Otunba Yemi Carrington, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, goes into work one Saturday and realizes that all twenty-eight employees in his top litigation firm have resigned. As he figures out how to keep his law firm afloat, he uncovers a secret organisation of young lawyers, the eponymous yNBA, formed as a counter-group to the Nigerian Bar Association.
The yNBA is a commentary on law practice in Lagos that is anchored on its very relateable characters and very real stories. It tells of the oppression that pervades the legal profession and captures the very familiar conflict between old and new.
Winston S. Churchill is quoted as saying, “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” There are numerous people in history whose struggles are proof of the extraordinary courage they possessed. Even when every circumstance was screaming at them to quit, these people prevailed and turned their days of adversity into a lifetime of success. Here are 10 such individuals in history who succeeded against all odds.
1. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, separated from his mother at a young age, taught himself to read in secrecy, and was beaten severely when his attempts at learning were found out. He rebelled and finally escaped after numerous attempts, became the leader of the abolitionist movement gaining notoriety for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing.
Frederick Douglass, the African-American social reformer, was born in Maryland as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. It was the custom during those times to separate children born in slavery from their mother at a very young age. This happened with Douglass. At the age of twelve, his master’s wife started teaching him but stopped when his master disapproved. Then Douglass began learning to read and write in secret by observing the writings of men with whom he worked and from the White children in the neighborhood.
After being hired by a new master, Douglass began teaching other slaves at the plantation. When masters of the other slaves found out, they hit them with clubs and stones and the teaching was discontinued. Later, Douglass was sent to work for numerous masters, some of whom used to punish him severely. He rebelled and made numerous attempts to escape. On September 3, 1838, he escaped successfully by boarding a train and reached New York. There he married and adopted the second name, Douglass.
Soon, Douglass began attending abolitionist meetings and started giving eloquent speeches. He traveled to Ireland and Great Britain where he delivered lectures in churches and chapels. His powerful oratory drew masses, and the facilities were often “crowded to suffocation.” Douglass is best known for his autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. He wrote the book so eloquently that some skeptics doubted whether it was actually the work of a Black man.(source)
2. Claudius, a Roman from a noble family, suffered from several health problems throughout his life, avoided assassination of his family because nobody thought he was a threat, later he became the emperor, conquered Britain which was considered impossible at that time, and became one of the greatest rulers of ancient Rome.
Claudius was born into a Roman noble family, yet his family considered him to be an embarrassment. His unattractive appearance, ill health, and clumsy manner were the reason behind their disdain. He drooled, stammered, and limped, and even his mother thought that he was dimwitted. That’s why no one had any expectations of him, and Claudius was left to continue his own study and amusements.
As a young man, Claudius was made a consul under the reign of Caligula, his nephew. Caligula used to humiliate Claudius through practical jokes and tormented him relentlessly. Claudius’ fate changed on 24 January 41 CE, when the Praetorian guard killed Emperor Caligula and his family. They spared Claudius because no one believed the sickly-looking man to be a threat. After the murders, the palace soldiers found him behind a set of curtains, quivering and fearing for his own life. He was made emperor on January 25, the next day.
Claudius’ first act as an emperor was to execute the conspirators who assassinated Caligula. He brought law and order to the land and established peace, and soon proved to be an efficient emperor. During food riots caused by drought, he imported corn. He reclaimed some of the lost lands and expanded the empire into the Middle East and the Balkans. One of his most well-known conquests is the invasion of Britain during which he personally led the army across the English Channel and brought the island into submission.
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected US president four times even though he was paralyzed from the waist down after suffering from polio. To run for public office, he taught himself to walk a short distance using a cane while wearing iron braces and took great care to never appear in public in a wheelchair.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, also known as “FDR,” is considered one of the three greatest US presidents. He is well known for his record of winning four successive presidential elections. Despite suffering from polio since 1921, he served as the president of US from 1933 until his death.
FDR fell ill while he was vacationing with his family in Canada. The illness left him paralyzed permanently from the waist down. Since Roosevelt was intending to run for public office, he began convincing people that he was improving. Due to the paralysis, FDR had to use a wheelchair, but he made sure never to use it in public. Using his iron will, he taught himself to walk while wearing iron braces on his legs and hips. He could only walk short distances and used to appear in public standing upright while supported on one side by his sons or an aide.(source)
4. African-American track star, Wilma Rudolph, suffered scarlet fever, whooping cough, and measles, survived infantile paralysis and required a leg brace until age nine. She went on to win three Olympic gold medals and was considered the “Fastest woman on Earth.”
On June 23, 1940, a premature baby girl was born to Blanche and Ed Rudolph. They named the girl Wilma. During her childhood days, Wilma suffered from double pneumonia and scarlet fever. At the age of four, she contracted infantile paralysis caused by the poliovirus and had to wear a brace on her left leg. With the help of physical therapy and a huge determination, she overcame her disability.
At the age of seven, she began attending Cobb Elementary School in Clarksville where she played basketball. Soon she started gaining acclaim for her running abilities. Under the training of Tennessee State University track coach Ed Temple, she qualified for the 1956 Summer Olympic Games and won a bronze medal in the 400-meter relay.
After finishing high school, Wilma enrolled at Tennessee State University and began training for the next Olympics. During the 1960 Olympics, she won three golds in the 100-meter individual, 200-meter individual, and 4 x 100-meter relay respectively and became the first American woman to win three golds in a single Olympics.(1,2)
5. Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), left school at 13, lost numerous jobs, his wife left him, and at the age of 65, he retired as a failure dependent on his savings and money from social security. One day, knowing he was a good cook, he borrowed some money, fried some chicken, sold it door-to-door, founded Kentucky Fried Chicken and became a billionaire at 88.
Harland David Sanders, popularly known as “Colonel Sanders,” was born in Indiana on September 9, 1890. When he was just six years old his father died. As a result, his mother began working while he cooked and looked after his siblings. At the age of 10, he began working as a farmhand. At the age of 13, he left home and began working as horse carriage painter.
In 1906, Sanders falsified his date of birth and enlisted in United States Army. In February 1907, he was honorably discharged from the army. He then went to live with his uncle in Alabama and worked as a blacksmith’s helper, then as a cleaner at Northern Alabama Railroad, and then became a fireman. In 1909, Wilbur began working as labor at Norfolk and Western Railway. There he met and married Josephine King. But after the death of his son and losing his job again, his wife left him along with her children. Meanwhile, he began practicing law but his legal career ended after a brawl with his client in the courtroom.
At the age of 40, Sanders began running a service station in Kentucky. The service station featured fried chicken, and it was so popular that he was named a “Kentucky Colonel” in 1935. But his success was short-lived as at the age of 65 he had to sell his restaurant and was left with his savings and $105 per month from Social Security. Instead of bowing down, he borrowed some money, sold his fried chicken door to door, and finally opened a new restaurant in 1959 in Shelbyville. Soon, KFC grew in popularity and became an international success. The company’s rapid expansion overwhelmed Sanders, and he sold it in 1962 for $2 million ($15.4 million today).(1,2)ADVERTISEMENTS
6. Helen Keller went blind and deaf as a toddler but still was able to learn sign language. She also learned to speak, read lips with her hands, go to school, earn a bachelors degree (rare for any woman in her time), and became an author, political activist, and lecturer.
