TIMELESS Published Since April 2003
Vol. 9 No. 8
AUGUST 2010
300 NAIRA
NIGERIA
The Leader We Need As 2011 elections approach, a thought provoking article on what to look out for Personality
Bayo Ogunlesi - the new owner of London’s Gatwick Airport Society
How not to act on a first Social Meeting
www.timelessnewspaper.com timelesscourage.blogspot.com
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From the Editor-in-Chief
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s I write this article, airlines have just gotten permission to charge fuel surcharge because of the high and increasing cost of aviation fuel. The summary of the story is that foreign and domestic airlines operating in Nigeria are having operational problems due to the rising cost of fuel. This is principally due to the fact that Nigeria while a major crude oil producer does not have the capability to refine it at home. So our crude oil is taken outside the country, refined and brought back in at exorbitant prices.
Nigeria is a country that does not understand itself. It is also a country that seems to survive on its own in a catalytic motion that nobody seems to understand. The policies are not clear. The corporate direction is not well defined. There are arguments and counter arguments. There is no form of cohesion within the government. How can we have a nation that is the world’s sixth largest oil producing nation and yet we have challenges with crude oil at home? We have four refineries and none of those refineries is working. What is so difficult about refining crude oil that we find it impossible to refine crude oil for our own domestic use? What is the big deal and what is the challenge about electricity that we find it so difficult to produce enough electricity to meet local consumption. I am not sure that we are putting enough corporate thought into the direction that our country Nigeria is going. A couple of years back when General Yakubu Gowon was celebrating his 70th birth-
day, one of the things I read was that there was a time in the history of this nation during this man’s time when we were contemplating paying the salaries of the civil servants of other nations and lending money to other nations and building their infrastructure for them. Then just a few years down the line, our own national infrastructure have almost totally collapsed. I thank God for the GSM and the wonders it has worked. I thank God that my driver now carries a phone and my houseboy now carries a phone. But the costs are still prohibitive and exorbitantly high. But then what about our roads? Most of our roads are undulating, uneven and unbalanced. There are all sorts of cracks, potholes and crevices all over our roads. The tar is off most roads, all you see is mud, the road are impassable and your journey most times is unbearable. It is even more painful in a nation where there is no alternative source of transportation. There is no rail network. Air transport is expensive and then of course that is when there is aviation fuel to fly the planes. So the average Nigerian is bombarded on every side by one sort of infrastructure problem or the other. The masses in Nigeria are suffering and the nation is undergoing pain. Things that should not cost anything are costing an arm and a leg. Things must change. We cannot go on like this. We cannot continue to have all these topsy-turvy over fuel price increases. We cannot continue to have all these topsy-turvy over electricity. We cannot continue to have all these topsy-turvy over bad roads. We cannot continue to have all these topsy-turvy over armed robbery attacks. How can people survive in this kind of environment? I am begging our leaders to please step into the situation of this country. Our economy is not doing very well. There are many things that can be done to quickly turn the economy around. There are
many things we can do to turn the situation of our country around. But the first and most fundamental thing is that we have to be true and honest to ourselves. If you want to get anything done in government, no one seems to be interested. The people in government are just doing business as usual. They even grumble and complain about private sector people and technocrats who go into government and try to turn things around because they try to block the loopholes that fuel corruption and will not allow them to ‘chop’ money. Projects that will benefit the people don’t see the life of the day simply because some people in government are not going to gain any kickbacks or profits from them. How can our nation progress when we have such kinds of people with such attitudes within the government? All these structural problems within the government have to be addressed. The people in government are too busy travelling around, fighting each other, trying to bring each other down instead of concentrating on the things that can be done to turn the nation around. What we need to do to make this nation work are very simple things. If these simple things are done well truthfully and forthrightly, this nation can be transformed within a few years. Like what one of my good friends once said to me, “What you need is a truthful and forthright vision and when you run with that vision, the Almighty himself will make a provision.” I hope someone out there is listening.
Ituah Ighodalo
AUGUST 2010
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EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CEO
Ituah Ighodalo EDITOR
Ayodeji Jeremiah SENIOR WRITERS
Adeleke Adeyemi Uche Izayah James Akinbiyi Akinsola SENIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Adetola Asabo EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Titilope Adebanjo STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Matthew Osarenren CORRESPONDENTS
Ladi Ogungbemi Taiwo Tunkarimu Mayowa Adeniran Tolu Ifekoya Tayo Obe DESIGN & PRODUCTION EDITOR
Agbele Olusola BUSINESS / COMMERCIAL SERVICES
Society
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DIRECTOR
Victoria Tandoh EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
What manner of husband are you?
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MISSION STATEMENT To establish a well Structured, Educative and Informative Newsmagazine based on Sound Moral Values; providing Honest, Unbiased Reportage in Fairness to all.
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Editorial
Is
Science Communication a Bright,
New Phase in Aid and Diplomacy?
T
here is growing realisation around the world that helping developing countries communicate and use science is essential to international aid and diplomacy.
The biggest single factor limiting developing countries’ potential for achieving sustainable economic growth — or even attaining the Millennium Development Goals [MDGs] — is their ability to access and apply the fruits of modern science and technology. Indeed. According to Dr. Sunny Kuku, a member of the Nigerian Academy of Science, “Science must be the pivot upon which policies are based because even the Millennium Development Goals are science-based. There is a linear correlation between development and the level of science in a country.” Hence the African Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology (AMCOST) 2006 Plan of Action would recognize that: “Scientific and technological development cannot be achieved in Africa without the participation and support of the populace and their political institutions. Scientific and technological development requires active engagement of policymakers, politicians, youth, women, private industry and other groups of stakeholders.” This statement is more complex than it sounds. There are, for example, many political and economic obstacles to accessing science and technology. And even if access is granted, using science and technology effectively and adapting knowledge to local conditions remains challenging. But it usefully distils one concept. We need to put capacity building that helps developing countries use science and technology at the heart of both international aid policies and broader diplomatic initiatives.
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It also highlights the importance of effective science communication — crucial for bridging the gap between producing new knowledge and turning that knowledge into either practice or policy, thus significantly increasing the returns from initial investments in research.
recently, putting too much trust either in science to drive diplomatic negotiations — for example, over climate change — or in discussions between scientists as a substitute for such negotiations, risks over-stating the status of science.
Yet there is a veritable role for robust sciRealisation of the role of science is on the entific evidence to inform policy decisions rise. Fortunately, science communication as at all levels, from community politics up to a development strategy is slowly making its international diplomatic negotiations. The way up the political agenda, in developed more solid the reasoning behind such deciand developing countries alike. sions, the more likely they are to achieve their desired objective. An increasing number of aid agencies and charitable foundations, for example, now And that again underlines the importance sponsor projects and programmes in this of science communication. The key word is field. ‘inform’. Informing policy decisions means ensuring that all stakeholders have access It is difficult to directly demonstrate how to relevant scientific information, in a form these organisations help explicit develop- they can easily understand — in other words, ment goals. Measurable achievements, such to well-communicated science. as lower child mortality rates or increased food production, have many contributing Good science communication is not a pubfactors. lic relations exercise. Its purpose is not — or shouldn’t be — to boost the profile of those But it seems highly unlikely that the increas- who do, or pay for, the research. ing attention decision makers have paid to science over the past decade is unrelated to Rather, it should put scientific knowledge the rise of ‘science communication for de- into the hands of those who can use it (invelopment’ initiatives, and the growing com- cluding, in areas such as nuclear weapons or mitment to science communication within genetically modified crops, regulators who developing countries themselves. ensure that the science involved is used responsibly). And, by doing so, ensure the A more plausible explanation is that those money spent on generating research secures communication initiatives have helped foster greater ‘bang for the buck’. recognition (in both political circles and the wider community) that policy decisions must Seen from this angle, science, communicadraw on scientific evidence in fields ranging tion and diplomacy can form an important from food security to climate change; from alliance, particularly in the context of develold and emergent security concerns to demo- opment aid to developmentally-challenged graphically-savvy planning. countries. Putting this alliance into effect is not easy. But it is critical if the goals of susScience diplomacy possesses a certain ap- tainable economic growth and social develpeal. Rising interest in ‘science diplomacy’ opment are to be achieved across the devel— a broad term used to cover a variety of oping world, particularly in Africa. ways in which scientific and diplomatic endeavours can overlap — has encouraged this. Adapted from SciDev.Net This approach, however, has its limits. As evident from a recent meeting of stakeholders at Wilton Park in the United Kingdom,
AUGUST 2010
events
Elder & Mrs. Olakunrin
Pastors Ghandi Olaoye & Bayo Adewole
Pastors Paul and Ify Adefarasin
Pastor Sola Fola Alade (m)
Pastor Kunle Ajayi (m)
Pastor & Mrs Tony Rapu
Mr. & Mrs. Marvel Akpoyibo, Lagos State CP
Pastors Agu Irukwu & Matthew Ashimolowo
Pastors Matel & Bolanle Okoh
Pastor Idowu Iluyomade Turns 50 in Grand Style Adetola Asabo
Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, head of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Apapa family and Senior Pastor of the RCCG City of David parish recently clocked the golden age of fifty (50). Members of his family, friends, parishioners and well wishers gathered to celebrate the illustrious man of God at the parish on that fateful day. Pastor Iluyomade, who is the fifth of seven children from the family of Archdeacon J.A Iluyomade of blessed memory who was the first African principal of the International School Ibadan and also a reverend of the Anglican Communion, continued in his father’s footsteps by being a pastor. The amiable man of God is also a seasoned lawyer. The day was marked by greetings from great men and women who had become friends over the period of his life. He received tributes from people like Pastor E.A Adeboye, the general overseer of R.C.C.G. Pastor Adeboye in his tribute called him “ a 8
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chip of the old block” saying Pastor I.D. had excellent work ethics and a servant’s heart. He said that God had given him the gift of being able to work with all and sundry. Pastor Agu Irukwu of RCCG Jesus House parish in London said Pastor I.D. is a man who is kind, diligent, hard working, thoughtful and considerate and as such he is a good leader because he has these hallmarks of a great leader. Pastor Iluyomade is married to the love of his life, Pastor Mrs. Siju Iluyomade who he fondly calls his sugar baby. In her tribute to her loving husband, Mrs. Siju Iluyomade called her husband her crown. She said he is patient, kind, gentle, loving, caring, and protective of her. Their children Jola, Toju and Todun all described their father as loving with a great sense of humour and caring of them. It was a great time of rejoicing over the faithfulness of God to the Iluyomade family.
events
Tayo weds Tola in style It was a time of rejoicing and joy as the families of Oshunniyi and Asabo came together to see their children joined in holy matrimony. Former Miss Adetola Oshunniyi, the daughter of Mr. Deji Oshunniyi, Head of pharmacy, Lagos state Accident and Emergency Hospital, Ojota, was given in marriage by her father to Mr. Temitayo Asabo. The service which was held at Christ Livingspring Apostolic Church, Omole saw the influx of family, as well as well wishers for the solemnization of holy matrimony. The reception, which was at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Lagos State Secretariat was glorious. The groom who was extremely happy danced with joy as the bride was all smiles. When asked how they felt about today, the bride said she could only thank God for the success of the day and allowing them to come thus far. The groom also said that he knew that the Lord, who had brought them thus far, would keep their marriage strong and blissful.
