The Nation Newspaper

Tag: violence

  • Post-2015 polls violence looms, Akinyemi warns

    Post-2015 polls violence looms, Akinyemi warns

    A former minister has warned of a looming “horrendous violence” after next February’s general election.

    Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, a former minister of External Affairs, in a December 16 letter to President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, urged the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to sign an undertaking to rein in their supporters after the election.

    Akinyemi, who served during the military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, was the deputy chairman of the National Conference organised by President Jonathan, whose recommendations are yet to be implemented.

    Akinyemi recalled that he warned the then National Security Adviser (NSA), the late Gen Patrick Aziza, that violence “on a massive scale “would trail the results of the 2011 general elections.”

    But he expressed regrets that his “conflict-controlled” measures were ignored. “We are back at the same crossroads again, except this time is more precarious and dangerous than the last time,” he added.

    For the 2015 polls, Akinyemi said: “The certainty of violence is higher than it was in 2011. If President Jonathan wins, the North will erupt into violence as it did in 2011. If Gen. Buhari wins, the Niger Delta will erupt into violence.” I don’t believe that we need rocket science to make this prediction.”

    The reason he gave for the impending violence is the “illegal massive importation of weapons into the country, which has reached such alarming proportions that I really wonder which is better armed, the militia on one hand or the official armed forces on the other hand”.

    The international affairs expert recalled the “very notorious prediction from the United States semi-official sources that the world is expecting a cataclysmic meltdown of the Nigerian nation come 2015.”

    Besides, he added that: “there are states and movements out there, Africans and non-Africans, which do not mean well for the Nigerian state, which wish Nigeria to dissolve into a theatre of bloodshed, gore and instability”. “They will succeed if we continue the politics of making enemies of ourselves and friends of our enemies.”

    To prevent the disaster he predicted, Akinyemi suggested that frontline traditional rulers – the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir of Kano, the Lamido of Adamawa from the North, the Ooni of Ife and the Oba of Benin from the South; elder statesman Chief Emeka Anyaoku; religious leaders Pastor Enoch Adeboye and Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and ex-Heads of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar – should facilitate a pre-election meeting between the candidates, the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and act as a Council of Wisemen to assist in managing the post-election conflicts.

    According to Akinyemi, the recommended MoU should commit the candidates to “a civil and peaceful campaign, devoid of threats; a commitment to control their supporters after the elections; and that supporters of whoever loses should be entitled to peaceful protests but not to violent protests”.

  • ‘Shield women from violence’

    ‘Shield women from violence’

    The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit, has called on the United Nations and Amnesty International to help in curbing violence against women, particularly young girls.

    A statement by MSSN Amir (President), Alhaji Kaamil Kalejaiye, praised the United Nations General Assembly for setting aside a day to create awareness on violence against women, even as he urged government at all levels to respect the rights of every citizen, especially women and girls.

    Kalejaiye said: “As a Muslim student organisation, we commend the UN for setting aside a day like this to address violence against women. In recent times, there have been different violations against women more than ever before. Women are subjected to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence; and it is unfortunate that most of them go unreported.

    “We also have cases of school girls being subjected to harassment because they want to exercise their religious rights as entrenched in the Nigerian Constitution. We have on record, many cases of these victimisations which were orchestrated by the government. It is sad that the perpetrators of these inhuman and barbaric acts have not been brought to book.”

    The MSSN leader recalled that on February 5, last year, Aisha Alabi (15), a JSS II student of Kadara Junior High School, Ebute Metta Lagos was given 43 strokes of the cane on the assembly ground by her Principal, Mrs. E.C Ukpaka just because Aisha did not remove her hijab after her Islamic Religious Knowledge class, where it is ordinarily permitted to adorn the hijab.

    “The same year,” he said, “another student, Bareerah Tajudeen of Mafoloku Senior Grammar School, Oshodi had her hijab removed and trampled upon by her Principal, Mrs. Elizabeth Omidele, outside the school premises.

    The action led to the suspension of the student who was said to be preparing for her Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).”

    Kalejaiye urged Amnesty International and other relevant agencies to investigate the abuses, and punish the culprits accordingly.

