The Nation Newspaper

Tag: leadership

  • Leadership anchored on chastity

    Leadership anchored on chastity

    AISHAT Abdulkareem Adekunle is a medical doctor with the State Hospital, Oyo, Oyo State. She is also the wife of the Caretaker Chairman, Oyo-East Local Government, Alhaji Adekunle Adegboye. The amazon recently spoke at a well-attended Women Forum on the indispensability of women in the home and factors militating against their leadership roles.

    Adekunle portrays women as “strength without fuss, full of forces without fuss, making things happen without drawing much attention, and with forces, though unnoticed, but move through long distances producing much work.”

    She stated that any woman wishing to be successful in exercising her leadership role in the home must be prepared to anchor it on chastity, purity, and absolute submission to her husband.

    “Several women are selfish especially those from wealthy families. This category of women is still influenced by their family background. This makes them arrogant in their new homes. Bad company equally contributes to the factors militating against women’s leadership roles. Some try to import what is obtainable in another home to their own homes. Such women forget that each family is unique and independent.”

    According to her, “the real beauty of a woman is in the spirit. Money cannot buy it. It is far above rubies. It is not in the wardrobe. Woman, your beauty is natural. If you have lost your self-esteem, dignity or worth, it can only be retrieved spiritually. A wife of noble character enjoys her husband’s full confidence and lacks nothing of value.”

    Women, the medical practitioner pointed out, will, therefore, have to boycott the company of talkatives outside and go back home to have fellowship with their children, adding that society is banking on women.

    “It takes more than good looks, beautiful dressings and elaborate hairdo to be a wife. It is a responsibility; it is a labour, it is indeed a commitment. If husbands are to be what they are naturally destined to be, wives have a lot to do quietly and conscientiously.”

    Dr. Adekunle, however, lamented that it is worth noting that many women today do not stay at home to fully carry out their responsibilities, adding that this is due largely to their careers.

    She said: “Thus, youths take the opportunity of their absence to engage in bad habits. These women fail in the training and discipline of their children because of their absence from home. When this is the case, some children see their mothers as being wicked and uncaring. When children become criminals, mothers must have contributed to it. Moreover, some women have made themselves “Queens”. They have left the business of cooking for their husbands and children to maids. The maids soon overthrow these “Queens”, wrecking their marriages and ruining their children. The short cut to a man’s heart is through his belly. As soon as a maid takes over any man’s belly, she has gained his heart. Do not ask how it happened if the maid becomes pregnant.”

  • Fed Govt arraigns Leadership reporters

    The Federal Government yesterday filed a 10-count charge against two journalists with Abuja-based Leadership Newspapers and the paper’s parent organisation, Leadership Group Limited.

    Group News Editor Tony Amokeodo, and Political Correspondent Chibuzor Ukaibe were charged with conspiracy, forgery, uttering a false document and publishing same.

    Amokeodo and Ukaibe were brought to the court by policemen from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, where they had been detained since Monday.

    The journalists were arraigned before Justice Ademola Adeniyi, who ordered their conditional release on the grounds that they were not properly brought before the court.

    When the case was called, the prosecution lawyer, Joseph Nwadike, insisted that the charge be read to the two, even when the third person named in the charge, Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, was absent.

    The defence objected to the move, prompting the prosecution to amend its charge by deleting Omilani’s name.

    Defence counsel Samuel Ogala from Femi Falana law chambers, also objected to the journalists’ pleas to the amended charge on the grounds that they were not properly served the charge and that they required time to study it and prepare their defence.

    Ogala told the court that Amokeodo and Ukaibe were only served with the charge in court yesterday, adding that the service was incomplete without the journalists being served with the evidence and other required processes.

    The lawyer sought more time to enable his clients prepare for the case.

    He made an oral application for a conditional release of the accused because the prosecution had asked for time to regularise its process.

    Justice Adeniyi held that the argument of both counsel on bail application was premature because there had been no formal arraignment.