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Cover feature
Nigeria: The Leader We Need Ituah Ighodalo
President Goodluck Jonathan 10
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hat Nigeria has a leadership problem is no longer in doubt. Only a sycophant will argue that most of our problems in this country are not directly or indirectly related to a leadership crisis. We have tried various systems of government (the Parliamentary and the Presidential.) The use of the hybrid French system was even suggested but we never got to try that out. We have also experimented with several kinds of electoral rules and systems. Democracy is defined as a system of government by all the people of a country, usually through representatives whom they elect and thought of as allowing freedom of speech, religion and political opinion. However, even within the context of that definition, we know that there are restrictions, constraints, manipulations, alterations and variations. These exist not only in ‘younger’ democracies such as ours but even in advanced democracies such as the United States, United Kingdom, India, Canada, France and Israel just to mention a few. In India, not less than three serving Prime Ministers have been assassinated in the course of State duties by those opposed to them or their style of government. Not less than two United States Presidents have been impeached during the course of their terms. Israel has had five different Prime Ministers in the last seven years; an average of one and half years per minister. A Prime Minister has also been assassinated in that country. All of these illustrate the fact that there is no perfect democracy. There are imperfections here and there within each country’s system, which each particular country has tried to attend to through the channel of their different State instruments, the primary one being the Constitution.
cover feature In the year 2000 in the United States (which many see around the world as the most stable of all world democracies) during the election of the 43rd President of that country, the whole world witnessed lived on TV what turned out to be one of the most controversial of all US elections. While the for-
mer U.S Vice-President Al Gore won the popular votes, his opponent for the coveted seat of the World’s most powerful man, George Bush (former Governor of the State of Texas) won through the Electoral College by a very slim margin in the State of Florida where his younger brother was holding fort as the Governor. It was the results of that particular state that eventually decided the
winner of that election. It was in that same state that results were delayed. Notwithstanding the glaring irregularities of that election, that however did not make the loser Al Gore to call for mass action, violent protests, civil disobedience, interim government or military intervention. Nigeria since independence has undergone at least seven sets of elections, some real and some spurious. There were the 1964 elections that led to what has now become known as the ‘Wild, Wild West’ in the then Western Region of the country. These same elections also set the stage for the eventual military putsch and the Civil War. Then we had the 1979 elections and the innocuous twothird of nineteen states that was pursued up to the Supreme Court. It is necessary to point out here that Chief Obafemi Awolowo the loser of that particular election pursued constitutional means to seek redress and his loss did not stop him from re-contesting in the 1983 elections in which we had the infamous ‘Wetie’, again in the Western part of the country. The 1993 elections that followed that have so far been adjudged the fairest and freest that this country has ever witnessed. The winner of that election won massively in both the north and the south breaking religious and ethnic barriers. Yet our military dictator let the hoe turned round to annul those elections for reasons best known to him and a few others.The 1997 elections with the ‘five leprous fingers of one hand’ as parties have aptly demonstrated the power of the people in a democracy. The boycott of that election denied it the legitimacy, which the late military dictator Sani Abacha longed for. Then finally we have had the more recent 1999, 2003 and 2007 elections. Through all of these exercises, Nigerian politi-
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cover feature cians and the ruling class, both real and assumed, practising democrats and ‘converted’ ones do not seem to have learnt the rules of engagement of elections and democracy. Most of the actors have been around for long, some as far back as 1959, some far back as 1979. Nigeria has a covetous, barren and unproductive leadership and an equally greedy, impoverished and apathetic folloership. It is high time we get it right. We don’t have any excuse for not doing so. Our multiplicity or ethnicity is not an excuse. The political or economic systems we use are not an excuse. We the people are the only excuse available if we don’t get it right. And posterity will not forgive us if we don’t get it right. Why is there a need for leadership? What role does a leader play? What marks out one person as more capable of a leadership position than another? Does everyone have the potential for leadership or are some people more cut out for such than others? Leadership according to experts underscores the need for clarity. The nature of leadership demands that there always will be an element of uncertainty. Uncertainty is not an indication of poor leadership; it underscores the need for leadership. It is the environment in which good leadership is most easily identified. Leadership therefore means being clear even in the face of uncertainty and not allowing uncertainty to paralyse people, systems and processes. The nature of mankind is such that it thrives most in the presence of clear directions. People dream dreams. They look forward to the future. But there is always that uncertainty. People naturally become paralysed in the advent of ambiguity. But life generally is ambiguous requiring the presence of people (leaders) who can breathe a clear direction into such uncertainties. Therein lies the need for leadership. Leadership requires us to make an active choice among many plausible and doubtful alternatives. If we all know what to do in every situation at all times, if we are all able to stand up at any given moment and give directions with absolute certainty, there would be no need for leadership. Nigeria needs to develop a political culture. Our political parties need to develop enforceable codes of conduct. The international community must see the political education of our citizenry as being of utmost importance. It is not enough for them to send election observer missions to the country. The media, religious organisations and social groups must also see to this because any government in power at any time in Nigeria will not do so as they will always want to use the political illiteracy in the country to their own advantage. Our elite, the intelligentsia, the upper class and the middle class must learn to go out and use their votes. All the apathy amongst these sections of the society must stop. If not, our students’ union movement, the labour, the market men and wom12
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en will continue to make decisions concerning our political destiny and we must not complain if they make the wrong decisions. Our politicians especially the good ones amongst them whom we need must learn to walk before they run. They must learn to build their bases and develop their structures. People who cannot seriously account for their wealth or their flamboyant lifestyle should not continue to aspire to the leadership of this nation. Nigeria is no longer for sale to the highest bidder. Buying people over with money, taking chieftaincy titles and flashing money around should no longer be the prerequisite for governing Nigeria. If Nigerians really love Nigeria, this is the time for us to search for that man; that human being who actually loves Nigeria and is willing to do the right thing for Nigeria. We don’t want anybody to hoodwink us anymore. We don’t want anyone to just feed some of the masses for a season and think that by doing so he has a right to their hearts and soul and therefore he should take over the presidency. We need people who would be honest with us in Nigeria and who would really try to lead and govern this nation according to equity, fairness, the rule of law and the fear of God. We need people who would have a plan and a vision
for this nation. There is no way that we can continue like this as a nation. What is the type of leader we need? • We need a leader with vision. Anybody who is going to rule Nigeria in 2011 must come to Nigerians and tell us his vision, his ideas and where he is taking us to. He should tell us how he is going to achieve those plans for us. This is the time for us to know what our potential leaders have in mind to do for us. We want to listen to people that have researched the issues, the problems and the challenges of this nation. We want that person that understands Nigeria and Nigerians and understand the place and context of Nigeria amongst the nations. • We need a leader with passion. Anyone who wants to lead Nigeria must have a passion for this nation. We want that person who has a heart for this nation, someone who will take this nation from where it is to where it should be. We don’t want business as usual anymore in this nation. We have too much at stake and we have too much to lose. • We need a leader that is selfless. We are also not interested in that person who is thinking
cover feature of himself and his pocket. The assets of Nigeria are no longer available to be raped and stolen by greedy individual. Nigeria is one of the most blessed nations in the world and yet because we have consistently had at the helm of affairs people who have neither plans nor thoughts, we are wallowing in abject poverty. Such a situation cannot persist. • We need a leader that thinks. Anyone who aspires to lead Nigeria must be a thinker. This is the time to be spent in the backrooms with a think-tank of people planning, researching and having ideas, consulting and thinking of what they would do once they become president of this nation or governor of a state. Nigerians no longer want to be slaves in their own nation. Nigerians want to have a say in where their country is going.
• Anyone who wants to lead Nigeria must be a team player and be able to take ideas and criticism, whether constructive or even destructive with a new to regular self examination. He / she must be able to cope with opposition without being bitter or vindictive. • Our next leaders in Nigeria must be people of truth, honesty and integrity who are ready to lay down their lives for what is proper and what is right. They must be totally free of corruption and nepotism. We do not want do or die leaders, who want to win or lead at all cost , we want leaders with a conscience and who fear God and are ready to do what is fair and what is for the common good. • Our next leaders in Nigeria must be ready to tirelessly work hard. God will bless him/
her with good health and a sound mind. We need both, because it is a hard job making Nigeria work. Our leader must be prepared for this. • Our next leader in Nigeria must be a man of quick wit, deep intelligence, knowledgeable and great wisdom. A good sense of humour is an added skill. • Our next leader must be honest, humble, accessible and approachable. We do not want leaders who are separated from the led by unfriendly security and noisy sirens. We want a leader who will get down to the grass roots and relate with his own people, a leader who is ready to visit every nook and cramy of his great nation and know what the issues are. • Finally our next leader in Nigeria must be willing to bow to the will of the people in sincere democracy and the rule of law. He/she must leave when his/her time is up and develop another generation of leaders. • My question to a lot of people is that when your name is called, what would you live for posterity? What are you going to leave for the future? What are you going to leave for generations yet unborn? How are you going to say that you came, you saw, you conquered, you achieved and you were part of the force and covenant of Nigeria? This is the question and the issue that is confronting Nigeria. Therefore I am appealing that the real person that God has chosen to rule this nation should be somewhere and by this time be doing his homework, be planning and be thinking of where Nigeria is heading. I am also appealing to the generality of Nigerians that when this fellow shows up, we would receive him because we would know that this is the man that God has mandated to take us to where we are going. We are tired in Nigeria of struggling for light, struggling for water, struggling for jobs, struggling for food, struggling for okada and of dying on a daily basis because of lack of medical care and an unsafe environment. We are tired of not being able to plan and have a direction and of working so hard and having so little to show for it. We are tired of living in constant fear of armed robbers and fear of even the police with their jungle justice. 2011 will mark a watershed in the life of this nation. It will mark a turning point for good or for bad. It will mark the permanency of democracy. It will ensure that we don’t go back, that the military won’t come back anymore and that Nigeria is put on a pedestal for growth. We need freshness and we need a new beginning. So whoever will become the president of this nation come 2011 must be somebody who will not bring back painful old memories, but somebody who will bring fresh ideas and take us into the future. I believe that God will certainly help us.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
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Life & Society
FAMILY
RELATIONSHIPS
HEALTH
EDUCATION
SCIENCE
Something Old, Something New Why People Change After Marriage
I
magine you saw a lovely leather shoes that you’ve always wanted in a store, you put them on and walked around the store to be sure it was your right size, they seemed to fit perfectly so you bought them and took them home. But just few days after you bought them, you realized that they had expanded so much that your feet began to slip out of them a little when you walk. Would you return the shoes since you still have the receipt or do you love them so much that you wouldn’t mind to use a shoe pad to make them fit and comfortable? Sometimes people change after marriage, and for their spouses, it can be quite a shock to think that they have one thing and then discover that it is what they had expected but with a little more surprises. We have heard stories of men saying their wife was so much fun and adventurous before they got married and then changed into a nagging monster after their wedding; some women have also said that their man was a romantic and understanding person but became prosaic and controlling 14
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after they got married. Sometimes the changes could even be as simple as a good habit or routine being broken! These little surprises can also come in beautiful packages with blue and pink ribbons, for instance a man that was unmotivated and lazy before marriage could suddenly turn around to become industrious and driven, or a woman that was selfish and carefree before marriage stops and learns to share with others after the marriage. Do these changes really happen just because they got married? Sometimes the surprises could seem new but have actually been there all along. Courtship comes with so much excitement and it is possible to overlook some certain behaviour or tendencies in the other person, because they were not looking closely enough at each other, or didn’t bother to probe further into some certain traits until they got married. But most times, people do change after marriage; not necessarily because something has gone wrong with their relationships, but because they’re people, and people change in response to new experiences. Just like some people would
AUGUST 2010
change when they become a boss, and some people will change when they become mothers or when they relocate to a new country, changes in personality and character can also spring up from the new experiences that marriage brings. The greatest challenge is not in being able to give reasons to why people change, or to identify if it’s a pleasant or an unpleasant change, as significant as these are, it is also important to know how to deal with these changes when they occur. When things change or are a little different from what we have purposely chosen and gotten comfortable with, we often become distressed. Today, there are many people who cannot deal with their partner’s changes, and are not sure if they should learn to cope with the new changes or fight against the change at all costs. The strongest marital relationship is the one that can handle the changes, where each partner is able to access the change selflessly and decide if it’s for the good of their marriage or not, and are able to adapt to their new experiences with regard for each other.
Shola Okubote writes on women’s growth and general lifestyle issues for print and online magazines. She is the publisher of www.femmelounge. org, an online magazine for young women. She is passionate about international development and women issues. She enjoys reading magazines, watching TV especially talk shows and spending time with her five sisters and four nieces! She loves tea, coke and rice in all its variety!
