The Nation Newspaper

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  • ‘Minors in adult prisons are at great risk’

    Experts in the child criminal justice sector have condemned the incarceration of children at conflict with the law in adult prisons, saying this could have long term negative effects.

    They said the practice is not unusual in prisons across the country, and fingered poor law enforcement procedures, prison congestion, and youth unemployment, among others, as the basis for this trend.

    Speaking in Lagos at a one-day summit on ‘Reforming juvenile justice administration in Nigeria, ending the detention of juveniles with adults’, they urged greater action by stakeholders to stem the tide.

    The summit, hosted by the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), was organised by Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE-Nigeria) in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), South-West Zone, and the OPD.

    Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, was represented at the event by Justice M.O. Obadina; CURE-Nigeria was represented by its Executive Director Mr. Sylvester Uhaa; NHRC Lagos Coordinator, Lucas Koyejo, represented the NHRC Executive Secretary, Anthony Ojukwu  while OPD Director, Olayinka Adeyemi attended on behalf of herself and the Attorney-General of Lagos State, Adeniji Kazeem (SAN).

    Koyejo noted that the practice violated both the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Child Rights Law, which excluded child offenders from imprisonment.

    He added: “Unquestionably, jailing children with adults needlessly puts them at greater risk. This is so because children at that age are still at the developmental stage and their malleability is higher, making them particularly vulnerable to criminal socialisation when incarcerated with adults.”

    “….The juvenile delinquents of today are our adults of tomorrow, hence the necessity to preserve and rehabilitate them today. A criminal justice system that refuses to reform the youth is a danger both itself and the unborn generations. The criminal justice system must be restructured and reformed to rehabilitated both the young and all and sundry”.

    Uhaa’s views were similar. He identified poverty, inadequate education and breakdown in family ties as some of the factors exposing young people to crimes.

    According to him, the juvenile criminal justice system should focus on rehabilitating young offenders so that they can become useful members of the society.

    Uhaa said: “What we need to do is to apply concerted efforts to find solutions to these problems, not harsh and overly punitive laws and policies.

    “The treatment of juveniles in conflict with the law as adults, such as trying them in adult courts, sending them to adult prisons, is not only illegal and violate international and domestic laws, but it is also counter-productive, inhumane, cruel and wicked and violate the principle of parenspatriae – state as parents – and does us no good,” Uhaa said.

    He called on the various agents of government, both state and federal, to respect all international and domestic laws governing the administration of juvenile justice in dealing with juveniles who come in conflict with the law.

    According to Adeyemi, the OPD had offered legal representation to 72 children in conflict with the law, 20 from the boy’s correctional centre, 22 from Ikoyi Prisons, 5 from Kirikiri Medium Prisons and 10 from the Federal Borstal Home, Adigbe.

    She worried that children were being found in adult in prisons, stressing that they should be kept in a correctional home where they can be reformed and rehabilitated.

    The director said studies had shown that incarcerated children have significant mental health needs and many face a life of inadequate care, poor health and education, among others.

    Adeyemi added: “We all agree that reform and rehabilitation, not punishment are the guiding principles of the Child’s Right Law and that a child in conflict with the law is a child in difficult circumstances who has fallen out of the protective net at some point and been robbed of an opportunity of a safe and secure childhood.

    “The approach of the child justice system and all stakeholders must aim at addressing the vulnerability of children and champion minimum intervention by law and minimum institutionalization”.

    Also in attendance at the summit, were the Controller of Prisons, Lagos State, Tunde Ladipo; the Head, Child and Adolescent Centre, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, Dr Grace Ijarogbe; Damisa Barbara, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who represented the Chairman, Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Offences, Yinka Egbeyemi; and the National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Malachy Uwgummadu.

  • Ondo hails CBN over N200b facility to farmers

    ONDO State has lauded the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for approving N200 billion facility to farmers of five major cash crops at a single digit interest rate.

    The cash crops are cocoa, cashew, oil palm, shea butter and sesame seeds.

    The decision to support the farmers was arrived at the bankers’ committee meeting of the apex bank.

    Commissioner for Agriculture Otunba Adegboyega Adefarati said the development is one singular opportunity Ondo State’s cash crops farmers have been yearning for ages to take their trade to the world stage.

    Adefarati, who praised God for making this possible during the present administration, noted the efforts put in place by Akeredolu, who took the battles to the highest level of the National Economic Council (NEC).

    According to him, the contention of Ondo State, a leading producer of cocoa and major producers of oil palm, is to convince the CBN to advance the facility to cocoa and oil palm sector as it did to rice farmers.

    Adefarati was of the view that with a single digit  interest rate facility, cocoa, oil palm and cashew farmers would be able to get the necessary inputs to improve their production.

