The Nation Newspaper

Tag: successful

  • Wanted: A successful, efficient rail sector

    With the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to the railway sub-sector, Nigeria is on a sure path to joining the rest of the world in the use of speed train cars, writes ADEIFE OLUKOLADE

    In April 30, 2014, at 1:54 p.m. eastern daylight time, 17 CSX Transportation (CSXT) tank cars of petroleum crude oil derailed in Lynchburg, Virginia United States (U.S.)

    Three of the derailed cars were partially submerged in the James River. One was breached and released about 29,868 gallons of crude oil into the river, some of which caught fire. No injuries to the public or crew were reported. At the time of the accident, it was cloudy and raining lightly; the temperature was 53°F (11.67 °C). The CSXT estimated the damages at $1.2million, not including environmental remediation.

    Using the railroad for transportation of people and goods has its advantages, especially when managed properly. However, it carries with it several risks, but when properly managed the railroad drives an economy that can deliver greatness and economic growth.

    The Nigerian government in the last couple of years has worked tirelessly on improving the railway sector, an effort that is gradually paying off, we have seen the emergence of the beautiful passenger rail projects and some proposed cargo rail tracks picking up pace.

    Many are of the opinion that with a working railway sector, there will be a decrease in the traffic gridlock caused by road haulage trucks, reduction in accidents caused by trailers, and hopefully avoidance of loss of lives.

    While these are good things to hope for, we must come to the understanding that a working rail system whether passenger or cargo depends on basic factors that will determine its success or failure.

    From the top story of 2014, which happened in United States, this was not the first accident of its kind and the impact was minimal when you consider the product transported, location and the time of the accident. A lot of factors had played part in the reduction of the impact.  Years of data collection on previous accidents that helped in designing the rail cars differently, good maintenance system and records, top notch emergency response that evacuated a whole community before exposure to the primary incident and secondary exposure.

    Also a community void of greed, what they thought of was safety for lives and property not rushing to the scene to scoop crude.  All these factors and many more contributed to the reduction in the impact of this accident.

    A similar incident happened on July 6, 2013, a freight train carrying crude oil travelled into Lac-Megantic, Quebec Canada. This train derailed downtown and exploded, killing 47 people. An investigation by the appropriate authorities identified many causes and contributory factors. Some are: maintenance  issues, inadequate training, failure to  set enough hand brakes and leaving train unattended (human error). Since this accident  new regulations were put in place to avoid a similar incident such as using reinforced cars to ship oil (the type used in the U.S incident above)

    As Nigeria advances it aspirations to develop the rail sector, we need to remember that most advanced nations are gradually moving from the old locomotive systems that had its faults and are using innovations to limit exposure thereby reducing accidents.

    First, the speed that trains travel are getting faster in this age of amazon fast delivery, drone technology  and drive through services, it will only make sense to start our rail system at the pace of the technology available in the world around us  if we want any economic dividend from the multi-billion projects. It may not be sufficient to only have the infrastructures, but infrastructures that add value to the generations to come.

    When we talk about advancement in technology, here is an example of a recent scenario from Chicago, Illinois U.S. A typical drive to O’Hare airport in Chicago could last one hour or more by road, this is a similar distance from Lekki Peninsula to Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria. Currently, the Chicago Transit Authority, a public transportation agency,  advice people to travel by train and reduce the travel to about forty five minutes and you will be directly at the terminals. However, Elon Musk of the Boring Company proposed to build a tunnel to accommodate a fleet of self-guided, electromagnetically-propelled pods zipping between the Loop’s unused Block 37 “superstation” and the airport. Reaching speeds of 125-150 miles per hour, the system aims to make the trip in just 12 minutes.

    While the last example may be out of the imagination of some of readers the cost of the project may be the same with present day Nigerian projects and if we  cannot use pods to transport goods and people in Nigeria we should not settle for the worst diesel propelled locomotives.

    The key test of a transport system is its ability to deliver passengers or goods to their respective destination in as short a time as is reasonably possible, with due regards to issues of safety and quality of service.

    Therefore, for a successful rail project, with a desire to compete and be profitable, the type of infrastructures used will determine how far we can go literarily and figuratively.  How many times have we decided to buy a new computer instead of upgrading the memory, but with a failed rail project a new one will cost almost if not more as the initial cost, for the economic savvy professionals it makes absolute sense to do it right the first time.

  • Ekiti 2018: Exercise 90 percent successful, says REC

    Ekiti governorship poll recorded a success rate of 90 percent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Prof. Abdulganih Olayinka, disclosed this to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti while assessing the electoral process.

    He said that reports from the eight INEC Commissioners in the field indicated that the election was largely peaceful across the state.

