The Nation Newspaper

Tag: model

  • Who is a role model?

    The most important single influence in the life of a person is another person…who is worthy of emulation – Paul Shafer

    The pupils were well-composed as I walked into the class. It was my first time in the school after I was posted to the school as a Corps member. I was introduced to these future leaders as their new English teacher. After my brief introduction, I also asked to know them one after the other. I was excited by the drama that attended the session.

    And then the prologue continued. I took that opportunity to ask them two questions I usually ask kids of their age. The first question was on who they wanted to be in future; the second was on who their role models were. The responses I got from the first question thrilled me but answers to the second question were uninspiring. I reviewed the list and they were names of celebrities that had nothing to do with their chosen career. Being a new teacher, I stomached my dissatisfaction and resolved to create a session to discuss their misconception with them.

    In this clime, we often take celebrities as role models. Once a person is in public glare, whether he is an exceptional teacher, artiste, footballer or politician, he or she is deemed a role model. Then, people start looking up to him or her. But then, this notion is absolutely wrong.

    Wikipedia defines a role model as “any person who serves as an example, whose behavior is emulated by others.” Historically, the term ‘role model’ first appeared in Robert Merton’s socialisation research. He stated that “individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires.”

    Undoubtedly, role models are good. They help us turn out to be the person we want to be and stimulate our passion to make difference. It means that one is on the right track and can be the best he wants to be. It is all about the right choice. To be like someone we often see on the television screen can be detrimental to one’s career. If the admired personality is a well-known celebrity, does it make him or her a role model?

    Anyone apart from celebrity can be one’s role model. It is not necessarily the person must be rich or influential. A teacher, an uncle, or an ordinary man on the street with exemplary lifestyle and career can be our role model. Notwithstanding, it is never a crime to take a celebrity or a famous person as a role model. As Ben Johnson put it, it is not a shame to follow the better precedent.

    We cannot choose a role model just because the person has a style we admire. The choice of celebrities of the pupils was influenced by their addiction to the TV. Most of the celebrities we confer the function of a role model do not worth it. The fact that a particular actor is excellent in interpreting roles in movies does not make him a role model, albeit he is superb in his field.

    By the way, who is a true role model? A true role model possesses the qualities that we aspire to have. He or she is someone who has affected us in a way that makes us want to be better person even though we have not met them physically. His or her life gives us the replica of ourselves in the future and reminds us that we can make it beyond the limit our admired persons attain. Above all, a true role model is that individual that influences one to make the right choice in life.

    Denzel Washington sees a role model as a mentor – someone one sees on a daily basis and learns from them.

    On the other hand, role models are humans and as such, they are not expected to be infallible. They have emotions, feelings and weak points. Sometimes, they fail to live up to expectation as a role model. A role model has not stopped being one just because he or she has done something unexpected of him. That good side of him could still be emulated.

    The fact that those people have made it and seem to have made an indelible footprint in their career does not make them different from any other person when it comes to the acts of the flesh. One really needs to define what he wants, so that he can differentiate those qualities and virtues he venerates from the ones that happen to be the extreme side of his role model which should be discarded.

    As famous and charismatic Bill Clinton is, a lot of people make him their role model. But, that does not erase the Monica Lewinsky scandal from our memories.

    As promiscuous as he was, legend has it that Picasso, a famous artist, got married to Fernande Olivier and separated from her later in 1912 to marry Eva Gouel. After the death of Gouel in 1915, Picasso got married again to Olga Koklova in 1918 and she had a son for him. He later found rest in the bosom of a new love, Marie Theresa Walter and had a daughter, Maia, through her in 1935. In other to enlarge his artistic horizon, Picasso fell in love with Dora Marr, an artist who photographed Guernica as he painted it even though he was still with Walter. Picasso’s emotional life was said to have become enigmatic after he met French painter, Francoise Gilot in the 1940’s while he was still with Maar. Before Picasso and Gilot parted ways in 1953, they had a son, Claude and a daughter, Paloma. Picasso moved on with his amorous lifestyle and later got married to Jacqueline Roque in 1961 and she became his next companion.

