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Day: October 14, 2021

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Anambra 2021 Elections: State of Emergency or Election Boycott? A Case of Two Evils.

As the election draws close, there has been a drastic increase in violence, loss of lives, and property in Anambra State. From the destruction of the INEC state office in May where three people died, non-sensitive election materials destroyed, seven vehicles, and 50 generating sets burnt, to several reports of killings and attacks on properties of individuals.  

Calls from certain groups encouraging people to boycott the elections have left uncertainty in the air. The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami,  while addressing the press after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Thursday, stated that no possibility is ruled out, citing the security breaches and instances of the breakdown of law and order as references that could require the declaration of a state of emergency in the state. 

State of emergency: The way to go?

A state of emergency is a government declaration, an express directive by the executive to handle a difficult situation such as a natural disaster, violence, pandemic, civic unrest or insecurity that threatens the country. It brings to a halt the normal functioning of the government. When triggered by violence and insecurity, it could lead to a takeover by the military. A state of emergency grants special powers to the government to restrict press freedom, evacuation of people from their homes, searching of homes and private places without a warrant, and confiscation of properties among other things. It also leads to curfews and restrictions on the economic, civil, and political rights of the citizens as soldiers take to the streets, empowered by law to make arrests, and detain suspects.

There is a certain fear that comes with having the army walk the streets. Long after normalcy returns, people will still be wary of moving, talk less of going to join queues to vote. A state of emergency can also be wielded by the government as seen in the past to postpone elections or neutralize opponents. It begs the question, is it the right call to be made barely a month to the Anambra elections?

Some might argue that the situation in Anambra hasn’t yet gotten to the point where a state of emergency should be declared. So far, going by the reports, 15  have died in political killings, which while unfortunate isn’t beyond what the Police can manage. A state of emergency might be perceived as a plot by the central government to postpone the election or better still, be a tool to tilt the scales in the favor of the ruling party. 

The IPOB Factor

Though the group has been proscribed and labeled a terrorist organization by the federal government, their influence is still strongly felt in the South East. For the past few months, there has been a sit-at-home order in the southeast every Monday in solidarity with their detained leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. This instruction has been strictly obeyed across the eastern states. And in cases where the rules have been flouted, it has been a guerilla-like punishment as footage has surfaced online where vehicles and properties of defaulters have been set ablaze.

It is also known that this group has dissociated itself from anything that has to do with the central government as it also declared the 1st of October, Nigeria’s Independence day a sit at home. There have always been calls by this group for election boycott in the east, precisely Anambra state. Reports reveal that during the 2017 elections the group also encouraged people to boycott the election. Going by their agenda for secession, it shouldn’t be any different now. 

Boycotting: A Solution or Complication?

Seeing the enormous influence the group holds in the east, should they call for a boycott, there is a good chance people stay in their homes due to fear of reprisals. The group’s reason for this boycott is oppression and marginalization by the current regime. But is boycotting the way to get what they want?

An election boycott can be peaceful and can also be a violence trigger. In Jamaica in 1983, the opposition leader, Michael Manley, instructed that the boycott be peaceful, stating that they seek no confrontation. Whereas in Ivory Coast in 1995, Laurent Gbagbo, the opposition leader at the time was quoted as saying that the opposition has given orders for “maximum disruption”. 

If the elections fail to hold either due to a violent boycott or any other reason, the present government will stay on for at least six months according to section 180(3) of the Nigerian constitution. This means that it will not be a lasting solution since the incumbent governor is not their choice. 

Over the years, history has shown that it is almost impossible to achieve a total boycott. And oftentimes, the opposition party that chooses the boycott loses outrightly in terms of representation. It happened in Egypt in 1990, Bangladesh in 1996, Azerbaijan in 1998, and 2000. In the last general election in 2019, where about seven million voters registered from the east and only three million voted. If they had all come out to vote, might it have made the difference? Maybe. 

But more importantly, a call for a boycott shows that there is a lack of faith in the electoral process or democracy as it is defined. 

INEC’s Preparedness

In a conversation with Situation Room Nigeria, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Anambra state, Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji confirmed there are 2,525,471 registered voters, 112 new polling units have been added bringing the total to 5,720, and 326 wards in the 21 LGAs. 

