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COVID-19: Group urges FG to provide food, essential commodities for IDPs, host communities
A network of women leaders and NGOs headed by women has called on the Federal Government to provide food and essential commodities for IDP shelters and host communities across the nation as palliative measures during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown.
The network, under the auspices of Women in Humanitarian Response in Nigeria Initiative (WiHRiNI), made this appeal in a statement signed by the National Coordinator, INSA Women Network, Ms Mimidoo Achakpa, on Tuesday in Abuja.
This followed the extension of 14 days lockdown by the government in FCT, Lagos and Ogun States due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) report as at 9.50pm April 13, confirmed 343 cases of COVID-19, 10 deaths and 91 discharged cases.
According to the statement, the 2019-2021 Humanitarian Response Strategy for Nigeria estimates that over seven million people were affected by conflicts nationwide and were in need of food, protection and life-saving assistance, adding that the situation is further worsened by Coronavirus.
It further noted that COVID-19 pandemic has caused fear and anxiety amongst all, but more of economic hardship for majority of Nigerians who live through the days by daily earning.
“This situation has major adverse effect on Internally Displaced People across the country and in particular those residing in unrecognised/unregistered camps further reducing the dignity of indigent women, men and children, hampering their already limited access to vital resources including food and water.
“While the IDPs depend on interventions from government, INGOs, NGOs, etc, and other philanthropists some of them, mostly the men take up jobs including hawking and other menial jobs to at least always have food to eat to meet their basic obligations especially for those with their families.
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“The women on the other hand, suffer increased human rights abuse as they face pressure such as demand for sex for food and other legitimate amenities and also have other responsibilities to cater like children’s education, health suffer, to mention a few.
“We appeal to the federal government to prioritise distributing relief to the IDPs even as we call for immediate assistance of food items and other relief materials to them, in the instance of this lock down and no access to menial jobs that some of them engage in,” it added.
The group, however lauded the federal government Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme and the release of 46,000 metric tons of rice, 36,495 kegs of vegetable oil, and other items valued at N3.2 billion by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
Our Correspondent reports that the network consists of Women’s Right to Education Programme (WREP), Oasis Restoration Foundation, WANEP-Nigeria, IANSA Women Network Nigeria.
Others are Kebetkache Women Development Centre, Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative, FOMWAN Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre and Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development.
WiHRiNI network was created to bring together women humanitarian leaders involved in humanitarian/emergency response to enhance strategic collaborations and information sharing for an effective, better coordinated, timely and principled humanitarian response in Nigeria.
Zimbabwe’s justice minister introduced to parliament Tuesday a controversial constitutional amendment bill that would extend the term of the president, but faces fierce opposition and court challenges.
Parliament has to vote on sweeping changes to the constitution approved by the cabinet in February that include a provision that would extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term until 2030.
The measures would also do away with general presidential elections, giving parliament the power to appoint the president, and extend the terms of lawmakers from five to seven years.
The amendment has become one of the most contentious political issues in Zimbabwe, where Mnangagwa’s Zanu-PF party enjoys an overwhelming majority in parliament.
After introducing the proposal, Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told journalists the government was determined to push the measure through a parliamentary debate.
He said a 90-day public consultation process was successful and widely supported.Related News
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Opponents say the consultations were marred by intimidation and violence, with anti-amendment activists assaulted by suspected state agents or arrested.
Several legal challenges seeking to stop or invalidate the amendment process are before Zimbabwe’s courts.
Critics say the bill would entrench the Zanu-PF, which has governed the resource-rich country since independence in 1980, overseeing crippling economic crises and accused of corruption and repression.
Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 in a military-backed coup that ousted Robert Mugabe, president for 30 years.
He was elected for two five-year terms, in 2018 and 2023, which is the constitutional limit for a president.
AFP
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Top 10 Performers:
- Kaduna State 73%
- Delta State 70%
- Anambra State 65.5%
- Niger state 65.1%
- Ekiti State 64.5%
- Akwa Ibom State 64%
- Lagos State 64%
- Oyo State 61%
- Enugu State 56.5%
- Borno state 54%
Middle 10 Performers:
- Kwara State 53.5%
- Abia State 52%
- Ondo State 51%
- Nasarawa State 50.5%
- Osun State 49.5%
- Ogun State 48.5%
- Kano 48.5%
- Kogi State 48%
- Edo State 47%
- Jigawa State 46.8%
Worst 10 Performers:
- Bauchi State 44%
- Ebonyi State 42%
- Katsina State 41.5%
- Gombe State 40%
- Kebbi State 34%
- Plateau 33.5%
- Rivers State 30%
- Benue State 25%
- Yobe State 22%
- Taraba State 20%
These rankings are based on the CIAPS Governance Performance Index (CGPI) report, which evaluates states’ performance in areas like e-governance, transparency, and accountability.
The CIAPS Governance Performance Index (CGPI) is an initiative of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, CIAPS. CGPI was conceived as a catalyst for benchmarking, documenting, measuring and encouraging good governance in Nigeria.
Following the conclusion of party primaries, Rising Up for a United Nigeria (RUN) as a civil society group championing the cause of all youths and middle age citizens has congratulated His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his landslide victory in the presidential primaries recently held.
RUN also congratulated Senator Godswill Akpabio for emerging unopposed and the wild jubilation that greeted his victory as the Senator representing his constituency, the good people of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large.
In a press release signed by Amb. Solomon Adodo and made available to journalists, a copy of which was sighted by our correspondent, the group described the win of the duo as beam of hope for Nigeria beyond 2027.
According to him, “the win of Asiwaju and Akpabio signals a beam of hope for Nigeria that beyond 2027, we shall be consolidating on the gains of synergetic partnership between the legislature and the executive as a precursor for rapid development.
“The support extended to Mr. President by the Senate President has yielded significant strides in fasttracking development across all parameters that affect national productivity”
The group therefore called on all Nigerians to come out in their numbers to support the president while outlining series programs with potentials to foster national unity across regional and religious lines.
“As a group representing the interests of Nigeria youths, we are determined to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President towards improving the skill set of Nigeria youths towards increased productivity and an end to unemployment”, the release stated.
The group expressed confidence in the possibility of a new Nigeria of our dreams with the victories of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Godswill Akpabio who will definitely be handed a second term as the Senate President “to continue synergizing with Mr. President for a better Nigeria”.
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