    Hailing the NEC, which Akeredolu took the campaign to and the Bankers’ Committee for approving the facility for cash crop farmers, Adefarati enjoined cocoa, oil palm and cashew farmers to take advantage of the opportunity by approaching their banks to access the much-needed loan.

    He called on the Federal Government to set up a Presidential Committee on Cocoa Production like it did for some other sectors to ensure the Cocoa Rebirth Revolution, saying this is the surest way to maximise the country comparative advantages in cocoa production.

  • Afreximbank grows net profit by 25% to $275.9m

    African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) grew its net profit by 25 per cent to $275.9 million in 2018 as the bank showed steady growths in key performance indicators.

    The audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2018 showed that Afreximbank’s net profit rose from $220.5 million in 2017 to $275.9 million in 2018.

    The results showed that the bank’s total assets grew by 13 per cent from $11.91 billion 2017 to $13.42 billion in 2018, due mainly to growth in net loans and advances, which went up 30.3 per cent.

    Read also: Afreximbank president urges Fed Govt to sign AfCFTA

    President, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Benedict Oramah said that the performance in 2018 was a reflection of the strength of Afreximbank’s underlying business and restated commitment to driving its strategic objectives, to strong orderly growth in assets and earnings.

    He noted that Afreximbank, which implements its programmes and facilities through five-year strategic plans, began implementing its fifth strategic plan, dubbed “Impact 2021, Africa Transformed”, in 2018.

    The five-year strategy is anchored on four pillars including improving intra- Africa trade; facilitating industrialisation and export development; strengthening trade finance leadership; and improving financial soundness and performance.

  • Businessman arraigned for ‘dealing’ in substandard engine oil

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has arraigned a businessman, Cajethan Chike Muonagolu, at the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly dealing in substandard engine oil.

    He was charged with his company, Richbon Nigeria Ltd, before Justice Saliu Saidu.

    They allegedly committed the offence last December 12 at ASPAMDA Trade Fair Complex, Lagos Badagry Expressway.

    SON said they conspired to deal in 15,000 cartons of Prime Plasma, Prime ATF and Stanley brand of engine oil which it said are substandard.

    The prosecution said the defendants claimed that the products were genuine, contrary to Section 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act of 2004.

    They also allegedly failed to comply with SON Conformity Assessment Programe (MANCAP) by dealing in engine oil that did not have the requisite MANCAP certification.

    According to the prosecutor, Adeleke Olofindare, the offence is punishable under Section 26 of the SON Act, 2015.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Saliu Saidu adjourned until Thursday.

    Read also: Businessman arraigned for alleged dud cheques issuance

    This is coming less than a month after SON arraigned four men before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyibo of the same court.

    They were charged with producing and selling adulterated engine oil.

    Uche Johnson, Olaide Shittu, Kingsley Meteke and Abdulquadri Olayinka were said to have adulterated 128 drums and 9.45 litres of engine oil.

    They allegedly claimed that the products with genuine engine oil and sold them to unsuspecting motorists.

    Their trial is ongoing.

    SON undertook a nationwide raid on suspected adulterated and substandard lubricants in response to consumer complaints about engine failures caused by substandard oils.

    The Organisation is also prosecuting other standards infractions relating to adulterated and substandard lubricants across the country.

  • ‘Emenike worked for Buhari’s success in Abia more than any other person’

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Hon. Obilo Ogbonna has said no politician worked more than Chief Ikechi Emenike for President Muhammadu Buhari’s reelection.

    His statement reads: “One of the major drawbacks of politics in Abia State is the preponderance of charlatans or people without any known address, either first or second addresses.

    “One Ben Godson who has no restraint and is available for rent for a kobo has the temerity to mention the revered name of High Chief Ikechi Emenike in his so-called press briefing.

    “This so-called Ben Godson has no known address in Abia State. Every Abian will tell you that in the last elections, no one campaigned more than High Chief Ikechi Emenike in Abia State and he did so in company of his amiable wife: Ambassador Uzoma Ikechi Emenike who was fully on ground to accompany him on most of the tours.

    Read also: Rivers APC primaries: Supreme Court strikes out Abe’s case

    “This is apart from the numerous elaborate meetings and political gatherings he hosted in his Umukabia, Umuahia country home. How then could a journeyman Ben Godson arrive at a conclusion that Ambassador Emenike did not contribute to the fortunes of the Party in Abia State. By the way, when did Ben Godson and his sponsors begin to love President Muhammad Buhari and support APC?”

    “It is on record that when High Chief Emenike mobilised visionary Abians to support the candidature of President Muhammad Buhari, Ben Godson and some of his sponsors were agents of Governor Rochas Okorocha”.=

    “Now that Governor Rochas Okorocha is self-inflicted politically down, they have found a new anchor in Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who not only campaigned against President Muhammad Buhari in 2015 but said numerous unprintable things about him. Such characters  and their sponsors should certainly not be taken seriously”.

