The Nation Newspaper

Tag: difference

  • Wabara: I ‘ll make difference in Abia

    Wabara: I ‘ll make difference in Abia

    Abia State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship Sir Marc Wabara has promised to take the state to a greater height, if elected as the governor.

    The aspirant, who has obtained the ‘Expression of Interest’ and ‘Governorship Nomination’ forms from the party secretariat, Abuja.

    Accompanied by youths, women and other party faithful, Wabara was received by party leaders, including the Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Chief Okey Nnaedozie, the Political Adviser to the National Organising Secretary, Hon. Chris Iroegbu, and the Deputy National Legal Adviser, Alhaji Bashir Maidugu.

    Nnaedozie congratulated Wabara for his decision to vie for the governorship and assured him of a level-playing ground at the primaries. He said the party will organise a transparent and acceptable shadow poll.

    Wabara described himself as a founding member of the party, saying that his loyalty has not been in doubt. He said he is conversant  with the manifesto of the party and the Transformation Agenda of the  Jonathan Administration.”

    He said: “Having consulted widely, I have come to the conclusion that there is no better time than now to place my exposure and experience to the benefit of Abians, to serve my people with humility, transparency and with the fear of God. I am firmly resolved to replicate the Transformation Agenda in Abia State for the benefit of Abians.”

    Wabara said that he had been favoured by God in his banking career and the private sector, where he had reached the peak.

    He said: “This is the time to give back to my people in appreciation of God’s infinite mercies.”

    On his policy thrust, the management expert promised a transparent leadership, the judicious utilisation of funds and the proper co-ordination between the state and local councils for optimal development.

    He said: “Considering the need for us to sustain the efforts of past and present leaders particularly in our state, I felt that the time has come for me to contribute my own quota in the public sector. Consequently, I will use my private sector exposure and experience to ensure that our people continue to enjoy the best that democratic governance can offer. I believe I have the requisite credentials, competence, experience, maturity and integrity. I have also been a manager of men and materials.”

    Wabara added: “While I was the chief executive of the bank, I used my position to create jobs. We also financed many projects that positively impacted the lives of our people. I believe that my emergence will sustain the peace and tranquility that we enjoy in Abia State today.

    “I see myself as a bridge builder. Though I am from Abia South by birth, I am linked to Abia North by marriage. Also, the people of Abia Central Senatorial District were extremely kind to me during the civil disturbances when they accorded me excellent hospitality. If elected, I will be a governor for all Abians irrespective of where they come from. My mission as governor is to use the talents that God has blessed me with to uplift the quality of life of our people.

    “Specifically, Abia is a state that has one of the most important factors of production – human capital. The state has a very vibrant youth population that is highly educated and with capacity for hard work. We will work with highly educated individuals and seasoned technocrats in delivering democracy dividends to our people.

  • Women with a difference

    The National Headquarters of the Nasrullahi-li-Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) in Mowe, Ogun State was agog as the women wing of the society celebrated the grand finale of their 15th annual Women’s Week. AMIDU ARIJE was there.

    They exchanged pleasantries.

    Excitement was in the air as they were all filled with joy. They looked resplendent in their white and blue attires with gold shoes to match. It was their day, so they were there in number.

    The venue was beautifully adorned in blue and white satin colours.

    It was the 15th annual Women’s Week of the women wing of the Nasrullahi-li-Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) in Mowe, Ogun State.

    Alhaja FadhilatAdebisi and Alhaji Mustapha Bello anchored the programme.

    The Dhikr (praises) by Alhaja Adebisi enlivened the gathering as all stood to recite after her.

    This was followed by the address of the National Women Affairs Secretary, Alhaja Nofisat Arogundade.

    Alhaja Arogundade thanked the members for their support during her tenure. She said she was addressing them for the last time as the Secretary of the organisation for two terms.

    Giving account of her stewardship, Alhaja Arogundade said the group was able to empower women in various vocational skills and improve their spiritual life through various programmes.

    “At our 4th biennial conference, we took the bold step with the theme ‘Muslimah! It’s time to move’ which was intended to inspire, motivate and empower people from all walks of life to see this challenging moment in history as an opportunity to come together and transform ourselves and our communities as agents of change,” she said.

    She recieved a standing ovation as she spoke on her achievements in office.

    The NASFAT women leader urged the women to continue to make the difference in all they do to make life better for themselves, their children and the nation at large.

