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Katsina state governor bans NGOs from IDPs camps
Non Governmental Organizations, NGOs have been banned from entering Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs camps in Katsina state under any guise.
The state Governor Aminu Masari who issued the ban Monday at the Army Special Super Camp IV, Faskari, stated said- “We know that the fight against bandits and banditry is not over, but we can handle our displaced persons adequately because we have sufficient food, clothing, shelter and security for them while we strengthen efforts in restoring security for them to return to their respective homes.
“We want the IDPs to return to their homes as soon as possible, because leaving them at the camp is what is giving opening for those wanting to prolong banditry.”
August 11, 2020
NGO campaigns against rape, gender violence in Ogun
By Ademola Ogunbon
Disturbed by the alarming rate of rape and other sexual and gender-based crimes in the country, a foundation and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Oyenola Oluwole Foundation (OOF), in partnership with some stakeholders, has intensified its efforts through outdoor exercise and awareness campaign against rape and other gender crimes.
The outdoor exercise tagged “Walk Against Rape and Female Genital Mutilation”, also known as Female Circumcision, was aimed at campaigning against rape, which has tripled in number since Covid-19 lockdown, held at Abeokuta, the State capital.
Convener of the exercise and founder of the organization, Asiwaju Oyenola Oluwole (Wole Papa) appealed to the Nigerian government to exercise its political will and legislative powers to eradicate rape and other gender crimes, especially Female Genital Mutilation which has become embarrassing cultural practice in the country.
While narrating his personal ordeals with his family, he said “apart from the denigration of human dignity and existence, the stigma that follows this despicable act is always a lasting scar, difficult to erase or wipe away, because of the continual psychological trauma.”
Oluwole said that according to the Nigeria Police, between January and May this year, there were 717 reported cases of rape, as UNICEF statistics confirmed that one in four girls experienced sexual violence before the age of 18, adding that sometimes this despicable acts involved murder of the victims in the process.
He said that they were unable to do much at this time than to campaign against rape and other sexual crimes, through means that they would be safe and also accessible to everyone to hear their voices at this time, noting that they decided to hike with few people under strict observation of the social distancing rules for outdoor events.
“Indeed, rape is a crime, it is traumatizing and we called on the Federal Government for stricter measures against rapists in Nigeria,” Oluwole said
He said that women were more vulnerable to sexual crimes than men, noting that sexual violence reflects and reinforces existing gender inequalities.
It would be recalled that Oyenola Oluwole Foundation was established with the objective of campaigning against Female Genital Mutilation, Rape, Domestic Violence and every form of Social Vices that devalues human dignity.
July 8, 2020
NGO lauds FG’s partial lockdown in Lagos, FCT, Ogun
Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Centre for Change, has hailed the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to gradually ease the lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Lagos and Ogun States.
Okei-Odumakin, who gave the commendation on Tuesday in Lagos, said the president’s decision was a welcome development as it was harmful to permanently shut down those economic centres indefinitely.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president in a nationwide broadcast extended the lockdown imposed on FCT, Lagos and Ogun, said it would be eased from May 4.
“The gradual ease should be combined with strict observance of safety measures like wearing of masks, washing of hands and social/physical distancing.
“The fumigation of public places must also continue to keep the spread of the pandemic very low.
“Provision of support to the most vulnerable should continue as the impact of the lockdown would still weigh heavily on the poor,” she said in a statement.
Okei-Odumakin said the president’s warning to security operatives on human rights abuses should be strictly enforced.
She noted that it was embarrassing to the country that its security forces were in competition with Coronavirus on who would kill more Nigerians.
The NGO’s president said it might not be out of tune to ask government to mobilise and empower the universities, polytechnics, and research institutes to join the search for a vaccine that would serve as cure for the virus.
“Also in line with what other countries are doing, including African countries, our scientists and researchers should be mobilised.
“They should be encouraged to invent ventilators, test kits and such other equipment that are hard to come by internationally since every country is fighting tooth and nail to cope with the pandemic.
“Finally, government must keep abreast of latest developments around the world in combating the pandemic,” she said.
Okei-Odumakin said special attention must now be focused on practices, sects, and groups that were deliberately flouting COVID-19 protocols, thereby encouraging community transmission of the virus.
She said this was the major reason why the figures of the infected were on the increase right now.
According to her, it must be stated quite clearly that such ignorance and or irresponsible behaviour endangers everyone.
