IDPs: Arewa Creative Industry On Rescue Mission

As Nigerians answer the clarion call on the misery of the internationally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country, so many governmental and non-governmental organisations, including national and international donour groups come together to render their help in restoring the IDPs. The peril of the refugees, according to reports, needs to be reflected upon and more importantly take action on the desolation of the growing numbers of our citizens, who have been forced to migrate and become either refugees in neighbouring countries or internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the country.

Few weeks ago, the Prime Minister of Niger, Brigi Rafini also visited Diffa province in his country, which shares a border with Borno State to see for himself the problems posed by Nigerian refugees. His conclusion was categorical; Niger cannot cope with the numbers of Nigerians crossing the border. The humanitarian crisis was beyond their means. He explained that after one attack by Boko Haram, 17,000 refugees turned up at Gagamari village, 20 km away from Diffa, within one week multiplying the population of the village by five. As the people of Niger are themselves very poor, they simply do not have the capacity to cater for them although they are doing the best that they can. The estimate of monthly expenditure necessary to take care of Nigerian refugees in Diffa alone is 17 billion CFA. The Government of Niger simply does not have the resources to cope he explained. There are currently over 100,000 Nigerian refugees in Niger alone. The numbers in Cameroon and Chad are also growing.

As against this background, Kaduna State government, through the Special Assistant to Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai on Creative Arts, Hajiya Halima Idris, organises series of vocational skill centres for the IDPs in the state.  Describing the situation, Hajiya Idris has said the IDPs resulting from the Boko Haram insurgency is a clear display of all the hallmarks of the highest category crises.

Halima, who spoke after a visit to 270 IDPs currently taking shelter in Barakallahu, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis when she led members of the Arewa Creative Industry to donate assorted items, has convincingly extended Kaduna State government’s efforts in eradicating crime and social vices. The state government, according to her, has stepped up its rehabilitation programme which is not only limited to the IDPs, but for all those in need of rehabilitation.

“We have decided to come for ourselves to check what is happening. We want everybody to be self-employed so that subsequently they would be providing for themselves and others,” Hajiya Idris who is also the founder of the Arewa Creative Industry said.

She noted that the civilians, including children, leaving newly liberated areas, bear the signs of advanced malnutrition, and of deep trauma, having been caught in a conflict that has cost them their homes, their livelihoods and often their family members.

She said that the IDPs created by the Boko Haram insurgency were not only a problem for the North-East, but for the entire country. She therefore calls on the Nigerian government and the international community to take urgent humanitarian measures to save lives and ensure the protection of the multitude of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the country.

In addition, Hajiya Halima Abdullahi, popularly known as Uwar Marayu also noted that Nigeria currently has over four million IDPs who have been forced to leave their communities and homes due to violent conflicts. “It is quite disheartening that Nigeria is currently having millions of IDPs making the country the third worst countries in the world ranking of IDP numbers. Worldwide, the number of IDPs according to International Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) in 2013 stood at 33.3 million people. Their spatial distribution shows that 63 per cent of IDPs are located in only five countries affected by conflict – Syria (6.5 million), Colombia (5.7 million), Nigeria, (3.3 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo (2.7 million) and Sudan (2.4 million).

“Because these figures change in response to the conflict situation within countries, the caseload and therefore the ranking of the countries also change over time. The number of IDPs in Nigeria has grown considerably since the 2013 estimates and is today over four million,” noted Uwar Marayu.

Hajiya Halima conveyed Governor el-Rufai’s pledge to continue supporting the IDPs in the state as measures to curb the danger of compatriots becoming totally dependent of others for help. She said the state government is worried about the hardship and the trauma the IDPs are going through and urge them to be confident and support the initiative for a sustainable development.

As part of the activities of the august visit to the camp, top Kannywood actress, Nafisah Abdullahi, as well as other top creative Hausa Hip-hop artistes; Sadiya Yarima, Khalid and Bangis thrilled the IDPs with their performances.

SOURCE: Leadershipng

In Nigeria, There Are 20 Fistula Surgeons to 120,000 Patients

A clinical Associate, Fistula Care Plus, Dr.Suleiman Zakariya has decried acute shortage of Fistula Surgeons in the country, lamenting that with a population of 170 million, Nigeria has only 20 fistula surgeons.

