The Nation Newspaper

Tag: UNICEF

  • UNICEF, CIFF to support treatment of 279,542 malnourished children

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Children Investment Foundation Fund (CIFF) on Monday pledged to support the Kaduna State Government to treat no fewer than 279,542  malnourished children in the state.

    UNICEF’s Chief of Nutrition, Simeon Nanama, made the pledge during an assessment visit to a Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) site at the Primary Health Care Centre at  Jaji, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    Nanama noted that SAM children are 12 times likely to die than healthy children if not treated.

    He stressed the need for increased intervention with focus on treatment of affected children to save them from avoidable deaths.

    The UNICEF official  said CIIF, a UK-based philanthropic organisation, collaborates with other organisations around the world to improve the survival of children.

    He said that UNICEF, in collaboration with CIFF, was  working in Nigeria to increase SAM health facilities for the treatment of affected children.

    “Our goal is to ensure that treatment is available for majority of children affected by the disease, maintain high quality of treatment and ensure ownership and investment by local government areas in the programme, “Nanama said.

    Read Also: UNICEF lauds improved girl- child enrollment in Katsina schools

    UNICEF Nutrition Specialist in  Kaduna, Chinwe Ezeife, said that the number of children affected by SAM had increased from 271,400 in 2017 to 279,542 as at the end of April.

    The Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, Dr Zakari Adam, commended the state’s commitment over the years in implementing nutrition policies and interventions.

    “I particularly commend Kaduna State for mobilising domestic resources for financing nutrition interventions,  especially procurement of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) used for the treatment of SAM.

    “CIFF has  been working in collaboration with UNICEF to scale up access to SAM treatment in Nigeria since 2014, and had so far spent about 60 million U.S dollars,” Adam said.

    He  urged the government to increase funding level to make RUTF available to sustain Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) service, adding that partners funding alone cannot sustain the programme.

    Hajiya Ummi El-Rufa’I, the wife of the Kaduna State Governor and Chairperson, Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP), thanked UNICEF and CIFF for the support.

    She said that 28 SAM treatment facilities are available in five LGAs, while 18 LGAs, representing 78 per cent of 23 the LGAs in the state are still without treatment facilities.

    According to her, about 17,981 malnourished children were admitted in the facilities with 80 per cent of them successfully cured using RUTF.

    She added that N750 million was spent between 2016 and 2017 to treat affected children.

    After the assessment visit, the team paid a courtesy call on Gov. Nasir El-Rufa’I at Government House where it solicited for the release of more funds to fight the dreaded disease.

    The leader of CIFF team, Mr Jonathan Oates, said his team was impressed with what was going on at the treatment centres and the turnout to access services.

    Oates pledged to support the state government’s efforts with 100 percent of the sum government releases for nutrition intervention.

    Responding, El-Rufa’I acknowledged that the crisis of malnutrition still persisted in the state in spite of efforts and progress recorded so far recorded.

    He assured UNICEF and CIFF of his determination to do the needful in addressing the menace, particularly in the area of funding.

    NAN

  • Report indicts UNICEF, foreign NGOs in plots to blackmail Nigerian military fighting Boko Haram

    The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) as well as some international NGOs have been fingered to be part of a large scale plot to blackmail the Nigerian military

    This was contained in the first quarter report by the Coalition of CSOs on human rights and conflict resolution in Nigeria on the ongoing war against insurgency is Nigeria.

    The report signed by Gowon Maxwell Esq,
    Executive Director of the coalition and made public during a media briefing explained that the review that let go the report monitored troops closely in their operations to appraise their conduct, observance of rules of engagement and compliance with best international standard to ensure that human rights remains sacrosanct.

    He said the review also monitored the activities of  international NGOs to ensure that their activities conform to the principles and purposes of the United Nations.

    The report stated that from the findings of teams deployed it discovered that the reports of these NGOs have the potential to present Nigeria as a country with a military that has no good reputation, which would in turn make the country ineligible for international support.

    It stated that the formation of Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Nigeria by some of these NGOs amounts to direct interference by foreign entities in the internal affairs of Nigeria, which runs contrary to the spirit of the United Nations.

    “From our investigations, this is a covert operation aimed at blackmailing the Nigerian military which has remained the only tool used by the Nigerian state to enforce the rights of civilians to life and inhuman and degrading treatment from the terrorists.

