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Women discuss Igbo unity, girl-child at summit

The Southeast has been lagging behind, especially in unity. The situation has been a source of worry to the men. Women are only bothered about issues concerning the women folk which they discuss at the famous August Meeting. But there is a new thinking among some women under the aegis of Prominent Igbo Daughters who believe they can help the men to develop the Igbo nation. OKODILI NDIDI reports that the group held a summit at Owerri where it decided to complement the efforts of the men.

In the yesteryear, Igbo women at home and in the Diaspora waited for one year before they come together to deliberate on issues affecting them. This was usually during the famous August Meeting.

However, some prominent Igbo women reasoned that it was not right to wait for a year before they gather and discuss issues affecting them. They also reasoned that it was time Igbo women complemented the efforts of the men in moving the Igbo nation forward; not merely discussing matters that affect the women folk only.

It was against this background that some Igbo women, under the aegis of Prominent Igbo Daughters converged on Owerri, the Imo State capital, to deliberate on how to complement the efforts of the men to move the Igbo nation forward. The summit, they said, does not indicate that the annual August Meeting has come to a dead end.

For instance, the cultural glamour and grandeur which usually were features of the annual August Meeting didn’t reduce by any inch; rather they became serious tools for social and political agenda-setting for the Igbo nation.

This much came to the fore during the grand finale of the summit held at the Imo International Convention Centre (IICC) Owerri, the Imo State capital in November where a large number of successful and influential Igbo women both those in the country and in the Diaspora converged to brainstorm on the challenges confronting Ndigbo.

Like their male counterpart, the women deliberated on how to rise above the challenges that had held the Igbo nation down and how to move forward as a people.

Unlike what obtains in August Meeting which has been traditionally confined to villages and communities, and where a handful of women meet separately to discuss the peculiar challenges of their immediate environment, the summit by the Prominent Igbo Daughters comprised women from all walks of life who had the burning desire to help the men to develop the region. Women from the five states of the Southeast Zone came under one umbrella to discuss issues of common interest.

Another significant feature of the summit, with the theme, “Looking at the Next Generation of Mothers”, was the leading role played by the wives of the Southeast Governors and the personalities that attended the summit.

Among them were wife of Nigeria’s first Head of State, Victoria Aguiyi-Ironsi, Senator Joy Emordi, former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Josephine Anenih, Senator Nkechi Wogu, Vivian Okadigbo, wives of Governors of Abia and Enugu states Nkechi Ikpeazu and Monica Ugwuanyi respectively, among others.

Beginning with a courtesy call on the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha at the Government House, the women outlined their vision to complement the efforts of the men by contributing their quota in moving the Igbo nation forward.

The women noted that having identified disunity among the Igbo leaders as the major impediment to the progress of Ndigbo, they have resolved to use their positions as wives and mothers to unite Ndigbo.

Speaking on behalf of the women, wife of the Imo State Governor and chief host, Nneoma Okorocha, said they were compelled to initiate the venture by the love for Ndigbo in particular and the country in general.

According to her, the resolve to tackle the challenges of the girl-child as the next generation mother as encapsulated in the theme of the summit, is as a result of the fact that “once you get it right with the girl-child, the society gets right”.

Continuing, she said: “Most of the challenges the society is experiencing are as a result of the failure of mothers to inculcate the right moral values in their children. There is near-total failure of parenting. If you have children and they all grow up to be successful and responsible citizens, it as a result of the efforts of the mother. Also when you have children and they turn out to be robbers, kidnappers, terrorists and assassins, it is as a result of the failure of the mother.

”We are propelled by the love for the Igbo nation to converge and brainstorm on the way forward. We are here because as Igbo women, we have resolved to go back to the drawing board to get it right and if we must get it right, we must get the girl-child right.

“We have decided to be pillars of support to our men and not sources of discouragement, so that we can contribute our quota to the development of the Igbo nation. As mothers, we should take responsibilities in building a better society by building our homes.

“At present, Igbo women have decided to stand up and take the bull by the horn and the day has finally come when the Igbo nation will sing a new song.”

Chairman of the occasion and former Governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, commended the women for taking steps to assist the men in making the Igbo nation better.

He particularly commended the wives of the Southeast Governors for bringing Igbo women together under one umbrella to brainstorm on the challenges their region of origin is experiencing.

Nwobodo also noted that the issue of the upbringing of the girl-child is critical to building a virile and successful nation.

He said: “For Igbo women to gather to discuss the place of the girl-child is a confirmation of the fact that if there is any group that wants Nigeria to remain together, it is the Igbo.”

Wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, in her goodwill message, assured that the Igbo women will continue to complement the efforts of the men in moving the Igbo nation forward.

She praised the idea of gathering to discuss the challenges confronting the girl-child, stating that the development of the girl-child is a sure way to a better future.

In a similar manner, wife of Enugu State Governor, Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi, emphasised the need for mothers to take responsibility in the upbringing of their children, especially the girl-child.

She noted that as future mothers and society builders, priority should be given to the upbringing of the girl-child.