Dr. Nwachukwu further elaborated that recruitment for ad-hoc staff is ongoing and the agency looks to employ 26,000 people. Accreditation of the press is ongoing and the decentralized ad-hoc staff will be trained in the third week of October. He confirmed the final list of 18 candidates that will contest the election come November 6, 2021. 

He stated that non-sensitive materials destroyed during the May attack will be restocked from the southeast zonal store in Imo state.

To Be or Not to Be?

With INEC’s level of preparedness, the level of insecurity in the state, and the looming effect of external groups, will a state of emergency be declared? Will elections hold as scheduled?  Or will the voters show apathy by boycotting the election if it eventually holds? Whatever the case might be, wherever the pendulum swings, time will ultimately tell. 

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International Day of The Girl Child

International Day of The Girl Child

The girl child faces different challenges associated with their gender and age. In many developing countries, the girl child is often at a huge disadvantage. Data from UNICEF shows that 6.3 million girls in Nigeria are out of school. UNESCO indicates that less than 40% of countries worldwide provide girls and boys with equal access to information. 

The longer girls are out of school, the higher the probability of child marriages and violence against children. Educating the girl child improves their earning potential and helps them have a say in decisions that affect their future. It improves the economy and reduces inequality. 

The better-educated girls are, the better their family and the community becomes, as they will be direct beneficiaries of the skills they will contribute to society. 

What Is The Day About?

The International Day of the Girl Child is a day set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness of the challenges that girls face all around the world. It is also a time to celebrate the wins and reinforce the achievements of girls the world over. 

When Is It Celebrated?

It holds every year, October 11.  

Why Do We Celebrate The International Day of The Girl Child?

Educating the girl child isn’t just about access to schools, but helping them feel safe and showing them how to navigate their way around their chosen professions. Sadly, in Nigeria, 30% of girls aged 9-12 have never been to school at all. The nation also accounts for about 45% of the out-of-school children in West Africa. 

The International Day of the Girl Child is a good time to remind us that issues like poverty, child marriage, and gender-based violence, which are underlying causes, are still far from being subjugated in Nigeria. 

History of the International Day of The Girl Child

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly reached a resolution to make October 11 the International Day of the Girl Child to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges the girl child faces around the world. The aim is to gather worldwide support for goals that will help better the lives of girls, provide leadership opportunities and help them reach their full potential. 

The team for the observance has a new theme each year:

2012 – Ending Child Marriage

2013 – Innovating for girls education

2014 – Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence. 

2015 – The Power of Adolescent Girls: Visions for 2030. 

2016 – Girls Progress = Goals Progress: What Counts For Girls. 

2017 – Empower Girls: Before, During, and After Crisis. 

2018 – With Her; A Skilled Girl Force. 

2019 – Girl Force: Unscripted and Unstoppable.

2020 – My Voice, Our Equal Future. 

2021 – Digital Generation, Our Generation.   

Impact That Matters

South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO) is playing its part and through the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) project, 75 girls have been enrolled in school. Providing an opportunity for them to reach their full potential. This has been one of our key focus areas as an organization. Ensuring the development of women and children through our various projects. 

SSDO Kids and Adolescent Club Helps Girls Stay in School

SSDO runs a kids’ club in some catchment areas where we work, Nkanu East, Nkanu West, and Enugu South LGAs. These clubs help the kids know more about their rights, share experiences, and talk about issues that bother them in a non-hostile environment. 

The club also helps them build leadership capacity and learn how to take responsibility. This way, they know when to speak up at home, school, or the community. The kids learn basic life skills necessary for surviving in different spheres of life. They learn time management, how to effectively balance chores and studies, creating a to-do list and a work timetable. 

The club presents an opportunity for the facilitators to correct wrong gender notions, such as gender role bias. Teaching the kids that any ambition or career path they choose is valid. Facilitators show them the practical side of their chosen career through games and illustrations. Importantly, they learn about their rights, child abuse, how and where to report these issues should they arise. 

The aim of the club is to groom children who know their rights and are equipped with important life skills, such as critical thinking, perspective-taking, handling challenges, and maintaining good health. 

