot at members of the public and feel that there will be no consequences. The consequences of armed insurrection is that the law enforcement agents will respond appropriately. That was exactly what we did.

    There was a rerun of elections in Rivers State on December 10, 2016, but you were accused by Governor Wike and many leaders of the PDP that you intimidated and beat up officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Rivers East Senatorial District’s Collation Centre, located at the secretariat of the Port Harcourt City Local Government Council (PHALGA), near the Government House, Port Harcouurt, and also that you connived with APC leaders to rig the elections in favour of the candidates of the APC. What is your reaction?

    The allegations are completely false. I never connived with anybody. I never prevented INEC officials from doing their job. F-SARS men only provided security during the elections and collation of results, thereby ensuring that thugs, hoodlums and criminal elements who were disrupting the process and shooting at people were arrested.

    All we (F-SARS operatives) did was to respond to distress calls at various locations to recover weapons from hoodlums who were shooting at people, attacking and killing voters. A panel was set up to look into all the incidents that occurred during the December 10, 2016 elections. Members of the panel interviewed all persons/actors in the field, including myself, and they have made their submission.

    At no point was it alleged before the members of the panel that I intimidated or assaulted anybody. Nobody also stated that I snatched ballot boxes/result sheets or beat up any official of INEC.

    How will you describe the calls for your transfer out of Rivers State by Governor Wike and other leaders of the PDP for allegedly disrupting the security architecture of the state, with a claim that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) are shielding you?

    The calls are uncalled for. There is no truth in all the allegations levelled against me and men of F-SARS in Rivers State. I need to state that I do not have any personal issue with Governor Wike and other leaders of PDP. I am simply doing my job in line with the ethics of my profession.

    The Rivers Commissioner of Police, Zaki Mohammed Ahmed, is always insisting on professionalism and adherence to the rule of law by policemen in the Rivers State Police Command, including the operatives of F-SARS. If the leaders of PDP, APC and other political parties approach F-SARS and demand security, we will surely oblige all of them without taking sides, which we have been doing and will continue to do by God’s grace and mercy.

    How will you describe the security situation in Rivers State, in view of the October 9, 2017 killing of no fewer than 15 innocent persons in their sleep by gunmen in a densely-populated residential area near the office of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in Port Harcourt?

    The security situation is challenging and we are living up to the challenge. We will deal with the security situation and ensure that everybody in Rivers State is safe. That is our mandate, especially to ensure the safety of all persons within the boundaries of Rivers State, and that we will do.

    What is your advice for Rivers people as we move towards 2019?

    My advice to the members of the public in Rivers State is to support the police with timely and useful information. When you see something, you say something. Everybody should also have all the security numbers that we have made available.

    Policing is a partnership. Security is everybody’s business. Everybody should be vigilant. Ahead of 2019, the youths should resist being used as thugs and should always consider their future, thereby engaging in meaningful ventures to contribute to societal development.

    There are lots of opportunities out there for the youth who ought not to resort to crime. There are many programmes designed by the Federal Government to engage the youth, like the N-Power and recruitments going on in all of the services. The youths should take advantage of all the government policies and programmes.

    We now have transparent employment processes. Employment opportunities/vacancies are advertised daily on the Internet or social media and in newspapers. Forms are now filled online. I want to encourage the youths to take advantage of these opportunities.

    The youths can also be self-employed and embrace the empowerment programmes of the Federal Government, other tiers of government, development agencies, companies, individuals and other stakeholders.

    Youths will live more meaningful lives if they are engaged. The temptations to get involved in criminality will not be there if you are doing something meaningful for yourself.

    What of the fears in some quarters that informants can be betrayed by some policemen?

    The fears that policemen will divulge useful information given in confidence by members of the public and endanger the lives of the informants are unfounded. The people that give timely information to the police are always well protected.

    In the Rivers State Police Command, especially F-SARS, nobody has given us information that we have not protected or we have not managed very well.

    Information provided is always confidential and we always ensure that the information is well managed. We do not put people’s lives on the line. We are professional enough to shield persons giving information to the police.

  • Jobs used to wait for us when we graduated –Ikoyi Club chair Babatunde Akinleye

    Jobs used to wait for us when we graduated –Ikoyi Club chair Babatunde Akinleye

    This week, Lagos elite club, Ikoyi Club 1938, under the chairmanship of Babatunde Akinleye, rolled out the red carpet to celebrate its 79th anniversary with style and splendor, notable only to the upper class in the society. From a simple press conference and the official cutting of the tape at the club’s rotunda, Ikoyi Club went on to host different competitive sporting activities, charity visit to Ikoyi Prison, a public lecture delivered by the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, with keynote address by Africa’s richest man Alhaji Aliko Dangote. Of course, the Special Guest of Honour, was the Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, who was quite at home at the club. Babatunde Akinleye, a successful engineer and businessman, takes us into the ideals that set up the club, its culture of stability, and the lifestyle and character that ensures one retaining its membership, even within a family orientation.

    How has your early life influenced the person you are today?

    Early life, I believe to a large extent, determines what one becomes. It shapes you as a person. I come from a university environment background, having grown up in a university campus. My father worked for the University of Ife. I went to primary school in the staff school there in Ife.  My secondary school was Comprehensive School, Aiyetoro. I studied electronics engineering at the University of Ife and went back to do a Master’s degree in science and that was when it became Obafemi Awolowo University. So my values shaped me for being fortunate enough to grow up in an environment at a time when things were totally merit driven.

    For me, everything is on merit. It has nothing to do with who you are or whom you know and that shaped my values and influences that made me Chairman of Ikoyi Club 1938.

    Did you have your education in Nigeria?

    Yes, all through. I never studied abroad.

    But you must have grown up as a privileged child, so why didn’t you go abroad, because at a particular time, it seemed many young people were leaving Nigeria to school abroad?

    On the contrary, at the time I went to school, it was the people who were not doing well, who couldn’t get into university in Nigeria on merit; those were the ones that went abroad. If you were brilliant, and doing well, you would go to school in Nigeria! It is when you are not doing well and your parents needed to manage you, that is when you were shipped abroad to go to school. Things have changed. Now the privileged go abroad automatically because the educational system has regressed today. We hoped that we can contribute to improving the educational system in Nigeria. On a personal note, there is a foundation I am involved in, that is championing the cause of improving the quality of education, and making it available to the less privileged. That is one of the ways we can improve Nigeria.

    What is the name of the foundation?

    Bunmi Adedayo foundation

    Who was your role model, your mom or your dad?

    Both of them actually. But in different ways, my father was a very quiet but strong willed person. He encouraged me to think for myself and allowed me to make my decisions. My mother on the other hand was in a sense, very definite about the fact that you must do things properly. You must remember a child of whom you are. I wasn’t from a rich family. My parents were in the middle class.

    How easy was it for you to get employment after school?

    I graduated in1980, so it was easy. We had jobs waiting for us then, with a car loan and a brand new car. That is the challenge now. My generation and the generation after mine were the last generations to have lived in Nigeria where things worked. I know that 15 years ago, in my company, we were looking at buying cars and I heard my engineers who were graduates telling me that we should go and buy Tokunbo cars. They didn’t see why we should spend money on buying new cars for them. I had to explain to them why they deserve to buy a new car, and why they should not limit themselves to a Tokunbo vehicle. That is one thing Nigeria needs to address. People don’t have to underrate themselves and accept that they are not worthy of good things of life. Unfortunately, that is where Nigeria is.

    How easy was it for you to move up in life?

    I chose to work in a news company which was a startup for me. I was fortunate that I had a boss who trusted my competence and I was their first engineer. It also exposed me to learn and I worked there for seven years before I set up my own business. I have been running my own business now for 40 years.

    And what is your business called?

    It is called Logistics Science and Technology limited. We do electronic and information technology

    How did you get to become the Chairman of Ikoyi Club?