    “The NGOs’ position is capable of scandalizing the military to a point where the only option left is to withdraw troops from areas where they are operating, which would create an environment that would be conducive for a Boko Haram comeback to terrorize people in these places. An identified worrisome dimension is the seeming collaboration between these NGOs and top officials of the UNICEF, Priscilla Haveyda who are directly involved the execution of this agenda against the helpless people of Nigeria,” the report stated.

    The report however expressed concern that the authorities in Nigeria, especially the Federal Government, does not recognize these NGOs as threats, hence the freedom it allows them to operate with, which they abuse by deploying their international affiliation as tools to destabilize their host countries.

    It stated further that it’s investigation showed that Boko Haram has been degraded to a point that it can no longer engage in any impactful which has now left it to be reliant on the activities of NGOs on the PSEA platform to release reports that terrorize the people in the north east in line with their agenda, which is at variance from what they present themselves to be.

    It recommended the reports of NGOs should be subjected to detailed reviews since they do not usually declare the interests of their organizations or that of their staffers in the counter insurgency war against Boko Haram.

    It stated that, “NGOs that are genuinely desirous of improving the quality of life in the north-east of Nigeria should weigh the longer-term consequences of their intervention. Their parent organizations are urged to audit the activities of their country teams to ensure they are not deploy the organizations as cover for agenda that do not tally with improvement of human condition.”

  • UNICEF lauds improved girl- child enrollment in Katsina schools

    The Chief of Education, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Nigeria, Terry Durnnian, has expressed satisfaction over the increasing number of girl-child enrollment in schools across Katsina State.

    Durnnian, who was on a three-day working visit to the state, said the number of girl-child enrollment was greatly increasing, compared to the last time he visited the state

    He further lauded the role played by the relevant stakeholders and the host school communities who mobilized and went out to talk to parents in their areas to enroll their girl-child in schools.

    He said “I am on a three-day visit to the state on UNICEF works in partnership with the Ministry of Education on chances of improving enrollment, retention and quality of education.”

    In another development from the state, governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has expressed sadness over the death of another Islamic cleric from Kano state Khalifah Isyaku Rabi’u, saying it is another monumental loss to the Islamic world, coming only three days after the death of Alhaji Muhammadu Lawal the Chief Imam of Katsina Central Mosque.

    Masari in a condolence message he sent to his Kano state counterpart, Alhaji Ganduje and the Emir of Kano said by the death of Khalifah Isyaku Rabi’u, the religious and business communities in Africa, and the world at large, have lost an icon whose footprint would remain indelible for a long time to come.

    He described the late cleric and leader of the Tijjaniya Movement as a deeply religious, intensely generous and very simple person, whose conduct has impacted positively within and outside the shores of Nigeria.

    He also prayed to Allah to forgive him all his shortcomings and make paradise his final resting place, and give the bereaved the fortitude and courage to bear the loss.

  • Boko Haram: Group shutdown UNICEF office over alleged sex reports in IDP camps

    The federal government of Nigeria has been asked to sanction leadership of the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) over their alleged suspicious plots to embolden and promote terrorism in the country.

    Coalition for Peace in Nigeria (CFPN), who made this call, wondered why a reputable organization like UNICEF would allow some of its staff to enlist in the club of undercover agents of foreign forces against Nigeria, in disguised support for terrorism.

    CFPN during a protest to the UNICEF Office in Abuja on Friday, lamented the alleged attempts by some international organizations, who have rendered themselves to do some disgusting undercover jobs  for foreign forces which have sworn to destabilize, polarize and divide  Nigeria.

    Comrade Danesi Momoh, National Convener, who spoke on behalf of the group, slammed the current leadership of UNICEF for deviating from the vision of its founding fathers.

    Momoh said, “We are aware of the many attempts by some international organizations who have rendered themselves to do some disgusting undercover jobs  for foreign forces which have sworn to destabilize, polarize and divide  Nigeria.

    “It is no secret that such organizations are laying the template for the country’s total breakup through terrorism by often manufacturing and fabricating  outright falsehoods, timed to rhyme with the periods the Nigerian military is breaking grounds in the war against terror,  particularly in the Northeast.

