Blog

Migration

By Moses Omogorieva

Lagos, Sept. 11, 2018 (NAN) The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has called for continuous training of labour and migration officials on migrant markets in ECOWAS sub-region.

Ngige made the call while opening a four-day training workshop on Tools for data Collection on Labour Market and Migration in Lagos on Tuesday.

He said that global migration dynamics had broken boundaries of labour demand and supply as migrants now seek employment beyond their national boundaries to improve their lives and families left behind.

He stressed the importance of migration data management to the promotion of good governance of labour migration within ECOWAS sub region.

The minister was represented by the Director, Employment and Wages in the Ministry, Mr Emmanuel Udoh.

Mr Lamine Daffe, Project Officer, International Centre for Migration and Policy Development (ICMPD), said that migration had become an increasingly relevant topic in policy making at the national, regional and global levels.

He noted that the underlying causes of migration were linked to poverty, unemployment, conflict and environmental changes.

Daffe said that the dangers of irregular or forced migration and the risks of smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons could affect brain drain or brain waste.

“ECOWAS members and Mauritania suffer lack of data on labour market and migration due to institutional, organizational and technical deficient in statistical production chain and the cost of data collection.

“The action of this training strives to support the collection of timely, reliable, statistical data on the labour market, employment, professional training and labour migration across ECOWAS states.

“This statistical tool should pave the ground for gaining a better knowledge of migration stocks and flows within and throughout the region,“ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 35 participants drawn from Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia and Mauritania were in attendance at the training.

NAN reports that the training project – “Support for Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa” – was jointly funded by European Union, ECOWAS Commission and implemented by ICMPD). (NAN)

MIO/WOJ

Edited by Wale Ojetimi

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Evans
By Oluwatope Lawanson/Moji Eniola

Ikeja, Sept. 11, 2018 (NAN) Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court, Lagos on Tuesday warned counsel to Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias “Evans” that no further delays would be tolerated in his ongoing trial.

Justice Oshodi gave the warning following a 30-minute  verbal exchange he had with  Mr Chinonye Obiagwu,  Evans’ new defence counsel who had prayed for an adjournment to study the case file.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obiagwu is one of  the 31 newly-shortlisted  Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) for induction on Sept. 24.

Justice Oshodi said, “I cannot come from home during vacation to be told that the matter will not go on for one excuse or the other.

“Counsel should desist from filing applications targeting at stalling trial,  parties must get their witnesses ready, so that justice will be served within reasonable time frame.”

NAN reported that Evans had on various occasions hired two defence counsel; Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje and Mr Noel Brown to represent him.

The changes in defence counsel had caused delays in the trial.

Previous court proceedings held on June 26, had been put on hold due to Brown taking over from  Ogungbeje who was Evans’ first defence counsel at the onset of his trial.

Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

The six accused were arraigned on Aug  30, 2017 on two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Limited, Donatus Dunu, from whose family they allegedly collected 223,000 Euro (N100m) as ransom.

Evans and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Earlier during proceedings, a witness,  Insp. Idowu Haruna of the
Intelligence Response Team that arrested the defendants, had told the court how the accused were arrested.

Haruna’ who was led in evidence by Mr Adebayo Haroun,  the State Prosecuting counsel, told the  court that the statements of the defendants were not obtained under duress but rather in a conducive environment.

Following Haruna’s revelation of how the statement were obtained, the prosecuting officer urged the court to admit the statements as evidence.

Obiagwu,  however opposed the admissibility of the statements on the premise that they were obtained under duress prompting Justice Oshodi to order a trial-within-trial.

During the trial-within-trial,  Haruna told the court that when Dunu,  Evans’ alleged victim escaped from the kidnappers den, he was brought to the Anti-Kidnapping Department,  Ikeja and was later taken to the then Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr Fatai Owoseni.

“Owoseni then ordered a team to move to the defendants hideout at Igando, a suburb of Lagos.

” On getting to the house, the abductors had fled the scene with their little possessions but the police team found some ammunitions in the house which the defendants left behind,” he said.

Haruna revealed that during interrogation,  Evans had alleged that he enjoyed the services of some officers of the Nigerian Army during their kidnap operations.

“Whenever they were going on their  operation,  they put on army uniform to camouflage as army officers and disguise in order to deceive their prey.

“Two army officers involved were later arrested and taken before their superiors at Abati Barracks for disciplinary actions.

