General News
Women to Watch in GMB’s Govt
The outgoing administration of President Goodluck Jonathan boasts of an array of influential women, who command much respect even among their male counterparts, according to the Punch.
Apart from the President’s wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, who pundit said was always interested in official matters and those who get elective and appointive positions,
it was said that the influence of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, made Jonathan’s administration popular.
The Punch said that that the two ministers currently head sensitive ministries in Jonathan’s government.
Likewise, the inauguration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s new President on May 29 will throw up another set of influential women. Some of the women were believed to have invested their energy in the March 28 pre-election campaigns in which the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate won.
The women, parading what may be described as robust credentials, braved all odds to contest in elections like their male counterparts to represent the people of their various political constituencies or districts.
A few of them, according to observers, will wield a lot of influence in the incoming administration by the virtue of their positions as the wives of the President or vice-president, while others will hold sway because of the offices they occupy in the APC executive committee.
Aisha Buhari
The 44-year-old wife of the President-elect, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, will automatically become the country’s new First Lady on May 29 after her husband’s inauguration.
The Adamawa State born cosmetologist attended the famous Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration.
According to the Punch,Though some people have described the member of the United Kingdom Vocational Training and Charitable Trust and the International Health and Beauty Council as an introvert, she is said to be a consummate politician and strong believer in the project Nigeria.
The alumnus of the famous Carlton Institute of London and the Academy Esthetique Beauty Institute of France did tell everyone during the pre-election campaigns that her husband, if elected, would give women opportunities to contribute to the development of the country.
Hajiya Buhari demonstrated her passion for the development of Nigerian women at a campaign rally recently in Edo State, where she assured women that her husband would initiate policies that would guarantee their improved living standard.
She said, “I am here to let Edo women know that when my husband is elected into office as President, insecurity, the girl-child trafficking, the plight of the widows in the South-East will be looked into.
“There must be a cultural design that can accommodate the widow. A design that would make the girl-child comfortable wherever she is in this country.
“The portion of the girl-child is to have a high standard and moral society for her to live in, get married, have children, train them and also mould them to become future leaders.”
Dolapo Osinbajo
Little was known about Dolapo Osinbajo until her husband emerged as the APC vice-presidential candidate.
The grand-child of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is the leader of the Ladies Fellowship of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Jesus House Paris, Banana Island, Lagos.
Described as humble and submissive wife by those who are close to her family, she supported her husband in 2007 to establish “The Orderly Society Trust,” a non- governmental organisation dedicated to the promotion of Christian ethics and orderliness.
While others sought political offices to touch the people’s lives, Mrs. Osinbajo yearned for a different avenue to reach the larger society, especially the poor. She therefore wrote and launched a book, “They Call Me Mama.”
She said the drive to write the book came from her experiences with some “street boys and men in Lagos State.” According to her, she aims to use the proceeds from the book to sustain her efforts in getting the street urchins off the roads and into homes. Mrs. Osinbajo said, “My weekly visit to the boys in their hideout under the bridge for several years has filled me with unforgettable stories. Reminiscences of these times are the focus of this book. Our original meeting spot which was lovingly referred to as ‘Under’, today; it has been transformed to the Muri Okunola Park.
“To me, they are beloved children and they call me ‘Mama.’ They are lost, but can be found. That was why I was compelled to write the book and I dedicate the book to everyone who is lost.”
Remi Tinubu
The senator representing Lagos Central is an educationist, administrator, philanthropist and Officer of the Order of the Niger. She was described as exemplary First Lady of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007 during which period she founded the New Era Foundation; a non-profit organisation, dedicated to youth development, girl-child education, women empowerment and inspiring youths to excellence.
It was believed that Tinubu’s re-election into the senate in the just concluded general elections would make her become more influential in the next government as she may head one of the sensitive committees in the upper legislative chambers.
As a senator, she hosts a quarterly town hall meeting with her constituents to render accounts of her stewardship and obtain feedbacks on their developmental needs. To date, she has sponsored three bills to provide Social Security for Elderly Citizens; seek the Amendment of the Labour Act to enhance employment opportunities for women and a bill to provide Special Economic Assistance to Lagos State in view of its status as a former capital city and the commercial capital of Nigeria.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, is also considered as a force to reckon with in the forthcoming administration.
