The Nation Newspaper

Tag: example

  • The Iceland example

    The Iceland example

    Senator Bukola Saraki began by hiding his hands in his voluminous agbada in the fashion of the Village Headmaster virtuoso known as Eleyinmi. Those were his first days as Senate President, and this column chastened him out of that ostentation. He learned and placed his hands where they belonged afterwards – outside.

    Now, it is clear he was not only acting, he was hiding something. He had hidden them out of an instinctive impulse for surreptitious dealing. We are witnessing two acts that bear Saraki’s sneaky signature, one in the Senate, and the other offshore.

    One came from the #PanamaPapers. He has tried to finagle himself out of the charge of wrongdoing. He has tried to make it a matter of his wife, who is also under the gun. This is the same man whose, shave with the Code of Conduct Tribunal has taken a turn for the controversial. It is not about Saraki now. It is about the immensity of the Senate as a sort of priestly chamber of our democracy.

    The man who is arguably our number three citizen cannot be seen to be sullied not only by corrupt dealing or the suggestion of it. Especially with the PanamaPapers scandal. If the Panama scandal were scooped in Nigeria, he might have argued that it was all part of a vast conspiracy of detractors. Just as Vladimir Putin has said in a briefing to his fellow citizens. The beefy despot of Russia said it was the United States that was responsible for the leak and it was all apocryphal. He did nothing wrong.

    Saraki and his men are doing same in the Code of Conduct matter. They are pointing fingers at a cloud of conspirators. They forget that the best way to clobber his charges is to clear self rather than embark on a judicial rigmarole. He thinks he can con Nigerians to accept his innocence by flooding the courts with his tribe of swooning senators. Reports say the last time he appeared in court, only a handful of senators obeyed their feet to the court. Are they beating a cowardly retreat? Well, other appearances will clarify the matter.

    Yet, on the Panama matter, the Icelandic Prime Minister has bowed out of office. Not out of breach of the law but out of honour. Spanish industry minister has also resigned. The idea of offshoring money does not minister grace to the ears. It is a way of doing financial transactions in the dark, away from the prying eyes of the law or society. As Jesus said, men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.

    British Prime Minister David Cameron, tar-brushed as “dodgy Dave,” by an elderly lawmaker, has been under pressure from the parliament and the public to come clean on his account. No one has been clear, including T.Y. Danjuma and David Mark, as to what their fingers were doing with the Panama papers. Only Ibori, now in Jail, can be excused for now. Our nation loves to smell like filth.  Somebody said the other day that, in a former generation, the Panama papers would have turned our universities into a cauldron of protests. Our students are now quiescent like a kennel without dogs. For irony though, the generation that erupted against our maggoty governments were in the cradle with Bukola Saraki.

    A young professor, Gabriel Zucman, last year published a book, The Hidden Wealth of Nations, in which he estimated that offshoring deprives nations of $7.6 trillion. The 28-year-old professor of the University of Berkeley noted in the book that 10 per cent of the world’s financial wealth breathed quietly in those offshore accounts. The World Bank has noted that offshore accounts engender inequality among nations because about 30 per cent of the clandestine money hails from Africa and Latin America. No wonder economist Thomas Pickety, known for his groundbreaking work, Capital In The Twenty First Century, wrote a foreword to Zucman’s book and described it as “the first serious economic research in this area.”

    Saraki was still in the throes of this shadow of iniquity when the Senate initiated another round of folly. This time the Senate is trying to rush through a bill on the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Ordinarily, will it not show how bold our lawmakers are? At the time Saraki is under trial, the lawmakers who marched beside him in solidarity to the court are the same people plotting to change the law to set him free.

    They want to take the CCB from under the office of the secretary to the federal government. Reason? They believe they cannot coerce Babachir David Lawal to cower to their machinations. Two, they want to use this change of law as a preface to changing the criminal code act that was a great legacy of the Jonathan era, in spite of its serial bumbling.

    They have argued, through a few of their decorated thugs in the Senate, that it was not inspired by their boss. Are they kidding us? Do they take us for fools? Why was Saraki absent at the deliberations? And his poodle and deputy said it was a noble endeavour and the Senate would go along with it.

