How I became a lecturer at law school – 24-year-old Okwor

Only 24, Kenneth Okwor is an adjunct lecturer of Corporate Law and Practice at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, and a Templars Law Firm Associate. In this interview, he tells KEMI LANRE-AREMU, about his love for the legal profession and some of his career milestones

What schools did you attend?

I attended the University of Jos where I obtained a Bachelor of Law degree; and for my vocational and professional training, I attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus. I graduated with a Second Class Upper Honours from the University of Jos, and First Class Honours from the Nigerian Law School. I graduated top of my class at the Nigerian Law School, winning several awards and prizes.

What is your work history?
Presently, I am employed as an Associate at Templars and I am also an Adjunct Lecturer of Corporate Law and Practice at the Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School.

What are your job responsibilities?

At Templars, I sit primarily in the finance practice area and we basically advise clients on matters relating to banking, capital markets, mergers, acquisitions and other forms of external and internal restructuring options, project finance and other financing and refinancing structures, and general advisory services on corporate and finance matters.

At the Law School, I teach Corporate Law and Practice.

Did you set out to become a lawyer or you had other professions in mind?

I actually wanted to study Literature in English. However, when it was time to fill the form that would enable me sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Law was the first choice.

Why the sudden change of mind?

I do not think the decision was actuated by any altruistic feeling or by a desire to define a path for my life. Honestly, it was really about gaining admission to the university to study a prestigious course. However, when I began to study Law, I saw that I could be more and I could do more. The study of Law exposed me to deeper issues that have gone a long way in defining who I am today and what I represent.

What are your areas of speciality?

I am specialising in corporate law and finance as my core areas. For me, these areas are niche areas of practice both in Nigeria and across the world and I believe that on account of my love for corporate law and all that concerns it, I would be able to learn, grow, and contribute my quota in developing the jurisprudence in these areas.

You graduated with second class upper honours from the University of Jos and a first class from the Nigerian Law School. How did you achieve these feats?

Like I always say, it was all a function of God’s grace and hard work. Studies at the university are quite different from studies at the Law School. The approach is very different as the university emphasises substantive law and it is usually very theoretical, while the Law School teaches practical law. Even though the Law School keeps an eye out for substantive law, its emphasis is on the practical application of these laws. Therefore, if properly utilised, the knowledge gained from the university can play a key role in facilitating success at the Bar Exams.

At the university, I was diligent and hard-working, and only missed classes when they conflicted with mock trials. Why I placed more emphasis on the mock trials was because they taught me to contextualise the knowledge gained in class and taught me how they would operate in practical reality.

At the Law School, I was also diligent and hard-working. The Law School’s calendar was, and still is, properly structured such that it was perfectly possible to actively participate in the law clinic and the mock trials without missing any class, and this contributed in making the difference.

Can you recollect your first time in court?

Of course I can. It was June 6 this year. My superiors at Templars insisted that I go alone.  I was scared and spent the entire weekend studying the file and rehearsing the court’s language in front of my mirror. It was a defamation suit and we were the counsel representing the claimant. In court that morning, I was nervous but the longer I waited, the more relaxed I became because I noticed that the court’s procedure was not significantly different from the mock trials I had experienced in my undergraduate and Law School days. When my matter was called, I got up and successfully did the needful.

Who and what have impacted your legal career so far?

I am an academic and a practitioner and I have mentors in both aspects of my professional life.

Albert Einstein is reputed to have observed that he saw far only because he had the privilege of standing on the shoulders of giants. My case is not different from his. My life and my story is a product of mentorship, with my parents being my first and foremost mentors. They inspire me and consistently encourage me to do more. After my parents, Mrs. Adetoun Adebiyi, the Deputy Director General and Head of Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School is one woman who believes that there is nothing I cannot achieve. Next on the list are my academic fathers and mentors: His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, Prof. Nnamdi Aduba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge SAN (the one I watch from a distance), Prof.Dakas CJ Dakas SAN, Prof. Joash Amupitan SAN, Prof. Shaakaa, Mr. Alimi, Mrs.Odukoya, Mrs. Egbe, Mr.Ogbuanya, Mr. Sam Oguche, Mr.Udemezue, Mrs. James, and my best friend as far as international law is concerned – Mr. Matthias Zechariah. These persons have, whether actively or passively, consistently spurred me to aim for more.

As a practitioner, Mr. Chike Obianwu tops the list of those I work hard to be like and I learn from him daily. Working with him and Desmond Ogba has made me commercially aware, has changed the way I think, and given me deeper insights into the practical application of legal principles and the provision of ‘A’ grade services to clients.

All these persons have had positive impacts on my legal career and have contributed in pushing me this far in my very young career. I mean, I only became a year old at the Bar on December 16, 2016.

What key skills and qualities must one possess to become a successful solicitor/barrister?

Humility, hard work, diligence, high moral and ethical standards, commercial awareness, reliability, a sound knowledge of the law, continuous professional development, and of course, paying clients!

What do you think are the most important characteristics and abilities for any person’s success?

At the risk of sounding ecclesiastic, grace is a necessary tool for success in whatever we do. In addition to grace, anyone who wants to attain success must merge humility with hard work, smart work, diligent work, and excellent work. Having said that, I must state that I would typically not advice anyone to pursue success alone. I advocate excellence and if I am permitted to quote Ranchoddas of the 3 Idiots, “pursue excellence and success will pursue you pants down.”

How did you arrive at the decision to become an Adjunct Lecturer at the Nigerian Law School?

I have always wanted to teach and I developed that dream while I was a sophomore at the University of Jos. However, the opportunity to teach came when I least expected it and at a level that is best left to imagination. In my eyes, the Law School is a sacred institution reserved only for superior legal minds and I did not permit myself to dream of teaching at the Law School because I did not know that I had the requisite superior mind. Consequently, when Mrs. Adebiyi invited me to be her adjunct lecturer, I was overwhelmed with joy and disbelief.

How do you relate with your students considering your young age?

That has been a challenge – a major challenge actually. I started out by being very friendly with them, but trust students, they started abusing it. Then I switched and became strict, and they said I was proud. Even elderly students consistently try to use the age factor against me. But by and large, God has kept me through. I try to be very friendly with them, but I draw lines where necessary.

What is your ultimate career goal?