Addressing the women earlier during a visit at the Government House, Governor Okorocha described the gathering of the women as what the Igbo nation has been waiting for to move forward.

He said: “We the men have tried to balance the equation but this may be what we need to unite the Igbo nation. There is nothing a man can do without a good woman by his side and where we the men have failed as a result of ego, the women should fix it.

“It is time that our men began to recognise the place and role of women in nation-building. Nigeria is waiting for the Igbo and we must start to get it right and I see this gathering of the women as a necessary thing to do.”

The event was also a cultural renaissance of a sort as participating states used the event as a showcase for their different cultural dances which held the audience spellbound.

December 16, 2016
How financial inclusion can boost women entrepreneurship, others

Women comprise 40 per cent of the world’s workforce. About 30 to 37 per cent of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are also women-owned. Despite these, discriminatory gender policies and lack of finance continue to stifle the growth of women entrepreneurs in Nigeria and other emerging markets. With unmet financial needs estimated at between $260 billion and $320 billion a year, for women-owned businesses, experts are calling for action. Assistant Editor OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE reports.

They are reports that should spur the authorities and development experts to action with a view to addressing the imbalance therein. For instance, the World, Bank’s ‘Gender at Work Report (2014) asserts that “on virtually every global measure, women are more economically excluded than men”.

Also, the Global Findex, a comprehensive database measuring how people save, borrow, and manage risks in 148 countries, revealed that women are less likely than men to have formal bank accounts.

Giving more details, the report said in Nigeria and other developing economies, women are 20 per cent less likely than men to have an account at a formal financial institution and 17 per cent less likely to have borrowed formally in the past year.

The report added that even if women can gain access to a loan, they often lack access to other financial services such as savings, digital payment methods, and insurance.

The report added that restrictions on opening a bank account, such as requirements for a male family member’s permission, restrict women’s access to accounts. It also said that lack of financial education can also limit women from gaining access to and benefitting from financial services.

In addition, many women may have access to financial services in name only. Although, accounts might be opened in the name of a woman, the decision-making authority around the use of those funds often lies with a male relative.

These obvious discriminations against women, according to the Principal Consultant, TMC, Mrs. Toki Mabogunje, persist despite that women are known to be better mangers of human and material resources.

Mrs. Mabogunje said the neglect of women in policy formulation and implementation has made it impossible to achieve gender equality. She insisted that there is the need to empower all women and girls by ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable economic and inclusive growth for women.

She also canvassed the need to ensure fair and progressive tax systems by addressing explicit and implicit gender biases in tax policies. She said tax incentives should be provided to support ownership of assets and property by women, while also ensuring that women are properly integrated or closely linked to national sustainable development strategies.

“There is need for government to prioritise investments in accessible, affordable and quality social infrastructure and essential services that reduce and redistribute women’s unpaid care and domestic work to enable their full participation in the economy,” the consultant said, at the Second African Women’s Economic Summit held in Lagos recently.

According to experts, many of the sectors critical for economic growth rely heavily on women. Apart from the fact that women make up 40 per cent of the world’s workforce, about 30 to 37 per cent of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are female-owned.

This translates to about eight to 10 million women-owned firms in Nigeria and other emerging markets. However, the snag, experts note, is that discriminatory gender policies and lack of finance have continued to stifle the growth and development of women entrepreneurship.

For instance, experts estimate that there are unmet financial needs of between $260 billion and $320 billion a year for women-owned businesses. They note that access to credit can open up economic opportunities for women, while bank accounts can be a gateway to the use of additional financial services.

The experts are emphatic that women entrepreneurs and employers face significantly greater challenges than men in gaining access to financial services. And this was what the Second African Women’s Economic Summit set out to address.

Delivering a paper entitled: “Increasing Women’s Access to Finance: Challenges and Opportunities, the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, stated that legal regulations and customary rules often restrict women’s access and control over assets that can be accepted as collateral such as land or livestock.

He further stated that women are less likely to have land titles under their name, even when their families own land, and are also less likely than men to have control over land, even when they do formally own it. He expressed regrets that biased inheritance rights often bestow land to male relatives, leaving both widows and daughters at a disadvantage.

Emir Sanusi is not done. He pointed out that cultural norms and family responsibilities have profound effects on the type of economic activities that women can engage in, the technologies available to them, the people and agencies with whom they can interact with, the places they can visit, the time they have available and the control they can exert over their own resources.

He is in a priviledged position to know many of these odds against women. Apart from his position as Emir of Kano, the custodian of the culture and tradition of the ancient kingdom, he understands the nitty-gritty of the nation’s economy, having been a former CBN governor. This was perhaps, why, at the summit, he frowned at some lending practices that emerge as a result of financial institutions’ lack of knowledge to offer products tailored to women’s preferences and constraints.

The Emir, therefore, suggested that in line with World Bank’s insistence to ensure that the full potential benefits of financial inclusion for women are secured, there should be advisory assistance and lending support for women. He said such support should come in the form of increased access to finance and markets by partnering with developing countries and financial institutions within those countries.

