The Nation Newspaper

Tag: group

  • Group makes case for disabled persons

    Group makes case for disabled persons

    The Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has expressed its regret that persons with disability (PWD) are in deprived situation in terms of access to justice in Nigeria.

    The Executive Director of the organisation, Mr David Anyaele, said persons with disability are being discriminated against, even as they experience difficulty in getting justice.

    He spoke during a seminar for Persons with Disability (PWD) at Clean Foundation office in Ojodu, a Lagos suburb.

    Mr. Anyaele, who presented abridged report entitled “Enhancing Access to Justice for Persons with Disability in Lagos”, said the NGO conducted a survey on the topic in Surulere, Ikorodu and Amuwo-Odofin local government areas.

    He said they visited 15 police stations, 12 Customary and Magistrate’s court and a focus group discussion was carried out with organisations in the areas.

    “We discovered that PWD who seek justice through the police and courts are often faced with the challenge of infrastructural discrimination in terms of lack of access to ramps for persons who use wheel chairs, lack of instructions in Braille, inability of the officers to use sign language and the cost of litigation in the court.”

    Mr Anyaele therefore reminded the Federal Government of the need to sensitise and strengthen the capacity of the police and court personnel to make justice accessible to PWD through provision of access ramp, training of the officers on the use of sign language for effective communication with the deaf.

    “Sensitise police officers, court personnel, legal aid organisations and the civil society on the rights of PWD and the ills of discriminating against them,” he said.

    Mr Anyaele noted that organisations working on human rights and access to justice should be sensitised on the rights of PWD and their access to justice.

    He also called for more awareness among people with disability on their rights.

    Coordinator (South), Justice for All (JFA), Mrs Ghbogu Obinwa, noted that it is important for citizens who are working with PWD to be conscious of the need to protect them and help them to be aware of their rights.

    “When it comes to access to justice, PWD have more challenges than those who are not living with disability because they would need social facilities to access platform for justice like the court, police station and transportation, she said.

  • Group wants more slots for women

    A group, Development in Practice (DIP), has called on stakeholders and political parties to accommodate more women in politics.

    The call was made at the Udoka Housing Estate, Awka, where it held its women s forum.

    The event  was  presided over declared open by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mrs. Ojobo Atuluku.

    Atuluku charged participants to make use of political opportunities  and pass the advocacy messages to the public to enable more women participate in the political process in future.

    She called on governments  to address the low capacity of poor and marginalized citizens, especially, rural adolescents and women.

    The legal luminary noted that the aim of the programe was to achieve improved social, economic and political well being and better quality services across Anambra state.

    Atuluku said: “The progress ratio is to address the urgent need to meet the high level of marginalization and poverty which persists in Nigeria due to poor governance and ineffective services”.

    “The sustainable improvements can be achieved by both governments and community’s capacity to act by addressing factors that drive on-going state governments’ accountability and responsiveness.”

  • Group holds campaign on human rights

    As part of its efforts towards ensuring a society where fundamental rights of every citizen is guaranteed, the Isheri-Oshun Unit of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), has held its annual public enlightenment campaign/rally to educate people on their rights. It was held on Saturday.

    The theme of this year’s programme was “Knowing Your Fundamental Rights in a Democratic Society.

    Giving a brief history of the committee, the Co-ordinator of the unit, Comrade Queen Chinazo Ifechigha who doubles as the Financial Secretary of the group at the state level said: “CDHR is a non-governmental organisation that champions the cause of humanity, especially the oppressed and the downtrodden. It acts as the voice of the voiceless and defends them when their rights are trampled upon.

    “It was established in 1989 to fight against the obnoxious State Security (Detention of Persons) Decree No. 2 of 1984 with which the then military government used to harass, intimidate and hound Nigerians into unlawful detention across the country.”

    She noted that since then, the body has transformed into a fully-fledged human rights organisation and currently has an observer status with the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), even as she said its membership is open to all; regardless of political, ethnic, racial or religious affiliations.

