By Sumaila Ogbaje

Ethnic Coalition for Peace, a Non-Governmental Organisation, says troops of the armed forces have shown courage and determination to wipe out those threatening the peace of Nigeria.

The coalition said this is a statement by its Convener, Mr Isiaka Gani and Co-conveners, Obi Okoro and Abdullahi Mustafa on Thursday in Abuja to commemorate the 2022 International Day of Peace.

The coalition described the ongoing military operations in various parts of the country as courageous, saying the efforts would ultimately lead to the restoration of peace in the country.

According to the statement, peace is a necessity for socio-economic development and the news coming out from the North-East is commendable.

The coalition noted that the military had been reinvigorated to sustain ongoing operations, and advised criminals, terrorists and bandits to lay down their arms and embrace peace.

The 2022 International Day of Peace should be an opportunity for deep retrospect on the advantages of having peace in a country. No country can make progress where there is crisis.

We urge criminals, terrorists and bandits to lay down arms in the interest of the country. We cannot continue to spend scarce resources to prosecute an unreasonable war.

We celebrate troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria for keeping the momentum and the positive results seen in the various theatres of operations.

As the 2023 General Election approaches, we urge Nigerians to seek every avenue for peace to reign, to enable peaceful conduct of the polls, the coalition said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Source: NAN News

in collaboration with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), has launched a Call to Action towardending all forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Africa.

Habib stated that the call was launched during a high-level meeting by the AFLPM in New York on the margins of the 77th UN General Assembly (UNGA) with the theme: The Role of Young Women and Girls in Advancing Peace and Security: Promoting a Culture of Peace in Fragile Settings.

She added that, this Call to Action contains commitments, recommendations and request for urgent action by signatories, public i

girlsin

She listed such articles to include the October 2000 UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peaceand Security (WPS) which specifically addresses the situation of women in armed conflict,and the December 2015UNSCR on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), among others.

She stated that the African first ladies urged member states to give youths greater voice in decision-making at the local, national, regional and international levels, and empower young women and girls with skill-sets that would accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Africanfirstladies also urged

deliberate measures toward ensuring that women, including young girls, are among the front-row occupants at the decision-making table in all state matters.

The first ladies urged states to prioritise girls education under safe environment as critical to improving the well-being of women and for their meaningful inclusion and participation in the formal sector, as well as a strategy for poverty reduction.

nsure availability of quality, accessible, affordable, resilient preventive and response services for all forms of GBV and strengthen universal health coverage systems.

platform to support these efforts for the development of women and girls in the region. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by

Source: NAN News

By Ruth Oketunde

The Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls (AEIG) has collaborated with community leaders, women and youths of Bwari Area Council, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to end sexual and gender-based violence.

Mrs Abiodun Essiet, the Executive Director, AEIG, made the commitment during an inter-phase meeting with the members of the community on Thursday, in Abuja.

She said that the meeting was aimed at enlightening the community and drafting an action plan on how to address the menace.

According to her, the meeting was important to strengthen traditional justice system on how to handle such cases, as community leaders were mostly the first point of call once there is a case.

We want to eradicate this menace in the FCT and as we are in the right step in the right direction.

That is why we gathered members and key stakeholders of the community to provide them with more knowledge on sexual and gender-based violence and how to address it.

So far, we have realised that some of them do not know much about it, some things that are categorised as sexual and gender-based violence are not regarded as such because of their cultural and religious background.

So we are here to create awareness on how cases as such can be handled and how they can refer cases to appropriate agencies, she said.

Mr Timothy Dakcoye, Acting District Head, who represented the Esu Palace, Bwari Area Council, appreciated the organisation for the sensitisation and the partnership.

He added that the knowledge gained would be shared among other community members to effectively mitigate the menace.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Kayode Olaitan

Source: NAN News

By Felicia Imohimi

The Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development Programme (FGN/IFAD)-Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) says it has trained 6,793 members of farmers organisations from January to August.

Dr Fatima Aliyu, National Programme Coordinator, IFAD/VCDP said this on Thursday in Abuja at the Federal Government/IFAD-VCDP Additional Financing Implementation Support Mission.

Aliyu, represented by Mr Usman Mohammed, Financial Controller of IFAD-VCDP, said the number trained representing 119 per cent achievement weremore than the annual target of 5,706.