To develop the jurisprudence in the theory and practice of corporate law and finance in Nigeria as a scholar and as a practitioner, to fight for a vibrant Nigerian Bar that is made up of lawyers who are driven by a positive sense of ethics and high professional conduct, to fight for the protection of human rights (particularly the rights of internally displaced persons), to make positive impacts on legal education pre-call and mandatory continuing professional development post-call. These are at the vanguard of the career I am building.

In between all that you do, what other things interest you?

Classical music! They always bring peace with them. I also love to watch law-related television series. Arts and nature also interest me. Besides these, I lead a very boring life!

How do you achieve a work life balance?

Truthfully, I do not. In between church, Templars, the Law School, and my personal efforts towards self-development, I have no extra time to myself. Right now, the prospects of a work life balance for me is utopian.

Punch.

Zahra Buhari and Ahmed Indimi's Wedding Celebration

The long awaited wedding finally came and from the pictures you can tell it was successful . 

Happy married life latest couple. May Allah continue to guide and protect your family . 

Nigeria’s Amina Mohammed Is The New UN Deputy Secretary-General

New UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday announced Nigeria’s Environment minister, Amina Mohammed as his Deputy Secretary-General. Guterres made the announcement through the spokesman of the Secretary-General, Mr Stephane Dujarric. 

The Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, reports that Guterres also announced the duo of Ms. Maria Viotti of Brazil and Ms. Kyung-wha Kang of the Republic of Korea into high-profile positions at the UN. “I am pleased to announce that I will be appointing Ms. Amina J. Mohammed of Nigeria as my Deputy Secretary-General, and Ms. Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti of Brazil as my Chef De Cabinet. “I also intend to create the position of Special Advisor on Policy, and to appoint Ms. Kyung-wha Kang of the Republic of Korea to this new role. “I am happy to count on the efforts of these three highly competent women, whom I have chosen for their strong backgrounds in global affairs, development, diplomacy, human rights and humanitarian action. “These appointments are the foundations of my team, which I will continue to build, respecting my pledges on gender parity and geographical diversity,” Guterres said.

Amina Mohammed Mohammed, the current Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, served as UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning. She was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

Before joining the UN, Mohammed worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as Special Adviser on the Millennium Development Goals. She provided advice on issues including poverty, public sector reform and sustainable development, and coordinating poverty reduction interventions. She is also an Adjunct Professor in Development Practice at Columbia University, and serves on numerous international advisory boards and panels, including the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Others include the Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development, and the Global Development Program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She is also the UN Secretary-General’s Global Sustainability Panel, the African Women’s Millennium Initiative, Girl Effect and the ActionAid International Right to Education Project. Born in 1961, and educated in Nigeria and the UK, Mohammed is married and has six children.

Guterres had hinted on Monday after he took the oath of office that gender parity would be top of his agenda as the UN scribe. “I think that one very important element of the agenda would be to give a clear signal that gender parity is a must and so in the appointments I will be making. “And the first ones would be announced soon. You’ll see that gender parity will become a clear priority from top to bottom in the UN and it will have to be respected by all.” “This is a very ambitious agenda, an agenda that must be for both woman and man, and that is why parity is so important in our reform perspectives. “That is also why the empowerment of women is so important in everything the UN will be doing around the world,” the incoming UN scribe said.

Guterres, succeeds outgoing secretary-general Ban, who bows out on Dec. 31, 2016 after a decade of two terms, while the new secretary-general assumes office on Jan. 1, 2017, for the next five years.

Nigeria Men

Meet Pius Ojemolon, a graduate of medicine who recently won 19 awards during his convocation at University of Benin.

Congratulations!

Nigeria Women

Meet Nigerian Mbah Uzoamaka, the 2016 Overall Best Graduating Student of FUTO, Owerri. She defied all odds by earning a CGPA of 4.85.

Congratulations Mbah!

Nigeria Women

Meet Nigerian Lawyer Sandie Okoro who was recently appointed as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of World Bank Group.

Congratulations!!!

Ini Edo Narrates How She Escapes The Tragedy That Struck Reigners Bible Church

Ini Edo took to her Instagram account narrating how God saved her from being among the victims of the tragedy that struck the Reigners Bible Church two days ago.

According to her, all her efforts to be at the service on time was thwarted by an unusual traffic from Calabar to Uyo.

May God be praised.

King Sunny Ade’s Guitar Auctioned At N52m

A vintage fender guitar owned by legendary Nigerian musician, King Sunny Adé, was on Sunday auctioned at N52.1 million in Lagos.

The guitar which was auctiond by Dr. Jogun Onabanjo, Certified Auctioneer and Chief Executive of Onabanjo and Onabanjo & Co, is known to have been designed by Nigerian artist Victor Ehikamenor.

The glittering artistic piece was revealed at the King Sunny Ade‘s 70th birthday concert tagged Sunny on Sunday, which had an audience comprising of Nigeria’s richest and top celebrities.

king Sunny Ade The starting bid of nine million Naira was followed by a very competitive bid by the well-heeled audience consisting of influential businessmen such as Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr. Femi Otedola, and more closing at N52.1 million. While the bid was in progress, the asking price for the guitar doubled to N17m under two minutes before exceeding the N50m benchmark in 15 minutes.

The winner of the auction is yet to be revealed. The concert held at the Temple Balmoral Marquee, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Vanguard.

Should Nigerian politicians undergo psychiatric test?

I don’t subscribe to the psychiatric test. I don’t see corruption as a mental illness. I see it as a social malady. What is sick about our society is our culture. Let us also admit that our culture is fantastic in terms of brotherhood. But our culture is sick when it comes to leadership. What we have is rulership of the pre-colonial culture. We have always had elites even before the colonial masters came.

For instance, we don’t question our obas. They are revered and treated as deities. How did we come about an oba who can confiscate anybody’s land? How did we come about an oba that can take another person’s wife? The locus of the sickness is not in the leaders, it is in the culture that regulates our behaviour. We have a culture we need to put on the table and interrogate.

What our present politicians do is to leverage on the rulership culture – the culture that sees leaders as deities. And if anybody stands up to question it, people will say the person may die. So, the people are subjugated. For me, we have a rulership cultural software that smart politicians leverage on to loot. As a matter of fact, when they steal and come back home, our obas give them titles. • Dr. Adeoye Oyewole (A consultant psychiatrist)

Whoever is suggesting that politicians should undergo psychiatric test is cracking a joke. It is not practicable. If that is the case, almost all Nigerians should undergo the test. What is practicable is revolution, which will change politicians’ orientation and put them on the correct path.

