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C’River Declares NBS Child Labour Ranking Unrealistic

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8 months ago

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Cross River on Saturday dismissed as untrue a survey report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that it had the highest incidence of child labour in the country.
The NBS had stated in the report that of the 24.6 million children in child labour in Nigeria, Cross River recorded the highest incidence of 67.4 per cent, followed by Yobe with 62.6 per cent.
In the survey entitled: “Nigeria Child Labour Survey 2022’’, the NBS rated Lagos State has having the lowest incidence of 8.9 per cent.
The NBS described child labour as any work that robbed children less than 18 years of age of their childhood, potential, and dignity or had deleterious impact on their physical and mental development.
It stated that its survey showed that children between the ages of five years and 17 years were engaged in economic activities that amounted to child labour in Nigeria.
Dismissing the report, Cross River’s Commissioner for Information, Mr Erasmus Ekpang told The Tide’s source in Calabar that the figures released did not represent the true position in Cross River.
He said the figure for Cross River was not tenable since government had put measures in place since assumption of office in May 2023 to discourage child labour and to uplift vulnerable segments of the population.
He explained that the measures put in place centred on health, education, agriculture and other empowerment initiatives.
Ekpang stressed that government had also put in place programmes that empowered women economically and discouraged them from sending their children and wards out as child labourers.
“Women are empowered to take care of themselves and their families. Youths are also not left out of these policies and programmes.
“The initiatives are mostly in the areas of agriculture and small-scale enterprises.
“We also initiated programmes like school feeding to retain every child in school”, he stated.
Ekpang advised the NBS to revisit its 2022 figures and make amends.
The NBS report also stated that more than 14 million of affected children were engaged in hazardous work.
The survey also showed that child labour was considerably higher in the rural areas, with 17.5 million or 44.8 per cent of children involved.
In the urban areas, however, only 7.1 million children, or 30 per cent were involved in child labour.
Hazardous work is also more frequent in the rural areas according to the NBS.
“More than 10.5 million children or 26.8 per cent of those of them in the rural areas are in hazardous work.
“In urban areas, only about four million children or 16.3 per cent are in hazardous work”, it stated.
The report also indicated that the Northwest geopolitical zone had the highest of 6,407,102 children engaged in labour, followed by the Northeast with 4,466,808; North Central (3,884,576); South-South (3,682,773); Southwest (3,227,559) and Southeast (3,004,669).

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Niger Delta

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

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2 days ago

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December 13, 2024

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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
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Niger Delta

C’River Magistrates Threaten Indefinite Industrial Action

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2 days ago

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December 13, 2024

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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.
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Niger Delta

NSCDC Holds Walk Against National Assets Vandalism In Edo

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2 days ago

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December 13, 2024

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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.
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