By Sumaila Ogbaje

A women advocacy group, Aspire Women Forum, has urged young women to shun drug addiction and be prepared to take up the challenge of political participation.

The group made the call at a symposium it organised to commemorate the International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 with the theme “Choose to Challenge” on Sunday in Abuja.

The National Coordinator, Aspire Young Women Forum, Gift Johnbull, said that nation building was a collective effort and young people are actually key ingredients.

Johnbull raised the concern that the young population had been plagued by a very strong vices called drug abuse, saying that about 15 million young persons including women were currently plagued with drug abuse in the country.

According to her, people actually indulge in drug abuse thinking it that is an escape from reality but then it lead the victim in a very terrible mess.

“I stand with Gen. Buba Marwa to say no to drug abuse by the youth.

“Face reality and deal with it and say no again to drug abuse.

“My advice for women is to believe in themselves and know that they can actually be important ingredients in nation building and get involved in politics because as they can build the home front, they can also build the nation,” she said.

Founder/President, Aspire Women Forum, Mrs Zainab Marwa-Abubakar, said the event was to celebrate and commemorate the IWD-2021 and also encourage women that they could aspire to do better in the society.

Marwa-Abubakar urged women to ensure that they get involved in politics at the local level, adding that all politics were local by getting registered with a political party.

She expressed the belief that women would play their part and dare to challenge the status quo in 2023 general elections in line with the theme of IWD-2021.

She said the programme would focus on politics, leadership and power with the theme, ‘Be the Change, Dare to Challenge’ which is in line with theme of IWD2021 which is “Choose to Challenge”.

According to her, for so long, women have been barred from political participation by invisible but very strong dark ceiling.

“We were told that women in politics were wrong to dare but today, I say to you that that ceiling has been chartered because we dare to win, learn, grow and challenge.

“We have to be the change, we have to dare the challenge and chose to challenge.

“As 2023 draws near, I believe that women are going to take their rightful place as leaders, policy makers and decision makers in this power play,” she said.

Marwa-Abubakar expressed concern that the recent spate of kidnapping of school children especially girls would have negative impact on girl child education and number of out-of-school children in the country.

She, however, expressed confidence that the recent change in security architecture and appointment of new service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari, would lead to abating the security challenges.

According to her, the abductions that are happening in the North right now will definitely affect education of the girl child.

In her goodwill message, Adaora Onyechere, Head of Women and Gender Affair, African Union ECOSOC Committee, challenges the women to seek to challenge the status quo by getting involved in politics.

Onyechere said that politics was not just about running an election or joining a political party but being who you are in where you are and making your life count.

She said that women should not wait until when they join a political party but begin to make impact from where they are make their voice heard.

The Coordinator, ECOWAS Female Parliamentarian Association, Blessing Atiri, also advised the women to be bold and take up the challenge, adding that timid women never made impact.

By Angela Atabo

Christian Aid Nigeria, a Non-Govermental Organisation (NGO), has called on Nigerians to stop discriminatory acts against women in the country.

The Country Director, Christian Aid Nigeria, Charles Usie, made the call at a news conference organised by the NGO as part of activities to mark the 2021 International Women’s Day on Sunday in Abuja.

According to Usie, the organisation leverage and partner at the global level to correct the ills against women in Nigeria .

This ,he said was because Christian Aid’s essential purpose was to expose the scandal of poverty and to change the systems and structure that perpetuated poverty and injustice over the weak and marginalised by the strong and powerful.

He said that what this meant was that Christian Aid work to identify systems and structures that supported and created poverty.

According to him, the organisation is also working to identify systems that supports injustice and work in ways to dismantle these structures and to expose them and reduce the burden upon people.

He said that this had become imperative because  in sub-Saharan Africa, the face of poverty was the face of a woman, adding that if a household was poor, the burden would be seen on the woman and children.

“One out of five women will tell you they have experienced some form of violence, unlike men, in spite that their representation in elected office is  abysmally low.

“ There are cultures and norms in Nigeria that discriminate against women, for instance women are not allowed to own properties and lands  or even do some things simply because of their gender.

“In other climes, if there is any form of separation in marriage, the man leaves the house, it does not matter if it is his house. In Nigeria, you cannot even imagine it.

“That is the biggest threat many women face in their marriages, when a man says I will throw you out of the house this is the reality in Nigeria.

