The Nation Newspaper

Tag: kids

  • Three kids suffocated to death in Kano

    Three kids suffocated to death in Kano

    Tragedy struck in the ancient city of Kano on Saturday when three children were suffocated to death in an abandoned vehicle.
    The incident happened along Warri/lbo road in Sabon Gari area of Fagge local government area.
    It was gathered that four children, two of them of the the same parents were playing around the unserviceable vehicle parked for over a year at the spot of the incident.
    Unknown to the people around the vicinity, the four children between the ages of two to four years had gain entrance into the vehicle and got trapped and suffocated to death.While one of them survive and admitted in the hospital receiving treatment.
    Contacted the Kano state Police command spokesman DSP magaji musa majia confirmed the incident.
    He said the owner of the vehicle have been invited for questioning, as investigation is ongoing.

  • As the kids return to school

    The vacations are over and children are back in school for the commencement of second term academic session.  As usual, this development, especially considering the closeness of the resumption date with the just concluded Yuletide season, is eliciting challenges and excitement among parents, guardians, teachers and of course, pupils.

    For parents whose wards particularly attend private schools, the fear of school fees is always the beginning of wisdom.  Agonizingly, in most private schools, school fees continue to soar high while most parents and wards’ take homes remain poor. For those whom for one reason or the other the wards have to change school, the situation becomes more complicated.

    School resumption can actually fill the parents with dread and anxiety because of its huge financial implications. This is why some have cultivated the habit of paying ahead of the school resumption to forestall embarrassment. Sadly, many cannot really help the situation because their income is just too low.

    Consequently, most parents are forced to go cap in hand, begging from friends and relations that are considered better off financially for assistance towards tackling this perennial problem.

    Parents and guardians alike apply for all forms of loans, overdraft and so on from banks and other financial institutions in order to meet up with their huge financial demands of educating their wards. The advice is that parents and guardians should not be engrossed in this problem to the extent of contributing to out-of-school children phenomenon. If private schools are not affordable, public schools are to a large extent free in most states in Nigeria. In Lagos State, for instance, the government runs an inclusive educational system aim at ensuring all children complete nine years of basic education.

    No doubt, many kids will find it difficult to get back to the school routine, notwithstanding that it was just a three weeks holiday. They’ve been accustomed to watching late movies, playing computer games and the social media. Yes, it’s easy for kids to become night owls when they can sleep the next morning. These habits can make the first week of resumption quite challenging, even for the most motivated student. With holiday festivities over, the kids need help to get back-to-school mode. We have to give them the tools they need to have a “ready, set, go” attitude in the New Year and academic term.

    Before sending him/her back to the classroom, cut on screen time and ease back to a reasonable bedtime. Take inventory of your child’s school supplies. Does he/she need refills on exercise books or pencils? Help him/her return to school with pencils sharpened and notebooks organized. Parents should not send their children to school like a farmer going to farm without farming tools. It is not just right.

    While it is true that you may have had a PTA meeting just before the break, but then if not, you need to take a moment this month to check in with your ward’s teacher about your child’s progress. It is still early enough in the year to work on behaviour or skills that could hold your child back from reaching his/her full potential in his current grades. In achieving this, there is a need to constantly keep the line of communication open. Just like at the start of the year, your child will have to get back into the habit of regular homework. The more often you can make yourself available to help your child, the better.

    If we have done our part, then questions can now be asked about what governments and school proprietors have done in preparing for the resumption. We can ask questions like, what has been done regarding problem of inadequate teachers, water and sanitation challenges where they exist. In the area of security, have they cut the overgrown grasses and also do something about collapsed or collapsing school fences? Has anything been done to improve on the quality of public education? How much are governments across the nation concentrating on improving schools until they meet the highest ideals in the current budget and the long run.

    Despite the overwhelming challenge of school resumption to many parents, it is painful to note that the transporters usually see this time as a period to add to the pains. It is not a wild assertion; the reality is that transport fares are often hiked throughout the early weeks of resumption. It is another unwelcome tradition. The ‘Okada’ and ‘Danfo’ bus business will boom but it is a time everyone must be ready to caution unruly behaviour of transporters in the aspect of zebra crossing, over speeding especially along school roads.

    For the philanthropists and few politicians that have made provision of free school bus a project, it is a legacy that will definitely live after them. It’s time for more people to come into the fold because every investment in our children is a sure venture into the future of our dear nation.

    Meanwhile, parents and guardians alike should continue to do the best they could to ensure that their children are well educated while governments across the country should continue to invest more in education. This is where the future lies.