    All those women in Picasso’s life were said to have influenced his works during the time they were together. Despite his troubles with having an unsettled home, Picasso nevertheless produced great artworks that are still felt and revered till date. That weak point of his was his inspiration.

    Going by the definition of Wikipedia, would anyone have emulated Picasso given his personal way of life? I know readers would say: “That was just his weak point but he was still a great artist.” Nobody will say Picasso is a bad example to be emulated in marriage, so he should not be taken as role model in art.

     

    Taiwo, a Corps member, NYSC IBADAN

     

  • Govt adopts global accounting model

    Govt adopts global accounting model

    The Federal Government is planning to adopt the International Public Sector Accounting Standard (ISPAS) accrual basis in 2015. The measure is aimed at protecting its fixed assets and check corruption, it has been learnt.

    This varies from the ISPAS cash basis adopted on January 1, to enable the government track-down all cash-based transactions among its Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    An Accountant and Consultant to Financial Reporting Council (FRC) on International Reporting Financial Standards (IFRS), Mr Uwadiae Oduware, said 2015 is the target year for the adoption of ISPAS accrual basis to ensure accountability in the public service.

    He told The Nation that the Accountant-General of the Federation, Jonas Otunla, and the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), in May, last year, agreed to promote the use of accounting standards in the public sector, leading to the adoption of ISPAS cash basis and accrual basis in 2013 and 2015.

    Both bodies, he said, have been working together on the issue since last year to encourage transparency in government.

    He said: “ISPAS accrual basis is expected to be implemented in federal-owned ministries in 2015. ISPAS cash and accrual basis are the public version of the International Financial Reporting Standards, and are meant for the public sector only. By ISPAS accrual basis, we are referring to the management of the fixed assets of the government.

    “The assets include lands and buildings. Under accrual basis, it would be easier to know, monitor and check untoward practices relating to the use of the fixed assets of the Federal Government.

    “For instance, if there is a wrong possession, or transfer of government land or building, it would not be long before such activities are discovered when ISPAS accrual basis is adopted in 2015. If a ‘movement’ofgovernment’s building occurs, the financial statement prepared with ISPAS accrual basis format would reveal it,” Oduware explained.

    “Government buys vehicles among other movable assets. A public servant may be in possession of three or four cars, and it would be difficult to track down such assets. The reason is because he might decide to hide some of the vehicles. But that is not possible when its come to fixed assets, because ISPAS accrual basis w ould provide detailed information about the assets,” he added.

    He said users of government’s financial statements would see more transparency, accountability and integrity in the statements, when ISPAS accrual basis is implemented in 2015.

    “I think the major objective of ISPAS accrual basis is to enable government have a true picture of its assets and balance sheets to prevent abuse of office among its officials,” he said.

    According to him, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation will at the end of implementation process of ISPAS accrual basis in 2015, be able to deliver a standardised uniform chart of accounts, budget, financial statements that meets international best practices to the nation.

     

  • NCC and telcom model that works

    Innovation works. It makes the world go round. It makes the telecoms industry a dynamic one. However, some industries have exposure to innovation while others do not. One of the industries that have benefited from innovation is the telecom. To start with, for the telecom industry, innovation is a matter of life and death. In telecom, changes are deep and numerous. Due to innovation, telcos have migrated from merely selling voice communication per minute.

    Telcos now enable you to have access to their networks through multichannel communication such as voice, email, internet, picture and smart business intelligent apps. So, what is next? What new technology will transform this industrial model? No one knows. Nevertheless, a smart telco is always abreast of innovation. What keeps such a telco ahead of the pack is the keen attention it devotes to research and development [R&D].

    However, one is thing is sure, in the telecom industry, where the product life cycle is extremely short, innovation is a necessity. It is not an option. Research shows that telcos need to develop cutting-edge technologies in order to sustain organization, systemization and efficiency. This helps a telco to react quickly. It helps to evaluate the technology faster. It helps to discuss and integrate as quickly as possible. Furthermore, the whole economy depends on the creation of a dynamic, competitive and innovative infrastructure.