She said that a total of 23,265 beneficiaries had been trained from inception of VCDP additional financing in 2019.

Aliyu said the overall VCDP objective was to enhance on a sustainable basis, incomes and food security of poor rural households engaged in the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava in the programme states.

The NPC said members of the groups were trained on financial literacy.

Giving a breakdown of achievement in 2022, Aliyu said 188 cassava farmers groups consisting of 390 adult males, 320 adult females, 236 male youths and 152 female youths were trained.

She added that they were trained in Enugu and Nasarawa being VCDP new states.

A total sum of N31,340,900were deposited to pay for their matching grant support for 2022 cassava wet season production.

709 rice farmers groups consisting of 447 adult males, 301 adult females, 164 male youths and 145 female youths in the two states deposited a sum of N50,176,032 matching grant support for 2022 rice wet season production.

VCDP implementing states are nine consisting of Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun, Taraba, Enugu, Nasarawa and Kogi, Aliyu said.

Dede Ekuoe, IFAD Nigeria Country Director, said the implementation support mission of the project done twice annually with a team of international and national experts was to access project performance against annual target.

Ekuoe said the essence of the mission was basically to accelerate project implementation.

According to her, IFAD and the Federal Government are trying to see how they can leverage resources to impact many more farmers and also to yield a deeper and more positive transformation of the livelihoods of farmers.

Implementation support mission is to help the project achieve its purpose and then to accelerate implementation of programme activities to ensure that the project is on course.

The mission go to the field, assess what is in the report, interact with farmers, stakeholders, VCDP staff in participating states to see the progress made and address the bottlenecks in terms of implementation.

Weare here to provide our technical guidance so that we can really boost the results to the full potential of VCDP, a transformative programme that has been recognised as a key tool for improving rural livelihoods,
Ekuoe said.

Also,Ms Carine Toure, Senior Procurement Specialist IFAD West and Central Africa, saidadditional finance would help Nigeria to absorb money to fast-track VCDP project and enable beneficiaries timely access to goods and services.

Toure saidIFAD and the government decided to extend VCDP projects to enablemore rural farmers in the country benefit. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Razak Owolabi

Source: NAN News

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Army team has won seven gold and two silver medals in the just concluded 2022 Armed Forces Inter-Service Sports Competition.

The Army secured the first position having won the highest number of laurels in different games of the competition.

The three services, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force competed for five sports in Basketball, Cross-Country, Taekwondo and Volleyball in men and women category but only men competed in football.

The army teams won gold medals in basket ball (female), cross-country (male and female), volley ball (male and female) and taekwondo (male and female) as well as silver medals in basket ball (male) and football (male).

Also; the Nigerian Air Force won gold medals in basket ball (male) and football (male) with three silva and four bronze medals while the Navy won four silva and five bronze medals.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi commended the outstanding performances displayed by the atheletes.

Represented by the Director, Army Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Mr Sunday Attach, the minister said the competition had engendered unity and comradeship among the competing services personnel.

He said the objective of fostering good working relationship between the services had been achieved notwithstanding the physical and mental fatigue that the championship might have exerted on the athletes.

I, therefore, commend all the competing athletes for the efforts they have put into winning laurels for their various Armed Services.

Specifically, I congratulate the athletes that have distinguished themselves by winning individual prizes during this sports competition.

Let me once again assure our hardworking service personnel of the commitment of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, at ensuring their welfare is adequately catered for.

Additionally, the provision of the enabling environment required for our service personnel to function effectively and professionally remains undented.

I, therefore, urge you all not to rest on your oars as you remain loyal, patriotic and committed to your oath of allegiance to defend the territorial integrity of our dear nation, Nigeria, he said.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor said the competition was designed to sharpen the physical fitness, mental alertness and skills of the military personnel essential for combat readiness in the light of current security imperatives.

Represented by the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, Irabor said the competition also provided opportunity for participating teams from the three services to compete for laurels and display comraderie and team spirit.

According to him, the level of sportsmanship exhibited during this competition further gives credence to the premium placed on sports by the AFN and efforts towards enhancing the combat readiness of its personnel.

He said the armed forces had continued to evolve joint training with emphasis placed on physical training and sports in general.

It is my belief therefore, that continuity and sustainability of this level of training and competition, coupled with ongoing reequipping of the force forces will develop the required capacity to overcome the security challenges that confront us today and in the future.