    The act is desperate. They want to find a sort of way out for Saraki. The former Eleyinmi has not spoken, at the time of writing, on the subject. Without a doubt, this is a law to consecrate corruption. It is a law to corrupt the law. It may be the worst wanton act of lawmaking since the third-term bill. Even the third-term bill was an effort at effrontery for a temporary act. This is intending for the long haul. The point is to allow us return to the era of everlasting litigation, whereby a corruption case can remain in court forever through the devious art of adjournment. So, in Saraki’s case, the matter would be in court through not only his tenure as Senate president and a second term in the same position but forever. Their action recalls Mark Twain’s assertion that “No one’s life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session.”

    The case would go to President Muhammadu Buhari’s desk. He had better not sign but consign it to the dust bin, or else he would have condemned his own anti-corruption war to the garbage bin.

    Given this shadow hanging over Saraki, it is only an act of honour for him to step down as Senate president. Trent Lott resigned as U.S. Senate leader when he associated himself with Strom Thurmond,  the Dixiecrat and white supremacist. He had grown too small for his office. It was not illegal to remain Senate leader. But he had fouled the sacred air of the office.

    The rule of law is nothing without the thumb of honour. The law makes sense if we imbibe it more than recite it. The letter kills. Hence in the Old Testament the law killed 3,000 people. The spirit gives life. Hence also 3,000 people were saved in the Day of Pentecost thousands of years later.

    The law was made for us and not the other way round. Hence The Iceland PM resigned. That is why Saraki should follow the Iceland example.

  • Rescue of abducted girls: The Ambode example

    When three  school girls were abducted from the Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary, Ikorodu, Lagos State recently, memory of the abducted Chibok girls yet to be found almost two years after threw many people especially the parents of the girls into despondency. The parents feared their daughters may suffer the same fate like the Chibok girls abducted since April 15, 2014. But in a swift reaction, and in matching words with action, Governor Akinwumi Ambode proved many who had resigned to fate, wrong as the girls were rescued six days (they were abducted on February 29 and rescued on March 6)  after abduction thus ending the nightmare of parents.

    Had President Jonathan acted promptly like Governor Akinwumi Ambode did, and with a sincerity of purpose like President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chibok girls would probably have been rescued. It is unfortunate that the Jonathan administration foot-dragged about the rescue of the Chibok girls, wasting precious time, arguing about whether the Chibok girls were actually kidnapped or not, and by the time he was convinced that the girls were actually abducted, it was too late. To add insult to injury, the President’s wife, Patience Jonathan turned a serious matter to theatrics by inviting the Principal of the Chibok school and other officials where she insinuated that the girls were not abducted and that the whole incident was a “make believe” story to embarrass her husband.

    Unlike ex-President Jonathan, Governor Ambode left no one in doubt that he would rescue the girls and he immediately swung into action as he gave a marching order to the security agents who equally took the rescue seriously. In fact, the Inspector General of Police, Solomone Arase shifted base to Lagos. It was not surprising that Ambode got the full co-operation of security agents because he had earlier done the needful by providing security equipment worth N4.8 billion naira to the police for effective crime control in the city. This included, 100 4-Door Salon Cars, 55 Ford Ranger Pick-Ups, 10 Toyota Land Cruiser Pick-Ups, 15 BMW Power Bikes, 100 Power Bikes, Isuzu Trucks, three (3) Helicopters, two(2) Gun Boats, 15 Armoured Personnel Carriers, Revolving Lights, Siren and Public Address System, Vehicular Radio Communicators, Security Gadgets including Bullet Proof Vests, Helmets, Handcuffs, etc. The package included uniforms, kits and improved insurance and death benefit schemes for officers. The National Mirror editorial of Wednesday March 9, captured the governor’s strong resolve to rescue the girls: “Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State promised the rescue of the girls in no time. He did not sound defeatist, placatory or helpless while the security agencies did their job. He voiced his conviction that swift and coordinated reaction, guided by security intelligence, was a better and more sensitive approach to addressing the challenge than recourse to sensationalism or being panic-stricken”.

    Expressing their heartfelt gratitude to Governor Ambode for the swift rescue of the girls, the Anglican Archbishop of Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos Mainland Diocese, Most Rev. Adebayo Dada Akinde who led the principal of the school and the parents of the girls on a thank you visit to the governor said, “It was a most traumatic moment and sad for us as proprietors. Today we are thanking God for his intervention that a most unfortunate and traumatic event ended on a joyous note. All three pupils are now safe in the custody of their parents, they have been reunited. You acted and responded. Your response was prompt, your response was positive, your response was practical”.

    Today, we all know what happened to the fund allocated for arms purchase by the Jonathan administration. The diversion of that fund, running into billions of dollars left our army ill-equipped for battle. Even though it is the duty of the federal government to equip the police and other security agencies, Governor Ambode provided enormous support for the Lagos State Police Command and other security agencies in the state.