    He said the significance of the event will be defeated if appropriate authorities fail to collectively fight persecution against women, especially the young ones.

    “Women’s rights are of fundamental importance to every society. Just like their male counterparts, the women also have rights to live and exercise their God-given rights,” he said.

  • The ABC of Ibadan violence

    SIR: For the residents of Oke-Ado in the heart of Ibadan, Oyo State, as well as those living in the Born Photo-Popoyemeja-Idi Arere axis of the ancient city, Friday, November 21 and Sunday, November 23, are days they would never forget in a hurry. On those two days, hell was let loose and the peace which had been reigning in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, since the advent of the Abiola Ajimobi administration, was shattered.

    At Oke-Ado, what was supposed to be a peaceful rally by the All Progressives Congress (APC) party to be addressed by the governor as part of his tour of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of the state was hijacked by hoodlums.  Governor Ajimobi, who had gone round 32 local government areas in the state, was billed to visit the last council area on Friday, November 21 to round off the tour. As it had been done in other local governments, APC leaders, party faithful, various organizations and ordinary members of the public had converged on Liberty Road Junction and amidst singing and dancing, were waiting for the governor who had earlier on that day visited Ido Local Government Area.

    Suddenly, gunshots started booming from a part of the rally venue; hoodlums went on the prowl and the music came to an abrupt end as everybody started running for dear lives. By the time the dust settled, a police inspector, who was among the policemen deployed to maintain law and order at the rally venue, had been shot dead while another one and scores of other people sustained varying degrees of injuries and were quickly rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

    As if that was not enough, the city also witnessed violence again at the Born Photo-Popoyemeja-Idi Arere community early on Sunday, November 23, leaving many people injured and property worth millions of Naira destroyed. The area boys, according to reports, arrived the area in the wee hours of that day, shooting sporadically and forcing their way into people’s houses, robbing them of their valuables. They were said to have destroyed any property on sight, including cars and tricycles parked on the street.

    Since the incidents occurred, there have been accusations and counter-accusations, with APC pointing fingers at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party (AP) as the masterminds of the crises while the two parties have been fighting tooth and nail to distance themselves from the ugly development. APC has even gone a step further by calling on the state police command to carry out thorough investigations to unravel those behind the mayhem.

    Whoever could have been the masterminds, the fact still remains that thuggery, violence and brigandage, which used to characterize the Ibadan metropolis before the restoration of peace by the Ajimobi administration, are gradually creeping back into the ancient city. The fact is that the agents of violence, who had been in limbo since 2011, have cashed in on the race for the 2015 general elections to renew their violence.

    If for anything, one thing that the present administration in Oyo State is identified with is peace and tranquility which Governor Ajimobi has on several occasions described as the bedrock of the unprecedented development that the state has witnessed in recent time. As a result of the peaceful atmosphere, several local and foreign investors have berthed in the state to partner the government in bring development. The resultant effect is the springing up of firms in all the nooks and crannies of the state, while government itself has also not wavered in the execution of people-oriented projects across the state.

    It therefore, behoves on the people of Oyo State to rise up collectively and say no to violence in whatever form. They should, without any hesitation, tell the agents of darkness and enemies of progress who are sworn to do everything they could to truncate the current peace, to steer clear of the state. Never again should the people of Oyo State allow the power mongers to hijack the state and return it to the path of retrogression. The police should also not shirk their responsibilities of going on the trail of the brigands and their godfathers. It is only by doing these that the state can continue to witness more development in an atmosphere devoid of violence and brigandage.

    • Sola Animasahun

    Ibadan, Oyo State.

  • Women Arise handled 2000 gender-based violence cases in two years, says activist

    As the world began this year’s 16-day activism against Gender-based Violence, President, Women Arise, Dr. Josephine Odumakin disclosed that her organization recorded 2, 000 of such cases between January 2013 and this month.

    It was at a seminar organised by the United States Public Affairs Department in collaboration with Acts Generation and Women Arise.

    Dr. Odumakin stated that of the about 12000 recorded cases since the inception of her organisation, only two was against men whose wives usually beat them.

