Connect with us

News

Plight of girl child brought to the fore as Alake calls for her empowerment.

Published

on

CALLING them endangered specie one may not be utterly wrong, given that violence, sexual abuse, early marriage, low access to education, gender discrimination, burden of house work and a host of others are travails mostly associated with the girl child and rural women.

Little wonder that the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG5) makes gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls as its focal point.

Typically,many Civil Society Organizations(CLOs),nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and others had, in the past,been in the vanguard of making cases for them ,lamenting and calling attention of government to the pains and plight.

Rather than joining this league ,watching helplessly and lamenting,an NGO is taking a bold step to change the narrative.

Accentuating the SDG 5, Global Initiative for Entrepreneurial and Capacity Development(GIECD), the NGO wing of International Centre for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development (ICLED), teamed up with Girl Rising Foundation of New York to raise voices for the Girl Child by organizing a conference aimed at economically empowering and consequently liberating them from the shackles of poverty.

Prof. Familoni and some of the participants.

ICLED, a USA/Nigerian-based organization, has been in the centre of educating people on entrepreneurship and leadership in Nigeria.

The conference which centred on education and empowering the girl child and rural women,titled: “The Unheard Voices”, was held at the historic Centenary Hall, Ake,Abeokuta,the Ogun State capital .

Speaking at the conference,the chairman of the occasion,the Alake of Egbaland and paramount ruler of Egba kingdom,Oba Adedotun Gbadebo,stressed that empowerment of the girl child and rural women was paramount .

Represented by Chief Layi Labode,the Aare Baaroyin of Egbaland, Oba Gbadebo maintained that the girl child was very vital in an economy.

ALSO READ  Customs seizes 61 SUVs with fake government plates

The traditional leader pointed out that if the girl child went to school and acquired skills, she would be useful to the community and the country. Saying,”It is not when you have factories you have economic growth”.

Emphasizing the need to invest in the girl child,the royal father said,
“training a girl child ,you’re training a nation”.

Stressing that production of some local produce such as Shea butter,coconut oil and others could rescue the girl child from poverty.

Oba Gbadebo lamented the plight of the girl child,saying she would be the last to take her birth and went to school late. Adding that:”The girl child takes care of the parents”.

The paramount leader lauded ICLED’s efforts,underscoring that it was an intervention to save the girl child and the councils involved from destruction.

He urged leaders in the local government councils to support ICLED’s NGO in its bid to save the girl child and rural women.

Stating that he would be happy if local councils could cooperate with the NGO to emancipate the girl child.

He said:”The NGO ( GIECD) is not only giving them fishes but teaching them how to catch to fishes.This is an opportunity for you. It is a veritable means of economic emancipation of our girls”.

In a goodwill message ,the Daranijo of Egbaland,Chief Lawrence Bankole,stressed the need for the youths to embrace vocational work,noting that white collar jobs are not available.

Delivering a keynote address, the Founder and Chairman of ICLED, Professor Olajumoke Familoni said around the world,girls face barriers to education which boys do not.

The university teacher however opined that educating girls could break the barriers of poverty

ALSO READ  Amotekun to begin operation in Oyo July

Speaking on the essence of the skills acquisition conference, the professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, emphasized that the participants would use the skills to add value to themselves, the community and the national economy at large.

Highlighting some produce such palm oil and others which the participants acquired training on,the Business Management lecturer said:”We don’t have to be poor in Nigeria”.

The academic who had been a manufacturer for two decades in the  United States of America unequivocally said  the project would be a revolution that would change the participants’ and the nation’s fortunes for good. “We are going to start something here,a revolution”, the entrepreneurship teacher reiterated .

In a remark, a digital entrepreneur, Mr. Olusoji Ajao,charged the participants on the need to embrace social media platforms with a view to networking their businesses. Saying both digital and traditional marketing channels should be used for networking and creating awareness for their products.

Eventually, the participants were split into four groups comprising  cocoa,cassava,palm oil and maize categories depending on their distinct interests.

The participants, who were drawn from various local government councils and local government development areas including Obafemi-Owode, Ota, Opeji, Ofada/Mokoloke, Odeda, Ifesowapo, Abeokuta South, Abeokuta South West and Abeokuta South East, lauded the organizer, ICLED NGO.