Accordingly, as we draw the curtains on the 2022 Armed Forces Inter-Service Sports Competition, I will like to encourage everyone to sustain one form of sports or the other as the resultant effects are enormous.

It is on this note that I congratulate everyone that participated and particularly for those that won medals.

It is one thing to win medals and another to hold unto the medals won.

I will, therefore, encourage you to hold unto these medals as well as improve on winning more medals in subsequent competitions and games particularly at the forthcoming World Military Sports Championship in Beja, Portugal, he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says the biggest threat to democracy is no longer the gun, but propaganda, fake news and disinformation.

Jonathan stated this in Abuja at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation 2022 Peace Conference with the theme, Nation Building: The Role of Peaceful Elections in a Multi-Ethnic Context.

Jonathan urged young Nigerians to embrace good conduct rather than hate speech, saying those advocating for violence and orchestrating fake news were the big threats to democracy.

We must discourage this issue of hate speech and propaganda that are going on because before this time, we were always afraid of the gun as a threat to democracy.

But the biggest threat to democracy now that we know is the issue of propaganda, fake news and hate speech. Anybody that is an advocate or vanguard of this is a threat to democracy just like the gun.

So, our young people should know that we must embrace good conduct that would lead to good elections, Jonathan said.

Jonathan also advised political parties, their candidates and supporters to put the country first in their conducts towards the 2023 general elections.

I always say that, first we must have a country and state before you talk about having a president or having a governor. If you destroy the country, then where do you need a president? We dont need a president.

So, anybody that is interested in leadership at the level of the president, governor, senator etc you have the biggest stake of protecting the country.

If you know where nations are in crisis, you will not think about economy and before you know it everything will go down.

So, those who want to be president, governors and their supporters should first know that we need a nation before whoever you are supporting can emerge as a governor or president, Jonathan said.

He added that the interest of every politician should be the people first; saying those who are going into politics to make money should rather go into business.

Jonathan urged religious leaders and civil society to continue to sensitise Nigerians until the country was better.

The former president, who noted that the electoral process of the country had improved, said that with the introduction of technology it would continue to be better and faster.

The Executive Director of the foundation, Ms. Ann Iyonu, said that as the 2023 election approached, there was a compelling need now more than ever for multi-stakeholder consensus building towards ensuring credible, transparent, and peaceful elections in Nigeria.

Iyonu said that to avoid a situation where elections divide rather than strengthen nations, all stakeholders needed to make a conscious effort to embrace and promote a culture of peace, justice, equity, and fairness for all groups in the polity.

She said that the aim of the conference was to provide the avenue to examine how the Nigerian democratic space had evolved, discuss the trends and threats to an inclusive and peaceful election.

Promote the culture of tolerance among different political actors and highlight best practices for the conduct of credible and violence-free elections in Nigeria.

We also hope that at the end of the deliberations, we would have canvassed strategies toward nation-building that will consolidate our nations 23 years of democracy and sustain a culture of peaceful elections in the country, she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Mark Longyen/Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

Edited by Julius Toba-Jegede

Source: NAN News

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III, has advised Nigerian students and youths to avoid acts of violence by embracing peace for progress.

Abubakar made the call at the National Secondary Schools Security Awareness Programme organised by the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC) on Wednesday in Abuja.

The programme was in collaboration with Office of the National Security Adviser, NDC and Ufuk Dialogue to commemorate the 2022 International Day of Peace.

The Sultan said that Nigerian society like any other society, had both good and bad people, adding that good people were more than the bad ones.

He said that mentoring young ones who are future leaders remained an important component of peace in the home and the society at large.

He urged parents to start the mentoring from home, saying that if there is peace in the home, then there will be peace outside.

So you must have peace at home first, because everything starts from home.

Your first teacher is your mother from the day you were born, when you came out. They bring you out, cut all the umbilical cord and whatever, wash you clean and dress you up.

The mother is the one handling you from the time until you start running and working, and maybe even until they die.

Your mother is your first teacher and is the most important part of the home.

If you have a good home, look for who is the mother; if you have a bad home, look for who is the mother and that is why the mothers are so important in our lives.

If you have bad children running all over the place, carrying guns, killing people, kidnapping, ransom, or whatever, look at the background, he said.

The Sultan commended the alumni association and its partners for putting the programme together with a view to addressing the future.

