Timeless

TIMELESS Published Since April 2003

Vol. 8 No. 10

OCTOBER 2010

300 NAIRA

Celebrating Nigeria at 50 A Historical Perspective Some under 50 Nigerians to watch out for

Personality Kemka

The Shape of the Future

Society

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What is Change?

Change can be positive or negative. Something can change from the better for worse and something can change from bad to good. In our context in this article, we are looking at change as that process of transforming something from what it is to the best it can be. It can also be defined as the process of making things better and making better things continuously.

Why must things Change?

The world itself is constantly changing. We have had several world orders that have brought one form of change or the other to the world through their cultures and technologies or way of life. The Assyrian Empire – The Babylonian Empire – The Persian Empire – The Greek Empire – The Roman Empire. The British Empire. What happened during Noah’s time is not what is happening today. There have been changes in knowledge, changes in thinking, changes in circumstances, changes in lifestyle, changes in attitude, changes in the economy.

From our perspective of positive change, there is always a better way of doing things. Before the advent of colour television, we had black and white TVs; before that there was TV without sound. Now we have the Cable News Network and satellite TV. We have had the Betamax, the VHS, the CD, the DVD and now the Blueray. The GSM phone technology and email have now become common place. Before we had to rely on telegram and analog phones for our communication purposes.

There is something waiting to be discovered by you.

The men and women that led these discoveries and made these changes of monumental proportions are men of like mind like you and I. They did not have two heads, or four eyes or 15 fingers. They were willing to pay the price to see change and be the change agent.

They were willing to lead change.

At 50, Nigeria must change What was Nigeria like in the 50s, 60s, and 70s? Nigerian universities were amongst the best in the Commonwealth in the 60s. We were the leading exporters of cash crops like cocoa, oil palm, and groundnut. Our green passport was highly respected. Nobody frowned at you or looked upon you with contempt for owing and carrying one. Sometimes in the 1970s, our then Head of State stated unequivocally that lack of money was not our problem but how to spend the much available money. We lent money to other nations. The naira exchanged at good rates with the dollar and the

What is the situation like today? There is no power supply; the roads are bad, our medical infrastructure is so deplorable that treating malaria and typhoid has become a problem for our doctors, there is no food and people are going hungry, education is poor with those who can afford it sending their children to US, UK and even Ghana, Botswana and South Africa for higher education; the private schools hae virtually taken over the primary and secondary school sectors yet there is no improvement in WAEC and NECO scores.

Unemployment is at an all time low, our currency and economy are weak and cannot support basic manufacturing and trading processes and the attitude of the people towards their nation is weak and deplorable. In short things are tough.

Why are things the way they are?

How did we get to the situation we have found ourselves in? Several reasons could be adduced for our problems with the main one being leadership or a lack of it. We have had poor, uneducated, uniformed, visionless, uncommitted leadership by largely selfish and ignorant people who lack proper training and character.

David Cameron, the British Prime Minister comes from a generation of leaders who have held positions of responsibility and accountability. The opposition Labour party in the UK is led by the Miliband brothers, who also descend from a generation of leaders. In the US, a relatively younger nation than Britain; you must demonstrate your leadership track record that has benefitted society. People come from the Congress to become Senators and Governors before saying they want to be President or Vice Presidents. People are also held accountable. Same in Singapore, Malaysia, even India and I dare say Ghana. In Nigeria, we have enforced a process that never brought up the best.

You cannot give what you don’t have.

How do we change or lead a change?

(1) We must be ready and willing to change: there must be a willingness to leave the past and move into the future. Change cannot happen if the people are stuck in a time warp unwilling to move forward.

(2) We must see the change: This is where vision comes in. We need people who can communicate that change to others. Myles Munroe at a seminar earlier in the year said “you can only lead people to the degree of the future that you have gone yourself. The act of leadership is taking people from where they are to where they have never been before. The result of true leadership is discomfort and change. The most important source of leadership is vision.” The change we yearn for must be something that can be easily communicated to others.

(3) We must find the people with the appropriate character to lead the change: leadership is all about personality and character. Again it was Myles Munroe that said “an army of sheep led by a lion will always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.” It’s all about character.

Nigeria, a nation of 150 million people is not short of

human resource. It’s just that the system keeps throwing up those with corrupt and questionable characters.

That must change.

(4) We must put in the processes for change: Processes in our educational, religious, electoral, and legislative and governance systems that will bring about change must be put in place. If someone has tried a process that works that brings about change, that process must be documented and taught to others and replicated across all spheres of our society.

(5) We must commit to and be faithful to the change: We must be ready as a people and as a nation to endure the hardships and the consequences that the change will bring about. Change is not always easy. People naturally will always want to remain in their comfort zones. They have to be forced to change their thinking, their attitude, their way of life. We must be faithful as a nation to such changes What do we need to lead change?

(1) Education (2) Vision (3) Determination (4) Strength & Hardwork (5) Truth, Boldness, Honesty, Integrity (6) Capacity, Skill and Gift (7) Fairness What do we need to do for Nigeria?

(1) Corruption must stop: We must discourage corruption at all levels. Corruption does not take place only in government. At religious organisations, private offices, schools, even our homes, we must discourage all forms of corrupt practices.

(2) People must be enlightened, informed and emboldened: We must bring our people out of ignorance and fear. A situation where our leaders continue to enslave the people in order to lord it over them must stop.

(3) We must insist on clean electoral processes: The people must rise up and get involved in the electoral process. No more armchair politicking. We must all register to vote, go out to vote on election days, monitor the whole process in our different areas and generally get involved.

(4) We must search for right leadership with the right character and proven track record, encourage and support them to participate You must be ready to get involved at whatever level, starting with yourself and your environment. It is possible and Yes, We can. God bless Nigeria.

Ituah Ighodalo OCTOBER 2010

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Contents

Style

Society

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Ten things you should do everyday Buying youth in a bottle

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CEO

Ituah Ighodalo EDITOR

Ayodeji Jeremiah SENIOR WRITERS

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Keeping your business afloat during a recession

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Editorial

The Entity called Nigeria: A Historical Perspective

N

igeria has the largest population of any country in Africa (about 140 million), and the greatest diversity of cultures, ways of life, cities and terrain. With a total land area of 923,768 sq. km, Nigeria is the 14th largest country in Africa.

Its coastline, on the Gulf of Guinea, stretches 774 km.

Nigeria has had an eventful history. People have lived in what is now known as Nigeria since at least 9000 BC (archaeological research has shown that people were already living in southwestern Nigeria, specifically Iwo-Eleru as early as 9000 BC) and evidence indicates that since at least 5000 BC, some of them have practiced settled agriculture and perhaps earlier at Ugwuelle-Uturu (Okigwe) in south-eastern Nigeria. In the early centuries AD, kingdoms emerged in the drier, northern savannah, prospering from trade ties with North Africa. At roughly the same time, the wetter, southern forested areas yielded city-states and looser federations sustained by agriculture and coastal trade. Virtually all the native races of Africa are represented in Nigeria, hence the great diversity of her people and culture. The area that is now Nigeria was home to ethnically based kingdoms and tribal communities before it became a European colony. In spite of European contact that began in the 16th century, these kingdoms and communities maintained their autonomy until the 19th century.

Activities of Portuguese navigators had been noticed on the West African coast since the early 15th century. In 1481 emissaries from the King of Portugal visited the court of the Oba of Benin. But the colonial era began in earnest in the late 19th century, when Britain consolidated its rule over Nigeria. Following the Napoleonic wars, the British expanded trade with the Nigerian interior. By 1851, Britain captured the colony of Lagos in a bid to have a firmer grip over its commercial interests in the coastal town and proclaimed Lagos a Crown Colony in 1861. That year Britain took full possession of Lagos Island, and administered the Crown Colony from the Gold Coast Colony until 1886, when it was given its own governor and administration. In 1885, the Berlin-West African Conference of major European powers agreed to entrust Britain with the sphere of influence of the Niger River Basin. British authority was subsequently extended east and west along the coast. In 1879 the United African Company was formed; it was renamed the National African Company in 1883. Also in 1886 a royal charter was granted to the National African Company (NAC) subsequently renamed the Royal Niger Company (RNC) empowering it to administer justice and enforce order in areas where it had trea-

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ties with local rulers. In 1885 the NAC signed exclusive trading agreements with the emirates of Sokoto and Gwandu. It was these agreements that formed the British claim at the Berlin Conference (then in session) that the Fulani emirates were under its protection. The 1886 charter establishing the Royal Niger Company was a solution to this dilemma. The company was the brainchild of Sir George Goldie, a former British army officer with an interest in one of the British companies trading along the lower Niger. For several years, Goldie tried to persuade the leading British companies that the best way to resist incursions down the river by French and German rivals would be to combine forces.

In 1887 a British protectorate was formally proclaimed over those emirates that had signed treaties with the RNC. In 1891 a strip of the Niger Coast Protectorate between the company’s headquarters at Asaba and the Niger delta was handed over to RNC administration. After the conclusion of several treaties with local rulers, the British Oil Rivers Protectorate, renamed the Niger Coast Protectorate in 1893, was established over the eastern delta area as far north as the Benue. At the completion of the Berlin Conference, which precipitated the “Scramble for Africa” by the European powers, the conference agreement stipulated that no new protectorate or annexation along the coast would be recognised unless accompanied by “effective occupation” by the colonising power; this rule was extended to the interior in 1890. The kingdom of Benin in the south-west was added to the Niger Coast Protectorate in 1897.

In 1897 the RNC conquered the emirates of Nupe and Ilorin near the border with French-controlled Dahomey. After further expansion in the south-east the region was renamed the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria in 1900. With French troops pushing across the border from the west and down the Niger from the north, the British government in 1897 founded the West African Frontier Force (WAFF) to support the RNC in its territorial ambitions. The WAFF was under the company’s control and commanded by Captain (later Lord) Frederick Lugard. On January 1, 1901 Nigeria became a British protectorate.

In 1914 the area was formally united as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Administratively Nigeria remained divided into the northern and southern provinces and Lagos colony. The unification introduced the principle of indirect rule of administration, which literally gave the power of administration to the traditional rulers but with instructions and prodding from the colonial officers. In 1916 Lord Lugard formed the Nigerian Council, a consultative body that brought together six traditional leaders including the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir of Kano, and the Alaafin of Oyo to represent all parts of the colony though it is on record that they have no major role to play in policy formulation as Lord Lugard

dictated the policies of the British Crown to them.

From 1922, African representatives from Lagos and Calabar were elected to the legislative council of Southern Nigeria; they constituted only a small minority, and Africans otherwise continued to have no role in the higher levels of government. Self-help groups organised on ethnic lines were established in the cities. A small Western-educated elite developed in Lagos and a few other southern cities. In 1947, Great Britain promulgated a constitution that gave the traditional authorities a greater voice in national affairs. The Western-educated elite was excluded, and, led by Herbert Macaulay and Nnamdi Azikiwe, its members vigorously denounced the constitution.

As a result, a new constitution, providing for elected representation on a regional basis, was instituted in 1951.

Three major political parties emerged - the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC; from 1960 known as the National Convention of Nigerian Citizens), led by Nnamdi Azikiwe and largely based among the Igbo; the Action Group, led by Obafemi Awolowo and with a mostly Yoruba membership; and the Northern People’s Congress (NPC), led by Ahmadu Bello and based in the north. The constitution proved unworkable by 1952, and a new one, solidifying the division of Nigeria into three regions (Eastern, Western, and Northern) plus the Federal Territory of Lagos, came into force in 1954. In 1956 the Eastern and Western regions became internally self-governing, and the Northern region achieved this status in 1959. No party won a majority at the 1959 elections, and the NPC combined with the NCNC to form a government. Nigeria attained independence on Oct. 1, 1960, with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of the NPC as Prime Minister and Azikiwe of the NCNC as Governor-General; when Nigeria became a republic in 1963, Azikiwe was made president. Thus began Nigeria’s walk towards selfgovernance and democratic rule.

The first years of independence were characterised by severe conflicts within and between regions.

During the first three years after independence, the federal government was an NPC-NCNC coalition, despite the conflicting natures of the two partners.

The former was regionalist, Muslim, and aristocratic; the latter was nationalist, Christian, and populist.

Moreover, the NCNC supported opponents of the NPC in regional elections in the Northern Region.

Although a more natural ideological alignment of the Action Group and the NCNC was called for by some Action Group leaders, it held no attraction for the NCNC as long as the NPC was assured of a parliamentary majority. Domination of the Northern Region by the NPC and NCNC control of the Eastern Region were assured. Action Group control of the Western Region, however, was weakened and

then collapsed because of divisions within the party.

The leadership of the Action Group, which formed the official opposition in the federal parliament, split in 1962 as a result of a rift between Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola, prime minister of the Western Region.

In January 1966, a military coup by a group of mostly Igbo junior officers under the leadership of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, led to the overthrow of Nigeria’s civilian government. In the course of this coup, many northern and western leaders were killed, including Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s Prime Minister, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Region, Samuel Akintola, premier of the Western Region, as well as several high ranking Northern army officers; by contrast, only a single Igbo officer lost his life.

This gave the coup a decidedly ethnocentric cast that aroused the suspicions of Northerners, and the subsequent failure by Major General Johnson AguiyiIronsi to meet Northern demands for the prosecution of the coup plotters further inflamed Northern anger. The final straw seems to have been Ironsi’s Decree Number 34, which proposed the abolition of the federal system of government in favour of a unitary state, a position, which had long been championed by the Igbo-dominated NCNC; this was interpreted

by Northerners as an Igbo attempt at a takeover of all levers of power in the country.

In July, 1966, a coup led by Hausa army officers ousted Ironsi (who was killed) and placed Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon at the head of a new military regime. Gowon wasted no time in reversing Ironsi’s abrogation of the federal principle upon his ascent to power. In the meantime, the July Counter-Coup had unleashed pogroms against the Igbo throughout the Northern Region. Hundreds of Igbo officers were murdered during the revolt, and in the North, as commanding officers either lost control of their troops or actively egged them on to violence against Igbo civilians, it did not take long for Northerners from all walks of life to join in the mayhem. Tens of thousands of Igbos were slaughtered throughout the North, simply for being Igbo, and the persecution precipitated the flight of more than a million Igbo towards their ancestral homelands in the southeast of Nigeria. Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Ironsi-appointed military governor of the Eastern region, who had managed to quash any attempts by Northern soldiers stationed in his region to replicate the massacres of Igbo officers that had occurred elsewhere, then began making ever more openly secessionist statements and gestures, arguing that if Igbo lives could not be preserved by the Nigerian state, then the Igbo reserved to right to establish a state of their own in which their rights would indeed be respected. In May, 1967, the Eastern parliament gave Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, the region’s leader, authority to declare the region an independent republic. Gowon proclaimed a state of emergency, and, as a gesture to the Igbos, re-divided Nigeria into 12 states (including one, the East-Central state that comprised most of the Igbo people). However, on May 30, Ojukwu

proclaimed the independent Republic of Biafra, and in July fighting broke out between Biafra and Nigeria. After much suffering, Biafra capitulated on Jan. 15, 1970, and the secession ended.

On October 1, 1974, in flagrant contradiction to his earlier promises, Gowon declared that Nigeria would not be ready for civilian rule by 1976, and he announced that the handover date would be postponed indefinitely. This provoked serious discontent within the army, and on July 25, 1975, while Gowon was attending an OAU summit in Kampala, a group of officers led by Brigadier Murtala Mohammed announced his overthrow. Gen. Murtala Muhammad pledged a return to civilian rule. Murtala Muhammad was assassinated during an unsuccessful coup d’état in February 1976 and succeeded by General Olusegun Obasanjo.

