38/OPINION
06.10.2017
ADEOLAAKINREMI HOME TRUTHS
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Uber’s Bad Sign Requires Government Action Uber is a beautiful business with ugly stories. The ride-sharing business is fast, cheap and smart, but its global record contains sexual assault, murder and theft. In June, Los Angeles Times reported a bizarre story of a 46-year-old Uber driver who was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and kidnapping after an intoxicated passenger was taken to a hotel and attacked. The Uber driver was seen on a camera carrying the passenger into the hotel. Instead of taking the passenger home according to Los Angeles Police the Uber driver took advantage of the drunken passenger and allegedly took her to a motel for sexual assault. In a related story, another woman claimed she was raped after a sip from a water bottle she got from an Uber driver while in the passenger seat of his car. The woman sued Uber Technologies after a rape treatment centre confirmed her story with positive DNA result. The Uber driver did not contest the claim when he was charged for criminal sexual battery in court. Honestly, the story of Uber is riddled with crisis and controversies from its boardroom to road trips. In London, United Kingdom, Transport for London and Uber Technologies are locked in epic battle of disrespect for transportation rules and lack of transparency in the latter’s business activities in the City of London. The whole idea is to get Uber out of London. The City of London is well prepared for it. With a suspended license, Uber is making overtures and appealing the suspension. The TFL has said Uber's "approach to reporting serious criminal offenses," its "approach
Ebi Atawodi implemented Uber plan for Nigeria
to how medical certificates are obtained," its "approach to how Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks are obtained," needs a rework. Another piece of the pie is Greyball, a programme used by Uber to track government regulators' use of the ride-hailing app (in order to hide activity) in the U.S. Greyball and other criminal acts so far reported by Uber passengers from one city to the other across the United States have forced legislators into action compelling Uber drivers to have their fingerprints captured and many other stringent measures that have created no love lost relationship between Uber and governments everywhere in the United Sates. There are plenty of reasons for Nigeria to act now before it’s too late. Nigeria does not have sophisticated security system and crime detection parameters like the United States
and the United Kingdom, where men behind the steering in Uber cars and those managing its apps are beating security measures. Yes, one other reason is that Nigeria is a country, where crime rate is like a bubble wrap with popping noise. The surge in crime rate is one reason the government must act on regulations not only around Uber drivers, but the passengers. And if anyone thinks I am going too far, I’ll show you in a moment why there must be regulation asking Uber not only to have a solid way of conducting background checks on its drivers, but knowing who the passengers are. The two major stories of crime I have heard around Uber service in Nigeria have been about armed robbers posing as passengers in order to use Uber drivers as means of escape, make them active participants or rob the unsuspecting drivers. It is like a reincarnation of Okada riders For a timeline, I’ll bring back the stories: In April 2017, two armed robbers posing as passengers allegedly strangled an Uber driver to death in Lagos before stealing and escaping with his car to Edo State. Second, in September, former winner of Gulder Ultimate Search, Hector Jobarteh, was murdered in the night in his bedroom after assailants pretending to be passengers used an Uber vehicle to arrive at his residence in New Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos State. Also, two Uber drivers who specialised in robbing women around Lekki area of their jewelry and expensive phones at gunpoint were arrested in Lagos last week. I can’t help thinking that Uber model is not fit for Nigeria at this time, because criminals
will take advantage of this ride-sharing to increase kidnapping, murder and theft. For sure, it is already happening, and that should prick the hearts of regulators to throw Uber and other ride-sharing model out until such a time when our security system is strong enough to accommodate them. One more thing, Uber Technologies is milking the cow that breeds the milk dry. The drivers are complaining after driving in traffic, buy gasoline, and pay their partner (car owner) with Uber deducting 25 per cent of their earnings. They say they are left with nothing for their toils. And this is the big deal, the government is a looser. The government will not only have to increase funding for security to check crime rates, but many Uber drivers may not be paying tax since the company does not make direct tax deduction from the drivers and partners for remittance to the government. This is how it works: “As an independent contractor running your own business, taxes from your earnings are not withheld by the federal or state government. This means that it is your responsibility to file taxes at the end of each year,” Uber says in its frequently asked questions on its website. Now, there must be something in the law to help victims of robbery inside Uber cars get compensation directly from Uber Technologies. The law should prey on negligence and false claims of the company. It has happened elsewhere, and since 2009 Uber has had to deal with over $160 million payouts. Seriously, the signs from Uber and other ridesharing companies are not good for Nigeria now.