    Olayinka said he was glad to hear that all INEC personnel, including ad hoc staff, got to their various polling units in good time and the election started early and uniformly.

    “Except for Agboyin Local Government Area where it was alleged that ballot materials were scattered on the ground and in one or two places where the card reader malfunctioned, all was well,” he said.

    The REC added that identified problems in the electoral process had been addressed, adding that no “incident form” was used in the exercise.

     

  • 2018 will be successful for APC, says Ambode

    2018 will be successful for APC, says Ambode

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday said 2018 would be another successful year for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in fulfilling its promises of developing the state.

    The governor spoke in Lagos at the One Lagos Fiesta, which started on December 24 and ended yesterday at the Eko Atlantic on Victoria Island.

    He said: “Congratulations, Lagosians, as I welcome you into 2018.

    “We have every reason to believe that this will be a remarkable and special year for every Lagosian and for our dear state.

    “Without a doubt, 2018 will be a unique year in our political trajectory. The Lagos State government shall not relent in fulfilling its promises to you.

    “I urge you to expect the very best this New Year, a year that holds such a great promise for all of us.”

    Ambode wished every citizen, every family and every community a remarkable and prosperous year ahead.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 300 music artistes and comedians participated at the talent hunt competition where three people won prizes.

    Ambode gave cash awards of N500,000, N1,000,000 and N1,500,000 to the third, second and first winners.

    Some musicians at the competition include DJ Jimmy Jatt, DJ Spinner, Adewale Ayuba, Humble Smith, Olamide, Wizkid, Adekunle Gold, Ice Prince Zamane and Simi, to mention a few.

    David Adeleke, popularly known as ‘Davido’, during his performance, told the technical department to focus the lighting on revellers to illuminate the crowd as he wished them a happy New Year.

    Mrs Angela Obey, one of the vendors, thanked Nigeria Breweries Plc for providing the venue, ice blocks and other stuffs that aided the sale of the company’s brands of drinks.

    She said: “Some of my colleagues paid N75,000 for a space to do business here, but those of us selling NB products were offered spaces for free.

    “NB has already taken care of all financial commitment and it just provided the enabling environment for us the retailers to take advantage of.”

    NAN reports that the security at the venue was tight, while exotic fireworks illuminated the skyline as Lagosians were ushered into 2018.

  • Behind a successful woman is a man

    Behind a successful woman is a man

    When Prof. Juliana Taiwo Makinde told her story at the 307th Inaugural Lecture of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on September 12, it showed that behind a successful woman is a man.

    “I feel proud and highly honoured to say that I am the first female Professor of Public Administration in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and also the first female Professor to give an Inaugural Lecture in the Department of Public Administration, OAU, Ile-Ife,” she said.  Her focus was:  “Policy Somersaults, Poverty of Policy Implementation and Corruption: Obstacles to Development in Nigeria.”

    The story of her journey to a professorial chair is striking for its central lesson in the power of possibilities. Her narrative: “I never dreamt in my wildest imagination of becoming a university lecturer, let alone a professor.  My standing here before you to present my Inaugural Lecture is, therefore, a special privilege from God who has used my husband, Professor Moses Akinola Makinde, as His instrument of positive change in my life.”

    “I started my career as a confidential secretary in the mid-60s after the completion of my secondary education in 1965.  At a point in my career as a secretary, my husband was always drumming it into my ears that I have great potential to join him as an academic later in my life. The way to the fulfillment of his wish for me was opened in 1983 when he went on Fulbright Fellowship to Ohio University, US. Our children (Akinola, Olumide and Kayode) and I accompanied him to the United States where he persuaded me to enroll for a degree programme even though my own intention was to work and make money with which I planned to get some gadgets for our home back in Nigeria.  I got an admission into the Ohio University after performing brilliantly in the prescribed test for foreign students. I enrolled in the Faculty of Education to read Education/English and my performance got me on to the Dean’s list in that first year.”

    She continued: “We came back home after one year and I got an admission into the Faculty of Education, University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to continue with my degree programme in 1984, having brought my transcript from Ohio University. By the reason of my age among the young students, I became an automatic auntie to almost all my mates except a few mamas like me in the class.  By 1987, I completed my first degree programme with First Class Honours in Education/English.  My husband was excited and very happy.   He then persuaded me to go for a higher degree in order not to waste the first class degree that I had, always telling me that with my first class degree, I was a professorial material.  I agreed to go ahead on the condition that he would give me N200 a month throughout the programme. This was just to discourage him from persuading me from going further. To my disappointment, he agreed and I applied for and got admission to do M.Phil (Public Administration) in Obafemi Awolowo University, but ended up doing MPA.”

