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Federal  government of Nigeria has been asked to establish special courts for quicker dispensation of justice for survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence, SGBV.

The National President of the Nigeria Union of journalists,  NUJ,  Chief Chris Isiguzo,  made the call at a one day training for gender reporters and activists on how to report SGBV tagged RUSH organised by the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists,  NAWOJ, in association with Report Women 2021 fellows in Abuja.

Chief Isiguzo while cautioning participants to imbibe journalism ethics in their reportage, said there is a dire need for journalists to learn how to report SGBV as no gender is immune to the problem.

According to the National President of NUJ, it is a good thing that many people are now coming up to speak out unlike in the past when they were hindered by the fear of stigmatization. 

For the National President of the International Federation of Women Layers, FIDA, Nigeria Chapter, Barrister Rhoda Tyoden, cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence are over ten hundred times under reported and rate of prosecution is low.

She said for there to be a semblance of window of justice for survivors,  state governments must be proactive and not wait for when there is a catastrophe before adopting measures that will ensure their safety.

Earlier in a welcome speech, the National President of NAWOJ,  Mrs. Ladi Bala, had asked participants to continue reporting the menace until the right steps are taken by the authorities, the survivors voices are heard among others.

She said essence of the training was to build the capacity of women journalists to specialise in SGBV reporting so as to achieve positive results. 

In their separate speeches, Bassey Ita Ikpeng, Dr. Ene Ede, Anna Daniel, Dr. Ejike Orji among others urged participants to empathise, build confidentiality, and pay attention to emotional and physical trauma of survivors as they report until something happens.

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, has made a case for the education sector to be retooled for greater efficiency.

 

Governor Obiano, while speaking at ‘A Day With Education Builders’, an event held in Awka, the State capital, as part of the thirtieth anniversary of the creation of Anambra state, re-echoed the sterling performances and milestones recorded in the sector under his administration.

 

Government House Correspondent, Ejike Abana reports that the event was organised to recognise and celebrate major contributors to the success stories the State has recorded in the education sector over the years.

 

Governor Obiano stated that his administration’s vision and mission statements have education as one of the enablers, and noted that his administration has vigorously pursued infrastructure, teachers’ welfare, in terms of prompt payment of salaries, promotions, among others.

Governor Obiano, who emphasized that the mission statements have helped education and APGA Government, starting from former Governor Peter Obi, pointed out that in addition to the schools handed back to the missions by the former administration, he returned one hundred and thirty eight schools, and have paid over three billion naira for periodic facelifts.

 

Earlier in a speech titled, ‘What is leadership if you cannot influence,’ the State Commissioner for Basic Education, Professor Kate Omenugha, recalled that such an event had never been organized in the history of education in the State, maintaining that the present administration sees education as ideology, pursuant to the strategic mandate given by the Governor at inception, which she said is a clear cut consolidation on the gains of previous administrations.

While revealing advancements in the sector, including interventions in teachers’ and students’ welfare, Professor Omenugha pointed out that the Education Ministry has succeeded in handing out credible and quality education to all, stressing that presently, the number of students who can gain entrance into Universities has moved from sixty percent to seventy three percent in Anambra State.

 

In a presentation, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Paul B Construction Company, Engineer Paul Enidom, canvassed a collaboration between the private sector and Government, which he said has potential to produce critical thinkers, if total mobilization of Ndi-Anambra is done.

 

While pointing out that Governor Obiano has kept fate with Ndi-Anambra, Engineer Enidom noted that such an event is oxygen to the souls of the builders of education in the State, and made a case for the establishment of an agency that will reach out to active players in the private sector, to establish Education Trust Fund, adopt schools, among others, backed by law, all geared towards sustainable growth in quality education.

Speaking to ABS, some of the awardees including the member representing Anaocha Constituency Two at the State House of Assembly, Chief Ejike Okechukwu, his Orumba South counterpart, Chief Emma Nwafor and the State Secretary of APGA, Barrister Tony Ifeanya, appreciated the State Education Ministry for the recognition, just as the National President of Anambra State Association of Town Unions, Barrister Titus Akpudo, called on more Ndi-Anambra to borrow a leaf from what the contributors did.

 

The event attracted various dignitaries including, members of the State Executive Council, Senator Victor Umeh, APGA standard bearer in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, and his Deputy designate, Dr. Onyeka Ibezim, among others.