In 1979 elections were held under a new constitution. Five major parties competed for power in the 1979 elections. As might be expected, there was some continuity between the old parties of the First Republic and the new parties of the Second Republic. The National Party of Nigeria (NPN), for example, inherited the mantle of the Northern People’s Congress, although the NPN differed from the NPC in that it obtained significant support in the non-Igbo states of south-eastern Nigeria. The United Party of Nigeria (UPN) was the successor to the Action Group, with Awolowo as its head. Its support was almost entirely in the Yoruba states. The Nigerian People’s Party (NPP), the successor to the NCNC, was predominantly Igbo and had Azikiwe as its leader. An attempt to forge an alliance with non Hausa-Fulani northern elements collapsed in the end, and a breakaway party with strong support in parts of the north emerged from the failed alliance.

This northern party was known as the Great Nigerian People’s Party under the leadership of Waziri Ibrahim of Borno. Finally, the People’s Redemption Party was the successor to the Northern Elements Progressive Union and had Aminu Kano as its head.

Just as the NPC dominated the First Republic, its successor, the NPN, dominated the Second Republic. Shagari won the presidency, defeating Azikiwe in a close and controversial vote..

Shagari was re-elected president in 1983 but overthrown after only a few months in office and succeeded by Major General Muhammad Buhari. In 1985 a coup led by Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Babangida brought a new regime to power, along with the promise of a return to civilian rule. A new election in 1993 ended in the apparent presidential victory of Chief Moshood Abiola, but the government of Babangida alleged fraud. Civil unrest led to Babangida’s resignation. Ernest Shonekan, a civilian appointed as interim leader, was forced out after three months by Gen. Sani Abacha, Babangida’s erstwhile Chief of Army Staff and Defence Minister, who became head of state. A broad front National Democratic Coalition was formed, arguing that Abacha’s regime had no legitimate right to rule.

Chief Abiola attempted to reclaim his rightful office, proclaiming himself president. Abacha reacted

by arresting him for treason, prompting a series of strikes that paralysed the economy for months. In 1995, Abacha extended military rule for three more years, while proposing a program for a return to civilian rule after that period; his proposal was rejected by opposition leaders, but five political parties were established in 1996. Also in 1995, a number of army officers, including former head of state General Obasanjo, were arrested in connection with an alleged coup attempt. Abacha died suddenly in June, 1998, and was succeeded by Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, who immediately freed Obasanjo and other political prisoners. Riots followed the announcement that Abiola had also died unexpectedly in July, 1998, while in detention. Abubakar then announced an election timetable leading to a return to civilian rule within a year. All former political parties were disbanded and new ones formed. A series of local, state, and federal elections were held between December, 1998, and February, 1999, culminating in the presidential contest, won by General Obasanjo.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP; the centrist party of General Obasanjo) dominated the elections; the other two leading parties were the Alliance for Democracy (a Yoruba party of the southwest, considered to be progressive), and the All People’s party (a conservative party based largely in the north).

The presidential and legislative elections in April 2003 were won by President Obasanjo and his party, but the results were marred by vote rigging and some violence. The opposition protested the results, and unsuccessfully challenged the presidential election in court. 2005 and early 2006 saw increased contention over whether to amend the constitution to permit the president and state governors to run for more than two terms. The idea had been rejected in July, 2005, by a national political reform conference, but senators reviewing the conference’s proposals indicated they supported an end to term limits. The change was opposed by Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who intended to contest the 2007 presidential elections. The term elongation issue heated up the polity drastically with no one sure of what lay ahead for the nation politically. Eventually in May 2006, the Nigerian senate due to increasing opposition from the populace and the public jettisoned the third term amendment proposal. 2007 was the the first time in the history of Nigeria that a nonincumbent civilian president handed over power to a new civilian government. The general elections of April 2007 have been described both locally and internationally as one of the worst, if not the worst in the history of elections in the country.

A plethora of individuals are vying to contest next year’s presidential elections. Alliances are being made and unmade. Considering the torrid political history of Nigeria; everyone is waiting with bated breath. Will 2011 be different from 1964, 1983, 2003 and 2007? What does the future hold for Nigeria in terms of political leadership? Will old rivalries and wounds be resuscitated to the extent of destabilising the polity or will Nigeria witness a dramatic change that will lead us to our El-Dorado? Being the biggest democracy in Africa, it is not just Nigerians

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events

Insurance Directors’ Seminar on Corporate Governance Tola Awoyemi

T

he National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has urged directors of insurance companies to entrench corporate governance in their organisations to boost performance. Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel, at the maiden edition of ‘Insurance Directors’ seminar on corporate governance’ organised by National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) in Lagos at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Ikeja, enjoined the directors to raise the standard of governance in their organisations, adding that NAICOM is determined to provide the regulatory and supervisory leadership required to move the industry forward.

Daniel noted that NAICOM having observed the ways companies were managed developed a code of corporate governance to right the wrongs that have stemmed the growth of the industry. He said one of the lessons learnt in the reform efforts initiated by NAICOM over the years was that it is relatively easy to effect changes in legislations, but more difficult to change attitudes, dispositions and practices.

He maintained that the change of attitude and disposition have remained a great challenge to how businesses should be run, adding that NAICOM was aware of its role to assist the operators to implement provision in the code to enhance performance. Daniel said the code of governance was meant to set clear standards and provide appropriate guidelines for operators on important issues of governance and that the capital base of insurance operators had risen to N500bn.

According to him, “Some of the reforms carried out by the National Insurance Commission from 2005 to 2007 have yielded positive dividends and moved the industry forward. He listed other challenges to include poor governance practices, poor financial performance and low level of insurance awareness.

Also speaking, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Victor Odozi, said the insurance industry had undergone several reforms, the latest of which was the regulatory-induced recapitalisation exercise between 2005 and 2007. He said the reforms were intended to enhance the underwriting capacity and ability of local insurance companies to participate meaningfully in certain key sectors, such as oil and gas, strengthen their viability, and significantly increase the industry‘s contribution to the growth of the Nigerian economy.

Odozi, who spoke on the topic, “Why Corporate Governance Matters: International and Local Perspectives,” lamented that despite the gains of the recent consolidation, the Nigerian insurance industry was still grossly underperforming, relative to its great potential, saying it remained largely underdeveloped. He added that it was also an underperformer relative to the banking industry in terms of total deposits vis-à-vis gross premium income and total assets and he restated the need for directors in corporate organisations to imbibe the culture of good corporate governance.

He said a key objective of the corporate governance reforms was to restore and enhance market and investor confidence and to protect organisations through transparency, accountability and discipline. Odozi said various domestic and international initiatives were aimed at entrenching best practices in corporate governance with the focus on board of directors in terms of structure, composition, processes, roles and responsibilities, particularly for management oversight, risk management, strategy and compliance.

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events

George Ashiru and Dayo Adegoke thrill at the Life House

T

he Life House, a lifestyle haven in the heart of Victoria Island founded by husband and wife team Dayo and Ugoma Adegoke, with the mission of offering an alternative social experience to Lagosians searching for that sanctuary in which they can relax, play, drink, eat, workout (exercise), shop, learn, network and just be (themselves) recently hosted a couple of young Nigerians to an evening of poetry, music and art.

A serene, beautiful and calm oasis in the heart of Lagos, The Life House features a garden and patio perfect for basking or enjoying live music. The Life House also features a cozy, earthtoned family style café and lounge, which serves the freshest of fruit juices, smoothies, cocktails, organic coffees and teas, pastries, savoury pies, stir-frys and salads. The Life House is also the place to shop for clothes, fashion accessories and gifts that are proudly made in Nigeria…the onsite boutique features flagship fashion brand Zebra alongside a host of socially conscious brands like Zashadu, Qamin and Black Butterfly.

For the music, art and culture lovers, The Life House provides rich offerings - the Abule Book Club, resident in the Café, and hosts regular readings while the Bloom Art series showcases a varied range of contemporary Nigerian art, which changes monthly.

The Poetry Night hosted by George Ashiru holds once a month and features live music backing inspired words by notable as well as amateur poets, song writers and authors. The inspiration behind this event is that more Nigerians not only need an atmosphere to enjoy creative writings, but to also express their own reading, writing and expressive potentials. The poetry night intends to re-kindle a desire for the spoken word, and an opportunity for cross-inspiration, and networking among adepts.

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events

Perpetual and Charles’ glamourous wedding

“

True love does not come by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly”, these where the words for the day as Perpetual, the daughter of Chief & Lolo Edward Eziefule and Charles, the son of HNR Chief & Mrs. Micheal. A. Ohiri both from Imo state were joined in Holy Matrimony. The church service took place at SS Mulumba & David Catholic Church, Surulere, Lagos and the colourful reception took place immediately at Sir Olubi’s Centre Multi-purpose Hall, Okota, Lagos.

The lucky couple expressed their joy and gratitude to God as they danced happily together. The occasion was graced by numerous family, friends and well wishers who prayed that God would grant them a blissful and fruitful marriage.

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Cover feature

Celebrating Nigeria at 50: Some under 50s to look out for

AIGBOJE AIG-IMOUKHUEDE, 44; Banker and Lawyer

‘Aig’ became the MD/CEO of Access Bank Plc in 2002 after more than ten years at Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB). Under his leadership, Access bank has been consistently ranked among the top ten banks in Africa. ‘Aig’, by his admission, is driven by the desire ‘not to be left behind.’ This is reflected in Access Bank’s philosophy of going beyond the ordinary to deliver the perceived impossible.

FABIAN AJOGWU, 40; Lawyer, Businessman and Lecturer Managing Partner of the law firm of Kenna & Associates and Lecturer in Business Law and Negotiations at the Lagos Business School, he has extensive experience on set-ups, restructuring, and takeovers of corporations and has worked on deals involving organisations such as HSBC, Colgate-Palmolive and the Nigerian Army. He assisted the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in drafting a Code of Corporate Governance for Nigerian companies.

BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, 47; Lawyer, Executive Governor, Lagos State Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 after graduating with a law degree from the University of Benin, he is arguably the most popular politician in Nigeria today.

He was Chief of Staff to his predecessor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

If he succeeds in getting elected for a second term, his government may succeed in setting up Lagos state as the corporate heart of West Africa.

ASA, 28; Singer/Songwriter, Recording Artiste Born Bukola Elemide in Paris and was two years old when her family returned to Nigeria.

Asa began to sing on days when she was left all alone at her family’s apartment in Lagos but her somewhat peculiar voice earned her rejections from choirs. Her liaison in 2004 with Cobhams led to her award winning debut album Asa. From being misunderstood Asa has gone on to become an MTV ambassador and opened for Akon, John Legend, Beyoncé and Snoop Dogg.

ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE, 43; Actor, Solicitor and Fashion Model Born in Islington, London to Nigerian parents, he is best known for his role as ‘Mr. Eko’ in “Lost”, the TV series. From being given up for adoption by his poor parents, to degrading poverty, he has gone on to feature in movies and music videos along the likes of Matt Damon, Mary J. Blige and Jim Carrey. His next movie is The Thing, where he will be playing Derek Jameson.

KEZIAH JONES, 42; Songwriter and Guitarist Born Olufemi Sanyaolu, he’s the son of industrialist Osodolamu Sanyaolu. He found music when he left Nigeria for England. He describes his musical style as “Blufunk”, a fusion of raw blues and hard funk rhythms with bits of Yoruba and soul music. His album Nigerian Wood spent 43 weeks on the French SNEP charts where it reached #4.

CHIWETELU “CHIWETEL” UMEADI EJIOFOR, 33; Stage and Screen Actor Born in London to Nigerian parents, Chiwetel began

acting at age thirteen in school plays. He had become a prominent a prominent stage actor in London before he gained acclaim on the screen. Some of his movie performances include Amistad, Children of Men, American Gangster and 2012. He has received numerous awards for his work. He starred as a government agent in the Angelina Jolie thriller, Salt.

TONY ONYEMAECHI ELUMELU, 47; Economist and Banker A graduate of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, in 1985, with a degree in Economics, he was MD/ CEO of Standard Trust Bank Plc (STB) from 1996 until its merger with the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) in 2007, a union he midwived. He retired this year as pioneer CEO and Group Managing Director of UBA Plc. COBHAMS ASUQUO, 29; Songwriter and Music Producer An award-winning musician, producer, and songwriter, he was signed on

by Sony TV London as a songwriter in 2005. From Questionmark Entertainment, an indigenous label, where he was Head of Audio Productions, he left in 2006 to set up his own recording outfit: CAMP (Cobhams Asuquo Music Productions). The visually-challenged musical genius has won multiple local and international awards for his creative and entrepreneurial contributions to the music industry.

FEMI OTEDOLA, 43; Businessman Son of former Lagos State governor Sir Michael Otedola, he’s CEO of African Petroleum Plc. In 2009, he became one of only two Nigerians to appear on Forbes list of the world’s richest people. He’s also CEO, Zenon Petroleum and Gas limited. He also owns Atlas Shipping Agency, Swift Insurance, FO Properties Limited, FO Transport and Seaforce Shipping Company Ltd.

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cover feature SAM ADEYEMI, 43; Pastor and Motivational Speaker President of Success Power International and Senior Pastor, Daystar Christian Centre, a fast-growing, life-changing church committed to “raising role models” based in Lagos, the prolific author is host of the popular radio and TV programme, “Success Power”, airing on radio stations within and outside Nigeria.

ty range, Inspired Perfume and the H.I.P Beauty range. House of Tara also doubles as a make-up training school for young ladies who desire meaningful careers as make-up artists.

NNEKA EGBUNA, 29; Singer/Songwriter She was born 24 December 1981 to an Igbo Nigerian father and a German mother. She was born and grew up in Warri, in the Delta region of Nigeria. She is an international hip hop/soul singer and songwriter and sings in both English and Igbo.

Her mixture of rhythmic melodies, occasional raps, underlying social messages, and acoustic guitar has drawn comparisons to Lauryn Hill, Tracy Chapman, and Mos Def.

OLUCHI ONWEAGBA, 28; Model Oluchi was born in Lagos in the year 1982; she is a daughter of a civil servant father, and her mother who was a nurse. Her name means ‘work of God’, a onetime bread seller at 16 years old, she won the Face of Africa contest. She featured in the film after the sunset, also the founder of Omodel Africa a modeling Agency.

BUKOLA SARAKI, 48; Executive Governor, Kwara State He has been governor of Kwara State, Nigeria since 29 May 2003.

Dr. Bukola Saraki contested and won the gubernatorial election of April 19, 2003 in the State under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He ran again in 2007, and won again. Ceremonially, he also serves as a tribal nobleman of high rank in his capacity as the Waziri of the Fula Emirate of Ilorin. He is presently running for President in the 2011 elections.

TARA FELA-DUROTOYE, 33; Lawyer and Beauty Consultant She is a Nigerian makeup artist and lawyer. She is the leading pioneer make-up artist in Nigeria, highly celebrated and yet easily accessible. She is the founder and current CEO of House of Tara International the creator of the Tara Orekelewa Beau12

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GENEVIEVE NNAJI, 31; Singer, Model and Actress She started her acting career at 8 years old, she has featured in well over 60 movies, received several awards and nominations for her work, and a clothing line called “St. Genevieve” which donates its proceeds to charity.

ITUAH IGHODALO, 49; Accountant, Writer and Pastor Born in Ibadan on April 6, 1961, he attended the King’s College, Lagos and the International School, University of Ibadan before obtaining a combined honours degree in Economics and Accounting in 1982 from the University of Hull, England. A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, he is also a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the TIMELESS Media Group and sits on the board of several charitable foundations and NGOs. He is the chairman of Trinity Leadership School and Managing Partner at SIAO (a firm of Chartered Accountants and Management Consultants). The Senior Pastor of the Christ Church Parish of RCCG for several years, he is presently the Pastor in Charge of Trinity House and is married to Ibidun Ighodalo, CEO of leading event management company Elizabeth R. INNOCENT ‘TUFACE’ IDIBIA, 34; Artiste He also goes by 2Baba, he was initially famous for the timeless hit song “African Queen” and formerly part of the Nigerian R&B group, Plantashun Boiz.

