The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Two men held for impregnating 14-year-old girl allegedly deflowered by her father

    Two men held for impregnating 14-year-old girl allegedly deflowered by her father

    • Says I was only 10 when dad started sleeping with me

    A bricklayer and an operator of a commercial motorcycle otherwise called okada have been arrested for allegedly ‘raping’ and impregnating a 14-year-old teenager in Ibadan, Oyo State, reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.

    Operatives of a neighbourhood security outfit, Oluyole Security Network, penultimate Sunday arrested Sodeeq Ojediran, one of the two suspects allegedly responsible for raping and impregnating a 14-year-old girl.

    The 30-year-old bricklayer, who admitted forcibly sleeping with the girl, said he tricked her to his house where he raped her.

    Also explaining his complicity in the saga, the second suspect, 27-year-old Okebukola, a commercial motorcycle operator, said: “I met Lateefat in December 2023 and asked her to be my girlfriend.

    “She declined my request to know her parents and I took her to my house where she spent one week with me.

    “My landlord was not happy about the fact that she is a teenager. So he asked me to send her away from my house.

    “She came back to me two Sundays ago and I made love to her again.

    “I didn’t ask for her hand in marriage and I did not deflower her at all, but I slept with her.

     “I am an okada operator and she boarded my motorbike in Ayegun area of Ibadan.

    “She was to pay N300 as fare but instead, she paid me N200. I stirred a conversation with her and collected her mobile phone number.

    “Three days later, I told her to come with me to a church for prayers. But instead of taking her to a church, I took her to my house where I slept with her.

    “However, I did not sleep with her every day, but she is carrying a two-month pregnancy.”

     Sharing her story, the victim said she stopped schooling after her father died.

    She recalled that her father was the first to sleep with her when she was younger, after which she left home.

    She said: “I am 14 years old. My father is late. I am the third child in a family of seven.

    “I was in Primary 6 when my father died and I stopped going to school since then.

    “My mother is the one that ruined my life, because after my father was buried, everyone told my mother to use part of the cash gifts given to her by sympathisers to send me to school but she refused.

    “Instead, she took me to the home of her first child from her previous marriage.

    “I met an old woman at my aunt’s place and I told my aunt that I would like to live with the woman. The woman accepted me. 

    “She however accused me of stealing her N3000. Hence I ran away from her apartment in Ibadan.

    “My mother is responsible for my miserable life because she refused to send me to school.

    “My father was a Fuji musician popularly known as Easy in his lifetime. He was a flirt and was fond of sleeping with many women.

    “On a certain day, when he had no woman to sleep with, my father raped me.

    “Our neighbours did not believe me when I raised the alarm that my father was sleeping with me.

    “My maternal relatives cautioned me against reporting the matter to the police or bringing it to public’s attention through the media.

    “On a certain day when I did not allow my father to make love to me, he hit me in the legs with a big stone.

    “Our neighbours confronted him, saying that he wanted to kill me because I refused him sex.

    “He left home for a show in Lagos, and when he returned, he rained curses on me and said he did not want to see me in his house again, but our neighbours pleaded with him not to send me out of his home.

    “After that, he slept with me again to the point that I could not walk or move my body.

    “I was only 10 years old when my father started sleeping with me and his family members did not believe me when I told them what he was doing to me. 

    “I even reported to a policeman, thinking he could help me but the policeman did not believe me. He felt that I was lying against my father.

    “My travails were the reasons I decided that I would punish my mother if I eventually make it in life, because she did not take care of me and was responsible for my current situation.

    Read Also: Why Ndi Igbo must support, defend Tinubu’s govt – Kalu

     “My father’s second wife brought me to Lagos and was using me as a young Osun deity worshipper to beg for money on the roadside. I thereafter returned to Ibadan.

    “I was an apprentice tailor while I was living with my sister. One day, I was running errands for my boss when I met Dayo who lied to me that he was taking me to a church but instead took me to his home and made love to me shortly after we ate dinner.

    “He made love to me repeatedly for three days.

    “Shortly after our initial encounter, Dayo accosted me while I was visiting my grandmother, and from there we went to his house where I met his friends, including Sodeeq, who subsequently slept with me once after which Dayo again slept with me.

    “A neighbour of my mother, who is a nurse, has run a test on me and confirmed that I am carrying a two-month pregnancy.”

    In her explanation, Lateefat’s mother, Aminat Alimi, said her daughter ran away from home and admitted not being responsible in taking care of her.

     She said: “I am 35 years old and I am from the Kobomoje area of Ibadan. I used to sell salt.

    “I started working as a non-teaching staff at a primary school in the Fatusi area of Ibadan when my business crashed.

    “I have seven children with three different men. I had three children with my first husband, Biliaminu; two with Tobi, my second husband, and three with Fatai, my third husband.

    “Lateefat was living with me before she fled my home and I have been looking for her, although I did not inform the police or any security agency.

    “I know I am guilty, but I am pleading for mercy.”

  • Erosion is washing us away, Kenan community cries out

    Erosion is washing us away, Kenan community cries out

    Indigenes of Kenan, an agrarian community in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have appealed to Governor Duoye Diri to rescue them from the problem of erosion which they said is currently washing the community away.

    They said 16 houses, the community market, which is the source of the community women’s livelihood, boreholes, and several lives had been lost during the erosion.

    Kenan is an oil-producing community, with the presence of Agip, which has been operating in the area for decades.

    Speaking with newsmen on the development, Chairman of the Community Development, Chief Okemena Adigheji, said the people had been experiencing serious erosion for the past three years.

    “As it is right now, there is no motorable road to my place which is a distance of about two kilometers.”

    He added that: “I have written to Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port-Harcourt, the community also discussed with the Deputy Governor of the State Sen. Lawrence Erwhrujakpo about how the erosion is washing away the community, and he confirmed to us that, to stop the erosion is an elephant project.

    “We discussed the issue of the erosion with the member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency Hon. Fred Agbegi, he came to the community to see how the erosion has affected the community during the commissioning of the Community Primary Healthcare Centre.

    “If you move round the riverine area within the coastal line the erosion is affecting other communities but our own is more serious”.

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    He attributed the erosion problem to the dredging of the river some time ago. “We have been appealing to the Bayelsa State Government to come to do the piling of the river for us, especially during the tenure of Sen. Sariake Dickson the former Governor of Bayelsa State who is now the chairman Senate Committee on Ecological Control to come to our aid.”

    He said they had also made several appeals to those in authority on the issue and many others concerning the erosion, “but to no avail, nobody is giving the community a listening ear.

    “We are pleading and appealing to them to come and assist us, if not, we will all be washed away by the devastating erosion.”

    He admonished the people of Kenan to be strong, steadfast, and not to be discouraged, expressing optimism that God Almighty will listen to their cries.

    “The families who lost their loved ones and houses, I sympathize with them, God Almighty will make a way, and I encourage them to be strong.

    He also appealed to the sons and daughters of the community who are connected to the State and Federal Government not to relent in their effort to ensure the piling of the river.

  • Osun community alleges plan by land grabbers to seize their properties, using road construction as decoy

    Osun community alleges plan by land grabbers to seize their properties, using road construction as decoy

    • Embattled residents send SOS to Ooni of Ife

    These are not the best of times for residents of Olodo, a village in Awosun community, Ile-Ife, Osun State. They are in a battle of their lives to rescue their lands allegedly being taken over by some land grabbers disguising as road construction workers.

    The embattled residents are battling with insomnia over alleged plan to demolish their houses with the result that all they have laboured for in life could go down the drain if the planned demolition exercise is allowed to sail through.

    In a chat with our correspondent, a resident of the community, who identified himself simply as Ade, said the problem started a couple of weeks ago when a group of people came into the village and claimed that they were there in preparation for a road construction exercise.

    Ade said as it would be expected, the people were elated at the news of a development they believed would impact positively on the people’s lives. He said the residents believed also that the development would encourage many residents of the community who had abandoned their lands to start building their houses.

    Alas, they were wrong as they later discovered to their chagrin that many of them would not only be unable to build their houses, they could lose their entire investments at the end of the day.

    Ade said the residents’ worries assumed new twist as the invaders claimed that they were acting on behalf of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi while the people are of the firm belief that the highly revered traditional ruler would not be a party to the unholy mission.

    Ade said: “It could just be that they came to drop the Ooni’s name to in order to grab our lands.

    “We noticed that one Barry White, identified by some people as the Ooni’s engineer, just came in and started measuring the road that enters our street from Ibadan Road, Zone 1 Awosun Quarters.

    “When we accosted him, he said the Kabiyesi (Ooni) wanted to take over the land because he would soon start building an estate somewhere close to us.

    “Initially, we were upbeat about the development. But the following day, we were told that some properties would be affected because the road would be dual carriage as against the initial one lane.”

    The residents became restless, realizing that many of their properties would have to make way for the two-lane road as against the one-lane designed in the original survey. Unfortunately, many of them are just building their first house.

    Getting wind of the situation, those who originally sold the land to the present owners decided to resist those who were trying to construct the road outside what is in the survey plan.

    According to Ade, the original owners of the land, the Kolokolo Family, told the residents that it had made a provision for road leading to the land for the proposed estate, hence there was no need for the owners of the estate to take peoples’ lands.

    Ade said a week after the contractor and other alleged invaders were chased out of the land, the residents were surprised that the contractors returned to the site, saying, “Kabiyesi is interested in the land and he wants to use it.”

    Again, the community resisted and forced the contractors to leave the site and move to another place to construct the road to their estate.

    While the owners of the properties were happy that they would now enjoy a respite, whatever respite there was turned out an ephemeral one.

    “We were surprised that the situation of those at the new site chosen for the road became worse because many houses would be demolished.

    “There, they took 40 metres and have in fact started marking houses in the area for demolition.

    “The contractor allegedly told the property owners in the area that the houses located in the vicinity were not expensive, hence the Kabiyesi should be able to pay for them,” Ade said.

    Part of the community, according to him, is a 63-hectare land already sold to people. “But we heard that Kabiyesi wants to acquire the land and move the owners to other places,” he said.

