News
Senate mulls mobile court to jail out-of-school children’s guardians
The Senate, on Wednesday, called for the establishment of mobile courts for the trial and imprisonment of parents and guardians refusing to enrol their wards in school in compliance with the Universal Basic Education Act.
The move is to address the 20 million out-of-school children in the country.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, specifically urged the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory to adopt the measures he used in Akwa Ibom State when he was governor, which entailed six months imprisonment for parents and guardians of school-aged children found on the streets or in the farm, during school hours.
The Senate made the resolution, following a motion by Senator Idiat Adebule, (APC, Lagos West), titled: “Compelling need to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children in Nigeria.”
Adebule, in the motion, said it had become worrisome, going by the 2022 report of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO that about 20 million Nigerian children are out of school, which represents 10 per cent of the estimated Nigerian population of 200 million people and also represents the highest number of out-of-school children from any country globally.
She said, “Though the Federal Ministry of Education has disputed the figure, it’s generally agreed that whatever the real figures, the issue of out-of-school children has become an albatross on the neck of the Nigerian state that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency.”
In his contribution to the motion, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC Edo North), said the menace must be tackled very urgently because illiteracy engenders poverty and poverty engenders crime.
“I really don’t think we need any tutorial to remind us that he or she who didn’t have the opportunity or was denied the opportunity to go to school is destined to be poor forever.
“An illiterate young man or woman is bound to give birth to another illiterate child which will lead to a dynasty of the poor constituting a risk to the rich and the society at large.
“Today in Nigeria, we can see and we are all witnesses that inequality and abject poverty anywhere has constituted a huge security risk to everyone in Nigeria. It is clear that every Nigerian child needs to go to school,” Oshiomhole said.
He accused some governors, particularly from the northern part of the country, of sabotaging efforts of the Federal Government to make basic education free and compulsory for every child in Nigeria.
“The governors sabotaging the policy, deliberately refusing to contribute 50 per cent of fund required from them as counterpart funding of UBE policy,” he said.
Supporting the motion, the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, said the problem needed to be frontally addressed because it was the out-of-school children that later became tools for terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country.
Barau said, “I commend Senator Adebule Idiat for moving this motion. Bringing it forward at this point is a big service to our nation. Education is said to be the bedrock of every society; it’s a pillar upon which every human being begins his or her life.”
Other senators, like the former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan (APC Yobe North), Mohammed Monguno (APC Borno North), contributed to the debate by calling on government at all levels to urgently arrest the trend.
In his remarks after the adoption of prayers in the motion as resolutions, Akpabio said, “Since education is the bedrock of all good things in any society, government at all levels, should ensure that no school-age child stays out of school in Nigeria.
“We did it in Akwa Ibom State when I was governor by enforcing compliance to the UBE Act by all Parents or Guardians or were made to know that anybody caught not sending his or her child to school, risks six months imprisonment.
“By way of legislation, the Child Rights Act was put in place which has free and compulsory education as parts of its provisions. Other states in Nigeria should adopt this as required measures of making education truly free and compulsory for children in the country,” he added.
News
I’ve never lied against anyone, says Dele Farotimi after regaining freedom
A human rights advocate, Dele Farotimi, has been released from the correctional centre in Ekiti State after meeting his bail conditions.
Farotimi was released on Tuesday morning.
Last week Friday, at a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, granted Farotimi bail conditions, including a N30 million bond, two sureties, one of whom must be a property owner, a submission of Farotimi’s passport and a prohibition of Farotimi granting media interviews once released.
However, addressing media personnel after his release, Farotimi said he had never had any course to lie against anyone in his life, adding that whatever he had said about someone or an institution was true.
“It is not ever an easy journey when you are fighting evil, but some years back, before I started this work, God told me that the truth is enough. It is the only weapon with which you can slay the monster called Nigeria, which is the truth. In my war against the evil empire that we all lived in, I have never lied against anyone. If I don’t know, I will say I don’t know,” he said.
Recall, on July 2, Farotimi released a book titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’.
Months after the 116-page book’s release, renowned legal luminary Afe Babalola accused Farotimi of defamation, and this led to the human rights lawyer being arrested in a Gestapo-like manner at his Lagos office by a group of policemen attached to the Ekiti State Police Command on December 3.
Farotimi was then subsequently transported to Ekiti State.
Apart from the defamation charges initially brought against Farotimi at an Ekiti State Magistrate Court by Babalola’s team, Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police also filed 12 additional charges against the lawyer at an Ekiti Federal High Court on December 6.
Apart from the defamation charges initially brought against Farotimi at an Ekiti State Magistrate Court by Babalola’s team, Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police also filed 12 additional charges against the lawyer at an Ekiti Federal High Court on December 6.
The PUNCH reports that Farotimi was arraigned in court on charges bordering on defamation and cyberbullying, stemming from a petition by legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Aare Afe Babalola, who alleged that Farotimi defamed him in his book.
