Career Gems Archives

In Career Gems May 17, 2018 By Women of Rubies

ZAINAB BALOGUN BECOMES BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR DEDEON SYRUP

TV personality/ actress Zainab Balogun, who just had her traditional wedding earlier this week, has become the brand ambassador for De-Deon Syrup under Daily Need Group Pharmaceuticals.

While sharing the news via her IG page, Zainab said she is happy to be part of the family.

She wrote,

“When your week starts on a high!!💃🏽 I am sooo excited to finally share with you all that I am officially the Brand Ambassador of @dedeons syrup from Daily Need Group Pharmaceuticals. I stand here with 2 generations of this phenomenal family business that I can now call home.”

View her post below.

In Career Gems May 15, 2018 By Women of Rubies

THESE TWO YOUNG WOMEN HAVE BEEN ELECTED AS COUNCILLORS OF THEIR WARDS IN THE UK

Two 22-year old women, Princess Bright and Tele Lawal, have been elected as Councillors of their wards in the UK

Princess Bright was elected the councillor for Eastbrook ward, while Tele Lawal was elected the councillor for the London Bourough of Havering council – representing residents in Heaton Ward, Harold Hill.

Tele, in a series of tweets shares how she won the election despite the many obstacles on her journey.

She tweeted,

Let me give you a quick run-through of my journey and obstacles faced. Hopefully, some of what I’ll share will inspire you to believe that even when it seems like the odds are against you, no matter what may come your way, if it’s for you it will be yours with faith.

I don’t come from a political background, I have never studied politics, nor do I have any friends/family involved in politics – in fact, I’m fairly new to politics(I’ve been a member of the Labour Party for about 2 years now). So, I lacked experience and knowledge

Compared to all the other candidates. This did not hold me back or put me off from running, nor did it stop residents from voting for me. Why was that? GOD! • I did not run in a ‘safe’ Labour borough. My council is Tory-led and has TWO Labour Councillors out of 54.

You can do the maths…. With my area not being a Labour Party focus, we had less funding for our campaign compared to other political parties. This did not hold me back and I was still elected despite fewer funds to run a year-long campaign. How was that? GOD!

I was juggling a full-time job, volunteering at Capital Moments, a part of KICC Romford choir, the constituency’s youth officer and taking part in the uprising leadership programme. How did I find the time and manage? GOD!

The final Labour Party candidate selection stage was on a day I was out of the country and I had to provide a statement to be read out on my behalf. (swipe to see a vid of when I found out I was selected) I wasn’t even there yet they picked me. Tell me how? GOD spoke for me.

Close people told me I couldn’t win, others laughed at me. I begged people to support me in different ways and got nowhere. I had only a three/four-man team leafleting hundreds of houses and knocking on doors for a year plus.

Yesterday’s Election Day a stanger called me and asked if she could help me out of the blue. Where did she come from and who brought her to me when we were struggling. GOD!

I am not the typical/more favourable politician, I am not white neither am I older or male as are the majority of leaders in my area. But yet I won getting the third most votes. Compared to candidates who have been doing this for years.

How did I get more votes? Why is it that despite the trend showing us that people with foreign names were receiving fewer votes why did I get more? GOD!

This is only a snapshot of what I faced and I thank God for everything. Please go for everything you want to do and keep fighting, it truly will be worth it. • • I am so humbled and thankful for every single resident who voted for me and I will work so hard for you all.

My team who came out in rain and snow. Thank you so much for everything you did, without you all I wouldn’t be here!

https://twitter.com/pri_bright/status/992317746439491585/photo/1

Cllr Tele Lawal@telelawalxo

Yesterday at approx. 5:00 am, at the young age of 22 I won my first political election. I am honoured to now be the youngest @uklabour party Councillor on the London Bourough of Havering council – representing residents in Heaton Ward, Harold Hill.

9:05 AM – May 5, 2018

64 Replies

1,202 Retweets

2,598 likes

Twitter Ads info and privacy

Credit: woman.ng

In Career Gems May 14, 2018 By Women of Rubies

TOKE MAKINWA FEATURED ON CNN’S AFRICAN VOICES

During her interview, the media personality talked about her brand and her journey so far.

African Voices is a feature series that airs on CNN and examines Africa’s fastest rising stars who are making an impact in their various industries.

Toke shared a clip of her interview on her Instagram page.

See her post below:

The likes of Waje, Tiwa Savage, Gbubemi Fregene, Funke Akindele, to name a few, have also been featured on African Voices series.