He also called for reducing gender-based barriers in the business environment, and the creation of business opportunities for institutions and in the private sector to improve working conditions for female employees, market segmentation, and inclusion of women in community relationships.

Besides, there is a need to support business skills and financial capability trainings for women, while also building the business case for equal economic opportunities for men and women.

Some initiatives to boost women’s access to finance

The Federal Government some years back launched the Public Works and Women/Youth Empowerment Scheme (PW/WYE). The programme is a component of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) targeted at generating about 370,000 jobs across the country and also creating employment opportunities for women and youth in labour intensive public works.

Specifically, the programme, which was in partnership with the states, local governments and the private sector, was expected to generate 50,000 skilled jobs and 320,000 unskilled job opportunities. To boost the scheme, the government set aside some portion of the partial subsidy on petroleum prices removal proceeds to support the employment generation intervention nationwide.

There is also the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWiN) Programme to generate jobs by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youths in Nigeria. The programme was set up to develop and execute business ideas of young Nigerians that will create jobs.

It also provides aspiring youths with a platform to showcase their business acumen, skills and aspirations to business leaders, investors and mentors in Nigeria.

Private sector funds to the rescue

Apart from PW/WYE and YouWiN, a number of private sector initiatives to assist women and youth entrepreneurs have also been launched. For instance, President of Dangote Group Alhaji Aliko Dangote has partnered with Bank of Industry (BoI) to set up a N5 billion Small and Medium scale Enterprises fund to grant low interest loans to entrepreneurs and small businesses in Nigeria.

According to the industrialist, “the funds are expected to impact directly on up to 13,000 registered groups in the country. Each group shall have an average of 20 entrepreneurs, thus impacting the lives of up to 250,000 micro-entrepreneurs through job creation, spreading across all the six geo-political zones in Nigeria.”

The Tony Elumelu Foundation also launched a $100m Pan-African Entrepreneurship Initiative, which is a multi-year programme of training, funding, and mentoring, designed to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs.

“I am determined to ensure that Africa’s next generation of entrepreneurs have the platform they need to turn their entrepreneurial aspirations into sustainable businesses that will drive economic growth and job creation across Africa,” the Foundation’s Chairman Tony Elumelu said at the programme launch.

Similarly, since its inception, the Shell LiveWIRE Nigeria has provided 2,748 young people with funding to start and grow their businesses.The fund is mostly targeted at young entrepreneurs from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States by Shell LiveWIRE Nigeria to enable them start up, or grow, their own businesses.

However, for these initiatives to make the desired impacts, the Emir urged policymakers on the need to establish an enabling environment that will facilitate access to financial services for women entrepreneurs through the development of a supportive legal and regulatory framework, and the development of education and training opportunities that are more aligned with the specific needs of women.

Hear him: “Skilled women are likely to access finance more easily. Therefore, a necessary step in enhancing finance for women should be to ensure an upscale of their leadership, technical, entrepreneurial and managerial skills. An important priority for governments should be increasing the enrolment of girls across all levels of education complemented by efforts to improve the quality of education that they receive.”

Emir Sanusi reiterated that while it is important to build the capacity of financial institutions to better serve women entrepreneurs, it is also imperative that women are provided with the opportunity to be financially literate, so that they can speak the language of finance.

The former CBN boss noted that it will be pertinent to explore the possibility of enacting laws that address gender inequality, sexual harassment and discrimination as first step towards improving their access to financial services.

He lamented that those who have formal sector jobs are constrained by the reproductive roles they play. According to him, majority of women occupy low level posts that offer them the flexibility they need to manage their households while working in the formal sector.

“They (women) spend most of their time doing unpaid household work, which undermines their business potential, he added.

December 16, 2016
Bank chief, govt seek solutions to violence against women, children

How can violence against women and children be addressed?

It is through public participation and sustainable approaches, says Access Bank Plc Managing Director Herbert Wigwe.

Wigwe spoke on the sideline of a public programme held by the Financial Control and Strategy Group of Access Bank in partnership with the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT).

The event tagged “it’s on you and I’’ to end violence against women and children, was attended by many dignitaries.

Wigwe said curbing domestic violence was long overdue, adding that there was need for public participation to end it.

He said: “In the country, there should be need to mobilise the public in providing viable solutions to addressing and ultimately resolving the wicked act.

“We are happy to partner with DSVRT; together, we are ready to make this a common problem to ourselves. There is never ever a good reason for violence against women and children.

“All women have fundamental rights to live and we must ensure that this right is established.

“Most of these victims do not come forward, thinking their lives are in danger and in the case of sexual abuse, it is a stigma.

“A woman is a mother, a daughter, a sister and a wife. She is active, emotional and devoted. She will nurture, fight for and she deserves nothing less from each and every one of us.

“As we keep saying, it is on you and I to end and stop violence against women and children.”

Wife of Lagos State Governor Mrs Bolanle Ambode, said it was the responsibility of everyone to end the act “as it remains a horrible and devastating issue in the society’’.

“It is our responsibility to ensure we sustain public discourse on this issue of gender-based violence.

“I, therefore, join all stakeholders and relevant agencies to ensure public awareness and sensitisation on this.