    “While still in the public service with my MPA degree, I was appointed as Special Adviser (Administration and Protocol) in 1992 during the administration of the late Alhaji Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke of blessed memory – courtesy of my husband’s involvement as a member of the “Think Tank” in the political activities of the state at that time, even though he is from Ekiti in the then Ondo State.  He actually turned down the position he was given and recommended me instead. In November 1993, however, all civil servants-turned politicians were retired by General Sani Abacha and that brought an end to my career in the state public service.”

    Another door opened. Mrs Makinde said: “My journey into the academics started in March 1994. I was only 45 years old when I was retired even though I was not tired.   I was advised by my husband and my children to  go back to school and this I did by applying to do a PhD degree in the department where I had my MPA but  was told that the MPA was not acceptable for the PhD programme, and so, I had to do an MSc as my second Masters degree.  I was fortunate to have been given an appointment then as a Lecturer Grade II in the Department of Public Administration. The appointment was on contract having retired from the civil service.  After my MSc, I enrolled for my PhD which I bagged in 2008 at the age of 60 years.  Surely, age was not a barrier! By this, I became an inspiration to those, especially mothers, who thought that they were too old to study… I owe a deep sense of gratitude to my husband, Professor Moses Akinola Makinde, who saw to it that I did not waste the gift of God in my life.”

  • ‘Why climate change campaign isn’t successful’

    Nigeria has not come into full awareness about climate change, Ogun State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Olamilekan Adegbite has said.

    Adegbite, an architect said, it is the reason the campaign against climate change is not recording much success.

    The commissioner spoke during Guild of Muslim Professionals (GMP) seminar on Climate Change held at the Learning Centre Hall of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

    He hailed GMP for taking the bold step to address the issue, but admitted that Nigerians want events that will address their immediate plights.

    He said: “It’s a step in the right direction trying to get Muslim professionals together. I think our people need topical issue which of course affects their welfare before we can get people’s interest into things like this (climate change).

    “The issue of climate change is a global thing like I said. For somebody who is still struggling and trying to come to terms with daily living, this is too esoteric. You have to do things that people crave; what they want and then you can get a better turnout.

    “The problem I talked about is a macrocosm of the Nigerian problem. Nigeria itself has not come into full awareness about climate change. A lot of people are still unaware and that is because we are still hungry. People cannot think of higher things when they are still dealing with basic things.

    “Climate change is real and it’s important but I think government needs to do a lot first before following events around climate change. They need to create an enabling environment for people’s survival and that’s a whole gamut of things. For those societies that are doing well, it’s not so much what government gives people. It’s about creating the enabling environment for people to thrive and one of it is to reduce corruption. That will free up a lot of resources for people and people can begin to thrive.”

  • When visual trouble is no problem-The story of a successful visually-impaired principal

    When visual trouble is no problem-The story of a successful visually-impaired principal

    Being visually-impaired for more than 50 years and a principal of a secondary school may sound outlandish to some people. Ms Deborah Mojisola Balogun has suffered visual-impairment for this long but her handicap has not dampened her spirits. MOJISOLA CLEMENT-OMOBOWALE writes that her determination not to succumb to the vagaries of life which would have derailed her vision translated a somewhat dismal situation into success. 

    Not even a five decades visual impairment would keep her down.

    Ms Deborah Mojisola Balogun did not allow what would have been a terminal handicap to dampen her spirits. Her determination not to consent to the vicissitudes of life which would have derailed her vision translated a somewhat dismal situation into success.

    She kept her hope aglow despite all odds by proving that there is ability in disability. Hers became an inspiring story to those whose state of helplessness would have ruined their future. Her optimistic stance on life invalidated her disability.

    Being visually-impaired for 50 years and a principal of a secondary school may sound outlandish to some. But it is real. Here is reality staring us on the face.

    Although her visual-impairment is protracted, the conduct and mien of this dark-complexioned, eloquent woman would always stir doubt in people concerning her sight challenges.

    But one gets convinced that she has sight challenges when she gives out pieces of advice to her students who may have one form of challenge or the other. She would urge them to be focused and not consider their disabilities as impediments to achieving their dreams. She would advise them to be committed to whatever they do and should not allow anything weigh them down. These pieces of advice are based on her experience.

    For 30 years, she has been in teaching and is the Principal of Community Junior Secondary School, Bayeku Ikorodu with a population of over 850 students.

    A native of Ikorodu, Lagos  State Ms Balogun told Southwest Report she would be 60 years old soon and the eldest of six children. She added that she had loving parents who ensured that their children had the best they could afford.

    Any wonder she is in love with the teaching profession! Her father was a head teacher during his working days while her mother had to resign from the Ikorodu Trading Company to look after her when she lost her sight. However, she said her mother later ventured into sales of farm produce such as eggs, pigs, food crops and cassava processing. Ms. Balogun speaks English, French and Yoruba fluently.

