The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

  • Osun develops prototype for solving gender inequality

    Osun develops prototype for solving gender inequality

    • As well as girl child empowerment

    From a global perspective, the girl child is considered vulnerable to several societal ills. This perception is more pronounced in developing countries, where the belief is that there is the need for effective policies to safeguard the girl child from violence, limited access to education, neglect, abuse, gender disparities and other negative trends.

    There is a growing concern around the world that urgent actions need to be taken to address these challenges and education and empowerment initiatives have been identified as the needed tools.

    In celebrating this year’s International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, the attention of stakeholders from around the world was focused on issues surrounding the girl child. The theme of this year’s celebration was “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement”. This special day was set aside to raise public awareness on girls’ right and highlight gender inequalities that are widespread worldwide.

    The latest UN statistics show that there are 1.1 billion girls in the world today. These girls represent an opportunity to shape a sustainable world that’s better for everyone. However, their dreams and potentials are often thwarted by lack of opportunities and discrimination.

    Like other developing countries, the girl child in Nigeria is not immune to these challenges. A peculiar case is that of the 276 girls kidnapped in a school in Chibok, Bornu State. The negative experiences of these girls have become a rallying point for the challenges faced by the girl child worldwide.

    The day also helped reveal the efforts made by governments at various levels to educate and empower the girl child. Worthy of note are those undertaken by Osun state.

    Before Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola assumed office on November 27, 2010, the public education system was in a bad state such that only students whose parent couldn’t afford private schools were left in public schools.

    Facilities of these public schools were not only dilapidated, students’ performance in both internal and external exams were at an all-time low with tuition fees in the state-owned tertiary institution outrageous.

    The situation has however taken a positive turn since the advent of his administration. The government has also placed priority on girl child education. Presently in the state, there are 622,726 students between the elementary, middle and high school. Of these number, 309,488 are females and 313,238 are males.  This is a laudable achievement that dwarfs the average expectation for developing nations.

    infographics
    Infographic showing the distribution of male and female students In Osun State.

    The governor restructured the education system into elementary, middle and high school structure. He also constructed 100 Elementary, 50 Middle, and 20 High Schools during his first term through the O’School programme.

    He also focused on improving the nutrition of students in public schools by introducing the school feeding programme, O’Meals in line with the UN recommendation. The government believes a well-fed pupil will be more attentive in class compared to a hungry pupil.

    It’s no surprise that the programme has recorded success stories with the school enrollment increasing by 25% spread over 38,000 pupils within four weeks of its introduction.

    Graph showing the increase in school enrolment from May to June, 2012.
    Graph showing the increase in school enrolment from May to June, 2012.

     

    Apart from education, O’Meals programme has also helped economically, improving the production capacities of farmers and empowering 3,007 women appointed as food vendors to serve pupils on school days. It is noteworthy that the Aregbesola-led administration spends N3billion naira per annum to feed primary 1 – 4 pupils in all the public primary schools in the State of Osun.

    Graph showing the monthly increase in allocation for the O’Meals Programme in Osun State.
    Graph showing the monthly increase in allocation for the O’Meals Programme in Osun State.

     

    Of the 13 states that started the feeding programme, only the State of Osun is still implementing the School Feeding Programme.

    Osun State recorded an outstanding feat in its quest to promote education by sponsoring 5 outstanding female students in an exchange program in the United States. The program is in partnership with an NGO AWOW International Girls Leadership Initiative, which empowers and offers skills and professional mentorship to young women.

    The 5 girls will attend the annual AWOW Summit & College Tour Leadership Forum for young women, scheduled to hold at the Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, United State, with the theme ” Leading the Future.”

    Not only will the summit enable the girls to share experiences and knowledge through the cultural exchange, the girls would also have the opportunity of scholarship for University Education in the USA.

    Statistics show that when 10% more girls go to school, a country’s GDP increases by 3% on the average and a child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5.

    Governor Aregbesola while speaking on government’s commitment to education development, said: “This is the continuation of our commitment to standard education. To us, education remains our priority and as a matter of fact, this government has invested hugely on this.”

    He also stressed the importance of bridging the gap between public and private schools as a means of preparing the nation for good leadership in the future.

    The UN explained that girls’ education is both an intrinsic right and critical in reaching other development objectives. Educating girls can help break the cycle of poverty.

    Girls’ education is essential in achieving quality learning relevant to the 21st century, including girls’ transition to and performance in secondary school and beyond. Adolescent girls that attend school delay marriage and childbearing, are less vulnerable to disease including HIV and AIDS, and acquire information and skills that lead to increased earning power. Evidence shows that the return to a year of secondary education for girls correlates to a 25 percent increase in wages later in life, the UN said.

