News
IWD: SCI Nigeria calls for safety for women and girls in digital platforms
As the global community commemorates International Women’s Day on March 8, Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria has called for the accessibility and safety of women and girls in digital platforms.
This is following statistics by the organisation that revealed that significant percentage of women and girls had personally experienced online violence or abuse.
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) is, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.
In a statement released on Wednesday, SCI Nigeria charged decision makers and stakeholders in the industry to ensure the safety of women and girls in digital space so that they can release their full potentials.
They also called on all stakeholders to draw attention and interest towards the celebration of women across all spheres of life, especially the girl-child who have surmounted hurdles and societal stereotypes to reach their full potential.
SCI Nigeria noted that this year’s theme is peculiar to the wave of women in technology as seen in the digital space today.
According to the UN Women, 22 per cent of women are workers in the artificial intelligence world globally. This posits a huge gap between genders and affects gender equality in terms of access to digital technology.
Save the Children International strongly supports the need for equity for men and women, boys and girls in our schools, homes, offices, businesses, innovations and political space. The opportunities available for women, particularly the girl child must be backed up with policies, strategies and structures that will ensure she excels.
Khadija Bappa Badamasi, SCI Nigeria Girl Champion from Yobe State said, “I want to live in a world where education is an instrument that is capable of correcting inequality in any society. I want to live in a world where early and forced marriage is eradicated. I want to live in a world where there is no discrimination against women and children. I want to live in a world where no child is left behind. Hence, I would like to call upon policy makers to enhance efforts to ensure that gender equality is a reality on the digital space as well.”
Etukudo, Utibe-Abasi Dominic, Girl Champion from Cross River State said, “A girl has the same rights as a boy, including for information technology, education, social treatment, and basic necessities. We will continue to advocate for our rights as human beings, not as girls! We deserve to live to our full potential and have fair and equal treatments and opportunities in life and we will make sure of this through orientation and reorientation with the safe access and proper use of information and communication technologies.”
Ramatu Umar-Bako, Senior Gender Equality, and Inclusion Adviser at Save the Children International Nigeria said, “we can only make progress in the conversation about equality when we embrace equitable concepts, take concrete steps to address diversity and ensure inclusive policies.”
Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria however called upon the government and other stakeholders to advance opportunities and ensure the needed resources to attain women’s access and safety on the digital platforms. With this, according to them, girls will not only have equality but also enjoy equity to be outstanding.
SCI Nigeria urged that all hands must be on deck to champion innovations and excellence through digitalized education. This means advanced software for curriculums, digitalized classrooms, training and workshops, and transformative and accessible networks that compete with world standards. Women need more freedom of expression digitally without fear of trolls, cyber violence, abuse or bullying, the women should be empowered to exercise their skills in technology and digitalization with well-thought-out policies and laws that favor them, void of discrimination, biases and gender stereotype.
Amanuel Mamo, Director of Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media, Save the Children International Nigeria said “for us at Save the Children, equality means ensuring that all human beings- women, men, girls, and boys are considered equal and are treated equally. We shall continue to pursue our dream of a world where all girls and boys are equally heard and valued. Women and girls must be able to engage, create, learn and work, safely and productively either online or offline, making the most of all the opportunities in every sphere of life and at every stage of it, in education, in the economy, in society and in politics.”
News
Reports of Justice Agim accompanying Wike to UNICAL convocation false, misleading Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Nigeria has denied that one of its justices, Justice Emmanuel Agim accompanies the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to the convocation at the University of Calabar in the South South Nigeria.
The denial came amid suspicion that Justice Agim who wrote a judgment of the Supreme Court in favour of the 27 lawmakers in Rivers State is close to Wike, hence, his presence around Wike has triggered speculations.
Wike is the former governor of Rivers State and a current of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who controls lawmakers in Rivers.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Supreme Court’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Festus Akande, he refuted the claims, saying Agim attended the event on his own.