Presentations by Students Parliament, award presentations to many education  contributors, including Professor Soludo, featured at the event.

By Ahmed Al Mahri

RAS AL KHAIMAH, 2nd September, 2021 – Khadija Mohammad Alaajil, Manager of the Aman Shelter for Women and Children in Ras Al Khaimah, said the UAE has accomplished key
achievements in combatting discrimination and violence against women and children.
In an exclusive interview with the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Alaajil stressed the country has prioritised addressing violence and discrimination against women and children by drafting
a comprehensive national strategy aimed at adopting preventive measures, as well as implementing necessary laws, protecting victims of violence and providing them with the necessary
care and support through specialist centres.
The shelter dealt with 33 cases in the first and second quarters of 2021 while there were 52 children adoption requests, she added, noting adoption procedures include the requirement for
the adopting family to be Emirati, to ensure the adopted child will be raised in a safe and healthy environment.
On the shelter’s role in supporting human trafficking victims, Alaajil stressed it was established upon the directives of H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and
Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, to invest in productive ideas that will make the emirate free from all forms of violence.
The shelter has organised 89 local and international initiatives aimed at raising the awareness of the Emirati community about violence against women and children, she further added,
explaining it has received 620 inquiries on its hotline, which was launched in October 2019 during the “2nd Regional Conference Against Violence against Women and Children- the Reality
and Strategies.”
The shelter, which has a capacity of 25 cases, aims to create a safe environment for victims, she further said, noting a new comprehensive shelter with a larger capacity and more facilities,
including arts and training facilities, a theatre, a workshop hall, sports facilities and a park for children, will be established.
On the procedures adopted by the shelter to address the COVID-19 pandemic, Alaajil affirmed it has implemented the precautionary protocols prescribed by relevant national authorities and
has allocated special quarantine rooms, to create a safe environment and support the national efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic.

DUBAI, 3rd September, 2021 – UAE daily newspaper commented on Friday that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE
and Ruler of Dubai’s announcement of ‘Projects of the 50’ marks a new chapter in UAE’s growth story and carves a new future for the country.
”The UAE has always believed in shaping its own path to success. The country will mark its milestone 50th year with 50 grand projects aimed at diversification and strengthening of its economy. Thursday’s announcement by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, spotlighted ‘Projects of the 50’, an initiative that aims to launch “bold new series of
national strategic projects,” wrote Khaleej Times in its editorial for today.
The Dubai-based English daily said: ”The announcement comes soon after the VP said the worst of the pandemic is now behind and is a bold move at a time when countries across the world
are finding themselves coping with the pandemic-induced economic strain. It is certainly evidence of their broad vision to create opportunities for the country’s economic and social growth with advancements in foreign direct investments, boosting the UAE’s status as an incubator for talents and investors from across the world and further improving the quality of life for its citizens.
”The project has its gaze on various sectors, which points to a determination to diversify the national economy and make the country a global hub for important businesses,” it remarked.
”The visionary leaders’ commitment is evident when they say that the UAE does not have the luxury of time and will not wait for global conditions to create its own future. This is the spirit that
has taken the UAE far in its various endeavours. ‘Projects of the 50’ marks a new chapter in that growth story,” Khaleej Times concluded.

MOSCOW, 2nd September, 2021 – The Eastern Economic Forum opened in Russia’s far eastern city of Vladivostok on Thursday as the government continues to focus on the development of the region.
The event, aimed at developing businesses ties and attracting national and international investors to Russia’s Far East, is being held in a hybrid form from Sept 2-4 at the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok.
According to TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched four new investment projects in the country’s Far East on Thursday, which are in the field of agriculture and the automotive industry. “The head of state familiarised himself with them via an interactive presentation on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum.”
Held annually since 2015, the forum was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year the forum is taking place amid strict anti-COVID-19 measures, according to the governor of Russia’s Primorsky Krai, Oleg Kozhemyako. The governor described the forum venue as an “island of safety” and promised that all necessary precautions will be observed.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis joined monoclonal antibody treatment recipients in Palm Beach County to discuss the therapy. Today, the state of Florida will exceed more than 45,000 monoclonal antibody treatments administered to patients statewide at the 21 state treatment sites.

