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Sunday, 31 December 2017

PMB and The Wandering Albatross



I was unaware that Albatross actually refers to a large seabird, belonging to the biological family Diomedeidae. My brief research reveals they live in the region of the Southern Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean.

An albatross aloft can be a spectacular sight. These feathered giants have the longest wingspan of any bird—up to 11 feet and the wandering albatross is the biggest of some two dozen different species.  However, according to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) many albatross species are in trouble and need our help. Commercial fishing practices are considered the greatest threat to the survival of many albatross species. Other threats include loss of habitat, introduced predators, eating or becoming tangled up in plastic, oil spills and climate change.

The end of the year is certainly not a time to circumlocute so I shall endeavour not to stray further into the biology of the specie. But the purport of this piece is to visit the implications that the name Albatross imposes on us at this time.

At this point I have deployed ‘Wandering Albatross’ to bring to life the peculiar situation we have foisted upon us by our brand of democracy because of the impressive credentials our President presents and the nature of the appointees serving him.
Buhari who joined the Nigerian Army by enrolling at age 19 at the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC) in 1961 has had an impressive career up to date. He rose to become State Governor, Federal Commissioner, General Officer Commanding and Military Head of State. Who also ran the Petroleum Trust Fund and he was elected President in 2015 on a crest wave of ‘Change’.  We were assured that with his credential he would impose discipline on the government, with his probity he would wrestle corruption, and with his radicalism he would usher in a new Nigeria.
But day after day, we receive news of the confounding scale of the incompetence of his government. The recent ones are the mind bugling; the Petroleum crises and now the appointment of dead Nigerians into various board appointments.

There is no evidence so far that he reflects in his over 400 appointments the many patriotic technocrats and the quiet achievers who have remained at home, steadfast and committed, holding together the fraying fabrics of our society against all odds. Beyond cases of isolation there is nothing to indicate his government has been constructed to deliver good governance or is composed of good men and women who are able to contribute their energies in a new spirit of public service to make our nation what it should be.

In reality, his appointees, if not dead, have become wandering albatross dotting the space of governance in Nigeria. They are unaware of their incompetence, they are unsackable and unmovable and unsanctionable and so the wandering continues.


The only silver lining in governance, the Vice President has been dimmed since the return of the President to robust health and so the conundrum continues. The year 2018 will be decisive for this government and this Nation and President Buhari must not take his re-election chances for granted.  I urge him to set the Vice-President aloft, free him, let him flourish and the sight of your government will be a spectacular sight to behold. 

*And of course my prayers are with the President and his family at this time...

Saturday, 30 December 2017

Women, you don’t have to have millions to start a business —Funmilola, wife of ex-Police Affairs Minister








Funmilola Jallo Adesiyan, wife of former Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Oyewale Adesiyan is a trained Respiratory Therapist from Camino College, Los Angeles, California, United States of America. She is also an entrepreneur and a Licensed Realtor. In this interview by TAYO GESINDE, the Chief Executive Officer of Benny Dee Nigeria Limited speaks on how she developed a passion for entrepreneurship at a young age and why she went back to school to study entrepreneurship.

What was growing up like for you?
Growing up was beautiful. I was born in Osogbo but grew up in Ibadan. My mother that I lived with was a businesswoman so I used to follow her to Agbeni market at weekends and during the holidays, that was where I learnt the rudiment of buying and selling. So, I actually developed interest in entrepreneurship from a young age. I attended Saint Anne’s College, Molete, Ibadan. From there, I proceeded to Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti but I didn’t complete my studies there because I had to travel to the United States. When I got to USA, I studied Respiratory technology; it has to do with helping people to breathe, giving oxygen to people who are involved in accident or during surgery. I studied the course because I felt it was a way to make money because people make a lot of money from doing Science-oriented courses in America. However, I didn’t really practice with my certificate as I went straight into business after I completed my study. I managed the business for ten years before returning to Nigeria in 2009 to start my business. I am currently in school studying Entrepreneurship at Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State.

What has been your experience as a business owner in Nigeria?

