馃嚦馃嚞NigeriaWest Africa
Kwara lawmaker advocates stronger laws to protect females
via Punch Nigeria9 min read
Rukayat Shittu, a member representing Owode/Onire State Constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly, has called for stronger legislative action against violence targeting women and girls. Her advocacy came during the West Africa Female Parliamentarians CD Peer Review Conference on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, held in Accra, Ghana. The three-day event, organized by the Women in Politics Forum with support from UN Women West and Central Africa Regional Office and the European Union, gathered female legislators, gender ministers, ECOWAS Parliament members, and development organization representatives. Shittu emphasized that violence against women and girls is a critical challenge requiring robust legislative action and effective implementation. She highlighted the conference as a vital platform for West African lawmakers to share knowledge, enhance legal frameworks, and forge regional partnerships to better safeguard women and girls. As part of a regional working group, Shittu reviewed country experiences and discussed legislative approaches, stressing the need for parliaments to ensure effective oversight, implementation, and support systems for survivors of gender-based violence. She underlined that collaboration among African legislators is essential for lasting reforms, stating that no country can address this issue in isolation. Shittu, Nigeria鈥檚 youngest serving female lawmaker, noted that her participation reflects Nigeria鈥檚 commitment to regional effort
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria ALTON has urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission FCCPC and the Nigerian Communications Commission NCC to establish a clear framework for regulating airtime and data credit services. ALTON Chairman Gbenga Adebayo made the call following a Federal High Court judgment in Lagos that affirmed the FCCPC's authority to regulate these services alongside the NCC's powers. The court ruled that the relationship between the two regulators is complementary, stating that "concurrency means coexistence, not displacement." The judgment preserved the NCC's exclusive responsibility for telecommunications licensing and technical regulation while affirming the FCCPC's powers under its 2018 Act. Adebayo welcomed the decision, noting it provides clarity for operators, and urged both commissions to engage industry stakeholders through formal consultations before taking enforcement actions. He highlighted that 40 million Nigerians rely on these services and referenced the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council's directive requiring Regulatory Impact Assessments for significant regulatory changes.
Lie Siu Luan, 70, the leader of a baby trafficking ring operating in Indonesia and Singapore, has been sentenced to seven years in prison. Presiding judge Gatot Ardian Agustriono stated that Lie was found guilty of committing crimes for exploitation. The sentence is less than the 10 years prosecutors had sought. Lie had previously admitted to the court that she sent at least 12 babies to Singapore. According to the indictment, she trafficked a baby to Singapore for adoption in 2022, earning approximately S$17,000. Another defendant, Astri Fitrinika, received a sentence of six years and seven months for a similar charge. The arrests occurred last year after a parent reported a baby kidnapping in West Java province. Police rescued several infants held by the syndicate before they could be sold, while other children, rejected by clients in Singapore, were sold within Indonesia, including to adoptive parents in Jakarta.
Osita Okechukwu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, has urged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race and assume the role of a statesman. Speaking on Arise Television, Okechukwu stated that Atiku's decision to contest the 2023 presidential election, despite the Peoples Democratic Party's zoning arrangement, weakened both the opposition and Nigeria's democracy. He highlighted that Atiku's emergence as the PDP presidential candidate in 2022, against calls for the ticket to be zoned to the South, triggered a crisis that continues to affect the party. Okechukwu expressed admiration for Atiku but appealed to him to prioritize national interest over personal ambition, suggesting that his actions in 2022 led to significant collateral damage for the PDP and the political landscape. He argued that if Atiku had allowed a Southerner to contest against President Bola Tinubu, the PDP might have remained strong, even if it lost the election. Okechukwu also faulted Atiku's criticism of President Tinubu regarding a one-party state, asserting that the PDP's internal decisions contributed significantly to its current predicament. The dispute over Atiku's candidacy in 2022 led to the G5 governors' rebellion and deepened divisions within the opposition party, which was seen as a factor in the PDP's defeat in the 2023 presidential election.