Connect with us

news

Gender-based violence must stop in Nigeria – Osinbanjo and other religious leaders

Published

on

Gender-based violence must stop in Nigeria – Osinbanjo and other religious leaders

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have said violence against women and girls must stop in Nigeria for the country to make progress.

The leaders spoke at a two-day Northern traditional and religious leaders’ summit on ending gender-based violence and harmful practices organized by the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development in Abuja yesterday.

Rev. Samson Ayokunle, and the UN Deputy Secretary General, Mrs Amina Mohammed were also present in the summit

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Abubakar, in his remarks at the event, emphasised the need for the government to go beyond the enactment of laws and strengthen awareness around gender-based violence.

He said no government could claim to be addressing the menace when law enforcement institutions remained weak in the discharging their functions.

He said: “Everyone should understand that violence against women and girls is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated.

“Government at the community level should put in place a sex offenders register to name and shame perpetrators and end the impunity around gender-based violence.

“Government should also establish and fund at least one GBV response centre and shelter with government-paid staff deployed and with effective linkages to other support services that survivors may need.

“In addition, the government should establish at least one forensic lab in each geopolitical zone in the country to support the prosecution of GBV cases.”

Speaking in a similar vein, CAN President, Ayokunle, stated: “The abuse of the girl-child and the vulnerable must no longer continue in our own time.

“All forms of gender-based violence is appalling in the 21st century. We should all rise together to eradicate them. Our society will be better through our collective action in this direction.”

He charged royal fathers and faith leaders to step up their roles as custodians of custom, tradition and faith in ensuring women and girls were safe.

In his remarks, Vice President Osinbajo urged state governments to intensify efforts to address the issue of gender-based violence in their territories.

Represented by the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dame Pauline Tallen, the vice president said the Federal Government was committed to supporting deliberate measures to tackle the menace.

He, however, said unless all stakeholders took practical steps to protect the vulnerable population, especially women and girls, the nation would be the worse for it in the years ahead.

Osinbajo said: “For the Child’s Rights Act, I am so pained and my heart is heavy that 10 States in the North that are yet to domesticate it. Same goes for the Violence Against Persons Prohibition, VAPP, Act. Only three states in the Northeast and Northwest regions have domesticated the Child’s Right Act.

“I want to use this opportunity to commend the governor of Kaduna State. Apart from domesticating the laws, he also amended the VAPP Act to deal with offenders. It is high time we moved to action. We cannot keep talking without action.

“People use religion to commit all sorts of evil things, but the two religions, Christianity and Islam condemn violence against women.”

To the Northern traditional rulers and faith leaders, the Vice President said: “You are the custodians of the society and highly respected in your communities.

“So, if you want to take action against perpetrators of violence against women and girls, we can have a better society and achieve greater result in addressing the menace of gender-based violence that is before us.”

On her part, the UN Deputy Secretary General, Amina Mohammed, lamented that around the world, one of every three women experienced gender-based violence in her lifetime.

She said the COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated the challenge, reversing the many gains made in addressing the issue.

Mohammed, nonetheless, said traditional leaders were central to addressing structural inequalities and transforming communities for the better from within.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

news

Christian police fellowship of Nigeria bestows award of excellence on PMF president, Bishop Anthony

Published

on

 

Bishop Chidi Anthony is the founder of Kings In Christ Power Ministries International and the president of Pentecostal Ministers Forum of Nigeria,PMF.

He is one of God’s generals that has impacted many as he propagates the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; uniting and fostering unity and togetherness among ministers of God through Pentecostal Ministers Forum of Nigeria which he happens to be the president, young ministers have benefited immensely from the organisation as PMF offers financial support to it’s members that are in need.

