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Tag: integrity

  • Guest of integrity

    Guest of integrity

    Guests, everywhere in the world, are of different types. Some are of honour and treated with integrity because of their acknowledged dignity. Some are bereft of honour but merely tolerated for their nuisance value. Each time we talk of guests, people invariably think only of humans in the erroneous belief that no other creature could be qualified for that title. What they don’t seem to know is that humans are just a fraction of Allah’s creatures. There are millions of others not often noticed by man. One of such creatures is environment of which season is a part. The phenomenon called season comes in different forms with different intensity and at different times of the year.

     

    Similitude of Seasons

    Seasons are like the tides of an ocean. They roll out spirally in quick succession and reshape the world’s environment from time to time. They come in multiple of months. No one measures a season in the absence of months as there can be no seasons without months.

    Europeans have so much respect for seasons that when they have an important guest they call him an ‘August visitor’. The month of August is the peak of summer season and the most comfortable month of hospitality for the Caucasian race of Europe hence the term.

    In Islam, the most venerable guest is Ramadan. Its visiting time is not restricted to any particular season or Gregorian month. Its arrival in the world may coincide with that of any season. It is therefore a guest of all seasons.

    With Ramadan as a special guest of honour, not only the Muslims but the entire humanity is consciously or unconsciously engaged in hospitable activities. Those who cannot fast in it do take advantage of its presence to sell or buy some relevant needs and wants. Thus, there can be no indifference to the awful presence of Ramadan in any part of the world.

    Once every year, Ramadan creeps into the world like the early morning light. It moves kaleidoscopically into an arena where the centre becomes its stool. It lifts its veil and beams a focus on the world with an arresting attention in the days just as it envelops the nights in a shroud of a divine covenant linking the dream of man with his fulfilment.

     

    Its journey

    No one knows Ramadan’s port of embarkation. No one knows its destination. All we know of it is that of a guest that is so vividly present in our world and yet so invisible. Its arrival is often heralded by a retinue of envoys. The months of ‘Rajab’ and ‘Sha’ban’ are the immediate escorts that alert us of its imminent arrival. Like the sun in the midst of stars, Ramadan ascends the throne in full regalia and all other months, (lunar and solar) quickly take their bow.

    Call it the king where other months are chiefs and you will be dead right. Call it the doctor in a world of sick people and you will not be wrong. Call it the sage among the novice and you would have hit the nail on the head. Call it the compass in the wilderness of straying humanity and you would have spoken the truth. Call it the reformer of human soul; the sterilizer of human spirit as well as the purifier of human body and you will not be disputed. In its entourage are equally invisible ministers like piety, knowledge, truth, justice and peace all of which usher it into the world with splendour.

     

    Definition

    Deriving its name from a natural healing phenomenon, this ninth lunar month is truly baking in effect. The word:  Ramadan is derived from the Arabic word ramd (meaning baking). The name had been in existence before the advent of Islamic calendar. It was coined from a baking summer that immediately followed a freezing winter. Ever since, Ramadan has been perceived as a pivotal agent for firming up all loose ends in the life of man. And it does that with a touch of perfection.

     

    Its mission

    The entire month of Ramadan which consists of 30 or 29 days is spent in fasting from dawn to dusk. Such fasting is not about abstinence from foods and drinks alone. It is also about self restraint from all sinful acts. It is about repackaging one’s destiny through a new but sincere resolution.

    Fasting during this month is believed to figuratively burn away all sins. It was in this glorious month that the revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) first began.

    In this month, all gates of paradise, according to the Prophet, are open while those of hell are closed. The first ten days in it are blessings galore for those of the Muslim Ummah who need blessings and seek for them. The next ten days personify forgiveness for those who realize the gravity of their sinful acts, repent on them and resolve never to return to such acts again. Thus, Ramadan is far beyond a month. It is a season.

     

    Its anchor leg

    The last ten days of this sacred month form the anchor leg of Ramadan which is meant for the liberation of mankind from the manacles of Satan. Whoever is so liberated automatically becomes like a new born baby arriving in a new world with a tabula rasa (clean slate).

    In these last ten days is a particular night (Laylatul Qadr) in which the secret of human destiny is encapsulated. It is otherwise known as the ‘Night of power’. Meeting that night consciously and spiritually is like securing the key to one’s own apartment in Paradise. But one needs to remain awake throughout those nights to be fortunate to meet the D night.

    Allah did not disclose even to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), which particular night it is. But by asking the Muslims to look for it in the odd nights of the last ten days, the Prophet has helped us tremendously. However, who can be so sure of the odd nights when the issue of sighting the crescent before starting Ramadan remains controversial?

    Also, during the last ten days of Ramadan, some willing Muslims, in accordance with the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), do go for Umrah in Makkah or take to I’tikaf (spiritual seclusion) locally, to reaffirm their total submission to Allah. Following this is a session of charity made compulsory for all Muslims irrespective of age, gender and status, to give to the poor and the needy. This is called Zakatul Fitr or Sadaqatul Fitr. It is given in the very early morning of Ramadan Festival Day or the night before it to enable the poor and the needy celebrate the festival with the Ummah in a festive mood.

     

    Anticlimax

    The first day of the month of Shawwal that immediately after Ramadan is the anticlimax of expectation traditionally spent in great celebrations with rejoice and observed as the ‘Festival of fast Breaking the (Eidul Fitr).

    Where else can one find a guest like Ramadan? Where else can one meet a guest that hosts his hosts and heals them of ignorance and diseases? It was probably more to Ramadan than to man that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) referred when he said: “whoever believes in Allah and the ‘Last Day’ should venerate his guest”.  That guest is Ramadan. That is why Muslims often say in this unique month: ‘RAMADAN KARIM’ which means ‘Venerable Ramadan’.

     

    Preparation

    To start or end fasting in Ramadan, sighting of the crescent is just symbolic. The indices of recognising when to start or end the month are naturally vivid to those who care.

    Ramadan is preceded by two glorious lunar months of Rajab and Sha’ban for fun. The number of days in those two months is to enable any serious Muslim know the time of arrival of Ramadan and prepare for it. No lunar month exceeds 30 days and none is less than 29 days.

    Crescent or no crescent, it is very possible and easy to know when to start Ramadan every year. The confusion often created by the sighting of the crescent is therefore avoidable. If Rajab is 30 or 29 days, no one looks for the crescent before starting Sha’ban. As soon as Rajab ends, Sha’ban starts.