He urged all Nigerians to continue to work towards restoring peace, saying peace is not the absence of war.

I believe peace is the presence of justice. If there is no justice, you can not have peace, he added.

The Chairperson of Access Bank Plc, Dr Ajoditsedere Awosika, said the youths must understand that the unity of the country would affect its peace and ultimately result in progress.

Awosika urged the youths to insist on doing the right thing to ensure that peace and unity prevailed in the nation.

President of AANDEC, retired Air Cdre. Darlington Abdullahi, said the programme was put together to create awareness for various for children and students in all levels of educational system.

Abdullahi said the target of the programme was to reclaim the children from the hands of criminal groups trying to induct them into criminality.

He said the programme was also designed to inculcate discipline, loyalty, patriotic tradition in the students as well as and show them the need to do the right thing at all times.

Fevzullah Bilgin, Managing Director, Nigerian Tulip International Colleges, one of the partners in the programme, said youths remained the future of any nation.

Bilgin said that peace had become a significant topic in public discourse in recent time, adding that the position of the youth was also significant.

He said it was important to engage the youths in discussing peace and nation building, saying that conflicts could be prevented if the youths were engaged and their minds purified.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 15 secondary schools comprising nine public and six private schools in FCT were selected for the programme.

A student each from the schools made presentation on peace during the event. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Source: NAN News

The youth, JDPC and Its partners

By Bridget Ikyado

The Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) of the Archdiocese of Abuja, has begun a skills training programme for 300 youths to make them self reliant and contribute to societal development.

Mr Josephat Abaagu, the Vice Chairman of the commission inaugurated the Youth Entrepreneurship Development and Empowerment Scheme (YEDAS) on Tuesday in Abuja, on behalf of the Chairman, Damian Dodo, SAN.

The empowerment scheme was in partnership with the Catholic Relief Services.

He said that Nigeria must invest in the youths in order to ensure a better and prosperous future.

A nation which leaves a vast majority of its youth uneducated and unskilled, risks a certain future of poverty, insecurity and high possibility of an ultimately failed state, he said.

Abaagu said that the skills training was initiated based on the realization that nation building is not the exclusive business of government, but a collective effort.

He appreciated His Grace, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese, Rev. lgnatius Kaigama for revamping the JDPC, which is the social arm of the church.

Abaagu said the JDPC in the last two years, has provided potable drinking water in several communities through partnership with different organizations.

We have ongoing revolving loans and micro credits to youths and women in all the parishes, chaplaincies and pastoral areas in the Archdiocese.

In collaboration with INEC, we have sponsored the registration of many hitherto unregistered voters and also trained several for election monitoring duties.

We have provided assistance to IDP camps, relief materials to victims of demolition exercises and fire disaster victims.

We have also provided wheelchair to physically challenged persons and motorcycles to remote pastoral areas for evangelism, the vice chairman said.

He added that the commission has been working to fight human trafficking with support from the United States Agency for International Developments Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement.

He commended the Archbishop for ensuring that the commission realised its vision of a mega multipurpose youth center, to provide skills acquisition in different areas.

The vice chairman said the centre would impart leadership skills, mentorship and to also serve as venue for youth recreation, sports and other programmes.

This will no doubt be a game changer for the youth of the FCT, he added.

Abaagu said that at the end of the training, successful participants would be empowered by the commission

The vice chairman appreciated the Catholic Relief Services for partnering with JDPC to provide relief to just a few of the very large army of the unemployed, unskilled, uneducated, marginalized and often exploited youth of the FCT.

He said that this would make them self employed, employabie and even employers of labour in no distant future.

More than anything else, after training, they wiIl regain their self respect and the dignity God bestowed on all humans at creation.

He enjoined the youth to take the training seriously in order to win the empowerment packages earmarked for successful trainees.

In a project overview, Mr Timothy Ejeh, Programmes Director, JDPC, said the commission had since its creation in 1994, remained committed to delivering on its mandate.

He said the scheme is a two year pilot project to strengthen the skills set and financial security of vulnerable youth in the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, for enhanced livelihood.

Ejeh added that apart from providing them with access to newer and innovative alternative sources of livelihood, it would build and expand youth skills set.

Thereby making them employable, improve market access, consumption demand and supply chain linkages for vulnerable youth in the FCT.

