Personality in Focus
Polaris Bank Image Maker, Bolarinwa Emerges New President of ACAMB
The Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) – an umbrella association of communications and marketing professionals, working in Nigeria’s banking sector – has elected new executives who will pilot the affairs of the Association for the next two years.
The hugely attended AGM/ election for key positions, saw Mr. Rasheed Bolarinwa, Head, Corporate Communications of Polaris Bank emerged the new ACAMB President.
First Bank’s Mr. Oze K. Oze was elected First Vice President; Mrs. Lola Egboh of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Second Vice President, while the new Secretary-General is Mr. Sipe Babajide of Ecobank.
The position of Assistant Secretary General was won by Mr. Omede Odekina of United Bank for Africa (UBA), while Mr. Patrick Osilaja of Fidelity Bank emerged the Financial Secretary.
Wema Bank’s Mrs. Funmilayo Falola is the new Treasurer while Mr. Abdul Imoyo of Access Bank will serve as the Association’s Publicity Secretary. Also on the new executive list is Mrs. Ozena Utulu of Heritage Bank as Social Secretary.
Four distinguished members of the Association namely: The immediate past President, a staff from CBN, NDIC and CIBN respectively are to serve as Ex-officios.
The election of the new officers held on Thursday, 19 January at the Bankers’ House, CIBN Building, Victoria Island, Lagos.
In his post-election acceptance speech, the new ACAMB President, Bolarinwa, assured members that he would reposition ACAMB as a foremost professional Association that they would all be proud of.
He added that his vision also includes innovating post-retirement strategy that ensures members have a sustainable livelihood long after exiting the industry.
“I will be committed to my vision, which is to reposition ACAMB as a foremost professional Association that encourages and ensures every marketing communications professional in the Banks aspires and attains the highest level of professional recognition and fulfillment on the job while at the same time being assured of a sustainable livelihood long after exiting the industry,” he stated.
Bolarinwa, who served in the past executive as a two-term Secretary General, restated his commitment to the upliftment of members in line with his electioneering promises anchored on the four-pillar themed PEAL: Partnership & Platform, Engagement, Advocacy, and Learning & Value-addition (PEAL).
The new President further assured that ACAMB under his leadership would seek partnerships and platforms among strategic institutions and stakeholders with a view to delivering value to members, as well as enhancing professionalism.
He also said his team would embark on advocacy aimed to deepen awareness and knowledge of the banking industry and its contributions to national socio-economic growth.
Earlier, Chairman of ACAMB Electoral Committee, Mr. Segun Shonubi said all aspirants for the advertised position had met minimum requirements as outlined in the Association Constitution and therefore qualify to stand for the election.
A 1996 graduate of Mass Communication, Bolarinwa holds a Master’s degree from the University of Ibadan and MSc degree from UNESCO-certified Mass Communication department of University of Lagos. He is a member of numerous professional bodies. These include Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN); Registered Practitioner, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), and Member, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
He has also attended several high- impact function-specific and leadership trainings at top business schools in Nigeria and overseas.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim, has commiserated with the family of late Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (retd) on the death of the former military administrator.
In a condolence statement signed by the Minister himself, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), Senator Gaidam lauded the fallen soldier, saying that his contributions to nation building will not be forgotten.
Olubolade died in the early hours of Monday, May 12, 2025.
Below is the detailed message:
LETTER OF CONDOLENCE TO THE FAMILY OF THE LATE NAVY CAPTAIN CALEB OLUBOLADE (RTD)
I, the Honourable Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidami, offer condolences to the people and government of Nigeria, especially the Olubolade family, on the death of former Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (Rtd), who died today.
The Ministry and Police community share this moment of grief and sorrow with the family, the people of the state, and the entire country. When offering condolences to a statesman, it is important to acknowledge the significance of his contributions and the impact of his passing on the nation.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of a true leader and dedicated servant to our nation. His legacy will live on through his tireless efforts and commitment to the people. This is a profound loss for our country. Captain Olubolade’s dedication to public service and his unwavering commitment to the security sector will be remembered.
Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the passing of a statesman who served with honor and integrity. May his spirit of leadership inspire generations to come.
In this time of grief, we offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Olukayode. His contributions to our nation will not be forgotten.
A Board Member of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayo Ogunsan, has been honoured with membership status of the Centre for African Social and Economic Transformation (CASET), University of the West of England, United Kingdom.
The recognition is coming on the heels of Ogunsan’s indefatigable commitment and unrelenting advocacy and support for quality education across all levels.
Dr. Ogunsan’s unflinching interest in education glaringly shows in his active participation as Board Member of Center for Digital Humanities (CEDHUL) in Nigeria’s frontline university, University of Lagos; as Chairman of AKEM Foundation, a nonprofit which has provided millions of naira within two (2) years to support schools and NGOs who provide education access for free to children in underserved communities in Nigeria; and in several individual sponsorships to ensure that the future is brighter for children. His personal story of prominence polished out of adversity continues to propel him forward.