He was honored in 2005 by MTV to switch on their new station-MTV base Africa and ‘African Queen’

was the first song ever aired. The same year he won the Best African Act in the MTV Europe Awards and he is the first recipient of this Award in Africa.

‘African Queen’ was used as a soundtrack for a Hollywood blockbuster movie PHAT GIRLS, which was also premiered in Lagos. 2Face Idibia has remained a testament to the Nigerian Music Industry.

IBIAGBANIDOKIBUBO ‘AGBANI’ ASENITE DAREGO, 28; Model She is best known as the first black African to be crowned Miss World in 2001. She hails from Abonnema, Rivers State and at age 10, she was sent to boarding school in a bid to shield her from her mother who had breast cancer. Her victory in the pageant was widely welcomed in her home country and she is currently working on a fashion reality show, soon to be aired on Nigerian television.

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE, 33, Novelist With masters’ degrees in creative writing (Johns Hopkins; 2003) and African studies (Yale; 2008), her Purple Hibiscus (2003) won wide acclaim and a literary award for first book; her next, Half of a Yellow Sun, was awarded the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction. Her third book is a collection of short stories: “The Thing Around Your Neck” (2009).

She was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, in 2008.

IFEYINWA ANIEBO, 26; Malaria Researcher She is currently a PhD student at Oxford on scholarship from the Prince’s Trust, and has a B.Sc. (Medical Genetics) and M.Sc. (Applied Bimolecular Technology).

She has worked at Cambridge and Wellcome-Oxford-WHO, Thailand, and presented her research at leading malaria conferences around the world.

Her quest: a vaccine for malaria. She’s the 2010 Future Awards Scientist of the Year and also

cover feature winner of the most prestigious award: Young Person of the Year.

ALIYU JELANI, 44; Car Designer Senior Creative Program Designer at General Motors, he has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Transportation Design. He’s presently with GM’s Advanced Portfolio Exploration Group (APEx), the team charged with imagining and developing bold new concept cars. His was adjudged the best of over 200 designs submitted, worldwide, for the Chevy Volt, General Motors’ new battery-powered, incredibly revolutionary electric car -- the Chevy Volt --that “can drive up to 64.4 kilometres a day without a drop of petrol.”

TOLU OGUNLESI, 28; Journalist, Writer and Photographer Awarded the 2009 CNN Journalist of the Year (Arts and Culture), he was in 2008 Guest Writer at the Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, Sweden. A freelance writer, editor, and photographer, he is the author of a collection of poetry “Listen to the Geckos Singing From a Balcony”. His fiction and poetry have appeared in Wasafiri, The Obituary Tango (Caine Prize Anthology, 2006), and Eclectica.

KUNLE OLUKOTUN, 47; Computer Engineer Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford (since 1991), he’s ‘one of the fathers of multicore chips’. Also Director of Stanford’s new Pervasive Parallelism Lab, his Afara Websystems microprocessor technology, called Niagara, was acquired by Sun Microsystems to drive its throughput initiative.

An author, he is actively working to create software tools to make it easier for programmers to embrace multi-core chips. Along with other researchers, he is building development environments for 3-D worlds, robots and massive server-side applications.

KEHINDE KAMSON, 49; Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Innovator Driving Sweet Sensation -- Nigeria’s most innovative QSR brand, which she established in 1994 -- as Chief Executive Officer, it now graces 24 vantagepoints. Growing on the strength of innovations in product development, service delivery, workplace

culture, strategic positioning, corporate governance, and industry best practices, it is home to hundreds of thousands who savour its over 80 assorted meals, pastries and healthy-option varieties -- and its inimitably tasteful attitude: “we gat swagger”.

KINGSLEY EROMOSES ABHULIMEN, 38; Inventor Winner of the inaugural NLNG-endowed Nigeria Prize for Science, in 2004 (his project supervisor was fêted along with him), his award-winning work, “Real-Time Computer-Assisted Leak Detection/Location and Inventory Monitoring of Pipeline Networks,” has been awarded a US patent. He has B.Sc. (Chemical Engineering, OAU; 1994), M.Sc. (UNIBEN; 1997 - with specialisations in Polymer Science Engineering, Suspension and Emulsion Systems), and PhD in Chemical Engineering, UNILAG, earned in 2004.

OSAZE PETER ODENWIGWE, 29; Footballer He was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Soviet Union to a Russian Tatar mother and a Nigerian father.

Raised in Russia, Odemwingie chose to pledge his allegiances to the national football team of Nigeria, although he was also eligible for Russia and Uzbekistan. His first appearance with Nigeria was in the 2004 African Cup of Nations and was captain of the Super Eagles for the 2010 African Nations Cup where he was chosen as part of the Best XI of the tournament.

JOHN ABIODUN ADEKOYA, 49; Businessman He is the Chief Executive Officer of John Bedola Enterprises Limited. Today he is a major supplier of industrial generators to many of Nigeria’s topmost factories and churches. His wife, Oluyemisi is the principal and one of the founders of White Dove High School, in Lekki, a school aimed to offer an outstanding all-round education of international standard, through a committed pursuit of individual excellence.

KUNLE AJAYI, 46; Musician He is the Music Director of one of the world’s fastest growing churches, the Redeemed Christian Church of God. He is well known for playing the saxophone which he has a passion for. He is credited with pioneering Nigeria’s first instrumental music album.

OMOTOLA JALADE EKEINDE, 31; Actress Bursting onto the silver screen in 1995, she clinched

the Overall Best Actress Award at the prestigious THEMA Awards in 1996, the first of 25 so far. She was 2005 Distinguished Honouree of the 13th African Achievement Awards of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), Hollywood, California, USA. She’s a UN World Food Programme Ambassador and Crusader for UK-based Save the Children Fund. She recently starred in the blockbuster, “Ijè – The Journey.”

PIUS ADESANMI, 38; Scholar and Social Commentator Currently Associate Professor of Literature at Pennsylvania State University, USA, the winner of the inaugural Penguin Prize for African Writing (Non-fiction) is arguably Nigeria’s most critically acclaimed nonfiction writer. With a First Class Honours degree (French Studies, Unilorin; 1992) and a PhD, in 2002 from Canada, he’s a world-renowned scholar of Francophone and Anglophone African and Black Diasporic Literatures and Cultures.

LEKE ALDER, Writer, Brand and Business Consultant Leke Alder is a writer, lawyer, photographer, painter, architect, brand and business consultant, and a designer. The only child of his parents, Leke studied law at the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University graduating in 1985 and was called to the Bar in 1986. Leke worked briefly in a law firm, Wole Lofun and company, for about two years before leaving to start his entrepreneurial pursuit. Alder introduced branding to Nigeria and started Brand Research in Nigeria. Today, he is a much sought after speaker at seminars and conferences and has published over 14 books all of which have been commercially successful.

Compiled by Adeleke Adeyemi, Tola Awoyemi, Akinsola Akinbiyi, Ladi Ogungbemi, Titi Oyelade, Uche Zayah and Ayodeji Jeremiah.

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Life & Society FAMILY

RELATIONSHIPS

HEALTH

EDUCATION

SCIENCE

Single and Seriously Searching: Tips for single ladies in search of a man

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Tola Awoyemi

eing single, especially when you’ve crossed the 25 mark, can be quite depressing. And in their desperation to find a partner, a lot many women try stupid things just to have a man by their side only to realize later that their desperate moves have landed them in deep troubled waters.

Being a single and lonely woman can be infuriating, but still you must play safe as you venture out to find a partner for yourself. Avoid making the usual mistakes that most single women make, in their hunt for love.

one new, but stay realistic. As pessimistic as this sounds, if your expectations are low, then a good date will be a welcome surprise and a bad date will be no biggie.

Don’t give away your phone number to every other guy If a man approaches you and even you too feel interested in him, you should never give a man your phone number to him unless you know him well.

He offers you his visiting card, take it and keep it,

but don’t pass on your contact details to him till you know enough about him. When you act like that a man gets a better feeling about you, than he would if you gave him your number in the first go. Your visiting cards are not meant to be showered around in discotheques, keep them for professional purposes only.

Being single isn’t as big a problem as getting stuck with a wrong man, so act wisely when you go hunting for a man.

Don’t let anyone play with your self-respect Unscrupulous men may sniff your desperation to get rid of that single status and may try to flirt with you and soon become overbearing and disrespectful towards you. But you just can’t let any flirt fidget with your self-respect, because even one such incident is enough to give wrong clues to all the flirts and philanderers out there.

Don’t try to be sexy In a heightened state to desperation, women often resort to baring their skin in order to look sexy and thus attract men. Working on your looks to look glamorous and sensual is quite understandable; you are just making yourself more appealing for the men.

But be cautious that you don’t step over the line, or else men would begin perceiving you in the wrong sense. And all the offers that you may get would be for one night stands and not for worthy relationships.

Make sure that your desperation to find a partner doesn’t show up in your dress up.

Don’t get ahead of yourself.

It’s OK to get excited before you go out with some-

Creche Playgroup Nursery Grade School 14

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S LAGO 01-8934834, 01-8113816, 08033117630 26, Mabinuori Dawodu Street, Gbagada, Phase 1, Lagos

Life & Society Ten things that you should do everyday Adetola Asabo

car would probably stop somewhere along the way. Food is just like that, you have to eat the right amounts and the right nutrients to be healthy. A lot of junk food is bad for your total well being. So eat up on the right types of food and in the correct portions to make you glow.

W

e ladies are constantly giving of ourselves so much that we actually forget to do things just for us. So I made a list of ten things that I know would make the quality of my life better and decided to share them with you. It has made me see life from a different perspective and I actually had a lot of fun realizing just what I could do in a day just for me.

• Sleep well: it is a well known fact that we are a sleep deprived generation, with so much to do and so little time, snooze time suffers and there are many who hardly sleep.

This is not good for our health and total well being. Your body needs to rest to be able to heal itself so as to go the long haul with you.

Try and have a particular bed time and keep to it, remove all distractions from your bedroom. It should not be an office or play room but a place where you actually sleep. In other words, your bedroom should be a relaxing environment for you, painted and decorated in colours that soothe and calm you. Beauty sleep is not a myth but a fact so sleep is important.

• Drink water: I know you have probably heard this a thousand times but how many times a day do you actually drink up.

You know tepid water that is not sweetened, coloured or fizzy. Do you drink enough plain old water. We are advised to drink at least 8 glasses a day. It is important to keep us hydrated as our bodies are made up of over 50% water. If you do not drink enough water, your body processes slow down and you know that dewy, refreshed look you want your skin to have, you are not getting it without more water. So drink up!

• Moisturize daily: this should be among the 10 commandments of beauty. You remember that old leather bag you found in a forgotten corner of your mum’s closet?

That’s your skin when you do not moisturize enough. Some ladies actually think there is an option when it comes to this, sadly, there isn’t.

You can either moisturize and look fabulous, or you don’t and look dated. Get a good moisturizer without anything in it that would destroy your skin and when you find it, use it, and lather yourself in it. It gives that glow you so badly want.

• Laugh often: I know life is not a joke most of the time but laughing is good for your heart. It has both beauty perks and is clinically proven to be good for you. When you laugh, feel good endorphins are pumped into your system and it makes you feel better about your life. Apart from that, I really would rather have laugh lines that frown lines. Most men find a smiling or laughing woman more attractive than a woman with a straight face. It isn’t rocket science. So ladies please share a joke and laugh!

• Connect: I know with all the technology we have, connecting with friends is much easier, or is it? We spend so much time sending mails and texts that we hardly talk and face time has reduced drastically. So I know you are a tech whiz, your berry is indispensible and you hang out with your friends on facebook. Sadly, all this cannot beat face time with your family and friends. So, drop the phone and give your loved ones necessary face time.

• Get a hug: hey, news alert! Physical touch is a necessity for humans. It’s true. Children who are cuddled from birth develop faster than children who are not touched at all. Touch is so important that babies that are not touched in the first weeks of life actually sort of wither and die. So, I guess you have family, friends, loved ones who will pat you, hug you, touch your face, your skin, your hair etc. It’s not babyish, you need it, it is natural.

• Pray and meditate: so we are not like animals, which is why we are so smart. We crave to know what is beyond this place and time and what we are about. We realize that the alignment in our world did not just come about and we always want to connect. It is how we are made. So praying and meditating helps us do this. Cultivating our spirit is good for our total well being. So find a quiet place, dim the lights if you want, have a notebook with your dreams and aspirations written down, pray about them and do some thanksgiving too. Meditate on how you can be a better human being. If more people did this, the world would sure be a better place to live.

• Eat well: food is a very important need of your body. You need to eat to get the nutrients your body needs to function. Imagine that your body was a car, if you did not fill up with fuel and put water in the carburetor and some engine oil in the engine, the

• Have personal time: as a person you have to have a time when you give back to yourself. This time should be totally about you when you do only things that you actually enjoy. It might not be more than 20 to 30 minutes a day but make it routine. You could do this to wind down your day or very early, whenever is convenient. Read a book, listen to some music, write a letter, and sing aloud etc. Whatever is your hobby, do this just for your personal well being, after all self love is also important.

• Dream: many of us forget to dream with the onset of adulthood and responsibilities. But having dreams is what makes us not lose hope totally and believe it can be better. So dust off your mind and savour a few moments day dreaming about the wonderful things that can happen to you. Like maybe taking a long deserved vacation or getting a raise and then plan how you can make it happen in realistic attainable steps. After all dreams are what tomorrow’s realities are made of!

Adetola Asabo is a warm person who loves to write, likes making new friends and meeting new people.

The University of Lagos graduate of Insurance is extremely confident and comfortable in her skin. She started writing as a form of self expression in secondary school and loves writing about anything that catches her attention. A former Senior Editorial Assistant at TIMELESS, this column is a dream come true for her. Adetola who is happily married says ‘writing is my addiction.’

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Life & Society

Harmful Effects of ‘Buying Youth in a Bottle’ Titilope Oyelade product resulting in no harm done. However, if a product is simply placed upon the skin, it will be instantly absorbed, and it will enter into your bloodstream almost immediately.

This means you could be doing more harm to your skin than you think; take a good look at those chemicals that are included in your skin care and make up product.

Find out what each chemicals means, and make sure that they are not part of the “chemical watch list”.

Some chemicals that are currently under scrutiny include paraben and sodium lauryl sulphate. For the time being, simply be aware of what you place on your skin, if a skincare product is laden with chemicals, take time to figure out what those chemicals are…but, I will advise you rather to go organic, because most organic products are derived from natural resources. This means that these products contain items that are safe for your skin. You can feel good about using an organic product when it comes to your skin. Organic product will not harm your skin.

T

he cancer rate in women is higher than that of men. We eat the same foods and drink the same drinks as they do, so why is it that we have a higher cancer rate than men? Make-up is the first thing that comes to my mind. Don’t fall prey to the advertising and believe that you can buy youth in a bottle. Did you know that many cosmetics companies use harmful chemicals in their make up? There is a large variety of chemicals that are of concern in personal care products. For example did you know that almost half of products that are tested contain one or more ingredients that are known to be possible human carcinogens?

These cosmetic companies have been arguing for years that we do not have to worry about harmful chemicals in their products, since they are not ingested but only used on the skin, they will also tell you that the level of the harmful chemical in any product is not enough to actually cause you any harm. This may be true, but what is harmful according to scientists is the result of daily exposure from numerous products over an extended period of time.

Many women are under the impression that they are improving themselves with the look of makeup, but what you may not realize is that you are subjecting yourself and your children to these cancer causing agents and oils.

It should be pointed out that many companies are finding ways to remove the harmful ingredients in these products. This is why it is very important to read all of the labels on the products you buy, therefore the best thing you can do for yourself is to investigate thoroughly the product you use. It will definitely benefit you in the long run.

