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ILO calls for increased efforts to end child labour in cocoa farms, mining

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The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called for increased efforts to end child labour, especially in sectors such as cocoa farming and artisanal mining in the country.

Dr Vanessa Phala-Moyo, Country Director of the ILO Office for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone made the call during the commemoration of the 2025 World Day Against Child Labour in Minna, Niger State.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Progress is Clear, But there’s More to Do: Let’s Speed Up Efforts!, End Child Labour’, she noted the need for collective action to protect children’s rights and prevent exploitation.

“There is need for strict measures against child labour and priorities high-risk sectors like cocoa farms and artisanal mining that requires stakeholders collaboration to combat it in the country,” the country director stated.

Phala-Moy, who spoke through Mrs Celine Oni, National Coordinator of Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in Supply Chains in Africa (ACCEL Africa) Project, stressed that child labour is a breach of the fundamental human rights of children, boys, girls, adolescents and youths.

“We must work to accelerate efforts to institute zero tolerance for child labour in our cocoa farms, in artisanal mining and in our society,” she said.

According to her, a new research by ILO and UNICEF revealed that child labour had decreased from 160 million to 138 million in four years.

“Child labour prevalence has dropped from 9.6 per cent to 7.8 per cent. In Latin America, we saw a drop by 11 per cent while Sub-Saharan Africa saw a 10 per cent drop,” she maintained.

Hajiya Hauwa Zakariya, Niger State Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, as well as Hajiya Hadiza Sheru, Permanent Secretary, Niger Ministry for Women Affairs and Social Development, commended partner’s efforts in the fight against child labour while calling for more from stakeholders in Niger State and the country at large in tackling the menace.

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HOW BEAUTY QUEEN, BIANCA ODINAKA OLIVIA, GOT MARRIED TO WAR LORD, CHKWUEMEKA ODUMEGWU OJUKWU

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In 1988, Bianca Ojukwu, know as Bianca Ono, emerged as the most beautiful girl in Nigeria beauty pageant.

She also won Intercontinental pageants title in 1989

She became internationally recognized after these series of notable achievements.

However, in 1989, she decided to resign as the Most Beauty girl in Nigeria, to focus on her education after rumors made round that she was involved in a romantic relationship with Biafran warlord, Odumegwu Ojukwu.

This controversial romance became a serious point of reference in the early 1900s, especially as it was rumored that She was pregnant for the warlord.

Neither Warlord Ojukwu, nor Beauty Queen Bianca debunked the news.

The beauty Pageant organizers, Silverbird, became very angry because, according to their policy, Title holders of the most Beauty Girl in Nigeria, were not allowed to engage in public love affairs during their tenure.

Beauty Queen forfeited her crown, despite not acknowledging or debunking her affairs with Ojukwu at the time.

The romantic relationship between the Warlord and Beauty Queen, was however set for failure as Bianca’s Father Christian Chukwuma Ono AKA Sisi Ono was a political Ally of Warlord Ojukwu.

Sisi Ono, A former governor of Anambra State, greatly opposed his daughter’s affair with Warlord Ojukwu.

Beauty Pageant Queen Bianca, got married to Her Warlord heartthrob, after graduating from law school, at University of Nigeria Nsukka, in an exotic wedding ceremony held in Abuja on 12th November 1994, against all odds. At the time, she was 27 years old, while Warlord Ojukwu was in his 50s.

Since her parents did not approve the wedding, they bypassed the traditional rites of marriage and procedded to celebrating just Church wedding in a Roman Catholic church.

Beauty Queen, Bianca’s parents, boy gave their blessings years later, after they came to terms with the couple’s love for each other.

Sisi Ono, Beauty Queen Bianca’s father, later requested an almost impossible bride price of 100 per independence copper coin.

In 2001, the traditional marriage finally took place. By the time, the couple already had three children together.

The couple were married for 17 years, before Warlord Chukwuemema Odumegwu Ojukwu passed away after a brief illness on 26th November 2011, in the United kingdom, at 78 years old.

 

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I will not abandon projects – Uba Sani

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Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has promised to complete all projects within the tenure of his administration, pledging that no project will be abandoned by his government.

The Governor made this known during groundbreaking of township roads at Rigasa ward in Igabi local government of Kaduna State on Friday.

Speaking extempore in Hausa, the Governor said that the road project will be executed without collecting any debt, adding that his administration will not be indebted to any contractor who completes his project.

