The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southeast report

‘The right candidate will be king’

Alor, home of former Anambra State Governor Dr Chris Ngige and other illustrious indigenes, has been without a traditional ruler for some time. In this interview with NWANOSIKE ONU, one of the claimants to the stool, Chief Chukwuemeka Ikegwuogu, sheds light on the tussle, adding that the people’s choice will be crowned. Excerpts:

Since last year when you granted an interview saying your people had chosen you as their king, not much has happened, and the community has been apparently calm without much being heard about the chieftaincy crisis.

No. The community has not been calm. What we have in Alor can be described as an uneasy calm, but so many people are not happy with the direction things are going. For example, Ndi Ichie, Ndi Ozo, Ndi Idi, etc who are the custodians of culture and tradition of Alor community have made their position very clear that the throne be taken to where it currently belongs and that is Uruezeani village where I come from.

Where is Senator Chris Ngige in this whole episode, being from the community?

Senator Chris Nwabueze Ngige has been a man of the people in Alor and indeed the whole of Idemili race and beyond, even before he became the governor of Anambra State. He is highly respected and influential in the community. When the crisis started, he was a sitting Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He once told the community that the throne should be taken to where it belongs and that is Uruezeani village.

Are you concerned that those who oppose your kingship may use their weight and all necessary means to stop you?

I am not afraid of anybody. I only fear the Almighty God the maker of the universe and all therein. I most sincerely believe that nothing will happen to me because I am on the path of truth and honour as far as Alor community is concerned.

You complained last year to law enforcement agents that your life was being threatened. What is the situation now?

You remember I granted an interview last year. That interview was published on Wednesday, 23rd July, 2014. Immediately, the interview was published, my life came under fire because I refused to accept…Chinedu Okonkwo as the Igwe of Alor as Chinedu Okonkwo was never elected as such. He is not even qualified to contest because he is not from Umuezeani Village. I am the popular candidate. My popularity cuts across the community. [Someone] called my mother on the phone that fateful Wednesday morning when the interview was out and told her to warn me to stop challenging the governor’s position.

What happened thereafter?

At about 1pm on 1st August, 2014, when I was discussing on the phone with my lawyer to brief him on the security developments around me, some four hefty men swooped on me and told me that they were security men and that the Commissioner of Police and the governor wanted to see me and that they were detailed to bring me. When I resisted their mission, they bundled me into their vehicle. When we got to Amawbia Roundabout by Express, instead of going towards the Police Headquarters or Governor’s Lodge, they faced Enugwu-Agidi along NTA Road. When I realised that their mission was sinister and that they might kill me, I jumped out of their vehicle and dashed into the bush.

What action did the law enforcement agents take thereafter?

The state police command at the time said they never sent anybody to bring me to the CP or anybody in the command. Even the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Chief Chikodi Anara told me that the governor never sent anybody to me as claimed by the assailants. That was when it became clearer to me that those people were assassins. I did not recognise any of the faces that bundled me into the vehicle and I cannot tell you now that I suspect anybody on that issue, but one is being careful.

What was the reaction of Alor Community to the incident?

Immediately, the news hit Alor, Onowu (traditional prime minister) and Ndi Ichie (Elders) summoned an emergency meeting of the elders’ council and the town union caretaker committee. Onowu told them point black that if anything happened to me, the community would not accept it, that you don’t take somebody’s right and kill him at the same time. That was when the Town Union Caretaker Chairman, Mr. Sylvester Ilogbaka shouted that he was never part of any plot against me and that any petition written by anybody in any quarter against me would never have his blessing and support.

We learnt that the other of your opponents, Mr. Chinedu Okonkwo was crowned on June 14.

(Laughs) That is not true. He has been telling people that he would be crowned since last year, but all to no avail. He can’t even do it. There is an order of court from the High Court of Anambra State, Ogidi Division hanging on his neck. If he does anything like that, he will go to prison. Besides, Ndi Ichie, Ndi Idi and Ndi Ozo who are responsible for coronation have since expressly rejected him. So I wonder who is going to coronate him. He is just deceiving himself and some people.

What advice do you give your people of Alor in the present circumstance?

I advise my people particularly the youths to keep calm since the matter is in court. I believe that truth shall eventually prevail and whoever is the candidate of the people will surely mount the saddle as the traditional ruler of the community.