    I joined as a member in 1992. I played squash and snookers. About 20years ago, I was invited to serve in the sections committee of the board and basically I got interested in making the club function properly. For me, the defining thing is the fact that this is a place where things work. We are all entitled to the same thing; there is no member that is more important than the other. It is something I have come to believe in and I must pay my dues to make sure it remains so. You can’t want something to work and stay on the outside and expect others to do it.  I became chairman of snookers section in 2005 and after that I served on various sub committees of the club and became vice chairman of the club in 2012 and I became chairman of the cub in 2017.

    Having checked the role of honours, it is all the big names in the country that are there, people say it is an elitist club. Is it true?

    Ikoyi club 1938 has no apology for that. It is an elitist club because we look for people who have contributed significantly to the country. It is not about you being a rich person, it is your character and the kind of person you are that determines whether you are admitted or not. The honours role is a mixture of people who we feel have contributed to the society and we made them honorary members. Every single one of them has played a significant role in the history of Nigeria because that is the condition.

    Before you become a honourary member, the committee must consider you fit and they propose you to the AGM. The club as a whole will either vote that you become one or you don’t become. As a whole, it is the members that determine who becomes honourary members.

    What is your membership strength?

    We have about 7,000 members from different parts of the country.

    It is a family club and the members are elitist, so does that mean that their children are also elitist?

    The definition of elitist is people who do things in a manner that speaks to quality. We do things properly and we are well behaved.

    It means you are grooming special families here?

    We groom people with character and values here. The day you no longer have those characters and values, you are no longer a member of the club. You will be forced to change and behave properly. The club is not for every Tom, Dick and Harry to join. You must demonstrate good character and ability to add to the society.

    As chairman of the club, what roles do you play?

    The general committee is responsible for policies or monitoring of what the management is doing. As chairman, I chair that committee. My role is to make sure things are done properly in a manner according to the rules of the club.

    You said earlier that Ikoyi club is a microcosm of Nigeria, which means that people from other parts of the country are affected by what happens here?

    What I meant is that, all parts of Nigeria are well represented here. We have people from Sokoto, Enugu, Calabar, we have membership from all over the country. There are no characteristics or any part of Nigeria that is not represented here. And whatever any of our members does outside of the club, can affect his membership here. That knowledge makes each member to behave well.

    How does Ikoyi club impact on the society?

    When you are a member, if you misbehave outside it rubs off on the club. What happens is that when members know that they can be suspended or expelled, it cautions their behaviour.

    You lived in the university community, did that influence the choice of the woman you finally met and married?

    Not at all: After I graduated, I moved to Lagos. It was here in Lagos that I met her.

    Was it love at first sight?

    (Laughs) Yes, I believe it was love at first sight.

    What is your tenure as chairman of Ikoyi Club?

    It’s a year tenure and maximum of two tenures of one year each. I started in February this year and my first tenure will end in February next year. If I run again and I am elected, I will be able to do another year till February 2019.

    Is there anything you are presently doing differently?

    The only thing we promised is that we will run the club according to the rules and we are strictly enforcing the rules. What I expect to do for the club is to take the club back to its glorious days when people looked up to the club. We feel we have moved slightly away from it and we want to take it back there.

    How about chieftaincy titles, have you taken any, if not, why not?

    I haven’t and that’s simply because, I am not interested in it.

    Briefly, how would you describe yourself?

    I’m an engineer who believes in things being done properly and according to the rules.

    When you decided to be the chairman of Ikoyi Club, you must have nurtured some dreams to implement at the club. Have you achieved those dreams?

    Not yet. We are working to bring Ikoyi Club back to being a 5-Star Establishment held in high esteem by society as a whole.

    You are aging gracefully with lanky shoulders, and youthful look. What is your health secret?

    I try to do all things in moderation.

    There is also the philanthropic side of you, what motivates you to give?

    God has been good to me and he enjoins us to love everybody and treat them as we would treat him.

    Do you agree that you are a stylish person?

    I leave that to others to judge.

    Have you ever wanted to be someone else, or be in a different profession?

    No.

    If you are not what you are today, what else would you have loved to be?

    Nothing else I can think of.

    Any regrets so far?

    None.

    Do you feel fulfilled?

    I am still a long way to achieve that state.

    Any new hobby you have developed in recent times?

    I am a retired cricketer. No new hobbies. I read, travel, enjoy good music and I play snooker.

    At this time of your life, what would you say you value most?

    I value the love of my family and friends.

    What inspires you?

    Making others happy inspires me.

    Please tell us about your most memorable holiday?

    That was my wife’s 50th birthday celebrations. We went on a 10-day cruise to the East Mediterranean with family and friends numbering 45.

    What does success mean to you?

    Success to me is being fulfilled and having happy people around me.

  • I don’t believe in gender barriers –Oil marketer Roseline Osipitan

    Chief (Mrs) Rose Osipitan, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of First Royal Oil, was one of the ladies who stood out when APC woman leaders, led by Chief Mrs. Kemi Nelson, gathered at the court of a high rise luxury apartment in Lekki, Lagos a few days ago. It was an exclusive party meant to celebrate the birthday of one of their own, Chief Mrs. Basirat Ojugbele. It was a gathering of who is who in the women society circle in Lagos and beyond. The women at the gathering, who danced freely as they celebrated, included Chief (Mrs.) Bola Britto (APC Woman Leader in Agege & Conference 57 President in Lagos State); Chief (Mrs.) Amori Odumosu, the Iyaloja General of Lagos textile market; Alhaja Kudirat Oderinde; Alhaja Mopelola Odetola and a host of others. Osipitan spoke with PAUL UKPABIO on her relationship with the host and why she is a success story, among other issues.

    Your friend Chief Mrs. Basirat Ojugbele is celebrating her birthday today. What can you say about her?

    She is a nice person. She is lovely. She is kind and I wish her happy many happy returns, long life and prosperity.

    What is the secret of your friendship?

    If we quarrel, we don’t need anybody to settle it for us. We make peace earnestly. If anybody one of us is annoyed with the other, we just leave the place. Later on, we will call each other and say, ‘What is wrong with you or why did you behave that way?’ And that will be the end of it. We are more like sisters, and that has really helped us to forge ahead. The antidote to malice is being able to summon courage to relate with each other even in most difficult times.

    You have been out of society circles for a while. Any special reason for that?

    No special reason except that I haven’t been around. I just came back from London. I actually returned last week.

    How would you describe the nation’s economy today?

    Well, what can we do? There is nothing we can do than pray to God and forge ahead. It is affecting everybody, but with God’s help and with prayer, there should be an improvement. We are praying. We hope the economy will improve.

    If you have a chance to meet the President, what would be your advice to him?

    Well, I think the President is trying. He is really fighting corruption. Wherever there is corruption, everybody is bound to be corrupt. There is nothing you can do. But we all have to change. The change is for everybody. He as a person has tried. God will give him more strength to lead Nigeria. If I see him, I will tell him that he is trying.

    So you believe the economy is going to improve?

    Yes, by God’s grace. You can see that it is getting better. The dollar was more than this before and the naira was in a very ridiculous situation. But things are getting better these days, and we pray God should give him the grace to take us to higher height.

    As a stakeholder in the oil sector, what would you say about the sector at a time like this?

    When an economy goes bad, it affects all sectors. But I have the belief that as time goes on, things will improve.

    How easy was it for you to build a successful business as a woman?

    I would say it was strictly by God’s grace. God built First Royal. I am just the pilot. I would liken the story to that of an aeroplane built by Boeing or any of the great plane makers in the world, and a pilot is called to fly the plane. I pilot First Royal, but God built it. It is not my doing at all; it is God’s doing.

    Talking about being a woman in that field, there are lots of women in petroleum business, and I think we are doing well. You know whatever a woman is doing, she does it very well. She does it conscientiously. And that has always been the trademark of our success at First Royal. I am the chairperson of the female league of the Independent Petroleum Marketer Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and our body is a very patriotic organisation with the love of country coming before anything else. I also belong to a few social organizations whose philosophies are tailored around human development. I will do anything that will edify human development.