The dexterity with which she coordinated the APC presidential campaign alongside a senator-elect, Dino Melaye, had endeared her to the party.
Dabiri-Erewa was first elected into the House of Representatives to represent Ikorodu Constituency of Lagos State in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. She also won re-election in 2011.
The former Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, had sponsored a number of significant bills that were passed by the Parliament, including the Freedom of Information Bill; a bill for an act to ensure full integration of Nigerians with physical disabilities and eliminate all forms of discrimination against them; the Nigerian Infant Health Welfare Bill (ensuring every child under five receives free medical care); Nigerian Diaspora Commission Bill; a bill to repeal Nigerian Press Council Bill and replace it with the Nigerian Press and Journalism Council Bill (strengthening the NPC and promote responsible journalism and protect the welfare of journalists in Nigeria).
Dabiri-Erewa did not contest for any elective office in the just concluded general elections; observers are of the opinion that her performance as Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora as well as her activities during the APC campaign will earn her an enviable position in the incoming cabinet.
Hajiya Ramatu Aliyu
The President-General of the Global Women & Youth Empowerment Strategy will no doubt command much respect in Buhari’s administration by the virtue of her position as the APC Woman Leader.
Like her woman colleagues, Ramatu Aliyu, sunk herself in APC’s activities to ensure that the party wins the last presidential election.
Aliyu demonstrated her commitment to the party by mobilising the electorate, especially women, to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.
“The collection of the PVCs represents a veritable instrument to ensure that the people, to whom power resides, exercise their franchise in the legitimate pursuit of free choice and popular sovereignty,” Aliyu had said in a statement in Abuja.
Having capitalised on the numerical strength of Nigerian women, the APC Woman Leader told the women before the election that without the sacred power to vote in a democracy, they could hardly effect the change which they desire for the sake of their collective happiness and fulfilment.
He said, “Nigerian women constitute over 50 per cent of active voters during elections in the country. It is therefore, important that they avail themselves of the historic opportunity offered by the exercise to strengthen their electoral value and consolidate their demographic advantage, especially as we approach the 2015 general elections.
“Accordingly, I call on Nigerian women to rise in unison and ensure their active participation in the exercise. They should troop out en-mass and ensure that they collect their PVCs so that their votes will not only count but make the difference during elections.
“I urge that in the prevailing circumstance, our women should reaffirm their faith in democratic change and strengthen their resolve to enthrone good governance rooted in popular franchise, free and fair elections and robust democratic engagement.”
Aisha Jummai Al-Hassan
Though the Independent National Electoral Commission declared that the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mr. Darius Ishaku, won the Taraba State governorship election, the APC candidate in the poll, Senator Aisha Alhassan, has demonstrated that she is a force to reckon with.
Alhassan’s popularity grew after she defeated three male aspirants to clinch the APC governorship ticket at the party’s primary held at Jolly Nyame Stadium, Jalingo, amid heavy security.
If Al-Hassan had won the Taraba State governorship election, she would have become the first woman to be elected governor in the political history of the country.
Al-Hassan, a lawyer by training, rose to become Taraba State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice. She was appointed the Chief Registrar of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on December 17, 2003.
After she retired from service, she won election on the PDP platform to represent Taraba North Senatorial District in 2011, but defected to APC to seek the latter’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2015 general elections.
A recent survey by Kaspersky has showed that 43.5% of employees and business owners using computers in the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region faced a situation when colleagues (24%), friends or relatives (19%) made jokes with their unlocked computer.
These jokes included sending funny messages or emails on behalf of the accounts’ owner, placing a screenshot of the desktop as a desktop background, and leaving unexpected pictures, notes, or photos in the files. At the same time just less than 3% of the survey respondents admitted to making such jokes themselves.
Similar tricks are also used by cyber attackers. For example, a phishing website may open in a new window in full-screen mode, so that the original browser bar with the phishing URL becomes invisible.