    Adetola Ige who writes from Oshogbo,

    Osun State capital

  • First Storey building in Nigeria records 1,800 visitors in 9 months — Manager

    First Storey building in Nigeria records 1,800 visitors in 9 months — Manager

    The Facility Manager, First Storey Building in Nigeria, located in Badagry, Lagos State, Mr Hodonu Daniel, has said that 1,800 visitors have been to the site in the last nine months.

    Daniel told newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos that visits to the structure, now 170 years, were made between January and September.

    Recall that the foundation of the building was laid in 1842 and the house was completed in 1845.

    “Our peak period is during the New Year, Easter, Sallah and Christmas holidays and on public holidays.

    “We are used to recording about 180 visitors in a month but it varies. We have recorded 1,800 visitors in the last nine month,’’ he said.

    He said that some of the visitors that patronised the facility were local and foreign tourists, students, adults and children.

    “Students patronise the building more than others,’’ he added.

    Daniel said that this year’s patronage was better than the previous year’s.

    “The difference in the record of visitors that patronised the building this year compared to last year was not much,’’ he said.

    He urged the Lagos State Government to support the management in giving the building a facelift that is of international standard

  • Shi’a victim syndrome: Paid mourners, dangerous propaganda

    Shi’a victim syndrome: Paid mourners, dangerous propaganda

    The Shi’a sect’s manifestation in Nigeria: the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), has apparently been ramping up its propaganda.Its strategy has improved to now include delivering its version of the truth using respectable clerics, editorials of respected online publications, talking heads that saturate the airwaves and columnists that seemingly appear to be writing across the divides.

    One of the latter category, Chris Ngwodo, penned a write up “Nigeria’s War Against the Shi’a” which perfectly fits into the new slant of covertly threatening the nation to accept IMN’s excesses without the extremist group having to tone down its own insurrection against the secular state.Like all the other formats of the newfound strategy,the new approach adopted by the Shi’a sect is drawing on an asset they had the foresight to set up,their convoluted accounts of past events are now being quoted by those newly deployed to manage their propaganda efforts.

    True to a time-worn IMN strategy of blaming just about everyone but themselves, Ngwodo’s article in one breath blamed President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for a phantom Shi’a ordeal while in the same breath acknowledged that they had a run-in with the law in 2014 when a different government held sway. In the traditional disdain. the group has for anything related to constituted authority, security agencies that acted to contain the excesses of a belligerent group and those who dared exercise their rights to speak against IMN extremism were described as “extremist voices” and “monsters”.

    The piece tried to confuse the issues in IMN’s December 2015 confrontation of the Army when it said President Buhari tacitly justified the massacres. It may be a topic for another day and another context but it is fraudulent to describe attackers that died in a counter-military operation as massacred. The ones that survived among them should be answering charges for using helpless women and underaged youths as human shields.

    The writer alluded to a Nigerian state that has “escalated its hostility against the Islamic Movement in Nigeria” since the 2015 incident as a prelude to dismissing the genuine efforts made in getting to the root of that crisis. It did admit that the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Kaduna State government indicted both the army and the IMN,it sidestepped the report of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),which was unequivocal in placing the blame on the leadership and members of IMN.That report specifically demanded the immediate trial of IMN leader,Sheikh El-Zakyzaky for precipitating what Ngwodo termed “massacre”.

    The import of two separate but related events were lost on the author of that pro-IMN missive. First, the decision of Katsina, Kano and Kebbi states to follow in the footsteps of Kaduna state in outlawing the IMN is apparently the product of popular demand that other states will do well to emulate. No group has the right to plague persons of other faiths and convictions and not expect the state to step in as an umpire. Secondly, the condemnable attacks on Shi’a Kaduna, Funtua, Sokoto, Kano and Jos should give members of the group and their paid commentators cause to ponder what they did wrong to provoke such morbid outrage among other nationals.

    Describing these developments as “state-backed systematic persecution and extermination of the Shi’a” is, therefore, disingenuous and the true hallmark of bigotry. Several fundamentals might have simmered beneath the surface over the years but where one of the parties to the situation decides to escalate aggression,it will take an irresponsible government not to act in the collective interest of all citizens,which in this case implies that the rest must be protected from the aggression of the errant group. No one has said the Shi’a cannot practice what they hold dear,but they must also recognize by the same token that the rest of the country have the right not to be coerced into Shi’a doctrines.