    The determination and concern with which Ambode pursued vigorously the rescue exercise of the girls shows a clear difference between a leader who cares and the one who doesn’t. Ambode’s slogan that Lagos will be uninhabitable for criminals is not  the usual political rhetoric but a statement of fact. This was corroborated by one of the arrested kidnappers who said: “I know that security in Lagos State is now tight and I was telling others that there was no way we would get away with this kind of job considering the level of security in the state. When I told them that we should end the assignment, other members of the gang threatened to kill me and then I took canoe to run away”.

    The cordial relationship between the governor and the security agencies has paid off greatly with the promptness and alacrity with which the police approached the operation. Other governors should emulate this. The security agencies should also be commended for their patriotism and the good use they’ve put the new gadgets donated to them by the Ambode administration. They were very tactical and professional in the rescue operation as they secured the release of the girls unhurt and arrested the culprits without firing a single shot!

    Even though the two abduction scenarios of the Chibok girls and Ikorodu girls were different,  the point remains that swift response would have made a difference in the case of the Chibok girls as it did in the Ikorodu girls. If solders had been drafted within 48 hours after the abduction of the Chibok girls, the girls would have been rescued. That this was not done was because the Jonathan government was pre-occupied with how to capture Ekiti State in the gubernatorial election coming up in June of that year as well as the 2015 Presidential  electoral preparations. By the time the reality dawned on the government that the girls were actually kidnapped, it was too late.

    The morale of the armed forces under Jonathan was low because of unpaid allowances and outdated weapons but it is better now with President Buhari as seen in the recapture of many lost territories and the decapitation of the terrorist group to a non-fighting force. Governor Ambode enjoyed the goodwill and co-operation of the security forces in Lagos State because he motivated them with material and welfare support which was lacking in the armed forces under Jonathan which made our soldiers run away from the battle-field when confronted with superior fire power of the Boko Haram terrorists. Even if they were deployed on time by then President Jonathan, it is doubtful if they would have been able to rescue the Chibok girls considering their low morale, arising from inadequate weapons which made them vulnerable.

    The unfortunate abduction has once again brought to the fore the need to put preventive measures in place  and beef up security around secondary schools in Lagos State. The schools should have private guards who could be useful in informing security agents immediately an abduction takes place even if they cannot prevent it.

    The timely apprehension of the culprits in the Ikorodu abduction is likely to discourage other criminals who may be planning such.

     

    • Afolabi writes from Surulere, Lagos.

  • Why parents should teach kids by example

    DEAR Harriet, My concern is the level of moral decadence in our society today. Parents who are supposed to be role models to their children are really not leading by example. Instead, some are the ones that are really taking these children through the wrong paths of life.

    Let’s look at the mode of dressing. Some young girls are provocative in their dressing. In addition, it will amaze you to know that a high number of these girls are sexually active with or without their parents’ knowledge.

    The question is who is to blame? Mothers don’t guide and lead their children in the ways of God any more. How many mothers actually give their children moral instructions, or pray with them as the case may be. They would rather sit to watch negative films that have no value added to their lives but destroy them.

    Daughters dress looking like club girls, exposing themselves to danger and all sorts of vices. Correction is totally out of it because their parents see it as the way to belong so they get offended when you try to correct them.

    In addition, the internet access is also an area that most parents have failed because a lot of these young children are pretending to be doing their home work, while all they do is visiting or downloading pornographic films. It beats my heart that in Port Harcourt it has become a common act and a very high percentage of mothers who are meant to be role models to their children engage in extra marital affairs.

    It is so bad that the singles are complaining. Some married women have converted hotels to be their second home. Some are going out with younger boys all with the excuse that their husbands cannot satisfy them in bed. Please, tell me if mothers that are supposed to teach their children how to be decent and how to respect their bodies are busy having affairs.

    Thanks

    Malachi Onumajuru. Port Harcourt.

     

    Thanks for sending us your message. The issue raised is one major challenge that affects our youth. Teach a child the way in which he should go and he will not depart from it.

    Children very carefully observe their parents and unknowingly and unconsciously become just like their parents. It is said that charity begins at home. Everything begins at home: respect, obedience, kindness, attitude, manner and skills.

    Sexuality and sex education is one topic that I will say we put out there almost every other month because of how it affects youngsters. Sex education is so important to the growing up of a youth and must be taught at home first before school. The information about sexuality must be clear and appropriate, according to their ages with good explanation about the physical and emotional changes.

