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Tag: Abandon

  • HUNGER! Fathers now abandon wives, kids in Gombe-NHRC

    HUNGER! Fathers now abandon wives, kids in Gombe-NHRC

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) says it recorded 339 alleged human rights violation cases in Gombe State in 2024.

    NHRC spokesman, Mr Ali Alola-Alfinti, made this revelation in Gombe.

    Alola-Alfinti said that majority of the cases were on parental neglect where fathers abandon their children and wives, citing economic hardship and poverty as reasons for their actions.

    He said the cases were on the increase due to sustained enlightenment campaigns on human rights violations in the state.

    According to him, the commission engages civil society organisations, media, religious and community leaders to educate the people and encourage them to speak out against the menace.

    “We are now getting more victims coming to report. This is good for the campaign against rights violations,” he stated.

    “Silence remains a major challenge in the fight against rights violations as protection of rights will not be possible if cases are not reported.

    The commission recorded 339 cases, and we believe it is as a result of the support from other relevant stakeholders

    “The highest in terms of cases is parental neglect with about 50 percent of the complaints, including family abandonment without food, clothing and shelter unlike before when we had fundamental human rights, especially right to life, dignity, inhuman or degrading treatments.”

    He said the commission had scaled up outreach to address issues of parental neglect and sensitised husbands to the need to fend for their families.

    Denying them of their rights is a punishable offence under the law,” he said, adding that rights protection was critical to conflict prevention and peaceful society.

    “When we respect each other’s rights, we will have a peaceful community but when you infringe on another’s right, there will be retaliation and a chaotic society,” he added.

  • Security concern: Heavy duty truck divers abandon 2nd Niger bridge as armed men take over route

    Security concern: Heavy duty truck divers abandon 2nd Niger bridge as armed men take over route

    The national president of the Heavy Duty Drivers Association, Uchenna Nebuwa, has revealed that members of the association and other drivers no longer use the second Niger Bridge due to security concerns.

    Mr Nebuwa made this revelation on Thursday in Onitsha that criminals had taken over the route, including the Obosi-Owerri axis of the road. According to him, hoodlums, armed robbers and kidnappers now operate along the bridge.

    “Drivers are afraid because there is no adequate security on the second Niger Bridge. The federal government should provide security to secure lives and property. Another worrisome one is the failed portions of Obosi-Owerri road, as our trucks fall on the road on a daily basis,” Mr Nebuwa explained. “We have lost over N20 billion worth of vehicles and goods on that road.

    He added, ”We are begging the federal government to help us fix the failed portions of Obosi-Owerri road as this will encourage drivers to be using the second Niger Bridge.”

    The chairman of the Great Tippers Association of Nigeria in Anambra, Chukwuemeka Olekpe, expressed concern about the insecurity, saying armed robbers and kidnappers scared them away from using the bridge.

    On his part, a commercial bus driver, Paul Osakwe, who plies Asaba-Owerri road, said, “The bridge is not secure, it’s too lonely, you can’t even try to use it at night, even you inside the bus will be scared, the government should at least install a light on the bridge, maybe that will help.”

    Seyi Martins, the engineer in charge of the bridge, attributed its low usage to the insecurity plaguing the South-East, adding that their mandate is to construct the bridge and open it to ease traffic.

    Federal works ministry permanent secretary Mahmuda Mamman had while inspecting the vandalised part of the bridge on Monday, urged security agencies to keep criminals away from the bridge and surrounding areas.

  • OPEC warns about abandoning oil and gas in Africa

    OPEC warns about abandoning oil and gas in Africa

    Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has said the mounting pressure to abandon oil and gas could affect the production of gas reserves in Africa.

     

    Speaking at the Nigeria Energy Forum organised by Energy and Corporate Africa, alongside the CERA Week in Houston, OPEC’s Secretary-General, Sanusi Barkindo, pointed out that discussions on climate change and energy transition were more of emotion than fact.

     

    While the continent has about 125 billion crude oil reserves and 16 trillion standard cubic meters of natural gas, Barkindo said, “this is wrong. Rational discussions need to be based on facts, hard data and science and include all stakeholders.

     

    “Additionally, we are witnessing investors, environmental lobbyists and even some corporate boards pressuring oil and gas companies and governments to pursue increasingly radical policies and initiatives that could, in the end, be more disruptive, than productive, for the global energy industry.”

     

    While the need for net-zero remained critical according to him, the massive challenges for developing countries like Nigeria must be put in context, considering the energy poverty on the continent.

     

    Barkindo said: “We need to continually keep in mind that access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is a right for all, not a privileged few, and is enshrined in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 7.

     

    “The unfortunate reality for developing countries is that a staggering 759 million people worldwide did not have access to electricity in 2019, with around 79 per cent of them located in Africa.”

     

    He explained that in Nigeria alone in 2019, only 55 per cent of the population had access to electricity and only 13 per cent had access to clean cooking fuel.

     

    According to the OPEC boss, the energy poverty numbers for Africa are stark, and Africa alone accounts for less than three per cent of global emissions.

     

    “We also need to remember in the energy poverty debate that Africa is still relatively unexplored in terms of oil and gas, bestowed with approximately 125 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and 16 trillion standard cubic metres of natural gas.