    The marketing eggheads at any telco know that to stand still and do nothing is suicidal. That is why telcos are constantly innovating, constantly transforming, constantly monitoring the way you and I work in order to plug-in through the products they offer. The only concern is how to keep ahead of competitors in a cutthroat environment like Nigeria. Innovation challenges technology convergence and holds the keys to future business growth.One solution seems to be to expand innovation horizons by defying collaboration limits and opening up to technologies that could be acquired externally.

    Now, telcos are thinking globally. They are acting personally. They are managing the technology mix consistently. According to a study conducted by IBM, 80% of telcom decision makers acknowledge the importance of collaborating with a wide range of external partners as 51% of the technologies they develop come from external sources. Think about the new Blackberry Z10 and the big four. MTN, Airtel, Etisalat and Glo, all of them jumped on the train. No one lags behind. The collaborative model works. It works for life. It works for living. It works for business. It works for politics. It works for the telcos.

    However, the collaborative model allows the telcos to throw up innovative services or add-ons and offer the same to the end-users. This implies that the more innovative you are as a telco, the more end-users you would attract to your network with the innovative services. The model coming from Nigerian Communications Commission [NCC] – the telcom regulatory powerhouse – does not align with the collaborative model at all. While the model of collaboration and innovation is a global phenomenon, what NCC is proposing is disharmonious with global best practice.

    What is NCC’s model? Wait for it. The Federal Executive Council [FEC] has on its table a proposal it needs to deliberate on. NCC submitted this proposal. NCC called it Open Access Model for Broadband Penetration. NCC is asking FECto approve it. What does the model seeks? Themodel NCC is bandying in the proposal involves the division of the broadband infrastructure market into three exclusive segments.

    Let us take the segments in turn: Network company: According to NCC, this company would provide the passive layer. The company would design and build the fibre optical network.

    The second segment is Operating Company. This would provideactive layer. It would also operate all active network elements. The third company is Retail Service Providers (RSPs). This would offer services to end-users.Etisalat, Airtel, MTN and Glo found themselves in this segment.The NCC model encapsulates a departure from the traditional method in which asingle operator could own and manage infrastructure and directly sell services to end users, as we have currently. However, what NCC is proposing completely negates what is currently in operation.

    The model proposes that operating companies/active infrastructure providers will buy bulk bandwidth from submarine cable companies. Bandwidth,in turn, would be delivered via optical fibre owned by the passive infrastructure provider/network company; bandwidth would then be resold to RSPs that will offer retail services to the end-users. NCC would issue a fixed number of licenses in the active and passive segments; price caps would be implemented in these segments using cost based pricing; in the RSP segment, multiple licenses will be issued with pricing to end users determined by prevailing market forces; no company will be permitted to operate in more than two segments. Participation in that sense is now optional.

    According to the proposal, the Federal Government, through NCC, would facilitate agreements and engage in dispute resolution between the various stakeholders. Concisely, this is the interpretation of NCC model: the big four would not be allowed to do what they are doing now i.e. own network infrastructure, design and build fibre optical network, provide active layer and operate active network elements or offer services to end-users. The big four would have to choose two segments, as it were. NCC is canvassing that model. Hmm, since there are two sides to every wall, here is another model, or best practice.

    What is obtainable in Europe is this: a model should not create unfair competition or advantage to some licensees over others. It must promote level playing field. Broadband deployment model must avoid duplication of services/infrastructure to avoid waste of resources. However, industry analysts have opined that NCC’sproposal should not focus on infrastructure alone but should also do the following: tackle policies, environmental factors and other critical issues that will enhance the growth and development of the Nigerian broadband industry.These would include but not limited to right of way, protection of existing infrastructure, MTTR, spectrum management issues to facilitate roll out of broadband.

    NCC model is not focusing on the above. Its role in the socio-economic benefits of broadband to individuals and Nigeria should be the focus. NCC needs to promote true competition, open access, transparency and align with national broadband objectives of the Federal Government. Consolidation of industry gains and fostering right environment for development of broadband must be the goal of NCC.Consultations with all relevant industry stakeholders should be done extensively before embarking on such a model, which tends to favour some licensees. NCC’s model should consider existing and future license regimes, and the question should be asked how would it affect existing licensees?

    NCC should focus on how to entrench a predictable regulatory environment, one that is devoid of goal post shifting. Over a decade, the country’s telecom market has witnessed far-reaching changes with the introduction of competition into a sector, which was once a monopoly. NCC needs to sustain this by injecting global best practices and telecom model that works.

