EVENTS

Anglican leader calls for part-time legislature, restructuring of Nigeria

Published

12 months ago

July 7, 2024

Prof Nneoyi Egbe

The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Calabar, Prof Nneoyi Egbe, has called on Nigeria to adopt a part-time legislature to save the country from excessive financial wastage and corruption.

He has also stressed that the country should adopt true federalism, especially as the nation considers political restructuring.

He spoke in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST on Saturday.

“I advocate for part-time legislators. I believe that it will add credibility to what they are doing.

“Part-time legislators will still afford them the opportunity to do their private work. And when it is time for sitting, they go for sitting and be paid for such sittings.

“I believe that will help us better than this current system because we have packed all the money to the politicians and left the populace empty.

“For me, a part-time legislative system will do us good; it will reduce and conserve the nation’s funds. This will reduce unnecessary flamboyance.”

Egbe, a lecturer at the University of Calabar for 31 years, said a part-time legislature would enable lawmakers to understand that they are purely into politics for service and to add value to the nation, not frolicking without vision.

He expressed pain that many lawmakers do not sponsor any bills yet draw significant financial rewards.

The clergyman called for a reduction in their payments if they cannot adopt a part-time legislature in Nigeria. “Better still,” he said, “they should all be on the minimum wage and then earn sitting allowances. We would have freed up so much money.”

He reasoned that the hefty sum saved could go into taking care of other areas of the economy, including paying other workers.

“I feel we all should look at the issues of the quality of the legislature objectively. We need to understand that it is not about me or those who are there but about the nation called Nigeria and the future of our children.

“Sometimes, these laws are made without considering the fact that these laws will catch up with us somewhere. We should make laws for the general good of the people, not with particular people or groups in mind.

“They should stop thinking of themselves. Let us divest ourselves of this self-centeredness and be objective about what we want Nigeria to be. That’s my take on it.”

He wondered why the Nigerian government should borrow money to put into people’s pockets.

On restructuring the country, Egbe advocated that states should be allowed to control the resources they produce, so that development in those areas will align with what they are producing.

“The centre can take care of foreign affairs, defense, and other such areas, rather than harassing us about who should take care of primary education, which should be the focus of the states and local governments.

“It is unfair for someone to produce something from one area and for the person who is sharing it to be from another area and then distribute it as they see fit.

“Let a percentage of the resources go to the federal government. The center will not be too attractive. People are killing themselves over too much money at the center.

“I think restructuring will do us good. If we restructure at all levels, it will work for us.”

EVENTS

Experts call for collective action against GBV in Ogun

Published

6 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Experts in Ogun State have called for urgent action to curb the state’s persistent increase in Gender-Based Violence, GBV, and other forms of abuse.

They made the call at a stakeholders’ engagement on GBV, Standard Operating Procedures, Case Management, and Legislative Framework Workshop organized by the Gender Unit of the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project, OGSTEP, and the Ministry of Women Affairs.

The engagement, held on Thursday at the OGSTEP conference room, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, brought together 86 media professionals, online content creators, civil society groups, and government agencies to strengthen ethical reporting on Gender-Based Violence, GBV.

Speaking at the engagement, OGSTEP’s Gender Specialist, Mrs. Ewajesu Fasina, lamented that the state had the highest number of GBV cases and insisted that everyone involved, particularly the media, must raise the alarm on the danger posed by the menace.

Fasina stated that according to a report from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development, 28% of Nigerian women aged 25–29 have experienced some form of physical violence at the age of 15, while 1 in 10 boys experiences sexual abuse.

She stressed the importance of the media in influencing public opinion on GBV and urged journalists to prioritize the dignity and safety of survivors in their reporting, warning against narratives that could cause further harm.

Fasina said, “Journalists have the power to overturn court cases with the power of the pen or the power of the keyboard.

“Journalists have the opportunity to cover all angles, the health, the security, the legal aspects of every story and that’s why we’ve taken out our time to say, in this war against gender-based violence, without media, without journalists, we cannot win it. Only this group of people have the better and eagle’s eye view.”

Also, a legal expert and State Coordinator of the Child Protection Network (CPN), Barrister Adedamola Lapite, maintained that asking for consent and maintaining confidentiality would help to prevent trauma for the survivors.

He guided participants through the legal framework for gender-based violence response and reporting, urging media practitioners to report responsibly and increase public awareness about the harmful impact of such issues on society.

“What we have done here today is basically talk to us on the things required in reporting gender-based violence cases. We must talk about the need for confidentiality, for consent, so as to avoid traumatizing survivors when we’re reporting them,” Lapite said.

The OGSTEP Project Coordinator, Mosunmola Owo-Odusi, stated that as part of their program intervention, they have renovated four Sexual Assault Referral Centres throughout the state and outfitted two of them with empowerment centres to ensure that survivors have a safe place to go.

EVENTS

Retired police officers demand exit from pension scheme, plan nationwide protest

Published

6 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The Kaduna State Chapter of the Retired Police Officers’ Union under the Contributory Pension Scheme has planned to embark on a peaceful protest nationwide by next month.

In a statement by the Chairman of the Kaduna State Chapter, Retired CSP Mannir M. Lawal Zaria, and his Vice Chairman, Retired ASP Danlami Maigamo, it was said that the protest is a continuation of their demand for the Nigeria Police Force to be exited from the scheme.

He said the only option left for them was to embark on another peaceful protest tagged ‘Mother of All Peaceful Protests’ on July 21, 2025, adding that the upcoming protest will be nationwide and strictly peaceful.

“As law-abiding citizens, we shall continue to pursue our demand for the Nigeria Police to be exited from the CPS through peaceful means until our voices are heard,” the statement stated.

The decision to embark on the peaceful protest, which was taken after their crucial meeting in Kaduna, further stated that the meeting had its central agenda on unresolved issues surrounding the police’s participation in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

According to the union, a peaceful protest was previously held between February 24 and March 3 this year at the National Assembly by the Kaduna and Bauchi State Chapters, adding that the protesters submitted written complaints to five key offices, including the chairmen of relevant Senate and House Committees and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

It said despite these efforts, the group expressed disappointment over the lack of feedback from the National Assembly, particularly regarding the report of a public hearing on the establishment of a Police Pension Board, which was conducted on November 19, 2024.

EVENTS

67-Year-Old Woman from Ututu, Arochukwu, Welcomes Baby Girl After 11-Year Pregnancy (Photos)

Published

1 day ago

June 26, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

In an extraordinary medical and spiritual event, 67-year-old Mrs. Martina Okoro, a native of Ututu in Arochukwu Local Government Area, gave birth to a healthy baby girl on Sunday, June 22, 2025. The delivery comes after an astonishing 11-year pregnancy, a journey Mrs. Okoro attributes to divine intervention, Ekwutosblog has learned.

Mrs. Okoro revealed that she had been carrying the pregnancy since 2014 and claimed that God revealed to her that she would deliver a baby girl. Against all odds, her faith remained unshaken throughout the prolonged gestation period.

Medical experts are yet to provide an explanation for this rare occurrence, as pregnancies typically last only nine months. However, the mother and newborn are reported to be in good health.