    • Musbau is of Features Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.
  • Rivers bloodbath: My husband, kids brought out of house, shot dead

    Rivers bloodbath: My husband, kids brought out of house, shot dead

    The horror of the New Year’s Day killings in Omoku, Rivers State was relived yesterday.

    A woman, Prophetess Comfort Ordu, recounted how her husband and three children were shot to death. She said the gunmen invited them out of their home and shot them.

    Governor Nyesom Wike, during a visit to the community, was told that 17 people were killed by the gunmen.

    Caretaker Chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, where Omoku is located,  Mr. Osi Olisa, received the governor and his delegation. He confirmed the number of the dead as 17.

    The names of some of those murdered were given as: Favour Odili, Saviour Amirinze, Augustine Ordu, Precious Ordu, Wisdom Ordu, Jennifer Ohia, Innocent Ohia, Reuben Idogu, Baby Idogu, Ngozi Ogbuanukwu, Oyi Ogadinma, Nwagaego Ogadinma and Uche Onige.

    With the governor were Brig.-Gen. A.A Bande; Col. M.N Madi; Deputy Police Commissioner Ahmed Magaji, and Department of State Services (DSS) Director-General Mr. Tosin Ajayi.

    Wike said anybody connected to the killings would have his property forfeited to the government.

    Wike announced N200 million reward for information that could lead to the arrest of the killers.

    The governor led the State Security Council on a fact-finding/sympathy visit to the families of the victims of the Omoku massacre.

    He also visited the injured in the hospital as well as the home of a former militant leader. He visited  the scene of the crime, where he received briefings from Police Area Commander Mike Nwafor  and the home of wanted cultist, Mr. Igwedibia Johnson, aka Don Waney, where he (the governor) lauded the security agencies for working hard to improve security.

    “We have placed a N200 million bounty for relevant information  that will lead to the arrest of all those involved in the unfortunate act of violence.

    “Anybody who is connected to the crime in any way will have his/her houses forfeited to the government. This place (Omoku) has been peaceful before this unfortunate mayhem.

    “We will not allow another case of this violence. We have mobilised the security agencies to take the battle to the perpetrators.”

    Wike also insisted that all the persons linked to the Omoku violence would face the law.

    He said: “You cannot shed innocent blood and go free. We are working with all the security agencies to do everything  possible to arrest the perpetrators. They must pay for this.”

    The governor also commiserated with the families of the deceased. He said the government would support them in burying their loved ones, promising that his administration would settle the medical bills of the injured.

    Wike said: “I am pained by this unfortunate mayhem. Enough is enough.”

    Abe, who is a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), yesterday in a press statement by his spokesperson, Parry Benson, also condoled with the families of the victims, the Orashi region and the entire people of the state.

    He is worried  over the resurfacing of violent crimes in Omoku and its environs. He urged the government to assist security agencies with the tools to tackle the state’s challenges.

    The senator said: “The killings in Omoku are an indication that all is not well with the security network of the state. The Rivers government should assist security agencies with the needed tools to tackle the rising state of insecurity.

    “The incident (Omoku massacre) is condemnable and should be condemned by every right-thinking resident of the state. Rivers communities should not be allowed to become haven for blood-thirsty hoodlums.

    “Rivers government must drastically re-engineer the security architecture and funding, to fight crime and stop the endless waste of human lives.”

     

  • Expectant mum, husband, kids burnt to death

    Expectant mum, husband, kids burnt to death

    An expectant mother, her husband and two children were yesterday burnt to death in their Lagos home.

    The incident occurred at 13, Buraimoh Street, Bariga at the wee hours of the day.

    Forty-one-year-old Kenneth Eze, his wife, Favour and their daughters Miracle and Marvellous were sleeping in their shop when the fire broke out.

    Kenneth, who ran a drug outlet, resided in his aluminium shop with his family.

    Besides, the wife reportedly went into force labour and delivered still birth which  the fire.

    Two other shops, a tailoring centre and a provision store attached to the chemist’s store were also razed by the inferno.

    Neighbours who were alarmed by their screaming said the metallic component of the burglary secured shop made it difficult to render timely assistance.

    They were said to have died from burns and suffocation from the fire.

    While some residents blamed the outbreak on electric surge, others claimed it was caused by a lit candle that was left unattended.

    The Nation learnt Eze, an Imo state indigene, was set to spend the Christmas holiday at his newly built home in Ikorodu before the incident.

    While a crowd of sympathisers gathered before the shops, hoodlums besieged the heap of ruins, scavenging useful materials.

    However, the fire did not affect the main bungalow building situated in the same compound with the shops.

