Category: Religion, Social Values & Empowerment

Towards an objective, verifiable, refreshing and valuable sense of Nigerian patriotism, nation building and impactful scholarship, the PositiveNaija Series 2017: Convocation of Green Eagles has been published.

Authored and published (in March 2018) by Toju Micheal Ogbe, the first of its kind book is a historic and educational resource, which reliably informs the world of the positive excellence of Nigeria and Nigerians globally for the year 2017. In addition, it features the best 9 essays of the 2017 PositiveNaija Essay Competition with the overall best essay of the Competition by Mr. Olawale Lekan Christopher being the Foreword of the Series.

Continue reading ‘PositiveNaija Series 2017: Convocation of Green Eagles’ Published

Itoro Eze-Anaba has emerged the 4th Commonwealth Point of Light award recipient in honour of her support for victims of rape and sexual assault, recognised and honoured by the Queen of England, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Itoro Eze-Anaba founded Nigeria’s first sexual assault referral centre in 2013 and since then has helped over 3,100 victims of rape. ‘The Mirabel Centre’ has established itself as a key service provider for victims of sexual assault in Lagos State, with an increasing number of clients accessing the centre, indicating a growing awareness amongst members of the public of the existence of the centre and the crucial services it provides.

On receiving the Commonwealth Point of Light award, Itoro Eze-Anaba said:

“I am delighted that a Point of Light has been awarded to highlight the importance of tackling rape and sexual assault. Rape is evil, degrading and dehumanizing.

On behalf of the dedicated, tireless and resolute team that is determined to give voice to the voiceless, strength to the weak and hope to the hopeless, I am sure that this award marks the beginning of a joint effort to uproot this evil that relentlessly battles for our future. This award is a reiteration of our message of NO TO RAPE!”

Each Commonwealth Point of Light receives a personalised certificate signed by Her Majesty The Queen as Head of the Commonwealth.

According to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright:

“Itoro has shown impressive dedication to supporting victims of sexual assault and rape. She has provided a safe haven for over 2,800 survivors of this heinous crime and has encouraged thousands of others to break the silence on rape and seek prosecution of perpetrators, reducing their impunity.

The Mirabel Centre is a project of Partnership for Justice where rape and sexual assault victims can access free forensic medical and counselling services.”

In the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London on 19-20 April, volunteers across the 52 Commonwealth nations are celebrated for their inspirational acts of volunteering across the Commonwealth and help inspire others to make their own contribution to tackling some of the greatest social challenges of our time.

Nuzo Eziechi has won the inaugural Nigeria Integrity Idol, a reality TV show, which celebrates the most honest public officials in Nigeria.

Nuzo Eziechi, an official at the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) emerged overall winner of the 2017 Nigeria Integrity Idol amongst four other finalists, 150 nominees and over 11,000 votes. The four other candidates featured in the final were: Igbolo Magdalene, Ogumelen Justina, Yemi Kale and Tubokenimi David.

On receiving the prize, Nuzo Eziechi said:

“We all have to be integrity idols and do the right things, even when no-one is watching.”

Eziechi was chosen for her honest and responsible approach to work, ensuring standards even in challenging circumstances. Eziechi says she refuses to take bribes from anyone. Nuzo Eziechi serves at the Bureau of Public Enterprise, Abuja where she carries out her duties (HR policies and Business Strategy alignment, workforce planning, learning and development) dutifully and has become a role model to many in her work environment.

According to her:

“I live by the values my parents taught me; not to play by my own rules or take shortcuts in everything I do”.

Blair Glencorse, who is the founder of Accountability Lab — the NGO behind the initiative said:

“It was fantastic. Huge amounts of positive energy and a real women’s power feel with four of the candidates female.”

Integrity Idol started in Nepal in 2014. The competition is now conducted by volunteers in Liberia, Pakistan, Mali and South Africa.

The event is based on “faming, not shaming.” Instead of focusing directly on corruption, they highlight integrity.

Blair Glencorse believes that:

“The more we can show that government officials can be celebrated for doing the right thing, the more it will help the public understand what they should expect from them.”

Each country narrows down five candidates who are filmed and interviewed for national television and radio. Throughout the week citizens vote online and via SMS.

Ade Ojeniyi, a Nigerian Chief Physician, and professor of veterinary medicine, has been conferred with an award, the Knighthood of The Dannebrog Order of the Kingdom of Denmark by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

In the words of Ade Ojeniyi:

Nigeria’s first pilot, Captain Robert Emmanuel Hayes, has been bestowed with the Karis Award at the G.R.A.C.E. 2017, for his contributions to the country’s aviation industry and aeronautical education sector.