    The reasons for the happenings and how to live a chaste life, to imagine parents encouraging their children in the way of destruction is a great issue of concern because parents are the role models to their children aforementioned, from what you wear as a parent, to your attitude towards others and the kind of life style you live, set out objectives for children’s zeal to achieve their vision and dreams independently. If a parent wants her children to be in a certain way, she must set the pace by living a life worth copying.

    Children act on what they see their parents do. As a result, they can only give what they have. The behaviour of your children tells a lot about you. Indecent mode of dressing exposes young ones to danger, if care is not taken. Parents should learn to teach their children all that they need to know about values through living by example. Let’s face it, a child’s negative way of life comes back to hurt the parents who lead them into it.

    The internet is such a big and open world that anybody can do anything. As a result, a lot of children have been hurt, for example some are experiencing cyber bulling, sexual abuse and verbal abuse at present. Trust me, the motive of parents in providing these technologies is to aid children not to harm them so it’s is your responsibility to know how to keep them safe on line. Some parents feel they don’t really understand how the internet works that their children know more than them, forgetting that technology changes on a day-to- day basis and the best way to stay informed is to get involved (understand the internet and how it works). Sometimes sit with your children, tell them to show you what they are doing and how it works who said it is too late to learn. Parents should monitor the site their children visit online. More so, the aspect of infidelity is also a great issue that we have high number of texts and emails on.

    Tips had been given in the past on this page on specific aspect of infidelity. However, for this present case of married women who are supposed to be role models to their children are now engaging in extra marital affairs, whether to younger boys or men with the excuse that their husbands cannot satisfy them in bed is not acceptable, there is no moral justification to the act of infidelity.

    Marriage is a union ordained by God and must be respected. If a woman discovers that her husband is not meeting up to her sexual desire, instead of bringing destruction to her home, have a discussion with your husband. Be open to him and tell him how it is affecting you or if possible, go with him to see a counsellor who will guide you on how to handle the situation. Your body as a married woman/ man must be respected and protected. Take care of yourself and each other.

     

    Harriet Ogbobine is a counsellor and a motivational speaker. Send your questions and suggestions to her on bineharriet@gmail.com or txt message only 08054682598. You can also follow her on twitter: @bineharrietj

  • The Deeper Life example

    •This is how to be a godly neighbour

    A common feature of contemporary life in many urban agglomerations across Nigeria is the regular congregation of large numbers of religious adherents at different locations in pursuit of one spiritual activity or the other. This is particularly true of Christian denominations particularly of the Pentecostal variety which, in recent years, have witnessed a huge surge in membership. These groups are characterised by the frequent organisation of various church programmes including crusades, revivals and sundry other events that attract enormous crowds. Large scale pedestrian and vehicular movements on such occasions inevitably have serious traffic, environmental and security implications.

    Perhaps the best example of this situation is the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway axis where several mega Pentecostal churches such as the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Deeper Life Christian Ministries and the Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM) hold diverse monthly activities with thousands of worshippers thronging their camps. The notorious traffic lock-downs that trap distressed commuters on that busy highway at such times have become a permanent feature of the road. Thousands of valuable man hours are lost with negative economic consequences. Commuters are exposed to stress-related health hazards. This is in addition to rendering them vulnerable to the antics of assorted criminals.

    It is, of course, the primary responsibility of government to make necessary adjustments on the road such as construction of pedestrian crossings and flyovers to ease the burden of commuters arising from the intense religious activities along that stretch. However, it is also not out of place for the religious groups involved to contribute their own quota towards providing these facilities as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. This is particularly as these denominations are known to have the financial capacity for such undertakings in a demonstration of Christ-like empathy for the plight of their fellow men and women.

    Against this background, we wholeheartedly join the Lagos State government in commending the proposed construction of a multi-million Naira flyover in the Gbagada area of the state by the Deeper Life Christian Ministry. The project, which will also include a four-level motor park, is to contain anticipated challenges attendant on the imminent inauguration of the church’s new cathedral at Gbagada.

    In demonstration of its seriousness of purpose, the Deeper Life Ministries recently got the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to organize a sensitisation programme to prepare the residents of Gbagada for the construction. Speaking on the occasion, the LASTMA Deputy Controller of Operation, Mr Phillip Ogunwale, said “The flyover upon completion will ease gridlock in this area as residents will no longer need to access the underground but move via the flyover. The gridlock that they normally experience, especially when they have programmes in the cathedral, will no longer be there. Those who have no business in the church will just pass through the bridge and go their way”.