     

    Dynamism

    Islam is a dynamic religion and nothing should be rigid or dogmatic about sighting the crescent before starting Ramadan. Sighting the crescent is not the only condition for starting the great month. After all, the new crescent is not necessarily visible to all eyes at any given time in any locality at a particular time. That is why a few people who may be privileged to sight it are implored to invite some others to witness it and then inform the recognized authorities who will in turn, announce the arrival of Ramadan to the Muslim community in the locality or region.

    Besides Faith (Iman) and Hajj (which are the first and last pillars of Islam), nothing else is really globally uniform in practical terms with regards to timing. The variation in the geography of the earth has legitimized the variation of time in the observance of Salat, Sawm and Zakat. Iman is global because it resides permanently in the hearts of the believers irrespective of their localities. Hajj is equally global because it is performed in only one place at a particular time.

     

    Geographical factor

    Where a gap of about nine to eleven hours exists between one part of the world and another, talking of global uniformity in starting or ending Ramadan can only border on sheer ignorance. For instance it is impossible for the Australian Muslims living in Australia and their South American brethren residing in Brazil or Argentina to start Ramadan on the same day. Even within Nigeria, all Muslims can start Ramadan on the same day, only if they have equal access to information. And even with that, it is not possible for them all to start or end daily fasting at the same time of the day. That is why the announcement or publication of Ramadan timing according to the various localities is necessary.

    That Ramadan fasting is prescribed as a universal obligation for all Muslims in a particular month is deliberate. Allah who did the prescription is not oblivious of the geographical variations in the world. Neither is He unaware of the possible invisibility of a new crescent to most eyes. The design is to allow for the reverberation of the effect of Ramadan across the world. And time variation in worship or celebration of festivals is not peculiar to Islam. Even in Christianity, neither Easter nor Christmas is globally celebrated in one day. And, there is no media noise about it.

    What is global about Ramadan fasting is the month and not the time. Dawn and dusk vary from locality to locality. It is therefore possible for the Muslims in one part of the world to be breaking their daily fast at a time when their brethren in another part are commencing theirs. Thus, the genuineness or otherwise of Ramadan fasting is not to be judged by man. That is why Allah is reported by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as saying in a sacred Hadith (Hadith ul Qudsi) that: “Fasting is mine and I am the One to grant rewards on it.”

    Welcome to the coast of Ramadan. This sacred ‘ship’ must not leave the coast without you on board. Ramadan is like an institution of learning. A good Muslim must not just pass through it he must also allow it to pass through him. Who knows when the last time to witness the month will be?

     

     Where is Gawat?

    Retrospectively, July 10, 2012 (a Tuesday) can be described as a shocking day for Nigerian Muslim Ummah. That day, the Nigerian electronic media waves throbbed with a shocking and unbelievable news saying: the popular Islamic programme (e dide e mu sari je) presenter was missing. The waves added that whoever knew his whereabouts or heard any information about him should report to the nearest Police Station or any other relevant authorities. The breaking news sent jitters to millions and puzzled millions of others. Here was a well known human being and not a chattel. Where and how do you start looking for him?

    Brothers and sisters immediately took up the matter as a knotty task which must be unraveled. Text messages and phone calls, e-mails and face-book communications began in earnest. Yours sincerely was busy with a project in Ilorin when the sad news came through text messages. In less than one hour after the outbreak of the news the entire world had known of it. And that evidently confirmed the global village created by the modern technology. Thus, the search for ‘a golden fish’ in a turbulent ocean became a task for all and sundry.

     

    Unfortunate Rumour

    Thereafter, the Nigerian factor set in. Rumours began to fly across boundaries as evil agents added their inputs. First, we heard that Gawat had been found and taken to his family. Then came the devilish rumour that the episode was a complicity in which his wife’s hand was vivid. The evil rumour mongers even had the audacity of sending text messages to me   saying that his wife was already in Police gulag. I immediately called the wife to enquire about her whereabouts. And when she told me that she was at home with the children I heaved a deep sigh of fervent relief. It was one moment of embarrassment at its topmost height.

    I had known Razak Gawat since 1984 as an amiable gentleman with a wonderful sense of humour. He was humble, respectful and magnanimous in appearance, utterances and actions. When I met his wife a couple of years later I believed that a compatible couple was in the making with potential model. And it actually turned out to be so.

     

    Imagination

    One can now imagine Hajiya Fatima’s life without Alhaji Razak Aremu Gawat. It is possible to be dead suddenly for whatever reason but the body will be seen. And in a jungle like Nigeria called a country, it is possible for a prominent person of Gawat’s status to be kidnapped for a ransom by hoodlums and their godfather. But in this case, none of these occurred. What is unimaginable and which remains a puzzle is for a person of Gawat’s personality to suddenly disappear mysteriously with his car within the city of Lagos without any trace. Now, all said and done, four years after that agonizing episode, the question still being asked, despite the acclaimed security in the country, is: ‘where is Gawat?

    Well, the evil doers might have done their worst but let not those behind this devilish episode feel that the deed has been finally sealed. Yes, to man it may look so. But to Allah, nothing is ever hidden as the divine repercussion of such an episode is just a matter of when and how. We pray Allah to protect and stand by Gawat’s family.

    Watch Out for Ramadan Guide

     

    The usual daily column often written by yours sincerely in the month of Ramadan will start in this newspaper on Monday, June 6, 2016 when Ramadan is supposed to commence.  Please, watch out for it as it will be quite interesting. RAMADAN KARIM!

  • Academic integrity dominates experts’ talks

    The 1,500 capacity Alex Ekwueme Auditorium at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State, was filled to its capacity with guests from over 20 polytechnics in the Southeast and South-south regions.

    The gathering aimed at restoring academic integrity and quality through the Computer-based Testing (CBT) system in schools.

    The event brought together intellectuals from the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to brainstorm on the way forward.

    Four traditional rulers namely Igwe R.N. Offor of Omogho, Igwe Chika Ochime of Ufuma, Igwe Onyeneke of Ekwulobia and Igwe C.O. Okeke of Amaokpala and men of the Department of State Service (DSS) were in attendance.

    In her remarks, Mrs. Helen Oduntan, who represented the expanded management of the institution reminded the institutions of the need to get the country’s education sector right.

    Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, who was represented by the Commissioner for Science and Technology and former Deputy Governor in the state, Prince Chinedu Emeka, said the state would always partner with the Federal Polytechnic Oko. He also said that both share the same vision on CBT.

