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Teach your children sex education early in life — expert

Raji Rasak
Parents have been advised to educate their children on all they need to know about sex education.
Mrs Oluwayemisi Ogunyemi, an Assistant Director in the Lagos State Ministry of Education, gave the advice in Badagry on Monday during a virtual discussion organised by the Badagry Development Women Forum (BDWF).
Ogunyemi advised parents to always define every part of their children’s body, particularly, their private parts to them so that children could understand their importance.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the virtual topic is: “Impact of Mothers on Sexual Assault and Consent in Recent Times”.
Ogunyemi said more emphasis should be laid on consent when educating the children on sex education at a young age.
“Let the children know that it is ‘my body, my rules’.
“No one should have dominance over me or my body because of the cloths I wear, or the way I look or because I was born differently,” she said.
She advised that parents should learn how to communicate properly and be protective of their children.
Ogunyemi said that mothers alone should not be left alone to care for their children at home.
According to her, parenting is a collective responsibility, and I think that the onus should not be on just the mothers.
“Both parents should as much as possible ensure they make themselves available to their children , not just physically, but also emotionally.
“But in a situation whereby the children are not particularly close to their fathers, I will encourage mothers to fill that vacuum and ensure that they educate their children properly.
“Make them know that no matter what happens, they can always have at least one person to confide in.
“I am fully aware that the society has put the bigger burden of raising the child on the mother,” she said.
She said that over the years, a greater per cent of African mothers were complacent about how they raised their male children, and that tradition was carried down from generation to generation.
“Some mothers never really hold their male children with the same level of accountability as their female children.
“Some do it unintentionally because that’s what they’re were taught to accept as the normal way of life.
“The typical African home focuses more on raising the girl-child in a certain manner such as teaching er how to cook , how to dress decently and how to behave in order to score a good man and marry into a good home,” she said.
On the incessant cases of rape in the country, Ogunyemi said creating an atmosphere for victims to open up could be helpful.
“Until we begin to create a safe space for the victims to speak up, until we begin to advocate for capital punishment for rapists and their apologists, we might not see the end of this war.
“The poor lady that was raped and murdered in a church in Edo , a place that should be safe for all, what can we say she did wrong? What excuses can be given?
“This further buttresses my point that regardless of how decent or indecently dressed a lady is, she can still be raped.
“I believe that the earlier we begin to blame the rapists for the act, instead of blaming the victims; the earlier we teach our male children that you have no authority over anyone’s body, because you’re stronger or because you were born a male child, the better for the society,” she said.
Also, David Chidozie, the Chief Executive Officer of Chidozie Global Network, said that the same energy channelled at training the girl-child should be channelled towards training the boy-child.
According to him, rape should not only be viewed as a female thing, saying that while she is the victim, the male is the culprit.
” The menfolk will be in a better position to fight rape, because they are in the centre of it; the men are the promoters of rape and should be called out to lead the advocacy,” he said.
News
SERAP sues Akpabio over ‘failure to reverse unlawful suspension of Natasha Akpoti’

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The group argues that the suspension is unlawful and violates her fundamental right to freedom of expression.
SERAP is seeking a court order compelling Akpabio to reverse the six-month suspension, reinstate Akpoti-Uduaghan, and restore all her legislative privileges. The organization also wants an injunction preventing the Senate from imposing further disciplinary actions against her for expressing her views.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended after she reportedly spoke without permission and rejected a new seat assignment in the Senate chamber. As part of her suspension, her salary and allowances have been withheld, and she has been barred from identifying as a senator.
In its suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP contends that the suspension deprives Akpoti-Uduaghan’s constituents of political representation. The organization also argues that penalizing a senator for exercising free speech creates a chilling effect on other lawmakers.
“No one should ever be punished for speaking without permission,” SERAP stated. “The Senate should uphold the rule of law and protect human rights, not suppress them.”
The group cites constitutional provisions and international human rights treaties, including Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
SERAP maintains that the Senate Standing Orders cannot override constitutional guarantees of free speech. The lawsuit emphasizes that restricting a senator’s expression undermines democracy and violates Nigerians’ right to receive information and participate politically.
No date has been set for the hearing of the case.
News
Market associations, women groups knock el-Rufai, rally support for Tinubu, Gov Sani

