Niger Delta
Akwa Ibom Ranks High In Early Marriage, Out Of School Children
Akwa Ibom State has been identified as one of the four states with the highest incidence of child marriage in Southern Nigeria. A special report written by a dynamic Journalist/ researcher, Ntiedo Ekott two days ago, captured the state as the third-highest in the South-South region
Ekott premised his report on the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 2018, in which the adolescent (15-19 years) pregnancy rate in Akwa Ibom State was estimated at 12.8 per cent, Bayelsa 19.9 per cent and Cross River 14 per cent.
The report also stated that in Akwa Ibom, early marriage, teenage pregnancy deprive many girls of education. “Most of them are impregnated at an early stage, some at 14 years old and some at 15 or even less, once that happens, they will move in to stay with the man that is responsible for the pregnancy, and that often means dropping out of school.
“In 2018, Akwa Ibom had the second-highest number of out-of-school children in the country, second only to Kano. The state recorded 581,800 children who were not in school while Kano had 989,234, according to the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC.”
The report also revealed that in terms of gender spread, Akwa Ibom had the highest number of out-of-school female children in the country with 298,161. Their closest contender, Sokoto, recorded 270,586.
The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ini Adiakpan, who also acknowledged that teenage pregnancy remains a problem in the state, said the Government of Akwa Ibom State has put in place some legal framework to protect the child.
Adiakpan outlined the framwork to include; the Child Right Act, the Gender Policy among others. “We also have free and compulsory education, which embraces both the male and female children in which every child is expected to be in school,” she echoed
Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom Government has said it has campaigned intensely against early marriage and the results have been coming in. The Deputy Director in the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice who is also a Director in the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response Unit, Akwa Ibom State, Emem Ette, revealed that in 2020, the government enacted a law banning marriage below the age of 16.
She said while the Nigerian government through the Child Rights Act recognises 18 as the age of adulthood, it is 16 years in Akwa Ibom. “We have our own Child Right Law in Akwa Ibom State and the set age is 16 years,”
She said the government is against child marriage, therefore such practice is an offence in Akwa Ibom State.
She further said that the government’s effort was paying off, and there were fewer cases of child marriage. What the government is more concerned about now is dealing with teenage pregnancy.
According to her, since coming to power, the Udom Emmanuel administration of Akwa Ibom has given attention to the menace, with inspiration drawn from Mr Emmanuel’s wife’s declared passion for the girl-child.
“Mrs Emmanuel in 2015 launched the Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation Programme (FEYReP) to address the problem of teenage pregnancy.
It will be recalled that Mrs Emmanuel Udom had, during the launch of the programme, said, “One of the major focuses of FEYReP will be on how to prevent teenage pregnancy. Some of these girls are victims of rape and other forms of gender-based violence”.
Unfortunately, despite these efforts, the problem persists. More young women are leaving education due to pregnancy and childbirth. The report stated.
Suffice this to say that while child marriage is predominant in northern Nigeria, with Jigawa having the worst situation with 90 per cent of girls less than 18 marrying in the state, the phenomenon also exists in southern Nigeria – albeit at a relatively lower scale.
By: Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
The Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RSBOPP), says efforts are being made to strengthen the existing procurement processes leading to the award of contracts and jobs execution in the state to enhance service delivery.
The Board chairman of the RSBOPP, Lawrence Oko-Jaja, disclosed this while speaking to journalists in his office in Port Harcourt, after a meeting with staff of the agency, last Friday.
Oko-Jaja who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) stated that procurement had become a global issue, stressing that without a proper procurement plan, it would be difficult for any state or nation to move forward in the attainment of its developmental strategies and goals.
The chairman said that the Board had observed some improprieties in the procurement processes and assured that they would take every measure to ensure full compliance with the state procurement laws.
“We will ensure that the laws are followed and we have value for money. We must ensure that money is used for contract execution and not to enrich people’s pockets. We’ll ensure that the money being quoted for any job or contract corresponds with the prevailing market price. We are going to strengthen the monitoring and evaluating team of the Board to perform their duties; going to markets, verify the prices quoted for and also ensure compliance.
“We are going to look into the procurement laws to see how we can close the existing gaps noticed that are not in line with global practices. These measures will also affect local government councils in the state to ensure there is value for money and save money for the state government. And in doing so, the government can spread its services across the state and not in one place.
“His Excellency, the governor of the state has a mantra, “Rivers first”. We are going to ensure we assist him and the state government achieve this policy by ensuring that the procurement laws are complied with and things are done rightly. That is why we are here,” he said.
Oko-Jaja assured that members of the Board would justify the confidence reposed in them by the state governor for the benefit of the state.
Earlier, in an interactive meeting between Board members and staff of the agency, the Board chairman of RSBOPP told the excited workforce that the Board had approved the merger of some departments, namely Legal, Ethics Human Resources and the Facility Management departments to ensure maximum output and efficiency in service delivery.
He said that the Legal and Ethics departments had been merged as one department, adding the Human Resources and Facility Management departments had also been merged.
He told them that going forward every department would also be accountable for its responsibility and announced that the Board had also approved that conditions of service should be put in place for the staff of the agency so that they would grow like their counterparts in the state mainstream civil service.
Akujobi Amadi
The Rivers State Government says it would continue to address the needs of Civil Servants in the State.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara stated this during the Rivers State Civil Service 2025 New Year Thanksgiving Service, at the State Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt, last Friday.
Speaking through his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, Governor Fubara said his Administration is willing and ready to do what will make Civil Servants happy, more hardworking, and more distinguished.
“I want to tell you that you have our ears, and you can tell because when the Head of Service gave his address, there were no demands because while you were yet asking, it was already executed. We want you to know that to whom much is given, much is expected. We do not take your love and support for granted.” Governor Fubara stressed.
The State Chief Executive urged Civil Servants to redouble and rekindle their energy to ensure that the Rivers State Civil Service becomes the envy of Civil Service in Nigeria, noting that the State Government is pleased to work as a family with Civil Servants.
He implored them to continue to uphold his Administration in prayers, which according to him has kept him thus far, adding that prayers would lead them for years to come while asking them to be proud of whom they are as Civil Servants.
In his address, the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nweke, expressed gratitude to Governor Fubara for the implementation of the enhanced minimum wage, payment of Christmas bonus, improved retirement benefits, and creation of employment opportunities amongst others, as well as issuance of SME loans facility to deserving Civil Servants in the State.
Dr Nweke who said the theme of this year’s thanksgiving “Peace Be Still” reminds us that even amid turmoil and uncertainties you can find peace and calm in God’s presence while urging them to pray for continuous peace and development in the State.
In his sermon, the Dean Church of God, Anglican Communion, the Most. Rev. Blessing Enyindah who spoke on the theme “Peace Be Still” drawn from Mark 4:35-41, said storms of life may manifest in different ways and forms, causing us anxiety and sleepless nights but with Jesus Christ by our side, there is hope.
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