The revolution should not be violent. It should be a fundamental revolutionary change. What is responsible for the negative state of the nation, including what affects politicians, is the socio-economic and political system of the country as well as the political leadership produced by the system. The system encourages putting personal interest first as opposed to a system that is based on putting public interest first.

We have to change the system and make the state to play the leading role in the economy. Before 1966 when the military took over, the state played the leading role in the economy even though the resources were small. We didn’t have this level of corruption then. Was there any corruption allegation against Sardauna, Awolowo and Azikwe? Nobody could steal public money then and get away with it. The leaders then had preference for public interest. •Balarabe Musa (Former Kaduna State Governor)

It has become pertinent for some politicians to undergo psychiatric test due to certain public dispositions they exhibit. There are behavioural attitudes displayed by politicians that need psychiatric evaluation.

The quest to amass wealth stupendously, in itself, is a psychological problem that requires counselling. If not for anything, public utterances from some governors and representatives, at times, give room for the need to ascertain their psychiatric state.  A general psychiatric test should be carried out on them to know if they are fit to handle public positions or not before giving them the opportunity to handle such offices. The result can be made public as it bothers on health and as it is enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.

Government hospitals should be the proper place for such a test to be carried out to minimise manipulation. It takes a man with mental stability to coordinate a political system. It is too expensive a joke to allow a person of mental instability to man a political office. The economic and political thrusts would be at the mercy of his mental dictates.

We have seen and heard of political leaders committing domestic violence against their family members and assistants. Some have also displayed childish behaviour publicly. • Osazee Edigin (An activist)

Mrs. Farida Waziri’s recommendation that politicians should undergo psychiatric examination for reason of grand corruption that we see in our public life is a hackneyed recommendation. The first person that made this recommendation over 20 years ago was Prof. Adeoye Lambo, a famous psychiatrist and a former Vice-Chairman of the World Health Organisation, who was astounded by the level of corruption then.

I don’t think that is the solution. That may be begging the issue. I don’t think defence of insanity, which is a defence in criminal law in answer to criminal allegations, avails against allegations of corruption and abuse of office. The reason why people engage in large scale corruption is not because they are insane either technically or factually. It is because they feel confident that if they engage in massive corruption, they will get away with it.

We shouldn’t trivialise this issue (of corruption) by saying perhaps politicians are insane, and we should subject them to psychiatric test. And for the person this recommendation is coming from, the question I want to ask is: are politicians the only ones who are supposed to undergo psychiatric test? The test should include bureaucrats, law enforcers, etc. Are police officers taking bribe on the road mad? So, it is not about psychiatric evaluation.

The antidote, in my opinion, is an unrelenting and thorough enforcement of our anti-corruption laws in such a way that public officers who infract the law, the law should take its course against them no matter how highly placed they are. In other climes, such as Israel, Malaysia, we see presidents and prime ministers go to jail. One is ongoing in Korea. So, if our anti-corruption laws are implacable, those public officers that Nigerians want to assume are stealing because they are mad, will no longer be mad. Once people get punished for the crimes they commit and they are disgorged of the illicit money they have stolen, you won’t see them as being mad as it is now suggested. They will behave with all decorum and decency in public offices. And nobody at that stage will be suggesting that they be subjected to psychiatric examination.   • Jiti Ogunye (A human rights lawyer)

With respect to the kind of attitude our politicians have displayed, they may not be considered to be psychiatrically sound.

There is no gentleman in Nigeria that will want to seek political office because of the kind of the banditry politicians display. The test should be genuine and the persons that will carry it out should be tested too.

It is a good move and should be mandatory. It should be enshrined in the constitution.

This will create sanity in the system and ensure proper management of public offices, including public funds. • Mr. Olasubomi Okeowo (A lawyer)

Yes, they should undergo psychiatric test based on the behaviour they exhibit on assumption of office such as unequalled quest for money and insensitivity. Less than two weeks for the seventh National Assembly to end its proceedings, the legislature went ahead to pass over 30 bills at one sitting. This is not thinkable at all, no matter the type of democracy we operate.

In Edo State, we are talking about how to conserve funds. But the House of Assembly went ahead to set aside the rules of the House by amending the pension bill just to favour the past governor. So, it goes to show that they (politicians) are not even in consonance with what is actually happening to the people. So, if they go for mental check, they will be able to know their level of depression.

Most of them are unable to manage themselves because of the pressure from their respective constituencies. So, if you want to be a governor, there must be a provision in the constitution that you have to undergo a psychiatric test. It does not show that you are insane. It is just for us to know your state of mind, so that when you get into office, we will know how best to regulate you.

 The test should be psycho-social; it should focus on depression, drug level, etc. The test should be conducted in government hospitals so as to reduce the level of manipulation.

But before aspiring, they should be told (about the test) and their consent sought to make the result public. It should be a law. Other conditions can be managed but a psychiatric case demands greater monitoring. •Jude Obasanmi (President, Conference of Non-governmental Organisations, Edo State)

Compiled by Afeez Hanafi and Alexander Okere

MEET 23-YEAR-OLD NIGERIAN ENTREPRENEUR WHO TURNED DOWN A JOB OFFER FROM BILL GATES’ MICROSOFT

A 23-year-old Nigerian entrepreneur, Chris Kwekowe turned down a job offer to work as a software engineer at Microsoft, owned by the richest man in the world, Bill Gates, in order to begin his own start-up in Lagos.

The Lagos State University computer science graduate proudly revealed this to Bill Gates during a television interview for Africa’s brightest young entrepreneurs in August 2016.
Kwekowe, who won the 2015 Anzisha Prize which came with a $25,000 cheque, said he rejected the offer to build up his own startup, Slatecube– a website aimed at helping other young Nigerians find jobs

When I told him, Gates was intrigued and he smiled. After the programme, all the directors were like, ‘Dude, you mean you actually turned down a job at Microsoft and had the guts to tell Bill Gates?’

Kwekowe founded Slatecube with his brother Emerald, 20, in October 2014. The pair funded their efforts by freelancing as web designers and running a software solutions firm.

