Corporate Social Responsibility: LEADERSHIP IS NOT A POSITION/TITLE

Corporate Social Responsibility: LEADERSHIP IS NOT A POSITION/TITLE: Just finished reading a book on 'Lesdership' written by two brilliant #1 Bestselling Book authors: James M. Kouzes and Barry N. Posn...

LEADERSHIP IS NOT A POSITION/TITLE

Just finished reading a book on 'Lesdership' written by two brilliant #1 Bestselling Book authors: James M. Kouzes and Barry N. Posner and came away with startling revelation that leadership is a relationship not a title, rank or position. Cast my mind back to my early days as a civil society rights conscious lawyer. Not only am I a membe of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA I joined Law Society of England and Wales, Amnesty International, Civil Liberties Organization, Human Rights Lawyers, Concerned Professionals etc. All these were in a bid to be referred to as one of the "leading" lawyers. Just titles! I was making at least weekly published comments on the national dailies, excluding those comments censored or lost. I also participated in numerous Radio phone-in programs. In the process I also got invitations from some TV stations but I honoured at least 11 invitations from a total of 3 Lagos-based TV stations. In my mind I had acquired the enviable status of "leader" in my profession. Even after the acquisition of these titles they were not an end for me because they were not paid assignments. At the end of every program the anchor usually say: "thank you for stopping by". Sure, you go to find ways to make ends meet although you've added a few more friends to your profile. On the flip side through my comments during those media programs I became either 'pro-establishment or radical lawyer' depending on which comment/program the person calling me such names is reacting to. Therefore, life became 'one week, one trouble' for me. On one such occasion I was detained at 'Area F' Police station on the orders of Justice Akande, Ikeja High court pending charge of contempt of court. Just as Philemon met St. Paul in prison, I met accused persons who came in connection with more serious allegations than contempt. But that is not the reason for this discourse. The officer who made inquiries about the new inmates and why we came in displayed exemplary leadership when he ordered that I should be allowed out to stay at the frontline office. Prior to the order I had spent nearly two sleepless days inside the dungeon. At the police frontline office, I met a lady sergeant who was on duty and she acknowledged that their Oga ordered me to remain there until they forward my charge to court. Later, on siting her name tag, I realized she was Christiana Thompson. During my detention I shouted a few times because of my conviction that my arrest was unnecessary in the circumstances and I was eager to appear in court. The seargent was offended at that. The rest is now history. After my acquital, in the same year I read that Christiana Thompson had been promoted and sent on training. It was probably the 'Oga' displaying yet again exemplary leadership. I boarded an Abuja-bound Okada airline. Few minutes before take-off two of their staff came on board to check our tickets. On confirming my departure ticket, rather than leave me with return ticket, he asked that within few minutes he wanted to check the ticket with their records at the their office. I never thought about his whereabout when the plane took off. On arrival at Abuja I inquired about him they said that ticket checkers were not part of the crew. I was totally dumbfounded and embarrassed as I narrated to them that the checker didn't hand me my return ticket to Lagos after 'checking'. Was he exercising competences of leadership he would have realized that boarded passengers are not allowed to disembark until the journey ended. I wasted time thinking about solution and appropriate steps to take, because leadership is about finding solutions as quickly as challenges occur. Around business district I sited 'Bussinessmen's Fellowship meeting centre' and noticed that they were at the service that evening. Since I belonged to Airport Road Chapter Lagos, I joined the service. It was after the service that I spoke to the leader, Ifeanyi Odi and he in company with his wife drove me to "Sunny Guesthouse", unfortunately their accommodation had exhausted. I thought yet another challenge staring me in the face. This was getting late in the night and not mobile phone time, so I moved around and located the nearest police station and walked in. It did not take much time before they gave me a seat till morning. That was exemplary leadership exercised by the officers on duty that night. That challenge could have turned worse if they wanted. A lady on duty at this Abuja police station gave me wrapper to cover after she watched as I battle mosquitoes while passing the night. It was exceptional because Nigerian security outfits are over-stretched and there's limit to what you expect them to provide in terms of services to citizens as enshrined in the constitution. According to the authors of the leadership book in review, the summary of leadership behavior is 'caring'. The book is worth more than million times the monetary value. That comparison is actually an understatement considering the achievements of exemplary leadership globally. Finding and savouring the book would be a feat you'd always be proud of. Ikechukwu Odoemelam Esq Corporate Attorney/Consultant Legal Practitioners Corporate Attorney/Consultant IKECHUKWU O. ODOEMELAM & CO https://tapestri.io/members/join/now/ideaworkshop http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0075RXXLE COMPANY SECRETARIES HANDBOOK http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005783S6SDIRECTORS http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MKCESY MEETINGS: Dynamics and Legality