Okei-Odumakin said it would also ensure Nigerians remained in the stranglehold of the virus for a very long time to come, with dire consequences on the health and safety of Nigerians as well as the quick recovery of the economy.
April 28, 2020
NGO hails Nigerians for complying with stay-at-home directive at Easter
The Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Development Awareness (CESDA) on Monday commended Nigerians for complying with government’s stay-at-home’directive during Easter celebration.
The Chairman of the CESDA Board of Trustee, Mr Ogunko Oluwaseyi, made the commendation in a statement on Monday in Abuja .
READ ALSO: Lagos, Ogun residents lament rising robbery cases
Oluwaseyi said that although Easter celebration was important, safety was needed in the society for a better future.
According to him, Easter is a season to reflect on the great sacrifice made by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, so that man can live a better life.
“We celebrate His resurrection because of the faith we have that he had victory over death more than 2,000 years ago.
” Easter period is a time we should demonstrate the essence of Christ’s sacrifice for humanity.
“I implore us to continue in the sacrifice we have been making during this COVID-19 lockdown.
“This is because it bears eloquent testimony of our willingness to bring an end to this pandemic,” the chairman said.
Oluwaseyi said that CESDA would want Nigerians to continue to take precautionary measures and comply with government directives on COVID-19.
He said that it was pertinent for the citizens to realise that government was not intentionally inflicting hardship on them.
According to him, the lockdown is intended to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
“Our prayer is that this Easter period serves as the first of many we shall celebrate.
“We shall celebrate the next in better global conditions when we would have overcome this pandemic by the power in the blood of Christ,” he prayed. (
April 13, 2020
Sexual Abuse: NGO mobilises Sokoto communities on handling of survivors
Project Alert, an NGO, has commenced campaign across communities in Sokoto State to educate people on ways to handle sexual abuse cases and referrals of survivors.
Dr Muddassir Ahmad-Gado, the group Focal Person, disclosed this to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday, in Sokoto.
He said community groups are being trained on ways to offer services and referrals of survivors and other forms of violence against women.
Ahmad-Gado said the organisation is working in partnership with the Spotlight Initiative Project to build the capacity of community groups, CSOs and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs).
The Spotlight Initiative is a project sponsored by the European Union, UNICEF, the Federal Government, UNFPA and UNESCO.
He said the targeted persons were equipped with knowledge on the operation of the newly established sexual referral center.
”We reached out and build capacity of local CSOs, CBOs in Sokoto South, Bodinga, Dange Shuni, Goronyo, Binji and Isa local government areas of the state.
”The effort will be continued and is aimed at equipping groups to effectively assist victims of sexual and gender based violence in their communities,” Ahmad-Gado said.
He enjoined the beneficiaries to adhere to techniques and share knowledge and experiences in order to achieve maximum success.
Ahmad-Gado said the NGO is headed by Dr Josephine Effah-Chukwuma as Executive Director adding that five organisations were engaged in the implementation of the spotlight project in collaboration with government agencies.
He appealed for support from community leaders, community-based organisations and the media toward the success of the programme.
NAN recalls that the Commandant, Sokoto State Hisbah Commission, Dr Adamu Kasarawa, said the commission has recorded 606 rape cases across the state in 2019 alone.
Sokoto State Government in collaboration with some international donor agencies has established a sexual assaults’ referral centre to provide immediate and long term remedies for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV).
The centre which is located within the Sokoto Specialist Hospital, and is part of the Spotlight Initiative Project, aimed at eliminating violence against women, including sexual abuse.
March 3, 2020
Malnutrition: NGO urges Kaduna Govt to accelerate recruitment of nutritionists
The Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), an NGO, has called on the Kaduna State Government to accelerate the process of the recruitment of health workers and nutritionists.
The state’s Coordinator, Mr Silas Ideva, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kaduna.
The state government had announced plans to recruit over 3,000 health workers, including nutritionists, since 2018.
Ideve said that the measure would improve access to health and nutrition services in health facilities across the state.
He pointed out that malnutrition situation in the state has remained malignant with very little progress as indicated by the National Health Demographic and Health Survey 2018.
He said that according to the survey, stunting rate among children under five years improved by only 6.1 per cent in the state in five years, from 56.6 per cent in 2013 to 50.5 per cent in 2018.
He added that three out of every 10 children under the age of five in the state were malnourished, adding that the development poses a great threat to economic development in the state.
According to him, gross shortage of nutritionists and health workers are among major challenges contributing to slow rate of returns in nutrition investment in the state.
