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Toyin Saraki’s Wellbeing Foundation Africa Takes Youth Empowerment To Ogun State

Published

6 years ago

August 15, 2018

Editor

Founder/ President of Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) and wife of Nigeria’s Senate President, Mrs Toyin Saraki has taken her innovative personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) education programme to school children in Ogun State.

The pilot programme which took place over two days, educated 237 children at the Ogun State Summer Camp, as part of activities to mark this year’s International Youth Day, before an anticipated roll-out across the state and throughout Nigeria.

Mrs. Saraki said: “While the Wellbeing Foundation is committed to the WHO’s sepsis resolution and improving hygiene in health facilities, our Wellbeing Youth curriculum and youth teams are leading on demonstrating the importance of PSHE- WASH in schools as a priority for increasing youth wellbeing and autonomy in beating both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

“This pilot in Ogun State has been a great success and I look forward to the curriculum being rolled out further and having ever greater impact. I’m delighted that our youth teams have demonstrated our commitment on a local level to our global water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) campaign, as warmly endorsed by the WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus when I met with him at the World Health Assembly in Geneva earlier this year.

“During my meetings with the World Bank, the United States State Department and Congress in June, we agreed on the critical importance of global handwashing campaigns. Our global campaigns always have local impact and go on to inform all the work that we do,” she stated.

According to Precious Ajunwa – WBFA Youth Programmes Leader, stated during the programme in Ogun State that: “As part of the programme we held a ‘Girl talk session’ where over 115 girls were educated on proper menstrual hygiene management as part of our commitment to enable girls to be able to attend education and reach their full potential.

“We adopted the participatory form of teaching approach which enables us to assess how much the children know and how much knowledge we have to impart to them.

“The questions from the children in Ogun State were thoughtful and revealing. I’m delighted that they all pledged to teach their friends in their schools and at home proper hand washing techniques as new WBFA WASH ambassadors!” Ajunwa stated.

On his part, Dr. Babafemi Adenuga, who is the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Health, said: “The curriculum imparted by the Wellbeing Foundation Africa team was informative and highly productive. I highly appreciate the work of the team and the level of detail and interaction. The Kogi State Commissioner and her team also attended in order to study the programme. We need to take this all over Nigeria!”

Besides, the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota, described the campaign as a timely action that needs to be embraced by all, while Mr. Aikulola, Director of Primary and Higher Education, Ogun State and Guests Manager, Ogun Summer Camp, commended WBFA for bringing the WASH campaign to save the lives of children in the state.

The WBFA’s programme is based on WBFA’s Adolescent Skills and Drills, Personal Social and Health Education Curriculum, the first locally-developed PSHE curriculum, which is comprised of three core pillars – Your Rights and Your Body, Health Relationships, and Planning Your Future.

Within those main areas an extensive range of topics pertinent to the health and wellbeing of young people are covered, with a focus on hygiene and sanitation as part of the global WASH campaign initiated by Saraki’s wife earlier this year, alongside global partners.

The cohort of children, aged between 8 and 17 years old, were also taught the World Health Organization (WHO) standard of hand washing techniques in addition to further break-out sessions, in line with the commitment of the WBFA to support the attainment of UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

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Edo Election: Police Acting in Interest of APC, Says Obaseki

Published

4 days ago

September 12, 2024

Eric

The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has called out the Nigerian Police Force, saying they are working in the interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the buildup to the 2024 Edo Governorship Election. He added that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not sign the Peace Accord for the September 21 election.

The accord is an official agreement among political parties to be of good conduct before, during and after election.

Obaseki said the agency, the Police, responsible for enforcing the accord, have through their actions, shown that they are acting in the interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and waging war against the PDP.

He expressed worry that “the Police under the manipulation of the APC, has arrested not less than 10 PDP chieftains, who they perceived would be strong political opposition to them in the coming election.”

The governor who spoke when he received the Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC) and former Military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar said those arrested include a serving Local Government chairman, Hon. Collins Aigbogun.

