The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Speakers

  • Court confirms Bayelsa Speaker’s sack

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has confirmed that it nullified the election of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker, Mr. Kombowei Benson.

    The court’s affirmation put paid to weeks of denials by Benson that the December 9 judgment in a case filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Ebifaghe Orunimighe, declared his election null and void.

    Benson refused to relinquish the Southern Ijaw Constituency 4 seat and his speakership position, insisting that the written judgment was different from the court’s records of proceedings, which dismissed the appeal.

    He continued to retain his seat and presided over the 2016 Appropriation Bill sent by Governor Seriake Dickson.

    But on February 10, the court, ruling on a fresh application filed by Benson, validated its judgment, which nullified the election of the former speaker.

    The court, presided over by a new panel of five justices, admitted that the December 9 lead judgment was prepared by Justice Ejembi Eko in agreement with Justices Mohammed Garba and Stephen Adah.

    The justices are Abdu Aboki, Sidi Bage, Samuel Oseji, Ibrahim Bdliya and Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf.

    Aboki, who delivered the ruling on Benson’s application, explained that the judgment was delivered by Garba because Eko, who prepared it, was on assignment.

    On making entries in the record of proceedings, Aboki said Garba erroneously indicated that the lead judgment of Eko dismissed the appeal contrary to the conclusion that the appeal was allowed.

    But he said: “It is my view that a different entry made in a court record albeit erroneously does not alter the effect of judgment of the court in which the rights of the party are determined one way or the other.

    “The judgment of a court consists of the collation and analysis of evidence as presented before the court and making of findings, reasoning and the conclusion. This can be seen to exist in exhibit A, the lead judgment prepared by Ejembi Eko.

    “It forms the only source of drawing up an enrolment of the order of this court and not from the notes made during a court proceeding”.

    Aboki added that the argument of Benson that two judgments emanated from the court on the same case could not hold since he (Benson) failed to present to the court a proof of another ruling.

    “The onus, therefore, is on the applicants, who are alleging that there are two different judgments emanating from this court with respect to the appeal, to prove same which they have failed to do.

    “The lead judgment of Justice Ejembi Eko is the judgment of this court. It is obvious that in the process of making entry of the judgment in the record, Justice Mohammed Garba made a mistake when he stated that the appeal was dismissed.

    “The entry in the record of book does not constitute the judgment of the court. If the judgment is read, it will be obvious and clear to any unbiased and dispassionate reader that the entry in the record is a mistake,” he said.

    Quoting the Supreme Court in the case between Ibe vs Onuora, Aboki added: “The courts are presided over by human beings and being human, they are prone to mistakes and slips in the course of execution of their judicial functions.”

  • Motivational speakers are frauds?

    Motivational speakers are frauds, they are cheats.” “They share principles that they can’t support with their personal experiences.” “They only stir up emotions.” These and several other statements are very common when people talk about motivational speaking. People feel embittered about some persons who appear to make money off “naïve” audience by downloading information from books and sharing them without proofs. While I agree completely, I must also be quick to say that there are several other speakers who have acquired the right to speak through their “hard earned” experiences.

    Motivation, according to Wordweb, is “The psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal.”  Hence, a motivational speech aims at arousing listeners to take action in order to achieve their desired goals. How better can we start the year? Wouldn’t you prefer to listen to information that propels you towards something worthwhile than one that convinces you that you are doomed to fail? Let’s examine a few grudges that people have against motivational speeches and how we can convert them for our benefit:

    • They stir up emotions: a lot of people believe that a motivational speech only takes one on an emotional trip, after which it does nothing. They believe that the speed with which you get excited during the speech is the speed with which you lose the excitement afterwards. Well, one thing we have to learn about emotions is that they are transient. Someone who was happy a few minutes ago may be sad now. However, the fact that they change does not make them bad; it just means that we have to learn how to manage them. I read a little about rockets, particularly the United States’ NASA Space Shuttle. I discovered that it made use of Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), which provided about 83% of the thrust needed for liftoff by the shuttle within the first two minutes of its flight. The boosters helped to launch the space shuttle into earth orbit but were dropped after the fuel was expended. After the rocket discarded the boosters, its engine continued the job. Relating this to emotions, particularly excitement, my perspective is that when one is excited, energy is released, that is why some people shout or even jump. The purpose of the emotion is to launch us upward, just like the rocket boosters, but our own engines must take over the job. Just as boosters don’t last, emotions don’t too, but we can’t do without them. In 2016, expose yourself to information that will generate the kind of energy you need for liftoff, but remember it is only half of the job. You need more that emotions to arrive at your destination. Getting the information is one thing, using it effectively is quite another.
    • They paint the picture of a glamorous future: some people hate motivational speeches because they make the future seem like a garden of roses. I don’t have any problem with that at all. Is there anyone who desires a future that is worse than the present? God forbid. Of course, whoever is painting that glamourous picture must also enlighten the listeners of the price that must be paid for such a future, which I believe should include diligence, among other things. While I don’t believe in baseless dreams, I believe that there is no point dreaming of a future that is not better than the present. Hence, your dream must be good enough to make you sacrifice the pleasures of the present to achieve it. A lot of times, people are too deep in their depressing situations that they need someone to give them a reason to hope. Les Brown, one of the world’s leading public speakers said, “you can’t see a picture when you are in the frame.” I believe you need someone who has been where you are now and who believes that you can find your way to where you want to be if only you make the right efforts.
    • They de-emphasise challenges and focus on opportunities: it’s interesting how something that is meant to make people succeed make them angry. Some people are really mad that some motivational speeches make the audience take their attention off the problem. For as long as the speech doesn’t deny that there are challenges along the way to success, I think it is a great thing. A lot of people are too afraid of problems to consider the possibility of success. Motivational speeches draw from the stories of the speakers to encourage listeners not to stop trying. This presupposes that the speaker has a proof of achieving success in spite of obvious challenges.

