Connect with us

Nigeria

Persons With Disabilities Protest Stigmatization, Humiliation, Raping

Published

2 years ago

on

People Living with Disabilities in Bauchi State have lamented that the stigmatisation and maltreatment they encounter in their homes, which often leads them to beg for alms, thereby making them vulnerable to sexual abuse.

The representative of a Non-Governmental Organization, Heal Initiative Development, Aisha Adamu, stated this in a goodwill message during a one-day programme to mark 16 days of activism organized by the Development Exchange Center, Bauchi.

She said, “Most of the challenges we often face, first come from our parents and then the community. For example, when parents give birth to a disabled child, they begin maltreating them as if they are not humans. Their needs are not being catered for and they are treated with disdain.

“It is from there that we start facing this stigmatization in our hearts and low self-esteem that since we are not being catered for even by our immediate family, then, we are not useful in the society. When a child faces such stigmatization from home, he’s not sent to school, his needs are not provided for and because he is humiliated and despised at home, they end up begging on the streets especially the female child.

“The moment she starts begging for alms, that’s when miscreants will take advantage and abuse her sexually, emotionally and sometimes even physically. This happens because they see you cheaply looking dirty without help and they take advantage of you.

“Even if they rape you and impregnate you, nobody will fight and get justice for you because you are a disabled person as if it was your making. So, we call on the government to also prosecute perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence to serve as a deterrent to others,” she stated.

Also speaking, the Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission, Bauchi State office, Yachi Dala, lamented the rising cases of violence in the home pointing out that children end up being affected.

“We have rising cases of domestic violence. Most of the cases we have are spouses beating their spouses; apart from physical violence, there is also psychological, emotional, and economic violence where a spouse is deprived of going out to work or intentionally deprived of the upkeep of the family. The children are most affected because of their vulnerability.

“When there is an issue between a father and a mother, the children may not be directly involved but it will always affect the children. Denial of access to children is also another form of violence,” Dala stated.

Dala called on the government to be proactive saying, “it’s a call to action and it’s not just the government but every stakeholder. For the government, where there are laws, they should implement them and they should have the political will to ensure that those laws are implemented and hold perpetrators accountable.”

 

 

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

News

Nigerian officials probe plan to marry off scores of female orphans

Published

3 days ago

on

May 15, 2024

By

ABUJA, NIGERIA — Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Women Affairs says it is investigating a plan by a lawmaker in central Niger state to marry off some 100 female orphans of unknown ages later this month.

Speaker of the Niger State Assembly Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji announced the mass wedding last week but called off the ceremony following widespread outrage.

Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, condemned the plans.

Kennedy-Ohanenye said she had petitioned the police and filed a lawsuit to stop the marriages pending an investigation to ascertain the age of the orphans and whether they consented to the marriages.

“This is totally unacceptable by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and by the government” of Nigeria, she said.

Last week, Sarkin-Daji announced his support for the mass wedding of the orphans, whose relatives were killed during attacks by armed bandits. He said it was part of his support to his constituents following an appeal for wedding funding by local traditional and religious leaders.

The mass wedding had been scheduled for May 24.

“That support I intend to give for the marriage of those orphans, I’m withdrawing it,” he said. “The parents can have the support [money], if they wish, let them go ahead and marry them off. As it is right now, I’m not threatened by the action of the minister.”

Despite national laws prohibiting it, forced or arranged marriage is a common phenomenon in Nigeria, especially among rural communities in the predominantly Muslim north, where religious and cultural norms such as polygamy favor the practice.

Poor families often use forced marriage to ease financial pressure, and the European Union Agency for Asylum says girls who refuse could face repercussions such as neglect, ostracism, physical assault and rape.

Raquel Kasham Daniel escaped being married off as a teenager when her father died and now runs a nonprofit helping children, especially less-privileged girls, get a formal education for free.

She said the ability of women to avoid forced marriage in Nigeria depends on their income and education.

“I was 16 when I lost my dad and I was almost married off, but then I ran away from home. And that gave me the opportunity to complete my education, and now I have a better life,” Daniel said.

“So, the reason why I prioritize education is to make sure that other girls have access to quality schooling so that it will help them make informed decisions about their lives. Education not only increases our awareness as girls about our rights but also enhances our prospects for higher income earning,” she said.

Thirty percent of girls in Nigeria are married before they turn 18, according to Girls Not Brides, a global network of more than 1,400 civil society groups working to end child marriage.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

News

Shell investigates smoke near Gbaran oil facility in Nigeria

Published

3 days ago

on

May 15, 2024

By

YENAGOA, Nigeria, May 14 (Reuters) – Oil major Shell is investigating reports of smoke early Tuesday near its Gbaran Ubie oil and gas facility in Nigeria’s coastal Bayelsa state, a spokesperson said after residents reported hearing explosions and seeing smoke near the area.
The incident would not immediately lead to an operational shut-in, the Shell spokesperson said.
A fire was reported around 0600 GMT by residents in the nearby community, who said blasts were heard where pipeline repair works had been ongoing.
The Gbaran facility, which began operations in 2010, is by far the most important Nigeria LNG gas feedstock project, processing almost 2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.
“We are actively monitoring reports of smoke detected near our Gbaran Central Processing Facility in Bayelsa State. While the source appears to be external to our facility, we are in close communication with regulatory authorities to look into the incident and ensure the safety of the surrounding communities,” a Shell spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Shell did not immediately respond to the accounts of residents in the area.
Resident Ovie Ogbuku told Reuters: “At about 7 a.m. I heard the sound so deafeningly and it shook the foundation of the earth and we ran for our dear lives. The result is the thick smoke you are seeing now.”
Another resident Uche Ede said; “We have no idea of the cause of the explosion but we are grateful no life was lost because it was far away from homes.”
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Land operations in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta are prone to sabotage, theft, and pipeline vandalism, forcing oil majors to exit such fields to focus on deepwater drilling.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Nigeria tour: A Round Up

Published

3 days ago

on

May 15, 2024

By

Meghan and Harry spent three days in the African country, Nigeria in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent time in Nigeria as part of a three-day tour, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of The Invictus Games.

The couple were personally invited on the trip by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, General Christopher Musa; they are not there in any official capacity on behalf of the royal family or the UK. The tour schedule, which started in the bustling capital of Abuja, has been jam-packed, including a visit to primary and secondary school Lightway Academy, where they met with students, and experiencing the work of Nigeria Unconquered, a charitable foundation dedicated to aiding wounded, injured, or sick servicemembers.

Naturally, the trip also provided the opportunity for Meghan to showcase a multi-day “tourdrobe”, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the couple stepped down as senior working royals in early 2020 – and she hasn’t disappointed, in a series of summery maxi dresses, elegant tailoring and striking separates.

See highlights from their trip so far, below.

On day three, the couple arrived at Lagos airport, where they were given an official state welcome.

The couple posed for a photo with children and Nigerian dignitaries.

 

The couple were greeted by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

 

nigeria britain royals invictus games

They then attended a basketball exhibition training match at Ilupeju Grammar School in Lagos. After the match, they posed for a photo with the Toronto Raptors basketball team president, Masai Ujiri, and the principal of Ilupeju Grammar School, Josephine Egunyomi.

 

The couple attended a reception hosted by the charity organisation Nigeria Unconquered, held at the Officers’ Mess in Abuja.

 

A visit to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

Texas Guardian News
Latest posts by Texas Guardian News (see all)
Continue Reading

Trending