     

    “The capacities and national circumstances of developing countries must be taken into account in all actions,” he said.

  • COVID-19: ‘Top four clubs will qualify for Champions League even if season is abandoned’

    The Spanish Football Association (RFEF) has taken a decision on what to do if the La Liga season is cut short or abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic, an official says.

    RFEF general secretary Andreu Camps disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

    He said the four clubs on top of the most recent completed round of the La Liga season standings would qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

    All the clubs have played 27 matches before the RFEF suspended play on March 12 due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

    Therefore, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Real Sociedad are the four teams that will go through to Europe’s premier club competition if no more action is possible this season.

    “The RFEF wants to have done its homework in case, in the event of a suspension of competitions, it receives the request from UEFA regarding the Spanish clubs that would have access to European competitions next season,” Camps said.

    “Thus… it has been agreed in the RFEF Delegate Commission to make a plan in order to give certainty in an extreme scenario, such as not being able to finish the competitions, so that all the clubs know the new scenario they are facing.”

    After the last round of games were completed on March 10, FC Barcelona topped La Liga with 58 points, two ahead of Real Madrid.

    Sevilla are third on 47, with Real Sociedad a point further back in fourth.

    The teams in fifth and sixth place —– which are currently Getafe and Atletico Madrid —— will also qualify for the Europa League.

    The result of the Copa Del Rey final, if that is contested, could impact which team grabs the final Europa League spot.

    With Copa Del Rey finalists Real Sociedad already in the top four, their opponents Athletic Bilbao (10th in the league) are in pole position for the third Europa League spot.

    But that will be if they have not climbed into the top six by the time the final league standings are decided.

    Should that occur, the final Europa League spot will go to the seventh-placed team in La Liga.

  • 2019: APC women writes Buhari, say ‘You have abandoned us’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) women wing, under the auspices the Concerned Women of All Progressives Congress (aka Caucus of Likeminds), have written to President Muhammadu Buhari, complaining of marginalisation of women by the current government, especially those who worked for the party’s success.

    In an open letter to the President by conveners of the group, Miriam Yakubu Ikunaiye and Ayoade Simisola, the women said though they laboured for the success of the party at the risk of losing their families, their contributions have not been appreciated by the government and the party.

    They are, however, seeking audience with the President ahead of preparations for the 2019 elections to discuss their plight and solutions found as they are tired of waiting endlessly for their contribution to be recognised.

    The statement reads: “We have patiently watched with all humility, the sidelining of Women of intellect and character of our great party, APC in the Political Appointments made till date.

    “These are women who worked out their hearts and spent their resources, sometimes at the detriment of their families; traveled the length and breadth of this country to get fair deal for the Women and Youths; Justice; good Governance, succor to the Down Trodden; development to our people and dear nation which in turn ushered in the Progressives’ Government and our great Party to where we are today.

    “Your Excellency, we are women of great capacities, intellect and political sagacity, with huge follower ship across the country, still championing various causes to effect the desired change in our own little ways, but unfortunately, like other great Women of our party, APC whose interests we represent, we are still the unsung heroines of our time!

    “Unfortunately, we were neither appreciated, nor recognised for our bravery and; we can only wonder when we will be able to further bring our skills, experience and passion for change to bear its full cause in this current administration.

    “To this effect, and as 2019 approaches, we would appreciate it if we are given an audience with Your Excellency to further express our plights as a caucus.”

     

     

  • I laboured with others to build APC, no plans to abandon it now – Tinubu

    I laboured with others to build APC, no plans to abandon it now – Tinubu

    National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said he has no intention of leaving the APC to form another party as widely reported in some sections of the media.

    The well respected politician said he laboured hard with other party faithfuls before the party was registered and as such he couldn’t abandon it for any other idea.

    Recall that there had been speculations of internal party crisis rocking the ruling party which came to power in 2015 after defeating the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP which had hitherto ruled Nigeria since her return to democracy rule in 1999.

    The recently concluded elections in Edo and Ondo States were also a pointer to the crisis rocking the ruling party. While the Asiwaju was said to have lost majority of his anointed candidates to some others who were loyal to other camps in the party as the standard flag bearer, Tinubu himself confirmed that all was not well in the party as he openly attacked the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, a man he was also instrumental to his emergence on methodologies used in selecting the party’s flag bearer.

    Furthermore, the revered politician was conspicuously absent at major rallies and campaigns of both elections that held in Edo and Ondo State. A move many political pundits said would have its adverse effect on the party’s chances in both elections.

    However, in a press statement credited to him, Tinubu said though there were challenges currently bedeviling the party, however, the challenges were not enough reasons to dump the party to join or form alliance with another.

    The statement reads in part: “In our Journey to national betterment, plans and policies will be made, then amended. Mistakes will occur and then corrected, Achievements will be had and replicated.

    Through it all, I, Asiwaju will remain true to the progressive ideals that fueled the creation of APC.

    I have devoted my political life to achieve what has been achieved. My heart is too much of the people and my mind too fixed on establishing a positive historic legacy rather than engage in destructive pettiness.

    The former governor of Lagos said further: “This government, APC, is for the betterment of the people and the national purpose is bigger and more important than any individual’s desires.

    This is a party I laboured with others to build. We would not abandon it for another. Millions of Nigerians who voted are watching and praying”.