The statement described the rumour as misleading, insisting that Justice Agim attended the event as a honoree, urging Nigerians to disregard the social media lies.
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“Hon. Justice Agim attended the convocation as an esteemed honouree and an alumnus of the institution, who the Governing Council had found worthy to be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Law (Doctor Honoris Causa),” the statement read.
“That Justice Agim was recognized for his significant contributions to the legal profession, which reflect his dedication to justice, integrity, and the rule of law.
Naija News reports that the statement highlighted that Justice Agim’s achievements serve as an inspiration for aspiring legal professionals and students alike.
The statement also addressed the claim that Justice Agim had attended the convocation ceremony in the company of Nyesom Wike.
It stressed that this was a false narrative, stating that Justice Agim’s attendance was independent of any government ministry or department and that he was not accompanying any government official.
“Any insinuation to the contrary is not only inaccurate but undermines the judicial independence that is crucial to our democracy,” the Supreme Court emphasized.
Additionally, the statement noted that Justice Agim had been scheduled to attend the burial ceremony of Hon. Justice Stanley Alagoa in Bayelsa State but had sought permission to attend the convocation ceremony instead.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court urged the media and the public to verify information through credible sources before dissemination.
“We encourage the public and media to verify information through credible sources before sharing or publishing to prevent the spread of misinformation,” the statement concluded.
News
State of Emergency in Rivers: $5,000 shared to Reps as ‘Sallah gesture,’ not bribe – Hon. Betara
Member representing Biu/Bayo/Shania/Kwaya/Kusar Federal Constituency of Borno State, Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara has disclosed that he shared $5,000 with members of his committee as a “Sallah gesture”.
Betara who is the Reps Committee Chairman on FCT said the money was not a bribe to pass resolution declaring a state of emergency in Rivers as being insinuated.
The was posted by a Nigerian investigative journalist, Jaafar Jaafar on his X handle.
Jaafar said Betara explained this to him after the lawmaker reached out to clarify that the $5,000 given to lawmakers was merely a “Sallah gesture” and not an inducement.
He quoted Batara to have said the gesture was a long standing g tradition and has nothing to do with the state of emergency I Rivers.
Jaafar wrote:
“The chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, has clarified to me that he only shared $5,000 with each member of his committee as a ‘Sallah gesture,’ not as an inducement to support emergency rule in Rivers State.
“According to him, he maintains the tradition—like Santa Claus—every year.
“As we say in Hausa, not thigh but hind leg.”
The clarification by Betara came amid strong speculations that Senators received $15,000 bribe to pass a resolution to sustain declaration of state of emergency rule in Rivers.
The bribe was reportedly shared on Tuesday before they voted on Wednesday.
News
INEC holds crucial meeting to look into petition recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Senate
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proceeded into a crucial meeting to study and look into a petition submitted to it by constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
CAPITAL POST gathered, it a top management meeting as it was claimed that over 250,000 constituents signed the petition out of 480,000 registered voters.
The meeting was confirmed on Monday by the Acting
Director of Publicity, Esther Chibuikem, stating that the meeting held at a committee room at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
It was also confirmed that the Secretary to the commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on received the petition against Natasha on Monday.
The petition follwed the nod given by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja on Friday where the earlier judgement restraining INEC from accepting the petition was set asid3.
Last week, constituents from Kogi Central were said to have i initiated a recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, but some constituents claimed that they were d3ceived into exercise as they were told to gather with their voters card for 3 powerment.
However, the Court, in a judgement delivered in Lokoja, affirmed that the recall process is constitutionally valid and aligns with the civic rights of the constituents.
The court urged the constituents to continue exercising their rights in an orderly and peaceful manner.
The development was after the court on Thursday granted an interim injunction restraining INEC, its staff, agents, privies or assigns from receiving, accepting or acting on any petition containing signatures of members of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
As at press time, INEC hasn’t release information on the next action as signatures may have to be critically compared with its register to determine validity.
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