The story of Helen Keller, a deaf-blind American girl who overcame her disability to became a notable author and humanitarian, has inspired people throughout the world. But she was not always a deaf and blind person. Born on June 2, 1880, Keller was a healthy baby. When she was just 19 months old, she contracted an illness and lost both her hearing ability and her vision.
In 1886, six-year-old Helen Keller was allotted an instructor, 20-year old Anne Sullivan, who was herself visually impaired. In the beginning, when Sullivan began teaching her words, Keller couldn’t understand that every object has a unique word. So, she became frustrated. One day, Sullivan took Keller’s hand and began pouring water on it while on her other hand began tapping out the alphabet code of the word “water.” As Sullivan repeated the process again and again, Keller realized the relationship between the cool water on her hand and the word. This ignited her interest and before nightfall, she had learned 30 more words.
After the breakthrough, Keller began learning and soon proved to be a gifted child. By the age of 10, she mastered Braille and the manual alphabet, and could even use a typewriter. By 16, she learned to speak well enough to enroll in school and then went to Radcliff College. She graduated cum laude in 1904. Soon, the little blind and deaf girl became one of the world’s most remarkable woman. She toured various countries delivering lectures, wrote books, and dedicated her life to improving conditions for deaf and blind people throughout the world.(1 ,2)
7. Karoly Takacs, a top pistol shooter of his time, was preparing for the Olympics when one day during a training session with his army squad, his right hand was mutilated by a hand grenade. Instead of giving up, he practiced with his left hand and won a gold medal at both the 1948 and 1952 Olympics.
In 1936, a Hungarian army sergeant, Károly Takács, wanted to take part in the 1936 Summer Olympics. Even though he was a world-class pistol-shooter, he was denied the opportunity as only commissioned officers were allowed to compete. His dream of competing in the Olympics began taking shape again when this rule was lifted. So, Takács began training for 1940 Summer Olympics.
In 1938, life threw a new setback his way. During a training exercise, a defective grenade blew up his right hand and cost him half his right forearm. After being released from the hospital, Takács began training in secret. With determination and hard work, he surprised his countrymen by winning the 1939 Hungarian National Pistol Shooting championship.
But Takács’ dream of competing in Olympics still remained unfulfilled as the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games were canceled due to Second World War. His chance came during the 1948 Olympics where he won the gold medal in the 25-meter, rapid-fire pistol event. He again won the gold medal in the same category during the 1952 Olympics held in Helsinki. Takács’ amazing story of grit and determination won him a place on the list of “Olympic Heroes” of the International Olympic Committee.(source)ADVERTISEMENTS
8. Orphaned at the age of four, Paul Revere Williams, a Black man, became one of the most important architects of the Los Angeles area during the time when it was becoming a megacity and when racial exclusion was the norm across the entire country.
Paul Revere Williams was born on February 18, 1894, in Los Angeles. He lost his father when he was just two years old. His mother died two years later. Four-year-old Williams was sent to a foster home. His foster mother devoted herself to his education. In his elementary school, he was the only African-American child and everyone mixed together with little prejudice.
Williams first got the hint of racial prejudice in his high school when his teacher advised him against taking up architecture as a career since he may face difficulty in attracting clients from the White community. But with a determined faith in his own talent, Williams went ahead and pursued architecture and gained professional experience in Los Angeles’ leading firms. His outstanding achievement is also due to the fact that he mastered the skill of drawing upside down. He developed this skill so that his White clients, many of whom weren’t keen on sitting next to a Black person, could see the drawing while they sat on the other side of the table.
As Williams gained experience, his outstanding designs won him fame. He was the first Black architect who became a member of the American Institute of Architects. Williams designed the homes of numerous celebrities including Cary Grant, Lon Chaney, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Charles Correll. He designed about 2,500 buildings during his lifetime, most of which are in Los Angeles. Even today, the houses that Williams designed are in such high demand that they don’t usually come up for sale, and even if they do, they are gone within seconds.(1,2)
9. After suffering from a massive stroke at the age of 43, Jean-Dominique Bauby became entirely speechless. His mouth, arms, and legs were paralyzed, and he could only blink, yet he wrote the number-one best-selling book The Diving Bell and the Butterfly which was later adapted to produce a multiple award-winning movie.
On 8 December 1995, the life of the suave and flamboyant editor of French “Elle” magazine, Jean-Dominique Bauby, changed. He suffered a massive stroke which sent him into a deep coma. Twenty days later, he woke up to the realization that he had changed physically. He could not move a single muscle except for his left eyelid. The doctors diagnosed it as “locked-in syndrome,” a condition in which Bauby’s brain was functioning normally while his body was now in a vegetative state.
Within the first twenty weeks after the stroke, Bauby lost 27 kilograms. But nothing could dampen the indomitable spirit of this Frenchman. Laying in his hospital bed, Bauby started communicating with his children and others by blinking his eyes. He began dictating the account of his life and dreams while being trapped in a vegetative body. He dictated the letters of the words using the blink of his left eye which was then noted. Using this method, he composed and edited a complete book, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. The book was published on 7 March 1997, and went on to become a bestseller and was later adapted into a critically acclaimed film.(1,2)
10. Abraham Lincoln faced many hardships during his childhood and a number of failures during his later years. These included losing jobs, failed businesses, demotion in the army, and losing elections eight times before he became the President of the United States.
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, is considered as one of the greatest presidents in the history of US. His life, both before and after becoming president, is an inspiration for all.
When Lincoln was just nine years old, he lost his mother. In those times, he was considered lazy as he disliked physical labor which was associated with frontier life and preferred reading and writing. Lincoln left his father’s home in 1831. At the age of 23, he bought a general store on credit but sold his share as the business struggled. In March 1832, he began his political career and campaigned for the Illinois General Assembly but finished eighth among thirteen candidates. Then he became interested in law. So, he started studying law books and observing court sessions. In 1834, he won a seat in the state legislature.
In 1835, Lincoln’s romantic interest, Ann Rutledge, died leaving him heartbroken, and he suffered a nervous breakdown. He picked himself up, and in 1836, he got admission to the Illinois bar and began practicing law. Between 1840 to 1845, Lincoln suffered numerous political defeats. In 1846, he ran for Congress and won. In 1849, he tried for the position of Commissioner of the General Land Office but was rejected. Between 1850 to 1858, he lost numerous other elections. Finally, in 1860, his undaunted determination brought him success, and Abraham Lincoln became the president of United States.
It’s good to know some recipes for easy exotic meals. Incorporating recipes from different cultures in your diet is the opportunity to try wonderfully different and new ingredients that continue to get easier to buy. When you know some easy exotic meals, it opens you up to adventure and testing your palate so you may even find yourself in search of more complicated recipes involving unusual or uncommon ingredients.↓ NEXT ↓
This is one of the easy exotic meals that tastes so much better than you can ever imagine. For anyone who claims to not like lentils, I advise them to give this a try. You never knew lentils could taste so good. Delicious with some naan bread as a main or as a side with protein.