“The law enforcement agencies must hold any offender accountable and protect victims so as to encourage others to speak out and break the conspiracy of silence,’’ Mrs Ambode said.

The DSVRT Coordinator, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, urged more stakeholders to join in the fight against the act to protect girls and women from sexual and domestic violence.

December 5, 2016
Do a selfie monthly to beat Breast cancer

Breast cancer is the leading cancer suffered by women, rapidly overtaking cervical cancer in recent times.

Despite its high mortality rate, this silent killer of women can be stopped in its tracks by a simple procedure, one every woman can carry out in the privacy of her bedroom every month for the rest of her life.

By giving yourself a ‘selfie’ monthly you can detect early changes in breast tissue that could herald the presence of breast cancer, and avoid losing your life to breast cancer in the long run.

To do this simple breast examination, first step, start by standing before a mirror with the upper half of your body undressed. Look at your breasts with your arms at your side, with your arms raised behind your head, and with your hands on your hips, and your hips and chest muscles flexed.

Second step, do the selfie- Raise your right arm and place your right hand on your left breast, using the three middle fingers of your right hand at the twelve o clock position feel your left breast with the pads of your three middle fingers starting at the outer edge, move carefully to the three o clock, six o clock, nine o clock, and twelve o clock positions, taking the time to carefully feel your breast up to the area around your collarbone and out to your arm pits. Move on to your other breast by raising your left arm and placing the middle fingers of the left hand on your right breast, starting at the twelve o clock position, repeat the process through to the three o clock, six o clock, nine o clock, and twelve o clock positions. Pay special attention to your collarbone and arm pits as there are lymph nodes in this area, and cancer can spread to lymph node tissue.

Finally, remember to gently squeeze your nipples and look for discharge (fluid coming out of the nipples).

December 1, 2016
Agunloye hails peaceful conduct of Ondo poll

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP Dr Olu Agunloye on Saturday voted in Erusu where majority of the voters were women.

Agunloye who is the first governorship candidate in the state to pick a woman as his running mate expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the election.

He said without good governance and credible leadership,the state would not move forward.

The former Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission(FRSC) has mapped out various ways to improve the life of the citizenry in the state if given the opportunity to govern the state.

His running mate,Erelu Modupe Akindele Martins voted in Ore,Odigbo local government said the election was devoid of violence.

She appreciated women for supporting her and the party’s candidate,Agunloye.

November 26, 2016
How a deal I struck with dad shut my mind against women —Ex-Seven Up Executive Director Femi Mokikan

After 23 years of active service with Seven Up Bottling Company, Femi Mokikan retired last year as an Executive Director. But the lawyer was far from tired. Immediately after his retirement, he went straight into politics where he found himself mixing with strange bed fellows. Left with no choice, he retired into more work, setting up a company known as Interventions and Resource Limited, a consultancy outfit on human resources. He told PAUL UKPABIO that he does not need politics to live a full and comfortable life.

Tell us about your stint in the corporate world

I started my career as a lecturer in a federal polytechnic. There I worked for about five years, then joined the private sector, which took me to five different companies. I worked at Training and Conference Centre, Ogere, before moving to Arthur Anderson now Accenture. It was, however, at Seven Up Bottling Company that I spent the longest time and eventually retired. I worked there for 23 years and retired last year. I worked there in the human resources department. I was in charge of that all over the country. After some years I was promoted to the board and I retired as an Executive Director.

You must have seen a lot of changes and development in soft drinks bottling in the country.

Yes, that is true. When I joined, we were doing only bottles. We did that for a long time. Later on, we added plastics to it. There have also been changes in volume. We used to have 30cl, then 35cl and later we moved to 50cl. Seven Up was the first company to introduce 50cl, bigger packages in addition to adding flavours to both Seven Up and Pepsi. We didn’t have Mountain Dew when I joined. We brought that and others in, and many other changes that were carried out but later dropped.

The company also later changed its system of distribution…

Yes, from time to time, we changed the model. For a very long time, we were doing door to door distribution. After a while, it didn’t make business sense because of the cost of distribution and maintenance of the trucks, which was heavy. We decided to take major dealers in selected places to carry that bulk on their shoulders for final distribution to retailers, who then pass it on to the consumers.

What about the volume of production?

Initially, the company had five plants. But by the time I left, we had increased it to nine. That also meant that volume had gone up. I can’t say exactly what it was then, but we moved from the position of doing 20 million to 100 million. So it was a huge volume of drinks that we were doing. Nigeria is a big country and I can say that even with the combination of Coca-cola which is even a bigger company, we are not doing enough yet, because the country is indeed big with a population of over 170 million which, no doubt, is a huge market.

What memories of early childhood do you have?

I grew up in the rural area. The first few years of my life were with my parents. Later, I was moved by dad who said I needed more experience outside the rural area. He wasn’t educated and didn’t want his children to be uneducated like him. The only way he felt his children could move up in life was by living with people who were already educated. So he sent me to his friend in the then Western Region where I spent four memorable years. The man could have been said to be the neatest man in the town, and he was disciplined. That showed in the lives of those of us that lived with him. Our school results were very good. Of course, any opportunity I had to go back to my parents on the farm in the village was always a great time of enjoyment for me.