    In his remarks, Igwe Ochime advised students to shun any urge from anyone not to embrace CBT.

    He noted that the institution had witnessed tremendous transformation in the last few years, stating that without the support of the students and management of the institution, it wouldn’t have been possible.

    In his address, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Dr. Mass’udu Adamu Kazaure lamented that unethical practices had bedeviled and negatively affected the fortunes of the education sector.

    This, according to him, had adversely affected the quality of graduates that are churned out of higher institutions, despite several measures adopted to curb the development.

    Kazuare said this is noticed especially in enrollment and output of graduates of our tertiary institutions. From all indications, however, it will appear as if the measures have little or no effects in curbing it.

    “This workshop is therefore organised to introduce participants to one of the  important measures, developed by JAMB to minimise unethical practices in the admissions process in our higher institutions, and that is the computer-based test (CBT) system,” he said.

    For Prof. Shola Akinrinade of the  ICPC, the time to get it right in the education system was now with the current change mantra.

    He listed some corrupt practices identified in relation to include admissions, enrollment and registration as non–adherence to approved carrying capacity as set by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    He also said political interference in the admission process is a major reason some more qualified candidates who have no godfathers were marginalised.

    In his address, the Rector of the institution, Prof. Godwin Onu  noted that the most virulent challenge being experienced by the CBT was the opposition by some lecturers who, he said, were beneficiaries of the old order.

    He said some of their arguments were that the system would strip them of their responsibilities and negates practical-orientated courses.

    However, Onu said that CBT would make the work of the lecturers easier, while appealing to all the schools to embrace the system.

    “For some time now, there have been hues and cries about falling standard of education and the attendant unethical practices in teaching and learning as well as examination administration.

    “These have attracted a lot of criticisms and condemnations. The sector is being challenged to reposition and provide quality and functional education that meets the needs and aspirations of the 21st Century society.

    “The computer-based testing system is one of the ways of addressing these challenges and repositioning the sector in the right direction. This is because the system has built-in mechanisms designed to restore academic integrity and engender quality assurance,” Onu said.

    Also John Okonkwo, who represented JAMB Registrar Prof. Ojerinde, delivered a second paper on the day entitled “Restoring Academic Integrity Using CBT.”

     

  • ‘I left the police with my integrity intact’

    ‘I left the police with my integrity intact’

    Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, now Archbishop of Jesus Family Ministries Church, Christopher Akhigbe Omeben, recently turned 80. Speaking with Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi, he reflects on life as a church man, the past 26 years since retiring from the police and his police years.

    You had an illustrious career as a police officer, rising through the ranks to the position of Deputy Inspector General of Police; was becoming a cop always your aspiration as a youth?

    My ambition was to become a mechanical engineer. I had the required qualifications to go into the university and was to study in India, but my father was very sickly and he said to me, ‘My dear son, I may die before you come back.’ This caused a friction between us. Then I was to join the Army along with three others: the late Major Obenun, Commander Anuku, and one other young man. We did fine in the examinations and were supposed to go abroad for training, but my father again opposed this move. I asked him what he wanted me to do, and he asked me to come and join the police. I said, you spent 18 years in the police and ended up as a Corporal. He had commendation certificates in the entire place. He assured me that I would excel if I listened to him. I declined and went to my village in Edo State. I went to one of my teachers, Miss. Gregory, and told her what I was going through. She said she would send me to the Forestry Department. She kept to her promise and I was appointed as Assistant Forest Officer. I was posted to Saponba. I was doing fine and my best friends were animals, such as gorilla and all that. I spent six months in the bush.  My stay was however brief because of what happened.

    What happened?

    I had a little fondness for one politician, Ojike. I loved his politics in those days. I went to Sapele to buy foodstuffs on a weekend and decided to buy a newspaper, The West African Pilot. There I saw his obituary; that my political mentor had died three months earlier and I didn’t even know. This got me angry. I went back to my base and resigned. I moved to Benin and was staying with a friend.  From Benin, I took the next opportunity available and left for Lagos, where I stayed in Yaba. I was about 25 years then. One day, I went to buy bread for my uncle at Yaba and saw an advertisement in the Daily Times that there was vacancy in the Nigeria Police Force. I had all the required qualifications and this prompted me to go to the force headquarters in Obalende. On getting to Obalande, I was directed to a Sergeant who told me that to be a Cadet Inspector, I must have four credits in my School Certificate. I told him I had distinctions but this man said they didn’t want Distinctions. When I tried to explain myself, he shouted me down and asked me to leave. He didn’t give me the form and I left his office. As I was walking along the corridor in Obalende Police Headquarters, I ran into a white man, one Mr. Briffet. He asked me why I was walking on the corridor. I explained my dilemma and how I was denied an application form because had distinctions. Right there, he sent his orderly to bring the form. He filled the form with his hand-writing. He then asked me who I knew in Lagos; I told him I knew one Mr. Odia who was in the Sports Council then. He said I should take the form to him to fill the part B. This was in June 1958. The interview came up in September. To fill the gap in between, I took a job at UAC and was posted to the Central Account Department. When the time for the examinations came, I quit the job. My police training commenced on October 1, 1958.

    Your first approach to the Nigerian Police was denied, until you met the Whiteman; what do you think was playing out here?

    It was God because I had turned down the issue of joining the police before. My father was very persuasive but I refused to listen. I think God had a purpose for me in the police.

    What factor shaped your life while growing up?

    My father was a disciplinarian, so I had no time for fun. Initially I thought he was punishing me unnecessarily, but as I grew up I loved what he did. Again, it was God again moulding my life.

    When did you get the call to work for God?

    It was in 1974 that I started a fellowship that eventually turned into a church. Prior to that time, on January 22, 1974, I was living at No. 16B, Ilabere Street in Ikoyi, Lagos. I was in the room with my late wife, when suddenly, there was a thunder in my room and I thought it was going to rain. I was still ruminating on what to do when I saw three strange odd people who pretended that they had come to elongate my life. You know my father died very young, so they said they wanted to give me some incisions so that my life would be prolonged. I refused. It was a battle but the Lord Almighty intervened with thunder in the room. A voice called my native name, “Akhigbe,” and introduced Himself as God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and said, “My son, fear not.” That was my first encounter.

    Why fight against an offer to elongate your life? Some people would have jumped at such opportunity?