    Comrade Ifechigha reeled off the committee’s activities to include political sensitisation for youths; education of people on their fundamental rights and responsibilities to humanity, their community and country; women empowerment; community policing as well as fighting for the rights of the oppressed and the exploited in the society.

    Some of the issues the group educated the public on were what their fundamental rights are and how to detect when their rights are infringed upon, what steps to take to  ensure their fundamental human rights are guaranteed, equality before the law, steps to be taken to prevent an oppressor from trampling upon their rights, availing themselves of the existence of the law courts to guarantee their fundamental human rights, police/public relationship, landlord/tenant relationship, what to do when arrested by any law enforcement agents, how to fight against crime and corruption, husband and wife relationship, parents/children relationship and employer/employee relationship, among others.

    Secretary of the group, Comrade Joseph Nkemjeme revealed that part of the reasons for people not being mindful of their rights and enforcement of same is docility which he attributed to their fear as they have been browbeaten by the powers that be. He added that “no one wants to challenge oppression because people are unsure of what the consequence would be. “People are not encouraged to stand on their rights no matter how highly placed the oppressor may be.”

    He advised that people should be law-abiding but not to the extent of being tamed.

    In a chat with our correspondent, a member of the group and Senior lecturer in the Department of Curriculum Theory, University of Lagos, Dr Chinedu Ifechigha blamed the high rate of human rights abuses in the society on ignorance.

    He said: “There are still high levels of illiteracy in Nigeria so much so that many citizens are ignorant of their rights and do not even know how to protect those  rights that are fundamental to them. However, with organisation such as CDHR, we hope awareness is being created and the situation will improve gradually.”

    Noting that the origin of Nigeria’s human rights organisations was in the late 1980s, Dr Ifechigha said the real struggle for democracy and good governance is linked to the students’ struggle of 1989.

    Comrade Ifechigha disclosed that the first human rights organisation in Nigeria was the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) which was formed in 1987, with its mandate on the defence and expansion of human rights and civil liberties. He further revealed that the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights was formed in April, 1989 in response to the detention of Femi Aborishade, who was held under the obnoxious Decree 2 (State Security Detention of Persons) of 1984 enacted by the then Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

    He listed some of the activities of CDHR to include rendering legal aid and assistance to indigent victims of human rights abuses, human rights campaigns and education which encompasses workshops, seminars and publications.

    Dr Ifechigha said the main challenges to democracy, human rights and the rule of law are deepening poverty, threats to human security, infringements of individual rights and impediments to the enjoyment of fundamental freedom, erosion of rule of law in contexts such as counter-terrorism, illegal occupation involving the use of force, the escalation of armed conflicts and unequal access to justice by disadvantaged groups.

  • Group plans workshop on women empowerment

    Women across Africa under the aegis of Women Building Communities (WBC), are coming together in the UK, to chart a new cause for the development of individuals and communities within the continent.

    The event, according to the Media/Public Relations Director of Women and Youth Empowerment Network (WOYEN), Mrs Rashidat Hassan, the event will hold from November 24 and 28. The event, she said, is jointly organised by WOYEN and Network for Development, a development training facilitation partnership between ICONNECTUK Limited and Mulirahd Group in Dubai and Nigeria respectively.

    WBC is a development intervention project with an initial five-year plan aimed at mobilising and enhancing the capacity of women and other stakeholders in building African communities through increased and effective women involvement.

    The group said: “The goal of this five-year plan is to achieve community development in Africa led by inspired and skilled women.”

    The organisation, along with other partners, shall work hard to   inspire 20 women across Africa yearly for them to take up development initiatives. The intention is to develop them the needed skills and capacity for embarking on effective projects within their communities.