    “Let us begin by performing our traditional roles with a difference and do better in what brings us together. We have integrity, making a difference is a big business, a Muslimah (Muslim woman) must make a difference wherever she finds herself,” she said.

    Wife of Vice President, Hajia Amina Namadi Sambo, represented by Hajia Aishat Bello Tukur, eulogized the Women Wing of the society for their commitment towards the development of women capacities in the country.

    Over the years, NASFAT, Hajia Sambo said, has shown commitment and dedication to the cause of women through its various programmes of which the annual Women’s Week crowns them.

    “The Women Week,” she stated, “offers us an opportunity to discuss, aggregate and exhibit the virtuous roles that Muslim women keep playing and should play as major stakeholders in this globalised world to make a difference.”

    She noted that active participation of women in nation development is vital.

    “The world today is convinced that the active participation of women leads to the development of a peaceful and just society,” she said.

    NASFAT President, Alhaji Sheriff Yussuf thanked the Women Wing of the society for the foresight and meaningful programme.

    The guest speaker, Dr Lateef Adetona of the Lagos State University (LASU), said the making of a meaningful society lies on the shoulder of the women, urging women to take care of their home.

    Lagos State Governor Mr Babatunde Fashola was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Idiat Adebule; Fashola’s deputy Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire was represented by Alhaja Riskat Akinode. The Ogun State Governor’s wife, Mrs Funso Amosun was represented by Mrs Bolanle Baturiat Oyedele.

  • Lagos PDP can’t make difference’

    A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Dr. Abayomi Finnih, has warned the leadership of the party against acts that can jeopardise its chances in the state in the 2015 general elections.

    Finnih, leading a faction of the party, attributed the crisis in the party to the leadership style of Chief Bode George, which has alienated members.

    He said: “The current problem of PDP in Lagos State has to do with the way the Bode George faction hijacked the March 12 congress. The court stopped the congress from holding, but George’s group defied the order and conducted the congress.”

    Finnih told our correspondent that the Bode George group, which is in the minority, has hijacked the party machinery, adding that this action has brought down the party.

    “We wrote a petition to the party’s headquarters in Abuja to inform them of the ugly development and the havoc the minority has wreaked on the party in Lagos.

    “The reconciliatory efforts of the Southwest zone, the Presidency and the Governors Forum, led by Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina, have not changed anything, as the recalcitrant group is not ready to yield ground.

    “You don’t run a party that way. A serious party should open its doors for every member to be part of decision making. If you close your doors against people, they have options. There are other doors open to accommodate them.”

    According to Finnih, what is more annoying is that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to say the ward and local government congresses that produced the state executive of the party did not conform with the party guidelines and its constitution, making the commission not to recognise them.

    He said INEC, in a letter signed by its Secretary, Abdullahi Kaugama, addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP, said: “The commission has continued to receive monitoring reports that ward and local government congresses in Lagos, Sokoto, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Nassarawa, Jigawa, Anambra and Katsina states were not conducted as provided by the constitution of the PDP and the relevant guidelines for congresses and convention.”

    Finnih said despite the INEC observation, nothing has been done to correct the anomalies in the Lagos State chapter of the party, adding that the same executives produced by the improperly-conducted congresses “are still lording things over us.”

    He went on: “Some of us have bent backward by saying let us sit down and find a solution to our problems, but the recalcitrant attitude of those controlling the executive is making things difficult. Politics don’t work that way. For a party to move forward, the leaders have to abide by the policy of give-and-take. You have to compromise on certain things for you to enjoy the confidence of your members.

    “If we continue this way, it will jeopardise our chances in 2015. If we are not united now, how do we plan for 2015, which is drawing near?”

    On whether the party is planning to adopt Chief Jimi Agbaje as its governorship candidate in 2015, Finnih said he has not joined the party.

    “When he joins and makes his intentions known, he will be given equal opportunity as others that have shown interest,” he added.

  • Making a difference in today’s world

    Making a difference in today’s world

    Dr. Isokari Francis Ololo’s The Quest for Distinction – The Odd Discovery is an inspirational and spiritual book heavily laced with timeless wisdom, life philosophies, illustrated with personal experiences and management concepts; all tailored towards encouraging readers to deal with mediocrity and stand out in every sphere of their life pursuits.

    Specifically, the 125-page book discusses eleven principles that could assist individuals and businesses discover their uniqueness and use it to achieve enduring success.

