Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha (born 22 September 1962) is a Nigerian politician from Imo state, Nigeria who won the 6 May 2011 gubernatorial election in Imo state. He ran on the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) platform. Rochas defeated his closest rival, incumbent governor Ikedi Ohakim, by a close margin of votes. Rochas appointed Sir Jude Ejiogu as his Chief of Staff. Career positions include President, Nigeria Red Cross Society, President/Founder, Rochas Foundation Inc, President, Rochas Group of Companies Limited, Pro Chancellor, African Business School and Former Chairman, Board of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. On March 2, 2013 Rochas led an APGA faction and decamped to All Progressives Congress. He was later elected by his colleague governors in the opposition as Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum.
Michael Collins Ajereh hails from Delta State and was born on 26th of November 1982. He is better known as Don Jazzy. He is a Nigerian Multi award-winning record producer, singer-songwriter, musician, former CEO of Nigerian record label Mo' Hits Records founded in 2004 and current CEO of the Mavin Records label which he founded in May 2012 after his split up with childhood friend and Mo'Hits partner, D'banj. Born in Umuahia in Abia state, his first signing was D'banj who was at that time also the Vice-President of the label and now President after split.
Don Jazzy's first full credit production work was in 2004 on Tongolo for Nigerian singer D'banj. He went on to produce D'banj's first studio album titled No Long Thing released in 2005.
He has produced tracks for Dr SID, Wande Coal, D'Prince, Darey, Naeto C, Olakunle Excel et Zanga, Sauce Kid, Ikechukwu & Tiwa Savage. He also collaborated with Jay-Z and Kanye West on the production of Lift Off, featuring Beyoncé on the album Watch The Throne, released on 8 August 2011.
He recently was rated as the 36th. "Most powerful celebrity in Africa" according to Forbes. He is a hero of The Nigerian Golden Book.
Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan (born 9 May 1936 in Lagos, south-west Nigeria) is a British-trained Nigerian lawyer, industrialist, politician and traditional chieftain. He was appointed as interim president of Nigeria by General Ibrahim Babangida on 26 August 1993. Babangida resigned under pressure to cede control to a democratic government. Shonekan's transitional administration only lasted three months, as a palace coup led by General Sani Abacha forcefully dismantled the remaining democratic institutions and brought the government back under military control on 17 November 1993.
Prior to his political career, Shonekan was the chief executive of the United African Company of Nigeria PLC (UAC), a large Nigerian conglomerate.
He joined UAC in 1964,and was later sent to Harvard Business School. At UAC, he pursued a legal path; a few years after joining the company, he was promoted to the position of assistant legal adviser. He became a deputy adviser two years later, and soon joined the board.
In 1980, he was made chairman and chief executive of UAC. As head of UAC, he was the chief executive of the largest African-controlled company in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Shonekan was a seasoned and proven businessman with a wide network. His proven abilities and political neutrality made him a prospective leader for Babangida's council of civilians-run government, a government which was in the midst of economic turmoil and later came to a political crisis. On 2 January 1993, Shonekan assumed office as the head of government affairs under the leadership of the military president Babangida. At the time, the transitional council was designed to be the final phase leading to a scheduled hand over to an elected democratic leader.
Abdullahi Dikko Inde Born in Musawa, in Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina State on May 11, 1960 Dikko attended the University of Dimitrov Apostle Tshenov, Suishtov, Bulgaria where he graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Economics. He also took a Masters Degree in Finance, specializing in Investment Finance from the same institution. After a stint at the Kaduna State Audit he sat and passed the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria examination, becoming a full-fledged accountant and member of the Certified National Accountants and National Institute of Management. Dikko enlisted in the Customs in 1988. Alhaji Dikko has zero tolerance for corruption. In November 2014, he approved the dismissal of 52 officers of the service for corruption. Alhaji Dikko said he needed to take the drastic step against the affected officials to serve as deterrent to others.
Tony O. Elumelu (born 22 March 1963) is a Nigerian economist, banker, investor, and philanthropist. Elumelu is Chairman of Heirs Holdings, a pan-African proprietary investment company with interests in strategic sectors of Africa's economy. He is also the founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, an Africa-based and African-funded not-for-profit organisation (NPO) that is dedicated to the promotion and celebration of excellence in business leadership and entrepreneurship across Africa. Elumelu holds the Nigerian national honour, the Commander of the Order of Nigeria (CON). New African magazine recently listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in Africa.