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Tackling Child Abuse and Sexual Harassment through community mechanisms

Research carried out by UNICEF in 2015 shows that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 10 boys in Nigeria have experienced sexual violence before the age of 18. With the drastic increase in the rate of violence against women and girls during the lockdown, you can be sure these numbers have increased. Before the pandemic, one in three women experiences physical violence by a partner. 

According to a report by the Center for Global Development, violence against women and children quadrupled during the pandemic. Children have always been a target for pedophiles because of their innocence and vulnerability. Often, these predators ride on the naivety of the children and compel them not to talk. Many of who live with the guilt for the rest of their life. 

Sometimes, the children blame themselves for the incident or, in some other cases, care for their abusers and do not want them to get into trouble. It is imperative that parents and guardians are very observant and pay close attention to behavioral patterns in their wards. Signs to look out for include children being aggressive, withdrawn, clingy, or having difficulties sleeping. 

Some children suddenly become very wary and avoid specific people for no obvious reason. Others might illicit inappropriate sexual behaviors not expected of someone of that age. The child might also sustain a physical injury in the genital area. Children who are experiencing neglect and disabled children are at a higher risk of being abused.  

These experiences result in guilt, anxiety, fear, and depression that could have a lasting effect on their future if not well handled. Understanding this situation, South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO) in partnership with Caritas Nigeria under the OVC project created a Child Protection Committee (CPC).

This committee comprises lawyers, social workers, healthcare officials, police officers, case managers, and children. The community-based committee works to protect the rights of children and is equipped to address issues of child rights violations. In the case of any violation, they’re on hand in the community to take up such cases and ensure the child gets the best attention. The unique composition of the group makes them sufficient to tackle various issues. 

When abused children need psychological support, the social workers are on hand to provide it. In the instance of physical altercations, the healthcare officials take over. And when abusers need to be dealt with according to the law, law enforcement officials and lawyers are also a part of the committee and do just that. 

For efficient role delivery, SSDO organized training sessions on sexual exploitation and child abuse management. Subject experts enlightened the professionals on how best to prevent child sexual abuse and how to effectively work seamlessly as a team to manage any such issues.   

The Need for the Child Protection Committee

Education on Sexuality

The committee members are trained on a range of topics that will make them effective first responders. They were trained on how to identify vulnerable children, how to be of help, and how to appropriately escalate issues. In this way, they will be better positioned to help parents understand the need to teach their wards sex education. This way, kids know the danger signs and can react accordingly. Abusers thrive on the naivety of the kids. If kids are taught how to respond, perpetrators’ activities will reduce. 

Accelerated Child Abuse Litigation

Evil thrives when the culprit assumes they will get away with the act. When abusers are prosecuted immediately after been convicted, it will serve as a deterrent to those who might be nursing such evil ambition. This is one thing, the committee looks to provide. With proper legal representation by lawyers, identified cases will be immediately handed over to the security officials and followed up to ensure justice is served. 

Offers Professional Help

Victims usually repress thoughts of the abuse. For some, this often leads to depression or aggressive behavior towards the opposite gender. Some suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. However, with the right professional guidance by the team of social workers, and healthcare officials, children can look to have a better future. 

Education At The Core

The committee is designed to help raise awareness on child abuse and sexual harassment. This way, in the long run, such cases can be prevented. Affording children the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment. They are also equipped to handle issues when they arise. Helping the kids live life the best way possible barring any health or mental issues that may mar their future.  

For many of these kids, they need to be guided to channel their energy to more rewarding and satisfying activities such as sports, exercise, and extra-curricular activities. And in the fullness of time, their past will truly become history. Then they can live out their full potential.   

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Preserving Nature’s Sanitation Officers

Vultures in Eke-Ihe community

Do you know that vultures and other scavenging animals are the natural cleaning agents that the earth has? Often, when people hear or see vultures, they automatically associate them with words like dirt, ugly, and evil. Yet they play an important role in keeping the ecosystem’s balance. 

Through their scavenging activities, they control the amount of bacteria that would have spread to the human population. Hence, keeping the ecosystem clean and directly protecting humans from infectious diseases such as anthrax and rabies. Without vultures, the carcasses will lead to air pollution and microbes will multiply. 

By feasting on dead animals, they reduce the likelihood of a swarm of flies gathering and help to keep their population in check. Vultures have a highly corrosive stomach that allows them to digest carcasses without being affected as compared to other animals. The enzymes also process these substances in their stomach ensuring that when they release their waste it is bacteria-free. 