    We call on other religious bodies in Lagos and other parts of the country to emulate this worthy example of the Deeper Life Bible Church, which has demonstrated its sensitivity to the pains other people may suffer as its members exercise their constitutional right to freedom of worship. But we call on the Lagos State Government to heed the call of the Gbagada Community Development Association to quickly fix bad inner roads in the neighbourhood to ease the suffering of residents when work commences on the flyover.

    Of course, CRS cannot be the burden of spiritual organisations alone. Secular groups, which do profitable business in an environment, must also give something back to the society. This is more so in a precarious financial situation in which government lacks the capacity to fund infrastructural development alone.

     

     

  • President Buhari’s worthy example

    President Buhari’s worthy example

    He has set a precedent by handing over to the vice president before going on leave

    Ordinarily, state officials should not be commended for merely adhering to the Constitution they took an oath to uphold and defend. Compliance should be more or less a routine, a matter of duty.

    But where, as in Nigeria, lawless conduct and impunity by officials are rampant, adherence to the spirit and letter of the Constitution by the highest officer of the state is worthy of remark.

    That is the occasion for congratulating President Muhammadu Buhari on handing over the instruments of office to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during his recent six-day (February 5 to February 10) vacation abroad.

    There is no precedent for that in Nigeria. Two years after taking office in 2007, President Umaru Yar’Adua became so ill that he could not function. He was spirited away to Saudi Arabia, ostensibly for medical treatment. A cabal sidelined the sitting Vice President and for months exercised power in Yar’Adua’s name.

    It took the National Assembly, invoking a “doctrine of necessity,” to wrest control from the cabal and designate the Vice President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, as Acting President. Even so, the cabal made sure that Dr. Jonathan could exercise no control until he became substantive President on Yar’Adua’s death.

    Under the military, with its partiality for order and hierarchy, it was not different. When General Sani Abacha took ill and was considering medical treatment abroad, one problem loomed large:  Who would take control in his absence?

    His wife Mariam, some members of his inner circle suggested in earnest. It was as if the office was the property of the Abacha family. In the event Abacha stayed put in Abuja. He could not risk losing his vicious grip on the country.

    In the states respect for the letter and the spirit of the Constitution has been just as spotty. Governors travel abroad for weeks or months without handing over the instrument of government to their deputies with whom they had won election on a joint ticket.

    Some governors make the pretence of handing over, but to an unelected subordinate who is often a close relation. It is as if the state is their private estate and it is entirely up to them to determine who will look after it in their absence.

    Many governors simply take off, without committing to anything that can be construed as a vacation. That way, the question of handing over to anyone simply does not arise. To them, the office is personal property. While they are away, virtually all official business is on hold, since power is concentrated in their hands.

    This practice has gone on for so long that it has become more or less entrenched in the nation’s political culture.

    It is therefore most salutary that President Buhari chose to break with this personalisation of state power that has been one of the more vexatious dysfunctions of politics and governance in Nigeria.

    Considering that the break lasted just six days, some might argue that the transfer of power was more symbolic than substantive. But, like the spirit of the laws, symbols also count for much.  Even if it was symbol and nothing else, it was a powerful symbol.

    We commend President Buhari’s worthy example to state governors and indeed to all who hold high public office in Nigeria.

  • Ransome-Kuti’s example

    He died as he lived: a hero

    He has been silent for a decade, and his silence is a loud statement on the need for a reinforcement of human rights activism in the country. Dr. Bekolari Ransome-Kuti was until his death at 65 on February 10, 2006, a vigorous voice that could not be ignored in the struggle for a better society.

    His work as a human rights activist was a labour of love, for he could easily have taken another path considering his training as a medical doctor. In the end, he was better known for his passionate and consistent expression of social conscience than for his practice of medical science.

    A telling tribute by Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode captured the dimensions of his exertions. Ambode said:  ”Beko will forever be remembered because he lived a selfless life even when he had the opportunity to live and dine with the rich; he chose to stand in the struggle for the masses.” He also noted that Beko “used his medical facilities to save lives for free, and when he had the opportunity of enriching himself, he never did but stood for justice, humanity and became a hero and motivator for the masses.”

    It is a testament to Ransome-Kuti’s recognition that the Lagos State government erected a public statue of him in 2010. Ambode said: “He will forever remain a role model to us because he followed the path of honour and believed that evil done against one is an evil done against all.”