September 25, 2015
Workers, foundation donate to inmates

Members of the staff welfare association of Paterson Zochonis (PZ) at the Aba plant, as well as the Inner Heart Foundation have lifted the spirits of people behind bars in the commercial city.

On a visit to the Aba Prisons, the workers and staff of PZ presented over 50 tubers of yam, a sewing machine, a bag of beans, five bags of rice, two bags of garri, about nine pillows, mosquito nets, bags of salt and sugar, a deep freezer, cartons of bar soap and detergents, cooking oil, about 20 in addition to an undisclosed amount of money.

Last year, in the maiden edition of the outreach, the workers’ welfare union built a four-room toilet for Eziama Community Primary School in Aba North Local Government Area. The workers also gave N390,000 cheque to a staff of the school, Mr. Chika Kalu Sampson for the treatment of his daughter, Chika Kalu for a hole-in-heart surgery.

Though as it was not the custom to allow journalists talk to the inmates, but the smiles and joy expressed by the inmates shows that they would always pray that either the group continues to remember them or that a donation of sort should continue to come their way.

Some of the staff who spoke to our reporter including Mr. Emma Ofordu said that they were extremely happy to have touched the lives of others in need positively.

Mr. Ifeanyichukwu Abadom, the General Manager for PZ Cussons Nigeria, Aba, said, “We are the foremost manufacturers in Nigeria. We have one of the biggest soap plants in Nigeria and what we do is that once every year, we look for a corporate project that we can use to touch the heart of communities around us. Last year, we visited some schools and we made some donations to them. This year, we have decided to come and visit the prisons and also to contribute and handover some of the things which you see around here for the welfare of the prisoners and to ensure that the reformation process goes on smoothly in order to achieve the desired result at the end of the day”.

How they come about the money for the items? Mr. Abadom, said “Every single thing that you see here was purchased from the contribution of the entire staff of the company (PZ Cussons, Aba). So, what we do is that at the beginning of every year, we will come together and make pledges; everybody contributing from his or her salary. We look at it as a humanitarian gesture to assist the less privilege around our community.

“We believe that in helping the community as stakeholders of the community, the overall society can be better. We don’t confine ourselves to our work environment; we also reach out to the community. So, it’s actually from the contributions of the workers from their salaries that all these items were bought. It is not by compulsion, but voluntarily. A lot of donations were made without people even knowing who donated them, we announced those that want their names to be announced and those who donated anonymously were not mentioned.

“What we are doing is not synonymous with the plant here in Aba, it is ongoing in all the branches of the establishment across Nigeria; it is Pan-Nigeria. They equally try to reach out to their local communities. So, this is only an arm.

“By what we have just done, it is a means of encouraging others because if everybody reaches out to assist one another, chances are that there will be drop in crime. There will be assistance and people will be able to get the benefit. We cannot wait on the government to do everything, it is not fair. The government is actually doing their very best to assist and bring things up. However, we as well, we need to assist the government in every little way we can do that; whether it is reaching out to the children or the community or whether it is to build pipe borne water or borehole; in any way we can help the government. At the end of the day, it is still our premises and where we reside and by that, we will as well help the government to get to the level where we want to be”.

On his advice for his colleagues, the Aba Plant manager added “The seed we sow now, we hope to see the benefit in the future. It is not necessarily about monetary benefit. For the very fact that you can wake up in the morning and walk around your environment happily and safe, it’s a big achievement. So, it is not necessarily in terms of monetary reward, we expect the society to be better. Once the society is better, you will reap from directly and indirectly from that society and that’s our prayer”.

The head of the Prison facility DCP (Deputy Comptroller of Prisons), Ugba Stephen who received the items on behalf of the staff and inmates said that the items would go a long way in meeting the needs of the inmates and facility and debunked the notion that items donated to the inmates were being diverted and shared among the staff other than the purpose for which it was meant for.

Mr. Stephen used the opportunity to appeal to other private and corporate organizations in and around the commercial city to emulate the gestures of the PZ staffers which he said would ensure that the daily needs of the inmates were met.