Sani further said that the four road projects in Rigasa has been awarded to China Civil Engineering Corporation(CCEC), a company he described as versatile and credible.

According to him, the project will be completed within one year as he has already given 50% mobilization fees to CCEC.

The Governor pledged to transform Rigasa into a modern township with quality infrastructure and social amenities.

He described the ceremony as “not just about breaking ground; it is about rewarding hard work. It is about opening up opportunities for the hardworking people of Igabi Local Government.

“Rigasa is one of the largest and most populous wards in Nigeria. It is populated by the urban poor. It has suffered neglect for so long. Its infrastructure deficit is worrisome.”

Governor Sani noted that despite its proximity to the city center and being home to hardworking and resourceful citizens, Rigasa had been overlooked for too long.

He recalled the significant support he received from Rigasa during the 2023 governorship election, noting that 32.06% of the total votes from Igabi LGA came from the ward, adding that “for this, I remain eternally grateful to you.”

Governor Sani emphasized that the project would directly benefit thousands of households in the area.

“In Igabi Local Government lies a large chunk of people who support us through their daily sacrifices as farmers, civil servants, businessmen and women.

“Through their sacrifices, they contribute significantly to our economy as well as our GDP. Investing, therefore, in roads like these will directly improve the livelihoods of thousands of households,” he said.

Similarly, the Governor performed another groundbreaking of the road reconstruction of Zango at Tudun Wada ward in Kaduna South LGA.

According to him, “I have an emotional attachment to this area because I am a product of Kaduna Polytechnic.

“I understand and share in the pains of the inhabitants of this area who have suffered neglect for decades. There is very little road infrastructure in this area.

“The few existing ones are dilapidated. This area is populated by the urban poor who are making huge contributions to the development of our dear State.”

Governor Sani vowed to turn the pains of the residents of Tudun Wada to joy, adding that “today is the beginning of good things for Zango and other parts of Tudun Wada.”

“This road is hugely significant because it passes through several key establishments like Zango Cattle Market, Animal Feed Stores, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi College, Islamic Medical Foundation, and School of Health Technology, as well as its proximity to the Kaduna City Centre and link to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Western By-Pass,“ he added.

The Governor pointed out that his government has made significant progress in road construction and rehabilitation since he assumed office.

“Under our Rural Revitalization Agenda, we flagged off the construction of 85 roads covering 785km in the first phase, with 44 already completed and the rest nearing completion.

“Under the second phase, we are delivering over 50 more roads and bridges totalling 550km,” he added.

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Terrorism: DSS resumes prosecution of Ansaru commander Al-Barnawi, four others

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The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted an application filed by the Department of State Services, DSS, to expedite proceedings in the trial of the suspected mastermind of the August 26, 2011 bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja, Khalid Al-Barnawi and four others.

The DSS, through its counsel, Alex Iziyon, SAN, had moved the application for accelerated hearing on the ground that the service is prepared to ensure that the case is determined in a timely manner.

In the application, which was not opposed by counsels to the defendants, parties will be allowed to watch video recordings presented by the DSS to prove that the extrajudicial statements made by the defendants was done voluntarily as against the claim of some of the defendants.

Justice Nwite then adjourned the matter until October 23 and October 24 for continuation of the trial-within-trial.

Ekwutosblog reports that Al-Barnawi is being prosecuted on terrorism related charges along with other suspected members of his group.

Other co-defendants include Mohammed Bashir Saleh; Umar Mohammed Bello, a.k.a Datti; Mohammed Salisu and Yakubu Nuhu, a.k.a Bello Maishayi.

 

They are, among others, accused of being members of the Ansaru terrorist group, also known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan.

The defendants are also alleged to have conspired among themselves to carry out acts of terrorism between 2011 and 2013 in Sokoto, Kebbi, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, and other states in the northern part of the country.

He was reported to have claimed that it carried out an attack on a maximum security prison in Abuja in 2012 during which dozens of inmates were freed.

The DSS had, in April 2016, arrested Al-Barnawi in Lokoja in Kogi, five years after the attack on the Abuja UN Building.

Earlier, the United States placed a $5 million (£3.5m) bounty on Al-Barnawi’s head after branding him one of three Nigerian “specially designated global terrorists.”

The attack, the first of such in Nigeria on an international organisation, left over 20 persons dead and over 70 others injured.

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