Ingredients to serve 4 • 8 oz red lentils • 1 tsp turmeric • 1 tsp ground cumin • 1 onion • 1 tbsp sunflower oil • ¼ tsp salt • Coriander (optional)
Method Bring the lentils to boil in 800 ml of water (no more!). A few minutes after it starts to boil, skim off any scum then add turmeric and salt. Turn down the heat and cook on low for 15 minutes until the lentils have the consistency of a thick soup. In a skillet, heat the oil and add the cumin. Leave on a very low heat while you peel and finely chop the onion. Then add the onion to the skillet and cook until golden brown. Add the onions to the lentils but do not stir. Cover lentil pan and cook for a further 5 minutes. Stir and serve. Chop fresh coriander to sprinkle on as a garnish.↓ NEXT ↓
Summer rolls are the perfect warm weather meal either at home or on a picnic and are fun to make too. Once you get the hang of this easy recipe and the rolling, you can start with your own combinations. You can ramp these up quite simply with some fresh shrimp or shredded chicken or pork. Ingredients for 10 rolls • ½ packet rice or glass noodles, cooked as per instructions • 12 rice paper wrappers • 10 Bibb lettuce leaves • 10 fresh basil leaves • 1 cup finely shredded carrot • 1 cup cucumber cut into thin strips (Persian cuces are best) • 1 cup bean sprouts Method Put 1 inch of warm water in a large shallow bowl. Dip 1 sheet of rice paper into the water until it is soft and moist (5-10 seconds). Put the sheet onto a chopping board. Put 1 lettuce leaf and 1 basil leaf in the center of the sheet, followed by one-tenth of each the noodles, bean sprouts, carrot and cucumber (now is the point to add any extras). To make the roll, first fold the edge closest to you over the filling. Fold over the 2 sides so the only open side is the one away from you. Now roll tightly from the front to close the roll. Press seam down and seal with some warm water if necessary. Put aside and cover (lightly damp kitchen paper is good.) Repeat until you have 10 rolls. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.↓ NEXT ↓
Not many easy exotic recipes are found in Japanese cook books. Despite their simplistic looks, Japanese dishes rely on complex flavoring. A nice easy one packed with flavor however, is Chawan Mushi Ingredients to serve 4 • 2 cups water (warm) • 2 tsp instant dashi powder • ¼ cup coarsely chopped salted and roasted cashew nuts • 4oz lump crab meat • 4 shitake mushrooms • 1 scallion • 3 eggs • Steamer basket Method Firstly remove the caps from the mushrooms then slice them very thinly. Cut the scallion into thin matchsticks. Dissolve the dashi powder in the warm water in a bowl, whisking until it is dissolved. Allow the sediment to settle and then pour the clear dashi through a tea strainer into a jug. Crack the eggs into a bowl and blend the whites and yolks together with a pair of chopsticks. Add the dashi and stir and transfer the mix back to the jug, again through a tea strainer (or fine sieve). Share the cashews between 4 shallow bowls followed by ¼ of the dashi mix. Wrap each bowl in plastic. Sit gently in the steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 14-18 minutes until the mix is set. Remove from steamer and put in fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. When ready to serve, take the plastic wrap off, and divide the crab, mushrooms and scallion between the 4 bowls. Serve.↓ NEXT ↓
Teriyaki is the perfect glaze for a salmon fillet or a chunky piece of cod or any meaty flaky white fish. Ingredients to serve 4 • ¼ cup light brown sugar • ¼ cup soy sauce • 1½ tbsp cornstarch • 3 tbsp rice vinegar • 4 chunky fish fillets Method Preheat the broiler. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of cold water. Put the brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and dissolved cornstarch into a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil whisking until the mixture thickens to form a glossy glaze (about 2 mins). Dip each fillet in the glaze so it gets a good coating. Put each fillet on a foil-lined baking sheet. Put the fish under the broiler until it is cooked through, basting with extra glaze 2-3 times. When cooked, transfer to plates and drizzle with any remaining glaze. Serve as you like!↓ NEXT ↓
If you want an interesting and tasty side dish to go with a grilled, lean protein, you can’t go wrong with this. It’s such a sexy alternative to standard slaw! I like to use a bright red pear with skin on. Ingredients to serve 4 • 1tsp sugar • 2 tsp curry powder • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar • ½ cup sour cream • ½ head Napa cabbage • 1 firm crisp pear, • 1 carrot • ¼ medium red onion • ¼ cup chopped fresh flat parsley Method First make the dressing by combining together the vinegar, sugar and curry powder in a bowl. Then add the sour cream and mix. Next prepare the slaw mix. Shred the cabbage, thinly slice the onion and julienne (cut into thin strips) the carrot and the pear. Toss together in a bowl with the parsley. Pour on the dressing just before serving and toss to coat. Season with rock salt to taste and serve.↓ NEXT ↓
This is one of my favorite easy exotic recipes – it’s perfect for summer and hot days. And I just love lychees. I often replace the cilantro with fresh mint, but not too much as it overpowers the delicate lychees and cucumber. Ingredients to serve 4 • 2 cups fresh lychees • 1 English cucumber • 2 red chilies • 3 springs cilantro • 2 limes • 1 tsp sugar • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar • Kosher salt Method Deseed and chop the chilies. Peel the lychees, pit them and cut in half. Pick the leaves off the cilantro and finely chop the stems. Zest and juice the limes. Cut the cucumber in half along its length. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon then cut into ¼ inch chunks. Put cucumber in a bowl with lychees, chilies and cilantro stems. Add the vinegar, lime zest, lime juice sugar and a good pinch of salt to the bowl and toss to combine. When ready to serve, garnish with the cilantro leaves.↓ NEXT ↓
Packed full of nutrients but rather bland in flavor on their own, you can really zjoosh up chickpeas with curry seasonings. And you can go as hot as you like with the curry. Ingredients to serve 4 • 19 oz can chickpeas • 1 cup stock (chicken or vegetable) • 1 tsp sunflower oil • ½ onion • 1 carrot • 1 garlic clove • 2 tbsp curry powder • 4 fresh plum tomatoes • 1 tbsp butter • 1 tbsp sugar • Salt Method Peel and chop the carrot and the onion. Finely chop the garlic clove. Chop up the tomatoes. Put the oil in a sauté pan on a medium heat then add the onion and sweat until translucent. Add the garlic and the carrot to the pan and stir. After 2-3 minutes add the curry powder and mix well. Add just a splash of the stock to deglaze the pan and then add the tomatoes and the chickpeas. Stir together and then add the rest of the stock. Bring the pan to a simmer and then cover. Cook for 10 minutes until the peas are tender. Add the sugar and salt to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Serve.
In the last 150 years, women’s roles have changed dramatically across the world. With strong women like Susan B. Anthony and Rosa Parks fighting for equality, women today can be just about anything they set their minds to.
While work is still being done for equal rights for all, let’s take a look at just a few of the women who broke down huge barriers during their lifetimes.
Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, a woman of many firsts
Hon. Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar has had many ‘firsts’. She is the first female lawyer from Northern Nigeria, the first female judge of the High Court in Kano State Judiciary, the first female Justice of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, the first female Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and most notably, the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Aloma Mariam Mukhtar
She was sworn-in as the Chief Justice of Nigeria in 2012 by then President, Goodluck Jonathan. She had her induction into the Nigerian Hall of Fame in 2005.
Shirley Chisholm fought for racial and gender equality as the first African-American woman in Congress.
Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm broke barriers in American politics as the first African-American woman in Congress during a time of extreme discrimination in the United States. She started her career as a nursery school teacher and earned her master’s degree in elementary education from Columbia University in 1951.
In 1969, Chisholm ran and won a seat in Congress, where she ultimately served seven terms. During her time in Congress, she earned the nickname “Fighting Shirley” for her passionate work for racial and gender equality. She went on to be the first woman and African-American person to run for president of the United States under a major political party in 1972.