“The items are for the inmates and if it were possible for one of the inmates to come here, you will personally ask them about how I feed them. Any item that is given to them will be distributed to them and they can attest to that. So, that is the principle of my life because if you cheat someone today, God will pay you back in one way or the other. So, the best is to make sure that you give your best to humanity; give your best to the inmates that you are caring for.

“I am impressed with what they brought because we have written a lot of letters for companies to come to our aid. Some have come and those items they brought were used for the purpose that it was meant for. So, this item that you see will be fully given to the inmates.

“All hands are not equal. We will keep appealing to other companies to see how they can come to our aide. People responds at their own pace based on their financial capacity and I strongly believe that they will come to our aide.

“I pray that God replenishes their purse because they are touching the lives of those in needs and God in his wisdom will touch their lives abundantly,” the DCP prayed.

September 25, 2015
Businessman, foundation tackle tropical diseases

The Jimmy Carter Foundation in collaboration with Sir Emeka Offor Foundation and the Federal Ministry of Health have mounted a campaign against neglected tropical diseases.

The team visited Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states where it held meetings with commissioners of health and other stakeholders in the health sector.

The two foundations plan to give free drugs to all states in Nigeria to facilitate the fight against river blindness and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) like leprosy, guinea worm, buruli ulcer and other related killer- diseases endemic in some states of the federation.

The Jimmy Carter foundation had in the past years been in the forefront of the fight against guinea worm disease in Nigeria.

In line with the Federal Ministry of Health’s campaign on eradication of river blindness before 2020, the foundation alongside Sir Emeka Offor Foundation joined the ministry on advocacy visits to state ministries of health in South-East to collaborate with them in the fight against NTD.

Dr. Okoeguale

During their visit to the Enugu and Anambra states ministries of health on the elimination and control of NTDs in Nigeria, Dr. Bridget Okoeguale, Director of public health, Federal Ministry of health, empasised the need for collaboration in the fight against the diseases.

“We have target to eradicate some of the neglected tropical diseases”, she stressed.

Okoeguale stressed the importance of educating the people in the grassroots on ways to prevent and control the sporadic neglected tropical diseases

She appealed to the federal government to collaborate with the state government to provide basic incentives like motorcycles, T- Shirts, and umbrellas to health workers in the states to facilitate the sharing of drugs against NTDs.

The permanent secretary in the Enugu state ministry of health, Mr. Moses Otuji who represented the commissioner for health gave his assurrance that “ Enugu state has the wherewithal to combat the NTDs”, therefore it requires a concerted effort to eliminate the killer- diseases.

Otuji further emphasised the commitment of the state government in the fight against diseases. He said that “Enugu state is lucky to have a governor who is interested in heath -related issues.”

In Anambra State, the commissiner for health, Dr Joe Akabike expressed his concern in the eradication of the diseases and assured that the state was not ready to revert the wheel in the fight against diseases.

“We should sensitise those affected by the diseases on how to apply the drugs and as well as show them love”.

The programme officer in Sir Emeka offor foundation, Mr. Peter Onu disclosed that Sir Emeka Offor was a key supporter in the campaign for eradication of the killer-diseases.

He therefore appealed to the state governments to take bold steps in the fight against the diseases.

Confirming the readiness to eliminate river blindness in Nigeria the representative of Carter Centre, Nigeria office, Dr. Emmanuel Miri told The Nation that efforts were on ground to eradicate river blindness in Nigeria before 2020.

Miri called on the states to tackle the diseases in four years.

Dr. Mmiri

The team also visited the commissioner for ministry of local government in Anambra state , Greg Obi.

The commissioner expressed his concern for the fight against neglected tropical diseases and called for a concerted effort among the local government chairmen in the state to ward off the diseases.

He congratulated the advocacy group led by the director of public health federal ministry of health, Dr. Okoeguale and the country representative of Carter Centre, Nigeria office, Dr. Miri on their efforts in the disease eradication campaign.

September 25, 2015
‘100 days unconstitutional’

The Senator representing Abia North zone, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa has said that the celebration of 100 days in office by the executive arm of government is not constitutional, but rather a creation in political settings to measure the success or failure of the executive.

Speaking with The Nation in Umuahia, Ohuabunwa said that Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has done well in his first 100 days in office exemplified by massive road construction and reconstruction across the three senatorial zones of the state.