    I battled them because I didn’t believe in incision. This had caused a lot of rancour between my father and I. They didn’t come with good intention. They wanted me to die in my sleep.  But God took them on and asked them a simple question that they couldn’t answer.  God said, “You wanted to kill my servant in his sleep so that people can say in the morning that he died of heart attack.” God said, “If you could elongate life, what day of the week is August 27, 1987.” This happened in 1974 and they couldn’t answer. Having failed, God ordered them out of the room.

    Nigeria today is challenged security-wise. What measures would you suggest as remedy to the present situation?

    It is not only the police that are involved; many arms of government are involved. If all these people involved in security can put their acts together, there will be a solution. For instance, in the police force, everybody is talking about corruption; it can be whittled down if there is an improvement, particularly in the recruitment policy. If you go on the street, you’d find young policemen who are good enough to be in secondary school or at vocation centres parading themselves as police officers. Some of them cannot speak any good English. This upsets me a lot. If we can adopt the British pattern, the situation will be remedied. For instance, in Britain, if a 36-year-old woman or man wants to join the police, it is allowed on a condition that with your age and working experience, you cannot spend more than 15 years in the police. They employ them as constables and the British system believes with their experience, they are in a better position to handle the affairs in their community and around them. Police doesn’t have to look for accommodation for you because you are an established citizen and after your training you start work. In Nigeria, they are recruited at a very tender age because they want them to spend 35 years in the service. Thirty five years of what? I will advise the authorities to get people who are experienced in other sectors to join the force and carry on from there.

    Corruption seems to have assumed a monstrous shape these days, what was it like in your days?

    It wasn’t like that back then. Back in my days, we said no policeman should go on traffic duty with excess of five naira in his pocket and if you’re caught with more than five naira in your pocket, you would be dismissed. But today it’s not like that, which is shameful. The reverse is the case today, as some policemen would even give you change at the road blocks. I have seen it.

    There have been advocates for decentralization of the police, what is your take?

    I have been one of the advocates of decentralisation of the Nigerian Police. The police should have been decentralised a long time ago. The excuse they, the authorities, always give, that the police will be misused by the politicians, is not tenable. Tell me, are the politicians that are now in control of the centre not Nigerians? Are the politicians in the states not Nigerians? If those at the centre can control themselves and don’t use the police against their opponents, what is it that would convince me that those in the states will? Granting that that is even true, which is preferable? The police that are small and can tackle issues in the community or a police force that has no control. So people should rethink.

    How do you think the citizens’ confidence can be restored in the police?

    It is simple. Orientation. If the police can be mentally refurbished, it would go a long way. Also constant training is needed, and letting them know that their salaries are from the taxes being paid by the people they are harassing. I think they will change.

    How is life after retirement?

    Most times it looks boring but you get used to it in time. You go to bed when you want, get up when you want except you have extra jobs you are doing for yourself. So there is no pressure on you.

    Some say the integrity of the force is deteriorating; what was the perception back in your days as career officer?

    The integrity was very high because the amount of complains we have today are much higher than what we had then. Also, there were lots of things we couldn’t do then. For instance, if you are an ASP, bought a car without a loan, the CID (Criminal Investigative Department) will be after you. I remember a colleague of mine who bought a motorcycle when we were still inspectors; they asked him where he got the money with which he bought the motorcycle. He couldn’t answer, so he was accused of being corrupt and that he was collecting money in traffic. Because of that, he was denied promotion and suffered it for many years before he left the force. Maybe you were at ASP position and then you went and bought an air-conditioner in your house. They’d ask you ‘How did you get the money?’

    What legacy did you leave behind as DIG?

    It was on the lips of the ordinary man who was old enough in 1989 when I retired that Chris Omeben was against anything that had to do with bribery and corruption. I didn’t believe in it because I was satisfied with what I got as my salary. I remember a case that happened in 1988, when a white man approached me to jail somebody, who is a prominent politician now, on a flimsy offence. The white man and the lady that led him to my office brought 300,000 Pounds Sterling. I turned the money down. I called the white man and said, “The fellow you want me to jail was a Deputy Commissioner of Police. And moreover, the offence is minor. Can’t you settle?” The Nigerian lady that followed him later came back and said, “Oga, come and open an account in Nigeria Bank of Commerce and Industry,” that the money would be put there. I said I was not interested. So if there was any legacy I left behind, I think it is my integrity; I left with my integrity intact.

    Are you saying that even white men contributed to corruption in Nigeria?

    The white man knows that price of crude will be $60 per barrel; that same white man will leave his country and come to Nigeria and say ‘O’ boi go to NNPC, tell them we will buy at $30, then the difference we shall share. He is prompting you to go into corruption. Whereas they go back home and tell their people that Africans are very corrupt.

    What is your philosophy of life?

    Do the best you can do for a generation and leave a mark of honesty.

    At eighty you still look attractive. Going into the ministry in 1989 at age 46, were you not afraid of losing your liberty?

    I don’t think I had all the liberty then because those who knew me very well can testify that I wasn’t a go-go type. So God speaking to me to start a ministry was a thing of joy.

    How has the ministry work benefited you?

    It has benefited me tremendously. I always say when I agreed to join the police, my father said ‘My dear son, if only we can have an inspector of police in our family, that will be wonderful.’ So when I became an inspector, my father made me to dress up and took me to Sapele to go and show to his friends. Then as I earned my promotion in the days of Gen. Murtala Mohamed, there was this wave of retirement and because some people did not like my religious lifestyle and the fact that I wouldn’t collect money from anybody; they thought they should ease me out. My name was put down for retirement and when one of the girls saw my name, she came to show me in my office, weeping. I asked her to get me a leave form, which I filled with the intention of going on leave to await news of my retirement letter. I was in the church one day when the voice of the lord came and said ‘For building a house for me, I am going to give you double promotion.’ Of course I laughed. While I was on leave, a colleague came to congratulate me that I had been promoted to the position of deputy commissioner. I said ‘come on, stop teasing me.’ I called my wife and told her, took my bath, wore my best suit, and went to the office to thank the IG for promoting me. I walked straight to the office of my boss who wanted to retire me to greet him. I was posted to Ogun State, where I became the first commissioner of police.

    In Nigeria, we have loads of churches and mosques but we’re low on moralities; what do you think is responsible for this?