Zainab Bulkachuwa, Nigeria’s First Female President of the Court of Appeal
Zainab Bulkachuwa
Born March 5, 1950 Hon. Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa was called to the bar in 1976. She is the first female Chief Registrar and first female High Court judge in Bauchi State of Nigeria. When Gombe State was created, she was the first Chief Judge of Gombe State, first female Acting President of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal and later the first female substantive President of the Court of Appeal.
Malala Yousafzai continues to fight for the right of all girls to go to school.
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai grew up in Pakistan, where the Taliban took control. Girls were no longer allowed to go to school, and many schools were being destroyed.
At just 11 years old, Yousafzai began to speak out against the Taliban on a blog and documented her experiences. After receiving some recognition for her work, at the age of 15, she was shot in the head by the Taliban on her way home from school in 2012.
After her recovery in the United Kingdom, Yousafzai started the Malala Fund, a charity that fights for girls’ education. In 2014, she became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner at just 17 years old.
Today, there are still more than 130 million girls not in school. Yousafzai continues to break ground with her work across the world.
Marie Curie groundbreaking discoveries led to the use of radiation to treat illness.
Marie Curie
Marie Curie became a world-renowned physicist during a time when women weren’t regarded for these types of roles.
Born in Poland, Curie left Warsaw in 1891 to study physics and mathematics at the Sorbonne in Paris. There, she met her husband Pierre Curie, who together began researching the separation of radium from radioactive residues. Their work covering radioactivity earned them the Nobel Prize for Physics.
After her husband died in 1906, Curie threw herself into her career, and she became the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne. She later earned a second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry for her work in isolating pure radium.
Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, and she’s still the only woman to win Nobel Prizes in two different areas. Her groundbreaking work advanced the use of radiation to treat illness and furthered research around nuclear physics.
Junko Tabei broke gender stereotypes as the first woman to climb to Mount Everest’s summit.
Junko Tabei
Not only was Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei the first woman to ever climb to Mount Everest’s summit, but she also was the first woman to complete the Seven Summits — climbing the tallest mountain on every continent.
Tabei formed the Ladies’ Climbing Club in 1969, an all-woman mountaineering club that would eventually make the trek up Mount Everest together in 1975.
While Tabei’s accomplishment of climbing Mount Everest was huge on its own, her Ladies’ Climbing Club broke barriers in Japan where at the time it was believed that women should just be caring for their families.
Frida Kahlo’s art celebrated the female form and Mexican culture.
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo overcame a debilitating injury and tumultuous marriage to become one of Mexico’s most famous painters.
In 1925, she was in a bus accident that required her to have over 30 surgeries during her lifetime. But it was during her recovery that she learned to paint.
By the 1930s, Kahlo’s marriage was suffering. Her husband was having an affair with Kahlo’s sister, while Kahlo was also having extramarital affairs with both men and women, and the couple divorced.
Despite her personal struggles, Kahlo is best known for her surrealist self-portraits that celebrate both the female form and Mexican culture. Today, she is heralded as a feminist and LGBTQ icon.
Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space.
Russian Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to ever go to space. While working in a textile mill, Tereshkova joined a parachuting club, where she made 150 parachute jumps. With her experience from parachuting, she wrote a letter to the space center asking if she could join.
Valentina Tereshkova
The Soviet space officials were already putting together a group of women for the next cosmonaut team. In 1961, they decided to choose Tereshkova to join the next group of people to go to space. After rigorous training, she was launched into space for a 70-hour-and-50-minute flight that resulted in 45 revolutions around the earth.
Katherine Johnson’s keen mathematics skills helped put people in space.
Katherine Johnson
Mathematician Katherine Johnson used her exceptional calculation skills to assess the flight paths of spacecraft for NASA. Prior to her work in the space industry, Johnson one of the first three African American students to be accepted into the graduate program at West Virginia University in 1939. Soon after, she got married and started a family, putting her mathematics career on hold.
In 1953, Johnson began working for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which was still segregated at the time. Her work analyzing flight tests led to her joining the Space Task Group for what would become NASA later that year. She did trajectory analysis for the first human spaceflight and ran calculations personally for John Glenn’s orbital mission.
During her 33-year career, she was the first woman in her division to receive credit for a research report, and she went on to author or co-author 26 research papers. Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama in 2015.
Madam C.J. Walker became the first female self-made millionaire in the US.
Madam C.J. Walker
Madam C.J. Walker created her own line of hair care products in 1905, which led to her becoming the first female self-made millionaires in the United States. Her business started after she invented a treatment for her own hair loss, and she began selling it as the Walker system.
Bessie Coleman escaped poverty and discrimination to become the African American female pilot. After hearing the exciting stories from pilots returning from World War I, Coleman decided she was going to learn to fly.
It was nearly impossible for a woman to earn her pilot’s license in the United States during this time, so Coleman went to France to learn in 1920.
When she returned to the United States a year later with her international pilot’s license, she was met with fanfare and celebration. She used her newfound fame to promote equality. Coleman would decline airshows that wouldn’t admit African American people, and she encouraged other African American people to learn to fly.
Kathy Switzer was the first woman to officially complete the Boston Marathon.
Kathy Switzer
In 1967, Kathy Switzer became the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon as a registered runner. The year prior, another woman completed the race but hadn’t entered since it. Switzer became determined to enter and finish the Boston Marathon despite pushback from her coach, boyfriend, and others.
She entered the race using just her initials and received mostly positive comments from other male runners. Once race officials realized a woman was running, they found her on the course and tried to rip her race bib off her shirt. She continued on and ultimately finished the race with her coach by her side.
Susan B. Anthony dedicated her life to fighting for women’s suffrage.
Suffragist Susan B. Anthony dedicated her life’s work to getting women the right to vote. After spending 15 years as a teacher, she joined the abolishment movement and temperance rallies. She wasn’t allowed to speak at the rallies because she was a woman, so she ultimately joined the women’s rights movement in 1852.
Susan B. Anthony
In 1872, it took a turn when Anthony was arrested for voting, which brought attention to the movement. She continued to speak out for women’s suffrage, gathering signatures for petitions, and lobbying in Congress up until her death in 1906.
She died just a few years shy of the passage of the 19th amendment, which finally gave women the right to vote.
Rosa Parks became a symbol of the civil rights movement.
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks is best known for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus in a segregated Alabama. Prior to this moment, Parks worked as a seamstress while joining her local chapter of the NAACP. On December 1, 1955, Parks became the face of the modern civil rights movement when she was arrested for not giving her bus seat to a white man.
This was a catalyst for the civil rights movement and African Americans began boycotting the buses for just over an entire year. In November 1956, the US Supreme Court ruled bus segregation unconstitutional.
Parks’ work as the “mother of the civil rights movement” left a lasting legacy on the fight for equality in the United States and earned her the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999.
Nancy Pelosi was the first female Speaker of the House.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) holds her weekly news conference with Capitol Hill reporters in Washington, U.S., May 23, 2019. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan
Nancy Pelosi
Known now for her strength and grit as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi has worked hard to get to this point.
Her early political involvement began while living in San Francisco with her family, where she was a volunteer Democratic organizer with a knack for fundraising.
She eventually served on the Democratic National Committee and went on to run for California’s 12th District Congressional seat, just narrowly winning the first election.
