The Nation Newspaper

Tag: protection

  • CROWD VIOLENCE AT MATCH VENUES Lobi seek more protection for away teams

    CROWD VIOLENCE AT MATCH VENUES Lobi seek more protection for away teams

    Lobi Stars have called on the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to ensure that away teams are protected from fan violence initiated by desperate supporters of home teams.

    The Makurdi-based side noted that violence by home fans could worsen if something is not done.

    Lobi’s media aide Jack Moses Ekwe Ekwe in a chat with NationSport said Lobi’s players, officials and the match arbiters were victims of assault allegedly by Gombe fans on Sunday because Gombe United didn’t pick all points as expected.

    He said the League Management Company (LMC) should ensure that home teams, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and the security outfits should provide adequate cover for players and officials of visiting teams.

    Ekwe said: ”Lobi Stars players and officials escaped Gombe United fans’ mayhem last Sunday at the Pantami Stadium and their transit camp at Kanem Hotel, Federal Low Cost, Gombe.

    “After we played a 2-2 draw against Gombe United, we were the target of hostile fans and we were lucky that no life was lost considering the magnitude of assorted missiles targeted at us before we had to take a quick dash to Bauchi.

    “I will implore the LMC to beckon on home clubs to take up the issue of security of lives of the visiting teams.

    “It is not ideal to lose players due to crowd violence.

    “The States’ FA and other security outfits should cooperate to ensure that the away teams do not suffer unnecessarily for what they do not have a hand in. We should make sure our league is used to attract investors.”

  • Foundation for protection of girl-child, others launched in Lagos

    A new foundation, the International Charitable Initiative for Protection of Girl Child and Woman Development Foundation(ICI-GWODEF), has been launched in Lagos to give legal support and provide welfare to the under priviledged girl-child and woman.

    Speaking at the event, the group’s President, Helen Nchedo Ibeji, said one of the aims of the organisation is to work tirelessly to ensure that government at all levels pay special attention in the up bringing of the girl-child adding, “training of a girl-child is training of a community”.

    Mrs. Ibeji also said it is one of their aims to wage war on child trafficking, child slavery such as house helps, street hawkers, early child marriage, child labour and similar child abuses.

    She described the foundation as an advocacy driven non-profit making organisation that seeks to give a voice to the orphans, widows, children and women generally.

    “It will provide free legal services to children and women who cannot afford the services of lawyers. It will initiate and commence, prosecute, defend, answer or oppose all actions and other legal proceedings and demands touching children and women who seek for such protection through our foundation”, she said.

    Mrs. Ibeji said the foundation intends to use legal instruments to fight social discriminations, injustices and stigmatisation against the girl-child and women so that they can achieve their set goals without social hindrances.

    “We want to discourage harmful traditional practices and coordinate a civil society for the vulnerable girl child and woman, that is inclusive of fundamental human rights, freedom, anti-violence against women, equal opportunity, community leadership, poverty alleviation, economic empowerment, community health services and a genuine partnership with other sectors on a best practice basis as a way for sustainable woman development”,she posited.

    To achieve the set goals of the foundation, the ICI-GWODEF president said it would associate with similar international organisations that are engaged in assisting women like UNICEF, Ministry of Women Affairs, Nigeria Prison Service, Community Health Centres, HIV/AIDS Control agencies among others.

    She said this would provide a good plastform for women to talk with professionals, counsellors and other relationship experts who may have solutions to their challenges and assist in turning those challenges into opportunities for growth and maturity.

     

  • Govt assures Nigerians of social protection

    Chairman, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dr. Juliet Ngozi Olejeme, has assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s social protection that would boost essential health care benefits and reduce poverty and inequality.

    She said the Social Protection Floor is a foundation for sustainable and inclusive economic growth that has proved to be a powerful anti-crisis measure that protects and empowers people, and contributes to boosting economic demand and accelerating recovery.

    Dr. Olejeme, who is also Chairman, Trustfund Pensions, told The Nation that despite global economic crisis, the government’s social protection floors would still empower people in the informal and formal economy.

    She said: “We assure Nigerians of Federal Government‘s social protection floors that would boost essential health care and benefits, as well as reduce poverty and inequality in the country

    “Despite the global economic crisis, the government’s social protection floors will empower people by creating employment in both the formal and informal sectors.

    She stressed that social protection has proved to be an anti-crisis measure that contributes to boosting economic demand and accelerating recovery.

    She explained that “achieving the social protection schemes would complement the transformation agenda of President Jonathan through improving and promoting social equity and sustainable growth at human development index necessary to stimulate more employment in all sectors of the economy.”

    She said the waves of global economic shocks had underscored the need for countries to reinvent the mechanisms and phenomena for social protection, equitable development and balanced growth.

    “Government social protection policies and programmes referred to initiatives that deliberately sought to protect people and groups against risk and vulnerability, mitigate the impacts of shocks on livelihoods and support people who suffer from chronic incapacities to secure basic livelihood,” she said

    She said the social protection policies are aimed at zero-tolerance on workplace accidents, injuries and fatalities, adding that the government is determined to collaborate with the social strata and other stakeholders to guarantee a cleaner, safer and healther work environment for all workers.

    The principle of social protection has been ingrained as part of the government’s resolve to implement the system, she added.

  • Lawmaker seeks police protection

    A  lawmaker in the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Kabiru Adjoto, has called for protection by the police over alleged plans by some persons to assassinate him.

    Adjoto alleged part of the plans was to plant a remote control bomb in his office at the House as well as use a petrol tanker to overrun his vehicle along Ewu-Agbede road.

    This was contained in a petition the lawmaker wrote to the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of zone 5.

    Adjoto said persons have also been hired by an ex-lawmaker to spray his vehicle with bullets and in the process kill him.

    He said the plans were to be carried out between October and December 2012.

    The lawmaker representing Akoko-Edo Constitency I said he escaped an attempt by a six- man gang to kidnap him in May at Ikakumo village in Akoko-Edo local government area.

    He said he fled into the forest and abandoned his vehicle after which he trekked to his village through bush paths.

    According to him: “Youths from my village followed me to the scene but did not meet them.

    ‘’They (kidnappers) didn’t touch any of the documents and the money I had inside my car, but all the doors of the car were open.”

    Adjoto said he had received anonymous threat calls since he was declared winner of the House of Assembly election in April 2011.