    He released the accused conditionally to the Company Secretary of Leadership Group Limited, Umaru Jubril, who was in court.

    The judge ordered him to produce the accused at the next adjourned date on April 23.

  • Leadership matters

    Leadership matters

    The Presidency has responded to critics who accused it of complicity in the police detention of Leadership newspaper journalists on an allegation that the journalists deliberately published a false story. It is interesting that the “false story” itself was about a “Presidential Directive” on opposition leaders. And when that story broke, the Presidency was alleged to have directed the police to clamp down on the journalists. The Presidency has therefore been in the business of issuing directives. The response was to deny this allegation. Did it succeed?

    The Presidency rightly and, in my judgment, validly argued that once it convinced itself that the Leadership story was false, it denied it and “the rebuttal from the Presidency was appropriate.” We should also accept the suggestion that publishers and editors have the professional obligation to “double check their claims, and where errors had been made, to quickly retract the story.”

    Let us go further and accept the Presidency’s favorable reference to the principle that “the freedom of expression goes hand in hand with great responsibility” and that professional ethics requires that journalists abide by this principle at all times.

    The question that follows is this: Assume that a journalist errs and fails to abide by this code of ethics. Let us assume further that the said journalist does so deliberately and with malice. What, on the part of a republic that is founded on the rule of law, is the appropriate response to such a deviant behaviour? It is the response to this question that distinguishes a democracy from a dictatorship and it is where the response of the Presidency still appears troubling.

    The presidential response speculates that Leadership story, which it considered “fictitious” was intended to “cause civil strife, engender a breakdown of law and order and negate the values of our democracy” and it concluded that it is a “very grievous act which should not be ignored.” We heard this before and it was not in a democratic setting! Once you start speculating about intentions, it is a short course towards clamping down “in the interest of the nation”, the interest which you determine on behalf of the nation. This has always been the challenge that democracies must respond to. No one—no matter how highly placed— has the right to determine the interest of the nation because behind every such move lurks ubiquitous self-interests camouflaging as national interest.

    The presidency response leaves no one in doubt concerning its leaning. Once it considers itself the aggrieved party, it has no problem claiming the right to feel offended and bruised. If a journalistic action that is judged to be a “disruptive act erodes the ethos of governance and professionalism,” as far as the Presidency is concerned, it “naturally stirs up those entrusted with the protection of law and order.” In other words, while the Presidency denies directing law enforcement officers to clamp down on Leadership journalists and detain them, it has no scruple defending the detention because it is “natural” for the police to “act in the public interest.”

    We are told by the Presidency that its response is not a brief for the law enforcement and security agencies, but it defends their actions by its insistence that “such a publication (as Leadership’s) like all others that threaten our democracy and undermine law and order, become the duty of the Police as an institution to investigate.” The danger here is obvious. It is the Presidency that has the certain knowledge that a publication threatens our democracy and undermines law and order. What is unclear is the basis on which the Presidency makes the judgment and, more importantly, what gives the Presidency the prerogative for that determination.

    Surely no person or agency is above the law. However, it is also true that we have separation of powers for good reasons, part of which is to avoid one arm of government from being the accuser, prosecutor, judge and jury at the same time to the detriment of the rule of law. The police is an agency of the executive for all intents and purposes. The reason that the Federal Government, including the Presidency, has been unsympathetic to the demand for state police and has blocked the amendment of the constitution to establish state police is the argument that state governments, including the governors, will use the police as a political weapon against opponents. There is understandable fear that this is exactly what is going on with the federal government.

    We can picture a different scenario. The Leadership newspaper publishes a story that the Federal Government deems false and defamatory. The Chief Law Officer of the Federal Government goes to court with a case against Leadership. Each side argues its case before a court of competent jurisdiction. The judge, an independent arbiter, pronounces a judgment. If Leadership is found guilty, it pays the price and other media houses learn from the case. This is the ideal path of democratic governance. More than a decade ago, we heaved a sigh of relief when we ushered in a new era of the republic and we vowed never to go back to the era of dictatorship and jungle justice. We cannot afford to go back.

