Why we’re championing war against HIV stigmatisation, by FriendsAfrica

AHEAD of the December 1, 2013 World AIDS Day, an anti HIV stigmatisation campaign tagged: Team Eagles Vs Team Entertainers, will hold on November 30, 2013 the Campus mini Stadium, Onikan, Lagos, FriendsAfrica, organisers of the event has said.
   The programme, which is in its second edition and will feature soccer legends and Nollywood celebrities, is meant to draw global attention to the evil of discrimination against People Living with HIV/AIDS.
    Speaking on Monday on the planned campaign tagged: Play for Life, the CEO/Founder, Friends Africa, Dr. Akudo Anyanwu Ikemba said while advances in science and medicine had made progress in the cure and prevention against HIV/AIDS globally, there was still the worrisome issue of stigmatisation and discrimination.
     She added that ending discrimination of People Living with HIV/AIDS was utmost hence the Play for Live, adding that it is a week-long programme covering free testing of people to know their HIV status. She stressed that the free testing which started on Monday, November 25 at Camus mini Stadium, Lagos, and which is targeted on 5000 people, will end on Saturday, November 30, 2013.
    Dr. Ikemba added that the campaign, which is targeted at over two million people will explore the natural convening power of football  to draw attention to the dangers of stigma and discrimination against People Living with HIV/AIDs.

By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola

500 in jail over child abuse , says NAPTIP

A disclosure came at the weekend from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP) that over 500 people have so far been sent to jail for child abuse and human trafficking across the  country.
  Speaking at the launching of Harmony Life Family magazine in Lagos, NAPTIP Head, Public Enlightenment Unit, Lagos Zone, Mrs. Kehinde Akomolafe said that those sent to jail were found guilty following prosecution on laws governing acts that constitute child abuse.
   Akomolafe said “Child abuse includes all types of abuse and neglect of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caregiver, or another person in a custodial role, ” and can take several forms including physical, sexual, psychological, and neglect of a concerned child.
  She called on parents and guardians to focus on the wellbeing of their children and be integrated into all aspects of child welfare services, pointing out that the agency, which is responsible for prosecution of human trafficking offenders and rescue as well as help rehabilitate victims have been carrying out an enlightenment programme to help curb this.
  “We have been carrying out enlightenment programme as one major way to create awareness of curbing this deadly menace. We have been organising programmes for sometime now where we involved some schools in carrying out campaigns against child abuse as well as National Youth Service Corps members and other institutions related to human trafficking were in attendance,” she said.
  Linking the phenomena to poverty, greed, ignorance breakdown of family values and traditions, she blamed parents for being unnecessarily greedy in making use of their children to get wealth through inappropriate ways, calling their attention to the Child Rights Act.
  “The Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, Mrs. Mercy Ighofose said, Harmony Magazine is devoted to families for physically and morally growth by bringing positive changes and development to our society. It also features interviews with notable models of our society, thereby setting a platform for family discussions.
  According to her, the aim is to “correct the eroding values of the society from the family circle and also to empower and create distinctive solutions on issue affecting African families.”

The Proprietor, Westminster College, Lagos, Chief J.M. Barovbe (left); Group Operations Manager, Cool, Wazobia Nig. Info FM, Onimisi Adaba;  Dr. Taiwo Idemudia; Editor-In-Chief, Harmony Life Family Magazine, Mercy Arigo Ighofose; Chairman of the event, J.J. Akpieyi; former DMD of Shell Petroleum, Godwin Omene and MD/CEO, ARCO Petrochemical Nigeria Ltd, Alfred Okoigun, at the Harmony Life Family Magazine seminar on child abuse at Nigerian Institute of International affairs, Victoria Island at the weekend.
PHOTO: ADENIYI IDOWU ADUNOLA.

By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola and Tolulope Okunlola

Group wants states to domesticate child-rights

EXCEPT the Child Rights Act is domesticated in the states, its passage by the National Assembly would not adequately protect Nigerian children from abuses like child labour, defilement, and witchcraft accusations, among others, the non-governmental Child’s Rights Advancement and Protection Initiatives (CRAPI) said yesterday.
   To that end, it urged state governments to adopt it in order to protect children’s rights. Founder of the body, Mrs. Ozioma Onyenweaku, who made the call in Lagos during an event to mark the 2013 Child Rights Day, disclosed that the Act was enacted in Nigeria in 2003 to regulate and protect the rights of children.
   With the theme of this edition as, “Stop Violence Against Children,” Onyenweaku said: “We have to act collectively to see that the Child Rights Act is not only enacted in all the states, but that it is strictly enforced.”
   According to her, the present challenges followed the failure of the National Assembly to get inputs from the state assemblies before it became law.
   She noted: “If the Houses of Assembly had approved it by two-third majority, this law would have become applicable across the country. Only 24 of the country’s 36 states have domesticated the Act.”



