Moved by her passion and resolve to make meaningful impact that will outlast her life, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Olejeme rose up to the challenges of life as a young child, a woman and as a mother crusading against social and cultural strongholds that has in the past pin down the political rising of women in the nation. In a male dominated society like ours, Dr Ngozi Olejeme rose to National prominence during the volatile period of Military dictatorship. As a passionate leader and fearless who believe what Abraham Lincoln said that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing. Dr Olejeme resolved to perform what she ought and performed without fail what she resolves. As a woman who believes that you can succeed in this world if others do not believe in you but u cannot succeed if you don’t believe in yourself. Her self confidence in implementing her resolutions know know bound.
As a fearless leader of several organizations, Dr mrs Ngozi Olejeme supported the cause of many Nigerians who defiantly challenge the government of late General Sani Abacha (1993-1998) to pave way for democracy in 1999. Dr. Olejeme was instrumental to the political awakening of women in Nigeria; she encourages and supported equality in Government. Her role in Nation Building fires through the burning passion to transform lives and communities across the nation. Touching live via nation building values has been her major drive for as a National Leader for about two decades. Dr. Mrs Ngozi Olejeme’s commitment to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria wouldn’t go unnoticed among the party executive at the National level, State and Local Government who promptly rewarded her in 2006 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed her as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Ajeokuta Steel company limited a position she occupied and prove her intelligence and resilience which are the major keys for sustainable growth and prosperity in Nigeria. Two years later, Dr mrs Ngozi Olejeme was given another appointment and promotion due to her courage in facing challenges and her fearless nature in approaching National issues she was made a key member of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund and again became the most Favored one among others to become the Chairperson of the country’s Trust Fund Pensions plc.
By her appointment as the Chairman Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in June 2009 by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Dr. Ngozi Olejeme now sit at the center of Nigeria’s effort to set up a security scheme for workers as profound in other developed countries. On assumption of office as the NSITF Boss, Dr. Olejeme assure all Nigeria workers both in the private and public sector, of her vision in ensuring that all Workers realize their aspirations in their workplace. She noted that a major factor that paralysis the initiative of the Nigeria Worker was poor warfare package which was seen as been ruinous to the nation. A trend that needed to be shifted from the workforce. Through wisdom and the Grace of God which radiate around her, she initiated The Employee Compensation Scheme (ECS) designed to relieve workers the burden of health care in case of injury to any staff in the work place. She put in her effort to the successful enactment into law of the Employee Compensation Act in December 2010, and the setting up of necessary human and physical infrastructure for the implementation of the Act, which was signed by President Goodluck Jonathan. She also took the helm of affairs as the chairman of the Trust Fund Pension Plc on October 2009.
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund Chairman Said “For far too long Nigeria Workers have borne the brunt of injuries in the workplace while their employers look the other way”. Dr Olejeme has said all that is now a thing of the past under the Employee compensation Scheme (ECS). With ECS Nigeria workers will now matter in the scheme of things. All these are major effort of Dr Ngozi Olejeme to the Nigeria Workforce both at the National, State and the Local Government level including the Private Sector.
By this Scheme the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund has taking care of the fears of workers. The (ECS). Makes comprehensive provisions for prevention of accident at workplace, medical treatment in case of accident involving know disability, payment for compensation for disabilities and death due to work related injuries and rehabilitation of the injured employees who suffer disability. It covers treatment and payment of compensation to employees who suffer from occupational diseases contracted in the work place. In order to benefit from this laudable scheme, All employers are expected to contribute 1per cent of their payroll on behalf of their employee to be part of the scheme. The employer do statute barred from deducting any part of the contribution from workers’ salaries or emoluments. Today like never before under the leadership of DR. Mrs Ngozi Olejeme NSITF has branches in almost all the State of the Federation and in several local Government of each State. It is a time tested philosophy of Dr. [Mrs] Ngozi Olejeme that there is need, especially in a democratic dispensation, to constantly remind ourselves that the human being is both the instrument and the ultimate beneficiary of all development efforts.