In Career Gems May 11, 2018 By Women of Rubies

THERE IS A VILLAGE IN NIGERIA WHERE YOUNG GIRLS ARE USED AS MODE OF PAYMENT AND FOR DEBT SETTLEMENT

A community in River State, where young girls are sold in exchange for food items or debt settlement have been exposed.

Channels TV reported that ‘Money Marriage’ is an age-long tradition of the Becheve tribe of Obanliku in Cross River State, as almost all family in the community are involved in it.

The girls are reportedly called ‘Money Woman’ or ‘Money Wife’ and are sometimes sold out even before they were born.

The Money Marriage culture does not in any way favor the money woman or wife. The moment a man shows interest in a girl, her immediate family and other relatives are free to visit the man and collect things from him.

“Anything offered them during their visit is given monetary value and recorded by their in-law (the man who is marrying the girl). If the mother is the greedy type, she’ll often visit her ‘in-law’ to get stuff,” Channels TV reported.

Where the man has made full payment, the girl is given out in marriage.

Aji Patience, a girl whose sister was sold at four years old said, she was given out for N2, 000.

Unfortunately, when the husband dies, his next-of-kin marries the girl and if she dies without giving birth to children, her parents are mandated to bring a replacement.

Victoria Tabang is a victim of this. After the death of her husband, she was expected to remain with his people.

“Even when I went to my people, they drove me away, saying I now belong elsewhere,” she told Channels TV.

Money women or wives are sold for as low as N10,000, few goats and pigs, tubers of yam, depending on the man’s bargain power. They are also not allowed to be educated.

“Money that the man give in my head (sic) was not much. It was N20,000 and one goat,” a money wife said.

Once a girl is sold out for Money Marriage, she is considered dead by her immediate family and warned never to return irrespective of how she is treated by her husband or his relatives.

Credit: woman.ng, Channels TV

In Career Gems May 7, 2018 By Women of Rubies

CUBA ELECT THREE WOMEN AS VICE PRESIDENTS

The new President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúde has assumed office and three women were also voted in as vice presidents, and two of them are black (Afro-Cuban).

Cuba is becoming more progressive as the country is making moves toward diversity and away from its former white dominated legacy. The country is getting more black leadership with two Black women vice-presidents, Inés María Chapman and Beatriz Jhonson. Both women are engineers, and they, along with the third female Vice President, Gladys Maria Bejerano Portela, will help lead this new historic Cuban government.

These appointments have great historical significance, the importance may now trickle down to the people who need it most – the Afro-Cubans who have struggled since Cuba’s 1990s economic downturn. There are three other Vice Presidents – in total, three VPs are black and three are women, making it the most diverse ruling council in Cuba’s history.

Cuba’s new National Assembly is all 53.2% women, which is a major development.

Alejandro de la Fuente, a professor of Cuban Studies at Harvard University said:

“Even if this was window-dressing, it would mean they feel the need to dress the window a certain colour, and that is something one would not have said 30 years ago.”

Credit: konbini.com

In Career Gems May 4, 2018 By Women of Rubies

NAFDAC RAIDS FOUR PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES EXPOSED IN BBC’S DOCUMENTARY ON CODEINE SYRUP ABUSE

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raided the four pharmaceutical companies exposed in a documentary – Sweet Sweet Codeine, recently released by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

This was made known by the NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, BBC reports.

The documentary drew attention to the effects of the drug on youths and how some officials of pharmaceutical companies distribute the drug to dealers on the street.

Adeyeye said:

“Our inspection and enforcement teams are in the premises of the four pharmaceutical companies that were shown in the [BBC] video.

“Our officials are there putting things on hold, and everything is being documented. When completed, we will prepare our report and then we will take appropriate action.

“If products that are fake or substandard are discovered, such products will be seized and destroyed.

“These companies that were caught, from our records, have a limited amount of codeine, but from what the documentary showed there is indication that the production is more than the quantity that was approved. So the question can be asked, was there smuggling involved?”

Following the startling revelation in the documentary, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced a ban on the use of codeine as an active agent in the production of cough syrup.

Emzor pharmaceutical company has since suspended the production of Codeine cough syrup.

One of the company’s officials was also seen in the BBC documentary, selling the cough syrup to undercover journalists.

Emzor on Monday, April 30, 2018, issued a statement saying that it has launched a full-scale internal investigation into the breach of the codeine distribution.

The company also said the official in the video has been dismissed, adding that his conduct is illegal and against Emzor’s policy.