    The group will also empower the women by creating avenues for networking and collaboration with those in the Diaspora. It will establish links and provide information on how to harness opportunities both within and outside their localities. Part of the strategies is to achieve this will be to bring together three major stakeholders in community development, community women and leaders, the Diaspora and international development organisations for the building of community development capacity among women in Africa. It will motivate the women by celebrating their achievements and awarding deserving individuals within the African communities through the organisation of a yearly award as part of the WBC event tagged Mother Africa Award (MAA) for Community Development.

    “The campaign hopes to spread to many parts of communities in Africa through our train-the-trainer toolkit. Participants would be trained to use the WBC capacity building to train the trainer,” she said.

    The toolkits are expected to train at least additional three women in their own local community.

    The programme, which has been strategically scheduled to debut in London, United Kingdom, is a strong indication of how Africans, particularly women of African origin, in the UK are determined to use the opportunity of their exposure in the UK and other developed parts of the world, to take Africa out of the shackles of under-development and bring about sustainable community development in African countries.

    WOYEN reiterates that the WBC is part of the organisation’s commitment to the advancement of women and youths wherever they are across the globe. This is because the world can only enjoy peace and unity when people’s lives and existence within communities are enhanced and valuable.

    The organisation, therefore calls on all stakeholders and people interested in African development to join in the campaign of building African communities through inspired and skilled women.

  • Adamawa: Group protests exclusion of Ngilari from race

    Some communities and youth groups, under the aegis of the Adamawa Collective, have kicked against the exclusion of the Adamawa State Governor Bala Ngilari from the 2015 governorship race.

    The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), last week, announced the zoning of the governorship position to the Central Senatorial District, thereby excluding aspirants from the Northern and Southern districts.

    The pasrty’s decision was announced after Ngilari, who is from the Northern Senatorial District, obtained nomination form to contest the election.

    Describing the decision of the PDP leadership as undemocratic and unacceptable, the group accused the party of double standard and a plot to undermine the governor because he is from a minority group.

    At a media briefing yesterday in Abuja, the group’s Coordinator, Eli Gamaliel, and Secretary, Dr. Panny Boga, argued that Ngilari was not a party to the agreement the party reached with the eight aspirants from the Central zone to contest the poll.

    According to them, Ngilari was still pursuing his ouster in court at the time the PDP reached the agreement with the eight aspirants.

    They added that by virtue of the court’s verdict, which installed Ngilari as governor, the agreement should have been overtaken by events.

    Gamaniel said: “It is important to state that when the decision was taken to zone the governorship to the Central Senatorial District, Governor Ngilari was not in office, neither was he part of the meeting.

    “The doctrine of necessity, which brought President Goodluck Jonathan to office during the illness and later death of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua remains a good reference point for the PDP.

    “It was in that same spirit of the doctrine of necessity that the late Governor Patrick Yakowa continued in office and contested in 2011 and won. This zoning arrangement for Adamawa State is to say the list, unjust and uncalled for.”

    Secretary of the Adamawa Collective, Boga, accused PDP’s National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, and the Principal Secretary to the President, Alhaji Hassan Tukur, of allegedly plotting to impose a particular candidate on the state.

    Boga said: “It is on record that Mu’azu and Tukur have mounted tremendous pressure on Ngilari to drop his governorship ambition in 2015 for the Senate. This was on the excuse that it has been zoned and reserved for the Fulani, particularly Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

    “Yet, it is on record that impeached Governor Murtala Nyako, who spent almost eight years in office, is of the Fulani ethnic extraction.

    “We are not shocked by the stance of the hegemony because this was the same stance the likes of Prof Ango Abdullahi took when he insisted that President Jonathan should not contest in 2011 or the heavens would fall.

    “We, therefore, insist that since Ngilari was never a party to the agreement that zoned the governorship to Adamawa Central, it cannot be used against him in any material particular.”

  • Group enlightens pupils on cancer

    Pupils from various secondary schools in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, gathered for a breast cancer workshop organised by the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN) Ibadan last weekend.