Life & Society How not to act on a first social meeting Adetola Asabo
I
know many of you are curious as to what I mean by this heading, but you will all agree with me that meandering through the choppy waters of social life is hard enough, without putting a foot in your mouth and literally kicking yourself in the foot for your stupidity after you have made a mistake. All of us will attest to the fact that we all have a person who we barely know, who apparently wants to be friendly but we avoid them at all cost. If asked why, we would probably keep firmly mum on the subject for fear of being tagged prejudiced or worse. In times past, I have met such a person and taken to my heels. Not because I am not friendly by nature but because something the person did on our first meeting set off my primal alarms to run for safety. According to statistics people make up their minds about you in the first two minutes and you can all attest that in the first two minutes due to our different temperament types you might have either prattled out of point or not said a word. Most people would not have put in a word at all except a sigh (you do realize that a sigh can be a word in some situations!). This leaves your body language as the only thing that would be definitive about you. Here are the things you should do to make a good impression and avoid scaring people off: Do • Walk confidently into a room. It is important. Walking confidently into a room signifies that you are sure of yourself and you are someone to meet. When you look confident people want to get to know you. Walking in a hunched manner or slouching will not only destroy your posture but it sends an unspoken message that you are timid and would rather be left alone. Anyone who sees
you automatically concludes that even if they tried to speak to you, you are unlikely to have anything worthwhile to say. • Dress as you would like to be addressed. This is very important and cannot be over emphasized. Do dress appropriately for the event or events you are likely to attend in a day. If you are a professional, a smart suit can never be faulted. If not smart casuals are better and if you are dressed down please do not ever take the slouch in you too far. You can get away with slouchy dressing as a teenager but after a certain age it becomes “juvenile”. As a fashionista I do realize that sometimes a bit of slouch is necessary like when you sport baggy jeans, ripped jeans or boyfriend jeans but make sure your top is fitted so you look sharp. • Keep the distance. This is something many people do not realize they do and for some people it could be very disconcerting. On a first social meeting, please learn not to infringe on other people’s private space. This means that the space between you and someone who you barely know should be at least half an arm’s length. If due to space constraints this is unavoidable do not make matters worse by throwing your arms and legs around needlessly. Do not put your arms over the back of their chair or take up their armrest space. Do not try to whisper in their ear thinking you are being coy or funny. Do not laugh in their face or get too close by talking in their face. Most people will let you know you are too close by either moving their chair backward or crossing their arms in front of their person. If they do this please maintain the space created by their moving their chair back or move yours back so they can be comfortable. • Try to keep the conversation flowing. I know for some people this is hard work, but with constant trial a good habit is formed. You can begin to try out holding a conversation with mem-
bers of your family or close friends. Social conversations are not really about having a conversation to know everything about the other person, but having a conversation that just skims the top and is not deep. This is just like an overview of your personality and then a few extras to know a wee bit more. Too much information is absolutely scary in this context. Learn to see the conversation at a first social meeting as a sales pitch. When you are trying to sell a product, you market the positives and the negatives are still put in a positive light. Please on no account are you allowed to keep quiet for so long that the other person starts hearing crickets! That’s just makes you come across as plain boring! Learn to pause at intervals, but your pause should not become a conversation dry land. • Make sure you are neat. Apart from having clean clothes, it is important that you are not only neat but smell clean. Fresh breath is also important. Many people do not realize that their lack of friends is not caused because they are not great socially but because they dress strangely or smell horribly. It takes a very strong willed human to be friends with a person who is always dressed scarily or who stinks horribly. Many people will avoid such a person because we are judged also on who we are seen with, this is why some women never go out with their husbands and vice versa. Do take time to stand in front of the mirror and make sure you look presentable before you step out, you can also ask friends and family for help on both counts, also use all necessary toiletries to keep all unwholesome smells at bay, it helps reduce global warming! Umm….. I mean it helps socializing. • Not try too hard. Now that you have learnt the basics, try and understudy a trusty social butterfly who knows all the tricks to the art and when you have honed your art please do not destroy all the hard work by trying too hard. It is a scary sight to behold! These are the likely signs you are trying too hard • Laughing too hard and too loud or long. • Talking too much or out of point. • Sweating profusely especially when the room is air-conditioned. • Making jokes that are so not funny they fall splat and elicit no giggles. I hope with all this advice you are most definitely going up the social radar and becoming a social butterfly.
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Life & Society
What Manner Of Husband Are You? Bisi Adewale
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ow can your wife describe you? What do you think she will write about you if she wants to be sincere about it? What manner of husband are you? Are you a sunshine of her life or a dark cloud of her destiny? Check below to know the type of man and husband you are: (1) Autocratic: He is a self-knowledge, selfinvolved, unbending, unyielding husband. Nobody can correct him, nobody can counsel him. To him, he knows everything. He is very arrogant and stubborn. He has no mentor. He does not fear, honour or respect anybody. He doesn’t want anybody to advise him and he cannot be influenced by anybody especially his wife, who hardly knows his plans or what he may do next. He is a difficult man to live with. (2) Corrosive Husband: He is abusive; hot tempered and a wife beater. He is not in charge of his temper. He is a no-joke, no-play, nolaughter and no-nonsense man. He shouts and barks at home. The house is a military camp; his room is a defence headquarters, while he is the garrison commander, lion of the family and commander in chief of family forces. (3) Solo Husband: He stays in separate room away from his wife. He is a “single” married man. He prefers sharing his secret with friends; the only time he talks to his wife is when he needs food and sex. He is self-centered; his common words are “I”, “me”, “mine” and “myself”. He is full of self-glorification, self-justification and stinginess. (4) Semi-Husbands: They are not real husbands, they are men under their trousers but lesser than that in their duties at home. They are real men in bed and on the dining table; but when it gets to paying school fees they are nothing. It is their wives that pay the house rent, electricity bills, buy food and provide generally for the family. It is not that he is not working; it’s just that he is a useless man that will not provide for his own family. While some are too lazy to work, others that have money spend their money outside to the detriment of peace in their homes. (5) Supermarket Husbands: These are the kind of husbands that are unfaithful to their wives. They are everybody’s husband. They spend lavishly on their girl friends, woman friends, prostitutes and concubines outside; while giving little or nothing to their household. To men like this, anything in skirt is good for a bedmate. They pay huge amount of money on hotel bills. They are 16
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shameless to the extent that they visit brothels for prostitutes or park their cars in the bush path to perform their ungodly act with immoral ladies. Some even go to the extent of impregnating their house-maids and sleeping with their wives’ younger sisters. (6) Executive Husbands: These are the kind of men that live their lives in an executive way. They do not allow their wives to have any close relationship with them. They operate their rooms as if it is the general manager’s office; no love, no romance and no intimacy. If their wives want to enter their rooms, they have to knock and obtain
permission before coming in. They issue orders to their family members as if to the workers under them and inform their families about their plans as if addressing a press conference; where no journalist is allowed to ask any question. They have little or no respect for their wives, if their business is not going on fine, then the whole family is in trouble. Many of them always want their wives to be full-time house wives so that they can have full control over them. (7) Traditional Husbands: They see their
wives as properties. They believe women are third class citizens, useful only in the kitchen and bedroom. To them, a woman is just a cook, a tool of pleasure (sex) and baby making machine. They give no attention to their wives who they see as somebody that is a little bit above their housemaid. They believe that their younger ones living with them are to be served by their wives, while they are expected not to do anything at home. They believe a woman must not enjoy sex; love must not be shown to them, they must be beaten if they misbehave, if she fails to give birth to a baby boy then she is a failure. If they give birth to children who behave poorly they belong to the wife, the one that behave excellently belong to the father. (8) Baby Husbands: They are not under-aged men physically, but they are infants mentally. They know how to build a house but not how to make a home. Baby husbands keep malice with their wives, rejects food because he is angry, beats his wife, reports his wife to friends and family members, keeps a separate room from his wife, embarrasses his wife publicly, calls his wife goat, animal, fool, etc., may refuse to give house-keeping allowance because of a little misunderstanding, nags, always find it difficult to say “I am sorry”, criticizes, condemns and compares his wife with other women and leaves the house without anybody knowing where he has gone to. (9) Kingdom Husbands: They are extra-ordinary husbands; they are what God want them to be as husbands. They know that their God is to be feared and worshipped, their wives are to be loved and their children are to be catered for. They are “real men”, men indeed; they are the sunshine in the lives of their wives and children. They are man of integrity, they mean what they say; and say what they mean, they are faithful, loving and caring, they listen to the suggestion of their wives, they are good communicators; they apologise easily and forgive quickly, they lead their homes with wisdom, they do speak the truth in love, they provide for their family, their wives know how much they are earning, they are actively involved in child bearing, rearing, discipline and parenting, they have ultimate respect for their wives, they are close to their wives, full of honour and they do play with their wives. Kingdom husbands are not common but God can make you one of them, turning your home to a place to be.
Life & Society
Meet ‘Bayo Ogunlesi, the Nigerian new owner of London Gatwick Airport Adeleke “Mai Nasara” Adeyemi
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e’s known in the United States as the Nigerian who clerked for late US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, from 1980-81. The legal luminary, unable to pronounce his name, had dubbed him ‘Obeedoogee.’ To colleagues and friends, he is simply ‘Bayo, who attended the prestigious King’s College, Lagos. His latest cognomen, however, effective since December 2009, is ‘the Nigerian who bought London Gatwick Airport.’ The deal, a £1.455 billion agreement, transferred ownership to him from British Airports Authority, simply BAA Airports Limited, erstwhile owners. In Mr. Ogunlesi’s sagacious assessment, the acquisition of Gatwick is a milestone deal for GIP; it adds yet another quality asset to his firm’s rapidly growing portfolio; they’re also the owners of London City Airport. “We see significant scope to apply both our strong operational focus and our knowledge of the airports sector to make Gatwick an airport of choice,” he predicts. Ogunlesi, 56, is a graduate of Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford, with first class honours; as well as of law and MBA degrees from Harvard. A member of the District of Columbia
Bar Association, he has been a lecturer at Harvard Law School and the Yale School. He has since left the rarefied field of academics to take to the thin-air heights of international business and investments. These days, he is Chairman and Managing Partner of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a US $5.64 billion joint venture independent investment fund formed by Credit Suisse and General Electric, based in New York City, with worldwide stake in infrastructure assets. Prior to his present role, he was Executive ViceChairman and Chief Client Officer at Credit Suisse, also based in New York. Previously, he has served as a member of Credit Suisse’s Executive Board and Management Council and chaired the Chairman’s Board. He had been Global Head of Investment Banking at Credit Suisse. Since joining Credit Suisse, in 1983, Mr. Ogunlesi has advised clients on strategic transactions and financings in a broad range of industries and has worked on transactions in locations spanning the globe, from North and South America, to the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The son of an 86-year old professor of medicine, Nigeria’s first, ‘Bayo has presided over a great number of landmark deals to make him the envy of peers abroad and inspiration to others. T h e odd fact still raises eyebrows: his ground-shaking
forays into the high-stakes world of multi-billion dollars deals remain virtually unknown in his native Nigeria. ‘Bayo began stacking up his big-deals profile when he joined the top-shelf New York law firm, Cravath, Swain & Moore. It was at the law firm that he jumped at the chance to advise First Boston (which later acquired Credit Suisse in 1997 to form Credit Suisse First Boston or CSFB) on a hugely lucrative Nigerian gas project. The success of that deal landed him his first big pay move to First Boston. At First Boston, he worked on project finance, brokering deals in which lenders finance assets like oil refineries and mines and are repaid with revenues generated by those enterprises. Based in New York City and travelling to emerging markets, he built CSFB’s project-finance business into the world’s bests. Mr. Ogunlesi has lived in New York for 20 years, for which the ‘Big Apple’ has expressed her profound gratitude; he is a recipient of New York’s International Centre’s Award of Excellence. ‘Bayo Ogunlesi has demonstrated that he knows the power and place of social capital; he’s active in volunteer work and has been keen on his ties to Africa. He has, in an informal capacity, also advised the Nigerian government on matters of privatisation, among others. .