Ohuabunwa regretted the constant rainfall in Aba where most of the road constructions are going on, saying that it has slowed down the work in the city.

“We all know that Aba is the face of Ndigbo and once it is gotten right every other thing will follow,” he said.

Ohuabunwa said, “We at the senate are working as I have moved the motion for the repair of Arochukwu Road which made the senate to set up a committee to look into the issue concerning the road which has become an albatross to our people”.

The senator said that the erosion menace at Isuikwuato has attracted the attention of New Map, a World Bank-assisted programme on erosion control, which is based on counterpart funding, adding that they would soon move to site.

On the issue of appointments in the federal government since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Ohuabunwa said that alienating Ndigbo is not good for the country.

Ohuanuwa said that Ndigbo are part of the tripod stand on which the country stands.

He said, “Ndigbo are disappointed with the neglect of President Buhari and his APC-controlled federal government in the area of appointments as regards Ndigbo, as there are competent Igbo people who are capable of handling any position of authority.

However if Mr President feels that he cannot find any one in his party, I am ready to loan my elder brother, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa to him, as he is as transparent as any man President Buhari may be looking for, since Dr Ogbonnaya Onu is not good enough for him.”

September 25, 2015
‘Policemen killed our son’

The family of Ikechukwu Vincent Uwagbaokwu, a polytechnic student killed in Umuahia, Abia State on September 10, has accused policemen from the state command of the murder.

The Uwagbaokwus have also petitioned the state Commissioner of Police Joshak Habila over the killing.

The police denied the accusation.

The family of the slain student, in their petition through their counsel Dr. Godwin Chionye, accused the police of the gruesome murder of the 21-year-old Imo State Polytechnic student.

The petition read in part: “On the 10th of September, 2015, Mr Ikechukwu Vincent Uwagbaokwu, a Marketing student of Imo Polytechnic went to bed at about 9:00pm but at about 10:50pm there were persistent banging on the door of the family house of the Uwagbaokwus.

“When Mr Anthony Uwagbaokwe [brother of deceased] came out to see who was banging on their door, he saw about ten fierce men in police uniform who had taken strategic positions in all the surroundings of the house.

“One of the men in uniform who came with a Hilux pickup van and black Camry Saloon car, hit the door of one of the occupants [names withheld] and forced it open, and when the occupant came out, the men in police uniform, who refused to identify themselves, said that he is not the person that they are looking for.

“The police went to the direction pointed to by the man they first met who allegedly directed them to the place they were looking for and the armed policemen forced the wooden door open and on sighting Ikechukwu Vincent Uwagbaokwu, one of the policemen shot him and he died immediately.

“Our clients raised alarm but nobody came to their rescue. The matter was reported to Ehimiri Police Station in whose jurisdiction this area falls, but the police could not give any useful assistance as they denied sending policemen out on that day to effect any arrest.”

The family’s lawyer said that after the incident his clients reported the matter to the Ehimiri Police Station where the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) gave them order to deposit the deceased at Madonna Mortuary in Umuahia.

In his reaction, the father of the deceased, Mr. Emmanuel Uwagbaokwu, a 54-year-old house builder, said, “I am not suspecting but those who killed my son were policemen from Ehimiri Police Station, Umuahia”.

Uwagbaokwu who was crying, said, “Immediately I reported the matter to Ehimiri Police Station and the DPO there denied sending his men to duty to that area that night, he however ordered some police team to follow us to the scene of the incident. On the way, the team dodged us and they did not reach our house”.

He called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase to order for full investigation in order to unravel the killers of his son.

“My son Ugochkwu, who was sleeping at the corridor allegedly heard when one our neighbours [names withheld] showed them Ikechukwu’s room”.

Reacting to the allegation, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Ezekiel Onyeke in a telephone chat denied the involvement of the police in the killing of the student.

September 25, 2015
Bailout: Group seeks salary priority

The association of Southeast House of Assembly Candidates under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded 2015 elections has urged all the state governors in the zone to use the bailout fund released last week by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay accrued workers salary.

The CBN would this week release about N338billion to 23 states including 4 other states of Abia (N14.152b), Ebonyi (N4.063billion), Enugu (N4.207billion) and Imo (N26.806billion) respectively.