Christian Police fellowship of Nigeria decided to honour bishop Chidi Anthony for his marvelous and magnificent impact in the Christendom .CPFN bestowed an award on him yesterday at the police College,Ikeja.Bishop Anthony was there with his lovely wife,Rev.Nkiru Anthony to receive the award,his exhilaration was very conspicuous and he said “I’m really elated receiving this award today,I want to encourage people to keep doing good and impacting lives positively,you don’t know who is watching and taking note of you,I actually never envisaged receiving an award,I never knew that they were contious of my good works, I’m really enraptured,I want to show utmost gratitude to CPFN for the award and pray that God will continue to bless them ”

Finally,he advised churches in Nigeria, especially the popular ones with massive congratulations to help their members in this critical period of the nation because Christianity is about love and care ,he enunciated that you can’t preach Jesus to a hungry soul,you need to feed him first if you really want him to listen and accept Christ

Continue Reading

news

Uromi killing:stop going to other states with guns prophet Ikuru warns the Northern

Published

on

 

By Collins Nkwocha

 

The prophetic hall of fame and Ambassador of peace, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry has castigated the Northern people, especially the Fulanis for always travelling and entering other states with arms.

 

The prophet of the nation who outrightly condemned the killing of Northern people in Uromi also enunciated that it’s wrong for the Northern people to invade other states with arms based on the tensed security threat the nation is facing at the moment “I want to condemn the killing in Uromi because nobody has the right to take another person’s life,they should have been handed over to the security operatives, the killing in cruel and barbaric,but it’s wrong for the Northern people to keep invading other states with arms, the rate of insecurity in the nation is high, anyone seen with a gun is dreadful and harmful,Fulani Herdsmen have perpetuated so much heinous and callous act for people to be apprehensive of their presence,my in Law was a victim of their heinous act,they assaulted her in her farmland,their presence with arms is really terrifying and it’s making farmers to desert their farmlands, prompting food scarcity ”

 

The prophet of the nation advised the government to take a proper look at the possession of arms by these men and reiterated that the North is big enough for thousands of hunters and herdsmen to explore “travelling to other states with arms is not good, the North has got the largest landmass in the country,why leave the North to other states with little Landmass , the North is very massive, it’s very obvious that their is hidden agenda,why will someone leave a river to look for fish in a swimming pool, the government need to look at these area critically,arms should be prohibited, anyone that is not a security operative shouldn’t be seen with arms ”

Continue Reading

news

Rivers Crisis: Pro-Democracy Group Demands Reversal of LGA Appointments, Urge Tinubu To Rein in Sole Administrator

Published

on

Budget Constraints, Infrastructure Woes Stall Diplomatic Deployment

 

Citizens for Democratic Watch (CDW), a pro-democracy group, has condemned the appointment of administrators for the 23 local government areas in Rivers State by the sole administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, describing it as “a dangerous abuse of power and a direct attack on the constitution”.

This latest action, which came just 24 hours after a federal high court restrained Ibas from making such appointments, has triggered widespread concern over what CDW calls “the rapid erosion of democratic institutions under the guise of emergency governance”.

In a statement on Wednesday, Dr Hassan Dantani, Executive Director of CDW, called on President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly to intervene before the situation spirals out of control.

“Appointing 23 sole administrators in clear defiance of a federal court order is not only unlawful — it is tyrannical,” Dantani said.

“No state of emergency gives anyone the license to override the judiciary, erase local governance, and act above the law. This must be condemned in the strongest terms.”

Dantani noted that the local government system is a constitutionally recognised tier of government, and any attempt to run it without democratic structures sets a very dangerous precedent.

“This action by Ibok-Ete Ibas is a grave violation of Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the system of democratically elected local government councils,” he said.

“Our democracy cannot function if unelected individuals are imposed to run local governments under military-style appointments.”

CDW warned that if allowed to stand, the appointments could embolden future political actors to trample on the rule of law and weaken the judiciary.

“The blatant disregard for a valid court order should alarm every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation,” Dantani said.

“When leaders ignore court rulings and impose their will, what remains of the rule of law? If we allow this to stand in Rivers, it could happen anywhere else.”

The group called on the National Assembly to urgently summon the Rivers sole administrator to explain his actions and ensure that all constitutional boundaries are respected.

“We urge the Senate and House of Representatives to treat this matter as a priority,” he added.

“Democracy must not be sacrificed on the altar of expediency or political convenience.”

Dantani concluded by demanding the immediate reversal of the LGA appointments and a return to constitutional order.

“The people of Rivers State deserve legitimate, elected representation — not handpicked appointees. We must not normalise authoritarian shortcuts in a democratic society,” the group warned.

Continue Reading

Cover Of The Week

Trending