24092020 - BLACK WEDNESDAY: 30 killed in Kogi petrol tanker explosion

Vanguard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 — 23
Stakeholders harp on the need to prioritize SGBV
….As WRAHP sets up Ireti centre for psycho-social support
AS part of efforts to protect
rape victims Women’s
Rights and Health
Project, WRAHP has set up a
sexual assault referral system
(Ireti Resource Centre) a centre
where cases of abuses in
Alimosho area of Lagos state can
be reported and also for victims
access counseling and psychosocial
support.
Executive Director of Women’s
Rights and Health Project,
WRAHP, Bose Ironsi in a
welcome address during a
community meeting organised
to address issues relating to
Sexual and Gender-Based
Violence, SGBV, in Alimosho,
LGA, Lagos State, noted that,
over the past four years,
Alimosho LGA has consistently
accounted for the highest
number of SGBV cases reported
in Lagos State.
“ Despite this alarming fact,
women, girls have been unable
to access justice and medical
assistance because there were
no SGBV service centres within
Alimosho where survivors can
easily walk in to report cases and
receive assistance and support
within their vicinity”, she said.
As a result of this urgent need,
she hinted that the organization
in partnership with the Rule of
Law and Anti-Corruption,
RoLAC programme of the
British Council is working to
increase access to justice
resulted social services for GBV
survivors in Alimosho local
government council of Lagos
State.
It was established in 2007 with
a vision to contribute to the
attainment of a society where all
women, young girls and
AMID talks of resumption
of schools in Lagos state,
the Rotary club of
Surulere North-East has
finalized plans of handing out
school bags and dictionaries to
public school pupils.
This was captured in the
signature project for the 2020-
21 rotary year, to be executed
by the new leadership board of
the club led by Rotarian Tosin
Alfred-Kemepado, who was
installed as president at an
investiture ceremony at the
weekend.
According to the projects
lineup, no less than 150 primary
school pupils in the vicinity will
communities enjoy sound health
and equal development and
maximum self actualization.
And the strategies to achieving
this goal are through Advocacy
and Awareness Raising Sessions
within identified social
structures, Capacity Building,
community dialogues,
production and dissemination of
Awareness raising materials
where cases of abuses in
Alimosho and its environs can
be reported.
She further explained that the
community town hall meeting is
one of the channels to increase
access points for citizens of
Alimisho to report sexual and
gender based violence incidents,
receive support and to leverage
on the priorities identified in the
initial meetings held in January
Resumption: Rotary to donate 150 school
bags, 500 dictionaries to Lagos pupils
By Elizabeth Uwandu
be getting one school bag each.
The school bags pegged at
N1,500 each are to cost a total
of N225,000, while the
dictionaries will cost N190,000
at N350 each.
Kemepado, who was taking
over the position from Rotarian
Giwa Abioye as the 18th
president of the club, also listed
the renovation of classrooms and
the distribution of waste bins as
well as de-worming of primary
school pupils, as part of the
year’s projects in the education
sector.
Sinking of boreholes, planting
of trees and purchase of baby
incubators are some other
projects to be embarked on by
the Kemepado-led board in its
mission to serve humanity.
New President, Rotary club of Surulere North-East, Tosin Alfred-Kemepado
with other Rotarians at her investiture
Cross section of members of Alimosho community at the meeting recently
By Ebunoluwa Sessou
2020 adding that members of
the community, individuals,
social groups and religious
groups must speak up against
SGBV in every form to end the
scourge of sexual and gender
based violence in Alimosho.
Also speaking, the DPO
Igando Police Division, CSP
Taiwo Kasumu warned that a
man can be imprisoned on the
basis of physical assault adding
that, the Law provides for
protection of rape victims.
“Dressing provocatively has
nothing to do with rape whilst it
is important for parents to train
their children well, is not a
justification for rape.
“The Law is available to
protect victims. On our own, we
will do our best to ensure
protection of rapevictim”, he
noted.
In his contribution, Elder
Ademola Osibeluwo, JP, Council
Chairman Igando/Ikotun LCDA,
urged all stakeholders to tackle
the issue and nit it on the bud.
“We have created an office
purposely for GSBV and we are
VISA, a global financial
institution has
announced its
partnership with She Leads
Africa - a leading platform that
connects female entrepreneurs
with the right information and
tools that they need to create
thriving businesses in their
communities.