He stated that the party chieftains were arrested and whisked to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Obaseki queried: “how do one enters a peace accord with an umpire who, from the onset has shown bias in favour of one of the parties in the election.”

He added: “you are very conversant with the politics of Edo State. You were here in 2020 and we had a very heated election. You know this is an off-circle election and there is a lot of attention.

“Unlike 2020, I am very worried with the developments in the State today. The party met yesterday and we might not likely sign this agreement.

“The opposition party in the State, the APC has always argued that they may not be as popular and didn’t win in the last election, but however promised to use Federal might to determine the outcome of the election.”

He added: “We thought it’s just rhetoric. But in the last four weeks, we’ve had a situation where from the office of the IGP, armed gang policemen have come into Edo State to invade, arrest and take away PDP members.”

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Ighodalo Ridicules APC’s Okpebholo, Says Edo Can’t Risk Having Illiterate As Governor

Published

5 days ago

September 11, 2024

Eric

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has advised the electorate against voting an illiterate as the next governor.

Making a veiled reference to the gaffe by the candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Monday Okpebholo, the governorship hopeful, while addressing a crowd on Monday, said: “Edo doesn’t need an illiterate who will bring insecurity to the state”.

Ighodalo, who spoke at the Olua Primary School field, Uselu, venue of the PDP campaign rally in the Egor Local Government Area, pledged to bring out the best in the youth by harnessing their potential in a positive way for the good of all.

He said: “We will work and bring out the creative potential of our youths in a way that will benefit all. We don’t need an illiterate who will bring insecurity.

“It’s time to move forward. Ogie (his running mate) and I are very ready to work for you all. So, don’t fear, don’t worry, we’re for you all. Prosperity has come for all. Just go out on the 21st and vote early and protect your votes.”

Also speaking, Governor Godwin Obaseki said he had done his best for the state and that Ighodalo and Ogie would continue when he hands over to them.

He added: “I have done my best. Ighodalo and Ogie will continue from 12 November. We want progress. We want to move forward and not backward. Looking at the people here, you see a lot of youths. I am not surprised because Egor is home to youths. We have the University of Benin and the Benin Technical College.

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Ajaero: Amnesty Int’l Accuses Tinubu of Setting Record of Impunity

Published

6 days ago

September 9, 2024

Eric

Global rights group, Amnesty International, has condemned the arrest and detention of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said with the attack on Ajaero, President Bola Tinubu is setting a new record of impunity.

Ajaero was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Aiport in Abuja on Monday on his way to the United Kingdom for an official assignment, the NLC said.

The NLC president was billed to attend the Trade Union Congress conference in London, which begins today (Monday).

Sanusi said: “Amnesty International strongly condemns the unlawful arrest of the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero by the Department of State Services (DSS) today. The labour union leader must be immediately and unconditionally released.

“The arbitrary arrest of Joe Ajaero shows an escalating crackdown on human rights and restrictions on civic space by the government of President Bola Tinubu.

“President Bola Tinubu’s government persistently attacks and undermines the operations of the NLC, through fabricated allegations, raids on NLC headquarters and other forms of harassment and intimidation. This growing culture of impunity and disdain for workers’ rights to organize and seek better welfare must stop.

“President Tinubu is setting a new record of utter disregard for the rule of law.

“Amnesty International has observed, in the last one year, the increasing crackdown by the Nigerian authorities on the labour union and civic space. The authorities continue to weaponize the police and SSS to repress the human rights of Nigerians.

“Nigeria is a party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, including trade union membership and activities. The country is also a member of the International Labour Organization, whose fundamental principles include the right to organize, are binding on all members.”

“Under international human rights law workers cannot be targeted for participating in trade union activities. The Nigerian authorities have an obligation not only to respect the rights of workers but also to protect these rights from abuse.

“Joe Ajaero is arrested solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights and must be immediately and unconditionally released,” Sanusi concluded in a statement.