Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, says that the humanitarian impact of the flood disasters in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States in the North East region of Nigeria would need about $200 million to address.

Addressing the special session of the ongoing 12th Annual Conference of Speakers of National and Regional Parliaments at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) of the African Union (AU) in Midrand, South Africa, Kalu said that over one million persons were displaced in one of the State by the natural disaster with tens of thousands of families without shelter, food, water and access to healthcare.

He said that flooding is one of the negative impacts of climate change in Africa which must be checked.

Kalu who is leading the Nigerian delegation to the conference told other African leaders that the tragedy has greatly affected the economy and the infrastructures of the states and the country at large.

He therefore called on the African Union and other international organizations to assist Nigeria in solving the humanitarian crisis even as the Parliament at his instance observed one minute silence in honour of those who died in the flood disaster.

He said: “It is obvious that across the length and breadth of our continent, the losses suffered from climate change is unquantifiable but the loss of lives is the one that is hard to bear. Whether it is in Nigeria, Mali and so on, you see our brothers and sisters weeping for the dead lost through the consequences of climate change.

“Currently Nigeria is going through one of the worst times in our history. For these ones we have lost through the consequences of climate change, I will like to request humbly that as leaders of this continent that we observe one minute silence for the dead.

“This presentation highlights what we are passing through in real terms on climate change. We are experiencing the impact of climate change all across the world and Africa is not left out. Nigeria recently witnessed climate change induced flooding that affected Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. This humanitarian crisis has dealt a heavy blow on our infrastructure and our economy.

“From August to September, these torrential rainfalls and subsequent bridge of major dams caused severe flooding causing a widespread destruction in communities facing social and economic challenges.

“Mr. President, Hon. colleagues, this particular flood has displaced over one million people in one state, and tens of thousands of families without shelter, food, water, ccess to healthcare.

“One of the consequences of climate change is job losses, in addition to the agricultural losses, this has crippled local businesses within these areas. There’s also infrastructure destruction, key roads, bridges broken down. Impact on education is huge because most of the centers are being used as IDP centres to house displaced people.

“The estimated cost of the humanitarian response for this flood impact is about $200 million, needed to be able to bring the place back to shape.

“How is the AU working to ensure a coordinated response to climate change induced crisis such as the recent flooding in Nigerian states

“Mr President, are there specific interventions frameworks in place on mobilizing resources for member states facing climate related disasters like Nigeria.

“This is me calling for help, giving visibility for what is happening in Nigeria. There’s a disaster area at the moment and we need all hands, AU, international organizations to come on board and help Nigeria.”

In a related development, Kalu while reacting to a presentation on the factors militating against the achievements of goals of Africa Free Trade Agreement (AfFTA) called for the removal of various bottlenecks.

“There are challenges confronting the achievement of the goals of these particular Africa Free Trade Agreement. One of which I have observed is the overlapping regional economic council membership. If we don’t remove the bottlenecks it will impede the success of which we intend to achieve. Trade adjustment cost has been also observed as one of the bottlenecks which is the transition to a single African market that requires significant adjustments in national economies. It’s a major challenge.

“It’s a bottleneck that we need to clear. How about capacity for domestication? Members may struggle to domesticate like you’ve rightly pointed out these protocols into national laws and policies in a timely manner”, he said.

A rape offence is reported every hour in London, according to data obtained by the BBC.

More than 8,800 rape incidents were reported to the Metropolitan Police in 2023 – an average of 24 a day.

Charities have called the findings “horrifying” but say the true extent of sexual offending will be far higher.

The Met says it remains determined to tackle sexual violence, is “striving to do better” and that the number of rape charges has more than doubled since 2022.

The data – obtained via Freedom of Information requests to the Met and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – also shows a further 11,000 reports of other sexual crimes were reported to the force last year, with almost a quarter of all reported crimes from people aged under 18.

The figures represent the number of reports issued from 2018 to 2023, but do not necessarily mean all the crimes happened within that time period.

For example, if someone reported historical sexual abuse in 2023, that would be filed as a 2023 report.

There were two offence datasets: one on reported rape only, and another comprising sexual assault, assault by penetration and attempted rape offences.

From 2018 to 2023, of all these crimes, total reported incidents increased by 14% to almost 20,000.

To put this into context, a report of sexual violence or rape was made to the Met on average every 26 and a half minutes.

London-based Rape Crisis centres, Solace and Nia have called the findings “horrifying” adding that it “clear urgent change is needed”.

Sexual offence reports on London transport up 10%

Amy has waived her right to anonymity.

She says she handed the police a phone with evidence and said the Met returned it after six months.