    The Presidency suggests that the case of Leadership “offers the media an opportunity for introspection” on issues of “ethics and professionalism.” Indeed, it is also an occasion for the Presidency and governments at all levels to come to terms with the meaning and practice of true democracy. You are not going to like everything that citizens choose to say or do. But we have laws and processes. You have no right to abuse those laws and processes just because you feel offended and abused by a story. You do not have the right to determine what story endangers national interest. That is for the courts of law to determine. Each of us has a genuine interest in making sure that the rule of law is protected from those who would choose to drag it in the mud just because they have the power to do so. In the final analysis, it is what good governance is all about.

  • Leadership editors regain freedom

    The Police yesterday released the detained Group News Editor of LEADERSHIP Newspapers, Mr. Tony Amokeodo and a political reporter, Mr. Chibuizor Ukaibe following the intervention of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN).

    But there were indications last night that the newspaper might sue the Police for illegal detention of its editors.

    Three editors and a political reporter were on Monday at the Nigeria Police Headquarters in Abuja.

    They are Mrs. Chinyere Fred-Adegbulugbe (former Editor, LEADERSHIP on Sunday), a Managing Editor, Mr. Chuks Ohuegbe, Group News Editor (Amokeodo) and Ukaibe.

    But Amokeodo and Ukaibe were detained at an annex office behind the Force Headquarters for overnight interrogation.

    Although the police claimed yesterday that they were still investigating a story on a “presidential directive” to attack key opposition leaders, the AGF advised the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to guarantee their rights to bail.

    A source said: “The two detained journalists were released at about 6.30pm. This followed the intervention of the AGF who advised the police to guarantee their rights to bail irrespective of the nature of the investigation being carried out.

    “The journalists have been granted bail while the investigation is ongoing.”

    Narrating his experience, Amokeodo said the police wanted to know the source of the said official directive.

    He said: “We were being kept by three officers from the office of the DIG Peter Gana at the 7th Floor. The three officers asked Chibuzor Ukaibe and I to write statement.

    “We told them they could not compel us because we honoured their invitation.

    “I simply wrote that we received the document in the course of my duties. I also wrote that when the presidency said the story was false, we published the bromide to authenticate the story.

    “When they said I must disclose the source of the bromide, I replied that the ethics of the profession does not permit me to do so.”

    A senior Editor with LEADERSHIP said: “Our newspaper might still go to court to challenge the illegal detention of our Editors.”

    In a statement last night, the management of Leadership Newspapers said:

    After 48 hours of nightmare, four journalists with LEADERSHIP who were detained by the police on the orders of President Goodluck Jonathan were released last night.

    Two of them – Mr. Tony Amokeodo and Mr. ChibuzoUkaibe – were, however, released conditionally: they have been asked to report at the police headquarters by 10am everyday for undisclosed reasons.

    “We wish to restate that these conditions are obnoxious and unacceptable in any democratic society.

    “Our journalists do not work for the police and have no business reporting to the police headquarters while earning their pay at LEADERSHIP.

    “We have it on very good authority that President Jonathan will not be satisfied until the journalists have disclosed their sources and turned in the source document.

    “It is ridiculous that Jonathan’s government should be obsessed with having a document, which its handlers said was fictitious in the first place.

    “We have no intention of indulging their vexatious desires and insist on our constitutional responsibility to hold the government accountable to the people and the inviolacy of the freedom of information law.

    “The police have no right to arrest and illegally detain our journalists – or any other journalist – as they have done; we shall not let this violation go unchallenged.

    “If the police have no time to read the law, they should seek its interpretation elsewhere. Under Nigerian law, the two journalists have freedom of expression and freedom of movement, and they belong to the only profession assigned a role in the constitution to hold the three arms of government accountable to the people.