Speaking during a media round table discussion on Fistula intervention with the theme, "Service Availability; Access to service", in Sokoto, Zakariya expressed worry that the few number of fistula surgeons in the country does not match the over 120,000 Nigerians affected with the disorder every year.

He said that due to the acute shortage, only 5,000 out of a total of 12,000 new cases diagnosed each year are treated.

"Worldwide over two million women live with untreated obstetric fistula."

Advocating urgent intervention in fistula treatment, he said: "In Sub Sahara Africa, 1 in 16 women has the chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth while in developed countries, 1 in 4,000 is at risk.

"In Nigeria, it is estimated that between 120,000 and 150,000 are living with Fistula and about 12,000 new cases are diagnosed per year. The most vulnerable group is the young, poor illiterate and rural women who are economically disadvantaged." Noting that although, all doctors know about fistula, he explained that not all surgeons can repair fistula because it is a specialised area of surgery.

Explaining why Nigeria may continue to witness shortage of fistula experts, he said: "Fistula repair is a specialized area of surgery that does not attract financial gains as most of the surgeries are done free of charge. As a result, many of the doctors are abandoning it to specialized in other lucrative areas.

"Fistula experts are not recognised. The pressure of being a fistula surgeon will drive them alone. It is difficult to retain doctors in the system. There is no money because it is done free of charge. Salary does not increase. There is no recognition, retaining doctors in the system is a problem," he further explained.

He said Engender Health under the Fistula Care Plus has trained a pool of doctors and nurses to boost the available pool of doctors and nurses in Nigeria. Further stating that obstetric fistula is a manifestation of sub-optimal healthcare, Zakariya called for the upgrade of emergency obstetric care in the country to prevent obstetric fistula.

The Clinical Associate stressed the need to increase political commitment to health through creating budget line for fistula. "Government should increase and improve health infrastructure and promote gender equity and reduce violence against women.

Identifying family planning as a factor in the treatment and prevention of Fistula, he said: "We need to improve access to family planning, provide safe and quality caesarian section, client friendly affordable services in the various hospitals as well as apply the use of catheter and partograph to monitor labour.

SOURCE: Vangaurdngr

Mudslide death: ‘We fled from Boko Haram to Lagos’

An indigene of Borno State, who fled the Boko Haram insurgency to Lagos, has called on the Lagos State government to come to their aid.

Hassan Aji, who resides in the slum, popularly called Kurata in Agidingbi Ikeja, made the call on Tuesday after a mudslide killed one of the residents of the slum.

A 16-year-old teenager, Faisa, who like Aji is from Borno State and resides in the slum, had been killed by a mudslide on Tuesday after days of heavy rainfall.

Appealing to the state government for help, Aji said, “We are all from Borno State. We left our villages because of Boko Haram. We relocated here about two years ago. Our villages are deserted.

“As I speak with you, I don’t know where my mother is. I have two wives and seven children and if the government sends us away from here, I don’t know where to go.”

After arriving Lagos from Borno, one of the slum’s resident, Ibrahim Aliu said they paid N24,000 per year as rent to some men who claimed to be working for the Lagos State Government to reside there.

It was gathered that there were about 100 people saying in the slum, which is located on Dosumu Street, Off Amara Olu Road, Agidingbi.

Majority of them are believed to be indigenes of Borno State, who fled the Boko Haram insurgency to Lagos.

The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Michael Akindele, said the slum was not habitable.

He said, “The area is a buffer zone which is not good for human settlement. The Lagos State Government has been sensitising people staying in flood-prone areas and wetland to vacate such areas to avert loss of lives especially, during this rainy season.”

SOURCE: PUNCHNG

Troops Arrest Wanted Boko Harm Food Seller In Yobe

A man suspected to be one of the food sellers to the dreaded extremist group Boko Haram and who has been on the Nigerian military wanted list number 105 has been arrested by a detachment of Army troops and local vigilantes in Azare community, Gujba local government area of Yobe state.