    “Abia politics in particular and its development, in general, will continue to be a mirage until the likes of Ben Godson and his sponsors are told in clear language that “politics is not synonymous with criminality and that politics is about decency, truthfulness, progress and should not be a meal ticket for charlatans.”

     

  • National insurance key to healthcare delivery, says Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday said an effective National Health Insurance scheme remains the best panacea for development of the health sector and an efficient healthcare delivery in the country.

    This was contained in a statement  by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande.

    Speaking while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, in his office, Prof Osinbajo said, “We have a good opportunity to do something about the National Health Insurance; it is obvious that government, both Federal Government and State Governments, cannot adequately provide healthcare for almost 200million Nigerian people.”

    Citing India as an example, he mentioned that India has the most privatized healthcare system in the world, with individual states being responsible for providing healthcare.

    In addition, VP Osinbajo emphasized the need for “Doctors to be remunerated properly regardless of their location, either rural or urban locations. We must find a logical way of addressing this issue.”

    He added “We must ensure that the states pick up their own part of the responsibility of providing healthcare in their States.  With the National Economic Council, NEC, there is the opportunity to talk to State governors and one of the things we do is to look at the human development indices, especially for Primary Health Care.”

    Read also: Osinbajo urges journalists to expose corruption

    “There are States that are simply not doing enough and we must ensure that they step up to the plate.  States must be held to account because a lot of the responsibilities are theirs,” he said

    But he emphasized that National Health Insurance is the key in resolving a lot of the financial problems in the Health Sector, adding that this administration has made the National Health Insurance central to the plans for the healthcare system in APC’s Next Level document.

    Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, highlighted the ministry’s strides in achieving the Universal Health Coverage towards the expansion of the National Health Insurance Scheme.

    He thanked the Presidency for the presidential assent of the Appropriation Act, which for the first time, approved the release of the 1% for the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, and disclosed that the Ministry of Finance has released the first quarter allocation of N13.7billion.

    He said the Basic Health Care Provision Fund would also help in fast-tracking the development of the National Health Insurance Scheme.

    President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Francis Faduyile, congratulated the President and Vice President on their victory at the 2019 Presidential elections.

    He also acknowledged the administration’s efforts in the health sector, which includes the signing of the Residency Training Act, the release of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, as well as the recently improved Cancer Centre in Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

  • Agency decries high child, maternal mortality rate

    Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), has decried the high rate in maternal and child mortality rate in the country.

    Shuaib made the condemnation on Monday in Abuja, while presenting the agency’s strategic approach to rapidly reduce maternal and child mortality at community levels.

    The executive director declared a state of public health concern on maternal, newborn and child deaths occurring at primary health care (PHC) and community levels.

    “Every day in Nigeria, approximately 145 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, this is equivalent to having 1 Boeing 737-300 series airplane, fully loaded with 145 women crashing every single day in Nigeria, killing everyone on board.

    “Every day in Nigeria, approximately 2,300 children under five years die mainly from preventable causes.

    “Similarly, this is equivalent to having 15 Boeing 737-300 series airplanes fully loaded with 145 children under five years old, crashing every single day in Nigeria and killing all the children on board.

    “One out of every eight Nigerian children dies before having a chance to celebrate his or her 5th birthday.

    “Having noted the high rate of maternal, newborn and under-five child mortality and the insufficiency of our efforts to reverse the trend, I hereby declare a state of public health concern on maternal, newborn and child deaths occurring at the primary health care (PHC) and community levels.’’Shuaib said the establishment of a National Coordination Centre within the NPHCDA to provide oversight on Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Adolescent Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) activities at PHC level, would help tackle the challenge of preventable deaths.

    Also, a traditional ruler from Bayelsa His Royal Highness Alfred Diette-Spiff, who was a special guest at the event, commended efforts by the federal and some state governments to address mortality rates.

    He said child birth should be a pleasant experience for mothers and a happy moment for the family and the nation.

    “Childbirth should be a very pleasant experience for mothers and a happy occasion for the family and nation, but when you have to say a prayer instead as though the mothers are being condemned; it is time we take action.

    “I am happy that the Federal Government has risen to this challenge and taken the bold step to get all of us together.

    “Some states have also taken the bold step already; our state Bayelsa has launched their programme about 6-7 weeks ago.

    “Every pregnant woman is put on a small stipend to encourage them go for ante-natal.

    “So this is the right step in the right direction, as we have decided to take the bull by the horn, and having put our hands to the plough, there is no turning back,’’.

    Dr Eugene Kongnyuy , United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Acting Country Representative, said the new project aligns with the vision of UNFPA, and its three transformative resources, one of which he said was to prevent or end maternal deaths.

  • Expert urges FG to prioritise girl child empowerment

    The Founder of “The Woman in Me”, Mrs.  Ann Iwuagwu has urged the federal government to make deliberate plans for the protection and empowerment of the girls in Nigeria.