In his early career, Elumelu made a name for himself when he acquired and turned Standard Trust Bank into a top-five player in Nigeria. In 2005, his corporate reputation as an African Business Leader was sealed when he led the largest merger in the banking sector in Sub-Saharan Africa to acquire United Bank for Africa (UBA). In five years he transformed it from a single-country bank, to a pan-African institution with over 7 million customers in 19 African countries.
Following his retirement from UBA in 2010, Elumelu founded Heirs Holdings, which invests in the financial services, energy, real estate and hospitality, agribusiness, and healthcare sectors; all of which help to create economic prosperity and social wealth across the continent. In the same year, he established the Tony Elumelu Foundation, an Africa-based and African-funded, philanthropic organisation dedicated to the promotion of excellence in business leadership and entrepreneurship, to enhance the competitiveness of the private sector across Africa.
In 2011, Heirs Holdings acquired a controlling interest in the Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp), a publicly quoted conglomerate that has business interests in the agribusiness, energy, and hospitality sectors. Elumelu was subsequently appointed Chairman of the Corporation.
Elumelu serves as an Advisor to the USAID’s Private Capital Group for Africa (PCGA) Partners Forum. He sits on the Nigerian President's Agricultural Transformation Implementation Council (ATIC). He is also vice-chairman and a key driver in the formation of the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria (NCCN), and serves as Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute Dialogue Series on Global Food Security. He additionally chairs the Ministerial Committee to establish world-class hospitals and diagnostic centres across Nigeria, at the invitation of the Federal Government.
Following his retirement from United Bank for Africa in July 2010, Elumelu founded The Tony Elumelu Foundation. His stated objective was to "prove that the African private sector can itself be the primary generator of economic development." The Foundation is charged with the mission of driving Africa's economic development by enhancing the competitiveness of the African private sector. As a premier pan-African-focused not-for-profit institution,the Tony Elumelu Foundation is dedicated to the promotion and celebration of entrepreneurship and excellence in business leadership across the continent.
The Foundation strives to deploy its resources to generate solutions to challenges that inhibit the growth of the African private sector. Through its commitment to catalytic philanthropy, the Tony Elumelu Foundation seeks to achieve its mission by enhancing the capacity of African businesses, supporting and driving policies that promote competitiveness, deploying financial capital through impact investments, and educating public and private sector actors through rigorous research.
In 2003, the Federal Government of Nigeria granted Tony Elumelu the title of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), a national honour. In 2006, Elumelu was voted African Business Leader of The Year by the Africa Investor magazine and was recognised African Banker of the Year in 2008 by the African Banker magazine. In 2009, the Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar'adua asked him to serve on the Presidential Committee on the Global Financial Crisis.
In 2012 he was awarded the prestigious National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) for his service in promoting private enterprise. He was recognised as one of "Africa's 20 Most Powerful People in 2012" by Forbes Magazine. In addition, the New African Magazine featured him in their list of the "100 Most Influential Africans in Business."He was awarded an honorary doctorate of science degree from the Benue State University and an honorary doctorate of business administration from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
In 2013, Mr Elumelu received the Leadership Award in Business and Philanthropy from the Africa-America Institute (AAI) Awards. He was also named African Business Icon at the 2013 African Business Awards. Elumelu contributed an article to the book How to Excel at Work – Proven strategies for achieving superior work performance by Bili A. Odum. He also contributed to the Nigeria Leadership Initiative White Papers, writing on Leveraging private sector approaches in transforming government delivery.
The Power of Vision: Insights on Tony Elumelu is a testimonial compiled on the occasion of his retirement as Group managing director/chief executive officer at the United Bank for Africa. It contains messages from Aliko Dangote, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Professor Michael Porter, former World Bank managing director and Nigeria’s Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President of Sierra Leone; Ernest Bai Koroma, former United States Comptroller of the Currency Eugene Ludwig and Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
His rich profile can go on and on and he has been recognised as a hero of The Nigerian Golden Book.
Hon. Justice (Mrs.) Mary U. Odili (nee Nzenwa) Justice of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is happily married to Dr. Peter Odili of Umuonyema Quarters, Ndoni in Ogba-Egbema Local Government Area in Rivers State and the Former Executive Governor of Rivers State.
She was born on the 12th of May, 1952 and had her primary education from 1958 to 1964. From 1965-1971 she had her secondary education and passed out with Grade I (aggregate 6) in the West African School Certificate examination.