    The writer of the referenced piece, if he is above 45 years old,may wish to cast his mind back to when he was younger and see if there was so much noise about sectarian differences in Islam.If he is a younger person he should ask those who should know. What he referred to as “anti-Shi’a prejudice” has more to do with the responses of states and individuals to IMN aggression.

    To then try whipping up anti-Sunni prejudice in response to anti-Shi’a prejudice is to be himself guilty of what he is preaching against. If he takes a sincere reality check, he will realize that there is a growing disenchantment with the faiths and sects that are driven offshore. Even if such disenchantment were in its early stage, the pursuit of secularism is what will work for Nigerians and not foreign funded and driven divisions, as he correctly observed at some illuminating point in his article.

    That illumination was however absent when it claimed that IMN members only held peaceful protest marches that were then attacked by mobs and security forces.Such claims could only be made by someone that has never had a taste of the horrors that the Shi’a outfit is capable of inflicting.

    The Charges against the Shi’a

    This capability of the IMN was at the root of outlawing the group. Once it has gotten to the point where it openly took on the Army and even reportedly made an attempt on the life of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) it became glaring that the nation was not dealing with a ragtag of urchins.

    Outlawing the IMN in Kaduna state by the Governor,Mallam Nasir El Rufai was a logical step.As the order noted, IMN does not acknowledge the Nigerian state,a fact demonstrated by it not bothering with registration; the group was militarized, it preaches extremism while its members had remained confrontational and unruly in the aftermath of the 2015 incident.

    Other groups may hold similar views in their closet but they will get a taste of the state when they escalate matters to the level of the IMN. Boko Haram has tried it and they now know better.The oil militants have tried it and they are walking back their folly.

    That El ZakZaky, the IMN leader once take pro-constitutional and pro-state stances does not rule out the possibility of recanting and denying the primacy of the secular Nigerian state.If he once spoke for constitutionality and then more recently opted to fight the institutions and concepts enshrined in the constitution, the previous views expressed are no protection to shield him from security agencies that must do their work.

    This is a mistake that the political class must not repeat.They have in the past allowed demagogic sects to fester and only acted when it was too late.Criticisms like the ones unloaded by Ngwodo must not petrify them from blocking the ride of another extremist group. When IMN take over public spaces with their processions to the discomfort of others it is a matter of time before the will raise flags, claim territories and enforce their own version of reality. Now that it is known that no sect or faith should hijack state infrastructure, we must move to the next state of stopping Friday prayers and Sunday services from obstructing the roads.

    The Strange Politics of Anti-Shi’a Activism

    It is indeed strange that Shi’as are minority in one paragraph and they become strategic to  El Rufai,Buhari,and the All Progressives Congress winning elections. Since their numbers can swing votes then they are not in the minority,at least not on the scale they’re marketing to the world.  They should thus exploit the strength of their numbers at the polls and that is if they are willing to recognize, held by the Nigerian state.

    Sowing the Wind of Extremism

    It is for the precise reason that Nigeria should not be proxy battle ground for the Middle East that it becomes imperative for the Government of The Federal Republic of Nigeria to counter external influences here. If the wind of extremism is being sown in Nigeria the proof have been traced to Iran as state sponsor of terrorism – cache of arms uncovered,spies arrested in Lagos,financial ties with IMN and other smoking guns.Once Saudi Arabia can be implicated even on a smaller scale,any group they are financing would have a run-in with the law.

    It must be noted that it is the institutions of state like the Nigerian Army that have been at the forefront of the anti-terror fight and the IMN has done a lot to attempt tarnishing such entities using Amnesty International and Islamic Human Rights Commission.

    The military has not relented in doing the needful apparently because there is that commitment to ensure that replication of the Middle East kind of chaos would not work here irrespective of how much IMN or any other group assigned to make it happen does.  Ngwodo apparently managed to let slip an agreed talking points for the new IMN propaganda onslaught.

    It is that claim that the other Muslim sects and Christians would be the next in the firing line once the Shi’as have been disposed of. He even found an opportunity to remind readers of ethnic cleansing and genocide in one desperate attempt at fear mongering.
    Protecting Minorities and Securing Democracy.

    Minorities need not take up arms in response to this unwarranted fear mongering.The first protection that minorities – be they ethnic, religious or sectarian – need is to be shielded from the danger posed by IMN.Beyond making life unbearable for everyone,the sect has been promoting the idea that insurrections can be carried out without consequences.No minority group should buy into this fallacy. Rising up against the state is never the best option.

    To protect minorities and secure democracy,what is needed is to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari not to relent in ridding the country of all forms of extremism since it is now clear that Boko Haram is not the only fanatical group.If Mr President can do this for Nigeria then his legacy is secured.

