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First Ladies, Women of Substance, Others Celebrate Legacy of Building Women
By Eric Elezuo
The intimidating crowd that surged into the convention center of the Eko Hotel and Suites Tuesday to celebrate the 2019 edition of Handmaidens Women in Leadership Series with the theme, Leading Women Building Legacies, was a testimony of the aggressive nature women have so far launched into the world of business, grabbing with both hands what were hitherto reserved for men.
Coordinating the avalanche of events on the day, Mrs Morin Desalu, gave due respect to as many special dignitaries that covered the length and breadth of the hall, with special reference to the Chief host, Pastor Siju Iluyomade.
Pastor Siju Iluyomade and Keynote speaker, Dr Olufunmilayo Olapade
Kicking off with splendid praise and worship session, which was supervised by the Voices of Zion, it event nosedived into the recitation of the two stanzas of the national anthem. The rendition was a beauty to behold as almost every soul in the centre participated, singing with fresh and renewed patriotism. It reestablished the blind faith with which women are known to approach any issue.
It was time for the special guests of honour’ to give their addresses, and the First Lady of Edo State, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, set the ball rolling.
In her speech, she encouraged Nigerians, especially women, to put in their best in developing Nigeria, prophesying that “soon, foreigners will be rushing to Nigeria the same way Nigerians are rushing to other countries”, adding that ‘it will happen in our time’.
Cross section of dignitaries
In her contribution, the First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun encouraged the women on the need to be self reliant and striving to academically and otherwise develop and invest in themselves through reading among other things.
She said: “I learnt everything I know, especially during childbirth and afterwards from reading books.”
She told women to make reading a habit, and endeavour to be a total mother.
In her short speech, the wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs Salamatu Gbajabiamila highlighted that “women and anything about women is my passion”.
First Ladies of Ogun, Lagos and wife of Speaker of House of Reps
At this stage, the hall was enlivened with the sonorous voice of Enitan Adaba, who led all through a session of high worship. The session gave way to the inspirational speech of Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the First Lady of Lagos State.
Sanwo-Olu, who brought glad tidings from the state governor on his 54th birthday, highlighted that Lagos is committed to the welfare of the citizens, especially women.
With the representative of the first families of represented states done with their speeches, Pastor Iluyomade heartily delivered a welcome message where she cautioned that “greed can bring your legacy down” drawing inference from Proverbs 31 in the same she preached gender equality.
The highlight of the event was the keynote address delivered by a seasoned Chicago based Oncologist, Mrs (Dr) Olufunmilayo Olapade.
Olapade, among many of her admonitions, lashed out at the government of Nigeria for not providing the required amenities or enabling environment for doctors to perform optimally.
She also charged the First Ladies to take up the banner of ensuring that drugs are made available in various hospitals to make it easy for patients to get at affordable price.
Pastor Iluyomade
The address was followed with the presentation of Born to Aspire awards to three deserving women, and they are veteran actress, Joke Sylva, Osayi Alile and Morin Desalu. The chief host, Pastor Iluyomade was also presented with the Original Born to Aspire award.
The event was rounded off with a panel discussion. The panel comprising 10 successful professionals and anchored by Osayi Alile, CEO, Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation, deliberated on How to Build to Last.
Other members of the panel we’re Bolanle Austen-Peters, TY Bello, Adesuwa Onyenokwe, Prof. Sade Ogunsola, Prof. Enase Okonedo, Funke Bucknor Obruthe, Cecilia Akintomide, Kofo Akinkugbe, Dorathy Atoke, and Achenyo Idachaba-Obaro.
Other dignitaries that attended the event included Mrs Bolaji Momodu, Mrs Quincy Akindele and a host of others.
The Senate has granted approval to the ₦1.77 trillion ($2.2b) loan request of President Bola Tinubu after a voice vote in favor of the request.
The Senate presided by Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, approved the loan after the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts chaired by Senator Wammako Magatarkada (APC, Sokoto North) presented the report of the committee.
The request which was submitted by the President on Tuesday is part of a fresh external borrowing plan to partially finance the N9.7 trillion budget deficit for the 2024 fiscal year.
Tinubu had on Tuesday written to the National Assembly, seeking approval of a fresh N1.767 trillion, the equivalent of $2.209 billion as a new external borrowing plan in the 2024 Appropriation Act.
