A non-profit organisation, Ashake Foundation, focused on empowerment, education and social development, has announced winners of its essay competition on the topic, ‘The Nigeria We Want’.
The competition, which was open to youths and students aged between 18 and 25, received an overwhelming response from participants across the country.
After careful evaluation, the top three winners were selected based on their originality, creativity, clarity, and relevance to the theme. They are Ibe Chijioke Kennedy from Enugu, Daniel Abioye (Ibadan), and Boluwaji Itunuoluwa Adegboye both from Ibadan, who were chosen from a pool of talented and passionate young writers.
The winners will be awarded certificates and other gift prizes as recognition of their outstanding work. The competition was part of Ashake Foundation’s efforts, in collaboration with Leap Africa, Nigeria Youth Future Funds, MacArthur Foundation, and Ford Foundation, to engage and empower young people to take a leadership role in building a sustainable future.
CEO of Ashake Foundation, Mayowa Adegbile, expressed her delight in the impressive essays from the young minds of Nigeria.
“The creativity and passion exhibited by the participants gives us hope that the future is in safe hands. We congratulate the winners and encourage all the participants to continue their pursuit of knowledge and action in achieving the Nigeria of their dreams.”
The conference will host 16 speakers including Director, informal sector and special duties, Lagos Island Revenue Service (LIRS), Folashade Coker; Special Assistant to the executive governor of Akwa Ibom State on entrepreneurial development Meflyn Anwana; Actress/producer and girl child activist Ini Edo; founder, Business Women Hub/managing partner, Thinkmint Nigeria, Imelda Usoro Olaoye and Head, corporate finance and venture capital, Emerging Africa Group Toni Sanni.
Others are Head, SME digital product, Sterling Bank, Bolanle Tyson; Strategy and transformation professional, Caladium Consulting, Ayo Bankole Akintujoye; CEO, Koboaccountant, Ubong Ita; Head, digital services, BusinessDay Media, Linda Ochugbua; CEO, Pillar Craft Consulting and founder, USAWA accounting, Olubayode Agbi; Programmes coordinator, operations and alumni engagement, Google, Asekun Oluwatobi; Tax partner, KPMG, Nike James; founder, PR Fusion, Blessing E. Macauley and CEO, Z-Edge Consulting, Kikelomo Atanda Owo.
He read out relevant aspects to the judicial guidelines, saying: “your route to verdict ” is that they -jurors-are satisfied that there is a conspiracy between two or more of the defendants” to facilitate and bring David to the UK and “offered reward in exchange for donating” his kidney.
He went further and explained the two elements of the charge to them, emphasising that the conspiracy doesn’t have to involve all the four defendants, “if they’ve agreed with at least one other person” for the same purpose of offering compensation to Nwamini for donating their kidney.
The judge also noted that “the agreement do not have to be with a defendant. It can be with Diwe or David Nwamini” himself or with anyone not part of the trial.
On Monday when they were sent out, the judge told them “when you reach unanimous verdicts on each of the defendants, you’ll then come back.”
on time in February of last year to thank him for wanting to donate his kidney to her, an agitated Mrs. Ekweremadu responded and told the prosecutor, “if it – the meeting- did not happen, let me not reach my house when I’m going home.”
The prosecution will start their closing speech today.
Earlier in the testimony, Patterson, in trying to establish the prosecution’s conspiracy, cited a November 1st 2021 message that her former Deputy Senate President husband had forwarded to her. She then asked Mrs Ekweremadu “what do you think that message- about cost of hotel accommodation- was about?” Ekweremadu told her: ”it’s self-explanatory,” and that it was about “people coming up to be tested “ to determine if they matched Sonia’s situation.
When the junior prosecutor said it was payment and reward, the Senator’s wife disagreed. According to her: ”somebody coming to help you should not use their money.” When asked why she responded to her husband’s message, she told the barrister, “I didn’t know it would come to this.” Patterson continued and also asked “why didn’t you ask what the payment was about?”
Mrs Ekweremadu, whose three other children were watching from the public gallery -and Sonia in the dock – responded and said “I trust his sense of judgment. My husband is a good man and I’ve come to trust him.”
