The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

  • Edo tasks communities others on forest conservation

    The Edo State Government has urged for continued support from community leaders, corporate bodies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and other well-meaning stakeholders to deepen efforts at rolling back the effects of deforestation and ensuring sustainability of forest reserves in the state.

    Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Dame Omoua Oni-Okpako Esq., made the call while commissioning 39 newly acquired motorcycles to aid in the patrol of the interiors of the state’s forest reserves, especially sections that are inaccessible to vehicles.

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    She noted, “Deforestation and its resultant effects are creeping on us. We either salvage our forest now or lose it forever. Our focus now is on planting of trees and conserving the remaining existing ones. So, this Ministry will not tolerate any form of illegalities that will further degrade our forest and jeopardise the ecosystem.”

    “I wish to also emphasize here that Government cannot do it all. For effective forest sustainability, community leaders, corporate bodies, individuals and other stakeholders in the sector should form a part of the process of protecting the forest, if for no reasons, but for posterity,”Dame Oni-Okpako added.

    “We should not look at the Forest reserve as Government property that could be abused. Unlawful forest activities should be reported to the Forestry office immediately and offenders would be prosecuted accordingly.

    “As a state, and as a people, let’s join hands together to preserve these Natural resources that God has bequeathed to us. This time, it is not only the timber trees but everything in it. The Total forest estate has been so depleted that the flora and fauna species are being endangered and others have gone extinct. We have to strive to bring nature back to its original position,” she urged.

     

     

  • Bauchi partner NGOs, Media to raise CBS issues

    The Bauchi State Government says it is collaborating the media and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to tackle low uptake of Child Birth Spacing (CBS) in the state.

    The Deputy State Health Educator Primary Health Care Development (SPHCDA), Alhaji Ribadu Jibrin, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Yankari on Tuesday.

    “CBS uptake was found to be low in the state because of low literacy rate.“That is why we need NGOs and media to embark on adequate awareness creation and advocacy on the benefits of CBS.

    “To also improve knowledge that uptake may impact positively on health indices especially in the rural communities in the state,” he said.

    He said presently the state government is working with other NGOs including Challenge Initiative, Plan International and Breakthrough Action Nigeria in implementing CBS services in the state.

    According to him, myths, misconceptions and beliefs play a role that people who practice CBS or contraceptives end up with health problems or permanent infertility.

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    “Or contraceptives reduce sexual urge and on the other hand increase promiscuity among women.
    “Other contributing factors include low access to healthcare facilities and the patriarchal nature of societies,” Ribadu said.

    He stressed that traditional rulers, religious leaders, health educators and caregivers were engaged to mobilise and sensitise the public on the importance of CBS in the state.

    “We also constitute Social Behaviour and Communication Committee (SBCC) that comprises journalists, health educators, youth groups and Maternal Newborn Child Health officers of Local Government Areas.

    “The committee is responsible for demand creation that is to developed Information Education and Communication (IEC) materials for public awareness on effective CBS,” he said.

    He however called on the general public to embrace the CBS services with all seriousness.
    The health educator noted that CBS services allows individuals to achieve desired birth spacing and family size and contributes to improved health outcomes for infants, children, women and families.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Bauchi state government in collaboration with The Challenge Initiative (TCI) organised the training for journalists, health educators and MNCH officers of local government areas on IEC materials.

    The materials would be developed for adoption and implementation of high impact CBS that would improve maternal health in the state.

    NAN

  • Obaseki seeks proactive engagement to check tobacco consumption

    …cautions on second-hand smoke exposure

     

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has called for synergy and partnerships among relevant stakeholders to check the consumption and reduce the health and other associated risks, especially cardiovascular diseases.

    The governor said this in commemoration of the World No Tobacco Day marked by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organs to raise awareness and check the consumption of tobacco.

    The governor proposed that collaborations should be built among health workers, civil society organisations and relevant Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to raise awareness and sensitise the people on the dangers of tobacco consumption.

