04/05/23

SHINA J.O

The Ambassador of Sudan to Nigeria, Ahmed Yusuf has assured Nigerian students that they will soon return to Sudan to resume their studies as efforts are been made to by international communities to ensure the conflict does not escalate to a full blown war.

Yusuf gave the assurance during the arrival of the 376 stranded Nigerians at the Nnamdi azikwe international airport in abuja from the conflict-hit country through Egypt.

The Nigerian government has began airlifying of over 5million Evacuees on Wednesday as 4 Nigerian aircrafts are expected to depart The country before Sunday to evacuate over 500 for the second leg of the exercise.

04/05/23

51 year old American rapper Missy Elliott has made history as the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Elliott alongside Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and the Spinners are among the inductees for the Class of 2023.

The organizers of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Wednesday May 3rd took to Twitter handle @rockhall to make the announcement.

Congratulations to the #RockHall2023 Inductees! The Ceremony will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Friday, November 3rd, and will return to Cleveland in 2024. Head over to http://rockfa.me/23CLASS for more details.

In response to the announcement the rap icon Missy Elliott also took to her Twitter @MissyElliott to thank her fans while reflecting on the milestone.

I want to say this is HUGE not for just me but all my Sisters in HIPHOP this door is now OPEN to showcase the hard work & what many of us contribute to MUSIC. I have cried all morning because I am GRATEFUL thank you @rockhall & all on the committee & Supafriends.

It’s times I have gotten on line & seen your irrelevant your a flop your washed up & it would crush me at times BUT God you made me STRONG I kept going & you allowed my decades of WORK to SPEAK 4 itself. I am HUMBLED thank you all my Supporters I LOVE YOU

PRESS RELEASE

04/05/23

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has raised alarm on the plight of Nigerian young women working as domestic workers in Iraq.

Most of the Nigerian young women working there are exploited in diverse ways on daily basis and now requesting for assistance to return home.

The Director-General of NAPTIP, Prof Fatima Waziri-Azi who raised the alarm disclosed that the Agency is currently investigating several rogue labour recruiters who have been reported to be big players in the massive recruitment of Nigerians to Iraq for domestic servitude.

Prof. Waziri–Azi, made this known at the Agency’s headquarters, Abuja, while speaking on new destinations for human trafficking across the Globe.

She said, “Because of the proactive activities and collaborative efforts of NAPTIP and its partners in raising awareness around issues of human trafficking to some of the known destination countries, traffickers have now shifted attention to Iraq.

“We are inundated with pleas for rescue and repatriation from female victims trafficked to Iraq, especially to the cities of Baghdad and Basra where they are distributed to various homes by their recruitment agents to a hard life of domestic servitude.
“Available information shows that many of these victims have been admitted to hospital many times due to long work hours under harsh conditions they are forced to undergo.

Most of them have complained of deteriorating health resulting from the weight of work. They are constantly under threat of being harmed either by their direct employers or the Iraqi agents, each time they complained of unbearable workload.
“Many of them have no access to their phones because their phones are seized immediately they are paired with an employer.

They are never allowed out of the premises where they are serving and even when communication is established with them for rescue, they cannot give details of their location because they do not know where they are.

It is indeed a very scary situation.
“Aside the workload imposed on them by their taskmasters, they are constantly being sexually harassed by members of the household where they are serving, aggravating their situation.
“It is very important to be cautious about this desperate quest to travel out of Nigeria for greener pastures, which is the reason so many fall prey to traffickers, and the lies of labour recruiters who promise juicy jobs overseas.”
She however, stressed the need for people to evaluate every offer carefully and seek for second and third opinion before accepting offers outside the country. “Remember, if a sponsor facilitates your travel, you will be forced to do any job to pay off your sponsor before you earn money for yourself,” Prof. Waziri–Azi further added.
While expressing worries over the increasing number of young Nigerian women suffering in Iraq, she stated that NAPTIP will continue to work with relevant Ministries, Department and Agencies in Nigeria and partners to ensure the safe return of the victims from Iraq.

03/05/23

DANIELS G. O

The European Union has called for the protection of women journalists around the world.

The EU stated this during the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day.

In a statement in commemoration of this year’s Special 30th anniversary celebration of World Press Freedom Day, the EU said, everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

The statement added that while the preservation of free, independent, and pluralistic media is vital for resilient and healthy democracies, press freedom is at stake in most parts of the world today.

According to the statement, journalists, media workers, and all those who bring independent quality information shed light on the gross human rights violations and atrocities going on around the world.

Journalists also hold those in power to account increasingly face discredit, threats, and attacks, especially through disinformation, and as such, journalists and media workers worldwide continue to pay a high price for practising their profession.

The EU says Women journalists are particularly vulnerable to threats and increasing attacks, both offline and online, as they are exposed to stigmatization, sexist hate speech, trolling, sexual and gender-based violence, and even murder.

73% of women journalists have experienced online threats, abuse, and harassment in the course of their work, and many of them have been detained.

The EU condemned all forms of threats and violence against journalists and support media workers in danger through local missions and via dedicated programmes across the globe just as it is taking action within the Union.

The EU is also countering Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP), regulating digital services and markets, and proposing an EU Media Freedom Act as well as building up critical capacity to counter foreign information manipulation and interference.

The EU express commitment to engaging with governments, the media and civil society, both in international fora as well as at the local level, to take initiative and strengthen press freedom around the world as defending and promoting press freedom is a universal mission that knows no borders.

03/05/23

SHINA J.O

The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, says journalists have made immense contributions to the socio-political and economic development of Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement by special Adviser to the president of the Senate on Media Ola Awoniyi to celebrate Nigerian journalists on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day Lawan

According to Lawan Nigerian journalists deserve appreciation for their contributions to democracy and governance in general in Nigeria as the fourth estate of the realm.

He added that Promoting press freedom is not only upholding the rights of an important segment of the society, it is also promoting the human right to freedom of speech and opinion.

He noted that the ninth National Assembly has ensured in the past four years that no legislation under its purview tampers with these rights

03/05/23

PRESS RELEASE

The Nigerian Ambassador to Egypt Nura Abba Rimi said
They have successfully moved the students from the Sudanese side to the Egyptian side of the Arqeel border.

Rimi said Priority was given to female students in the orderly movement of the 449 students across the border.

According to the Ambassador, the students are now being prepared for their departure to Abuja through Aswan Airport.

03/05/23

PRESS RELEASE

President muhammadu buhari is leaving for london, united kingdom today, to join other world leaders invited to attend the coronation of charles iii and his wife, camilla, as his majesty the king and her majesty the queen consort of the united kingdom.

The coronation will be taking place on saturday, May 6th of 2023.

Ahead of the coronation, the commonwealth secretariat will take advantage of the gathering of leaders in london to host a commonwealth summit for presidents and heads of government of commonwealth countries on friday, may 5.

President buhari is billed to participate in the summit which will deliberate on the future of the commonwealth and the role of the youth.

A statement issued by the special adviser to the president on media and publicity Femi Adesina on Wednesday says the president will be accompanied by the secretary to the government of the federation, boss mustapha, minister of foreign affairs, geoffrey onyeama, minister of information and culture, lai mohammed, the national security adviser (nsa), maj.-gen babagana monguno (rtd), the director general, national intelligence agency, (NIA), ambassador ahmed rufai abubakar, the chairperson/chief executive officer of nigerians in diaspora commission, hon. abike dabiri-erewa and other senior government officials.