She then gained admission into the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus where she studied law between 1972 and 1976. In her second year in the university she bagged the university scholarship for maintaining the second class upper division league with higher scores. She was rated the best student of the department of commercial and property law in 1976. She passed through the Nigerian Law School between 1976-1977 and was called to the bar in July 1977. Thereafter, she served in Abeokuta and Benin.
After her Youth Service, she started her career in the judiciary as a Magistrate grade III in November 1978, rising through the ranks to the position of a Chief Magistrate Grade I. In 1980 and 1981, she served as Chairman of the Juvenile Court. After these years of commendable serve, Hon. Justice Mary Odili was appointed a Judge of the High Court, Rivers State, 1992.
In spite of her office as first lady of Rivers State (from 1999-2007) Justice Mary Odili continued to perform her duties as a High Court Judge meritoriously and in 2004 she was elevated to the appellate bench as a Justice of the Court of Appeal on the 22nd of October 2004.She served as a judge in the Court of Appeal first in Abuja and was later on transfered to Kaduna as the presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, Kaduna.As a crowning point in her judicial services, Hon. Justice Mary Odili was sworn in as Justice of the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 23rd of June, 201I. Apart from her professional calling, Hon. Justice Mary Odili has occupied various positions some of which include:-
President, Marine Board of Inquiry into the 1979 Buguma Boat disaster (1985).
Chairman, Constitution Drafting Committee of the University of Nigeria Alumni Associates, which produced the present constitution of the national body.
Inaugural Chairperson of the International Federal of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Rivers State branch from (1986-1988).
Secretary, Nigerian Horticultural Society (1986-1990).
Treasurer, Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Port Harcourt from (1986-1992)
She also played her role as wife of the Deputy Governor of Rivers State whilst her husband was Deputy Governor of the state (1992-1993).
Hon. Justice Mary Odili has been a vanguard for women and children over the years through her involvement in the National Council of Women's Societies, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and special support of Medical Women's Association of Nigeria and several other non-governmental organizations. Her experiences working with juveniles set her thinking on how best our young ones can be helped to live responsibly and to become responsible citizens of this country.
Little wonder therefore, that when she assumed office as the First lady of Rivers State, the world of the adolescent became her priority as she wasted no time in inaugurating the planning committee of her pet project.
THE ADOLESCENT PROJECT (TAP) NIGERIA with the vision of giving back lost hope to the down trodden adolescent tap, Nigeria has evolved into a fully registered Non-governmental Organization with a nine member board of trustees, five member management team headed by an Executive Director, Her Excellency Hon. Justice M. Odili and eleven support staff.
Following the contacts with the adolescents, TAP observed that unwanted teenage pregnancies and unsafe abortion rank high among problems adolescent face in Rivers State. To address this issue, Hon. Justice Mary U. Odili launched a statewide campaign on safe motherhood on the 8th of March, 2001.
Justice Mary Odili's campaign included advocacy visit to policy makers and government, and also sensitization seminars for traditional birth attendants to recognize obsteric emergences and identify referral linkages. The outcome of the campaign include free antenatal and postnatal care for pregnant adolescents and free cesarean section (where indicated) in all state owned hospitals. The effort of Justice Mary Odili was rewarded when in May 2001 in far away Washington D.C., The Adolescent Project (TAP) Nigeria won the Global Health Council Award for safe motherhood. On return to Nigeria after the Bamako Declaration by the First Ladies of African States, TAP Nigeria was the only NGO invited to participate at the Vision 2010 Forum in Abuja to join in setting standards for women and child friendly services with a view to reducing maternal and perennial mortality in Nigeria.
Justice Mary Odili's method of empowering the adolescents and women has won her the admiration and collaboration of many organizations, earning her several awards including:
The Pan African Broadcasting and Heritage Award (PABHA) 200l.
The indomitable Spirit Award 2002 by the National PDP Women for her role in Safe Motherhood.
The Nigerian Women Award for adolescent and women empowerment 2002
Award of Excellence in 2003 by the Pediatric Association of Nigeria in recognition of her role in the reduction of prenatal and maternal mortality in Nigeria.
Honorary membership of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria in 2003.
She was appointed chairman Steering Committee for the 2001 United Nations Volunteers Project in Rivers State. She was also Chairman of the Bill Drafting Committee on the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) which said bill has been passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Through the Safe Motherhood activities of the The Adolescent Project (TAP) Justice Mary Odili initiated the formation of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood in Nigeria. Rivers State has hosted the National secretariat of the Alliance.