    Don’t you think that some works like engineering and oil and gas should be left for men?

    I don’t see those businesses as men’s fields; I see them as endeavours that anyone can venture into, and that is my winning formula. I go into it, I win and I make my mark. I have done business successfully in the last 40 years.

    What would you say is the secret of your success?

    Hard work, honesty and God’s grace. The secret is also our loyalty to customers, which comes first. But I think it is still the grace of God like I said earlier, because there have been a lot of ups and downs in building the company to where it is now. We are almost two decades old and we are still waxing strong. Like in every other business, we have also faced our own trying moments. But we were able to triumph because first of all, we put our trust in God. Secondly, we follow credible business principles that never wane. We are in business for real. Our team is trained to respect customers and take customer opinion as superior to any other opinion. Lastly, we sell quality and we don’t bend quality control.”

    Do you hope to become a politician someday?

    I was already established in business before the Fourth Republic, and if I could touch lives through my businesses, what am I looking for in politics? However, you never say never, because politics is something one should never totally abstain from. It is all about us. I remember when we were young, during the Second Republic, a lot of terrible things happened in our state, Ondo. People played politics with venom and bitterness. Then, it was politics of bitterness, and that mentality stayed with me. People were killed mercilessly and properties were destroyed during the Omoboriowo/Ajasin saga in Ondo state. It happened in our presence and that sad memory sticks to one’s consciousness and really traumatizes us till date.

    Although we were not into politics, my parents were in politics and we saw people killing people and destroying properties, and that particular experience really scared me off politics. It is one experience one must not pray to witness again in a lifetime. We were in our developmental years then, and you could imagine what such an experience would do to your psyche as a young person.

    Where did you get your business acumen from?

    I came from a home where discipline was the hallmark. My parents were modest, but they were equally into business and that was what fired my guts to go into business at a very early age. They did very well in business and were also religious. They were part of the political movement of that era, but I think they did well in business and that fired my zeal to start business early in life. I started business at a very young age of 24.That was when I went into business full hug. That happened to me because my parents were business people and they instilled the courage in us very early in life. To them, anything worth doing at all was worth doing well. My mother was into business. When I was very young, I used to help her. Any time I returned from school, I was the one that ran her trading business for her and also controlled money management. So, the love started from there, and that was what really prompted me into business very early in life.

    Who were your parents?

    My dad was Chief Taiwo Akinwande, while mum was Mrs. Victoria Akinwande. My dad was a prominent personality in Ondo State at the time I was young.

    Are you looking forward to handing over your business knowledge to anyone?

    My first daughter is already on board. She is the MD/CEO of First Royal Group, and my first son is the Operations manager. I feel happy seeing them doing the business at this point in time. When they were younger, I did all the running around to ensure that we build a good family business empire. But today, 80 per cent of the work is done by them. I give God the glory because He alone builds families. My family is a testimony of God’s love for me and everything about me.

    How about your husband?

    My husband is a very great man, a kind and loving husband, a doting father and a wonderful counsellor. It is widely agreed that behind every successful man, there is a woman. But in my case, behind a successful woman, there is a great husband (laughs). He is my father, my husband, my adviser and my counsellor rolled into one. He has stood by me in both good and trying times, and I am very proud of him. He is Prince Bola Osipitan. He is a prince from Ijebu Mushin. My husband is royalty and I am very proud of his heritage. Like I said, he is a very wonderful man that has been a stabilising factor in my life and the life of my children.

    How did you meet?

    Let me just tell you that providence brought us together many years ago. And since then, the love has continue to wax stronger. He is my soul mate. My husband has his own company. We are both busy, but no matter how busy we are, we still find time to bond together. We go out for picnic when the time calls for it, and we do things that lovers do no matter the level of work and pressure. My husband is a very dotting husband. He is also into my line of business but runs his own company.

    Tell us about your beauty secrets.

    I don’t think I have any. I will say it is God. Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t use cosmetics. Mine is natural beauty. In fact, I don’t even do manicure or pedicure, I don’t do things like that. The look I have today is my natural beauty given to me by God. I have a scale in my bathroom. At least once in a week, I check my weight. If I am going on excess, I try to trim down. I also try to reduce my consumption of food. But I don’t go to cream my face at salon. I don’t do all those things. It doesn’t add up to one’s beauty. I am a natural person and I believe in natural looks.

    How about your fashion sense and your best fashion accessories?

    My social outing determines my fashion outlook. But for social parties like Owambes, you are likely to see me in traditional dresses. Besides that, I can wear lady suits. I can do well with gown or any fashionable attire that suits my mood. I like bright colours. When it comes to colours, I like royal blue. That’s my favourite colour. Then my accessories must be moderate. That is my fashion sense.

    As a busy and wealthy lady, do you find time to cook?

    I love cooking. There are some meals I don’t allow my house help to cook for me. She can only cook stew. But when it comes to efo riro, I am in charge. That is my husband’s favorite soup as well. I like it with rice. He likes it with eba. It is also a lesson for our womenfolk. Whatever is meant for your husband must not be allowed to be handled by anyone else but you. That is one of the cardinal laws of marriage.

    Are you aware that some European countries are planning to launch electric cars in few years to come? As an oil marketer, what do you think will happen to your business?

    I think it will take a long time before it gets to this country. It is not something of immediate necessity. And that is true even in some of the advanced countries. I just returned from the UK. The number of electric cars are so minute. So, I have no fear about electric vehicles disrupting the oil market.

    But you hope to diversify someday?

    Exactly! When we get to that point, we will have options.

    Are you looking forward to driving an electric car someday?

    Unfortunately, I don’t drive again. I always have a driver who takes me around. The electric car I saw abroad was a very small car. I have no fears about things like that. God will take care of things like that. I sincerely believe in change, and every dynamic mind must seek change.

     

     

     

     

  • Complimenting entrepreneurship skills with social media – Cutekimani

    Complimenting entrepreneurship skills with social media – Cutekimani

    Fast rising On Air Personality, Adekeye Esther has expressed her thought about entrepreneurship. Esther, fondly called Cutekimani lamented the lack of effective utilisation of social media among the Nigerian youths. In this interview with FAMUYIWA DAMILARE, Cute Kimani, who is also a Social Media Influencer, affirms that the best way to grow a brand and enhance one’s skill is by making effective use of social media.

    What’s your thought on entrepreneurship? Is it learnt or innate?

    Entrepreneurship is just a polished word for a hustler, and I tell you, no one learns to be a hustler, it is inborn. The first thing you need as an entrepreneur is a drive, before the skills. Even if you didn’t have the skills, the drive will push you to acquire skills. So entrepreneurship is innate.

    What does Estol Props Media do?

    Estol Props Media, a subsidiary of Estol Africa is a media service and Brand Promotion Company that enables the world’s leading brands, publishers, agencies and industry bodies to navigate and succeed in a rapidly evolving media industry while also giving them optimum exposure in the digital space and return-on- investment.

    How did the name Cutekimani come about?

    while in Unilag, I used to work for a campus magazine (Bif magazine) where I would dig up dirty stories, stories about the “bad guys”, molestation, bribery, and social vices in school, so for security reasons, I needed to have an abstract name that could never be traced back to me, also had a radio show where I used to dish out lots of scoop  about the “Under G” activities on campus, I also had a different on- air name, this went on and on till I graduated and went to Port Harcourt for NYSC, at that time my on-air name was Fantasia, so I approached Mr Gibson Lee  who was the then Silver Bird Tv director, he interviewed me, asked for my name, I told him and he said so now that I am in Port Harcourt what name would I like to bear, I started looking up the ceiling, then he gave me 30 minutes to come up with a name. I just told God I wanted something that defined me, that was African, interesting & hip.

    I got on Google and started searching till I found Kimani, an Ethiopian name that means Smart, sexy & successful.  When I told him he said oh cute, and I was just blushing. On my way home that morning I bought my first blackberry phone, after charging for 6 hours I started toying with the apps and there I discovered twitter, tried signing up but @kimani was taken, it gave me different options but I didn’t want numbers so I tried @cutekimani and voila it was up.