In the absence of vultures, animals like dogs and rats do the scavenging. Due to their close contact with humans, there is a high probability that the diseases picked up will be transferred to humans. 

The Problem

Having understood the importance of vultures to the ecosystem, preserving them becomes a top priority. Vultures can be found in North and South America, as well as East and West Africa, particularly Nigeria. 

“Vulture population has decreased by over 70% in Nigeria in the last 40 years”. – Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano, DG, NCF. 

There has, however, been a huge decline in the vulture population across Nigeria. Wildlife trade, hunting, poaching, spiritual and traditional healing practices are the primary causes of this decline. Studies from Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) also show that 500 tons of vultures are trafficked monthly in Nigeria. The different body parts of the vulture serve different purposes. According to a survey, the head is the most expensive part and is used in the treatment of epilepsy. 

A study also revealed that vulture parts are used in making concoctions that claim to treat epilepsy, stroke, mental instability, and are used as a good luck charm in Northern Nigeria. While it is largely used for spiritual purposes in the South West. 

However, vultures have no concrete spiritual usage in the South East as confirmed by Ike Nwakamma of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Traditional Worshippers in a VOA report. The South East, however, has a poaching problem. This was evident after a video footage surfaced online of 50 dead vultures in Eke-Ihe market in Awgu community, Enugu state in 2019. 

SSDO & NCF Partnership

Investigations revealed that the incident was because of poaching activities. Poachers mixed concoctions, most notable tobacco with leftover meat from an abattoir in the market that attracts vultures. This was also confirmed by the traditional ruler, Igwe Godwin Ekoh. This highlights a major problem that results in vulture extinction. Having observed this trend, NCF decided to organize a workshop to sensitize the community on the importance of vultures to the ecosystem. It also looked to create conservation for vultures depending on the number discovered in the state. 

As part of South Saharan Social Development Organization’s (SSDO) commitment to education, SSDO has partnered with NCF to set up conservation clubs in secondary schools. This would enable young ones to understand the importance of vultures and other animals to environmental sustainability. 

The Endangered Species

Vultures on trees in Eke-Ihe forest.

There are seven species of vultures found in Nigeria: Egyptian vulture, Hooded vulture, White-backed gyps, White-headed vulture, Ruppell’s Griffon, Palm but vulture, and Lappet-faced vulture, of which five are on the verge of extinction. Direct exploitation is the biggest challenge to its survival. Hunting and poaching are the primary sources of the threat. 

Our investigation reveals that the head of vultures is used for skin infections while the intestines are used to treat epilepsy. Human activities like deforestation also threaten vultures. Also, investigation reveals that a live vulture costs about #50,000 in the black market, a dead one costs #30,000, the head which seems to be the most important part costs #20,000. 

Awgu Visit

NCF and SSDO had a delegation visit Eke-Ihe community in Awgu for an ex post evaluation to determine the impact of the 2019 sensitization and workshop. As well as to determine the size of the vulture population, find the vulture nests, and preserve the vultures. Evidently, there’s an abattoir that attracts the vulture to the community. 

The NCF and SSDO team with Igwe Godwin Ekoh

The evaluation revealed that there has been an increase in the number of vultures in the community, which means the outreach and workshop proved effective. The team proceeded to the forest that houses the vultures to identify nests. Two nests were found during the visit. The Igwe on his part, also told the team that the community is doing everything within its power to preserve the forest and reduce human activities. 

To get a proper assessment and sighting of the vulture population, the team liaised with the butchers to leave a sizeable chunk of meat and bone in the open. About 35 vultures were sighted in the community. 

Preservation Efforts

The goal is to see that the vulture population in Awgu is protected and that they can gradually find a safe haven in Ihe forest that will enable them to thrive. The NCF team has also found out that for most purposes that the vultures supposedly serve in traditional medicine, there are better plant alternatives. This message has also been the focal point for the sensitization efforts. 

The team also had an advocacy visit to Igwe Godwin Ekoh to discuss efforts on conservation of Ihe forest seeing how much of an endangered species the vultures have become. Efforts are also been taken to carry out sensitizations across communities with high vulture populations.