Human Trafficking: Agency Makes Fresh Commitments To Protect Victims, Prosecute Perpetrators

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October 20, 2022

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Abuja reiterated its commitment to protect human trafficking victims, and prosecute perpetrators of the crime.

Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, the Director-General, NAPTIP, disclosed this at the 2022 European Union (EU) Anti-Trafficking Day, organised by Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP).

Waziri-Azi, who was represented by a Deputy Director, Public Enlightenment unit of the agency, Mr Ganiyu Agaran, said the agency would ensure that human trafficking victims were protected from fraudsters.

She said perpetrators would also be prosecuted, adding that government would ensure that victims were properly reintegrated, rehabilitated with their needs taken care of.

According to her, ever since the ratification of the transnational organised crime convention, with its three attached protocols on trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants and illicit manufacturing and trafficking of firearms, the country had been on its feet.

“The fight against human trafficking in Nigeria has taken a very positive dimension; the country has since been at the forefront of tackling human trafficking and irregular migration in Africa.

Waziri-Azi said human trafficking and irregular migration were age-long global pandemic that posed serious risks with viral consequences that fueled other crimes like drug trafficking and even money laundering.

She said innocent women and children representing the future of any society, were the major victims of human trafficking, “but this heinous crime deprives them of their freedom and dignity’’.

The EU team leader in Nigeria, Mr Reuben Alba, called for mobilisation of more resources to tackle the crime of human trafficking and irregular migration in Nigeria.

He said that record showed that there were 21 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, and that nine million of them were vulnerable victims of human trafficking.

Alba said that crime against humanity was about selling people, and that this had destroyed what many have laboured for.

He said that stakeholders must continue to track down those eager to make profit from the crime of selling their fellow human beings.

Mr Jose-Antonio Nsang, the FIIAPP Institutional Coordinator, said his organisaion would continue to support NAPTIP and other civil society organisations with capacity building to do their job better.

According to him, human trafficking criminals are everywhere, and that law enforcement agencies must employ technology devices to do their work in the fight against human trafficking.

He said that the programme marking the 2022 EU Anti-Trafficking day was a call to remind all organisations working against crime against humanity of their responsibilities.

Mr Osita Osemene, Head of Programme and National Secretary, Network of All Civil Society against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL), said that EU had done well in ensuring that prevention on issues of human trafficking was achieved to a great extent in Nigeria.

According to him, EU is organising the day’s event to ensure that partners scale up their voices against the scourge, and to ensure they all come together in form of collaboration.

He disclosed that NACTAL was carrying out sensitisation Programmes throughout the states in Nigeria to commemorate the EU Anti-Trafficking day.

“The awareness is high, we are trying to measure up with what the traffickers are doing, and we are trying to build a system that will be proactive.

“We are trying to create a structure that will enable us win the war,” he said.

Why Liz Truss Resigned As Prime Minister : Fact-File

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Elizabeth Williams

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October 20, 2022

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Mini-budget
The introduction of an economic plan; the unveiling of £45bn tax cuts in her third week, supported by her then finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng in what they called a “mini-budget” got her into trouble. It was widely blamed for causing huge economic problems which sparked turmoil on financial markets and sent the pound to record lows.

Chancellor Sack
Despite Truss insisting on her policies that it was “the right thing to do”, almost all of it has now been reversed – and Kwarteng was sacked as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Dozens of Tories Party members questioned her sacking the chancellor whom she shares the same passion in delivering the mandate and called on her to step down.

Top Team Resignation
Liz Truss’ Home Secretary Suella Braverman resigned. Truss had to hire former rivals Grant Shapps and Jeremy Hunt as new Finance Minister to plug the gaps in her top team.

Mandate Failure and U-Turn
Liz Truss made a U-turn on her major policies sparking uncertainty that questioned her credibility. In her resignation speech outside Downing Street, she said: “I recognise that I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.”

Only Conservative MPs Voted Her as Leader
Only Conservative MPs and party members got to vote to make her leader. Sunak came ahead in the MPs vote but in the final vote from members more than 80,000 picked her instead of Sunak, making her the winner.

Lagos Governor Commissions New Education Facilities

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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October 20, 2022

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The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unveiled new school projects of about 150 blocks of classrooms and 1,386-bed hostels to 15 new schools in the State.

The projects were virtually commissioned at a physical event organised by the Special Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools.

The virtual commissioning was conducted in order not to disrupt academic activities at the beneficiary schools.

Inaugurating the school projects, Sanwo-Olu said his administration’s commitment to scale up access to education at all education levels was not in doubt, stressing that the State had committed more investment to Education and Technology in line with the cardinal objectives stipulated in the THEMES Agenda of his Government.

