Media
Yuletide: Reps Press Corps Visits Abuja Children’s Home, Presents Items
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
The House of Representatives Press Corps, at the Weekend, visited the Abuja Children’s Home located at Karu, in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), with various items showered on the children, in the spirit of the Yuletide.
The journalists who embarked on the humanitarian gestures, presented various items including bags of rice, cartons of noodles, pasta and clothing among other things.
The Corps also made a cash donation for the treatment of a numerological ailment of one of the children in the home.
Chairman of the Corps, Comrade Grace Ike, who led members to make the donation said the gesture was in the spirit of Christmas, which is to show love through sharing of gifts.
She said, “We are members of the House of Representatives Press Corps. You can call us parliamentary reporters and we feel it is the right thing to extend our hands of fellowship to people. It is Christmas and we all know Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
“A lot of people would say journalists, what are we doing here? Our own is to inform, educate, enlighten and let the people know what is happening.
“We are the conscience of the society and that is why we are here. So we have our token to present. Do not look at the quantity of what we are giving. Look at the intention behind what we are doing. Like I would always say, it is good to give and the greatest of it all is love and love simply means affection.
The Administrator of the Home, Musa Danjuma Yakubu, expressed gratitude for the gesture, just as he called on well-meaning individuals and organizations to emulate the gesture.
He highlighted the challenges of the Home including feeding, operational vehicles, dilapidated structures, and perimeter fencing, among others.
“We appreciate your coming and the most important thing is that it is not as little as you see. We appreciate the effort of your people. There is nothing that is too small for us. Every other thing, whether food, school fees and all those things we appreciate and it is people like you among other people who come to help with one thing other the other.
“For the school, we have students that are even in the university and one graduated and is already working. Another is on the four hundred level and one would be going to the university in Nasarawa State University by February next year if there is life. So we appreciate your coming.
“As for feeding, well, what you have brought we would use judiciously but the challenges are surplus. Security wise just like somebody said he was here ten years ago, the perimeter fencing is breaking down. And we have a building that is almost sinking, the girls’ hostel. It was donated by one organization but I think there is a problem with the water system. I know water must find its level so it is sinking.
“We are also hoping that with time somebody would take up the responsibility of renovating them. And if you look a few metres away, it was recently commissioned on the 16th of December 2022, a skills acquisition centre donated by the NDIC (Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC). Part of it has been completed. We want to equip it.
“We have some tailors among our children. Some do shoemaking. The one I am wearing was done by one of our children in this home. He does it once in a while he is still in secondary school. We have a lady that just graduated from hairdressing.
“Other challenges are if you look at our vehicles they are almost obsolete. We do not even have utility vehicles. We have buses. One is grounded and another is working but just halfway it is down. So we need vehicles.
“Also the hostel, well the hostels are in order. The female hostel is there. The male hostel is there and we have nannies that take care of them. They do shifts and once a week, they go. We have a dining hall where they gather to eat. Some of the children go to secondary school.
“We have a physically challenged that attends school in Kuje. So she goes there and we look for a nanny that would take care of her. And one goes to a secondary school nearby. But the primary school is just within the home.
“So these are basic things that we have. And we have a hall. Sometimes we rent it out for activities. The only thing is that we do not allow alcohol here so that it does not have a negative effect on our children.”
By David Torough, Abuja
OurNigeria Magazine has announced plans for its 2025 OurNigeria Awards Ceremony, an annual event dedicated to celebrating Nigerians whose leadership, service and commitment to national development have made measurable impact across key sectors of the country.
The awards ceremony is scheduled to be held on Saturday, January 31, 2025, at 6:00 p.
m. at the Abuja Continental Hotel in the Federal Capital Territory.In a press conference by the magazine’s editorial board, Chairman of the Editorial Board, Dr. AK Peters, said the awards remain its flagship initiative aimed at promoting excellence, patriotism and positive national values, while recognising individuals whose contributions often go uncelebrated.
The theme for the 2025 edition, “Providing a Podium for the Unsung Hero,” underscores the magazine’s mission to spotlight Nigerians who have demonstrated courage, sacrifice and consistency in nation-building, frequently without commensurate public recognition.
For the 2025 awards, the magazine has selected three distinguished Nigerians for top honours. The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, will be honoured as Man of the Year, while Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, emerges as Governor of the Year. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has also been named Senator of the Year.
The organisers said the honourees were selected after a rigorous editorial assessment process, stakeholder consultations and a review of their leadership records, public service and national influence within the period under review.
The ceremony is expected to bring together key leaders from government, the private sector, civil society, the diplomatic community and the media, with the aim of celebrating exemplary leadership and inspiring renewed commitment to national service.
In addition, the magazine released a draft list of national awardees and special guests ahead of its 7th Our Nigeria News Awards scheduled for 2026. The list includes prominent political leaders, military officers, academics, civil society advocates, entrepreneurs and media professionals who have distinguished themselves in service, leadership and advocacy.
Among those listed are Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as Minister of the Year, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for a Lifetime Achievement Award in Democratic Leadership, and Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji as Banker of the Year.
Several lifetime achievement and special recognition awards are also slated for figures in scholarship, interfaith dialogue, youth leadership, community service and public service.
The event is expected to feature high-profile dignitaries, including former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as Distinguished Guest of Honour, former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon as Father of the Day, and retired Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai as Chairman of the Awards.
Our Nigeria Magazine expressed appreciation to its media partners and stakeholders for their continued support in promoting positive Nigerian narratives and fostering a culture of excellence and accountability.
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Practicing Journalists in Kogi state have expressed readiness to partner with the State Internal Revenue Service on tax administration enlightenment and adequate publicity of its activities.
Chairman, Correspondents’ Chapel, Kogi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Segun Salami, gave the indication when he led his members on a visit to the Executive Chairman of KGIRS, Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe.
Salami promised a robust collaboration with the agency in creation of public awareness on the need for all taxable citizens to embrace prompt payment of their personal income taxes.
“Our task as journalists is to assist the agency in meeting up with its target of revenue generation for Kogi government through our social responsibility duty of enlightening the people to key into regular and prompt payment of their taxes as when due
“Journalists also owe it as a duty to alert citizens on the need to contribute their quota towards the development of their state and the nation in general by meeting up with their financial commitment on prompt tax payment”
Salami advocated for quarterly media interaction with the agency as part of the partnership move in publicising its activities.
He commended the Executive Chairman and his management team for the resouding success so far recorded in generating more revenue for the state government to provide the needed democracy dividends to the people.
Responding, the Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe, expressed delight over the prevailing cordial relationship between his angency and practicing Journalists in Kogi since assumption of office.
He promised to sustain the feat in the interest of both parties geared towards achieving accelerated transformation of Kogi.
Enehe also gave an assurance that he would live above board under the partnership agreement which according to him would go a long way in improving the agency’s services of mobilizing resources for the development of the state.
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