    Iwuagwu said this at the 4th edition of Save the African Womb Outreach of The Woman in Me (TWIM) held recently at RCCG Tabernacle of Praise, Onosa, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.

    Eight schools participated in the programme. The students from Higher Ground Academy, Ibeju-Lekki, According to her, positioning Africa girls for global relevant requires careful planning, education and empowerment so that she can harness her potentials.

    “That the increasing spate of homeless children across the country is a function of dysfunctional training and support given to the girl child and the implication in our society is rather disturbing”.

    “Girls in most part of Nigeria are underserved as they faces a lots of neglect, rejection, abandonments, and sometimes labeled as witches and allow to fend for themselves as a child”.

    Iwuagwu, who is also an educationist, asserted that proper training will prevent a girl from premarital sex and early motherhood.

    “We have the data of children across the country, what do they benefits from the government, do we have their profile to know what is going on with them?.

    “I see a lots of girls hawking, some sleeping in hurt because they were rejected by family and friends, I see some living in garages with no government presence in their lives”.

    This trend according to her must be address urgently if not the circle of violence, thuggery, kidnapping, and wanton killings will continue unabated.

    “the children who never had a good upbringing will one way or the other find their way into leadership position because in Africa, it is one that is strongest that rule” she added.

    Agoha Chiamaka, a participant who won the beauty, Quiz and Presentation contest, said the programme will make her understand who she truly is.

     

  • UPDATED: 20 killed in fresh Kajuru attack

    Not less than 20 persons have been reported killed in a fresh attack by unknown gunmen in Angwan Aku village, Kajuru Local government area of Kaduna state.

    A source who resides in the community, took place at about 7:00 am on Monday when the attackers allegedly dressed in military uniform and armed with AK47 rifles, machetes and sticks stormed the village shooting sporadically.

    The Nation learnt that, several others sustained various degrees of injuries from gunshots.

    According to the source, “The attackers stormed the village and started shooting indiscriminately. We all started running to the bush. As we were running, they were also pursuing us as we ran to the bush, some people were killed in the bush.

    ”Some of them were wearing military uniforms with bulletproof vests and they were speaking in Fulani language. I saw them from where I was hiding” he said.

    Read also: Police kill three bandits in fresh Kaduna village attack

    The source further alleged that, the police arrived the village in eight Hilux vans, but could not go into the bushes to pursue the bandits.

    “The police came in eight Hilux vehicles, but instead of pursuing the bandits who ran to the bushes, they just turned back”. He alleged.

    According to him, there had been speculations about an impending attack since last week, which the state government was aware of.

    “We had thought that the government would have taken the speculations seriously and be proactive, but they didn’t take it seriously and this had led to the killing of more of our people. It is rather very unfortunate”. He said.

    A former President of the Adara Development Association (ADA), Danladi Yarima, confirmed the killings in a telephone interview, describing it as unfortunate.

    He condemned the killings and accused the state government of bias in handling the crisis.

    The incessant killings in Kajuru communities started in February 10, 2019 when Fulani herdsmen allegedly attacked Anguwan Barde, an Adara community in the night and killed eleven people.

    The Adara were alleged to have embarked on reprisal attacks, killing many Fulani.

    Yarima, a lawyer, had in a recent statement said about 4,000 people have been rendered homeless following the destruction of their homes by bandits.

    However, efforts to get the reaction of Yakubu Sabo, spokesman of the Kaduna state police command was unsuccessful as his telephone was not connecting and he did not reply to a message sent to him on the Police/Media WhatsApp platform.

  • Air Force kills scores of ISWAP fighters in Borno

    The Nigerian Air Force said more terrorists have been neutrilized through air strikes in their hideouts in northern Borno.

    According to its spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the strikes were carried out after intelligence reports have indicated the presence of the terrorists in the area.

    He said in a statement that structures belonging to the terrorists were also destroyed during the strikes.

    Air Commodore Daramola said:”The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has degraded an Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) Terrorists’ hideout and neutralized some of their fighters at Tumbun Zarami in the Northern part of Borno State.

    Read also:Air force, police, DSS plan joint action against bandits, kidnappers in Northwest

    ” This was accomplished through air strikes conducted today, 8 April 2019, as part of the ongoing air campaign of Operation YANCIN TAFKI, which is aimed at flushing out ISWAP elements from islands on the fringes of the Lake Chad.

    ” A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform, on a routine reconnaissance mission, observed significant presence of ISWAP fighters in the settlement, with several structures and equipment spotted beneath the thick vegetation of the area.

    ” Accordingly, the ATF scrambled 2 NAF Alpha Jets to attack the location, recording successful strikes on the terrorists’ structures and neutralizing several of their fighters.

    ” The NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain its operations to completely degrade the terrorists in the Northeast. “