He said Slatecube seeks to solve that problem by nurturing the graduates through digital internships and so far, Slatecube has an 80% employment rate for its users. Companies that have used the platform, have saved over $100,000 in 2015 by hiring skilled, ready to work employees.

In a Facebook post published last August, Chris narrated in details of his meeting with Bill Gates:

“Oh yeah, I did meet with Bill Gates in Durban, South Africa where we had some candid discussion about everything – from his involvement with charitable causes in the continent, to how he makes time to be a great father for his kids. My favourite moments were watching his reaction after I told him I turned down job offers from Microsoft and the likes to pursue something more defining for me, and how Africa’s development depends more on sustainable investments in innovative social startups like Slatecube that solve some of the continent’s biggest problems, rather than donating entirely to charity organisations who end up requiring more financial injection to deal with the minutest of issues. Anyways, we’d be working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to make our value proposition at Slatecube a pan-African privilege. Soon, you’d rather be in demand across the globe, and engage in companies and projects that make you better, and suits your career goals. Nothing can really be better”

2016 Nigerian Movies To watch This Holiday

Holiday is almost here,  and there is just one thing that completes it all - movies,  not just any movies but great movies that was well prepared to engage you throughout this yuletide .  Enjoy my list below and best viewed via iroko tv . 

MMM Port-Harcourt chapter donates borehole to Ogoni community

Bothered by the dearth of potable drinking water faced by residents of Kedum, Kaani ward, in Ogoni community of Rivers State., the MMM-Nigeria’, a community of mutual financial aid and donations, Port Harcourt chapter, Sunday, commissioned a borehole in the community, saying it’s its own little way of ameliorating the plights of residents in Kedum area and other neighbouring communities.

A Guider in the ‘MMM Community’, Ndukwe Joseph Ndukwe, said the project was motivated by the desire of the group to affect the society positively especially now the country is faced with excruciating recession induced hunger and poverty.

“That is what defines us as a community of people providing financial help to each other on the principle of gratuitous, benevolence and reciprocity,” Ndukwe stated. Present at the commissioning of the project were the MMM Nigeria, PH chapter number one man,Abiye Johnson (100k+ Guider); Nonso Onwuneme (100k+ Guider), other MMM Guiders participants, Kedum community leaders and members of the community who could not hide their joy.

It will be recalled that in June this year, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, launched the “Clean-Up of Ogoniland” at Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State. Ogoni-land. However, since flag-off, the project had experienced hiccups. But the MMM-Nigeria Port Harcourt, in less than a month constructed and handed-over the borehole to members of the Ogoni community.

The community head, who could not hide his joy, stated that when some delegates from MMM visited him and informed him of the project they intend bringing to their community and that they needed a land space for the project to be done, he was thinking that it was normal political promises but to his greatest surprise after three days, the work started and did not last up to a month to be completed.

Vanguard.

50 Nigerian languages to become extinct’

The Linguistic Association of Nigeria (LAN) said unless proactive steps were taken, more than 50 minority languages in the country might become extinct in a few years.

President of the association, Prof. Chinyere Ohiri-Aniche, disclosed this in Jos on Tuesday at the ongoing five-day annual conference of LAN holding at  University of Jos.

Ohiri-Aniche, who was represented by Prof. Harrison Adeniye, spoke of the urgent need to revive moribund minority languages because of their importance to the cultural good of the country.

He, therefore, called on  the Federal Government to “reawaken” the national language policy to prevent the minority languages from going extinct.

“Let me use this opportunity to advise the Federal Government on the need to reawaken the national language policy project which is moribund already.

“There is also an urgent need to establish language centers to prevent possible extinction of most minority languages in the country,” he said.

The LAN president stated that the establishment of the centres to teach local languages will help revive some languages already extinct.

“We would like to use this opportunity to remind you, sir of the promise made on behalf of the university to establish the centre for minority languages in your institution.

“We know this centre when established will go a long way in documenting and revitalizing well over fifty languages, most of which are moribund,” he said.

He urged parents to always speak to their children in their local dialects to enable them to speak in the tongues.

Also speaking, the Vice Chancellor, University of Jos, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, charged the association to revive moribund Nigeria minority languages.

Maimako, who was represented by the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Tor Iorapuu, said the use of local parlance among Nigerians had decreased.

According to him, linguists have what it takes to address the “unfortunate” situation of language and cultural decline in the country.

NAN

Donald Trump Appoints Nigerian Man, Ogunlesi To President's Strategic and Policy Forum

President-elect Donald Trump On Friday appointed a Nigerian man, Adebayo Ogunlesi as member of the President’s Strategic and Policy Forum.

The Forum, which is composed of some of America’s most highly respected and successful business leaders, will be called upon to meet with the President frequently to share their specific experience and knowledge as the President implements his plan to bring back jobs and Make America Great Again.

The Forum will be chaired by Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Blackstone.

Members of the Forum will be charged with providing their individual views to the President – informed by their unique vantage points in the private sector – on how government policy impacts economic growth, job creation, and productivity.

“This forum brings together CEOs and business leaders who know what it takes to create jobs and drive economic growth,” said President-elect Trump. “My administration is committed to drawing on private sector expertise and cutting the government red tape that is holding back our businesses from hiring, innovating, and expanding right here in America.”

The first meeting of the Forum will be held at The White House during the first week of February.

The members of the Forum include:
Stephen A. Schwarzman (Forum Chairman), Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Blackstone;

Paul Atkins, CEO, Patomak Global Partners, LLC, Former Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission;

Mary Barra, Chairman and CEO, General Motors;

Toby Cosgrove, CEO, Cleveland Clinic;

Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co;

Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO, BlackRock;

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company;

Rich Lesser, President and CEO, Boston Consulting Group;

Doug McMillon, President and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.;

Jim McNerney, Former Chairman, President, and CEO, Boeing;

Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi, Chairman and Managing Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners;

Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President, and CEO, IBM;

Kevin Warsh, Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Economics, Hoover Institute, Former Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;

Mark Weinberger, Global Chairman and CEO, EY;

Jack Welch, Former Chairman and CEO, General Electric;

Daniel Yergin, Pulitzer Prize-winner, Vice Chairman of IHS Markit.

Excitement As WAEC Celebrates Outstanding Candidates, Schools

He tried to keep his speech short, but Father Joe-Stanis Okoye, Principal, Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, could not hide the sparks of joy and elation in his voice.