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Living & St yle
FASHION BEAUTY FOOD HOMECARE GADGETS CARS LEISURE
Beautifying the body parts you usually hide Adetola Asabo
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very woman has some parts of her body that she is conscious about and would likely prefer to hide. You do not necessarily have to hide these parts of your frame, instead you could wear clothes that will flatter these body parts. Here is a step by step advice on what to do to flatter the parts you most want to hide.
out your silhouette instead of tapered pants .this means that trousers that are straight cut or skinny are a no-no for you.
If your trouble zone is your shoulders and neck Do attempt to avoid wearing clothes with boat necks and crew necks. Avoid choker necklaces as this only makes a thick neck very noticeable to the eye. Do not wear jackets with mandarin collars as this will make your shoulders and neck very visible. Instead wear clothing with scoop neck and v-necks. For jewelry long chains are very flattering and jackets with shawl collars.
If your trouble zone are your calves I know many women who hate their calves live in trousers most times but you can wear dresses although, they should be aline instead of an asymmetrical hem. Do wear pointy toe heels instead of clunky platform wedges. For trousers, you cannot go wrong with wide leg pants instead of cropped pants. Now that leggings and tights are in vogue do avoid lacy patterned leggings or tights in favour of solid black leggings or tights that are opaque and not transparent.
If your trouble zone is your hips and thighs If you are into prints, you can wear prints on top but not in skirts or bottoms. For jackets, it would be better for you to wear slim waist –cinching jackets instead of boyfriend blazers or any jacket that has a masculine cut. Do wear heels instead of flats and if you are not comfortable in heels try shoes with a wedge heel to lift up your frame. For trousers, do wear wide leg pants to balance
If your trouble zone is your butt I know many ladies fall into this category as we are always worried about what our behinds look like. Maybe because we can’t see it without some contortions so here is great advice. Do wear straight leg pants instead of cigarette pants (skin Tight). For skirts, wear flared, straight or tulip skirts instead of microminis or short skirts. For the most flattering jean colour, a dark wash such as dark
If your trouble zone is your arms Do not wear tee shirts that are too tight or form fitting, instead wear v-neck tops so as to draw the eyes to your chest. Don’t wear sleeveless tops and dresses; instead wear ¾ sleeve tops and dresses. Do not attempt to wear tube tops or boob tube gowns instead wear tunics with straight sleeves. Do not attempt to wear anything with caps or puff sleeves instead wear tops or dresses with billowy sleeves.
blue or black is more flattering than a light wash. If you are into leather do wear jackets instead of pencil skirts or pants, this means that liquid leggings are a major no-no for you. Now for basic facts that would make any woman look great, here are a few: • Wear skinny high heels as legs look slimmer in this type of shoes. • Expose a bit of skin (within reason) with a v-neck line. A v-neck gives the illusion of a longer, slimmer upper body. They also visually balance broad hips and thighs. • Get some shapewear. Do get pieces of underwear that smooth bulges and shape everything your body is not holding up. This include breasts, thighs, tummy in other words everything. You’ll be much happier when you get in that dress. • Wear your hair up and off your face. This brings out your bone structure and makes your face look thinner. • Match your shoe colour to your legs. This visually elongates your legs. • Pick simple unadorned denim and jeans. Wearing clean streamlined jeans make you look slimmer. Do without unnecessary details and embellishment as this only gives the illusion of bulk. The leanest silhouettes are boot cut and straight leg. I guess with so much great advice on making all those trouble zones look great, you are bound to shine this season. So go ahead and look as great as you are! (Adapted with changes from Instyle Magazine)
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Living & Style
RAV 4 explains diversified strength, power base engineering
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ighly respected because of its spacious, comfortable and easy to drive attributes, RAV4 is one of the very successful Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) in the Toyota line-up across the world, including Nigeria. Described as reliable coupled with fuel economy, RAV 4 got minor changes for the 2010 model year. Toyota family played prominent role in the evolution of crossover segment 14 years ago with its RAV4, which introduced the novel idea of a car-based SUV. While it has many competitors, Toyota RAV4 is regarded as one of the best in its segment because of its time-tested innovations. The 2010 Toyota RAV4 is a midsize crossover SUV. There are three trim levels available in the international market. They include Base, Sport and Limited. Each one is available with front- or all-wheel drive and a choice of either a four-cylinder or V6 engine. The base RAV4 comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels, a limited-slip differential (frontdrive models), air-conditioning, cruise control, full power accessories, keyless entry, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, driver seat height adjustment and a six-speaker stereo with CD player and auxiliary audio jack. The base V6 4WD adds 17-inch alloy wheels, though they are optional on other base models. 20
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RAV4 Sport comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, colour-keyed bumpers and sportier suspension tuning. The Sport Appearance package available on all four-cylinder and V6 4 Wheel Drive Sport models includes a spare tire-less rear door, run-flat tires, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, heated sideview mirrors and chrome exterior details. The RAV4 Limited switches to the regular suspension and 17-inch alloy wheels, and adds automatic headlights (optional on Sport), the heated mirrors, a hard shell spare tire cover, roof rails, keyless ignition/entry, dual-zone automatic climate control and an upgraded stereo with a six-CD changer and satellite radio (optional on base and Sport models). All V6 models add hill-start assist and downhill assist control, which are also standard on the four-cylinder with the optional third-row seat. Most of the RAV4’s options are grouped into packages, but their content and availability differs by region. In the international market, the 2010 Toyota RAV4 comes standard with a 2.5-liter fourcylinder that delivers 179-horse power and 172 pound-feet of torque. A four-speed automatic transmission is standard. All RAV4s can be equipped with either frontwheel or four-wheel drive. In 4 Wheel Drive models, power is sent to the front wheels until
slippage is detected, at which point power is also sent to the rear wheels. A true 4Wheel drive lock according to emons motoring expert feature fixes the front/rear power split at 50/50. In terms of safety, Antilock disc brakes, stability control, traction control, whiplash-reducing front headrests, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags are standard on every 2010 Toyota RAV4. Vehicles equipped with the V6 and/or the optional third-row seats also come with hill-start assist and downhill assist control.
Living & Style
Pampering your Feet Titilope Adebanjo
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he importance of maintaining good foot health is often overlooked. We generally take our feet for granted until we experience some kind of mobility problem. However, improving foot movement requires little effort. Understanding the importance of keeping feet flexible will enable you to overcome any problems that may arise over time. There are many common foot problems that become uncomfortable and may hinder movement and flexibility in some way. These include flat feet, bunions and hammertoes. Shoes which offer inadequate support, and lack of muscle tone in our feet, also contribute to the health of our tools of mobility. Acknowledging that there are preventative measures you can take to improve mobility therefore, will help you maintain good foot health. To move comfortably, proper alignment of the feet is necessary. This means we must be able to equally distribute weight between our feet, lift the arches and ground the four corners of our feet, the big toe and baby toe, and the inner and outer heel. Any pose that strengthens the muscles in the leg and feet will also improve circulation and stability and help reduce leg cramps and swelling to the ankles. Squatting, whilst stretching the toes, provides an intense stretch for the bottom of the feet. To do this you simply kneel with your toes tucked under behind you. To restores energy to your legs, as you place them up against a wall. Doing this enables blood and lymph fluid to flow back towards your body.
using the product recommended by your GP in the presence of skin disorders. If you suffer from smelly feet, it may be advisable to wash feet more often. For those with athlete’s foot, fresh water should be used for the feet, preferably a shower instead of a bath, and fresh towels that are not to be shared should be used to prevent cross infection. Cotton socks should be worn instead of synthetic fibres as these allow the feet to breathe and remain cool, and footwear should be altered daily to prevent bacteria from building up. In the event of a corn or a callous developing, always treat using the approved preparations and implements, never try and dig out the root of the corn or callous using sharp objects.
Nail Care Toe nails are often areas that become quite neglected, but an area that also need some attention. Nails should be kept short and clean, and should be cut using appropriate clippers or nail scissors. Sharp edges can be reduced using a suitable file or buffer and should not be cut round using the scissors as this can cause the nail to become in-growing. Fungal infections are very common in the toenail and should be treated as soon as they are suspected. Any signs or discolouration or thickening of the nail could indicate an infection, which can be treated by many of the over-the-counter products available in shops and chemists. Feet change in shape and size during our lifetimes. It is not unusual for a person to have to buy a bigger size as they age as the structures within the foot relax and spread. Good Hygiene Practices. When buying new shoes, it is advisable that Feet should be cleaned at least once a day they are purchased in the afternoon as this is to prevent bacterial build up, which can re- when our feet are at their biggest, ensuring the sult in bad odours. If you are prone to ath- most comfortable and appropriate size is purlete’s foot, eczema, psoriasis or general foot chased. odour, it is advisable that highly coloured and scented lotions and products are avoided to Tips to Maintain Healthy Feet reduce the likelihood of irritation to the feet. 1. Inspect your feet regularly and pay A basic anti-bacterial agent should suffice or attention to changes in colour, texture or ap-
pearance. 2. Maintain good foot hygiene, including washing and drying between the toes. 3. Hydrate the skin. Sunny weather and open shoes can cause rapid loss of moisture from the skin and may result in cracking or the formation of fissures. It is helpful to replace the moisture content by using lotions or creams on a regular basis. 4. Buy proper-size shoes. You may not wear the same size in shoes made by different manufacturers. Purchase new shoes late in the day, when feet tend to be at their largest. Always buy the shoes that feel the best. 5. Don’t ignore foot pain. Symptoms that increase or do not resolve within a reasonable period of time need to be evaluated by your podiatric physician. 6. Cut toenails straight across. Never cut into the corner this could cause an ingrown toenail. Gently file away sharp corners or rough edges with an emery board. 7. Exercise. Walking is a great way to keep weight under control and is an excellent conditioner for the feet. Be sure to wear appropriate athletic shoes when exercising. 8. Alternate your shoes each day. Since the feet have sweat glands, your shoes will absorb moisture from your feet, so it is important to allow your shoes to dry out completely. 9. Avoid walking barefoot to help protect your feet from injury and infection. 10. Put sunblock on your feet while wearing sandals during the day to avoid sunburn.
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Living & Style
8 Men’s Fashion Mistakes to Avoid We all make fashion errors now and again, but some fashion mistakes made by men are just unforgivable. Below are eight fashion mistakes to avoid at all costs. Socks with Sandals: Who decided this was okay in the first place? When it is chilly outside we all dream of the warmth of the summer sun, but wearing socks with sandals doesn’t make the seasons change any faster. If you want to wear sandals this badly, move to a warmer climate. Novelty Ties, Shirts, Boxer Shorts, Etc.: Just say no. There is nothing lasting about novelty clothing nor does it project a stylish, put together image. Leave the smiley faces, hearts, reindeer, shamrocks, animal and various other prints on the racks of the store where you found them.
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prise how many men wearing nice suits are schlepping backpacks. Unless you are a student or are hiking up a mountain, leave the backpack at home. If you need something for your gym clothes, buy a nice looking gym bag (and there are options that don’t have big logos on them), or if you need something to carry your assorted papers, cell phone, day-planner, etc., get a nice messenger bag. Chunky Shoes: These were okay back in the 90s, but the big chunky shoes, especially those with square toes, should be retired at this point. Choose something classic that stands the test of time.
Blaring Designer Labels: Don’t be a walking advertisement. It’s not a sophisticated look. Just because you are wearing a designer’s name on your chest, sleeve, or wherever, doesn’t make you stylish. Keep it understated and simple.
Shiny or Glittery Shirts and Suits: If you are looking for something to go out nightclubbing in, there are much better choices than those that are glittery, shiny and ultimately tacky. If you are at a loss, try a form fitting black t-shirt or black dress shirt which can be worn with jeans or trousers and dress shoes or casual shoes.