She said: “I found out that they didn’t take any of the evidence off it so they called me again to ask for my phone back to get that evidence but my phone broke so effectively, from that moment on, I knew that the case was going to be dropped because literally all of the evidence was gone.

“That moment was a terrible moment in time and put me into absolute paralysis but it was the police that put me on suicide watch.

“Victims already feel that everything is the victim’s fault but the police will definitely ensure that you feel that way.”

Tirion Havard, professor of gender abuse and policy at London South Bank University, said the figures were “depressing” both because of the extent of the offending and also in that it was “depressing that I’m not surprised”.

Prof Havard added the actual problem was far worse than the figures released by the Met indicate.

“It’s the tip of the iceberg. This is almost best-case scenario.”

Rape Crisis says only one in six women who are raped report the crime – that figure is one in five for male victims – while only one in four will report other types of sexual assault.

Additionally, data from the Office for National Statistics shows that in the year ending in March 2022 almost 800,000 females aged 16 and over reported that they were raped or sexually assaulted every year in the UK – that’s about one in 30. This figure was 275,000 for male victims.

Nearly a quarter of all reported victims were 17 or younger. This makes it the second-largest age bracket, behind 18 to 29 years old.

According to the data, more than 4,300 children reported being a victim of rape or sexual assault to the Met in 2023, equating to a report of sexual abuse about every two hours.

Kellie Ann Fitzgerald, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) assistant director for London and the South East, said child sexual offences in London “remain close to record levels”.

She also noted the true extent of offending was likely to be much higher.

Ms Fitzgerald believes “it is crucial that the new government overhauls the criminal justice system” to tackle crime backlogs and to fast-track cases involving children.

Charges for sexual crimes have risen significantly in recent years.

There were 818 charges in 2018, falling to 800 the following year but have steadily risen since then to 1,419 in 2023.

However these figures represent only a small fraction of complaints made.

While the data shows an increase in the number of people reporting such crimes, and an increase in charges, the charity Rape Crisis UK believes “urgent” change is needed.

“We want to see a robust criminal justice system that victims and survivors and the wider public can have faith in.”

While the charity acknowledged commitments by the Met and CPS to tackle sexual violence, it said “we are yet to see this impact”.

In response to the criticism, the Met told the BBC it was “determined to tackle sexual violence and our teams have transformed the way we investigate rape and sexual offences”.

‘Survivors need to be believed’

In 2023, the figure of 1,419 charges made compares to 10,991 reports of rape in London, although the number of prosecutions does not represent the number of alleged crimes committed in a given year. Some of the prosecutions will be from cases reported in 2022 or earlier.

In addition, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says it can only work on cases sent to it by the police.

The data obtained from the CPS shows the number of prosecutions and convictions for “rape-flagged cases and cases where the principal offence was sexual offences” from January 2018 to December 2022.

Across this five-year span the CPS recorded 1,527 prosecutions and 925 convictions – a conviction rate of 60.6%.

A spokesperson for the CPS said “more must be done to drive up the overall number of cases charged”.

They added that this was why the CPS was “working closely with the police from the earliest stage of an investigation to build strong cases from the outset”.

The conviction rate for rape “seriously undermines survivors’ confidence in the criminal justice system”, according to Rape Crisis.

“Survivors need to be believed and supported; they need to trust that the system will fight for justice.”

As of January this year, there were 3,355 rape cases awaiting trial in England and Wales, with an average wait time for defendants on bail of 358 days.

But tackling these crimes cannot be done by the police alone, says Cdr Kevin Southworth, lead for public protection at the Met Police.

“Listening to those with lived experience, and working together with charities and partners across the criminal justice system, we’re working to ensure that all victims and survivors get the justice they deserve,” he told BBC London.

Rape survivor ‘disgusted’ over no free transcripts

Reporting a sexual crime can be extremely traumatic and any legal proceedings add extra turmoil, says Prof Havard.

She believes the investigation procedures and cross-examinations into rape cases leave women feeling “virtually strip searched”.

“There’s a double victimisation. First of all, she’s raped and then she’s blamed for that rape. Why would anybody want to put themselves through that?”

Combine this with entrenched societal stereotypes and victims feel helpless, she says.

It’s not just faith in the system. It’s faith in the Metropolitan Police too, says Prof Havard.

In response, the CPS said it was improving its service to victims and that complainants could pre-record their cross-examination by the defence and so not have to give evidence in front of a jury.

In recent years, London has witnessed a number of Met officers convicted of sexual offences, the most high profile of which was the rape and murder of Sarah Everard in 2021 by off-duty constable Wayne Couzens.

On the third anniversary of the attack, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said it would “take years” to repair damage to trust in the police.