After she proved herself in her first term, she continued to be reelected and hold her ground in Washington D.C. She was known to use her stern voice to unite the moderates and liberals of her party to join together.
In 2002, Pelosi was elected as the minority whip. Later that year, she was elected as the minority leader, and in 2003, went on to be the first woman to lead a party in Congress.
Alain Leroy Locke circa 1918 in his doctoral cap and gown from Harvard University.National Museum of American History
First Black Rhodes Scholar
Alain LeRoy Locke was an American philosopher, educator and writer. After obtaining an undergraduate degree from Harvard University, Locke became the first Black Rhodes Scholar. He later returned to the U.S. to complete his doctoral studies at Harvard where he got a PhD in philosophy in 1918.
Locke later earned the title “Father of the Harlem Renaissance,” the period of social, cultural and artistic rebirth that took place in Harlem, New York, throughout the 1920s to the mid-1930s.
Locke continued to mold minds at Howard University as the Philosophy department chair, a role he would keep until his retirement in 1953. In fact, there is a New York City school, Alain L. Locke Magnet School for Environmental Stewardship, named after the educator.
Alexander L. Twilight
Alexander L. Twilight, Middlebury College Alumnus, Class of 1823.Middlebury College Archives
First Black person to graduate from a U.S. college
Alexander Twilight grew up in Corinth, Vermont during the turn of the 18th century where he worked on a neighbor’s farm while learning to read and write. He was able to finally put himself through school at Randolph’s Orange County Grammar School at the age of 20. Six years later he transferred as a junior to Vermont’s Middlebury College, where he graduated from in 1823, becoming the first Black person to earn a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college.
Twilight went on to become a teacher, molding the minds of students for generations to come. In 1836, during a stint teaching in Brownington, Vermont, he became part of the state legislature.
Bessie Coleman
Bessie Coleman is pictured on Jan. 24, 1923.George Rinhart / Corbis via Getty Images
First Black civilian to become a licensed pilot
Bessie Coleman was born in Atlanta, Texas, in 1892 and grew up in a family of 13 children. Coleman had dreams of soaring through the air, so she went to France in 1919 to find a flight school willing to teach her.
When she returned to the U.S. in 1921 — as the first Black civilian to be a licensed pilot in the world — Coleman was met with press coverage and attention. She used her platform to do events, like parachute jumps, and give lectures, all with the aim of opening an African-American flying school. Coleman would only perform for desegregated crowds. She died in 1926 during a test flight.
Dr. Charles Hamilton Houston
Dr. Charles Hamilton Houston ca. 1931.Addison N. Scurlock, ca. 1931. Scurlock Studio Records, ca. 1905-1994, Archives Center / National Museum of American History
First Black editor of Harvard Law Review
Charles Hamilton Houston went to Amherst and taught English at Howard University before attending Harvard Law School, where he would make history. Houston started law school in the fall of 1919 and in 1922 he became the first Black editor of the Harvard Law Review.
As a lawyer he went on to play a role in a majority of the civil rights cases before the Supreme Court between 1930 and the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954. In fact his work working to dismantling the Jim Crow laws earned him the name “The Man Who Killed Jim Crow.”
Federal Judge Constance Baker Motley on Sept. 9, 1966.Eddie Adams / AP
First Black women to become a federal judge
When Constance Baker Motley was 15 she was turned away from a public beach because she was Black and it sparked her interest in civil rights. After obtaining her law degree from Columbia Law School, Motley went on to represent Martin Luther King Jr. as a young lawyer and become a law clerk for Thurgood Marshall.
She took an interest in politics and because the first Black woman to serve in the New York Senate, but her political career was cut short when she became the first Black woman to be appointed a federal judge in 1966.
Eugene Jacques Bullard
Eugene Jacques Bullard during his flight training.Courtesy of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
First Black combat pilot
Georgia native Eugene Jacques Bullard, born in 1895, was unhappy with his life in the U.S. and fled to Europe in 1912. Bullard joined the French Foreign Legion after the start of World War I and enlisted in the French flying service after betting a friend on leave he could despite being Black.
In 1916, Bullard entered Aeronautique Militaire, French Air Force where he became the first Black military pilot to fly in combat. He was also only Black American pilot in World War I, although he never flew for the U.S.
Fritz Pollard
Brown University halfback Fritz Pollard is seen in 1916.Pro Football Hall Of Fame/NFL / AP
First Black NFL coach
Fritz Pollard was small, but he loved football and went on to have a historic football career at Brown University. Pollard played before attending the Ivy League school, but being on the university’s team put him on the map. Many firsts were ahead of him, starting with being the first Black player to be selected for the Walter Camp All-America team and play in the Rose Bowl.
He went on to join the American Professional Football League — which later became the NFL — as a member of the Akron Pros in 1920. Pollard faced adversity and racism at every turn, but he persevered and became the first Black coach when he took the reins of the Pros a year after the team won their first title.
Gwendolyn Brooks
American writer Gwendolyn Brooks poses with her first book of poems titled “A Street in Bronzeville,” 1945, in this undated photo.AP
First Black author to win Pulitzer Prize
Gwendolyn Brooks was a writer who was recognized for her work in poetry. Her poems, like those in her book “A Street in Bronzeville,” were about the black experience in America at the time. In 1950, Brooks won a Pulitzer Prize for her book of poetry “Annie Allen.” The award made her the first Black author to win the prestige prize.
Brooks wrote several other works before passing away in 2000, “Maud Martha,” “We Real Cool” and “Blacks. She is one of the most highly regarded poets of 20th-century American poetry.
Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks in Hollywood on April 4, 1968.Associated Press
First Black director of Hollywood studio film
Gordon Parks did not begin his career as a filmmaker until he was 55, after a long career as a photographer and writer. In fact, he was the first Black staff photographer at Life Magazine. Parks signed a contract to make 1969’s “The Learning Tree,” earning him a place in history as the first Black director of a Hollywood studio film.
Park followed the film up with movies including 1971’s “Shaft,” one of the first Blaxploitation films. Famous filmmakers like Spike Lee and John Singleton have referred to Park’s achievement as inspiration for their own careers. Singleton directed the 2000 remake of “Shaft,” starring Samuel L. Jackson.
Joseph Rainey of South Carolina is pictured ca. 1865.Buyenlarge / Getty Images
First Black person to win seat in U.S. House of Representatives
Joseph Rainey, a South Carolina native, was called to serve the Confederate Army during the Civil War. In 1862, he fled the United States with his wife and went to Bermuda, where the couple accumulated a notable amount of wealth.
When he returned to the U.S. years later, Rainey utilized his new status to become an active participant in the Republican Party. He won a seat in the North Carolina state senate in 1870 and went on to become the first Black person to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.
William Carney
Sgt. William Carney is seen circa 1900.Library of Congress
First Black Medal of Honor recipient
William Carney was a member of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry during the Civil War. Carney and his fellow soldiers were in the Battle of Fort Wagner in July of 1863. When his regiment’s color bearer was shot down during the battle, an already wounded Carney struggled to retrieve the banner himself. As he brought the flag back to his fellow soldiers, Carney was shot several more times. For his heroic actions the soldier received a Medal of Honor, making him the first Black soldier to receive the honor.
Marian Anderson
American contralto Marian Anderson performs circa 1945.Hulton Archive / Getty Images
First Black artist to join the Metropolitan Opera
Born in Philadelphia, Marian Anderson was a staple at her church’s choir starting at a very young age. She traveled around with her choir performing, which led to increased notary in the community. Other churches asked her to sing at their events, including the National Baptist Convention in 1919. When Anderson was unable to afford formal training, her church held a fundraiser to get the necessary funds.
