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Comrade Ike Seeks Govt Funded Compensation Scheme For Victims Of Sexual, Violent Crimes+PHOTOS

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By Gloria Ikibah
As emotional and psychological trauma and mental health continue to deteriorate among assaulted Nigerians, the Chairperson, House of Representatives Press Corps, Comrade Grace Ike, has advocated for government funded compensation scheme for victims of rape and violent crimes.
Comrade Ike stated this on Wednesday in Abuja,during the launch of ‘Tears from the Grave’, a publication by Mr Lemmy Ughegbe of “Men Against Rape Foundation”, MARF, dedicated to the memory of victims of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV, in Abuja, which she described the absence of fund for compensation to also help victims restart their lives as a critical gap that demands urgent attention.
Ike who is also the Vice Chairman, Correspondents Chapel, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, commended the Foundation and organizers of the launch, which indicates their patriotism and commitment to shedding light on the harrowing experiences of SGBV victims with ‘Tears from the Grave’ that demonstrates the collective resolve of Nigerians to confront and eradicate the pervasive issue.
Author of Tears From The Grave, Lemmy Ughegbe, Secretary of Guild of Editor and Editor of ThisDay Nation’s Capital, Mr Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Chairperson, House of Reps Press Corps, Comrade Grace Ike and former Chairman NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Jacob Edi during the unveiling of the book in Abuja today
She said: “The statistics are alarming—a recent survey in Nigeria revealed that 31.4 per cent of sexually active adolescent females and 5.7% of males experienced forced sex (rape) at sexual initiation.
“Shockingly, female adolescents living with HIV are disproportionately affected by this violence.
“It is truly heartbreaking when individuals, regardless of age or gender, fall victim to such abhorrent acts. The normalization of sexual violence is spreading like wildfire, leaving victims in unimaginable physical and psychological anguish.
“Every day, we are confronted with distressing accounts of girls and women enduring unspeakable trauma due to sexual violence. What is even more disturbing is the growing trend of perpetrators committing murder, killing their victims after these heinous acts—an act that must be condemned in the strongest terms.
“SGBV knows no boundaries—it transcends age, ethnicity, color, socioeconomic status, and geography.
“While the list of victims in Nigeria is extensive, many cases remain unreported due to fear of stigma and inadequate support systems.
“Despite existing legislation imposing severe penalties for SGBV offenses, prosecution rates remain dismally low. Victims often shy away from reporting due to fear of stigma and the arduous legal process.
“I am particularly troubled by the absence of a government-funded compensation scheme for victims of sexual and violent crimes in Nigeria. This is a critical gap that demands urgent attention from our policymakers.”
However, she called on CSOs to ensure justice for SGBV victims, and also appealed to the National and State Assemblies to establish special courts basically for sexual offences across the country.
“Furthermore, civil society organizations such as the Men Against Rape Foundation play a pivotal role in advocating for the rights of SGBV victims and ensuring they receive the justice and support they deserve.
“I call upon our lawmakers at the national and state levels to prioritize the establishment of Sexual Offenses Courts across the country, modeled after successful initiatives in Lagos and other regions.
“Once again, I want to express my deep appreciation to Mr. Lemmy Ugegbe and the dedicated team at the Men Against Rape Foundation for not just coming up with this initiative but for your relentless pursuit of justice.
“I have followed your trajectory, especially on the case of Karen, a teenage-victim who also lost her life as a result of rape and many other cases. You people are doing an extremely difficult job but I pray that God will continue to give you the courage, strength, financial enablement and the grace to accomplish this onerous task.
“Together, let us stand united against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. We must continue to strive for a society where every individual lives free from the fear of violence and injustice”, she added.
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SAD! 10 Family Members Die In Private Jet Crash

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A tragic plane crash in the city of Gramado, southern Brazil, has claimed the lives of ten family members of influential businessman, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi.

The crash involved a private plane piloted by Brazilian businessman Luiz Claudio Galeazzi. He, along with his wife, three daughters, and other family members, died in the crash, according to a statement from his company.

The small aircraft reportedly struck a building’s chimney, as well as a house and a shop, before crashing. Local authorities confirmed that 17 people on the ground were injured, with two in serious condition.