    “However, what never occurred to us is the possibility that a reputable organization like UNICEF would allow some of its staff to enlist in the club of undercover agents of foreign forces against Nigeria, in disguised support for terrorism.

    “Of course, you are aware of the latest sensational report cooked by three staff of UNICEF, namely; Priscilla Hoveyda, Maher Farea and Milen Kidane, who are working in the Northeast. The trio conspiratorially released a report alleging Nigerian troops raped 20  girls in IDP camps in Borno state.

    “This transparently condemnable, false and malicious report against Nigerian troops, yawningly betrayed  the satanic motives of the crafters or originators. And we believe it is intended to denigrate the Nigerian military, project a bad image about Nigeria before the comity of nations and dampen the morale of troops on the warfront against terrorists and nothing more. We know these paid agents have designed the report to undermine the fighting spirit of troops, to enable  remnants of terrorists regain lost grounds to the pleasure of the sponsors.

    “Furthermore, the timing of this fictional and imaginary report is to halt or frustrate the sale of Tucano jets to Nigeria, at a time the Nigerian Government has reached advanced stages in actions over the contract with the United States Government for the purchase of 10  Tucano jets to assist the military battle terrorism in the country.

    “The  report from the UNICEF  staff has understandably provoked outrage from Nigerians, especially the  coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) who have  demanded a retraction and an apology  from UNICEF to the Nigerian military and the  Government of Nigeria.

    “We are amazed that UNICEF has forgotten its main briefs in the Northeast. The organization has declined from responding to the humanitarian crisis and needs as it affects children in IDP camps. It has fortuitously become an alarmist and a pillar of covert support of sponsors and agents of terrorists tormenting our country. It is inexplicable to think that after abandoning their noble mandates, they would rather prefer to  serve as  ransom negotiator and cover for Boko Haram terrorists.

    “We wish to remind the apparently compromised UNICEF staff that in the not too distant past, the same organization  commended the Nigerian military for its perfect  professional outings, especially in the Northeast.

    “We recall that in February 2017,  this positive recommendation came from UNICEF’s Country Representative, Mr. Mohammed Fall when he visited the Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division of Nigerian Army in Maiduguri,  Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu.

    “Mr. Fall specifically said,  “Thank you for protecting civilians and by extension protecting children which is part and parcel of our mandate.’’  It is the same military some odious staff of UNICEF are attempting to denigrate and defame now with a mischievous and fake report.

    “Like other CSOs have separately and jointly emphasized, we lend our voice to this cause. We demand for the immediate withdrawal of that report on our military as it contains nothing, other than baseless lies, fabrications, and unfounded or insane outbursts crafted to sabotage the ongoing war on terror in the country.

    “UNICEF and the staff fingered in this aberration have 21 days ultimatum to retract the repulsive report.  Any thought of disregarding this ultimatum by refusal to issue a corresponding rebuttal of the infamous report within the stipulated time frame, we shall have no option than  to return to permanently occupy  UNICEF  office in Abuja, until they  are forced to vacate Nigeria.

    “No Nigerian is ready to tolerate any attempt by any individual or organization to prolong the pains and agony of innocent children and women in the hands of Boko Haram even for one extra  day. The gains on the war on terrorism cannot be reversed either, with such grand plots and conspiracies against the Nigerian military.

    “We want to make it abundantly clear that the Nigerian military is a cherished asset of the Nigerian people. And no person or organization would be allowed to consciously destroy it. And the coalition shall not and  will never  accommodate  or take for granted, any action that is targeted at undermining the institution, as it has become obvious now. Let UNICEF be warned about the dire repercussions of ignoring the remedial actions emphasized in this speech.”

  • Two Adamawa LGAs benefit from EU water supply project

    Fufore and Mubi Local Government Areas in Adamawa are to benefit from a massive water supply programme financed by the European Union, an official said on Wednesday.

    The project involves the provision of 200 safe water sources in the two local areas, provision of 340 hand pumps and 36 solar powered boreholes.

    Alhaji Halilu Mohammed, Programme Manager, Adamawa State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency ( RUWASSA ) made the disclosure in an interview with the newsmen in Abuja.

    He said that the projects would be executed under the EU Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme III ( WSSRPP ).

