General News
WARIF Completes First Cycle of Its Rural Sensitization Program on Covid-19
In the months since COVID-19 was first reported in Nigeria, rippling effects with devastating impacts have been felt across the global economy and on individual livelihood.
The crisis, characterized by border closures and lockdowns, comes as a shock to the majority impacting not only the economical but physical and mental health of many within and beyond the Nigerian constituencies.
In Nigeria, rural communities make up the largest portion of these constituencies and in this crisis, these communities are particularly important, as they are among the most vulnerable. However, most of the burdens of COVID-19 in rural areas have been under the radar.
For rural households, the impact of the virus will likely be felt first in compromised livelihoods. The health impact, however, cannot be overlooked or understated. With the gradual ease of the lockdown coupled with a fast-rising number of reported cases, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), one of the nation’s foremost NGOs tackling the prevalence of gender-based violence in Nigeria, have observed that the pandemic and disruption of the present moment is one which requires efficient sensitization on safety protocols for survival while also addressing the prevalence of domestic and sexual gender-based violence within their communities.
Shocking statistics by WARIF revealed that domestic violence has surged since the initial period of the coronavirus lockdown.
This led to the NGO re-opening its centre to cater to survivors of sexual violence. This decision was made after the NGO observed a 64 per cent increase in call cases, during the lockdown mandated by the Federal Government in March 2020.
Dr Kemi DaSilva-Ibru, Founder of WARIF, voiced the need for a more aggressive sensitization scheme for rural communities – “There is an urgent need for rural communities to be sensitized about these pandemics as they have little access to adequate healthcare facilities’’.
Building on this, WARIF has become more concerned with sensitizing rural communities around the state about the pandemic. Through a recently launched Covid-19 response initiative, the NGO commenced a one-month sensitization program designed to engage women in grassroots communities.
The relevance of initiatives like this cannot be overemphasized, as programs targeted at the most vulnerable individuals within the society ultimately influence the greater good of the society.
It is all about education, information and sensitization; and individuals, government and non-governmental organizations (NGO) all play a critical role in making sure the right information and materials get to the people within these communities.
In response to this urgent consequence of the pandemic, WARIF has also implemented safety planning protocols to assist survivors in need of help. These protocols designed and implemented by the organization to protect both adults and children are aligned with the recently released set of procedures by the UN to keep children safe while the pandemic lasts.
WARIF has noted that it is one thing to propose a sensitization program and another to maximize its efficiency. This is why the program has been implemented through the leverage the support of trained Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) from the WARIF Community Gatekeepers Project, a pre-existing initiative by the NGO.
The Traditional Birth Attendants were identified to carry out this sensitization as they are familiar with the people and the environment. These trained attendants, already educated on the prevalence of domestic and sexual gender-based violence within their grassroot communities and the immediate response and management of these cases, have been galvanized into small cell groups and are making house to house visits in their various communities to offer assistance to women who are residing with their spouses and partners.
The Traditional Birth Attendants will go into communities weekly to create awareness on services provided at the WARIF center and identify if there has been an increase in cases of sexual and domestic abuses. Cases of abuse in these households are being identified and recorded and are referred to the WARIF Rape Crisis Centre.
It is commendable to note that WARIF had successfully completed the first cycle of its rural sensitization program which engaged 10, 774 individuals in Alimosho, Kosofe, Apapa, Epe and Ikorodu LGAs of Lagos state. Regardless, there is still much work to be done as private sector inclusion and partnerships are encouraged by the NGO.
It is no news that women are still at risk during this period and this is why WARIF through its initiative aims to get first-hand insight to GBV cases within these communities and engage survivors with all the support they require. This is a major factor which lead to the NGO’s Police Awareness Initiative, which gives survivors access to a select number of police stations across Lagos.
In these stations, there are assigned officers to assist survivors with their cases and protect them from any further harm from the perpetuator. With collaborations such as this, WARIF is ensuring that survivors can get prompt and satisfactory responsiveness from the police in locations closest to them.
In its 2020 vision, WARIF aims to impact I million lives and as far has successfully influenced 340,000 people this year. The NGO continues to operate a 24-hour confidential helpline (0809 210 0009) to assist survivors of gender-based violence in Nigeria.
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) indicted the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and other ministries over administrative lapses that allowed the fictitious Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) to operate.
Musa Aliyu, chairman, ICPC, stated that NITDA, alongside the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Budget Office, and other bodies, failed to carry out adequate due diligence and standard operating procedures.
ICPC said however, clarified that the findings pointed to severe internal control weaknesses and administrative negligence rather than active official complicity by NITDA and the other affected agencies.
The briefing followed a 30-day investigation ordered by the president on July 7 into allegations surrounding the purported presidential council.
The commission also cleared the presidency and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of any wrongdoing but blamed institutional lapses in several ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Aliyu said investigators established that Adeniyi Adeyemi, the director-general, was never appointed by the federal government and that the PFIPC had no legal existence.
“As you may recall, on the 7th of July, Mr. President directed the ICPC to conduct an investigation into the fake Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council and submit a report within 30 days,” he said.
“Today, exactly within the stipulated period, we have submitted an interim report based on our interactions with all stakeholders involved.”