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    “Much as tobacco companies are in legitimate business and have adopted health messaging to call attention to the associated risks of use of their products. As a government, we want to ensure that the people are better served with information on the cardiovascular dangers associated with its usage. Efforts should be made to sensitise people on the dangers of second-hand smoking, which also exposes people to similar dangers faced by active smokers.”

    He said the state government is pursing health policies such as the state-wide health insurance scheme, increasing the number of primary healthcare centers and improving the investment climate to attract investors, including private healthcare firms.

    He said that this year’s theme for the day, ‘Tobacco and Heart Disease,’ provides a platform to interrogate the implications of tobacco use and cardiovascular conditions, noting that stakeholders are being mobilised to spread the word on the dangers of tobacco consumption and the imperative to reduce its use.

    According to the World Health Organisation, “World No Tobacco Day 2018 will focus on the impact tobacco has on the cardiovascular health of people worldwide. Tobacco use is an important risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.

    Despite the known harms of tobacco to heart health and the availability of solutions to reduce related death and disease, knowledge among large sections of the public that tobacco is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease is low.”

  • NGO Bill: NASS cannot be intimidated into abandoning role – Dogara

    NGO Bill: NASS cannot be intimidated into abandoning role – Dogara

    The National Assembly says it cannot be intimidated into abandoning its duty of providing platform for Nigerians to agree or disagree on any proposed legislative measure.

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Yakubu Dogara, said this on Tuesday in Abuja in his remarks at the resumption of plenary after the legislators’ seven-week recess.

    Dogara, reacting to the controversy surrounding the NGO Bill, said that transparency was what Non-Governmental Organisations ( NGOs ) promoted and therefore, should welcome the opportunity to interrogate the issues with open arms.

    According to him, everyone should understand that the principal objective of the NGO Regulation Bill is to inject transparency, accountability and prevent the subversion of national security from within and without.

    “No one can nor indeed, should gag the operations of NGOs in Nigeria.

    “But, just as they aspire for this freedom, it must be stated that freedom does not come without responsibility as there is no such thing as freedom to be irresponsible.

    “There are also desperate attempts to instigate religious bodies and cultural organizations to oppose the Bill by spreading falsehood that they are the target of this bill.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, let me state once again that churches, mosques, esussu, market women associations as well as local quasi financial institutions are “not NGOs’’ and thus, the bill has nothing to do with their operations.

    “The legislative process cannot be short circuited,’’ he said.

    The speaker said that members of the Lower Chamber were also aware of the criticism over the NGO Bill which had passed second reading and was at committee stage.

    “Honourable members are also aware that the media have been awash with scathing criticism of the institution of the House of Representatives over the NGO Regulation Bill which has passed second reading and is at committee stage.

    “Public criticism of the content of the Bill is a welcome development and there are many who are doing just that.

    “Indeed, it is the reason why every Bill is subjected to public hearing so that the inputs of stakeholders can be obtained to ensure public buy-in.

    “I hasten to say that all Nigerians and other corporate persons, including non-Nigerians, are stakeholders and have a right to support or oppose a Bill.

    “However, when opinions are targeted at disparaging the institution of the legislature, then it becomes imperative to interrogate the motives driving such, especially when this emanates from those who should know,’’ he said.

    Dogara also urged Nigerians to desist from hate speech, saying it had no place in democracy and could instigate violence.

    According to him, hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence.

    “We must learn to love one another, understand each other and respect each other for Nigeria to reach her full potential politically, socially and economically.

    “Of course, all healthy democracies are noisy, but they are filled with noise that elicits debate, not noise that incites to violence.

    “When speech or noise leads to debate, it’s called free speech but when noise or speech incites to violence then that is hate speech.

    “Hate speech has no place in a democracy and must never be tolerated or allowed.

    “Words are powerful and once spoken, it’s difficult, if not impossible to take them back. Words have the power to create the atmosphere in which we live.