    The vision that turned her life around

    Narrating how the incident that turned her life around began, Ms Balogun said she had a dream one day which she relayed to her father.

    She said: “In the dream, I was wearing a white garment; carrying a bell and moving round the town, calling people to Christ. I was not wearing any shoes. My father went in search of a church that could fit into that description. Eventually, he found something similar at Makoko, a suburb of Yaba, Lagos Mainland. It was a Celestial Church and I moved in to stay with them.

    “I began a new life of learning to pray every three hours. The Lord just wanted me to dwell in His house for some time. I was left in the church until the Lord was ready to do something. I was there for a year with the likes of Pa Oshoffa, Pa Bada and Pa Ajanlekoko whose wives looked after me. Upon leaving the church, I enrolled at Pacelli School for the Blind at Surulere.”

     Educational background

    At the age of five, Ms. Balogun had begun her education at the Salvation Army School, Onishigida Sabo Junction in Ikorodu.  She had no problem with her sight then. It was at the end of her primary two when she moved to the Pacelli School for the Blind, Surulere because her sight had gone bad. Six years later, she enrolled into Queen’s College, Yaba, where she obtained her Higher School Certificate.

    After then, she attended the University of Wales in the United Kingdom (UK) where she obtained a Second-class Honours degree in Education and History. She also had a Post-graduate certificate in the Teaching of History and English as Second Language. She also obtained a Diploma certificate in Biblical Studies. She came back to Nigeria, after which she obtained a Master’s degree in Education Foundation from the Department of Counselling of the University of Lagos, Akoka, and another Master’s degree in Education in Learning Disabilities from the Special Education Department of the University of Ibadan.

     How she became visually-impaired

    On how she became visually-impaired, Ms. Balogun stated that it was a sudden occurrence.

    She said: “My sight went overnight. Then measles was widespread. There was an epidemic of small pox as well. When I was examined by specialists at an eye clinic in London, they confirmed that my eye problem was not as a result of either of the two ailments.

    “But I had stopped worrying about the situation. Rather, I was adjusting and trying to adapt to my current situation. After visiting some medical facilities such as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Lagos and University Teaching Hospital, Ibadan, I decided to live with the situation.”

    Career

    On her career, she revealed that she worked for roughly one-and-a-half years as a typist at Ikorodu High School under the late Pa Akinwunmi and Rev Odejide. That was after her Higher School Certificate examination. She noted that she has been a Principal for the past three years. But before the appointment, she was a Vice-Principal at Ipakodo Senior Grammar School and a teacher at Odogunyan Grammar School. In all, she has about 31 years’ experience in teaching, administration and counselling. At various times, she had taught English Language, Literature in English, History, Christian Religious Studies and occasionally French in the junior schools.

     Why in the teaching profession?

    But why did she choose to be a teacher? She explained that “I didn’t really set out to be a teacher. There was nothing like counselling when we were in primary school and even in early secondary school. So, professions were chosen especially by the Prophets. My being a teacher came as a result of prophesies from more than four people and that was from the age of seven. My parents were told that their child was going to be a teacher; that the Lord is going to use her to set students free from their helpless situations.”

    How I teach

    As visually-impaired teacher, what methods does she adopt while teaching? The Principal told our correspondent that she, at first, engaged the services of a brilliant non-teaching member of staff who would first read what she had written. If she is convinced he or she read it completely, she will then type with the old typewriter.

    So, after typing, she will pass it on to the non-teaching member of staff who will read it again. When she is sure it is somewhat error-free, the member of staff will write on the chalk board for her with the permission of the Principal. As the non-teaching member of staff writes, the students will get up and read each paragraph. That way, she was able to know students who were very good in reading.

    My first day of teaching

    “My first day of teaching at Odogunyan Grammar School, Ikorodu was quite easy. The Principal, Pa P.O. Adebayo who is now retired, studied in Manchester, England. He knew what it entails to be visually-impaired. Secondly, I met teachers some of who lived in my area. They knew me and were helping me out, particularly in terms of mobility.  All that helped. The issue of discipline was taken seriously. So, it was easy for me to fit into the system,” she said.

    About marriage and children

    “I have brought up a lot of children in and outside the family, particularly those with learning difficulties. They stay with me from JSS1 and leave after their SS3 examinations. Getting married as visually-impaired woman then was on trial-and-error basis.

    “Most families did not accept it. It was much later that people began to truly accept it. So, I never got married. But personally, I have nothing to regret at all. To be candid, it is better to remain single than to be married to a wrong man because it could pose some challenges which could jeopardise one’s future,” Ms. Balogun said.