The remarkable civilization of the Nok was first discovered in 1928 when a wealth of unique terracotta artefacts was unearthed by tin miners in the southern part of Kaduna state in central Nigeria. Since then, extensive archaeological excavations and research into the Nok have revealed that they may have been the first complex civilization in West Africa, existing from at least 900 BC until their mysterious disappearance in around 200 AD.
The Nok were an extremely advanced society, with one of the most complex judicial systems of the time, and the earliest producers of life-sized terracotta in the Sub-Sahara. Archaeologists have also found stone tools, rock paintings and iron implements, including fearsome spear points, bracelets, and small knives.
Terracotta Statues
But by far the most enigmatic and intriguing aspect of the Nok Culture were their Terracotta statues, described by the mémoire d’afrique, which houses a gallery of the statues , as “extraordinary, astonishing, ageless, timeless and almost extraterrestrial”.
The figures, which date back to at least 500 BC, are almost always people with large, mostly elongated heads with almond-shaped hollow looking eyes are parted lips. These unusual features are particularly perplexing considering that the statues have been constructed accurately with relative proportions of the head, body and feet, leading some to use the term ‘extraterrestrial-looking’ when describing them.
Microscopic inspection of the clay used in the terracotta shows it to be remarkably uniform over the whole Nok area, suggesting that the clay came from a single, yet-undiscovered source. Not much is known about the purposes of these peculiar sculptures but some theories have suggested they were used as charms to prevent crop failure, illness and infertility, while others have suggested that they represent high status individuals who were worshipped by the people.
However, the construction of life-sized statues isn’t the only evidence of the advancement of their society. Research has revealed that the Nok people had a highly developed system of administration to ensure law and order.
Judicial System
It is a known fact that the Nok’s judicial system pre-dates the western judicial system. The Nok people created classes of courts used for adjudicating cases from minor civil cases, such as family disputes and false allegations, to criminal cases such as stealing, murder and adultery. The people believed that every crime attracts a curse which was capable of destroying whole family and therefore must be uncovered to avoid the consequences.
The suspect was brought before an open court for traditional oath taking, which involved standing between two monoliths facing the sun, the most supreme god called Nom. The suspect then swore to tell the truth. Cases that cannot be resolved in the open court are taken to the high court which sits within an enclosed shrine.
The court was presided over by the Chief Priest and various clan heads. Anyone found guilty was fined goats and chicken for sacrifice to the gods and local wine for the chief priest. The town would then declare a day of celebration on which the people would thank the gods for their graces in successfully resolving the issue and averting doom for the people.
Disappearance
A sharp drop in the volume of pottery and terracotta in soil layers suggests that the once-thriving Nok population declined fairly rapidly and no evidence can be found of their existence after 200 AD, nor has any evidence been found which suggests a reason for their disappearance. Some have suggested that overexploitation of natural resources and a heavy reliance on charcoal may have played a role, while others have said it could have been any number of different possibilities including climate change, a pandemic, invasion, epidemic or famine.
The Nok civilization left a remarkable cultural legacy for the people that followed after them, but there are still many unanswered questions about the Nok, from why they disappeared to the true purpose and nature of the unique and mysterious terracotta statues.
The minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has come hard at the immediate past managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Ms Joy Nunieh as a temperamental woman unable to hold down a husband.
Responding to the allegations levelled against him by Ms Nunieh, the minister in an interview confessed that she was not sacked because of corruption but for insubordination and believing that she was higher than him.
Ms Nunieh is a close political and family associate of President Muhammadu Buhari who has had a relationship with the first family for many years before the All Progressives Congress, APC came to power.
Ms Nunieh who was removed by Akpabio as managing director but kept as a member of the commission’s Interim Management Committee, IMC had on Friday accused Akpabio of corruption, coercing her to take oats among other indiscretions.
However, responding in an interview on Arise Television, to her allegation, Akpabio asked her “to go to the hospital; see a doctor; get some injection and relax.”
“I am not saying anything is wrong with her. But something is wrong with her temperament. You do not need to ask me. But you ask about four other husbands she married.
“She was not relieved of her appointment because of corruption. But she was relieved of her appointment because of insubordination. My ministry that supervised her wrote seven letters to her. She never responded. And then she said she was bigger than the Minister of Niger Delta.”
Akpabio in the interview lamented that the NDDC became a place where stakeholders used to make money for elections. He, however, said that after making the money they never won the elections because it was ill-gotten money.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit asking the Federal High Court, Abuja to “direct and compel 36 state governors to use public funds budgeted for security votes, and life pensions for former governors to fund healthcare facilities and to address the impact of COVID-19 on millions of Nigerians, as well as publish details of spending on COVID-19 in their respective states.”
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/757/2020 filed last Friday, SERAP is seeking: “an order for leave to apply for judicial review and an order of mandamus to direct and compel the 36 state governors to disclose how much they have individually collected from the Federal Government as COVID-19 support, from private donations and other sources, as well as details of spending of any such funds and donations.”
SERAP is also seeking: “a declaration that the failure of the 36 state governors to respond in a satisfactory way to SERAP’s requests amount to a fundamental breach of the FoI Act, the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended), and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
The suit followed SERAP’s Freedom of Information (FoI) requests dated 25 April 2020, expressing concern that: “many state governors are spending scarce state resources to pay themselves security votes and their predecessors life pensions rather than using public funds to effectively respond to COVID-19 by investing in and improving public healthcare facilities in their states.”
The organization revealed that only two governors—Kaduna State governor, Mr Nasir El-Rufai and Kwara State governor, Mr Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq—responded to its FoI requests. While “governor El-Rufai claimed that the FoI is inapplicable in Kaduna state, governor Abdulrazaq stated that the information requested by SERAP is protected from disclosure by the FoI.”
Governor El-Rufai claimed: “The FoI is binding only on the Federal Government and its agencies, the Federal Capital Territory, and the states that choose to domesticate it. We are therefore not bound to respond to your request using the threat of an FoI Act that is inapplicable in our State.”
Governor El-Rufai also said: “Should you choose to rephrase your request as a citizen or voter in Kaduna, to whom we are accountable under OGP commitments, I will direct the relevant departments of government to respond. Our version of FoI is with the State House of Assembly for domestication.”
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in his own response to SERAP said: “the category of the information you requested is protected from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.”
But SERAP in the suit said: “By a combined reading of the FoI Act, the Nigerian Constitution, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which is applicable throughout the country, governors El-Rufai and Abdulrazaq and other 34 governors ought to be compelled to invest in healthcare facilities, and to tell Nigerians how they are spending COVID-19 funds and donations in their states.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its counsel, Kolawole Oluwadare and Atinuke Adejuyigbe read, in part: “The 36 governors have a responsibility to act in the interest of Nigerian citizens and residents in their states under the Code of Conduct for Public Officers [Fifth Schedule Part 1] of the Nigerian Constitution, and Oath of Office of Governor of a State in Seventh Schedule to the Constitution.”
“The crux of SERAP’s argument is better expressed in the following questions: What is the economic benefit of appropriation of security votes and pension to former governors and deputy governors to the citizens of Nigeria during a pandemic? Why should the governors spend so much on a relatively negligible percentage of the population at the expense of the majority of the citizens?”