Since then, there have been further high profile cases involving Met officers.

In February of last year, David Carrick admitted to dozens of rapes and sexual offences against 12 women.

Meanwhile in May, another former police officer, Cliff Mitchell, was jailed for 10 counts of rape, including three of raping a child under the age of 13.

‘Striving to do better’

Det Ch Supt Angela Craggs said: “We know reporting a sexual offence to police can be difficult and we have worked hard in recent years to improve and support those who take this step.

“Significant progress has been made in relation to digital forensics, including obtaining evidence from mobile devices when someone reports an offence, to ensure this is as unobtrusive an experience as possible.

“In most cases we try and ensure a mobile device is returned within 24 hours and ensure our evidence gathering is targeted to extract only relevant information.

“We have also invested £11m in our technology and staff to speed us this process and minimise the impact on victims.

“We are always striving to do better and know that listening to and understanding the experiences of those who report sexual offences to us is a key part of this process.”

Credit: BBC News

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has clarified its position regarding the Monetary, Credit, Foreign Trade, and Exchange Policy Guidelines for the Fiscal Years 2024 – 2025.

The CBN on Friday clarified its position as outlined in a Monetary Policy Circular No. 45 which the Apex Bank published on its official website and X account.

“The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria {CBN) has been drawn to certain instances of misinterpretation or misrepresentation of its biennial publication on Monetary, Credit, Foreign Trade, and Exchange Policy Guidelines published on Tuesday, September 17, 2024,” the circular read.

“In response, the CBN has temporarily withdrawn the document to minimize risk of any further misrepresentation.

“As is stated explicitly in the document to guide stakeholders, the CBN reiterates that the publication is a compilation of previously issued policies and guidelines issued by the Bank up to a cut-off date, typically December 31 of the relevant year.

“As in all previous editions, the current document is intended to achieve the following objectives: A single reference source for the ease and convenience of stakeholders, a valid compilation of policies, directives, and guidelines for adjudication in conflict situations involving stakeholders and an additional clarification of policies and guidelines.

“As a compendium of previously issued policies and guidelines, the provisions are applicable only to the extent that there have been no updates or revisions to the guidelines and policies contained therein. This is stated explicitly in the document to quide stakeholders.

“In fine with prior editions, the most recent publication (January 2024) contains policies and guidelines issued by the Bank up to 31 December 2023, some of which will remain relevant during the period 2024-2025 However, several others may cease to apply owing to revisions or updates that become applicable in the aftermath of its publication.

“This Is clearly stated in the document as follows:
The Guidelines may be adjusted by the CBN without prior notice, to address new developments in the domestic ond global economies in the period. However, such amendments shall be communicated to the relevant institutions/ stakeholders in supplementary circulars.”

The CBN said the publication further provides the public with avenues for obtaining clarifications on the whole or any part of the document on pages 147 and 148.

It said some recent media publications referencing aspects of the Guidelines refer to policy positions of the bank issued prior to December 31, 2023 which have changed in the light of revisions and updates in 2024. In the light of these clarifications, it has asked stakeholders to note some things.

The CBN said one example is the Cyber Security Levy which was suspended in May 2024, superseding the circular reported in the guidelines.

It explained that certain technical aspects of the guidelines have been widely misreported and misrepresented.

For example, the Apex Bank said that reports have mistakenly sought to link the fuel subsidy removal to external reserves.

It clarified that such reports essentially missed the analytical basis for the original statement which was intended to observe a potential risk that was to be mitigated by policy.

More recently, it said policies of the bank around the naira exchange rate and those of the fiscal authorities have positively altered the outlook of the subject in question.

“In summary, the guidelines must primarily be viewed as a record of policies, circulars and directives issued by the bank up to the end of 2023. They are not new directives and should not be reported as such,” the circular read.

“The bank will continue to provide clear monetary policy direction and advice for the overall good of the economy. We urge all stakeholders to seek clarification of information about the bank before publishing.”

The Allergy and Clinical Immunology Society (ACIS) has lamented the difficulties encountered in caring for allergy conditions owing to a lack of training, access to drugs, and the cost of drugs.

Chairperson of ACIS, Dr Olatunde Odusote, decried the lack of awareness in this region regarding allergy diseases while noting that the increase in these conditions, though not fully understood, can be attributed to climate change and global warming.

This was stated at a media parley yesterday, ahead of the two-day World Allergy Training School (WATS) starting today in Lagos, organised by ACIS in partnership with the World Allergy Organisation (WAO).

He noted the need to develop a curriculum within the context of the nation to offer basic training to practitioners who can care for allergies at the primary level.