The leader of the group, Comrade James Chibuzo Chikwendu speaking in Aba, the Abia State commercial city said that it was important that the state southeast governors should pay their workers their salary arrears after they had worked tirelessly for their respective states.

He however warned against the diversion of such funds on other projects which the fund was not meant for, adding that such moves would mean yielding to the temptation of misappropriating and diverting the fund for the purpose for which it was meant for.

“We commend the presidency’s prompt release of funds to the troubled state governments in Nigeria and urge them to use the fund judiciously. As it is a right steps in the right direction which has the backing of law.

“We implore state governors to ensure that they pay workers and pensioners, owed arrears of salaries and gratuities, and resist any temptation of misappropriation or diversion of the fund”.

Chikwendu also commended the President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice Yemi Osinbajo for recently slashing their salaries by 50percent, adding that it doesn’t only show their level of patriotism but has shown that they were willing to save the country from economic wastages and urge other political office holders to emulate the steps taken by the Buhari and Osinbajo.

According to the leader of the group, “We commend the government of President Muhammadu Buhari for his ability in curtailing the excesses of the Boko Haram Sect in the Northeast and we urge the federal government to bring on board a workable formula to solve the insecurity situation in the country.

“Though it is now clear that insurgency is almost witnessed in all parts of the world, the present administration has taken a bold step following the recent appointment of service chiefs which we believe the team is for the total annihilation of the insurgency rocking the country, Mr. President’s trip to USA soliciting for support is also part of his commitment to tackle insurgency and recovery of looted funds by former political office holders. We are confident in Mr. President’s assurances to Nigerians that he will not spare anybody who steals public fund even it they are members of the ruling party. It is also a right step in the right direction and we commend him for sticking to fight corruption”, the group stated.

While promising their unflinching support for the president however assured that they stood behind the aspirations of the party to capture the southeast in 2019.

September 25, 2015
Abia launches jobs scheme

The Abia State government has flagged off a scheme designed to equip youths with requisite entrepreneurial skills.

The scheme launched at Boys Technical College (BTC), was tagged E4E or Education for Employment.

Mr. Endi Ezengwa, the programme’s consultant, has been interacting with industrialists, with a view to securing their partnership on the project. Ezengwa, who is also the chairman of Kiara College United Kingdom, said he was partnering with seven government ministries; ministry of youth development, ministry of agriculture and others, adding that bringing in the services of industries would ensure that the programme’s success.

He disclosed that the programme which was expected to provide employment for about 100,000 (25,000 each year) youths within the first four years of the incumbent administration, stressing that the programme was not political.

He said that they were going to make use of the existing skill acquisition centres built across the state by the out-gone Chief Theodore Ahamefule’s administration as their training centers.

“We are here to have a stakeholders meeting with owners of industries and businesses in Aba. We want to consult and carry them along. We want them to also tell us what their needs are so that the programme can be holistic. We don’t want to do haphazard programme. So we have met with ministry of youths, ministry of rural development we are now meeting with educational institutions amongst others. So, we want to be able to carry everybody along in this programme because Okezie Ikpeazu is very serious about youth empowerment and want it to be done properly. So he is the one who sent me. he is willing to invest in this programme but we need to show return on investment. It won’t be business as usual, we have to show that there will be output on investment. We also need to be sure that whatever that we will provide has value for money and that it will be fit for purpose; meeting the three cardinal principles of this programme. This is to prevent what has been happening before from repeating itself. We hope that we will give it our best and make sure that this is something that will last beyond his tenure as a governor.

“The target audience of this interactive section is industrialists in Aba. There has been so much said about Aba and our ingenuity, creativity and industriousness, but this has not transcended into cash and the improvement of our lives. So E4E is an interface that we want to create in order to help to transform the energy of the youths; to convert them into money when they become entrepreneurs, self sustaining and also when they work with established industries. That way, it is a win-win programme because it is going to ensure there is low crime rate, more money to everybody and we will all be happy. If we must be like the Taiwan and Chinese, we must learn to think and behave like the people that we are trying to imitate.

“Students will be taught practical skills and craft on their chosen areas by the stakeholders they are going to learn the trade from and we are going to monitor the project very seriously. If the prospective candidates were supposed to learn a particular trade for 3years for instance, we will make sure that the candidate stays back on the job to complete the training and at the end of the training, they will be certified. This will enable them go for government contracts and even compete favourably with their counterparts from the Polytechnics and universities”, Ezengwa stated.