Hon. Justice (Mrs) Mary Odili is a woman of honour filled with humanity and an embodiment of peace for anywhere she gets in contact with enjoys peace. Here is a selfless woman, one whose activities have touched and changed lives for the better. Many there are that have gone through this path but Hon. Justice (Mrs.) Mary Odili is indeed called to serve.
With this Pontifical Honour tod ay, Justice Mary Odili is now twice honoured by the Holy See, the most recent was the Benemerenti medal which she received during the 6th Convocation ceremony of the Catholic Institute of West Africa.
Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole (born 4 April 1952) is a former labor leader, turned politician who recently won a landslide victory for a second term as the Governor of Edo State in Nigeria on the platform of the Action Congress . His first term was won following his court appeal to the results of a massively rigged April 2007 election in which the candidate of the ruling People's Democratic Party Oserheimen Osunbor had initially been declared the winner. He assumed office on 12 November 2008 after winning the appeal.
Oshiomhole was formerly president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and was prominent as the leader of a campaign of industrial action against high oil prices in Nigeria. Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole was born on 4 April 1952 at Iyamoh, near Auchi in Edo State. He was born Muslim but was led to Christianity by his late wife Clara. He is Catholic and his Christian name is Eric. After his secondary education, he obtained a job with the Arewa Textiles Company, where he was elected union secretary. He became a full-time trade union organizer in 1975. He then studied at Ruskin College, Oxford in the United Kingdom where he majored in economics and industrial relations. He also attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.
In 1982, Adams Oshiomhole was appointed General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, a union with over 75,000 workers. After democracy was restored in 1999, he became president of the Nigerian Labour Congress. Early in the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo he negotiated a 25% wage increase for public sector workers. In return he publicly supported Obasanjo and endorsed his candidacy when he was re-elected in 2003. The Textile union elected Oshiomhole for a second term as General Secretary, while he continued as president of the NLC.
The relationship with Obasanjo turned sour as neglect of local oil refineries led to reliance on imported gasoline, followed by rises in the price of fuel. Oshiomhole led strikes and demonstrations against the increases. He faced arrests, tear gas and temporary blockades of union offices, and Obasanjo introduced legislation to make it more difficult for the NLC to strike. The NLC alleges that on 9 October 2004 Oshiomhole was abducted by State Security Services during a protest, but the Nigerian government say he submitted to voluntary custody.
Oshiomhole represented African Workers for two terms on the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), serving on the committee on Freedom of Association. He was also a member of the Executive Board of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
In April 2007, Adams Oshiomhole ran for Governor of Edo State under the Action Congress Party, with which his Labour Party had entered a strategic alliance. Oserheimen Osunbor of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner. However, the AC contested the election on the basis of various irregularities. On 20 March 2008, an Edo State election tribunal nullified the election of Oserheimen Osunbor and declared Oshiomhole the winner. On 11 November 2008, a federal Appeal Court sitting in Benin City upheld the ruling of the state's elections petitions tribunal, declaring Oshiomole to be the Governor of Edo State. The decision was based on several voting irregularities.
In 2012, he was elected to a second term, winning the elections in a massive landslide.
Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion is the Esama of the Benin Kingdom in Nigeria. The title Esama traditionally means the "godfather of the people", with responsibilities including assisting the poor in medial, monetary and private venture forms. He was suspended from participating in palace activities in 2008.
It is on record that the Oba of Benin did not declare Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion as an enemy as it was widely circulated. On the 13th of June, 2012 a palace press release informed the general public that the suspension placed on Chief G.O. Igbinedion had been lifted. This was an affirmation that Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion is still the Esama of Benin Kingdom.
The Esama of Benin's business empire includes an international property portfolio and a private TV and radio station. He owns a private bank, oil refinery, diamond, gold, marble mines over Africa, a private university (Igbinedion University, the first private university in Nigeria) and a large number of hotels. He previously owned the now-defunct private airline, Okada Air, of over 40 aircraft (planes and helicopters). He has built numerous churches including a Grand Catholic Cathedral, and has set up and owns a number of private hospitals across Nigeria.
One of the Esama's sons, Lucky, was a two-term Local Government Chairman and two-term Governor of Edo State, another, Charles, was a Local Government Chairman and one time Edo State Commissioner of Education, while yet another, Peter, was the Managing Director of Nigerian Aviation Authority.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment