AMINA ZAKARI, LAST WOMAN STANDING, QUALIFIED AND WILLING TO SERVE!

By Ify Onyegbule

 In the last couple of weeks, I have sat down and taken a critical look at the tantrums and gnashing of teeth with the “appointment” of Hajia Amina Zakari as “Acting Chairman” of INEC and the fact that 95% of those questioning the move are men and it just stirs the feminist in me.

 As a Gender Activist and Social Critic I do understand the place of men especially in a country like ours that is largely patrilineal and I am trying to so hard to understand why there is so much hue and cry about this appointment and why it is giving people sleepless nights. Some have said she is not fit because she is “a Woman” (whatever that means) others say she is related to President Muhammadu Buhari (in various derogatory capacities), utterances that I think were made to drag her name in the mud and reduce her person to nothingness.

 I have never met Hajia Amina Zakari and I am looking forward to meeting her because of my passion for women issues and I will be glad to interview her on issues of women in the corridors of power and in politics. In bringing arguments forward, has anyone taken the time to find out if the woman who has been in the commission for years, serving in various capacities is qualified to hold such an exalted position? Has anyone taken time out to observe if she delivered outrightly in her various capacities in the commission? Do you qualify for a job because you have a penis between your legs or because you have brains in your head?

 It is pertinent that Nigerians understand who this woman is, what she has done and why she believes she is the best man for the job. If her critics say she is not fit for the job…who then is? I would expect that Nigerians rally round this woman who is the first of her kind (gender) to hold this position because if you look at it, in all of the positions that have been filled since the new administration came on board this is the only in the real sense of it, the only position that has come to the WOMEN….why would anyone kick and scratch about it? Let me not bore you with so much talk but allow you a peek into this woman known by a lot of people as ABZ.

 WHO IS AMINA ZAKARI?

Amina is one of the few Nigerians who has worked with three Presidents. 

 She was appointed Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR between 2004 and 2007, and posted to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where she served as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Social Development and also served as Acting Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, in addition to her appointments at INEC. ABZ had many successes at the FCTA: the overhaul and upgrade of Satellite Town hospitals of Kuje, Bwari, Abaji, Kwali, Karshi and Kubwa which are still providing access for improved maternal and child healthcare.

 Her appointment as an INEC Commissioner in 2011 by former President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR was a defining moment, making her an integral part of the team that successfully delivered two elections in 2011 and 2015, in Nigeria.

 Amina B. Zakari (ABZ) was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, as Acting Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), being the first female to occupy this position in Nigeria’s history, is the crowning glory of a very successful career that spans over three decades across the public and private sectors.

 

 WHAT HAS SHE DONE AND HOW PROFESSIONAL IS SHE?

In her capacity as a National Commissioner had a strategic role for four years. She had the mandate for supervising the Political Parties Monitoring Committee. Her efforts to achieve common grounds for engagement of political parties led to the revitalization of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) which helped boost cohesion and consolidation of the nation’s political party system, resulting in the reduction of the number of registered parties from 63 to 28.

 She was deployed to chair the newly established INEC Planning Monitoring and Strategy Committee in November 2014 by the Chairman at the time Attahiru Jega. This helped to revamp the compliance monitoring mechanism of INEC through an internally driven process re-engineering and automation of the Election Management System (EMS). This contributed to an achievement of over 80% of voter material distribution recorded in the 2015 elections. She also oversaw the management of the INEC ad-hoc staff, particularly the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.

 She also oversaw the establishment of a successful concessionary Public Private Partnership of the Garki Hospital which still competes favourably with public and private healthcare providers in the FCT. Through her efforts, the FCT Drug Revolving Fund grew from N80 Million to N300 Million. Her monitoring background afforded an opportunity to enforce ethical practice in FCT private hospitals through active registration and inspection. Her focus on inclusiveness resulted in the establishment of two orphanages, sporting facilities and successful HIV/AIDS prevention programs.

 From 1996 to 2001 she worked with Consolidated Health Services and subsequently Afri-Projects Consortium who were the management consultants for Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF). She was an integral part of the team that managed the PTF funded health projects nationwide. This team developed systems and processes including robust monitoring and supervision tool. Her signature achievement was the revamp of the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) which helped ensure access and sustainability for drugs in government hospitals nationwide.

 She also runs a healthcare consulting outfit when she is not performing public service. She started out her career as a young pharmacist at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi where she set up the University Clinic from scratch and has not looked back since then. She holds a degree in Pharmacy from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, in addition to executive programs at International Drug Agency Netherland, Crown Agents UK and Harvard Business School. She is a registered pharmacist and member of Pharmacists Society of Nigeria as well as a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management.

Amina is from Kazaure in Jigawa State and still plays an active role in community development. Her Father Hussaini Adamu was the Emir of Kazaure. In his early career he was an educationist and independence era civil servant that devoted his life to education and education policy. He was a champion for girl-child education and instilled a passion for public service in Amina and her siblings at an early age.

Amina Zakari is also a successful domestic engineer raising five children as a widow. She attributes her success to the blessing of God, support of an extended family system and a country that rewards hard work, dedication and commitment to duty.

 HOW IS SHE REACTING TO ISSUES?

 This is from her interview with Punch (Niyi Odebode) and The Nation (Yusuf Alli)

Will INEC continue using the card readers? 

 Card reader is here to stay, we are ensuring that the storage facilities are being run and we are doing an audit on our storage facilities because we monitor to ensure that everything is fine, you can't just leave it to chance until maybe 2019 when you open and discover all your card readers are not functional.

 You were on the verge of retiring from the commission when your appointment came. Did you lobby for it?

I did not lobby for it. I had packed all my things out of INEC, I wanted to leave on the 30th, I want to take a leave for the remaining three weeks, I felt as the commission was being depleted,  that I had a sense of responsibility to sit out my three weeks and then, I was just called on my way home as the chairman (Jega) handed over to Ambassador Wali, I was called that the head of service was looking for me and I said, "what for?" and I just continued driving and I was by Bullet house by the time I got the call and I just continued driving; I was almost home when they said "come back, you have a letter to be the acting chairman" and I said "but somebody was appointed in the morning", I said "take the letter to INEC," but they said, "its in your name, you have to come and receive it, just turn around."  And while I was arguing, my driver decided to turn around and I called the ambassador and I told him and he said, "go pick your letter." I called the former chairman and he said, "go pick the letter." I was confused and worried because it's an enormous responsibility and I wasn't really expecting it. I picked the letter and came back to the office the next day in a sober mood. I know the only thing left to do is to consolidate on the gains within this acting period, just maintain an administrative structure, try to keep the commission running administratively and then let's see what happens, since I know the problems of the commission in terms of business processes, so we are working on communication, we are discussing with the directors giving them responsibilities and hopefully, everything should be fine.

 Is it true you have filial or marital relationship to President Buhari?

I can't say the general is my in-law. I am not married to his son; my daughter is not married to him, that is what I understand about being an in-law, but obviously, in life, you have acquaintances, people you have known. But I think people should not get distracted by this 'family or no family'.

 Were you nominated by APC or any APC governor because that is the speculation?

The President is a man of himself and people should not think that people influence people of power. Even when I was made a commissioner, was it somebody from PDP that recommended me? I think the President had a job to do, he was confronted with the information that this number of commissioners have left, these are the ones remaining, and he chose a name. Possibly, commissioners are remaining, commissioners have left, he chose a name and he chose me, He seems to be a traditional person and

the gender activists starting working on him, so  that might have informed the choosing of the only female remaining out of the six commissioners.

 Were you the most senior commissioner?

 Yes, there were two of us, we were the two most senior commissioners and this is not the first time, INEC has had an acting commissioner.

 Your adversaries believe that you are desperate to get the job at all cost

No, no, I am not desperate and I don't have to get the job at all cost. I think even if I don't get the job, I have made history as the first acting female chairman of INEC. Within this period, have I done anything good? Have I done anything to improve the process? Even if it's a two-day job, somebody has to do it and I happen to be the one doing it. If somebody is asked to come and take over, I will willingly hand over to that person.

The PDP has been criticizing your appointment. Do you think this is justified?

In politics, everything is justified; I don't have a quarrel with them, I have worked very well with them being in charge of political parties and at that time, there was no single complaint about me.

Ify Onyegbule is a journalist, blogger and women activist. 

Source: www.ifyonyegbule.com

Philips unveils findings on breastfeeding barriers for mothers in urban Africa

Accra, Ghana/ Nairobi, Kenya – Philips Africa today unveiled the results of its latest research focused 
on supporting new moms in their breastfeeding journey, to mark World Breastfeeding Week 
(1-7 August 2015). The study, which surveyed over 400 working moms in Accra, Ghana and Nairobi, 
Kenya, identifies key barriers for breastfeeding including unsupportive work environments and 
cultural influences, and is an outcome of Philips’ pledge to the United Nations 
Every Woman Every Child initiative.

The Philips study – supported by research company Dr. Monk aims to uncover the key breastfeeding 
obstacles for working women in both Ghana and Kenya in order to identify opportunities to 
support and empower them. Limited early initiation of breastfeeding, unsupportive work environments, 
and cultural influences, lack of access to breast milk expression facilities, poor daycare facilities, and 
impeding beliefs were among the challenges identified in the research.

Across the board, it was found that mothers know that breastfeeding is the right thing to do. Yet the ability 
to balance work and motherhood in a busy African city is hard and 52% of the women surveyed had to go 
back to work within three months, making breastfeeding or expressing difficult. In addition, pressure to 
work long days in order to make a sufficient income, stressful lives, and no space to express milk in 
the workplace, are all contributing factors to diminished breastfeeding rates.

Although 69% of women surveyed knew the importance of expressing breast milk if unable to 
breastfeed directly, the biggest barriers for new moms wanting to express included lack of 
space to express comfortably, access to technology like breast pumps, cooling and sterilization 
equipment and advice and coaching on the correct techniques to breastfeed enabling comfort and 
ease for both infant and mother.

Philips will utilize these findings in order to help countries, including Ghana and Kenya, with the 
healthy development of their infant population. Philips aims to use its rich innovation heritage 
and baby feeding expertise (through its extensive Philips Avent range) to encourage and empower 
women to combine going to work with breastfeeding.

Survey of over 400 working African mothers found breastfeeding obstacles such as
unsupportive work environments and cultural influences

How breastfeeding aids survival

In 2013, an estimated 106,000 children died in Kenya and 62,000 in Ghana, with pneumonia and 
diarrhea being two of the leading causes of death.[i] Breastfed babies are 15 times less likely to 
die from pneumonia and 11 times less likely to die from diarrhea.[ii] In fact, recent research has 
found that children in African countries under five who are breastfed have a 14 times greater 
chance of survival, and any increase in intensity or duration of breastfeeding can help.[iii] Globally, 
it is estimated that the lives of more than 800,000 children could be saved each year if every 
child was breastfed.

“No mother should need to choose between earning a living, and giving their child the health benefits 
that only breastfeeding can provide” states Dr. Maarten van Herpen, Head of the 
Philips Africa Innovation Hub. “At Philips, we have started to develop several innovative ideas that 
were inspired by the findings in this report. Hopefully, these innovations will prove effective to address 
some of the challenges to breastfeeding faced by mothers. As this report shows, the 
barriers to breastfeeding depend on different situations of different mothers. 
The issues are diverse – and so is the range of answers needed.”

Commenting on the outcomes of the report, Leith Greenslade, a Vice Chair with the UN Special 
Envoy for Health, stated: “The vast majority of the 400 Kenyan and Ghanaian mothers 
surveyed know that breastfeeding is best, and yet it is a minority of mothers in both countries who 
exclusively breastfeed. Probe deeper and the mothers reveal a raft of barriers to 
breastfeeding, most common among them the need to return to work. The Philips’ report shines a 
light onto the widening chasm between breastfeeding rhetoric and reality for these working mothers. 
The world keeps instructing them to breastfeed early and exclusively when the realities of daily 
working life in urban Africa make it increasingly impossible. Our ultimate goal should be to create a 
world where breastfeeding mothers have the freedom to breastfeed, because as the research unequivocally
demonstrates, breastfeeding is not just about child survival, it is fundamentally about mother empowerment.”

The detailed survey can be downloaded from http://www.2.forms.healthcare.philips.com/LP=288. 
You ca also connect with Philips Nigeria on 
https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsNigeria, 
https://twitter.com/PhilipsNigeria, https://instagram.com/philipsnigeria

WISE WOMEN INTERNATIONAL SET TO HONOUR NIGERIAN WOMEN

PRESS RELEASE: LAGOS: The efforts and successes of the Nigerian Christian woman in the home front, community, career and religion is to be rewarded by a United Kingdom based non-governmental organisation, Wisdom for Women International (WWI).

The award, which is known as the Wise Women Awards will be held at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos on June 28, 2015 

In a press statement, founder of Wisdom for Women International Pastor (Mrs) Marjorie Esomowei organiser of the award said that the Wise Women Awards, which will be held in Nigeria for the third time has been in existence in the United Kingdom for eleven years saying that WWI is collaborating with Nigerian based organisations, Connecting Hearts Initiative and The Access media Ltd to host the event in Nigeria.

According to her, the awards will provide Christian women from across the denominational spectrum and across Nigeria with an opportunity to be recognised and nominated for their contributions in the world of work, church, ministry and their communities.

She noted that Nigerian women make up much of the population and deserve to be honoured for the roles they are playing in the home, church and the community saying that the reward covers women of all age brackets in the country.

 She disclosed that the award is in ten categories namely: Woman In Business ,Woman In Missions, Exceptional Young Christian Woman (18- 25),Christian Woman Serving In Media, Professional Christian Woman, Woman In Ministry, Women In Music, Woman in The Community Award, Naomi Award, Turn Around Award.

Reacting to her partnership in the event, Mary Ikoku, Founder of Working Moms Africa said “We realized that no awards event exist within the Christian community in Nigeria that recognise women’s achievements and that made our organisation to join force with Wise Women International to promote the Wise Women Awards”.

Tickets for the award, according to Connecting Hearts, Bimbo Okutinyang is currently selling and will end in June 27th calling on Nigerians to log onto  http://www.wisewomenawardsng.org and purchase their tickets adding that judges for the award are Mrs Angelica Adekemi Ndieli, Pastor Jumoke Adenowo, Mrs Ibukun Awosika,Pastor Nomthi Odukoya and Ify Malo. 

Moms Ball & Awards 2014 Silver Bird ENT NEWS 08 12 2014 MONDAY

A Birthday Tribute to My Sister, Oge!

I have been so overwhelmed with work recently that I couldn't find the time to pen down birthday wishes for my older sister so I thought it wise to pen a tribute to her in honour of her birthday though it is belated since she was born on February 18, which was yesterday, a very special day indeed as she is the first born of the family. 

My dear sister, Ogechi Charles Omeze, I am inclined to believe that you can't be up to 39 yet. It was only yesterday that we were both kids Hahaha! I have known Oge all my life.
I would say my sister and I are very different.  She is silently brave and I am daringly brave. She is organized but I am not so organized. Even at a very young age, she was known to be serious minded while I was judged mischievous because of her seriousness.  If our mom did not hear me for even a few minutes, she knew Mary was "up to something" but Oge can stay in the home and will be quiet and yet it is okay.  I think she was attention sufficient while I was hyperactive attention deficit. But back then, kids didn't have these kinds of labels. So, my mom just made sure that I was kept busy all the time (Wash plate, sweep house, clean this clean that maka anya erughi m ala sic). While growing up, my sister was the good natured and introverted girl in the family.  She loved the whole catholic activities including the Legion of Mary which I always teased her was for Mgbekes a.k.a juu babes lol. She had a very mean and authoritative outlook and everyone must ‘trust and obey’ her commands!

She was always protective of me, her little sister particularly when we lived in a neighborhood of some very naughty children (Alvan and Eustace who are now parents). She will always stand in my defense though subtly. She cared even though she always puts me into trouble because of her good-girl stature. She was also a bit protective of her clothings and can strip me naked if I ever tried wearing any of her clothes out of the house, yes she could be that mean but all the same, it made me to always keep to only what belongs to me and today as an adult, I never want to have other peoples stuff, I am always contented with mine and mine alone.

My sister is no risk taker even in things that could bring her progress. She was always scared of taking bold steps and when such time comes, I will do whatever it takes and damn the consequence. I remember once, our Dad –of blessed memory for some odd reason threatened not to pay her school fees. My sister and I planned to get the money for her school fees by breaking into popsie’s wardrobe as soon as Dad goes to work. Luckily on that fateful day, our dad left for his business without locking the doors to his room, so I went in as planned, got huge sums of money it could have been about N30,000 then, I carried the money under my armpit and called out to my sister in a hush voice, Ogechi come! I got your school fees here with me. What I thought would have excited her turned out to be another story o! My sister on siting me with the money became very scared and started signaling me in a low voice saying; Biko! Biko! Please! please! return the money, it is too much, you can imagine my confusion. See my sister, I was trying to help get back to school as she was losing study time and days which could lead to poor performance at the end of the term, here she was rejecting her school fees ably organized by me hahaha. My sister no get heart at all.

Another remarkable event was after she started secondary school, she made new friends in school both young and old. I remember the day, my sister came back home with a box full of nice clothes and goodies courtesy of her School Mother and my mum after watching her show off all that was in the box, in a harsh tone, told her, before I open my eyes and close it eh! You have returned that box and everything in it to your so called school mother. If I condone your bringing in clothes and goodies from a school mother today, when boys start buying them for you, I will not know, oya return those things before the count of 10!! Come and see race; in a speed of light my sister returned every damn thing. I though my mum was such a mean person but being a mum today, I know better, But looking back, I think my sister is that kind of child every mum would love to have. She obeys every order without questioning you but I on the other hand will like to know why I should do what you asked me to do.

Today is my older sister’s birthday. As she will tell you, If you read any of her comments on my facebook wall, you will notice, she enjoys pointing out that she is indeed the older one – if only by one year and 6 months – because I frequently get comments like, “Oh! You have an older sister?!?! I thought you were the 1st!” I tell myself the comments are just because I’m more extroverted and more outspoken, but I’m attempting to be transparently honest on this blog, so I better not start lying today. The truth is, she does look younger even after having 4 children in such quick successions and raising them in Canada with no access to house maid and all the support we get here in Nigeria. She is doing great as a parent.

People think my sister Oge is younger, prettier, and we jokingly balance the whole thing by saying she’s 'MEAN' However, the truth is, there isn't a mean bone in her body. She isn't mean, but she is firm and fierce – not in the aggressive sense, but in the profound, deeply felt sense. Ogechi is firm about her convictions. She is fierce about her friendships. She is firm about her loyalty. She is firm about her relationship with her husband, her children, our late Dad, our Mama, her sisters, her brothers and her nieces and nephews, even aunts, uncles, cousins and anyone related to us. Ogechi Omeze understands the value of people; they are the most important things to her. Chances are, if you once had a close relationship with Oge, you still do, and if you don’t, it’s probably because you are the one who left. She’s too firm to give up on anything. Above all, my sister loves God with everything in her. She is a minister of God and works in God’s Vine yard. She is the family prayer warrior and she is also Joseph the dreamer lol. My sister is an extremely hardworking lady and she really have no time to be lazy. She is a courageous woman, fun loving, cherishes her 'ME' Time too.

So, from me, it is HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER!  If you don’t know it, I admire you greatly and smile every day at the immeasurable blessings God has poured upon you. You deserve them.

I thought I would never have time to write this today, let alone put it in my blog for all to see, these words...You’re amazing. Have a birthday as amazing as you!

P.S. If you ever show this message to Ekwy or anyone, I’ll deny it!

Love you plenty!

Mary Ikoku