All Posts in "Day: July 8, 2023"

I Forged UTME Result, Mmesoma Confesses To Anambra Panel

Joy Mmesoma Ejikeme has confessed that she forged her 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination result.

Her revelation was contained in a report of a panel set up by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to probe the controversial issue.

Professor Soludo set up the panel following the alarm raised by Ejiekeme that the organiser of the UTME, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, was trying to deny her the highest score of the examination.

She claimed that whereas she got 362, JAMB had changed it to 249.

Ejikeme admitted altering her result in the report submitted by the panel to the state government last night.

The committee commended JAMB for a job well done in terms of its effectiveness in organising the examination.

The report said :“ She owned up in the presence of her principal, and the Education Secretary that the narration by the JAMB officials was a true and correct description of what transpired.She also admitted to have given a manipulated result by herself unaided, using same phone Airtel Number.

“According to her, she proceeded to the cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) where she printed the results she had manipulated.”

The full report reads:”Recall Mr. Governor that with the recent release of scores of candidates who applied for admission by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and subsequent announcement of Nkechiyere Umeh as the candidate with the highest score of 360, Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, a 19 year old student of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi, from Enugu State, protested to the State Government that she scored 362 and ought to have been so recognised.

“This has elicited interests and generated serious controversy and misgivings among the general public that the State Government in its wisdom decided to constitute a Committee of Inquiry to look into the underlisted terms of reference;

“Review Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s JAMB Results and associated documents

Conduct interviews with relevant parties, including Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, JAMB Officials and any other individual(s) involved in the process

“Provide recommendations based on the findings of the investigation

“The Committee invited Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, and officials of JAMB for interactive session with the Committee. JAMB officials led by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Head Public Affairs presented the detailed processes and procedures involved in JAMB admissions, the policy changes that have occurred in the release of UTME scores since 2021 and what specifically transpired between the candidate Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma with registration number: 20230639047FF in her quest to obtain her JAMB score.

“JAMB revealed the different times that Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma made several requests to JAMB portal asking for her results at different hours, and each of these times (four in number), she received in her phone, same results from JAMB indicating candidate’s UTME Results to wit: Eng: 64, Phy: 54, Bio: 74, Che: 57 with a total aggregate score of 249. JAMB disclosed that the candidate was well informed of her correct score from JAMB.

“Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma had sent a request to JAMB with a different registration number showing a UTME result of aggregate score of 362, with Eng: 98, Phy: 89, Bio: 94, and Che: 81. The results she sent differed substantially from the standard JAMB format where she got an appropriate rebuttal stating her real score of 249.

“Besides, a number of red-flags was also highlighted by JAMB officials showing a different date of birth, different Registration Number, Notification of results template that has been discarded since 2021, amongst others. It was also evident that even the centre name “Nkemefuna Foundation (Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development as it was known before now) used for the examination was also manipulated where the candidate used the old name of the centre (Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development) in her own manipulated result sheet.

“In Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s submission, she owned up in the presence of her principal, and the Education Secretary that the narration by the JAMB officials was a true and correct description of what transpired. She also admitted to have given a manipulated result by herself unaided, using same phone Airtel Number. According to her, she proceeded to the cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) where she printed the results she had manipulated.

“The Committee tried to find out the motive behind her action, but Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma said Nothing. In their own submissions, the Principal Anglican Girls’ Secondary school, Uruagu Nnewi, and the Education Secretary — Diocese of Nnewi (Anglican Communion) expressed shock at what transpired where in their presence, Mmesoma admitted to have manipulated her UTME results, deceiving the school, her immediate family and the state government.

“The results released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) with respect to the UTME score of Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma is 249.

“The results paraded by Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma with aggregate score of 362 is fake as buttressed by the very significant and instructive variations in the registration number, date of birth, centre name and other infractions.

“Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma admitted that she manipulated the fake results herself, using her phone.The Principal Anglican Girls’ Secondary School – Mrs. Edu Uche and the Education Secretary, Diocese of Nnewi (Anglicn Communion) expressed dismay at the conduct of Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma.

