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Gender Violence: NUJ Urges Govts To Establish Social Courts
The President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mr Chris Isiguzo, yesterday urged government at all levels to establish social courts for gender violence in the country.
Isiguzo made the call in Abuja during a one-day training for gender reporters and activists on ”How to Report Sexual and Gender Based violence in the society.
He also criticized the practice of cross-dressers, adding that the act was becoming rampant and unbearable in the society.
According to him, it has become necessary that government at all levels must establish social courts for the trial of people that are involved in any form of violence in the society.
“The establishment will make it easier for violent issues to be attended to at the right time.
“If we continue to leave it to the open courts, of course, we all know how we go about with our judicial system in the country.
“Maybe we will start the case today and end it in the next 20 years and by that time the essence of the trial in the first place would have been defeated.
“That is why it is important that we have the courts just like tribunal courts; when we do election, we have such tribunals that election matters will be attended to.
“So, the social courts will be able to handle these violent cases.
“There is another thing that is becoming a dangerous threat and we seem to be overlooking it.
“It is the issue of cross-dressers. It is becoming a major challenge to us today.
“If you go through the social media today you will see one man that is so much in a hurry to transform to a woman and if they tell you what they went through, you will be so amazed.
“Therefore, National Association of Women of Journalists (NAWOJ) must engage on strong crusades to fight against this terrible act.
“It is very sad, we cannot continue like this because if we keep harboring this act, in the next 10 years, all men will now aspire to become women.
“The result at the end is going to be dangerous to our society,’’ he said.
The president advised the participants to pay attention to enable them to acquire better knowledge on how to report gender issues effectively, adding that it would help to reduce issues of violence in the country.
Ladi Bala, National President, NAWOJ, while addressing the participants, said that Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) was a complex societal issue that had imparted on the society negatively.
Bala said that the act had also adversely affected the dignity of survivors and violated their fundamental human rights.
“It is saddening to note that the issue of SGBV is now a pandemic and poses huge challenge to the development efforts judging by the increasing number of cases of violence against women and girls.
“Even boys are not left out.
“The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the situation due to the lock down, a development that led to an increase in the cases.
“Available statistics show that one in every five women and one out of 71 men, must have experienced one form of SGBV in their lifetime.
“Most worrisome is the fact that most of the times, the survivor is left to wallow in pain while the perpetrator goes about scot-free,’’ she said.
She said that the training was aimed at enhancing the capacity of reporters by providing in-depth knowledge and skills on thematic areas.
She gave such areas as poverty, democratic governance, investigating journalism, and security of journalists among others.
Also, Mrs Rebecca Ukpero, NAWOJ member, who spoke on behalf of the participants, said that the training would increase the knowledge of participants on gender issues in the country.
Ukpero said that the training would also help survivors get justice and change the narrative of silence and stigmatisation.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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