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No fewer than 1.6 million out of the two million people living with HIV in Nigeria are currently receiving treatment, the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr Temitope Ilori, has announced. Ilori made this declaration at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, ahead of the 2024 World AIDS
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Israel to push for a Gaza truce, said on Monday ongoing negotiations were…
The Country Director of the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria (GPFN), Rev. John joseph Hayab, has raised concerns over the increasing rate of gender-based violence against girls in public schools. Speaking at a Girl-Child Education discussion on Gender-Based Violence in public schools held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists press centre in Kaduna on Tuesday, Hayab
Group raises alarm over gender-based violence against girls in schools
The Country Director of the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria (GPFN), Rev. John joseph Hayab, has raised concerns over the increasing rate of gender-based violence against girls in public schools.
Speaking at a Girl-Child Education discussion on Gender-Based Violence in public schools held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists press centre in Kaduna on Tuesday, Hayab condemned the alarming rise in gender-based violence in public schools.
He stressed that the issue demands collective attention and urgent action by stakeholders.
According to him, “Education is the most powerful tool for breaking cycles of poverty and empowering young people to build a better future.
“Yet, across Kaduna State, many girls in Senior Secondary School (SSS3) face the heartbreaking reality of being unable to sit for their NECO examinations simply because they cannot afford the fees.”
He lamented that the financial barrier is forcing many bright and hardworking students to drop out at the final hurdle of their secondary education, limiting their opportunities and deepening inequalities.
Hayab commended Governor Uba Sani for his passion and significant strides in transforming the education sector in Kaduna State, saying that his administration has shown a clear commitment to improving access to education by reinstating the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) fees—a policy that had been discontinued by the previous administration.
“This bold step demonstrates his dedication to ensuring that no child is left behind due to financial hardship,” Hayab observed.
He also noted that the government has commendably allocated a budget line for the external examination fees, appealing that it is crucial that the funds are released immediately as delay in disbursing the funds will mean that thousands of students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, may miss their examinations this year.
Hayab appealed to the Kaduna State Government to prioritise the immediate release of funds to sponsor NECO examinations for SSS3 students, stressing that the state government established 30 Community School Safety Committees across the three senatorial zones to address harassment and create safer school environments.
Group raises alarm over gender-based violence against girls in schools
Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, has announced plans to convert Ibom Specialist Hospital into a stand-alone medical facility by 2025, similar to how Ibom Air is run. The governor, who made this announcement in his 2025 New Year broadcast in Uyo on Wednesday, explained that the conversion aims for the specialist hospital
2025: Ibom Specialist hospital to be run as stand-alone medical facility – Gov Eno
Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, has announced plans to convert Ibom Specialist Hospital into a stand-alone medical facility by 2025, similar to how Ibom Air is run.
The governor, who made this announcement in his 2025 New Year broadcast in Uyo on Wednesday, explained that the conversion aims for the specialist hospital to fulfill the mission of its founding.
It could be recalled that the multi-billion Naira facility, since its inauguration during former governor Godswill Akpabio’s administration, has not realized its full potential.
Governor Eno also stated that this year, he would flag off the construction of a Medical Village along the medical tourism corridor between the Ibom Specialist Hospital and the Raffia City of Ikot Ekpene. He mentioned plans to formally launch the State Ambulance Services to complement the Insurance Scheme.
His words: “The health and well-being of our people will continue to be our priority, even as we pay greater attention to healthcare delivery. In the New Year, we will continue to commission more model primary healthcare facilities across the state, in addition to those already commissioned. We will enroll more people into our Arise Care Medical Insurance Scheme, in addition to almost 10 thousand public service employees and some senior citizens who have already been enrolled.
“Ibom Specialist Hospital will be reorganized to enable it to fulfill the mission of its founding. It will be run as a stand-alone medical facility in the model of Ibom Air.”
He also announced plans to reinvigorate the power sector in 2025 by holding a power summit, while thanking the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, for the swift passage of the State Electricity Bill into law.
On the Ibom power plant, the governor promised to turn around its fortunes, saying, “The forensic audit earlier instituted is expected to submit its report, and we will study and implement some of the recommendations that are germane to our strategic plans.”
Speaking on the realization of the Ibom Deep Seaport in 2025, Governor Eno urged the people to be patient, as seaport development is a long-term investment. He stated that his administration would continue with its strategic engagements with partners toward its realization.
He added, “We will expedite work on the Oron Jetty, complete with cold room facilities, in our efforts to support our fishermen and our blue economy in general.”
The governor also urged the people to remain united and shun politics of division and personal destruction, expressing his determination to run an inclusive government.
“Politics should not divide us or sever our bonds of kinship. We are first and foremost Akwa Ibomites before we became members of any political parties. Let us continue to hold aloft our defined identity as a peaceful, prosperous, and forward-looking people. I will continue to run the state and involve and consult our leaders across party lines because if we succeed, Akwa Ibom succeeds, and if we succeed, we will!” he said.
2025: Ibom Specialist hospital to be run as stand-alone medical facility – Gov Eno