Clutching the trophy won by Loyola Jesuit in both hands, Okoye commended his pupils for regularly bringing the school honour in the annual West African Examinations Council Awards for outstanding performance.

The educationist and his team have reasons to be excited. The awards ceremony, organised by the WAEC, recognised three candidates with the best results. Also, the Omo N’Oba Erediauwa Coronation Trophies and the Augustus Bandele Oyediran Trophy decorated schools that produced the best male and female candidates and school with the best overall results respectively.

The WAEC awards have produced winners in different categories since 1985 except in 1988 when the council did not stage the ceremony.

But the 2016 edition, held at the council’s international office in Lagos on Thursday, celebrated three pupils and five schools, including the LJC.

Since 2002, when the school made its first showing as the school with the best overall West African Senior School Certificate Examinations results, it continued the streak till 2005, returning in 2008 to clinch the prize in that category.  This year, Loyola Jesuit won big for producing the best female candidate and having the best overall results in the 2015 WASSCE.

Speaking at the occasion, Okoye commended his pupils for being what he called intentional learners.

“Our pupils plan to learn and also engage in constant review and reflection of what we have been doing and what we can do better. We call it the Magis, a Latin word for excellence. We are grateful to God for these awards. When God gives us something, He wants us do more. We want our pupils to be encouraged and inspired to do better,” he said.’

But the LJC was not alone in the moment of glory. The Oritamefa Baptist Model School, Ibadan, shone like a million stars when it was announced as the school which produced the best male candidate – Oluwasayo Babalola – who also happened to be the candidate with the best 2015 WASSCE results in the country.  In 2010 and 2011, the school was decorated by WAEC for producing the best female candidates in the 2009 and 2010 WASSCE respectively.

Three schools in Lagos were also rewarded as those with the best aggregate results in the 2015 WASSCE. These are Lagoon School, Lekki, (first position); Sagab College, Ikorodu, (second position) and Wellspring College, Ikeja (third position).

In the distinction/merit category, 17-year-old Babalola emerged the best candidate in the year under review,  with Grade 1 in nine subjects, narrowly edging out Toluwase Alabi,  formerly of Our Lady and St. Francis Catholic College, Osogbo, Osun State,  with Grade 1 in eight subjects,  to the second position.

Both academic heavy weights,  who were represented at the event by their parents, are studying Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan.

Emerging as the candidate with the third best result in the 2015 WASSCE and the best female candidate with the best result is Ugonma Nkata. The 17-year-old, who graduated from the LJC, has distinctions in eight subjects.

However, in his address, the Head of National Office of the council, Mr. Olu Adenipekun, argued that academic excellence was not tied to the class of school a candidate attended. He added that deserving candidates must make outstanding results at the first attempt and at the same sitting.

He said, “No school or class of schools has the monopoly of producing brilliant candidates as village and community schools have, once in a while, produced award winners. Winners of the awards have always been high flyers whose academic excellence spanned their primary and secondary school careers and who have continued to blaze the trail in the best universities in Nigeria, Europe and America. The awards have thus confirmed the validity of WAEC assessment.’’(Punch)

Soyinka destroys his Green Card!

Nobel prize-winning author, Prof. Wole Soyinka, said on Thursday he had fulfilled his pledge to throw away his US residency green card and leave the country if Donald Trump won the presidential election.

Shortly before the vote, Soyinka had vowed to give up his permanent US residency over a Trump victory to protest against the Republican billionaire’s campaign promises to get tough on immigration.

AFP reported that Soyinka said this on the sidelines of an education conference at the University of Johannesburg.

“I have already done it, I have disengaged (from the United States). I have done what I said I would do,” the 82-year-old said.

He added,  “I had a horror of what is to come with Trump… I threw away the (green) card, and I have relocated, and I’m back to where I have always been” – meaning his homeland Nigeria.

The prolific playwright, novelist and poet won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986 and has been a regular teacher at US universities including Harvard, Cornell and Yale.

At the same time, he said he would not discourage others from applying for a green card.

“It’s useful in many ways. I wouldn’t for one single moment discourage any Nigerian or anybody from acquiring a green card… but I have had enough of it,” he said.

Soyinka, one of Africa’s most famous writers and rights activists, was jailed in 1967 for 22 months during Nigeria’s Civil War.

He was reported to have recently completed a term as scholar-in-residence at New York University’s Institute of African American Affairs.(Punch)

I think therefore I am: effects of mental slavery on Africa

By Africans Adviser 

In 1883, King Leopold 2 of Belgium, penned a letter to the missionaries in Congo instructing them to teach Africans the Bible in a way that will make them submissive to Belgian. He commanded the missionaries to emphasize Biblical scriptures that show that ‘Africans should love and cherish poverty as a way to heaven’. ‘Blessed are the poor…’ and ‘it is very difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven…’, were some of the scriptures the missionaries were to use to make Congolese hate riches. Other colonial powers across the continent employed the same tactics in different ways.

In South Africa and Zimbabwe, the few who managed to go to school were not allowed to pursue academic disciplines which would enlighten them. Instead the colonial establishments, enrolled them to study such fields as carpentry and building.

According to Cheryl Tawede Grill, a professor of Clinical Psychology at Loyola Marymount University, mental slavery has devalued many things and these include ‘humanity, worth, intellect, culture, morals, sexuality, hair and skin.’ With over a century of exposure to injustice and violence, Africans are inevitably bearing the brunt of mental enslavement.

The best way to understand the effects of mental slavery is to imagine our own mental associations. What comes to our minds when we think of Africa? What comes to our minds when we hear of black people? It is highly likely that many imaginations will be littered with negative associations that mirror prejudices and the information that we have been fed with over the years.

If you ask someone in the streets which company he/she would choose to work for between the one run by a fellow African and the other run by a foreign national, chances are that the person would prefer to be employed by a foreigner. I have often heard on many occasions fellow Africans disparaging themselves and remarking that there was nothing that they could do on their own to turn around the fortunes of the continent.

But as Africans we should believe in ourselves before we expect the world to believe in us.

As an African proverb goes, “until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter,”we should always be cognizant of the need tell our own story.  Others have twisted our story to their own liking and as a result, Africa has for a long time been linked with all forms of negative associations that are detrimental to its socio-economic progress. The continent should not silently watch as international media continue to obliterate its history.

