Career Gems Archives

In Career Gems June 15, 2020 By Esther Ijewere

19-Year Old Nigerian Black Lives Matter Activist Sexually Assaulted and Murdered In Florida

A 19-year old American with Nigerian roots, Oluwatoyin ‘Toyin’ Salau, has been found dead after she went missing last week.

Toyin, just 19-years of age, was an ardent Black Lives Matter activist who had been vocal during the recent protests stemming from the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer.

She had revealed on social media that she had recently been sexually assaulted.

Not long after, she went missing and this morning, she became a trending topic on Twitter with many mourning her passing.

Her body had reportedly been found over the weekend in Tallahassee, the state capital of the U.S state of Florida.

Tallahassee police have revealed they are investigating a double homicide and have arrested one suspect.

Twitter has descended into mourning with news of her death – another black person brutally killed in the United States under mysterious circumstances.

Oluwatoyin “Toyin” Salau
Rest in Power Angel 💔 #JusticeForToyin after tweeting about her sexual assault she went missing for several days and her body was recently found. She was only 19. pic.twitter.com/4uAlVsAVHK

— Shari ✨ (@shariauna_) June 15, 2020

RIP Toyin. Stop killing Black women that are on the frontline for justice Stop killing black women PERIOD. Did way too much to lose her life like this. Rest in Power🖤 pic.twitter.com/SifYVSBEhV

— ki (@kijanaaaaaa) June 15, 2020

In Career Gems May 31, 2020 By Esther Ijewere

#JusticeForUwa: Uniben Undergraduate Raped And Murdered Inside Church (Graphic Photos)

A 22-year-old lady, identified as Uwaila Omozuwa, has died at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Edo State, after she was beaten and raped inside her local church. It was gathered that Uwaila, who was an 100-level Microbiology student of UNIBEN, goes to read everyday at The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Edo Province 10, Ikpoba Hill, Benin, but was unfortunately beaten, raped and hit with a fire extinguisher by unknown men on Wednesday 27th May, 2020.

According to a source, “The church’s security officer had gone to collect the keys to the church from its keeper when he was told that there was someone in the church already. He got to the church only to find Uwaila in a pool of blood and next to her was the fire extinguisher which was used to bash her face..

He ran back to inform the key keeper and his wife, who went to the church to meet her lifeless, thinking she was dead. After careful observation, they noticed she moved her hand and quickly rushed her to the hospital. It was at the hospital that Uwaila revealed she was reading all alone when some unknown men came into the church , beat, raped and hit her head with a fire extinguisher. However, she later passed on. . The case was eventually reported to Oregbeni Police Station, but nothing has been done about it so far. Her friends and family have now taken to social media to demand action, using the hashtag #JusticeForUwa

In Career Gems May 13, 2020 By Women of Rubies

FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup has been posponed to 2021

The postponed FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to be held in India, was on Tuesday rescheduled to next year from February 17 to March 7. After a thorough assessment of the Covid19 pandemic, as well as the the much needed time to complete the UEFA, CONCACAF, CAF, etc, the world body made the decision.

The tournament was originally scheduled to be held from November 2 to 21 this year but was postponed last month due to the coronavirus outbreak, which brought global sports activities to a halt.

FIFA announced that the tournament will keep its original eligibility criteria and allow “players born on or after January 1, 2003 and on or before December 31, 2005” to compete.

“Following a thorough assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent recommendations made by the FIFA-Confederations COVID-19 Working Group, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has taken the decision to confirm the proposed new tournament dates, subject to further monitoring,” the FIFA said in a statement.

The hosts, India will be automatic qualifiers in what will be the country’s maiden appearance in the U-17 Women’s World Cup.

In Career Gems May 12, 2020 By Women of Rubies

Japan’s central bank gets its first woman executive director in 138 years

Japan’s central bank just appointed its first woman executive director in 138 years.

Tokiko Shimizu, a 55-year-old banker, was appointed as part of a sweeping reshuffle at the Bank of Japan, becoming one of a team of six executives responsible for running the central bank’s daily operations.

Women make up 47% of the central bank’s workforce but only 13% of senior managerial posts and just 20% of expert positions dealing with legal affairs, payment systems and bank notes, according to the bank’s own data.

