Personality in Focus
Women Group Celebrates Tinubu, Daughter, Assures Nigerians of Renewed Hope
By Oki Samson
As part of the celebration of the Presidential Inauguration, a women’s political advocacy group, Evolving Women In Politics (EWIP) yesterday eulogized the President and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima for their resilience and commitment to championing democratic ideals in the country.
The women’s group also used the opportunity to honour their Grand Matron, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Chief Folashade Tinubu-Ojo who played immense role in strengthening the advocacy organization for more than four years. It is important to stress that the Evolving Women In Politics (EWIP) was one of the few organizations which encouraged and lobbied Nigeria’s 16th President to race for the coveted seat since early 2019.
The event which took place in Abuja had the gathering of Nigeria’s top women politicians, business women. These include Iyaloja-General of Nigeria/Daughter of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Mrs FolashadeTinubu-Ojo, member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara; Abuja-based business tycoon, Mrs. Omolola Ademosu; the Vice President of Ikorodu LGA, Aarebirin Hon. Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba; former Chairman of Coker-Aguda LCDA, Hon. Omobolanle Akinyemi-Obe, Special Adviser to Kogi State Governor on Women Affairs, Hon Asman Gogo Kabir, CEO Madel Apartments and Homes Ltd, Kamolu Olumayowa, CEO Rephilus Energy Ltd, Rebecca Theophilus, Billy Umar-Garba, CEO Choice Construction and Fabrication, Hajia Halima Apollo, Founder of Nuit de Paris, Maryam Nomvar, Amb. Tosin Sanusi, Barr. Rabiyat Aliyu Ohindase, Dr. Lee Akin Badeji, MD of Parmass Oil and Gas, Aisha Imam, and several other top women. The former Manager of NIGCOMSAT, Engr. Rufai also attended the event.
In her welcome address at the event, the National President of EWIP, Hajia Fatima Bello remarked: ‘we are here to appreciate our journey so far and to celebrate our father, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his inauguration. EWIP is a group of women supporting women to bring the best out of us.’
On the President, she noted: ‘Our principal talked about 35% women inclusion, we have visited about 200-300 Obas in 4 years and they said yes to us. His leadership is second to none. He is talk and do. Only God is 100% but we trust that he wll be able to do all that he promised. We called him to come and contest. We know he can fix Nigeria. We trust that he will appoint more women in his government. We are proud of him.’
The honouree of the ceremony and Iyaloja-General of Nigeria who personally attended the event, Chief Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo shared: ‘I want to appreciate Nigerian women. This is our turn, our hope is renewed. I must appreciate the commitment of this group, EWIP, for what we have done, the love is overwhelming.’
‘All that you have committed to this cause, may God return it to you in a million fold. What you have done for someone else, may your children enjoy it while you are alive. Thank you for being patriotic, you spent your money, time, and resources towards this cause. Thank you for your patriotism’, she prayed for EWIP.
Member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara who gave a speech at the celebration said: ‘EWIP has been my baby, I have known EWIP before SWAGA happened. EWIP is very strategic and important if we want women participation in politics to increase. These women are already interested and passionate to go into politics. I want to charge us to tell more women to join EWIP.’
‘Politics is very interesting but you have to be resolute. If anybody tells you that there is shortcut in politics, don’t agree with them. Believe in merit, believe in what God has called you to do, you mwe are ust be hardworking, you must be prayerful and spiritually strong, and start from the grassroots. Look at where you are popular, is it your husband’s state or your own state of origin. For me, I am from Ogun state but my husband is from Lagos. let us be determined and resolute.’
Ogbara advised Nigerian women, ‘Finally, as women, let us be our sister’s keeper. Don’t allow men use you against your sister. What she will get can’t stop what you will get. When we are united, there is nothing that we cannot get.’
The former Manager at NIGCOMSAT, Engr. Rufai also present at the event hinted that women are better managers and should be allowed to drive the wheel of the Nigerian nation. His words, ‘According to Napoleon, give me a good woman and I will give you a good nation. It is because of this that United Nations says 35% affirmative action. When you subject your decision making process to women around you, you are likely to mitigate all the risks in it. They are better managers, that management is inherent in them. It is natural to them. I strongly advise that we should get even more than 35% when it comes to assigning responsibilities in this nation.’
Also speaking at the event were other executives of the advocacy group. The Vice President, Hajia Raliat Abdulsalam informed that this meeting is not just for celebration, ‘it is also for our sisters to mentor us, to talk to us on their journey and how they are doing it so that we can also learn’.
The Natonal Treasurer, Olori Aderonke Erinle on her part said: ‘we are here to jubilate. We are here to celebrate our new President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our father and father of our grand matron, Iyaloja-General Folashade Tinubu-Ojo. We expect so much from him and we trust that he will deliever. We all need to support him, pray for him, and build a right team for his administration. Women in politics are few, we need a good number in the cabinet because we can multitask and we have done well wherever they put us. We want more women to join us in EWIP.’
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.
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has celebrated Globacom Chairman, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., on his 72nd birthday. He joins President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who had on Tuesday released a statement celebrating the astute businessman.
The two leaders praised Dr. Adenuga for his remarkable contributions to the growth of both countries, their people and the economy.
President Mahama described the business icon’s life as an “illustrious example of vision, resistance and extraordinary performance”.
His Nigerian counterpart said Dr. Adenuga’s life and extraordinary achievements are evidence of the power of vision and resilience.
Congratulating Dr. Adenuga, President Mahama said, “he not only built enduring businesses but also contributed significantly to the socio-economic advancement of our continent.”
Similarly, President Tinubu said Adenuga’s humility and hard work allowed him to succeed in banking, communications, oil and gas. “Through determination and hard work, he built businesses that have created thousands of jobs for our people,” President Tinubu said.
According to the President, Globacom’s ingenuity in disrupting the billing template in the telecoms industry remains a point for which Nigerians are always grateful to Dr Adenuga for expanding telephony and digital access to millions of Nigerians.
The President noted that Conoil has become a proof that indigenous companies can compete with international oil companies to promote energy independence and the security of the country.