“Other problems include untimely release and cash backing of approved funds for nutrition intervention and lack of nutrition budget line in relevant ministries, department and agencies.
“There is equally poor nutrition coordination mechanism, particularly the absence of Nutrition Management Information System to help in making informed decision.
“Not only that, there is also non finalisation, dissemination and implementation of developed nutrition policies.”
The coordinator explained that malnutrition impact negatively on cognitive and physical development of children which further decreases their learning abilities and reduce productivity in adulthood
He said that these developments have significant consequences in the economic development of any society.
“While I commend the current administration for its proactive response in development issues in the state, I am also appealing for expedite action on recruitment of nutritionists and health workers.
“I am also calling for timely release and cash backing of approved funds for nutrition programmes as well as strengthening of accountability in nutrition funding,” he said.
Ideva said that the state chapter has recently met and planned activities and strategies for implementation, as part of efforts to support the state government in fighting the scourge of malnutrition.
He added that the chapter equally developed fund-raising strategies to fund planned activities for 2020.
He said that CS-SUNN is currently implementing the SUN Pooled Fund, Window II Project, designed to improve nutrition programme implementation in the country.
He said that objective was to strengthen linkages and joint collaboration within the multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder platform at both the national and sub-national level.
The coordinator assured that with grant from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the project would improve the delivery of multi-sectoral nutrition activities that impact nutrition outcomes.
He said that the project, which was extended to Kaduna State, would particularly impact on nutritionally vulnerable groups including women, girls and adolescents, and communities at the local level.
February 18, 2020
NGO urges media to expose corruption in education sector
Kaduna, Feb. 13, 2020 A Non-governmental Organisation, Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women (LEADS-Nigeria), on Thursday, called on journalists in Kaduna State to increase reportage on corruption related issues in the education sector.
The Executive Director of the NGO, Mrs Rebecca Sako-John, made the call at the opening of a review meeting with journalists in Kaduna.
Daybreak reports that the meeting was organised to review progress on tracking projects being executed by Universal Basic Education Commission and state’s Universal Basic Education Board.
Sako-John explained that the move was to strengthen accountability and transparency in Nigerian education sector with a view to ensure quality service delivery.
According to her, media involvement is key in exposing corruption in the education sector and placed it in the front burner of national discourse.
“One of the cardinal points of the current administration is the fight against corruption with little progress so far, because the larger per cent of corrupt practices in the country goes unreported.
“Federal and state governments were spending huge resources in the sector, yet our primary schools are dilapidated, pupils sitting on bare floor, while other schools carry out academic activities under the tree.
“We want the media to continue to track procurement, construction, and renovation of schools in the education sector.
“This will help in bringing corruption issues in the education sector to the front burner of national discourse with a view to curb the trend.”
The director said that the Leads-Nigeria have mobilised and trained community members, school-based management committees including the media to track education projects.
She said that currently, community-led monitoring platform in various communities were beginning to take ownership of schools in their communities by insisting on delivery of quality project.
“We want the media to continue to support citizens to engage the government on issues bothering on poor execution of education projects,” she said.
February 13, 2020
Group backs Edo govt on sustainable peace initiatives
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Royal Ambassador Organisation of Nigeria, has declared support for the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration’s policies and programmes, targeted at ensuring sustainable peace across Edo. The Council Adviser, Royal Ambassador, Mr. Charles Irikefe Uwhujorho, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the governor, at Government House, in Benin City.
The Royal Ambassador Organization of Nigeria is an arm of the Nigeria Baptist Convention, set up to kick against killings, kidnappings, cultism and political unrest in Nigeria. Uwhujorho said the group decided to show support for the state government’s campaign against cultism, thuggery, political unrest and other social vices, especially as the state prepares for the 2020 gubernatorial election. A representative of the governor and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Religious Matters, Pastor Eghosa Omoruyi, said Governor Godwin Obaseki has demonstrated to be a man of peace, adding, “The governor stands for peace and preaches peace because without peace no meaningful development can take place.
He urged members of the group to take the message to youths across the state on the need to be responsible and embrace peace. The State Co-ordinator, Anti-Social Vices, Pastor Paul Arasomwan, said, “We are in Government House to lend our voice as Royal Ambassadors of Baptist Conference. Our aim is to preach peace and also tell our youths to shun violence, kidnapping and other social vices in our society. All we preach is peace. We are saying yes to peace.”
January 22, 2020