Author: The Nation

A Chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno State, Dr Abiso Kabir, has congratulated Governor Babagana Zulum on his re-election.

Kabir, national chair of Forum of Tinubu Shettima Support Groups and APC Presidential Campaign Council Deputy Director Special Duties III, sent a message to Zulum in Maiduguri.

He said Zulum’s re-election came as a result of hard work and competence, noting Zulum’s focus in moving the state from accelerated development to sustainable growth since 2019.

Kabir said Zulum’s government via his policies and projects has lifted many to prosperity.

He said: “You have been consistent with what you do in security and development.

“You have done well in maintaining the peace and development you inherited from your predecessor. Your commitment to peace and unity is worthy of emulation…”

Gender and Election Watch (GEW) Room of Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) has urged relevant   stakeholders to uphold rights of female candidates in the elections.

In a statement in Abuja, it condemned efforts and attempts to truncate emergence of female candidates.

Chief Executive Officer of GEW, Mufuliat Fijabi, noted Nigeria cannot achieve inclusive democracy without female participation.

Fijabi said delay and uncertainty around results of Adamawa State governorship elections is not encouraging for women who contested positions and a negative indication for inclusive democratic practice which Nigeria should aim at. 

She hailed female candidates for their resilience and participation in the polls.

On last Saturday’s elections, Fijabi said Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) made  some improvement with logistics.

Noting GEW deployed 350 observers, she called on security agencies to do more to keep peace and protect lives.

“The trend of incumbent governors banning NGO observers is a bad practice, especially when INEC has accreditated them to observe elections and a definitive legal statement by INEC must be issued to stop future recurrence”, Fijabi said.

Tributes poured in at the weekend for the late Madam Rachael Folashade Alonge,an educationist. 

She was described as  a seasoned school teacher and a faithful, exemplary, enduring and dedicated wife of the Alonge  family.

 It was at the funeral service  for Madam  Alonge at the Church  of Assumption, Falomo Ikoyi, Lagos.

 Madam  Alonge died on January 3. She was 81.

She   taught at Saint Gregory College, Obalende, Lagos and was Vice Principal at Saint Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Lagos among others. Emeritus Catholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese  Rev Francis Folorunso Alonge, who was brother in-law to the deceased was represented by Rev. Father Emmanuel Aladesiun, his Personal Secretary.

 Bishop Alonge  said: “Although it is sad to hear that she is no longer physically with us, we are, however, grateful to God the giver of life for her life and her legacy of a wonderful Catholic woman.

“May God grant her merciful judgment, and may the angels of God lead her to the bosom of Abraham our father in faith. And may the Lord graciously console and bless the entire Alonge family with good health and long life,” the cleric  said

Speaking during the homily, the Parish Priest, Church of the Assumption, Rev Fr Francis Ike recalled a well-known song among the pupils that Mama must have sang during her active period as a professional teacher.

The song goes thus: “Oh my home, oh my home. When shall I see my home? When shall I see my beautiful home? I will never forget my home.”

Mama would be smiling where she is now and I know she is with the Lord, the priest said.

Describing death as a necessary debt everyone must pay, the priest said that the preaching of death is not meant for the dead but for the living.

“Nobody wants to talk about death because death is not what we want to hear about but it is the faith in the resurrection that has gathered us here today. Faith that those who  live in Christ and die in Christ will also rise with him. Resistance from death has not kept man away from it. Man must accept this reality willingly that death will come one day. The earlier we accept the responsibility, the better for us.”

One of the daughters, Mrs Tokunbo Oguine who spoke with The Nation at the funeral, described her mother as a selfless woman who devoted her life to her family.

“She’s a selfless person. She’s always devoted her life to her family and all the other children that she brought up apart from her own immediate biological children. So she’s a very self-sacrificial person, she was the glue that held the whole family together and all the relatives and everyone, so there’s a lot of goodwill as you can see here as well because she was loved by so many people. She was one in a million for me, so remarkable.”

Mrs Oguine said that she would always remember her ‘beautiful mother for her love and compassion’.

“Her kindness, tolerance, big heart and her capacity to endure so much will always be part of me. She endured a lot. I learned how to just be a better person. She taught us how to be you, know better and do better every single day. So that I would carry them with me all along she had good moral values that she instilled in us. So I will always remember that,” she said.

 Madam  Alonge  was laid to rest at the Vaults and Garden (Mayfair) at Lekki- Express Way, Awoyaya, Epe.

She was born in Isie in Kwara State. Her late parents Mr and Mrs Ezekiel Ore were devoted Anglican.

