Primate Ayodele shows love, kindness as he empowers Journalists, less-privileged

Success Damian:

Servant of the Most High God, and Representative of God at INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, Primate Elijah Babatunde Ayodele has shown love and kindness to the world as he empowered Journalists and the less-privileged in the society.

Ayodele made this happen on February 14, 2021 during the annual thanksgiving service of the church.

It was a dream come true as many beneficiaries were wowed beyond their imagination. The Primate gave out cash, cars, tricycles and other items; he also enhanced the award of scholarships and jobs to hundreds of youths. Besides, widows were also empowered; the poor were given various forms of assistance, while some religious devotees were aided with funds to go to the holy lands for pilgrimages.

Primate Ayodele did not discriminate between the beneficiaries as both Christians and Moslems were empowered, apart from Christians who will be travelling to Jerusalem, there were Muslims who also got funds to go to Mecca.

Much more was his philanthropic gesture which he extended to the media. In appreciation of the media, Primate Ayodele gave out a jeep each to two journalists, Lukmon Akintola of Octopus News and Folorunsho Hamzat of the Status News, an online outfit. Further, ten journalists got N200,000 each from the church leader. He also announced the donation of a bus to NTA 10, Lagos.

During the presentation Primate Ayodele told the journalists not to see the gifts as bribes. “You should be free to criticise me if I do wrong. What I am doing here is a directive from God. He gave me all I have and I should share what he has given me with those who don’t have,” he said.

He assured that those who didn’t get this year should be hopeful. “Next year, it could be your turn,” he pleaded.

He spoke further “Our own church is not for commercial purpose, people keep accusing pastors, I only talk about my own, I don’t take tithe from anybody, I only do what is right with my sweat and when government came up with CAMA, I stand against it, and I say no government. I stand alone to fight against injustice irrespective of where you are coming.

“I tell the government the truth; you are my friend if you can listen to warnings. We need prophets in our nation.

“When we make prophecies, don’t think we make prophesies for popularity, I have gotten a lot of popularity since 1994, but beyond prophecies since 2002 we have been empowering people, policemen, there is no police station in this local government that I don’t give something tangible at least two times a year, road safety and many more, we support churches, I am not a businessman and I will not be one, I don’t have a company but the source of my income is in the hand of God,” Ayodele said.

He said that he loves Nigerian pressmen, “They are very important to me in my earthly mission. In Nigeria today I am one of the important pastors that you can pick your phone and call directly, I respect all Nigerian pressmen.”

 

NCC backs eBusinessLife on Girls in ICT Campaign 2021

Success Damian-Nnaji

Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator, the Nigerian communications Commission (NCC) has put its weight behind eBusiness Life Communication Limited in the campaign to sensitize young girls on the imperatives of pursuing ICT-related careers.

The nod will see the regulator partnering with the media organisation in its upcoming event, eBusinesslife International Girls in ICT Day Celebration, scheduled for April 22, 2021 at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

In a discussion with the organisers, the NCC noted its willingness to partner with eBusinesslife to ensure that the gender disparity in ICT-related careers is addressed to motivate young girls contribute their quota in the industry.

The International Girls’ in ICT Day Celebration is an initiative launched through the International Telecommunications Commission (ITU) Resolution 70 with the idea of creating a global environment that will empower and encourage girls and young women to consider careers in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs).

In the past nine years, eBusiness Life had organised the event annually in Nigeria, gathering young girls from different schools, to educate and sensitize them on the opportunities inherent in professions in ICT, and providing a platform for organisations to synergise on complementary ways to further the cause. Also the girls had been made to go through hands-on training on various aspects of ICT and gone on facility visits to ICT companies to get first-hand experience of the intricacies of these ICT firms. However, the 2020 edition was botched by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking on the partnership, Chief Executive Officer of eBusiness Life Communication and convener of the event, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro, said the need to sensitise young girls is premised on the fact that the society has unconsciously relegated the female gender and delegated careers in technical fields, especially in ICT, to their male counterparts, and that the support from NCC will further lend credence to the campaign.

She called on corporate bodies and the society at large to recommit to supporting every girl to develop her skills, enter the workforce on equal terms and reach her full potential. “We need to equip the girls with transferable and lifelong skills such as critical thinking, creativity and digital awareness. Having role models will also be critical, especially in the sciences and other fields where the presence of women is sparse.”

She further noted that efforts should be made to introduce young girls to career opportunities in technical fields in both the public and private sectors to help them have a wide range of options and contribute their quota in the industry.

Mrs Emuophedaro stated that pursuant of the International Girls in ICT Day celebration and subsequent campaign will further open up opportunities for girls in the ICT sector.