Development and democratic governance according to her are about people. It is difficult -if not impossible – for any country to achieve sustainable growth and development without the full mobilization and effective utilization of its workforce or human resources. To Dr. Ngozi Olejeme, Democracy and development are mutually reinforcing. Dr. Ngozi Olejeme Express her commitment to the warfare of Deltans through the pursuits of policies and programmes designed to reverse the disturbing trend in poverty. Olejeme through her foundation is determine to make the ordinary Deltan the center of development, by ensuring access to free agricultural materials, education sponsorship and free health services so as to better the lives of the people but all these will be done through her Foundation.
The Dr. Ngozi Olejeme Foundation in collaboration with the U & I Development foundation was set up to take care of the disadvantage in the society. Through her empowerment scheme and widowhood projects designed to enhance the employ-ability of young people and empowerment through vocational skill building projects. According to Mahatma Ghandi, “Strength does not come from physical capacity, it comes from an indomitable will. ” It is this indomitable will that is the source of the drive of Dr Olejeme. According to Helen Keller “I find life an exciting business; and most exciting when it is lived for others.” To Abraham Lincoln “To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own” It is nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice.
To Dr Olejeme, kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life, because practical demonstration of love is the only security language that the widows, the vulnerable and the disadvantaged understand. Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and understand and the blind can read. This is a major reason the foundation has been involved in the empowerment of widows across the three senatorial districts of Delta state. Regularly all local Governments in the State are benefiting from her humanitarian services.
Today, the Ngozi Olejeme foundation has established branches within Delta state and efforts are on-going to create more offices in the rural and riverine communities in order to bring help closer to Deltans in these areas. Through her other programmes many youth have secured jobs, while others are provided legal and financial assistance as the case may be. Meanwhile the widowhood project seeks to address the social and cultural challenges of widows; it also empowers widows and underprivileged women with skills and grants for trade. Her dynamism, visionary leadership and style set her in the class of the African women Leadership describe by Hillary Clinton, former US secretary of state, as Model for Democracy in Africa. Dr Olejeme fondly described as BOARDROOM CZAR has played tremendous role in Politics and due to her unwavering virtues, she was elected as the president of Igbo Women forum, a non-governmental organization that empowers women in national political affairs.
As a fearless woman of substance she shares the view that Intelligence is not the Exclusive Reserve of any sex or gender. She proved her point at a time politics was seen as a game for only the male folks she tore down Obstacles when it was clear that the political war would be tough and rough she forge ahead to scheme for the soul of Delta State in 2007. She stood out as the only woman in the midst of 28 male aspirants then. Today more people are calling on her as a mother to come again and join the race in the 2015 election in other for all Deltans to benefit from her human is nature. She has constantly stressed phrase that for our democracy to be sustained, we must defend it with our lives. We must not compromise our destinies. The popular opinion that Nigeria women are on exile in their own land was broken through the tireless effort of Dr Mrs Ngozi Olejeme.
She believes that the Nigeria women were locked in the past. It is her opinion that If this negative trend is sustained in Nigeria, the political rising of women will be deflected. As election is the only means of testing our abilities it is not yet clear to us whether Dr. Mrs Ngozi Olejeme is contesting to become the first female Governor in Nigeria come 2015. The spell cast on the abilities of women from Contesting key Political position has been broken by President Goodluck Jonathan who promise Nigeria women during the 2013 mid-term dinner party with them that he will produce a female Governor in his tenure in order to break every limitations placed on the abilities of women. With this fatherly backing of Mr President it is natural for a woman of her calibre to once again scheme for the soul of Delta state in 2015. It is obvious that the election would not be a smooth sail for the entire candidate but the will of God and the will of the people is expected to prevail.
From a humble beginning Dr Ngozi Olejeme has risen to become an outstanding grassroots politician, public sector administrator, philanthropist and charity worker, charismatic leader, activist, recognition of her relentless advocacy for the down trodden and good governance, Recent of it all was an award of Prestigious Citizen Award by the Asaba Development union (ADU) in Lagos in recognition of her multi-dimensional ways which has help in the development of Asaba in particular and Delta North in general. She also has been awarded by several recognized institutions with these Award.