Ahead of the 2027 elections, hundreds of members of market associations and numerous women groups in Kaduna state at the weekend, occupied Kaduna metropolis in a peaceful demonstration where they reiterated their loyalty and support to the administration of
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The protesters who alleged that they had bitter experiences during the El-Rufa’i administration, said they would remain where Governor Uba Sani stood and advised the citizens of Kaduna not to be deceived by doing the contrary.
They recounted their ordeals during the 8 years of the previous administration, alleging that hundreds of market shops belonging to individuals were either seized, demolished or confiscated, a situation that triggered ill health in many traders and business owners leading to paralysis and multiple deaths of their colleagues.
“We’ve been in the market for over 40 years and have never experienced the kind of set backs we suffered under the previous Governor.”
“A lot of lives were lost,a lot of finances were ruined by reason of his kind of policies. We are here to speak with one voice and say that anything that would kind of revive such kind of philosophy in Kaduna market, we don’t want it,” Daniel Audu Maigari, a stakeholder of the Kaduna Market associations, has said.
He explained that “this incumbent Governor began by healing the wounds, the wounds that were really severed by the former Governor. Governor Uba Sani has been doing so,so very well and that’s why we’ve been with our leader, Alhaji Abdurrahman Mohammed, who like Governor Sani,has been charting the right course, ensuring programmes and plans that will heal these wounds .”
He said there was never been a time they are having the impact of leadership in Kaduna market, like they are having now.
” Now we’ve lots of incentives, lots of policies that are driving us to progress .We are now standing with one voice to denounce anything that would reverse this,” he said.
Alhaji Daiyabu Ismail Mai Gwanjo, Chairman Stakeholders of the Kaduna State Market Traders associations, said on behalf of their leader,Alhaji Abdurrahman Mohammed, his EXCO and all trader leaders in the 23 Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, they have gathered to unilaterally declare an unalloyed support to Governor Uba Sani who had taken care of them and protected their interests.
According to him,” we have to say so,haven had the harrowing experience in the hands of the past administration. The scar still remains and many are yet to recover.”
“But when Almighty Allah sent Governor Uba Sani to us,he declared he would not do anything bad to traders because the world thrives on businesses.All the most cherished countries like China, Canada, UAE, India,are very proud of and supportive to their traders and other business persons.”
“Unfortunately, we found ourselves during the previous administration that neither showed empathy nor sympathy to traders. An approximate number of 36 markets were demolished at that time.None of these markets was completely rebuild ,till date,and we are suspicious of the collaboration between the previous administration and the market developers.”
“We are therefore calling on Governor Uba Sani, our Governor of sympathy and understanding, to look at this issue with a view to resolving it.We are with Uba Sani a hundred percent, ” he added.
Hajiya Hadiza Abdulaziz,a woman leader of the market association,said they have gathered in multitudes to reiterate their support to the APC and Governor Uba Sani who has tremendously supported the market men and women in Kaduna State.
” Most of the market women had no shops because the shops were collected. But now we give God the glory everybody has gotten their shops back and nobody will collect it again,” she said.
She expressed happiness that those making the market women not to achieve, had left the party and government.
“We’ve been crying, a lot of market women don’t have capital, they have been deceiving us.But now,I believe Governor Uba Sani is going to assist us,”she added.
The protesters later took to the streets ,displaying placards with various inscriptions denouncing the previous arrangements, and chanting slogans in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
” Most of the market women had no shops because the shops were collected. But now we give God the glory everybody has gotten their shops back and nobody will collect it again,” she said.
She expressed happiness that those making the market women not to achieve, had left the party and government.
“We’ve been crying, a lot of market women don’t have capital, they have been deceiving us.But now,I believe Governor Uba Sani is going to assist us,”she added.
The protesters later took to the streets ,displaying placards with various inscriptions denouncing the previous arrangements, and chanting slogans in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
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