    “Because we do not intend to obstruct police investigations in any way, we advise the presumed agents of the law to take our staff members to court whenever they find anything incriminating against them. As journalists, they have done their job of reporting the news; they have not been paid to assist security agents in their own investigations.

    “The Nigerian government must understand that this very crude tactic of arresting journalists and invading media houses is dated. Even smaller African countries do not engage in those uncivilised acts anymore. And, certainly, no democracy in the world still does it. No doubt, those who arrested our editors are just giving the country a very bad name in the comity of nations.

    “We wish to convey our gratitude to the men and women of conscience from all corners of the world that have shown solidarity in their condemnation of the illegal arrest and detention of this newspaper’s journalists by the Nigeria Police acting on the orders of President Jonathan.

    “Without their intervention our journalists might still have been in Jonathan’s gulag.

  • Growth agenda for NSE leadership

    Growth agenda for NSE leadership

    THE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) is witnessing a drought of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) as a hangover effect of the 2008 market meltdown and partly due to NSE’s marketing strategy which needs to be more targeted and strengthened in both creativity and intensity.

    The institution need to attract further listings because virtually the companies listed on the exchange came on board by government fiat, namely, indigenisation decrees, privatisation and banking consolidation otherwise the number of listed companies would have fallen short of what obtains now. The NSE should intensify marketing and business development to transform into a target driven organisation in attracting listings.

    With the billionaire business magnate, Alhaji Aliko Dangote as the President of the NSE, market watchers are optimistic that his tenure will witness the listing of a good number of high profile companies and medium scale businesses with growth potential.

    Dangote is super rich, powerful, very influential and a role model who appreciates the benefits of businesses listing on the exchange, having listed a multiple of his own companies almost in one fell swoop.

    As President and an outstanding business mogul, who operates in the centre, it is expected that he will be a strong advocate of listing and also spearhead and the lobby of GSM operators to list their shares on the exchange sooner than later both as a patriotic act, and to also recompense Nigerians for their brand loyalty all these years, and to allow them share in their stupendous wealth.

    It is expected that the MTN brand will be the first to list for obvious reasons. It has enjoyed exceptional brand loyalty since inception even when it operated a somehow strict and inflexible billing regime until Glo stepped into the arena with the elusive per second billing system which brought a breath of fresh air as it were in a demonstration of the beauty of competition.

    The listing of GSM operators will create big waves in the capital market and return public attention and interest to the market. It has the potential to return investor confidence in the market overnight as investors will most likely scramble for their shares both for pecuniary gains and for sentimental attachments to the brands.

    Their listing will deepen the market. Initial Public Offerings generate attention and frenzy in the stock market and serve as public relations and marketing platforms for the market generally and the NSE in particular because of the sustained advertisements in the mass media.

    The power of information and communication in driving growth in the stock market is immense. It serves as a lubricant in a changing and dynamic market though the NSE seems not to fully appreciate the power of effective communication which explains why it seems not to have an obvious communication strategy.

    Information is one of the tripods and major determinant of stock market efficiency, the other two being transparency and integrity. Besides raw technical data which experts process for making investment decisions, educational information which drives the socio-psychological dynamics of the market also need to be structured and delivered at regular intervals with a maximum impact. The NSE needs to intensify communication in diverse ways.

    Investor education should be top priority because the high level of stock market illiteracy was also a major contributing factor why most investors suffered heavy losses in 2008. They blindly waded into the stock market without the basic understanding of the up and down operating nature of the stock market.

    The NSE should also devise to educate the investing public on the A, B, C of the newly introduced Exchange Traded Funds (ETF), and also the Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS), which offers even better returns than equities.

    But how many investors know that? In the 1980s up to 2000, the NSE used to have a pamphlet on frequently asked questions on the stock market which the investing public and scholars found useful.

    A regime of the disinformation, misinformation, information mismanagement, under communication, ineffective communication and illiteracy, take away from the bottom line.