According to Aliyu, Tinubu directed the commission to make its findings public in the interest of transparency and accountability.
He said the investigation found that Adeyemi’s purported appointment letter was forged.
“It has been established that Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was never appointed by the Federal Government or any authority whatsoever,” he said.
“The Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, which sometimes they called the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, was never established by any law, executive order or any valid instrument of government.
“The appointment letter presented by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew was completely forged alongside similar documents used to perpetuate the illegal activities of the fake agency.”
Aliyu stated that a purported government gazette used to legitimise the organisation was also fabricated.
“If you recall, there was a gazette which he used to support the fake agency. That gazette is an illegal document that never passed through the processes prescribed by law,” he stated.
“Our investigation found that the office used by the fake agency was the office of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. The office was broken into and access was gained illegally. That was how he was able to operate from there.”
Aliyu also revealed that investigators uncovered two additional fictitious government agencies allegedly created by the suspect — the FCT Investment Promotion Agency (FIPA) and the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency/Public-Private Partnership (FIPA-PPP).
According to him, fake legislative instruments were used to create the agencies and open bank accounts.
Despite the elaborate scheme, the ICPC chairman said the investigation found no evidence that federal government funds were disbursed to the fake council.
“Our investigation found that no funds of the federal government were approved or disbursed to the fake PFIPC,” he said.
“We also discovered no weaknesses in the systems of the State House or the Central Bank of Nigeria during our investigation. The fake appointment letter did not originate from the presidency.
“Our investigation found that some public officers failed to carry out due diligence and failed to comply with standard operating procedures in their ministries and departments. That gave him the opportunity to carry out these illegal acts.”
Nigeria tax system is build on taxing prosperity not poverty, according to Dr. Zacch Adedeji, executive chairman, Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).
Dr. Zacch Adedeji, executive chairman, Nigeria Revenue Service
Adedeji, also dismissed the insinuation that the government’s tax reform is aimed at extracting money from Nigerians .
He said the essence of reform is creating an economic environment where individuals and businesses can prosper.
Dr. Adedeji made the clarifications on Sunday night while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he defended the administration’s tax reforms and addressed concerns over rising government revenue amid the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
According to him, the government’s objective is to tax the fruits of investment rather than the investment itself.
“For us at Nigeria Tax, we are not there to extract. Our focus is not revenue. I don’t want to tax poverty. I’m to tax the fruit, not the seed, and I’m to tax the return, not investment.”
Adedeji explained that the government would generate more revenue as businesses became more profitable, without necessarily increasing the tax burden on individuals and companies.
He said a company that made N100 in profit could generate N30 in tax revenue for the government, but if its profit increased to N200 or N300, government revenue would rise accordingly.
“So, if I want to make more, I must work for you to make more. And that is why it is in the best interest of us in Nigeria Revenue Service that businesses are doing well, individuals are doing well,” he said.
He said the approach was consistent with President Bola Tinubu’s economic agenda, which seeks to remove barriers to investment and create a more conducive environment for businesses to operate and expand.
Adedeji cited reforms in the electricity sector as part of the government’s efforts to stimulate economic activity.
He noted that the Electricity Act had devolved powers to state governments to generate, transmit and distribute electricity, arguing that improved power supply would boost production and productivity across the economy.
Prof Chidi Oguamanam, Nigerian scholar, has been invited to serve as a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO’s) World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology.
Prof Chidi Oguamanam,
The appointment, which covers four years from 2026 to 2029, recognises Oguamanam’s contributions to the ethics of science and technology and related disciplines.
The invitation was conveyed in a letter from UNESCO on Saturday, which described the commission as an independent advisory body and forum for reflection on major ethical challenges arising from advances in science and technology.
The letter stated, “Recognising your significant contributions to the ethics of science and technology and related disciplines, it is my honour to invite you to become a member of UNESCO’s World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology for a period of four years, from 2026 to 2029.”
Established in 1998, the commission brings together experts from different regions and disciplines to examine ethical issues associated with scientific and technological developments, climate change and the environment.
UNESCO said regional balance was important to the commission’s membership to promote multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary debate on emerging ethical challenges.
According to the organisation, the commission provides guidance and recommendations through its reports to UNESCO, its member states, the scientific community, policymakers, civil society and other stakeholders.
Its previous work has contributed to global normative instruments, including the Declaration of Ethical Principles in Relation to Climate Change adopted in 2017 and the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence adopted in 2021.
UNESCO noted that the commission had recently published reports examining the ethics of quantum computing and space exploration and utilisation.
The organisation said the commission would now focus on new areas identified for its future work programme, including emerging ethical challenges arising from scientific and technological developments.
In inviting Oguamanam to join the commission, UNESCO expressed confidence in his expertise and active contribution to the development of its forthcoming reports.
The organisation also said it expected members to contribute to “horizon scanning” of emerging ethical challenges and help identify issues that should be addressed in the commission’s next cycle.
Oguamanam’s appointment adds to Nigeria’s representation in international discussions on the ethical implications of science, technology and innovation.
He is expected to serve on the commission alongside experts from different regions and academic disciplines during the 2026–2029 term.
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