Sir Onyebuchi Nwankpa, Director, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, represented by the Senior Technical Officer of the ministry, Mr. Aloy Chukwu, described the state government’s step to empower youths in the state with skills as laudable and describe technical and vocational education as one that would not only to put the youths off the streets, but to ensure that they have food on their tables.

Chukwu who noted that most economies of the world are now private sector driven said that the benefits of programme would include sustaining existing industries and as well, improve the state economy with well-equipped manpower which the programme was going to provide.

He expressed the readiness and commitment of the ministry to ensure that they assisted in their own capacity to ensuring that the purpose for which the government initiated the programme was met.

Speakers at the event however urged the organisers to ensure that the programme works, citing examples of such programmes that looked lofty and yet could not stand the taste of the day or met the purpose for which it was initiated.

They also want government to assist them by providing them with the enabling environment and machines to work optimally and as such boosting trade and investment in the state even as they prayed that the programme achieves the purpose for which it was meant for.

September 25, 2015
Enugu approves N4.2b for salaries

The Enugu State Executive Council has approved the procurement of a bailout fund of N4.2billion through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the liquidation of the outstanding salaries, pensions and arrears including subventions for parastatals, institutions and boards.

The council equally approved the procurement of N10billion loan from the CBN for infrastructural development.

The state Commissioner for Information, Dr. Godwin Udeuhele disclosed the development while briefing reporters at the end of the state executive council meeting.

The approvals, he explained, were sequel to the memoranda from the Commissioner for Finance Mrs. Eucharia Offor requesting the urgent need to liquidate all workers entitlements and consolidate on the state’s ongoing developmental projects.

According to the commissioner, the council also approved the relocation of motor mechanics and other allied workers in Enugu metropolis to the Mechanic Village, Umuatugbuoma Akegbe Ugwu in Nkanu West Local Government Area, sequel to a memo from the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo.

The council had further mandated the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry to open up more mechanic villages at Nsukka urban, Emene, Ninth Mile Corner among others to improve the environmental status of the state’s urban areas as well boost its economic and commercial life.

September 25, 2015
Kidnap suspects held in Ebonyi

The police are making some headway in scaling back violent crimes in Ebonyi State with the arrest of a gang of suspected kidnappers.

The state Commissioner of Police Peace Ibekwe Abdalah said the suspects were notorious and had been terrorising the state.

The command recently rescued a kidnapped doctor unhurt after he was abducted from his hospital in Abakaliki, the state capital.

It followed it up by arresting a gang of suspected kidnappers who abducted the Afikpo Zonal Manager of the Nigerian Breweries Limited, Kehinde Baruwa who was kidnapped just by the street where he lives, off Ndibe Beach Road in Afikpo North Local Government Area.

The suspects paraded included Gabriel Ibiam Otta from Afikpo, Tochukwu Okezie from Ubakala Abia State, Emeka Samson, a commercial motorcyclist whose bike was allegedly used by the suspects.

One of the suspects who went to collect ransom for the release of the victim was killed by the police with the money recovered.

Briefing reporters at the police headquarters, Abakaliki, where the suspects were paraded, Mr. Abdalah said the suspects had demanded N50m ransom from Baruwa’s wife for the release of the victim which they later reduced to N300,000 during negotiation.

According to her, at the point of collection of the ransom around Afikpo Government Secondary School, the Anti-Kidnapping team of the State Police Command who had taken over the scene arrested two members of the gang who came to collect the ransom.

“The suspects volunteered vital information to the police which led to the successful rescue of the victim that was being held captive at Ubakala in Umuahia, Abia State.

“The kidnappers’ den was stormed by a combined team of anti-kidnapping and SARS, Ebonyi State Police Command, and two more kidnappers were arrested while some escaped,” she disclosed.

•Some weapons allegedly used by the suspects

She said two locally-made double-barrel pistols with two live cartridges were recovered from the suspects, adding that investigation into the matter is still ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.

The Commissioner of Police in the state restated her earlier warning to criminals to keep off from the state or be ready to face the long arm of the law.