    It is noteworthy that others who spoke at ceremonies to mark the 10th anniversary of Ransome-Kuti’s death stayed on the same track as eulogy after eulogy testified to his remarkable service to the cause of the oppressed. Two major events, a public lecture at Airport Hotel, Lagos, and the laying of wreaths at the Beko Ransome-Kuti Cenotaph in Anthony Village, Lagos, highlighted the remembrance.

    Significantly, Ransome-Kuti played a key role in the formation of what is regarded as Nigeria’s first human rights organisation, the Campaign for Democracy (CD), which was at the forefront of the opposition to the dictatorship of General Sani Abacha in the 1990s.  He was also a major figure in the British Commonwealth’s human rights committee, chair of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights and executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance.

    Ransome-Kuti demonstrated the courage of conviction, particularly in that dangerous era of military absolutism when voices of opposition were brutally silenced by government agents and many social critics fled into exile. Ransome-Kuti’s 1995 trial by a military tribunal that controversially sentenced him to death for alleged anti-government activities reflected the potency of his opposition to the then government of the day. His adoption as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International at the time showed his relevance and underlined the correctness of his stance against unpopular methods of rule. When in 1998 another military regime freed him following Abacha’s death, it was a victorious liberation.

    A striking observation by writer Odia Ofeimum underscored Ransome-Kuti’s legacy of resistance to anti-people governments. In a tribute, Ofeimun said: “I wish it were possible to have a good video of his movements, we need to have the video clippings of where Beko performed as an activist; I believe such clippings will help the younger generation on how to deal with tyrants when they come across one”.

    The example of Ransome-Kuti in the fight for progressive ideals is enduring and recommends itself. The country still needs committed fighters for the public good, even in the context of democracy. His type is necessary to keep the government on its toes for the people’s benefit.

     

  • Embracing CSR, the RCCG example

    Embracing CSR, the RCCG example

    Discussions on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) permeate all aspects of human life but the religious domain is often ignored. With the creation of Church/Christian Social Responsibility, a CSR unit of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), religious organisations appear to recognise their roles in human and environmental development of the areas where they operate, write ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI and DAVID ADEJO. 

    Globalisation has influenced churches to be more committed to the social, economic, health and environmental concerns of their members. The government has failed to address some social needs, which dampened social values of citizens. So, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is crossing the border of corporate organisations,  perching on the altar of religious institutions.

    By implication, churches have found it worthwhile as a strategy to impact on the society without losing their primary objective-preaching salvation and making heaven. With armies of unemployed graduates, employed, poor populace, among other issues, who seek solutions from divinity, churches are beginning to explore CSR engagement tool as buffer for their congregations.

    To enhance better coordination of what some religious scholars also termed, Christian Coporate Social Responsibility (CCSR), some churches, especially those with highest congregation, now set up CSR/Sustainability departments to bind both faith in God and work for the betterment of the society beyond just feeding them with words of God.

    During a recent programme, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Province 58, Ikorodu, Lagos organised an empowerment programme for its church members in  demonstration of care for the people who are swamped by social-economic challenges to deal with.

    After assessing their needs, the church paraded high profile human capacity development and empowerment professionals from the Bank of Industry (BoI), Fidelity Bank, Capacity Development and Skills Enhancement agencies to empower the church members in other to be job creators.

    The Chief Consultant, Capacity Development and Skills Enhancement, an NGO, Odewunmi Olatunji, said the CSR programme of the church had over 700 people who are learning various skills. He said some of them have learnt the business and art of bag making, shoe making, hair making, cinematography, make-ups, gele tying, manicure and pedicure, events management and decoration, catering, among others.

    He said the church has trained over 20,000 people since 2011 when the programme was introduced, adding that records have shown that most of them are doing well in their businesses.

    Explaining the rationale behind the empowerment programme, the Pastor-in-Charge of the province, Pastor Godwin Obadun, said the buy-in into CSR was occasioned by the state of the economy as a measure to reduce poverty in the country. “We have looked at the situation around us, the only thing we feel we can do to stop poverty is to enhance them with skills that will make them producers and service providers. This is why we have put together this two-week tuition free programme. The General Overseer, Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye, is the owner of this vision. He said: ‘Go out, don’t only preach the gospel, put something in their hands, let them have a job’ and this is what we are trying to do,” he said.