The Ministry of Health said that the decision to ban codeine by the Federal Government is not based on a documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Source: Pulse News

In Career Gems May 2, 2018 By Women of Rubies

NIGERIA’S FIRST LADY, AISHA BUHARI URGES YOUNG NIGERIANS TO STAY OFF CODEINE SYRUP ABUSE

The First Lady’s admonition came after an investigative report by BBC revealed that codeine is being abused by young Nigerians intent on getting high at all cost; with the covert collusion of pharmaceutical companies.

A report presented to the National Assembly in 2017 indicated that 3 million bottles of codeine are consumed daily in Kano and Jigawa.

Codeine is an opiate, classified as a narcotic substance, which is largely used as a pain reliever and cough suppressant.

Even though it is not an illegal drug, codeine, which comes in tablet and syrup form, has been largely abused for years by youths in Nigeria.

Codeine abuse has also found its way into pop culture, with locally based artistes now glamorizing the syrup in energy sapping tunes.

“I have noted with alarm the exponential rise of drug abuse in our country, especially in the North.

“As a parent, I am deeply saddened by this fact, it is important that we interrupt the trend and encourage our children to stay drug free”, Mrs. Buhari said.

First Lady’s pet project

Mrs. Buhari’s pet project, the Future Assured, aims to empower and train young people into becoming better citizens of their country.

The First Lady says her project will come in handy in tackling the codeine pandemic.

“The Future Assured has a nationwide youth training and empowerment program which has constructive engagement as one of its direct goals. We also recently launched a war against substance abuse campaign.

“Simultaneously, the wives of Northern Governors are working tirelessly on the issue. They have recently renovated and commissioned a rehab center in Kogi and Kebbi state, while similar efforts are ongoing in other states.”

Codeine abuse can lead to common side effects such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, and drowsiness. More severe side effects include shallow breathing, low blood pressure, seizures, urination problems, confusion, agitation, and hallucinations.

Further abuse of codeine, such as mixing it with alcohol or other sedatives, can also lead to respiratory depression which can cause an overdose.

Credit: Pulse News

In Career Gems May 2, 2018 By Women of Rubies

RWANDA SHUT DOWN A RADIO STATION FOR BROADCASTING A HATEFUL SERMON AGAINST WOMEN

The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) has revised the broadcasting license of a local radio station after it aired a sermon that was perceived as discriminatory against women.

In the offending sermon, aired live on January 29 on the Amazing Grace Christian Radio station, a local pastor, Nicolas Niyibikora said women are “a source of evil” and “against God’s plan”.

(Photo: Cyril Ndegeya/Nation)

The sermon immediately went viral on social media, rightly angering women’s rights activists across the country and beyond. The National Women’s Association and Rwanda Women Journalists’ Association went on to file separate complaints to the Rwanda Media Commission (RMC), the media self-regulatory body.

The radio station, Amazing Grace Christian Radio, was initially suspended for 30 days for the sermon before the revocation of their license, reportedly failed to comply with the sanctions imposed on it, which included making an apology to the public by correcting the aired programme and paying a fine of two million Rwandan francs ($2,331, N1,165,500), according to RURA.

Then a letter was sent to the radio demanding an explanation for non-compliance with the sanctions, but the regulators said that the reasons given in their response were found to be unsatisfactory, leading to the revocation of their license. The station were given two days to completely shut down operations.

Source: konbini.com

In Career Gems April 30, 2018 By Women of Rubies

SINGER, SIMI HONORED AS A HUMAN RIGHT AMBASSADOR FROM NIGERIA BY THE US CONSULATE

Music artiste Simi has been decorated with an honor by the US Consul General as one of the Human Rights Ambassadors from Nigeria.

Simi who posted the news on her social media how honored she was to receive the decoration and be able to use her voice as an activist.

She wrote,”A few days ago, I was decorated at the US Consulate, by the US Consul General, as one of the Human Rights Ambassadors from Nigeria, in conjunction with CRALI. It was, and is, an incredible honor to get a platform that enables me to use my voice – to the best of my ability – for this cause. This initiative has also kick-started another – @knowyourrightsng – which I will, at a later time, shed more light on. Thank you. In the meantime, please follow @knowyourrightsNG and we’ll keep you posted.”

Watch the clip below.

In Career Gems April 30, 2018 By Women of Rubies

TONTO DIKEH CAMPAIGNS AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS SHE BECOMES THE BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR NAPTIP

Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has announced she has been made a brand ambassador for the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP).

In the post on her Instagram page, Tonto thanked the director general of the agency for Barrister Julie Okah-Donli as she shared photos from her courtesy visit.

See her post below.

Career Gems