    Onoja writes from Jos.

  • A peep into the Presidential kitchen

    A peep into the Presidential kitchen

    An African adage says: “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” Whether in Africa, Europe or Asian continents, leaders are burdened. And the support of his family has to come with the full measure for him to succeed.

    Leaders of nations battle to contain disparate interests; strive to leave a legacy and unquestionably accept responsibility for acts of commission or omission from subordinates. A leader of any nation spends more time cogitating and less for leisure. He deprives himself and his family the comfort of his presence most of the times. It’s worse when a leader operates in a clime where there is stiff opposition.

    In faraway Germany, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari decried the burden posed by a multi-coloured opposition in Nigeria in these words; “It’s not easy to satisfy the whole Nigerian opposition parties or to participate in the government.”

    A leader in the words of the ancient Greek Philosopher,Aristotle must be a philosopher King,who must claim superior knowledge over the rest of the ruled, opposition inclusive. He must not only imbibe the virtues of truth, honesty and hard work but, ardently exhibit it at all times in private and public arenas. President Buhari is an embodiment of these virtues,which is the source of his courageous and fearless war on corruption in Nigeria.

    The family of a Leader, whether designated as President, Prime Minister or Chancellor or as in the case of Germany, is rightly the first family of the nation. They must exude the quintessence of uprightness and puritanism.

    When they pander to debauchery, the nation screams and shrieks; hurl invective at them.  Like any other couple, leaders of nations also double as leaders of their families. And the shame of ridicule of a failed first family imposes a heavy and additional burden on the husband and wife to keep an eagle eye on the family.

    The temptation of children of leaders of nations to pander to waywardness is extremely high because of the feeling of a paradise on earth. It is fired by the blaze of affluence.

    Therefore,President Buhari’s epochal statement that “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to; but she belongs to my kitchen, my living room and the other room,” is humorous; but also pregnant with meaning.

    The President was reacting to comments credited to his wife, Hajiya Aisha Buhari in a BBC interview, which had political undertones. Invariably,President Buhari as leader of Nigeria and also head of Nigeria’s first family sought to limit the duties of his wife, to domestic affairs only, which in itself is a herculean burden.

    Nevertheless,the statement is the embodiment of the hard truth about the onerous task on the shoulders of the wife of the President in ensuring the proper upbringing of the first family and proper care of the home-front.

    It is a sacred duty she owes to the nation. The Holy books prescribed it. It is the unwritten norm in traditions of almost all communities in the world. Families which slide into immorality, resent hard work and embrace odiousness are not only shunned, but loathed.

    In Nigeria,with its complexities and a fastidious people,the imperative of an ideal first family is a ministry of its own headed by the wife of the President. And she needs not be burdened any further with the exigencies of politicking.

    It is confirmable that women married to high profile politicians are the epitomes of endurance and patience. They spend days or sometimes weeks, without the comfort of their spouse, who keeps moving from one meeting in one location to another.

    And since Buhari’s foray into partisan politics, Aisha was automatically elevated from the position of housewife to the lofty status of the Minister of Kitchen and Domestic Affairs. She has lived with the task all her marital life,by ensuring the children, especially the tender ones are properly brought up,in the periods of her husband’s absence for political adventures. Her ministry of Kitchen and Domestic Affairs ensured the children were properly fed, attended school timely, cultivated good social relationships and never deviated from the path of morality.

    Now,after exhaustive political meetings,only Aisha knows the delicacy that would revive and energize her husband. It is perhaps, the secret of President Buhari’s strength and agility at his octogenarian age. It is the signpost of excellence from Aisha’s Kitchen and Domestic Affairs ministry.

    She cooks endlessly for the teeming supporters or visitors to the house and now Aso Villa,where President Buhari is resident. She plans the President’s menu and outlines what goes for breakfast,lunch and dinner as well as refreshments’.

    Aisha is the closest confidant of the President and he confides in her, issues that would ordinarily not be thrown to public purview. Even though President Buhari is endowed with superior knowledge over the wisdom of his wife, but undoubtedly, the shared thoughts give him inspiration to courageously and fearlessly confront the devouring external forces against him.

    A troubled house unsettles the head of the family. It inflicts a psychological burden on the leader of the house, which affects him in multiple dimensions. But by ensuring peace in the house, Aisha raises a platform that gives Buhari the confidence to face Nigeria to deliver on his mandate of leadership to the country.

