LADI BALOGUN EMERGES YOUNG GLOBAL LEADER

                                              LADI BALOGUN and wife, Banke Balogun

 Ladi Baolgun's rating as an emerging global business leader was confirmed again recently when he was honoured with the prestigious This Day Newspaper's Young Global Champions award.  This highly rated award, which is specially reserved for  young, daring and enterprising Nigerians under the age of 50, who have taken the presence of Nigeria into the global competition, was recently bestowed on Mr. Ladi Balogun, the young but influential Group Managing Director of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc. Ladi Balogun received this honour at the 16th Annual This Day Awards for Excellence and Good Governance which took place in Lagos, recently. Ladi Balogun was honoured for transforming a family owned bank in the face of the demise of other family owned banks. According to the organizers of the yearly awards, leaders of 14 corporate organizations in the country who have built new companies from scratch and made them world class received this year’s awards in this category.
Ladi Balogun, son of Otunba Subomi Balogun, remains one young man who has done tremendously well for himself. Ladi Balogun's impressive story could not have been otherwise, seeing that Ladi Balogun attended some of the best educational institutions in the world, which Ladi Balogun complements with his prestigious and enviable Otunba Subomi Balogun background. Ladi’s wealthy father appears to have conquered all challenges of life with his wealth, Ladi remains undaunted in his desire to further solidify and sustain the financial base of the balogun's mega-business, especially, the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), where Ladi Balogun sits as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

That Ladi Balogun rose to the leadership position in the thriving bank could be attributed to his  passion for hard work and resilience. Ladi Balogun joined the bank (now FCMB Capital Markets Ltd) as a Senior Manager/Team Leader in 1995 and rose to become Executive Director, Investment Banking Division. Ladi Balogun has been a team leader on capital raising, mergers and acquisition, as well as privatisation assignments 
Ladi Balogun has over 18 years experience in commercial and investment banking abroad. In 1996 Ladi Balogun joined FCMB as Executive Assistant to the Chairman/CEO. In 2000, he was made Executive Director in charge of Strategy and Business Development and in 2001, Deputy Managing Director. Ladi Balogun was appointed the Managing Director in 2005.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA

Hon. Temitope John Derby

 Monetize
Yesterday in the ancient city of IBADAN, Oyo State, i paid a visit to a friend who was hospitalized as a result of  injuries sustained in an auto crash. During the visit, i was confronted with a frightening scenario. Three young men were rushed into hospital's emergency centre with their badly mutilated body drenched in fresh blood. Checks later revealed that the guys were political thugs who got attacked with machete  in the head during a clash between their party and the supporters of the opposition party in the state.
As the 2011 elections got underway, every right thinking Nigerian should feel seriously worried that those in charge of security of lives and properties in Nigeria do not appear to be  prepared to provide a lasting solution to the nagging problems of  violence and general insecurity in the land. And i strongly believe that the solution to violence, brigandage, assassination and other vices in Nigeria's political system may remain elusive until these people saddled with the responsibility of maintaining law and order wake up from their slumber and do what they are paid to do.Some people would argue that they are trying their best, but it is obvious that their best is not just enough. Take for instance various cases of political violence that took place in the country between 2003and 2007 electioneering.Investigation to most of these cases are never concluded. After making few arrests (of mostly innocent people) shortly after the incident, nobody ever gets to hear about the progress made on such investigations anymore. In most cases, the investigators go the 'extra mile' of declaring some 'suspects' wanted. And even at that, nothing is achieved. For instance after a series of political violence and gruesome murders that took place in Nigeria around 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, some folks were declared wanted by the authorities. Some of those declared wanted in connection with those violent clashes include notable political figures like Sir Bosun Agodo and Chief Segun Awolo. Others include , Hon.Temitope John Derby (a close associate of former Lagos Senatorial aspirant, Otunba Segun Awolowo and the late Funso Williams). there are also others like, Semiu Dayo Okondo, Goke Olatunji and many more. In most cases, these political personalities, like in the case of  Hon. Temitope John Derby, are declared wanted mainlly as a result of sheer political witch-hunt and persecution. Up till now, the authorities are yet to get a clue about the real masterminds of these violence neither have they been able to track down the whereabouts of those political players declared wanted. There is no evidence also that any meaningful attempt is being made to do justice to the family of most of the victims. As another election approaches...May God Help Nigeria.

DEAR BLOG, I MISS YOU!

Really,  miss you dear blog. hopefully, i will restart you someday...very soon.