    The subject-matters are exhaustively discussed in eleven chapters, highlighting the mind of the true and steadfast believers, which the author calls ‘Odd Mind’, in relation to service, talent, insight, niceness, Godliness, temptation, honesty, exceptionality, righteousness, unity and thinking.

    As stated in the first chapter, the book was inspired by “the need to encourage sincere Believers to identify who they are (Odd people), what their goal is (the heavenly kingdom), and therefore be able, against all odds, to stand, if necessary, until they are rewarded by the Father of all sanctified peoples”.

    Discussing the nature of man within the context of service, the author observed in several sections of the book that by their nature some people, who he described as the ‘Even Mind’ do not like work and consequently do not like to serve, stressing that “this is in contrast to God’s purpose for man”.

    On the other hand, there people, according to the author, who love to serve, (the Odd) “who deliberately allow a shift in their former thinking pattern and attitude”. While the Odd are few in number, the Even, who persist in their former thinking pattern and attitude, are greater in number.

    The author took quite a number of pages to identify and categorize the people with the ‘Even’ and ‘Odd’ tendencies, and then used a greater part of the book to admonish mankind on the best way to succeed in life here on earth and in the hereafter. In Chapter One he says: “Every true Believer must love to serve, taking a cue from Christ Himself.”

    In another section, the author stresses, “You do not need to advertise yourself as a Believer. The level of service you give will tell that about you. It is easy for those you serve to judge you to be a true Believer or as someone who is not a true Believer.

    “Those who are not true Believers behave and do whatever the larger group of society does. They do not have defined standards to guide their behavior. They are like water that settles on the bottom of a canoe that is tossed to and fro by the force of the waves of the sea. They serve just for the sake of serving God.”

    This warning and admonition run through all the chapters, with particular stress on the theme of each of the chapters. For instance, in Chapter Two, which deals with human tendency to succeed or fail while using his talent, he discusses the need to put natural endowment to positive use. He observed that talent, which is a natural ability in man that aids him to do something outstanding such as motivating others with unique works of art, should be used to please God and serve mankind rather than towards exploiting others to nurture oneself.

    To this end, the author says in Chapter Two: “Talent is intrinsic and, to be of value to mankind, it has to evolve in a form from which society will benefit. Talent on its own will mean nothing unless it possesses some value.”

    Talent and insight complement each other in a way that yields positive results. Hence, the author uses the third chapter to discuss the symbiotic relationship and how it should be utilized in the service of God and mankind. “Insight helps the Odd to make sense of chance happenings around them and seize the available opportunities. The quest for synchronicity makes the Odd unique and opens unimaginable doors of opportunities and possibilities for them to showcase their distinctiveness.”

    Other characteristics discussed in subsequent chapters include kindness, honesty and how the positive attributes could aid man in his quest for distinction.

    On the negative attributes such as temptation, the author has this to say in Chapter Six:

    “Here, the lust for women and men is greatly pronounced. Generally, temptation first of all appeals to the human senses. Where the heart is guarded, the force of the temptation fizzles out, but where the heart is not guarded, the desires giving rise to the temptation become actualized.” And in Chapter Eight he warns against dishonesty, emphasizing the need for sincerity. “We must not deceive ourselves; rather, we must discover our oddity through the trait of honesty and accept it as a way of life. That way, we will always be the models we are created to be.”

    The eleventh chapter, which is the last, but not the least, dwells on the power of thinking and the need to use it positively. In the author’s view, “Mental activity directs our reflection, imaginations, opinions, or notions. Humanity survives through the process of thinking and acting out. The quality of thinking separates the Odd from the Even as it brings the Odd to the limelight and finds a unique class for them. Thinking widens in-depth knowledge and insight. Thinking is not stagnant; it shifts. As it shifts, it expands and begets action, triggers another thought, and begets further action. When we stop thinking, we set limits to our knowledge and development, and there will no longer be any paradigm shifts.”

    This is no doubt very eloquent philosophical postulations that could be hardly found in other motivational works. In addition to Dr. Ololo’s gift of eloquence and intelligence, his writing ability is equally remarkable. The well-researched and scripturally sound book, written in American English spellings, is crafted in such a simple and flowing language that makes reading a great delight. The book is a must read for those who want to positively stand out of the crowd, and use the unique position to further the cause of humanity.