    Communication opaque institutions are fertile grounds for rumors, speculations and hearsay, all of which are inimical to stock market growth. They have the potential to trigger crises. Crisis could break out at any time, just as it could be about anything as events in the past have shown.

    Often time corporate bodies take issues of communication for granted as such they budget little or nothing for it because it is considered an intangible.They are lackadaisical about it until they get caught in the middle of a crisis and they will begin to run helter-skelter, and being penny wise and pound foolish, as they say. But the best way to manage crisis is to nip it in the bud through effective communication.

    Because of the dynamic nature of the stock market, the NSE should think of constituting a standing Crisis Committee and also retain the services of a third party advocate versed both in capital market concepts and operations.

    Now that trends are looking up in the stock market, it is also expected that the IPOs will not be long in coming to resuscitate the moribund primary market for a full effect.

    •Arize Nwobu, Acs, is the Lead Consultant, Charterstock, an advisory firm in investor relations, research and strategic communications with emphasis on capital market operations.

     

  • Boko Haram: Jonathan hasn’t shown leadership, says ACN

    Boko Haram: Jonathan hasn’t shown leadership, says ACN

    The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday said President Goodluck Jonathan has not shown leadership by refusing to visit Borno State, Boko Haram’s stronghold.

    The party hailed the progressive governors, under the aegis of the All Progressive Congress (APC), who defied the scare-mongering tactics of the Federal Government to visit Borno State last week, saying their pace-setting, courageous and compassionate action is a boost to the country’s unity and a blow to anarchists.

    In a statement in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said by their action,the governors have reassured the people of Borno and Yobe states, which are the most affected by the Boko Haram crisis, that their fellow Nigerians have not abandoned them to their fate.

    It said the visit has also exposed the baseless fears of those at the helm of affairs at the centre, who have hitherto failed to show that the Boko Haram crisis is not just a problem of a section of the country, but a national problem.

    ‘’There can be no better assurance of solidarity and support for the beleaguered people of the states affected by the Boko Haram crisis

    than to see leaders from various parts of the country walking – without donning bullet proof vests and helmets – on the open streets of a city that has been described as the epi-centre of the Boko Haram insurgency. It does not mean the crisis does not exist, but it sends

    a strong signal to the insurgents that they have only succeeded in cowing a very few, not all, Nigerians, and that indeed under a purposeful APC government the conflict w ill in no time become history,’’ ACN said.

    The party said to the Federal Government in general and to President Goodluck Jonathan in particular, the message conveyed most succinctly by the visit is simple: ‘’No part of Nigeria should be a no-go area, especially for the President and the Commander-in-Chief.’’

    It added: ‘’Part of the reason this needless Boko Haram crisis has festered is that the President in particular has failed to show leadership. By staying away from the affected parts of the country since the crisis started in 2009 for fear of his personal safety, and also receding behind the safe walls of the Aso Rock fortress to celebrate independence anniversaries, the President has unwittingly emboldened the anarchists who have killed and maimed thousands.

    ‘’When Presidents in other lands defy terrorists, it is not that they don’t care about their own safety, but that they simply want their compatriots to know that whatever fate befalls them is shared by their leaders. That was why President George W. Bush of the US flew to Iraq in the heat of the insurgency there, and President Barack Obama also of the US travelled to Afghanistan even amid threats. By the way, both places are thousands of kilometres from the United States.’’

    The party said if it is true, as reported, that President Jonathan now plans to visit Borno this week (for the first time since the crisis started in 2009), it then means the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been waiting for the kind of ground-breaking visit of the progressive governors – who by the way are mere titular security chiefs of their states – before deciding whether or not it is safe for him to visit.

    ACN said it was particularly disturbing – going by yet-unrefuted published reports – that the Federal Government worked clandestinely to abort the trip of the governors, using the State Security Service (SSS) and its phantom report of an attack against the governors. In the end, all the governors, acting individually, dismissed the threats with a wave of the hand and embarked on their great mission.