     

  • Jordon Ibe: Ronaldo, Zidane are my role model

    Jordon Ibe: Ronaldo, Zidane are my role model

    Nigeria-born Jordon Ibe has already played at senior level for Wycombe Wanderers, making his first team debut at 15 before the now 17-year-old was signed by Liverpool in December 2011.

    Alongside Jerome Sinclair both have impressed at this year’s Al Kass International Cup, an Under-18 tournament in its second season now in Qatar, which featured teams such as Real Madrid, Internazionale, Paris Saint-Germain and eventual winners Fluminense.

    Jordon Ibe (JI) and Jerome Sinclair (JS) were kind enough to speak to Just Football.com to tell us a bit about themselves, in between winding each other up of course!

    First, tell us a bit about your background and how you came to play for Liverpool.

    JS: I started playing football when I was seven years old at a local club in Birmingham called Phoenix United and after a year playing there I got a call from West Brom and went down there and trained and got signed there.

    JS: I was there for six years until I was 14. I started getting a little bit of interest from a few clubs and eventually ended up signing for Liverpool. I’ve been here since and it’s gone quite well so far.

    JI: Same for me. I was playing for a Sunday league team called Welling Wanderers and from there I went on trial with different teams. I played for Chelsea and Charlton then I moved to Wycombe.

    I was there for four seasons from Under-12s and I played for the first team at 16 before Liverpool signed me.

    What’s your preferred position?

    JI: I can play all-round upfront. In my preferred position I like to play as a number 10, but I don’t mind where I play in the front three.

    JS: Definitely a number 9, that’s me.

    Who is your role model as a footballer?

    JS: Thierry Henry. He was my hero as a young kid. Just to see him play and the things he used to do on the pitch were amazing so definitely Thierry Henry for me.

    JI: For me it’s Ronaldo – the Brazilian one – and Zidane. Those two, that’s it.

    When you’re not playing football how do you like to unwind? Do you have any particular hobbies?

    JI: I like chilling with friends, beating him (points to Sinclair) at FIFA sometimes! (laughs) Yeah that’s it just chilling and having fun.

    JS: Yeah definitely, when you’re not playing football it tends to be a downtime kind of thing, you need to get your rest in. So just lowkey things: table tennis and stuff like that.

    Is it true that you get beaten at FIFA by this man Jordon here?

    JS: No he’s definitely having a laugh there!

    JI: No it’s me that gets beaten!

    Are you more FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer?

    JS: FIFA all day long.

    JI: FIFA 13

    Are you on Twitter and do you use it much?

    JS: Yeah I use Twitter to tweet what I’m doing and little things like that, interesting things.

    What’s your Twitter handle?

    JS: @Jeromeno9

    Jordon do you use Twitter at all?

    JI: Yes, @IbeJordon

    (To Jordon) What would you say are Jerome’s main strengths and weaknesses as a player?

    JI: His main strength is scoring goals. All the time. His main weakness? I don’t think there is one you know. I’ve not seen too many weaknesses.

    JF: Ahh you’re just being polite!

    JI: He takes long to pass the ball! (Both laugh).

    JS: I think Jordon’s main weakness is probably football. He’s not very good to be honest! No, I’m joking, I’m joking. No, definitely going at players and beating players 1 v 1, that’s his main strength. I couldn’t really pick out a weakness, he’s a top player to be honest.

    If you could play with any player in the world who would it be and why?

    JS: Thierry Henry in his prime definitely. Obviously you’d love to play with players like Ronaldo and Messi as well so them I’d pick those two as well.

    JI: Jerome Sinclair! Haha I’m joking, Messi too for me, he’s a special player.

    Thanks a lot for talking to Just Football and I appreciate your time.

     

  • Amosun’s infrastructural financing model

    Amosun’s infrastructural financing model

    “Rough waters are truer test of leadership. In calm water every ship has a good captain”—Swedish Proverb.

    Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has again unveiled another financial masterstroke that promises to transform the infrastructure landscape of the state. The parlous financial position of his state compelled him come up with a novel idea that will enable him use other people’s money to develop his state.