By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola

Don’t ask for whom the bell tolls…

Death lurks on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway service lane

This is so near the offices of the new power distribution office between Five-Star Bus Stop and Iyana-Isolo, yet so far away no one has seen it.
It is on a busy service lane along a major artery-Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, yet neither the Lagos State  Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency, Mushin Local Council, nor any other responsible agency, has cared to take simple, necessary action of removing the death-trap days after the twin electric poles fell, partly blocking the road.
 Several cars and trucks have crashed into it and more may still do so.
This is death on the prowl.
Don’t ask for whom the bell tolls…
It tolls for ….

Lagos to leverage on submarine cables for metro broadband network

THE Lagos State government has unfolded plans to leverage on the six submarine fibre cables that have berthed on the shores for improved Internet services.
  Indeed, submarine cables that have landed on the shores of the state include those of MainOne; Glo 1; WACS; SAT3 among others.
  Addressing journalists in Lagos at the weekend, Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Adebiyi Mabadeje said cables would not only accelerate Internet services, but also ensure that the state moves with global development.
  Mabadeje said the state also plans to provide its own private cloud through partnership with Dimension Data, stressing that when the project is completed, it will help Lagos to optimize its resources, eliminate idle capacity and save cost.
  The commissioner informed that the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed between the state government and Microsoft will apart from strengthening e-governance and facilitating serving the citizens better, also ensure that the company would be working with its local partners to give back to the people through capacity building and training of indigenous manpower.
  A commitment, he disclosed, was secured under the MOU to train 100 Microsoft certified applications support personnel, who will not only assist the Lagos State government, but other states in Nigeria.
  The e-governance platform, he said, will deliver services to Lagosians using smart phones and mobile devices while enabling government functionaries to monitor on-going projects and the performance of ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
   The MOU, he went further, is centred around four cardinal programmes which are; implementation of a citizenship management platform, leveraging on the existing call centre infrastructure, provision of IT skill development and affordable mobile services, arising from a partnership under the Microsoft Africa Initiatives centred on entrepreneur support.
   Mabadeje also informed that the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) has a different mandate from other identity registration exercise going on in Nigeria.
   According to him, unlike others which discriminate on the basis of age, nationality and other sundry issues, LASRRA registers only residents and ‘not even indigenes’ living outside Lagos’’.
   He said that since the state could not attest to the integrity of the process and the past controversies bedeviling the competing identity registration exercises, the LASRRA exercise, which is of ‘’FBI standard’’ became necessary in order to develop a reliable data that would assist in predicting trends and assisting the state government in planning for the populace.
   The Commissioner assured that the movement of the Ikeja Computer Village to a new 15-hectare site in Gotankowa, a Lagos surburb, was being addressed by a committee, which will take care of all the concerns of stakeholders who should look forward to a conducive environment for an Internet city.
   He dispelled the fears of those who alleged that the Federal and State governments were playing politics with the deployment of about 1,000 Close Circuit Television monitoring devices in Lagos.
   He said: “I have personally seen the CCTV cameras working and it is already up and running, adding it is a safety and security matter, it cannot be unveiled for public knowledge.’’
    Mabadeje also said that apart from the on-going computerisation in schools now stepped up with the imminent Computer-Based Testing, students in the state have continually been encouraged to adopt science at an early age with programmes like LASTECH and the Science Camp which hosted 300 students for one week in Epe in August 2013 as against 60 hosted for three days last year.



By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola

Ohakwe preaches unity as Imo indigenes mark day in Lagos

Ohakwe receiving kola nut from community woman

IMO State indigenes living in Lagos at the weekend marked Imo Day and Cultural Carnival, an event that brought together sons and daughters of the state.
   Speaking at the event, president of Imo State Towns Development Association (ISTDAL), Mazi Tony Ohakwe, explained the theme of the event, which was “Unity is Strength.”
   According to him, “unity refers to the condition or state of being one.” He likened unity to a bundle of broom, which is better than a single broomstick.
   “We cannot break a bundle of broom except they are separated, but you can easily break a stick of broom. Nothing can be achieved without unity. Unity is necessary for the survival of all. Unity not only leads to the prosperity of a person but also to the prosperity of a nation.”
   He urged all Imo indigenes to remain united, saying: “Let’s stay in unity. If we are united, none can destroy us. Unity can destroy terrorism.”
  Dignitaries at the event included the former Minister of Interior, Emmanuel Ihenacho, who was honoured as the Life Patron of FESTAC; A.E Anozie, who was awarded the Pillar of ISTDAL and many other top functionaries of Imo origin.
   There were cultural dances, masquerade dances, among others at the event. 


