NEWS
Canada, CODE Renew Partnership to Galvanise Mass Action Against SGBV in the Country
The Canadian High Commission and Connected Development (CODE) on Tuesday, strengthened their partnership to galvanise mass action against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the country.
The Acting Canadian High Commissioner, Kelvin Tokar, stated this at a news conference in Abuja, for the launch of the second phase of `Galvanising Mass Action Against Gender-Based Violence in Kano (GMAA-K) campaign.
The step was taken to tackle the high prevalence of SGBV in northern Nigeria with the aim to mobilise the population against its menace.
It was to also to empower survivors and seek the adoption of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) and the Child Rights Act in Kano.
According to Tokar, Canada was delighted to announce the continuation of its partnership with CODE in the campaign against SGBV in Nigeria.
He said that it was a fact that far too many women, girls and boys in Nigeria had been subjected to physical sexual violence at least once in their lives.
“This violence has long lasting social, health and economic effects that can span generations often leading to circles of violence with families and communities.
“It is a crisis in Nigeria that we must condemn and work together to end.
“Over the past few years, we have seen a number of states pass and start to implement the VAPP Act which has given us hope, although not all states have achieved this important milestone so much more work is needed ’’, Tokar said.
He, therefore, said that the Canadian partnership with CODE was necessary in order to continue its work in Kano state, to galvanise support for the implement of the VAPP and Child Rights Act and enable CODE work at community level to provide support to survivors of SGBV and continue to work to end it .
Chief Executive Officer, CODE, Hamzat Lawal, said that with the high record of SGBV in northern Nigeria, one of the CODE’s aim was to work towards enacting the law that protected vulnerable people, particularly in rural communities .
Lawal said that in the first quarter of 2021, CODE worked towards the adoption of the VAPP Act in Kano state and recorded successes in engaging the government.
“Today, with our collaboration with and support from Canada, we have been able to harmonise and incorporate the VAPP Act into the Penal Code law, in order to reconcile the provisions.
“It is to also have one singular comprehensive law that addresses SGBV, the legal document is pending validation and enactment by the Kano state Assembly.’’
Lawal added that CODE had also empowered and trained over 30 female advocates for its galvanising action and engaging various key stakeholders in the state.
CODE ran radio programmes, using local language and English, to educate people on how these laws would be implemented so that they could add their voices to the SGBV campaign, Lawal said, adding that the organisation’s main target in the second phase was to tackle SGBV, using the budget of the state .
“We believe that putting the necessary mechanism will be inspired by the budget appropriation and provision that goes to the state assembly and implemented by the executive and this is something that we hope to achieve in the second phase of the support from Canada.’’
He also stated that CODE had identified the predominant factors causing SGBV in Kano, to include lack of a comprehensive law, non access to justice, creation of a sexual offender register, lack of a gender responsive budget, among others.
CODE would also work with stakeholders, like the Nigerian Governors Forum, to create a nationwide effect in tackling SGBV and work to ensure referral centres were created in all emirates and local government areas, according to Lawal.
Dr Halimah Sanda, said that SGBV should be viewed as a public health issue because many survivors were left traumatised, and after being abused, had only a little support was provided for them.
Sanda said that SGBV was often regarded as a human rights violation, which was correct, but should also be viewed as a mental health issue because when no mental health support was provided to them, ”we harbour a mentally oppressed society’’(NAN)
NEWS
Ododo Commiserates with Ogbe Community over Gruesome Murder of Two
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has commiserated with the people of Ogbe Community of Yagba West Local Government Area over the gruesome murder of two young men in the community.
Ododo in his condolence message, vowed that the state government will do everything possible to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book and guarantee security in the area.
The Governor who spoke through the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon.
Kingsley Fanwo on Sunday, at Ogbe, said that the government is totally out against criminal elements in the state.He assured the people of Ogbe while addressing them that the state has all the forces required to tame criminalities and defeat terror.
The governor told the people of the community to demonstrate confidence in the commitment of his administration to stamp out insecurity, urging them not to take the law into their hands by launching reprisal attacks.