Speaking further, Mrs. Emuophedaro noted that supporting the global Girls in ICT movement empowers girls and young women, giving them the confidence to pursue ICT studies and careers. “Girls and young women have the potential not only to become ICT users, but also to become ICT creators. “

As part of this year’s edition of the event, students from select secondary schools will receive practical training on an aspect of ICT and compete on same on the D-Day. Also a roundtable discussion, interactive and motivational talk from renowned women ICT professionals, will be part of the events lined up for the day.

The campaign, which continues after the D-Day, will see young girls take part in facility tours to ICT facilities; participate in seminars that promote ICT development and undergo trainings in ICT.

At the end of the event, it is expected that young girls and students should be able to introspect and pursue any desired career path in ICT without bias, or gender consciousness.

Awards will also be given to deserving female ICT practitioners and institutions as part of the celebration.

Severe COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed at the venue.

e-Business Life Magazine is a monthly Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Magazine incorporated to bring better information that would link users and service providers as well as enable Nigeria take its pride of place among the comity of nations in the new global economy.

The mission at e-Business Life Magazine is to inform and educate ICT users on trends and developments both locally and internationally; to provide a platform on which to build ICTs in a Nigeria and also to be a voice for ICT consumers in the country. In addition we are poised to create a world where Nigerian youths have a better understanding of modern technologies and can easily deploy these technologies in developing their communities.

 

 

Nnamani commends authors of Telecommunications Law & Regulation, says it’ll enhance FDI

Success Damian-Nnaji:

President of Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, has commended authors of a book completely dedicated to Nigerian Telecommunications 

Nnamani added that the book would surely boost and enable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) 

The ATCON President made the commendation in his Goodwill Message at the Public Presentation of the book ‘Nigerian Telecommunications Law and Regulation.’

He thanked the two authors, Mr. Quasim Odunmbaku and Mr. Rotimi Akapo for working together to produce a book solely devoted to telecoms.

He said “I want to express ATCON's profound congratulations to these two persons, namely Mr. Quasim Odunmbaku and Mr. Rotimi Akapo who had worked together to produce a book that is completely dedicated to Nigerian Telecommunications Law and Regulation.

“We at ATCON are happy to identify with the duo because these efforts which have manifested in the publication of a book that captures the developments that the industry has recorded vis-a-vis law and regulation in Nigeria.”

Nnamani reeled out possible benefits of the book saying “With the birth of this book, the industry should expect the following: Increase in the flow of foreign direct investment, adding that the book will give the potential foreign investors the opportunity to understand the laws that guide the industry and how the industry is regulated in terms of investment; it would also serve as a yardstick for measuring the development of the industry and finally, it would give those that are just entering the industry a head-start because they are going to benefit immensely from the industry's experiences that have been put together in a book format.”

Like Oliver Twist he encouraged the authors to ensure that the second edition of the book is written in no distant time. “We are looking forward to reading the second edition of this book in the next 5 to 10 years because of the nature of our industry which is highly dynamic,” Nnamani requested.

 

 

Ogbonna advocates WAZOBIA as criterion for position of president, governor, others …Says it will kill tribalism

Success Damian-Nnaji

Chief (Dr) Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State, has made the advocacy that only those who can speak the three major languages of Nigeria (Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba) should be allowed to aspire to the position of President, governors and federal appointments in Nigeria.

Ogbonna took the position during the United Nations Day of Mother Tongue hosted by Ekwekuo Amagbaa at Ohanaeze Lagos Office on Robertson Street, Surulere on Sunday.

Ogbona maintained that the only way to kill and bury ethnicity and tribalism in Nigeria is for the people to learn a language that will guarantee peace and unity in the country.

“I have said it time without number, the only way we can get back our native language is by government support, and making it mandatory, from Councilor to the president of the country, if you don’t have this language where you come from, you cannot be the governor of any state without speaking your language, your mother tongue and if you want to kill tribalism that is ruining us in this country we must make sure that before you become a president of this country or become a governor or you hold anything at federal level you must speak the language WAZOBIA, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo, because you cannot take the position of Pope without at least having 11 national languages,” Ogbonna advocated.

Speaking on how he intend to monitor and ensure the advocacy is achieved, he said “This is not automatic, we can give ourselves 20 years, that if you don’t have this qualification you cannot contest any electoral post or work in anything federal government or even state. You must speak these three languages. If we want to kill and bury tribalism in this country, if you give us 20 years from today, most of us above twenty years are free from that law, but we can give it from now, those that are born from 2022 or 2021 must speak this language.”