    The residents are, however, resisting being relocated to other places because they fear that the new place would expose them to further danger because it belongs to people who are not ready to cede their lands to anyone.

    Ade said that many of the residents are apprehensive right now because if nothing is done about the issue, they may lose their properties.

    “They threatened us that they would bring bulldozers and start work in the community, and anybody that puts up any resistance would be taken away,” he added.

    As things stand, it would seem that property owners in Awosun community are in a Catch-22 situation. “We are appealing to Kabiyesi to do something about the situation before it turns into a crisis,” Ade said.

    In a statement obtained by our correspondent from one of the executive members of the community’s development association, the community made a passionate appeal for the intervention of Oba Ogunwusi over planned demolition at Olodo village, Awosun, Ife-Ibadan Road, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

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    The statements reads: “Recently, the entire Awosun community was taken aback to see some people who came to inspect the community with the plan to construct a dualised road that will lead to their proposed estate site at Olodo village, Awosun.

    “The proposed project site is a large expanse of land procured by individuals and groups of people, with some of them already having the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) and official or registered copy of the land survey.

     “Kabiyesi, it is worthy of note that not less than sixty-three (63) acres of land and many existing resident houses will be affected by this plan.

     “However, it should be on record that the land was bought from the following people:

    1. His Royal Highness, Oba Adesina Ogunwusi, Atilade of Fasina, Ile-Ife

    2. Barrister Adetunji Olalekan Ijiyode

    3. Surveyor Bukola Adeboye Adedire

      “Kabiyesi, you are well known as an epitome of love, peace, unity, and progress. In addition, you are a personality of impeccable character and a father figure to the land of Oodua and the Yoruba race.

    “We, therefore, passionately appeal that you use your good office to urgently intervene on this matter. Please sir, rise to defend the vulnerable and common people of Awosun, Ile-Ife.

    “Long live Kabiyesi, Eniitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), OFR! Baba, ki e pe l’ori apere awonbaba nla yin o! (long may you live on the throne of your forefathers)”

    Ooni’s palace reacts

     Efforts to reach the Ooni’s palace proved unsuccessful as the Media Director, Moses Olafare to Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, refused to respond to his phone calls.

    Also, he did not respond to text messages put to his phone number for over a week, despite reminders to follow up on both phone calls and texts.

    But a source at the Ooni’s palace told our correspondent that efforts were being made to resolve the matter. “The representatives of the community have been invited. They have been told to compile the list of those being affected by the road network.”

    Early in the week, a member of the community debunked the claim that their representatives had been invited by the palace.

    He disclosed that work had commenced on the road, and the grading of the road had affected several plots of land in the community. “Several fences have been demolished to pave the way for the road. As we are talking, they are grading the road. Many people have lost their plots of land. Fifty three  hectares of land have been lost as a result of this road construction.“

  • Revealed: Untold hardship faced by widows, divorcees, abandoned women in Borno IDP camps

    Revealed: Untold hardship faced by widows, divorcees, abandoned women in Borno IDP camps

    In this report, GRACE OBIKE  highlights the challenges faced by divorcees and abandoned women in the camps of internally displaced persons in Borno State.

    Earlier in the year, food items were distributed to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Muna Camp in Maiduguri, Borno State by its governor, Babagana Zulum. Each of the men in the camp was given 25kg of rice and an equal amount of beans, while the women received N5000 and a wrapper each.

    For the first time in three years, Karu Ayiye, one of the beneficiaries of the N5000 and wrapper largesse, was fortunate to have benefited from the items distributed at the camp where she has lived for more than four years.

    Usually when such items are brought to the camp by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) or the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), she was excluded and did not get even a grain of rice. Rather, she was forced to stand aside and wait for the distribution to end, after which she would go from house to house with a plate in hand, begging the other beneficiaries that were generous enough to part with a cup or two of rice, beans and maize to enable her feed herself and children.

    This had gone on for three years since Ibrahim, her husband of over 10 years, lied to the family that he was going to collect firewood and never returned. She searched frantically for him and even sent out a search party, thinking that he had been kidnapped or killed by the dreaded Boko Haram, only to find out months later that he had run away with his lover to start a new family, leaving her behind with their five children and the two he had from a previous marriage.

    Her family of eight had never benefited from the distribution from NEMA because the camp leaders tell them that the last data collected by NEMA of IDPs at the camp was in 2019, and since then, no new list had been drawn up and she could not be given from someone else’s ration.

    They had been lucky when they arrived earlier, because SEMA had collected their own data in their presence, and although she was ill on the faithful day and unable to attend and collect the card given to everyone to enable them access the aid when it is being distributed, Ibrahim had been counted on behalf of the family and was given the card. That was the card they used for about a year before he left to start a new family elsewhere.

    Karu is not the only widow affected. Yagana Abdullahi sells dried vegetables on the streets to feed her children. When our correspondent and her guide met with her, she was begging in front of the Maiduguri Specialist Hospital.

    She explained that she had spent her business capital of about N1,500 when she fell ill and could not trade for a while, and so was hoping to earn back her capital from begging.

    Yagana is a divorcee who was formerly a part of her husband’s household with which she was counted and benefited from each time distribution was made. But she lost the opportunity after her divorce, because her husband remarried and her room was taken over by the new wife, which automatically makes the new wife part of her husband’s household.

    These acts of misfortune, unfortunately, does not end with divorcees. Widows and aged women find things difficult in the camps as well.

    At the Shuwari camp in Maiduguri, 70 years old Gayi Sumayiwi was forced to take in five of her gradchildren after their parents passed away as a result of insurgency. Without any help from other residents who banished her to the back of the camp, she collected enough leaves and grasses to form shelter and dropped a trampoline on the roof.

    Gayi said she has also never benefited from any relief materials and only survives off selling dried vegetables on the roadside. Due to the hardship, she was forced to send four of the grandchildren off to join the Almajiri system.

    “At least, there they can beg for food to survive rather than dying here with me,” she said.

    How distribution of relief items are made

    The Acting Village Head at the camp, Nakil Ahmadu, said that when relief items are to be distributed by NEMA, an exercise that happens once in two to three months, the heads of households gather at the NEMA office at the camp with their individual lists. The items are collected and the head returns to share each item equally amongst the household members on the list.

    On the women left out of distributions at the camp, Ahmadu, said the defect was not the making of the camp leaders because they have notified NEMA several times of the changes and increase in population.

    He said: “It is not the widows or divorcees as you try to put it. I had children who were part of my household at the last count, who have since got married and started their own families. They don’t benefit because they have left my household.

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    “It is not as if the women don’t come to complain to us or that we don’t know them. When they report to NEMA officials, they are asked to come and call us. We go there and confirm the Information to NEMA, they promise to do something but they never do.”

    Ahmadu revealed that the village heads and Bulama’s have taken their complaints officially to NEMA but nothing has been done about it for years.

    The Bulama of Marte Local Government of the state at the camp, Ruma’idu Abubakar, confirmed that some women whose names are not included in his community have met him to complain about the same issue. He said he had equally tried resolving the issue by taking their complaints to NEMA but nothing yet had happened.

    Humanitarian crisis in the Northeast

    The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that conflict and insecurity, rising inflation and the impact of the climate crisis continue to drive hunger in Nigeria – with 26.5 million people across the country projected to face acute hunger in the June-August 2024 lean season. This is a staggering increase from the 18.6 million people food insecure at the end of 2023.

    WFP said conflict in the Northeast region has displaced 2.2 million people and left another 4.4 million food insecure in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. Three million of them are in Borno State, the epicentre of insurgency.

    A fact sheet of Nigeria published by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations published in January this year said 12 years since the conflict in the Northeast began, about 8.4 million people  require humanitarian aid.

    The UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2023 humanitarian response plan states that $1.3 billion is needed to reach six million people in Northeast Nigeria with humanitarian assistance in 2023 alone.

    Apart from international and local Non-Governmental Organisations that have assisted the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Borno state, for instance, the government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and its state counterpart, has over the  years tried to cushion the hardship in the area as well.

    Bulama Abubakar said the Muna camp, Custom House, El-Badawi, Madinatu, Shuwari, Ghom and some host communities are actually under the supervision of NEMA while some international organisations handle some others within the state.

    He said the idea of distributing items within households came from NEMA and has been the procedure for years, which has been working for them.

    What the authorities say

    The Acting Zonal Coordinator NEMA in Borno State, Surajo Garba, said the agency adopted the measures of distribution according to household to make the distribution faster within the camps and due to the number of people that the agency tries to cater for.

    “Before the adoption of distribution via head of households, we could spend weeks sharing items in just one camp alone due to the high number of people, and we sometimes spent more time trying to ensure people did not try to take double their share or deal with people within the communities who converge in the camps in times of distribution, making it difficult for us, especially when we only made provisions for a specific number of people.”

    Garba disputed the information from camp leaders who claim they have informed NEMA of residents within the camp who are left out of the distribution arrangement because of the agency’s refusal to renew its data on the camp.

    He said: “We have renewed the list several times. On several occasions they have been asked to bring the names of the new people and we have updated several lists.

    “In fact, the list was updated early this year and the new names have benefited from our distributions.”

    In respect of divorced women losing their places in their households, Garba explained that NEMA has limited resources and a huge number of IDPs to cater for.

    He said once one is counted among a household, he cannot leave that household and create another because the government can barely provide for all of the households it already provides for.

    “The issue of the women you speak about is unfortunate, but these issues would have to be settled within the households and community leaders because it is not fair for a woman to lose her place and access to distribution that is rightfully hers just because of a divorce. The leaders would have to address the issue,” he said.

    Their might be a little truth to the Acting Zonal Coordinators claims because after our correspondent visited Maiduguri in August and spoke with him on the plight of the women, he sent words to the leaders to update the loss of women and families who have been at the camp for years without benefitting from the items.

    Months after the investigation was carried out, the women at the camp confirmed that a new list was drawn up eventually and the Bulama also confirmed the list. They also said that just as requested by NEMA, the camp leadership submitted the list but since no new distribution had occurred at the time of publication, they could not tell if the women would be included. But they said they were hopeful.