By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola

Indigenes to complete Ekiti cassava processing firm

INDIGENES of Ekiti State, under the auspice of Ekiti Parapo, have concluded arrangements to complete the cassava producing industry in the state.

  Speaking at the 2013 Ekiti Parapo Day in Lagos at the weekend, President of the group, Kola Akomolede, said members are ready to promote and facilitate economic and socio-cultural development of Ekiti State.

  Ekiti Parapo was formed shortly after the creation of the state in 1996 to create a forum for all Ekiti people in Lagos to come together and assist the new state.

  “As part of the efforts to realise the dream, the group is set to raise funds for the completion of the cassava processing industry so as to create job opportunities, especially for the people of Ikole-Ekiti where it is located.”

“The factory is a cassava producing company located in Ikole-Ekiti. The machine have been imported and work has started on the construction of the factory at Ikole  Local Government.

The representative of the Executive governor of Ekiti state, the Deputy Governor of Ekiti, Foluke Adelabu appreciates the effort of the group and their contribution to the development of the state.

“The state, Ekiti is moving and going on and it’s going to be one of the richest state in Nigeria.

She stressed the effort of the Ekiti government that “Essential improve and accountability of government to the people of Ekiti through systematic of adoption of the effective controls and policies can be recognize. Ekiti is known of promoting accountability and transparency in government.

“In Ekiti State we keep promises, we have completed habitation of about 18 roads, increase water supply, improve transport sectors and provide fire service, rehabilitation of stadium. Also social security agent for the state.

She added that Ekiti is growing in agriculture. We establishes commercial agriculture for the youths, purchase good tractors for them, we have distributed lots of fertilizers for them among others.

“Education development is our first agenda, it is only the industry we are good for.

She explained on gender equality. We are the first state to carry out gender between both the male and the female in the country. “it is a crime for a husband  to raise his hand up ageinst his wife.

By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola 

Multichoice launches Resource Centers in Osun State

Head, Public Relations, MultiChoice Nigeria Segun Fayose, (left) 

Deputy Governor, Osun State, Titi-Laoye Tomori and CEO, Innovative Technology Literacy Services Ltd,

 Ronke Bello, during the launch of additional 10 MultiChoice Resource Centres

 in Osun State held at Ataoja School of Science, Oshogbo, Osun State recently.

                                                PHOTO BY: ADENIYI ADUNOLA

In its aim to empower teachers and students with skills in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Multichoice Nigeria, the leading pay-TV firm rolled out more Multichoice Resource Centre (MRC) in public schools in Osun State.

The novel intervention has been introduced to 245 schools in 24 states of the federation and been proven to impact critically on the knowledge levels and understanding especially of technical subject areas by students. It is now being extended to students of 10 public secondary schools in Osun State, bringing the total to 255 in 25 states across the country

About 10 public secondary schools in Osun State which benefitted from the project include: Unity School, Ejigbo, Anglican Grammar School, Osogbo, ADS Grammar School, Osogbo, St. James Grammar School, Osogbo Ataoja School of Science, Baptist Grammar School, Osogbo, Laro Grammar School, Osogbo and Ijebu-jesa Grammar School, Ijebu-jesa.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Governor, Osun State/ HCE, Ministry of Education, Grace Titi-laoye Tomori lauded MultiChoice and its implementing partner, Innovative Technology Literacy Services Limited, for the initiative which she described as a veritable tool for the provision of valuable learning resource components for public schools across the country. “The MultiChoice Resource Centre project, which provides valuable learning resource components for 10 selected public schools in the State of Osun to support the government efforts towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria’s education sector, is a welcome one,” she said.,

“This also dovetail into one of the six integral action plan of the Osun state government that aims at functional and qualitative education in the state”

MultiChoice provides the following learning aid items to each of the beneficiary schools: DSTV decoder, television set, burglary proof for the equipment, education bouquet. Others include generator, whiteboard, Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), among others.