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OCTOBER 2010

Women all across the world use makeup on a daily basis to try and look their best. Most medicine cabinets inside a female’s domain are filled to the brim with lots and lots of cosmetics. How many women use skincare products that are past their “best buy” date? How much makeup does the average woman use in one year?

Does the skin absorb all of these chemicals?

The average female uses up to 20 different skincare products per day (according to a recent study). This adds up to a phenomenal amount of makeup and skincare product use per year. This is particularly interesting due to the fact that most of these products contain a large helping of chemicals.

Thus, these chemicals are absorbed through the skin and result in various skin problems and ageing issues.

While some chemicals that are contained within skincare and makeup products might be ok to use on their own, there’s no telling when these products might do once they are mixed.

As basic chemistry teaches us, when two chemicals are mixed together there is often a reaction. Thus, the various products that women put on their face during any one given day may result in a chemical reaction that is less than positive.

What can be done about this possible problem? Simply put, we have to be more careful about the products that we place upon our skin. It is crucial to understand what each chemical inside of a makeup or skincare product does, and whether or not it will cause a negative reaction when it is mixed with another product.

If a small amount of a skincare product is accidentally swallowed, then the stomach will simply break up that

Finally, it’s worth it to investigate the skin care product that you do use.

Life & Society

Facebook Faux Pas When to Implement a Social Network Cleanse Natasha Burton

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recently did a cleanse. Not one of those juice fasts, where you get that fuzzy feeling behind your eyes and become so on edge you could stab someone with a fork — a Facebook friend cleanse.

Truth be told, I used to collect friends like handbags and spend more nights than I’d like to admit trolling through friends’ friends’ friends, looking for anyone I kinda-sorta knew, so I could add them. When I stopped going on Facebook, because I could no longer recognize most of the people in my newsfeed, I self-imposed a cleanse.

If you want to do one of these yourself, here are some potentially unfriendable personalities to consider: • The person you don’t actually know anymore: If you’re still friends with your ex-boyfriend-from-college’s high school buddies or some girl you met at a party five years ago, you may want to consider unfriending. Scroll through your friend list to make sure you want everyone on it to know everything that’s on your Facebook page. If you don’t, unfriend.

• The serial “liker”: Having someone who “likes” everything you do isn’t always as cool as it sounds (unless, of course, this person is your husband, boyfriend, best friend or mom). Likers are fairly harmless — they can make you feel kind of special — unless they start to weird you out.

• The actual stalker: Don’t get me wrong, the harmless variety of Facebook stalking (browsing random friends’ pages and photos) is one of my favorite pastimes, not to mention a good way to virtually catch up with someone. But, I’ve had many a female friend gripe about guys from their past bombarding them with unsolicited messages, comments and pokes; then continuing said bombardment, even when the women don’t respond. Facebook should be fun: Anyone who makes you dread logging in gets the ax.

• The status-update abuser: I love status updates — both reading other people’s and posting them myself. But there is a line. Updating ten times a day about the minutiae of one’s daily life, one’s baby’s daily life or, yes, one’s dog’s daily life, can be downright annoying. If you’re not sure whether to unfriend someone based on sheer irritation, try this litmus test: Do you get the urge to “hide” someone from your newsfeed? If the answer is “yes,” unfriend

them instead. The person is likely too wrapped up in his or her own life to notice, anyway.

• The perpetual promoter: Pre-cleanse, I had a few friends who Facebook invite-blasted their networks almost daily to get people to come to their gallery openings, club-promotion events, etc. Sure, having to decline these constant invites (because they were largely from people I’d long lost face-to-face touch with) was a good way to practice saying “no,” but the friends who use Facebook solely for self-promotion, don’t necessarily need to be yours.

• The bad photo tagger. Some pictures are better left offline. You know, the ones you thought were safe in your non-digital yearbook, until a “friend” did the old scan-and-tag to reveal that you rocked brown lipstick and khakis from Costco in middle school.

These photos, while not good for one’s pride, are no biggie. However, anyone who posts photos of you (past or present) that are obscenely embarrassing and could cause problems for you at work, or with your family, is really not your friend. Hit that “remove” button.

• The awkward commentator: When you and your best pal swap inside jokes on each other’s walls, this person randomly (and continually) writes things like “I don’t get it” or “Please explain” underneath.

This can be a little odd (and somewhat creepy).

However, if the person is actually a friend, not just a Facebook friend, he or she may just feel neglected.

Try paying some attention to their wall, so they feel more in the loop.

• To avoid being unfriended yourself, try these tips: Apply the Golden Rule and don’t tag people in photos you wouldn’t want them to tag you.

Also, think twice before status-updating about how sad you are that your cat died; call your best friend to talk about it instead. And do try to keep your exboyfriend-stalking under wraps. Always remember — everyone can see what you do on Facebook, even though it may feel like it’s just you, your pjs and your laptop.

Who would you un-friend?

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Living & St yle

FASHION BEAUTY FOOD HOMECARE GADGETS CARS LEISURE

Be Fabulous to the Altar:

Choosing the right style for your big day Tola Awoyemi

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eing fabulous on the most important day of your life is every girl’s dream. It is important to know the best wedding gown style that suits you in every way, from your physique to your confidence. Below are the 5 classic wedding gown styles and how to know which one will make you unforgettably glamorous on your wedding day.

Ball Gown The ball gown style is perfect for those brides envisioning a fairy tale wedding. This silhouette pairs a fitted bodice with a full skirt that can either be one piece or separates. The ball gown is most appropriate for large, traditional weddings where the dress will be consistent with the formality of the event. If you have a slim-hipped figure and a full bust, the Full Skirt shape will balance top and bottom perfectly, giving you that “fairytale bride” look. This style is generally thought of as the most romantic shape. While this style can accommodate most body types, the ball gown is ideal for slender or pear-shaped figures as the full skirt helps to accentuate the waist and hide the lower body. If you have a large bust, this style will help to create the hourglass look since it emphasizes the waistline due to the fitted bodice and natural or dropped waist.

A-Line/Princess The A-line dress features a shape that is fitted around the bodice and flows out to the ground, resembling the outline of an uppercase A. The dress flows fluidly from the bust to the hem with an unbroken line. Due to its classic and simple style, the A-line dress is appropriate for any occasion, from a quiet backyard gathering, to a traditional church ceremony. It hugs the waist, so it creates a slimmer waistline and flatters the bust. If you have wider hips, the A-

Line will cover them up effectively and if you have narrower hips the cut of the skirt will give you some shape. The tighter bodice will tend to draw attention to a smaller bust so it will be more flattering if you add a little padding to balance the look. This can be with secretive padding added to the dress or a good bra. A heavy bust will need some structure - often this support is already built in to the bodice, but if not then boned corsetry is a must.

Empire An empire dress is defined by the raised waistline that sits just below the bust, from which the rest of the dress flows down to the hem. This style is usually paired with a square neckline and wide set straps or sleeves. Like the A-line, the empire style is very versatile and can accommodate a wide range of formality.

While the empire dress fits well on most body types, it is especially suited for those brides with a smaller bust since it draws attention to the neckline and creates definition. The design of the empire dress is also ideal for covering other unwanted body features such as a long torso, short legs, or a pear shaped figure.

Since the dress flows from the bust line, it can easily leave these areas undefined. The structure of the empire dress is also ideal for pregnant brides since the fluidity of the dress can accommodate a growing belly.

Mermaid The mermaid silhouette contours to the body from the chest to the knee, then flares out to the hem. This is a very sexy look that highlights the curves of a woman’s body. For this reason, you must be confident and comfortable in your skin to pull off this dramatic

style. The mermaid cut is not for everyone. This daring design is best worn by slender figures, both short and tall. Since the mermaid dress is made to hug the body and show every curve, it is not well suited for those brides with full figures. However, if you are on the voluptuous side and want to accentuate your curves, this is the perfect dress for you. The most important thing to keep in mind when considering a Mermaid style dress is whether or not you will feel comfortable wearing it on your big day. Note that clingy slip dresses such as the mermaid often reveal embarrassing underwear lines. These lines not only reveal what you are wearing under the dress, but also take away from the elegance of your overall look and may restrict what items you are actually able to wear underneath the dress.

Column/ Sheath The column dress has a narrow shape that flows straight down from the neckline to the hem.

This dress, also referred to as a sheath, tends to hug the body and show any and all of your curves. The column is appropriate for all types of weddings, especially causal occasions on the beach, or intimate evening events at a banquet hall. Similar to the mermaid style, the column dress is best worn by lean figures, both short and tall. The elongating nature of this design will help petite brides appear taller. However, the column dress does not allow much room for hiding problem areas, such as a larger lower body. It can conceal minor flaws if you opt for a constructed column that will stay in place, but the slip style will be unforgiving. Also, boxy figures that do not have natural curves may consider accenting the waistline with a separate bodice or sash to create the illusion of a defined waist. Also note that body hugging designs such as the column dress can constrict your movement, including the ability to sit and dance as comfortably as you would wish on your big day so you may consider one that has pleats or gathering in the back that will allow you to move more freely.

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Living & Style

Kemka - the shape of the future Mr. Ikemka Nwabiani is a pharmacist, but if you were to pay a visit to his shop, you would not find any drugs. That is because ‘Kemka, as he is popularly called, makes clothes rather than drugs. He is one of the brightest of a growing list of young Nigerians who have abandoned traditional career paths to pursue their passions. For Kemka the dream has paid off handsomely as he is now considered one of Nigeria’s most preferred clothiers. We caught up with him at his Opebi shop.

Growing up I was born into a fairly well-to-do family. I had an exciting childhood. My father was a remarkable artist and painter, he was also a lecturer. My mother worked in a media house. I was very close to my parents growing up. I have four siblings and the first of my last three siblings was born ten years after me, so they were babies while I was growing up and I actually helped raise them. As a result, I was quite domesticated at a very young age. I learnt to cook at ten and I remember being sent to the bank by my father at twelve. At some point my father started an advertising firm and I remember taking charge of some duties there at fifteen. I had responsibilities there during the holidays. A lot of responsibility was thrust on me at a young age, so expectedly; I was more disciplined than most of my peers. Also, my father was very liberal; we were not a very religious family, we went to church some Sundays. I could bring my girlfriends to the house quite early and I was allowed to drink alcohol at a very young age. I even had a portion of the fridge where I stored my own drinks. My mother was loving and extremely fashionable; she wore the best clothes. I had lots of parties growing up; it was a warm environment and that helped me to become very sociable. I got my fashion instincts mostly from my mother.

Education I had my primary education at Ekulu Primary School, Enugu and my secondary education at Federal Government College, Enugu. Afterwards, I went to Federal School of Arts and Science, Aba for one year before I went to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka to study pharmacy. I graduated in 1995, but I never practiced, though I did do my internship. I knew I was never going to practice because I had an

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entrepreneurial spirit. My father had schooled me and I could run businesses, I had been in charge of a business during my teenage years. I actually studied pharmacy because my parents thought it would be good for me. The training was good for me though; it expanded my thinking. I read easier as a result and I have a more scientific mind.

From making drugs to making clothes The transition was seamless. Pharmacy was something I was expected to do but my greatest proclivity was for clothes. I won ‘best dressed’ several times in the university without really trying to, it just came naturally. Although, it would have been easy for me to get a job after my internship, I never tried to because I knew where I was going. In 1996, I rented a garage at the Railway Hospital, Ebute Metta where I did my internship, bought some equipment, hired some tailors and started to make boxer shorts. I later graduated to making shirts. That was where I started.

Early business years You know most people talk about the ‘bottom line’ that is the money, but for me it was not about that.

I remember telling people when I was making those shorts that if I could sell ten at three hundred naira each and make three thousand, then I could sell a thousand and make three hundred thousand and a hundred thousand and make millions. The boxers were not so expensive but they were beautiful, so people were really buying into them. And the quality was unbelievable, in fact, I have people who have won them for ten years and I still have a few of them in my wardrobe. So I sold a lot of those boxers and actually began to make the kind of money I spoke of earlier.

Raising the money to start Aha! That is the hard part. Everything about raising money in Nigeria is difficult. I had some savings from my business in the university. In school, in my fourth and final years, I used to go to the second hand clothes market where I would buy trench coats and overcoats in leather and suede. These I converted to waistcoats, monk shoes and penny loafers. They were ‘hot’ and people were buying them.

At that time these items were ‘in,’ so people wanted them; I simply met that need. So it was easy for me to rent that garage. The money was actually enough to start because I did not start big. I got three ‘Singer’ sewing machines, a weaving machine, and some tailors. Then I would get the fabrics, the elastics and the threads, give a sample of whatever design I wanted to my tailors and they would make them. At this time I was staying with an Aunt at LSDPC Estate, Ebute Metta.

Going forward I started making this stuff late 1995 and at this time I was already a ‘believer’ and the Spirit of God said to me ‘get married.’ I had a girlfriend at that time and as a Christian, I was no longer going to indulge in some of the things I used to. One day on my way into the LSDPC Estate, God said ‘that’s your car,’ it was a Peugeot 305, but I did not like it because I thought it was a troublesome car; we used to have one in Enugu, but He said that this one would not give me any trouble. So I went and found the owner of the car who happened to be my Aunt’s neighbor and I told her God said to buy her car, and she said I should go back and ask God how much he wanted me to pay for the car. I went away and after praying told her God said I should pay seventeen thousand for it. I provided the money, redid the car and after-

Living & Style wards it looked like it was worth much more than what I bought it for. Two and a half years later, when I was going to sell the car, there were three people trying to buy it and I finally sold it to one of them for a hundred thousand. I also got my first apartment in a similar way; my best friend in the university, a guy I used to make clothes with, called me from Zaria where he was living then. He tells me that he heard I was getting married and that I could stay in his father’s house at Yaba and just pay the monthly rent. The house was already furnished; all I had to do was clean it up and after my wedding move in with my wife. This was in 1996 and a year later I moved to a flat in Opebi. Then I started having issues with some of my neighbors and I knew it was time to move. I found a plot of land in Ajah, bought it and in one year and half I had finished building my house. That was in 2003 and it was amazing how quickly the house came up, in fact some people said I could not be making clothes alone, that I had to be dealing drugs.

‘Cinque’ The name of my label is ‘CINQUE’ and it is Italian for five. It is actually pronounced ‘chinkwey’ and takes reference from the number of people in my family. We are five people in my family - my wife, me and our three sons. You see, I consider this a family business and I am already grooming my sons to take over the business from me in the future. We currently have two outlets in Lagos, one in Victoria Island and the other one at Opebi in Ikeja. I used to manufacture in Nigeria but in the last ten years I have been manufacturing in Italy; some things I have done in Naples and some in Bologna. Everything is made specifically for us…the cuff links, ties, socks, boxers, suits and shirts. The only things we get off the line are the belts; I have people I buy those from. I once used to manufacture here and sell overseas but I do not do that anymore. Manufacturing here will almost drive you crazy, so I make everything abroad and sell in Nigeria and overseas. My Nigerian tailors basically do fittings for me because men’s clothes are becoming stylish these days and fitting like women’s clothes. So I use my tailors in Nigeria when I need to do fitting and adjustments.

Greatest selling points First of all, I have to acknowledge the favour of God. In addition to the grace of God, I have a gift of wisdom to produce beautiful designs and fitting garments; the sort of clothes that if you wore people would turn and look twice. If I did not have an extraordinary gifting for clothes I would not be doing clothes. Because you need the extra to standout or else you will be ordinary and nobody is going to patronize you. There has to be an extra creativity inside of you if you are going to succeed at something; if I closed my eyes and touched any fabric, I can tell right away what is inside of it. What percentage of this or that, if the fabric will fade, run or slack and I can also tell what the end product will look like. In addition, although I do not make clothes myself…actually, I have never sat at a sewing machine, I simply make the designs

and get others to make the clothes…I have a knack for arranging things; an ability to assemble things and bring people together. I am a sort of facilitator; I see the need, bring the people together, negotiate the arrangements and push the final product to the consumer. I just see what the need is and meet it.

