society
Raise A Voice Challenge 1.0: MacArthur, ICPC, Actors, Others Set To ‘Break The Cycle’ Of Rape, Other Vices
With a report by the Nigerian police that 717 rape cases were recorded
between January and May, 2020, NGOs and Civil Society Organisations that have the capacity to address this kind of offenses, have been cooperating with law enforcement agencies in capacity building, management of victims of rape and similar offenses, using various mediums.
Also, because of the COVID-19 restrictions, there is now a surge in cases of domestic violence, police brutality, rape and other gender-based violence.
This was the reason High Definition Film Studio and
Film For Impact Foundation organized an Online Film Festival tagged ‘Raise A Voice Challenge 1.0’, with a theme: ‘Break The Cycle’, to inspire established and upcoming filmmakers and actors across the continent to lend their voices to social vices that have gone unresolved for long, and whose cycle needs to be broken.
With highly resourceful people like, Dr. Kole Shittima, African Director, MacArthur Foundation, Ms. Osai Ojigho, Country Director, Amnesty International, Azuka Chinelo Agugua, Acting Head of Public Enlightenment (ICPC), Hamza Lawal, Chief Executive, Connected Development, Odey Friday, Country Director, Accountability Lab. Nigeria and CSP Francis Erhabor of the Nigeria Police Force, Dorothy Njemanze, Executive Director DN Foundation, all attending as special guests and speakers, the competition/award ceremony is set to highlight the problems and also profer solution and hope.
The competition started June 9, 2020 with the grand finale set to hold next Saturday July 25, 2020 by 5PM, live on YouTube @ FFIF TV, during which there will be screening for the top 20 videos from the entry, and award given to the best video.
Participants for the highly innovative program were asked to do a short film or a monologue of 60 seconds on any of the topics ranging from, rape domestic violence, police brutality or corruption/accountability and submit via the instagram handle of Film For Impact Foundation, @filmforimpactng. The Top 20 entries by filmmakers and actors (10 each), had 50% selected by the audience (highest views + likes) and the other 50% selected by the festival team. The Jury consist of popular and tested Nollywood actors like, Ali Nunhu, CJ Obasi, Dorothy Njemanze, Nasiru Mohammed, Judith Audu and Bright Wonder Obasi, who is equally the CEO of High Definition Film Studio/Academy, and executive Director of Film For Impact Foundation.
The top 20 selected entries will then qualify to screen at the Africa Film For Impact Festival (AFFIF) special Online edition, which is scheduled to hold live on Youtube @ FFIF TV.
According to Bright Wonder Obasi, who is the brain behind the innovation, “the entries which has a maximum of 60 seconds each, addresses at least one of the four themes (Rape, Domestic Violence, Police Brutality and Corruption/Accountability), giving solutions or hope, and not just highlight the problems.
Entries in other language other than English were also considered but, have English subtitles.
Multiple entries by the same filmmaker on different themes were also accepted.”
Bright Wonder said, “with about 186 entries, The top 10 videos with highest views + likes (5 filmmakers & 5 Actors) will be selected as finalists. The Festival Team will also have the mandate of selecting 10 extra outstanding videos as finalists. All 20 videos will screen at the Online Film Festival in competition for the grand prize.”
He said, “to encourage and inspire these established and upcoming filmmakers and actors across the continent, N50,000 palliative each will be given to the winners of each category, a return flight ticket to AFFIF 2020, (local flight) and an Award Certificate which will be sent via email.”
He said, “N20,000 palliatives will also be given to the 1st Runner up in the Filmmaking and Acting category, full tuition scholarship for two weeks filmmaking training for 20 socially conscious filmmakers, powered by High Definition Film Academy, and a Certificate of Participation for all filmmakers and Actors who make an entry into the online festival.”
‘Raise A Voice Challenge’ is an initiative of Film For Impact Foundation to inspire established and upcoming filmmakers and actors across the continent to lend their voices to social vices that have gone unresolved for long, and whose cycle needs to be broken.

society
Ramadan: Adron Homes Felicitates Muslims, Preaches Hope and Unity
Ramadan: Adron Homes Felicitates Muslims, Preaches Hope and Unity
Adron Homes & Properties Limited has congratulated Muslim faithful on the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan, urging Nigerians to embrace the virtues of sacrifice, discipline, and compassion that define the season.
In a statement made available to journalists, the company described Ramadan as a period of deep reflection, spiritual renewal, and strengthened devotion to faith and humanity.
According to the management, the holy month represents values that align with the organisation’s commitment to integrity, resilience, and community development.
“Ramadan is a time that teaches patience, generosity, and selflessness. As our Muslim customers and partners begin the fast, we pray that their sacrifices are accepted and that the season brings peace, joy, and renewed hope to their homes and the nation at large,” the statement read.
The firm reaffirmed its dedication to providing affordable and accessible housing solutions to Nigerians, noting that building homes goes beyond structures to creating environments where families can thrive.
Adron Homes further urged citizens to use the period to pray for national unity, economic stability, and sustainable growth.
It wished all Muslim faithful a spiritually fulfilling Ramadan.
