News
Senate Proposes Death Penalty For Child Rape …Says ‘We’re Waiting For Ministerial Nominees’
Worried by the incessant cases of child rape across the country, the Senate, yesterday, moved to frame laws that would make perpetrators face capital punishment.
Moving the motion on Order 42 and 52 of Senate Rules, Senator Rose Oko, representing Cross River North Senatorial District explained that victims of child rape have been on the increase, a situation she said was worrisome, urging the upper chamber to intervene.
“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, I rise on Order 42 and 52 of Senate Rules to explain a very disturbing issue of child rape. Mr. President, I want to say that this matter is alarming and we need to deal with it”, Oko said.
Reacting, Senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Oluremi Tinubu said those indulging in child abuse deserve death penalty.
Tinubu wondered what perpetrators stand to benefit from such heinous acts, adding that, “raping a child is synonymous to killing that child.
“Imagine a child who doesn’t know anything and was raped. If you ask the child victim to stand in law court, what would she tell the judge?”
Corroborating, Senator Sabi Abdulahi, representing Niger North, argued that the Senate must intervene by putting stiffer penalties for perpetrators.
Also speaking, Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege stated that there were enough rape laws, stating that the challenges were those of enforcement and implementation.
According to him, court judges, perhaps, have too much discretion; saying that Senate should review these laws with a view geared towards tying their hands in a manner that they would be forced to pass judgement without deciding otherwise.
“Judges have too much discretion. Even governors too have prerogative of mercy where they visit prison yards and set inmates free.”
In his contribution, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, representing Enugu North Senatorial District, called for psychiatric test on perpetrators of child abuse.
The lawmaker added that the school curriculum should also capture sex education from elementary level to higher institutions.
Adopting the motion, Senate President, Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan upheld the prayers, as well as the review of all relevant laws that would ensure capital punishment for offenders of child abuse.
Part of the payers sustained too was the training of the police and other security agents handling rape cases, while they also urged the public to serve as watchdogs against rape.
However, the Senate, yesterday, said that it was prepared to receive the list of ministerial nominees from the Presidency any time it was submitted.
The upper chamber also said that the apparent delay in the submission of the ministerial list by President Muhammadu Buhari would not prevent senators from embarking on their scheduled annual vacation.
The National Assembly is scheduled to commence its annual vacation at the end of July, 2019.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, who addressed reporters in Abuja, yesterday, said that it was not the duty of the Senate to determine when the ministerial list would be submitted to it.
Adeyeye also said that the Senate was not constitutionally empowered to request for the list from the Presidency.
The Senate, he said, would wait until the president decides to send the list to it.
Adeyeye said: “That is the prerogative of the Executive. We are not going to help them to do their job. The Senate cannot generate the list of ministers on its own.
“It is the prerogative of the president to send his ministerial nominee list to the Senate and when he does that we will consider it.
“That is our constitutional mandate. It is not even within our powers to even advise. We will wait until the matter is transmitted to us.
“The executive are aware of the timetable of the Senate. There is a particular time the Senate will go on recess. That being in mind they should be mindful of when they will carry out this constitutional responsibility.
“That is our constitutional mandate but it is not within our power to even advise or anything, so we will wait until the list is submitted. I will not say anything more than that.
“I don’t think this matter should worry any Nigerian. We are supposed to receive the letter with the list of ministerial nominee transmitted to the Senate.
“If a thing is not my job, why should it worry me? When the list comes to us, Nigerians will look at the time the list arrives here and the time the list is approved.
“Let me tell you one thing, the executive are aware and most Nigerians are aware of the timetable of the Senate.
“There is a particular time of the year when the Senate will go on recess that being in mind, they should be mindful of when to carry out this constitutional responsibility because the Senate itself has its own timetable.
“Like the judiciary is right now on recess, a lot of judges have travelled out except those handling election matters.
“So, in the same way, there will be a time, very soon when the Senate will go in recess.
“I think the Executive are mindful of this to know the timetable of the Senate and it is left to them to adjust to that timetable or not.