The Governor said his focus was predicated on complementary interventions in the provision of physical infrastructure, technology, capacity building, teacher and student welfare, and reduction of the number of out-of-school children in the State.

“When we came on board, one of the things we decided to do in building on the legacy of my predecessors in education was to inaugurate a Special Committee on the Rehabilitation of Public Schools in Lagos State (SCRPS) in November 2019, with a mandate to accelerate and actualise the core vision of revamping schools’ infrastructure in our State.

“Since it inaugurated SCRPS, we have started and completed several new building projects, including classrooms, hostels, security infrastructure like fencing and gate-houses, among others, and supplied new furniture for students and teachers. We have also embarked on several rehabilitation projects leading to the completion of rehabilitation projects in 197 schools.

“With the complementary activities of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA), and Ministry of Education, we have successfully delivered a total of about 2,280 classrooms so far, with associated sanitary facilities, potable water systems, and security infrastructure,” he said

Sanwo-Olu said no part of the State was left out of the interventions injected in education, maintaining his administration’s determination to ensure equitable distribution of the dividends of good governance to all divisions in Lagos.

The Governor however urged communities yet to benefit from the scheme to be patient, noting that the committee would not carry out rehabilitation projects at once, as he assured that his Government would continue to expand the scale of its interventions.

He asked the beneficiaries to make good use of the facilities provided and shun any form of vandalism that may render the Government’s effort useless.

According to him “We are working very hard to make sure as many schools as possible benefit from this intervention. We cannot do everything at once and cannot cover every school in the State within a limited period, but rest assured we will continue to expand the scale of our interventions. I ask for the patience and understanding of those schools that are yet to benefit.

“From the schools that have benefited from this rehabilitation programme, I ask that you use these facilities judiciously and responsibly. Shun all forms of vandalism and carelessness; treat these buildings and projects as public goods that must be maintained for future generations. I do not doubt that residents will be proud to see what has been done, in terms of an infrastructure revolution in Lagos public education.”

The beneficiaries’ schools are Lagos State Junior Model College, Meiran, Lagos State Baptist Secondary School, Orile-Agege, Abesan Senior High School, Alimosho, Orisunbare Senior High School, Alimosho, Luwasa Senior High School, Ijede, Lagos State Girls Junior Model College Agunfoye (Ikorodu) and Ojota Junior Secondary School, Ojota.

Others are Eva Adelaja Junior Secondary School, Bariga, Muslim Junior College, Oworoshoki, Lagos State Model College, Badore, Lagos State Model College, Agbowa (Epe), Araromi-Ilogbo Junior Secondary School, Oko-Afo, Badagry Junior Grammar School, Badagry, Ajumoni Junior Grammar School, Daleko, Mushin, and St. Joseph Secondary School, Mushin.

Just In: Pound Rises as Liz Truss Announces Resignation

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Elizabeth Williams

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October 20, 2022

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The UK pound rose against the US dollar and government borrowing costs dipped as investors reacted to Prime Minister Liz Truss’s resignation.
Sterling jumped to $1.13 at one point before slipping back, but was still higher than at the start of Thursday.
One analyst said the reaction suggested investors were “relieved” by the news, despite a lot of uncertainty remaining. Business groups as well said the new prime minister would have to act quickly to restore confidence.
Government borrowing costs rose sharply last month after the government promised huge tax cuts in its mini-budget without saying how it would pay for them.
But these costs fell back after the Bank of England stepped in with an emergency support programme, and after Jeremy Hunt reversed nearly all the mini-budget measures when he became chancellor.
UK Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt is due to announce plans for spending and tax on 31 October in his economic plan, which the Treasury confirmed was set to go ahead.

Personal Hygiene – Stakeholders Advocates Effective Ways To Prevent Diseases

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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October 20, 2022

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Dr. Mohammed Dan-Hassan, Executive Director, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), says regular hand-washing with soap and water is an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and have an overall healthy life.

Dan-Hassan said this in his welcome address at a one-day sensitisation to commemorate the 2022 Global Hand Washing Day in Abuja, earlier this week.

The 2022 Global Hand-washing Day themed “Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene”is a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness about the importance of hand-washing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.

Dan-Hassan said that the hand was the first point of contact with micro-organisms and hand-washing played a significant role in reducing the transmission of outbreak related pathogens such as Cholera, Ebola and the likes.

According to him, the day is an opportunity to encourage people to maintain personal hygiene, including washing their hands, using hand sanitizers, and other appropriate toiletries.

Acting Chairman, FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Alhaji Alhassan Suleh, who was represented by a Deputy Director, Mr Rabiu Kolawole, in his keynote address, said that it was now mandatory that students must wash their hands regularly in school.

”There should be hand washing materials at the gate and other strategic points in school even in the rural areas.