Challenges Nigeria is like a land that swallows its inhabitants.

You feel as though you are being suffocated doing business here. I feel limited, as if I am being stifled.

You are hindered by forces around you and I do not think theses forces are supernatural. Setting up a shop here is overwhelming because almost everything is imported. And immediately anything comes into Nigeria, its price doubles, because almost everything is banned. What is the sense in banning something if you do not produce it yourself? And if you were to manufacture in Nigeria it becomes even

Adibua, Dj Jimmy Jatt and Tuface have also bought clothes from us.

Biggest influences My parents were the biggest influence in my life. I have a good family support. I remember after my first sister was born, a family friend gave her a goat and the goat ran away. I chased it for about two hours over different terrain before I finally caught it. And my mother whenever she recounted that incident used to tell me that I was born to be great and I believed it. You need someone to speak greatness into you and my parents did that for me.

One day in your life It depends on the day. I run the business with my wife now, so I spend most of the day with her. I wake up usually at about 6.30 to 7.00 a.m. I pray and meditate, chat with my wife and help get the kids ready for school. If I have a driver, he takes the children to school, if not, I take them myself. Then I get ready for work, usually I leave home at about 8.00 a.m. and it takes me about 75 minutes to come all the way to the shop at Ikeja. On Wednesdays I have a ministry to the Boys Remand Home at Oregun and I have been pastoring them for about ten years. I also started working with the Boys Approved School, Isheri about three years ago. I do counseling with the boys there, some of whom are drug users on rehabilitation and I have seen a number of them change. Because of the traffic on the Lekki expressway, I leave the shop between 3.00 and 4.00 p.m. I like to spend the evenings reading, talking with my family or watching television. I usually go to bed between 10 p.m. and 12 midnight depending on how tired I am.

Family I am married to Chinwe and we have three boys.

She used to work with FSB before it became Fidelity Bank and she runs the Victoria Island outlet. My first son is going into form two, the second is going into form one and the last one is seven.

more expensive because there is no power and you cannot manufacture on diesel. The other thing is the attitude of Nigerian skilled workers; the worst thing about skilled artisans in Nigeria is their attitude, you have people who want to make money without working and I think that is evil. There is an easy way of making money in Nigeria, and so everyone is looking for that easy way. Everyone wants to be connected to a politician, everybody wants to do contracts. Every time I reflect on Nigeria, I conclude that our problem is really a human resource problem.

People I have clothed I have clothed people from different strata of the society, from preachers to artistes. Pastor Paul Adefarasin of House on The Rock has bought shoes from us; Pastor Olufemi Paul of Grace Assembly wears our suits, shirts and shoes. Teju ‘Babyface’ wears our stuff, Basketmouth and D’Banj wear our clothes. We do bespoke suits for Obi Asika. Olisa

Future plans We had an outlet in Port Harcourt but running it was very difficult, it was like rocket science, so we had to close it. It might be easier to do it in a more civilized environment where you can get redress if someone defrauded you. So since we have a lot of demand from outside the country, we might eventually have to set up outside Nigeria. We are also divesting into real estate, we have some properties under development, which we plan to sell on completion.

A word to young people I want to say that the young people of this country should have hope. God will hear their cry and one day judgment will come upon those who have held this nation to ransom. It is just a matter of time. They should continue to have hope and vision, and because they have vision let them not cast off restraint.

If they have vision they will live with discipline, they will modify their lifestyle and because of that they will fulfill destiny.

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Living & Style The World’s Most Beautiful Cars Alfa Romeo 8C Spider $301,600

425-horsepower. Inside, heated leather bucket seats

The 4.2-liter V8 has 400 bhp and a top speed of 164 mph. Zero to 60 mph time is 5.5 seconds. Handstitched Poltrona Frau leather and wood veneers in dozens of colours can be combined for a personalized feel inside the car.

Mercedes SLS AMG $183,000

with an accent stripe and illuminated cup-holders help make the car viable as a daily driver.

The 4.7-liter, V8 engine gets 444 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Each angle on the front and sides of the car was calibrated to ensure the most efficient airflow around the car, Alfa says, and it shows: It’ll do 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds and 0 to 100 mph in 9.7 seconds.

Ferrari 458 Italia $240,000 This car is the modern interpretation of the classic Mercedes 300SL. It’s a V8 and with 571 horsepower, which gets it to 60 mph in 3.8-seconds and a top speed of 197 miles per hour.

Aston Martin Rapide $197,850

Porsche Boxster Spyder The 8-cylinder two-seater “berlinetta” has a midrear mounted engine and a max speed of 202 miles per hour. Its three rear tailpipes, single-opening front grille, side air intakes and swooping Pininfarina design underscore the “performance-oriented efficiency” that inspired the project, Ferrari says.

The front mid-mounted 6-liter V12 engine produces 470 bhp, with a 0-60 mph time of 5.1 seconds.

The engine is hand-built in Köln, Germany, and features a six-speed Touchtronic 2 automatic transmission.

Jaguar XJ $113,000 (XJL Supersport)

Bentley Mulsanne $285,000

$61,200 The 320-horsepower engine (more powerful than the Boxster S) gets to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, with a top speed of 166 miles per hour. Its two trunks and manageable ragtop (switch time: three minutes) make it viable as a daily driver in warm climates.

Rolls Royce Ghost

The highest end of the XJ line, the XJL Supersport, does 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph (thanks to a 510-hp engine). It has softgrain leather throughout the cabin, manual side window blinds and a panoramic sunroof.

Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement, the 8-liter auto first shown at the 1930 London Motor Show.

A 6 3/4-liter, V8 engine gets 505bhp; inside, exotic woods, leather hides and solid stainless-steel brightware are hand-crafted for maximum luxury.

Dodge Challenger SRT8 $43,680 The vintage throwback has a 6.1-liter V8 HEMI engine, with a five-speed automatic transmission and 22

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Maserati Quattroporte $120,250 $245,000 The 6.6-liter turbocharged V12 has 563 horsepower, with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Zero to 60 mph is 4.8 seconds; top speed is 155 mph. It’s the most drivable and aesthetically distinctive modern Rolls but still shares the same uber-luxe leather, paint and wood detailing as the larger Phantom.

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(234) 7070210116, (234) 8034559663, (234) 8023194296 soganigeria@yahoo.com 23

BUSINESS FINANCE

MANAGEMENT

TECHNOLOGY

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

TRADE

MARKETING

Finding and Keeping the Right Workforce a few keys that will help you to finding and keeping the right workforce for your organization.

“

Hello, this is XXXX the CEO of XXXXX Company, am I onto Bukola Idowu? ……. A friend gave me your line. I need your professional advice for my company. I find out that we spend a lot of funds recruiting staff and most of them hardly spend up to 24 months with us before they resign….”

This is a brief transcription of the phone conversation I got sometimes ago from the Chief Executive of a company. I know there will a lot of companies and employers that are in the same situation with my caller. Many times we spend a lot of money recruiting and training staff and at the end of the day they do not stay long with the company. This is obviously a loss to the company.

Let me share with you in this article part of what I shared with my client on the issue and am very sure it will really help you and your organization. Finding the right workforce is one thing and keeping them is another thing entirely. Finding usually has to do with some external factors while keeping them has to do with your internal factors. Let me share with you

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• Don’t hype or over-hype your advert: It start from the advertisement you are placing.

Many times companies hype their advert thinking that will make them to attract the best candidates but most times what happens is the opposite. Always learn to place the right advert with the right language that describes what you want and you will see the right candidate at your door step. When you describe what you are not or what you don’t really mean in the advert, you are simply inviting the wrong workforce and when they come they will give you problems and leave when you need them most.

• Don’t rush the recruiting process: I used to tell HR colleagues in companies when it comes to recruitment and interviews, that it is not the best to rush the process because you might not get the best candidates with a rush process. Many candidates come to the interview rehearsed without being themselves so they act out their scripts perfectly and we are deceived. It is better to have people on standby that you can call when you need staff urgently, than to rush to recruit.

• Grades don’t necessarily present the best candidate: I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but from experience the best candidates at times don’t have the best results. It takes you going the extra mile to be able to get the best out of the candidates that present their CV before you. Education these days majorly gives the grades but the attributes you are really looking for is beyond B.Sc or HND. Try to look for those qualities in candidates in alignment with your company objectives.

• What is the developmental process on ground? Many time we are always deceived that employees don’t mind if the company has a developmental plan or not. They do, that is why they will resign to go and pledge their loyalty to a company that is ready to spend resources to train them. Don’t forget your most valuable asset in your chain of production is your workforce hence the need to develop them. Let them really know what you have for them.

They drive the best technology in the world, technology doesn’t drive itself.

• What is your reward programme? Employers always make the mistake of hiding the reward programmes for the employees. When you let them know what the reward programme is, it also serves as a motivating factor for them. This does not mean that you are letting it out to the competitor. The right candidates for the rewards stay and enjoy the rewards with new vigour to work harder.

• Integrate them systematically: When you allow them to grow in the company and grow into position too, you are doing them good and they will reward you with their loyalty. Don’t just push them into positions thinking they will perform. It is not everybody that loves challenges and on the other hand, except you have a solid internal system that allows free flow of interactions and openness, the people you place them on might develop resistance and that can lead to you losing one of the parties.

Bukola Idowu is an experienced and innovative people & organizational development expert, with years of experience with two leading Nigerian banks renowned for excellence & customer oriented banking.

He regularly combines the role of a Social Entrepreneur, Preacher, Trainer, Business Development Consultant, Human Resources professional and People Development Coach. He is the Managing Partner of Opportunity World Consulting (a Business & Human Capital Development firm) that helps businesses, corporate organizations and individuals alike get the best out of their ventures and staff. He is the author of “What the CEOs are looking for in you” amongst many other books. Email: bukola@opportunityworld.biz , www.bukkyidowu.com .

Business Keeping your Business Afloat During a Recession Jude Chukwuemeka

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fter the 2008 – 2009 global economic recession, commentators and analysts at the beginning of this year spelt doom for businesses especially in the advertising world. Such however has not been the case. The first thing business owners should understand is that more money must come in while less goes out. While this is very important, bad business practices must be identified and discouraged from bringing the organization to insolvency. Some of the practical steps needed to put your company’s profile high include the creation of customer value products or services making sure that top-quality products and services are delivered right on time. What is needed for businesses to stay afloat is constant implementation of policies that are usually the main success formula for astute entrepreneurs. Such include: Be Frugal: Any CEO who indulges in extravagant purchases may suffer the effects of bankruptcy. Instead of buying new equipments, some entrepreneurs decide to buy cheaper, second hand equipments.

However, the negative side of this is that those equipments could be unable to perform as expected by the operators. Furthermore, the purchasing strength of each organization differs. Many companies still purchase brand new equipments. Also check around to determine the members of staff that are diligent in their duties and those that are not. The ineffective staff must be shown the way to the street. In times of financial crisis, the less productive workers could become additional unwarranted costs to employers.

Create Innovative Ideas: Ford and Chevy dominated the market when Toyota, an unknown importer came into the business. Fifty years after, Toyota became the number one car maker in the world. It does not matter whether your business is the first or the last. Innovation will keep your business afloat in trying times. While other car makers were striving for bailouts, Watanabe, then president of Toyota made it known that his team was about to release a new product. Other car production companies wondered how the company could still come up with new manufacturing ideas in a period of financial upheaval. There is something that business owners can learn from the story of Toyota. The recession did not stop Watanabe from devising innovative ideas nor should any CEO allow it to destroy his creativity.

Innovation is the key driver of competitive advantage, growth and profitability. Practically all prudent CEOs utilize this method to achieve greater success.

Think Out Of The Box: The sole reason a senior staff got kicked out by a CEO of one blue chip company in the United States was the fact that he failed to comprehend the global financial crisis and its potential effects on the company, before it struck.

Thinking ahead may require thinking with effective innovation. The onus is for you to get ahead of others. In today’s world, nothing is ever effective as get-

ting the right information first. An entrepreneur or business manager must be able to think out of the box. It may not be reasonable for companies to spend money on rebranding, but many companies worldwide have chosen to rebrand in a period of recession. Why do they do this? They know the importance of creating a new face, associated with a new product. Along with this, some companies are spending millions of naira on advertising to create awareness. Additionally, business development managers need to put themselves in the shoes of their customers. What products will attract buyers? Why do customers reject one product while they patronize another? How can an existing product be upgraded?

If the business development manager recognizes the importance of getting the right answers to these questions, a lot of riddles would have been solved and the business will retain a strong footing when it comes to customer service.

Identify The Target Market: Sales can plummet if marketing activities are misdirected. There is no sense in trying to sell cigarettes outside the doors of a church. This makes it necessary for business managers to target the right audience. Market Research is a systematic, objective collection and analysis of data about a particular target market, competition or environment. It always incorporates some form of data collection whether it is a secondary research (often referred to as desk research) or primary research, which is collected directly from a respondent. With markets throughout the world becoming increasingly more competitive, market research is now on the agenda of many organisations, whether they are large or small. Take a hard look at your products.

Make sure that they are targeted at the right group of people who will buy them. Is the product meant for adults? Is it meant for lawyers, or doctors? Make sure that your market research is up to date and very accurate. In your research activities, always take note of the moves of competitors. Be determined to know what they might be thinking at any particular time.

Keep Advertising: The next thing in the mind of some business entities now is that they will not advertise as they have always done before. It is strange that advertising really have to be dusted off the chalkboard of some company’s business meetings. But the importance of advertising cannot be over emphasized. How does the public get wind of your products? If your firm is low on funds, there are ways to advertise with a lot less money. You may have to stop

billboard advertising and stick to magazine or newspaper adverts. Better still, if you cannot afford full page adverts, go for half page adverts or classifieds.

Advertising plays an integral role in the success of any business. Without it, a business dies. Every year, a certain percentage of capital must be set aside for advertising. The mistake that some companies make is the failure to draw up an annual advertising budget. They somehow hope to bypass the normal laws of business success. At least, about two percent of gross profits should be plowed back into the business in the form of advertising.

Business Strategies: Business strategies need to be well thought out, carefully crafted and well executed.

The business strategy will define and drive the activities and behaviours the organization must execute to become successful. Without a business strategy, the organization becomes like a ship without a rudder – it just goes in circles. A business strategy should include such things as: a financial plan, marketing differentiators, product strategy, and employee retention strategy. Furthermore, it should be implemented, not left on the shelf. A badly written business strategy is worse than a well written business strategy that goes unimplemented.

Discipline: Discipline is needed for the company to stay on track. Discipline can be defined as “staying the course,” and executing the strategy. The most successful companies understand the value of discipline and they work hard to maintain the course defined by the business strategy. No matter what the plan is and how good it appears, a lack of discipline to sustain corporate growth will hinder business success in a downturn.

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Business

Effective Communication: A medium of Influence – Part 1

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nfluence is the art of winning people’s cooperation when you do not have, or do not want to use, the authority to make them do what you want them to do. It involves shaping the way people feel and think.

As a leader, manager or employee, you require effective communication skills for effective influence. We shall take a look into seven important principles to Influence in this edition and subsequent editions. Therefore, you must ensure you keep reading for full information on how to increase your capacity to influence others positively.

Because everything we say and do is the length and shadow of our own souls, our influence is determined by the quality of our being. Dale E. Turner

may be going on around you, or by forming counter arguments that you’ll make when the other person stops speaking. Nor can you allow yourself to lose focus on what the other person is saying. All of these barriers contribute to a lack of listening and understanding.

o Smile and use other facial expressions. o Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. o Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like yes, and uh huh.

To enhance your listening skills, you need to let the other person know that you are listening to what he or she is saying. To understand the importance of this, ask yourself if you’ve ever been engaged in a conversation when you wondered if the other person was listening to what you were saying. You wonder if your message is getting across, or if it’s even worthwhile to continue speaking. It feels like talking to a brick wall and it’s something you want to avoid.

3. Provide feedback.

Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener, your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect what is being said and ask questions. o Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing. “What I’m hearing is…” and “Sounds like you are saying…” are great ways to reflect back. o Ask questions to clarify certain points. “What do you mean when you say…” “Is this what you mean?” o Summarize the speaker’s comments periodically.

7 Principles of Influence

4. Defer judgment.

Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. o Allow the speaker to finish. o Don’t interrupt with counter-arguments.

Active Listening, Make people feel understood, Find common ground, Don’t argue, Care about the people you want to influence, Help people believe change is possible, Time your request well Principle #1 Active Listening - Hear What People Are Really Saying Listening is one of the most important skills you can have. How well you listen has a major impact on your job effectiveness, and on the quality of your relationships with others.

We listen to obtain information. We listen to understand. We listen for enjoyment. We listen to learn.

Given all this listening we do, you would think we’d be good at it! In fact we’re not. Depending on the study being quoted, we remember a dismal 25-50% of what we hear. That means that when you talk to your boss, colleagues, customers or spouse for 10 minutes, they only really hear 2½-5 minutes of the conversation.

Turn it around and it reveals that when you are receiving directions or being presented with information, you aren’t hearing the whole message either. You hope the important parts are captured in your 25- 50%, but what if they’re not?

Clearly, listening is a skill that we can all benefit from improving. By becoming a better listener, you will improve your productivity, as well as your ability to influence, persuade negotiate. What’s more, you’ll avoid conflict and misunderstandings – all necessary for workplace success. Good communication skills require a high level of self-awareness. By understanding your personal style of communicating, you will go a long way towards creating good and lasting impressions with others.

The way to become a better listener is to practice “active listening”. This is where you make a conscious effort to hear not only the words that another person is saying but, more importantly, to try and understand the total message being sent. In order to do this you must pay attention to the other person very carefully. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted by what else

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Acknowledgement can be something as simple as a nod of the head or a simple “uh huh.” You aren’t necessarily agreeing with the person, you are simply indicating that you are listening. Using body language and other signs to acknowledge you are listening also reminds you to pay attention and not let your mind wander. You should also try to respond to the speaker in a way that will both encourage him or her to continue speaking, so that you can get the information if you need. While nodding and “uh huhing” says you’re interested, an occasional question or comment to recap what has been said communicates that you understand the message as well.

Becoming an Active Listener There are five key elements of active listening. They all help you ensure that you hear the other person, and that the other person knows you are hearing what they are saying.

1. Pay attention.

Give the speaker your undivided attention and acknowledge the message. Recognize that what is not said also speaks loudly. o Look at the speaker directly. o Put aside distracting thoughts. Don’t mentally prepare a rebuttal! o Avoid being distracted by environmental factors. o “Listen” to the speaker’s body language. o Refrain from side conversations when listening in a group setting.

2. Show that you are listening.

Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention. o Nod occasionally.

5. Respond Appropriately.

Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down. o Be candid, open, and honest in your response. o Assert your opinions respectfully. o Treat the other person as he or she would want to be treated.

Key Points: It takes a lot of concentration and determination to be an active listener. Old habits are hard to break, and if your listening habits are as bad as many people’s are, then there’s a lot of habit-breaking to do!

Be deliberate with your listening and remind yourself constantly that your goal is to truly hear what the other person is saying. Set aside all other thoughts and behaviours and concentrate on the message. Ask questions, reflect, and paraphrase to ensure you understand the message. If you don’t, then you’ll find that what someone says to you and what you hear can be amazingly different!

Start using active listening today to become a better communicator and improve your workplace productivity and relationships.

Adebowale Jeff Johnson, a Human Resource Consultant is the founder/CEO Jeff Johnson Business Solutions and Jeff Johnson Business School. He is also a member, Board of Director, Grace House Worship Centre. Prior to starting his own business, he has worked with firms like Phillips Consulting Limited, SoftSkills Management Consultants, People Prime Limited, and SIAO. He has spoken at several university campuses and is currently writing a paper to develop quantitative analysis and decision making with the use of data to develop business model that will enhance organizational performance.

Business

The Entrepreneur’s Profile not duplicative talents, disciplines and personalities.

AXIOM 3: The Colonial British believed that “familiarity breeds contempt’, and stressed that you cannot receive both respect and friendship from the same person at the same time. “Stiff upper lip” was the order of the day. And they soon lost the Empire. Make certain that your management team have mutual respect and likeness for each other. Don’t build a management hierarchy that opposes this.

AXIOM 4: When your business is small, you are the sole visionary and everyone else is subordinate. As your organisation grows, your management team should become your co-visionaries and leadership team.

In the U.S, a few decades ago, 90% of new entrepreneurs were either Engineers or people with university degrees, and this explains the rapid industrialisation of that economy. In Nigeria, 90% of start ups were either without university degrees or studied non technical subjects, leading to our trading economy.

Characteristics of Entrepreneurs: • They fix problems rather than ponder over them.

• Academically, they score ‘A’s in subjects that are important to their careers and ‘D’s in others, showing a remarkable mindset that focuses on the majors, ignoring minors completely.

• They have naturally high energy levels, and are always thinking, or on the go.

• They like control over their destinies and are not often suitable employees in the traditional company.

• They are usually disciplined planners, communicate their vision well and also delegate well.

• They are extremely goal directed.

• They ignore opinions and criticisms that are not aligned with their vision.

• They have low tolerance for failure, in themselves or subordinates.

• They love challenges and dislike routine.

• They are driven, not by money in itself, but as a means to fulfil their vision.

The Entrepreneur’s Team: 60% of your potential success depends on your founding management team. So, don’t put your brother, wife, husband, if they are not qualified for the roles.

AXIOM 1: 1st rate men hire 1st rate men. 2nd rate men hire 3rd rate men. 3rd rate men hire 80% of your staff, and they will hire 4th rate men.

AXIOM 2: Engineers tend to hire engineers. Accountants tend to hire accountants, optimists tend to hire optimists, etc. Bring together people with complimentary,

Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. It is a leadership function. Pareto has already surmised that 80% of people are quite happy to be led. However, 90% of the gross domestic product (GDP) is created by the informal sector, the small businesses and entrepreneurs. A nation becomes rich by the sum total of its rich, taxpaying employers.

Entrepreneurship as a means of Wealth Creation: Government may make policies, but its entrepreneurs that create wealth. Most new entrepreneurs obsess about raising cash to start their business. What they don’t spend enough time thinking about is generating income.

That’s not to say that fund-raising isn’t important. An entrepreneur might occasionally have to raise cash to keep the business alive until it becomes self-sustaining.

But fund-raising is a commodity activity. Income generation is not; it’s the chance for the business to show it can do something of value profitably over the long term.

1. Raise money now with an eye toward generating income. To separate herself from the good entrepreneurs and become a great one, a CEO must focus her attention on finding the business model, distribution method, and consumer engagement that creates an ongoing revenue stream. She must also exhibit restraint in how she uses seed money. Great entrepreneurs limit their spending and work creatively within boundaries — perhaps even sustaining an affordable loss for a period of time — establishing a strong foundation while exploring opportunities for growth.

income statements, raise seed capital, and try to get a good ROI for their investors — but for great entrepreneurs this is just the beginning.

Business plans assume you can predict the future, but entrepreneurs — especially the ones who are trying to invent new products — are operating in the unknown.

Great entrepreneurs realize that projections are useful for identifying assumptions, but not necessarily for projecting future realities. They consider what’s available and how much they’re willing to risk, and they determine how to use those resources to move towards creating an income-generating machine.

To take it a step further, the best entrepreneurs often find ways to turn their constraints into assets. For example, eBay founder Pierre Omidyar knew his fulltime job would keep him from overseeing the site at all times, so he set up the site to allow users to support and rate one another. This self-maintaining feature helped make the site scalable — and ultimately played a big role in its success.

3. An idea is only as good as its execution. Focusing too much energy on raising initial funds can be detrimental to entrepreneurs who use the capital to commit to long-term outflows before considering the potential for long-term inflows.

Raising large sums of money up front creates constraints by committing the entrepreneur to a certain scale and time-frame to give her investors a return. If she then overshoots and needs more funding, she dilutes her early shareholders’ returns. Further, if she runs through multiple rounds of money before actually launching a product to see how it performs, she forfeits the opportunity to use market feedback to adjust her approach.

The owner of a chain of laundry firm located in Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna and Kano recently confided that he could have built a much more successful company if it weren’t for his first central laundry facility, which was far too big. The payments for this facility burdened him to the point where all his knowledge isn’t worth a hill of beans, because that initial investment is dragging the entire business down.

A far better approach would have been to create a small central facility, get some satellite laundry services up and running and profitable, then scale up the central facility based on real-world data about needed capacity.

Take Amazon, for example. Founder Jeff Bezos’s brilliance was not in recognizing this amazing internet opportunity or in raising the money to get it off the ground, but in exhibiting the patience necessary to allow it to blossom. Bezos raised billions when the stock market was overheated, then ran the company frugally until he was able to pinpoint its source of income some eight years later.

Finally, a truly great entrepreneur finds ways to raise money in ways that also help build the company’s ecosystem. She looks for customers who are willing to invest in the company, whether in the form of partnerships, funding early development, or loaning facilities and resources. She also looks for bankers and suppliers who will give favourable payment terms.

2. Realize you can’t be certain what the future will hold.

Certainly, getting the business off the ground is a prerequisite for being a successful entrepreneur — good businesspeople do their homework, create pro forma

In doing so, she raises money that will not only help get the project off the ground but also contribute to building the income-generating machine necessary for longterm success.

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ARTs

& Culture

books movies music theatre photography exhibitions architecture

Interview with Maple Dappa Tola Awoyemi

The book SEEDS OF GREATNESS is aimed at promoting self-education amongst as many youths that will eventually possess this mind blowing book in their hands. The book will go a long way in equipping youths with a sound sense of direction in life. It is a motivational book written by a young Nigerian, Maple Dappa who is an inspirational speaker, writer, life coach, success strategist, personal development trainer, and ideas consultant.

He is committed to a vision of taking Families, Relationships, Institutions, Businesses, and Society (FRIBS) beyond the conventional success paradigm and placing them on the path of greatness. The foreword was written by the Thought Dr. and Vanguard columnist Patricia Omoqui.

they need to become highly effective. We assist them in harnessing their potentials in totality and support them in getting to the peak of their aspirations.

Our focus is on building a whole new generation of outstanding achievers in various fields of endeavour whether on a personal, career, social, or business level.

The Maple Institute is the training outfit of Mapemond Resources targeted mainly at youth capacity/skills development.

6. Why did you decide to become a writer/ motivational speaker?

I did not decide to become a writer. I found myself becoming one due to my passion for expressing myself on paper, and an inspirational speaker because I find myself always talking to people and sharing inspiring insights on various 1. Tell us about yourself I am Maple Tamunoinaemi Dappa born issues of life with them. on the 11th day of November 1983. I hail from Kalabari in Rivers State and a 7. Do you have any special training that has prepared you to be a better speakgraduate of Marine Engineering from the er, writer and consultant? Or does it come naturally Rivers State University of Science and It actually comes naturally, but since no one is above training and development Technology. I personally describe myself to be better equipped and prepared, I have received various trainings amongst as MOLES (Motivated Optimistic Liber- which is an intensive Youth Leadership Training with LEAP AFRICA. al Enthusiastic and Simple). I am a core change agent who believes that we can 8. Are you involved in any community organization? (churches/ charities, have a better Nigeria if we become bet- NGOs) ter Nigerians. I have the passion to build I am an alumnus of LEAP AFRICA, I am actively involved in the youth minFamilies, Relationships, Institutions, Busi- istry of my church, and I periodically get involved in various community denesses, and Society (FRIBS). I am a very velopment initiatives. open-minded person who is ever willing to share what he knows and also to learn 9. What is the hardest thing about what you do? from others. I can be hilarious too if you The hardest parts are the challenging situations of poor infrastructures and facilities in our country. get closer.

2. Where did you grow up? Did you move around a lot? If yes, how did this affect you? If no, how did the stability of living in one place affect you?

I grew up in Port Harcourt. Moved around a lot as a child and it affected me negatively because of the harsh conditions that I found myself in and the dangerous habits I got exposed to, but I thank God for the experiences I had while moving around.

10. How do you address that?

Adapting to the situation as it is while hoping that our little efforts will someday make a difference.

4. Tell us about your motivation to create a change in our society I have read so much about great ‘world changers’ while growing up. The things I read about them inspired me to become like them, and the situation of things in Nigeria has motivated me to put into practice all that I have learned and imbibed from them.

12. What is the next skill or knowledge set you want to add to your repertoire to make you a better leader The next skill is to take my trainings to a higher level by collaborating with organisations to set up the trainings as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

11. What is the newest, freshest approach you are bringing to your job to make people more enlightened about Self Development 3. Could you give us some personal background about yourself (single/married, kids The best approach which I have been using and will still be using to make people more enlightened about self-development is to use myself and the etc).

I am single and without kids and not looking forward to getting married anytime results I’m getting in life and work as an example to them. To be a shining light of what I teach. soon.

5. Tell us about Mapemond Resources, The Maple Institute and other things you are involved in Mapemond Resources is a business initiative set up to equip and empower individuals, small businesses and organizations with the vital skills, support and knowledge 28

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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

Arts & Culture

initiative and to obtain a degree with speacialisation in HR. 13. What is most rewarding about your career; what makes it all worthwhile What makes it worthwhile is seeing the Spirit of Greatness being awakened in individuals and organisations after coming in contact with me and my services.

The most rewarding aspect is the joy I derive from being a part of the fulfillment of great dreams.

14. Tell us about your book SEEDS OF GREATNESS The book ‘Seeds of Greatness’ is a compendium of highly inspiring articles, which I have been sharing over the last couple of months on different platforms. Its contents captures my major areas on interest; Families, Relationships, Institutions, Businesses, Societies, and Spiritual Growth (FRIBSS).

15. What inspired you to write it?

A protégé of mine walked into my study one cool afternoon, and while we were chatting, he mentioned to me that he has a file with my name as the title, and he prints out every article I post on my facebook page because he wanted to have it in hand to read over and over again. This inspired me to put together the best of my articles because like my protégé, many others always look out for what my next article will be. This made me realize that there are many others who will get inspired by the articles, and that was the birth of the book.

16. Are there any political or social issues you feel passionately about?

Yes! Political, the insincerity of our politicians and how they toy with the progress of our Nation, and Social, the rate at which youths are moving farther away from sound upbringing and values system.

17. What’s the one big issue/law/attitude/restriction that you think is holding back your career in general?

I believe that whatever tries to hold one back, is an opportunity for one to become more creative and skillful.

18. What do you plan to have accomplished in 5, 10, 20 and 50 years- personally and/or professionally In 5 years, to have fully established Mapemond Resources as a resourceful, dependable, and profitable business venture alongside sharing the word of God with as many persons as possible as a Christian. In 10 years, to have started building a family alongside making more impacts in the society. In 20 years, to have authored at least 20 books. In 50 years, to have established a state-of-the-art learning resource center. I have many dreams, but this is a brief summary of my plans for the future.

19. How do you keep a healthy work/life balance I plan it. It is very challenging and so I discipline to stick to my plan as much as possible.

20. What’s your favorite weekend activity or what do you do to unwind?

I listen to music, relax and gist with my family members at home. Also I try to keep in touch with a couple of friends by calling them on the phone, but the unwinding part of it is chatting with friends.