What worsens the situation is the fact that mental slavery has not been observed in ordinary people only, but even in those who should be giving leadership. Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, Director of Kenyan Law School, notes that the same politicians who speak positively about their countries’ universities and hospitals are the first to send their kids abroad to learn.
Modern governance machinery has not helped things. The glaring service delivery failure by governments across the African continent has given birth to dearth of public and national confidence. National confidence is key to national development. Without which people will find no impetus to work hard and in the process fail to effectively render the much needed public support for governments’ development initiatives. According to conventional development wisdom, wherever there is a rapidly developing nation, there is a supportive and confident population. Public confidence encourages positive public actions such as investment, innovation, enterprise and ultimately productivity that in-turn stimulate economic growth. Classical examples are Japan, South Korea, United States of America and Spain among many others whose citizens directly or indirectly embraced and supported national policies in the notion of the public good, and eventually drove their economies on the path to stability and sustainable growth.

Ex-UNILAG Beggar Becomes Lawyer

A former street beggar, Mr. Abdulsalam Idowu, heaved a sigh of fulfilment of a life ambition as he was called to the bar to start practising as a lawyer in Nigeria on Wednesday.

Idowu, who defied all odds, to bag his law degree from the University of Lagos in 2015, had proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, where he emerged successful in the August/September 2016 final bar examinations conducted at the end of the one-year programme.

The new wig, who engaged in street begging to fund his primary and secondary education,  was among the 4,225 graduates of the Nigerian Law School called to the bar in Abuja on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Having lost his mother at about age three, crippled by a disease that befell him thereafter and left with a father and relatives who had no interest in his future, Idowu started begging at age eight in Erin Ile, Kwara State, to see himself through his primary and secondary school education.

Against all odds, the 37-year-old had earlier in 2011 obtained a degree in Political Science from the same University of Lagos.

Not satisfied without a Law degree, he struggled to secure admission to study Law while in the final year of the first degree programme.

Idowu spoke with our correspondent on Wednesday at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, venue of the two-day call-to-bar ceremony.

He said, “I was not satisfied when they gave me admission to study Political Science because I have always wanted to be a lawyer.

“So, I struggled to get admission to study Law. I got the admission when I was in my final year, writing my final project for the Political Science degree.”

He narrated how he began to beg for alms to enable him to get education, a sojourn which he said landed him in Lagos, where he was able to raise money to complete secondary school and later got admission to the University of Lagos.

He said, “It was sometimes in 1987, I was about eight years old in the public kindergarten school. All my mates were promoted to primary one but I was not promoted.

“I asked why because I attended classes and sat for exams. I was then told that I was not a registered pupil but they only allowed me to attend classes and take exams.

“That day I felt very sad and on getting home I called everybody, including my father and aged paternal grandmother, whom I was staying with, because I was very angry.

“I told them that I wanted to be registered in school but they said there was no money and that there was no way I could cope in school because of my condition. But I insisted that they must register me and that they should not bother about paying my fees.

“They registered me and as soon as they did, I took to the street begging for alms to meet some financial demands that came up.

“When I gained admission in 1993, I could not afford N520 school fees but I had been hearing the story of Lagos State that one could make money in Lagos State. So, one day I was begging in Offa, Kwara State, then I said why shouldn’t I join a train to Lagos and perhaps I could make money to pay for the fees, buy a uniform and get my locker. So, I joined the train to Ido terminus in Lagos. I started begging. I stayed with some people under the bridge and I was begging in some areas including Idumota.”

He said he was travelling to and fro Lagos to raise money which he used to settle his fees till he got to the final class when he was supposed to write his O’Level West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations which he could not raise money for.

He later relocated to Lagos fully where he was able to raise enough money through his begging business to sit for the WASSCE as a beggar and passed after two attempts.

He subsequently gained admission to UNILAG with the intention of continuing his alms begging business to raise money to continue his education.

He had just N39,000 as savings from  his begging business when he got admission.

But he exhausted the money after completing his first semester registration.

He was however lucky that  some compassionate Nigerians and organisations decided to sponsor him after reading his story in The PUNCH.

Speaking with our correspondent on Wednesday, he attributed the inspiration which drove him to bagging two degrees as “God’s miracle”.

“I thank God because if not for Him and those He used to come to my aid, I can be nowhere now,” he added.

He said his immediate plan was to get a job in a law firm.

“I wish to set up my law firm later and in the nearest future I want to become a judge,” Idowu said.

He thanked The PUNCH and other Nigerians, such as a judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, Alhaja Osonaike, Alhaja Fowosere, Alhaja S.O Yusuf, Mrs. Comfort Obi and wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Bukola- Saraki, for helping him to achieve his life ambition.

He also thanked those he referred to as “responsible fathers” such as Mr. Peace Emokaro, Pastor Adewuyi, Alhaji Olajobi, Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, Prof. Tolu Odugbemi and  the late Prof. Tokunbo Sofoluwe for the supports he received from them.

Ericsson sacks 160 Nigerian workers, takes jobs to India

Ife Ogunfuwa

Ericsson Nigeria, the local subsidiary of the global telecommunications solutions provider, has disengaged about 160 permanent and outsourced workers in its Network Operating Centre, investigations have shown.

It was gathered that disengagement, which takes effect on Sunday, December 4, 2016, affected 55 full-time employees of the company.

According to sources in the company, some workers were laid off in July when the offshoring (the practice of a company in one country arranging for people in another country to do work for it) of jobs to India began.

Findings show that foreign workers had been recruited to replace the disengaged workers, and knowledge transfer by Nigerian engineers to the new workers was ongoing in the company’s office in India.

Sources revealed that the knowledge transfer had been going on since last year when some Indians were brought into the country to study the management of telecommunications infrastructure in the country.

A copy of the disengagement letter to the permanent workers signed by the Managing Director of the company, Johan Jemdahi, and obtained by our correspondent, reads, “Please be informed that effective December 4, 2016, your position has been declared redundant. We thank you for all your past services to Ericsson. Further information about the redundancy benefits will be communicated to you before the actual termination date.”

Findings showed that in the last two and half years, Ericsson Nigeria had managed the MTN network majorly from its pool of local workers, some of who were former MTN employees, as well as other contracted workers.

One of the affected workers said that the company was offering the jobs, which involved the monitoring of MTN masts and networks in the country, to Indians at reduced costs.