    How did you venture into Media /PR

    Started with PR, when I established my own PR Company called Estol Props Media in 2011. The first person who gave me an opportunity to handle PR was Koffi the comedian, who entrusted all of workerman movement to me, this was even before I met Olamide and since then worked on various artistes in the industry; the likes of Olu Maintain, Chuddy K, W4, Harrysong, Olamide , Chidinma,   brands; Airtel Nigeria, Kenya Airways, Bank of Industry,  iPhone, MTN, Slot , P&G, Premier Bet, Visa Card, Supreme Noodles and individuals

    You and Olamide were an item at some point?

    First of all, Olamide is one of the few brothers I have in the industry; he’s so much of a brother that he knows my parents and every member of my immediate family. So if that qualifies as being an item, then yes.

    I am one of the firm believers of Olamide’s works and so it was easy to take up his music and propagate it. It didn’t even feel like work, it still doesn’t feel like work.

     

    How have you been able to gather and maintain your social media followership?

    Hmnn, it took me years to build, and it takes strategy to maintain. When I got my first blackberry, Twitter was one of the inbuilt apps and so I started exploring. I was in Port Harcourt then and I believed it was a Lagos thing so I reached out to a friend who had about 40 followers then to put me through and give me shout outs, follow back Fridays, follow trains and all. I started growing bit by bit, returned to Lagos and every time I was on radio I enjoined listeners to follow me, I sent BCs on BBM, invited my Facebook friends and boom, it started growing more rapidly and that’s one of my strength, I grew from offline to online.

    Which of the social media platforms are your favourites as a Social Media Strategist?

    All of these platforms are first of all work tools for me, so it’s not about me anymore, and as a social media influencer, you need to have your own strengths, you definitely can’t conquer all of the social media platforms so it’s best to own at least 3, and own them well, that’s why when we run influencer engagements for brands we use various influencers per platforms because we realize an influencer might have active 100k followers on Instagram and a little over 5k active followers on twitter. Some are Snapchat lords while some have owned LinkedIn or even their blogs.

    You will always catch me on Twitter and Instagram before Snapchat and Facebook or even LinkedIn, but at the time I figured I needed to also have a platform where I daily inform people beyond social media, I started my website

     

    Based on your experience who would you call a social media influencer?

    A social media influencer is an online brand advocate who talks favourably about a brand or product and then passes on positive messages about the brand to other people, spreading the word through their personal social media pages.

     He is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific field. Has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach. He takes part in relevant conversations across a variety of networks.

    Do you make it a point of duty to post online every day?

    Yes, posts go up on at least 3 of my social media pages every day. In fact, as a social media influencer, you should have at least 2 posts on your Instagram daily, be active on Twitter between 6:00am and 12:00am and be active between 8:00am and 6:00pm on LinkedIn.

    I have account managers who also manage my account especially when I am on a trip or when we have events to live feed from, just as I also manage accounts for brands and individuals, meaning you cannot be off social media for any reason during the work period. It’s so serious that at least one of my account managers travel with me just to ensure we don’t go offline.

  • I began to watch what I eat when I lost a friend to cancer – IVF expert’s wife Tola Ajayi

    I began to watch what I eat when I lost a friend to cancer – IVF expert’s wife Tola Ajayi

    Mrs. Tola Ajayi, Clinic Manager, Nordica Fertility Centre and wife of Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, Managing Director, Nordica Fertility Centre, is passionate about women issues. A trained nurse and counselor, Mrs. Ajayi, in this interview with Segun Ajiboye (Assistant Editor) and Jumoke Owoola, spoke about several issues, including her husband, parents and others.

    You look very good. Do you have any particular secret to this?

    Nothing really, I wasn’t doing anything to myself until recently. When you are aging, you would know that you need to take care of yourself. So, now, I watch what I eat, I drink a lot of water and do exercises.

    And taking those steps have done much to help you…

    Well, this is me. I have not changed much from the way I used to look.

    Your low cut hair fits you. Why did you adopt this style?

    This low cut has been on for 16 years now.

    So, I won’t be wrong if describe it as your ID now.

    Well, you won’t be wrong at all. That is what I am known with more than 10 years now. It has become part of me and I don’t see myself growing my hair again.

    Why did you adopt it?

    I simply got tired. You know, we wake up every day and go to the salon, you make wave-on, use wig and all that. I got tired by the time my children were entering the university and they had to do it. So, I said okay, my children can do it, but for me to go to the salon and spend the entire day there was too much. That was just it.

    And, at first, how did it feel, especially your husband, how did he react when he first saw it?

    I told him I was going to cut it. Moreover, that was what I wanted for myself. I don’t do things to please people. So, i was simply doing what would make me happy.

    For 16 years now, you have never plaited your hair for once.

    No, since I made that decision, I have never looked back.

    You are a trained nurse and you are married to a medical doctor. How do you cope?

    I really don’t know how it feels again now, but at the beginning, it was a bit tough, because if I am not at home, he too may be away on call. So, it was tough at the beginning.

    What happens if you are on night duty and he too was away from home?

    As much as possible, our duties were not clashing so much, so there was always somebody at home to look after the children. And don’t forget that his own work was really the same as mine, it was dictated according to what the roster says. And, in my own case, it was scheduled. In a month, I know when I would be on night duty or day, so it was easy for us to arrange ourselves. And if it happens that both of us would be at home at the same time, there was always somebody there to take care of the children.

    Growing up, was this what you wanted for yourself?

    I have always wanted to be a nurse since I was a little child. I just love to help people. So, when eventually I became a nurse, it was not really surprising to my mum, because she said, as a little girl of about three or four years, I was always playing about giving people injection. At the time, I would wrap a paper and put it on my head as a nurse’s cap. So, even as a little girl, I always wanted to do something to help people, which I am still doing now, but not as a nurse, but as a counselor.

    How easy is it to counsel somebody in distress?

    It is not easy at all. Counseling, especially in Nigeria, the only type of counseling that we know is pastoral, that is talking to your pastor. But counseling is not just about asking someone to provide a solution to whatever you are going through. Counseling is about saying what your problems are, and it is you that will look for the solution. The only difference is that you are sharing that problem with someone.

    You mean it is not the counselor that would tell you the solution?

    The counselor is not supposed to tell you what to do. You are the one to say what you are going to do. The counselor is there to guide you. It is not for the counselor to tell you to do this or that, because at the end of the day, whatever you ask someone to do might not be what that person wants to do. So, at the end of the day, whatever the person wants to do, you just have to guide that person to think over what decision he or she wants to make and the implication of that decision. In doing that, that person would be able to see whatever error was in his or her decision, and probably say ‘oh, I think I am being foolish here’.

    In the layman’s parlance, counseling is doing what a counselor tells you to do.

    That is what we think counseling is, but to a trained counselor, it is wrong. A counselor is supposed to guide you to explore your thoughts, it is like having someone to talk to. For instance, in IVF, which is what we do here, you guide a client. I cannot insist, say for someone who is 45 years old and want to use her own eggs, I cannot insist on her using her own eggs or a donor’s eggs. I will only advise her on the implications of her actions, the decision is for her to make. I will give her the options and allow her to decide.

    Do you have to experience what your client is going through in order to give the right advice?

    It is not necessary.

    So, what gives a counselor this all-knowing wisdom about issues?

    A counselor is supposed to work on emotions. For instance, I don’t have to suffer infertility to know what to tell someone who is fertility-challenged. But I know the type of pain such a person is going through. Sometimes, patients would tell you, ‘you don’t know the pains I am going through’, and I say yes, I have not been there, but I know how it can feel, because we all know the challenge of not having children. It differs from one person to another in some areas, but the emotion is still the same. For example, if someone is married and is not able to have children, and the family members of the husband are troubling the wife, threatening to throw her out, it is different from a family that is supportive. Even though the two are going through the same problem of not having children, but the emotions are different.