Backpacks at the Office: It never ceases to sur-
Clothes That Are Too Loose Fitting: In a word,
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sloppy. Unless you are a hip hop artist, it’s not the right look. Choose clothes that fit your body. This might take some experimentation by mixing and matching certain cuts and styles until you find the right fit for your body that is flattering. Unflattering Colours: That beautiful blue cashmere sweater you found on sale after Christmas might be really tempting, but if it makes you look ill it’s no bargain. The colours you wear should compliment your natural features such as your eye colour, skin tone and body shape. Keep this in mind when putting your look together.
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BUSINESS FINANCE
MANAGEMENT
TECHNOLOGY
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
TRADE
MARKETING
The New Economic Environment A strategic workforce perspective An IBM Institute for Business Value Study
The article below is an abridged version of a more detailed study first published in 2008 by the IBM Institute for Business Value, an arm of the IBM Global Business Services. With business experts in more than 160 countries, IBM Global Business Services provides clients with deep business process and industry expertise across 17 industries, using innovation to identify, create and deliver value faster. Companies can send in their articles on these pages. To participate call 01-4358330 or email timeslesscourage@yahoo.co.uk
To stay one step ahead in these difficult conditions, organizations should:
R
ecent events in the financial markets have pushed the global economy deeper into an economic slowdown. As companies around the world have lost significant market valuation, they are revisiting their growth projections and bracing themselves against a worsening outlook. Noted increases have been seen in unemployment rates around the world. In previous economic downswings, strategic workforce issues have often been displaced by the short-term demands of quickly reducing headcount and other variable costs. However, in many industries, previous downturns and subsequent layoffs have already “trimmed the fat” and have left companies operating with fewer employees with greater responsibilities. These difficult times require organizations to take a closer look at the current composition and capabilities of their workforce, determine their shortand long-term workforce needs and make more informed decisions about the talent they need to survive and, eventually, thrive. Organizations will need to take an integrated approach to their talent management activities, and more tightly link their planning, recruitment, development, motivation and retention processes. By doing so, organizations can use this downturn not just to reduce headcount, but to position themselves for future opportunities. 24
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Make resourcing decisions based on capabilities and gaps In an economic downturn, it is easy for organizations to turn to large-scale downsizings to reduce costs and maintain profitability. However, many companies fail to understand the mix of skills and capabilities necessary to drive value in the new business environment. Without an understanding of these gaps, the organization leaves itself open to making decisions that jeopardize its ability to stay afloat during the crisis. To make appropriate resourcing decisions, organizations need to have a consistent taxonomy of skills and competencies to help make sure that different functions and business units have a common, global view of their resource requirements. Organizations also require a workforce analytics capability that can identify both the current and projected internal supply and demand for individuals in critical jobs and roles. Focus attention on core versus non-core work activities As part of its talent assessment, an organization should review those work processes that are core to its current and future strategy and examine the potential for outsourcing non-core activities. By outsourcing activities not central to the organization’s strategy, companies can shift these functions from a fixed to a variable cost model, making it easier to adjust costs with changes in the overall workforce size.
Differentiate high (and low) performers across the organization Faced with the prospect of impending job cuts, those most at risk for leaving are often the organization’s most valuable employees. These are individuals in greatest demand from the outside labour market and who are most likely to take advantage of programs that encourage voluntary separation. At the same time, these potential departures represent a significant risk to organizations; high performers not only drive productivity, but also serve as an early warning signal to others considering the company’s future viability. To address this issue, companies need a clearly defined process for managing and differentiating employee performance. While organizations may have a general sense for their highest (and lowest) contributors, relatively few have consistent approaches for evaluating and comparing employee performance across functions or business units. Not only does it make it difficult to target and develop programs to hold on to the most productive employees, it hinders making defensible decisions should layoffs become necessary. Transfer critical knowledge and stimulate social network development During periods of retrenchment, organizations are particularly vulnerable to losing their institutional memory – both formally documented knowledge and informal insights gathered through daily interaction. Consider the use of more flexible work environments
Business Companies looking to reduce employee overhead costs, while also increasing employee productivity and morale, should look closely at roles that could be accomplished virtually. Many types of jobs can be performed effectively through the use of telecommuting. Not only does telecommuting decrease the need for office space, but it also reduces employees’ commuting costs and stress and enables them to be more flexible in managing their overall workload. Telecommuting requires a results-oriented corporate culture that recognizes performance over visibility. However, when implemented correctly, both employers and employees can reap the benefits associated with lower real estate costs and greater employee flexibility. Identify opportunities to improve HR and learning efficiency Two areas where organizations should look to uncover potential cost savings are HR and learning administration. Within HR, there are often a number of inconsistent and cumbersome manual processes, “shadow organizations” that duplicate internal resources, a variety of external vendors that provide overlapping services and other redundancies that increase overhead and sap time and attention away from addressing more pressing talent management activities. Successful organizations have found significant opportunities to reduce administrative costs through the use of streamlined HR processes that eliminate nonvalue added activity. From a learning perspective, organizations can review not only their current use of outside vendors, but also closely examine the mix of classroom education versus distributed learning. Blended learning programs can reduce travel, real estate and production costs, as well as increase employee productivity by conveniently delivering insights as needed. Standardized learning management and development platforms can also help organizations reduce their administration overhead. Moreover, they can effectively monitor
and track the impact of different learning programs, making it easier to allocate resources to those that deliver clear results. Enable leadership to guide individuals through the change In times of economic crisis, leaders play a central role in retaining and motivating the remaining talent within the organization. Individuals’ thirst for information during times of great uncertainty requires that leaders step up and take a proactive role in addressing workforce concerns while simultaneously tending to the demands of the external market. Successful organizations recognize that, to retain the talent needed to weather the situation, leaders must be visible, engaging, and values driven. Conclusion Today’s economic slowdown can serve as a catalyst for organizations to take a more strategic workforce perspective. It can create the impetus for organizations to take a more intelligent, fact-based approach to understanding their current and future talent needs and requirements. It can provide companies with the opportunity
to fill needed gaps through targeted hiring from distressed competitors and selected skill development. Most importantly, it can drive the mandate for overall workforce transformation – a rethinking of the work that must be done, the manner in which individuals accomplish the work and the role senior executives need to play in helping the organization through difficult times.
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Business
Interview with a Soul Proprietor
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here are sole proprietors, and then there are soul proprietors. Not everyone working solo does so for the money. In fact, research that my company conducted several years ago revealed that finances showed up fourth on the list of best reasons to be in business for yourself (it came behind freedom, flexibility, and fun). Soloists who integrate their work and business are often referred to as “lifestyle entrepreneurs.” Once a term of derision, its meaning has shifted as greater numbers of individuals realize that small (and independent) can be a favourable status. Entrepreneurial expert Jane Pollak has been on the journey to promote the independent workstyle, and she’s published a new edition of her book, Soul Proprietor: 101 Lessons from a Lifestyle Entrepreneur. This is a book filled with engaging stories of her improbable first business as an artist decorating eggs (featured on the Today Show and at The White House) and how she transformed that experience into valuable business lessons. Along the way, she’s become a respected and in-demand business coach, speaker, and entrepreneurial advisor. Working Solo founder Terri Lonier recently had a chance to chat with Jane about the new edition of her book. They spoke about what’s changed in the last decade since the book first appeared, and what opportunities await today’s solo entrepreneurs. Terri: You’ve been a participant and witness to the lifestyle entrepreneur movement, as it developed over the last decade. From your perspective, what’s changed and what’s the same? Jane: I think the biggest difference is that so many more people are now looking to chart their own destiny. It’s not unusual to be self-employed. But we’re much more values-driven than even a few years ago. People want meaning in their work. What’s not changed is the underlying cause for moving forward, which is fear. I see it all the time in my clients, the inner voice that says “not good 26
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enough,” or berating yourself that you over- or under-charged a client, or didn’t quite get things right. I encourage soloists to recognize that there are always days slated for growth or learning, and to stay with them and not get upset. (That’s Lesson 81). It also helps to recognize that a sense of humour is helpful in learning humility (Lesson 88). Terri: You devote an entire section of your book to building relationships. How has that changed, in our uber-ditigal era? Jane: Networking is as important as ever, only now there are so many more ways to connect. As solopreneurs, we don’t have the beauty of the water cooler. It’s important to get out and meet people face-to-face, even though most of us love the comfort of our offices. One of the reasons I started blogging two years ago was to share my ideas and connect in new ways. A dear friend and mentor told me it would take about two years to figure out my voice and what I wanted to do. She was right. Now I go through my daily business activities, always mindful of what I want to share with my readers. I also have individuals that I check in with; with one person, it’s each morning and we keep each other on track and accountable. Terri: In your book, you admit that you have a plan for most things you do in your life and that you’ve learned to stop apologizing for it. (Lesson 21) Jane: Yes, that grew out of an experience I had with a group of women friends. We were on a trip, and I woke up one morning and announced what I’d like to do that day. Some of them were annoyed. I later discovered that their discomfort was due to their realization that they had no plans. I learned that in both business and life, it is important to be true to yourself. I stopped apologizing long ago for the plans, processes, or strategies that I know work for me, and make me most effective. Terri: We’ve both written about how solo entrepreneurs often undermine their credibility through their self-introductions and conversational comments. What advice do you give your clients about this trap? Jane: It’s so true! All too often, my very successful clients will share with me an experience, and their comments will be filled with words such as “just,” “little” or “try.” I encourage them to delete these minimizing words. Once they’re aware of this tendency, many of them are aghast at how
often they relied on these expressions. It takes practice to create new phrases that better represent their experience and competencies but the results are very impactful. Clients are attracted to this self-confidence, and the soloists gain a deeper appreciation of their own talents. Terri: You have a great lesson on things being a “no-brainer” (Lesson 37). What did you learn? Jane: Oh, yes, you mean how it takes brains and time to execute even the easiest ideas? As soloists, we often underestimate the resources of time, energy, or money that it takes to bring something to fruition. As I explain to my clients, no-brainer ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s the nitty-gritty hard work of implementation that takes time. In reality, the no-brainers require no thought because they aren’t worth much or don’t exist at all. Article courtesy of workingsolo.com
Passive Infrastructure Sharing:
Business
Telcos Newest Way of Driving Growth and Optimizing Quality
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assive infrastructure sharing involves multiple operators sharing the same passive infrastructure as a means to reduce the cost associated with real estate, access rights and preparing sites for the requirements of active infrastructure. As a general rule in the cellular industry, passive infrastructure sharing encompasses all the non-electronic elements required of a cell site. These can include: the tower itself, buildings or shelter, air conditioning plant, security, electricity generation capability for back up, an electrical supply, technical premises and pylons. The electronic elements required by a cell site such as base stations, microwave radio equipment, switches, antennae and transceivers don’t fall under the scope of passive infrastructure. What advantages does it offer? Although, it doesn’t go as far as full infrastructure sharing, passive infrastructure sharing addresses many of the costs of establishing a cell site. In fact, some commentators report that it can address up to 60% of the cost of new site build, although more regularly figures of 30% to 50% are sited. In addition, because it confines its sharing to the facilities management and real estate aspects of a cell site, it does not impinge on end-user service provision or require the same complexity of management that full sharing necessitates. Full sharing schemes often fall down as network performance potentially would be affected by sharing. For example, a network sharing deal between Zain Zambia and MTN broke down last August because of concerns that the operators could not guarantee quality. Zain has, however, remained committed to the sharing concept with its Kenyan operation and has agreed to share 300 base stations over 15 years in Kenya with Essar Telecom Kenya. In developed markets, it’s a similar story with some very large players treading with caution. Vodafone and Telefonica announced a passive sharing deal earlier this year that will see the two companies share passive assets and will supersede Vodafone’s previous agreement with Orange. The two companies argued that the key to the
deal was its simplicity and they now plan to work in a carefully staged process towards greater cooperation between their networks with transmission the next aspect of the network that might be shared. However, both have no intention of a full network merger, arguing that retaining control of spectrum continues to be a key priority. That’s a classic example of passive infrastructure sharing in which sites and civil engineering are shared, but spectrum and equipment that affects the carrier’s ability to deliver quality of service or specific offer-
ings are left out of the delivering equation. How can passive sharing be managed? Passive infrastructure sharing can be managed by the site owner who then acts as a landlord to its tenants. In some cases, that might involve a carrier making its facilities available to a competitor – in exchange for rental income. An example of this is Reliance Communications in India, which has demerged its real estate into a new business, called Reliance Infratel and plans to have 55,000 towers by mid 2009. Alternatively, a joint venture company may be formed between participants. An example of this is MBNL, the joint venture established between T-Mobile UK and 3 UK, which manages the operators’ 3G infrastructure – both passive and active- in its entirety. Another example confined to passive infrastructure is Indus Towers, a joint venture between Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar & Idea Cellular, which announced, in late 2007, they were to pool their individual tower ventures to form the world’s largest tower company. Finally, civil engineering companies are getting in on the act. Providers, such as GTL, build capacity and lease it to carriers. The company’s chief executive has gone on record stating that if two carriers locate at each tower the industry could save between
$3 billion & $4 billion in India alone. Management of infrastructure sharing throws up a series of concerns. There are complex issues to take into account such as taxation, apportioning costs and understanding how usage of such shared assets can be accurately accounted for within carriers’ existing business lines and practices. Issues such as depreciation and apportionment of maintenance costs are at the forefront of thrashing out an agreement and the more fluid, usage-based models of agreement are notoriously challenging to make workable. Is passive sharing only applicable to mobile carriers? It is also relevant to fixedline operators pursuing network build in areas such as fibre to the home (FTTH). Approximately, 60% of the capex required for FTTH is in ducts and trenching required to deliver fibre to the home. Some authorities are actively encouraging sharing in this light. For example, the New Zealand regulator has required all those who plan to be involved in the process to work together and expects to achieve cost savings of 38% as a result of the collaboration and cooperation being pursued in the country. Ubong Udoh holds over 8 years of progressive responsible experience in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) including overseeing and developing distributed and centralized ICT infrastructure and mission critical systems in international controlled environments. He is the CEO and Principal Consultant of SYSPERA, a firm with three focal points Technology, Consulting and Outsourcing. He is the Founder and Lead Senior Research fellow at Technology Corps Africa, an African ICT nonprofit where he leads research on public policy issues, copyright and e-democracy. He is a fellow of the Wireless Internet Institute, a professional trainer of ICT professionals with 12 professional certifications and a Microsoft Ambassador on Internet Safety, Privacy and Cybersecurity.