“They were dismissed and taken back to the police for further disciplinary action,” Haruna said.

The case was adjourned until Oct. 26 for continuation of the trial-within-trial. (NAN)

LAW/MAE/ JIE/IA
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Edited by Julius Enehi/Idris Abdulrahman

Empowerment
By Isaac Aregbesola
Abuja, Sept. 11, 2018 (NAN) The U. S. has restated its commitment to increase efforts in empowering Nigerian youths through planning innovative and life changing programmes.

The Counsellor for Public Affairs U.S. Embassy, Aruna Amirthanayagam, made the assertion on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of an annual workshop for American Spaces Coordinators.

The workshop was aimed at equipping the participants with innovative ideas for effective engagements with Nigerian audiences in the 12 American spaces located across Nigeria.

Amirthanayagam described American Spaces as platforms for engagement, education and empowerment most especially for youths.

“American Spaces provides public programming spaces and supports the five core programmes: English Language learning, Educational advising, Alumni activities, Cultural programmes and Information about the U.S.

“The partner provides a physical space and staff and the Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy provides multi-media materials about the United States, training and technical support.

“ They provide accurate information about the U.S., including education and cultural programmes; access to English Language resources and connections to alumni.

“It also provide collected literature of America’s best writers, information about American society, culture, policies, politics, history and business,” he said.

Amirthanayagam explained that the American Spaces programme, which first started in Moscow with just two centres, had now grown to include over 650 Spaces in 150 countries worldwide.

He said that Nigeria had the largest centres with currently 14 American Spaces across the country.

The counsellor commended coordinators of the centres across the country.

“Considering the role of American Spaces as platforms for engagement, education and empowerment, they deserve our greatest appreciation for the lasting impact that they are making on youths in Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)
IAA/NNO/GOK
Edited by Nick Nicholas/Olagoke Olatoye

S/East adopts Child Rights Act – NAN Checks
Rights
Enugu, Sept. 11, 2018 (NAN) Some state in the South East region have adopted the Child Rights Act to stop abuses in the process of child adoption, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The states included Enugu, Imo and Anambra, while Ebonyi and Abia states were yet to respond to a survey conducted by NAN.
NAN recalls that the Act was promulgated in 2006 by the Federal Government for domestication by states to protect the rights of children in the country.
Respondents to the survey on child adoption process in South-East states said the process of adoption had been made been simplified and made free.
The stakeholders expressed delight over the development and called for full implementation of the law with enforceable sanctions.

In Enugu, Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma, the Chairman of Child Adoption Committee of the Ministry of Gender Affairs, said that child adoption was simplified and made easier presently in the state since the committee was inaugurated.

He said the committee, which has seasoned professionals, community and religious leaders, was constituted by the state government in 2016 after the state passed and signed the Child Right Act into law.

Chukwuma, also the Archbishop of Enugu Anglican Ecclesiastical Province, revealed that the committee had received over 4,000 applications of people who wanted to adopt a child in the state.

He said that the application would go through due consideration and investigation, while the process must be backed legally “to ensure that the child’s right is well protected’’.

The chairman said that the government through the committee ensures that those that wants to adopt any child are credible people with the capacity to take good care of the child without any form of molestation “since the governor is concerned about the future of these children’’.

“The adopted children are gotten from mothers who do not need the child. The mother is made to sign an undertaken that she does not need the child and that the government should assume responsibility of the child henceforth.

“The adoption process is very easy and not cumbersome. It begins after credibility of the adopter had been ascertained together with some other investigations. When this is concluded, we then place the child accordingly.

“We as religious leaders play the role of counselling the parents and child that have been adopted.

“The responsibility of the adopter is to perform all necessary duties as should be done by a parent if it were to be their biological child.

“The adopted child is entitled to all the parents’ inheritance and that’s the essence of the legal framework done before adoption process is concluded.

“They should not see themselves as foster parents because adoption in this case is totally different and holistic,’’ he explained.