    Have you ever had an experience whereby you feel like crying while counseling somebody?

    Oh! I have had that kind of experience many times. Of course I cannot cry while the client is there, but I have been moved to tears many times. You listen to people and their story is like, ‘oh my God, why would anybody go through this?’ Sometimes, it is really very sad what people go through because they are unable to have a child. So, many times one is moved to tears.

    What makes you happy?

    Being myself makes me happy. I just like to be myself and whatever makes me feel good, I want to do it. And that is why I love people being happy around me, I don’t like to see people sad. The country sure comes with a lot of stress and we all go through stress every day. You don’t have to stress yourself over what you cannot control. Why should you stress yourself because there is no light? You don’t have to worry yourself over such thing. I agree that challenges come, but you don’t have to allow that to affect those around you.

    Our emotional strength is different. You cannot give the same advice to two different people who suffer the same problem. How do you handle that?

    Some people are very sensitive and they cry over every little thing. Some people are very moody, and if you ask them what the problem is, they tell you, ‘I don’t have money’. But a lot of people are in that situation, but the way they carry themselves, you won’t even know. Some people are just so sensitive to issues, while some are just as hard as a rock. The way the two people would react to issues would be different.

    You have an organisation that is working seriously on a particular pain that is associated with women’s menstrual circle. What is this about?

    It is called endometriosis. We call it an invisible disease because it is not something you see, but the pain is there. People go through pain and they don’t understand what they are going through. They call it several names, they say it is in the head, why should you have your period and you roll on the ground and cry? that it is normal and every woman must go through it. But we have found out that it is not normal. What happens with endometriosis is that every month, a woman sheds the lining of the uterus. That is what is called the menstrual period. The lining of the uterus that is shed every month is supposed to be inside the uterus, but it has been found out that the lining is present outside the uterus.

    So, sometimes, when the woman is menstruating, she also bleeds in those areas outside the uterus. That is why every month while she is menstruating, she bleeds from the tongue, some bleed from the anus or even on the brain, it now depends on the severity. But for some, it is just the pain that would not allow them to function for days every month. Any pain that, when you are having your period, takes you away from work and you cannot do anything is simply bad. Pains come with the period every month, but some are just unbearable. Most people don’t even know what the problem is. Some women, it is when they come to us because they are not able to have children that they find out. But, for some people, they know from the beginning that it is endometriosis, but they don’t know what it is called, even sometimes, the doctor may misdiagnose it, because the endometriosis tissue may be found in the lung, and the patient is coughing out blood, the doctor may wrongly conclude that it is tuberculosis, whereas it is not. It is a terrible thing.

    You are now devoting attention to it.

    Yes, because we know that it is a major cause of infertility among women. It is better if people know early than when they are married and are trying to get pregnant, because that time it may be late. But, when they know early, they can then manage it very well. If everybody is aware, they will know what to do when the pain comes. The month of March of every year is dedicated to the awareness of endometriosis around the world. We started the awareness programme in Nigeria about 12 years ago, and since then we have done it every year to draw attention to it. Even medical doctors are getting to know more about it. That really gives us joy at Nordical, because it is no longer about our patients alone, doctors now refer patients to us. But a lot still needs to be done. We are trying to bring celebrities in Nollywood on board to draw attention to the problem. We are also taking it to schools, so that young people will get to know about this problem.

    Are you making any effort to take the programme to the rural areas?

    Well, we are starting with the cities first. We hope to get the government involved, and if they assist, then it would go a lot to help everybody. We want them to help and get it to the rural areas and make it available to those who need it.

    You are a grandmother.

    Yes, I am by the grace of God

    But you don’t seem to look it.

    Like I said, I have not really been doing anything spectacular, but that was until I lost a close friend to cancer. It was a turning point for me to say, if it can happen to her, then it can happen to anybody. She was a very careful person, she did not drink alcohol or smoke and her lifestyle was very okay. From that point, I said I needed to do something, and I began to check what I eat, I don’t just eat anything. I also exercise and drink a lot of water. We know that it helps when you eat right.

    Looking at your skin, it glows and, like most women, do you have any particular routine of cosmetics that you use?

    I don’t have any beauty routine. As a matter of fact, I only use ori (Shea butter), black soap and coconut oil. Even my children, when they were in the university, they took ori to school, and their friends were always amazed.

    Are you aware that some people spend several thousands of naira on cosmetics?

    Well, for me, I don’t have to. I even ask a friend to help me buy coconut oil in four- litre kegs. That is all I use.

    I am trying to imagine what you looked like when you were younger.

    Not much of difference, except that I was much slimmer.

    Was that what your husband saw in you?

    (Prolonged laughter…) I wouldn’t know that.

    Can you still remember that first day that you met?

    I cannot forget that. I was working as a young staff nurse at the staff clinic of Oyo State Broadcasting Corporation in Ibadan. Then he came to Ibadan for his NYSC and he wanted to change his posting. He came to the clinic to check and he met me. I was the youngest nurse in the clinic, so it was easy for us to get talking. After a while, he asked me out and that was it.

    Was it love at first sight?

    It was friendship at first, then other things followed.

    And there has been no looking back since then.

    No regrets whatsoever, though we have our moments and fight like every other couple. But there has been no regret at all. We are friends, which is the most important thing.

    And you would be willing to do it all again?

    I would do it all over again. He is such an amazing husband and family man. He is very committed to the family, and that to me is number one. He loves God with a passion and he is God-fearing.

    What made you fall in love with him?

    Like I said, I was the youngest staff around, and whenever he came, we would talk. I felt very comfortable with him, unlike other men and that was something very important to me.

    The proposal must have been something lovely

    It was not like this this at the time. You cannot say there was a formal proposal, at least not in the sense like you have it today.

    Who would you say has had the most influence on your life?

    My parents of course, I am from a polygamous home of 30 children. I call myself the last born of the first set. So, I have 14 elder siblings and 15 younger ones. We all lived in the same house and we all ate together. And by the time you get to secondary school, you no longer eat with your mum. For a man to be able to do that successfully is not easy; it is not every man that can do that. He was very disciplined and he loved us all. I can never forget that aspect of my father’s life. His life really taught me practical lessons about life. And for my mum, she was very industrious and did very well for herself.

  • ‘My mother infected me with confidence’

    ‘My mother infected me with confidence’

    At 14, Ebele Mogo moved to Canada from Nigeria. At 19, she had completed a masters degree in Global Health and Public Policy from the University of Edinburg.  And by the time she turned 25 last year, she bagged a PhD from the Colorado School of Public Health. The award-winning scholar, who wears two caps as Principal, ERIM consulting and President, Engage Africa Foundation speaks with HANNAH OJO. 

    Ebele Mogo’s Instagram page portrays the image of a young lady in love with fashion and adventure. With a part of her bio reading “always (over) thinking, laughing and imagining,” she comes across as being more than just a pretty face.

    Her sterling performance in the West African School Certificate Examinations in 2005/2006, earned her the Chevron/Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) award for best Science student in Nigeria. With a first degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Waterloo, her resume on LinkedIn also boasts of other outstanding academic achievements.

    Asked if she always had a magic wand for success or how lovely it is to have a magic wand, she responded with a smile, making way for the hallow place on each of her cheeks to come into view and said:

    “For me, it has been a lot of working hard and building my resilience when I face challenges and all I want to do is give up. It is a combination of both our natural proclivities, hard work and having a supportive ecosystem that allows us to be the best we can be. In this case, I would say I am naturally very driven and curious, which has contributed to my success,” she stated.

    She credits her family, friends and teachers as being part of the ecosystem that has made her who she is. She also attests to being inspired by great achievers.

     

    Experience with global health organisations

    In 2014, Mogo was honoured with the International Women Achievers’ Award (IWAA) in the academics. Her selection was not based on her academic achievement alone, but also the impact of the work she has done with global organisations such as UNIFE, WHO and the impacts of Engage Africa Foundation, a not- for-profit organisation she founded four years ago.