    He disclosed that the programme would also provide additional 300 hand pumps, 50 solar powered boreholes and 100 VIP latrines in the state under its third phase.

    Mohammed noted the intervention was to improve access to safe drinking water, enhance sanitation and reduce maternal and infant mortality rate in the state.

    According to him, the agency has introduced community led total sanitation programme to help scale up hygiene through education and practice.

    “The provision of water without a corresponding access to sanitation would not reduce the spread of diseases, hence the provision of both at all intervention points.’’

    Mohammed said the emergency response intervention in the state was also being supported by the UNICEF.

    He added that the UNICEF intervention was in Madagali, Michika, Mubi North and South, Hong, Gumbi and Girei Local Government Areas ravaged by ravaged by insurgency.

    “The high number of Internally Displaced Persons to these areas made the agency to provide access to potable water supply and sanitation.

    Read Also: Adamawa suicide attacks tragic – Osinbajo

    Mohammed said that in spite of the efforts, paucity of funds have limited the scope of intervention by RUWASSA.

    “Nevertheless, the government is trying, but we could not go as much as we expected.

    “By now, we ought to have completed the third phase of the rural component of the WSSRPP.

    “The small town component is kicking off next month with the aim of providing larger water schemes in small towns.”

    He noted that poor sanitation and hygiene situations were the main causes of diarrhoea, malaria and under-five mortality.

    The programme manager commended donor agencies for providing water; sanitation and hygiene facilities to boost public health and reduce mortality rate and enhance the wellbeing of the people.

    NAN

  • Boko Haram: Group demands apology from UNICEF over alleged role in terrorists’ activities

    A civil society organisation, Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism, CATE, has demanded explanation from the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) over its actions in the activities of the Boko Haram sect in sect in Nigeria.

    The group is demanding the UNICEF to urgently apologise to Nigeria following its various allegations against the Nigerian military, which have been confirmed to be false and targeted at escalating terror activities in the country.

    UNICEF had alleged recently that the Nigerian military has raped over 20 girls in IDP Camps in Borno State.

    The development forced the Nigerian Army to declare three persons working for the agency persona non grata in the North East, Nigeria.

    The three persons were: Priscillia Hoveyda, Maher Farea and Milen Kidane.

    CATE, while briefing newsmen on Monday in Jos, the Plateau State capital, called on the agency to come clean on the alleged nature of support they have been offering Boko Haram which it has revealed countless times before now but authorities failed to act .

    Onoja Gabriel, national president of CATE, who addressed the press, urged the Nigerian Government to set up monitoring committee to keep an eye on what groups like UNICEF are doing in the country

    His statement reads in full.

    “Our decision to hold this event was informed that several days after these troubling reports first surfaced UNICEF has not satisfactorily cleared itself of the grievous revelations that it has joined the organizations that are working for the destruction of Nigeria.

    “As a refresher, we invite you to recall how our organization, the Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism (CATE) had risen up against groups that previously hid under the guise of being International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) wreak havoc on our collective psyche and to compromise our lives by overt and covert support for terrorism. We alerted Nigerians in those dark days to how certain organizations always timed their reports to coincide with when the military was on the verge of dealing decisive blows against Boko Haram Terrorists. Such reports succeeded in several instances until Nigerians became wise to this devilish antic.

    “For the avoidance of doubts, the strategy was to periodically release reports that threaten individual troop and commander with the prospect of keeping a date with the “International Criminal Court (ICC) for daring to fight for the security of their country. At institutional level, the reports destroy the reputation of the military services while on the national level is damages the ability of Nigeria to partner with allies thereby denying the entire country of the support needed to defeat terrorism conclusively. In the time it takes to repair the damage so done, Boko Haram terrorists would have exploited the lag to regroup, re-arm and again become deadly even when it had previously suffered defining defeats.

    “Nigerians, who realized the threat posed to their existence and that of their dear fatherland, rose up to challenge this international fraud. The Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism (CATE) was at the forefront of that struggle to liberate Nigeria from the claws of these modern-day imperialists hiding under NGOs. Let us quickly point out that we were called names for standing up to the oppressors at that time but we are encouraged by the renewed focus the military had to fight terrorism once we successfully beat the bullies out our land.

