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Author: joan odafe

  • Association seeks interventions for school owners, teachers, others

    Association seeks interventions for school owners, teachers, others

    Interventions
    By Joan Odafe
    Lagos, June 28, 2024 (NAN) A group, under the aegis of Platform of Educators and Private School Owners (PEPSO), has called for concerted efforts in bridging gaps to help educational professionals achieve their goals and visions.

    PEPSO National President, Dr Comfort Otegbeye, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of an event organised by the group on Friday in Lagos.

    The event, with theme,  ‘Strategic Meeting and Stakeholders Engagement’, was organised to emphasise the needs of members and proffer solutions.

    Otegbeye said that school owners and teachers bore a lot of challenges that needed to be addressed.

    Otegbeye, also the Proprietress of El-Bethel Schools, said that PEPSO was determined to address these challenges through engagements with relevant stakeholders, including agencies and the association’s members.

    She said PEPSO had diverse mix of members, categorised into school owners, teachers, professional tutors, consultants and corporate, that would help meet their needs.

    “Aside from the camaraderie, the association will also be a force for our members; we have to stand for them, fight for their cause.

    “Our learners also stand to benefit because of various programmes we have for them.

    “We’re going to have a boot camp for students; we’re going to have functional education, which involves vocational and creative,” she said.

    Earlier, Otegbeye urged the participants to guard against factors that could lead to the association failing.

    She said the factors included ineffective communication and engagement, resistance to change and innovation, lack of diversity and inclusivity and failure to deliver value to members.

     

    Also, Mr Mufutau Lawal, President, PEPSO, Lagos, said the association would intervene in most of the challenges school stakeholders experience through positive engagements .

    He said private schools in the state were plagued with many challenges including too many regulators, multiple taxations and various levies introduced that bear on their operations.

    Lawal, who is also the Proprietor, Tendertouch Intellectuals Schools, said the association had already initiated engagement with relevant agencies that would help ameliorate the challenges of school owners.

    “We’re trying to see how technology can be deployed to schools, in terms of training teachers on the use of modern technology to aid in teaching.

    “We’re setting up a centre among our schools, in each of the local government areas, where they’ll be facilities to be used in the training of teachers so they can implement them in their classrooms,” he said.

    Speaking on multiple platforms for school owners, Mrs Ajoke Adeyemi, a member of the Board of Trustees, said proprietors were free to join as many associations as they wished.

    Adeyemi, Proprietress of The Foresight International School, said PEPSO was unique because it prioritised the needs and development of other school stakeholders, particularly teachers and students.

    In his remarks, Mr Muyideen Dorego, District Head, Apapa Town Planning Office, urged proprietors to ensure that their school buildings had the proper permit to avoid issues with the state government.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    JOJO/FAA
    =====

    Edited by Folasade Adeniran

     

  • Cholera: Red Cross trains 60 volunteers for community engagement

    Cholera: Red Cross trains 60 volunteers for community engagement

    Engagement
    By Joan Odafe
    Lagos, June 26, 2024 (NAN) The Nigerian Red Cross Society, Lagos Branch, has  trained  60 emergency response volunteers to enable them to acquire skills to curb cholera spread in communities.

    The volunteers were trained at the “Training of Volunteers on Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) for the Cholera Outbreak” programme on Wednesday in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by the branch with support from the British Red Cross.

    The Chairman of the branch, Mrs Adebola Kolawole, told NAN that 20 volunteers were selected from each of three different local government areas.

    She listed the council areas as Kosofe, Eti-Osa and Lagos Island.

    Kolawole said that the volunteers were selected  from the Red Cross divisions because cholera was more prevalent in them.

    The chairman said that the volunteers would go to various communities in the council areas  for 20 days after the training, to engage them on issues regarding cholera.

    “This intervention is to sensitise our volunteers on what they need to know about cholera.

    “They will go into public places – marketplace, churches and mosques – and talk to them on how to prevent more outbreak.

    “They will give them thorough enlightenment, sensitise and engage them one-on-one on hygiene,” she said.

    She said that the volunteers would also enlighten community members on the need to stop buying from roadsides, food and drinks not approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and  Control,” she said.

    Participants at Training of Volunteers on Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) for the Cholera Outbreak programme organised by the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Lagos Branch

    The  Secretary of the branch, Mr Olakunle Lasisi, told NAN that the training would influence behavioural changes, prevent misinformation and help members of the communities to make informed choices.

    “The changes will lead to better ways of living and guard against spread of cholera and other diseases,” he said.

    Mr Badejo Olusegun,  Health Educator, Lagos State Ministry of Health, said: “Our sources of water must be safe and hygienic, we should also make sure we are very observant of the places we eat or buy foods.

    “We should avoid meat or fish that is exposed to flies and make use of public toilets when on a journey and avoid open defecation,” he said.

    Participants at the training urged the state government to look into the sources of drinking water of the affected communities.

    They  urged the government to enforce hand washing in schools to prevent the disease from spreading. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    JOJO/IGO
    ========
    Edited by Ijeoma Popoola

  • IWD 2024: Foundation urges widows to embark on journey of rediscovery, growth

    IWD 2024: Foundation urges widows to embark on journey of rediscovery, growth

    Widows
    By Joan Odafe
    Lagos, June 23, 2024 (NAN) A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Serendipity House Widows Foundation, has called on widows to embark on the journey of rediscovery and growth to find a sense of purpose for living.

    The President and International Missioner of the Foundation, Mrs Ayo Yemisi-Jaiyeola, made the call during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, in commemoration of the 2024 International Widows Day (IWD).

    IWD, celebrated every June 23, is a day set aside by the United Nations to draw attention to the voices and experiences of widows and to galvanise the unique support that they need.

    Yemisi-Jaiyeola said widowhood was a journey nobody prepared for, a path filled with unimaginable pain and grief.

    She, however, said in spite of the grief associated with it, widowhood was not a destination.

    She said if widows took out time to assess their situation, examine themselves, they would have a deeper understanding of themselves and eventually live transformed lives.

    “It’s a journey that takes time, patience and self-compassion.

    “As we navigate the darkness of grief, we begin to discover hidden strengths, resilience and a capacity for growth we never knew we had.

    “In the widowhood journey, know that it’s a path that winds and turns, filled with ups and downs but ultimately leads to a brighter, more fulfilling future,” she said.

    Yemisi-Jaiyeola cautioned widows against living a laid back life while wishing their needs would be met.

    She urged widows, single mothers and women going through the process of a divorce to ensure they worked hard to secure their future.

    Speaking on IWD 2024, Yemisi-Jaiyeola said the foundation planned a programme aimed at giving widows the opportunity to socialise, support and help each other find solutions to their challenges.

    “It is also an opportunity to release the need placards, show the Africanism in our widowhood, which is different from the western part of the world,” she said.

    She urged government at all levels to create database of widows so they can plan for their welfare. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    JOJO/FAA
    =====

    Edited by Folasade Adeniran

  • ARCON seeks synergy between academia and professionals

    Synergy

    By Joan Odafe and Franklin Ohaegbu

    Lagos, June 21, 2024, (NAN) The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has called for synergy between its stakeholders, particularly the academia and the professionals, to foster a well-structured industry.

    The Director-General of ARCON, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, made the call at a media briefing on Friday in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised by the council to announce the second edition of its Advertising Industry Colloquium (AIC), which will hold on June 27.

    The theme of the conference is: ‘Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Advertising Education and Industrial Excellence in Nigeria.’

    Fadolapo said that the engagement was to ensure that both the academia and professionals were on the same pedestal.

    He said the lines of advertising and other courses, including public relations, were getting blurred by the day.

    He added that technology was causing a major disruption in advertising, particularly by the tools, like Artificial Intelligence (AI), being introduced into the profession.

    “It is very important to us as an industry that is challenged with so many things to ensure that we bring everybody into the same space.

    “Now we have a culture, we have religion, we have our peculiarities, how do we marry these peculiarities with global trends,” he queried.

    Fadolapo further said that the colloquium would give the opportunity to formally present the council’s ‘Advertising Industry Journal.’

    NAN further reports that the journal is a collection of research in different areas of advertising that had been done.

    “They have interrogated the body of knowledge, they have come up with the findings and they’ve come up with their contributions to knowledge.

    “Now the book being published, the journal, is going to become an authority and will be cited in research,” Fadolapo said.

    Also, Chairman of ARCON’s AIC Committee, Prof. Rotimi Olatunji, said the programme would yield better outcome than its previous edition.

    Olatunji said that the colloquium would include a job fair that allows participants to benefit from the opportunities in the Nigerian marketing communications industry.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    JOJO/FOE/AWA
    =============

    Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

  • Abuse: Stakeholders seek forensic interview protocol

    Abuse: Stakeholders seek forensic interview protocol

     

    Forensic

     

    By Joan Odafe (08035789896)

    Lagos, June 20, 2024 (NAN) Stakeholders in law enforcement and criminal justice for child sexual abuse survivors have called for the adoption of the Child Forensic Interview Protocol to ensure that justice is served.

    The stakeholders, including the Lagos State Government (LASG), the Police and non-governmental organisations, made the call at a workshop on Thursday in Lagos.

    The workshop was tagged “3rd Installment of the Consultative Workshop for the Development and Implementation of a Child Abuse Investigation and Interview Protocol”.

    Mrs Bisi Ajayi-Kayode, Chief Operations Officer of an NGO, CeceYara, said the numbers of child sexual abuses were staggering, as one out of every four girls and one in eight boys was abused before they turned 18 years.

    “Forensic Interview is a structured conversation to elicit evidential information from the child in an age-appropriate and developmental manner,” she said.

    Ajayi-Kayode noted that child sexual abuses were not easily detected because of challenges, which included

    poor interviewing skills, delays in disclosure and reporting and lack of physical and supportive evidence.

    Others are crude, duplicative and fragmented ways of questioning children; use of legal, verbose language that could scare or confuse children; pleas of not guilty and appeals more common than in other offences.

    On his part, the Lagos State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro, said forensic interview was a cornerstone in the quest to deliver justice, particularly in cases involving children.

    “It will also guide justice for all and exonerate the innocent,” he said.

    Pedro urged all stakeholders to be committed to the process.

    Also, Ladi Ajomale, Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Petition, and Human Rights at the Lagos State House of Assembly, said child protection was a responsibility and a moral obligation of society.

    Ajomale, who was represented by Mrs Titilola Vivor-Adeniyi, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), said the protocol would strengthen the multi-disciplinary, critical in preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence.

    “The child forensic interview is a game changer in ensuring successful prosecution of these heinous crimes.

    “This form of interview enhances the child’s ability to communicate, lessening the traumatisation that can occur during controversial questioning methods,” he said.

    Also, Mrs Oyindamola James-Ododo, a Forensic Interviewer, recommended that the interview be done immediately after the abuse occurred to avoid the evidence being contaminated with threats or lack of adequate information.

    Mrs Aderonke Oyelakin, State Coordinator, Child Protection Network, however, cautioned against retraumatisating the victim through repeated interrogations.

    “It is important that once a child says his or her story once, that child shouldn’t be subjected to go through the process again,” she said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    JOJO/KTO/VIV
    ==================

    Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo/Vivian Ihechu

  • Foundation donates food items to Red Cross orphanage

    Foundation donates food items to Red Cross orphanage

    Donation
    By Joan Odafe

    Lagos, June 18, 2024 (NAN) The Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation (IIF) has donated food items and clothes to the Abandoned and Motherless Babies Home of the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), Lagos State branch, to help support children in the orphanage.

    Mr Olakunle Lasisi, Secretary, NRCS, Lagos, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Tuesday in Lagos that the donation was part of activities to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of Mrs Ibidun Ighodalo.

    NAN reports that late Ighodalo founded IIF, a non-profit organisation, to raise awareness on issues regarding infertility.

    The organisation also provides grants for couples who require fertility treatments, such as invitro fertilisation (IVF) and intrauterine insemination.

    Lasisi said Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Chairman of IIF, led the team on the visit.

    According to him, Ighodalo, who is also a Platinum Member of NRCS, inspected the branch; including the school, clinic, laboratory and orphanage, to assess the level of impact of the Red Cross.

    “He was appreciative of every developmental work he saw at the branch.

    “He saw the impact the clinic was making in the community and the refugees who were receiving treatment.

    “Pastor Ighodalo pledged his support, that of the foundation, and promised to reach out to friends and well-wishers to help Red Cross respond swiftly to emergencies,” Lasisi said.

    Also, Mrs Adebola Kolawole, Chairman, NRCS, Lagos, told NAN that the donations came at the right time, considering the current state of the economy.

    “The gifts will be of great benefit to the children and will be used judiciously,” she said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    JOJO/FAA
    =====

    Edited by Folasade Adeniran

  • Expert seeks mentorship, emotional support for boys

    Expert seeks mentorship, emotional support for boys

    Support

    By Joan Odafe
    Lagos, June 18, 2024 (NAN) A male -child advocate, Mr Aniekeme Finbarr, says mentoring boys and giving  them emotional support  will help shape their behaviours and  instil positive values in  them.

    Finbarr said this in an interview with  the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)  interview on Tuesday.

    He said that it was unfortunate that boys were  not properly educated about the many dangers in the society.

    According to him, these societal dangers  include substance abuse, gang violence, cultism and  negative influences .

     

    “Who does the boy child run to?

    “The boy-child is almost bereft of someone he can talk to.

    “He is afraid of the parents, he is scared of the teachers, he is scared of older people around him.

    “That is why we have a lot of boys who are not properly informed and our streets have been overtaken by young boys in primary, secondary schools and tertiary institutions, who are into drugs,” he said.

     

    Finbarr, who is also the Special Assistant to Akwa-Ibom  on Social Orientation, said there was  need for action to adequately prepare  boys for positive living.

     

    He said boys should have positive  role models ,parental guidance ,awareness and other things that could help them in the society, like the  girl-child.

     

    According to him ,the society  stands  the risk of losing  well-groomed and  independent girls to irresponsible men later in life,if the well-being of the boy-child is overlooked.

     

    Finbarr said that the lack of positive role models for young boys had left them at the mercy of pop culture and celebrities with unethical behaviours.

     

     

    While saying most societal vices were carried out by young men , Finbarr  urged parents and guardians to learn  to support  the boy-child  emotionally and properly guide them to be responsible citizens, later in life.

     

    Finbarr further urged governments ,families and  non-governmental organisations to also tailor their activities toward supporting boys.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    JOJO/BOLA/BHB
    =========
    Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Buhari Bolaji

  • Don’t bite more than you can chew, Nigerians advise fathers

    Don’t bite more than you can chew, Nigerians advise fathers
    Fathers
    By Joan Odafe and Najibat Adebayo
    Lagos, June 16, 2024 (NAN) Some Lagos residents have cautioned fathers against biting more than they can chew as they strive to meet the needs of their immediate and extended families in the face of economic challenges.
    They gave the advice during separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
    They said the plight of many men in the current economic situation was compounded by them succumbing to take more than they can handle.
    Mr Seidu Momoh said even before the current not very pleasant economic situation in the nation, as a father, it had always been difficult providing for the family.
    He acknowledged God had always helped him to meet most of his family’s needs are met.
    He, however, said he had cut out luxuries and sourced for other streams of income to provide for his family.
    Speaking on the impact of family pressure on fathers’ mental and physical health, Momoh said in spite of the harsh economy, many men engage in things they were not supposed to.
    “I drive an SUV but I don’t take it out everyday because I know if I decide to fuel the car throughout the month, my house will suffer.
    “So, that is why I drop my car and board bus like every other Nigerian. Before I used to enjoy myself; went to places; all those things have been cut out.
    “I do things now in moderation and that is why I’ve been able to survive,” he said.
    Mr Debo Adeshiyan, said men bore most of the financial burden in the home, including rent, school fees, feeding and taking care of extended family members.
    He said the pressure of making ends meet had made many men fall into depression.
    Adeshiyan urged the government to pay more attention to the welfare of the workers by offering a minimum wage that was commensurate with the costs of things in the market.
    Mr Boma Joe-Jim urged fathers to be resilient to enable them cope with the challenges of the current realities.
    “Now we’re hearing that a bag of beans is N250,000. Where will someone start?
    “If, for instance, you used to buy one bag of rice now you have to share it because you want to get other things needed in the family,” he said.
    He urged men to hold on to God and their beliefs to avoid being victims of pressure mounted on them by the society.
    Speaking on the challenges fathers experience, Mrs Florence Eneonwuta, said she sympathized with them because many men could not withstand the level of pressure they have been exposed to in recent times.
    She urged men, particularly fathers, to ask God for wisdom apply self-control when provoked by their family members. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    JOJO/KUA
    ========
    Edited by Uche Anunne

  • NGO lauds Tinubu’s commitment to democracy

    Democracy
    By Augusta Uchediunor and Joan Odafe
    Lagos, June 12, 2024 (NAN) The Good Women Association, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has lauded President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to the nation’s democracy.

    The Executive Director of the organisation, Mrs Biola Ibiefo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Wednesday in Lagos, that the president’s Democracy Day Address to the nation underscored his administration’s commitment.

    According to her, the speech reflected a deep appreciation of Nigeria’s democratic journey and the resilience of the citizens.

    She said Tinubu’s address further reflected his commitment to ensure that the principles of democracy guided the nation’s future.

    “Tinubu emphasised that democracy is not just about holding elections but encompasses broader principles like freedom, liberty and legitimacy of different views.

    “He underscored his administration’s commitment to resolving conflicts through dialogue and negotiation, rather than oppression, as seen in his approach to labour disputes.

    “He addressed the economic challenges and reforms necessary to build a stronger foundation for future growth, stressing the need for a balanced and diversified economy beyond oil dependency,” Ibiefo said.

    She commended the president for honouring the memory of notable Nigerians, including MKO Abiola and Kudirat Abiola, who sacrificed their lives for democracy. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    JOJO/ANU/AJA
    ============
    Edited by Adeleye Ajayi

     

     

  • Bullying: Educationists urge parents, guardians to help stop trend

    Bullying
    By Joan Odafe and Nojibat Adebayo
    Lagos, June 9, 2024 (NAN) Some educationists have called on parents, guardians to help stop the rising trend of bullying in the society, particularly in public and private schools.

    The educationists made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

    They noted that many times, children expressed and exhibited what they had learnt from home in the larger society.

    They said that children did not learn the act of bullying in their schools, rather a product of negative behaviour they had already been exposed to at home.

    A Guardian and Counsellor, Mrs Edith Nnalule, said many parents and guardians bullied their children and wards without even realising the damages being caused to both the child and the society.

    The counsellor said most times, children grew up knowing parents with what they did, saying that if a child was bullied at home, he would go back to the society to practice such act.

    “Most of these children that engaged in bullying in schools or those who bullied in the workplaces didn’t learn the behaviour there.

    “Some of them, because they are not well guided, you know, they grow with it.

    “When they enter the upper class or workplaces, they begin to bully and see it as a normal thing,” she said.

    Nnalue said those that engaged in the act of bullying sometime regarded their actions as instilling authority while those who lacked self-confidence saw it as protecting their self-esteem.

    She urged parents and guardians to promptly recognise the signs of bullying so that the children could be properly checked and consequently reduce its spilling into the society.

    Mr Johnson Ologundudu, President, National Association of Proprietors of Public Schools (NAPPS), Amuwo Odofin Chapter, said past experience had shown educators that the act of bullying was learned by engagers from home.

    Reacting to viral videos and reports of various forms of bullying at schools, Ologundudu said the major cause was a spillover from the society.

    “These children are from different homes with different backgrounds and orientation,” he said.

    He said the ‘Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy’ (LSSCPP) served as a guide for schools in setting up structures to tackle the menace of bullying.

    Ologundudu, who is also the Proprietor of Jomal Schools, urged sister institutions to domesticate the LSSCPP and set up structures to help reduce the menace of bullying.

    He further urged various institutions within the society, including families, schools and religious organisations to work together to reduce bullying in schools. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    JOJO/ISHO/AJA
    ============
    Edited by Yinusa Ishola/Adeleye Ajayi