NAN recalls that a week ago the committee met with the state’s Chief Judge on modalities to create family courts that would tackle child and family related cases including child abuse, molestation, trafficking and divorces, among other issues.
However, an Enugu-based human rights lawyer, Mr Olu Omotayo, said that although the Child Right Act had been signed in the state, it had not be domesticated since some physical and institutional provisions of the law were yet to be on ground in the state.
Omotayo, who is the former South-East Coordinator of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), stressed that the family courts and child foster homes that are important institutions needed and embedded in the Act, were not yet to be established.
He thanked Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for setting up the Child Adoption Committee that is bringing sanity, probity and responsibility to the whole issue of child adoption and welfare of adopted children in the state.
On rising cases of baby factories especially in the South-East, the human rights lawyer noted that the negative development had continued to grow since government officials and security agencies refused to take concrete action against the development.
“For some cases of baby factories and sales of babies I have investigated, it is clear that there is a tacit compromise between government officials and law enforcement agencies in protecting culprits involved and the homes or make-shift hospitals where these girls deliver and hand over their babies inappropriately,’’ he said.
In Owerri, a staff of the Ministry of Gender and Social Development, Mr Obinna Nneji, stated that adoption in the state was free.
Nneji however said a thorough evaluation and assessment of intending parents is done to determine their eligibility and preparedness.
He said applicants have to submit their application at a family court together with their marriage certificate, age declaration and certificate of medical fitness.
“Applicants are further investigated to ensure they will be able to raise a child satisfactorily.
“The income of the couple is investigated and their home inspected to ensure they satisfy the safety requirements in accordance with the Child Rights Act.
“Great care is taken to ensure that biological parents of adopted children sign undertakings that they willingly relinquish their rights to the child to avoid legal problems.
“This gives the adoptive parents the right to fully claim the child as theirs and procure a birth certificate after the adoption is finalised,’’ he said.
Nneji also said that the child upon adoption becomes entitled to the same rights as any other child the couple might have had biologically.
He stressed that the safety and welfare of the child is given priority in any adoption process.
An adoptive mother of two who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that adoption in the state could be done in less than five months or take as much as two years, depending on the process followed.
According to her, going through private homes for unmarried mothers such as those run by churches and managed by reverend sisters, is often easier as the paper work is easier.
She said that although the process of applying and determination of eligibility was similar, government owned institutions take longer to process.
She added also that while you would not pay for adopting through the government established orphanages, the fees are often exorbitant in privately run institutions.
According to her, most couples prefer going to such private institutions because of the shorter waiting list.
“Although you pay next to nothing when you apply through the state ministry in charge of adoption, you might have to wait for years before you can get your child.
“The process is somewhat fast tracked if you know someone who would be willing to move your name up on the waiting list.
“The process of adopting my first child through the government cost nothing less than N350,000 but it took a while before it got to my turn.
“However, I was advised to go through private means when I wanted to adopt my second child; in addition to a fee of N650,000.
“I also bought foodstuff and other provisions to donate for the care of other children in the orphanage where l adopted from.
“It cost me a total of N1.2 million for the second adoption including the baby care items they insisted l must buy and submit for inspection but l got my child four months from when l first applied,” she said.
However, in Anambra, Mrs Iruka Nwokedi, the state Deputy Coordinator of Coalition of Eastern Non-Governmental Organisations (CENGOS), urged governments to quicken the process of child adoption.
Nwokedi said quickening child adoption process by the state ministry of social welfare and women affairs would eliminate the patronage of baby factories.
“In Anambra, the first port of call is the Ministry of Women Affairs where one fills a form and is screened.
“It is only when the ministry is convinced that the adoption is not for trafficking that the process begins.
“There are many people on the queue who desire to adopt a child but most of them are frustrated and have resorted to visiting baby factories because the process is cumbersome due to bureaucracy,” she said.
Nwokedi, who is also a member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), said in spite of the domestication of the Child Rights Act in the state, stigma still persist in the society.
“The problem why people don’t really go for adoption is because of the perception and stigma that goes with it, especially among uninformed persons,” she added.
Nwokedi expressed concern over the emergence of more baby factories in the state, noting that individuals pay about N300,000 to adopt a female child while the male child goes for about N500,000. (NAN)
Reporters/OIF/MST
Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Prisons

By Mateen Badru

Lagos, Sept. 11, 2018 (NAN) Immediate past Lagos Zonal Coordinator of Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS), Kunle Babalola, has appealed to Lagos State Government to build new prison in Epe/Ikorodu division to assist in prisons decongestion.

Speaking on Tuesday during his disengagement from service, Babalola said that the prisons were filled with awaiting trial inmates which compounded the congestion problem.

“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode to build a prison for the NPS in Ikorodu and Epe axis.

“This will reduce congestion in the existing prisons in Lagos State and relieve the service of the problem connected with it,’’ Babalola said.

Babalola, who retired as Assistant Comptroller General (ACG), thanked the NPS Comptroller General, Ja’afaru Ahmed, for given him the opportunity to serve the country.

He advised serving officers to show highest sense of commitment, dedication and responsibility by avoiding any unwholesome act which could embarrass them and their families.

“Furthermore I want to congratulate NGO’s, security organisations as your partnership with us has been tremendously rewarding,’’ he said.

The outgoing ACG commended the Chief Justice of Lagos State and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system for their regular visits aimed at reducing congestion in prisons.

Mr Tunde Ladipo, Controller of Prisons, Lagos State, lauded various prison reforms embarked upon by the NPS Comptroller General which had helped in repositioning the service.

“A lot of inmates are now educated and some even registered for PhD; some have been trained on new skills such as tailoring, theater, shoe making, carpentry and many more,” he said.

Ladipo said that the NPS recently won an international award on literacy and training as part of the ongoing reform of the service.

He commended the outgoing ACG for selfless and meritorious service during his time as the Zone A, Commander. (NAN)

BOM/FF/WOJ

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Edited by Fela Fashoro/Wale Ojetimi

Consensus

By Emmanuel Mogbede.

Abuja, Sept. 11,2018(NAN) Mr Paul Ikonne, All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Abia, has said that a consensus candidate will guarantee the party’s victory in the state in the 2019 general elections.

He stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen at APC National Secretariat after picking the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to contest Abia governorship in 2019.

Ikonne said that as long as the party came together with a consensus candidate which member would eventually go for, “we will come out strong.”

The aspirant is a founding member of the APC in Abia and the governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2011 election.

He assured that if given the opportunity as the party’s candidate, he would make Abia conducive for business if he won the election, noting that people of the state were business-oriented.

Ikonne added that he would also take the state to a high level and make it the envy of other states of the federation.

He, however, said that those plotting to destabilise the APC in Abia, would themselves be destabilised.

On the adoption of indirect primaries to pick the party’s candidates for elections as was being canvassed by some politicians, he said that it depended on the peculiarities of states.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC national leadership had adopted the direct primaries to pick its candidates for the 2019 general elections.

“The party national leadership is very wise, but there are peculiarities. In Abia, for example, indirect primaries and consensus will definitely give us what we want.

“Stakeholders are yet to meet; we are still going to meet, and by the time we meet, we will come out with a blueprint on the way forward,” Ikonne said.

He assured that if given the APC ticket and elected as next governor of Abia, he would bring new ideas that would transform the state, adding that he would bring value to its governance.

“I have been in the party and I have worked for it and am still working for it.

“During the 2015 general elections, I organised the presidential rally in Abia which was successful and adjudged the best. (NAN)

EEM/KTO/OPI

Edited by Kamal Oropo and Olisa Ifeajika

NAN -H-
Punishment

By Emmanuel Antswen

Makurdi, Sept. 11, 2018 (NAN) The Benue State University (BSU) Governing Council has sanctioned 25 staff of the institution for alleged misconduct.

The Acting Deputy Registrar, (Establishment) Dr John Idikwu who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Makurdi, said those sanctioned were both academic and non academic staff members.

He said the governing council deliberated over the cases of different misconduct involving 28 staff and said three of the staff were exonerated while 25 were found culpable.

According to him, one person out of the 25 has been dismissed, 2 got their appointment terminated while the remaining 22 got various degrees of punishment.

“The punishment of the 22 staff ranged from demotion, stagnation to denial of annual increment,” he explained.

Idikwu, however, did not name those affected by the council’s decision. (NAN)

AEB/PD/IA
Edited by Philip Dzeremo/Idris Abdulrahman
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08065473179

S/West states ease baby adoption process – NAN Survey
Babies
Ibadan, Sept. 11, 2018 (NAN) Some states in the South West region are introducing new measures to ease the process of child adoption to curb sharp practices or illegalities.
This was the outcome of a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) across the region and Kwara.
The various state governments expressed worry over what they described as illegal means to adopt babies, saying due process must now be respected by all stakeholders.
The Ogun Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development says the process of child adoption in the state had been made hitch-free.
Mr Anselm Sotubo, the Director Social Welfare Service, told NAN in Abeokuta that the process in the state was also in line with international best practices.
According to him, anyone who wants to adopt a baby must first declare an intention by writing an application letter for adoption.
The director explained that after the formal request, the ministry would conduct an investigation into the home of the prospective adoptive parents after which they would be presented to the courts.
“This is where our own activities stop and the court will then scrutinise the documents and conduct an interview for the prospective adoptive parents.
“If the court deems it fit that they are free to adopt the baby, then an interim order will be made releasing the baby to them for a 90-day trial period.
“They then report back at the adjourned date, after which a final order will be made by the court and this makes it a legal adoption.
“We have two forms of adoptions; one is relative adoption and the other is normal adoption.
“Normal adoption is when you want to take a baby from the government and relative adoption is when you want to adopt one of your relatives,” he said.
Sotubo also said the ministry often picked up babies where they were abandoned, adding that a panel would meet and match babies with the list of adoptive parents.
He added that an adopted child has equal rights with biological children while an adoptive parent has the same rights he has on biological children on an adopted child.
The director said the state House of Assembly had earlier passed the Child Rights Act, noting that the juvenile justice aspect of the act was omitted.
“We have, however, gone back to the Assembly and it had been amended; we are now waiting for the governor’s assent,” he said.
His counterpart in Oyo State, Mr Sunday Kolajo, also says the process of adoption in his state was not cumbersome although due process must be followed.
Kolajo also said no orphanage had been empowered to give out a child without the involvement of the Department of Social Welfare.
“I would not say that the process of adoption is cumbersome, but the rules must be strictly followed.
“This is because we want to make sure that we are placing a child with the right people and sometimes the process may take up to three years.
“It is important to note that the adoption process is in stages; before a child is given out counselling and home visit will be carried out by a probation officer.
“This is followed by the interim order whereby the child is placed with the adopter on a three-month trial.
“There is the final adoption order because we want the best environment for our children.
“We have monitoring officers who pay unannounced visits and make evaluations.
“This is important because we want our children to be adopted into a happy and loving environment,” he said.
According to him, a woman is recognised as the adopter and in the case of marriage, the husband is also required to submit a letter of consent stating his total support of the wife’s intention to adopt a child.
The husband, he said, must make a pledge to take care of and recognise the child as his.
“The law stipulates that the adoptee has the rights accruable to a biological child and the adopter must be ready to accept and recognise those rights.
“Traditional rulers and religious leaders play no role in adoption and it is important to reiterate that the Social Welfare Department is the only government agency vested with power to carry out adoption in the state.
“We also have biological parents who relinquish custody of a child for adoption due to poverty and other factors,” he said.
Mrs Grace Lawal, a social worker at Shekinah Orphanage Home, Ibadan, said that while the procedure of adoption was not cumbersome, there were more adopters than babies available for adoption.
According to her, giving up any child for adoption in any orphanage in the state is the sole responsibility of the state’s Department of Social welfare.
“A prospective adopter will approach the Ministry of Women Affairs to express interest,’’ he said.
In Kwara, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Toibat Ahmed, says childless couples have the opportunity to adopt babies without hurdles although a formal procedure was in place.
“In this ministry, the procedure for adoption is very simple; the couple will write a formal letter for adoption and there after fill a form.
“They will also conduct a medical check up in a certified hospital and get an approval from the court of law and the child will become their own,” she said.
The commissioner, however, said that adopters would be given six months probation, after which they have full right parental rights on the child.
“Guardians have full right on their adopted babies once they fulfil all the requirements.
“At the same time, an adopted child has all the rights of a biological child.
“This is contained in Number 9 of the Child Right Act that was made law on Dec. 20, 2006.
“The Act explains the procedure of child adoption and also states that there should be equal rights with the biological child,” she said.
A forensic expert in Ondo, Mr Peter Paul, however, identified the main challenge inherent in child adoption in Nigeria as not the absence of policy but widespread corruption integrated into all facets of the society.
Paul told NAN in Akure that the absence of sanctions against those who fail to enforce the legal provisions on adoption were compounding the process.
According to him, the security agencies are complacent in the enforcement of the provisions of the law which criminalises the operations of the so called “baby factory’’.
“How many of those involved in the many widely reported arrests of baby factory operators have been reported to have been prosecuted after the initial TV show?
“I don’t know of any,” he said.
Paul, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, urged government to revamp the police and the justice system to uphold the rule of law.
On her part, Alhaja Latifat Giwa, the Osun Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, said the Child Rights Act was still in the process of being domesticated in the state.
Giwa, who said that the state House of Assembly was still working on the act, added that there were other laws on child protection in the state.
On child adoption, Giwa said applicants must be married and also pay N5,000 for application form with passports attached.
She also said that other documents would be in line with the specifications of the courts.
The Federation Of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) Orphanage in Osun, however, said the level of child adoption in the state was not encouraging.
Madam Kudirat Oladunmoye said the orphanage has more than 77 children across five local government areas due to low level of adoption.
She urged the state government to create more awareness on child adoption in the state.
The Ekiti Government, on its part, said it was committed to tackling child labour and irregular adoption of children.
The state Commissioner for Information, Youth and Sports, Mr Lanre Ogunsuyi, said violators of the state’s Child Rights Act risk a minimum of 10 years imprisonment without option of fine.
He regretted that the state has only one home for motherless and abandoned children. (NAN)
Reporters/OJO/MST
Edited by Muftau Ojo/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Cell phone addiction causes hearing loss – Experts
Phones
Enugu, Sept. 11, 2018 (NAN) Some medical practitioners in the South-East have warned that people addicted to cell phones risked hearing loss.

They made this known in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
In Owerri, a medical doctor, Dr Charles Obi, identified hearing loss as the most common issue associated with constant cell phone usage.
Obi told NAN that other effects included headaches, insomnia and tiredness often as a result of lack of sleep.
The medical practitioner also added that other not so common side effects included brain tumours, hypertension and stroke.
He said this could be linked to the radiation emitted by cell phones which cause health problems with prolonged usage.
He, however, suggested using earpieces for answering calls and to avoid making calls when the phone was overheated to lessen the effects on the ear.
A secondary school teacher, Ms Linda Eze, said most schools have resorted to seizing cell phones from students who insist on bringing such gadgets to school.
Eze said in some cases, parents and guardians were made to pay fines and retrieve the phones at the end of the school session as a deterrent.
Messrs Chioma Nze and Adaure Inyama, both students, said that they use their phones to make purchases over the internet.
A father of four, Mr Emeka Uzoma, decried the level of cell phone addiction among young people and suggested more stringent measures against the practice.
According to him, this has led to decreased academic performance and anti-social behaviours because of the amount of time dedicated to social media.

An officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Bright Enyi, said that a great percentage of road accidents have been caused by cell phone usage.
Enyi said majority of the accidents involved women drivers who were either texting or making calls while driving.
He called for stiffer punishments such as imprisonment without option of fine for drivers who use their cell phones while driving.
In Umuahia, some residents told NAN that cell phone addiction had ruined many families and marriages.
An itinerant preacher, Mr Steve Wokoh, said that addiction to phones had negative effect on family bonding.
Wokoh said that when one of the couple in a home was addicted to phone, it would affect the relationship between them on the one hand and their children on the other hand.
“There are times the man will need attention but because the woman is fiddling with her cell phones, it becomes difficult for the man.
“It could apply to the woman being unable to get the meal ready for the home or any other duties.
“The same goes for an addicted husband. Such a man will unwittingly continue to deny the wife or children the needed attention,” Wokoh said.
Also, a civil servant, Mrs Ifeoma Tochukwu, said that getting addicted to phone causes procrastination.
Tochukwu said that people who were addicted hardly gave prompt attention to urgent assignments.
“When you are addicted to phone and there is something that requires urgent attention, you will continue to delay until it becomes late,” Tochukwu said.
Mr Celestine Orji, a farmer, said that the dangers associated with phone were similar to the dangers of getting trapped to an electronic device or lifestyle.
“Addiction either to electronic devices, habit or drugs, causes severe devastation to people’s lives. It is simply destructive and people should discipline themselves in order to avoid addiction with its dangers,” Orji said.
A Catholic priest, Rev.-Fr. Christian Anokwuru, said that phone addiction could even be found among clergymen.
Anokwuru said that during Mass, some worshippers that were addicted to phone spend more time with their phones than listen to gospel and liturgy.
He also said that clergymen that were addicted to phones usually exhibited their addiction at ceremonies and events where they were not officiating.
He said that because of the dangers associated with addiction, especially among Catholic priests, Pope Francis recently warned priests to desist from such a habit.
Anokwuru described phone addiction as “a disease that has become endemic in our society”.
A cell phone dealer in Umuahia, Mr Frank Ihejirika, noted that more residents were getting addicted to phones.
Ihejirika, who owns Rikas Integrated Services Limited, said that phone addiction was largely a youth problem.
He said that the female-folks were more addicted to phones than the male-folks.
He said that addiction to phone had reflected “positively” in an increase in the demand for big, exotic and expensive phones.
He also said that apart from making and receiving calls, people also use phones for Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and video games.
Ihejirika added that the abuse of phones, including making calls while walking on the road or driving, could lead to accidents.
He further said that the quest to get bigger phones often made young girls easy prey to randy men, who abuse them sexually.
Another respondent, Mr Loveday Michael, a telecommunication engineer, said that there was an increase in the rate of phone addiction in the state.
Michael said that both youths and adults were victims, adding that addiction applied to both sexes.
He regretted that aside from social media platforms and games, some people, especially youths, use cell phones to view pornographic pictures and Internet scam.
“This has also caused another major addiction to photography among the youths,” Michael said.
He further said that phone had a dangerous emission, which could damage the ear or cause cancer due to over exposure to the device.
Michael urged the government to initiate measures that could help to curtail the abuse of cell phones in the country.
In Enugu State, Dr Ethel Chime, an Otolaryngologist with the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, urged phone users to always spend lesser time in making use of their phone.
Chime told NAN that spending less time making calls or browsing with phone would go a long way to prevent some of the health hazards associated with the use of cell phones.
The doctor listed some common health hazards of phone addiction to include headaches, ear aches, vision problems, neck pains, inactivity, intellectual laziness and acoustic neuroma, which is a tumour that grows on the balance and hearing nerve in the head that might cause hearing loss.
Chime said aside the fact that putting the cell phone close to the ear for a long time during calls, some hands free devices such as earpiece and headphones were even more dangerous.
She noted that some of these hands free were inserted into the ear canal while some have high decibels that were not standard for the ear, thereby causing acoustic neuroma which later results into deafness and various ear infections.
She added that electromagnetic waves released by cell phones were other reasons why one should not stay long pressing the phone, warning that most phone radiations during calls or Internet usage were usually high and were harmful to human health.
Chime advised that time spent on phones should be limited and if one should use hands-free, it should be one that covers just the outer ears and one which the maximum loudness was within normal standard.
A Senior Support Staff of a telecommunications, Mr Mark Obi, also said phone addiction was more common among females compared to males.
He said females walk in and buy more data than males because they want to get the latest gist and fashion trends as it was breaking.
Obi added that as far as social media was concerned they would always want to chat because they were easily bored.
According to him, phone addiction is more among youths and very minimal among adults as far as Nigeria is concerned.
Mr Victor Unegbu, a phone user, said he only sticks to his phone whenever he was done with the day’s work by chatting on WhatsApp and Telegraph as well reading newspapers. (NAN)
Reporters/OFN/MST
Edited by Felix Nwadioha/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Flood
By Yakubu Uba
Yola, Sept. 11, 2018 (NAN) The Adamawa Government has assured people of adequate preparation and prompt response by all stakeholders in disaster management to flood incidents.

The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Malam Ahmad Sajoh, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Yola.

Sajoh said that the state government had observed the rising tide of River Benue across the state and its effects on some communities along the river bank.

“Government wishes to assure all citizens that a response programme involving all stakeholders in disaster management, including health workers and security agencies, has been put in place to ensure prompt response should the need arise.

“Government is mindful of our responsibility to protect lives and property under all circumstances, and we shall continue to do so at all times,’’ Sajoh said.

He noted that the Deputy Governor, Mr Martins Babale, who is the Head of the state’s Emergency Committee had called on the communities living around the River Niger to relocate.

Sajoh said the committee chairman also urged the media to help mobilise the public on the precautionary measures.

He said that the state government had received an official communication from the presidency on the opening of the spillways of Lagdo Dam in the neigbouring Cameroon Republic.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Hydrological Services Agencies (NHISA) had last week warned of imminent flood in 12 states across the country, including Adamawa. (NAN)
YMU/JTJ/GOK
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Edited by Julius Toba Jegede/Olagoke Olatoye