    •This report was produced with the support of the Women Radio Centre through the MacArthur Foundation.

  • Saving Nigerians from Non -Communicable Diseases

    Saving Nigerians from Non -Communicable Diseases

    • Through sugar-sweetened beverages tax

    Health experts have linked excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to Nigeria’s non-communicable diseases (NCDs) burden. A new study presented by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) recommends an increment in the current SSB Tax from N10 to N130 per litre to protect Nigerians from health challenges resulting from excessive consumption of SSBs and subsequently shoring up the government’s revenue by N729 billion. CHINYERE OKOROAFOR reports.

    Concerned about the increasing rate of health issues emanating from excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), the Federal Government introduced a sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) tax embedded in the Finance Act of 2021. The Act set an N10 levy for every litre of carbonated drinks and non-alcoholic drinks.

    Again, the country’s rising non-communicable diseases (NCDs) burden was a source of concern. Data shows that the country is the fourth highest consumer of SSBs.

    The N10 levy meant, for instance, that for every 50 centilitres of carbonated drinks consumed, the Federal Government gets N5, expected to be utilised to strengthen the healthcare sector to, among others, cater for those who have health challenges arising from SSB consumption.

    Sugar-sweetened beverages are laden with empty calories, fueling a public health crisis of diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

    Health experts say that “the statistics are sobering: one in 10 Nigerians now lives with diabetes, placing a crippling burden on individuals and Nigeria’s healthcare system.”

    Investigations reveal that the health effects of SSBs have increased over the past decade. Substantial evidence linking SSB consumption to several health consequences among adults has also emerged. Some of these health consequences include weight gain, cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., dyslipidemia), insulin resistance Type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

    However, penultimate Thursday, health experts raised the alarm that the N10 levy is ineffective in curtailing addiction to sweetened drinks. They warned that more Nigerians are coming down with severe SSBs-linked NCDs, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and various types of cancer.

    They spoke in Lagos at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)’s public presentation of a simulation study titled “Potential Fiscal and Public Health Effects of SSB Tax in Nigeria.”

    SSBs explicated

    SSBs refer to drinks that contain natural or added sweeteners, including various forms of sugars such as brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar and sucrose.

    The drinks include soft drinks, juices, sweetened coffee, nectars, energy drinks and flavoured dairy products.

    Concerns

    Expectedly, the SSB industry has kicked against the proposed hike, arguing, among others, that sugar taxes may disproportionately affect low-income individuals and that those with limited resources may continue to consume sugary beverages despite higher prices, resulting in a disproportional economic burden.

    The industry also often argues that it is wrong to assert that SSBs alone are the singular or principal cause of the highlighted public health issues. In several articles, it is often claimed that as with any dietary choice, moderation is key. A balanced nutritional approach, which allows for the occasional indulgence in sugary beverages, can harmonise with a healthy lifestyle and dispel misconceptions about their influence on obesity and related health issues.

    A participant at the Lagos presentation also argued that the N130 per litre tax was anti-poor, in the light of the rising cost of living.

    Nigeria’s NCD burden

    CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi described Nigeria’s NCDs burden as a public health emergency that requires urgent attention.

    He referenced, among others, data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), whose Country Disease Outlook published in August 2023, says NCDs were responsible for 27 per cent of deaths in Nigeria in 2019.

    According to the WHO, in 2021, the mortality rate across four major NCDs (Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Respiratory Disease, Cancer and Diabetes), was 565 deaths per 100,000 males and 546 deaths in females.

    An earlier WHO report put the risk of premature death from cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases and diabetes among Nigerians aged 30 to 69 at 22 per cent. As of 2020, there were more than 21 million overweight and 12 million obese people in the Nigerian population aged 15 years or more, accounting for an age-adjusted prevalence of about 20 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.

    Olufemi further argued that tax raises are sometimes necessary on certain products, such as SSBs, considered to have serious health implications.

    He recalled that Nigeria’s introduction of the N10 per litre excise charge on SSBs under the Finance Act in 2021 was celebrated as a victory for public health.

    The CAPPA Executive Director stated that N10 per litre is a fixed tax that is not inflation-adjustable; hence, it may be worth less than four kobo in today’s currency value.

    He further said that a flexible framework for inflation needs to be included in the 2024 Fiscal Act, along with a significant rise in the SSB tax.

    Oluwafemi said: “It is obvious that the increase in NCD cases in Nigeria is alongside the rise in consumption of SSBs, alcohol, tobacco, trans-fat, unhealthy consumption of salt and other diets that are non-nutritive and harmful to the body.“

    According to him, the prevalence of diseases in Nigeria also keeps many people impoverished since they must spend a large portion of their income on deficient diets, which raises healthcare expenses and worsens matters for the populace.

    “It is a cycle that needs to break. In a country with more than 80 per cent of its population paying for healthcare out-of-pocket, we must find a policy pathway that will effectively remove obstacles to good health and national productivity such as modifiable risk factors of consumption-related diseases and other NCDs,” he said.

    Oluwafemi also referenced the SSB industry’s opposition to the increased tax, saying they were concerned with their profits, rather than their customers’ health.

    He added: “The argument of the people who care more about their profit over public health on consumption needs does not outweigh the many benefits inherent in this tax.

    “The damage done to fa milies and loved ones who cater for the sick is enough motivation to see the public rally around the government in doing what is right for the public. The cries and woes of the Armageddon by paid agents and allies of the SSB industry must not drown the voice of reason and the genuine concern for our welfare.”

    CAPPA, SSB industries differ on claims

    Oluwafemi said: “For years, the sugar-sweetened beverages industry has painted a picture of  sugary drinks as innocent pleasures. But behind the vibrant colours and catchy jingles lies a grim reality. SSBs are laden with empty calories, fuelling a public health crisis of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. The statistics are sobering: one in 10 Nigerians now live with diabetes, placing a crippling burden on individuals and Nigeria’s healthcare system.”

    He also noted that the manufacturing industry “actively targets children and youths, bombarding them with sugary advertising and social activities, normalising unhealthy habits at a crucial stage in their development.”

    In his view, this “predatory marketing” exploits the vulnerability of young minds, shaping preferences that echo for years., adding that “the consequences are far-reaching as diabetes and its complications steal years of healthy life, erode productivity, and strain resources; leaving families shattered and futures uncertain.”

     Is the proposed SSB tax pro-health?

    Basing their argument on facts from the study, CAPPA said that the proposed N130 per litre levy is a “pro-health tax.”

    The categories of SSBs covered in the simulation – in line with Section 17 of the Finance Act of 2021 – are soft drinks, energy drinks, and malt. This definition excludes 100 per cent fruit and vegetable juices. The study emphasised the urgency of addressing the health risks of SSB consumption.

    The report states that “an annual decrease of 29 per cent is expected for aggregate consumption of SSBs in Nigeria following a practical implementation of the SSB Tax. The simulation results further indicate a significant reduction in Body Mass Index (BMI).

    “Specifically, the tax is estimated to reduce BMI by four per cent on aggregate over five years, thereby yielding a decline in the mean prevalence of overweight (0.42 per cent for males and 0.37 per cent for females) and obesity (0.46 per cent for males and 0.53 per cent for females) if effective SSB taxation at a rate of N130 is implemented.

    “Such measures hold the potential to not only save lives but also curtail healthcare costs and enhance overall public health.”

    How the SSB Tax would work

    The report advises the Nigerian government to consider setting the SSB tax rate at a minimum of N130 per litre. This tax increase is estimated to trigger a substantial price surge of 39 per cent increase per litre, thereby discouraging consumption effectively by about 29 per cent annually.

    It added that “to ensure persistent health gains from the SSB tax, it is very important to regularly review the tax rate upward while accounting for inflation effect.

    “Also, comprehensive awareness campaigns should be initiated to educate the public on the benefits of the tax and the health risks of excessive SSB consumption. These campaigns should highlight the fact that the increase in SSB price is a protective public health measure and not a ‘price burden,’ and consumers should be encouraged to embrace healthy alternative beverage choices.”

    N729b gain for healthcare

     Beyond public health benefits, CAPPA viewed the proposed SSB tax increase as presenting a unique opportunity to bolster government revenue. The report estimates that implementing an SSB tax in Nigeria could result in a substantial increase in tax revenue.

    “Specifically, revenue from this excise tax is estimated to rise by 972 per cent (amounting to N729 billion). This additional revenue could be strategically allocated through earmarking to strengthen the country’s healthcare system, particularly basic healthcare, which currently grapples with inadequate funding. The potential to enhance healthcare infrastructure and address diet-related diseases through SSB taxation cannot be overstated,” the report added.

    According to the Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) which carried out the study, Fidelis Obaniyi, the increased tax could have favourable impacts on public health.

    Obaniyi argued that by carefully distributing this extra money through earmarking, the country’s healthcare system—fundamental healthcare, which is currently beset by a lack of funding—could be reinforced.

    He added that the purpose of the tax is to correct market failure; trigger behavioural change – public awareness of the negative effects of SSB consumption; increase fiscal revenue and reduce health burden.

    He further explained that the tax increase would help to reduce the consumption of sugary beverages, which, in turn, could improve public health by reducing intake and preventing health issues such as obesity and diabetes.

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    “In addition to promoting healthier choices, SSB taxes can generate government revenue.

    “The primary purpose of implementing an SSB tax is to reduce the consumption of these sugary beverages and address public health concerns related to obesity, diabetes and other health issues associated with excessive sugar intake,” Obaniyi added.

    Federal Government’s position

    The Federal Government affirmed its determination to help Nigerians live a healthy life free of excessive SSB consumption.

    The Director of Public Health at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, who spoke last Monday in Abuja during the first unveiling of the report, lamented the negative effects of SSBs on the populace.

    Noting that an estimated 38.6 million litres of soft drinks are sold daily in Nigeria, Anyaike said: “This makes Nigeria the 4th highest soft drink consuming country in the world.”

    Anyaike said the drinks are marketed in such a way that customers believe that they get better value when they buy the biggest bottles of soft drinks, leading to over-consumption.