Women have been represented on its policy board — the highest decision-making body responsible for setting monetary policy —since it was established in 1998. But only one of the board’s nine members is a woman, and the bank has never had a woman governor, unlike the Federal Reserve or European Central Bank.

Over the past decade, demographic challenges and the growing number of women in higher education has slowly begun to change Japan’s male-dominated management structures.

But while women account for 51% of the Japanese population, according to 2018 World Bank data, the country is ranked 121 out of 153 countries in the World Economic Forum’s latest global gender gap index.

The country also ranks at the bottom among the G7 countries for gender equality, according to the WEF, despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s pledge to empower working women through a policy called “womenomics.”

Shimuzu started working for the Bank of Japan in 1987. She took up roles in the financial markets division and in foreign exchange operations, and was general manager for Europe and chief representative in London between 2016 and 2018.

Credit: CNN

In Career Gems May 4, 2020 By Women of Rubies

U.S. women’s soccer demands for equal pay rejected by judge

Equal pay for women in soccer

The United States women’s football team bid equal pay has been dismissed by a court. The ruling judge rejected the players’ claims they were underpaid compared to the men.

Last year, the lawsuit was filed by 28 women’s national team players against the US Soccer Federation (USSF).

They had been seeking $66m (£52.8m) in damages under the Equal Pay Act. Molly Levinson, spokeswoman for the players said that they planned to appeal against the decision.

“We are shocked and disappointed,” said Levinson. “We will not give up our hard work for equal pay.

“We are confident in our case and steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that girls and women who play this sport will not be valued as lesser just because of their gender.”

Others have on hearing the news have issued words of support and encouragement. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for US president in this year’s election, told the team to not “give up this fight”, adding: “This is not over yet.

“To US Soccer: equal pay, now. Or else when I’m president, you can go elsewhere for World Cup funding.”

Federal judge Gary Klausner allowed the players’ case for unfair treatment in travel, housing and medical support to go to trial, which is set for 16 June in Los Angeles.

Giving its ruling, the court said: “The women’s team has been paid more on both a cumulative and an average per-game basis than the men’s team over the class period.”

The US team won the Women’s World Cup last summer for their fourth title overall. They have also won five Olympic gold medals.

Megan Rapinoe, who won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot at last year’s World Cup, on hearing the ruling, tweeted:“We will never stop fighting for equality.”

Fellow US striker Alex Morgan said: “Although disappointing to hear this news, this will not discourage us in our fight for equality.”

The Soccer federation said it has support do the women to keep growing stronger.

Its statement added: “US Soccer has long been the world leader for the women’s game on and off the field and we are committed to continuing that work.”

Pleasantly, male players have publicly supported the women team and in February they issued a statement criticising the governing body, saying that “the federation continues to discriminate against the women in their wages and working conditions”.

In Career Gems April 8, 2020 By Women of Rubies

‘Why I left Nollywood for firefighting job’ – Grace Agbo

A former Nollywood actress named Grace Agbo, left the movie industry for a fire fighting job. She explains it is because of a desire to always help those in danger.

Agbo, who hails from Idoma in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, explains how she found fulfillment since she started working in the Federal Fire Service, Abuja.

Speaking in a chat with The Nations, Agbo said she featured in several movies like Black Out, Mr Potosky, Lost Pride, Deadly Desire, Palace of Sorrow, Ada-Ide-Ichaka, Haunted Palace, Village Don, The Calabash amongst others.

She took a break from acting to enable her focus on her passion in firefighting.

According to her, “I like this new job. I have always wanted a uniform job but I will miss Nollywood greatly because acting has also been my passion right from childhood.

“My family especially my dad is very happy with my new job. What people are saying that I left Nollywood because of poor pay is not true. I didn’t leave Nollywood totally. I am just taking a break for now to enable me focus on my new job.

“I love my uniform job and I also enjoy saving people in danger. It feels really good; it gives me joy knowing that I can be of service to my country.”

“My colleagues in Nollywood should keep up with making good movies and let the shows go on but the big problem there is funding, lack of government presence and no enough opportunity for upcoming actors.”