Book Review: Seeds of Greatness by Maple Dappa

T

he book SEEDS OF GREATNESS is aimed at promoting self-education amongst as many youths that will eventually possess this mind blowing book in their hands. The book will go a long way in equipping youths with a sound sense of direction in life. It is a motivational book written by a young Nigerian, Maple Dappa who is an inspirational speaker, writer, life coach, success strategist, personal development trainer, and ideas consultant. He is committed to a vision of taking Families, Relationships, Institutions, Businesses, and Society (FRIBS) beyond the conventional success paradigm and placing them on the path of greatness. The foreword was written by the Thought Dr. and Vanguard columnist Patricia Omoqui.

OCTOBER 2010

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All Stars

For Children Ages 6 - 12 Parents Section

Succeeding in School

We have been talking about learning to succeed in school. What if succeeding at school is harder than you think?

What if you do not find it as easy as playing your computer games or unlocking the next level in your Wii game. What if no matter how hard you try, it still seems like you cannot do it. What do you do? This is what we have to learn about.

This is where strength of character comes in. As a child, it is important you build your character.

Building your character is like building up your muscles. It is like training to win a game or a sport at the Olympics or like the Arsenal team at a football match. The team does not just wake up one day and decide to go

and play against another team. The team spends lots of time training, practicing, exercising and preparing. They do their best. They try and stay focused. They have a coach who tells them what to do and how they can get better at their game.

The coach encourages them and teaches them not to quit.

It is the same thing with your work at school. Try and try some more. You need to prepare by reading your books. Exercise by trying out questions to be sure you understood what you read.

You should listen to your coach (that is your parent or your teacher or both) because they will tell you the right thing to do. As old as they seem they

actually usually know a thing or more about what you need to do or what you are going through. It makes no sense for you not to put in any effort and then hope and pray that you will pass your exams. It just does not work out that way. You must always be willing to learn new things.

Do not stick with only the things you know.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class or attempt to answer questions even if you are not sure you will get the answer right. Do try and work out possible solutions in your head and in your mind. This will be very helpful as it will keep your brain alert.

It is also a useful trick as it helps you remember things. Always believe you can learn and do anything you set your mind to because you truly can.

Weird but True Facts

You need to work on recognising difficulties in your child’s learning.

Children can have barriers to learning. In recognizing or understanding these barriers you need to have a deeper understanding of your own learning style. This is important because a parent’s early learning experiences will affect and determine the parent’s attitude to learning. Interestingly however, a parent’s attitude to learning has been proven to be the strongest influence on the child’s learning success. In other words, if you were exposed to positive learning experiences as a child, if learning was enjoyable to you as a child, you will carry it throughout life. As such, you will be more open and willing to learn new things. By extension you will pass on a positive attitude to learning to your child and constantly encourage your child to learn new things. This will make your child more open to learning and make you more likely to give better support to your child’s learning. Also, you will be an active participant in your child’s education and be more alert to warning signals. This will enable you take necessary corrective actions when necessary, faster.

In discovering if you had or have a positive attitude to learning you must reflect on your learning choices. Reflect on your attitude to learning new things.

Decide if you actively seek out new opportunities to learn or resist or resent learning opportunities when available to you.

Remember it is important to help your child through these early years. Assist your child in setting little goals (not necessarily related to school work) and celebrate each achievement.

A mammal’s blood is red. An insect’s blood is yellow and a lobster’s blood is blue.

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

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PreSchooler activities for Preschool Children from Age 2-5

VICTORIA TANDOH

ALPHAB E All About th T F U N e Letter J

The Number 8

Trace the dotted lines on the letter J. Then write your own J next to it! Repeat.

8

Write the letter j in the space below.

Circle all the letter j’s in the words below.

All these objects have the letter j in their name. Circle the j in the name, then color in the object.

Count the number of seeds in each watermelon slice, touching each seed as you say the number. Draw a line from the number 8 to the watermelon slices with 8 seeds.

J

j

jewels

• Show your toddler how to unclip the pegs and put them in the pot.

• When he has finished unclipping the pegs, clip them back around the pot.

• You could also give your toddler the pot and pegs to amuse him in the bath.

• Clip the pegs onto other things too, such as a toy duck’s beak in the bath.

jellyfish

Created by :

www.education.com/worksheets

Copyright 2010-2011 Education.com

PEG PLAY Toddlers enjoy manipulating objects and soft-grip plastic clothes pegs can make a good toy. Clip a few around the rim of a plastic pot or mug before handing it to your toddler.

jam

FILL THE BOTTLE This game is great for improving co-ordination. All you need is a plastic pot or bottle and a collection of objects • You could use large buttons, pasta shapes, large beads, dry cereal or raisins • Encourage your toddler to put the objects into the pot/bowl or bottle, although he may want to tip them out as well.

• You can add to the game by counting as you go or by painting out different colours or shapes.

• You’ll need to supervise closely to make sure your child doesn’t put anything in his mouth or up his nose OCTOBER 2010

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Sports 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games: Success or Debacle?

Tolu Ifekoya The announcement that India will host the 19th Commonwealth Games was definitely aimed at showcasing Delhi as an emerging cosmopolitan city but the reverse might be achieved by the games as the present human and natural causes paint the country as a falling pack of cards.

Remarks by Commonwealth President Michael Fennel that all 71 member nations would compete might have doused part of the looming fear but the main issues, which include security, venues, athletes’ village, healthcare and athletes pulling out of the games are still much a contention for the organizers to deal with and prove to the world that Delhi would make a success of the competition.

These issues did not just sprout now but sometime in August this year, the Central Vigilance Commission of India made a public outcry to the world that the games would be hazardous for all athletes and spectators alike. They warned that infrastructure being built for the games were plagued by usage of substandard building materials, large scale corruption and repeated delays that could linger to the start of the competition. These allegations were not unfounded as three senior Delhi games officials were suspended over financial irregularities in that month.

Ten days before the competition is set to begin the

ceiling to the weightlifting venue caved in and a foot bridge that connected the car park to the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium collapsed with 23 workers sustaining injuries from the accident. But the point of interest was the reaction of Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila 32

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Dixit who felt confused as to the alarm raised by the bridge collapse “the footbridge was not meant for athletes and delegates; it was for the use of common man”.

The Games Village which is to house over 6,000 athletes is barely habitable. Delegates who visited the living quarters for the athletes described them as filthy, with rubble lying in doorways, dogs inside the buildings, toilets not working and excrements in places it shouldn’t be. Homeless people sleep on the major roads that are still under construction but intended to connect the venues and the athletes’ village. In reacting to these findings Organizing Committee Secretary General Lalit Bhanot adduced the problem to cultural differences “ these rooms are clean to both of us…however, it may not appear so to some others.

They want certain standards in hygiene and cleanliness which may differ from our perception.”

Nature has played her own part as officials have had to hire about 3,200 part time workers to spray mosquito repellant across the city to hopefully contain the dengue fever outbreak that has spread over the city and affected over 1,500 people in Delhi.

Security has also been a bane. Two weeks to the competition a tourist bus was attacked and two Taiwanese tourists were injured in the raid which occurred outside the Jama Masjid Mosque. These happenings have sparked reactions from athletes who have pulled out from the competition due to safety concerns. Australian, Dani Sameuls who is the World champion discus thrower and World triple jump champion Phillips Idowu are in this category. Idowu said “sorry people, but I have children to think about.

My safety is more important to them than a medal.”

The games would also lose part of the shine as the barrage of top athletes who have pulled out of the competition for varying reasons is unending – World 100 and 200m record holder, (Jamaican) Usain Bolt, Marathon World record holder (England), Paula Radcliffe, multiple Olympic Cycling Champion (Scotland), Chris Hoy, Olympic 400m champion (England), Christine Ohuruogu and World 800m record holder, (Kenya) David Rudisha.

Despite all the challenges shrouding the games, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee believes the competition will be a success and have pledged their optimal support. The Spirit of the 2010 Commonwealth games would not be battered as some interesting facts would still make the competition unique.  The 2010 Commonwealth Games is going to be largest Commonwealth Games event ever.

There are going to be 17 sports and over 285 events.  The Motto of the 2010 Commonwealth Games is “Come out and play”.  Tennis matches will be making their debut at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Even though the sport had been on the approval list, it is only making its appearance now.  Only in Commonwealth Games do England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland represent themselves individually rather than as the United Kingdom.  It has been estimated that there are over 415000 daily wage workers working on the projects related to 2010 Commonwealth Games. It is unfortunate that most of them are being paid less than minimum wages.  The 2010 Commonwealth Games is going to be the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever and is going to cost the capital more than US $1.6 Billion Dollars. This does not include the amount that the capital has already spent on the infrastructure development in the city. It has been estimated that over $1.94 Billion Dollars was spent on modernizing the Capital’s International Airport.  It has been predicted that the Commonwealth Games at Delhi will increase the capital’s GDP by 49 percent and that means it will become the richest city in the country followed by Mumbai.

The year 2010 will be the first time ever GDP of Delhi will be more than Mumbai since the country’s Independence.  The 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games will be the first games ever to be recognised as “Green Commonwealth Games”. This is despite the fact that there had been a felling of “heritage trees” in the forest area to make way for the game facilities.  The Queen’s Baton has been equipped with modern technologies such as GPS, Camera and SMS Functionality. This will prevent the baton from getting lost, allow the user to take pictures and also will send messages to the baton bearers throughout the day.

Dabar

Insights for Christian Living

The Man or the Manna?

Taiye Tunkarimu

U

ntil some events unfold in our lives as human beings, we never know our true reactions to them. Although most times, we tend to say we would do this and that if such things happen!

Hello! Have we forgotten the saying that you never know how to cross a bridge until you get to that bridge but it is also very important not just as Christians but also as human beings to always prepare for anything and the worst things.

Just recently, my boss and I had to plan for an event and while preparing the budget and logistics, I kept emphasizing on the need to also plan for a ‘What If” because you never know; anything can happen as against the original plan and so if we are not prepared for at least some of the unforeseen events, we might just find ourselves looking for help for a situation we could have avoided.

As children growing up, we look up to our parents as role models and entrust them with a lot of things because we feel safe in their arms but right from the moment we begin to differentiate our lefts from our rights and are able to take decisions on our own, we begin to divert our trust, believes, desires and ‘I want to be like’ mentality to other individuals who would serve as mentors to us. Inasmuch as we want to be like these people, we need to note that there is uniqueness in all of us and a destiny God has ordained for each and every one of us and so your destiny is very different from mine.

Therefore, in developing our spiritual lives, we need to focus more on the Word, its Spirituality and our relationship with the creator of the universe all driven towards making heaven.

As Christians, our ‘spiritual’ goal should be more on the word of God and not too much on the one that speaks the word. This is very important because on the Day of Judgment, it would be You, not the one that taught you about the word and God flipping through the pages of your life on earth. Jesus Christ carried his cross alone without His Father who taught Him the spiritual things of the Word!

It is important to be careful those we model our lives after and look up to as Christians especially in developing our spiritual lives but most importantly is the Word of God and not necessarily the Man that speaks the word! Yes I hear some people say the man is also very important, I agree! But the moment we begin to see the Man as our access to God and not the Word of God as our entrée and personal relationship with God then we are spiritually at risk because your spiritual connection with God, which is originally supposed to be through the word of God

has been taken in place of a Man! As individuals, Christianity is about our personal relationship with God and His Word and not the Man who stands on the pulpit to preach the word. The truth is many of us called Christians are beginning to focus more on the Man and not The Manna and if we go by the book of Revelations where the bible talks about the end times and the things that follows this time, if we are not careful, we might just be heading for what we dread the most.

The Bible, which is the word of God is our daily guide to living as Christians. It serves as our access to God talking to us and we in return communicate back to him through Prayers, Praise and Worship!

The reason we need to play our parts well and serve God and not the Man in spirit and in truth be it in secret or in the open is because Ecclesiastes 12:14 says it all!

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

Nigeria at 50:

A Call to Action for those born in the 80s Taiye Tunkarimu

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lthough for many people born in the 1960s it would be an interesting story of how they slept and woke up each day living the dream of our dear beloved country Nigeria that it will be better each day, each week.

Like an expectant mother would do all the best preparation to welcome her unborn child, the Pa Anthony Enahoro, the Late Nnamdi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Herbert Macaulay all fought the good fight in preparing us ahead of gaining our independence from the hands of the colonial masters.

At last, they won; we got our independence in 1960 but I am sure you’ll agree with me that our parents would have thought it smooth sailing and well deserving. Now, we drove through to independence to civil wars, military rules back and forth until we finally landed in our home of democracy, which everyone craved for.

If we did a comparative analysis of which was better between democracy and military rule, some people would prefer to go back to the days of military while another would die for the demonstration of craze (Democracy) according to the late Afro beats singer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Yes he did speak a lot and predicted our politics and politicians out rightly.

Looking back at our 50 years of existence and the experiences, for people born in the eighties, it’s about the good, the bad and the ugly. While some benefitted from the Lateef Jakande free education system and enjoyed constant power supply plus fuel price at N13 or N26 thereabout and still complaining then, one wonders what we are doing differently now that the pump price has risen to N65. Could it be that we have lost our place, rights and privileges as citizens of this country or we just don’t care as long as we are blessed with enough so much that we have to refine our crude oil outside the shores of Nigeria even when we have the facilities but have refused to develop our maintenance culture to keep it working for us.

Maybe in those days, our politicians had respect for themselves and the people they governed while they carried out their day to day activities in their places of power but to speak of present day politicians as touts and hooligans wouldn’t be anything far from the truth. What then lies ahead of the next generation that would take over from them in the nearest future?

Our values and culture have been thrown into the sea and because we have refused to learn from the past, we are going back to the sea to find them. Has

anyone ever thrown something into the sea and gone back to find them? Please if you did, you might just be the saviour of our dear beloved country called Nigeria!

While this generation is a blessing to Nigeria, I must say, various developments have defined it from technology to communication, fashion, business, entertainment, media just name it! Before now, we know what it took to make a call, many thanks to NITEL Communications.

What on earth happened to our agricultural sector?

Our major source of livelihood, the pride of our nation. Where have all the credible souls gone? Where have we missed it and have refused to get back on track? What has happened to civic responsibility?

Are we still going to fold our arms and keep watching these people we elect and put our trust and lives in their care to keep fooling us around even when it is obvious they have nothing to offer? When are we going to take to the streets and say enough is enough?

How many of us are going to lay down our lives for the glory of our country to be restored during the 2011 elections? Come on, I could go on and on but this is the time for us to act and stop talking from the couch in our living rooms; let’s do something and give another plus to this generation!

2011:Beyond Credible Elections in Nigeria

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once heard this question asked by a preacher in Nigeria, ‘Do you think that a gang of thieves will ever vote in a policeman (possessing the best credentials) as their new leader even in the FREEST and FAIREST election possible?’

The answer he got was an overwhelming, NO! He went on to say that the situation was that way not because the thieves hated the policeman but simply because they perceived life through different lenses; that is to say, they had opposing ideologies Many optimistic Nigerians see the 2011 elections as the one, which will through up patriotic and selfless leaders into political positions; men and women of honour and integrity who would have this country’s best interest at heart; people with the requisite skills and experience to move this country forward (forward is actually a relative term used in Nigeria because Nigerians are yet to define where ‘forward’ is); Nigerians who are not only willing but are also committed to delivering to us the Nigeria of our dreams (The ‘Dream Nigeria’ is also subject to personal interpretation as ‘forward’).

Some others see 2011 as one in a lifetime opportunity to finally vote out the ‘corrupt elements’ who have

Taul Paul Oselen held Nigeria bound for so many years and a time to vote in a new crop of purposeful and visionary leaders. They see it as a chance to get rid of the older generation and to bring in a younger generation.