My relationship with my dad is also something that I will always cherish. He kept telling me that he was not educated, but that it was my brain that could stop me from going to school, not his pocket. Which meant that whatever level of education I wanted to attain, he was ready to provide for it.

So who influenced you most?

My dad had a great influence on me. He didn’t have the formal education. If he did, he would probably have become a professor, because most of his sayings then are even today still applicable. I used to call him a philosopher.

You stayed for many years at Seven Up Bottling Company. What was the secret of your staying power?

I would say the staying power was the environment, which I can also say provided a stimulant for me. What I realised was that Seven Up was a place that anyone who had his shoulder in the right place would see something to contribute, more so for one who was in the human resource department. That is because for an organisation that was coming from zero system on ground meant every aspect of the organisation needed contribution and improvement. And again, the people I worked with, from the chairman to my colleagues, kept me going. I was happy where I was. Even another company came calling with better remuneration and opportunities to move around different parts of the world every year, but I looked around and just couldn’t leave after 15 years, and I still stayed another eight years.

You know there are some companies you go to and they are already very well established with systems and procedures, and you reach there, you cannot put in much contribution; you just flow with all that has already been put in place. For me, I didn’t feel that I should just go and sit down anywhere. I wanted to contribute, to create. And we didn’t have a parent company to go and borrow from, so everything had to be done locally. That alone was tasking and was also a big stimulant for me, because I had to come up with creative ideas. I am glad that in that situation, we were able to make a difference, and I was part of those who created the difference.

What is life like in retirement?

The name of my company is Intervention and Resource Limited. That is to say that we can be called upon in any area of a company’s life that requires intervention. And when we come in, results must follow. What I am doing is to also organise seminars for companies where I train people at retreats, in addition to being a lawyer.

At what point did you become a lawyer?

When I joined Seven Up, I had to rely on the legal department for many of the issues that I had to handle. At times, they told me things that did not make sense to me, but that was the law. So whatever they told me, I had no choice but to accept, especially if it was something that I did not know anything about. But we had a scheme in the company which allowed one to go back to school if one wanted to, and the company will support with some kind of subsidy. So I took advantage of that and in 1997, I went back to school. Then, we had the benefit of evening programmes, unlike now. That was how I joined the pursuit of another knowledge. And by the grace of God, with a little sacrifice here and there, I was able to complete it. In 2005, I was called to the bar.

In which university did you study Law, and how did that affect your family life?

I did that at the University of Lagos. I was shuttling between work, school and home. As for family life, there was no way it would not have affected it. As a matter of fact, at some point, I had to pack some of my things from home to camp in school. Of course, for that period, they were not seeing me at home. Also, when I got to Law School, I moved out of the house again. That somehow caused a distraction from my regular family life. But again, I had to remind my family that it was for our tomorrow to be better. I assured them that each member of the family had to endure and make sacrifice for our tomorrow.

At what age did you do all that?

I was 43 years old when I went back to study Law.

But you were already comfortable working with Seven Up?

Yes, I was somehow comfortable. I went into Seven Up as a senior manager, being the head of human resources.

That means moneywise, you were loaded even at that time

(Laughs) That actually depends on what you mean by ‘loaded’.

With your level of comfort, campus ladies must have swarmed around you. How did you handle them?

(Laughed again) I didn’t go there to look for ladies. First of all, when you are working and combining academics, you already have a big challenge on your hand. At that point, it was difficult to allow any distraction to come my way. It was either one went the way of distraction and messed up or focused on academics. Also, I was comfortably married. There was no need to allow one small girl to mess things up for me. Or how would it have sounded if I had gone to school and returned home to tell my children that I had failed my examinations (laughs). I didn’t think it was something I would love to live with, so that made me to focus on the academics.

You must have been one of the oldest people in the class

Yes. But, of course, there were many other people who were far older than me.

How easy was it for you to relate with the younger members of the class?

The class was a leveller for everyone. Everyone was seen as equals. Age didn’t matter at that point. We all saw ourselves as colleagues. But you also have to remember that even if someone is 70 years old, as soon as you get into school and into classroom, you will start behaving like the average student (laughs). So, it wasn’t difficult for us to adapt to the environment, and many years after leaving school, we still maintain that friendly relationships between us.

I’m glad I did well and I attended Law School here in Lagos. If it had been in Abuja, that would have been strenuous for my marriage. My wife was very accommodating. They used to visit me at the Law School once in a while. She would come with the children and we would spend Sunday evenings together. I have five children: one boy and four girls. I also have one who is also my child. He is my father’s son, but he was six months old when my father died. So when he was three and a half years, I went to pick him. He has lived all his life with me before he settled into his own home. He is a married man now. He didn’t know his father, so he calls me father.

You have a sportsman figure. Were you ever a sportman?

