Great Emma's Blog

By Samson Oti     Charmacy is one of the most prestigious careers every parent would want their ward to pursue no doubt. To think that a trained pharmacist would drop all the learning of that profession for the garb of a cook is quite unthinkable. But that is the case with Oluyemi Ogedengbe. Oluyemi Ogedengbe became popular recently, when a video which had renowned Lagos Pastor, Tunde Bakare, preach on using your talent to succeed in life went viral on the internet. In it, the cleric among others, mentioned – ‘Yemi Ogedengbe’ as a trained pharmacist turned successful Caterer following her deepest passion. Interestingly, Oluyemi Ogedengbe is the founder of Double Delicious Catering Services. A fast rising brand established, July, 2009. According to her, she started out in what seems like a flourishing career as a Pharmacist. Worked for a while as a medical representative in a pharmaceutical company. Afterwards, began running her own retail pharmacy for about 10years onl...

By  Idowu Akinlotan   It is a sign of the poor administration Nigeria has been grappling with for years that common changes in service chiefs and other top appointments have become embarrassingly controversial. Such changes should ordinarily not elicit more than passing concern, but in Nigeria such personnel renovations have become causes célèbres. Few years after the last set of service chiefs were appointed, it became almost immediately controversial. Long after they had passed their usefulness, and even long after they seemed to have exceeded their efficiency point, the public began to take potshot at them, whittling down their contributions, impugning their integrity and calling to question the wisdom of the president’s appointments. All these were because both the president and the presidency refused to assume the diligence to do what was right about the replacement of the service chiefs. By allowing the issue of their appointment or dismissal become controversial, it ...

As the 2023 governorship race in Benue State gathers momentum, Uja Emmanuel , Makurdi, reports that some of Governor Ortom’s trusted aides appear set to contest    In Benue State, each civilian administration always comes with new political actors who hold the axe in decision making. From the first civilian administration of Aper Aku to Governor Samuel Ortom, some political actors wield enormous power to the extent that without them it seems nothing works. They have the ears of the governor, and whatever they tell the governor, is done. Today, Governor Ortom has few aides that he trusts and relies so much on for advice before taking decisions. It is said that if you see some of these aides then, you have seen Governor Ortom and you can go to sleep as you will get what you want or what you are looking for, and these aides constitute what you may called his kitchen cabinet and also wield enormous power in his administration because they have the ears of the governor. The...

There is tension in both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) as July 4th 2021 date fixed by the Federal High Court, Abuja, to hear the case involving former Speaker Yakubu Dogara’s seat at the House of Representatives, draws near, reports Associate Editor,  Sam Egburonu   Since the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who, in 2019, got reelected to the Green Chamber on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), there have been unending contention over his seat. When the Returning Officer for the Tafawa Balewa/Bogoro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State announced his reelection on the platform of PDP with 73,609 votes to defeat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dalhatu Kantana, who got 50,078 votes, not many observers then expected any serious contention in the near future over the seat he has occupied since 2015 and from which he emerged ...

Several efforts to reconcile the warring groups in the Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have failed as both parties refuse to shift ground based largely on lack of trust and considerations for the 2023 general elections, reports ‘ Dare Odufowokan , Assistant Editor   The internal cohesion of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may yet again be put to test in the South-West geo-political zone as its leaders and chieftains are now reportedly locked in a vicious disagreement over the alleged ambition of former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Bode George, to seek the national chairmanship position later this year. The Nation also learnt that the feud between Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and the former governor, Ayo Fayose, of Ekiti State, over the control of the party in the zone, rather than abate, is festering by the day, threatening to factionalise the opposition party ahead of the 2023 General Elections. The emerging rumble in the Southwest is complicated by...

Dr John Ekundayo is an engineer turned civil servant and Monitoring & Evaluation practitioner with the Lagos State Civil Service, where he is director, Monitoring & Evaluation Department. Ekundayo, also a senior pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), speaks on turning 60, his experience as an ‘accidental civil servant’ and why he thinks followership is a major hamper in the nation’s quest towards stability and progress. He spoke with Gboyega Alaka .   It’s a diamond celebration for you. How does it feel to be 60? It feels good. And when one looks back at the vicissitude of life, one can only give thanks to God, especially knowing my background. I feel good and gladdened to have clocked 60 years on the face of the earth. You are a director with the Monitoring & Evaluation department under the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, how would assess your years in the service so far? It was Governor Nasir El-rufai who wrote a book and ti...

Taiwo Alimi visits  Alimajiri colonies in Ogun State to report the daily struggles of child beggars and their parents to survive against all odds under the jackboot of molestation, abuse and deprivation.   ALMAJIRA Abiba, 6, was born on the street. Her delivery was taken by two elderly women in the colony of beggars. Though not trained midwives, they are considered old enough to offer delivery tips and have become experts at taking delivery of new born babies. In between them, Rukayat and Atikah have cut the umbilical cords of more than a dozen newborns. Before becoming ‘In-house midwives,’ they had given birth to 17 children of their own.  Rukayat migrated to the Southwest from Jigawa State six years ago while her assistant, Atikah, joined the migration to berth in Ogun State, eight years ago. Like Abiba, some of their children are among the scores of almajiria or child beggars that have taken over the rugged spaces on and under the bridges of Arepo/Magboro along ...