“That Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma tenders an unreserved written apology to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the School (Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi and the Anambra State Government. This should be done immediately.

“Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma should undergo a psychological counselling and therapy
All prospective candidates for JAMB Admission should adhere strictly to guidelines, processes and procedures of the examination body.

“The Committee of Inquiry commends Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for their diligent handling of the matter and the information supplied about the interface with the candidate .We hope that this unearthing of the truth as we have discovered will go a long way in correcting the sentiments, misconceptions, and deceptions that have been in public domain”

admin by — July 8, 2023 in Education 0
Forgery: ICPC Arraigns Road Safety Official, Others In Court

Mohammed Shosanya

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Achigili Raph Ogili and two others, Sunday Okpara and Rasaq Abdulrahaman Dabiri, over allegations of conspiracy and falsification of documents.

Its spokesperson, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua in a statement to Premium News said, the three accused persons were arraigned before Honourable Justice J. E. Obanor of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 29 sitting in Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

In a charge No: CR/321/2023 filed before the trial court, the Commission alleged that “the first accused person (Ogili) used a forged University of Abuja statement of result with Registration Number 2720700176 to support his application for upgrading in the Corps.

He was also accused of forging a letter confirming the fake statement of result as genuine, purportedly written by the Deputy Registrar (Academics) of the University.

“On the other hand, both the 2nd and 3rd defendants were charged for their complicity in the forged letter confirming the fake statement of result as genuine.Their offences are contrary to sections 96 and 366, and punishable under sections 364 and 368 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the FCT, Abuja 2006.

“The accused persons entered a “not guilty” plea when the charges were read to them and their lawyers in three separate motions raised bail applications on their behalf which were not opposed by the prosecution counsel, Dorathy Suleman.”

The defendants were tl admitted to bail in the sum of N500,000 and a surety in like sum who must reside within the jurisdiction of the Court.

The matter has been adjourned to the 30th and 31st of October 2023 for hearing.

admin by — July 8, 2023 in News 0
Fake UTME Result:Forgive Mmesoma, NANS Begs JAMB

Mohammed Shosanya

The National Association of Nigerian Students,NANS,has appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board,JAMB,to forgive Ms. Ejikeme Mmesoma following her parading a fake 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results.

The body also lauded the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede and his management team for walking through the integrity test the Board was subjected to within the last two weeks

Its National Vice-President, External Affairs, Comrade Akiteye Afeez, in a statement, titled: “Amid Intrigues and Controversies, JAMB Upholds Integrity”, praised the Board for raising the standards and renewing public trust in the conduct of public examinations.

The statement signed by Akinteye reads:”It is highly commendable and applaud-worthy for the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) to raise the standard and uphold the status quo of the organization again amidst the recent saga of forged JAMB result by a candidate.

It said:”In the last few days, the public space has been engulfed in the controversy that surrounds Ms. Ejikeme Mmesoma’s UTME result.

“It is not only worrisome but also disheartening that a reputable body like JAMB with an emphasis on academic excellence has found itself in this scandalous ordeal.Hence, the stance of the board to punish the orchestrator is understandable.”

Akinteye urged fellow students and prospective candidates not to short-circuit their ways to success, saying there are no short corners to the peak of any endeavour and learning.

NANS lamented that though many may have in the past taken advantage of flaws and inconsistency in policy implementation in the past and assured that the likes of Professor Oloyede may well be on the path to the restoration of sanity and confidence in the conduct of public examinations.

“Sanity has been restored to the system. The examination process has been transparent and credible without fault, and we commend Prof. Is-haq Oloyede for the timely reform and for holding firm to the integrity of the board.

“However, the office of the National Association of Nigerian Students [NANS] National Vice-president External Affairs, craves the indulgence of the board and its leadership to temper justice with mercy regardless of how bad the recent saga orchestrated by Ms. Ejikeme might have caused and cost the board.”

The body urged JAMB to consider the future of Mmesoma, saying the tough measure taken as punishment for her misconduct could destroy her desire for higher education, her equally good score of 249 and amount to a loss of an asset to her family.