I abandoned sports a long time ago. I used to be an active, award winning sportsman. I used to play hockey for my state. At the very first sports festival in 1973 here in Lagos, Gowon was the Head of State while his counterpart in Niger Republic came over on a visit and was there with Gowon at the opening ceremony. We all lined up, small boys that we were, and they shook our hands. When it got to my turn, I held General Gowon with both hands and said ‘go on with one Nigeria (laughs).’

Hockey was my specialty. I was also the goal keeper for my school at Federal Government College, Warri, and I also played basketball for the same school. I had interest in other sports as well. I used to tell myself then that if I ever built a house in my life, I would fix a lawn tennis court in the compound. Unfortunately, I built a house, but I didn’t have enough resources to build a lawn tennis court there. I love lawn tennis, but the sporting zeal died immediately I entered University of Lagos. I got there late, and therefore had accommodation problem. I had no clue that sports men got preference for accommodation. So I was staying in Surulere and going to school from there. I didn’t even go near the sports area until a month later when I saw our former football captain in Warri on campus. He got there earlier than I did. He was the one who told me that he got accommodation because he was a sportsman. That was how I abandoned sports.

How then do you keep fit?

I think it is God that keeps me fit. I don’t do anything g about fitness. My doctors have complained. Most time when I go there to see them, they say I should go and do exercise. I bought facility for exercise and kept them at home. I bought tread mill, bicycle, but if I buy today, you will see me there for the next two weeks and after that, my interest in them fades off. I have a room where I keep those things. Some days, I go in there and look at them and laugh. I thank God for the way He has packaged my body.

How about socials?

Almost every Saturday of the year, there is always somewhere to attend a party or an event. That is because of ties and loyalty to friends, family and colleagues.

What influenced your choice of a wife?

No girl could come home to visit me because of my dad. I was in primary 3 when my dad called me and said he had two agenda for me. The first was education and the second was to get me a wife. But he said he wanted me to finish my education first, then he would give me a wife. He said. ‘If you want to change the order, you are free. If you need the wife first, I can get you a wife now. But once I get you that wife, forget about education. I laughed, but he told me that I didn’t need to laugh; that it was a serious matter. I told him I would go for education first. So he said since I had decided to take education first, if any day he heard that I had impregnated any girl, that day, my education would end. That caution really helped to check me throughout my years in school.

Did your father fulfill his promise to get you a wife?

He died before I got married, but he had already shown me who I should marry.

And is that the lady you eventually married?

No, she is not the one. But he wanted me to marry the one he picked and then add my own choice to her if I so desired. But he died before all that could take place.

November 26, 2016
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS OFFER MENTORSHIP AT AFRIFF CONFERENCE

WITH a commitment to showcasing African stories and cinematic achievement, organizers of the just concluded 6th edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) brought to bear, the need for the promotion of innovation, support and career development aid for the participants of this year’s edition of the festival.

In doing so, they sought the assistance of leading women in the creative industry who are expected to pave the way for the next generation through mentorship and opportunity creation.

The session was facilitated by four female panelists; Bolanle Austen-Peters founder of Terra Culture and Producer/Costume Designer for 93 Days, Nollywood Actress and AFRIFF Ambassador Rita Dominic, Biola Alabi of Biola Alabi Media and Nollywood Actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde.

Speaking about role models, Bolanle Austen-Peters said “I discovered myself through solitude. There should be a personal orientation about what places each person you choose or see as a role model should take you. You have to build a sustainable brand to achieve longevity because you can’t just wake up and run the show however you like. There is a process that takes experience, integrity and credibility in order to make you a name to reckon with and this in essence is what gives you the opportunity to go back to a financier bold enough to ask for something bigger to execute a bigger project.”

Award-winning actress Omotola Jalade also speaking on the issue, acknowledged Nigerian filmmaker and producer Zeb Ejiro, who represented more of a father-figure to her than an actual role model because he directed her path, put her aright and also got rid of any negativity that could have surrounded her starting at such a young age. “Role models are for different reasons, at every stage in life you have to decide what part of your life you need a mentor and how the chosen individual helps that cause. Consistency and patience is also very important. Not everyone in the entertainment business has to be an actor/actress; there are various areas of the industry that need manpower and professionalism that nobody else seems to be taking advantage of.” She said.

Giving her own quota on the discourse with additional advice to the participants, Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic said; “We didn’t have the type of opportunities that abound today when we first came in. I wouldn’t say I had a mentor but I had various people guiding me through every stage because as you go through life, you meet people who make certain impacts on your life. Your local content is alright and can still appeal to the international market; it all depends on your drive.”

Biola Alabi, given advice from a managerial perspective; “Education or background won’t hold you back because connections are what matter, that is, how you relate to those around which goes a long way to determine how far you go. When the terrain is unknown it is better to have an experienced person in that field to guide you.”

She also reiterated the importance of talent and hard work noting that some people still do not see the efforts people make to succeed but the mistakes; “Get out of your mind. You can’t undersell who you are just to fit in, gender doesn’t matter. Find the right network and then the biggest issue with shooting movies in Nigeria is trying to do more than you can afford. Know your budget and work with it.” She concluded.