“When the matter comes before us, we will look at it and carry out our constitutional responsibility.”
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has sought the confirmation of the Senate for the appointment of Prof Habu Galadima as the substantive Director General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos.
The President of the Senate, Dr Ahmed Lawan read the letter from the President to his colleagues at the plenary, yesterday.
Buhari said his correspondence dated July 9, was backed by Section 8 (5) of the NIPSS Act, which empowers him to forward the name of nominees for the office to Senate for confirmation.
He appealed to the lawmakers to give necessary support that would ensure smooth screening and confirmation of Galadima.
The President noted that he attached a copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae to the letter to further enable the Senate to have more information about him.
It would be recalled that Galadima was born in 1963 at Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
In a similar letter read by the President of the Senate, Buhari also requested the Senate to confirm the appointment of Mr Uba Maska as Executive Director of the National Communication Commission (NCC).
The Federal Government has honoured 12 teachers from across the country with national awards, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening the education sector through improved welfare, incentives, and professional development for teachers.
The awards were presented yesterday at the Nigeria Teachers’ Summit 2026, held in Abuja, where the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, stated that the government would sustain reforms aimed at empowering teachers and restoring dignity to the profession.
Alausa explained that the selection process was transparent and merit-based, with three teachers nominated from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory at both the basic and senior secondary school levels.
From the pool of nominees, 12 teachers; six from basic education and six from senior secondary education, emerged as national award recipients.
Each of the 12 awardees received a cheque of N25m.
The Overall Best Teacher of the Year, Solanke Taiwo from the South-West category, received an additional N25m, bringing his total prize to N50m.
In addition to the cash prize, Taiwo is to receive a brand new car from the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, as well as a fully furnished two-bedroom flat from the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.
Also, the Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, pledged to give each of the award winners an additional N5 million.
The minister described the awardees as exemplifying professionalism, integrity, innovation and dedication to learners, noting that they represent the best of the teaching profession in the country.
“This is more than a reward. It is a national signal that teaching is a noble, respected, and valued profession in Nigeria,” he said.
Speaking at the summit themed ‘Empowering Teachers, Strengthening the System: A National Agenda for Education Transformation and Sustainability,’ the minister said the recognition of the teachers reflected the FG’s broader education reform agenda under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Teachers are the foundation of education, and education is the foundation of national development. No nation can rise above the quality of its teachers.
“No reform, no matter how well designed, can succeed unless teachers are empowered, motivated, supported, and respected,” Alausa said.
He pledged that the government would continue to invest in teachers through structured training, improved career pathways and fair rewards, noting that education remained central to national development.
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, he said, “sustainable development, economic growth, innovation, and social cohesion depend on a strong and responsive education system and that system depends on teachers.”
As part of this commitment, the minister announced the launch of EduRevamp, a nationally coordinated Continuous Professional Development programme designed to modernise teacher training and improve classroom outcomes.
While the programme is open to teachers in both public and private schools, Alausa said performance-based incentives would be reserved for public school teachers who complete certified training.
“Professional growth must never be restricted. Every teacher deserves access to quality training, modern tools, and updated skills,” he said, adding that incentives would be tied to measurable performance.
He also highlighted complementary initiatives, including the Ignite digital platform to reduce teacher workload, the Diaspora Bridge programme to strengthen STEMM education, and the provision of 60,000 tablets for teachers with zero-data access to approved training platforms.
The minister further announced reforms to the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria’s digital platform, the expansion of Communities of Practice, and progress on the Accelerated Teacher Training Programme aimed at fast-tracking professionalisation for in-service teachers.
To provide long-term stability, he said the government had introduced a National Teacher Policy to guide teacher development, welfare and professional standards nationwide.
Addressing the award recipients and other educators at the summit, Alausa described the government’s message as “professional growth, dignity in service, and renewed hope,” urging stakeholders to focus on tangible outcomes in classrooms across the country.
In her welcoming remarks, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, underscored the central role of teachers in Nigeria’s education reform agenda.