The workers expressed fears that this would be a continuous trend in the telecommunications industry if it was not addressed by the government.

The employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “The company said it was cheaper for the work to be done in India than in Nigeria. The monitoring of those masts can be done from anywhere. We monitor Abuja, Enugu, Asaba, and Port Harcourt sites from the Lagos office. What they are now proposing is that instead of monitoring from Lagos, they want to monitor from India.

“They have taken the Airtel NOC office to India. They brought about 30 Indians to Nigeria last year to come and understudy the MTN network and after a month, they went back and started monitoring from there. There are no plans to pay compensation to the outsourced workers in the company.”

The Public Relations Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa, Ericsson, Toju Egbebi, who confirmed the development to our correspondent, said the move was part of the company’s global cost and efficiency programme to achieve a net annual cost savings of Swedish Krona 9bn, adding that the programme would continue till 2017.

According to her, the redundancy is being carried out across 180 countries where the company operates.

She explained that on July 19, the company announced actions to further save costs as well as intensify reductions in cost of sales activities and adapt its operations to a weaker mobile broadband market.

Egbebi added, “This means employees will be affected. The decision to offshore our service is in keeping with our global delivery strategy; certain work may be centralised into global delivery centres. This is to enable improved network availability and quality for consumers, and cost efficient network operations for operators.”

(Punch)

Recession: NYSC asks for subsidized feeding

 The Enugu state command of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has pleaded with the state government to subsidize the feeding of the corps members in view of the increasing population of the members.

The state coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Nwano Ukagha also said that despite all the assistance the state has been giving the command, it is constrained to plead for more assistance, especially in provision of  facilities at the orientation camp.

The command made the request during the swearing-in ceremony of the 2016 ‘B’ corps members at the state orientation camp in Awgu, Enugu State, yesterday. 

The new  corps members of 2016 Batch ‘B’ deployed to the state however told Vanguard that except for inadequate water supply at the orientation camp, other facilities as hostel, electricity and social services were in fair supply.

The state Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who was represented at the ceremony by the state commissioner for Education, Prof. Uchenna Eze, said government was aware of their challenges and is taking concrete steps to launch an intervention programme. “I wish remind you of the importance of the NYSC programme and the need to be committed to the realization of its objectives.

In order to make success of this assignment, you must be dedicated, focused and ready to apply yourselves to the activities of the orientation course,” said Ugwuanyi.

A total of 2, 169 corps members were registered in the camp, comprising 1, 201 males and 968 females.(Vanguard)

Buhari Jailed Me 18 Months For Being Wealthy —Anenih

A former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, says the military administration of President Muhammadu Buhari kept him in jail for 18 months between March 1984 and August 1985 because he was a rich man.

Anenih said this in his biography titled, ‘My Life and Nigerian Politics’ which was launched in Abuja on Saturday.

He said when Buhari came into power through a military coup in December 1983, he went about arresting politicians arbitrarily and he was one of those picked up because he was the Chairman of the defunct National Party of Nigeria in old Bendel State.

Anenih said, “The military regime of General Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon threw me into detention for 18 months on the basis of an anonymous petition that as a prominent and wealthy politician and leader of the NPN in Bendel State, the military administrator would not find his footing unless I was removed from the scene.

“I was sent to Kirikiri Prisons where I spent three months before I was transferred to Ikoyi Prisons.”

The retired police officer maintained that he did nothing wrong to warrant such treatment.

He said, “I must emphasise it again and again that I did nothing wrong to anyone, the government or the state to merit a detention. My crime was that I was a wealthy, influential and highly respected politician.”

Anenih, who later served as the minister of works and housing under former President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2002, said while in detention, he met other prominent politicians like former Governor Lateef Jakande of Lagos State, former Governor Olabisi Onabanjo of Ogun State; ex-Governor Bola Ige of old Oyo State; former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme, ex-Governor Ambrose Alli of old Bendel State, Chief Solomon Lar and many others.

The ex-minister said their cells were bugged by security agents who monitored their conversation.

The PDP chieftain said the worst part of the detention was that some governors who had sentenced some criminals to death were locked up in the same cells.

Anenih said, “We were transferred to Ikoyi Prisons because of the riot that took place while we were there. The condemned prisoners whose death warrants had earlier been signed by Alhaji Lateef Jakande when he was governor of Lagos State, broke loose on sighting him as one of the detainees.

“They broke out of their cells and headed towards the building where Jakande and the rest of us detainees were kept. As the prisoners were attempting to force the iron door open, mobile police were called in to quell the riot.”

The ex-minister, who gave an insight into the living condition of the politicians in detention, described the experience as hellish.

He added, “Where we were staying, the bucket latrines or toilets had opening to the rooms. These buckets were emptied maybe once a week from behind, and if for any reason the buckets were not emptied once a week as the rule, you lived with the stench.

“At night, cockroaches, rats and lizards passed through these holes housing the bucket latrines into our cells after crawling on the buckets to disturb us. So, you could really not sleep for one hour without getting cockroaches perch on you.”
PUNCH.

SON seizes N100m cooking gas cylinders

 The Standards Organisation of Nigeria has impounded six container loads of substandard Liquefied Petroleum Gas products in Lagos.

The Director, Inspectorate and Compliance Directorate of SON, Bede Obayi, an engineer, said this while addressing newsmen on the activities of the organisation on Thursday.

Obayi, who said the seized cooking gas cylinders were imported by Amaze Company from China, added that the interception of the consignment was achieved by SON with the collaboration of the men of the Nigeria Customs Service.

While conducting newsmen round the impounded consignment at the SON warehouse in Ogba, he said the gas cylinders were in 12.5kg and 6kg sizes.

Obayi alleged that preliminary observation had shown that the company had unlawfully used SON logo on the brands without the agency’s approval.

“The importer falsified documents and cheated to bring in the products without due process,” he said

He said SON would take a stringent action against the company to serve as a deterrent to unscrupulous importers.

According to Obayi, SON has been sensitising Nigerians to substandard products generally and LPGs particularly on account of the critical nature, and the implication of substandard products on the economy.

“Safety is critical in cylinder manufacture and handling.  These are products that starting from the cylinders to valves, burners, clips, regulators and hoses are critical in the chain. If any of these components is not properly processed, you will have a problem.  Cracks in the pipes could mean leakages; if the regulator is not the right one, and it doesn’t regulate the gas, it will continue to flow and it could become a big problem,” he said, adding that it called for more caution on the side of all manufacturers and importers.