    “Unfortunately, gentlemen of the press, the news we have for you today is distressing because a new entity, UNICEF has emerged as the latest replacement of all the evil contraptions that were earlier deployed in the attempt to incapacitate the Nigerian Military and strengthen terrorists. The irony of this development is sickening considering the noble role that this organization is ordinarily meant to be playing.

    “We have since learnt that people working for UNICEF have in different countries and at different times usually lend themselves and the name of the organization to be deployed in undermining the countries on behalf of certain international clients and client-nations. We however do not want to conclude at this stage that UNICEF personnel behind this latest attack on Nigeria do so without the knowledge of the organization, for they would have been openly sanctioned if this were the case.

    Our sense of alarm was further heightened when we learnt that this same group trickily rendered thousands of women barren in Kenya using the lifesaving vaccination programme to commit the crime. An organization that can exploit the sanctity of vaccines to do evil cannot be trusted under any condition and we do not even know what other damages they have done to vulnerable people in our population that they have worked with.

    “The Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism (CATE) therefore demand an explanation over its role in the escalated efforts to wrongly indict the Nigerian Military and government for violating the Child Protection Act by cooking up its Global Horizontal Notes (GHN) in a manner that will deny the country of international support. We demand to know why the atrocities committed by terrorists are being attributed to government. They must come clean of the nature of support they have been offering Boko Haram and at whose behest.

    “We warn in the strongest terms possible that CATE has the wherewithal and network to mobilize the Nigerian civil society to force UNICEF out of the north east if they fail to offer plausible explanation. Our coalition will ensure this happens except Nigerians can be convinced that UNICEF did not commit the acts credited to it. The situation in the north east is too fragile to have questionable people playing international cowboys with our collective safety in Nigeria.

    ‘In view of the many instances of war entrepreneurs posing as international NGOs, we call on the Federal Government to set up monitoring committee to keep an eye on what groups like UNICEF are doing in the country. This must be backed with a periodic vetting of all NGOs in Nigeria and their operations. The time when unmerited respect makes us accept poison from international organizations is past and there is no going back to such.”

  • Boko Haram: Three UNICEF staff declared persona non grata

    Three staff of UNICEF working in Maiduguri have been declared persona non grata by the Nigerian Army over spurious and false allegations on troops of operation Lafiya Dole.

    The three persons are: Priscillia Hoveyda, Maher Farea and Milen Kidane. The Nation findings gathered that all the affected staff are child protection specialists with UNICEF.

    In a statement signed by the Theatre Commander Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Rogers Nicholas described as unfounded this is an allegation, adding that the allegations are made by enemies of the military and the Nigerian State.

    Some of the allegations brought forward were that the Nigerian military has raped over 20 girls in IDP camps in Borno State.

    The Theatre Commander regretted that , “It is curious that these allegations were coming at a time the military is at the verge of defeating the menace of Boko Haram Terrorists and bring their criminal activities to a final end”.

    Part of the statement reads; “The attention of the Theatre Commander has been drawn to spurious and malicious allegations of human rights violation in Operation LAFIYA DOLE.

    “The allegation falsely claimed that the Nigerian military is using children below the age of 18 years in the North East to fight Boko Haram. It also said that some boys being detained in Giwa Barracks are being use to cook, as messengers and porters.

    ” This is unfortunate that these allegations are not only untrue but also obviously targeted to malign Nigeria and tarnish the good image of our gallant military that has launched a renewed campaign to bring to an end the menace of terrorism in the country.

    “The persons who made the allegations have seen that the recent results achieved by the Military in decimating the Boko Haram Terrorists is yielding positive result.

    “They are not happy that Nigeria is at the verge of being totally liberated from the scourge of terrorism/insurgency in a very short while,” Gen. Rogers said.

    He also noted that the Military has no history and does not employ any under- age person to fight on its behalf or support it in whatever guise.

    “The Nigerian Military is a thoroughbred professional organization and upholds the fundamental rights of every citizen including children.

    “The Military will not condescend so low to resort to the use of under-age to fight for it. We are an organization that is guided by international best practices in all our undertakings and no amount of blackmail will distract us from our resolve to achieve our mandate of defeating the menace of Boko Haram in the country,” he explained.

    Speaking on the allegations of rape by the military, the Theatre Commander said, it is on record that no military personnel works or is deployed inside the IDP Camp within the Theatre of Operations.

