Niger Delta

Akwa Ibom Ranks High In Early Marriage, Out Of School Children

Published

3 years ago

January 28, 2022

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

Niger Delta

Bayelsa, Rivers To Establish Joint Anti-Vandalism Taskforce On National Grid, Others

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

The Governments of Bayelsa and Rivers States have resolved to jointly work towards strengthening security architecture to protect power and other critical national assets in their border communities.

This decision, The Tide learnt, followed the outcome of a meeting between the Acting Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, and the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof. Ngozi Odu, at the Brick House, Port Harcourt.

In his remarks, Senator Ewhrudjakpo underscored the importance of effective collaboration between the two states to tackle power outage and its attendant socio-economic losses occasioned by criminal activities of vandals.

Lamenting that it cost Bayelsa so much political and financial capital to have power restored after a four-month period of blackout, the Acting Governor stressed the need for urgent and drastic measures to forestall the recurrence of such harrowing experience.

Senator Ewhrudjakpo seized the opportunity to thank the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and his Deputy, Prof Odu, for showing concern over the Bayelsa plight and indicating readiness for collaboration to curb the menace.

“For the past four months, the transmission lines between Bayelsa and Ahoada in Rivers State have been vandalized almost three times. And to fix it, TCN was telling us one story after another.

“So, we decided to take it upon ourselves to make sure we fix the line. But having fixed it, what we need to do is to have a team that provides surveillance for that facility so that it will not be easily vandalized again.

“We believe if we have this kind of joint collaboration, it will be easier for our communities to protect the facilities. So we need to have a joint committee that will monitor the line between Rivers and Bayelsa”, the Bayelsa Ag. Governor said.

Earlier, the Rivers State Deputy Governor had assured the Bayelsa delegation of her state’s preparedness to contribute meaningfully towards the fight against transmission lines vandalism.

“We must do something about it because you don’t leave your problems or sweep them under the carpet. If you sweep them under the carpet, they remain there. You have to bring them out and find the strategy that works best to solve them”, Prof. Odu said.

Briefing newsmen shortly after the meeting, Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, and her Rivers State Local Government Affairs counterpart, Prince Charles Beke, disclosed that both states had resolved to establish anti-vandalization taskforce committees that will work jointly to check the activities of power vandals.

Mrs. Koku-Obiyai, who emphasized the need for active community engagement in the security arrangements, informed that Bayelsa had already constituted and inaugurated a 10-member anti-vandalism taskforce, which has since commenced operations in the state.

Government officials who accompanied Senator Ewhrudjakpo to the meeting which was at the instance of the Governors of Bayelsa and Rivers State were, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Hon. Peter Akpe, and the Commissioner for Power, Engr Kumoko Kharin.

Others included the Commissioner for Community Development, Hon, Watson Belemote; the Mayor of Yenagoa City, Mr. Bulodisiye Ndiware; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, CP Agberebi Akpoebi (Rtd); and the Chairman of the Bayelsa State Anti-Vandalization Taskforce, CP Mary George (Rtd).

The Chairman of Ahoada West, Mr. Iyekor Ikporo, and that of Ahoada East, Mr. Chibudum Ezu, were part of the Rivers team, while the Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) was represented by Engr Juliet Ndidi at the meeting.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

C’River Magistrates Threaten Indefinite Industrial Action

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

Magistrates in Cross River State have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike last Monday over alleged poor welfare and other conditions of service.

This is contained in a release jointly signed by the State Chairman of Magistrates Association of Nigeria (MAN), Godwin Onah, and his Secretary, Solomon Abuo.

The Tide’s source reports that the Magistrates noted that the strike will not cease until their demands are met by the government.

They had earlier embarked on a 3-day warning strike to press home their demands and also warned that they will commence an indefinite industrial action should the government fail to meet their demands.

They said the government has failed to implement their promotions and see to their overall welfare and working environment.

According to the statement dated December 8, following the expiration of the warning strike, the magistrates have decided to embark on indefinite strike from Monday, December 9.

“Furthermore, sequel to our letter to the Governor of Cross River State dated 11th November, 2024, where the notice of strike, was extended to Friday 22nd November, 2024 to enable the State Government to attend to our demands, and having failed to do so till date, we hereby issue this bulletin.

“In line therefore, with our congress resolution to proceed on a three days warning strike is hereby declared by the state chapter of the Magistrates.

“This action in the first instance, will be effective from 6am of Wednesday, 27th November 2024 to Friday , 29th November, 2024.

“If the State Government fails to meet our demands, an indefinite strike shall be embarked upon until all our demands are fully met”.

Before the warning strike, the magistrates had earlier in November issued a seven days ultimatum to the state government to effect promotion for its members that have remained stagnant since 2015.

The magistrates also decried the payment of N15,000 as monthly impress to magistrates in the state when compared to magistrates in neighbouring states that receive between N200,000 and N250,000 monthly.

While also demanding for the rehabilitation of magistrate courts across the state, the association further condemned the government for none provision of official vehicles to it members.

It further demanded immediate implementation of promotion and regularisation of magistrates in the state with necessary financial benefits across all cadres as well as the implementation of all accrued arrears.

Niger Delta

NSCDC Holds Walk Against National Assets Vandalism In Edo

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Edo State has staged a walk to educate the public on the importance of protecting national assets and infrastructure from being vandalised.

State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr Gbenga Agun, who led the sensitisation walk, said it was meant to intimate the public of its role in ensuring the protection of the assets at all levels.

“It is to sensitise the people on the importance of guiding our properties, that is, critical national assets and infrastructure from being vandalised”, he said.

Agun noted that protecting national assets was a collective responsibility because it encompassed everyone.

According to him, vandalism can be natural or man-made, and that the economic situation in the country can push some people to engage in destructive activities.

The NSCDC boss, however, encouraged the public to report cases of vandalism at any of the divisional offices in all local governments or the outpost stations.

Also speaking, the Head of Department, Critical National Assets and Infrastructure of the command, Mr Sule Muhammed, called for intelligence sharing on vandalism of any national assets for prompt action.

The Tide’s source reports that the walk, which featured the distribution of leaflets to motorists, shop owners, and passersby, began from the command headquarters at the Blessed Avenue in Benin and covered several major roads in the city.