Hear directly from monoclonal antibody recipients about their experience with the therapy…

Pauline Becker, a 90-year-old resident of Palm City, said, “I recommend everyone take advantage of it. I was diagnosed with COVID in December, and after a couple days went to the hospital. I had a very, very good doctor who immediately gave me the treatment. I was to receive the treatment for five days, and after the second day, I felt remarkably better. I’m here at 90, a borderline diabetic and I have asthma. The monoclonal antibody treatment definitely saved my life.”

Laura Warren, who was diagnosed with COVID this summer, said, “When I was diagnosed with COVID I was shocked, because I am a careful person and have been fully vaccinated since February. I have allergy induced asthma, so my breathing was greatly affected and weak when I got sick. My husband and I didn’t realize that Regeneron was available at the Cleveland Clinic in Stuart. I got set up with my IV infusion there and I am very thankful to have received the treatment. I can’t thank Governor DeSantis enough for getting the word out because this treatment is going to save lives.”

Brit Noel, a Wellington resident who contracted COVID within his household, said, “I came in contact with a COVID positive patient and started to experience symptoms. A doctor recommended I receive the treatment. I decided to take the Regeneron to lessen the severity of effects, and to reduce the length due to my past medical history. My symptoms, including body aches and headaches, were completely gone come 36 to 48 hours after the treatment. I’d definitely recommend the treatment to anybody. I’m very happy that it is available throughout Palm Beach County and the state.”

State of Florida monoclonal antibody sites are located at:

Alachua County
Fellowship Church
16916 Northwest U.S. Highway 441
High Springs, Florida 32643
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Bay County
Bay County Fairgrounds
2230 East 15th Street
Panama City, Florida 32405
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Brevard County
Kiwanis Island Park
951 Kiwanis Island Park Road
Merritt Island, Florida 32952
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Broward County
C.B. Smith Park
900 North Flamingo Road
Pembroke Pines, Florida 33028
Hours: 7 days a week; 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Charlotte County
Tringali Community Center
3460 North Access Road
Englewood, Florida 34224
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Collier County
Old Dollar General
1500 Lake Trafford Road
Immokalee, Florida 34142
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Duval County
Jacksonville Public Library
304 North Main Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32202
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Hillsborough County
Kings Forest Park
8008 East Chelsea Street
Tampa, Florida 33610
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Lee County
Old Bonita Springs Library
26876 Pine Avenue
Bonita Springs, Florida 34135
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Leon County
Vacant Sears
1500 Apalachee Parkway
Tallahassee, Florida 32301
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Manatee County
Manatee Memorial Hospital Complex
206 2nd Street East
Bradenton, Florida 34208
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Miami-Dade County
Tropical Park
7900 Southwest 40 Street
Miami, Florida 33155
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Okaloosa County
Northwest Florida Fairgrounds
1958 Lewis Turner Boulevard
Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32547
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Orange County
Camping World Stadium
1 Citrus Bowl Place
Orlando, Florida 32805
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Palm Beach County
West Gate Park
3691 Oswego Avenue
West Palm Beach, Florida 33409
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Pasco County
Fasano Center
11611 Denton Avenue
Hudson, Florida 34667
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.

Pinellas County
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church
409 South Old Coachman Road
Clearwater, Florida 33765
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Polk County
Church at the Mall
1010 East Memorial Boulevard
Lakeland, Florida 33801
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

St. Lucie County
Havert L. Fenn Center
2000 Virginia Avenue
Fort Pierce, Florida 34982
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sumter County
Barnstorm Theater
2720 Brownwood Boulevard
The Villages, Florida 32163
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Volusia County
Ormond Beach Senior Center
351 Andrews Street
Ormond Beach, Florida 32174
Hours: 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

To find locations to receive monoclonal antibody treatments around the entire state, please visit floridahealthcovid19.gov.

 

DUBAI, 2nd September, 2021 – Lebanon held the United Arab Emirates to a 0-0 draw in their opening AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar Group A tie at the Zabeel Stadium on Thursday.
The draw came despite the Whites dominating possession and chances throughout the entire 90 minutes.
The UAE will travel to Jordan to face Syria in five days’ time, while Lebanon will make a long trip to Korea Republic to face them on the same day.
Group A includes UAE, South Korea, Iraq, Iran along with Syria and Lebanon . The top two teams in each of the Groups A & B book a place at Qatar 2022, while the third-placed teams must go through another play-off.