Instead, the attackers replace it with an image of the browser bar with the official link of some well-known organisation. This image may display various messages (both visual and audio), such as warnings that the computer has been blocked and a fine must be paid.
If the user does not know how to exit full-screen mode in the browser, they may think their computer is really locked. To escape such a trap, users can press F11 or Alt+F4 on Windows, or Cmd+Ctrl+F on a Mac, to exit full-screen mode and regain control.
Short links and QR codes should always be treated with vigilance as they may lead to unpredicted downloads or websites, not only claiming to be an “April Fools” joke. QR code phishing, known as Quishing, has been a growing concern in recent years.
Since there are threat actors looking to benefit from people’s trust in a service, it’s worth checking such links by copying and pasting them into a tool like GetLinkInfo or UnshortenIt. Cybersecurity solutions help with a built-in QR scanner that lets users check the link and warns users about landing on a dangerous website.
Additionally, hovering over a short link (without clicking) can sometimes reveal the true destination URL in the browser’s status bar, offering a quick safety check.
“Of course, a friendly joke won’t lead to the loss of money or data, that is the case with cyber attacks but may still be very unpleasant. Following simple rules when working with a computer, tablet or phone will help to avoid unpleasant consequences.
Be vigilant, have strong passwords in place and keep your devices locked,” notes Brandon Muller, technology expert and consultant at Kaspersky.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Godswill Akpabio, Senate president, and Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the House of Representatives, “to immediately withdraw the oppressive bill which contains repressive provisions to jail any Nigerian of voting age for six months and/or impose a fine of N100,000 on them if they fail to vote in national and state elections.”
SERAP urged Akpabio and Abbas to instead “amend the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the Electoral Act 2022 to remove constitutional immunity for state governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences, including vote-buying, to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.”
SERAP also urged Akpabio and Abbas “to amend the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to explicitly prohibit the appointment of members of any political party as resident electoral commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
There is currently in the National Assembly a ‘Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to Make It Mandatory for All Nigerians of Majority Age to Vote in All National and State Elections and for Related Matters.’ The bill seeks to make voting compulsory and prescribes a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 or both for non-compliance.
In the letter signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SERAP at the weekend, the organisation said: “Jailing eligible Nigerians for deciding not to vote would be entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
SERAP said, “Rather than proposing bills that would severely punish Nigerians who may decide not to exercise their right to vote, the National Assembly ought to propose bills to remove constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences and undermine the integrity of the electoral process.”
According to SERAP, “The most effective way to solve the perennial voter apathy is to create a safe and conducive environment, combat the impunity of high-ranking politicians who commit electoral offences, and generally improve the electoral process to encourage the citizens to come out to vote, and not to send them to jail.”
The letter, read in part: “Should the National Assembly fails to drop the bill prescribing a six-month jail term for eligible Nigerians who decide not to vote in national and state elections, and should any such bill be assented to by President Bola Tinubu, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to challenge the legality of any such law and ensure they are never implemented.”
“The idea of compulsory voting and jailing citizens for not voting is impracticable, unnecessary and unlawful. The right to vote is part of citizens’ right to participate in their own government and the choice of whether to exercise it is personal.”
“The right to vote includes the right not to vote. If the right to participation is a right of the citizen, she/he must be free to decide whether or not to exercise it.”
“Because the notion of a democracy exists by virtue of the consent of the citizens, voters must get to choose how they exercise consent, not be forced to the polls like ‘cattle to the slaughter.’”
“The National Assembly ought to propose bills to reduce the influence of money in politics, and encourage and not compel the exercise of the right to participation.”
“The proposed bill is a blatant violation of the right to political participation, which is guaranteed under section 14(1)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution, article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”
“SERAP also urges you to amend the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to include explicit mandatory provisions on internet voter registration, and the use of modern technology, including in casting and counting, voter registration and systems for reporting results.”
“Amending the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to explicitly include the right of eligible Nigerians to vote and to vote securely would enhance the effective enjoyment of their right political participation and representative democracy.”