The partnership forms part
of Visa’s ‘Where you Shop
Matters’ initiative which was
launched in June. It is an
initiative that aims to
champion and enable
entrepreneurs across Africa
while encouraging consumers
to support small businesses by
shopping local.
Women are the backbone of
African economies, and
according to The Global
Entrepreneurship Monitor
Women’s Entrepreneurship
Report 2018/2019, the highest
determined. It is an issue that
we do not want it to occur again
in the community.
“Rape is a serious issue that
everyone must be ready to
address. We are sentisizing
people to take care of the
children. There is a need to
properly train male and female
children and give them
protection.
Also, Mrs Olukemi Dosa, the
Chairperson Lagos State Council
Trade Men and Artisans,
LASCOTA, Igando/Ikotun,
lending her voice called for
caution on the part of the parents.
“When parents monitor their
children, it is easy for them to
guide their children on how to
dress properly. Boys are
attracted with the way girls dress.
If children are well trained, it will
be difficult to put up an attitude
that is not decent in society.
On the part of the association
she said, “We have been saddled
with the responsibility of
senstisizing our members and
we’ll tell them how to take care
of their children. We will also
engage our landlords to ensure
surveillance of all those hang outs
in the area.
Financial institution partner
tners She Leads
Africa to empower female entrepreneurs
By Nkiruka Nnorom
rates the total entrepreneurial
activity for women are found in
Sub-Saharan Africa (21.8%).
Although women are involved
in entrepreneurial activity,
women in Sub-Saharan Africa
tend to face a much higher
likelihood of business
discontinuance than men.
Through the She Leads
Africa Spotlight series, Visa will
provide a platform for
successful
female
entrepreneurs, with incredible
stories, who will share their
business journeys, especially
by transitioning to digital
channels, in a bid to inspire
and help upcoming
entrepreneurs spread across
Africa.
The partnership also includes
a “This is how I did it”
series which features digital
marketing experts that will
provide women with the tools
to advance their digital
businesses.
Okonjo-
Iweala:Nigeria
lobbies Republic of
Iran’s vote in WTO
elections
Continues from page 22
Trade Minister Yoo Myunghee,
Saudi Arabia’s
Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri and
British ex-minister Liam Fox.
The Minister of Industry,
Trade and Investment, Richard
Adebayo told the Iranian
Ambassador to Nigeria,
Mohammed Alibak, that
Okonjo-Iweala’s election
victory will strengthen global
trade and economies.
The Minister stated that
Nigeria would rely on Iran’s
support for the election of
Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela as the
next DG for WTO, stressing
that if elected it would be the
first time an African will
occupy the position since its
establishment on 1st January
1995.
Adebayo further said the
Bilateral Trade Agreements
(BTA) earlier signed between
the two countries in 2001,
Investment Promotion and
Protection Agreement (IPPA)
in 2008, the establishment of
Nigeria-Iran Joint
Commission in 2004 and Iran
Chamber, Industry, Mines and
Agriculture in 2016 should be
sustained.
He assured the Ambassador
that Nigeria will work with
Iran to improve on the current
low trade volumes as both
countries have great potential
that can leverage on
considering the fact that the
two countries are oil
dependent economies.
He said “We can also share
knowledge and best practices
on economic diversification
and our national development
goals as Buhari’s led
Administration is pushing to
diversify the economy into the
non-oil sector through various
initiatives and a strategic
partnership in the
industrialization of key sectors
that can boost efforts towards
export of Iran and Nigeria.”
The Minister called on
Iranian Investors to come to
Nigeria to invest in the
numerous Export Processing
Zones (EPZs), in the country
in view of the various
incentives available to
investors and to pursue
partnerships in our economic
development initiatives in
sectors such as; Fertilizer
Production, Tractor Assembly,
Persian Rug Manufacturing,
Mine and Steel Industries as
well as Garment Production.
Earlier, the Iranian
Ambassador to Nigeria, His
Excellency, Mohammed
Alibak said that Iran is willing
to help Nigeria in the areas of
technology development,
water supply and engineering
among others, adding that an
invitation will be sent to the
Minister to visit the
Agricultural Industrial
Machinery Show in Iran.
Alibak further stressed on the
need to have a joint
commission between the two
countries as Nigeria is one of
the best country in Africa in
terms of trade with Iran.