    “Of particular concern is the trend of over-consumption among Nigerian adolescents which can lead to childhood obesity and negative health consequences in adulthood.

    He said the institution of the SSB tax has been identified as the most effective way of reducing the consumption of excess SSBs, which will consequently reduce the incidences and prevalence of NCDs.

    He was, nevertheless, clear that it was not within the Ministry of Health’s power to determine taxes.

  • World Water Day: Examining Nigeria’s response to a global crisis

    World Water Day: Examining Nigeria’s response to a global crisis

    Nigeria is surrounded by enormous water bodies. Yet, the people lack potable water for consumption. CHINAKA OKORO writes that the United Nations recognises the importance of water to humankind; hence its celebration of this year’s World Water Day (WWD) today to draw the attention of world leaders to how water could be deployed in achieving global peace and realisation of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 which is water and sanitation for all by 2030

    The undeniable truth emerges. The world has failed its citizens by not providing them with one of the most important necessities of life-potable water-despite promising that people, the world over would have enough clean water for consumption and use by 2030 which is six years away.

    The likelihood of adequate water for peoples of the world remains a conjecture because, statistics reeled off by the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) indicate that “about 703 million people worldwide (including Nigeria) do not have access to clean water. This shows that about one in 10 people cannot access good water. “Women and girls spend an estimated 200 million hours, walking six kilometres every day to fetch water. “More than 1,000 children under five die every day from diseases caused by contaminated water, poor sanitation and unsafe hygiene practices.

    “An estimated 1.69 billion people live without access to adequate sanitation, even as 419 million people practice open defecation.”

    About 2.2 billion people; that means one in four people lack access to safe water and 3.5 billion people; that is, two in five lack access to a safe toilet.”

    These figures are staggering and depict a serious global water crisis, despite that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) promises universal access to clean water and sanitation in six years (2030).

    Aside from these unsavoury global figures, the United Nations has revealed that “over two billion people live in countries where water supply is inadequate. Half of the world’s population could be living in areas facing water scarcity by as early as 2025. Some 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.”

    Of more worrisome is a joint report by the African Development Bank Group, The World Bank and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on the nasty and damning global water and sanitation situation. The report by the three international organisations reveals that “around the world, only nine per cent of the global population has access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services; 70 per cent use basic drinking water services; nine litres average per capita volume of water per day for the rural population; 44 per cent use basic sanitation services; 46 million practice open defecation; 16 per cent households have access to basic hygiene services; 14 per cent schools have basic water and sanitation services; seven per cent health facilities have basic water and sanitation services and 11 per cent of households had, at least, one diarrheal case in the past six weeks.”

    Significance of the theme “Water for Peace”

    The frightening statistics on the global water crisis might have informed the United Nations the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to choose “Water for Peace” as this year’s theme of the global event. The theme was chosen to demonstrate water’s pivotal role in fostering peace, prosperity and conflict prevention.

    The Day presents an opportunity for individuals, organisations and governments to unite and accelerate change to resolve the global water and sanitation crisis and to promote sustainable water management. The relevance of the theme is that “water can create peace or spark conflict. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have unequal, or no access, tensions can rise among communities and countries.”

    Described as the essence of life, water is said to be an invaluable resource that has multifaceted functions such as sustenance of humankind, nourishing of the ecosystems and enhancement of human progress. Regrettably, the availability of vast water bodies that surround the world does not translate to the obtainability of clean water to those who need it.

    Worried by this ugly situation, The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres lamented that “the world is woefully off-course to achieve our goal of water and sanitation for all by 2030. Billions of people still don’t have safe water and toilets.

    “As climate change impacts increase and the global population grows, we must unite around protecting and conserving our most precious resource. By working together to balance everyone’s human rights and needs, water can be a stabilising force and a catalyst for sustainable development.

    “On this World Water Day, the United Nations calls for increased international cooperation on how water is used and managed. This is the only way to avoid a global water crisis in the coming decade.”

    The global water crisis, if not seriously addressed, could lead to a major catastrophe; of which UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay warned that “there is an urgent need to establish strong international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from spiralling out of control.”

    Water situation in Nigeria

     Nigeria faces a significant water scarcity challenge despite being surrounded by huge water bodies. The horrible situation, experts say, results from poor water management practices and insufficient structure that makes significant water resources unsafe for human consumption.

    Statistics show that the average Nigerian consumes only nine litres of water daily. This is an insignificant quantity to the acceptable minimum standards of 12 to 16 litres per day.

    According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), Nigeria’s per capita water availability has decreased, exacerbating the scarcity challenge. Several indications point to Nigeria and Nigerians having acute water problems resulting from water scarcity.

    The World Bank estimates that 70 million Nigerians lack access to safe drinking water and 114 million lack access to basic sanitation facilities.

    The outdated and inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure, lack of investment and pollution of water sources due to inadequate waste disposal and industrial practices worsen the issue. As a result, only a small percentage of the population has access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.

    Providing adequate water for the masses can alleviate water crisis and poverty. This is so because when the government provides safe water for rural dwellers, for instance, it helps to alleviate water poverty and suffering.

     Effects of water crisis in Nigeria

    States and communities in Nigeria have one tale of woe or the other to tell about the water crisis. The effects of the crisis are not just in time and energy wasted for all that are affected. There are serious health, economic, social and food security consequences.

    Experts and other stakeholders have noted that “diseases that are otherwise preventable are rampant among the poor in Nigeria. This is so because most diseases gain access to the body through the food or water that people eat and drink.”

    Access to clean water and sanitation (Sustainable Development Goal 6) is a basic human right that is still a challenge for millions of people worldwide.

    A Sustainable Development Goals Report of 2022 notes that “the water crisis has severe impacts on health, well-being and productivity; leading to millions of deaths each year from waterborne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid fever.” It also noted that women and girls are unduly affected because they spend hours fetching water and facing risks of violence and harassment due to inadequate sanitation facilities.

    Lack of safe water and sanitation also limits productivity and economic potential. This, in effect, perpetuates poverty.

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    To this end, experts are of the view that the acute global water scarcity should be resolved. The call for action against the unsavoury water situation, especially in Nigeria, has become necessary because problems with poor water quality manifest in quite several horrid ways.

    Non-availability of potable water results in individuals accessing water from unsafe sources. These unsafe water sources harbour “harmful germs, parasites and chemicals, including human or animal faeces, pesticides and other chemicals that do damage to the body systems.”

    According to a 2022 report by Water.org, an international organisation that monitors global water challenges, the water and sanitation crisis has a significant impact on economic development in developing countries such as Nigeria.

    A preview of water crisis in Nigeria

    Confirmatory to a UNICEF source, 70 per cent of Nigerians consume contaminated water. This figure illustrates the seriousness of Nigerians’ water crisis.

    A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. A United Nations Children’s Fund report on poor access to clean water states that poor access to improved water and sanitation in Nigeria remains a major contributing factor to high morbidity and mortality rates among children below five.

    Although about 70 per cent of Nigerians are reported to have access to basic water services, more than half of the water sources are contaminated.

    On the water situation in Nigeria, especially in Owerri, the Imo State capital, a community leader, Chief Ikeotuonye Osuagwu who has the traditional title of Ikeoha 1 of Amaimo Ancient Kingdom in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, said: “Pipe-borne water is now luxury and a status symbol instead of being a necessity and one of the fundamental rights of the people.

    “In a country with huge water bodies, it is embarrassing that the people are resigned to fate and continue to fetch and drink water from questionable sources such as rivers, ponds, burst pipes and wells.”

    The community leader, in a telephone chat from Orji, outskirts of Owerri, pointed out that Nigerians, especially those in the rural and semi-urban areas hugely depend on water from wells and boreholes, which are littered in almost every compound; a situation, he said, portends danger.

    “A situation where wells and boreholes are in every compound in Owerri is dangerous to the environment. If there are 20 houses on a street in Owerri, and each has either a well or borehole, it means that on that particular street, there are 20 deep holes made into the soil, which invariably makes the soil very hollow. Such a situation is a harbinger of earthquakes,” he said.

    Another community leader, Akusinachi 1 of Amaimo Ancient Kingdom in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, Chief Uchenna Ojor, who is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of O.M.C Funerals; a hearse operating firm spoke to our correspondent from Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital said: “Water and food are not only essential elements of life; they are also universally recognised human rights. The right to water and the right to food go hand-in-hand.”

    Lamenting the indiscriminate sinking of boreholes and wells in almost every compound in Nigeria, the community leader added that “these are sunk without proper geophysical survey as some are sunk very close to septic tanks, pit latrines and waste dump sites.”

    On the failure of the government to provide water for the citizens, Chief Ojor said: “The government has not done much. It is less concerned about people’s well-being in terms of providing safe, potable water for the people as a result of infrastructural decay.”

    Nigeria’s clean water access (2000-2024)

    In its review of clean water accessibility and sources of contamination, Macrotrends (www.macrotrends.net) states that “rivers, streams and lakes might be contaminated with livestock waste, human sewage, chemicals and other contaminants which can lead to illness when used for drinking, bathing and other hygiene activities.”

    Reeling off its statistics on the accessibility of clean water by Nigerians, it revealed that “Nigeria’s clean water access for 2020 was 21.67 per cent, a 0.35 per cent increase from that of 2019 which was 21.32 per cent, a 0.36 per cent increase from 2018 figure of 20.96 per cent, a 0.36 per cent increase from 2017 figure, while the country’s clean water access for 2017 which was 20.60 per cent, and a 0.37 per cent increase from that of 2016.

    The government’s efforts at addressing water crisis

    Agreed, the Federal Government has spent billions of naira to provide safe and clean water, but it seems that the investments have dried up in the pipes. Almost everywhere, the taps are dry; that is where there are water taps.

    Not daunted by the seeming lack of achievements in its efforts, the Federal Government has continued to evolve policies and programmes to address unsavoury water situations for the well-being of the people.

    For instance, it plans to invest N1.60 trillion in water projects over the next five years that will enable it to provide water and sanitation to 90 per cent of the population. In 2021, the government built about 2,300 water points and 6,546 hygiene facilities and sanitation compartments nationwide.