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ARTs
& Culture
books movies music theatre photography exhibitions architecture
The Little Things That Can Make A Big Difference In Your Marriage Author: Dr. Sola Fola-Alade Publishers: Vision Media Communications
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ith the glowing endorsements by well known pastors in Nigeria and Britain, I was skeptical about the book as I did not see any reviews. Being recently married, I have become very interested in books about marriage. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book as Dr. Sola Fola-Alade writes in a clear and concise manner and you do not feel lost in all the knowledge he is passing along in his writing. He takes the reader from the beginning with the things you should know about marriage and how to keep your marriage relationship wonderful even after the wedding. One thing that really got me interested was that his wife wrote the foreword. That to me, was a little bit of proof that he probably was living what he was preaching. I was tired of reading a lot of gender biased books on marriage as more men wrote books on marriage and when they wrote about the needs of a woman in marriage, I usually lost interest. This was because they would usually write what they thought a woman needed in her
Arts & Culture Events Diary
Have your arts and culture events publicised on this page. For your book launch or presentation, arts exhibitions, music releases, film shows, theatre presentations etc. Send details to timeslesscourage@yahoo.co.uk or call 01-4358330 28
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marriage. After all, who can know the needs of a woman more than a woman? I am so pleased that after 10 years of marriage, Dr. Fola- Alade did not think he knew the needs of all women because he had lived with his wife through their marriage but he handed over that part of the book to his wife to write. I look forward to reading more of this man of God’s books as he truly knows what he is talking about. Many things he wrote about and what his wife wrote resonated in my heart. I recommend this book to young adults looking out for a life partner, recently married couples and all married couples. I would also be very pleased if marriage counselors read this book to further enrich their counseling classes for married couples and those who were about to wed. This is because I have noticed that marriage counseling in churches is many a time lacking in teaching men how to treat their wives. This book is a great find and now a permanent resident in my personal library.
Arts & Culture The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years
Book Title: Author: Sonia Shah Publishing history: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (July 6, 2010); English; 320 page [Hardcover] ISBN: 978-0374230012 Compiler: Adeleke “Mai Nasara” Adeyemi*
“I didn’t just read this book, I inhaled it. It’s a fascinating book, elegantly written and superbly well-researched—a poignant and important reminder of malaria’s relentless human toll.” – Nina Munk, contributing editor, “Vanity Fair” “Extremely well-researched, [it] provides a highly gripping account of one of mankind’s worst diseases….Highly recommended.” –Bart Knols, Managing Director, MalariaWorld “A vivid and compelling history with a message that’s entirely relevant today.” –Elizabeth Kolbert, author, Field Notes from a Catastrophe “A thrilling detective story spanning centuries, about our erratic pursuit of a villain still at large and still a threat to mankind….An astonishing array of characters have joined the fray, and you can only be amazed at the deviousness and skill of the arch-enemy.” –Professor Malcolm Molyneux, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, WHO expert panel on malaria
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he acclaims pouring in, barely a month into the life of the book, have been resoundingly effusive and deservedly so. A review on amazon.com is saddened by the fact that “[the] book reads like fiction… it’s too bad that it’s not.” Sonia Shah set out on an epic quest to Panama, Malawi, Cameroon, India, and other locales, in her rave-making new book, “The Fever”: to answer age-long questions on a disease that has come to define the rhythm of life in whole swaths of lands across the world. Shah tells handles the tortuous tale of “how the Plasmodium parasite, entering through a mosquito’s bite and feasting on human red blood cells, has altered human history by destroying armies, undermining empires, and driving changes in our very genome…” (Publisher’s Weekly) most deftly, almost like an eyewitness. Catch the chill as Shah writes: “While we debate, and argue, and haphazardly collect our strength to fight malaria, the parasite refines its plague upon us.” Sonia Shah is a science journalist and writer of ponderable pedigree. Her previous accomplishments include the prize-winning The Body Hunters: Testing New Drugs on the World’s Poorest Patients, named one of the best consumer health books of 2006 by Library Journal, and Crude: the Story of Oil. A former writing fellow of The Nation Institute and the Puffin Foundation, her writing has appeared in “The Lancet”, “The Nation”, “New Scientist”, among others. *Adeleke volunteers with the frontline pan-African anti-malaria advocacy group, African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), headquartered in Accra, Ghana
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All Stars For Children Ages 6 - 12
Let’s talk about being good. You are always being told to be good and do good things. Why are you always asked to be good? At home, at school everywhere… Seems like that’s all everyone can talk about! The truth is Good deeds, good thoughts, good actions actually make the world a better place for everyone. Stop and think about it, ‘What if there were no bad people doing bad stuff?’ ‘What if everyone is good?’ What would this be like? This would mean there would be no bad things going on. This would mean there would be no thieves, so nobody’s stuff would get stolen. There would be no beating or bullying or teasing or racism. ‘No bullying’ would mean no one would get picked on for being small or smart or different. ‘No teasing’ would mean no one would laugh at anyone for not look-
ing like anyone else. ‘No racism’ would mean everyone would be kind to everyone and the colour of our skins would not matter. As a child if everyone was good and no one was bad it means you mould not do things to make your parents sad. You would still make mistakes but the difference is your parents would see they were genuine mistakes and would not be so sad. Wouldn’t that make everything be great? We cannot make everyone good but here is ‘The Plan’. How about we make a decision that all of us (especially you) will try and be good. So maybe if you start being good at home everyone in your house can see the good in you and want to be like you. Then, be good in your class and maybe some people in your class would join you and other people in your school might join your class and so on that way everyone could join and we would have more good people. The Plan:
Bad Kids Corner!!!!!
A very long time ago, there was a young emperor called Nero was very badly behaved. He would go out in the evening and beat up people passing by just because he was the king. One day, he went out as usual to beat up someone. This time however, he picked a lady to beat up not knowing her husband was close by. The lady’s husband was very strong and angry. He beat up the young emperor Nero black and blue before realising he was the emperor, which served the emperor right. I bet he never tried that again. (From Bad Kids)
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• • •
Think only good thoughts Be good to everyone Be good at all times
Our motto: Think only good thoughts (A very wise man once said ‘Whatsoever things that are pure lovely and of good report, think only of these things’) Think of your mind as a garden. Let us imagine good thoughts like beautiful flowers. Imagine a beautiful garden well arranged with flowers Now think of bad thoughts as ugly weeds or thorns that destroy the garden. The more you think good thoughts the more flowers you have and every bad thought destroys a flower and puts a thorn or weed in its place.
Parents You are Under Surveillance Parents play the most important role in developing their children’s character. Your attitude and reaction to issues will be the strongest influence on your child’s life. This is a case where what you do is far more important than what you say. Children really are watching you to guide them in becoming who they are as children and as adults. If they see you being thoughtful and kind they assume it is the natural way to be and if you are discourteous and abusive, well, that must be the way to be. Watch out Parents! You are under surveillance. All the time!
Here is another good reason to be good. All the bad people seem to get away with being bad and sometimes being bad and doing bad things seem like fun. Well that’s not true. I will tell you what happens to bad people, especially badly behaved children in the Bad Kids Corner.
Facts (Strange Weird but Truth)
Did you know that statistically you are more likely to be attacked by a cow than a shark? Did you know cows produce saliva 200 times more than humans? Did you know scientists are working on using cow saliva to make antibiotic medicine? (Culled from 1000’s of Freaky Facts)
Tayo Olarewaju is the Director of Delightsome Land School, a nursery and primary school in Victoria Island Lagos. She studied Accounting and Educational Leadership and Management. She has been working with children for over a decade. She is passionate about children, enjoys reading and writing and chocolate biscuits. She is married with 3 stars aged between 6 and 12 years and a dog named Scratch. If you would like to be a part of the All stars team Send your name, date of birth and your phone number (or your mums or dad’s phone no) to 0708 469 9955 or ask your mum or dad to send it by email to delightsomeland@yahoo.com
PreSchooler activities for Preschool Children from Age 2-5
Reprinted with permission from The World Almanac for Kids Puzzler Deck: Early Math, (Chronicle Books, 2008).
VICTORIA TANDOH
Reprinted with permission from The World Almanac for Kids Puzzler Deck: Early Science! (Chronicle Books, 2008).
Find more worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets.
Find more worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets.
Sorting Games
Jigsaw puzzles
Mini cooks
Your child may just be getting interested in sorting things, and you can encourage this by letting her “help” you around the house. • Show your child how to put shoes and socks into pairs or how to put different kinds of fruits into different colourful bowls. • If you have a set of blocks, you could try sorting them into piles according to colour. • Shape- sorting toys are also good for this age group of children, although you may need to show what fits where. Your child might also enjoy playing with nesting cups and fitting them inside each other.
Your child may just be starting to enjoy large piece jigsaw puzzles and the idea of fitting objects together (choose simple puzzles with pictures of familiar things on them). • You can make your own puzzles by sticking a simple picture from a magazine onto a card, then cutting it in two, either along a wavy line or the classic jigsaw shape. • Show your child how to fit the pieces together again to make the picture whole.
Toddlers often enjoy “cooking” and it’s good to encourage them to feel at ease with food. Try to involve your child in safe food activities such as rolling balls of pastry or stirring mixtures (let your toddler squeeze, tear and press some dough). • Make sure you both wash our hands before you begin cooking. • Your toddler could stir dried pasta in a bowl or have a go at stirring something he can eat, such as mixing chopped fruit with yoghurt or grated cheese into pasta. • You could also show your child how to spread jam unto bread with the back of a spoon.
You could also make puzzles using photographs of friends and family stuck unto pieces of card.
(Make sure you supervise your child at all times in the kitchen and keep any dangerous equipment well out of reach).