    But by far, the most alluring and enduring accomplishments of Aisha’s ministry is her supportive role in ensuring  discipline is inculcated in the children of the first family. They exemplify the virtues of truthfulness, discipline, hard work and honesty. In 1983 when Buhari was military Head of State and since his return as civilian President in 2015, none of his children  has been caught in public cynosure of haughtiness and waywardness, traits common with children of leaders of  President Buhari’s status.

    It would, therefore, not be out of place to nominate Hajiya Aisha Buhari as the best performing Minister of Kitchen and Domestic Affairs in Nigeria for the year 2016, as Nigerians look forward to 2017 with more brightened performance of the first family . So, dragging her into politicking would be a distraction designed to diminish this enviable record.

    Philip Agbese writes from the United Kingdom.

  • Dos and don’ts at the Oba’s palace

    Dos and don’ts at the Oba’s palace

    The over 900 years old palace of the Oba of Benin is located in the heart of Benin, the Edo State capital. It is adjacent to the Airport Road. The palace attracts thousands of visitors yearly even though the visitors are restricted to certain areas. The chiefs in the palace know the various societies they belong to and their functions. Only the Oba understands the language of the palace societies.

    Visitors are forbidden to do certain things in the palace, such as taking sand from the palace. The duties of some chiefs are to ensure that nobody enters the palace to take sand. Stories abound of what happened to people who attempted to take sand from the palace.

    There are some places in the palace where women are not allowed to urinate. A story is told of how an expectant mother security officer almost died for urinating indiscriminately. She was said to have vomited until sacrifices were made to atone for her “sin”.

    Pointing of fingers

    It is forbidden to point fingers at either the Oba or his chiefs in the palace. It is said that the Oba does not point fingers at anyone as well, except in a bid to bless or curse an individual.

    Whistling

    The Bini ethnic nationality believe that whistling is a communication medium between mortals and spirits as well as the dead. There are several deities within the Oba’s palace and the belief is that no one is sure of which deity is roused during whistling.

    Open umbrella during festivals

    Only the Oba is allowed to be covered with an umbrella during festivities or when he is going out. All guests, chiefs and visitors are to bear any harsh weather.

    Wearing black clothes 

    Anybody wearing black is not allowed to enter the Oba’s palace. Such a person is sent away because such attires indicate mourning in many cultures. Palace sources say it is a taboo for the Oba to mourn, no matter the circumstance. He is not allowed to see black clothes.

    Women not allowed at Ehengbuda Shrine 

    Women are not allowed to go near the Ehengbuda Shrine. Historians say Oba Ehemugba was born a haemophrodyte and that after powerful witch doctors worked on him, the female parts were removed. He was later paraded naked around the community. Any female – girl or woman – who enters the area immediately becomes infertile. To avoid barrenness among Benin girls and women, a ban is placed on females from entering the shrine’s vicinity.

    Male visitors not allowed into royal harem

    Male visitors are not allowed to enter the royal harem where the Oba’s wives stay. Male relatives of the Oba’s wives are also disallowed from entering or extending hands for greetings.

    Carrying Banga (palm oil fruits) around the palace

    It is a taboo to carry palm oil fruits on the head in or around the palace. Even vehicles carrying palm oil fruits are not allowed to pass through the streets near the Oba’s palace. The presence of palm oil fruits around the palace is said to be an indication that the land wants blood.

    Dogs not allowed within the palace

    Any dog that strays with the palace vicinity is killed or dies naturally.

  • How to settle disputes between partners

    In my environment, I notice a particular couple who are always at each other necks, they quarrel most of the time, disturbing the peace of the neighborhood and I began to wonder what could be the cause of their almost every day fight.  Even on the pages of newspaper, there are cases of husbands beating up their wives, boyfriends assaulting their girlfriends and this prompted me to observe and engage in a discussion with few married people to know the causes of disputes and how it can be resolved.

    I got talking with a married woman; Mrs. Funmi Adebayo who stays in Lagos and she said one of things that causes dispute which also had one time happened to her is the issue of time taken to get ready for an outing with your partner.

    She said; “this is funny but the blame is usually on women because they would want to look all good for an occasion thereby taking a lot of time to dress up, make up and this sometimes sprouts up anger in the husband who doesn’t seem to understand. This then causes arguments between them.”

    Femi Williams; a student of Oduduwa University also stated the Ex factor as one of the causes of disputes, he said an issue came up one time in his relationship where he noticed his girlfriend was frequently talking with her Ex and he said he was uncomfortable with it in which he told his girlfriend but the lady misunderstood him thinking he was insecure, he said they later settled it after some weeks. He said; ‘’ keeping a good word with your ex might be a wise thing to do but might not get well with your present partner.