    The workshop, which took place at BRECAN Center, was attended by pupils from The Vale College; Lead City High School; George and Duke College and All Saint College, Ibadan.

    They learnt about breast cancer, its causes and implication.

    One of the speakers, Dr Charles Okuofo, a radiologist and oncologist at the Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching hospital (UDUTH), spoke of the importance of self breast examination.

    “Self breast examination has been proven to reduce breast cancer. In doing the self-examination, one needs to check for any sign of dimpling, swelling, puckering, bulging, nipple change, soreness and any abnormal discharge from the breast and around the breast region.  He also cautioned on the need to start the treatment early, saying,”breast cancer is both curable if detected early and also preventable”.

    Dr Ademola, an expert on breast cancer from the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, also counseled the pupils to watch what they consume as obesity is also a major cause of breast cancer.

    “Weight control, diet and consistent exercise are some of the ways to control and prevent breast cancer,” he said.

    Explaining why the workshop targeted young people, President and founder of BRECAN, Mrs Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu, said it would prepare them to be advocates against the disease.

    “We organised it because we discovered we can harness the youth to advance the cause of breast cancer advocacy in Nigeria and to get women and the entire populace to get to know what breast cancer is and how to fight it.

    “We believe the children can be used as a tool to penetrate each family and sensitise them on the need to pay attention to this deadly disease.  The workshop, we believe, will groom them so that they can come up with their own ideas and plan to fight breast cancer in their respective schools and environment and whatever they do BRECAN is there to support them,” she said.

    The participants were treated to a computer session on how to take the breast cancer advocacy to their social media accounts.

    One of the participants, a pupil of The Vale College, Bukunmi Olanrewaju, expressed happiness about what she learnt.

    “I learnt that every lump is not cancerous, which I did not know before, and that early treatment is very key to treating breast cancer,” she said

  • Group gets new exco

    Group gets new exco

    An eight-member executive committee has been inaugurated to steer the ship of a new branch of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN). The event was held at the college in Ijanikin, a Lagos suburb.

    NPMCN is a branch of the Senior Staff Association of University, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI).

    SSAUTHRIAI’s General Secretary, Mr. Moshood Akinade, urged the executive members to uphold its constitution. “Be good examples to your members and ensure that you carry out the decisions of the membership. The branch is out to cater for the welfare of NPMCN. Don’t just hold meetings with the management on matters relating to the workers welfare; where you cannot succeed, inform the SSAUTHRIAI so that we can come to your aid,” he said.

    The Acting President of SSAUTHRIAI, Dr Benjamin Akintola, noted that for long, there had been no branch at the college to organise workers and fight for their rights, adding that the branch must help the workers to have a voice in the management of the college and fight for their rights.

    “The inaugurated branch is for checks and balances. The running of the management like a one-man show where workers are not involved has to come to an end so that there would be better productivity and improved results,” he said.

    The branch’s chairman, Adewale Oriola, said the branch was borne out of the need for unity among workers of the NPMCN. “The branch will also enable members to articulate their needs under one umbrella and in a common front and collate their grievances and suffering and table it before the management,” he added.

    Secretary of the branch, Mr Emiloju Oluwadamilare, thanked members for their efforts, promising that the executive would be transparent in its activities.

  • Group unveils hotel in Lagos

    A subsidiary of the Nuclues Group of Companies, Spendour Hotel & Suites, Ilupeju Estate, Lagos has opened for business. It is built at a cost of over N500million.

    Its Chief Operating Officer(COO), Mrs Dimeji Okewale, said the hotel , which has 36 rooms, is aimed at delivering quality services to its customers at affordable rates, adding that  its staff and suppliers have been well-trained for this purpose. She said the hotel has state-of-the-art infrastructure and ambience to meet its customers’ needs, adding that they are concerned with the experience the guests get and are able to relive it long after.

    She said: “Splendour is committed to contributing its quota, making available quality comfort to cater to the needs of its guests while also contributing to manpower development through the professionals employed at the hotel from the construction stage to date. This includes not only the staff, but also the local suppliers, contractors and related consultants.’’