    My typical day

    For her, the day begins at 5:30 in the morning every day. Though she lives very close to the school, she wakes up that early to begin preparation for the day’s business. She ensures that her home is organised by getting everywhere neat.

    By 7:15 a.m., she is out of the house and in the next 15 minutes, she is already in school. By 8:00 a.m., she will go round to check on the teachers in order to know how they feel. She does this because she understands that teachers’ feelings are also important. If any of her teachers is not happy, she would want to know why and proffer some solution. By 5:00 p.m., she goes home.

  • ‘I would have been more successful if…’

    ‘I would have been more successful if…’

    In 1997, Seun Kuti was 14 years old when his father, the legendary Afrobeat musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, died. Today, Seun, 32, is touring the world with his father’s band, Egypt 80. In this chat with UDEMMA CHUKWUMA at his residence in Lagos, he talks about the band, his career, belief and how he feels about his father’s death 18 years after.

    When you listen to Seun Kuti’s songs, it seems as if you are listening to his father’s. The flow of Fela’s music can be felt in it. Perhaps it could be as a result of Seun’s interaction with those who worked in his father’s band – the Egypt 80, but Seun doesn’t think so. “I wouldn’t say it’s because they played with my father; it is the Afro beat spirit,” he said, while flipping through one of the dailies, adding: “It is the musical spirit and the camaderie we shared that exist in Afro beat music.”

    This spirit, he said, is in those who make Afrobeat music, which, he affirmed, could be found in Europe, America and Asia, especially Japan. ‘’There are lots of bands, which have that same spirit and trying to create that same sound,” he said, with a brown mug in his hand which he sipped from.

    Seun, like his father, is committed to preaching freedom, Africa’s unity as well as advocating for the poor masses with his songs. However, his fear is that Afrobeat is declining in the country because “everybody is afraid to speak the truth, people are afraid to speak to those in power and Afrobeat cannot be separated from its message, its identity, and its identity is its representation of its people.”

    He sees the decline as a problem which needs solving. “I don’t think it’s a real problem for Afrobeat music. There are over 500 Afrobeat bands in the world, today. Afrobeat is not doing badly at all; it is Nigeria that is suffering by not tapping the benefits of something that is owned by us. And now Afrobeat is being controlled by the forces outside Nigeria.’’

    Talking about musicians outside Nigeria, Seun didn’t hide his feelings when he talked about American musician Beyonce, who wouldn’t release her album which was inspired by Fela. “I think it is good for Afro-beat that Beyonce didn’t drop the album. What is she going to add to it?” he asked. ‘’There is nothing at all; probably that is why she didn’t release the album.”

    Beyonce “has no real message to give to Africa. And the young Nigerian musicians are already trying their own best to bastardise what they think in their own way of Afro-beat music, which has no message and does not represent the people. What she wanted to do had been done by young Nigerians. It is a good thing that she didn’t release the album”.

    The Egypt 80, which consists of 15 persons, he said, has survived because everybody sees each other as important to the group. “The Egypt 80 is a mixture of generations; it’s an intergenerational band, with some in their 70s and 30s.”

     

    The music industry

     

    Nigeria has no music industry as far as Seun is concerned, despite the waves Nigerian musicians are making on the international stage.

    His reason: “Maybe if there was a real industry, artistes will have time to develop themselves. As an artiste you need time to develop yourself.

    “People are making music because they want to eat. Music in Nigeria has become like lottery for many young people, and with technology today, you don’t have to be a musician to play music. With technology the worse singer can be made to sound like Michael Jackson. People who can’t play instrument can create music, so technology has brought music to everyone’s fingertip. And you can’t blame desperate young Nigerians who see it as way to take themselves out of poverty. Everybody does what he wants and if the radio likes it and the people like you, you can find something for your family. I don’t think anybody can blame them, you won’t blame them.”

    “Every artiste must go through the transformation from man to artiste. In Nigeria, there is no transformation for artistes to go through. Everybody is just making music, man must chop.”

    The essence of music, to Seun, has been defeated. “And I think that is why Nigerians enjoy corruption. Everybody is myopic. Everybody is focused on consumerism because it is perpetuated in our society.  Nobody is beyond corruption, even the men of God. Most of the things the pastors use for their status symbols are not made by Africans. Everybody in Africa is advised to make money and then spend the money on things Africans didn’t make.”

    He blamed this on the youth who, he said, have what he called the “American dream. Our dreams as young Africans cannot be about things that we cannot afford or consumerism. The problem why many young Nigerians are stressed is because they have the wrong  dream; they have been sold the wrong dream which is the American dream. We, in Nigeria, cannot have the American dream. When young people start dreaming of flying in private jets, having models, driving in expensive sport cars and having enough money in their pocket … that can only create unnecessary pains, heartaches and stress in our minds.