“We should all imbibe this culture in our educational structure to encourage students to keep to basic hand hygiene.”

Earlier, Sapeyi of Garki, Alhaji Usman Ngakupi, stated that the hands were sensitive, because of contacts with a lot of activities, hence proper washing can prevent all sort of diseases.

His Royal Highness, Emir of Jiwa, Alhaji Idris Musa, who demonstrated basic steps to effective hand-washing, advised the students to always keep their hands clean at all times

He added that while washing their hands ,they must ensure that all angles of the hands and tips of the fingers were scrubbed adequately before washing under a running tap.

Mr Terfa Akpoyibo, Project Manager, Power Forward, said that peer to peer methodology was a good method to educate the pupils on inculcating the habit to children .

Power Forward is an organisation in partnership with Exon Mobil, National Basketball Association and Pan Africare, to promote hygiene and sanitation.

Liz Truss Resigns As Prime Minister What’s Next For UK Economy?

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Elizabeth Williams

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October 20, 2022

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UK Prime Minister Liz Truss announcement of resigning as leader of the Conservative party has gathered a lot of reaction as she fails to deliver her mandate which is majorly hinged on growing the economy.
Liz Truss will remain as prime minister until a successor is found. Truss was elected by the Tory membership in September, but she lost authority after a series of U-turns on her policies.
Labour Party leader, Sir. Keir Starmer, has responded by calling for a general election.

Earlier the Labour leader Starmer, went head-to-head in Wednesday’s Parliament debate with a number of fiery exchanges with Liz truss over her economic policy she claims will bring about growth.
Economists said her resignation was “a step that needed to happen for the UK government to move further along the path towards restoring credibility in the eyes of the financial markets”.

The head of the CBI business lobby group, Tony Danker, said: “The politics of recent weeks have undermined the confidence of people, businesses, markets and global investors in Britain.
“Stability is key. The next prime minister will need to act to restore confidence from day one.
“They will need to deliver a credible fiscal plan for the medium term as soon as possible, and a plan for the long-term growth of our economy.”

Govts Strengthen Collaboration to Improve Children Learning In Africa

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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October 20, 2022

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africa children — Student raising hand in class

African governments are meeting at the ADEA Triennale in Mauritius to discuss solutions as a new report shows that, while all children are born to learn, those in Africa are five times less likely to learn the basics than children elsewhere.

The ability of education systems in the continent to “ensure even rudimentary literacy skills” for their students has declined in 4 out of 10 African countries over the last three decades.

The findings are published in the first of a three-part series of Spotlight reports on foundational learning in Africa called Born to learn, published by the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report at UNESCO, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) and the African Union.

The continental report draws from five accompanying country reports developed in partnership with ministries of education covering the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda and Senegal and a series of case studies from various African regions.

“Africa has a complex past that has left parts of it with linguistic fragmentation, conflict, poverty and malnutrition that have weighed heavily on the education systems’ ability to ensure universal primary completion and foundational learning. Our partnership is shining a spotlight on this issue together with education ministries to help find solutions that work. The social and economic consequences of low learning outcomes are devastating for Africa. This report’s findings give us the chance to find a new way forward, learning from each other,” the Executive Secretary of ADEA, Albert Nsengiyumva said.

The report finds that, in addition to socio-economic challenges, the limited availability of good quality textbooks, lack of proper teacher support, inadequate teacher training and provision of teacher guides, limited progress in the introduction of home languages in teaching and insufficient school feeding programmes, are key factors that have resulted in poor learning outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa.

Yet, recent interventions show that progress is possible if efforts are focused on classroom practices that are informed by evidence. These positive practices highlighted in the report and other experiences are to feed into a peer-learning mechanism on foundational learning hosted by the AU that has been launched alongside this report, the Leveraging Education Analysis for Results Network (LEARN), building on the “Continental Education Strategy” for Africa clusters.

African Union Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohammed Belhocine, says, “The pandemic has thwarted our efforts to ensure all children have fundamental skills in reading and mathematics. This is why a focus on basic education within our continental strategy’s policy dialogue platform is warranted.

The work of the new LEARN network on basic education within the AU launched this week will draw from the experiences of countries that have taken part in the Spotlight report series”

According to Director of the GEM Report, Manos Antoninis, “every child is born to learn, but they will not do so if they are hungry, if they don’t have a textbook to learn from, if they don’t understand.”

NFF President, Gusau, To Inaugurate NPFL’s IMC On Friday

By

Emenike Agu

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October 20, 2022

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Gbenga Elegbeleye , Chairman Interim Management Committee of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL)

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau will on Friday inaugurate the Interim Management Committee of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) as composed by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare on behalf of the Federal Government.