    She also said the hotel is strategically located and could be assessed from its Association Avenue base from any part of the state. She listed other features of the hotel as spacious bedrooms with modern bathrooms and facilities, restaurant/dining room that provides African and continental dishes; four standby generators to check erratic power supply, halls for trainings or retreat.

  • Group laments decline in French Studies

    The Northern French Conference (NORFCON) has lamented the decline in the teaching and learning of French Language in some parts of the north.

    The group is also worried that the percentage of French language teachers in the north that attend conferences is poor.

    These concerns were expressed at the 6th International Conference of NORFCON hosted by the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS) last week.

    The group noted the trend was particularly worrying especially as the northern states are surrounded by French-speaking countries and in light of the huge government investment in French studies.

    In a communiqué signed by Dr Umar Dogon-Daji, Head, French Unit, UDUS, and Secretary of the Local Organising Committee, at the end of the two-day conference, NORFCON recommended that government embarked on a sensitization programme to encourage more students to study French.

    ‘’Today, only a few people are studying the language, despite the enormous resources the various state governments are expending to promote its teaching and learning. Hence, the need for parents and the society at large to be sensitized and encouraged to send their wards for French courses since we are surrounded by French-speaking countries,’’ the communique reads.

    To address the low attendance of northern French Teachers at local and international conferences, the group urged institutions to sponsor their teachers.

    “The conference therefore advise vice chancellors in particular, to sponsor staff members to the forthcoming University French Teachers Association of Nigeria ( UFTAN)) 2014 conference at the Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry-Lagos, from Nov. 9 to Nov.13, 2014.”

    Also, the group commended the efforts of the northern governors, particularly the Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko for encouraging the teaching and learning of French at various levels of education.

    The Sokoto State government gave scholarships to 17 indigenes of the state to study French at UDUS, Abdulmumini University, Niamey, Niger Republic and the University of Ougadouguo, Burkina Faso.

    “We commend Wamakko’s government for sponsoring indigenes of the state to study various programmes within and outside Nigeria,” they said.

    NORFCON also praised the management of UDUS for sponsoring the conference and implementing the new National Universities Commission ( NUC) minimum standard for General Studies (GST) courses that specifically include the teaching of French at the first level of University education.

  • Group donates to community school in Anambra

    Anambra Women in Washington DC in the United States of America (USA) have given a boost to Governor Willie Obiano’s Education Sector Development Initiative with a donation of library furniture and other equipment worth over N5 million.

    The items were presented to Nimo to Girls’ Secondary School by the representatives of the group led by Mr. Ikechukwu Agbim.

    The donation of the library accessories also included book shelves, printer and scanners, reading and administrative disks and seats, among others.

    He said the project was part of the association’s contributions towards achieving a functional system of education that drives excellence, self-sustainability and innovation in the community.

    Furthermore, he urged the school’s management to ensure that the equipment were put to proper use in keeping the students abreast of 21st Century educational advancements.

    The donation, which Agbim said was the first phase of what the group intended to do for the community school, would usher in the second phase of the project which, according to him, would be the procurement of over 5,000 books and multi-media materials for ICT research for the students.

    The Principal of the school, Mrs. Philomena Okoye and the Chairman, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Mr. Jude Ajagu praised the donors, even as she expressed her hope that the project would be completed.

    They said what the group had done was to complement the efforts of Governor Obiano who, according to them, was doing everything possible to ensure that schools in the state attain world standard.

    However, the representative of the traditional ruler of the community, Prince Chike Okafor Aguilo and the President-General, Nimo Town Union (NTU), Chief Chris Obiefuna commended the women for their gesture and vision.

    Also, the Senior Prefect of the school, Miss Juliet Okpala who spoke on behalf of colleagues of her, said the project, when completed would help them in research. She thanked the group for its initiative.