NIGERIA V. JP MORGAN: NIGERIA RETREATS WITH BLEEDING NOSE

A complex and prolonged case, Nigerian Public Interest lawyers and concerned groups expressed disappointment when the UK court delivered judgment on this case, Tuesday14 June, 2022. Anti-Money laundering suit between Nigeria and JP Morgan on "fraudulent" money transfer during 2011 to 2013. As a legal practitioner, I must state from a neutral standpoint that proving "fraud" against a defendant is an uphill task. BACKGROUND: FG sued df to recover a total of $1.7 billion, alleging "gross negligence" for failure to pay $875 million realized from oil sales into Federal government account, instead to escrow account of Malabu Oil & Gas company owned and controlled by former Petroleum Minister, Dan Etete. Earlier around 1998 off-shore oil field license, OPL 245 had been awarded to Dan Etete's company by the late Head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha. Nigeria, in the suit claimed that JP Morgan being responsible bankers owed a duty of care, and averred that the defendant was aware of the fraud and it's implications, therefore shouldn't have transferred the funds against the bank's compliance officer's warning. The case has generated huge public interest and many questions have been, and being asked about the place of corporate social responsibility (CSR)? DUTY OF DUE DILIGENCE The plaintiff, Federal Government of Nigeria who instituted this suit owes a duty of due diligence on behalf of the people of Nigeria. From the commencement of this matter in 2011, what did the various Attorney-Generals and Ministers of Justice and NNPC do to ensure that Nigeria was not short-changed? If the defendant's compliance officer was able to alert its employer about the possibility or risk of fraud, how many times did Nigerian authorities raise eyebrows? What was the justification for the plaintiff's indifference when it mattered? There's clearly absence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the part of the plaintiff's legal team and functionaries during the defendant's transfer of the funds. This absence came with collateral damage of $1.7 billion Ikechukwu Odoemelam Esq Legal Practitioners IKECHUKWU O ODOEMELAM & Corporate Attorneys/ Consultants

Corporate Social Responsibility: OUTSOURCE YOUR COPYWRITING/TRAINING TO US

Corporate Social Responsibility: OUTSOURCE YOUR COPYWRITING/TRAINING TO US: ANNOUNCEMENT #corporateleaders CSR contributes to the growth of prosperity Let's relieve you of some of your constituency projects: ...

OUTSOURCE YOUR COPYWRITING/TRAINING TO US

ANNOUNCEMENT #corporateleaders CSR contributes to the growth of prosperity Let's relieve you of some of your constituency projects: (Training of unemployed constituents and retraining of staff) at a very affordable sponsorship. * We're IDEA WORKSHOP - Independent * Skills Acquisition provider. * We provide digital assistance services such as copywriting etc. * We enable you start a foundation for expression of Corporate Social Responsibility. www.corporateleadersboard.blogspot.com Contact us: 08061151471 ideaworkshop@live.com Corporate Attorney/Consultant IKECHUKWU O. ODOEMELAM & CO https://tapestri.io/members/join/now/ideaworkshop http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0075RXXLE COMPANY SECRETARIES HANDBOOK http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005783S6SDIRECTORS http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MKCESY MEETINGS: Dynamics and Legality

Corporate Social Responsibility: OWO TERRORISTS BLACK SUNDAY MASACRE

Corporate Social Responsibility: OWO TERRORISTS BLACK SUNDAY MASACRE: Religious and non-commercial organisations basically survive on corporate social responsibility (CSR) from the public and cause-driven inst...

OWO TERRORISTS BLACK SUNDAY MASACRE

Religious and non-commercial organisations basically survive on corporate social responsibility (CSR) from the public and cause-driven institutions. Whenever there is assault/attack on these group, it may not be for their worth but for other ulterior motives not unconnected with political influence and power. I am aware that Catholic Church is the largest organization in the world. I am also aware that political power do flow from the pulpit, especially when you make reference to the theology of liberation that reigned in South America in the ‘80s. Prior to St. Francis Catholic Church terrorist attack on Sunday, 5th June, 2022 the Prelate of Methodist Church, Dr Samuel Uche and two of his members were kidnapped and later abandoned. And you start to wonder what quarrel terrorists have with these helpless group whose lives depend on the generous acts of CSR. The Owo incident was more dastardly because the terrorist came not to bargain for money but to gruesomely, mercilessly and in most cold-blooded way commit mass murder in a Cathedral. Churches, Mosques, Charitable organisations and non-commercial ventures are registered under Part III CAMA as voluntary non-governmental organisations with trustees to administer them. The implications are numerous, but prominent among them is tax exemption. Probably the next in order of importance is non-interference by government or any one else, until recently in Nigeria with the coming into effect of CAMA amendment 2020 requiring religious CEOs to end tenure at a certain time. And during crisis when allegation of ‘fraud’ or ‘mismanagement’ are raised interim administrator would be imposed by “Non-governmental Organization Regulatory Commission” for supervision and monitoring, established under the amendment. Section 831, 839, 842, 843, and 849 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 which got presidential assent on August 7, 2020 have provoked protests/apprehension from many religious leaders, activists and lawyers in Nigeria. “Association” provided in the above sections includes religious organizations (churches/Christian ministries, mosques/Islamic societies, traditional religion sects), universities and other schools registered by trustees, research institutions, social clubs, development foundations, cultural groups, sports clubs, CSOs, charity organizations and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Since the economic lives of religious organizations and other “associations” are supported by acts of Corporate Social Responsibility by worshippers, members and the public, it behoves the associations to extrapolate by extending acts of CSR to assistance-needy members, identified groups or segment of the public in a multiplier fashion. Quite predictably prominent Nigerians, business and political leaders were on ground to sympathise with the Church, victims and families. Some of the early Monday sympathisers included the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo, SAN and former governor of Lagos state, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Both could be said to represent Federal Government of Nigeria in their official capacities as well as their ambition to occupy the office of the president. Senator Tinubu was reported to have donated N50 million to the victims and N25 million to the church. Other donations may have been pouring in because of the ‘work of the devil’? Jesus wept! Ikechukwu Odoemelam Esq Corporate Attorney/Consultant IKECHUKWU O. ODOEMELAM & CO Legal Practitioners https://tapestri.io/members/join/now/ideaworkshop http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0075RXXLE COMPANY SECRETARIES HANDBOOK http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005783S6SDIRECTORS http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MKCESY MEETINGS: Dynamics and Legality