In a press statement announcing the composition of the IMC, the Youth and Sports Development Ministry stated that the move was “in line with the 10-year Football Masterplan as approved by President Muhammadu Buhari towards the revitalization of the Domestic League” and that the IMC would be in place to “oversee the affairs of the League until a proper professional League Board is put in place statutorily.”

The inauguration will take place at the NFF Conference Room inside the NFF Secretariat, Abuja on Friday by 11am.

Interim Management Committee of NPFL:

. Gbenga Elegbeleye – Chairman

. Paul Bassey – Vice Chairman

. Davidson Owumi – Head of Operations

. Kunle Soname – Member

. Daniel Amokachi – Member

. Calvin Emeka Onwuka – Member

. Aliyu Adamu – Member

. Rep. of NFF – Member

. Rep. of Nigeria Police – Member

.Danladi Ibrahim – Member

. Mohammed Nasiru Sa’idu- Member

. Poubeni Ogun – Member

. Awalu Baba Jada – Member

.Olumide Bamiduro – Secretary

House Of Rep Tasks Nigerian Students On Participating In 2023 Election

By

Rhoda Onuzulike

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October 20, 2022

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The Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has tasked Nigerian students to fully participate in the 2023 elections by voting for candidates based on their records.

He gave the advice in Abuja while welcoming executive members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by their President, Usman Barambu, to his office at the National Assembly.

The students were on a “thank you” visit to the Speaker over resolving the 8-month industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

While appreciating the visit, the Speaker highlighted the importance of the Nigerian youth in national development, saying, “you are a significant segment of Nigeria for national development.

“We cannot overemphasise the role of youth in society because you play a critical part in what happens now and in the future.

“It need to understand that we recognise the importance of your place in national development.”

Gbajabiamila said students could not afford to be detached from the presidential election process as the country’s future was at stake.

“You all have a lot to do between now and election day.

“Begin to look at things differently, especially how things are done in other climes, like politics and elections,” he stated.

“We have so many candidates, not three, not four. People may talk about having three frontrunners, but we have 18 candidates running for the President of this country, and I don’t think you should overlook any of them.

“What I believe you can do, as in advanced democracies, is to look objectively.

“People run on their records. If a candidate does not have a record of running and is talking about something else, it means that he doesn’t have a record to run on,” Gbajabiamila said.

He also said, “The good thing is that most of the candidates, at least the frontrunners, have records. I’m not pitching for anybody here but look at their records. If you feel they deserve to be the President of Nigeria, please, do not hesitate. Vote for that person based on his record.

“That is the only charge I have for you today because that’s the most important thing before us in Nigeria right now.”

The Speaker added that the Nigerian youths should not pass up the opportunity to elect political leaders on their terms, which could only be achieved with full participation in the electoral process.

Earlier, the NANS President, Barambu, said the visit was to show the Nigerian students’ appreciation for the Speaker’s efforts concerning the ASUU crisis.

He also asked the Speaker about the students’ request regarding the possibility of the authorities waiving a year of the school calendar to usher in good academic work, having lost almost three years because of the pandemic and the ASUU strike.

The students further requested the intervention of the Speaker on the possibility of waiving the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) service year age for graduates who might have passed the age limit because of the time lost.

Liz Truss Announces Resignation As UK Prime Minister

By

Zoe Maven

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October 20, 2022

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Liz Truss Announces Resignation As UK Prime Minister

Liz Truss has announced her resignation as British prime minister, just six weeks into the job.

Speaking outside the door of her Number 10 Downing Street office, Truss accepted that she had lost the faith of her party and said she would step down next week, becoming the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.

Addressing journalists gathered in Downing Street she said she realised she could no longer deliver on the promises that won her the Conservative leadership.

She said, “I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party.”

Appointed on Sept. 6, Truss was forced to sack her finance minister and closest political ally, Kwasi Kwarteng, and abandon almost all her economic programme after their plans for vast unfunded tax cuts crashed the pound and British bonds.

Approval ratings for her and the Conservative Party collapsed.

Also, on Wednesday she lost the second of the government’s four most senior ministers, faced laughter as she tried to defend her record to parliament and saw her lawmakers openly quarrel over policy, deepening the sense of chaos at Westminster.

A new leadership election will be completed by next Friday, Oct. 28. Those expected to run include former finance minister Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt, a former defence minister.

Jeremy Hunt, the man brought in to rescue the public finances, has ruled himself out.

Party members and Conservative lawmakers are expected to be given a say in the vote. A poll earlier this week showed that most members wanted former Prime Minister Boris Johnson – who was ousted from Downing Street in July – to return.

Labour leader Keir Starmer, whose opposition party has surged in opinion polls on the back of Truss’s short, crisis-plagued tenure, demanded a general election “now”.