    “The management and operations of such camps is solely the responsibility of the various NGOs working at such facilities and the para-military organizations that provide security at such camps.

    “In a few areas, the military is deployed on the outer perimeter to provide added security to enable workers at the camps to go about their duties without let or hindrance.

    “The military personnel deployed in such areas are under strict instructions not to interfere with activities at such camps but are only there to ensure no harm is brought to workers, IDPs or any person authorized to work in the camp.

    “It is therefore sad and unfortunate that somebody will sit down somewhere and concoct such false, baseless, unfounded and spurious allegation.

    “It is certain that the persons making such allegations are deliberate in their attempts to rubbish the successes achieved so far by the gallant military and will not succeed.

    “In recent times, the activities of the Boko Haram Terrorists have been nipped in the bud and their capacity for coordinated operations has been adequately curtailed.

    “The end of terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria is at the twilight end and enemies of Nigeria and the military are obviously unhappy at the successes and the efforts so far made by the military in the discharge of their responsibilities in the most professional and patriotic manner.

    “We urge the general public to disregard such malicious allegations and continue to support the military to completely rid the country of any act terrorism/insurgency.

    “We assure all well meaning Nigerians that their security, safety and dignity are paramount in our collective effort to bring to a conclusive end, the ménace of Boko Haram.

    “The military has and will remain professional in the discharge of its mandate and will not be distracted by enemies of the country and its military.

    “Consequently upon the foregoing, the following persons working for UNICEF are hereby declared persona non grata in the North East. They are: a. Priscillia Hoveyda. b. Maher Farea. c. Milen Kidane,” Gen. Rogers declared.

    In the mean, a senior staff of UNICEF who spoke on condition of anonymity said “UNICEF is not speaking to the press on the matter. We are trying to resolve the problem at our level. The military is a strategic partner of UNICEF and we cannot engage in a media war with them”.

  • FG tasks stakeholders on sanitation facilities in Yobe schools, IDPs camps

    Alhaji Muhammad Bukar, Director, Water Supply, Ministry of Water Resources, Yobe, has called on all stakeholders to help in the construction of sanitation facilities in public places and schools in the state.

    Bukar made this call when the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Emergency Working Group visited the state on Thursday in Damaturu, Yobe.

    He said the state was in dire need of these facilities to provide succour for the population displaced due to insurgency.

    According to him, a huge number of schools have been merged with little or no access to sanitation facilities, saying the state government cannot do it alone.

    He noted that the schools were congested with some population as high as 6,000 students lacking access to toilets and hand washing facilities.

    “The challenge is higher in the female institutions, they are handicapped, Government Girls in Damaturu, Gazarma, Potiskum, Fika and others are congested secondary schools with little facilities for sanitation.

    “If you can complement our efforts by diverting some of the Federal Government’s project to those places, it will be nice, because these five schools were merged and housed in one place, and the population is more than 6,000, it’s too much, we need support.”

    Bukar said that returning communities also needed to have access to water and sanitation facilities in place to forestall an outbreak of diseases.

    Read Also: Nasarawa, Yobe, Cross River pay highest price for kerosene in March

    The director listed Gulani, Gujba, Damaturu, Tarmuwa, Geidam, Yunusari and Fika as communities in need of immediate interventions, saying although development partners such as UNICEF provided two boreholes, but was presently overstretched as population had increased.

    He said the state government was focused on awareness creation for hygiene promotion in camps to prevent an outbreak of diseases and overall health promotion, saying this was obvious with the monthly dislodging of from waste from the toilets.

    He said the Pompomari IDP camp was being completely monitored though deliberate provision of water and sanitation facilities, adding that the population was high and congested.

    “Initially, the population was over 5,000, the state government provided borehole before insurgency, but when insurgency was high, the facility became overstretched.

    “Now, two boreholes have been added and reticulated to the clinic, primary school, development partners also came to the aid of the state,” he said.

    The WASH in Emergency Group is working to see that Humanitarian responses, especially in the North East reach its target population.

     

  • 240,000 out of school children in Zamfara – UNICEF

    The United Nation Children Education Fund (UNICEF) said it had identified 240,560 out-of-school children in three Local Government Areas of the state.