    “We, as Africans, should have the African dream, a dream of liberation, not a dream of consumerism, a dream of political advancement on our continent. They should shift their mindset and dream about a free Africa instead of the American dream. I really believe it is where their hope lies.”

    Fela was known to be outspoken and constantly used criticisms to pave way for social change. His messages can be described as confrontational and controversial. Seun is going in this direction using his songs to fight for the masses. He had been arrested twice as well as received threats, he said.

    “Let’s just say the police were just doing their job. But the issue here is that we, as Nigerians, have no reason to be afraid if we are going to speak our mind and being able to identify the problems of our country are going to lead towards solving the problems of Nigeria.”

     

    Religious and political views

     

    Too many articles have been published about Seun and, in many cases, he said he does not believe in God and he repeated it: “I don’t believe in God,” though he  used the word God while talking about churches and musicians. “It is what people use, pastors use God and musicians use it in their songs when they sing. Now they have given these people the kind of blueprint they are going to use to control us; it is the same blueprint that they are using to control people in America. The same idea is brought to Nigeria to control the people.

    “You don’t hear any pastor in Nigeria preaching about community organisation, you don’t hear them promoting and expousing Nigerians coming together, uniting under one umbrella. It is African religion that is used to kill Africans. And this is a lie. I am not religious but I remember my culture. But this is the mindset that is being perpetuated to the mindset of Africans. So, is it difficult for Africans to come together to create something for ourselves and that is not being controlled by the people ruling and extracting us. You find many streets with churches and the same people that donated to build that church still donate to expand the church and donate to buy jet for the pastor.”

    He continued: “We, Nigerians, prefer to give the money to the pastors to protect us from the other Nigerians who want to kill us. This is the mindset of people. So, what is there to believe since what they are perpetuating is fear? They don’t tell us to be afraid of America or Europe.

    He went on: “Politicians are free to steal money because as soon as they have money, God has done it for them and everybody is happy with it. In other countries people get punished for being fraudulent and the society avoids them, no bare clash for evil people in our society, we celebrate them. That is the system in Africa, and that is what they use God for here.’’

    To him, the ministerial nominees are “government of compensation and when you are running government of compensation, you can never be effective. There is nothing that is going to happen here in the next four years. Nigerians are going to clamour for another government, but that is the beginning of actualisation.”

     

    Tour/career

     

    Seun has been touring the world with the Egypt 80s band for about five years. It has taken him to 70 cities in Europe and America. The tour, he revealed, would end next March.

    Do people come to watch him as Fela’s son or as Seun Kuti? He said: “Either way, it doesn’t really matter as long as they come to watch me. Both reasons are fair enough. I have fans who like me, who follow me because of what I do.

    Would Seun have become successful if he were not Fela’s son?

    “I would have been more successful if I weren’t Fela’s son. As Fela’s son, everybody is measuring you up with your dad, and you have to realise that I am the second musician son of Fela,” he said.

    What does he miss most about his father?

    “I was 14 when my father died. His death was the most painful event of my childhood. I have closure on my father’s death and I have accepted his death. I wouldn’t say it still hurts me but I miss his presence. I miss him as a person. I miss being around him. His death is not too much an issue that drags me down but we all wish Fela were here physically. He is here in his music. He was able to develop an idea which cannot be killed. In a way, he left an indelible mark and a big part of himself with us.’’

    Seun, who claimed he is “perfect”, is working on a major project and chose not to call it a pet project because “pet projects are for billionaires”.

    If Seun wasn’t a musician, he said he would have become a footballer or an economist. I have passion for sports. I enjoy football a lot. I enjoy politics, but what I do now is music. I would never have done a nine-to- five job, the only reason I hated school was because I have to wake up early. I have never really seen myself as a lawyer or doing a white collar job. I am not saying I couldn’t have done it. I could have been a lawyer or an economist but I chose music because it is in my blood.

     

  • ‘How to run a successful startup’

    ‘How to run a successful startup’

    Foray into business

    When I left banking, I went into business. I’m into distribution of oil and gas. I also run a programme called Avantarge Capacity Development Programme.

    What Avantarge Capacity Development Programme is all about

    I realised that the government alone cannot provide adequate employment opportunities for every graduate in need of employment. I have a story I need to tell the people. They need to know that they can start small and be on their own without going for white-collar jobs. There is space for everybody, if you really want to start out small, to start your own business.

    What we want to do is to train entrepreneurs, people who want to start their own businesses. We train them on the nitty-gritty of starting out, how to register their business name, how to start small, grow their business, set up their sustainability, how to put sustainability in place and how their business can outlast them. You realise that in Nigeria today, when we start our businesses, at the end of the day, it stops at a point. This is because we want to start big rather than start small and ensure that the business grows along the line.