He added that participants for the training would cut across the various medical spectrum, and lectures would cover disease processes, necessary tests to run, their interpretation, and how to go about it.

“One of the major problems we have had in the world of allergy is that people think when one has such conditions, you must do a test, but it is not necessarily so. You need to listen to their story first, and if there is a need for a test, you can go ahead,” he said.

Odusote stated that the organisation is focused on creating awareness, promoting advocacy, and empowering healthcare practitioners and the community with the right information.

President of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Prof. James Tracy, said the training would deal with a catalogue of allergies such as asthma, food allergy, and practical training on how to treat severe allergic reactions.

He noted that disease awareness, genetic components, and environmental pollution are possible causes of increased allergic conditions globally.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has disclosed some of the benefits of the new Electronic Central Motor Registry (E-CMR), a digital innovation designed to modernise vehicle registration and improve road safety.

The Force Spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, announced the benefits of the innovation on Thursday.

Adejobi said the E-CMR will eliminate the need for physical vehicle documents and enable real-time verification of registration information by police officers

He explained that the Electronic Central Motor Registry system was launched to make roads safer and the policing process more efficient.

Adejobi also stated the new E-CMR system elimination of paperwork, saying, “NO MORE PAPERWORK! With the NPF’s new E-CMR system, you don’t need to carry around physical documents. Access all your vehicle info digitally – quick, easy, and secure.

He added that this new system allows vehicle owners to immediately flag their vehicle as stolen through their online profile if it goes missing, triggering alerts to field officers nationwide within seconds.

With this new E-CMR system, according to Adejobi, there is no more need to stop and check papers, as officers are equipped with cutting-edge technology to verify documents in real time.

Adejobi stated, “If your vehicle is registered with the NPF E-CMR and gets stolen, you can instantly flag it as stolen through your online profile. All field officers nationwide will be alerted within seconds! Let’s make our roads safer together,”

“Inspector-General Egbetokun is revolutionising how we keep our roads safe with the new E-CMR system! Now, no more stopping to check papers; our officers are equipped with cutting-edge tech to verify documents in real-time.”

e-policing is around. pic.twitter.com/tryAUFMYQz

— Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi (@Princemoye1) September 18, 2024

An analysis of Nigeria’s Multidimensional poverty index by ActionAid Nigeria has revealed that about 65 percent of poor people, that is 86 million people live in the northern part of the country, while 36 percent, nearly 47 million people live in the South.

The analysis indicated the poorest states in the country to include Sokoto, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Kebbi, Gombe, and Yobe, but cannot determine which of these states is the poorest.

The organisation disclosed this at the launch of its report on Austerity Measure, poverty and Gender Inequality in Nigeria in Abuja, saying Nigeria’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) for 2022 found that 63% of the population, amounting to approximately 133mn Nigerians, are multidimensionally poor.

Analysing the report, the Country Director of ActionAid Andrew Mamedu noted that Poverty and inequality do not just happen; they result from economic, social, and political decisions made by the state and citizens.

He said “The critical policy decisions reflected in the key macroeconomic indicators show the rate and trend of poverty and inequality. Extant Nigerian negative indicators on gross domestic product (GDP) growth, inflation, interest rate, unemployment, debts, and deficits, among others, can only lead to one direction, increased poverty.”

Mamedu further stated that the underlying cause of the current spate of poverty is rooted in the heavy burden of austerity measures, imposed as part of broader macroeconomic policies.

He disclosed that based on their research, from 2010 to 2020, Nigeria’s debt stock ballooned by over 300%, reaching a staggering ₦31 trillion by the end of 2020​ , and as of March 31st, 2024, debt stock stands at USD 91,463.99, an equivalent of N121, 670.49. trillion consuming 74% of government revenue and leaving little for vital sectors such as education, healthcare, and social protection​.

He pointed out that keeping large numbers of people excluded from access to economic resources, employment, healthcare, adequate food, clean water and sanitation, education, skills, and technology, will result in a reduction of future productive human potential.

He stressed that well-designed and sustained investments in areas such as maternal and child health, education, and social protection would yield significant dividends for society.

“Conversely, no society can expect to achieve sustained economic and social progress while significant numbers of its population often disproportionately women and girls – are poorly nourished, in poor health, and lack the education and/or skills needed for their own and their families’ development,” he stated

The Minister of Budget and National Planning Atiku Bagudu who was represented by the Director of Microeconomic Philip Okwonkwo wondered if poverty and inequality could be tackled at the same time.

He maintained that the issue of poverty is a global phenomenon as it is not unique to Nigeria and Africa alone and harped on the need for stakeholders to collaborate to empower the poor people in society.