Stop complaining, join political parties, Osinbajo tells youths

AgegePulse

You' ve power to change your destiny to better - Moghalu

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has urged youths in the country to join political parties ahead of the 2019 elections to enable them to be voted into political offices.

Osinbajo, who was represented by Sen. Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, made the call at the Emerging Political Leaders Summit in Abuja.

He said that it was not enough for youths to always complain about bad leaders, but that they needed to break the status quo by taking the chance to be elected and create the transformation they needed for a change.

“Youths have a challenge in their hands for the future of our country; so, I advice you not to sit down and fold your hands and be lamenting over bad leadership or politicians.

“Get down to business, organise and do something to become elected political youths; after all, Enahoro became a leader in this country at the age of 23 and later moved a motion for the nation’s independence at the age of 27.

“The leaders there today will vacate the place tomorrow so if you the youths don’t start preparing today by getting mentored and learning the ropes.

“There is no way you will perform very well if the mantle of leadership falls on you tomorrow; so there is need for you to go in there and participate,’’ he said.

Osinbajo, however, advised youths not to expect that from the day they start participating in politics they would become the president of Nigeria.

He said that it was not realistic and could not happen, but that they needed to start gradually from the ward level and move up to local government level and to state “before the presidency’’.

Mr Kingsley Moghalu, former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said that youths had the power to change their destiny to a better future by participating in politics from the grassroots.

Moghalu said that what the country needed was a democratic revolution at the polling units, adding that for it to happen the citizens should recognize that they had the power to change and improve governance.

“If they don’t exercise that power, if they keep selling their votes for N2, 000 so that they will eat today, their children will have no jobs in the future.

“It is high time Nigerians stopped seeking immediate gratification; they always love what they can get now and that is killing us as a nation.

“If this continues, then the citizens are just as irresponsible as the leadership they condemn,’’ he said.

Moghalu said that the next line of action lay with the citizens, adding that “we have talked enough, the politicians don’t listen, they keep carrying on in their old ways.

“We have had enough but if that is true, then we must act like we have had enough and take up the challenge to change the status quo.’’

The convener of the summit, Mr Wale Ajani, said the event was organsied to brainstorm ahead of the 2019 elections towards problem-solving both economically and politically for country’s development.

Ajani said that the summit became imperative at this auspicious moment in the nation’s history because Nigeria had remained a country of enormous potentials for several decades but unable to perform better in human development and economic indices.

“Leadership failure is largely at the heart of the current woes bedevilling Nigeria, with little being done to build a new crop of leaders.

“The nation seems fixated; the citizens have come to have very low expectations of their leaders. The summit provides a platform for qualitative conversations and discourse about Nigeria.’’

He said that it was time for Nigeria to have a paradigm shift as an alternative to the current system where there already existed a disconnection between citizens’ expectations and service delivery by politicians.

Source: Panorama

TGPS EDDI Agege, Dr. Yinka Ayandele Listed Among Doyennes of Lagos Public Service

Exclusive:

Success, they say, is not by accident. It is consequence of hard work, perseverance, careful learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.

Going by the aforementioned, it becomes obvious that an enigma of success and woman of substance, the Tutor General/Permanent Secretary of Education District One, Dr. (Mrs.) Olufolayimika Abiose Ayandele, was recently listed among 24 Doyennes of Lagos State Public Service.

Dr. Ayandele was recognised as one of the helmswomen atop their games in the present day Lagos State Public Service for incontestable positive impact in her sphere of influence through focused, hard working, innovative and a motivated workforce, as part of golden Jubilee year of the State’s existence.

The quintessential academician and administrator per excellence is ranked alongside Lagos Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Idiat Oluranti Adebule, First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, the Head of Service, Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Atilade, female Commissioners, female captains of industries, and LG/LCDA helmswomen who scaled stringent assessments to make the enviable list of few; ‘Doyennes of Lagos Public Service’.

To read more about Dr. Yinka Ayandele's Achievement, get a copy of AgegePulse Magazine New Edition (See Page 8-10)

International Women’s day: Lagos Deputy urges women to unite against gender disparity

Lagos Deputy urges women to unite against gender disparity

AgegePulse Magazine

As the Lagos State Government joined the rest of the world to mark the year 2017

International Women’s day celebration, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule has called on women from all walks of life to unite together and speak with one voice that all forms of discrimination, domestic violence and gender inequality against women be stopped with immediate effect.

Adebule noted that the annual International Women’s Day celebration by the United Nations is in recognition of the important roles that women play in the political, social and economic development of the society, adding that in spite of all the barriers being faced in the society, women over the years have broken the walls of limitation to be highly successful in their chosen careers.

Adebule who described the theme for the year 2017 International Women’s Day Celebration, “BE BOLD FOR CHANGE” as relevant and instructive, stated that it is a clarion call for women to unite, come together and take bold and pragmatic steps to accelerate gender parity and fight all forms of discriminations that have hindered women development.

“We all must work in synergy to ensure all girls have access to free, equitable and quality education. Our unity of purpose must be to help all women to end all forms of discrimination, assault, abuse, trafficking, and harmful practices such as early and forced marriages”, Adebule advised.

The Deputy Governor who noted that, though, there had been some significant efforts by government in many countries to remove all barriers being faced by women and the girl-child to guarantee their full right and freedom, there is still need for women to rise against other forms of discrimination and abuse against them that still persist in some other regions.

While commending the Lagos State government for implementing programmes and policies geared towards repositioning women to meet new challenges for their development, Adebule disclosed that the State government has been focused and proactive in the formulation of policies that ensure fairness, equality and full protection of women and girl-child rights in the State.

“In the Lagos State public service for instance, all persons irrespective of gender are treated equally in the areas of recruitment, promotion and career progression, while it is worth noting that the last four successive Heads of Service in the State have been women”, adding that women have been occupying the position of Chief Justice of the State in the last eight years.

In addition, Adebule stated that Lagos State government has taken a bold step to be the first to inaugurate the Domestic and Sexual Violent Response Team (DSVRT), the Agency saddled with the responsibility of protecting women and the girl-child from violence and abuse by reporting and prosecuting any offender of the act.

In her goodwill message, the Wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, said the International Women’s Day celebration is highly significant towards acknowledging the achievements of women and appreciate the contributions they have made to the socio-economic development in the society.

While acknowledging and appreciating the role of women in politics, economy, academia and manufacturing, she urged women to come out of their shell, take bold steps and refuse to be limited in their vision to achieve their hearts’ desire.

“Change is the only permanent thing in life; it signifies progress and overcoming the barriers to achieving greatness. We, must, therefore, embrace change with boldness and by so doing open a new door of opportunities for ourselves”, she said.

Earlier in her welcome address, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Lola Akande, enjoined women to see themselves as potential leaders and be committed to pragmatic actions which would foster women emancipation and advancement.

She stated that this year’s International Women Day celebration is noteworthy as it coincides with the Lagos State 50th Anniversary Celebrations and therefore called on women to reflect on how they can collectively and individually be ready for a change that will totally free them from intimidation, oppression and discrimination as manifested in the theme of the celebration “Be bold for change”, urging them to have a mindset that says no to domestic violence, gender discrimination and its attendant repercussions.

The Commissioner further used the occasion to urge mothers to develop themselves in order to have constructive engagement with their children