The session came to an end with mentorship forms being filled by participants who were to choose one mentor each out of the panelists, who suited their chosen career or life path and would suit the achievement of their set goals and objectives.

November 26, 2016
3 Things Women Secretly Want In Bed During Sex.
As a man, one of the things that will keep your relationship interesting with your woman is how good sex is and how much she enjoys it with you.

Unfortunately, a lot of women are not enjoying sex and love making with their man because of what is called “A Poor Sex Life”.

What Do I mean by a Poor Sex Life?

It is when couples do not have regular sex….when sex is looked at as a chore rather than a deep intimacy.

It is when a man is suffering from issues such as weak erection, quick ejaculation, lack of knowledge of how to pleasure a woman and inability to go more than one round.

It is when the woman does not enjoy lovemaking because it does not lead to intense, relaxing orgasm for her.

Women actually enjoy sex a lot. Your woman may not talk a lot about how much she enjoys it because she doesn’t want you to think she likes sex too much.

She is not talking about it because the society calls women who like sex too much “nymphomaniac”.

But the truth is, deep within her, she loves the feeling of a big, fat rock hard penis exploring deep inside her.

There are some crazy things she expects you to do to her in bed to give her amazing intense orgasm:
1. She Wants You To Last Longer In Bed
When you are making love with your woman, she wants you to have a strong erection like a rock and stay hard long enough for her to orgasm.

Women hate it when a man has a weak erection and get soft in bed as soon as you penetrate her.

They even hate it more if you shoot your load too quick because you are unable to handle the pleasure you are experiencing when penetrating her.

If you really want to drive your woman wild in bed, you need a minimum of 30 minutes of strong sustained erection that will make her have multiple orgasm.

Unfortunately, a lot of men these days are unable to last long in bed. Many of them even ejaculate too quickly thereby leaving their woman frustrated.

Luckily, there is a natural food supplement that can help you overcome weak erection and premature ejaculation that you can take.

This major ingredient in this natural food supplement is called Ginseng which is a medicinal plant that has been proven to boost men’s endurance and vitality without any side effects.

To start lasting up to 40 minutes in bed with a rock hard erection when you are in bed with your madam, click here to get this supplement today.
1. She Wants You To Give Her Lots Of Foreplay
A lot of men don’t know how to touch, stimulate, build the sensation in their woman. instead, they rush and just want to enter her.

The whole sex routine of many men is something like this:

– Fondle her breasts for like a minute

– Insert his penis and ejaculate within 2 minutes

If your whole sex routine is like what I have explained above, you need to learn exactly how to pleasure your woman better.

Click here to sign up for a natural solution to giving your woman pleasurable and soul throbbing satisfying sex.

As the man, you should be able to seduce her, help her relax in bed, educate her, get her excited and ultimately satisfy her.

If you don’t do that, she will start looking out for another person who can give her a deeply satisfying sex that she is not getting at home.

Click here to get natural organic food supplements that will boost your energy, give you endurance and help you satisfy your woman in bed.
1. She Wants You To Make Her Orgasm
If you have sex with a woman multiple times, and you are unable to make her have an intense orgasm, she will stop having sex with you.

Even when you prompt her to have sex with you, she will turn you down.

If you are able to persuade her, maybe because she is married to you or committed to you and she feels obliged, she will just lie in bed and “let you do it” without her participating.

A lot of men complain that their woman is boring in bed these days.

Of course, she will be boring, if time and time again, you don’t give her a earth-shattering orgasm like in the picture below:

To give her orgasm, you need couple of things….
1. You must be extremely skilled in the art of touching her in places that will make her lost in intense pleasure and build her excitement to orgasm.
2. You need a STRONG hard erection that last long in bed. If your erection is weak and you cum too quickly, then she won’t even feel your massive impact in her.
Luckily, there is a way that you can use to build your erection and last long in bed.

You can do this by learning to exercise your penile muscles, going on a healthy diet and also using natural supplements

Click here to get this organic natural solution that will eliminate your weak erection, premature ejaculation and low libido here.
November 25, 2016
Rotary trains youths, women in skills

The Rotary Club District 9110 has begun a three-week intensive training for women and youths.

The empowerment programme in which 500 people participated began on November 14 and will end on December 3, at St Leos Catholic Street along Toyin Street, Ikeja Lagos. It was inaugurated by the Governor of the District, Patrick Ikheloa.

Some of the skills the beneficiaries will learn include bead making, bag and shoe making, event planning and decoration, makeup, gele tying, catering and hotel management as well as hat and fascination making.

According to Chairman of the Organising Committee, Taiwo Shonubi, the event was instituted to support people in becoming self-reliant and economically viable in order to survive the current economic recession.

It was part of activities to mark the Club’s Economic and Community Development Seminar for the year. Resource persons were on hand to train and lecture many of the beneficiaries who turned out in their numbers to take advantage of the rare opportunity that will help them to gain knowledge of the handiwork of their dreams.

Each club sponsored five participants.

Another of their activities held the previous week was a seminar on Agriculture tagged “Transformation towards Agriculture”

Chief Executive Officer of X-ray Farms, African farmer Mogaji, spoke on Agriculture Investment as an alternative income source. He called on all to leverage on available resources, stressing on the value of information and knowledge gotten from other sectors.

He noted that sustenance is crucial to having cheaper quality food; and small-scale farmers can be helped by giving them quality input for their crop production rather than money.

He also warned that government should not ban importation of rice at least for three years, but should focus on local production and develop more storage facilities.

“Nigeria has signed many treaties that won’t allow them ban rice. But after government have intensified local production, they can then develop a roadmap to increase its tariff in the next five years. That way, they are supporting businesses and farmers to produce enough rice for the next three years, within which there would be enough rice to feed the nation.

“Also, it is not that government has no good intentions on this, but climate change will affect rice production. Thus, there is the need to look into the organic approach and the process of food production.

Head, Agricultural Department of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Maximus Okoye spoke on financing perspective in ensuring the needed transformation in agriculture.

He noted that agriculture is pillar to industrial development. He praised the adoption of the different intervention programmes of the government, which he said has helped agric-business.

Professor of Economics at Caleb University, Olufemi Oludimu gave a presentation on strategies for marketing agriculture. He urged all to leverage on untapped opportunities and look into food exports.

November 23, 2016
3 Things Women Secretly Want In Bed During Sex
As a man, one of the things that will keep your relationship interesting with your woman is how good sex is and how much she enjoys it with you.

Unfortunately, a lot of women are not enjoying sex and love making with their man because of what is called “A Poor Sex Life”.

What Do I mean by a Poor Sex Life?

It is when couples do not have regular sex….when sex is looked at as a chore rather than a deep intimacy.

It is when a man is suffering from issues such as weak erection, quick ejaculation, lack of knowledge of how to pleasure a woman and inability to go more than one round.

It is when the woman does not enjoy lovemaking because it does not lead to intense, relaxing orgasm for her.

Women actually enjoy sex a lot. Your woman may not talk a lot about how much she enjoys it because she doesn’t want you to think she likes sex too much.

She is not talking about it because the society calls women who like sex too much “nymphomaniac”.

But the truth is, deep within her, she loves the feeling of a big, fat rock hard penis exploring deep inside her.

There are some crazy things she expects you to do to her in bed to give her amazing intense orgasm:
1. She Wants You To Last Longer In Bed
When you are making love with your woman, she wants you to have a strong erection like a rock and stay hard long enough for her to orgasm.

Women hate it when a man has a weak erection and get soft in bed as soon as you penetrate her.

They even hate it more if you shoot your load too quick because you are unable to handle the pleasure you are experiencing when penetrating her.

If you really want to drive your woman wild in bed, you need a minimum of 30 minutes of strong sustained erection that will make her have multiple orgasm.

Unfortunately, a lot of men these days are unable to last long in bed. Many of them even ejaculate too quickly thereby leaving their woman frustrated.

Luckily, there is a natural food supplement that can help you overcome weak erection and premature ejaculation that you can take.

This major ingredient in this natural food supplement is called Ginseng which is a medicinal plant that has been proven to boost men’s endurance and vitality without any side effects.

To start lasting up to 40 minutes in bed with a rock hard erection when you are in bed with your madam, click here to get this supplement today.
1. She Wants You To Give Her Lots Of Foreplay
A lot of men don’t know how to touch, stimulate, build the sensation in their woman. instead, they rush and just want to enter her.

The whole sex routine of many men is something like this:

– Fondle her breasts for like a minute

– Insert his penis and ejaculate within 2 minutes

If your whole sex routine is like what I have explained above, you need to learn exactly how to pleasure your woman better.

Click here to sign up for a natural solution to giving your woman pleasurable and soul throbbing satisfying sex.

As the man, you should be able to seduce her, help her relax in bed, educate her, get her excited and ultimately satisfy her.

If you don’t do that, she will start looking out for another person who can give her a deeply satisfying sex that she is not getting at home.

Click here to get natural organic food supplements that will boost your energy, give you endurance and help you satisfy your woman in bed.
1. She Wants You To Make Her Orgasm
If you have sex with a woman multiple times, and you are unable to make her have an intense orgasm, she will stop having sex with you.

Even when you prompt her to have sex with you, she will turn you down.

If you are able to persuade her, maybe because she is married to you or committed to you and she feels obliged, she will just lie in bed and “let you do it” without her participating.

A lot of men complain that their woman is boring in bed these days.

Of course, she will be boring, if time and time again, you don’t give her a earth-shattering orgasm like in the picture below:

To give her orgasm, you need couple of things….
1. You must be extremely skilled in the art of touching her in places that will make her lost in intense pleasure and build her excitement to orgasm.
2. You need a STRONG hard erection that last long in bed. If your erection is weak and you cum too quickly, then she won’t even feel your massive impact in her.
Luckily, there is a way that you can use to build your erection and last long in bed.

You can do this by learning to exercise your penile muscles, going on a healthy diet and also using natural supplements

Click here to get this organic natural solution that will eliminate your weak erection, premature ejaculation and low libido here.
November 21, 2016