“Like in Abuja, if you are a single lady you cannot rent a house, they will tell you to bring a man as your shorty, there are some hotels and places that discriminate against women too, we challenge such systems and call on all landlords to desist from such acts.’’

Usie said that the organisation’s message was to challenge any structure or system that would not give women equal chances to thrive in Nigeria.

He said that Nigeria belonged to everyone and it was up to all genders to develop it, adding that it was not one group of people who would take Nigeria to the Promised Land.

He said that although Nigeria had laws like the Violence Against Persons (VAP) law and the Child Rights Act that could address issues of discrimination and hamper women’s progress in Nigeria.

Usie, however, said that domestication and enforcement remained a major challenge hampering its essence due to ignorance ,lack of domestication and implementation of the laws, so it would be difficult to get justice for women .

“Legislation is there, like everything in Nigeria, policy is not usually the problem it is the implementation and the enforcement that is the problem .

“So as far as we know, in celebrating International Women’s Day, if Nigeria or the state commit to just implementing the VAP law  and the Child Rights Act, I can tell you that we will make significant progress.’’

Usie said that sometimes the perpetuators of violence and discriminatory acts against women and girls were among them and some were even religious and traditional leaders , legislators or security men .

He said that talking about the issues women faced would bring it to the consciousness of policy makers and Nigerians to take action and curb it, adding that all hands must be on deck to protect women.

According to him,  the theme of cthis year’s celebration: Choosing to Challenge the Injustice, the NGO is joining  activists around the world to challenge the systems and the structures that still keep women and children poor and impoverished.

Usie said that Christian Aid chose three areas of focus: Democracy and Good governance, Health and Human Development, Humanitarian and Sustainable Livelihoods  for human justice.

He said that women bore the difficulty when it came to accessing health care in Nigeria as they  suffer the most when it comes to managing  their  own health care in Nigeria and childbirth .

“Today, Christian Aid Nigeria, we have chosen to take sides, we are not neutral in this fight, we have taken sides with women and girls and on that basis we challenge our systems and structures that perpetuate poverty, injustice and marginalisation of women and children in Nigeria.’’

The Programme Officer, Gender and Social Inclusion, Christian Aid, Mercy Okeke said that the NGO was committed to gender justice in all areas and to show this commitment it deliberately target women empowerment.

Okeke said this was being done through education and other advocacy programmes to get everybody talking about gender equality and to have a movement for change around gender justice.

This ,she said was because  the NGO wanted women to be participants and decision makers on issues that affected them and not to be bench warmers.

By Emmanuel Mogbede

The Racheal Udenna Foundation, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) says  showing love to the less privileged is critical to addressing crime and social vices in the country.

Mrs Racheal Udenna, founder of the group  said this when she shared food items to some less privileged persons at a Fulani settlement in Karu, in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Sunday.

She said the gesture was to appreciate the less privileged, show love and encourage those in need.

“When such persons are shown love by the society, it will be difficult for them to be engaged in social vices or be lured into taking up arms,” she said.

She therefore, charged those in authority as well as public spirited individuals to work towards impacting on the lives of the  less privileged persons in the society by showing them love.

“There is need for us to show love and kindness to the less privileged among us by sharing whatever we have with them, we must not wait until we have so much to do so.

“Even the scripture has mandated us to be our brothers’ keepers.

“Giving to the less privileged should be a life style, especially in the COVID-19 period,” she said.

She said that most of those living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps after been displaced by insurgents, were living in deplorable conditions that needed help.

Udenna said this should not be left in the hands of government alone, adding that even the public had role to play to alleviate their suffering in every small way possible.

The foundation also visited the Palace of Sarkin Hausawa of Mararaba in Nasarawa where it distributed some food items.

Malam Nasiru Usman, Secretary of the palace who received members of the foundation, thanked them for the gesture which he said should be emulated by public spirited individuals.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Racheal Udenna Foundation main focus was on public health outreach, women empowerment, education, skills acquisition and philanthropic outreach targeted at the poor and the vulnerable.

By Fortune Abang

No Hunger Food Bank (NHFB)  a Non Governmental Organisation  (NGO), has empowered Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the New Kuchigoro camp with farm implements to ensure food security in the community.