    Ebele Mogo 3In 2015, she worked as a technical consultant with UNICEF on a regional research project focusing on health sector planning and budgeting in West African countries. She also worked with the Urban Health Governance Team of the World Health Organisation Centre for Health Development in Japan. Her advice to young Nigerians aiming to gain work experience with global organisations would be to take advantage of access to the internet and also build relationships with people at these organisations in order to become a part of their professional network.

    Suggesting more tips, she said: “Since email is the typical form of communication, make your email polished and thoughtful and show that you have done your research. Get some valuable experience under your belt, whether it is by interning, volunteering in your community, or taking a job that may be basic, but will give you the experience you need to start off with. It also helps to surround yourself with great people and thinkers, people with integrity and big dreams.

     

    Fighting non-communicable diseases

    With the Engage Africa Foundation, Mogo works with a team of volunteers and medical experts to fight non-communicable diseases through the implementation of research, health promotion and advocacy.

    Asked about the high points she has experienced with her works in the foundation, she beams as she recalled running health promotion projects with different communities in Lagos.

    “We educated them about conditions like hypertension, diabetes,  cancer and on how to maintain healthy lifestyles and monitor their blood pressures and BMI. We also ran a mobile health project in collaboration with Dr Damilola Alawode at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Ido -Ekiti to educate doctors on teaching their patients about physical activity.

    “We did a training session with the Young Town Planners’ Forum of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners on healthy urban planning. We also started a web-based health education channel on Youtube as well as our blog series which educate people on chronic disease prevention.”

    This year, she revealed that the focus of the organisation would be to work on health promotion materials that people can easily download to learn about how to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases. Added to this is a policy research project aimed at making recommendations to  African countries on how to strengthen their health systems so they can better deal with the epidemic of non-communicable diseases.

    “We aim to do the best with the human resources we have and always hope to find more sponsors, volunteers and partners to be able to do more,” she enthused.

    With ERIM consulting, she and her team work on supporting health organisations with applied research, content development and policy analysis.

     

    Family background and parental influence

    Only the deep can call to the deep. There is no gainsaying the fact that parents are the ultimate role models to their children. Mogo does not fail to emphasise that her parents have been a great source of support. She recalled her father working through mathematics problems with her in SS1 as a student of Tendertouch College. She also described her mother,  a Doctor of Ecotoxicology, as an exceptional woman who worked hard in her field of environmental science and also infected all her children with big dreams and confidence.

              “My father, Sir Uchenna Mogo and my mother, Dr Chinwe Mogo, have been a great source of support for me. They raised us to never see any problem as inherently difficult and always built us up with their words. Without their sacrifices I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I had.”

    Ebele-MogoRaised by a father who supported her Mum to be all she could be, it is not surprising that Ebele is not preoccupied with the thought that remarkable achievements at a young age can intimidate men in the aspect of marriage.

    “If you truly love someone, rather than be intimidated by them, you would want to help them be their best and they would do the same for you. Same goes for any relationship, even friendship.

    “For me to think people are intimidated by me, I must think I have done so much. However, I never think I have done so much because I am always thinking of what I still hope to do. I think marriage can be a beautiful partnership based on mutual love and a commitment to help each other grow to be all they can be. I was raised by a father who supported my mother to be all she could be including getting her PhD in ecotoxicology. He celebrates every single one of her achievements, always boasts about her, brainstorms with her, and is her close friend. She does the same for him as well.”

     

    Fashion, Leisure and Writing

    Mogo enjoys writing poetry, non-fiction and short stories. She attended the University of Manchester Creative Writing Summer course in 2009. She blogs on www.streetsideconvos.com, writing on the interviews she had with strangers in the cities she had lived with. She has also authored an e-journal titled Courage and Clarity.  

    “Writing is a way for me to think clearly and explore ideas, use my imagination, and express myself. I enjoy it very much. I remember when I was little; I would write songs and teach them to my siblings. I hope to have some more work published this year and to write more now that the doctorate is out of the way. So yes, people should keep an eye out on more publication from my stable,” she gleefully announced.

    Having travelled several countries including Canada, the United States, England, Scotland, Japan, Brazil, and done a road trip in the company of her Mum along the West Africa coast; she credits Japan as her most fascinating travelling experience.

    “Japan is fascinating because it is a very developed country that doesn’t have English as its lingua franca.  It had this mix of technological advancement and yet valuing its own culture. It made me imagine an alternative future, where African countries were developed, but rather than speak English as a lingua franca, they speak our indigenous languages and perpetuated the best of our customs. I also found the Japanese very hospitable and they had sweet teeth like me, and amazing food. I didn’t have as much time to explore Japan as I would have liked. The 2011 earthquake occurred when I was there, limiting my travels and I hope that one day I may visit again.”

    With a glistering ebony skin and a signature red lipstick, does she have a fashion fetish? “I am not sure what my fashion fetish is”, she swiftly responded.

    Speaking further, she said: “I like looking good and when I have a big presentation to deliver, I wear my lipstick and outfit of choice and I step out of the house, knowing that I can take on the world. I also enjoy styling my afro in creative ways. “

    Of leisure, she likes to travel, take pictures and go on long walks with music in her ears. She also loves cooking and likes to have friends over to eat,” she quipped.

  • Avoid these 6 cholesterol mistakes for heart health

    More and more often we seem to come across more Nigerians coming down with coronary heart disease which causes heart attacks and strokes, and this is attributed to the our love for western food, and forms of cookery. We fail to realize that the mistakes we make every day could be increasing our risk of heart disease.

    Our bodies need cholesterol, but too much can clog arteries and cause heart disease, a rapidly rising killer of Nigerian men and women. But there is good news; you can take steps to lower your cholesterol and your risk of heart attack and stroke. A healthy diet and regular exercise regimen can reduce cholesterol levels, but you have to pay attention to your fat, sugar and alcohol intake, too.

    You can avoid these everyday health mistakes to keep your cholesterol at a healthy level and reduce your risk of heart disease. Take note of these six tips to maintain a healthy heart.

     

    Not knowing your numbers

    Controlling risk factors is an important way of preventing and managing heart disease, like high cholesterol. High cholesterol has no symptoms, yet it can lead to serious health problems like heart attack and stroke, so knowing your numbers is of utmost importance to managing your cholesterol. Doctors recommend getting tested for high cholesterol from the age of twenty every four to six years and possibly more frequently if you have heart disease risk factors, like a family history of heart disease, diabetes or obesity. Based on your total cholesterol and these other risk factors, your health care provider will determine your risk of heart disease, and how to best manage it.

     

    Not getting enough exercise

    If you’re actively trying to manage your cholesterol levels, it takes more than a twice a week trip to the gym. Doctors recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity (roughly 20 minutes each day) or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity each week for adults. Physical activity increases levels of good cholesterol and promotes weight loss, another factor in high cholesterol. Begin by exercising several times a week for 10 to 20 minutes and lengthening your workout over time. I f you are not sure how to jump-start your workout regimen; you could try biking, swimming, jogging or walking.

    Overlooking alcohol

    Alcohol should be consumed in moderation. Occasional drinks at a bar or cocktail party may not raise your LDL levels, but if these outings happen too frequently, it could spell trouble. Did you know that consuming large amounts of alcohol can lead to a stroke, heart failure and high blood pressure? You don’t necessarily have to empty your liquor cabinet entirelysome research suggests moderate alcohol consumption may increase HDL cholesterol levels. Doctors recommend that women have no more than one drink a day, and men have no more than two.

     

    Missing your medication

    Although it’s asymptomatic, high cholesterol may still require treatment. Cholesterol medication is usually prescribed to people with a high risk of heart disease, with risk factors such as high LDL cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking or a previous heart attack or stroke. The number of people taking statins, a drug prescribed for lowering LDL cholesterol, continues to increase each year. Unfortunately, about half of these patients report having stopped taking their medication within the first year. Statins are highly effective, and are only prescribed when necessary, so taking it is vital.