    Noting that violence against women was a universal phenomenon, with no restriction on social or economic status, Odumakin said that such violence ranges from physical, sexual, psychological and economic.

    She stated that over 59 percent of women have at least once in their life time experienced physical violence; with up to 50 percent of sexual assaults committed against girls under 16 years.

    “Approximately 100 to 140 million girls and women in the world have experienced female genital mutilation with more than three million girls in Africa annually at risk of the practice.

    “In many regions of the world longstanding customs put considerable pressure on women to accept abuse. Over 60 million girls worldwide are child brides, married before the age of 18; primarily in South Asia (31,3 million) and sub-Saharan African (14.1 million),” she said.

    Noting that women who marry early are more likely to be beaten or threatened, Odumakin said violence and abuse characterize married life for many of the child brides.

    She urged victims of violence to speak out as condoning the evil won’t help anyone.

    According to Odumakin, Education, contribution, support for victims are among actions that can be taken towards minimizing the trauma of affected persons.

    In her address, US Deputy Consular, Mrs. Dehab Ghebreab said the theme of this year’s celebration “from peace in the home to peace in the world: focus on the links of gender based violence and militarism”, was chosen in order to critically analyse some negative results emanating from issues of domestic abuse.

  • Ngo campaigns against violence in Warri

    The streets of Warri  were agog with songs and dances as hundreds of youths participated in a road-show floated to promote peaceful engagement of the political class by youths as the next general elections approach.

    The road-show, which was put together by the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), took off from the Okere Road axis of the metropolis, paraded through many streets and terminated at the Redeemer Catholic Church hall at Airport Junction, where a town-hall meeting was held with stakeholders.

    Speaking on the target of the activity, the Assistant Programme Manager of the SDN, which is under the Niger Delta Legacy Engagement, Mrs Brenda Bepe, said the event was particularly organised to sensitise the youths towards peaceful engagement, especially in matters concerning the upcoming elections.

    Also speaking, the Programme Analyst, (Monitoring and Evaluation) of the SDN, Oludare Oresanya, said the Warri event was the second in Delta state, as one had been held about two weeks back in Adagbrassa-Ugolo in Okpe council area of Delta state.

    According to the organisers, SDN had been involved in a project of changing the narrative of the Niger Delta from that of violence and criminality hitherto held by the outside world, through empowerment and constructive engagement.

    “These roads show is to send our message of peace across that people should embrace peace, especially looking at the upcoming 2015 elections, we are trying to tell the people to engage their government through peaceful means, not involving violence. It is about community mobilization. We want to move the Niger Delta forward through mass mobilisation.

    “As a matter of fact, Stakeholder Democracy Network is a proud organisation with over a decade-long history of working with communities in the Niger Delta, particularly on changing the narrative of violence, empowering communities to engage in civic, constructive collaborative mechanisms with their governments. What we have done, thanks especially to the United States’ government, is to provide a platform to change the narrative of violence, especially among the youths in the Niger Delta.

    “The Dawn in the Creeks is trying to change the narrative about the Niger Delta; we want people to talk about positive things about the Niger Delta, we want to change the discussion from violence pays to peace and we are engaged in different activities to achieve this.

    “We have trained 21 film makers from the three core Niger Delta states; Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers and from these three states we trained seven persons each from Nembe in Bayelsa, Erema in Rivers and Ozoro in Delta.

    “We have done several different engagements, currently we are doing community reporting, young people in the community have been given media training to empower them to report from their communities things that are working and things that are not working and also to engage with government,” Oresanya said.

  • Kogi’s antidote for violence

    Kogi’s antidote for violence

    How is Kogi State responding to violence and other social challenges in the state?

    It is providing jobs for youths, reasoning that their joblessness is much to blame for the vices.

    The state’s Youths Advancement and Development for Kogi (YAD4KOGI) introduced in September 2012 is seen to be making a difference. It encompasses training in skills, sporting activities and environmental cleaning exercises, among others.

    The result is that more and more idle hands are engaged in productive activities, culminating in a more peaceful environment.