    Another issue which causes quarrels has to do with money – money has always played a crucial role in one’s life and also in the life of partners and argument might occur if the income gap is huge between partner; that is the wife might earn more than the husband and this reduces the ego of a man and so the husband might bring up unnecessary quarrel between them.

    Hygiene is another issue that causes frequent disputes among couples. For example the woman would want everything to be clean, neatly arranged and everything kept at a proper place, but the husband might be carefree about all this and would leave everything scattered around the house. This is the point when the argument starts and sometimes it becomes a daily routine.

    Having looked at some of the causes of disputes, how then can disputes be resolved?

    • SET BOUNDARIES;everyone deserves to be treated with respect – even during an argument. If your partner curses at you, calls you names or ridicules you, tell them to stop. If they don’t, walk away and tell them that you don’t want to continue arguing right now.
    • FIND THE REAL ISSUE;typically, arguments happen when one partner’s wants are not being met. Try to get to the heart of the matter. If your partner seems needy, maybe they are just feeling insecure and need your encouragement. If you’re angry that your partner isn’t taking out the trash, maybe you’re really upset because you feel like you do all the work around the house. Learn to talk about the real issue so you can avoid constant fighting.
    • AGREE TO DISAGREE;If you and your partner can’t resolve an issue, sometimes it’s best to drop it. You can’t agree on everything. Focus on what matters. If the issue is too important for you to drop and you can’t agree to disagree, then maybe you’re not really compatible.
    • COMPROMISE WHEN POSSIBLE;Easy to say but hard to do, compromising is a major part of conflict resolution and any successful relationship. So your partner wants Chinese food and you want Indian? Compromise and get Chinese tonight, but Indian next time you eat out. Find a middle ground that can allow both of you to feel satisfied with the outcome.
    • CONSIDER EVERYTHING;Is this issue really important? Does it change how the two of you feel about each other? Are you compromising your beliefs or morals? If yes, it’s important that you really stress your position. If not, maybe this is a time for compromise. Also, consider your partner’s arguments. Why are they upset? What does the issue look like from their point of view? It is unusual for your partner to get this upset? Does your partner usually compromise? Are you being inconsiderate?
  • Benefits of effective communication to relationships

    Benefits of effective communication to relationships

    The best way to keep a relationship flowing well is to communicate effectively with the other party.

    Communication, which is more than just exchanging information but all about understanding the emotions and intentions behind the information, brings closeness between two spouses.

    There are two ways to communicate and I want you to know that communication is not only based on conveying your messages in a way that your partner would understand but its also about giving ears. In other words, listening to the message that is being conveyed and making your partner realise that you’re actually with him/her. It is also a way to show that you care.

    Another essential reason for communication in relationships is that it breaks the barriers of fear, shyness, isolation and not being opened to your spouse or other relations.

    Difficult message can be communicated without creating conflict between both parties if they are so grinded in their communication skills.

    Nevertheless, if you have a weak communication skills with your partner it is not too late to improve on it. To improve on your communication skills, you must become an engaged listener as said earlier.

    Pay careful attention to non verbal signals such as facial expression, body language, gestures, posture and eye contact well because they are the actions that speaks louder than voice. If you understand them well you would be able to use it effectively to communicate and also to study the moods of your spouse before or during communication.

    Make sure before any communication with your partner, you examine yourself to be stress Free in other to give him/her 100% attention and never forget to defend oneself.

    Defending oneself simply means expressing your thoughts, feelings and needs in an open and honest way. It does not mean being hostile or aggressive but standing up for your self and respecting others.

    Communication in relationship is all about understanding your spouse, sharing thoughts and being close to him/her. It is not about winning or forcing your opinions on your spouse.

  • No bra day

    The National No Bra Day  has been running since 2011, with the message of raising awareness for the importance of breast cancer screening, recognizing the symptoms of breast cancer and regular self-examinations in the fight against breast cancer, by encouraging women to leave their bras at home on October 13th.

    The month of October is generally regarded as breast cancer awareness month which aims to raise awareness of the importance of knowing how to carry out breast self-examination, being able to recognize the symptom of breast cancer and encouraging women to partake in regular breast cancer screening.

    However, since 2011, National No Bra Day has become part of efforts to raise awareness about breast cancer. #NationalNoBraDay is the hashtag used on social media for chest cancer survivors to share their experience.

    October 13 is now somewhat accepted as a day when women are encouraged to ditch their bras to promote the message of self-examination.

    So, to all the women out there, be sure to undergo regular chest examinations and be sure to report to your doctor if you notice anything usual, do not ask your friend or roommate, see a doctor immediately. Remember, early detection is important in beating chest cancer.