    The society has a role in it but I always tell people, they don’t appreciate what God does through the mosque. People cannot appreciate what God does through the churches. I was watching a program on TV yesterday and I saw how God used a pastor to restore some people and I said ‘which hospital can do this?’ No hospital can do that. Or maybe an Imam prays and prays and you see the positive result in the life of somebody. Government cannot do that. To me the more mosques and churches we have, the better. Ministers should not live in poverty either, if they acquire their wealth legitimately, it is ok, but don’t rip off anybody.

    What is it like to be dressed in the same attire most time? What was the transformation like for you?

    I put on the suit once in a while; I have several suits which I used to wear. But now I have the white, the blue and the rest. The other suits I have, I hardly wear because it’s like taking a fish out of water. That is the way I see it, I will prefer to be seen as a Bishop.

    How did you meet your late wife?

    I met my wife a long time ago when she was working somewhere. I used to take her to and fro and everybody concluded that she was my girlfriend. We were just friends. But a day came when I just told her, “Do you know you would make a very good Mrs. Omeben.” She taught I was joking. Then a day came when she said she needed a passport because they were planning to go to Canada. I said, “Young lady, you are not going to Canada because that Canada is in my house.” That was how the whole thing started. We formalised our union in 1971. The marriage is blessed with seven children and four grand-children. We lived together for 43 years until she passed away last year.

    Are any of your children in your line of profession?

    In the Police, no. But in the ministry, yes. They don’t like the force like I didn’t like it back then too.

    Would you say your life aspirations have been fulfilled at eighty?

    I have enjoyed my life; the only area I will say I have not been fulfilled is the area of touching people’s life.

    Is that in terms of resources?

    Without resources you can’t do anything. You need money to do it and unfortunately, I have not got that kind of money. I know however that if it is a programme God has for me, he will provide the funds and I will do it before He calls me home.

    How would you say life has treated you in the last 80 years?

    God has been wonderful, I normally say that God has given me somebody else’s time; He has helped me all along and I cannot show him enough appreciation. I schooled in the police force, my last constituency. God is very wonderful and I appreciate him.

  • Marketing Nigeria with integrity

    SIR: The PDP once again in its search for rabble-rousing fortuity brought marketing into the mix of unending disparagement of the President accusing him of de-marketing Nigeria by laying bare the contemporary Nigerian narratives. The veracity or otherwise of PDP’s allegation could be ascertained through concatenating the president’s declarations against the four P’s of marketing i.e. product, place, people and price.

    Did the president impair the product which is the image of Nigeria by declaring the exact state of the economy?

    I will say no because the image suffered irredeemable damage as a result of years of trying to embellish the deep-seated rottenness without full disclosure.

    Did the president commit an infraction of the second ‘P’ i.e. place in his declaration? Again I say no. What is the place of Nigeria in global image index? We still rank among the least on transparency index and what is actually de-marketing us is our fixation to the denial syndrome mistaken for image laundering.

    The third ‘P’ of marketing which is people can not be improved through unrealistic ornamentation because the world knows us beyond rhetoric of embellishment.

    The last but not the least in marketing mix is the price of our image management. Which option is costlier; are we better off living in denial and allow investors to come and experience our nakedness first hand like in the case of former Econet and many other investors who have to quit because of corrupt environmental factors or we should disclose our strength and weaknesses upfront in a world that has become a global village?

    One thing that is clear is that President Muhammadu Buhari is likely to take our image to an enviable frontier by his incurable aversion for corruption, repugnance to personal enrichment complemented by a robust party manifesto and purpose-driven cabinet.

     

    • Bukola Ajisola,

     Lagos.

  • Edohouqua Eyiboh: A life of dignity and integrity

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time” -Mark Twain

    Late Elder Sunday Edohouqua Eyiboh lived a full life to his demise at the age of 79. He crowded into a single soul and life the renaissance spirit. He was a craftsman, an inspirational leader of men, a role model with reform mindset, a quintessential organiser and an astute administrator with entrepreneurial instinct. As a father and grandfather, he cultivated and sustained in his name generational competitive models spanning politics, law, entrepreneurship, aviation, engineering, medicine and cyber science.

    He rode the trajectory of the self-made man. He began as a genius of the manual dexterity. He became a carpenter after he completed his primary education at the QIC school at Akpautong. While he gloried in his craftsmanship as a carpenter, his eyes were glittering for opportunities. So, from the earnings  of his toil and courage in his convictions, he took a notch higher at the Teacher’s Training College, Ndon Eyo in present Onna Local Government Area where he obtained his Teacher’s Grade Three Certificate.

    He won a berth in the classroom as a teacher. But his thirst for knowledge did not abate. So he pursued and secured his Grade Two Certificate at the Teacher’s Training College, Ndon Eyo. After plying himself with these qualifications, he taught at various primary schools and rose to the position of headmaster at various times and in many schools, where some great men and women of honour and character had their pupillage under this great brood of worthy leadership tradition.

    His value lay not only in his pedagogic skills in the classroom, but in the loftier realm of school administration. So, he was appointed to the Eket Divisional School Board as member. He acquitted himself so well that his appeal leapt across school administration. He was also appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Cross River Newspaper Corporation (publishers of the Nigerian Chronicle).

    All along, his engagement with the society as a community organiser, role model and politician blossomed. As a politician, he chimed in with the prevalent ideological wellspring of his people, and rose to become the organising Secretary of the  National Party of Nigeria (NPN), Eket Chapter. He also became Supervisory Councillor, Ibeno/Edo Local government council, Supervisory Councillor, Esit Eket Local Government Council and Chairman, Esit Eket Local Government Council.

    He was a leading edge character driven by the zeal of his hindsight, insight and foresight of life. He triggered prosperity through multidimensional investment in education. He was a founding Project Leader, Community Secondary School, Akpautong and Proprietor, Esit Eket Community Nursery School. As a renaissance man, he also knew how to earn income from strategic design thinking and change management. He launched into an integrated marine and land transport logistics concern in the oil and gas industry and became a director in Esuwdeik Nigeria Limited.

    With his hands, he made things as a carpenter. With his voice, he moulded lives in the classrooms. With his nobility, he organised his people to higher ideals of community and sacrifice. Before his health started to flag, this man of faith, dignity and integrity had left high values behind as sublime legacies. He shall never die as his name is spoken in this, and the generation beyond. His demise has only ended a life, not a relationship with his wife, two sons (one of whom is Hon Eseme Eyiboh, former member and spokesperson, House of Representatives), two daughters and formidable grandchildren.

    Late Elder Sunday Edohouqua Eyiboh may not have lived long enough, but his good life was long enough.