    I am not suggesting that you go out there and grab the materials of just any motivational speaker. My point is that you need to be motivated. You need to boost your speed by knowing that there is a future worth fighting for. Wouldn’t you rather be inspired by someone who is producing good results in your area of interest than be depressed by someone who has nothing but stories of woes?

  • Ganduje frowns at frequent impeachment of speakers, deputy governors

    THE rate at which Speakers of State Assemblies and deputy governors are impeached shows that the nation’s democracy is still immature, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said yesterday.

    Ganduje, who spoke during a dinner organised in honour of Speakers of 19 Northern State Assemblies at Africa House, Government House, Kano, lamented that the rate of such impeachments was a setback for the nation’s democratic setting.

    “The frequency at which Speakers and deputy governors are removed like underwear is not the best. Somebody was impeached from his office as deputy governor because he managed poultry within his official residence,” the governor said.

    He noted that such excuses were not enough to warrant impeachment.

    Saying that democracy should revolve around issues not trivialities, Ganduje advised state legislators, especially Speakers, to synergise with the Executive to bring about development in the country.

    The governor urged the Northern Speakers Conference to step up efforts to tackle the common problems facing the region, particularly the issue of Almajirai, educational backwardness, compulsory primary education, economic backwardness, unemployment and conflicts.

    Ganduje stressed the need for northerners to strengthen their unity to address issues affecting the region and map out ways of contributing more positively to national development.

    The Chairman, Northern Speakers Conference and Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdulkarim Lawal, said the forum would deliberate on issues of socio-economic development affecting the region.

    He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to give special attention to the Northeast geopolitical zone because of its peculiar challenges, mainly insecurity.

    The Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Kabiru Alasan Rurum, stressed the need for governments and legislatures in the North to design policies, taking into cognisance their implications to the overall regional and sub-regional development.

    In a two-page communiqué by Adamu Dala Dogo, acting chairman of NSF and Speaker of Yobe State House of Assembly; Salisu Ibrahim Muhammad, Chairman, Information Committee of Kano State House of Assembly and which was read by Sunusi Garba Rikiji, Speaker, Zamfara State House of Assembly, the Northern Speakers Conference resolved to uphold the region’s unity and socio-economic growth.

     

  • Ex-Kogi Speakers dump PDP for APC

    Ex-Kogi Speakers dump PDP for APC

    Two former Speakers of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Bello and Asiwaju Clarence Olafemi, and over 1,200 other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members defected yesterday to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Both former Speakers, at different times, served as acting governor.

    They were received into the APC at a stakeholders meeting at the GRA, Lokoja home of former Governor Audu Abubakar.

    Abubakar assured them of equal treatment in the APC, saying: “The APC is an egalitarian party and we are all equal here. Soon, you will collect your membership card and have the same right as all of us here. The APC is set to rescue Kogi from sinking and I am confident that with the calibre of people in our party, we shall accomplish this. This is great day for me and all of us.”

  • Flood: ‘Why I enlisted Aki and Paw Paw as motivational speakers’

    Flood: ‘Why I enlisted Aki and Paw Paw as motivational speakers’

    Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, on Monday, said he enlisted the services of Nollywood actors and actresses in order to provide psychological support for flood victims.

    He said many internally displaced persons suffer emotional and psychological traumas occasioned by the loss to property and person.

    Uduaghan made this known in Asaba-the Delta State capital at the inauguration of the Justice Francis Tabai led committee to manage N500 million provided by the Federal Government to assist flood victims.

    Two Nollywood stars Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme alias Aki and Paw-paw were appointed motivational speakers at the displaced persons camp in Delta State.

    Recalling his experience during a late night call at the I.C.E relief camp, Uduaghan said he was surprised when a crowd of displaced persons ignored him but instead were engrossed in a Nollywood movie.

    His words, “There was a night I was at the I.C.E camp at about 11 pm. At the I.C.E Camp there is a public television, as I walked towards the television a crowd was gathered, almost half of the IDP’s were gathered around the television. They were laughing away .I tried to attract their attention but they continued watching the television, completely ignoring me.. When I looked at the television, the crowd was watching an Africa Magic movie and some of the actors in that movie were Aki and Paw-paw.

    “Because they were watching this movie, they forgot their pains .For the flood victims watching this movie helped them to relieve their pains. I thought to myself I should get this people to go to some of the camps as motivational speakers. They are here for the motivational supports to some of our people in the camp .I believe that the few minutes they spend will make a huge difference in their lives. It is not just food alone they require, they need encouragement, and they need someone to tell them that there is a future.”

    Uduaghan said though flood victims have been provided with foods and basic items, their emotional and psychological needs are not being provided for.

    His words, “It is the psychology of people in the camp; they may have food to eat.. Many are not in their normal state of mind .We try to do all sort of things to make them to ease the pains of their suffering. I want to thank our religious leaders who been visiting the camp and praying with them.”