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PDP declares 7 days mourning over killings
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has declared seven days of mourning for the people killed by herdsmen in Plateau State and other parts of the country.
Consequently, the party directed that its flag at all its offices at all levels across the country be flown at half-mast during the period in honour of the victims.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.
He urged the people of Plateau State to exercise their rights as global citizens, work with other public-spirited Nigerians and groups and take President Muhammadu Buhari and his government to the International Court of Justice at The Hague for allegedly acting “helplessly in the face of continuous mass killings in our country.”
He added, “The PDP firmly holds that the life of every Nigerian is sacred. All Nigerians must be protected whether they are Birom, Basange , Igbira, Tiv, Idoma, Hausa, Igbo, Fulani, Gbagyi, Yoruba or from any other tribe whatsoever.
“The fundamental duty of government all over the world is the protection of lives and we can no longer afford to continue to fold our hands while compatriots are daily hacked to death by marauders.”
APC wants killers arrested, tried
On its part, the All Progressives Congress demanded the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of Saturday’s killings in three local government areas of Plateau State.
The party made the demand in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
According to the statement, there is nothing that could possibly justify the descent into barbarism as was witnessed during the sad event.
The statement partly read, “We also once again call on security agencies to spare no efforts in ensuring the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators and in stemming the occurrence of such violence in all parts of the country.
“The APC commiserates with the government and people of Plateau State over Saturday’s gruesome killings in Barkin-Ladi and Riyom local government areas of the state.
“Nothing can justify such descent to barbarism, bestiality and cruelty to a fellow man as witnessed with the gruesome killings.”
Saraki visits Plateau, says N’Assembly will discuss killings next week
The President of the Senate said the National Assembly would, upon resumption next week, revisit the cases of killings in Plateau State and other parts of Nigeria.
Saraki stated that working towards peace in Plateau and the country as a whole must remain the primary responsibility of all Nigerians.
The Senate President, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, was quoted as saying this during a condolence visit to the state.
Saraki was accompanied by the Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, and Senator Ubali Shittu. They were received by Lalong at the Plateau State Government House.
The Senate President said, “Although the National Assembly is currently not in session, when we resume next week, this is one of the prime issues that will be up for discussion. However, we thought it necessary to come here personally to meet with the people of Plateau State to commiserate with the families because words cannot really describe this kind of pain.”
He also stated that though it is a difficult time for Plateau, the entire nation stood with the state during the difficult time.
The Senate President also called on the nation’s security agencies to ensure that those responsible for the killings were quickly apprehended to help bring an end to the killings in Plateau.
Saraki said, “We must also ensure that all those who are responsible for these killings must account for them. It is part of providing succour and ensuring the peace. You cannot bring back the lives but finding and prosecuting the perpetrators will go a long way in helping to calm people and ease the pain that they are going through. Therefore, yet again, we call on our security agents to ensure that they find the perpetrators that have done this and make them account for their detestable actions.”
Lalong commended Saraki and the Senate delegation, saying, “As the leader of the North-Central, we welcome you to our state. When this thing started, as the leader of our geopolitical region, you looked for me and you called me despite your busy schedule to ask me, ‘What can I do to help?”
Source: Punch
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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