    Eze’s former boss, who didn’t want her name, disclosed said he was an honest and diligent man, who gave his time to the service of God.

    She said: “When we spoke, he told me he had issues with his Landlord. So he said he would move to his new house by the 27th of this month. The next thing was that I was called about his death. When I asked people, they said the electric sparks was the cause. Kenneth was a very good boy. He made me happy. He never lied and he never stole from me. He was passionate about God because I encouraged him to be born-again. In fact, he was already a pastor before I settled him. Even after he left my control, I still narrate his case to my children because of his good records. The person who made me stay in Lagos. When you call him, he would respond and you could take his word.”

    The deceased’s relative said: “When the fire broke out, it displaced all of them in different parts of the shop. People who heard him crying for help could not assist. They couldn’t near him because of naked wire. They just watched the family die helplessly. It was just few days to settling in his home. “

    A member of the World Harvest Church where Eze pastored, Ndukwu said: “My wife called me this morning around 11:30 asking if I learnt about the incident. I was shocked as she said the whole family died. We are only here to help gather any necessary remnants from the ruins. I honestly don’t know how I feel about the incident. According to people, he struggled to escape the fire but the electric surge held him back.”

    The remains of the deceased have been taken to Imo State for burial.

    Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasaq Fadipe said the fire would have wreaked more havoc but for quick response from emergency workers.

    He said investigations would be conducted into the cause of the outbreak.

  • Cherry Little sole unveils kids’ footwear

    Cherry Little sole unveils kids’ footwear

    The CEO of Cherry Little Sole, Onosen Ekelemu, has  unveiled  a new collection of foot wears for kids.

    Speaking at the ceremony at Breadfruit House,Lagos Island,Ekelemu said that the idea was borne out of  passion for fashion and love for kids.

    “I love fashion, including shoes, clothes, and accessories. But this is just the first aspect that I am starting. Very soon, I will include children’s bags. Before I started this, whenever I travelled, I usually came home with extra luggage for my kids. I dressed my kids to an extent  that people looked at them twice and gave a good comment. This really inspired me to produce my own wear which will be for kids”

    Cherry Little Sole, she said, has been in existence for over a year but it recently decided to start making its own products.

    “We are a store that deals with kids’ shoes and bags. Initially, we started with brands like Adidas, Nike, Gucci and others,” she stated.

    According to her, the prices of the wears come in different ranges depending on the quality. She explained that the shoes come in different ranges with different prices.

    “A bag goes for as low as N3,500 to as high as N12,000, if not more because we are bringing in more items. As for shoes, you can also get them from N4,000 upwards. And of course you know this price may not necessarily be for the price for the wholesalers. It depends on the kind of shoes that we are talking about,” she emphasised.

    She added that although the outfit is quartered in Lagos, it also has wholesale points in major cities like Port Harcourt, Benin, Maduguri, Cotonu and other parts of Africa.

    The plan of Cherry is to move this to all the states in the country and from there to all African countries. I draw the design and style, how I want it to look. That’s what I spend my nights doing. I bring it out and I send pictures. Now we are considering the cost of shipping, as well as custom clearance; it is cheaper for me than producing here in Nigeria. But like I said, we are trying to put these strategies in place to see how we can produce here,” she told The Nation Shopping.

    Explaining how the shoes are made, she said that she sends the designs to the producers for mass production after which they are shipped back to Nigeria.

    ‘’But by mid next year, we are going to have this in Nigeria. We are already looking for a place where we are going to set up a factory and what I want to do is to get these expatriates into the country and of course, it’s going to help us to increase our technical knowhow in the country. This is because I’m not going to employ hundreds of expatriates. Maybe I’ll get two or three but I’ll get Nigerians here to work in the factory. And over time, they will learn it and then very soon, you will see that I can now comfortably tell you that I am producing this in Nigeria,” she reiterated.

    The CEO also announced that the store has beautiful goodies and price slash for her customers ahead of the yuletide.

    She spoke further:’’Apart from that, I have bags. We are doing a lot of red colours because that’s Christmas colour and that’s what everybody wants. We have already discounted a lot of prices.”

    She further pleaded with the government to look into the power sector because adequate power supply will ensure that the cost of production would come down.

    “Now even after considering the cost of shipping, custom clearance and all that, it is still cheaper to import than me having to produce here,” she said.

    The launch of the new product was an opportunity for the CEO to  also speak on multiple-taxation and how government can help entrepreneurs.

    “We have different kinds of taxes; we have import duty tax, duty LS, by the time you sum everything together, you are looking at 35 to 40% of the cost of the goods. When you are done with that, you look at the rental value of the shop, and how do you want to put in your own profit? And we also have customers like you   buying  the product  complaining about the challenges in the economy, the government has to look into that,” she lamented.