    There are several other spin-offs from the jobs scheme. The programme has generated  employment opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths and reduced rural-urban drift, in addition to creating wealth for the people. It has also helped to thin down thuggish behaviour and youth restiveness in the confluence state.

    In keeping with its mission to positively manage the zeal and energies of the youths, the beneficiaries are usually subjected to a two-week training exercise to ensure a disciplined lifestyle. The training which covers morning drills and parade, environmental cleaning exercise, lectures and sporting activities in the evenings, is targeted at secondary and primary school leavers and school dropouts. The trainees are issued uniforms and other kits. They are trained to carry out environmental sanitation in their various local governments, their activities including complementing the state sanitation and waste management board. The state government wants a clean state.

    The public works component of the YAD4KOGI programme has engaged and empowered about 10, 000 youths as direct beneficiaries in the 21 local government areas of the state with more enrolment on a quarterly basis. The volunteers are encouraged to spend the remaining part of the day acquiring skills.

    The trainees suffer the scorching heat, but many say it well worth it and the sacrifice of the past one year is yielding harvest. The youths have been undergoing skill acquisition training for the past one year, courtesy of the YAD4KOGI. When the organizsers decided on a military-like graduation ceremony for them, they were well prepared. They were trained at Ashaya, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of the state, receiving a stipend of N7000 monthly.

    The state governor, Capt. Idris Wada, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Pastor Tayo Aremu expressed happiness that the programme initiated two years back was achieving the desired result of addressing youth unemployment and reducing poverty to its barest minimum in the state. The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to “youth training for economic development and self-esteem”. He promised continuous government support and patronage for the participants even after their training and skills acquisition programme.

    Yemisi Omotonose, one of the trainees, said that the exercise will change her for good. Yemisi who said she hails from Ijumu area of the state, said: “Before my coming here I had almost lost hope but things have now changed and very soon I am going to establish on my own. I have acquired skills in the making of confectionaries, and by the grace of God I will start my own business together with my sister. I will not be a burden to anybody and I can even support the husband that I will marry in future. Before now, some of my friends were making jest of me saying how can I be taking part in YAD4KOGI after finishing secondary school education. But now level has changed and they are having a rethink. Competition is now stiffer and they all want to join”. Abdullahi Safu, another beneficiary of the training said “I am good to go now, and my plan is to work and make money, while at the same time using the money of my handiwork to further my education career at the College of Education. I have learnt a lot and I don’t intend to waste the opportunity”.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Women Development, Mrs. Temitope Sinkaye said the graduation of the 1090 participants brings the total number of those trained under the scheme to 7,731 males and females. She said “Within the last two weeks participants had the rare opportunity of acquiring various skills of their choice. This skills includes shoe cobbling, beads production, ear ring production, ladies’ handbag production and hat production. This effort is geared towards ensuring that these youths become self-reliant and eventually employers of labour upon their exit from this programme. I wish to bring to Your Excellency’s attention that technical skills have been incorporated into the training activities. At this junction, I wish to reiterate the basic philosophy behind this programme. YAD4KOGI programme is not just about equipping youths for economic development but to rebuild self-esteem in the youths and to re-invent in them the dignity of labour, discipline, as well as ethnic and cultural values. This programme has been a veritable tool in fostering unity and promoting peaceful co-existence in the state, in addition to providing a rare opportunity for youths to interact with each other from different tribes, religions and background.”

     

  • Fighting violence with jobs in Ebonyi

    Fighting violence with jobs in Ebonyi

    It is just as well that jobs are proving far more effective in fighting crime than bullets.

    In Okposi, a community in Ebonyi State, armed youths were once daily terrors. They spilled blood, killing many and maiming others. Quite a number of residents fled their community for dear life. Some others would not risk coming home. Properties worth millions of naira were destroyed. The youths simply ran wild in the community located in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.

    It was alleged that the anarchy was perpetrated by youths loyal to the then coordinator of Okposi Development Centre, who was accused of recruiting some boys said to be members of various cult groups to maintain control of the area for his godfather.

    The former coordinator always denied it, but the perceptions stuck, as did the mayhem.

