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UK, Uganda Tackle Online Child Sexual Abuse

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UK, Uganda Tackle Online Child Sexual Abuse

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

On Monday, November 28, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through its Working Group on Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and with the support of the British High Commission, hosted a workshop on the fight against online child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Participants included government departments, law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, religious leaders, non-governmental organisations and international development partners.

Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Internal Affairs Hon. Obiga Kania said:

“The Government of Uganda is committed to addressing the growing threat to children from online sexual abuse and exploitation. Increasing access to the internet in Uganda offers children new benefits and opportunities. But it also increases the risk that criminals can use this technology to sexually abuse and exploit children.”

In her opening remarks, British Acting High Commissioner Mary Shockledge said, “The British High Commission is proud to support this initiative. As governments and international organisations, we cannot afford to remain passive, and we cannot afford to act alone. Online child sexual exploitation is a global problem demanding a co-ordinated, global response. This problem requires a joined-up response from government, law enforcement agencies, technology companies and civil society. Today’s workshop explores the roles that each of these stakeholders play in identifying and preventing online child sexual abuse and exploitation.”

Globally, the UK Government is playing a leading role in addressing the issue on online child sexual abuse and exploitation, and has given £50 million to the Fund to End Violence Against Children, administered by UNICEF. This fund provides finance to countries to prevent online exploitation. 17 countries, including Uganda, have already benefited from this funding.

In December 2014, the UK Prime Minister hosted the first global summit to address online abuse, bringing together government ministers from over 50 countries, major technology companies and non-governmental organisations.

Agreement on a coordinated global response to tackle the proliferation of child sexual abuse material was reached, and participants signed up to a range of actions and technological initiatives to prevent online child abuse and exploitation.

Since the Summit, the UK has introduced a new law making it illegal for an adult to send a sexual communication to a child and has created specialist online child sexual abuse teams within its National Crime Agency.

Modupe Gbadeyanka is a fast-rising journalist with Business Post Nigeria. Her passion for journalism is amazing. She is willing to learn more with a view to becoming one of the best pen-pushers in Nigeria. Her role models are the duo of CNN's Richard Quest and Christiane Amanpour.

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NDDC Seeks Partnerships to Reduce Dependency on IOCs, FG for Funding

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NDDC Corrupt Officials

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has disclosed plans not to rely on oil multinationals and the federal government to raise funds for development projects in the region but instead pursue Public-Private Partnerships arrangements to drive development in the Niger Delta region.

According to the NDDC Managing Director, Mr Samuel Ogbuku, this PPP model would ease the financial burden of the central government.

Mr Ogbuku, speaking during an Executive Management and staff meeting at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, announced that a summit was in the offing to enable stakeholders to explore opportunities for collaboration.

He stated the NDDC would not relent in its PPP campaign to bring sustainable development to the Niger Delta region.

“We intend to leverage our PPP initiative during the summit, which will take place in April. It will help us to showcase what we can offer and show the world the future of NDDC.

“We cannot continue to rely on international oil companies and the federal government to raise funds for development projects. We intend to show the world that NDDC has been rebranded.

“We will take the campaign to all relevant organisations. Last week, we were at the meeting of the Oil Producers Trade Section, OPTS, of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Lagos. Henceforth, NDDC will be attending the OPTS quarterly meetings.”

The NDDC boss further stated that the commission would also focus on capacity building for youths in the region.

“We are going to focus on youth development programmes; we have come up with a new concept of working with the Niger Delta Chamber of Commerce in the training of our youths and young entrepreneurs.

“We will show the world that we have young entrepreneurs. The various Chambers of Commerce will help us to make the programme sustainable. We will focus on empowering young people because the government cannot employ everybody.”

On NDDC’s commitment to its contractors, Mr Ogbuku affirmed that the Commission was engaging them to arrive at practicable ways of liquidating the debts saying, “We have been meeting with the contractors, and gradually, all legitimate debts will be defrayed.”

The NDDC boss said there was a need for reform within the Commission in order to bring it in line with the NDDC Establishment Act. For instance, he said, “we are reorganising the directorates to bring the number to only 13 provided for in the Act.”

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Aremu Tasks CBN, NLC on Dialogue Over Cash Scarcity Strike

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Kwara State, Mr Issa Aremu, has advised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to engage the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in a social dialogue to avert the planned strike over the continued cash scarcity.

Mr Aremu made the call on Thursday in Ilorin on the sidelines of the Interfaith Prayer organised to mark the 40th anniversary of the institute.

Recall that Business Post earlier this week reported that the president of the NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, directed affiliate unions of the group to be on standby for a picketing exercise across all branches of the CBN nationwide.

The directive, according to the trade unionist, became imperative following the expiration of a one-week ultimatum given to the apex bank to make cash available for Nigerians.

Speaking on the development, the MINILS head said it was unprecedented that the labour union is threatening to picket the CBN, tasking the apex bank to use every means at its disposal to ensure monetary stability in the country.

The DG, who was once a labour leader, noted that depositors had been subjected to a lot of hardship in recent times over the CBN financial policy.

Mr Aremu said that CBN must be more transparent and engaging and look at the overall policy’s impact on the growth and development of the nation’s economy.

He said that this would ensure the confidence of Nigerians in the banking system.

Mr Aremu explained that such a cashless policy should be gradually introduced after the appropriate infrastructure had been put in place.

“It also requires mass sensitisation and awareness, and there is a limited time for implementation of the policy for Nigerians,” he said.

The institute’s head lauded the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Programme, saying it “provides loans (in kind and cash) to smallholder farmers, which had boosted agricultural production, especially rice”.

He, therefore, insisted that picketing of the apex bank by labour leaders was avoidable and preventable, advising CBN to address all concerns by organised labour.

On the 40th anniversary of the institute, Mr Aremu said, “This gathering is all about appreciation to Almighty God in the Holy Month of Ramadan, in which Catholic lent also runs. Both Christianity and Islam stress gratitude. Gratitude pleases Allah, while ingratitude displeases Him.”

“Glory to Almighty for sparing our lives to continue the institutional building that started with President Shehu Shagari’s formal inauguration in 1983,” he said.

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Nigeria to Get 25,000 Tonnes of Wheat from Ukraine

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Jigawa wheat farmers

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria will get about 25,000 tonnes of wheat from warring Ukraine, with the federal government designating Port Harcourt as the target location for the grains.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, disclosed this on Wednesday during a briefing after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja.

Mr Abubakar revealed that the Rivers State capital had been selected as the hub for the 25,000 metric tonnes of wheat expected from Ukraine, as Russia also extends its supply of grains to the country through a United Nations arrangement.

He explained that the wheat consignment from Ukraine is on the high sea.

The agriculture minister stated that the hub would create economic activities in the area.

As part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Ukraine exported 6.9 million tonnes of wheat, 20 per cent of which was sent to African countries. Out of this, Nigeria will get about 1.8 per cent.

Some 2.67 million tonnes of wheat, or 43 per cent, was transported to the poorest countries and those with incomes below the average.

The grain initiative will allow Ukraine to remain a top agrarian nation and will allow Ukrainian farmers affected by the Russian war, which started more than a year ago, to sow and be able to receive income from their harvest.

The grain initiative was launched on July 22, 2022, with the first bulker carrying Ukrainian food commodities leaving the port of Odesa on August 1.

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