Ogbonna stated that there is no way a nation can achieve total unity without having a central language “We have to be honest to ourselves, there is no way we can get the unity of this nation without us speaking a language. There is no country that has unity if it doesn’t have a language they understand, check it all over the world. There is no country as big as Nigeria that would have unity without having this three major languages that rule the country, no matter how you do it, unity of what? Every day we talk about unity and things are still going the same thing, if it is Hausa you want to establish as our general language, Yoruba, or Igbo that will even be better, but without us having these three major languages that rule this country we cannot have unity in the next 100 years.

“Tell me how we can get unity if you don’t understand my language? How do you cope with the country, how do you get a good job? If you want to get a good job in Germany you must understand the language, unless you want to do a job called black job,” he asked.

Speaking on the theme of the programme, Igbo language: ‘A dying language of a living people’ he encouraged his people to speak the language, with a promise to making it compulsory in every gathering of Ndigbo. “Part of it is the reason we are here, to ensure that our language is still flying the way it is supposed to be and also carry our culture which has been as undiluted and as old as Ndigbo since time immemorial.

“Most of the activities of our people here, not only in Lagos even down East, they use English language to host their meetings, so their meetings are no longer secret, because any warrior who is going to war, has set a strategy before going to the war, so if you are speaking English language, and you want to fight an English man, where is your strategy, you have already told them your secret. Where are the tricks to win the war? You will fail. So we need our language.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

LASU VC Selection Process: Management says allegation of manipulation, false, baseless

Success Damian 

Management of the Lagos State University (LASU) has denied allegation of attempt to manipulate the selection process for emergence of new Vice Chancellor of the university.

According to a press statement signed by Ademola Adekoya, Coordinator, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations (CIPPR) of LASU, a viral video attributed to one Baloguneko is making the rounds on the social media, where he accused the Pro Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of the University, Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo, of attempting to manipulate the ongoing selection process of the next Vice Chancellor of the University, purportedly to favour some candidates and shortchange others. 

The statement said the management has maintained a deliberate silence on the various media reports and propaganda that have greeted the first, and the currently ongoing selection process in order to avoid joining issues with those seeking to, and by all means, rubbish the process, in order to achieve their personal gains. 

“But after critically assessing the latest video, and aware of the damage the misinformation it contains could cause to the good name of the university, we are compelled to provide some clarifications,” the statement read 

It said that, first, the Council Chairman, Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo, does not have any grouse with a particular candidate and regardless of his personal preferences, cannot unilaterally determine who applies for, is shortlisted for, or is eventually appointed as the next Vice Chancellor of the University, #Baloguneko alleged.  

The statement further maintained that a Committee, headed by the Chairman Council, made up of representatives of the Council and the Senate of the University is only responsible for shortlisting, screening and interviewing applicants for the position of Vice Chancellor, in a transparent manner, adding “The job of the Selection Committee however ends with recommending the names of the three best performing candidates to the Visitor (the Governor of the state) who has the prerogative to appoint any of the three candidates recommended to him” 

It also said that the poster's allegation that the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, NPOM, attempted to foist a particular candidate on the university is also untrue and very unfortunate. “The poster again betrays a lack of knowledge of the process of appointment. Nowhere in the LASU laws is an incumbent (or former) VC empowered to decide his successor.

Exonerating the former VC, the statement said “Being a stickler for rule of law and due process, the immediate past VC consistently maintained his neutrality in the process of the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor. If he was not able to determine his successor while in office, one wonders how he would do that now that he is out of office,” the statement queries.

Finally, the statement said “We must state that the process for the appointment of the 9th Substantive Vice Chancellor of the University has been very transparent and credible. 

“We therefore urge all well-meaning stakeholders to resist any effort to undermine the ongoing selection process, but rather continue to pray for the best candidate to emerge while supporting the University to attain her goal of becoming the best in the country,” it read.

 

 

"The book in my honour chronicles problems & provides solutions in Higher Education, yesterday, today & tomorrow", says Okebukola

Success Damian:

One of Nigeria's academic giants and administrators per excellence, Distinguished Professor Peter Okebukola has emphatically remarked that the book "Pivotal issues in Higher Education Development in Nigeria" put together in his honour to celebrate him at 70 is a book for yesterday, today and tomorrow, chronicling the problems and providing solutions to higher education in the country.

The one time Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) made the remarks as the book review and presentation was done on Zoom, Saturday, 20 February, 2021. He made the remarks, while wrapping up the event.