    “Everyman’s life ends the same way. It’s only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguished one man from another” – Ernest Hemingway

  • Bank chief urges bankers on integrity

    Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) president, Mrs. ‘Debola Osibogun has advised bankers on the need to embrace integrity and best practices in the course of their duties.

    Speaking at the CIBN Graduates Induction and Prize Awards Day held in Lagos, she said bankers would always abide by the CIBN code that condemns gratification and bribery among other unwholesome practices in banking. “I wish to remind you of some of the things contained in the Code of Conduct in the Nigerian Banking Industry recently approved by the Bankers Committee.

    You must endeavour to avoid these if only to ensure that you become the heroes and heroines of your chosen profession.  You must avoid engaging in any ventures of which there are clear issues of conflict of interest; abusing the trust reposed in you or your office; misusing official information in the course of your professional career; offering and or accepting gratification or bribe,” she said.

    Osibogun said the induction remains a symbolic reminder of the core mandate of the Institute which is to admit student members who have passed the prescribed examinations and fulfilled all other conditions set by the Governing Council into Associateship (ACIB); admit students into the Associateship of the Institute among others.

    She said this year’s induction sees a record high number of 993 student members who have all successfully completed the qualifying examinations of the Institute. “This number is the highest in the history of the Institute and it comprises of the following; 162 for Associateship, nine for Chartered MBA, four for Treasurers’ Dealership Certificate, 795 for Micro-finance Certification Programme, and, 23 for Certificate in Banking,” she said.

    She congratulated the bankers describing the achievement in completing an extremely demanding, rigorous and tough professional programmes. “Not only is today, a deserved testament to your hard work, your discipline and your commitment, it also represents a major milestone in your lives. It is equally a time for celebration as you mark both the end and beginning of exciting parts of your lives and an occasion on which to look forward to the opportunities available to you as Chartered Bankers, Certified Treasury Dealers and Microfinance Certified Bankers.

    I wish you all the best as you start the next adventure of your lives and hope that this accomplishment opens many doors of opportunity and helps you to realize your personal and professional ambitions,: she said.

    “In today’s dynamic business environment achieving such professional qualifications, demonstrate commitment to professionalism which is an important differentiator in the competitive market place. As bankers there are so much you can do to bring fresh lease of life to the banking & finance sector and businesses in both the private and public sectors. This implies that the economic potential of our country is not limited by your visions and the dreams of the future. I therefore urge you to always “shoot for the moon, even if you miss it you will land among the stars,” she added.

     

  • Guest of integrity

    Guest of integrity

    Preamble

    In a few days time, a unique guest will arrive in the world with the grandeur of integrity. Its arrival will be the divine catalyst with which the long awaited human respite will be ushered in.

    Guests, everywhere in the world, are of different types. Some are of honour and treated with integrity because of their acknowledged dignity. Some are bereft of honour but merely tolerated for their nuisance value. Each time we talk of guests, people invariably think only of humans in the erroneous belief that no other creature could be qualified for that title. What they don’t seem to know is that humans are just a fraction of Allah’s creatures. There are millions of others not often noticed by man. One of such creatures is environment of which season is a part. The phenomenon called season comes in different forms with different intensity and at different times of the year.

    Seasons are like the tides of an ocean. They roll out spirally in quick succession and reshape the world’s environment from time to time as they come in multiples of months. No one measures a season in the absence of months as there can be no seasons without months.

     

    August Visitor

    Europeans have so much respect for seasons that when they have an important guest they call him an ‘August visitor’. The month of August is the peak of summer season and the most comfortable month of hospitality for the Caucasian race of Europe hence the term.

    In Islam, the most venerable guest is Ramadan. Its visiting time is not restricted to any particular season or Gregorian month. Its arrival in the world may coincide with that of any season. It is therefore a guest of all seasons.

    With Ramadan as a guest, not only the Muslims but the entire humanity is consciously or unconsciously engaged in hospitable activities. Those who cannot fast in it do take advantage of its presence to sell or buy some relevant needs and wants. Thus, there can be no indifference to the awful presence of Ramadan in any part of the world.

    I recall the vivid description given this sacred month in ‘THE MESSAGE’   column sometime ago which is still as relevant now as it was then. It went thus:

    Once every year, something creeps into the world like the early morning light. It moves kaleidoscopically into an arena where the centre becomes its stool. It lifts its veil and beams a focus on the world with an arresting attention in the days. It envelops the nights in a shroud of covenant linking the dream of man with his fulfilment.

     

    Its journey

    No one knows Ramadan’s port of embarkation. No one knows its destination. All we know of it is that of a guest that is so vividly present in our world and yet so invisible. RAMADAN is the name by which it is divinely christened. Its coming is often heralded by a retinue of envoys. The months of ‘Rajab’ and ‘Sha’ban’ are the immediate escorts that alert mankind of its imminent arrival. Like the sun in the midst of stars, Ramadan ascends the throne in full regalia and all other months, (lunar and solar) quickly take their bow.

    Call it the king where other months are chiefs and you will be dead right. Call it the doctor in a world of sick people and you will not be wrong. Call it the compass in the wilderness of straying humanity and you would have spoken the truth. Call it the reformer of human soul; the sterilizer of human spirit as well as the purifier of human body and you will not be disputed. In its entourage are equally invisible ministers like piety, knowledge, truth, justice and peace all of which usher it into the world with splendour.

    Deriving its name from a natural healing phenomenon, this ninth lunar month is truly baking in effect. The word:  Ramadan is derived from the Arabic word ramd (meaning baking). The name had been in existence before the advent of Islamic calendar. It was coined from a baking summer that immediately followed a freezing winter. Ever since, Ramadan’s mission has been to firm up all loose ends in the life of man. And it does that with a touch of perfection.

     

    Its mission

    In Ramadan, the entire month of 30 or 29 days is spent fasting from dawn to dusk. Such fasting is not about abstinence from foods and drinks alone. It is also about self restraint from all sinful acts. More importantly, it is about repackaging one’s destiny through a new but sincere resolution.

    Fasting during this month is believed to figuratively burn away all sins. It was in this glorious month that the revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) first began.

    In this month, all gates of paradise, according to the Prophet, are open while those of hell are closed. The first ten days in it are blessings galore for those of the Muslim Ummah who need blessings and seek for them. The next ten days personify forgiveness for those who realize the gravity of their sinful acts, repent on them and resolve never to return to such acts again. Thus, Ramadan is far beyond a month. It is a season.