This commitment is well-captured in the letter of Jo Midgley, the Deputy Vice Chancellor and the Registrar of the University of the West of England, UK who communicated the news of the appointment to the advisory board.
The academic, Jo Midgley highlighted about Dr. Ogunsan, ‘Your extensive experience and contributions to Africa’s higher education sector through training university leaders and teaching personnel, as well as your Board Membership of the Centre for Digital Humanities at the University of Lagos, Nigeria will make you an invaluable member of our CASET’s Advisory Board.’
‘As a Board member, you will play a crucial role in shaping CASET’s strategic direction, providing high-level support and guidance on stakeholder engagement strategies and knowledge dissemination efforts, helping to foster impactful collaborations and partnerships, and ensuring that the Centre’s initiatives align with the evolving needs of Africa’s social and economic landscape’, the letter stated about the expectations for the technocrat Ogunsan.
The higher institution, University of the West of England, United Kingdom also added the reason for appointing Dr. Ayo Ogunsan as Member of the Advisory Board of our Centre for African Social and Economic Transformation (CASET). They noted that they are guided by the University’s ethos of enterprise and collaboration, thus ‘the Centre is dedicated to empowering individuals and communities in Africa through strategic partnerships and transformative education and training programmes, research, evidence-based policymaking, social and cultural engagement geared towards finding practical solutions to regional social and economic challenges.’
‘We will be honoured to have you as part of our highly respected and esteemed group of experts and thought leaders.’
Midgley added that the Advisory Board convenes annually, with meetings held virtually and occasionally in person at the University of the West of England UK or in Africa where feasible.
He noted that Ogunsan’s insights and participation would be instrumental in helping CASET to achieve its mission of fostering transformative social and economic change through capacity building, research priorities, evidence-based policy and innovation.
The Registral said that Advisory Board Members were not employees of the University including CASET adding that his term as a board member would commence in June 2025 and run for a renewable period of three years on a non-remuneration basis.
“Renewal of board membership is subject to members’ continuing support, integrity and commitment to always being a good ambassador in advancing CASET’s mission.
“We will be honoured to have you as part of our highly respected and esteemed group of experts and thought leaders.
“We also appreciate your willingness to contribute to our mission and look forward to your valuable contribution to advancing CASET’s vision for transformative change in Africa,” he said in the letter.
It was gathered that Ogunasn is a prominent figure in the education sector, his expertise spans entrepreneurs hip, security management, and education, and he is widely acknowledged for his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence.
Source: Trek Africa
Robert Francis Prevost, the first pope from the United States, has a history of missionary work in Peru but also a keen grasp of the inner workings of the Church.
The new Leo XIV, a Chicago native, was entrusted by his predecessor Francis, to head the powerful Dicastery for Bishops, charged with advising the pontiff on new bishop appointments.
The sign of confidence from Francis speaks to Prevost’s commitment as a missionary in Peru to the “peripheries” – overlooked areas far from Rome prioritised by Francis – and his reputation as a bridge-builder and moderate within the Curia.
The 69-year-old Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Chiclayo, Peru, was made a cardinal by Francis in 2023 after being named Prefect of the Dicastery, one of the Vatican’s most important departments — and a post that introduced him to all key players in the Church.
Vatican watchers had given Prevost the highest chances among the group of US cardinals of being pope, given his pastoral bent, global view and ability to navigate the central bureaucracy.
Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, called him “the least American of the Americans” for his soft-spoken touch.
His strong grounding in canon law has also been seen as reassuring to more conservative cardinals seeking a greater focus on Theology.
Following Francis’s death, Prevost said there was “still so much to do” in the work of the Church.
“We can’t stop, we can’t turn back. We have to see how the Holy Spirit wants the Church to be today and tomorrow, because today’s world, in which the Church lives, is not the same as the world of ten or 20 years ago,” he told Vatican News last month.
“The message is always the same: proclaim Jesus Christ, proclaim the Gospel, but the way to reach today’s people, young people, the poor, politicians, is different,” he said.
Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Prevost attended a Minor Seminary of the Order of St Augustine in St Louis as a novice before graduating from Philadelphia’s Villanova University, an Augustinian institution, with a degree in Mathematics.
After receiving a masters degree in divinity from Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union in 1982, and a doctorate decree in canon law in Rome, the polyglot joined the Augustinians in Peru in 1985 for the first of his decade-long missions in that country.
Returning to Chicago in 1999, he was made provincial prior of the Augustinians in the US Midwest and later the prior general of the order throughout the world.
But he returned to Peru in 2014 when Francis appointed him as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo in the country’s north.
Nearly a decade later, Prevost’s appointment in 2023 as head of the Dicastery came after Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet was accused of sexually assaulting a woman and resigned for age reasons.
The Vatican later dropped the case against Ouellet for insufficient evidence.
Prevost also serves as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