“The office of a governor is created by Section 176 of the Constitution, and the governors are vested with powers to act as members of the executive pursuant to Section 5[2] and [3] of the Constitution. These statutory functions, among other duties of the governors, are guided by rules including the Oath of Office of Governor of a State.”
“The oath of office of governors is integral to the honest performance of their functions in the public interest. The oath is considered of such importance that Section 185[1] of the Constitution provides that the governors can perform their respective official functions only after taking the oath of office.”
“It can be inferred that appropriation of hundreds of millions of Naira for security votes and payment of pensions to former governors in the face of glaring socio-economic effects of COVID-19 on citizens and residents can only be in the personal interests of the governors and their colleagues, in clear conflict with public interest and well-being and prosperity of the country and its people.”
“Majority of Nigerians continue to live in poverty and without access to basic necessities of life such as healthcare, and clean water, as established by the National Bureau of Statistics in its 2019 Report.”
“The unconscionable allocations to security votes and pensions for former governors are happening at a critical time that Nigeria requires urgent infrastructural development to lift itself out of the quagmire of poverty and underdevelopment in response to the harsh realities of COVID-19 pandemic on the people.”
“The 36 governors ought to be directed and compelled to use the budgets for security votes and life pensions for former governors to improve the healthcare facilities in their respective states, provide palliatives and reliefs, and to address the impact of COVID-19 on citizens and residents of their respective states.”
“The 36 governors ought to be directed and compelled to provide details of palliatives and reliefs that they have provided to the most vulnerable people, including the list of beneficiaries, details of what they are doing to improve testing for COVID-19, isolation centres, as well as ensure safe protective equipment for health workers.”
“The 36 governors ought to be directed and compelled to provide details of what they are doing to ensure full respect for human rights of everyone and access to justice for victims of human rights violations and abuses during and linked to COVID-19, as well as any support they are providing to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to improve its capacity to respond to COVID-19.”
“This suit is of public concern as it bothers on issues of national interest, public welfare and interest, social justice, good governance, transparency and accountability. The right to truth allows Nigerians to gain access to information on what their state governments have done or are doing to cushion the socio-economic effects of COVID-19 on Nigerians.”
Mr Ayo Olowonihi was a level 17 officer at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Commandant (Director) of the commission’s academy in 2015 when Ibrahim Magu was appointed Acting Chairman of EFCC. After putting in almost 15 years in the service of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), he had elected to retire voluntarily, and later joined the EFCC.
Following the exit of Ibrahim Larmode, Olowonihi was one of those in the commission who were eminently qualified to replace him. He ostensibly lobbied for the top job. Magu, then Director of Operations under Lamorde, also lobbied for the job through the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA). As luck would have it, Magu was chosen to replace Larmode.
Little did Olowonihi know that his ambition to replace Lamorde did not go down well with Magu. For daring to nurse the ambition to become EFCC chairman, Olowonihi must be taught a lesson.
After trying unsuccessfully to get an operative of the commission to lie against him, checking through his records to try to find anything that could be used against him, and finding nothing, and after inquiring from his former employer, NDLEA, if he did any wrong that could be used to nail him and also finding nothing, Magu caused a phony query to be issued to Olowonihi.
In the query dated December 22, 2015, Olowonihi was accused of sponsoring negative publications against the EFCC in an online medium. He did not only deny the allegations but said he was the first person to draw the attention of Larmode to the publications since he was the chairman when the said reports were published. Olowonihi said his emails and bank accounts were investigated, but nothing incriminating or linking him to the publications was found. Yet, he was arrested, detained, and forced to make statements under caution. Not satisfied, Magu caused a suspension letter to be issued to him to enable the commission investigate the allegations against him, citing a defective EFCC Staff Regulations Handbook 2007.
The suspension letter was dated December 29, 2015. Since that day, the commission had stopped his salaries and he had been subjected to untold hardship. While the suspension lasted, entreaties were made to Magu to recall him, but Magu could not be bothered.More in Home
Then two years after, on November 15, 2017, Magu caused a letter of reinstatement to be issued to him, but attached some onerous conditions. They included forfeiture of his salaries for the two years he was on suspension, writing a letter of apology to Magu, swearing to an oath of secrecy, downgrading to level 16 from level 17, writing an undertaking to be of good conduct, and deployment to work in Magu’s office.
The conditions were not only onerous, they were also humiliating. Olowonihi rejected them and issued a notice to commence a court action against the commission, an option he said he didn’t want to take in the interest of the commission.
In its judgement, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Abuja reversed his demotion. Justice Musa Kado, who delivered the judgement, ordered Olowonihi to be reinstated as Detective Commandant, Grade Level 17, after he set aside a letter of reinstatement, which had downgraded him to Grade Level 16, for being illegal, null and void.
Olowonihi had asked the court to declare his demotion as well as the processes that led to it as illegal, unlawful, null and void. The claimant, in a 62-paragraph oath deposed in support of the suit, said he was not given fair hearing before disciplinary action was taken against him.
Among the issues raised for determination before the court were whether the EFCC Staff Regulations Handbook 2007 used for the discipline of the claimant was validly made, having not been approved by the commission.
Kado decided all three issues raised for determination in favour of the claimant. He held that the fact that the EFCC Regulation Handbook, which guides the appointment and disciplinary procedures of employees, had not been approved by the commission rendered it invalid. “Failure of the defendant’s counsel to produce approval by the commission means it is either not in existence or it will not be in the favour of the defendant,” he said.
Kado further noted that while the absence of signature on the document might not necessarily make it invalid, there was no commencement date to show when it actually came into force. He held that the approval of the draft by the chairman did not amount to approval by the commission, which had been empowered by law to do so.
The judge accordingly held that the purported regulation handbook used for the suspension and subsequent demotion was not valid and as such null and void.
The court having declared as invalid EFCC’s handbook for lacking approval of the commission, agreed with the submission of the counsel to the claimant, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), that the defendant did not comply with the Public Service Rules, the applicable regulation on disciplinary matters affecting the claimant, who was a Director on GL 17. He said section 9 (2b) of the Act establishing the EFCC provided that until there was a regulation in place guiding the appointment, discipline and dismissal of employees of the commission, the civil service rule shall continue to be in force.
Kado held that while the chairman of the commission or the secretary had the right to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the claimant, it was the commission that had the power to sanction after due consultation with the Federal Civil Service Commission.
Similarly, on the issue of fair hearing, the judge agreed with the claimant that the fact that he was not given the opportunity to defend himself before the ad hoc committee set up to investigate him and two others rendered the whole exercise a nullity.
“There is a violation of natural justice,” the court held, adding, “The claimant’s appointment is statutory and can only be tampered with strict public service rule.”
He subsequently held that the letter of reinstatement downgrading the claimant to GL 16 was “nullified and set aside” and ordered the EFCC to reinstate the defendant back to his position as Detective Commandant Grade Level 17.
Kado, however, stated that the court could not order the defendant to restore the claimant as Commandant of the EFCC Academy, as the defendant had the right to deploy its personnel to any position it deemed appropriate.
Curiously, the court refused to grant the prayers of the claimant on the payment of all his salaries and allowances within the period of the suspension on the grounds that the claimant failed to prove that he was entitled to such relief.