“Certainly, the individual involved has learnt valuable lessons but we as concerned citizens should not deny the young lad an opportunity to pursue her dreams and a chance to right the wrong.

“She is young and naive, her desperation to become the best has consumed her, and as such we plead for a review of the judgment banning her from taking the UTME and exempting her from gaining admission to any institution of her choice.Consequently, we do hope the board will sit and review its judgment”,it added.

The association appealed to the entire student community across the country to desist from such degrading acts of corruption, saying there is purity in working smart without cutting corners that could spell at the end of the day.

It urged Nigerians to support the efforts of the Board in reliving the virtues of hard work, saying any individual involved in the shame should be exposed and brought to book.

admin by — July 8, 2023 in News 0
ISESE FESTIVAL: An Open Letter To Sulu Gambari

Wole SOYINKA

Your Royal Highness,

So soon after the Moslem season of spiritual purification, it is sad to see the ancient city of Ilorin, a confluence of faiths and ethnic varieties, reduced to this level of bigotry and intolerance, manifested in the role of a presiding monarch.

The truncation of a people’s traditional festival is a crime against the cultural heritage of all humanity. Year after year, the Ramadan has been celebrated in this nation as an inclusive gathering of humanity, irrespective of divergences of belief.

Not once, in my entire span of existence, have I encountered pronouncements by followers of any faith that the slaughtering of rams on the streets and market places is an offence to their concept of godhead.

Vegetarians hold their peace. Buddhists walk a different path. Prior to Ramadan, non-Moslems routinely join in observing the preceding season of fasting as a spiritual exercise worthy of emulation.

Perhaps this is another occasion for self-introduction. I currently teach courses in Abu Dhabi in the Emirates. That is the region of Origin, all others are mere appendages. I was there just before Christmas. I passed through again in the countdown to Ramadan.

On both occasions, the streets, businesses, hotel lobbies and other public spaces were lit up with the same festive spirit. Only the symbols within the designs were different. The mood of celebration was equally pervasive and inclusive.

Painfully, my mind could not help but travel back home, and some years past, recalling for instance how a procession of Corpus Christ was once attacked, some killed, by a brood of Moslem fanatics, for daring to process along the streets of that same Ilorin. Needless to say, such abominations have become routine. Community is sacrificed to bigotry.

It may interest you to know that, in Abu Dhabi, numerous programmes are pursued, at government expense, for the evolution of a humanized community based on religious tolerance and mutual respect. By contrast here, several tiers removed from Origin, must we turn the turban of enlightenment into a crown of bigotry? And in a society whose very constitution that supposedly governs us all guarantees freedom of belief, association and movement?

Your Royal Highness, it is conduct like this that has bred Boko Haram, ISIS, ISWAP and other religious malformations that currently plague this nation, spreading grief and outrage across a once peaceful landscape, degrading my and your existence with their virulent brand of Islam. It is conduct like this that has turned, before our very eyes, a once ecumenical city like Kaduna into a blood-stained mockery of cohabitation.

It is conduct like this that makes it possible for a young student, Deborah, to be lynched in the very presence of armed police, on mere allegation of having belittled the image of a revered prophet. It is action of this nature, perpetrated in obscure as well as prominent outlets of the nation that turns a young generation into mindless monsters, ever ready to swarm out and kill, kill, kill.

Simply kill for the thrill of it, but under presumption of religious immunity. It is conduct like this that then nerves one extremist to wake up one day in a Scandinavian country, publicly announce his intention, and proceed to make a bonfire of copies of the Qur’an. Reprisals follow, equally mindless, trapping humanity in an ever-ascending spiral of costly but gleeful violence.

This continent has endured centuries of disdain and despoilation at the hands of alien religions – Christianity and Islam at the forefront. Both religions have been sanctimoniously deployed as justification for unspeakable atrocities, for the dehumanization of the black race.

Do I need to teach you your own history, or is it that you prefer to forget? To encounter, in this century, a convert to alien spiritual dogma, appropriating the cloak of piety to impede the observation of our antecedent spirituality is not just racial treachery but an assault on civilized conduct as a universal aspiration of humanity, where every discovery, every new encounter usher in new propositions of enlightenment.