These are all positive and hopeful thoughts about 2011 but we must not forget that they are also not new thoughts. We had them in 1999, 2002 and 2006.

However, as was the case in the illustration above, Nigeria today can only produce after its kind. The ideology prevalent in most of the Nigerian electorate (mainly poor and illiterate) is one framed by wrong values such as greed and distrust, which are seen as the roots of all forms of corruption in the land.

Please, do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that every Nigerian is corrupt; all I am saying is that Nigeria presently operates a system where corruption not only thrives but is also celebrated. Therefore, the system at its best can only produce more of the same.

The good news about all these is that every system can be changed. If the current system would change then the thinking pattern of the electorate must be altered and if the thinking pattern would change then the information available to the electorate must be addressed.

Now is the time for every patriotic Nigerian to consistently reach-out to his/her world (family, school, offices, market places, alma-mater, social/professional/online communities, etc) modelling a better alternative of leadership. It is up to all of us to show other Nigerians the beauties and benefits of a functional system; one in which things are done properly and orderly. A system where the right moral values such as; integrity, service and justice are extolled... this kind of a system is what Nigerians yearn for. Remember, when a man is presented with a better option, he takes it.

I do hope that the 2011 elections would be the most credible we have ever experienced in Nigeria but that is not my most important concern. For I have come to understand that change is not gotten merely through the quality (freeness, fairness, transparency, voter turnout) of an electoral process rather it is gotten by the quality of mind; that is the ideology of the electorate.

It is time we got to working on the mindsets of the average Nigerian, to inspire in him/her the right ideology worthy of a great nation. This to me is the recipe for true and lasting change. It might not be the quickest way but it is the surest way. So let’s begin Nigeria!

OCTOBER 2010 SEPTEMBER 2010

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Podium

The Modern Day Nigerian Lawyer: A Reflection of the Nigerian Society Ben Atebe

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he practice of the legal profession in Nigeria dates as far back as 1876 with the Supreme Court Ordinance No. 4 promulgated by the colonial administration to formally regulate the practice of the legal profession. That Ordinance empowered the Chief Justice as it were to approve, admit enroll to practice as barristers and solicitors in the Court such persons as shall have been admitted as legal practitioners in the United Kingdom.

Order XVI rule I of the Supreme Court (Civil Procedure ) rules made pursuant to section 56 of the said Supreme Court Ordinance 1876 stipulated that ‘The Chief Justice may in his discretion approve, be able to practice law in Nigeria today it is expected that one should have passed through admit and enroll to practice as a barrister and solicitor in the Court any person who is entitled to practice as a barrister in England or Scotland; and who produces testimonials sufficient to satisfy the Chief Justice that he is a man of good character ----‘’.

After Nigeria obtained its independence from its former colonial masters on 1st October 1960 it was now necessary that it evolve the appropriate and relevant legal education based on the peculiar Nigerian legal system and society.

Pursuant to that philosophy, in 1959 the Federal Government set up the Committee on the Future of the Nigeria Legal Profession and this was headed by Professor Unsworth the then Attorney General of the Federation. The Committee was charged with the following responsibility: … to consider and make recommendations for the future

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of the legal profession in Nigeria with particular regard to legal education and admission to practice, the right of audience before the courts and the making of reciprocal arrangements in this connection with other countries, the setting up of a General Council of the Nigerian Bar, the powers and functions of such Council, the institution of a code of Conduct, the disciplinary control of the profession’s members, and the principles to be applied in determining whether a member of the Bar should be prohibited from practicing.

The recommendations of the Unsworth committee led to the enactment of the Legal Education Act and the Legal Practitioners Act both of 1962. The Legal Education Act of 1962 has since been repealed and has undergone amendments. The operating act is believed to be the Legal Education (Consolidation, etc) Act of 1992. In the same vain the Legal Practitioners Act of 1962 has since been repealed with the Legal Practitioners Act of 1975 and which has also continue to witness several amendments.

Basically for anyone seeking to practice law in Nigeria today it is expected that he /she ought to fulfill such laid down criteria. Among the criteria is that the person is expected to have obtained if studying in a university in Nigeria a West African School leaving certificates/ General Certificate of Education ordinary level or any of its present equivalent. Subsequently the person after writing and passing the Joint Admissions Matriculation Examination (JAME) must have obtained admission to study law,

passed and obtained an LLB degree in any of the law faculties of the Higher Institutions or Universities approved by the Legal Education in Nigeria. It is also expected that the person would have gained admission into the Nigeria Law School to study the practical aspect of law, pass and obtain his/her Bachelors of Law (B.L) certificate that will enable him to be called into the Nigeria Bar and subsequently enrolled with the Supreme Court of Nigeria to practice law both as a solicitor and a barrister. For those studying outside Nigeria i.e not attending a Nigeria University it is required that such a person must obtained an LLB degree from a university in any country but more especially commonwealth countries regonised by Nigeria.

All the other requirements of the Nigerian Law Scholl and thereafter applies.

The modern day Nigerian lawyer is not insulated from the dictates that happens in the society or the country today.

The modern day Nigerian lawyer is even more involved with the society as compared to over twenty (20) years ago.

An average of over eighty percent of Nigerians since 1975 were trained and attended Nigerian Universities and 100 percent of them attended and passed through the Nigerian Law School that now has over Five different campuses all over Nigeria. Prior to about fifteen (15) years ago when the late Head of State General Ibrahim Abacha’s daughter yet of age and obtain an LLB degree there was only one Nigerian Law School campus in Nigeria and this allowed for effective teaching, discipline, passing etc of the knowl-

Podium edge , understanding and the rudiments that it takes to practice law in Nigeria.

The modern day lawyer like everything Nigerian wants to read law at all cost ( cost here is not financial). Some persons who are lawyers today if we have to investigate their early life you will find that it was a challenge for them to obtain the equivalent of the WASC that will entitle them to gain and obtain admission into the faculties of law in a Nigerian university to study law. Very few of the modern lawyers today were able on their own without being aided either by their parents or otherwise obtained the WASC. This trend also tranceded to the university and even the Nigerian Law School. In otherwords all sense of morality and intergrity has been lost even before they were called to the Nigerian Bar and enrolled with the Supreme Court of Nigeria to practice law in Nigeria. You may want to ask why?

The prestige concomitant with the legal profession is no doubt one of the underlying and subconscious factors that are responsible for the above among a lot of lawyers in Nigeria today. This, of course, comes second to the believe and perception that the legal profession is often seen to be a very lucrative profession whether or not such lucrativeness is based on strong chain link that is nepotism.

The modern day lawyer unlike its predecessors who is driven by the need and passion to be a part of the constant struggle of ensuring that justice prevails in the society he is more interested in the monetary returns and likely ill gotten fame. Because the Nigeria of today you can only be celebrated if you are known and it does not matter how.

As for lawyers make some noise on a regular basis even when you do not even understand that legal matter and very soon members of the press will come calling without really understanding whether or not what he/she is saying makes any legal sense (media lawyers). The end justify the means. It is for these reasons that old wigs at the bar complain about the death of conventions in the legal sphere.

They often lament that the modern day lawyer (usually the young ones) have no idea how things were in the glorious

past. While this may strike a nostalgic chord in the hearts of the seniors of the bar, it is fundamental to acknowledge the state of flux everything goes through at one point or another.

According to Richard Susskind, an Emeritus Professor of Law at Gresham College in America, in an extract from his forthcoming book, The End of Lawyers? Rethinking the Nature of Legal Services: “…I do not believe lawyers are self-evidently entitled to profit from the law. As I have said before, the law is not there to provide a livelihood for lawyers any more than illhealth exists to offer a living for doctors. Successful legal business may be a bi-product of law in society, but it is not the purpose of law. And, just as numerous other industries and sectors are having to adapt to broader change, so too should lawyers.”

Therefore, the structural economic and political changes Nigeria undergoes as a fledging nation in both aspects inexorably seeps into the business world altering the form of things. This can be said to also extend into the nation’s legal sector. These changes mark the genesis of new legislations, new attitudes by lawyers, new case laws as well as the turning over of certain established judicial decisions and ultimately the practice of law.

It is regrettable that in Nigeria that we are more willing to follow the leadership of the corrupt minded, the unwise, the unscrupulous, criminal etc than the leadership of the wise, uncorrupted, scrupulous, honest, integrity etc. The modern Nigerian has lawyer realized this and you cannot blame him or her. For so long he/she has followed the path of honour, honesty and integrity and for so long he has remained unpatronised not out of lack brilliance / intelligence/hardwork but he is old fashioned in his/her style, uncompromising, not corrupt , too professionally inclined, too honest etc in otherwords not a deals person or a settlement lawyer.

The modern day lawyer is conniving with society to deny the common man of his voice. The general assumption today in legal parlance is that the common man has no

voice in society against and even if he had one, the government turns a deaf ear to his pleas. This lack of positive action on the part of the Nigerian government has over time impliedly engraved into the mind of the people that they live in a society where nothing works. A shortcoming such as this is evident in the fact the people are not conscious of their rights either due to illiteracy, ignorance or plain indifference.

In turn, the modern Nigerian lawyer does not have the same avenue to solicit for cases on the streets based on, say, an accident that has just happened before his very eyes as is often done in the United States of America.

Having said this, an advanced country like America has imbibed into its various provisions the importance of the average American being aware of his rights. This average American is aware of confidently pleading the First, Fifth and Sixth Amendments and other such legal rights thus giving an average American lawyer a lot to work with.

Whereas, Nigerian citizens live in fear of being abused if he/she attempts to stand up and speak up against what is wrong; there is no guarantee of a secured life as security institutions such as the Nigerian Police have little or no regard for the safety of those it swore to protect. The bottom line is a harsh and necessary truth - the system does not work including the judiciary. And when this is so what hope is there for the modern lawyer?

Well, as the primitive instinct of man dictates, two options are available: Flight or Fight. The lawyer may sag his shoulders and thrown in the towel (flight) or actually go back to the books and innovate ideas that will enable the system work for him (fight). The modern day lawyer is ready to fight but not for justice but for his pocket and bank account while he takes flight from justice. Thus, stakeholders in different sectors have become more aggressive in their pursuit of justice especially when large sums of money are involved either as damages, costs or debt recovery processes. This aggressiveness more often than not finds its way to the courts and in the same vein, the execution of cases is mostly driven by the desired outcome of the legal practitioner’s clientele. Young lawyers have since adopted a grasp-all attitude for short-term gains that serve to satisfy their immediate needs. In fact, one might argue the initial unadulterated joy of the profession has long disappeared under the money-driven pursuits. Answer me this, would this situation be the case if the current state of the society does not shamefully bear the banner of corruption and poverty? I think not. Worse still, the law is constantly manipulated and twisted to fit into the cast of corrupt elite and leaders When all is said and done, the changes we want to see in the legal sector is subject to the changes that occur in society. A process of cognitive restructuring whereby the negative-inclined thinking of both the man and lawyer is altered can be recommended. The implication of such a step is that all governmental arms will have to gain the trust of its citizens by taking appropriate steps to rectify wrongs as well as ensuring the security of those who voice these wrongs. Perhaps the modern day Nigerian lawyer should be more proactive in ensuring that he does not become redundant by virtue of the fact that a significant percentage of the general populace dwell in darkness as regards there rights. Once such awareness is propagated, in the long run, Nigerian courts of laws might develop to handle polemic suits such as negligent or intentional infliction of emotional distress.

While hope still lingers in the horizon but what obtains today is this what the Unsworth Committee envisaged when it was mandated to evolve the appropriate and relevant legal education based on the peculiar Nigeria legal system and society in 1959..

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Random Musings with Ayodeji Jeremiah

“I have read the obituaries of leaders, but never have I seen a birth announcement for a leader. I can only deduct that somewhere between birth and death, by training, by choice and by strength of character, people become leaders.” –from Success Mark Cards.

to where they have never been before. The result of true leadership is discomfort and change.

The Need for Clarity Leadership according to experts underscores the need for clarity. The nature of leadership demands that there always 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. 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.

Leadership therefore means being clear even in the face of uncertainty and not allowing uncertainty to paralyse people, systems and processes.

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s Nigeria celebrates its 50th independence anniversary, there is need for some soul searching and reflection. Looking at the situation of Nigeria today, it is obvious that one of our major challenges is that of leadership. Poor leadership has stifled our growth and stopped us from achieving our potential. But it is never too late. As we celebrate this jubilee and prepare for the next round of elections, it is important to once again look at the attributes and principles of leadership. If those aspiring to leadership can learn these principles and practise them, we will be in a much better situation and not only at the national political level. Corporate and religious organisations are becoming increasingly interested in the subject and its intricacies as it is becoming increasingly obvious that leadership is a major need for today’s generations and those yet to come. From small churches to major political parties and corporate organisations to countries around the world, decisions being made by those at the helm of affairs continue to affect us all in minute and major ways in our everyday lives. Leadership is one of my favourite subjects and in this article; I share with you some of what I have learnt over the past several years.

Leadership can change the mindset and mentality of the followers. Leadership can create action where there was hesitation; courage where there was cowardice; optimism where there was cynicism, and strength where there was weakness. A leader can create a spirit of hope where there was despair. Leadership determines the mentality, the destiny, the attitude, and the commitment of the followers. The act of leadership is taking people from where they are

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The Need for Vision Leadership is at its best when the vision is strategic, the voice is persuasive and the results tangible.

Whether with a few supporters or in front of a nation, great leaders consistently offer their vision of both what should be and how it should be achieved.

A powerful vision is a precondition for leading a company, church or country at any point in time.

It is a persuasive picture of where you want to go, how you want to get there and why anybody should follow. The most important source of leadership is vision.

The Need for Coaching Coaching enables a leader to go farther and faster.

A human resources director was once asked to give an advice on leadership especially on how to get the best out of people and he replied listen, listen and listen. Leaders who resist coaching always end up in a rut. Age and experience don’t necessarily make us better. Age and experience have a tendency to leave us in a rut doing the same thing, the same way with no one around to spur us toward change. Cognitive intelligence is a prerequisite for most leadership positions but what distinguishes those who move up to those positions is what someone once referred to as emotional intelligence. This is the ability to be selfaware and self-regulating, empathetic and compassionate and skilled at bringing out the best in people around you, you will hear what you need to know and inspire what they need to do. One of the worst things that can happen to a leader is isolation; when he stops hearing from his troops and becomes the last to know what is going on. That tends to happen if the followers believe that the leader knows it all.

The Need for Character The decisions and actions that a leader makes and takes on an hourly, daily weekly, monthly and yearly basis are what inform his or her character. You can lead without character but you would not be a leader worth following. Character provides leaders with the moral authority necessary to bring together the people and resources needed to further an enterprise.

To build character a leader must be able to imbibe good qualities such as kindness, dignity, fairness, and integrity. It is character that determines the leader’s legacy. In surveys by consulting firms on what values or personality traits or characteristics people admire most in company managers, top sales people and entrepreneurs; the category that consistently scored the highest mark was integrity and truthfulness. Most people in another survey place more trust in their religious leaders than in their political leaders for the same reason that religious leaders are perceived as being truthful, honest and having integrity. Someone once defined character as the will to do what’s right even when it’s hard. Leaders committed to maintaining their character will often say no to what many would perceive to be the opportunity of a lifetime.

The willingness to say no is what sets the leader with character apart from the pack.

Mahatma Ghandi’s Leadership Principles (1) Politics without principles will destroy people (2) Pleasure without conscience will destroy people (3) Wealth without work will destroy people (4) Knowledge without character will destroy people (5) Science without humanity will destroy people (6) Business without morality will destroy people (7) Worship without sacrifice will destroy people Important Attributes of Leaders (1) They believe nothing is impossible (2) They believe there is no one way of solving any problem (3) They never accept limitations (4) They are not afraid to fail (5) They are willing to try anything once (6) They challenge their own successes (7) They engage the unknown with faith and courage