Mr. Galeazzi, 61, was reportedly taking his family on a trip to Jundiaí, São Paulo state. All ten victims were members of his family, as confirmed by the Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite.

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The plane had taken off in poor weather conditions. The aircraft flew for about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) before crashing into the urban area just minutes after takeoff on Sunday morning.

An eyewitness, Nadia Hansen, described hearing the plane revving up before it hit the building. “At the time, it was revving up. You could see that it was accelerating a lot,” Hansen said. “Then there was a bang as it hit the building and then it passed close to my house and then it fell, and I thought it had dropped in front of the house.”

Emergency workers were seen at the crash site, attending to the wreckage and debris from damaged buildings. Galeazzi was the CEO of Galeazzi & Associados, a corporate restructuring and crisis management firm based in São Paulo. His company expressed its condolences in a LinkedIn statement, honoring Galeazzi’s dedication to his family and his professional legacy.

The crash occurred near the center of Gramado, hitting a house, furniture store, and hotel. The cause of the accident is under investigation by the Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa). Governor Leite assured that the state was mobilized to provide necessary assistance.

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Gramado, a well-known tourist destination, has recently been hit hard by devastating flooding earlier this year, which caused extensive damage and displaced thousands of residents.

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Renovation: Tinubu, Shettima’s official quarters to gulp N6.36bn

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The Federal Government has allocated a total of N6,364,181,224 billion for the renovation and rehabilitation of the residential quarters of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and some of their aides in the 2025 budget proposal.

Sunday PUNCH’s analysis of the proposed allocation, contained in the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly, showed that the annual maintenance of the Presidential Villa would gulp N5.49bn.

According to the proposed budget, N765m will be used for the renovation of the Vice President’s quarters and guest house.

The renovation of the president’s quarters at the State House will cost N6.39m, while the renovation of security quarters, auditorium, gymnasium and presidential aides’ quarters will cost N49m.

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In addition, the renovation of Prescott barracks at Maple State House officers’ mess building and signal office in Asokoro, Abuja will cost N51m.

Further analysis of the budget revealed that Tinubu and his vice are also expected to have N87m as honorarium and sitting allowances, while N127m was allocated for the procurement of SUVs.

Also, N3.66bn was budgeted for the purchase of State House operational vehicles and N1,09bn will be spent on replacement of SUV vehicles at the State House.

Under the budget of the State House Lagos Liaison Office, there is an allocation of N14.72m for the routine maintenance of State House Lagos facilities (Dodan Barracks, Vice President guest houses at Ikoyi, among others).

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Another N140.10m was allocated for the completion of renovation and furnishing of the State House annex (Dodan Barracks), Lagos.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government is planning to spend N1.83bn on converting forfeited properties from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission into State House quarters.

The plan to convert forfeited houses from the EFCC comes in the same month that the commission disclosed the recovery of an estate in the Lokogoma District of Abuja, measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 units of duplexes and other apartments.

The commission described this as its “single largest asset recovery” since its inception in 2003.

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The estate rests on Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09 of the district, and was forfeited in a ruling on Monday, December 2, 2024, by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.

(Punch)

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SEE NAIRA Rates Against The USD, GBP, EURO Today December 23, 2024

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WHEN we look at this month, USD was traded at ₦ at the beginning of this December on Monday, December 2, 2024. As at today with USD being traded at ₦1,655 we see a % for United States Dollar to Naira exchange rate for this month.

On this page, we are primarily focusing on the Black Market Dollar To Naira Exchange Rate Today, the USD to Naira currency pair are the most traded currency in the FX market.

Black Market Exchange Rates
Buying Rate
Selling Rate
Dollar to Naira 1655 1640
Pounds to Naira 2150 2000
Euro to Naira 1730 1700
Canadian Dollar to Naira 1146 1135
Rand to Naira 52 43
Dirham to Naira ‎0 0
Yuan to Naira 62 62
G.Cedi to Nair 70 50
CFA F. (XOF) To Naira 0.83 0.81
CFA F. (XAF) To Naira 0.74 0.74
READ ALSO: INSIDE LIFE: 26-Year-Old Lady Died In Bangladesh With No One To Claim Her Body, She Is A Nigerian From Enugu (SEE PHOTO)

Having full knowledge how much USD to NGN black market exchange rate today will give you a better opportunity to plan and make informed decisions.

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