    The recent National Development Plan 2021-2025 has also set a goal of increasing access to water and sanitation by 2030 and ending open defecation by 2025 in compliance with the SDGs 6.1 and 6.2.

    Individuals and communities are essential in promoting a water-secure world. Individuals and communities can contribute to sustainable water management by conserving water, reducing pollution and promoting awareness.

    Other measures to prevent water crisis and ensure sustainable water and sanitation for Nigerians, stakeholders advised that “the Federal Government should invest in water and sanitation infrastructure. This is to ensure safe and sustainable access to water and sanitation facilities, particularly for vulnerable populations.”

  • Using poetry as a tool for national development

    Using poetry as a tool for national development

    As the world celebrates World Poetry Day (WPD) today, CHINAKA OKORO writes that the country should take advantage of the celebration to encourage Nigerians to embrace poetry as a tool to fight societal contradictions. The government should also evolve policies and programmes that will enhance the intellectual, socio-economic and political potential of the people through poetry as a form of art.

    Today, humanity stands in celebration of World Poetry Day; a day humankind commemorates what has been described as “a bridge and an immediate path to becoming better.”

    Some of the characteristics that make poetry unique are emotional expression and aesthetic qualities. These “make it a distinctive and captivating form of literary art.”.”

    Again, “poetry serves as a means of inter-generational communication by articulating the intricacies of existence, the human condition and its representation through language, adeptly encapsulating the multifaceted dimensions of each.”

    Poetry defined

    In A Dictionary of Literature, Emeaba Onuma Emeaba described poetry as “the art or craft of rhythmic composition; spoken or written expression…The term applies to the many forms in which people have given rhythmic expression to their most imaginative and intense perceptions of the world…”

    In the Preface to the Lyrical Ballads, William Wordsworth, one of the greatest English poets, described poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. It takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity…”

    In classical terms, “poetry is a type of literature based on the interplay of words and rhythm. It often employs rhyme and meter (a set of rules governing the number and arrangement of syllables in each line).”

    In Literature, Structure, Sound and Sense, Laurence Perrine postulated that “poetry is as universal as language and almost as ancient…Poetry in all ages has been regarded as important…It has been regarded as something central to each man’s existence, something unique to the fully realised life, something that he is better off for having and spiritually impoverished without…”

    In poetry, words are strung together to form sounds, images and ideas that might be too complex or abstract to describe directly.

    These are perfect pointers to the fact that poetry is language expressed in different “elevated” forms.

    Realising the centrality of poetry in man’s existence, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) during its 30th session in Paris in 1999, proclaimed March 21 every year as World Poetry Day.

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    The theme of the event and its significance

    Mindful of the contributions of classical and contemporary literary writers and giants to the growth and development of literature and being sources of inspiration to budding literary talents, UNESCO chose “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” as the theme of this year’s World Poetry Day to commemorate “iconic writers of the past whose trailblazing works enlarged poetry’s footprint across cultures.”

    According to the framers of this theme, the phrase “standing on the shoulders of giants” is a metaphor that translates to “using the understanding gained by major thinkers who have gone before to make intellectual progress.

    “It is a metaphor of dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants and expresses the meaning of “discovering truth by building on previous discoveries.”

    As gleaned from Wikipedia, this metaphorical deployment of the phrase illustrates the blind giant Orion in Greek mythology who carried his servant Cedalion on his shoulders to see for him.

    Further explication of what shoulders represent metaphorically or spiritually, it indicates that “they are often regarded as a symbol of strength and support. They represent the ability to carry the weight of life’s challenges and responsibilities. In this context, strong shoulders symbolise resilience and the capacity to withstand adversity.

    Objectives of the day

     One of the objectives of the day, according to UNESCO, is to sustain the growth of linguistic diversity through poetic expression. It also offers and encourages endangered languages on the platforms upon which they can be heard within their communities.

    World Poetry Day is also regarded as an occasion to “honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting and raise the visibility of poetry in the media.”

    As explained on its website (www.unesco.org), the organisation places great importance on poetry as a means of creative expression; a way for the human mind to be laid bare and presented in ways many people can understand.”

    In her message on this year’s event, the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Audrey Azoulay said: “Poetry,  whether in prose or verse,  has a unique propensity to make us perceive the world around us differently. On this World Poetry Day, UNESCO is celebrating the power to question certainties to remain open to others, to welcome the world in all its diversity–all essential foundations for building peaceful societies.

    “That is why our  Organisation stands by poets,  especially the younger generation,  to enable them to take full advantage of this literary form, and to support the publication of their works…

    “Poetry is a powerfully living art,  but it has also,  through the centuries and continents,  been the key medium societies have used to write their history and preserve the memory of their culture, as well as to record ancestral knowledge.

    “The poet is that in-between figure who stands at the crossroads of a bygone past and a future yet to be built. This is why UNESCO is helping to preserve some of the most emblematic poetic texts of their time.

    “World Poetry Day is thus an opportunity for every one of us to move into the living heart of ourselves and of the world…”

    Role of Poetry in Nigeria

    To underscore the relevance of poetry in shaping society and putting leaders in check, former United States President, John F. Kennedy said: “When power leads man to arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.”

    With the above in mind, Nigerian poets have played major roles in shaping society. This is so because, Nigerian literature in English is written as a distillation of life as it affects the Nigerian despite his ethnic or cultural background. Their poems give expression to the peculiar Nigerian experience and the aspects of life as it affects Nigeria and Nigerians.

    A piece of literary work always reflects the true image of society with all its virtues and vices to make society realise its mistakes and make amends. It also projects the virtues or good values in society for people to emulate.

    Writing in “Poetry as a Vehicle for Promoting National Consciousness and Development: The Example of Four Nigerian Poets,”      published in African Literature Today, Issue 16, Elimimian Isaac Irabor stated that “the Nigerian poets have succeeded in creating a general consciousness that foreign influence has a deleterious effect on traditional culture and national progress; by expressing the needs and aspirations of a people in quest of political independence and by extolling the beauty and essence of the African past and by decrying the forces of division within Nigerian society…”

    In Kingsley and Kate Tufts’s Poetry Blog, the roles poetry could play in shaping society were well articulated.

    They said: “While poetry can be an effective means for bringing our attention towards and better conceptualising injustices, it can also play a dual role in helping us cope with such injustices.

    “Unfortunately, a good number of social justice issues are not able to be solved overnight…In this way, the cathartic role of poetry is even more important than that of a social commentary.”

    The use of poetry to express contemporary issues is an effective way to explore the complexities of our current social, political and cultural landscape.

    Poetry is said to have the potential to serve as a call to arms, inspiring people to take action and work toward social change. Poems that address issues such as racism, inequality and injustice can be a rallying cry for those who feel disempowered, reminding them of their strength and resilience.

    Authorities note that “poetry allows poets to delve into issues such as race, gender and politics, in a nuanced and powerful way. It can serve as a form of protest and a call to action, as well as a way to raise awareness and promote social change.”

     Poetry and social justice

    Poets use poetry to comment on some societal contradictions because poetry and social justice are closely intertwined. Poetry often serves as a powerful tool for raising awareness and promoting social change.

    Juxtaposing contemporary issues and poetry, it has been realised how poetry can be used to express and explore issues such as racism, sexism and poverty and to call for systemic change.

    Poetry can be a powerful platform for marginalised community members to express their experiences, struggles and aspirations. It gives voice to those who may not have had the opportunity to be heard, thereby promoting inclusivity and social change.

    Socio-political impacts of poetry

    Just as the generic term protest literature, there is also protest poetry that can expediently be referred to as political poetry that can impact readers. This is because both politics and poetry express views.

    Specifically, political poetry is often defined as “a specific political situation rooted in an identifiable political philosophy; addressing a particular political actor; written in language that can be understood and appreciated by its intended audience; and finally, offered in a public forum where it can have maximum persuasive effect.”

    David Orr in The Politics of Poetry said: “Poetry and politics connect through expression and feeling, although both of them are matters of persuasion.”

     Poets such as the late Christopher Okigbo, the late Gabriel Okara, the late Chinua Achebe, Prof. Wole Soyinka, the late Prof. John Bekederemo Clark, Odia Ofeimun and Lenrie Peters, among others, have deployed poetry as a means of social commentary aimed at moving the society forward.

    Reviving declining interest in poetry

     As World Poetry Day is marked today, government at all levels should show great commitment to ensuring that Nigerians, especially students, demonstrate love for poetry as a means of contributing to the intellectual, economic and political development of the country.

    The government should support Nigerians to embrace poetry as a tool to fight societal contradictions.

    Private individuals and organisations should also support and promote the creativity of poetry writing.

  • Unsafe abortion: Taming a leading, silent killer

    Unsafe abortion: Taming a leading, silent killer

    There have been complaints about the rate at which women and girls die as a result of unsafe abortions. To tame this silent killer, experts and stakeholders in the Sexual Reproductive Health sector converged on Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to ruminate on how to do more for women and girls. YINKA ADENIRAN looks at the issue and efforts to tame the menace of unsafe abortion among women and girls.

    For months, Sola Oduwole (pseudonym) could not forgive herself. She felt guilty as she felt she had a role to play in what had befallen her family. She just lost a sister (Olawunmi) who underwent surgery to cut off one of her breasts after she was diagnosed of breast cancer. Painfully, she died weeks after the surgery.

    Her late sister (Olawunmi) had complained of pain on her right breast. She had pains on her armpit which she thought was a boil.

    A minor surgery had earlier been carried out to extract the particles. A further test carried out on the extracted part showed signs of cancer. She received medical advice on the need to cut off the breast due to the excruciating pains she experienced.

    After rallying round to raise some funds, Olawunmi’s husband was able to secure a small shop for her somewhere around Iwo Road, Ibadan. Not too long after the shop was secured and plans to begin business operation started, Olawunmi discovered she was pregnant.

    She confided in Sola who supported the idea of terminating the pregnancy; hence the need for an abortion.

