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Kwara Declares War On Child Marriage, Gender Violence
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has cautioned that the state will no longer tolerate child marriage.
He threatened to wield full enforcement of laws protecting the rights and dignity of the girl child.
According to him, the warning was a bold stance against entrenched cultural practices threatening the well-being of young girls.
Speaking at a one-day Media Hangout, Capacity Training and Policy Advocacy in Ilorin for selected journalists, non-governmental organisations and other key stakeholders, themed “Safeguarding Our adolescents at homes, schools and communities to reach their full potential”, organised by Chidimma and Havilah Foundation in collaboration with the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the governor warned that early marriage poses grave danger to girls’ health, future and freedom.
He disclosed that the state has domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act. “We are fully committed to its implementation. Early marriage is not only a violation of the Child Rights Act, it is a life-threatening menace that leads to complications like obstetric fistula and robs young girls of their dreams,” the governor said.
Represented by the Commissioner for Social Development, Dr. Mariam Nnafatima-Imam, AbdulRazaq commended the partnering NGOs, pledging his administration’s support for adolescents in the state.
In his lecture, titled “Empowering the Next Generation: The Media’s Role in Nurturing Safe Environments for Adolescents”, Kwara State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alhaji Abdulganiyu Dare, reinforced the need for national mobilisation and grassroots advocacy to uphold the rights of every Nigerian child.
He said that media literacy, parental responsibility, and sustained government actions are keys to reversing the trend of violence, neglect, and abuse facing Nigerian adolescents.
The NOA boss emphasised the essential role the media plays in shaping the future of adolescents and nurturing safe environments for them.
Dare also outlined several strategies aimed at empowering adolescents to navigate the digital world responsibly and safely.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of the NUJ Kwara council, Malam Abdullateef Lanre Ahmed, drew attention to the alarming rise in technology-driven gender-based violence, citing recent cases of ritual-related killings involving young girls.
“The tragic case of Hafsoh, a student of Kwara State College of Education, is a wake-up call. We must collectively act to protect our children,” he said.
He called for the holistic implementation of the VAPP Act and urged parents to embrace open conversations around sex education, online safety, and the risks of digital exposure.
In his remarks, the founder of the Chidimma and Havilah Foundation, Mr Tope Omotosho, who spoke through Miss Havilah Omotosho, emphasised the foundation’s dedication to adolescent empowerment, particularly for vulnerable girls.
“Our partnership with the NUJ is to amplify advocacy and create mass awareness on how to protect adolescents, especially the girl-child, within the family, in schools, and the workplace,” he said.
Omotosho lauded the unwavering support of the First Lady of Kwara State, Professor Olufolake AbdulRazaq, describing her as “a dependable ally in the fight for a safe and inclusive society for young girls.”
He pledged the foundation’s continued investment in campaigns, sensitisation programmes, and community engagements aimed at preventing abuse and promoting girls’ education, healthcare access, and personal development.
Veteran broadcaster and former Commissioner for Sports in Kwara State, Alhaji Hameed Adio, challenged media professionals to champion value-based content and combat moral decay among young people.
“The media must take a proactive role in setting new narratives, showcasing excellence, discouraging harmful content, and engaging in advocacy journalism that inspires positive change,” he said.
He urged media houses to embrace digital tools and social platforms to expand their reach, counter misinformation, and promote the autobiographies and success stories of inspirational Nigerians as a counterweight to celebrity culture and sensationalism.
He also called for communal mentorship revival, adding that traditional systems of guidance and discipline must be modernised and institutionalised to protect adolescents from abuse, addiction, and exploitation.
The event brought together journalists, advocates, and civil society leaders to strengthen the role of the media in safeguarding adolescents from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Guardian.ng
News
Stop Politicising EFCC Investigation To Blackmail President, APC Chieftain Tells Opposition Parties
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has cautioned members of opposition parties under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation to stop blackmailing President Bola Tinubu and focus on proving their innocence.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, said this while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo.
He said that the investigations being carried out by the anti-graft agency on some members of the opposition parties, based on petitions against them, were purely a constitutional matter and in line with international best practices.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker said that being a member of the opposition parties should not be seen as immunity against investigation into any alleged financial infractions whenever there were genuine reasons for it.
According to him, members of the ruling party are also being investigated by the EFCC whenever petitions alleging financial infractions are raised against them.
Oyintiloye said that the EFCC has a statutory mandate to investigate financial infractions involving public office holders across party lines without bias or favouritism.
The APC chieftain said that neither Tinubu nor the anti-graft agency would be swayed by unfounded allegations of witch-hunting but would rather continue to do what is right and just for the country.
“The EFCC has a mandate to investigate financial infractions against anyone, irrespective of political affiliations.
“Linking the President to the investigation of alleged financial infractions by opposition members in the name of politics is totally wrong.
“Whether you are a member of the ruling party or opposition, you are not immune to financial investigation.
“I want to caution members of the opposition parties to stop politicising what the EFCC is doing and prove their innocence, if any.
“President Tinubu is a man of honour and integrity, and he will not compromise his ideals in the name of politics. So, it is no longer business as usual,” he said.
According to him, there is no room for graft under the Tinubu administration
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged winner of the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election in Kano state
The returning officer, Professor Muhammad Waziri of Bayero University, declared Garba Ya’u Gwarmai of the APC winner with 31,472 votes
Waziri defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Ali Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured victory in the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election held in Kano state.
Announcing the results on Sunday morning, August 17, the returning officer (RO), Professor Muhammad Waziri from Bayero University, declared APC candidate Garba Gwarmai the winner with a total of 31,472 votes.
He defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes, according to The Punch.
The supplementary poll was conducted after the initial election in the constituency was declared inconclusive. With a margin of 3,541 votes, Gwarmai’s victory marks a key win for the APC as the party continues to reinforce its influence across the state.
Meanwhile, the NNPP won the Bagwai/Shanono state assembly by-election in Kano state.
Daily Trust and Vanguard noted this update.
Announcing the result at 12:36 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, the RO for the election, Prof. Hassan Adamu Shitu, declared the NNPP candidate, Ali Hassan Kiyawa, winner with 16,198 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Ahmad Muhammad Kadamu, who polled 5,347 votes.
Former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is performing well but lacks an effective communication strategy to relay its achievements to Nigerians.
Aliyu made the statement on the Thursday edition of Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’, while reacting to the outcome of a recent public accountability session held in Kaduna.
Aliyu, reflecting on the discussions at the Kaduna Forum, said the government is facing public dissatisfaction not because it hasn’t delivered, but because it is failing to tell its own story effectively.
The ex-governor said it is proper for political leaders in the North to make demands from Tinubu’s administration since the bulk of the votes that took power came from the region.
“Let the people understand what is happening on the ground. If by what we say that 63/64 percent of the vote came from the north, it is only logical that the north will be expecting so much from the government.
“But from what we have seen so far is that the government is doing well but they do not know how to communicate very well,” he said.
I’m A Married Man, I Can Never Get Myself Involved With Such A Thing, Delta Gov Aide Reveals Why He Offered Comfort ₦500,000 Job
Stop Politicising EFCC Investigation To Blackmail President, APC Chieftain Tells Opposition Parties
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