     

     Its anchor leg

    The last ten days constitute the anchor leg of Ramadan which is meant for the liberation of mankind from the manacles of Satan. Whoever is so liberated automatically becomes like a new born baby arriving in a new world with a tabula rasa (clean slate).

    In these last ten days is a particular night (called Laylatul Qadr) in which the secret of human destiny is encapsulated. It is otherwise known as the ‘Night of power’. Meeting that night consciously and spiritually is like securing the key to one’s own apartment in Paradise. But one needs to remain awake throughout those nights to be fortunate to meet the D night.

    Allah did not disclose even to Prophet Muhammad (SAW), which particular night it is. But by asking the Muslims to look for it in the odd nights of the last ten days, the Prophet has helped us tremendously. However, who can be so sure of the odd nights when the issue of sighting the crescent before starting Ramadan remains controversial?

    Also, during the last ten days of Ramadan, some willing Muslims, in accordance with the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), do go for Umrah in Makkah or take to I’tikaf (spiritual seclusion) locally, to reaffirm their total submission to Allah. Following this is a session of charity made compulsory for all Muslims irrespective of age, gender and status, to give to the poor and the needy. This is called Zakatul Fitr or Sadaqatul Fitr. It is given in the very early morning of Ramadan Festival Day or the night before it to enable the poor and the needy celebrate the festival with the Ummah in a festive mood.

     

    Anticlimax

    The first day of the month of Shawwal immediately after Ramadan is the anticlimax traditionally spent in great celebrations with rejoice and observed as ‘Fast-Breaking Festival’ (Eidul Fitr).

    Where else can one find a guest like Ramadan? Where else can one meet a guest that hosts his supposed host and heals him of ignorance and diseases? It was probably more to Ramadan than to man that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) referred when he said: “whoever believes in Allah and the ‘Last Day’ should venerate his guest” That guest is Ramadan. That is why Muslims often say in this unique month: ‘RAMADAN KARIM’ which means ‘Venerable Ramadan’.

     

    Preparation

    To start or end fasting in Ramadan, sighting of the crescent is just symbolic. The indices of recognizing when to start or end the month are naturally vivid to those who care.

    Ramadan is not preceded by two glorious lunar months of Rajab and Sha’ban for fun. The number of days in those two months is to enable any serious Muslim know the time of arrival of Ramadan and prepare for it. No lunar month exceeds 30 days and none is less than 29 days.

    Crescent or no crescent, it is very possible and easy to know when to start Ramadan every year. The confusion often created by the sighting of the crescent is therefore avoidable. If Rajab is 30 or 29 days, no one looks for the crescent before starting Sha’ban. As soon as Rajab ends, Sha’ban starts.

     

    Dynamism

    Islam is a dynamic religion and nothing should be rigid about the sighting of the crescent before starting Ramadan. Sighting the crescent is not the only condition for starting the great month. After all, the new crescent is not necessarily visible to all eyes at any given time in any locality. That is why a few who may be privileged to sight it are implored to invite some others to witness it and then inform the recognized authorities who will in turn, announce the arrival of Ramadan to the Muslim community in the locality or region.

    Besides Faith (Iman) and Hajj (which are the first and last pillars of Islam), nothing else is really globally uniform in practical terms with regards to timing. The variation in the geography of the earth has legitimsed the variation of time in the observance of Salat, Sawm and Zakat. Iman is global because it resides permanently in the hearts of the believers irrespective of their localities. Hajj is equally global because it is performed in only one place at a particular time.

     

    Geographical factor

    Where a gap of about nine to eleven hours exists between one part of the world and another, talking of global uniformity in starting or ending Ramadan can only border on sheer ignorance. For instance it is impossible for the Australian Muslims living in Australia and their South American brethren residing in Brazil or Argentina to start Ramadan on the same day. Even within Nigeria, all Muslims can start Ramadan on the same day, only if they have equal access to information. And even with that, it is not possible for them all to start or end daily fasting at the same time of the day. That is why the announcement or publication of Ramadan timing according to the various localities is necessary.

     

    Universality of Ramadan

    That Ramadan fasting is prescribed as a universal obligation for all Muslims in a particular month is deliberate. Allah who did the prescription is not oblivious of the geographical variations in the world. Neither is He unaware of the possible invisibility of a new crescent to most eyes. The design is to allow for the reverberation of the effect of Ramadan across the world. And time variation in worship or celebration of festivals is not peculiar to Islam. Even in Christianity, neither Easter nor Christmas is globally celebrated in one day. And, there is no media noise about it.

    What is global about Ramadan fasting is the month and not the time. Dawn and dusk vary from locality to locality. It is therefore possible for the Muslims in one part of the world to be breaking their daily fast at a time when their brethren in another part are commencing theirs. Thus, the genuineness or otherwise of Ramadan fasting is not to be judged by man. That is why Allah is reported by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as saying in a sacred Hadith (Hadith-ul-Qudsi) that: “Fasting is mine and I am the One to grant rewards on it.”

    Welcome to the coast of Ramadan. This sacred ‘ship’ must not leave the coast without you on board. Ramadan is like an institution of learning. A good Muslim must not just pass through it he must also allow it to pass through him. Who knows when the last time to witness the month will be?

    RAMADAN KARIM!

     

     Where is Gawat?

    Retrospectively, Tuesday, July 10, 2012 can be described as a shocking day for Nigerian Muslim Ummah. That day, the Nigerian electronic media waves throbbed with a shocking and unbelievable news saying: the popular Islamic programme (e dide e mu sari je) presenter was missing. The waves added that whoever knew his whereabouts or heard any information about him should report to the nearest police station or any other relevant authorities. The breaking news sent jitters to millions and puzzled millions of others. Here was a well known human being and not a chattel. Where and how do you start looking for him?

     

    Action and Rumour

    Brothers and sisters immediately went into action by taking up the matter as a knotty task that must be unravelled. Text messages and phone calls, e-mails and face-book communications began in earnest. In less than one hour after the outbreak of the news the entire world had known of it. And that evidently confirmed the global village created by the modern technology called internet. Thus, the search for ‘a golden fish’ in a turbulent ocean became a task for all and sundry.