“It would rebuild public confidence in the ability of the National Assembly to effectively perform its constitutional responsibilities.”
“Any amendment of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act must include bills to address and punish governors and their deputies and their agents who commit electoral offences including voter suppression, voter intimidation and the destruction of polling units or theft of election materials.”
“It is important for the National Assembly to introduce and pass bills that would effectively rein politicians who continue to abuse the electoral rules to distort and undermine the right to participation with almost absolute impunity.”
“Removing constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences would address the brazen impunity for electoral and human rights crimes which frequently characterise the country’s elections.”
“The major problem facing the country’s democracy is the lack of respect for Nigerians’ right to participation and the concomitant lack of trust in election results. If citizens do not believe in the election process, then the entire system of democratic government becomes a questionable enterprise.”
“The crisis confronting Nigerian elections and lack of public trust and confidence in the electoral process can be addressed if the right of Nigerians to vote and to vote securely is explicitly recognized in the constitution as justiciable right.”
“Nigerians do not currently enjoy explicit right to vote and to vote securely. Although the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] provides in Section 14(1)(c) that, “the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”, this is not recognized as legally enforceable human right.”
“Nigerian election laws ought to be such that would give effect to the electorate’s will and uphold the popular mandate through clean, fair, and honest elections. The right to vote in a democracy is important because so many other matters depend upon its exercise.”
Dr. Bosun Tijani, minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, has annunced plans to elevate Enugu Tech Festival (ETF), to a national event.
Enugu Tech Festival is scheduled for May this year,
The minister during a working visit to Enugu State, disclosed plans to personally attend the festival and ensure its expansion to attract tech professionals from across the country.
The Enugu Tech Festival would help to strengthen the ongoing collaboration between the state and the federal government in advancing technological innovation, digital infrastructure, and entrepreneurship in the southeast region.
Commending the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah, Tijani praised his vision for fostering innovation and technological development in Enugu.
He lauded the governor’s achievements in critical sectors such as infrastructure, education, and industry, highlighting how the advancements lay the foundation for a vibrant digital economy that will empower the state’s youth.
The minister outlined a series of groundbreaking initiatives aimed at further transforming Enugu’s technological landscape.
One of the most significant announcements was the launch of the Project 774 Connectivity Initiative, a project designed to bring internet access to all 17 local government secretariats across the state.
Powered by Galaxy Backbone and NIGCOMSAT, the initiative will ensure seamless connectivity for government offices and the public, facilitating efficient governance and service delivery.
The collaboration between Galaxy Backbone and Enugu State will lead to the establishment of a Digital Innovation Complex.
The complex will serve as a hub for technological growth, digital innovation, training, and entrepreneurial support.
It will also connect over 200 state-owned institutions, including schools, healthcare centers, and government offices, to reliable internet services, further enhancing the state’s digital infrastructure.
Tijani announced the federal government’s plan to extend internet access to underserved areas in the state through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).
“This effort will include the installation of a new base station and the laying of 15 kilometers of fiber optic cable to provide high-speed internet.
“As part of this initiative, computer laboratories will be set up in one secondary school and one tertiary institution in Enugu,” he said.
He also announced plans to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Regional Centre at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“This centre will become a focal point for AI research and development in the South East, offering state-of-the-art facilities to foster innovation in artificial intelligence”, he added.
“As part of this initiative, we plan to train 100 cybersecurity professionals in Enugu, boosting the state’s cybersecurity capabilities as part of a nationwide effort.
“The Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, will train 1.155 million Enugu residents in essential digital skills by 2027.
“This program will prioritise underserved groups, including artisans, market women, civil servants, and students, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to engage with the digital economy,” he said.
The minister also expressed satisfaction with the success of the 3MTT Programme in Enugu, which has already received over 14,000 applications, adding that the program aims to empower the youth by equipping them with the skills necessary to thrive in the digital economy, to train over 150,000 fellows in the state.
Other key projects unveiled included the establishment of a Tier III Data Centre, a Co-working Space for tech entrepreneurs and SMEs, and an Incubation Hub to support innovation and provide mentorship and funding to tech startups.
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