    To honour today, be braless, show support.

  • How ICRC response impacted humanitarian needs of IDPs

    How ICRC response impacted humanitarian needs of IDPs

    While the armed violence in North Eastern Nigeria has affected millions of people, an estimated population of 2.1 million people are said to have been internally displaced with about 1.8million host population. This has also affected the Middle Belt which has suffered communal clashes just as the Niger Delta violence.

    The humanitarian Needs of these population has continue to double especially in the north east where some of the communities were completely taken over by the Boko Haram insurgents and were cut off from Medicare and food, resulting to acute malnutrition both in adult and children.

    While the situation continues to degenerate to an abysmal level ranging from lack of food leading to hunger, starvation and malnutrition both in adult and children; lack of Medicare services resulting to diseases and deaths among the displaced people, several humanitarian actors have engaged in interventions that would improve at least the living condition and health of the IDPs. One organization that has significantly scaled up its humanitarian response in the North east is the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

    In 2016, the ICRC increased its humanitarian response for people in dire need in the North East of Nigeria and some other parts of the country where communal clashes and urban conflicts were visible. Of particular mention is the support and provision of food, shelter and essential household items. One other area of intervention carried out by the ICRC is increased access to clean water and medical care. It also strived to facilitate the restoration of missing or broken family ties caused as a result of the crisis in the region.

    In Borno state for instance, ICRC together with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) gained access to very difficult areas like Sabon Gari, Damboa, DIKwa, Monguno, Gamboru-Ngala etc where they assisted residents and IDPs with food, Medicare and shelter where necessary.

    An investigation into the activities of the ICRC in the North East by our correspondent revealed that the organization is ranked very high amongst IDPs and many host communities of Borno and Yobe State apparently due to their effective humanitarian intervention during the Boko Haram crisis.

    Restoration of missing family ties

    Over one thousand disunited families as a result of the Boko Haram insurgents have been re-united in one way or the other  through the efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Nigerian Red Cross Society between January to August 2016 investigation has revealed.

    According to a document obtained from the ICRC, nine children were flown from Dar es Salaam IDP camp in Chad back to Nigeria and reunited with their parents. The organization has also helped reunite family members by facilitating contacts with each other using Red Cross Messages and free phone calls.

    A total of 1,078 new tracing files for persons searching for missing relatives were opened by the ICRC and the NRCS, while a total of 479 Red Cross messages were also exchanged among separated family members.

    The document also reveals that 899 free phone calls were made available by the Red Cross to persons who were separated from their families.

    Detention visits

    ICRC have also embarked on visits of persons detained in connection with armed conflict and violence and provided support for the authorities on improving detention conditions of detainees. Under the period, a total of 21, 442 detainees in prisons, police and military detention facilities across Nigeria were visited by the ICRC, just as the water and hygiene facilities in those places were rehabilitated.

    Livelihood Support and Micro-finance Initiatives

    This is a Program that targets returnees who wished to resume farming in their communities, while cash was also given to people retuning to areas that there are functioning market to help them rebuild their homes. Its aim was to assist 162,000 IDPs and vulnerable persons living in widow or female headed household. Out of the number, 41,000 persons in Yobe received cash to purchase priority commodities by the end of July 2016, just as 16,000 returnees from Adamawa and Southern Borno were given livelihood input grant as well.

    A total of 248,037 returnees from North East and Middle Belt were availed with agricultural inputs to resume farming again, while 69,624 IDPs in Borno and Yobe States including victims of urban violence in River State received cash to enable them purchase commodities of their choice.

    Widows/female heads of families enjoyed serious assistance from the ICRC as 1000 of them were registered Borno State and were given cash for the running of their families. An additional 250 benefited from the micro-finance initiative.

    Emergency Relief Assistance

    One of the major concerns of the ICRC was to get to the hard-to-reach areas where there was severe food shortage and hunger. With some of them missing out on the planting season for more than 3 years, it is not an exaggeration that the people will remain dependent on handouts aid from donor agencies until such a time that their crops are harvested. Worried by the plight, ICRC provided food rations for three months to 892,040 IDPs in the North East, 319,516 IDPs both in the North East received essential household items with 51 NRCS, NEMA and SEMA were trained across Nigeria.

     

    Healthcare

    Like any other sector of human existence in the north east, the health sector had its fair share of the Boko Haram attacks on the region. Hospitals and health facilities were either burnt down or abandoned by the insurgents. Doctors, nurses and other health and medical personable were either killed, while those that survive fled to safer places leading to complete breakdown of the system.

