***Pledges to recalibrate security architecture with emphasis on Safe School Initiative

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

KOGI State Government has announce the rescue of the remaining eight students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, abducted on Thursday May 9.

Mr Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Lokoja, had earlier announced the rescue of a total of 21 students and death of two others.

According to the Commissioner, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has directed full support towards the recovery of the rescued students and their parents, while modalities are being put in place to make Kogi State safer for all.

The State Government used the occasion of the rescue of the students to expresses profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for directing the mobilization of resources to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped students.

Kogi government thanked the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Security Chiefs as well as the Director-General, DSS; Inspector General of Police (IGP) for their commitment to the release of the students and the general security of the State.

The State Government also commended the Kogi State Command of all the security agencies, Police, DSS, NSCDC and “our local hunters are also highly appreciated for their efforts towards this feat.”

According to the statement, Governor Ododo also expressed gratitude to his Kwara State counterpart, AbdulRahmam AbdulRazak for his personal commitment, cooperation and support towards the success of the operation that led to the rescue of the remaining kidnapped students.

He said that Governor AbdulRahmam AbdulRazak had shown capacity and exhibited the force behind his effective leadership of the Nigerian Governors Forum adding, “His actions have also reinforced the Kogi-Kwara cooperation and unity of purpose.”

He said, “Now that the remaining students have been rescued, our administration will continue the drive to recalibrate our security architecture and pay an uncompromising attention to the Safe School Initiative.

“As the State with the lowest out of school children in the North, we have put structures in place to keep our schools safe to ensure every child is not deprived of his or her right to Education.

“Kogi has domesticated the Child Rights Act and we will defend the right of our children to quality Education. In Kogi State, Education is free up to the Secondary School level.

“We also pay the registration fees for our students to write all internal and external examinations with a budgetary allocation that is way above the UNESCO benchmark for education.

“We do all of these to educate our children and make them responsible contributors to the economy of Nigeria”, he said.

The Governor urged Kogi citizens to always volunteer intelligence to security agencies to enable them to prevent crime saying that it was safer, cheaper and better for us all.

He said, “All of us must come together to defeat banditry, kidnapping and any form of criminality in our society.” (Ends)

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State has been urged to give accelerated assent to the state HIV/AIDS Anti-stigma and discrimination Bill when passed by the state House of Assembly.

Initiative for Grassroots Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA), leading a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) working on HIV/AIDS in Kogi made the appeal during a Public Hearing on the anti-stigma Bill at the Assembly Complex in Lokoja.
Executive Director, INGRA, Mr Hamza Aliyu,
said that there was need for the Governor to quickly assent to the Bill to give persons living with HIV and AIDS in Kogi State a respite from the deluge of discrimination that they have been facing.

The Bill is titled: A Bill For A Law To Provide For The Prevention Of HIV And AIDS Based Discrimination And Protection Of The Rights And Dignity Of People Living With And Affected By HIV And AIDS And For Other Related Matters, 2024.

Aliyu said that the Bill was sponsored by Hon. Bin Ebaiya Shehu Tijjani, Member representing Lokoja I State Constituency and supported by INGRA and AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria/International.

According to him, the bill was presented to the Assembly on March 28th and had its First Reading on Wednesday, April 24th and the Second Reading, May 7, paving way for the Public Hearing and eventual passage.

After this stage of legislation of the Bill, the House is expected to consider it clause-by-clause at a Committee of the Whole before the Third and final reading.

According to the Executive Director of INGRA, the objectives of the Bill include prevention of acquisition of the dreaded HIV and its disease (AIDS) and curtailment of its spread in cases where it is already acquired.

Other major objectives of the bill are elimination of discrimination and protection of the rights and dignity of those living with or affected by the virus and or its disease.

Aliyu said that the One-day Public Hearing was organized by the House Joint Committees on Health and Justice/Judicial Matters to provide stakeholders and citizens the opportunity to make inputs and reviews into the HIV/AIDS Anti-stigma legislation.

Several Memoranda as well as oral presentations were made by the various stakeholders on issues around the Bill.

Aliyu who noted that Public Hearing remains a Constitutional requirement for all proposed legislations, said adherence to the provision as in this case was a further confirmation that the 7th Assembly in the state was well capacitated.

He said that the House of Assembly under the Speakership of Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, had capacity and was in tune with the yearnings and aspirations of the citizens especially the most vulnerable in the society.

“We wish to appreciate his democratic predisposition of ensuring that the voices of the people are heard in laws that affect them. This is what good governance should be about.

We also wish to appreciate the Chairmen of the Committees on Health and Justice for their efforts at bring about this engagement”, he said.

Present at the Pubic Hearing were the Speaker and his Deputy, Rt Hon. Comfort Nwuchiola Egwuaba; chairmen of the House Committees on Justice and Judicial matters, and Health, Hon. Halidu Usman Adejo (APC-Idah) and Hon. Ochidi Usman Shehu, (APC-Dekina/Biraidu).

Also in attendance were representatives from HIV/AIDS Patient communities (People Living with HIV and AIDS organizations), CISHAN, AONN, KONGONET, KOSACA, Kogi Justice Ministry, Office of the Public Defender and Citizens Rights and JNI among others. (Ends)

The senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Friday, visited the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, to express her sympathy with the school management and offer her support following the recent attacks on the institution by kidnappers.

The lawmaker, who was not in the country when the incident happened, stated that it’s unfortunate that her first visit to the university has to be in response to such an ugly situation.

“What has befallen CUSTECH a few weeks ago is a scenario that has become all too familiar in many institutions in Nigeria, and it’s quite worrisome. No child should ever fear for their safety in a place of learning; educational institutions should be the safest of all places,” she said.

The Senator expressed her willingness to support the university in any way possible to tackle the insecurity and complement what has already been put in place. She requested the University Vice Chancellor to write to her regarding any area where she can offer support to the school.

“The great value I place on education translates in my 2024 constituency projects which predominantly focuses on improving the quality to strengthe our educational institutions. We have already included Federal College of Education, Okene, Abdul Aziz Atta Memorial College, Okene, and Government Technical College, Oboroke in our specialised pilot projects, and we can replicate the same thing at CUSTECH” she added.

“I hope we can all come together, regardless of political affiliation, and work for the good of Kogi State and Nigeria. My doors are open to everyone, regardless of political differences. I sympathize with you, and I hope no student will ever have to suffer this again,” she said.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Abdulrahman Salawu, expressed his appreciation for Senator Natasha’s visit to commiserate with the institution.

He noted that the time for politics has passed, and it’s now time for governance and collaboration.
“Despite the efforts of the government to mobilise security officials to rescue the abducted students, two of them have been killed by their abductors solely because they chose to pursue an education. I appeal to you, Senator, to raise your voice and urge the Federal government to rise to the occasion and tackle the current insecurity,” he said.