According to the police, Farotimi, in the book, accused Babalola and other SANs of corrupting Justices of the Supreme Court.
News
Doctors demand 70-year retirement age in new FEC memo
The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria has revealed that the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, is set to submit a memo to the Federal Executive Council regarding their demands to harmonise the retirement age for medical consultants to 70 years.
Additionally, Pate and the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, plan to submit a joint memo to the Presidential Committee on Salaries, advocating the universal application of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for medical lecturers.
MDCAN recently embarked on a seven-day warning strike on November 18 to push for these demands.
The strike, however, was suspended after six days, following government intervention in a dispute over the Vice-Chancellor position at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, which addressed one of the association’s core concerns.
The association has reiterated its demand for the harmonisation of medical consultants’ retirement age to 70 years and for the universal application of CONMESS to all medical and dental officers.
Speaking with our correspondent on Tuesday, MDCAN President, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, confirmed progress on the memos.
“We have seen the draft of the memo and included our input, but I am unsure of its current stage with the ministers. They are in the process of submitting it to the Federal Executive Council for consideration,” he said.
“The Minister of Health and the Minister of Education will jointly submit the memo on salary harmonisation to the Presidential Committee on Salaries.
We urge them to fulfil their commitments from the conciliation process to resolve these issues before our next meeting in January 2025.”
MDCAN’s next meeting is scheduled to take place from January 20 to 25, 2025, where further actions may be determined.
News
Ex-Presidents’ wives lament disrespect after husbands’ tenure
Wives of former presidents of African countries have lamented that they suffer systemic neglect, find themselves abandoned, stripped of their resources and dignity and relegated to obscurity after their husbands leave office or pass away.
The ex-presidents’ wives rendered these lamentations when they converged on Conakry, Republic of Guinea, for a conference aimed at having a formidable Former Presidents’ Wives Coalition.
From one former President’s wife to the others who spoke, it was similar tales of struggle and loss that they suffered, attributing it to a systemic issue that required urgent attention.
Championing the cause, Andre Toure, widow of Guinea’s late President Sekou Toure, said the coalition aimed to revive the aspirations of former Presidents’ wives and ensure they do not fade into oblivion after their public service.
“The coalition is to challenge the stigma and neglect faced by former Presidents’ wives, advocating their dignity and respect in society; to create a historical narrative that honours their contributions by establishing a museum dedicated to their lives and legacies, thus ensuring their stories are documented and remembered,” Toure said in a statement made available to The PUNCH.
Toure said the coalition’s vision is shared by former Presidents’ wives, Fatmata Momoh (Sierra Leone); and Isabel Vieira (Guinea-Bissau).
“We are here to combat the unfortunate reality that many former Presidents’ wives face after their husbands leave office.
“These women, who once held esteemed positions, often find themselves abandoned, stripped of their resources and dignity, and relegated to obscurity.
We are united by our shared experiences and our commitment to change this narrative.
“We are not just figures from the past; we have played significant roles in our nation’s histories, and we deserve recognition and respect. But, we are treated with indifference and disrespect after our husbands’ political careers end,” Toure said.
The tales of the struggle and loss of the widow of late President Samuel Kedo were also relayed at the conference.
Though she noted that the coalition’s impact waned over time due to disappointments and lack of sustained commitment from potential allies, she said the former Presidents’ wives were now dedicated to empowering their members and advocating for their rights.
As part of the efforts, Toure said the coalition would embark on a tour across various African nations, introducing their initiative to other former Presidents’ wives and seeking support from international partners.
She said, “The coalition’s mission is not only about advocacy; it’s a call for international partners, governments, and civil society to recognise the vital roles these women have played and to support their initiatives aimed at creating a more equitable and dignified existence for former Presidents’ wives across Africa.
“Their journey is a collective effort to reshape the narrative around women in leadership roles and to ensure that the sacrifices and contributions of these women are honoured and preserved for future generations.”
Credit: PUNCH
-
News24 hours ago
FG gives banks, telcos six-month ultimatum on N250bn USSD debt
-
Opinion20 hours ago
HASSAN TAIYE EJIBUNU: CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE, HUMILITY, AND ALTRUISM
-
News24 hours ago
Courts convict 742 terrorists, free 888
-
News22 hours ago
Bandits snatch Christmas foodstuffs, drinks from Kaduna residents
-
News22 hours ago
Tinubu Bombs Obasa Over Controversial Lagos Council Law
-
News18 hours ago
Just in: Ooni Ex- Queen Naomi, Oriyomi Hamzat, others to spend Christmas in prison
-
News24 hours ago
NAPTIP reunites 1,200 trafficked victims with families
-
News14 hours ago
BREAKING: Human Rights Lawyer Dele Farotimi Released