Some of the participants who spoke to journalists expressed high expectations from the conference and training. One of them ,Mr.Olaloye Damilola,who is a cassava farmer said the training would add value to his business and subsequently improve his farm yields.  Another participant,Comrade Omotosho Abiodun,a teacher,who is a cassava farmer remarked that the training would improve his life.

Similarly, Mrs.Nowoola Olabisi who is in to cocoa production said she expected that the seminar would improve her businesses and increase her earnings and the standard of living.

ALSO READ  Alake to chair conference on girl child tomorrow.

On her part,Mrs. Shittu Olukemi ,the Ogun State Trainer of the Nigeria Girls’ Guide Association,who led some members of the Guide to the event said the training would give a lot of opportunities to the girl child to be useful to herself and the society. Adding that the girl child would not fall victim of teenage pregnancy.

In the same vein,a Political Science graduate who is a participant,Miss Sekinat Musa,stressed that the training would enable her to be financially independent.

The most strategic segment of the programme is the unveiling of plan with different products and discussion on implementation of strategies which was anchored by an ace broadcaster,Mrs. Olaitan Bakare of Sweet FM, Abeokuta.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Kidnappers Must Be Treated As Terrorists – Tinubu Declares

Published

on

By

In a stern address at a Ramadan dinner with members of the Federal judiciary, President Bola Tinubu declared that individuals involved in despicable crimes such as kidnapping must be treated as terrorists.

The President, speaking passionately, reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to defeating banditry, labeling those who engage in kidnapping as cowards incapable of confronting the might of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“We must treat kidnappers as terrorists,” President Tinubu asserted, as reported by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale. “They are cowardly. They have been degraded. They look for soft targets. They go to schools and kidnap children and cause disaffection. We must treat them equally as terrorists in order to get rid of them, and I promise you we will get rid of them.”

The President made these remarks during the dinner attended by serving and retired judicial officers, including notable figures such as former Chief Justices of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, and Justice Walter Onnoghen.

The event provided a platform for discussions on various issues, including the escalating security challenges faced by Nigeria, particularly in the North-West and North-East geopolitical zones.

Nigeria has grappled with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and oil theft, with the aforementioned regions experiencing a surge in insurgent and bandit attacks over the last decade.

ALSO READ  Amotekun to begin operation in Oyo July

President Tinubu’s government has remained steadfast in its stance of not negotiating with bandits, despite the continued abduction of schoolchildren and residents for ransom.

The recent mass abduction of 137 schoolchildren from Kuriga in Kaduna State serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing security threats.

The President also addressed the need for judicial reforms and improved welfare for judicial officers.

Recognising the challenges faced by the judiciary, President Tinubu pledged to implement necessary reforms to enhance the welfare and working conditions of judicial officers. He emphasised the importance of fair compensation and support for the judiciary, acknowledging their pivotal role in upholding the respectability of the judicial arm of government.

In response, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, commended President Tinubu for his commitment to judicial reforms and for hosting the Ramadan dinner in honour of judicial officers.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, also expressed gratitude to the President for forwarding the executive bill aimed at addressing the stagnant state of judges’ salaries and allowances since 2007.

President Tinubu’s declaration underscores the government’s resolve to combat insecurity and hold perpetrators of heinous crimes accountable.

Continue Reading

News

Abiodun Unveils 50% Discount Rice Scheme to Aid Ogun Residents

Published

on

By

 

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has said that his administration will commence the sale of rice at half the market price across the state to alleviate the prevailing economic challenges in the country..

Addressing attendees at a special Iftar organised for the League of Imams and Alfas in Abeokuta, Governor Abiodun emphasised the importance of alleviating the economic burden on the public, particularly civil servants.

He stated, “We have decided to commence the sale of rice. We will be selling it at the rate of 50% of the actual price.”

Highlighting the significance of restoring the purchasing power of public servants, the governor affirmed that the initiative aims to counter the impact of inflation.

He asserted, “What we are trying to do is put them in the position they were before the inflation.”

The governor disclosed the establishment of a committee to oversee the distribution of rice to residents, ensuring transparency and accessibility.

He emphasised the sustainability of the programme, stating, “If we sell at the price it was sold before it becomes expensive, it will allow us to use the money to buy more and continue to sell.”

Also, the governor pledged free rice distribution to the less privileged segments of society, including the poor, elderly, and vulnerable individuals.