Born in Kabba, Kogi State, Olowonihi attended the University of Jos and Lagos State University, where he obtained B.Sc. Economics (Second Class Upper Division) and Masters in Public Administration (MPA), respectively. He obtained a Post Graduate Certificate in Corruption Studies from the University of Hong Kong, Certificate on Better Governance: Managing Corruption from the Singapore Civil Service College, Certificate in Mastering Competitive Strategy and Blue Ocean Strategy from the Lagos Business School. He is also a graduate of the Policy, Strategy and Leadership (Pre-SEC) Course of the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos.
Olowonihi joined the NDLEA at its inception in 1990 and attended the first Senior Officer’s Basic Course – ANS Course 1/90. He has attended numerous professional courses and management seminars in Nigeria, Germany, Côte D’Ivoire, Senegal, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Turkey, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Switzerland.
Olowonihi has acquired diverse experiences spanning 30 years in law enforcement, investigations, anti-corruption and good governance, personnel management, training and manpower development, etc.
While in the NDLEA, Olowonihi held appointments such as Acting Director, General and Assets Investigation, NDLEA Headquarters; Acting Director, Training Research and Development; Commandant, NDLEA Academy, Jos; Zonal Commander, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Director, Abuja Liaison Services; and Commander, Kogi State Command, among others.
In February 2001, Olowonihi returned to the agency’s academy as commandant. The high point of his second tenure was the upgrading of the academy to a regional academy for drug control in West Africa. After a successful second tenure, he served briefly at the agency’s headquarters as Coordinator of the National Drug Control Strategy.
He transferred his services to the EFCC in May 2005, and served as the pioneer Deputy Director/ Head of Training at the academy. He also served as Head of the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML).
Some Nigerians believed, erroneously, that Ibrahim Magu, erstwhile Chairman of the EFCC, was a god. Or something close to a diety. Why not? He behaved like one. Magu was all-in-all to this government. He carried himself haughtily, with the lordly and supercilious swagger of a proud peacock. He was responsible to no one. Not even to Mr President. His mere shadow bludgeoned and terrorized politicians, rights Activists, critics and government dissenters. Even workers under him cringed like slaves at his sight. He was Lord of the manor, an Emperor in the form of Louis IV of France, who once stood in front of Parliament and imperiously declared, “L ‘etat c’est moi” (I am the State). His scowling and grimacing gorgon and hobgoblin face supported by a shining bald head, sent suspects and EFCC invitees to hospital beds with shivers. Blood pressure rose geometrically. He once unapologetically sweepily called all Lawyers and Judges corrupt. He spared no one with his acidic and sulphurous tongue. He daringly lashed at everyone, even members of the infamous cabal. He spat on the face of the Senate for daring to reject him the first and second time. He derided the DSS for doing its work, and writing a damming report about him, a report that said Magu had “failed the integrity test.” His fawners, flatterers, grovelers, bootlickers, all defended him. They said Magu was not corrupt. He was not even corruptible. He was a saint, an angel, sent from God’s own celestial Kingdom. Magu held every one to ransom. He held Nigeria by the jugular. His word was law. The Constitution and EFCC (Establishment) Act of 2004, meant nothing to him. My pen had dripped oceans of ink on the crude methods and unconventional ways employed by Magu in fighting corruption. One of such was a piece I wrote on 15th March, 2017, almost 2 and half years ago. I have been vindicated by events and history. As always. Now, kindly read the said write-up:
“THE LEGAL AND MORAL ISSUES OF THE SECOND AND FINAL REJECTION OF CONFIRMATION OF MAGU AS EFCC CHAIRMAN
Going by sections 2(1) and 2(3) of the EFCC Act, he ceases to be the Executive Chairman. Having left his “acting” position during his proposal to the Senate, he also loses his “acting” capacity. It is simply a bad case. The Senate is the only repository of confirmatory powers of the EFCC Chairman. And it has spoken. That is the beauty of the doctrine of separation of powers between the three Arms of government, the Executive, the legislature and the judiciary, as ably propounded by Baron de Montesque in 1748. Magu’s problem is self-inflicted from within the APC ruling party itself that is also not comfortable with the way he has carried on with his functions. The worm that kills the maize is right inside the maize. His tenure should have nothing to do with efficiency and effectiveness alone, which he apparently possesses.
The role of the number one anti-Corruption Czar should be more. It should also embody the finest and most edifying virtues of nobility in terms of observance of citizens’ fundamental rights and the all-important rule of law concept. The anti- corruption war has so far been fought without a human face, in the cruddest, most bizarre, most discriminatory and most degrading manner that diminishes the humanity and respectability of Nigerians and bring us back into the Hobesian state of nature where life was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. The anti-corruption fight has been fought in the most opaque, selective, bestial and humiliating manner, devoid of any scintilla or modicum of decency and respect for our collective and individual civil liberties and freedoms. It has all but reduced Nigeria to a one-Party state, with everyone decamping to APC, because once you do that, you are immediately and automatically protected from the inquisition of EFCC and like Naaman the leper who dipped himself into River Jordan seven times and became cleansed of his leprosy, such a decampee is immediately cleansed of his political leprosy and antecedental criminality. EFCC has been acting outside of and above the Law, contrary to its motto, using the most detestable, unorthodox, arm-twisting and extra- legal tactics to intimidate, humiliate and bamboozle hapless opponents, critics of Government, opposition elements and critical voices of reason and dissension. It should never be as bad as this.
Buhari can no longer re-present Magu’s name again, because of the serious moral burden, ethical challenges and legal impediments thus imposed on him with this second definitive rejection; this time after a full screening. Re-presenting his name will raise more questions than answers as to why the insistence on one man. This is unlike the first instance when Senate merely turned him down without any screening. That it was done shortly after the celebrated arrival of President Buhari from his medical vacation abroad makes it more interesting and more significant, as it underlines the independence of the Legislature, the Senate. It is high time PMB looked for another competent Nigerian out of about 180 million people in population. Afterall, there was once a Nuhu Ribadu, a Mrs Waziri and a Mr Ibrahim Lamorde. Like the cliche goes, “soldiers go, soldiers come, Barracks remain”.
NOW THIS
Many Nigerians, including Magu’s own staff, are currently back-slapping themselves and jubilating over his present travails. I am not. I will not, even though, he viciously came after me for criticizing him and his ways. I do not salivate over people’s problems. Because, no one knows tomorrow. But, Magu overdid things. He went too far. He crossed the Bar. He was egged on. The Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC) did not help matters. A Committee that was supposed to act as Guardian – Angel and Philosopher – King (acting discretely, seen, but not heard), trenchantly defended Magu’s blatant transgressions. Publicly. Assumed or self-christened “constitutional lawyers”, emergency “rights activists” (who know nothing about our bloody struggle for the heart and soul of beleaguered Nigeria) were recruited to defend Magu, who could do no wrong.
They even said Magu was indispensable. Because he was fighting corruption. Only Magu could fight corruption. Any criticism of his unconscionable and unorthodox arm-twisting methods was met with the refrain, “corruption is fighting back”. I refused to buy such crap, bunkum, drive.
These supporters argued that Magu could stay in office forever, notwithstanding that the Senate had twice rejected him. They relied, basking in intellectual dishonesty, on irrelevant and inapplicable section 171 of the 1999 Constitution that empowers the President to employ dispensable Ministers and aids. As against the clear provisions of section 2 (3) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, which makes it mandatory for the Senate to confirm Magu’s appointment by Mr President, before he could continue to act.
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