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To fight corruption, you must have ‘equity’ mindset – Mitchell Elegbe

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BY: Ikenna Oluka

Mitchell Elegbe, GMD / Founder, Interswitch Group, has said that one way to fight corruption is to have the mindset of equity. He stated that corruption and poverty go hand-in-hand.

Elegbe made this remark at the second edition of the InterswitchSPAK Masterclass which held recently in Lagos.

Speaking on the topic: ‘Can I trust you?’ Elegbe explained the relationship between equality and equity, noting that we do not all have equal strengths, opportunities and privileges.

However, with a sense of equity, the more privileged would share with the less privileged.

He said: “While it is wrong for the less privileged to demand equity as a right – as that is extortion – it is important that the privileged have a mindset of equity, that allows them to share from their abundance. It is with this mindset of equity that prosperous communities are built and the fight against corruption is won”.

He also added that to become successful in life, one has to be trustworthy. He explained that being trusted goes hand-in-hand with trustworthiness, adding that trustworthiness was a culmination of ability, integrity and benevolence.

The Masterclass is part of the InterswitchSPAK Switch-a-Future project, a CSR initiative of the company focused on driving increased interest in the study of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects among Senior Secondary School students across Africa.

Participants at the Masterclass were made up of the top 81 students out of the over 13,322 students from various private and public secondary schools across the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT, who wrote the National Qualifying Examinations in April. 

Other speakers at the Masterclass were Dr. Ola Orekunrin-Brown, MD / Founder, Flying Doctors Nigeria, who spoke on the topic: ‘Entrepreneurship – Creating Sustainable Impact by Solving Social Problems’. Dr. Brown shared the story of how she started Flying Doctors and the challenges she surmounted. She reiterated the need for basic financial literacy for budding entrepreneurs.

Dr. Jumoke Oduwole,  Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment who was represented by Ayokunnu Ojeniyi, Project Manager, Enabling Business Environment Secretariat, Office of the Vice-President, spoke on the topic: ‘Collaborative Approach to Social Innovation’ and why it was important to think creatively and critically in addressing social problems.

In her welcome address, Enyioma Anaba, Group Head, Corporate Segment, Corporate Marketing, at Interswitch, said that the Masterclass was an integral part of the InterswitchSPAK project because the sessions were designed to inspire the young people to contribute to solving Africa’s many problems. 

She said: “We brought together these 81 brilliant young minds to draw from the experiences and insights of accomplished thought leaders, thinkers and professionals who are leading lights in their respective spheres of influence and who are practical advocates of innovation, as a platform for social and economic development. We hope that the interactions during the sessions will provide them with the right mental and emotional foundations upon which to build their character for the long haul.”

The Masterclass was a full-day of knowledge sharing and engagement session and had these inspiring and successful men and women in our society sharing their experiences across school, work and family life. The participants included the 81 finalists aged between 14 and 17 years, students from Slum2School Innovation lab, staff of Interswitch and the media.

Cherry Eromosele, Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Interswitch, disclosed that as a progressive organisation, Interswitch has the interest of the young African talents at heart. 

She said: “For Africa’s youth to succeed in today’s knowledge-based economy, they need to acquire the right skill sets; their minds need to be re-engineered and reconciled with STEM education as well as introduced to other softer skills which are not readily taught in the classrooms. At Interswitch, we are creating a platform that allows them to not only compete within a job market that is globalized, but to become catalysts for the creation of job markets in themselves”.

In furtherance of the commitment to the pan-African spread of the initiative, the InterswitchSPAK Switch-a-Future project was launched in Kenya and the inaugural Masterclass for the finalists held in Nairobi on August 2, 2019.

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Badaru on Operational Tour of 82 Division, other Military Installations in Enugu and Imo States

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Badaru in Enugu
Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar

The Honourable Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar CON mni is currently in Enugu on operational tour of 82 Division of Nigerian Army and other military platforms in Enugu.

He was received on arrival by the General officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army / Commander JTF SE of operation Udoka Major-General H.T Dada and other  senior military officers.

Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar
Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar

The Minister is expected to meet with South East stakeholders on the way forward.

Details later…

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Tinubu Grants More Power to Ministers of State on Oversight Funtions

…of Agencies under them

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Minister of State for Defence Dr. Bello Matawalle
President Bola Tinubu and Minister of State for Defence Dr. Bello Matawalle

Tinubu has granted full oversight responsibilities to Ministers of State over agencies under them amongst whom are Minister of State for Defence Dr. Bello Matawalle, Water Resources and Sanitation, Minister of State for Agriculture and others will henceforth enjoy full  oversight responsibilities over such agencies.

President Bola Tinubu at FEC Meeting has approved that ministers of state be given full powers to supervise the agencies under them, the cable reported.

Until now, files pertaining to departments and agencies under their supervision were sent by their permanent secretaries to the senior ministers.