    How startups can weather the initial storm

    Like I said, first and foremost, let your passion drive you. I’ve met people who say they want to do a particular business but they don’t have money. I was speaking with a guy, he runs a travel agency and I asked him what his plan was for the future. He said to me that he wants to be like one the big names we hear. I asked him to calm down. I know the history of the person he mentioned. I advised him to start small and grow along the line. You can’t start today and want to be like the Dangotes of this world. We know there are many challenges facing us as a people. Finance is one of them. I started with intermediating. I didn’t have money to buy a whole truck of diesel. What I did was, I know somebody who needed the product; I know somebody who had the product, then I mediated. I brought them together and I earned my own commission. That was how I started. And there are so many things like that that we can do if we know where our strength lies. One other thing is to create a niche for yourself. You can’t say because you are doing this, you want to serve everybody. The woman on the street who wants to buy a litre of diesel and the one who wants to buy 10, 000 litres are not the same. Why don’t you look for an area where your strength is? If your strength is in connecting somebody who needs a truck to somebody who has a truckload, go along that line. If your strength is in supplying a litre from door-to-door, do it. Just know where your strength is. Know the market you want to serve. Then there is the issue of finance. One thing with entrepreneurs is that they don’t keep records. I met a woman recently who bakes cakes. Coincidentally, she used to work in the bank. I asked her how much she makes on each bag of flour and she said that she doesn’t keep records. She doesn’t even have a bank account. All she knows is that she is doing business. It shouldn’t be like that. There’s no bank that would give you a facility when you don’t even have a record for what you are doing. So the lack of proper accounting is also a problem for entrepreneurs. They need to be educated on how to arrange their books. Those are areas that we can help with. We can teach them about how to keep a proper book of accounting. We have been running our programmes but we want to really come out now. I’ve gone to societies, to small groups, to my neighbourhood, in my church, I’ve done a lot of trainings for people.

    Next level

    What we are looking out now is, we want to start a weekend seminar for about 60 people. We want them to register. We will bring them together and take them through a weekend on how to start their own businesses. Along the line, we might even bring them together to form a cooperative society. This is another avenue of funding businesses. If a bank will not trust an individual, when they come together as a group, they look at how they present their case. Mind you, the Central Bank of Nigeria has a scheme. The Bank of Industry also has a scheme for entrepreneurs. But because people don’t put their books together, they don’t have proper accounting records. That is why it is difficult for them to access these facilities.

    Why SMEs can’t access loans

    No bank will give a facility to somebody who does not have records. You are doing a business and you don’t have a record of your activities for the past three years, what would the bank go on? That is a big problem. Another thing is that the interest rates which the banks are charging is a bit on the high side. That is minus for SMEs. The Bank of Industry facility is one digit but going to the commercial banks might be expensive. But if you have your records together, it is safer to go to the Bank of Industry.

    Target market

    My target audience is the young graduates who are unemployed and the ones who are employed but are not satisfied with their jobs. A lot of people go to work complaining every day. They don’t like what they are doing but they still go to their place of work. There is no way they will put in their best. They leave home reluctantly in the morning because they have to make a living. Those are the people we are targeting. We are also targeting those who are retired but are not tired.

    Advice to startups

    I’m a graduate of Fate Foundation. Fate Foundation is a place you go to and they train you on how to set up your business. Like I said earlier, no government can provide jobs for everybody. The only thing they can do is to educate people on how to start their small businesses. That is the area the government can come it. They can probably send them to places where they can be taught. The way we are taught here is that you go to school, pass well, write a good application and then you go to seek for paid employment. That is the orientation we have but there is a shift all over the world. There is no way we can satisfy everybody. I know a lady, a graduate who studied Economics from the University of Ife. She makes beads. Today, she is big in that industry. She could have stayed back at home for five years looking for a bank job. At the end of the day, she might not get to work there. Today, she travels to Italy to buy materials to make her beads.

  • Ambode hails retired army chief Dibi for a successful career

    Ambode hails retired army chief Dibi for a successful career

    Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at the weekend hailed the former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj.-Gen. Tamunomiebi Dibi, for maintaining peace in the state.

    He spoke at a reception held in the general’s honour at the Army Officers’ Mess, Marina, for a successful career in the Army.

    Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Dr. Ibirunke Shodeinde, Ambode noted the relative peace and security enjoyed in the state under the retired general.

    Describing Dibi as a principled, calm and committed officer, the governor stated that the retired general always answered his phone calls despite the time of the day, and always rose to the occasion to ensure security and safety of lives and property.

    Dibi, who was pulled out after spending the mandatory 35 years in service, told reporters he had no regrets and no enemies.