Mrs Kumdet Longdi, Coordinator of NHFB Abuja branch while addressing the IDPs on Sunday at the camp, said it was not enough to provide food items but to empower them through farming.

According to her, the aim is to connect IDPs with nutritious food and to tackle drivers of hunger, such as poverty, lack of good education, joblessness, lack of access to healthcare and homelessness.

“We are here to empower women through backyard farming, which some of them have started already.

“We want to support government to eradicate hunger; there should be no food wastage and that is why we chose this community, because they are in dire need of support.

“We deemed it necessary to empower the women to enable them and their children afford three meals, at least in a day.

“The choice of farming is to also enable the women become self-reliant rather than always depend on donations; they can derive food from cultivating what they need at backyard farms.

“Some of them were farmers before now, but because of displacement, therefore the empowerment is to enable them relive their farming occupation,” she said.

Also speaking, Mr Philemon Emmanuel, Chairman of the IDP camp, expressed appreciation to NHFB for the initiative.

“We need space to farm, if NHFB or the Federal Government can provide more farms for us, we will be happy, it is what most of us were doing for a living in our villages.

“Most of us did not even go to school, because we solely depended on farming, we need organisations to provide place for us, since this place is not our village.

“There is no land to farm; although there is a small parcel of land near the river behind our batchers, if we can get help we want to farm, to afford at least what to eat,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Ladi Paul, said that they had been living in the camp since 2014.

“We have challenges in the camp, no primary healthcare and school for our children; thank God for the support.

“Many of us came from villages without clothes; we had just wrappers that we ran with, some organisations brought things for us, and provided potable water and school for our children.

“Where we have challenge now is lack of primary healthcare, also we do not have adequate food and school in the camp,” Paul said.

The New Kuchigoro IDP camp has1,573 displaced persons comprising 690 children, 323 women and 560 men.

By Grace Alegba

The Federal Government says, it would resume phase 2 rehabilitation works on the Marine Beach Bridge, Apapa, Lagos, from Tuesday.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola, disclosed this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.

Popoola said that the rehabilitation which would last for a total of 85 days,  would ensure the replacement of damaged expansion joints, bearings and asphalt components.

He said work started on the Apapa-bound lane in 2020 with the repairs covering 250 metres span.

He, however, said that a stretch of 350 metres would be repaired in the phase 2 of the project on the CMS-bound lane.

Explaining the scope of work, the federal controller said a total of 60 bearings and 14 expansion joints would be replaced alongside the removal and replacement of bad asphalt.

“This is the continuation of the rehabilitation work we started last year. We are going to change 14 number of expansion joints, 60 bearings and jacketing skin repairs.

“It is a continuation of the work the Federal Government started last year.

“Traffic will be diverted back to the outward Apapa lane after 350m, where work will be carried out

“After the replacement of expansion joints, we will change the bearings that are bad by lifting the deck up and then we will put fresh asphalt.

“The work will be done within the stretch of 350 metres, so there will be diversion; it is not that we are closing the bridge, but we are diverting traffic.

“There will be skin repairs and jacketing of the piers. It is going to be about 85 days’ repairs, starting from March 9, 2021,’’he said.

To avert gridlock, Popoola said all the traffic regulatory agencies as well as law enforcement agencies had been deployed to effectively manage traffic around the diversion points.

“Lagosians should please bear with us,’’ he said.

NAN recalls that the said bridge, which was damaged by fire several years ago, had undergone series of repairs with the last one concluded in October 2020.

By Ifeanyi Olannye

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has expressed satisfaction over the peaceful conduct of the local government council elections of Saturday in the state.

Okowa sated this in an interview with newsmen after casting his vote at DSIEC Ward 3; unit 3 at Eghoma Primary School, Owa-Alero in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state

The governor said that from the report that he was getting, everything was going on peacefully.

He noted that materials for the election were distributed to every local government early enough for a seamless conduct of the election.

“From all the report I am getting thus far, everything is going on peacefully; materials have been distributed to every local government; the sensitive materials were distributed by Friday.

“And the information that I am getting is that they have all been moved to their various polling units in the various wards.

“We don’t have much of the challenge here (his polling unit) and I think in many parts of the state, we don’t have much of the challenge because, of the 500 councillors, I think about 240 of them have been returned unopposed,” he said.

According to him, it is only half of the councillors that are actually contesting in the election; the other ones have been returned unopposed. So, that makes the whole thing more peaceful.