    The ICRC in a quick response provided support to primary and mobile state health clinics in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa through the regular medical supplies, equipment supply and training of staff. Two ICRC surgical teams also provided cares for the weapon wounded and IDPs in need of emergency surgical care in Maiduguri State Specialist Hospital.

    A total of 308, 594 patients attended 14 ICRC supported Centre’s for primary health care and 6 mobile clinics serving IDPs, returnees and residents in Borno and Adamawa State.

    A total of 10,499 children were in ICRC supported clinics in the North east, while 8,649 children who suffered from acute malnutrition were also treated at the ICRC supported clinics in Borno State.

    A total of 1,488 weapon wounded patients were treated by the ICRC surgical team in Maiduguri, out of whom 326 were hospitalized. In a similar effort, a total of 6,700 casualties were treated and evacuated by ICRC supported NRCS emergency first aid teams of the First Aid program in 15 state with a training for community first aid responders in those states.

    In addition, 2,425 people including military/police, religious groups, and weapon bearers also got a similar training. ICRC also provided mental health and psychosocial support to 158 IDPs in the region.

     

    Shelter, Water and Sanitation 

    Statistic has shown that only 10% of the over 2milliom IDPs are living in IDP camps with the rest staying in host communities.

    This has brought a lot of pressure on infrastructure both at the camps and in the communities with an excessive over-stretching of the existing facilities such as water and sanitation.

    This has prompted the ICRC to intervene in this area by improving access to good water and hygiene. Consequently, a total of 130,000 returnees in the North east including the Middle Belt were assisted to have access to improved water and their hygiene and sanitation conditions.

    In Adamawa and Borno States, a total of 24,800 IDPs living in camps received temporary or emergency shelter, while 1,400 returnees in Mubi (Adamawa) and 720 persons affected by communal clashes in Kaduna Bangai in Plateau state were supported by ICRC to rebuild their houses.

     

  • What does maturity mean to you?

    What does maturity mean to you?

    Oxford dictionary defines maturity as a state of being mature. Being mature is when something reaches its full level of development which has achieved maturity. It is also a period of time in life.

    But everyone seems to have a different interpretation or definition of what maturity is- to the elderly it is age, to the young folks it is intellect and level of reasoning. This group of thought holds that age is just a number.

    It is generally believed that maturity begins at the age of 18 – this stage in life is also referred to as puberty stage.

    But in a chat with a cross section of the public on the subject matter, a lot of people gave varied opinions on maturity is all about.

    A 50 years old man simply identified as Mr. Olawale, believes that maturity has nothing to do with age. According to him; “Maturity is not about age, it involve critical thinking. Fifteen years old who is a teenager can think more than an adult who is fifty years. Maturity does not deal with age it involves critical thinking and behavior.’

    He added, “Maturity is not about being tall, fat, educated, rich etc. It involves how you are able to handle issues at in any situation you find yourself. It is all about how you can tackle any problem or any challenges on your own.”

    On her part, Omolara a 300 level student of Lagos State University (LASU) said “Maturity is not measured by age, it’s an attitude built by experience. Being old does not mean you have an experience about everything; a teenager can have more experience than you.”

    Ajayi Ayodele a graduate of Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH) said maturity goes beyond what people usually take it to be.

    “Some belief there is a certain age which someone must attain before he/she can be addressed as being matured while some look at physical appearance to judge the level of maturity.”

    Further research reveals that maturity is divided into three categories – spiritual, financial, and emotional maturity.

    According to experts, spiritual maturity means your closeness to God, the way you serve God, going to church or mosque everyday does not mean you are close to God, did you serve him with all your, how did you communicate with him? Spiritual maturity is the ability to communicate with God, ability to withhold him in any situation.

    Emotional maturity refers to your ability to understand and manage your emotions on every situation. Your emotional maturity is observed through your thought and behaviors. When you are faced with a difficult situation, your level of emotional maturity is one of the biggest factors in determining your ability. It is also the way you feel in any situation.

    Emotional maturity allows you to take charge of your life. You have your own vision and ambition which requires your emotional thought.

    Financial maturity means being matured financially, being old does not mean you are matured financially; a teenager can mature than you.

    Alao Samuel, Mass communication department student of federal polytechnic Offa, believes financial maturity is the well-being of someone financially.

    “When someone is able to take care of himself or herself without depending on others such a person can be said to be financially matured.

    “As a matter of fact, this is very necessary for matured people in achieving or contributing to financial aspirations. Some of the ways by which people attain their goal financially include establishing self-business, being educated in order to secure a better job that will quench or eradicate poverty, engaging in vocational job to be self-reliant among other.”