With the new dispensation, ministers of state can now grant all necessary administrative approvals on the governance process of these agencies and departments.

According to a source in the office of the head of service of the federation, “the president was not pleased with the prevailing governing framework in which ministers of states were just ministers in name”.

This, Tinubu reportedly said, led to the “underutilisation of the expertise and capabilities” of most ministers of state.

“The president believes ministers of state should have the right to make decisions and direct action within their areas of responsibility,” the official added.

According to the Cable report, the source said the idea, first mooted by Hadiza Bala Usman, special adviser to the President on policy coordination and head, central delivery coordination unit got an instant buy-in from the President.

With the new directive, the administration hopes “to unleash” the potential of all the ministers, the source added.

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Enugu: Mbah Approves N80,000 Minimum Wage for State, LG Workers and Primary School Teachers

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MBAG, ALGON and Minimum wage
L-R: Secretary, ALGON, Enugu State chapter, Hon. Uche Okolo; Vice Chairman, ALGON, Enugu State, Hon. Ferdinand Ukwueze; Chairman, ALGON, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh; Chairman, TUC, Enugu State, Comrade Ben Adogwa; Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah; Chairman, NLC, Enugu State, Comrade Fabian Nwigbo; Chairman, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Ezekiel Omeh; Chairman, NULGE, Enugu State, Comrade Udaya Ani and the Head of Service, Mr. Kenneth Ugwu, during the announcement of N80,000 new state minimum wage at the Government House, Enugu, Thursday.

It’s unprecedented to earn above minimum wage in Enugu- Labour

… We’ll commence implementation immediately- ALGON

Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has approved N80,000 minimum wage for the state’s work force, including local government workers, effective October 2024, noting a direct link between a motivated workforce and his administration’s vision of growing the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn.

The new minimum wage covers all state employees, primary school teachers, and local government workers.

Organised labour has described the wage as unprecedented, as it was the first time that Enugu workers would be earning above the national minimum wage.

Mbah announced the new minimum wage on Thursday after a meeting with the Enugu State Minimum Wage Implementation Committee headed by the Head of Service, Kenneth Ugwu and labour leaders, including the state’s labour leaders.

Mbah said, “Few weeks ago, I inaugurated a committee with the responsibility to oversee the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage in Enugu State. Today, I’m happy to announce a new minimum wage for workers in Enugu State, reflecting our fidelity to their welfare, in regard of which we have been resolutely committed.

“We have approved the sum of N80,000 as the new minimum wage in Enugu State. This underscores our commitment to bequeathing lasting legacies of improved living conditions.

“Our commitment to improved workers’ welfare runs deep, and is rooted in the firm understanding of the inextricable link between an inspired workforce and the audacious economic targets we had set our sights on.

“We clearly understood that reducing poverty to the barest minimum and achieving an unprecedented economic growth target were contingent on the output of the workforce. Therefore, for us, the best way to acknowledge that labour creates wealth is by ensuring that the workforce, which creates the wealth that oils the wheel of government, is sufficiently motivated.

“We have similarly demonstrated our commitment to workers welfare through the consistent payment of the wage awards, a gesture we had pledged to sustain until a new wage structure took effect.”

Speaking, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Fabian Nwigbo, thanked governor Mbah for always prioritising the welfare of workers, describing the new minimum wage as “a great one for Enugu workers.”

 “In the past, when minimum wage is announced, it takes up to one or two years for anything to happen; and when it did, we took anything they gave us as we saw it.  But today, you have even given us something much higher than national minimum wage. 

“But I am not totally surprised because when other governors were paying N12,000 wage award, you were paying us N25,000. When others paid for some months and stopped, you continued paying it until the new minium wage as you promised. So, we have enjoyed wage award for 11 months and today you announced the minimum wage which is the first of its kind since my 32 years in service,” said.

Speaking to Government House correspondents, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Ben Asogwa, said, “We are so happy. The governor did not just announce ₦80,000 minium wage, but said that it cascades down to even local government workers. He said that he does not want disparity in salary implementation in Enugu State anymore because we all go to the same market.

“This is the first time in history we are seeing the implementation of minimum wage above the approved amount by the federal government. Actually, when we entered into the negotiation, we were afraid because we know quite well that we are not among the states that share in dividends of oil money. We know quite well that we are at the back when it comes to federal allocation, but His Excellency actually surprised us.

“One thing we have seen is that he understands the impact of motivation on productivity. The governor has set a pace and we know that any other person coming after him will have the challenge to meet up with the target set by His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah.”

On his part, Chairman of the Association of Local Government Workers, ALGON, Enugu State, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh, pledged the commitment of council chairmen to implementing the new minimum wage.

“When you motivate workers, they become more productive. What I am promising on behalf of the Enugu ALGON family is that we are going to cascade the new minimum wage to the local government level. Implementation begins immediately,” he said.

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