    According to reports, the godfather, who hails from a neighbouring town in the local government, had nominated the coordinator for the position in order to use him to fight his political enemy who is from Okposi, all in a bid to control the local government area ahead of the 2015 polls.

    But the situation was said to have got out of control for the coordinator, culminating in his sack by Governor Martin Elechi a few months later. He was replaced by Nze Magnus Eze, a renowned journalist and public relations practitioner.

    Nze Eze immediately swung into action with his Mezia Okposi (develop Okposi) movement to reclaim Okposi community.

    While his peace initiatives led to the return of normalcy in the area, his administration discovered that there was a high level of unemployed youths in the community who can easily be used to foment trouble.

    What did he do next? He put together a comprehensive skills package aimed at taking idle youths off the streets. It worked like magic. Many of the youths became gainfully employed.

    Recently, the second batch of the jobs scheme started with the training of youths in various technical and domestic vocations, including aluminum fabrication, telecommunication, hair dressing, auto electrical, electrical fabrication, fine arts, decoration, mason and bricklaying, fishery and poultry and catering, among others.

    Of late, the centre held a formal inauguration of its Youth Capacity Building and Empowerment Programme (YCABEP), at its Okposi headquarters.

    The 35 beneficiaries of the programme were also enrolled into the programme the same day.

    Speaking at the inauguration, Nze Eze noted that the first batch of 15 beneficiaries had already begun their training in partnership with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).

    He further said 35 new beneficiaries would be trained and sponsored by the centre, adding that the training and resettlement of all the 50 beneficiaries will cost about N10 million.

    He said: “We are committed to extending the frontiers of result-based governance which the current administration represents. Therefore, in furtherance of the Chief Martin Elechi administration’s commitment to wealth creation and mitigation of our recent history where youth restiveness ravaged the community, Okposi Development Centre is officially instituting a well-mapped-out skill acquisition programme for the youth.

    “A recent data from the centre revealed that the number of youths who are desirous to acquire skills rose to 768.

    “However, as daunting as the challenge of youth unemployment might seem, we are determined to confront the situation within the limit of available resources. We are therefore pleased to announce to you that 35 people would be benefiting from the first batch of the skill acquisition/empowerment programme.

    “As part of the programme’s components, the development centre would also re-settle each trainee on successful completion of the programme with a minimum grant of N100, 000 or its equivalent in tools/equipment. The support at the completion of the training would enable the beneficiaries to start small businesses to be able to create wealth and employment opportunities.

    “While the training lasted, the trainees are also entitled to monthly stipends ranging from N5, 000 to N10, 000.

    “It is important to mention here that the programme will cost the centre about N10 million in 12 months.

    “Three persons who were trained through our partnership with the NDE in May are already doing well for themselves while 10 other people who began in August are currently undergoing similar training. The 10 beneficiaries comprising six males and four females are being trained in welding; aluminum fabrication, printing, catering, auto electrical and electrical installation, among others.

    “We are totally averse to giving out hand-outs to the youth in the name of youth empowerment. Instead, we strongly believe that the best way to go in this circumstance is the Chinese approach of ‘teaching a child how to fish, so that he could go fishing by himself.’

    “This noble path is the most ideal; it does not only engender self-reliance, but it is also sustainable. Our target in the Youth Capacity Building and Empowerment Programme is that, at least 100 youths from Okposi Development Centre would be trained and fully equipped and empowered before the end of Governor Martin Elechi’s administration next year.

    “We are not under any illusion that this programme may encounter some challenges; hence we have designed some safety valves whereby the administrators will, through monitoring and evaluation, tackle such challenges.

    “We believe that a reputable financial institution such as First Bank Plc that serves as bankers to this programme will bring their expertise to bear in making it a huge success.”

    Inaugurating the programme, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Celestine Nwali, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. P.C. I. Umoke, said the programme was timely.

    His words: “I am particularly thrilled by what I have seen today. That a development centre is embarking on this kind of laudable programme to empower our youths and remove them from the streets is quite commendable.

    “It is very auspicious because the coordinator understood that the white collar jobs are nowhere to be found; hence he has packaged this programme to engender self-reliance and create wealth among the youth of Okposi.