Muhammed Bulama described as a dangerous insurgent has been on the wanted list of the military for many months before his eventual arrest on Tuesday September 6, 2016. Arrested alongside Bulama were two other suspects named Ardo Abba Muhammed ( who claimed to be an elder brother to Bulama) and Muhammadu Kaigama.

The three suspects were arrested while riding on horseback and bicycle as they made their way to the market to sell some sheep for the extremist group.

According to the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, Bulama personally identified his photograph in the wanted list and confessed that he specialized in rearing animals for the terrorist group.

Usman said the three suspects also confessed they came to Azare community to sell the animals after the group ran out of cash in their camp and were also meant to procure some food items for the upcoming Sallah festivity.

Also on Tuesday, troops of the 4 Brigade Nigerian Army arrested a suspected national economy saboteur and alleged leader of the “Otugas Fire Force” militant group, Mr. Gabriel Ogbudje.

He was arrested with an accomplice named Elvis Dweller Ejus. The group had allegedly threatened to attack the Utorogu Gas Plant and is alleged to be responsible for the blowing of NPDC/Shoreline major delivery trunk line within Ogo-Oteri general area on the 26th of August 2016.

The suspected militant was arrested along Agbor-Abraka road, Edo State while he was trailed by the troops. He has been on the run since he was declared wanted because of his public declaration as the leader of the militant group “Otugas Fire Force”.

Ogbudje had made media headlines when he declared his operation code named “Crocodile Tears”, an metaphor to the Army’s ongoing military exercise nicknamed “Operation Crocodile Smile”.

Col Usman said both suspects have been handed over to Operation DELTA SAFE for further interrogation and subsequent handing over to the relevant security agency for prosecutions.

Also troops of 13 Brigade Nigerian Army in conjunction with Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Air Force and covert operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency, arrested a suspected kingpin of the Niger Delta Avengers, Isaac Romeo that goes by the appellation of “G2” in their terrorists camp.

He was arrested along with two other persons; Mr. Lawson Samson and an elderly man, Mr. Iyang Ekpo in Calabar, Cross State while driving in a vehicle with  registration number, CRS 86 AO1 on Saturday, 3rd September 2016.

The Army spokesman said the arrest followed painstaking efforts and tracking   of the militant who was in the state to perpetrate further criminal activities of sabotaging critical infrastructures.

SOURCE: Thenationonlineng

Boko Haram: Wanted journalist arrives Nigeria, detained

Ahmed Salkida, one of the three people declared wanted by the Nigerian Army for allegedly aiding the release of a Boko Haram video showcasing the missing Chibok girls, arrived the country last night. He was reportedly taken into custody by the police, who, however, kept mute over the development.

The Nigerian Army also denied knowledge of the arrival and detention of Salkida, described as a close associate of the Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf. Salkida was reportedly arrested, yesterday, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as he stepped down from an Emirate flight marked EK 785. 

One of the female passengers, who sat next to the journalist, told journalists that she recognised Salkida, who was a bit nervous all through the flight. She said she recognized the journalist from photos posted on the Internet and engaged him in conversation throughout the seven-hour flight. She said Salkida told her that he expected to be arrested upon arrival because he was travelling with an Emergency Travel Certificate, ETC, and that the DSS was aware of his coming. He expressed fear that he would not be given a fair trial and accused the government of pronouncing him guilty without trial. Salkida further told the passenger that he did not know the whereabouts of Boko Haram leaders or Chibok girls. 

However, he admitted to receiving two video clips from Boko Haram before they were released to the public. He said Boko Haram had confidence in his objectivity as an investigative journalist, having previously interviewed Mohammed Yusuf, the founding leader of Boko Haram. Salkida had expressed surprise that the army declared him wanted since they knew how to reach him if they wanted him. 

The man was declared wanted alongside Aisha Wakil and Ahmed Bolori penultimate week by the Nigerian army, which accused them of engaging in acts of terrorism for being accessory to the release of the Chibok girls video. But the trio have expressed surprise over the action of the military, saying that they knew how to reach them without declaring them wanted as common criminals and exposing them to opium.