     

    Not watching your sugar

    Fatty red meats and fried foods are known causes of increased LDL cholesterol levels, but what about sugar? Studies suggest more and more Nigerians consume more sugar than what’s healthy. Added sugars contribute to weight gain, so people with elevated cholesterol levels should be careful of weight gain. High-sugar diets are also directly linked to high cholesterol as sugar increases an individual’s triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are a type of fat that are a part of total cholesterol counts, and can increase one’s risk of heart disease.

     

    Forgetting about good fats

    Avoid trans fats found in fried foods, and saturated fats; found in red meat and animal products, to reduce bad cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids are good for increasing high-density lipoproteins (HDL), or good cholesterol, and lowering triglyceride levels; a type of fat found in the blood. Instead of your fried meat and chicken, add more good sources of monounsaturated fats like avocados, walnuts and olive oil to your diet.

  • How we conquered the ‘demons’ in Cocoa House -Odu’a Investment Company’s ex-CEO Jimoh

    How we conquered the ‘demons’ in Cocoa House -Odu’a Investment Company’s ex-CEO Jimoh

    Dr. Adebayo Jimoh, a former Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Odu’a Investment Limited and currently the Chairman of Osun State-owned bank, Omoluabi Savings and Loans Plc, is a thoroughbred technocrat. Fondly called Mr Turnaround by admirers, thanks to his efforts in reviving the then ‘sick’ South West- owned business, Odu’a Investment Company Plc, he is a member of the Governing Council of Fountain University Osogbo, Chairman Synergy Cotton and Agro- Allied Limited and member, Board of Directors, Ibadan Business School, among others. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, the son of a merchant of gold and diamond speaks about his growing up outside the country, why he left his job as a lecturer, the influence of his father on his business acumen,  among other interesting issues.

    You finished as the best graduating student in your faculty when you did your bachelor’s degree and repeated the feat at post graduate level. Why didn’t you stay in the university system as a lecturer?

    It is true that I was the best graduating student not only in my department but also in the whole faculty. I had the best result and I was offered an appointment. I wanted to immediately take do master’s programme. I left the University of Ilorin to go to the University of Ibadan to do my MSc in Industrial Psychology with the aim of doing a doctorate. At that time, I was interested in being a lecturer. While I was in the University of Ibadan, I was also the best student in the class and the University of Ibadan held me and offered me an assistant lecturer position, so I stayed in the academics.

    I started as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of psychology. In the cause of it, I saw that I was more attracted to industry, at least put to practice the theory of psychology of industrial and organizational behaviour and of human behaviour. I thought I would just go to the industry for a while, but I went into industry and I got stuck. That was why.

    Any regret leaving your job as a lecturer?

    Not at all, I have no regret. In industry, I first of all joined John Holts as a management trainee in 1983, and I rose through the ranks in John Holts with lots and lots of exposure, lots and lots of training, lots and lots of assignments, lots and lots of tasks, lots and lots of projects that I had to deliver both within and outside Nigeria and within the team work, because British multinational companies believe in team work. I rose to the rank of group executive director in charge of group operations for Nigeria and West Africa sub-region. I was there for a while before another call came for me to move to Odu’a Investment Plc. So I didn’t regret exit from the academics. Rather, academics prepared me for opportunities to put to practice the theories in the class. So, there was a kind of town and gown relationship. They blended very well to assist me in my career path.

    You speak like someone that did not grow up in Nigeria

    You are probably right. My father was an itinerant trader. He found himself in the then Gold Coast in 1947, and he was involved in the exploration and mining of gold and diamond with the British colonial government in Ghana. Then, it was Gold Coast, and he used to travel a lot between the Gold Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone and other foreign countries on boat or by ship. Because he had exposure and he had interaction with the British people. I wasn’t born in Nigeria; I was born in Ghana.

    I was lucky, because of the exposure my father had. He immediately put me in an international primary and nursery school with 26 nationals in that school. Each nationality had a flag in that school. I was privileged to have attended Hectre International School, one of the pioneers of British international Schools in Ghana. I grew up with Europeans and Americans and I imbibed their culture. I was in Ghana for all my developmental years. It was at the point my father exited and came to Nigeria that I had to come to Nigeria. And when I came to Nigeria too, I was lucky. I had good education and I grew up through it. It was not as if I was born by a rich person or any privileged person, but by the wish of God.

    Tell me about the influence of your father on your career.

    You are quite right, my father was a businessman in Osogbo. He is late now. He died on May 1 this year at the age of 101 years. He was the Babaloja of the main market in Osogbo. Before he became the Babaloja, his Oroki Bread was one of the fastest growing bakery businesses in Osogbo. So he was purely a businessman. What he taught me was diligencealways do the right thing and always get prepared because the opportunity will come.

    My father was a long term person. He would tell you that you don’t just get information and get prepared for today, whatever is readable, read it. Whatever you have to learn, learn it. Whatever you have to acquire, acquire it, because the opportunity will come. He also believed in maintaining relationship based on integrity. More important is the diligence part of it: do it right, make sure that whatever you cannot defend publicly, you don’t do it. Only do what you can defend. So, those were the traits I picked from him.

    At the time you picked up appointment with Odu’a Investment Plc, the conglomerate was said to be ‘sick’. What situation did you meet and how did you turn it around?

    I would give that credit of Odu’a turnaround to the leadership team that I was able to put in place; the support of the board I worked with. And it may interest you that in Odu’a, I worked with seven chairmen and more than seven boards. I worked with governors from all parties because I was in the saddle for nine years. The standard was four years renewable, but I had another year to brand up.

    The team that I worked with was focused and they believed in the dream. And the dream was simpl: let’s make this place better than we met it. The first thing that we did to prove that it was possible was the Cocoa House which was built by our forefathers. At the time I came in as the group managing director, the place was abandoned and was dilapidated. All that you found in Cocoa House were rats and rodents, and the place was totally unkempt. I said this is an asset that we must revive. The reaction from some people was ‘nobody touches Cocoa House’.

    There were so called demons and all my predecessors since the place got burnt just abandoned it. I said I would not abandon it. I’m moving into the last floor of Cocoa House. We moved in after rehabilitating the entire Cocoa House, which now stands as an edifice for Odu’a even for the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission. I gave them the 10th floor. I want to believe that the place is fully occupied. Before we moved in, the place was totally abandoned. That was the first test that there is nothing that it is not possible if you are determined.

    When we had achieved that, we went into real estate development. The greatest asset we had was the location, and in real estate development, the first thing you want to look for is the location, because that is what you are selling. Most of our assets were in good locations, but they were thoroughly ran aground. So we went into what you call Property Redevelopment Programme (PRP), and we started with the Orange Court that is in Ibadan. We built an estate on a property that was formerly occupied by a bungalow of three-bedroom with a large compound.

    When we finished Orange Court, we went to Almond Court. We did the shopping complex, then the big one, the Shoprite Mall of the old UTC building, which Odu’a used to use as its head office. When we finished that in Ibadan, we built a Shoprite Mall in Apapa, Lagos, the Apapa Mall, through a partnership programme.

    So, to answer your question on how we did it, it was the belief and the spirit of leadership and the team with sincerity of purpose and the support of the governors and the board. That was what we did to get Odu’a back to a level where we were no longer borrowing to pay salaries. We had a good number of staff. We established Farmer’s Academy in Oyo, in Osun to train our youths in modern agriculture, which has now become the major focus of all states in agriculture.

    Odu’a saw that at that time, there was the need to imbibe knowledge-driven agricultural practices as against old subsistence level of agriculture. We gave out scholarships to poor but brilliant students from western Nigeria. At the time I left, we had given scholarships to more than 1,000 students in universities. Some of them were physically challenged people. Subsidiaries that were not initially doing well, which I knew and the management knew were not doing well, were not within the growth sector of the economy. We had to wind them down and focus on new areas. We couldn’t do everything; we created the platform for the next leaders to build on.

