Connect with us

General News

NEC backs move to check sexual assault

Published

on

Nasarawa State Governor Sule Abdullahi

The National Economic Council (NEC) has endorsed the establishment of Sexual Assault Referral Centres in the country.

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa briefed State House correspondents on Thursday after a virtual NEC meeting in Abuja.

The virtual NEC meeting was presided over by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Sule said Hajia Sadiya Farouk, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, made a presentation to the council on establishment and management of Sexual Assault Referral Centres.

“This has to do clearly with some of the challenges we are having in the country today, when it comes to rape and the effect of rape on our own children.

“The presentation was actually to inform NEC on how sexual assault can have a devastating impact on every aspect of the survivors.

“There can also be long-term psychological and physical impact as was presented by the minister.

“They include depression, anxiety, inability of these kinds of people to sleep. So, the council has taken the matter very seriously and it is addressing and is looking at the establishment of these centres.

“And there have been a lot of encouragement on the part of various governors to ensure they also assist the minister in setting up this.’’

The governor said the issues women, girls and boys that had also suffered injustice and sexual violence were discussed.

He said the recent report had shown that the rate of sexual violence in some parts of Nigeria was on the increase.

“ According the poll conducted in July 2019, one of every three girls would have experienced at least one form of sexual assault/abuse or the other in the last 25 years.

“The government, therefore, has acknowledged the importance of multi-partnership and collaborative efforts regarding improving criminal justice as far as the area of sexual assault is fair in Nigeria.

“The goals of the centres that we have mentioned actually will limit this kind of physical and mental health consequences of rape.

Sule said the centres would also look at immediate and continuous counseling support including the risk of harm and vulnerability assessment from the people experienced in the specialty areas.

According to him, the centres will support in contacting the police, the social welfare department and civil society organisations where appropriate.

He said they would render follow up services and there would also be 24 hours accessibility and referrals.

`The centres, also, will serve the victims of recent rape, serious assault, regardless of the gender because these kinds of assault are not only for girls. Sometimes, boys are also involved.

“The centres are going to be limited to victims over the age of 14 or 16, while others will see pediatric cases and younger teenagers depending on availability of resources and local arraignment in place for children services.

“The start off cost of the centres is N2.5 monthly which covered the cost of an average of 50 clients including administration cost.

“The centre has also received support of over 6,050 survivors of sexual abuse as well as children,’’ Sule said. (NAN)

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

General News

Clergy Urged To Put Members’ Welfare Above All Else

Published

on

Anglican Church logo

At a solemn ordination service in Abuja, senior church leaders have called on pastors to make the well-being of their congregations a top priority, following the example of Jesus Christ.

Speaking during the priesthood ordination and installation of a Sub Dean at the Cathedral Church of Advent, Life Camp, Abuja, the retired Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Okene, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ajulo, described pastors as shepherds charged with the care of their flock. He urged them to shun worldly distractions and focus on meeting the spiritual and material needs of their members.

Bishop Ajulo also encouraged the newly ordained priests to remain faithful to their calling by teaching God’s word without compromise.

In his charge, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, urged the new clergy to preach the undiluted gospel and foster religious harmony wherever they serve. He expressed confidence that their new roles would help promote peace and unity in society.

The service also featured prayers for national leaders and divine intervention in addressing the current global economic challenges.

Continue Reading

General News

1,000 Prayer Warriors Storm Ilorin for Tinubu, Nation’s Deliverance

Published

on

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

In a dramatic show of faith and patriotism, over 1,000 fiery prayer warriors from across Nigeria will descend on Ilorin, Kwara State, this Saturday, lifting their voices in intense intercession for President Bola Tinubu’s success and Nigeria’s survival in the face of biting economic woes and mounting insecurity.

The spiritual siege, themed “Walking in Domini”, is the maiden convention of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), with its Kwara State Chairman, Evangelist Thomas Adeboye, vowing that “heaven will hear and respond to Nigeria’s cry.”

Aside from marathon prayers, the gathering will roll out free medical outreach to locals across Kwara’s LGAs, a gesture aimed at touching both body and soul.

Adeboye, lamenting Nigeria’s “troubling economic and security realities”, called for a nationwide prayer uprising, insisting that Tinubu has shown the will to revive the nation but needs massive divine backing to succeed.

“Banditry, a collapsing economy, and political tension demand we seek God’s face like never before,” he declared. “We will storm heaven for wisdom for the President and governors to steer Nigeria to safety.”

The convention will also feature awards to distinguished personalities, soul-lifting worship, fiery sermons, and unity-driven lectures—all capped with thunderous prayers for Nigeria’s redemption.

Adeboye urged the President to ensure every policy has “a human face,” stressing that Nigerians must not only endure but also enjoy the fruits of governance.

With the OAIC promising to reaffirm believers’ authority in Christ and rally spiritual boldness in the face of national challenges, Ilorin is set to become the epicentre of a powerful spiritual warfare for Nigeria’s destiny.

 

 

Continue Reading

General News

Nigerian Anglicans Condemn Lesbian Archbishop of Wales, Deepening Global Anglican Rift

Published

on

Anglican Church logo

…Church leaders accuse Welsh counterparts of “spiritual decadence” and “abandonment of faith”

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has issued a forceful condemnation of the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the Archbishop of Wales. The move is the latest in a series of developments that have deepened divisions within the global Anglican Communion over sexuality and doctrine.

In a statement from Primate The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, the church denounced the election as a “serious departure from biblical teaching” and a sign of “spiritual decadence” and “an outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints.”

Archbishop Ndukuba warned that Bishop Vann’s elevation compromises the Anglican Church’s global mission and could obstruct evangelism. He compared the situation to the controversial tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, former Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, who also faced intense criticism from conservative Anglicans for her progressive views.

The Primate accused Bishop Vann of being complicit in the “ongoing crisis” around same-sex issues, stating that the election is a “clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).

The Church of Nigeria called on Anglicans worldwide to reject “rebels” and “apostates” and to instead support conservative bodies like the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).

“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects, and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales,” Ndukuba declared. He concluded with a solemn warning that without repentance, the Church in Wales risks losing “complete relevance” and its leaders will face judgment.

 

Continue Reading