September 25, 2015
Experts make case for girl-child

I dropped out of school in 2011 when I was in Class Four,” said Catherine Kloji, 16. “I left because I didn’t have school uniform and could not pay my school fees. Mum is poor and wants me to learn a trade so I could use the skill to make some money so that hopefully one day we can afford to pay my fees and uniform again.”

Miss Kloji, was one of many girls in hard-to-reach communities for whom experts pleaded at a Lagos event.

She is learning to sew and make a living from it. It is four years since she quit school.

The plight of the hard to reach girls who are shut out of school because of inadequate funds was the focus of a high-level dialogue organised by the Action Health Incorporated and funded by Ford Foundation. The event held at Protea Hotel in Lagos.

The stakeholders who attended the programme included policymakers, entrepreneurs, donors, community members, media, civil society and young people.

Speaking at the event, the former Chairman on Diaspora, House of Representative, Abike Arewa said that the need to upscale the effort toward inclusion of the girl child in school is very apt as girls are more vulnerable no matter how educated they are.

She said that we need to double up work on implementation of the child right act because we want to get to a stage where there will be no child that will be out of schools in Lagos.

She lamented that many girls are vulnerable and they need our support to lead a normal life despite being a girl.

In her speech, the Executive Director, Action Health Incorporated, Essien who spoke on the Education, Health and Socio-Economic Realities of Out-Of-Schools Adolescent Girls in Lagos Slums said that according to the United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2014 that In Nigeria,over 5 million girls of school age are not in school.

She said while several UN conventions and local policies appear to guarantee the well being of young persons in Nigeria, there are indications that many girls remain extremely socially and sexually vulnerable particularly those living in the slums and low income communities across the country.

She said sadly, very little is being done directly/indirectly to seek out these girls and address the challenges they face.

She cited a research conducted by Action Health Incorporated on the hard to reach communities said “1 in 4 girls has never attended school.1 in 3 of those who ever enrolled never made it beyond primary school and only 1 in 3 completed JSS3”..

She added that the Lagos State Development Plan (2012-2025) puts the number of slums in Lagos at over 100. In these slums, many of the residents lack basic amenities, access to services and opportunities, with a vicious cycle of poverty and deprivation.

She opined that from a 2010 research carried out by Action Health Incorporated (AHI) among 480 adolescent girls in Iwaya – a densely populated slum in Lagos, showed that almost half (45.2 percent) of girls aged 10 -14 had never attended school while none of the girls surveyed reached beyond secondary school level. This finding reveals the rising demographic of out-of-school adolescent girls and this should be a concern for all.

She said despite an increase in the number of programmes supporting girl-child education and empowerment in Lagos state, out-of-school adolescent girls living in slum communities remain marginalized. These girls lack opportunity, safe spaces and other services necessary for their healthy development.

“They need formal and/or non-formal education, sexual and reproductive health information and services, vocational skills and business-related training, as well as protection from sexual abuse and violence as these will help reduce their vulnerability while protecting and improving their well-being and that of their communities”, she said.

Essien opined that effective investment in out-of-school adolescent girls is not only the right thing to do but the smart thing to do. When girls are empowered with age-appropriate information, skills and resources it creates a multiplier effect of sustainable change that benefits families, communities, and nations.

The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly,’Rt. Hon Mubashiru Obasa promised that the state government will do more in making laws that would benefit hardest to reach communities.

He said children and the youths are the pillars of development in our society and we will do more in making the state safer and secured for them.

Obasa noted that it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to advocate for the adolescent and girl child well being and reduce the amount of peer pressure within their community.

He said we promised that the involvement of the Lagos state house of assembly on laws and resolutions on the right of the girl child will be effective, appropriate and more accommodating for adolescent across the 40 constituency in the state.

Also speaking at the event, The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Boladele Dapo-Thomas, said even though the Federal Government had instituted some vocational programmes for affected girls, it could however not execute them alone.

Thomas said it was the responsibility of state governments to map out empowerment programmes that would rehabilitate and reintegrate out-of-school girls into the education system.

She said, “The state government has a duty to eradicate poverty and develop the infrastructure of the state for a better society. They know what is going on these communities through their various engagements with the leaders. The agencies and ministry cannot do it alone. Stakeholders should…support these girls.”

September 25, 2015