    The pregnancy was over five months by the time she resolved to abort it, despite so much discouragement from her husband.

    But why did Sola feel so guilty? She reasoned that her support for abortion of the unintended pregnancy was the cause of the problem.

    Sola’s dilemma is one among millions of women experiencing abortion complications.

    Although research has not shown any link between abortion and breast cancer, many women in rural communities still carry the guilt and fear anytime they have to carry out abortion of unintended pregnancies, especially in unqualified facilities.

    Scholars to action

    Worried by these views, medical experts, scholars and researchers in public health have also expressed deep concern over the alarming rates of death resulting from unsafe abortions. As such, they have urged the government to significantly increase its investment in sexual and reproductive health.

    The experts agreed that women and girls aged 15 to 49 lose their lives daily due to abortion-related causes.

    These views were expressed during a special session titled “The Public Health Challenges of Unintended Pregnancies and Abortion: Global and National Dimensions.”

    The session was organised by Academy for Health Development (AHEAD) an Ile-Ife, Osun State-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the Guttmacher Institute whose headquarters is in New York, USA.

    The event was an integral component of the 5th Scientific Conference of the Society for Public Health Professionals of Nigeria (SPHPN).

    According to the experts, Nigeria bears a staggering annual loss of over 67,000 women due to abortion-related complications, with an alarming daily average of at least 20 deaths across the country.

    Adesegun Fatusi, a Professor of Community Medicine and Public Health said Nigeria currently carries the heaviest burden of maternal mortality based on the latest research by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    He noted that, as per the Federal Ministry of Health’s data, approximately 11 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria result from abortion.

    Combining these two statistics, it becomes evident that approximately 20 women lose their lives every day due to abortion-related causes. Fatusi, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, and foundation Secretary-General of SPHPN, stressed that the situation could be reversed if women’s sexual and reproductive health needs were adequately met with an additional per capital investment of $27.15 to supplement the current $3.11.

    He said: “If all the contraceptive, maternal, newborn, and abortion care needs in Nigeria were comprehensively addressed, the following sexual and reproductive health outcomes for women aged 15 to 49 years and their newborns would experience a significant improvement.

    “Unintended pregnancies would decline by 80 per cent; abortion rates would decrease by 80 per cent; unsafe abortions would plummet by 80 per cent; maternal deaths would diminish by 61 per cent, and newborn mortality would drop by 76 per cent.”

    Providing a global perspective on unintended pregnancies and abortions, a Senior Research Scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, Dr Jonathan Bearak shared some insights from a recent survey indicating that rates of unintended pregnancies are declining on the average worldwide but increasing in Nigeria.

    Speaker after speaker urged the government and various stakeholders to escalate efforts and take comprehensive actions to safeguard the lives of women.

    More concerns about unintended pregnancies

     The Chairman of the Management Committee of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning, Dr Ejike Orji said unsafe abortion had more implications than what people may imagine.

    He said: “When women are unsuccessful in preventing pregnancies that they don’t want, the most likely thing is that they want to terminate that pregnancy, whether it is legal or not. And what usually happens is that you have a lot of disabilities caused.”

    While harping on the implications of the statistics presented at the event, Fatusi noted that more needs to be done.

    He said: “We know that unsafe abortion, as we define it, is when it is done by somebody who is not medically qualified or using a method that is not appropriate or recommended  by WHO and that is the cause of death that we have from abortion.”

    Position of the law on abortion, rape

    According to Fatusi, globally, when women want to carry out abortion, the law doesn’t stop them because women can go to any length to get it at all costs.

    He said: “Do you know that our law says you can have abortion only when the woman’s life is involved or when some mental conditions are involved? What we know globally is that when women want abortion, the law doesn’t stop them. If a woman wants abortion, she will use anything that she can.

    “Abortion happens because the woman does not intend to have that pregnancy. So, unintended pregnancy is the permanent cause of abortion. What our data says today is that almost half of women who have unintended pregnancy, in other words, pregnancies they didn’t plan for, will go ahead and abort it.

    So, things such as comprehensive sexual education or family life and HIV education are important to help equip our young people; those are the foundations.

    “The other foundation we must think about is the norms in our society. The social norms that deny people the opportunity to have access to contraceptives. We must think about the practices in our health facilities. “When a young girl comes to our facilities sometimes what they do is deny her access. We must think about that.

     “Firstly, we must improve access of women to information, education and quality services. Secondly are our laws, our norms and our social policies that discourage women from having access when they need to. “The other thing we need to do is to look at our data and research to see what we can do to ensure that our women can access health services. What are the barriers that are standing between them and health services? What are the factors promoting unsafe abortion? What can we do about that? And if we are intervening, how do we monitor progress? Those are three fundamental pillars that we can look at in trying to address the question of unsafe abortion in Nigeria.”

    On the issue of rape victims and other abuses to women, Prof. Fatusi said: “The Violence against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) law says that if a woman is violated and she gets pregnant, she has a right to access services.

    The National Coordinator, African Youth and Adolescent Network on Population and Development (AfriYan Nigeria), Elizabeth Alatu-Williams said there are many adolescents and young people who are engaging in unsafe sexual activities, which is predisposing them to unintended pregnancies and which in the long run, lead to unsafe abortion.

    “So, it’s important that we provide them with comprehensive sexuality education and this is basically a form of education that empowers them with life skills around goal-setting, self-esteem, values, assertiveness, being able to make decisions for themselves, being able to say no to sex until when they know that they are ready, and also being able to engage in safe sex if at all they have it or engage in sexual activities.

    “That’s why comprehensive sexuality education is so important and the Nigerian government has already published or approved the family life and HIV education curriculum which is our own adaptation of the CSE curriculum being implemented in junior secondary schools in Lagos and a couple of other states.”

    Alatu-Williams, who is also the Founder/Executive Director of Sustainable Impact and Development Initiative added that other stakeholders must join the government in the fight against the menace of sexual activities pervasive among adolescents and young people if unsafe abortion must be tamed, especially creation of safe centres where adolescents and young people can have access to sexual reproductive health education, information and service that is free of discrimination, stigma and is affordable and accessible.

    Calls to save more women, girls heighten

    The Country Director of IPAS Nigeria Health Foundation, Lucky Palmer said the gathering was a clarion call on all stakeholders to come to the aid of women and girls who die daily due to abortion-related causes.

    “The report is damning. We cannot have our women dying every day. If we want to move forward as a people, we need to pay attention to the health of our mothers, of our sisters. It’s about time that we need to collectively take a decision, whether the life of our women, of our sisters, of our daughters are worth being saved.

    “Abortion is a healthcare treatment; it is not a social concept. It’s just like treating HIV, hepatitis B. So, abortion is a right for every woman that needs the service to be treated.

    “Nigeria was one of the countries that did not achieve the minimum target for maternal mortality then by the SDG. We are now coming towards the halfway of the MDG. It should not be at the end of the day again that Nigeria will be found among those countries that did not meet the target and abortion is a low hanging boot that we can stop by changing our law and for example, just even allowing those women who were forced into getting pregnant through sexual violence to have access to the right type of treatment that they want.

    “We can reduce this number of women who are dying every hour. At least, two women from Nigeria die from complications of unsafe abortion. Can we turn the unsafe abortion to safe abortion? Yes, the trainings are there, the guidelines are there, but we need to change our laws and empower our healthcare workers to do the right thing.”

    Changing the narrative

     The Country Director of MSI Reproductive Choices Nigeria, Emmanuel Ajah believes the government needs to show more commitment beyond mere rhetoric.

    “There are a couple of things that we need to do. First is the government’s sincerity and support to the drive of sexual and reproductive health services. “In some communities, especially in the North, you have poor human resource for health. So, we need to make sure that even as we have done, we must ensure that there are many more people that are trainable and that can be equipped to continue to provide services.

    “Our religious and traditional leaders must be involved in whatever we are doing. There is the need for our women and girls to be able to make choices as part of their lives and it has become very important that we give them that support.”

  • Insecurity: Experts, stakeholders in search of way-out

    Insecurity: Experts, stakeholders in search of way-out

    Over the years, Nigeria has been bedeviled by intractable security challenges. As hopes of plausible remedy dips, 23 of Nigeria’s 36 states established their security outfits to combat the monster within their distinct boundaries. In this report, IBRAHIM ADAM reviews strategies and suggestions proffered by critical stakeholders, including governors and experts on how to tackle the country’s horrid security situation.

    For so long, Nigeria and Nigerians have been under the siege of non-state actors who have unleashed intolerable harm on the citizens. Terrorists, bandits, robbers and secessionist agitators have become serious threats to Nigeria’s stability and national development.

    While Boko Haram terrorists plagued the northern region, the complex security situation in the southern part is further compounded by some ethnic secessionist movements such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the Southeast and the Yoruba agitation for self-determination in the Southwest.

    Boko Haram insurgents have no belief in Western education as they regard it as a source of moral decay and corruption. A s a result of the group’s ruthless operations, the North has the highest number of killings, followed by the Southeast.

    Added to this, many people have died during clashes among herders and farmers. The deaths are not limited to those suffered by the lowly individuals, there have been reported cases of traditional rulers in different geo-political zones that have been killed by the lawless non-state actors.

    A 2023 Nigeria Security Report by Beacon Consulting, a security risk management and intelligence consulting firm revealed that no fewer than 78,148 Nigerians were killed across the country were killed by insurgents from 2014 to 2023.

    The report indicated that 11,389 Nigerians were killed in 2014; 11,119 in 2015; 4,896 in 2016; 4,949 in 2017; 6,162 in 2018; 5,948 in 2019; 8,459 in 2020; 10,887 in 2021; 10,754 in 2022; and 3,585 in 2023.

    According to the report, 16,644 of the victims were killed by terrorists; 8,475 by bandits and 1,897 during farmers’/herders’ clashes.

    Similarly, recent report by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) revealed that between 2013 and 2023, 19,718 Nigerians were kidnapped across the country.

    States with security outfits

     When the Federal Government seemed to be helpless and the non-state actors such as Boko Haram, bandits and agitators for self-determination continued to terrorise subnational entities, some state governments began to ruminate the possibility of establishing security outfits to protect their people.