    The affected local government areas are Bukkuyum, Maradun and Zurmi.

    The Chief of UNICEF in charge of Sokoto Field office, Mohameden Fall disclosed this on Friday in Zurmi at the launching of cash transfer disbursement to parents of affected children under the UNICEF’s Educate A Child (EAC) project.

    He said the number was derived from the household mapping and listing of out-of-school children conducted in 2016 through the state Universal Basic Education Board when the number of out-of-school children was identified in the three LGAs.

    “In Bukkuyum, a total of 93,849 out-of-school children were identified with 41,134 males while 52,715 were females.

    “In Maradun 63,943 were identified with 28,963 males and 34,980 females while Zurmi has a total of 82,768 children with 38,286 males and 82,768 females,” he said.

    Fall also noted that the EAC project was bring funded by Qatar Foundation as personal initiative of Sheikh Nasser of Qatar and implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara state governments.

    According to him, the overall aim of the EAC was to extend the access to quality of basic education for 501, 749 out-of-school children across the four states by 2020.

    “We are targeting to reach out 10,347 in the first phase in Zamfara State, considering the alarming number of out-of-school children in the state.

    “We are calling on the state government to extend this programme to other local government areas,” he said.

    The project was initiated to assist households in sending their children and keeping them in school, in the benefiting communities who will receive an unconditional cash transfer of N8, 000 per child that falls between six and 11 years for the period of two years.

    “Cash transfer is one of the seven strategic interventions under the EAC to enable the government of the target states and UNICEF to reach more out-of-school children,” he said.

    He thanked the state government for the recent award of N1billion contract for school renovation and the release of over N1billion UBE counterpart funding on UNICEF intervention.

    In his remark, the state Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji thanked the UNICEF and Qatar Foundation for initiating the project.

    Birnin-Magaji said that the project was complementing the state government policy of promoting pupils enrollment and enhancement of basic education in the state.

    He said the state government was ready to continue to partner with the UNICEF and other development partners to improve quality education in the state.

    “The state government is committed to enhance teaching and learning in the state, from 2011 to date, we have renovated over 4,000 classrooms to reduce congestion of pupils.

    “We trained over 8,000 teachers and established 50 ICT centers across the primary and junior secondary schools in the state.

    “These efforts have increased our enrollment drive from 283,000 in 2012 to 600,000 as of now”, he said.

    Birnin-Magaji said the plan was one the ways to recruit more teachers and implement N18, 000 minimum wages for primary and junior secondary school teachers in the state.

    Earlier, the state SUBEB Chairman, Murtala Jangebe Commended the State Government and UNICEF for the project, saying that it would increase the pupils’ enrollment in the state.

    Jangebe said 3,449 children have been selected from the 14 communities to benefit from the assistance of N8, 000 under the project per term, per child.

    “We are disbursing N27 million as first phase to beneficiaries from Alawa, Kadage, and Doka communities from the three LGAs of Bukkuyum, Maradun and Zurmi respectively.

    “In each of the selected LGA, one community was chosen for the flag-off as first phase and we are going to continue with the remaining 11 communities”, he said.

    NAN

  • Boko Haram has abducted over 1,000 children in Nigeria since 2013 – UNICEF

    On the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the abduction of over 270 students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday that over 1,000 children have been abducted in the North East by the Boko Haram sect since 2013.

    The figure includes the Chibok girls, a UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, said.

    He said these “repeated attacks against children in schools are unconscionable.”

    Children, particularly young girls, are vulnerable to attacks by the militant group and the agency said they have been “consistently targeted and exposed to brutal violence in their homes, schools and public places.”

    “Children have the right to education and protection, and the classroom must be a place where they are safe from harm,” he stressed.

    He called for an end to “all grave violations of children’s rights” in the North East part of Nigeria.

    The terrorists invaded the school on the night of April 14, 2014 and took away the girls.

    A few of the girls managed to escape from their abductors while many others were released to the Federal Government after intense negotiations with the sect.

    About 100 of them are still in Boko Haram captivity.

    Leader of a Boko Haram faction, Abubakar Shekau, said in a video message that the girls have converted to Islam and have been “married off.”

    Yana Galang, whose daughter Rifkatu is still missing, said she is hopeful her daughter would come back home, according to the cable news network, CNN.