The event, which was held at the Household of God Church, Ikeja, Lagos, was pioneered by the General Overseer, Pastor Chris Okotie, and was chaired by Gen. Esio Obada (Rtd), a former member of the Supreme Military Council.

In his opening remarks, maritime lawyer, Mike Igbokwe (SAN), said GRACE, an acronym for God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense, was established in 1990, for donations of cash and support to charity organisations.

He explained that the purpose of the Karis Award is for the recognition of, and giving of an award along with cash reward to any Nigerian living or dead, who had distinguished themselves through their contributions to the development of Nigeria.

In the words of Mike Igbokwe:

“The Karis Award is borne out of patriotism, and the need to foster national unity and zeal, but it is without any religious, political, geo-political, tribal or social bias. This is one of the Church’s ways of giving back to the society, recognising those who have contributed to national development, and also to encourage patriotism and excellence in national development.

It is a social/charity event to celebrate God’s grace, encourage patriotism and support the needy and the poor. Nigerians from different walks of life, different faiths, tribes, political leanings, geo-political zones and social backgrounds, had been conferred with this award in the past.

In some cases, the governments and other Nigerians had followed suit in honouring the Karis Award recipients.

For instance, after Mrs. Margaret Ekpo became the Karis Awardee in 2001, the Government named the Calabar Airport after her, after Mr. Taiwo Akinkunmi was honoured in 2003, he was given a National Honour; Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN, who was honoured in 2010, had gardens and monuments named after him by the Lagos and Ondo State Governments, among others.”

Speaking about the awards, Pastor Chris Okotie said:

“We are motivated by love; we are actuated by Christ likeness to do what our master has mandated us. In a world where there are political imbalances, and economic instability, we still have people who believe in love, who believe in community, who will look after their neighbour, and be their brother’s keeper. We are saying it very clearly that God, who so loved the world gave Jesus Christ to us, and that same spirit is what has brought all this.”

In his response, 82-years old Karis Awardee, Captain Robert Emmanuel Hayes, expressed appreciation to Rev. Okotie and the Church for the award.

In the words of Captain Robert Emmanuel Hayes:

“Today is one of the unique days of my life. I have never been so honoured. I thank you all sincerely.”

President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has emerged one of the selected best 50 persons in the world in 2017 by Bloomberg.

Aliko Dangote is the only African on the Bloomberg 50 list of this year’s most influential people.

Continue reading Aliko Dangote Emerge 2017 Bloomberg Global Top Best 50 Persons

Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa have won the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award held at the UN headquarters.

The two Nigerian clerics were among the 10 recipients of the award, out of which five awardees were from Africa, namely Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia and Uganda. The others were from Argentina, Ecuador, Israel, Northern Ireland and Pakistan.

Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa are co-executive directors of Interfaith Mediation Centre, Kaduna – an organisation that engages in interfaith dialogue and relations in Northern Nigeria.

The Intercultural Innovation Award is a partnership between the United Nations Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC) and BMW Group that selects and supports innovative intercultural grassroots projects. It is ‘a celebration of the most innovative grassroots projects that encourage intercultural dialogue around the world’.

The Pastor’s and Imam’s project that was nominated for the award is ‘Transforming pastoralist-farmer conflict in Nigeria’.

According to the Award:

“A combination of resource-based and ethno-religious conflict is causing many hundreds of fatalities each year in Nigeria and displacing tens of thousands of people from their homes and farms.

Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye’s project builds on their successful mediation of some of these conflicts, and adds the dimension of livelihood collaboration in order to restore the land – thereby creating a ‘win-win-win’ for the conflicting parties and the environment.

It puts into practical action some of the pioneering insights of the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security (CDLS) in Switzerland, which Pastor Wuye, Imam Ashafa and their team from the Interfaith Mediation Centre in Nigeria regularly attend.

In preparing for the event, UNAOC/BMW asked Pastor Wuye and Imam Ashafa, ‘How can we, the audience, join you in making a difference?

They replied: ‘Share with everyone that tackling farmer-pastoralist conflict will restore the social fabric of the Sahel region, while healing the land will restore the environmental fabric… Support inter-dependence, celebrate the gifts of diversity and collaborate to care for the planet wherever you are – and we will make a difference to our world’.”