I faced a lot of challenges but due to the fact that I was introduced into business at an early age, I was able to overcome the challenges. It is not easy being a business owner in Nigeria but you can break even with the help of God. Anybody who wants to do business in Nigeria must be educated, have a business plan and a vision. If you don’t have a vision for your business you won’t go far in life.  Your vision and your mission in life are the key. Also if you have passion for the business you are doing, you will be successful in it. When starting a business, make sure you do feasibility study, get the right location then try and raise capital either from your savings or family and friends. You will face challenges but if your mission is to meet and provide for people’s need, you will make it. You don’t have to wait till you have millions before starting a business, start with whatever you have. Start from little, do the right things and don’t spend lavishly when you do this, the business will grow big. The key to succeed in business is to separate your business money from your personal money. Many people don’t know their incomes they just spend money as it comes, that is wrong. Although the situation of the country can make one to do that but we have to train ourselves to be disciplined financially. I will advice anybody that wants to go into business not to spend their capital; they should only spend the profit.

Many women divert their capital into taking care of their families because they cannot afford to see their children suffer. How can such women possibly separate their business money from their personal money?
It is a tough situation that many women especially mothers face. I would do the same so that my children and family won’t suffer. However, one still needs to put boundaries in place so that the business won’t crumble.
In what ways do you think government can help women entrepreneurs get access to loans?Government is helping but the interest rate from the bank is killing. I will even advise women not to start a business with loan. It is not good at all. It is better to raise money from family and friends. When you start a business with loan, the business is dead already as it won’t be easy to service the loan and build a business at the same time. It is a big problem. If you want to take a loan at all, let it be after the business has expanded but you still have to apply wisdom in using the money.

How have you been combining the home front, your business and your studies? I am really enjoying it. It is tough but I am enjoying it. Like I said earlier, I was introduced into business at an early age but I went back to school to know more about entrepreneurship. And I have really learnt a lot since I started studying the course. To be an entrepreneur is to have skill, to be creative and innovative. A woman should be able to be independent; a woman needs to strive to become somebody in life. Back to your question, thank God everybody around me has been understanding and cooperative. Before I started the course, I told them what I wanted to do and they asked if I could cope and I said yes. My husband and children have been helping me. As for the business, whenever I am around, I monitor it. I am still the one that supplies our clients. I am not allowing my education to affect my business negatively. The days I don’t have lectures, I face my business. My husband is a very wonderful man, he has been my pillar of support.  Being a wife and mother does not stop a woman from acquiring further education. This will help her to be able to stand tall anywhere she finds herself.
There is a saying that no matter the number of degrees a woman has; she will end up in the kitchen. What is your take on that? That is the woman that wants to end up in the kitchen. It depends on the woman. They have told us we need to respect our husband and love our family and so on. When you need to get something from your husband, you need to know how to talk to him and let him know that what you want is for the benefit of both of you. Going to school might not mean using the certificate to work; it might just be to get more knowledge, experience and exposure. Women have to develop themselves. Many men prefer women who can support them financially.
How can parents safeguard their children against sexual abuse? It saddens my heart whenever I hear the story of a little girl or boy being sexually abused by adults. As mothers, we need to take good care of our children. We need to monitor them closely, before you put them in a school check out the school first to see that it has a conducive environment for your child to school in. Also, if you want to employ house helps make sure you thoroughly investigate them. The most important thing we need to do, as parents is to take our kids as our priority. We need to spend quality time with them then, leave the rest to God.
What advice do you have for parents on how to empower the girl-child? Give them basic training from the beginning. Give them love, let them be your best friend, let them know there is nothing they cannot discuss with you and tell them that there is nothing they cannot do or be in life. Discipline them when the need arises but also show them love. Let them have a best friend in you and not an outsider.

Friday, 22 December 2017

BCOS interviews Olu Ojedokun on Jerusalem as Capital of Israel

Thursday, 7 December 2017

The Conundrum, Nigeria....

I roused myself today after my early morning meditation and mused over the increasing conundrum Nigeria presents.  With news saturated in stories of corruption, our government incapacitated with inaction, strikes the feature of our headlines, violence and mindless killings a constant on the airwaves.

In deep reflection, the ensuing words resonated with me, that in my country many see loyalty as just a tattoo, love as a mere slogan and lying the new truth.  


But I will not give up on Nigeria for we need to search across its plains, through the depths of its valleys, the heights of its mountains, on the sea shores, the river beds and in the midst thick savannah for women and men.  Those who can adore righteousness as clothing, wear justice as a robe, faithfulness as a turban and bear truth as their witness.