    He said further that the church also partnered with BoI to provide access to loans for startups after the training. “We have invited them because in some other programmes we have gone to, after training, the participants don’t have money or the capacity, or tools. We have, however, gone a step further by bringing in the BoI. We have given them tools. There is no way they can liaise with BoI without having an account with a commercial bank, and Fidelity Bank, as we all know, is a leading SME bank in Nigeria. So, we also brought them in to support. The people will not just learn the skills, but also have access to funds so they can start something. We are grateful to BoI and Fidelity Bank for coming. They have also promised to assist everyone,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Regional Head of BoI, Mr. Ubaro Marvel Usah,who was at the event,  said the bank is ready to support anyone after the training in other to grow the economy and reduce poverty.

    ”We are here on the invitation of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). They are having an empowerment programme to educate their members. They want to educate their members on the available products that BoI has which can be used to support their members in terms of empowerment and how we can provide financial support for their teeming members. So, essentially, we are here to tell them the products that are available for SME within BoI, then the requirements of Bank Support Scheme under each of the schemes that we have, and then what we can do to work with them to go and develop business so that we can develop our economy jointly and collectively,” he said.

    Besides BoI, the church also brought Fidelity Bank to ease access to loans for the trainees. One of the managers of SMEs for Fidelity Bank, Banksharon Nwaneri, assured the bank also intends to support the church’s CSR drive by getting the understanding that they can receive support to start up.

    “There is what we call commercial support overdraft. It provides short-term loans which last for about 30 days and a very market- friendly interest rate that we can make available. We also have the commercial support loan which lasts for 90 days. Then, we have our commercial credit facility that can run for about one year to expand their businesses.

    Then they can also access our CBN intervention funds which we work massively in,” she explained.

    One of the beneficiaries of the training, who preferred to be called by her first name, Kafayat, said though she doesn’t attend the church, she found the programme impactful.

    She said with the training, she can now be her own boss. “I heard about this programme from a friend. I am not a Christian or a member of this church. I came for the registration on Monday (this week), we started the training and now I can do some beads to sell. I also like it because we have the opportunity to borrow from the bank, soft loans with no collateral and little interest to pay,” she said.

    In the light of this, a Journal of Business Management and Economics stated the contribution from religious angle is few and peripheral. “Discussions on CSR permeate all aspect of human life –social, economic and environmental domains, but the religious domain is often ignored, perhaps based on the belief that social domain covers religion. The diverse and overlapping debate on CSR is so intense that it elicited criticism that ‘the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a religion filled with priests,” the journal stated.

    However, scholars said exploring CSR from religious lenses is justified because religion is now becoming a tool by governments across the world to elicit support for policies and for shaping people’s worldviews.

  • Zahra Buhari good example

    Zahra Buhari good example

    Instead of toeing the wrong path like most silver spoon kids, Zahra Buhari has decided to be the gem in her father’s crown and the light to her generation.  With every decision she makes, she becomes more of an ambassador to youths. Within a year, she has gone from being the daughter of the President to becoming an exemplary icon who serves as a reference point to the youth of Nigeria.

    On September 18, Zahra Buhari, daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari, signed on to be the brand ambassador of the Sickle Cell Aid Foundation (SCAF). SCAF is an NGO with a dual mandate to raise awareness on sickle cell and to ensure that individuals are able to make informed decisions on their future children, as well as guarantee that less-privileged people with the disorder have access to quality healthcare.

    Zahra is no stranger to this disorder, as it affects her close relatives. Zahra has voiced her admiration towards the achievements of SCAF despite their little resources. Having lost a sister to sickle cell anaemia, Zahra is particularly passionate towards the goals of the foundation. The founder of SCAF, Nkechi Azinge, who was recently honoured by the Queen of England for her philanthropic acts, said: “Zahra is a passionate and committed lady who is keen to lend her support in any way possible.”

  • Life after office: The Imoke example

    SIR: As a lecturer, part of my regular research strategy is to go beyond the university library and scrutinize newspapers and other internet resources for any modern trend that seems germane to the many topics I teach my students.

    Just days ago, I stumbled on something relevant, a very good one concerning a certain Foundation (The Bridge Leadership Foundation) promoted by former Cross River governor, Liyel Imoke.

    According to a Vanguard report published on August 16, the Foundation had held a youth-targeted event in Calabar the previous day. This story immediately tickled my interest and I thus decided to find out more about the Foundation. My purpose is to reference my findings, first as an exemplar for my students; and second as a gratis recommendation to former governors (and others) on how best they can contribute to society after public office.