    “Coming from your recent experience earlier this year, when the youth of the area caused all manner of crises, there is no doubt that this programme is very timely. There is a popular saying that an idle man is devil’s workshop; so I believe that the beneficiaries of this programme would not be tools for any form of social vices again in life.

    “As for the trainees, I urge you to take this programme very serious because your life and future depend on it. You are lucky to have a man who thinks deeply about your well-being.

    “With the thorough manner the programme is packed; involving the National Directorate of Employment and a financial institution like First Bank; I have no doubt that it would bear good result. We are prepared to partner with the NDE at a larger scale to create jobs and wealth for our people.

    “Let me assure you Mr. Coordinator that the ministry will give you any kind of assistance you may require because this is not a small project. Please, don’t hesitate to come to us in case you need any assistance.”

    In her remarks, Mrs. Ngozi Ihenacho, state coordinator of NDE, urged the coordinator to ensure that the trainees are adequately monitored after they are settled.

    She said: “We, at the National Directorate of Employment, have found a good partner in the Coordinator of Okposi Development Centre. I must confess that the Coordinator has uncommon passion for his people and that is why we are partnering with the development centre to create jobs and empower the youth of the area.

    “So far, 15 youths from this centre are benefiting from our various training programmes.

    “With what I have seen today, we will continue to assist the centre in training and empowering the youth. We will always consider your area in any opportunities we have.

    “I urge the trainees to be very committed and ensure that they do not toy with this golden opportunity you have offered them.

    “My advice is that in resettling them at the successful completion of the programme; do not give them cash. We have the experience that when you give trainees cash, it is usually subject to misuse.

    “So, in settling them, provide them with tools and equipments. Don’t give them cash”

  • Church condemns Boko Haram’s violence

    The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion has said the seemingly endless activities of the Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast and other parts of the country are worrisome.

    It therefore urged government at all levels to address the situation to avoid further escalation.

    The Omu-Aran Diocese in Irepodun Local Government Area Kwara State spoke at the end of its second session of the second Synod.

    In a  communiqué issued at the end of the Synod, the church condemned “in strong terms, the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents which have caused so much suffering to Nigerians, even as it called on government, the armed forces and other security agencies and all Nigerians to unite in order to prevent the activities of the group from spreading.”

    On the 2015 general elections, the church urged politicians and electorate to imbibe the culture of love, integrity and the fear of God before, during and after the elections.

    It listed corruption, assassinations, terrorism and kidnapping as some of the vices militating against the country’s growth and development, adding that churches and mosques cannot be exonerated from corruption which has pervaded every aspect of the Nigerian society.

    The church further said the trend is capable of preventing the country from achieving the much-needed political and economic development.

    It added that the root causes of these vices are “wicked hearts from the high and low places.” It called for purity of hearts, love and godly living among Nigerians.

    The communiqué which was jointly signed by the Diocesan Bishop and Chairman, Communiqué  Committee, Rt Rev. Philip Adeyemo and Sir J.S Bamgboye reads: “The Synod notes the high level of corruption in the country, which if not arrested will deprive us from realising our potential as a great country, and make people lose confidence in us as a people. The Synod therefore calls on government at all levels and all stakeholders to rise up and wage total war against the cankerworm.

    “The Synod notes with concern the infiltration of doctrines that are inconsistent with the faith of the founding fathers in our mission schools in the state and calls on the state government to accede to the current agitation of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kwara state branch.

    “The Synod notes with satisfaction the synergy between the federal, Lagos and Rivers State governments in defeating the Ebola scourge and commends the sacrificial and professional roles played by our health workers in containing the scourge. Synod also prays that God will grant the families of those who died in the process the fortitude to bear the loss.

  • Violence, logistics mar Delta LG polls

    Violence, logistics mar Delta LG polls

    IT was tales of violence, thuggery, voter apathy and lapses in logistics delivery during the local government elections held across the 25 local council areas in Delta on Saturday.

    The Nation observed that late arrival of election materials was common across the central and Southern districts of the state, as screening of eligible voters in most places visited did not commence until after 12pm.