    The party said the Federal Government’s failed attempt to scuttle the trip to Borno is a reflection that it is perpetually driven by fear.

    It said: “The PDP and the government it controls at the centre have been cowering under the sheets at the prospect of the emergence of the APC, not minding the bold front they have been putting up. They have labelled a yet-to-be formed party as a cult. They have denigrated the group, playing on its acronym. They have put over a dozen of their governors and the legislators therefrom under security watch for fear they may escape to the APC. This is all the PDP and the Federal Government have been doing, while neglecting the act of governance.

    ‘’They have forgotten that in a democracy such as ours, freedom of association is guaranteed by the Constitution. They have forgotten that our country is drifting and needs to be saved by people of like minds who are ready and willing to jettison personal ambition for the general good, not those who are driven by blind ambition, personal considerations and myopic tendencies.’’

  • Traditional rulers hail Aregbesola’s leadership

    Traditional rulers hail Aregbesola’s leadership

    Traditional rulers in Osun State, under the aegis of Osun Divisional Conference of Obas, have applauded the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for his visionary leadership which they said would have, in no distant future, a far reaching positive effects on the socio-economic life of the state.

    Rising from a meeting in Ila-Orangun, Osun State, the traditional rulers in a press statement signed by the chairman and secretary of the conference, the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Kayode Oyedotun, and the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi, respectively, acknowledged the developmental projects and programmes of the Aregbesola administration.

    They said: “We have never had it so good since the creation of the state. We believe strongly that when various projects which the government has started are finally completed, the state would have witnessed a total turn around. So, we support all the programmes and projects of this administration because they are people-oriented.”

  • Nigeria’s leadership must esteem ideas, Fayemi

    Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said the Nigerian leadership must esteem ideas and knowledge for the country to move forward.

    According to the governor who spoke at the maiden Interdisciplinary public lecture of the Postgraduate School, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, “ideas rather than materials move the world.”

    Governor Fayemi noted that like the experiences with past leaders including Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his contemporaries, there is an urgent need to elevate the place and importance of knowledge in today’s governance.

    According to the governor, the coming “generation of elites has to be distinguished not by wealth or their possession of trinkets but by the quality of their thoughts and ideas.”

    Fayemi equally urged a need to develop the leadership skills of the Nigerian youth, noting that “the litmus test of our success as leaders is not how many people we are leading but how many people we are transforming as leaders.”

    He cautioned the youth against agitating for a Nigerian version of the ‘Arab Spring’ as solution to a multiplicity of challenges facing the country, urging them to organise and become drivers of the required change.

    He said, “We need to rescue the concept of leadership itself from the cheapening it has undergone. True leadership is something quite distinct from holding an office or position.

    “We will enhance the quality of leadership on our shores if we dissociate it from acquisition of titles and positions. True leadership is influence. It is driven by core convictions, values and ideas.”

    Urging a need to change beliefs and perceptions about the elite and what qualifies people as such, he said, “Over the course of the past decades, the monetisation of our values has yielded an association of elitism with wealth. We perceive elites to be those who are simply wealthy.

    He spoke further: “The first generation nationalists such as Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikwe, Hezekiah Davies, Aminu Kano and Adegoke Adelabu among others were men of thought as well as men of action.

    “It was no idle boast. Awolowo was the most prolific of the founding fathers. It seems almost absurd to us today for a politician to advertise his intellect as one of his qualifications for high office.”

    In attendance at the lecture were notable figures from public and private sectors as well as the academia, including the renowned professor of Public Administration, Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun, who chaired the occasion; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin; the State Chief Judge, Justice Ayo Daramola among others.

     

  • Firm praises Ahmed’s leadership quality

    Firm praises Ahmed’s leadership quality

    The Managing Director of SmartMark Limited, Alhaji Layi Gobir has praised the leadership quality and foresight of Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed of Kwara State.