He reassured Nigerians of the readiness of the agency to continue to safeguard lives and property.

Obayi also disclosed that the confiscated LPG products were picked from the Tin Can Ports adding further testing, investigation and due diligence would be done to ensure that consumers got value for their money. (Punch)

Nnewi is industrial hope of Nigeria, says Osinbajo

   Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo

Tony Okafor, Awka

The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday described Nnewi, Anambra State as the industrial hope of the country.

He stated this during a tour of companies and factories in Nnewi.

Osinbajo, who described the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Chicason group, Dr. Chika Okafor, as one of leading industrialists in Africa, assured the people that the Federal Government would address the issue of power and forex to mitigate the harshness the industrialists pass through.

He said the Federal Government was passionate about supporting local manufacturers to excel.

He added that the Federal Government had adopted a policy of buying locally manufactured goods as a measure to encourage local manufacturers.

“I’m inspired, I’m impressed with what is happening here at Chicason Group, especially the number of people employed by its companies, and President Muhammadu Buhari is more inspired,” Osinbajo stated

At Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, Osinbajo said the Federal Executive Council had approved the purchase of specialised vehicles for the Federal Road Safety Commission from the Nnewi-based auto firm.

The Vice-President expressed delight at the volume of productivity in Nnewi, which he described as the industrial heartland of Nigeria.

Osinbajo said, “I have heard and seen many of the Innoson motors in Abuja as well as many other goods produced in companies like Chikason, Tummy Tummy and other business concerns in Nnewi.”

Speaking, the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, described Osinbajo as a man of his words.

The governor said he had earlier discussed the problems of Anambra manufacturers with the VP in Abuja and he promised to visit the state for that purpose.

“Today, the Vice-President is here with us and I assure you that the problems you would raise here today, he would address them,” Obiano said. (Punch)

Millions of Nigerians defecate openly

By Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale

On this year’s World Toilet Day, November 19,  the reality of  accessing sanitary toilets remained a mirage for 28.5 per cent of the Nigerian population (51.3 million persons) who have no access to  sanitary toilet facilities., according to UNICEF. 

When it’s time to go to the toilet, this group of people have no option than to defecate in the open, an act that threatens their health, dignity, safety and puts them at risk of public health hazards. Women, girls and younger children with no access to improved toilet facilities at home or in school are especially vulnerable. Beyond direct health risks, shame and potential violence are constant reality for them when seeking a place to defecate.

 According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, 1 in 4 Nigerians defecate openly creating a medium for potential transmission of the wild polio virus, cholera and hepatitis amongst other infectious diseases because they have no access to adequate toilet facilities. 

Additional data presented by UNICEF showed that an estimated 120 million people in the country lack access to improved sanitation facilities, or facilities that hygienically separate human waste from human contact.

 The economic impact of unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene depletes the Nigerian economy by almost the equivalent of 1.3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, while 124, 000 under fives are lost annually as a result of diarrhoea. 

As Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark the day themed “Toilets and Job”   calls have been made for the circulation and sustenance of proper hygiene promotion messages to become a social norm in addition to provision of improved sanitation facilities.

 In Lagos, stakeholders demanded provision of  functional and sanitary toilets in schools and other public places across the city.

Provide sanitary toilets in schools, public places — Save The Children 

Addressing thousands of school children in Shomolu and  Bariga areas of Lagos during an event organised by Save the Children (an NGO committed to welfare of children)  to mark the day, Behaviour Change Programme Manager for Save the Children, Mrs. Amaka Efionu, said to end open defecation and  attain the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, target on sanitation,  government and all stakeholders must come together  to increase functional toilets in the various communities particularly in schools and public places. 

“Toilets play a crucial role in creating a strong economy. Lack of toilet facilities at work and home has severe consequences, including poor health leading to absenteeism, reduced concentration, exhaustion, and decreased productivity,” Efionu explained. She said availability of functional toilets would encourage behavioural change in sanitation and hygiene, noting that Lagos has 570 public toilets serving 21 million people. 

Efionu said in partnership with the Lagos State Government,  the efficacy of the WHO/UNICEFs 7- point plan for the management and control of diarrhoea in children under the age of five, was being put to test. 

“We need functional toilets in the sense that the toilets will not just be a physical facility but one that will meet the needs of the population with water available at every point in time, child- friendly and easy to flush after use.  By making these things available to the citizens of the state, we are saying no to open defecation. In no distant time we will be able to say Shomolu and Bariga are free from open defecation.” 

Representative of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr Bello Akeem who spoke on the importance of toilets said: “We are promoting toilets to put a stop to diarrhoea and ultimately stop deaths from diarrhoea. It has been   on record that if we use toilets in the right way, we can prevent incidences of diarrhoea by one third, that is 1 out of 3 chances of contacting diarrhoea would have been prevented.  It is also important to have hand washing facility,” he added. 

Adopt regular handwashing habits — LASG, RB 

At a forum organised by RB West Africa, makers of Harpic, to mark the World Toilet Day 2016, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, urged Lagos residents to adopt regular hand washing habits even as he advocated improved sanitary facilities. 

Ambode, represented by Special Adviser on Environment, Mr. Babatunde Hunpe,  observed that it was a challenge providing adequate amenities such as water and public sanitation in the state due to its large population. He remarked that there were 570 public toilets sited at various locations across the city, but lamented that they were inadequate to meet the needs of the huge population estimated at 22 million. 

Awareness creation 

He said the theme was  appropriate because  awareness creation about the havoc of open defection and urination could minimise the menace as well as create job opportunities.

 In his contribution, the Managing Director, RB West Africa, Mr. Rahul Murgai regretted that Nigeria still ranks 5th in the world among countries where open defecation is a major problem.

 Murgai hinted that as reinforcement by Harpic’s Vision and commitment to arrest the problem of lack of access to sanitation and open defecation, there was ongoing partnership  with the Lagos State Ministry of Environment that led to upgrading of toilet facilities within Apapa LGA in the state, 

On her part, Marketing Manager Harpic, Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi Omotola said Harpic’s toilet hygiene programme    in Nigeria is a scaled initiative across 16 cities and reaches over one million homes annually to educate people about the importance of good toilet hygiene