  • Party blasts Fayose’s plan to buy Xmas wears for kids

    Party blasts Fayose’s plan to buy Xmas wears for kids

    •PDP: opposition is anti-people

    The plan by Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose to buy Christmas clothes for 10,000 children has drawn the ire of the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The party wondered why the governor is embarking on the year-end gesture when his administration owes workers months of arrears.

    It described the move as another plan to make money from the impoverished masses.

    APC noted that over half of the actual cost could end up in some private pockets.

    The party urged the public to be wary of another gimmick to defraud them.

    But the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) warned the APC to mind its business.

    The ruling party said the opposition’s criticism of the governor’s love for children showed it as “anti-people, myopic and unfriendly”.

    Fayose announced that he will buy Christmas clothes for 10,000 children “as a mark of showing Ekiti children love to partake in the sharing of the state’s wealth”.

    A statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the capital, by APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, noted that rather than buy Christmas clothes for 10,000 children, the governor should pay their parents.

    The party said this would bring relief to families wallowing in poverty and want.

    It said: “It is high time Ekiti people, workers and labour leaders opened their eyes and minds to Fayose’s deliberate deceit before majority of our people end up in early graves.

    “Fayose should pay salaries, pensions and gratuities of parents of those children he is planning to buy Christmas clothes for, to enable them perform their parental roles, instead of the governor buying cheap clothes at exorbitant costs, more than half of which will end up in private pockets, as we had during National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and Teachers’ Day celebrations.

    “The workers and pensioners know their responsibilities as parents to their children, if the eight to nine months’ salary and pensions arrears are paid.”

    It added: “It is sheer greed, wickedness and callous insensitivity to Ekiti people’s plight for Fayose to refuse to address doctors’ strike in public hospitals over unpaid salaries while other workers remain unpaid for between six and nine months. But he is planning and talking of buying Christmas clothes for 10,000 Ekiti children.

    “Fayose is doing this because he wants to make money from such unsolicited show of love while tens of hundreds of Ekiti indigenes, old and young, are dying in Ekiti hospitals for lack of medical services as a result of the governor’s insensitivity to the immediate needs of our people over non-payment of doctors and civil servants’ salaries and pensioners.”

    PDP’s Publicity Secretary Jackson Adebayo said APC’s latest attack showed its hatred for Ekiti residents, whose lives the ruling party said were being positively touched by Fayose’s policies.

    He said: “Nobody should be surprised by their criticism of the governor’s gesture of love, which is unprecedented in the history of the state, and that was why the people rejected them at the 2014 governorship election where they lost woefully.

    “Governor Fayose is a friend of the masses. This is one of the ways to prove that he is the man of the people and the people will continue to love him and vote for the PDP while APC will continue to fail and fail and fail.”

  • Stanbic IBTC funds kids’ education

    Stanbic IBTC funds kids’ education

    Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc has provided 20 children with limb differences with prosthetic limbs and education trust funds under its signature corporate and investment initiative, ‘Together4 A Limb’. The provisions, the financial institution said, formed part of its commitment to see that every Nigerian child is given the opportunity to live a productive and fulfilled life.

    A 4-kilometre charity walk to raise public awareness of children without limbs or limb differences was flagged off by the Guest of Honour, the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, who was represented by the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Prof Chris Bode.

    The charity walk was immediately followed by the presentation of cheques for the education trust fund to each of the latest beneficiary children, who had been successfully fitted with artificial limbs. This year’s seven beneficiaries were presented cheques by Prof Bode, Non-Executive Director, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Ms. Ngozi Edozien, and Chairman, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, Mrs. Ifeoma Esiri.

  • A spiritual coalition takes on violence against kids

    A spiritual coalition takes on violence against kids

    From child soldiers to sex slaves and forced labourers, minors have long suffered in the hands of unscrupulous individuals. That is why a group of churches has started a campaign in Gombe State to stop the violence, reports VINCENT OHONBAMU

    t is not a pretty picture. Children are manipulated or forced by some cold-hearted individuals to pick up guns and fight on the frontline. Some are bought. They spend a length of time satisfying the unwholesome sexual appetite of their buyers. Others are simply purchased to do hard work, and cannot say they are tired, hungry or want to go to school.

    This is violence against children or VAC. A coalition of churches under the aegis of Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) cannot endure it anymore.

    They are appealing to the government and virtually everyone else to help fight the vice and save children from those who manipulate and abuse them. CCN is calling on governments to scale up their priorities on children, rather than pay them lip service or push them to the background.