    An innovative financial system that would see well-placed construction companies undertake the construction of developmental infrastructure, especially roads, for the state on credit to be paid in instalments later. The arrangement is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.

    The payment plan, which is a direct fallout of the confidence he has instilled in the state’s financial system would come in form of ‘promissory note’ (or Treasury bill) arrangement. The idea is akin to the popular ‘hire-purchase’ arrangement that commercial drivers enter into with auto-dealers whereby a vehicle would be released to commercial drivers on credit and the money for the vehicle is paid over a period of time.

    However, unlike in the case of the normal ‘hire-purchase’ arrangement where the auto dealer keeps a copy of the vehicle key and is at liberty to confiscate the bus if the driver defaults in the payment, the companies in this arrangement will not be able to do that hence the need for a law, making it mandatory for the state government to stick with the payment agreement no matter what, whether there is a change in government or not.

    This arrangement can also be likened to a situation where a worker buys a 32’’ LG Television set from his cooperative society on credit with a promise that payment be deducted from his monthly salary over a period of time.

    To allay possible fears of any default in the re-payment schedule, Senator Amosun has sent a bill to the State House of Assembly asking for the enactment of a law establishing a ‘sinking fund’-a pool of funds dedicated for a specific purpose- in the financial firmament of the state.

    The proposed law also seeks to set up a legal framework which must be adhered to whenever the government wants to access any loan in the state. The law would serve as an instrument for enforcing fiscal and financial discipline.

    The bill titled “A bill for a law to provide for the raising of loans through issuance of bonds, (treasury) notes and other securities, and for connected purposes,” spells out the steps and procedures to be taken by the government whenever it wants to access any loan, a sort of regulatory framework for taking loans. The bill also seeks the establishment of a ‘sinking fund’ by the state government. The ‘sinking fund’ will be made up of 15 percent of all Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state and must be dedicated to the repayment for projects executed under the ‘promissory note’ arrangement.

    Interestingly, the ‘promissory note’ initiative presents the people of Ogun State with a ‘Win-Win situation’. It ensures that situations where funds meant for projects are diverted becomes a thing of the past, and ensures that the people will enjoy the infrastructure before the state will start paying for it. The law would equally serve as bulwark against the diversion of developmental funds.

    This novel idea would at least ensure that the people of Ogun State can always see what their money is spent on.

    The state Commissioner for Finance, Kemi Adeosun, at a recent media briefing, dismissed insinuations that the Bill sent to the legislature was to facilitate the state access to Bond. She explained, ‘it is like people in Ogun State are fixated with bond. But the bill we sent to the Assembly is not to ask for approval to take bond. Yes, bond is good as a long term financial instrument, but we are not going for it. That is not our intention. The finances of Ogun cannot sustain a bond presently. Our debt portfolio is high and our IGR is low. We inherited a debt profile of N87 billion in 2011 and as at today we have reduced it to about N60 billion; but our IGR is still very low and all these would be taken into consideration when they want to calculate the amount you can take as bond.

    “Again, the process that would lead to a bond is long and might not materialize until the final year of the administration”, the commissioner noted. She added the process of accessing a bond “include applying and getting approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), appointment of a legal team, financial advisers, trustees as well as the consent of the Federal Ministry of Finance, all these after we must have secured the approval of the state House of Assembly on the move.

    “With a Bond, you have to issue what is called Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO). With an ISPO, your allocation won’t come to you intact again. The debt would be deducted directly from Abuja. Before the allocation gets to you, the Federal Ministry of Finance deducts at source.

    “We are not running away from accessing a bond. We are not scared of the approval process either but we simply don’t think that a bond is the only option at the moment. We don’t think it is an appropriate and viable option for now. But with this ‘promissory note ‘arrangement, no ISPO is needed. All we need is the goodwill, a Memorandum of Understanding and a firm commitment from the government in the mould of this law we seek from the House of Assembly,” the commissioner stated.

    This novel idea promises to fast-track development across the three senatorial districts of the state as no fewer than six companies are already on standby to construct 10 roads for the benefit of the people. With the arrangement, the people of the state can practically eat their cake and still have it!

     

    • Balogun is an aide to governor Amosun