    There were also reports of skirmishes and destruction of properties in some parts of the state following alleged snatching of election materials.

    In Ughelli South, Uwvie, Warri South, Udu, Okpe, Sapele, Warri South West, Ughelli North Ethiope West and East, Isoko South and North council areas of the state, materials had not arrived most polling booths when our correspondent visited the areas.

    In Koko, the headquarters of Warri North council area, there were reports of violence between members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which left several persons injured, with not less than 12 cars vandalised.

    Our correspondent gathered that trouble started when some persons, suspected to be political thugs working for the PDP, snatched election materials and were resisted by members of the APC.

    At Effunrun, the headquarters of Uvwie council area of the state, the campaign office of an APC governorship aspirant, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, was set on fire by those suspected to PDP thugs.

    In some other parts of Uvwie, there were reports of attacks on members of the APC, who were reportedly beaten and tied up by thugs allegedly working on the instructions of some PDP members.

    In Okpe-Olomu, Ughelli South council area, materials were still not available as at 11:23am, even as people were seen going about their normal businesses. At a community market, people who spoke with The Nation said they were not voting because there was no reason for it.

    Materials arrived Ughelli North council area for distribution at about 11:44am in Olomoro Wards 4, 6 and 7, as people were seen in groups waiting for materials to arrive as at 12:40pm.

    At Olomoro and Irri, both in Isoko South council area of the state, angry electorate reportedly seized materials and destroyed them.

    There had been allegations at Irri that despite the arrival of materials at about 1:30pm, election process could not commence because of the absence of security agents to supervise the distribution process and to prevent possible hijack of materials.

    In Aviara, Ward 3, unit six of Isoko South, voting was yet to start at about 1:45pm. Meanwhile, just a few metres away, from unit 6, the collation centre was still packed with electoral officers, who were collecting materials for their units.

    At Oyede, Ward 1 of Isoko North, the collation centre was still packed with expectant electoral officers and party agents waiting for their materials to be distributed to them at about 2:06pm.

    At Ivrogbor-Irri, Isoko South, electoral officers were still screening eligible voters at about 2:30pm.

    Late arrival of sensitive materials and voter apathy yesterday marred local government polls in some parts of Delta State.

    In Asaba, the state capital, many voters shunned voting centres and opted to stay indoors during the period of election.

    Although voting took place in many polling centres in Oshimili South/North local government areas, there was a low turnout of voters.

    But at a polling centre located at Ozoigwe Primary School in Asaba, there was a huge turnout of voters, while voting and accreditation of voters went on peacefully.

    Voting at the Anglican Girls Grammar School also in the state capital took place without hitches, although accreditation stretched till about 1.30 p.m when actual voting should have started.

    In Aniocha South council area, sensitive materials arrived at about 12.30 p.m. when accreditation should have ended, with many eligible voters having waited in vain for election to commence left in disgust as election materials failed to arrive on time.

    However, there was violence at Okpe council area after some unidentified thugs reportedly set fire on a bus filled with election materials.

    Violence also characterised the conduct of the polls in Delta South and Delta central senatorial districts areas.

    The Nation gathered that there were protests in Delta South and Central senatorial districts over the alleged disappearance of result sheets from the election materials.

    In Koko, Warri North LGA of Delta South, over 10 ten persons were said to have sustained injuries, while no fewer than 20 vehicles of various brands were vandalised when fighting broke out.

    Trouble started when a prominent chief allegedly led thugs to unleash mayhem on members of the community who had insisted on inspecting election materials before being distributed to the various units.

    According to a source, there was anxiety that the materials might have been tampered with in favour of a particular political party.

    A voter in the area, Anunu Esimaje, described the election as a sham, saying that he was a victim of the violence.

    He said, “This is no election; some people used security men to intimidate and molest voters. Even thugs came here to harass and molest our people in the presence of security operatives. Now they have taken the materials away.”

    But in a swift reaction, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the community, Mike Diden, said the election was peaceful despite the initial hiccups. He praised the security agencies for living up to expectation.