Humanity builds on the past, preserving alternatives of world views, not destroying that past which, in any case, is indestructible. Your conduct is an affront to my sense of racial being, and that holds true for millions beyond these national and continental borders, stretching into the Americas and the Caribbean.

There you will still encounter ISESE and allied spiritualities. There, ISESE still exerts its hold on the human spirit. Visit Brazil, go to Columbia, explore Cuba, and be humbled by the tenacity of this spirituality among the descendants of black humanity.

Even the sturdiest of thrones crumble. Long after you and I are gone, generations will continue to endure the effects of present anomalies, pretensions, hypocrisies, will continue to harvest the bitter fruits of the seeds of discord being sown by their forebears. I therefore urge you to rein in those agents of division, of triumphalist intolerance, such as the Majlisu Shabab Ulamahu Society.

There is a thin line between Power and Piety. Call Yeye Ajasikemi OIokun Omolara to your side, make peace with her and make restitution whichever way you can for this grievous insult to our race. We know the history of Ilorin and the trajectory of your dynasty – but these are not the issues. The issue is peaceful cohabitation, respect for other worldviews, their celebrations, their values and humanity. The issue is the acceptance of the multiple facets of human enlightenment.

The greatest avatars that the world has known were not without human frailties, flaws, and errors of understanding. You are NOT Omniscient. And you are not Omnipotent.

Wole SOYINKA
Akintalun of Egba
Giiwa of Ijebu-Remo
Akogun of Isara.

admin by — July 8, 2023 in Opinion 0
Dollar Video: Court Stops Police, DSS, Others From Arresting Ganduje

Mohammed Shosanya

A Federal High Court in Kano,Friday restrained the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), Security Agents rom inviting or harassing former governor of the state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over an alleged dollar bribery videos.

In an ex-parte motion filed before the court on Friday before Justice A.M. Liman, the former governor asked the court to restrain the eighth respondents in the motion from “harassing, intimidating, inviting, threatening to arrest, arresting, detaining the applicant or his children or any member of his family or any appointee who served in his administration or forcefully taking over the applicant’s properties or his children’s or any member of his family

The anti-corruption agency,Thurday announced that it had invited the former governor to appear before it next week to answer questions in relations to its investigation on the viral videos allegedly showing him stuffing US Dollar notes in his pockets allegedly received as kickbacks from a contractor.

admin by — July 8, 2023 in News 0
Obianuju Iloanya,Subject Of Awaiting Trial Documentary Begins Protest For Her Missing Brother

Mohammed Shosanya

One of the subjects of the Awaiting Trial documentary, Obiajunu Iloanya has begun a one-woman protest for her missing brother, Chijioke Iloanya who went missing after being detained by Awkuzu SARS.

“I don’t have any options, except to keep on fighting for justice. First, for my brother and my family. But also for other victims. I believe that as long as you are a Nigerian, you are living under the democracy called the Nigerian State, you have a right to justice and you should get it,” Obiajunu shared while speaking on why she is on this one-woman protest.

“Until people are being made to pay for their crimes, crime will continue to proliferate in Nigeria. An example is Awkuzu SARS. James Nwafor has retired from the Police Force years ago, but till today, the seed of extrajudicial killings, violation of huma rights that he has sown in Awkuzu SARS has continued to grow.

“You still see people being arrested, taken to that station and either disappeared or died in custody for no justifiable reason. That is because James Nwafor got away with the crimes he committed and boasted about being able to get away with it; ‘I have killed your son and there is nothing you can do about it’, he told my parents.

“And because nothing has truly been done about it, that it why others are emboldened to do more because they know nothing will happen to them. When James Nwafor and other rogue Police officers get punished for the crimes they have committed, it will serve as a lesson to others who may want to tow their line.”

“That is why I do what I do, protesting, standing under the sun for hours with my legs aching and my body aching and I am not tired. Of course, I am physically tired, but, I am holding on because I want the average Nigerian to get at least the semblance of justice.”, she added.

