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Use Tech To Rewrite Negative Narrative About Nigeria, Mrs Tinubu Tells Women …Launches Skills Training In Rivers
Wife of the President and National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has charged women to use the opportunity provided by technology to rewrite the negative narrative portrayed against the country in the cyberspace that is in sharp constrast with its true national value.
She has also urged women to start the process of building solid value-based foundation to launch Nigeria into the technology world in the next decade.
Senator Tinubu gave the charge while declaring open a two-day Women in Tech Skills Training for Women Entrepreneurs for the South-South Region, organised by the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) in partnership with Huawei, at the African Centre for Excellence, University of Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Represented by the Wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, Senator Tinubu said with Nigeria facing enormous challenges amidst negative narrative, it behoves every citizen of the country, particularly women, to use every available opportunity to project it in positive trajectory.
She said, “This training programme, jointly coordinated by technology giant, Huawei and the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), pet project of the Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a gateway programme targetted at raising the number and influence of women in technology in Nigeria.
“Our nation is facing a tough time with the narrative being presented through the cyberspace. This narrative, which does not represent our true value, is sad testimonial on our national image, and it must be corrected. It is my belief that rewriting the narrative starts with you.
“Every citizen owe it to this country to use every opportunity available to put Nigeria in positive pedestal. I am aware that women have always occupied strategic positions in development planning in Nigeria, and as the world continues to evolve, especially in technology-driven disciplines, it is only very necessary to immediately commence the building of a solid value-based foundation for Nigeria’s sojourn in the tech world in the next decade,” she noted.
The Wife of the President, who noted the strategic roles women play in society and the challenges faced as a result of gender bias, lack of representation and access to leadership, stated that the programme was put in place to develop and grow more women who are determined, skillful and committed to breaking new grounds in tech development.
Senator Tinubu, while noting the leading role of Germany, France and others in the tech business as a result of deliberate plan to achieve set goals, stressed optimism that Nigerian women can also become world leaders through deliberate training, and nurturing to achieve desired aim.
She emphasised, “In partnering with Huawei for this training, the Renewed Hope Initiative is not oblivious of the strategic roles women play in the healthcare and health services sector, the educational sector, and indeed, in government and private sector organisations.
“However, it is our conviction that giving the enormous endowment of every Nigerian woman, there should be a deliberate focus of finding ways of increasing their productivity, especially in technology-driven areas.
“It is obvious that the biggest underlying challenges has always been gender bias, lack of representation, lack of access to leadership opportunities, and that is precisely why the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) has floated this programme to grow more determined and skillful women that are committed to staying focused in breaking new grounds in tech development.”
She observed, “Germany, France and others around the World are leading in the tech business today because there was a deliberate plan to do so. It is, therefore, our conviction that Nigerian women can rise to be world beaters, if we make deliberate plan to train, nurture and position them for such sectoral leads.”
The Wife of the President noted the great potentials inherent in women, and urged them to build more frontiers for networking, skills building initiatives and fostering new areas of mentorship for younger generation of women committed to tech development.
She added, “The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) believes that every woman here has great potentials. I, therefore, urge you to build more frontiers for networking with global women in tech movement, skills building initiatives, and also foster new areas of mentorship for the younger generation of women interested in tech development.”
According to her, “When you do this, rest assured that you would have built the future of e-governance business and championed the course of a new position thinking, tech service generation of Nigerians on all fronts.”
She called on Nigerian women, irrespective of ethnic affiliation, to continue to support the efforts of the Wife of the President in uplifting society through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
“It gives me great pleasure to be part of today’s event. When I was called upon to represent our beloved mother, Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, Wife of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria in this event, I saw it as an opportunity to meet with women who have the capacity and knowledge to shape the country of our dream.
“I am, therefore, delighted to represent our First Lady, a woman whose vision in the transformation of female values in Nigeria is unequivocal, and I call on Nigerian women, irrespective of ethnic affiliation, to support her genuine efforts in uplifting the family through quality programmes embarked upon under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).”
In his goodwill message, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Owunari Georgewill, expressed gratitude to the Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for initiating the programme geared towards upscaling women in technological skills.
Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Prof Iyeopu Siminalayi, Prof Georgewill noted the partnership that had existed between the university and Huawei in upscaling it’s students in IT skills like networking, cyber security, and commended Huawei for partnering with the First Lady of Nigeria to undertake the programme, while expressing the belief that the programme will benefit the women in the state who are being underrepresented in the tech world.
In his welcome address, the Managing Director of Huawei, who spoke through the Country Representative, Dr Nihinlola Fafori, said the programme is the 5th batch of the RHI’s Women in Tech Training, which covers the South-South Region.
She stated that the programme, which has been on since the first quarter of this year, had covered over four geo-political zones with about 25 states in Nigeria, emphasizing that the training will enable participants drive their businesses through technology and explore more opportunities within the tools that will enable their business to be reached across other consumers not just within the region but in Nigeria and globally.
Presenting the Training Overview, Huawei Consultant, Chinedu Ogbiede, noted that the training will afford participants the opportunity to understand the role of women in ICT, become more employable, run their businesses better, harness the potentials of ICT, and support their families and communities.
He asserted that with the training, the era of ‘I don’t know were to start’ is over, because with the aid of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), they will be able to launch a business.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Mrs Efe Ovrine, lauded the Wife of the President for her deep-seated idea of putting the programme together to train women and empower them technologically, promising to utilize the experience gained to impact on society.
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.