The birthday boy stated that the essays, his write ups were insight into many problems facing higher education in Nigeria as well as the right mix of solutions. "It is a great pleasure having you all on board. As you honour me, God will honour you, too. I have read through the book, the chapters and I can tell you, it is a great one. It is a book for yesterday, today, tomorrow and the future. If I want to do justice to the book, I will personally take copies to the minister of Education, in Abuja and the Executive Secretary, NUC. I will tell them, these are the issues in higher education as well as the solutions", he stated 

The Director, World Bank- Funded Africa Centre of Excellence for Innovative and Transformative STEM (ACEITSE), LASU seized the moment to bear his mind on array of burning issues, especially from questions by media men and participants at the event.

He called on governments at all levels to fight corruption with all sense of seriousness, adding that corruption was seriously affecting the education sector.

On scrapping of external campuses, he noted that the centres had no capacity to give qualitative education as they had no libraries, poor manpower, no laboratories, no accommodations, lack of offices and more. He averred they were literarily selling certificates to their teeming students, without recourse to quality assurance. 

The distinguished professor of Science and Computer Education hinted that very soon, the setting up of a Pan African Quality Assurance outfit was almost a reality. According to him, it would be the equivalent of the National Universities Commission (NUC) on the continent.

Prof. Okebukola touched on the friction between Governing Councils and Managements of some Nigerian Universities, explaining that it is always about money, which a good Management will always stand against. He exclaimed that such Governing Councils usually want free money to go into private pockets, while the University Managements with good intentions, with meagre resources always say no to such absurdity.

"On behalf of my family, I appreciate everybody for their contributions and celebrating me. God will celebrate you, too," he wrapped up.

The day was not about book presentation alone. Some associates, friends and colleagues talked glowingly about a man described as an enigma and educational colossus.

The Dean, School of Transport and Logistics, Lagos State University ( LASU), Prof. Samuel Odewunmi said the honoree's contributions to education can never be over emphasised, especially his achievements while he was the Executive Secretary at NUC. He added that some of his inputs have been modified and some sustained. 

"His initiatives were great. People are always re-inventing. Institutions must sustain past efforts of those who initiated or invented things", he explained

According to the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Research, Innovation and Partnerships (ACIP), Osun State University, Prof. Tony Kola- Olusanya said "Prof. Okebukola is my teacher, my mentor and I went through his tutelage. Higher education is a basket of many issues. He was able to see those problems 30 years ago. Those problems are still there, today. We need to galvanise those problems. I am honored to be one of those who worked on the book, one of your seeds. Happy birthday sir"

Prof. Siyan Oyeweso. Historian "If you want to be a good scholar, mentor, family man, administrator, culture ambassador, strong ethics, get a copy of this book. Those are the core values Prof. Okebukola is known for. He taught me how to write good English, academic discipline, integrity and how to utilise one's time. He is a workaholic. He is a great mentor. He keeps his friends. Chairman, four Governing Councils. At Osun State University, 36 buildings, he supervised in a year. How he did that, I don't know. Thank God for your life. We will continue to celebrate your life. We pray you live to great age and live, well. Our Prof., we love you. May God continue to protect you and your life".

Prof. Juma Shabani, University of Rwanda said "I have known Prof. Okebukola for about 40 years, now. He is very efficient and we have worked together on many projects. University of Burundi is one of the best in Africa, thanks to his efforts. Peter has been very helpful, not only to Burundi, but, Africa, very helpful in Quality Assurance. We are very proud of him" 

Rotimi Oyekanmi, journalist, Guardian Newspapers.

"Quality is Prof. Okebukola's name. As Acting VC, LASU, he reduced cultism to the barest minimum level. At NUC, he introduced university fair to Nigerian Universities, which engendered competition amongst Universities. He promoted scholarship. He encouraged me, education wise. I appreciate you. God will continue to bless you".

The book contained 795 pages and put together by some editors and contributors which include Provost, Anti Corruption Academy  of Nigeria, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, and Dean, School of Transport and Logistics, LASU, Prof. Samuel Odewunmi.

Other contributors include Prof. Kola-Olusanya, former Assistant Director- General, UNESCO, Sir John Daniel and immediate past Vice Chancellor, LASU, Prof. 'Lanre Fagbohun.

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo wrote the foreward to the book and the book reviewer was the immediate past Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu Olayinka.

 

Oke congratulates Abatan on new appointment

Success Damian:

Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Oyedamola Oke, has congratulated Dr. Fatai Abatan, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science on his recent appointment.

Abatan was appointed as a member of the Board of Lagos State Sports Commission by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The Acting Vice Chancellor said he believed that Dr. Abatan's appointment as a member of the Board representing Ikorodu Division is a well-deserved one.

Oke urged Abatan to use his new position to positively impact the lives of the teeming youths in the state through the development of sports. 

He prayed that God would guide him and grant him success in the state assignment. 

Dr. Abiodun Abatan (Baresi) is the Welfare/Social Director, LASU IBILE Forum.