“As I did cast my vote here, the vote was just for the chairmanship candidate alone because the councillor in this place has been returned unopposed.

“The place is peaceful and in the course of the day, we will be getting more report. The security agencies have been fully mobilised and we hope that everything goes on very smoothly,” he said.

Okowa said that PDP did massive ward to ward and unit to unit campaign in preparation for the election.

He also noted that the opposition in some local governments also did some campaign.

“But there are some local governments that they (the opposition) did not do campaign at all because it is when you have strength that you will go on to do campaign.

“As I said earlier, it is about 240 councilors that have been returned unopposed, 260 of them which is also a sizeable number, are contesting the elections.

“Again, 24 local government council chairmen are contesting the election. So, there were massive campaigns,” he added.

On why he chose to conduct local government council elections, Okowa said that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provided for a democratically elected local government council.

He added that any governor who was not conducting local government elections was actually failing to obey the Constitution of the country which he swore to uphold.

“Therefore, I had always insisted and maintained that I will never at any point in time, have what we called caretaker committees and I think it is only fair that we should be obedient to the Constitution since it has provided for a democratically elected local government,” he stated.

Also, state Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, described the local government council elections as generally peaceful.

Aniagwu spoke after casting his vote at ward 9, unit 2, in Akumazi Umuocha, Ika North East Local Government Area of the state.

He said elections in the community were always like a contest between brothers  and without any ill feelings.

“We take it (election) like a new yam festival where you don’t need to enlighten anybody on how to behave. Everybody knows it is a contest and no need for fight. It is just the tradition of the people of the community.

“We put our town first before any contest and we do know that at the end of the day, it means well for the community, such that anyone that wins, you will see the next person embracing him. So, it is a contest between brothers,” the commissioner said.

On his part, an APC councillorship candidate from the same ward, Mr Sunday Onyenake, also affirmed that the elections were peaceful.

“We don’t fight for elections. I am satisfied with what is happening now as far as this local government council election is concerned,” Onyenake said.

By Mark Longyen

The Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Buki Ponle, on Friday urged the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) to provide timely and strategic solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.

Ponle gave the charge in Abuja when he received IPCR’s Director-General Dr Bakut Bakut in his office.
According to the NAN MD, there is no better time than now for the institute to play its statutory role of curbing insecurity, especially given the many prevailing violent conflicts in Nigeria.

“Your agency is strategically placed to resolve conflicts and you cannot be more relevant than now in the Nigerian situation where there seems to be conflict everywhere and, instead of simmering, it tends to escalate.

“Conflicts must happen, and it is all over the world. Nigeria is not an exception and it is not just happening today. It has been happening from time immemorial.

“The difference is how to handle the conflicts and proffer solutions and I believe you are in a very good state to proffer solutions to the Nigerian situation and I am very sure that with your advice, we will get over the situation,’’ he said.

The managing director said that IPCR’s timely and proactive advice to the government was both critical and strategic to helping to tackle insecurity in the country.

“We also advise that you give the right answer or antidote at the right time because if the antidote is not given at the right time, it may miss the point, and if you give it too late, things may go awry.

“I know that your agency has the men, materials, resources, and a viable research unit, which all combine to place you in the best position to provide the federal government with the necessary solutions to ending the prevailing security challenges, ‘’ Ponle added.

Earlier, while stating the purpose of his visit to the agency, Bakut said he decided to feature on NAN Forum because he considered the agency as a veritable platform by which to let the whole world know about the institute and its statutory mandate.

Bakut also told the managing director that he was desirous of a partnership with NAN whereby, going forward, adequate publicity would be given to IPCR’s activities.

The IPCR D-G added that in line with the institute’s mandate, it had become critical for it to help the federal government in ensuring that violent conflicts, insurgency, and banditry were brought to an end.

“Essentially we came here to participate in the NAN Forum, which is an opportunity for us to have a conversation that will enable us to tell the world about what it is that we are doing in IPCR.

“This will also help us to explain how we have been helping the government in making sure that violent conflicts and other forms of criminality are checked,’’ Bakut said.

The IPCR director-general was accompanied by the institute’s Director of Administration, Mr Sam Abi, and the Assistant Director, Internal Conflict Prevention and Resolution, Mr Andy Nkemneme, among others.