LEKANFATODU HEADS-UP
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Ayotunde Phillips: Making a Case for Women Leaders All over the world there are policies and practices that limit women from performing certain roles in the society and hinder them from aspiring for some positions in life. In the largely patriarchal African societies, the representation of women in many strategic professions and services remains as uninspiring as ever. This might explain why gender equality is one of the United Nations' newly adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is obviously a bid to scale up efforts towards achieving gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls. Similar calls for gender diversity in leadership in the African corporate sector have been made as one of the pragmatic steps towards extracting the benefits of gender balanced teams for accelerated growth in many organisations. Similarly, the advocacy by supporters of the 35 per cent affirmative action is one that is focused on the greater value women can bring to governance if given as many opportunities as men get in government appointments to public offices. Meanwhile, like the philosophies of the great thinkers of the ancient Greek and other famous civilisations that have impacted on the progress of modern life, there is a woman whose philosophy is an existing and vibrant viewpoint poised to challenge African women to see possibilities and fire up their personal convictions to occupy bigger spaces. Former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Mrs. Ayotunde Phillips, is the epitome and the leading light of this compelling experience. From the respectable retired jurist’s outlook,
Phillips
while it is desirable that corporate entities are persuaded on the necessity of gender diversity and there are demands from the governments to create policies that are more women-friendly, women themselves are expected to let their talents and capability shine more brightly above the darkness of stereotypes and the proverbial glass-ceiling. As observed, Phillips, through astonishing brilliance, steely conviction, lofty ideals and rooted aversion for gender-based biases has succeeded and continues to excel in undertakings deeply dreaded by many women. Hers is evidently a captivating living intervention which African women can easily connect with and adopt.
Phillips, by the description of one of her mentees, a London-based charity organisation founder, Ms. Titilayomi Shonubi, “Mummy”, as she fondly calls the retired judge, “is a practicable symbol of leadership by example.” “She will always encourage people particularly women to pursue greatness through their talents without giving a thought to any perceived or real barriers on their paths. And whenever a situation becomes more daunting than imagined, she is also available to support and be a guide through her own beautiful journey of life," said Titilayomi. In reality, more of such highly experienced mentors and guides are needed on a continent, especially in a country like Nigeria, where both young women and men are falling short of huge expectations due to meaningless institutional obstacles and the absence of exemplary figures around. As such a perspective of an outstanding Phillips will help to bridge a gap and raise a generation of achievers through her long, committed and fascinating walk to a higher ground. It is therefore instructive to mention that Phillips didn’t just suddenly stumble on success; she toiled for it and even, as they say, paid her dues. Early in life she made a career choice in law. She therefore pursued it rigorously by enrolling and graduating with a law degree from the University of Lagos. Phillips’ available profile has it that after being called to the bar, she worked briefly at a private law firm before she joined the services of the Lagos State Development and
Property Corporation and later moved to the Ministry of Justice where she later became a High Court Judge in 1994. By 2012, her talent, as noted earlier, had illuminated well and her brilliance so profoundly felt such that her appointment as the chief judge of Lagos State, in a profession that parades many mighty men, was popularly applauded. Interestingly, her younger sister, Mrs. Oluwafunmilayo Atilade, also an embodiment of the viable and noble philosophy was named the Chief Judge of Lagos State when Phillips attained her retirement age in 2014. Being a woman not known to be afraid of new challenges, Phillips was appointed Chairman of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) in 2016 and she creditably coordinated the just concluded elections in all the local governments in Lagos state. Clearly, anyone with the knowledge of the level of tension from local government elections in Lagos State would admit that there is more to Phillips' personality. Especially on her excellent management and delivery on such a herculean assignment that would make some men tremble. Just some months ago the distinguished jurist was appointed by the Federation International Football Association (FIFA) into the highly respected FIFA Ethics Committee. Consistently Phillips has been using her high ideals to accentuate the excellent roles women can play in improving our world. And she is in many ways a massive image of success worthy of emulation by both women and men.