    In the circumstances, therefore, between 2013 and this year, no fewer than 23 states had unveiled their security outfits. The moves were aimed at reducing the level of insecurity in such areas. Instead of the situation abating, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, robbery, cultism, vandalism and other forms of criminalities are on the increase.

    Among the sub-nationals, Borno State, which was the epicentre of terrorism, was the first state government to establish a state-owned security outfit which it codenamed the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

    Rivers State, in 2016 founded its security outfit called Service to maintain peace in some parts of the state. To increase the safety of people and property in the state, the state government also established a second security unit in 2019 codenamed Operation Sting.

    In 2017, the Lagos State Government established the Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) to support law enforcement and other security agencies in upholding the state’s law and order in the 57 local government and local council development areas.

    The Kaduna State Vigilance Service was founded by the state government in April 2018 by law number 10 of June 2016, during the height of bandits’ activities in the state. Governor Uba Sani announced in September 2023 that the 7,000 vigilante members who were recruited and trained would be deployed to all the rural communities to help combat crime and criminalities.

    The Ogun State Government established the Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps (So Safe Corps) in 2019 in an effort to combat robbery and cultism.

    The Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), codenamed Amotekun was established in 2020 by the Southwest states of Ondo, Ogun, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos and Osun to tackle banditry, robbery, and kidnapping. The Houses of Assembly in the six states approved the law back the establishment of the security outfit despite initial opposition from the Nigeria Police.

    In Imo State, the Imo State Security Network was established in 2021 to halt the nefarious activities of unidentified gunmen as well as the incessant killings of police officers in the states.

    Also in 2021, a unified security unit known as Ebube Agu (Wonderful Tiger) was established by the governors of the five Southeastern states with the goal of “flushing out criminals and terrorists from the zone.”

    Also in 2021, the Niger Special Vigilante Corps was formed by the state government to combat killings and kidnappings perpetrated by bandits in several areas of the state, especially in the Shiroro Local Government Area.

    In 2022, the Bauchi State Government established the Bauchi State Vigilante and Youth Empowerment Agency with the aim of thwarting criminal activities, particularly those of terrorists. While both Gombe and Benue state governments established the Benue Volunteer Guards (BVGs) and the Gombe State Security, Traffic and Environmental Corps (GOSTEC) in 2022.

    In 2023, the Abia State Government founded its security outfit codenamed Operation Crush to address the ongoing abduction and robbery cases in the state. The governments of Akwa Ibom and Anambra states also established Ibom Community Watch and Anambra Vigilante Group respectively.

    Also, in 2023, Bayelsa State established the Community Safety Corps; Ebonyi with Ebonyi State Neighbourhood Watch and Enugu State came up with Distress Response Squad. Katsina State, a state in the Northwest devastated by terrorist attacks and banditry, launched the Community Watch Corps last year.

    The Plateau State Government launched 600 Neighbourhood Watch operatives in December last year which it codenamed Operation Rainbow; the same month that the Sokoto State Government established its Community Guard Corps that same month to work with other community policing organisations to combat cross-border banditry and kidnapping.

    In order to combat the killings and kidnappings committed by bandits in Zamfara State, the state government established the 2,645-member State Community Protection Guards in January.

    Impacts of Boko Haram on vulnerable groups

     In any form of catastrophe, women and children are hardest hit. In the wake of insurgency in Nigeria, thousands of women and girls have been seriously affected. Some of them have had their lives drastically altered by the activities of Boko Haram and other groups that have carried up arms against the State; forcing them into new responsibilities outside their homes.

    Majority of the estimated 1.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Northeast are women and children, despite that men have been killed in proportionately higher numbers.

    In 2014, the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok was the beginning of abduction of female students by Boko Haram; a symbolic imposition of its will on communities that opposed it, The group focused its abduction activities on Christians and later Muslim women.

    At first, female followers and forced conscripts could move more freely in government-controlled areas as spies, messengers, recruiters and smugglers since they were not seen as threats. The same rationale led Boko Haram to start using female suicide bombers in the middle of 2014.

    Insecurity in the Southeast

    In the yesteryear, the Southeast was noted for its serenity. However, as insecurity spreads, the Southeast geopolitical zone became one of the epicentres of insecurity. Happily, security situation in the zone has improved tremendously due to the successful operations by the Nigerian Army and other security agencies. The armed individuals frequently targeted state officials, government facilities, and security personnel. In similar attacks, hundreds of people were killed or injured, even as the non-state actors had issued a sit-at-home order directing every one indigenous to the region to stay indoors on Mondays. Governors of the five states in the region have met several times in a bid to end the Monday sit-at-home usually enforced by IPOB.

    In search of peace through PISE-P

    Aside from several moves made by critical stakeholders in the Southeast region, including governors, a major project aimed at ensuring peace in the area was, on December 29, 2023, launched in the historic town of Bende, Abia State by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives,  Benjamin Okezie Kalu.

    On what the project tagged “Peace in Southeast Project” (PISE-P) seeks to achieve, Kalu in his speech said that “PISE-P aims at promoting the application of non-kinetic (non-military) approaches to address the insecurity concerns in the Southeast and to facilitate peacemaking among communities and individuals impacted by past conflicts. The journey towards peace is not a destination. It is an ongoing process, one that requires our unflinching commitment and dedication.”

    Vice-President, Kashim Shettima who represented President Bola Tinubu observed that: “The terror groups that have held the Southeast to ransom are not a creation of the people of the region, or of Nigerians from other parts of the country.”

    Read Also: Why we should deploy skill acquisition to solve insecurity problem, says CDS

    Tinubu said: “The problem we are here to solve as a community, as Umunna is a creation of self-serving criminals who do not represent the interests of Ndigbo and Nigerians….”

    The Chairman of the Southeast Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma praised the PISE-P project, even as he expressed concerns about the widespread insecurity situation in the region.

    Ooni, Gani Adams, others proffer solutions

    To address the lingering security situation, not only in the Southwest but also in Nigeria, critical stakeholders in Southwest met at a security summit held at the Ife Grand Resorts, Ojaja Arena of Ile Ife, Osun State,

    No fewer than 200 traditional rulers were in attendance at the summit. Among those who attended the security summit were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Aareonakakanfo of Yoruba land, Gani Adams and other prominent Yoruba Obas. They gathered to proffer solutions to the prevailing security challenges in Yoruba land.

    Oba Adeyeye, who convened the Yoruba Security Summit, said the unity of all the traditional rulers in Yoruba land is crucial to the success of the region.

    Oba Adeyeye also said that the security challenges in Yoruba land can be tackled with measures and approaches that are capable of putting an end to the scourge.

    “We are concerned about the prevailing security challenges in Yoruba land and that is the reason for this security summit. All Yoruba Obas are united on this and I am sure we will salvage the situation in no long time,” he said.

    Gani Adams, one of the keynote speakers said in his address with the theme “Kidnapping and Banditry: Overcoming the Twin Menace and the Yoruba Legacy of African Science, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” said he was deeply concerned about the protracted security deficit in the region.

    Adams insisted that his concern formed part of the issues raised during his visit to the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi in January that eventually led to the Yoruba security summit.

    He also stressed the need for cooperation among Southwest monarchs in tackling insecurity in the region, even as he added that Yoruba traditional rulers should mount pressure on the state governors to engage local security groups to succeed in the fight against banditry and kidnapping in all the forests across Yoruba land.

    Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi said it was important for the traditional rulers to protect themselves using the traditional means. He added that it is very important for traditional rulers to protect their subjects.

    The Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III said the best way to solve all the security challenges in Yoruba land is to restructure the country, adding that true federalism would take care of all the security challenges.

    Former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase said there was a need for a proper understanding of the best way to tackle the twin menace of banditry and kidnapping.

    He said anybody who bears arms without proper licensing would bear the consequences under the law.

    Northern leaders offer solution

    For a quick solution to the intractable security crises in the country, Northern leaders have proffered what they called a multi-dimensional approach to tackling insecurity.

    Vice-President, Kashim Shettima restated that ending insecurity remained top on the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration’s agenda.

    A former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar said Nigerians must unite to tackle insecurity.

    The leaders spoke at a two-day roundtable on insecurity, with the theme “Multi-dimensional Approach to Tackling Insecurity in Northern Nigeria” organised by the Coalition of Northern Group (CNG).

    Abubakar said: “Investing in education and economic development can address the root causes of insecurity and ultimately foster long-term stability…”

    Shettima, represented by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Yusuf Adejia, said providing safety was one critical agenda of the government, hence the increase in budgetary allocation to security.

    A former Minister of Agriculture, Dr Audu Ogbeh warned against the mix-up of the roles of the army and the police.

    He said: “Because of insecurity, the army has to be called in. The army is not the police force. A country that abuses its army by using it as a police force is running a risk; you’re destroying that army. Soldiers are not policemen, and policemen are not soldiers; we are mixing the two up; that’s another danger we have to deal with if we can.”

    Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Atahiru Jega said insecurity has been allowed to fester too long, hence the expansion of the activities of the insurgents.

    He believes it was important to adopt a multi-dimensional approach toward tackling insecurity, even as he urged the government to take a very responsive role devoid of politics.

    National Coordinator of CNG, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, called for decisive action, as “speeches alone cannot secure the region.”

    The Director of Publicity and Advocacy/Spokesperson of Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Abdul-Azeez Suleiman stressed the significance of bringing together critical stakeholders to address the security challenges that have plagued the region.

    Success stories

     Borno community free of Boko Haram control

    After a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum said his state’s security situation had improved by 85 per cent, claiming that no community is under the control of Boko Haram.

    Zulum said security agencies have almost completely rid the state of Boko Haram insurgents.

    He said: “None of the 27 local government areas of Borno State is under the control of insurgents. The security situation in Borno State has improved by more than 85 percent. Economic activities are ongoing perfectly in Borno State.”

    Army: ‘Terrorists have been degraded’

    In apparent corroboration of Zulum’s assertion on improved security situation, the Nigerian Army has said that it has dislodged insurgents from various hideouts in the Northeast and Northwest geopolitical zones and in some areas of Niger State.