“My demands are simple”, she shared on her Twitter handle, listing her three demands, which include the arrest and prosecution of James Nwafor, the release of the #EndSARS panel reports of all states and the whitepapers, and the release of all #EndSARS protesters still in prison.

Obiajunu commenced her one-woman protest at the Nigerian National Assembly, and has called on the Assembly to bring up the issue of police brutality and the evil James Nwafor had done in their next sitting, serving the justice Nigerians deserve. She had also submitted her petitions to the Government of Anambra state.

Awaiting Trial is a documentary film that follows the lives of 3 central families caught by the injustice of the Nigerian Police, and down held by its criminal justice system.

Directed by Chude Jideonwo, the film documents not just the systems but the people they destroy and presents the devastating ramifications not just in terms of justice and fairness, but in terms of destroying families, upturning mental balance, and creating an environment and culture of fear.

admin by — July 8, 2023 in Arts/Entertainment 0

Mohammed Shosanya

African countries have realized additional revenues totalling €1.69 billion on account of voluntary disclosures, the implementation of information exchange mechanisms, and rigorous offshore investigations on tax evasion and illicit financial flows,the 2023 Tax Transparency in Africa report reveals.

The report,which was released on Friday at the 13th Meeting of the Africa Initiative in Cape Town,said from 2009 through 2022, these measures have effectively boosted tax revenue, interest, and penalties, underscoring a substantial progress in tax transparency across the continent.

The report—co-produced by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes ,the African Union Commission and the African Tax Administration Forum, with support from the African Development Bank—presents the progress of 38 African countries in tackling tax evasion and other illicit financial flows (IFFs) through transparency and exchange of information.

The release of the report comes as African governments continue to step up efforts to bolster domestic resource mobilisation in the face of economic headwinds that include global inflation and mounting debt levels.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that Africa loses as much as $60 billion each year in illicit financial flows.

South Africa’s Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana lauded the Africa Initiative in his opening remarks.

“During the past eight years, the Africa Initiative has changed the tax transparency landscape in Africa and aided the mobilisation of more than €300 million in domestic resources,” he said. Stressing the importance of political will in efforts to increase tax transparency, Godongwana said, however, that more could be done. He called for the Africa Initiative to strengthen African countries’ capacity to leverage exchange of information standards and protocols.

Zayda Manatta, Head of the Global Forum Secretariat, presented the report to participants.

For the first time, one African country reported collecting additional taxes—worth €10.6 million— through the use of common reporting standard data,the report said in its key highlights.

It said,23 African countries are now parties to the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters,the most comprehensive instrument for all forms of co-operation to tackle tax evasion, thus substantially expanding their Exchange of information networks.

Ten African countries have committed to automatic exchange of financial account information

In her presentation, Manatta cited a World Bank study that projected that participation in exchange of information mechanisms could increase African countries’ tax revenues from 5% to 19% of GDP.

“The more familiar countries are with this tool, the more they exploit this tool, the more revenue should be collected. And if you manage to monitor this link between revenue collection and exchange of information, we would be able to further demonstrate the benefits countries are getting from this tool,” she said.

Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and co-chair of the Africa Initiative Edward Kieswetter said collaboration was essential to serve our shared ambition for effective resource mobilisation. “A tax risk anywhere, is a tax risk everywhere. Tax administrations are called to serve a transformative and higher purpose in the interest of society, Kieswetter said.

admin by — July 8, 2023 in News 0
‘Indigenous Firms Possess Capacity To Meet Nigeria’s Metering Target’

Mohammed Shosanya

Given right policies and enabling environment from government,indigenous companies can meet the federal government’s metering target in the country,Meter Manufacturers and Assemblers Association of Nigeria,MMAAN, has said.

Besides,the association is pleading with the overnment to save meter industry from total collapse by direct the Procurement Management Unit of the Transmission Company of Nigeria to review its recently advertised World Bank meter procurement bid for 1,250,000 electricity meters because the stringent pre-qualification conditions are out of reach for local manufacturers.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Engr. Durosola Omogbenigun, Secretary of the Association,said that the World Bank meter procurement bid is inimical to the growth of the local meter manufacturing sector, as it negates the gains that have been achieved through backward integration, technology transfer and employment creation.