    The National President of CCN, Reverend Fubara Fubara-Manuel spoke in Gombe while presenting the council’s reasons for taking on violence against children in Nigeria.

    “We regret this as Christians and affirm, rather, that care for these children is no mere addition to our creeds, but an essential dimension to our being and calling as people of God,” said Fubara-Manuel who was represented by the state chairman of CCN, VenerableAmos Chijioke.

    He condemned extremists who in the name of religion use children for suicide missions, or as sex slaves, or force them into early  marriage, or sell them.

    Venerable Chijioke said the state campaign would be pioneered from Balanga and Kwami local government areas before moving up to other places.

    He said the world is full of shameless people who rape infants and children, adding that parents too are at fault for not making sufficient arrangements for the girl-child.

    Chijioke bemoaned policies that tend to give men a false sense of superiority over women and children, leading men to discriminate against women on the basis of gender. He said such mindsets are no longer tolerable.

    “It is in this context,” he said, “that we have come together as Christians to sensitise on the evil of VAC and do all in our power to end it.”

    The week-long activities which began with a press conference include, also featured an advocacy visit community leaders in Kwami Local Government Area, a workshop for church denominational leaders, rally in Gombe metropolis, workshop at Talasse in Balanga council and in Gelengu in Balanga local government. There was also a sermon in a church.

    CCN comprises 14 denominations of churches, seven of which in Gombe.

     

  • Sterling Bank empowers 70 kids

    Sterling Bank Plc has completed the training of 70 kids on coding language at its 2017 summer code camp in Lagos in furtherance of its commitment to strengthening early childhood education practice in the country.

    The summer code camp which had children between the ages of six and 15 in attendance was organised in collaboration with Audax Code School.

    Speaking on the successful outcome of the programme, its Chief Marketing Officer, Henry Bassey said the aim of the programme was to expose young Nigerians to digital technologies at early ages and to bridge the national digital skills gap.

    Bassey said the fun-filled summer code camp also served as an avenue to empower children and teachers in both rural and urban areas, foster creativity and critical thinking skills through ICT learning while expanding career opportunities for the African youth through STEM Education.

    He added that the 10-day camping session was a period of study and fun for the children who “were exposed to scratch game development and storytelling, python programming and class storytelling as well as music and sounds, game development, introduction to HTML and project presentation.”

    The CMO said the code school was also an initiative to appreciate the Bank’s “I CAN SAVE” account holders who had a certain minimum balance in their respective accounts.

    In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer of Audax Code School, Emeka Onyenwe said, “the 2017 summer code camp was a great success. The students were introduced to the beautiful world of coding through the teaching of highly relevant concepts in a child-friendly way and by using illustrations and animations in an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. We also actively engaged all the kids and ensured that they made new friends.”

    Sterling Bank is at the forefront of educating young Nigerians on the importance of saving and investing. In 2016, the Bank organised financial literacy training for children by staff volunteers across its network under the Employee Volunteer Programme.

    In addition, 1,500 students were taken through the rudiments of financial literacy during the Financial Literacy Day on March 12, 2016. Sterling Bank has also distributed 4,000 copies of a book: My Little Money Book to about 600 schools pan- Nigeria.

  • Kids Alert! Holiday is over!

    Kids Alert! Holiday is over!

    Oh calm down! Not yet, but very soon.  I can feel some parents having high blood pressure because the holidays are over.

    Mr. Deji Osa, like few folks is so worried about  how to pay his children’s school fees. He wished the holidays could be extended so he can make enough money to pay the fees.
    Whichever way you have it, the holidays will soon be over and I know how scary the feeling can be when preparing for the next school term.
    This few tips could help.
    Budgeting.
    The first step to consider in planning for the new school term is Budgeting.
    How? Get a list of important things you want to spend your money on so it can guide your spending. You don’t have to buy everything the kids wants but what they need. Some things can wait until you have the financial capacity to buy them.
    New school.
    I don’t really support changing your Child’s school but if you can’t afford the school fees it’s advisable you do. You don’t have to break the bank in to pay through your nose. There are still good and affordable schools
    Shopping!
    Oh lord…this could give a heart attack but chill..you don’t have to buy very expensive things you can get cheap and quality materials. Besides, you don’t need to buy new stuff when you  can still make do of old stuff. In all ‘ buy what’s necessary’.
    Savings..its important you save. Avoid frivolous spending.. It’s necessary you have a separate savings system to finance your children’s needs. But most importantly, save because you might never know when the money will be very useful. Save for the bad weather.
    But Remember Education is key.