    “There is nothing that exists that was not created by or in consequence of spoken words. Hate speech multiplies words that have the capacity to drown the truth.

    “In the midst of hate speech, the truth is usually the casualty. There lies the real danger of hate speech. Yet, it is only in the truth that everything finds its worth,’’ Dogara said.

  • Human Trafficking: Obaseki seeks home-grown solution

    Human Trafficking: Obaseki seeks home-grown solution

    …Sets up Task Force

     

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Tuesday inaugurated the State Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, a measure that will proffer a new set of home-grown solutions to the age-long social problem.

    Obaseki lamented that the state was fast becoming synonymous with human trafficking and charged the taskforce to urgently redeem the state’s image as Edo people do not want to be associated with the stigma any more.

    The new measure according to him, would complement the efforts of the federal government through the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) and other international organizations involved in the fight against human trafficking.

    “It is has been suggested that a special court be established in the state to prosecute perpetrators. We are losing our young people to this negative trend and we must make human trafficking a thing of the past in the state,” the governor said.

    He charged the task force made up of representatives of security agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), NAPTIP, Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, religious and traditional institutions, to come up with modalities on how to domesticate the federal government’s law on trafficking in the state.

    The taskforce was also charged to come up with a comprehensive action plan for combating trafficking in persons as well as programmes that will help in reintegrating victims of the illicit trade into the society.

    In her remarks, the Chairman of the task force, Professor Yinka Omorogbe, who is also the Attorney General of the state, commended the governor for the initiative and said that it would bring an end to the problem, with the cooperation and support of all members of the society.

    She assured that members of the taskforce would live up to the confidence reposed on them and pledged that a working document would be ready within the six-week period given to them.

  • US offers $172,000 grants for community projects in Nigeria

    The United States Embassy in Nigeria on Monday awarded 172,000 dollars grants to 30 local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

    The grants which is under the Ambassador’s Small Grants Programme spreads across  19 states for community-based projects.

    The programme, according to new US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Stuart Symington, provides one-time small grants to community development projects.

    This year grant was lower than 2015 which was 250,000 dollars grants to 35 NGOs covering 20 states.

    The beneficiary states include Anambra, Benue, Borno, Cross Rivers, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Federal Capital Territory, Kwara and Lagos.

    Others are Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Kogi States.
    Ambassador  Symington explained that “The ambassador’s small grant programme was established as a programme for the U.S. Mission in Nigeria to assist groups, neighbourhoods, villages and communities to help themselves.

    “The grant is largely funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFRAR) and by the U.S. Department of State Self Help.”

    The funds, Symington said, was expected to cover projects ranging from purchasing of books and equipment for schools, construction of classrooms, health clinics, community centres, food processing mills to boreholes and latrines.

    The funds, he said, would also provide economic, nutritional and hygienic needs of some families and communities affected by HIV/AIDS as well as providing safe school toilets to mitigate communicable diseases.

    According to him through grants the U.S. Mission in Nigeria was able to reach the people and support the initiative, endeavours and development of local communities.

    The Ambassador who said Nigeria was unique in the success of Africa as a continent stressed on the need to support families and communities to make Nigeria great.

    Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Adeola Seweje-Chimunda applauded the embassy for the initiative and pledged commitment for the implementation of various projects.

    One of the grantees, Abel Oniye, of the Good Samaritan initiative from Ondo said the 3,810 dollars grant for his NGOs was for educational support for the visually impaired School in Owo.

    Oniye who said the physically challenged are largely neglected by the authorities as little or no attention was paid to them appealed to the government at all levels to pay more attention to their needs

    Adi Vera, from Emmanuel Teryila Memorial Liberty Foundation based in Ushongu Benue State, said the 6,640 dollars for her organisation was to assist the out of school youth.

    Vera who said she had reached out to over 10,000 youth and was targeting more than 120 youths with the grant was to empower the school dropout to make them achieve their purpose of living.