    Kevin Aligbe, Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) of the Nigerian Army in Niger State stated this at the 2023 West African Social Activities (WASA) in Minna, the state capital.

    Aligbe added that the war against insurgency has progressed steadily and effectively in different parts of the country.

    He added that despite these achievements, there were still pockets of insecurity in the country, especially in Niger State, as terrorists have penetrated parts of the state to carry out cruel acts.

    Maj-Gen. Waidi Shuaibu, Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force, Northeast Operation Hadin Kai also said terrorists operating in Northeast have been degraded and are avoiding confrontation with forces in the field.

    Shuaibu made this known at the opening of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) awareness and detection training for the Civilian Joint Task Force in Maiduguri, Borno State.

    How Nigeria can overcome insecurity, by experts

    The world’s largest association for security professionals, ASIS International said tackling insecurity requires cutting-edge ideas, best practices and latest advancements in technology.

    The Chairman of ASIS, Abuja branch 273, Edward Orim said during the association’s 2023 Annual General Meeting and Awards Night that the chapter was providing a platform for its members and other security stakeholders to produce cutting-edge technology, ideas and best practices with a view to addressing insecurity in Nigeria.

    He described ASIS as an industrial security organisation and open to partnership with government agencies, particularly the office of the National Security Adviser.

    He reiterated ASIS International’s commitment to advancing security professionalism in curbing insecurity through building partnership among leaders, experts, and security professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    At the event, the National Coordinator of Countre- Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser, retired Rear Admiral Yaminu Musa said there was need for stronger private sector participation in advancing national security.

    Musa, who spoke on the theme, “Reflecting on 2023: A Retrospective View of Evolving Threats Landscape in Nigeria,” stressed the need for the private sector to embed national security values in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes.

    Also at a two-day symposium in Abuja on exploring effective strategies for tackling organised crime on the continent,  the Coordinator for the Security, Violence and Conflict (SVC) Research Group at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Freedom Onuoha said the solution to most of Africa’s internal conflicts is constructive dialogues and not military operations.

    Onuoha said many internal conflicts devastating the Continent could be forestalled with constructive dialogues other than the use of arms,” he said.

  • Sanwo-Olu takes youth empowerment a notch higher

    Sanwo-Olu takes youth empowerment a notch higher

    Impressed by the commitment of Osawere Austin Dayo who serves at King’s College, Lagos to talent discovery and nurturing, the Lagos State Government appointed him as a youth ambassador for the state. Dayo, a graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Ibadan, became a viral sensation after a video of him dancing with his students at King’s College Lagos. The state Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Mobolaji Ogunlende, on the instruction of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu appointed Osawere as Lagos State youth ambassador. CHINAKA OKORO reports

    Ancient thinkers and philosophers have posited that one of the best ways to groom future leaders is to give them opportunities to take on new and challenging responsibilities that stretch their skills and potential. This, they say, could be through delegating to them everyday jobs and projects that require them to learn new things, work with different people or deal with complex or ambiguous situations.

    This translates to imbuing in others leadership skills which, in turn, instills in others, probably, young ones the ability to influence and guide followers or members of an organisation, society or team. Leadership often is an attribute tied to a person’s title, seniority or ranking in a hierarchy.

    This may have led leadership experts to postulate that leaders are faced with challenging situations every day because they have to respond to certain challenges of the time, even as they insist that leaders are either proactive or reactive.

    In these circumstances, “a proactive leader anticipates challenges and has a plan for handling them while a reactive leader waits for challenges to arise and then struggles to overcome them. Proactive leaders are big picture thinkers in the sense that they spend the bulk of their time learning from the past and planning for the future, even as they rarely get bogged down in the nitty-gritty of the present.”

    Another of the characteristics of proactive leaders, experts point out, is that “they value their teams and go to great lengths to ensure that they can count on the people around them. They recognise the importance of varying viewpoints and are open to new ideas. They aren’t afraid to ask for help when they need it because they respect the people they’re asking.

    “The most important characteristic of any leader is trust. Proactive leaders trust their teams and, in turn, inspire loyalty. They don’t make promises they can’t keep, and when they make a mistake (which all leaders do), they own it.”

    Another school of thought is of the view that “proactive leadership goes beyond telling people what to do. It’s about effective communication, building consensus, delegation, motivation, and influencing others to reach a common goal.”

    The abovementioned could explain the level of magnanimity displayed by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and his Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Mobolaji Ogunlende recently.

    In an outstanding demonstration of proactive leadership and dedication to youth empowerment, the governor and his commissioner have acknowledged the remarkable contributions of a dedicated member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Osawere Austin Dayo, who serves at King’s College, Lagos.

    The leadership of the state acknowledged Osawere’s activities in King’s College Lagos. Also, the visionary leadership of Governor Sanwo-Olu and the proactive actions by the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development to foster positive change and recognise outstanding youth initiatives were not unnoticed.

    In his verified official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the commissioner said: “I was captivated by the trending video of a passionate corps member, Osawere Austin Dayo, serving at King’s College Lagos. I found myself drawn in by his commitment to nurturing talents despite the constraints of a minimum salary. Osawere went the extra mile to nurture the pupils’ talents through his dance skills, and preparing them for their upcoming inter-house sports programme was commendable.

    “Moved by this online discourse, not only did I find myself drawn in, but also Mr Governor himself. I paid a visit to the college to support Osawere’s passion on the day of their inter-house programme.

    “Observing the pupils enthusiastically partake in the dance alongside Osawere, I couldn’t help but be enveloped by the joy and happiness that permeated the atmosphere. It was evident that Osawere’s influence extended far beyond the dance floor, instilling in these pupils a deep sense of belonging and purpose.

    In light of Osawere’s impact, I am honoured to bestow upon him the title of youth ambassador of the state, emblematic of our administration’s commitment to nurturing positive impact within our communities. This is in addition to the 1 million awarded to him by the KC Alumni as the best [Youth] Corper(sic) of the year…

    “The experience at King’s College was nothing short of inspiring, underscoring the pivotal role of selfless service in shaping a brighter future for our youth. It’s moments like these that reaffirm our commitment as a government to nurturing talent and fostering a culture of excellence.”

    It is noteworthy that despite financial constraints, Osawere’s commitment to nurturing the talents of students at King’s College, Lagos, has been commendable.

    His innovative approach, including engaging students through dance sessions, has garnered widespread attention and appreciation. His dedication not only enhances the students’ physical activities but also boosts their morale and overall well-being; creating a positive learning environment.

    Commissioner’s support and recognition

    Having established a connection as he was impressed by Osawere’s initiative, the commissioner personally attended the inter-house sports programme of King’s College, Lagos where Osawere and the students showcased their talents.

    He immediately named Osawere a Lagos Youth Ambassador. Osaw ere also earned himself a reward of N1 million from the King’s College alumni association.

    Such recognition not only validates Osawere’s efforts but also inspires other youth to actively engage in community development initiatives.

    Osawere meets Sanwo-Olu

     The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Ogunlende arranged for a meeting between Governor Sanwo-Olu and Osawere. The governor engaged Osawere in a conversation and later directed immediate engagement and support for Osawere’s initiatives. This underscored the governor’s commitment to nurturing youth talents and initiatives. The governor’s interest in Osawere’s work further highlights the importance of recognising and nurturing initiatives at the grassroots.

    Also, in a collaborative effort to integrate Osawere’s talents into the state’s education system, the Lagos Youth Commissioner, acting on Mr. Governor’s directive, facilitated a meeting with the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun.

    Plans on how to leverage Osawere’s innovative approach to enriching educational experiences across Lagos State were discussed.

    The meeting signifies a strategic approach to integrating grassroots initiatives into government policies, aimed at ensuring sustainable development in the education sector.

    Proactive leadership in action

    The recognition and support extended to Osawere exemplify the proactive leadership style of Governor Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos Youth Commissioner.

    By celebrating diligence, rewarding commitment and innovation and championing positivity amid challenges, they are setting a commanding example for the populace and inspiring a culture of excellence and innovation. This proactive approach to youth empowerment not only benefits individuals such as Osawere but also contributes to the overall socio-economic development of Lagos State.

    Read Also:Lagos communities seek Sanwo-Olu’s help to stop sale of ancestral land

    His appointment as youth ambassador

    Impressed by the commitment of Osawere’s commitment to talent discovery and nurturing, the Lagos State Government appointed him as a youth ambassador for the state. Dayo, a graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Ibadan, became a viral sensation after a video of him dancing with his students at King’s College Lagos, where he is currently serving as his primary place of assignment, went viral.

    The state Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Ogunlende announced Dayo’s appointment via his official X handle.

    “This appointment serves as a beacon of hope and encouragement for young individuals everywhere, demonstrating that passion and dedication can, indeed, be recognised and rewarded, even in the most unexpected ways.

    “Furthermore, it underscores the importance of looking beyond initial perceptions and supporting those who contribute positively to society, regardless of the unconventional paths they might take.

    “As he embarks on his new role as a youth ambassador, his story will continue to inspire those around him, serving as a vivid example of how young individuals can make a difference in their communities,” the commissioner said.

    Expressing his gratitude to the commissioner for the appointment in a response tweet Osawere said: “Thank you very much for coming through for me sir. It was like a dream when I received a call that the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development is coming to see me at King’s College, but the reality hit me when I truly saw him.”

    The acknowledgement of Osawere’s efforts by Governor Sanwo-Olu and his youth commissioner underscores the government’s proactive approach to youth empowerment and talent recognition.

    Through their visionary leadership and decisive actions, they are not only celebrating individual excellence but also fostering an environment conducive to youth development and societal progress.

    Through dance, Osawere has not only enriched the lives of his students but has also become a symbol of youth empowerment.

    His journey from ridicule to respect is a testament to the transformative power of passion, resilience and the impact of recognising and nurturing the potential within every individual.

    The story of Osawere is a compelling reminder of the impact one person can have, inspiring not just the students he directly interacted with but also a broader audience that witnessed his journey from viral mockery to honour.