    Diden exonerated PDP loyalists from the violence, saying that one of the opposition parties had imported thugs into the town to cause confusion and ensure that the exercise did not hold.

    Meanwhile, thousands of passengers were left seething with anger as military men and police shut down the state while the election lasted.

    The lockdown followed a directive by the state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, that movement of people should be restricted from 8am to 3pm.

    The governor said the move was part of security measures taken to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

    Findings, however, revealed that the lockdown led to endless wait at border towns to the annoyance of passengers and motorists.

    The Nation gathered that major points in and out of the state were effectively closed by stern-faced police and military personnel who said they were under instruction not to allow anybody in or out of the state.

    Our checks revealed that the bridges across the Niger River at Patani and Asaba were blocked by soldiers, forcing hundreds of travellers passing through the state to Edo, Lagos and Northern states to remain in Onitsha and Bayelsa.

    Also, travellers going to Port Harcourt and other South-South states through Benin City, the Edo State capital, were stopped at Koko-Ugbenu junction.

    Among those stranded in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state, were members of the Eyeta family who were on their way to Benin City to attend the wedding ceremony of their brother, Monday.

    One of the disappointed travellers told our reporter, “I was hurrying to Benin but when I got to Effurun Roundabout at about 8 am, some wicked soldiers refused to let us pass. But they allowed politicians using military men as escort to pass but they would not allow ordinary civilians to go through.”

  • UN, others seek end to violence against female children

    The International Day of Girl-Child 2014 was marked last Saturday across the world, reports ADEBISI ONANUGA

    The future of the girl-child was the subject of discussion at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos to mark this year’s International Day of Girl-Child.

    The event which held at the Assemblies of God Church, Lagos District, Adenubi Close, off Toyin Street, Ikeja was organised by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos in collaboration with International Charitable Initiative for Girl-Child and Woman Development Foundation (ICI-GWODEF) and Missionettes Department of the Assemblies of God, Lagos District.

    It had the theme: “Empowering Adolscents Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence.”

    As the issue of the girl child continues to be at the fore of discussion, the Secretary General of the United Nations(UN), Mr. Bank Ki Moon urged governments to take action to end all forms of violence against girls in all parts of the world.Ki Moon, whose keynote address to the world was delivered in Nigeria by the Senior Public Information Officer, Envera Selimovic, emphasised that there was need to create a world where violence against women and girls is never tolerated and girls are empowered to reach their full potentials.

    “To end this cycle of violence against adolescent girls, we must go beyond raising awareness and take action to equip girls with knowledge, skills, resources and power to determine their own path of life.

    “We must provide them with safe transport, access to sources of energy and water, quality health services and supportive environments that will allow them to thrive”, he stated.

    The UN Secretary General lamented that “all over the world, an alarming number of adolescent girls are assaulted, beaten, raped, mutilated and even murdered.”

    “The threat of violence at the hands of family members, partners, teachers and peers grossly violates their rights, diminishes their power and suppresses their potential”.

    He noted that a culture of impunity allows violence against adolescent girls to continue unabated.

    He counseled leaders across the world that as they define their post-2015 development framework and review progess achieved under the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, how to end gender violence and promote the empowerment of girls and women must be at the heart of global agenda.

    Founder, ICI-GWODEF, Mrs. Helen Ibeji in her address, urged the Federal Government to hasten up and ensure that the Chibog girls are returned to their families safely.

    “When they are finally back, government should set up mechanisms for rehabilitation of these girls into the society”, Ibeji said.

    The founder of the ICI-GWODEF counseled parents, guardians, care givers to give more opportunities to their girls so that they will achieve their goals in life.

    She also urged school authorities not to encourage violence in and around schools, adding that school related gender-related violence is a human rights issue and also a barrier to learning.

    As they join the world to celebrate the day, Ibeji urged everybody to bear in mind that the life of the girl-child of today is the nation’s future adding, “she being an asset of inestimable value should be treated well just like other children.”

    She announced that a book, “Girl- Child Education in Nigeria: The Legal Perspective” which was authored and published by the foundation has been approved by the Lagos State government during the 2014 book review for use of secondary school students.