Ahmad said the gathering was both timely and strategic, noting that the quality of any education system is inseparable from the quality, motivation and empowerment of its teachers.
She explained that the theme aligns directly with Nigeria’s current education priorities.
According to her, investing in teachers is the bedrock of sustainable reform and national development.
“Empowering teachers is not an isolated intervention; it is the foundation upon which sustainable education reform is built.
“When teachers are supported, trained, motivated, and valued, the entire system is strengthened, learning outcomes improved, equity expands, and national development is accelerated,” she said.
Describing the summit as a strategic national platform, Ahmad said it was designed to unite key stakeholders to address challenges in the education sector and advance practical reforms.
She noted that the forum brings together teachers, policymakers, education leaders, regulators, unions, development partners and private sector actors to strengthen teaching and learning outcomes nationwide.
In his goodwill message, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Audi Amba, described the summit as a historic milestone in the recognition of teachers’ roles in national development.
Nigeria’s education sector has continued to grapple with longstanding challenges, particularly around teacher welfare, access to regular professional development, classroom capacity and infrastructure.
These issues have raised concerns among stakeholders about the quality of teaching and learning in many public schools. At the same time, industrial actions by education unions in recent years have further highlighted the pressures facing educators nationwide.
The Rivers State Government has declared that it draws its confidence from the assurance that God is more than sufficient to guide its leaders, strengthen its institutions, and sustain its communities in peace and progress.
?
?Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, made this declaration during the 2026 Holy Ghost Rally organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, on Sunday.
?
?Speaking through his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, the governor stated that “with the Almighty God on our side, our challenges are surmountable and our future remains hopeful,” noting that the theme of this year’s rally, “The All-Sufficient God,” is both timely and reassuring.
?
This was contained in a statement from the office of the Deputy Governor, signed by the Head of Press, ?Owupele Benebo.
?According to Fubara, the theme serves as a powerful reminder that in a world filled with uncertainty, God remains our unfailing source, sufficient in wisdom, strength, provision, and grace.
He stressed that when human ability reaches its limit, God’s sufficiency prevails.
?
?The governor commended the Redeemed Christian Church of God for its consistent spiritual impact and unwavering prayers for Rivers State and the nation, expressing appreciation for the Church’s contributions to promoting moral values, unity, and faith in God.
?
?In his sermon, drawn from Genesis 17:1, the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, described the Almighty God, whose name is above every other name, as all-sufficient and capable of meeting every human need.
?
?He noted that the God who created all things also has the power to repair and restore them.
?
?Adeboye explained that while human effort, including medical intervention, may reach its limits, there comes a point where only God steps in to turn situations around, bringing hope where none seemed possible.
?
?In his address, the Pastor in charge of the Rivers Family of the RCCG, Pastor Adesoji Oni, stated that the Port Harcourt Holy Ghost Rally, which began in 2015 and has now become an annual event, has been a tremendous blessing to the people of the State.
?
Adesoji noted that the rally has drawn thousands of souls to God while impacting lives spiritually and physically.
?
?He further disclosed that the Church has gone beyond preaching the gospel to actively engage in impactful initiatives through its Christian Social Responsibility programmes.
?
?These include skills acquisition centres, maternity centres across the State, a rehabilitation centre for persons battling substance abuse, and an Innovative Mind Hub.
-
Niger Delta4 days agoPDP Declares Edo Airline’s Plan As Misplaced Priority
-
Sports4 days agoSimba open Nwabali talks
-
Nation4 days agoHoS Hails Fubara Over Provision of Accommodation for Permanent Secretaries
-
Niger Delta4 days ago
Students Protest Non-indigene Appointment As Rector in C’River
-
Niger Delta4 days ago
Stakeholders Task INC Aspirants On Dev … As ELECO Promises Transparent, Credible Polls
-
Rivers5 days ago
Fubara Restates Continued Support For NYSC In Rivers
-
Oil & Energy4 days agoNUPRC Unveils Three-pillar Transformative Vision, Pledges Efficiency, Partnership
-
News5 days agoDiocese of Kalabari Set To Commence Kalabari University