    You are involved in many organisationsLafarge, Fountain University, and other places. How do you manage your time?

    Time management is the function of the mind. The mind has to understand that there is nobody that has more than 24 hours in a day, but people could turn the 24 hours to very profitable, fruitful and productive level while others would waste it. If you look at the board that I served and the institution that I served, they were very strong institutions, and I tried as much as possible to prioritise my business. I also have my own private business. I’m into agriculture. I export cotton. We supply support for fishermen and the Lagos State Agricultural Service input with outboard engines, water pumps to support agriculture. That requires our ability to effectively manage and prioritise our needs. I still gave time for my own entertainment, my own leisure and my own vacation.

    If you look at equipment servicing and manufacturing which you mentioned, the country seems not to be doing very well in this area. What could have been responsible?

    Nigerians had been used to what I call disposable method of living. We never had the concept of maintenance that is providing after sales service for most of the things we do. And there is no country that develops without providing basic infrastructural development. And no infrastructural development can happen without supporting equipment, and these equipment must be properly managed, serviced maintained, and well implemented in line with the warranty policies of the manufacturer. The area of equipment that we do now is in agriculture equipment support. We do fishery agricultural support, we provide those services and training for people that will learn and buy into it.

    There is no country that will transfer technology to you. You either acquire it or steal the technology for your country. A very simple example is in equipment that we supply the northern market right now. The first set of equipment was brought in from China. Subsequently, our local engineers are now fabricating those equipment and they are performing similar functions like the imported ones. It is necessity that has created that invention. You can no longer get FOREX. So the disposable behaviour of our people has changed now to maintenance and adaptable behaviour and what I call exploration. So we have also become inventors. Our people are inventing simple basic equipment, and I believe we are going to go further.

    What you are saying in essence is that there is a future for this country in terms of equipment manufacturing?

    I tell you that that there is a big future for this country if we continue to support and train people on what I call skill acquisition, and it is a basic SME project the bank of industry is supporting. It is a project where technically minded students from secondary schools, vocational institution and polytechnics are trained in the art of maintenance of equipment, and they are now fabricating those equipment and the equipment are performing similar functions as imported ones. It may interest you that in the northern Nigeria now, ploughs, hoes, disks, harvesters, wheel barrows which used to be imported are now being fabricated and now produced and used by the local people.

    Modern processes are in place now with some established fabrication centres including agro allied food processing machines for slicing food products, for harvesting food products, for cutting, for drying, for baking. Nigerians have started doing this. So there is a lot of future in that area and probably the shortage of Forex is a blessing that has made us think on how to support agro allied industry, which is our greatest strength but for so long forgotten because of oil.

    Tell me about something you are not going to forget in a hurry as the GMD of Odu’a Investment?

    What I will not forget in a hurry basically is the reaction and the usual attitude of the owners of businesses in Nigeria to foreign direct investment. A lot of owners of businesses, even Odu’a Investments shareholders, believe that whenever foreign direct investors, even local investors, are coming to support any business, they think they have come to take away their business. And I want to say this loud and clear that we should open our economy to investors and we should make the investment climate very conducive for people to support and people to operate within and not to be suspicious of every step that investors take to enhance productivity or enhance the GDP growth of our businesses. That has always been a problem, and until we have a mindset of yes, let’s trust these investors.

    But I will say we should always verify facts. We will keep on losing investment opportunities to other neighbouring West African countries. When they come to Nigeria and we create all sorts of bottleneck in the system, they move to other countries that have less bureaucracy, people that have confidence and people that are open to foreign direct investment, and they establish their industries there. That is one thing we need to change.

    You are currently the Chairman of Omoluabi Mortgage Bank. If you look at this state, majority of the people are civil servants and some of them have not received their salaries for a while. If they take loans from the bank, how are they going to pay back, considering the economic situation in the state?

    Actually, that is probably the major reason why such banks are necessary in the system, because they are development finance banks. They are banks that support SMEs. They are banks that support first time house owners. They are the banks that want to support investors that want to develop the real sector. It is true that majority of the states in the South West are civil servant states, except for Ogun and Lagos, but they need to be well sheltered. They need to acquire investments that are centered on available raw materials in their localities. Not all of them can have access to standard deposit of other banks like bigger banks that are in the system.

    The mortgage finance banks provide that interlude, the gap between the bigger banks and those that do esusu (daily or collective contributions). We target our customers in that region of market. First time house owners, professionals and artisans, they have better interactions, and I would say this to you, they are the most organised people. They form themselves into cooperatives and they know how to manage their cooperative and they hardly default if you make the system workable for them. And you can make the system workable for them by supporting and directing them in terms of how to apply the loans they take from the bank, and that is what we are doing.

    Right now, Omoluabi Mortgage Bank has been upgraded. We are going to do recapitalization to increase our shares capital. We are working with some very strong institutions and the Federal Mortgage Bank to ensure that we support professional bodies and unions to have affordable housing for their people. By the time they retire, they will have a place to put their head.

    What efforts are you making to see that Omoluabi Mortgage does not go moribund like other government schemes?

    Definitely, it will outlive its founders. Omoluabi Bank was established in 1993 as a savings and loans scheme by the government, but as we speak now, Omoluabi is more or less like a private liability company. It is quoted on the stock exchange and it is highly regulated. We now have a strong system in place and the state government, which is the core investor, is already divesting their interest for private people to run. The board that I head was recently constituted with competent professionals to lead the bank. The state and civil service bureaucracy will definitely not be part of our portion.

    If you had the opportunity to change something about your life, what would it be?

    I think if I look at my history, I will say thank God for how far I have gone. I will say that what I will do more is to be more involved in youth development programmes, because the greatest problem we have now is the teeming youth population that is coming up without any direction, and that is the danger or a time bomb waiting to explode. I would have loved to be in a system where I would be able to make a lot of changes in the lives of the youth. But I don’t think it is late. I’m looking up to the opportunity to be more involved in youth programmes, though it could be expensive, it is something I’m looking forward to.

    How was your growing up like?

    My growing up was very good. I had very good friends. I grew up in a very good environment and my parents were very loving up till the time my father died, he was still loving, and I keep my friendship very strong. I have a good family, my wife, my children, I’m a grandfather and I’m very happy.

    You have only one wife as a Muslim?

    I have just one wife and I’m happy with her.

    Tell me about Osogbo you grew up in and the Osogbo of today?

    There is a lot of difference. Osogbo is growing and opening up as a trading and economic hub. The difference between when we were growing up and now is that now it is a state capital, and as a capital of a state, it comes with a lot of blessings in terms of people, infrastructure and in terms of lots and lots of facilities which we didn’t have then. But peace of mind reigned when we were growing up and the fast development being seeing now has created a lot of drive and pull of people coming to live in this place. I’m happy that the population of Osogbo town keeps exploding, and that is a very positive development for retail trading, for housing, for commerce and for industry.

    The biggest news is that Osogbo today, in terms of per capital, has the best power supply in the whole of the country. So I’m saying that anybody who wants to establish industry and is looking at low cost of energy should explore Osogbo and Osun State.

    Any political ambition?

    I don’t have a political ambition. But I’m operating in a political environment and I have taken up political appointments. So, I will always be happy to be associated with politics.

    While you were outside the country, did you at any time suffer any form of discrimination?

    Yes, that is real. Discrimination in terms of being given equal opportunity, discrimination in terms of not having the opportunity to be put on the same playing ground, fees and bills. Fees that a foreigner would pay was always different from what indigenes pay, and I see that as discrimination. And you not being able to seek for some job positions which are reserved for indigenes even you are fully prepared, even when you have the capacity, it does not come your way. That is why I think it is very important things for us as Nigerians to grow our economy to the extent that we will have a need except for international appointments to seek menial jobs abroad.

    What is that fashion item you can’t do without and how does your wardrobe look like?

    I can’t do without a wristwatch. I have very few of them but they are unique to my taste and unique to my support.