Ramadan Mubarak.
society
Underfunding National Security: Envelope Budgeting Fails Nigeria’s Defence By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Underfunding National Security: Envelope Budgeting Fails Nigeria’s Defence
By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com
“Fiscal Rigidity in a Time of Crisis: Lawmakers Say Fixed Budget Ceilings Are Crippling Nigeria’s Fight Against Insurgency, Banditry, and Organized Crime.”
Nigeria’s legislature has issued a stark warning: the envelope budgeting system; a fiscal model that caps spending for ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) is inadequate to meet the country’s escalating security challenges. Lawmakers and budget analysts argue that rigid fiscal ceilings are undermining the nation’s ability to confront insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, separatist violence, oil theft and maritime insecurity.
The warning emerged during the 2026 budget defence session for the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) at the National Assembly in Abuja. Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC‑Kebbi North), chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence, decried the envelope system, noting that security agencies “have been subject to the vagaries of the envelope system rather than to genuine needs and requirements.” The committee highlighted non-release or partial release of capital funds from previous budgets, which has hindered procurement, intelligence and operational capacity.
Nigeria faces a multi‑front security crisis: persistent insurgency in the North‑East, banditry and kidnappings across the North‑West and North‑Central, separatist tensions in the South‑East, and piracy affecting Niger Delta oil production. Despite declarations of a national security emergency by President Bola Tinubu, lawmakers point to a “disconnect” between rhetoric and the actual fiscal support for agencies tasked with enforcement.
Experts warn that security operations demand flexibility and rapid resource allocation. Dr. Amina Bello, a public finance specialist, said: “A static budget in a dynamic threat environment is like sending firefighters with water jugs to a forest fire. You need flexibility, not fixed ceilings, to adapt to unforeseen developments.”
The Permanent Secretary of Special Services at ONSA, Mohammed Sanusi, detailed operational consequences: irregular overhead releases, unfulfilled capital appropriations, and constrained foreign service funds. These fiscal constraints have weakened intelligence and covert units, hampering surveillance, cyber‑security, counter‑terrorism and intelligence sharing.
Delayed capital releases have stalled critical projects, including infrastructure upgrades and surveillance systems. Professor Kolawole Adeyemi, a governance expert, emphasized that “budgeting for security must allow for rapid reallocation in response to threats that move faster than political cycles. Envelope budgeting lacks this essential flexibility.”
While the National Assembly advocates fiscal discipline, lawmakers stress that security funding requires strategic responsiveness. Speaker Abbas Ibrahim underscored that security deserves “prominent and sustained attention” in the 2026 budget, balancing oversight with operational needs.
In response, the Senate committee plans to pursue reforms, including collaboration with the executive to restructure funding, explore supplementary budgets and ensure predictable and sufficient resources for security agencies. Experts warn that without reform, criminal networks will exploit these gaps, eroding public trust.
As one policy analyst summarized: “A nation declares a security emergency; but if its budget does not follow with real resources and oversight, the emergency remains rhetorical.” Nigeria’s debate over envelope budgeting is more than an accounting dispute; it is a contest over the nation’s security priorities and its commitment to safeguarding citizens.
society
Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin) Celebrates as She Marks Her Birthday
Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin) Celebrates as She Marks Her Birthday
Today, the world and the body of Christ rise in celebration of a rare vessel of honour, Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba, fondly known as Eritosin, as she marks her birthday.
Born a special child with a divine mark of grace, Rev. Mother Eritosin’s journey in God’s vineyard spans several decades of steadfast service, spiritual depth, and undeniable impact. Those who know her closely describe her as a prophetess with a heart of gold — a woman whose calling is not worn as a title, but lived daily through compassion, discipline, humility, and unwavering faith.
From her early days in ministry, she has touched lives across communities, offering spiritual guidance, prophetic insight, and motherly counsel. Many testify that through her prayers and teachings, they encountered God in a deeply personal and transformative way. Near and far, her influence continues to echo — not only within church walls, but in homes, families, and destinies reshaped through her mentorship.
A mother in every sense of the word, Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba embodies nurture and correction in equal measure. As a grandmother, she remains energetic in purpose — accommodating the wayward, embracing the rejected, and holding firmly to the belief that no soul is beyond redemption. Her life’s mission has remained consistent: to lead many to Christ and guide them into the light of a new beginning.
Deeply rooted within the C&S Unification, she stands tall as a spiritual pillar in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church globally. Her dedication to holiness, unity, and prophetic service has earned her widespread respect as a spiritual matriarch whose voice carries both authority and humility.
As she celebrates another year today, tributes continue to pour in from spiritual sons and daughters, church leaders, and admirers who see in her a living reflection of grace in action.
Prayer for Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin)
May the Almighty God, who called you from birth and anointed you for His service, continually strengthen you with divine health and renewed vigour.
May your oil never run dry, and may your prophetic mantle grow heavier with greater glory.
May the lives you have nurtured rise to call you blessed.
May your latter years be greater than the former, filled with peace, honour, and the visible rewards of your labour in God’s vineyard.
May heaven continually back your prayers, and may your light shine brighter across nations.
Happy Birthday to a true Mother in Israel — Rev. Mother Kehinde Osoba (Eritosin).
More years.
More anointing.
More impact.
If you want this adapted for a newspaper page, church bulletin, Facebook post, or birthday flyer, just tell me the format and tone.
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