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Sports events
South Africa 2010: A Kaleidoscope of Some Sorts Awards, Key Statistics and a Record of Firsts Tolu Ifekoya
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y first contact with the IPad left me amazed at the toy like computer genius. Its ability to multitask efficiently, respond aptly to commands at the slightest contact with my finger and its sharp colour resolution just endeared it to me. It did not matter whether I was technology savvy or a computer freak, I could not ignore this creative work, which is a beautiful blend of art and technology. Right there and then I promised myself that I would possess an IPad. The FIFA World Cup attracts the same reaction to itself. You need not love football or even like it but you cannot ignore the beautiful game when it calls every four years between the month of June and July. This year’s World Cup did not fail to arouse massive followership from all over the world and even the interest of the so called partisan people, from the mind blowing goals, to the sound of vuvuzelas, to questionable officiating, beautiful stadia, the amazing skills of some players, creative play acting by footballers and the pulsating predictions of a new comer, Octopus Paul, whose origin is currently in dispute. South Africa 2010 would surely go down as the tournament of surprises. Perennial under achievers Spain finally took their deserved place in world history by emerging champions at the end of the tournament. From the African perspective, the Black stars of Ghana had a spectacular outing, which included wins over Serbia and USA and they constituted the high point of Africa’s achievement. They showed that development of youthful footballers would definitely pay off on the long run. Host South Africa were disappointed when they exited in the group stage by goal difference despite victory over France. Côte d’Ivoire also crashed out of the group stage but with dignity as they bagged four points, but the other African representatives, Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria all finished bottom of their groups. There were more surprises as Italy’s defeat by Slovakia ensured the first round exit of the defending champions without a win; France who also had
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a disappointing tournament exited in the group stage amidst rancour in the team; Korea Republic and Japan both advanced for the first time on foreign soil; Greece and Slovenia recorded their first ever World cup victories; England suffered their heaviest FIFA World Cup defeat with a 4-1 loss to Germany and New Zealand who featured in their first finals since 1982 emerged the only team to
leave South Africa undefeated. Some players failed to translate their success at club level to the world stage as the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka and Rooney had disappointing performances, the world got to see the wonders of Ozil, Mueller, Ayew, Dos Santos, Bradley as these young stars proved their mettle, whilst players like Diego Forlan used the competition to re-stamp their authority.
Jabulani (the official football) made a mockery of teams who failed to devote extra time to its mastery, the goal line technology debate resurfaced as referees became a thorn in the flesh for some teams and playacting by players got to another level. Octopus Paul attained royal status as he was highly consulted before important matches, his predictions formed the fulcrum of decision making for gamblers and he was offered asylum by countries when in threat during the tournament. Amidst the high’s and low’s of this year’s World Cup, the words of FIFA president, Joseph Sepp Blatter encapsulates vividly the tenets of this years’ competition when he said “this World Cup had a special momentum, linked with a history of freedom and the history of one man, Nelson Mandela”. South Africa 2010 might have come and gone but it has proven to the world in no mean feat that when given the opportunity Africa can indeed raise Her head high with pride and stand up to be counted when it matters the most. The baton has been passed on to the Samba loving people of Brazil who are host of the 2014 edition, and only time would tell if they would measure up to the new standard the beautiful game has been taken to by Africa. Awards Thomas Mueller clinched the Adidas Golden Shoe award and emerged as the best young player of the tournament. Silver Boot went to David Villa whilst Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder picked up the bronze award. As regards the young player of the year award he fought contention from Ghana’s Andre Ayew and Mexico’s Giovanni Dos Santos. Diego Forlan won the Adidas Golden Ball award. He was also voted by fans to have scored the best goal of the competition courtesy his acrobatic volley in the third place match between Uruguay and Germany which ended 2-3 in favour of the Bavarians. Iker Casillas of Spain bagged the Adidas Golden
Sports Glove award having made a string of impressive saves during the tournament. Spain won the tournament and FIFA Fair Play award. Netherlands were second, Germany third, whilst Uruguay clinched the fourth position. A Record of Firsts South Africa became the first FIFA World Cup host nation to be eliminated at the end of the group stage. Didier Drogba became the first African player to score against Brazil in six meetings between A Seleção and teams from the African Zone. Meanwhile, midfielder Michael Bradley became the first FIFA World Cup scorer to be coached by his father when he equalised for the United States in their 2-2 draw with Slovenia. Iker Casillas became the first goalkeeper to stop penalties in two different FIFA World Cups. Saint Iker had stopped the Republic of Ireland’s Ian Harte at Korea/Japan 2002 before frustrating Oscar Cardozo of Paraguay in the quarter-finals this year. Asamoah Gyan entered the history books as the first player to miss spot-kicks in separate editions of the competition, following up his failed effort against the Czech Republic at Germany 2006 with another fruitless attempt against Uruguay in the last eight. Cuauhtemoc Blanco became the only Mexican international to have scored in three different FIFA World Cup final tournaments. Rigobert Song did not register for Cameroon, on the other hand, but he nonetheless returned home with a record as the first African player to have appeared in four FIFA World Cups. Christian Eriksen was South Africa 2010’s youngest player at 18 years and 120 days old. Paraguay reached the quarter-finals for the first time in their history at South Africa 2010.
the second-highest number of crosses with 42, with only Diego Forlan (50) attempting more. 261 fouls were committed at South Africa 2010, down significantly on Germany 2006’s tally of 346. A consequence of this was that dismissals were also greatly reduced, with just 17 red cards compared to 26 four years ago. 145 goals were scored at South Africa 2010, the lowest of any FIFA World Cup since the tournament switched to a 64-game format. 117 minutes was the time at which Andres Iniesta struck against the Netherlands, making his dramatic winner the latest-ever winning goal in a FIFA World Cup final. 22 goals at Green Point Stadium made the Cape Town arena the highest-scoring of South Africa’s ten venues. Johannesburg’s Soccer City ranked second with 20. 12 goals were scored by Bayern Munich players during South Africa 2010, making the Bavarian giants the best-represented club in the scoring charts. Bayern’s European conquerors, Inter Milan, were next-highest on nine, while Atletico Madrid players accounted for eight. The Spanish league dominated overall, with 29 goals to 21 for the Bundesliga, 12 for the English Premier League and 16 for Serie A. 8 teams have now won the FIFA World Cup after Spain joined this elite club. La Roja became the first team to win the global showpiece having lost their opening game, and the first from Europe to
lift the trophy outside their own continent. 3.18 million fans attended South Africa 2010’s 64 matches, just short of the FIFA World Cup record set when 3.59 million clicked through the turnstiles at USA 1994. 3 players, David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol, accounted for Spain’s entire haul of goals at South Africa 2010. Previously, no team had ever won the FIFA World Cup with fewer than four different goalscorers. La Roja’s overall tally of eight was the lowest of any world champions in history. 3 siblings in one squad was another first for South Africa 2010, with Jerry, Jhony and Wilson Palacios making history thanks to their inclusion in Honduras’ 23-man list. 3 assists were racked up by Kaka, Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Dirk Kuyt and Mesut Ozil, establishing this quintet as the competition’s most effective creators. 2 draws and a defeat from three group games made Italy’s performance in South Africa their worst-ever FIFA World Cup showing. Never before had they failed to win a single match, or finished bottom of their group. Marcello Lippi’s side remained winless in 2010. 2 minutes and 39 seconds was the time at which Thomas Muller scored the tournament’s fastest goal in Germany’s 4-0 win over Argentina.
Key Statistics from South Africa 2010 18449 volunteers, the oldest who was 80 years old. 669 passes were attempted by Xavi during the tournament, 104 more than his nearest challenger, Bastian Schweinsteiger. Xavi also delivered
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Dabar
Insights for Christian Living
The Things Money Cannot Buy Adetola Asabo
I
have not had electricity in two weeks. But this is not about not having light or maybe it is. I heard one neighbour complaining about her situation to another who had electricity and she got an answer she did not expect. The other lady said “you are upset about mere light when you have your two sons to take care of�. Apparently after five years of marriage, the other lady had no child but she had the comfort of everything her husband could provide, except a child of her own. This got me thinking seriously, when last have I counted my blessings and thanked God for what I have instead of focusing on what I don’t have. As humans we have a tendency to get lost in the humdrum of everyday living and some of us have actually gotten lost in the rat race of life. We need more money to buy things, a new car, a new house and a lot more. We always want something new, but how many times have you written down the things you had that money could not possibly buy. Like the patter of little feet in your home, yes, your kids might be troublesome but someone out there would almost kill to have a child wail for them at night. Or the laughter of your spouse, having a friend to talk to on the other end of the phone, having people who care about you, having money to do an impulse buy, having money to go to the cinema, being able to strut around in shoes and getting up in the morning. Having eyes to open and see that there is no light, someone would gladly exchange your eyes with his if only to see a candle flame and the face of a loved one.
So we are in the second half of the year, many started this year with us and are no more. I started a thank you list recently of all the wonderful things that my money could not possibly buy and my list is getting longer. I also find out that I am beginning to feel more content with the things I have. I have no doubt that my flesh will soon pop up again with all I want and need and gotta have, but right now, I am thankful, for the Lord has been faithful. Do start your list now. What are you thankful for now? This might help you remember all the great things that have happened to you in 2010. Psalm 136 vs. 1-end 1O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 4To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
5To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. 6To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. 7To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: 8The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: 9The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever. 23Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: 24And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. 25Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. 26O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Dabar - Insights for Christian Living The Dabar column is about Christian living. This column is going to deal with real life issues that Christians face in day to day living and the Biblical perspective on these issues with a real life approach to such situations. We will also use this column as a forum to discuss issues affecting Christianity as a whole. As such, letters with issues which can be discussed should be sent to timelesscourage@yahoo.co.uk. Issues to be discussed in the column will be chosen from letters sent in by you our readers. We look forward to hearing from you so we can start treating these issues from next month. Thank you.
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Viewpoint
President Goodluck Jonathan and Zoning of The Presidency In 2011 Samuel Millar Jaja
T
here have been several groups calling for President Goodluck Jonathan to contest for the Presidency in the 2011 elections; among others steps taken so far is a solidarity rally in Bauchi State to drum up the support of the North for his purported Presidential ambition. Also the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) has formally adopted President Goodluck Jonathan as its Presidential flagbearer for the rather ridiculous reason that he will now replace the late President Umaru Yara’dua as its Presidential candidate. The contentious issue is still whether the President should contest the 2011 Presidential elections on the platform of the PDP or the Presidency be zoned to the North for it to complete its now truncated two terms tenure after the death of President Umaru Yara’dua. The zoning of the Presidency is the contentious issue, but gladly an end seems to be in sight for this undemocratic and retrogressive long term experiment. Zoning can only further breed mediocrity and bad Governance. The sooner it is completely jettisoned into oblivion the better the political climate will become for Nigerians to freely contest for any political office of their choice. We can ill afford at this stage of our political development to be saddled with the burdensome zoning of political offices among party members. Moreover, the zoning of an office as important and sensitive as the Presidency is tantamount to the Government’s abdication of its responsibility to enthrone accountability, transparency and good government for Nigerians. The political parties should respect the internal democratic machinery of their parties and ensure it brings out the most credible candidates to contest the elective offices including the Presidency. The issue of zoning of the Presidency must been seen beyond the Presidency of Goodluck Jonathan but for the overall sustenance of true democracy in the country. If Nigeria is to sustain the gains of democracy it’s imperative that the issue of zoning of political offices must be dealt the final death knell. A bad precedent had been set by the ruling PDP’s zoning formula, which rotates political offices among different geopolitical zones in the
country. This was probably done with the Federal character principle of Government at the Federal level in mind, to ensure a fair and even distribution of State representation in Federal appointments. For the PDP and other political parties to now extend it to appointments into political offices and the Presidency goes against all the known
As Nigeria continues its march towards a true and lasting democratic dispensation after almost 50 years as an independent sovereign Republic; filled with the broken promises of politicians and many years of military interregnum, the issue of zoning has been a serious draw back on the body politic and should finally been dispensed away with. Zoning has brought with it many impediments to the political landscape of Nigeria that a level political playing field is now a must for democracy to thrive. I sincerely hope that the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which does not recognize the zoning of political offices, will be respected. Parties are free to field any candidate of their choice to contest for elective offices including the Presidency provided the candidates meet the requirements of the Constitution and the soon to be reformed Electoral Laws. From the foregoing view point, I can’t envisage anything that could possibly stop President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting for the Presidency if his party should adopt him as their candidate, since it appears the issue of zoning will likely be dealt the final death knell from which it may never recover. Samuel Millar Jaja is a Lawyer, Political Analyst ,and Commentator based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
civil and democratic norms of Government. In a true democratic dispensation candidates are free to contest for any political office of their choice without the fear of being barred on frivolous ethnic grounds. It goes against all known tenets of democracy for such issues to ever be considered in a democracy founded on democratic principles. For example in the United States where Nigeria borrowed its democracy; it would be inconceivable for the Government to ever contemplate such an erroneous view.