In Career Gems April 7, 2020 By Women of Rubies

Miss England hangs crown to return to work as doctor during coronavirus pandemic

Beauty queen who was crowned Miss England in 2019 has returned to the United Kingdom to continue her career as a doctor amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Bhasha Mukherjee took a career break as a junior doctor after competing in the Miss World pageant in December 2019.

She has been involved bin some charity work prior to this, “I was invited to Africa, to Turkey, then to India, Pakistan and several other Asian countries to be an ambassador for various charity work,” she told CNN.

But as the coronavirus situation worsened back home in the UK, Mukherjee was getting messages from former colleagues at her old hospital, the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, eastern England, telling her how hard the situation was for them.

She then contacted the hospital’s management team to let them know that she wanted to return to work.

Bhasha Mukherjee was crowned Miss England in August 2019.

She told CNN that it felt wrong to be wearing her Miss England crown, even for humanitarian work, while people around the world were dying from coronavirus and her colleagues were working so hard.

“When you are doing all this humanitarian work abroad, you’re still expected to put the crown on, get ready… look pretty.”

But, she added: “I wanted to come back home. I wanted to come and go straight to work.”

Mukherjee, who moved to the English city of Derby from Kolkata at the age of 9, said: “I felt a sense of this is what I’d got this degree for and what better time to be part of this particular sector than now.”

“It was incredible the way the whole world was celebrating all key workers, and I wanted to be one of those, and I knew I could help,” she said.

She returned to the UK on Wednesday after working with the British High Commission in Kolkata to find a flight from India to Frankfurt, and then Frankfurt to London.

“There’s no better time for me to be Miss England and helping England at a time of need,” she said.

Mukherjee is currently self-isolating for one to two weeks until she can return to work as a doctor at the Pilgrim Hospital.

Thank you for helping humanity.

In Career Gems April 3, 2020 By Women of Rubies

Coronavirus: Buhari’s daughter returns home after self-isolation

A daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari has returned home after undergoing 14 days self-isolation. It was revealed that the daughter showed no symptoms of the deadly coronavirus but heeded the medical advice to people coming into the country from high-risk countries.

An elated first lady said it was a thing of ‘joy’ to receive her daughter after being away from the family for two weeks.

“It is a thing of joy & gratitude to Almighty God to reunite with my daughter after she had been in isolation for 14 days immediately she landed in Nigeria. While I’m wishing all those infected for a speedy recovery, I pray for the end of this,” she wrote.

In a statement by Aliyu Abdullahi, media assistant to the First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, said the young lady came out normal and healthy and was received by her mother.

“I’m happy to inform you that the young lady in question, Mr. President’s daughter, has successfully completed her isolation period of 14 days and she’s normal, very healthy and well.

“She has since this afternoon rejoined her family, the mother, her Excellency First Lady, Dr. Aisha Buhari personally received her.

“The lesson here for Nigerians and other parents to learn is that this is a child with all the privileges one can ever think to have in the country but the parents and the daughter insisted in following the NCDC protocol,” the statement read.

In Career Gems March 29, 2020 By Women of Rubies

Wife of Canadian PM, Sophie Trudeau has Recovered from Coronavirus

In Career Gems March 14, 2020 By Women of Rubies

Imo Gets First Female Chief Judge

Nigerian Justice Ijeoma Agugua becomes the first female acting Chief Judge of Imo State. She was sworn in by the Governor Hope Uzodinma.

Speaking she said, ” you have today used your office faithfully in accordance with the spirit and intendment of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and your oath of office.” She thanked the Governor for his act of justice and for being gender friendly.

She got sworned in on Friday 13 march 2020, replacing the immediate past chief judge, Justice Paschal Nnadi who retired on Thursday. Before now, Agugua was the administrative judge of the state. She hails from Anambra State while her husband is from Nkwerre local government area of Imo State.

She is a member of International Bar Association (ISA); Judges Forum; and the National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (NAWJN).

Justice Agugua was born on May 10, 1960. She studied Law and obtained an LLB Hons in 1980 from the University of Lagos, and was later awarded a Bachelor of Law Degree in 1981 after attending the Nigerian Law School, Lagos. She was called to the bar in 1981. Agugua joined the Imo State Judiciary in 1993. she joined the High Court after serving as a chief magistrate.

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