    Below therefore is the rest of this very unique story, as I gleaned from many resources, including Imoke’s public remarks.

    First was Imoke’s thesis on the dearth of ‘sense of self-worth’ on the part of Nigerian youths. That is spot-on. So is the solution he offers. He was reported to have told the teeming youths in attendance that he was just ‘the average guy, the average bloke’. And that in school, was just an average student. But what made the difference for him and his string of achievements in life was that he was driven and knew exactly where he wanted to go.

    He hit the point home that it was fear of failure that propelled him most to succeed. I tell my students the same thing, even though not in exactly the same words.

    Second, in encouraging his target audience to look beyond government for their success in life’s struggles, Imoke had revealed that in the past six months, only 5,000 jobs were created in all the public sectors in Nigeria – by federal, states, and LGAs. And that even the famed oil sector has not created any jobs in the same period. For effect, Imoke disclosed that the whole banking sector in Nigeria collectively has only 40,000 employees in a nation of 167 million citizens.

    It is a very useful revelation that should serve as a wake-up call to Nigerian youths to look more to honing their entrepren youth-beneficiaries. Now, that’s a tidy number, and it’s still counting.

    Third, Imoke was not all talk and no action. He was reported to have promised publicly that he will devote all his valuable time to the arduous business of the Foundation. Of particular interest to him is the Foundation’s core mission of assisting youths on self-development of their innate entrepreneurial skills through the Foundation’s mentoring programmes. Stressing that young people are the future, Imoke challenged them to look beyond mere political appointments and public office, and begin to take matters in their own hands.

    So, as post-gubernatorial life goes, what Senator Imoke is doing with this Foundation is the sort of avocation I will recommend to our politicians as the best life or pastime after being in office. It’s better than again running for public office or attending to the private business of wealth accumulation – two very attractive but selfish options Imoke has disclaimed to instead pursue the passion of mentoring to Nigerian youths.

     

    • Dr Sullivan Odumegwu,

    sodumegwu@gmail.com

  • Melinda Gates’ shinning example

    Melinda Gates’ shinning example

    SIR: I was touched by the recent report about Melinda Gates, wife of the richest man in the world, Bill Gates, carrying a bucket of water fetched from a village in Malawi. The billionaire’s spouse, alongside two Malawian women, was seen with a 20-litre bucket of water on her head walking on an untarred road. Despite her status, Melinda did not only carry the bucket, she also helped in washing dishes and stayed in the home of a local couple in a village. This act – which has generated many reactions from across the globe – admirably shows simplicity, humility and sensitivity to the plight of the less privileged in the society.

    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is widely known worldwide to promote better living conditions in several countries through the provision of grants, aids and developmental lifeline for individuals and corporate organisations. Such a rare gesture is uncommon especially in a world where extreme capitalism, materialism, flamboyance and opulence have become the order of the day. One recalls ex-President Joyce Banda of Malawi, similarly carrying a bucket of water on her head to share the experiences of motherhood and promote water supply and development together with her people.

    Ordinarily, people are bound to insinuate that such generosity could be either a way of looking for an inroad and preparing the ground for massive investment in Africa or just an attempt at getting publicity while identifying with the poor. For me, I feel there’s no basis to hold any of these views. The duo are not known to visit any country based on political considerations. Rather, they are reputed to have brought about workable interventions at various times to lessen the plight of the weak and the disadvantaged.

    Another sticking point to note on this rare display of milk of kindness to humanity is that it takes a great deal of discipline, sacrifice and humility for someone of the class, stature and personality of Melinda to leave her luxury, dignity, riches and comfort zone in the God’s Own Country for that matter and come to a continent, where the cost of living is out of reach of the common man, to render such humanitarian assistance.

    In sharp contrast to Melinda, what is common to many of our women in the political and elite class in Africa is the exact opposite (penchant for luxurious living without much consideration for the poor, needy and the common man). Most male African leaders have been accused of engaging in corrupt practices that lead to bad governance. It is widely believed that public resources that are allegedly mismanaged may not have been so, if wives of such leaders had exercised positive influence on their husbands by doing what is expected of them rather using such influence and clout to ascend to glamour and fame.

    African women in positions of authority should, therefore, brace up and take a cue from the Malawian episode by making a big difference in the society. They should always realise that they have much influence on their men after all the popular saying goes that behind a successful man is a woman and vice versa. It is hoped that the authorities in Malawi would take advantage of the Gates’ symbolic visit for a better life for our womenfolk.

    • Adewale Kupoluyi,

    Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta