The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Teamwork

  • Don advocates teamwork in research

    Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Tolu Odugbemi, has urged academics to embrace teamwork to enhance their productivity in conducting research.

    Odugbemi said this while delivering the Annual Lecture 2017/2018 of the School of Postgraduate Studies, UNILAG, at the J.F. AdeAjayi Auditorium last Thursday.

    Speaking on the topic: “Teamwork and Divine Intervention: Reminiscences on Research Activities in a Developing Country Setting, Nigeria”, Odugbemi took the packed audience through his journey researching into medicinal plants in various parts of the country and showed how teamwork and divine intervention helped him achieve results.

    The Professor of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology said his work in collaboration with others have attracted both local and international awards.

    He said: “I have reflected on some of my past research areas in collaboration with outstanding students, scholars, colleagues and remarkable teachers.  In sincere appreciation to divine intervention, most of the research works and publications in reputable journals, with sense of humility, have attracted local, national and international honours and awards.

    “Some of the areas include: Eperythrozoon coccoides and mixed infections; diarrheal diseases and pathogens, streptococcal infections; sexually transmitted infections/disease in particular in children; nosocomial infections.

    “Teamwork created new avenues in research endeavours for me in a way that the prestigious Fogarty International Fellowship (NIH) Award supported my research at the USA in 1982/83.  My supervisors, Dr William Albritton, Dr Robert Weaver and Dr Robert Arko made the doors wide open for my significant works on antimicrobials and resistance, molecular biology with distribution of plasmids in pathogens; unusual pathogens; kingella denitrificans, rare and unknown pink-pigmented organisms.”

    In the course of his research, Odugbemi said he not only worked with academics from other fields but with royal fathers, herbalists, and other locals who had understanding of local plants, their uses and where to find them.

    He called for more research into medicinal plants in Nigeria, which he said demands teamwork and an interdisciplinary approach.

    “The research efforts into medicinal plants should be intensified in Nigeria.  I commend those scientists who have shown commitment to the scientific study of medicinal palnts in our research institutes and tertiary institutions.  It must be state that studies of some rare plants demand courage, determination, humility and respect for community elders, priests (e.g. Abore) otherwise the research would end in frustration and failure.  Teamwork, in an extraordinary way, pays a lot to achieve positive findings,” he said.

    In his speech, Chairman of the event, Dr Daniel Olukoya, the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles (MFM), and a former student of Odugbemi, made a case for increased research at the postgraduate level to improve quality of the students and research output.

    “It is our hope that the quality of research outputs from the students of the PG School would soon start making waves in top-rated journals on various areas of specialisations across the world as well as in breakthrough findings, particularly in various aspects of life that are perculiar to Nigeria, Africa and the Black World,” he said.

    The event closed with the presentation of scholarship worth N200,000 each to outstanding PhD students by the Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, Prof Solomon Ajiboye.

    The recipients are: Jonah Uteh, a student of History and Strategic Studies; Esther Thontteh, a student of Estate Management, and Moruf Rasheed, a student of Fisheries.

    Ajiboye said the scholarship was raised from a fund endowed two years ago and called for more support to enable the PG School give more recipients.

  • NYSC coordinators advised on teamwork

    State coordinators of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been urged to institutionalise teamwork as a strategy for achieving the core mandate of the scheme.

    The advice was the key point of a lecture titled: Re-invigorating the NYSC Orientation Course to achieve the desired objectives of the scheme, delivered by Director of the National Productivity Centre, Mrs Adebimpe Aro, during the 2016 Batch “B” pre-orientation workshop held in Calabar, the Cross River State.

    Adebimpe said the goals of the scheme were strategically conceived, noting also that the mandatory orientation course played key role in achieving the objectives.

    She said every individual involved in the operations of the scheme must play his role in collaboration with colleagues, adding: “There is need for collective efforts to make the scheme stronger.”

    The guest lecturer also stressed that the actions and decisions of every staff must align with the strategic objectives of the scheme.

    Mrs Aro said: “Even the most junior member of staff should be equipped with the right knowledge, because individual behaviours can be so strong that they can either help achieve or hinder the organisation’s ultimate goals.

    “The key to success is identifying critical information required to make correct decisions and ensuring that the information is in the decision makers’ hands if and when they need it.”

    The lecturer called for clear definition of required decisions and roles of individuals in decision-making in order to boost staff performance.

  • Why African politicians, intellectuals must engage in teamwork, by Fayemi

    Why African politicians, intellectuals must engage in teamwork, by Fayemi

    •’How late Atta Mills predicted Buhari’s victory’

    African intellectuals and politicians must work together to revive public service and bring about transformative governance for the continent’s socio-political and economic growth, former Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi said yesterday.

    He said it was only when intellectuals and politicians abandon their differences to complement themselves that “the public good, which is the essence of democratic governance, can be fully realised”.

    He spoke in a keynote speech at the Third Edition of the President Atta Mills Memorial Lecture at the John Evans Atta Mills Centre for Law and Governance, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Achimota, Accra, Ghana.

    Speaking on the topic: “Intellectuals in Politics and Governance in Africa: The lessons and legacies of John Evans Atta Mills”, the ex-governor noted the contributions of notable public intellectuals, like Nnamdi Azikwe, Kwame Nkruma; Julius Nyerere, Obafemi Awolowo and Leopold Senghor in the liberation struggle and early democratic governments in Africa.

    He said the idea of philosopher-king in the contemporary African politics was to “advocate the marriage of politics and principle, and to yoke public policy to public intellection”.

    “The good politicians may not need to be brilliant intellectuals, but they also should not have contemptuous disdain for the life of the mind”, said Fayemi, who advocated a hybrid of the two.

    He added: “This is why perhaps the issue for us should not be one of transition from intellection to politics, but the extent to which we are able to achieve fundamental synergy between the two in the quest to add value to our society and our democracy”.

    He explained that the solution to the democratic deficit that the African continent was experiencing could not be by posing intellect as “a counterpunch to politics”.

    For autonomous institutions to play a positive role in mediating citizens’ choices, Fayemi noted that their organic development must be combined in a more nuanced manner and a more systematic way with the use of public and state power.

    “Am I then suggesting that an intellectual necessarily belongs in politics? Put that way, an impression is created that I consider it the duty of every intellectual to engage in politics at all cost. That is not my view. However, it is my profound conviction that Africa requires – today more than ever before – enlightened, thoughtful politicians with character and integrity who are bold and broad-minded enough to consider things which lie beyond the scope of their immediate influence and benefit.

    “We need politicians willing and able to rise above their own power interests, or the particular interests of their political parties or states, and act in accord with the fundamental interests of today’s humanity – that is, to behave the way everyone should behave, even though most may fail to do so,” he said.

    The former governor added: “In the realm of such politics, intellectuals should make their presence felt in many ways. They could – without finding it shameful or demeaning – accept political office and use that position to do what they deem right, not just to hold on to power.

    “Or they could be the ones who hold up a mirror to those in authority, making sure that the latter serve a good thing and that they do not begin to use fine words as a cloak for evil deeds, as happened to so many intellectuals in politics in our continent and elsewhere.”

    Fayemi told the audience how the late Atta Mills predicted President Muhammadu Buhari’s election victory when the two leaders met in Ghana shortly after the 2011 general elections in Nigeria.

    Fayemi, who shared President Buhari’s account of his meeting with President Mills, said: “When I informed President Buhari of this speaking engagement last week in the middle of a conversation about his on-going trip to the United States of America, I was curious when he became very quiet. A man of not too many words, when he eventually spoke, he said: “Governor, President Atta Mills was a good man; a very good man; one of the very best from our continent.”

    “Not aware that he had had any close interaction with the late President, I concurred that yes, indeed, President Mills was a good man but went on to ask, ‘Were you close to him, sir?’ He replied warmly: ‘Not really, but I met him in 2011 when I came to rest in Ghana after the 2011 general election debacle in Nigeria, and he was gracious enough to allow me stay at the Peduase Lodge, the Presidential retreat at Aburi in the Eastern Region.

    “‘We spoke extensively during my stay in Ghana but two things he said to me during those conversations stuck in my memory. First, he was among the few, probably even the first to predict at a time that I had given up on contesting for the presidency, that I will win the next election in Nigeria, if I persevered. He admonished me to take a cue from his example and remain calm but resolute. Second, he said to me at one point, ‘I came into this world with nothing. I shall leave it with nothing’.”

    Fayemi added that aside the late President Mills’ intellectual ability, his high level of discipline, integrity, humility and maturity as a leader, distinguished his administration.

  • Keshi hails teamwork

    Keshi hails teamwork

    Coach Stephen Keshi has praised his Super Eagles for excellent teamwork after a 1-0 win over Kenya that earned them three precious points in a crucial 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Nairobi on Wednesday.

    Ahmed Musa’s delightful chip over goalkeeper Duncan Ochieng with nine minutes to go, and Malawi’s failure to win against Namibia in Blantyre same day, means the African champions will reach the final qualifying fixture of the 2014 showpiece should they beat Namibia in Windhoek and Kenya hold Malawi in Blantyre on Wednesday next week.

    “I will not single out any player for praise. This is a sweet victory for us and it was only possible by teamwork. Everyone played his part and at the end, we are happy to have the three points. However, our focus is now on the match against Namibia in Windhoek next Wednesday. We have to pick maximum points from that match as well, to make sure of our progress in the race, even ahead of the last matches in the group,” Keshi said at the post-match parley.

    Kasarani’s aging Moi International Sports Centre rocked endlessly before kick-off, as Kenyan football fans massed behind their team, hoping for a miracle. It did not happen.

    Nigeria nearly got the start they so much wanted, after two minutes, when the pacy Musa stole the ball from Jamal Mohammed on the right channel and then fed Brown Ideye, but the striker procrastinated and then lashed the ball well away from goal with his unaccustomed left foot.

    Ahmed Musa’a free-kick flashed past Ochieng and goal after the quarter-hour and there were those who felt Ivorian referee Noumandiez Doue should have awarded the Super Eagles a penalty after Nnamdi Oduamadi was tripped in the box four minutes later.

    The first half ended scoreless, but Nigeria resumed like a house on fire only for the lively Oduamadi to see his shot blocked by Duncan Ochieng after freeing himself in the box in the 46th minute.

    Musa again watched helplessly as his cut back went begging in the 52th minute. Joseph Akpala, who replaced Ideye failed to connect in the 73th minute, and Mikel Obi, who had a marvelous game, shot over the woodwork with 15 minutes left.

    However, Musa’s goal gave the scanty Nigeria crowd joy, and the Super Eagles will now travel to Windhoek on Friday knowing they had flicked the flourescence button on their 2014 FIFA World Cup chances.

  • ‘Teamwork is our strength’

    The Chairman,Itire/Ikate Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr. Hakeem Bangbola, has attributed the success in the council’s performance in project execution in 2012 to team work of the stakeholders.

    Speaking to Newsextra shortly after the meeting with staff of the Monitoring Unit of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs at the secretariat, the council chief noted that without the co-operation of every member of the executive and legislative arms not much could have been achieved.

    The council boss who gave account of his stewardship said: “We were able to get to this point because there was joint effort which engendered result. Above all, there was this cordial relationship between the two arms . The openness and transparency in the system enabled us to set priority and look at issues critically and resolve on how best to tackle them.”

    Explaining why there was no variation during their defence before the monitoring unit, the chairman remarked that there was no basis for that because every thing was done in the open as every department had its mandate on what to do for the people within the available resources.

    Bangbola said: “Even when there is conflict, the method of resolving it was the most paramount thing because as along as everybody does his job well there won’t be cause for alarm. And where it appears that there is a doubt, the issue is looked into critically to ensure that things are done properly.”

    Reeling off some of the projects carried out in the out gone year, he said the council expedited action on schools and health, believing that these are important sectors. The provision of patrol vans to the police was to boost security, grading of roads and working in partnership with the state government in some projects enhanced the well-being of the residents.

    The chairman maintained that last year’s performance would not make the council rest on its oars, rather it would encourage it to do more. “Government has no vacuum; we are going to put more attention at education and health because they are the hub of any development in societies,” he said.

    He thanked the workers for their dedication and promised that attention would be given to their training in order to get more result in 2013. He urged those who have not taken their job seriously to do so because there is dignity in labour.