    He urged  military officers to leave a legacy for their subordinates, as well as make positive impacts on the Nigerian Army.

    He said: “To my officers, you must be strong and leave some legacies behind to those who are following you.

    “Although I am retired, but I am not tired. I pledge to continue to keep the Nigerian flag high. Also, other serving military personnel must continue to be loyal.

    “As I am being pulled out today, my thoughts are still with the Nigerian Army and the Infantry in particular.

    “I, therefore, urge you all to remain loyal, diligent, motivated and disciplined so as to get the best out of the Nigerian Army.”

    At the pulling out ceremony were his successor at 81 Division, Major General Isidore Edet; the Chief Staff Officer (CSO), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Begroy Ibe-Enwo and other senior military officers.

  • Successful Nigerians offer career tips to students

    Some select secondary school students recently gathered to drink from the fountain of experience of some successful Nigerians at a counselling programme organised by the Association of Professional Women Bankers in Lagos. Daniel Adeleye reports

    Determination is vital to succeeding in life. That was the summary of the message delivered by Mrs Nwanna Joel-Ezeugo, Chief Commercial Officer of Accion Micro-finance Bank Ltd, at the career counselling programme of Association of Professional Women Bankers (APWB) held at Golden Triangle College, Lagos. The event was tagged ‘Achieving Success’.

    The Association of Professional Women Bankers (APWB), according to its chairperson, Mrs Mercy Tinuola Ajayi, is the women’s wing of the prestigious Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) established in 1983 with a wide range of objectives that include their contributions to the economic development of the nation through workshops, seminars, research and publications.

    The aim of the career counselling programme is to empower students to think more broadly, by opening up their minds to various career options available, given their varied and unique skills, to help them make more intelligent, creative and rewarding career decisions in life.

    Ezeugo, a successful accountant with experience spanning over 25 years and covering all aspects of banking, told over 150 students from 10 secondary schools across Lagos State, how she made her career choice in 1977, when she was in primary 5.

    “I told my father that I want to read Accountancy, although I didn’t know what accountancy meant at the time. When I gained admission to secondary school, I came back home and told my father that I would not go back to the school again because there was no accountancy in the school. It took the efforts of the school principal to prevail on me after my father followed me to the school the next day.”

    Choosing not to dwell on her challenges, the Enugu State University of Technology, ESUT graduate, told the students how she dealt with plateaus and came out with flying colours in her WASSCE and later the university.

    “The achievers work harder and they don’t allow their success to be compromised. Set high expectations for yourself. In order not to be myopic in your plans, commit them to writing and put them beside your bed. Give your best efforts and get help when you feel that you are at a cross-road.”

    Rather than looking for the cloud, she told the pupils to always look for the silver lining and convert their challenges to opportunities.

    But Ezeugo was not the only speaker at the workshop, John Odubele, another astute banker and a member of John Maxwell team of USA, told the students that before anybody can achieve anything in life, such person a must first discover what he wants.

    “Your success can be sabotaged in life, if you don’t have a set goal. A student who wants to be successful in life would not sabotage his success story by engaging his time on irrelevant activities.”

    The certified speaker, who shared the story of how he made excellent results in 1979, tasked the students to make hay while the sun shines by “studying structurally.”

    Another speaker at the event, Mrs Modupe Onabanjo, who started by bowing to the students because, she is already seeing them at the helm of affairs in the future, shared with the pupils the story of how she lived above her challenges, being a female child from a very large family.

    She said the only school her mother could afford to send her, was the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos. But she seized the opportunity and made the best of it and was employed at the late MKO Abiola’s Concord newspaper, where she worked as a reporter for about ten years before the closure of the organisation by the then government of the day. She said she later joined TNT Express where she rose to the position of Public Relation Manager.

    She said “The only height of success before you today as secondary school students to the best of my knowledge is how you make a success story out of this twelve years sojourn of your education. The major bridge to cross from this journey is your Senior School Certificate Examination, be it WAEC or NECO.”

    According to her, success is not a cheap word. She cautioned the pupils on the culture of following crowd, “because he who follows the crowd cannot stand out.”

    “Despite the numerous problems attached to our education system, we still have students coming out of school system with flying colours. I want you to give this issue a private thought by having a meeting with yourself, by yourself and for yourself.”

    At the end of the programmes, some students participants shared their expression with The Nation.  Pupils like Alabi Tolulope of Joke Ayo College, Ajiyor Jexandra of Golden Triangle College and Emmanuel Madu of Tommy Gee Schools confessed to have learnt many things from the workshop. “I learned how to use my time judiciously on things that are relevant to success alone and also to imbibe the culture of moderation on everything I do from now henceforth,” Madu declared.