SOURCE: Vanguardngr

Bishop Charles Ighile Reveals Why Married Men have Sex with their Housemaids

General Superintendent of The Holy Spirit Mission Church (The Happy Family Chapel). Bishop Charles Ighile who together with his wife Rev. Caro Ighile head the church that has over sixty branches,through their syndicated marriage and relationship programme on television have touched many lives and restored thousands of relationships. In a recent interview, the couple spoke extensively on why many men sleep with their maids, why many marriages are daily crashing among other problems in relationships…

“Men sleep with their househelps when the couple are not on their guards. We are talking about God-fearing men here, who would not ordinarily sleep with their househelps, but somehow find themselves doing it. There is always a division of labour in the home. As the Bible puts it, the man is the head of the home and the woman is the helper. She is the keeper at home. Therefore, according to the Bible, everything about the domestic affairs is for the woman. From what God Himself told Haggai in the Bible when her househelp ran away, God asked her, “why are you running away from your mistress…Go and submit yourself to her.” Therefore, the househelp is under the woman. She submits to the woman. When a maid needs to buy things such as undies, body cream,make her hair or she has to report to the man when she is seeing her period, then there is going to be problem. When it is the man now asking the girl, ‘what’s wrong with you?’, why are you sad? Do you have tummy ache? Ok, come and see me in the room’ etc. There is fire on the mountain. There are certain boundaries that must be set in the home. When the woman fails to take charge of her responsibilities and passes them to the house help and the husband takes them up. She is setting up the husband for temptation.”

“Appropriate must be enforced in the home. A man is enticed by what he sees, therefore, the woman must not allow the househelp to dress indecently in such a way that all her contours are revealed and everything is dangling around the house because the man may be tempted even when he didn’t plan it. So the couple must have rules in the house, as you cannot just come into the kitchen or sitting room with only your nighties on or tie a towel or wrapper around your waist moving around the house. Those are troubles for the man. He should not say, “oh, she is only 14, there is nothing she can do”.

“No, she is a woman and the man seeing her unclothedness could be thrown off balance. Sometimes, the househelp themselves could be cunning. She wants to seduce the man. So, a man must be very careful. Then, the man must show his wife love all the time. The housegirl must not be allowed to see cracks in their marriage. The husband must not disrespect his wife anytime, especially in the presence of the girl, such as shouting on the wife and so on. Doing that will make the girl lose respect for the woman. These are just a few of the very many reasons men sleep with their househelps. If you as the man begins to find yourself attracted to the househelp, just send her away. If you are a man who wants to save your marriage and wants to honour your marriage and God, let your househelp go. I know that when a man begins to have feelings towards a woman, his defenses weaken, so the strength to even send her away is no where to be found. But struggle with your weakness to send her away. I have handled a case as that where the man has already slept with the househelp. Interestingly, the wife is by far more beautiful, but it’s not a matter of beauty now, it’s a matter of the more you live with somebody the more you see something that attracts you to the person which outsiders might not see.”

SOURCE:Thebreakingtimes

#ChangeBeginsWithMe: President Buhari To Re-Launch War Against Indiscipline

President Muhammadu Buhari, when he was sworn in as Nigeria’s President 29 May, last year, will re-introduce War Against Indiscipline with a mantra, an organisation that was introduced in 1983 when he was military head of state.

President Buhari declared war on national “indiscipline”, recreating a “task force” that will supposedly ensure orderly queues, clean streets and punctual meetings across the country.
National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari said the President Buhari’s administration has declared the intention to relaunch the Brigade for better performance, as well as to bring its activities to the fore.

“It’s great pleasure that I have the opportunity to meet with the leadership of WAI, for the first time since my assumption of office about two months ago. This meeting is meant to discuss the re-positioning of the WAI Brigade in the current dispensation of change.” Abari said.

Abari also said “The ills and woes that bedeviled the nation at that time are still very much with us today. That is why, when the NOA was established in 1983, the WAI Brigade was automatically drafted to be part and parcel of the agency to fight against indiscipline, disorderly behaviour in public and private places, disobedience to traffic rules and regulations, disrespect for constituted authorities, filthy environment, bribery, corruption and other social vices.”

The President is expected to launch the programme on Thursday 8/9/2016 in Abuja where 170,000 volunteers task force across Nigeria are expected to wage President Buhari’s new campaign against “indiscipline.

SOURCE: NTAng