The meter manufacturers further frowned at the decision of the Federal Government to use a World Bank loan of $155 million to support the importation of electricity meters into the country.

He warned that that if the bid is not reviewed downwards, indigenous meter manufacturers risk exclusion as they are still struggling to survive.

Omogbenigun, noted that the sector employs thousands of people working in different sections, adding that the jobs of these employees are at a risk, if the Federal Government does not halt its decision

He added that there are about 40 local meter manufacturers in the country, creating employment and adding value to the economy.

He revealed that there is a shortfall of about 10million metering gap in the country, adding that the meters produced by local manufacturers have been certified and confirmed to meet international standard.

Mr. Ifeanyi Okeke,Treasurer of the Association, said that making the local manufacturers to participate in the ongoing Phase 2 of the National Mass Metering Programme(NMMP) would help the government to increase local capacity utilisation, keep forex within, and accrue more tax from these local players.

He maintained that local companies have the capacity to meet the Federal Government metering target with right policies and enabling environment from government.

admin by — July 8, 2023 in Power 0
Bauch Housewife Kills Husband Over Disagreement

Twenty one-year -old housewife, Maimuna Sulaiman of Kofar Dumi area of Bauchi State has been arrested by men of the Bauchi State Police Command over the death of her husband.

According to press release by the Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Aminu Gimba Ahmed ,the suspect, Maimuna Suleiman stabbed her husband Aliyu Mohammad of the same address as a result of an altercation that ensued between them on the 5th of July, 20223 at about 1800hrs in their matrimonial home.

The spokesman said that detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer immediately rushed to the scene of the crime at the address and took both the victim and the suspect to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi for medical attention.

He said reports obtained from medical doctors confirmed that the victim died as a result of an injury sustained on his chest, while the suspect sustained minor bruises on her stomach.

He said that during interrogation, the suspect confessed to having committed the crime.

The Commissioner of Police CP Auwal Musa Mohammad, has directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a discreet investigation to further unravel the circumstances that surround the death of the victim.

admin by — July 8, 2023 in Crime/Metro 0
Access Bank Clinches Three New Awards

Mohammed Shosanya

Africa’s retail giant, Access Bank Plc, has been recognized with the best Company Leadership in Gender Diversity Award; Family-Friendly Workplace Excellence Award, and Gender Equality Champion Award at the Gender Leader Awards (GLA) which held in Lagos, recently.

It also received a special recognition for its efforts in advancing women empowerment and leadership.

The awards, organized by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, aimed to promote action toward enhancing gender equality and mainstreaming increased opportunities for women in leadership, employment, and entrepreneurship in the Nigerian private sector.

“We are grateful for this recognition and dedicate the award to our customers – particularly the women – who rely on us to provide the right support to scale their businesses and improve their quality of life through initiatives that go beyond banking,” remarked Roosevelt Ogbonna, GMD/CEO Access Bank Plc.

“As we champion gender equality through Nigeria2Equal, we recognise other private sector organisations that have demonstrated exceptional performance in advancing gender-focused initiatives. Indeed, these awards speak volumes about the accomplishments of our partnership with IFC, and celebrate the remarkable strides NGX listed companies have made towards realizing a gender-equal society. Access Bank will continue to champion this agenda through the W Initiative with a view to ensure our collective visions are realized,” Ogbonna added.

Speaking on the awards, IFC Senior Country Manager for Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Kalim M. Shah, affirmed that “The Awards highlight the inspiring commitment of CEOs and other business leaders to building a more inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

“IFC is proud to partner with NGX on the Nigeria2Equal program and on this important award, which underscores IFC’s ongoing commitment to equal opportunities for both men and women in Nigeria’s private sector,” he added.

The Chief Executive of NGX, Temi Popoola, said, “The awards epitomise our collective commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable private sector ecosystem in Nigeria.

admin by — July 8, 2023 in Banking&Finance 0