Headline

GBV: NYSC DG tasks corps members on grassroots sensitisation to rights protection

Published

8 months ago

September 15, 2023

Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmed, Director General, NYSC, has urged corps members to embark on massive grassroots gender sensitisation and advocacy campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against women.

The DG gave the challenge in Lokoja on Friday during the commencement of the corps’ Phase one of Grassroots Gender Sensitisation and Advocacy Campaign against GBV in rural communities.

Represented by the Kogi NYSC Coordinator, Mrs Mofoluwaso Williams, the DG expressed worry over the spate of gender inequality and gender violence against women and in some cases against men in most rural communities in the North.

Ahmed said that the campaign was a well thought out initiative of the Reforms Unit of the NYSC, which would be implemented on the platform of the Corps Gender Vanguards, with the aim of exposing the ills of gender-based violence and gender inequality.

“It’s unfortunate that gender issues are often misconstrued as affecting females alone, but in reality it’s a matter of interest to both sexes, including their rights and responsibilities.

“It’s also important to remind all and sundry that gender based violence is not only physical and psychological but also constitutes abuse of the fundamental human right of the victims, ” he said.

According to him, this misconception informs the choice of the theme: “Gender equality, respect all,” to tell the society the importance of it.

He explained that in the past, some societies considered the female as weaker sex and tend to ascribe certain roles that relegated them to the background.

The NYSC boss added: “It has since become clear that some societal roles are not necessarily determined by our biological make-up alone and therefore, can change with time and in different situations.”

While declaring open the campaign, the DG appealed to all and sundry to support the NYSC gender vanguard through the provision of the enabling environment for greater impact of the campaign for a better society.

Earlier In his welcome address, Mr Sunday Aroni, State NYSC Head Reforms Unit, thanked the DG for expressly granting approval for the event in spite of other competing demands for scarce resources.

He noted that the programme could not have come at better time than now when the whole world was clamoring for protection of human rights.

Aroni said, “NYSC has been in the fore front in the fight against gender inequality through the instrumentality of corps gender vanguards with the aim of exposing the ills of gender-based violence in our society.

“The gender we all know is for both sexes, male and female, whose equal rights to education, protection against all forms of abuse and molestation remain sacrosanct.

“Let us all, therefore, say no to all forms of abuse and molestation of our children who are the future leaders.”

The campaign is taking place simultaneously in rural communities across the northern states.

Headline

EFCC bars dollar transactions, orders embassies to charge in naira

Published

5 days ago

May 11, 2024

Desmond Ukafor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has barred foreign missions based in Nigeria from transacting in foreign currencies and mandated them to use Naira in their financial businesses.

The EFCC has also mandated Nigerian foreign missions domiciled abroad to accept Naira in their financial businesses.

The anti-graft agency said the move is to tackle the dollarisation of the Nigerian economy and the degradation of the naira

The Commission, therefore, asked the government to stop foreign missions in Nigeria from charging visa and other consular services in foreign denominations.

The EFCC gave the advisory in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, for onward transmission to all foreign missions in the country.

In the letter, the EFCC said it issued the advisory because the practice of paying for consular services in dollars was in conflict with extant laws and financial regulations in Nigeria.

In a letter dated April 5, 2024, which was addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, titled: “EFCC Advisory to Foreign Missions against Invoicing in US Dollar,” the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede expressed dismay over the invoicing of consular services in Nigeria by foreign missions in dollars.

The EFCC cited Section 20(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which makes currencies issued by the apex bank the only legal tender in Nigeria.

The letter read, “I present to you the compliments of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and wish to notify you about the commission’s observation, with dismay, regarding the unhealthy practice by some foreign missions to invoice consular services to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country in United States dollar ($).

“It states that ‘the currency notes issued by the Bank shall be the legal tender in Nigeria on their face value for the payment of any amount’.

“This presupposes that any transaction in currencies other than the naira anywhere in Nigeria contravenes the law and is, therefore, illegal.”

The commission further stated that the rejection of the naira for consular services in Nigeria by certain missions, along with non-compliance with foreign exchange regulations in determining service costs, is not just unlawful but also undermines the nation’s sovereignty embodied in its official currency.

The letter continues: “This trend can no longer be tolerated, especially in a volatile economic environment where the country’s macroeconomic policies are constantly under attack by all manner of state and non-state actors.

“In light of the above, you may wish to convey the commission’s displeasure to all missions in Nigeria and restate Nigeria’s desire for their operations not to conflict with extant laws and regulations in the country.”

Diplomatic sources said yesterday, May 10, that some embassies were wondering whether the EFCC’s advisory represented the position of the Federal Government.

Headline

Prince Harry visits sick Nigerian soldiers in Kaduna

Published

5 days ago

May 11, 2024

Alero Danjuma

Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.

The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.

Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.

Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.