    Thereafter, the Nigerian factor set in. Rumours began to fly across boundaries as evil agents added their inputs. First, we heard that Gawat had been found and taken to his family. Then, a devilish rumour came in insinuating that the episode was a complicity in which his wife’s hand was vivid. The evil rumour mongers even had the audacity of sending text messages to me saying that his wife was already in police gulag. I immediately called the innocent woman (Hajiya Fatima Gawat) to inquire about her whereabouts. And when she told me that she was in her husband’s home with her children I heaved a deep sigh of fervent relief. It was one moment of embarrassment at its topmost peak.

     

    Mysterious Puzzle

    It is possible to be dead suddenly by whatever means but the body will be seen and the grave will be a witness. However, in a jungle-like country like Nigeria, it is possible for a prominent person of Gawat’s status to be kidnapped for a ransom by hoodlums and their godfather. But in this case, what is unimaginable and which remains a puzzle is for a person of Gawat’s personality to suddenly disappear so mysteriously within the city of Lagos without any trace.

    And now, all said and done, three years after that agonizing episode, the common question that remains on the lips of all well-meaning people is: ‘where is Gawat? And the answer lies with Allah.

  • Technology, integrity gave Buhari victory, says Zinox chief

    The deployment of the tools of information communication technology (ICT) to the last general elections and the integrity of the chairman of the electoral umpire, the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), have been identified as the two factors that aided the transparent victory of Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) at the polls.

    Chairman, Zinox Group, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh said the adoption of card readers which reduced very significantly incidences of rigging, impersonation, multiple voting and other electoral vices paved the way for the peaceful conduct of the election.

    He added that the personal integrity of the INEC chair, Prof. Attahiru Jega went a long way in lending credibility to the process while helping the nation to avert a needless electoral crisis.

    Ekeh, who is chairman of the biggest ICT group in sub-Saharan Africa and who has been at the vanguard of the campaign of digital technology adoption in Africa, spoke in Lagos.

    Ekeh urged improvement on the card reader technology to graduate to a more innovative level such as electronic voting as a means of eliminating fraud in the electoral process.

    He said: “Innovation is very important; we must embrace technology in every facet of our nation-hood to make this a reality. The just concluded elections went a long way in improving voters’ confidence in the process and this was due to the adoption of card readers and the personal integrity of Prof. Jega which saved the nation from crisis which could have resulted from an otherwise flawed process.

    “However, we must keep our fingers on the handle of innovation to build more credibility in the system. In future elections, the option of electronic voting could be considered as this will definitely put paid to various forms of rigging. This will help create a situation where over 95 per cent of the electorate will begin to accept the outcome of an election as representing the will of the majority.”

    Ekeh, whose Zinox Technologies demystified electoral registration for the 2007 and 2011 polls with the supply of computers and card readers which aided the building of a voter database for INEC, also urged government to give the youths freedom to succeed through technology.

    He said: “Technology helps unleash skill and style to the world and anyone who fails to embrace it runs the risk of being left behind. We must encourage the younger generation to achieve global success through technology.

    “With the enabling environment and right policies by government, we can create many more billionaires of the calibre of Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga from our youths and the multiplier effects on our economy will go a long way in creating wealth and more jobs for a lot more people.”

  • Buhari’s integrity an asset to economy, says Makarfi

    Buhari’s integrity an asset to economy, says Makarfi

    The former Kaduna State Governor and Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, has said the integrity of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari remains an asset that will boost investors’ confidence in the economy.

    Senator Makarfi, who contested a senatorial seat in the March 28 National Assembly election, but lost to Alhaji Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, his former commissioner for Finance and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, said: “Gen. Buhari has all it takes to take Nigeria to a higher level.”

    He told The Nation yesterday that given the track record of Buhari, he was confident that the economy would be revived and the masses would reap the dividends of democracy.

    Makarfi said he conceded defeat to Hunkuyi because it was the will of God, as expressed by the people.

    He congratulated the people who participated in the elections and were victorious.

    The former governor, who served between 1999 and 2007, expressed gratitude to his political associates for their support and understanding when he served as the governor and senator.

    “In particular, I wish to send my hearty congratulations to Gen. Buhari on his victory in the presidential election, believing that he will use his wealth of experience, integrity, fairness and discipline to lift Nigeria higher,” Makarfi asserted.

  • Bank chief urges bankers on integrity

    Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) president, Mrs. ‘Debola Osibogun has advised bankers on the need to embrace integrity and best practices in the course of their duties.

    Speaking at the CIBN Graduates Induction and Prize Awards Day held in Lagos, she said bankers would always abide by the CIBN code that condemns gratification and bribery among other unwholesome practices in banking. “I wish to remind you of some of the things contained in the Code of Conduct in the Nigerian Banking Industry recently approved by the Bankers Committee.

    You must endeavour to avoid these if only to ensure that you become the heroes and heroines of your chosen profession.  You must avoid engaging in any ventures of which there are clear issues of conflict of interest; abusing the trust reposed in you or your office; misusing official information in the course of your professional career; offering and or accepting gratification or bribe,” she said.

    Osibogun said the induction remains a symbolic reminder of the core mandate of the Institute which is to admit student members who have passed the prescribed examinations and fulfilled all other conditions set by the Governing Council into Associateship (ACIB); admit students into the Associateship of the Institute among others.

    She said this year’s induction sees a record high number of 993 student members who have all successfully completed the qualifying examinations of the Institute. “This number is the highest in the history of the Institute and it comprises of the following; 162 for Associateship, nine for Chartered MBA, four for Treasurers’ Dealership Certificate, 795 for Micro-finance Certification Programme, and, 23 for Certificate in Banking,” she said.

    She congratulated the bankers describing the achievement in completing an extremely demanding, rigorous and tough professional programmes. “Not only is today, a deserved testament to your hard work, your discipline and your commitment, it also represents a major milestone in your lives. It is equally a time for celebration as you mark both the end and beginning of exciting parts of your lives and an occasion on which to look forward to the opportunities available to you as Chartered Bankers, Certified Treasury Dealers and Microfinance Certified Bankers.

    I wish you all the best as you start the next adventure of your lives and hope that this accomplishment opens many doors of opportunity and helps you to realize your personal and professional ambitions,: she said.

    “In today’s dynamic business environment achieving such professional qualifications, demonstrate commitment to professionalism which is an important differentiator in the competitive market place. As bankers there are so much you can do to bring fresh lease of life to the banking & finance sector and businesses in both the private and public sectors. This implies that the economic potential of our country is not limited by your visions and the dreams of the future. I therefore urge you to always “shoot for the moon, even if you miss it you will land among the stars,” she added.