    He gave the commendation during the inauguration ceremony of the company which opened in Ilorin, Kwara State. SmartMark Limited is Nigeria’s leading distributor of lifestyle and beauty brands.

    Alhaji Gobir, who is indigenous to Ilorin, Kwara State thanked Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed for making this possible.

    He praised Governor Ahmed for his foresight in creating the enabling environment for investment in Kwara State.

    The chairman of the Persianas Group, Mr. Tayo Amusan was also commended for his spirit of enterprise and exemplary business leadership. Persianas Group is the developer of the Kwara Mall.

    The premium luxury Swatch brand which brings with it almost three decades of consistent global delivery of quality had, before now, had upscale stores in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Lagos.

    The Marketing Communications Manager for SmartMark Limited, Segun Ogunleye said in a statement that it is in the company’s bid to give consumers in Ilorin and its environs the opportunity of accessing the premium quality experience that only the Swatch brand provides. Hence the opening of the Swatch store in Ilorin.

    He said: “Consumers who make purchases from the store are given the guarantee of the authentic premium quality luxury Swatch brand. They also automatically qualify for a FastForward loyalty card which entitles them to amazing discounts at subsequent purchases from the store and other FastForward stores nation-wide in addition to enjoying world class, after-sales services for purchased watches at no extra cost.”

    The Swatch brand was established in 1983 in Switzerland. It is being managed and promoted in Nigeria and Ghana by SmartMark Limited, a Lagos Nigeria-based leading distributor of lifestyle and beauty brands. It has retail outlets in major cities in Nigeria and Ghana.

     

  • ‘Blame fallen education on bad leadership’

    ‘Blame fallen education on bad leadership’

    The Association for Childhood Education Practitioners (ACEP) has blamed the fallen standard of education on bad leadership, poor training of teachers, and lack of will power by parents to monitor their wards’ activities.

    It also expressed worry that many problems still exist in the funding of educational programmes, including human capacity development of teachers, by competent training institutes.

    Speaking during the annual dinner/award, its President,Mrs Islamiat Olaitan Oshodi, listed teachers’ welfare, and improved salary scale and promotions as areas crying for urgent attention. These, she said, would motivate teachers to giving their best to the students.

    Mrs. Oshodi attributed the high rate of crime today to poor health facilities, high mortality rate and political wrangling among others, amid the government’s helplessness in the face of declining education.

    She, therefore, advocated the effective promotion of education for all, training and development of care givers, teachers and teacher educators, commitments to raising the quality of education as well as girl-child education.

    “Teachers play major roles in the educational system of the nation including ensuring discipline and sound moral values among students. Teachers are central to initiating ideas towards community development, adopting innovative teaching techniques as well as helping students imbibe positive attitudes towards national unity.”

    She said individuals would be able to develop study skills that would make them more employable, adding that good education gives an individual a well-rounded understanding of the world and prepares him for adulthood.

    As part of its contribution, Mrs. Oshodi said ACEP is partnering with institutions of higher learning including the University of Lagos, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education in the training and professional development of teachers.

    She said the association would continue to protect the rights of the Nigerian child, focus more on child development, early childhood and children’s education development, and professional development of care givers.

    The occasion, she added, was meant to strengthen the working relationships/partnerships as well as honour deserving members who had excelled in their chosen career in the education sector

    Prof Uduogie Ivowi, one of the guests, also debunked the claim that there are no qualified teachers in most schools. He noted that corruption, lack of infrastructure and political will by the government have been the major challenges confronting the education system.

    He said: “There is corruption! That’s why we are having poor performances and this will continue for as long we don’t attend to the factors that are resulting in poor performances- well-paid teachers, provision of adequate facilities, including teaching materials, such as text books, laboratory equipment and workshops.”

    Managing Proprietor of Victory Group of Schools Chief Christian Francis Olaniyan, one of the awardees, thanked ACEP for the award. He called on the government to desist from politicising education, one factor which he believes has stunted the sub-sector.