Readers can send in their articles of not more than 700 words on issues of national importance for publishing on this page to timelesscourage@ yahoo.co.uk AUGUST 2010
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Podium
Making Capitalism More Creative By Bill Gates
An abridged version of the article by the Microsoft Chairman and Founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, making the case for a more socially responsible type of capitalism. He argues that capitalism and making profits can go hand in hand with philanthropy and giving of aid. ing his cell phone at me to hear their sleepy yet enthusiastic replies. As crazy as it seemed that night, Bono’s persistence soon gave birth to the (RED) campaign. Today companies like Microsoft, Gap, Hallmark and Dell sell (RED)-branded products and donate a portion of their profits to fight AIDS. It’s a great thing: the companies make a difference while adding to their bottom line, consumers get to show their support for a good cause, and most important lives are saved. Creative capitalism isn’t some big new economic theory. And it isn’t a knock on capitalism itself. It is a way to answer a vital question: How can we most effectively spread the benefits of capitalism and the huge improvements in quality of life it can provide to people who have been left out?
C
apitalism has improved the lives of billions of people but it has left out billions more. They have great needs, but they can’t express those needs in ways that matter to markets. So they are stuck in poverty, suffer from preventable diseases and never have a chance to make the most of their lives. Governments and nonprofit groups have an irreplaceable role in helping them, but it will take too long if they try to do it alone. It is mainly corporations that have the skills to make technological innovations work for the poor. To make the most of those skills, we need a more creative capitalism: an attempt to stretch the reach of market forces so that more companies can benefit from doing work that makes more people better off. We need new ways to bring far more people into the system, capitalism that has done so much good in the world. The good news is that creative capitalism is already with us. Some corporations have identified brandnew markets among the poor for life-changing technologies like cell phones. Others have seen how they can do good and do well at the same time. To take a real-world example, a few years ago I was sitting in a bar with Bono (the U2 frontman), and frankly, I thought he was a little nuts. It was late, we’d had a few drinks, and Bono was all fired up over a scheme to get companies to help tackle global poverty and disease. He kept dialling the private numbers of top executives and thrust36
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The World Is Getting Better Creative capitalism isn’t an answer to the relatively short-term ups and downs of the economic cycle. It’s a response to the longer-term fact that too many people are missing out on a historic, century-long improvement in the quality of life. In many nations, life expectancy has grown dramatically in the past 100 years. Even with all the problems we face today, we are at a high point of human well-being. The world is getting a lot better. The problem is, it’s not getting better fast enough, and it’s not getting better for everyone. One billion people live on less than a dollar a day. They don’t have enough nutritious food, clean water or electricity. The amazing innovations that have made many lives so much better like vaccines and microchips have largely passed them by. This is where governments and nonprofits come in. As I see it, there are two great forces of human nature: self-interest and caring for others. Capitalism harnesses self-interest in a helpful and sustainable way but only on behalf of those who can pay. Government aid and philanthropy channel our caring for those who can’t pay. The world will make lasting progress on the big inequities that remain; problems like AIDS, poverty and education only if governments and nonprofits do their part by giving more aid and more effective aid. But the improvements will happen faster and last longer if we can channel market forces, including innovation that’s tailored to the needs of the poorest, to complement what governments and nonprofits
do. We need a system that draws in innovators and businesses in a far better way than we do today. Naturally, if companies are going to get more involved, they need to earn some kind of return. This is the heart of creative capitalism. It’s not just about doing more corporate philanthropy or asking companies to be more virtuous. It’s about giving them a real incentive to apply their expertise in new ways, making it possible to earn a return while serving the people who have been left out. This can happen in two ways: companies can find these opportunities on their own, or governments and nonprofits can help create such opportunities where they presently don’t exist. What’s Been Missed As C.K. Prahalad shows in his book The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, there are markets all over the world that businesses have missed. One study found that the poorest two-thirds of the world’s population has some $5 trillion in purchasing power. A key reason market forces are slow to make an impact in developing countries is that we don’t spend enough time studying the needs of those markets. Cell phones are an example. They’re now a booming market in the developing world, but historically, companies vastly underestimated their potential. In 2000, when Vodafone bought a large stake in a Kenyan cell-phone company, it figured that the market in Kenya would max out at 400,000 users. Today that company, Safaricom, has more than 10 million. The company has done it by finding creative ways to serve low-income Kenyans. Its customers are charged by the second rather than by the minute, for example, which keeps down the cost. Safaricom is making a profit, and it’s making a difference. Farmers use their cell phones to find the best prices in nearby markets. A number of innovative uses for cell phones are emerging. Already many Kenyans use them to store cash (via a kind of electronic money) and transfer funds. This is how people can benefit when businesses find opportunities that have been missed. Sceptics of creative capitalism doubt that there are any new markets. Their argument assumes that businesses have already studied every possible market for their products. Beyond finding new markets and developing new products, companies sometimes can benefit by providing the poor with heavily discounted access
Podium to products. Industries like software and pharmaceuticals, for example, have very low production costs, so you can come out ahead by selling your product for a bigger profit in rich markets and for a smaller profit, or at cost, in poor ones. Businesses in other industries can’t do this tiered pricing, but they can benefit from the public recognition and enhanced reputation that come from serving those who can’t pay. The companies involved in the (RED) campaign draw in new customers who want to be associated with a good cause. That might be the tipping point that leads people to pick one product over another. There’s another crucial benefit that accrues to businesses that do good work. They will find it easier to recruit and retain great employees. Young people today, all over the world want to work for organizations that they can feel good about. Show them that a company is applying its expertise to help the poorest, and they will repay that commitment with their own dedication. Creating New Incentives Even so, no matter how hard businesses look or how creatively they think, there are some problems in the world that aren’t amenable to solution by existing market incentives. Malaria is a great example: the people who most need new drugs or a vaccine are the least able to pay, so the drugs and vaccines never get made. In these cases, governments and nonprofits can create the incentives. This is the second way in which creative capitalism can take wing. Incentives can be as straightforward as giving public praise to the companies that are doing work that serves the poor. Publicity is very valuable, but sometimes it’s still not enough to persuade companies to get involved. Even the best P.R. may not pay the bill for 10 years of research into a new drug. That’s why it’s so important for governments to create more financial incentives. Under a U.S. law, for example, any drug company that develops a new treatment for a neglected disease like malaria can get a priority
review from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for another product it has made. If you develop a new drug for malaria, your profitable cholesterol drug could go on the market as much as a year earlier. Such a priority review could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s a fantastic way for governments to go beyond the aid they already give and channel market forces so they improve even more lives. Of course, governments in developing countries have to do a lot to foster capitalism themselves. They must pass laws and make regulations that let markets flourish, bringing the benefits of economic growth to more people. Many countries could spark more business investment, both within their borders and from the outside if they did more to
guarantee property rights, cut red tape and so on. But these changes come slowly. In the meantime, we can’t wait. As a businessman, I’ve seen that companies can tap new markets right now, even
if conditions aren’t ideal. And as a philanthropist, I’ve found that our caring for others compels us to help people right now. The longer we wait, the more people suffer needlessly. The Next Step One idea for companies is to dedicate a percentage of their top innovators’ time to issues that affect the people who have been left behind. This kind of contribution takes the brainpower that makes life better for the richest and dedicates some of it to improving the lives of everyone else. Some pharmaceutical companies, like Merck and GlaxoSmithKline, are already doing this. The Japanese company Sumitomo Chemical shared some of its technology with a Tanzanian textile company, helping it produce millions of bed nets, which are crucial tools in the fight to eradicate malaria. Other companies are doing the same in food, cell phones and banking. In other words, creative capitalism is already under way. But we can do much more. Consumers can reward companies that do their part by buying their products. Employees can ask how their employers are contributing. If more companies follow the lead of the most creative organizations in their industry, they will make a huge impact on some of the world’s worst problems. More than 30 years ago, Paul Allen and I started Microsoft because we wanted to be part of a movement to put a computer on every desk and in every home. Ten years ago, Melinda and I started our foundation because we want to be part of a different movement, this time, to help create a world where no one has to live on a dollar a day or die from a disease we know how to prevent. Creative capitalism can help make it happen. I hope more people will join the cause.
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Random Musings with Ayodeji Jeremiah for herself. She had not educated herself beyond the secondary school level and had not acquired more skills. She had been what is popularly known as a house wife – a wife that stays at home, looks after the husband and the children on a full time basis. When she had to do something, without her and the children becoming destitute, she wound up with a phone call business selling recharge cards and making calls for people but how much could she make from that on a daily basis to take care of herself and her four children. She had to pay house rent, buy foodstuff, buy books for the children, buy clothes for them and such other basic life needs. She still had to depend eventually on handouts from her own and her husband’s family.
M
aureen has just lost her husband, no he didn’t die; he just packed his bags and left. She was left alone to cater for four children, the oldest being thirteen, the youngest being six. Jim, her husband had been having financial and mental health problems and felt the best solution was to leave the city and head back to the village. Maureen disagreed with him on this point. What would they go and be doing in the village? It wasn’t as if he had a job waiting for him there. They were not farmers. They had lived all their lives in the city since they got married. All their children were born in the city and were still in school. How would they continue their schooling? Would they go and be living in the one room shack his family was going to provide for them in the village? They had no one they could depend on. He had been the backbone of the family providing for his parents and siblings. Eventually, one day after all the arguments and fighting, he packed his bags and just left. He never looked back. Thirteen years was gone just like that. Maureen had been educated to secondary school level and had stopped. While the going was good, she had never thought of setting up a business
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Recently at a church in Lagos, I overhead a group of young women in their thirties discussing; they were all married with children. What however got my attention was that all of them without exception when asked what they were doing for a living described themselves as ‘full time’ housewives. If I may ask, what exactly does that mean? Are there part time wives and mothers out there? Being a wife and a mother is a full time job but does not necessarily translate into not having a trade or business or a job. Does it mean that a woman cannot be a good wife and mother and not have a career, trade, business or volunteer work she is involved in? Being a wife and a mother ain’t easy! But that does not mean our women should not be mean-
ingfully engaged in career or business pursuits in addition to taking care of their husbands and children. Even if your husband is the world’s richest man, does that mean you should not develop yourself mentally, financially and be engaged in something outside of the home front. I am not even talking about having an 8-5 job. Being involved in a trade or volunteer work is also part of it. This has got nothing to do with women’s liberation. It’s about common sense and empowering our wives and mothers. Some of our mothers and grandmothers were not as educated as the present generation but they were involved in trades, businesses and developed skills outside of the home front. In Africa, women still do not have access to their husbands’ properties, finances and such. Unlike in developed countries, where the woman favoured by the legal system and is taken care of financially in the case of a divorce; our women here in Africa are at the mercies of a legal and cultural system that encourages profligate men. While men are encouraged to take care of their wives and children’s financial responsibilities; women are being encouraged to develop themselves for themselves, not because they want to take over the responsibilities in the home, not because they want to flaunt their wealth, not because they want to walk away from their responsibilities as a wife and mother. It’s just because its good for them to do so. And in the event that the husband or father or brother dies or just deserts a woman, such a woman will be in position to move on in life without becoming destitute or over dependent on others.
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