The Managing Director of Innovative Technology Literacy Services Limited, Aderonke Bello said “The MultiChoice resource centre is designed to grant beneficiary schools access to the special MultiChoice Education Bouquet with the aim of integrating the programmes into their curriculum to further enhance the teaching and learning processes in the classrooms”

“in line with modern technology, our secondary schools in Osun state, are being familiarized with audio-visual equipment with full assurance that effective usage of these equipment, will enhance classrooms practices and move student to the next level in education.

“in addition, this innovation will enable students to be opened to more instructions which will also aid their thinking skills in the classroom”.

She urged the teachers to make use of the equipment that are being given to them in the transformation stage.

Fifty of the teachers have been trained as master trainers to help coordinate the centers and train other teachers with a view to ensuring effective usage of the facilities. It is our hope that Osun State will make good use of the facilities, utilize them for the attainment of quality education for our students, and more importantly protect them from being damaged', she said.

Furthermore, Head of public Relation and Corporate Communications, MultiChoice Nigeria, Segun Fayose, urged the teachers and principals to do the much they could and encouraged the student to make good use of the resource center set up to increase their learning, awareness about the world and to help them to become leaders, not of tomorrow, but starting from today.

By Adeniyi Idowu Adunola

Software accounts for 40% of International remittances

. NCC processes $1.8b CRS invoices

WITHIN the last three years, software may have accounted for 40 per cent of the total international remittances recorded in Nigeria’s Information and technology sector, even as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said it processed about $1.8 billion; Euro 51.57 million and E3.38 million Confirmation of Reasonable Service for Foreign Exchange (CRS) invoices in the last three years.

   Precisely, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which disclosed this in Lagos on Tuesday, at a Stakeholder Forum on Confirmation of Reasonableness of Service Fees (CRS), noted that it has become imperative for the country to boost local contents and develop required skills for the growth of telecoms related software in Nigeria.

    NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Eugene Juwah disclosed that increased in the volume of activities witnessed in the telecoms sector over the last one decade in the area of voice and data traffic led to the demand for associated contents and software requirement for services delivery.

   CRS, which refers to remittances of foreign currencies payments made by the telecoms companies in Nigeria to overseas services provider, which is also known as capital flight, Juwah informed that this is  based on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regulations on International trade transactions, adding that NCC took over this regulatory oversight to support the CBN.

    According to the EVC, who was represented by the Director of Policy, Competition and Compliance Mrs. Loila Emakpore, said that concerned over the impact of foreign direct investments (FDI) in the telecoms sector compared to repatriation by operators out of Nigeria worries the commission and prompted it to come up with examinations of remittances across board.

  According to him, CRS procedures in Nigeria were updated through similar fora in 2003 and 2009 in order to guide the industry on the payments for invisible trade transactions.

  He said since then, the industry failed to realise the level of enormous paper work required to drive these telecoms remittances and payments to overseas vendors.

   Giving the statistics, Juwah, who said NCC processed and approved over  5,580 invoices in the telecommunications industry between 2010 and 2012, gave the figures to include; $281.2 million, $624.6 million; $894.5 million and Euros 5.7 million; 14.5 million; 31.37 million and  E1.2 million; E1.4 million; 0.78 million respectively.

    Besides, he said the commission declined over 745 applications due to integrity tests, ranging from over-invoicing, expired contract agreements, as well as duplications of invoices among others.

   The NCC boss informed that these remittances calling for review include arithmetic accuracy check, price verification, documentation checks, international pricing database maintenance, vetting executed contract agreements among others.

   Juwah said, "The commission is of the opinion that it is not enough to remit money to overseas service providers, the industry need to develop local contents, IT software skills, and embrace the abundant capacity available at our sea shores through submarine cable services in order to create employment opportunities for our youths and foster economic growth in the nation."

   Furthermore, the EVC explained that the forum became necessary for NCC to gather stakeholders in puts on how to address stringent conditions currently place on hardware purchase by international vendors.

  He said, "We became aware of the stringent conditions the vendors attach to the purchase of hardware equipment by deliberately separating the associated operating and basic software components from the hardware equipment. Why because the overseas service providers feel that the operators have neither option nor a strategic plan to replicate local contents and IT software skills."

   According to him, the imperative of carrying out the CRS function includes; to check capital flights;  

encourage development of telecom software skills and local contents in Nigeria; ensure efficient utilization of forex by the telecoms companies; control of forex round tripping and bridge the gap between telecoms FDI and CRS remittances.