1. Honoured with a Doctorate Degree Award at the Convocation ceremony of American Heritage University of Southern Californian in 2011. (Doctor of public policy and Honofis Causa)
2).Prestigious Africa International Award, AIA.Ghana.
3). Fellow, civilian institute of Democratic Administration FCIDA.
4).Fellow, Michael Imoudu National Institute of labour studies.
5). Champions of workers welfare Award by Labour Writers.
6).Honorary life member/common wealth Ambassador of Royal common wealth society, Nigeria. 7). Remember Africa Award by family Education Helpline and Royal common wealth society, London.
8). Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF). 2010 Nigeria Female Entrepreneur Award.
9). Member, Board of patrons, Congress of Muslim and Christian Youth for Unity.
10). Member, the Association of Business Executives London.
11). The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) Merit Award.
12). Women of love Award
13). President, Igbo Women Forum of Nigeria.
14] Best personality award by African Child Foundation. Among several Recent Intuitional and Religious award both from private and public sector too numerous to mention.
Dr. Mrs Ngozi Olejeme sits on the Board of many companies and Government Government Establishment: like Chairman Board of Directors- Trust Fund Pensions PLC. Chairman Board of Directors, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, (NSITF) Chairman/ CEO, Able Jes Nigeria limited. Executive Director, Julind Nigeria Limited. Member Board of Directors Ajeokuta Steel company limited, Member Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment programme SURE–P. Board of Directors, Sheraton Hotels and Towers.
Dr Mrs Ngozi Olejeme is an Alumnus of Ivy League Institutions. The Prestigious Harvard Business School, Boston. USA. Wharton Business School, university of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA. University of Cambridge, United Kingdom and the Pan African University. (Lagos Business School) Nigeria. Dr. Mrs Ngozi Juliet Olejeme who hails from Delta State Capital Asaba in Oshimili South local Government is a major convener of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme subcommittee on Public works and Road Rehabilitation and Director of Finance in the Goodluck Jonathan Support Group which is an organisation set up for the support of President Goodluck Jonathan. And today, apart from taking the burden of Pension off the Nigeria employer to the employee and increase focus on Occupational Safety, Dr Olejeme through the SURE-P is establishing public works department as an avenue of the Jonathan’s administration in reaching out and reducing poverty in the land, by empowering people in various communities to enable them become active income earners for their household and meet their basic needs. Dr. Mrs Ngozi Olejeme is very sure that President Goodluck Jonathan has the will to improve the living standard of the most populous West African country. Her role to join international Role Model among women, an embodiment of humility and uncompromising character. As an astute politician, today she has etched her name on the sand of time through her
Outstanding success record in NSITF. It was during her tenure in office that the company declared 788.5m profit after tax for the 2012 financial year. This figure represents 47.6 per cent increase over the 53.4.M profit declared in 2011. The Company under her leadership also witnessed and increased in operating income to the tune of 3.3 billion as against 2. 1 billion in 2011 which translates to an increase of 52.4 percent? Trust fund pensions are owned by 1 institutional investors representing different sector of the Nigeria economy namely, NSITF, National Employers Consultative Association, Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress. Others are Niger Insurance plc, Mainstream Bank and chapel Hill Denham. Today in Nigeria Dr. Olejeme is the chairman of the strongest Trust Fund in Nigeria that has lived up to expectation in meeting the need of Nigerians as published in several magazine. The Clientele base has move from 190,000 in 2006 to above 550,000. Through her effort, the customers of the Trust Fund Pension cut across state Governments, the federal Civil service, Nigeria police, Central Bank of Nigeria, Commercial Banks and the blue chip companies in all sectors of the economy. Under her own administration the income of the trust fund rose from 42 billion to 239 billion in 2012. The company also declared a dividend of 33million which translate to 23kobo per shares as against the 15kobo in 2011.