He assured them that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the armed forces and security agencies, is giving the State all the necessary support to launch a holistic offensive on the agents of criminality, assuring the people that Kogi would remain one of the safest states in Nigeria.
Responding on behalf of the community, the former Councilor of Ogbe Ward, Hon. Adeleke John thanked the Governor for promptly responding to the community in her darkest hour.
In his words, “We want to thank the Governor for promptly coming to our aid and for identifying with us in this dark hour. It shows we have a Governor who is responsive and responsible.
“We will not embark on any reprisal attack because we are not hopeless. We have confidence in the Government to protect us”, he said.
NEWS
North-East Govs’ Forum Issues Harp on Regional Devt, Challenges
By Yagana Ali, Yola
The North-East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) has called for an end to the security challenges in the area while emphasizing on the sustenance of development across the region.
The governors made the call at the weekend in a communique at the end of its 10th meeting, held in Bauchi, Bauchi State.
The forum, made up of the Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe, expressed delight at the growing strength of subregional cooperation and appreciated the successes recorded through their leadership styles.
The communique highlighted several key resolutions, including: Acknowledging the forum’s progress and commitment to fostering a common ground for the benefit of the people; and commended the Bauchi State Government for hosting the Northeast Trade Fair.
They expressed concern over the neglect of the Northeast in federal government capital projects, particularly infrastructure development, urging the Federal Government to address the power blackout in the region and improve energy infrastructure.
They resolved to set up solar power plants to generate at least 10 Megawatts per State and called for the extension of transmission lines to improve energy supply and industrial development.
The governors also demand for maximizing hydropower generation in Kashimbilla and Dadin Kowa dam, addressing climate change and environmental degradation through sustained regional efforts.
It also harped on charging the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) to be consultative and work with States for energy development; investing in agriculture value chains and supporting procurement of improved seedlings; partnering with OCP Africa to support agriculture in the Northeast; and strengthening partnerships with UNICEF for improved water and sanitation coverage.
The forum appreciated the Government and People of Bauchi State for hosting the meeting and resolved to hold the 11th meeting in Damaturu, Yobe State, between August 30-31, 2024.
Chairman, NEGF and Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, signed the communique.
NEWS
Intersociety Calls for Nullification of Imo 2023 Guber Election, Demanding Fresh Poll
From Sylvia Udegbunam Enugu
International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law has strongly called for Judicial nullification of Imo Nov 11, 2023 governorship shambolic election.
The Chairman of the board Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi stated this during a press conference held in Enugu on Sunday May 19 2023 at new heaven suite.
Umeagbalasi in his speech noted that the Imo election was not credibly conducted stressing that the election witnessed violence, election rigging, voters intimidation and vote buying, political corruption, composed of harvested and written results.
According to him, “the facts and finding arising from our several investigation obtained before, during and after, widely condemned and rejected 2023 Imo governorship poll, which have shown how supposedly State actor or government Democratic institutions turned themselves into rigging tools in the election, thereby making the poll worse of the worst in Nigeria’s electoral process and recent election history.
“Despite deployment of Nine INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners, scores of INEC’s national commissioners and several top security chiefs including serving police DIGs, AIGs, CPs, Military and SPY Police Commanders accompanied by Police crack Squads.
SSS, Army, Navy, Air force paramilitaries, and government controlled militias. The State actor democratic institutions ended up becoming and serving as rigging tools in the shambolic poll. In the end, supervised brutal subversion of the sacred electoral wishes of the conscientious Imo voting populations”.
He therefore called for both nullification and also an all-inclusive fresh poll that will be conducted under an atmosphere of popular participation, including access to PVC and secured voting environment and voting materials.
He further called on the Nigerian judiciary under the leadership of Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariawoola to use this rare opportunity to courageously return the Judiciary to the saintly status quo and save it from further bleeding.
He beckoned on retiring CJN to retire on August 22, 2024 at the mandatory retirement age of 70 years with honor by “politically” reversing the Jan 14, 2020 Imo State governorship supreme Court Hara-Kiri.