 Former Commissioner for Information in Ekiti State, Sir Kayode Otitoju, former Group Managing Director of UACN,Mr Ayo Ajayi and others paid tributes at the funeral.  Sir Otitoju described Mama as lucky. He said:

  “Chief Mrs Folashade Alonge was  blessed as she had her Brother-inlaw as the Emeritus Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Bishop FCF Alonge and a biological son- Akinboboye Alonge, a Pentecostal Bishop in Abuja. Mummy Alonge was a unifier and a devout  Catholic that never missed daily Morning Mass when she was still strong”. Mr. Ayo Ajayi, former Group Managing Director of UACN , while giving his tribute eulogised Late Mrs Folashade Alonge who he described as a fantastic ‘sister’ from thesame Ayede Ekiti Town with him, prayed for repose of her soul before giving a final Vote of Thanks for the  Service of Songs night.

BRIDGE Nigeria, a network of schools in Lagos and Osun states, has completed a training for teachers.

The training, at Alimosho and Ikorodu regions,  is  to equip new teachers with skills and knowledge to deliver quality education to pupils.

During training, teachers were exposed to teaching techniques, and best practices in classroom management and pupil engagement.

They were also trained in digital tools and technology, key components of Bridge Nigeria’s teaching approach. 

At Bridge, teachers are supported with lessons and high-quality materials for effective teaching and learning. 

They use tabs during lessons, saving them the stress of preparing lesson notes.

Foyinsola Akinjayeju, managing director, said: “At Bridge Nigeria, we believe investing in the development of our teachers is critical to ensuring our pupils receive the best. We are committed to providing pupils with high-quality education. This training for new teachers is a reflection of that commitment. We also believe there are factors that lead up to effective learning, hence, the the training covers teaching techniques, Bridge teaching methodologies, policies, etc.”

Leadership & Development Manager, Chinua Agbasi, said  “The objective is to help new teachers and managers with skills required to provide life-changing education to pupils. 

The training also focuses on using behaviour management techniques to create safe and welcoming classrooms…”

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said over 700 million people in the world face high and critical water stress.

It noted over 90 per cent of natural disasters are water related as global water availability and quality are deteriorating.

Deputy Director-General of FAO, Maria Semedo,  said  two-thirds of world’s population could face water shortages by 2050.

With agriculture accounting for 72 per cent of freshwater withdrawals, she said additional 35 per cent in water resources will be needed by 2050 to meet growing demand for food, fibre and feed. 

Semedo, who noted that agriculture must lead the way to exit the water crisis, said strong political will is needed as well as proper planning.

“If we are to protect the future of food, and meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the needs and role of agriculture must be supported.

“Agriculture itself needs to get more efficient at using water, better at keeping pollutants out of water bodies, and more resilient to climate change. 

“The key is to act now with integrated water resource management approaches to produce more food, fibre, feed and biofuel with less water, more sustainably”, Semedo noted.

She, however, said FAO is working to address water scarcity in agriculture and the environment initiative, built on success in the near East and North Africa, which is expanding to Asia and the Pacific. 

She further said FAO is developing projects on indigenous drought resilient crops. 

The FAO chief added the body will support the Water Action Agenda that emerges from UN 2023 Water Conference through transformation to more efficient, resilient, inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems.

JUDICIAL Integrity Lawyers (JILAW) yesterday demanded action against agencies disobeying court orders.

It called on National Judicial Council (NJC) to direct courts to reject cases by  agencies disobeying court orders.

The group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “address disobedience to rule of law and assault on Judiciary.”

JILAW, a group of over 250 constitutional and human rights lawyers, made the recommendations in a statement at its conference briefing.

“We believe persistent abuse of power by public officials is an aberration which has attained notoriety… We wish to state that equality before the law is the only true protection against oppression and undue influence that those in authority would dangle over heads of ordinary Nigerians.

“You will recall that it took direct intervention of President Buhari for the Governor of Central Bank to obey a judgment of Supreme Court on the naira redesign policy. This was after the flagrant disobedience to the preliminary judgement of the same court.

“Even now, our meeting agreed the Federal Government has not fully complied with the judgment with regard to other aspects of the policy, which has continued to put Nigerians through hardship.

“Another disturbing example of one of those institutions that have become notorious for disregarding the sanctity of our courts and infringing on rights of citizens, is Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”

The lawyers reasoned that the implications of the disregard for the Judiciary and disobedience to laws, are beyond individual victims or the integrity of these agencies.

It said both at home and abroad, “this badge of shame stains our collective national consciousness and makes a daily mockery of Nigerian laws.”

They urged the NJC to direct courts not entertain any cases brought before them by any agency of the government that disobeys court orders.