To provide mentorship and proper career direction for over 80% of youth who pass through the scheme called YEDES.

To minimize crime among and by youths by 55% through profitable engagement, and provide access to finance through savings, grants, credit, venture capital and equity.

Some of the skills to be taught include Digital Photography and Video Editing, Website/App development, Catering and Event Planning.

Others include, Fashion Design, Poultry and Fish Farming, Graphic Design, Interior decoration, Shoe/bag Making, among others.

In his good will message, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, represented by Gabriel Ojelade, Deputy Director, Employment, in the ministry, said the Federal Government had established 27 Skills Upgrading and Vocational Training Centres nationwide.

These centres are fully equipped to train youth in over 60 specific skills and trades.

He commended the church for the initiative to empower youth with life long skills to contribute to national development.

In his remarks, the Archbishop who commissioned the scheme commended the JDCP and their partners and urged government and the private sector not to relent in assisting the youth.

He enjoined the participants to be focused and take the training seriously, so as to prosper.

Light the candle, rather than cause the darkness. All we expect right for the nation will happen by the Grace of God, if not now, then later, Kaigama prayed.

Dane Fredenburg, Deputy Country Representative, Catholic Relief Services said, for any nation to prosper, the youth, security, health and education must be taken seriously, which Nigeria is doing.

Also, Emrah Ilgen, President UFUK Dialogue Foundation said the youths were the greatest potentials of any nations and should be focused on.

He commended Nigeria for its effort to curb insecurity by empowering the youths. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

=================

Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Source: NAN News

By Glory Abuh-Adejoh

The National Industrial Court on Wednesday restrained the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from continuing the strike it embarked on Feb .14.

Delivering judgment, Justice Polycarp Hamman, held that the court determined the application based on issue two as formulated by the claimants.

The ASUU by themselves, members, agents, servants or anyone privy to them is hereby restrained from taking further step or taking any action or otherwise any strike action pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit..

The court in addition finds merit in the application for Interlocutory injunction brought by the claimants, he held.

Hamman further said that in granting an injunction, certain requirements such as existence of legal rights, balance of convenience, conduct and evidence of damages and loss needed to be met by the applicant seeking reliefs.

He also discountenanced the argument of Mr Femi Falana, SAN, counsel to ASUU, on the issue that Mr Okechukwu Wampa was not qualified to depose to the claimants affidavit.

Falana had argued in the defendants counter-affidavit that Wampas deposition was based on hearsay.

The court said that Wampa being a legal officer employed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and deployed to the Ministry of Labour and Employment as a legal adviser could depose in the issue and could offer legal advise in the matter.

He resolved the issue citing section 115 (1) (2) of Evidence Act, 2011 and section 12(2) of NICN Act,2006.

The court while addressing the issue of competency of the referral as raised by Falana, it ruled that the issue will be delved into when taking the defendants preliminary objection application and during the hearing of the substantive suit

The judge added that the balance of convenience tilted to the claimants based on paragraph 3,5,6 and 7 of their affidavit.

He said the paragraphs which cited the plight of students who ought to have graduated still in school as the result of the strike and the claimants who owns the public universities that are on strike as balance of convenience.

The court also ruled that the intellect of students who have been out of school for several months equated irreparable loss and damages were the facilities that have been dormant for months.

The court also discountenanced the argument of the defendant which submitted that the urgency of the matter was self- induced.

Falana in his submission had prayed the court for an accelerated hearing in the suit instead of granting an interlocutory injunction.

The court however differed that it was not self-induced as parties had been in negotiation all the while until the defendant declared the strike as indefinite on Aug.29.

The court therefore held that the conduct of the claimants were not reprehensible.

The court in conclusion stated that granting an injunction was at the discretion of the court, that the court however found the application meritorious on the strength of section 256 of the Constitution, section 18(1e) of the Trade Disputes Act and section 17 of the NICN proceeding, as shown by the claimants

The court made no order as to cost and added that the court will be sent back to the president of the court to be reassigned as the court ends its vacation by Sept.27.

News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that the the Minister of Labour and Employment on behalf of the Federal Government had filed the matter before the court by way of referral instrument to resolve the issue of the ongoing strike by ASUU.

Also joined as a claimant in the suit is the Minister of Education (NAN) (www.nanews.ng)

GOAA/SH

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

Source: NAN News