ALSO READ  Customs seizes 61 SUVs with fake government plates

Encouraging Muslims to uphold virtuous behavior beyond the fasting period, Governor Abiodun urged continuous prayers for the well-being of the state and the nation.

He reiterated his commitment to constructing a modern secretariat for the League of Imams and Alfas, promising a landmark facility that would set a standard for other states.

In recognition of his efforts towards peace and empowerment, Governor Abiodun was honoured with the title of Ambassador of Peace in Islam during the event.

Attendees also offered special prayers for the upcoming 72nd birthday celebration of President Bola Tinubu, scheduled for March 29th.

Imam Tajudeen Adewunmi, the Secretary of the League of Imams and Alfas, commended Governor Abiodun for his dedication to empowering Muslim youths and fostering goodwill within the community.

 

Continue Reading

News

Makinde’s Ibadan Circular Road Project, A Monumental Fraud – Says Oyo APC

Published

on

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state has cried out over alleged monumental fraud which the party claimed it discovered in the partial execution of the Ibadan Circular Road Project, warning the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde that the unabated corruption being perpetrated by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) could plunge the state into irredeemable doom in the nearest future.

At the commissioning ceremony which took place at Badeku Junction on Ife-Ibadan Express Road last Friday, Governor Makinde announced that the Ibadan Circular Road Project which, according to him, was the largest investment in Oyo state in 50 years had cost a whooping sum of N300billion.

Anambra state governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, was the Special Guest of Honour at the event.

In a reaction which was contained in a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC queried the governor on the rationale behind the government’s redesign of the road project to occupy 425 meters as setbacks in both sides when the standard measure for any Trunk ‘A’ road does not exceed 60 meters across the globe.

“So, the ongoing indiscriminate demolition of properties of poor citizens is to serve the interest of the governor and his cronies”.

ALSO READ  Alake to chair conference on girl child tomorrow.

“Many questions are begging for answers as far as this matter is concerned; how did Governor Makinde spend N300billion on less than a quarter of the whole project when his predecessor, late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, had awarded the contract for its design, construction, and completion as well as payment of compensation to those who might lose their properties to construction activities at a total cost of N70billion in June 2017 while the contractor had done about 20 percent of the work before he was sent away when the PDP government came on board in 2019?

“In July 2021, Governor Makinde announced that he had re-awarded the same project to another contractor at a total sum of N138.2billion but last Friday when a stretch representing about a quarter of the whole project was being commissioned (for suspended use by the public), the governor claimed the completed portion had gulped N300billion. The entire circular road project was designed to cover 110 kilometers and the whole world wants to know the fraction which has now cost N300billion to be done and also, how much the remaining three quarters would cost.

“Meanwhile, tongues would continue to wag on the issue of the large expanse of land forcefully acquired from the owners in the name of road construction. The fact remains that the people of the state cannot trust a government that is popular for land fraud as is the case in Ajia, Wofun, Bashorun, Bodija, and Land Lagos Express Road among others in the last four years. Those hapless landowners are accusing Governor Makinde of a surreptitious plan to seize their land and later sell it to some strangers from the East.

ALSO READ  Why I criticised my husband’s govt -Aisha Buhari

“Another issue of concern is that of the supposed Agodi-Gate Junction Improvement project which has been identified as another conduit to siphon the resources of the state. All the state is doing is evacuating roadside traders, clearing some blocked drainages, laying light asphalt, and installing traffic lights, then later claiming several billions of naira as the cost of the exaggerated repair works on the popular junctions at Ibadan Civic Centre and Agodi-Gate.

“The sad thing is that the proceeds of these inflated contacts end up in private pockets without any trace. This kind of funds is what some governors in other states are using to rejig agriculture, fix the education sector, and address hardship among the masses among other things in their domains. Public primary and secondary schools are in dire need of subject teachers, virtually all the inner and access roads are in bad shape, no public tap water anywhere in the state, the population of the poor increases every day, and yet, Gov. Makinde mis-appropriates scarce resources to the detriment of the welfare of the people. This has to stop.” APC said.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Tweets by ‎@megaiconmagg

Subscribe to our Newsletter

* indicates required

MegaIcon Magazine Facebook Page

Advertisement

MEGAICON TV

Trending