The fresh loan is expected to stretch the amount spent on debt servicing by the Federal Government. The Central Bank of Nigeria recently said that it cost the Federal Government $3.58 billion to service foreign debt in the first nine months of 2024.
The CBN report on international payment statistics showed that the amount represents a 39.77 per cent increase from the $2.56bn spent during the same period in 2023.
According to the report, while the highest monthly debt servicing payment in 2024 occurred in May, amounting to $854.37m, the highest monthly expenditure in 2023 was $641.70m, recorded in July.
The trend in foreign debt servicing by the CBN highlights the rising cost of debt obligations by Nigeria.
Further breakdown of international debt figures showed that in January 2024, debt servicing costs surged by 398.89 per cent, rising to $560.52m from $112.35m in January 2023. February, however, saw a slight decline of 1.84 per cent, with payments reducing from $288.54m in 2023 to $283.22m in 2024.
March recorded a 31.04 per cent drop in payments, falling to $276.17m from $400.47m in the same period last year. April saw a significant rise of 131.77 per cent, with $215.20m paid in 2024 compared to $92.85m in 2023.
The highest debt servicing payment occurred in May 2024, when $854.37m was spent, reflecting a 286.52 per cent increase compared to $221.05m in May 2023. June, on the other hand, saw a 6.51 per cent decline, with $50.82m paid in 2024, down from $54.36m in 2023.
July 2024 recorded a 15.48 per cent reduction, with payments dropping to $542.50m from $641.70m in July 2023. In August, there was another decline of 9.69 per cent, as $279.95m was paid compared to $309.96m in 2023. However, September 2024 saw a 17.49 per cent increase, with payments rising to $515.81m from $439.06m in the same month last year.
Given rising exchange rates, the data raises concerns about the growing pressure of Nigeria’s foreign debt obligations.
Channels TV
Self acclaimed leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, has been arrested by law enforcement in Finland.
The BBC reports that Ekpa was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.
Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality.
The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also arrested four other men over alleged terrorist offences.
A citizen of Finland and Nigeria, Ekpa has described himself as leader of the separatist IPOB group since Nnamdi Kanu’s incarceration.
Finnish police say Ekpa’s activities and social media rhetoric may have fanned the flames of violence in the south-east of Nigeria.
“He carries out these activities from his social media channels, for example,” said Otto Hiltunen, detective chief inspector of the NBI.
In February 2023, Ekpa was arrested by police at his residence in Lahti but was released after hours of questioning.
Using his social media channels, Ekpa had directed Igbos not to participate in Nigeria’s 2023 general election.
In September 2021, the Biafra agitator and secessionist denounced Nigeria and vowed to return the medal he won for the country at the 2003 African Junior Athletics Championships.
The Court of Appeal has sacked Musiliu Akinsanya aka MC Oluomo as the National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
In a ruling that upheld the earlier judgment of the National Industrial Court, the appellate court sacked MC Oluomo and reaffirmed Tajudeen Baruwa as the legitimate leader of the union.
Baruwa had assumed office after a properly conducted election held at the union’s headquarters in Abuja.
The three-member panel of the Appeal Court dismissed the appeal filed by MC Oluomo’s faction, declaring it devoid of merit.
In addition, the court imposed a fine of N100,000 on the appellants, further solidifying Baruwa’s leadership position.
Reports quoting court documents said to have been released on Friday detailed the ruling, which effectively countered any attempts to displace Baruwa from his role as the NURTW president.
The judgment read: “This is an appeal against the judgment/decision of the National Industrial Court Sitting in Abuja, in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/263/2023, delivered on the 11th March, 2024, by Justice O. O. Oyewumi.
“Upon reading the Record of Appeal compiled and transmitted before this court, together with the respective briefs of argument, and after hearing the counsels for the appellants and respondents, it is hereby ordered that:
“This Appeal is devoid of merit, and the same is hereby dismissed.”
The ruling reinforces the legitimacy of Baruwa’s presidency, concluding the legal dispute over the union’s leadership.
Meanwhile, MC Oluomo’s son Idowu Akinsanya (King West) had bragged about his feat of emerging the NURTW president, saying: “We are now in charge of Nigeria, not only Lagos,” a comment that attracted public opprobrium.
MC Oluomo, a diehard supporter of President Bola Tinubu and a prominent figure in Lagos politics, was the sole candidate in the election, which took place at the union’s zonal secretariat in Osogbo. His perceived victory was deemed to carry significant implications for the future of the NURTW and the political landscape of Nigeria.
