By sdnonline

In order to reduce the spate of sexual violence against girls in the society, Humanity Family Foundation for Peace and Development (HUFFPED) has trained adolescent girls on ways to defend themselves from such.

The training which took place at Ikorodu area of Lagos State had in attendance, 30 adolescents. The programme was with support from Canada, Women’s Rights and Health Project, and Actionaid.

Speaking at the programme, the facilitator, Mrs. Elizabeth Samuel declared that self defense is the act of defending oneself from getting harm which include fighting back, boxing and karate. Or anything we do, say or believe that keeps one safe.

In keeping safe, she enjoined the participants to report to elderly person or authority that someome.is bothering them.

“You can say or yell leave me alone; tell a teacher or report to an elderly or authority when someone is bothering you,” she said.

She identified five person weapons that every individual possesses which include the spirit, mind, eyes, voice and body (SMEVG).

While explaining the types of assault to include verbal, intimidation and physical assault; she however informed that to defend themselves, the girls must know the stages of fighting stance.

“When you stand normally, being pushed is inevitable but to defend oneself, you must stand in the fighting stance which prevents you from falling and getting hurt,” she stressed.

While demonstrating the fighting stance, she urged the participants in the use of their voice.
“Finally, you are going to yell ‘No’ in a real life situation and when you say ‘No’ it should be firm and not squeaky from the throat,” she advised.

By sdnonline

The University of Lagos Mass Communication Alumni Association (UMCAA) will hold its annual Dinner and Awards night on December 3, 2022

The venue of the event is De Rembrandt Hotel, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos.

This year, new categories of awards have been introduced to appreciate illustrious members – individuals and sets – who have contributed immensely to the development of the department and the growth of the association.

The new categories include Grand Star Award, for that individual who has stood out over time in contributing to the development of the department.

Close Knit Award is for the set or class that has a close-knit association. Members look out for each other, building a family bond and connection, donating to support our Alma Mater.

There will also be special recognition awards for 10 veterans.

Regular categories of award include: Broadcast Journalist of the year, Public Relations Professional of the year, Advertising Professional of the year, Print Journalist of the year, Online Professional of the year, Lecturer of the year, UMCAAite of the year and Most Participatory set of the year.

According to Pastor Eniola Mayowa, Chairman, Award Sub-Committee, the 2021 dinner and awards was big and loud but this year’s would be bigger and better.

Addressing the alumni, she said: “You have seen the sights and sounds of 2021 dinner and awards, 2022 edition promises to be bigger and better. You will have to do the nominations. And it is more awards and recognitions. It is a beautiful way to end the year.”

Elder Tunde Awobiyi, Chairman of the Dinner and Awards Committee stated that the 2022 dinner and awards will be bigger and colourful, an unforgettable event that reunites old folks. “This year dinner will be different and special because it will be 3-in-1 event: the dinner proper, swearing in of the new exco and awards for deserving UMCAAites,” he said.

Established in 1966, the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos is one of the oldest in the country. It boasts of many of Nigeria’s finest journalists, educators, administrators and leading media professionals who dot the nation’s communication and media industry.

By sdnonline

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on governments at all levels to fulfill their obligations to ensure the safety of journalists by investigating all attacks against media practitioners as well as prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators of such attacks.

The organisation said this would send a strong signal to those who attack journalists that they can no longer do so with impunity while also giving the media the confidence to carry out their functions without fear.

MRA made the call at a press conference organised to commemorate the 2022 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and the 10-year anniversary of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which was endorsed by the UN Chief Executives Board, the highest-level coordination mechanism in the UN system.

In his address, MRA’s Programme Director, Mr. Ayode Longe, reminded the government that the security of citizens is one of its primary functions and urged the Federal Government to develop and adopt robust mechanisms to protect journalists and ensure their safety and security.

Attacks against Journalists

Noting that 10 years after the UN came out with the Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists, Nigeria has not taken any concrete action to stem the spate of attacks against journalists and the media in the country, he said “the increasing level of attacks against media practitioners and organisations in the country was shocking and ought to be a source of concern for everyone.

” MRA has recorded and documented dozens, even hundreds, of attacks against journalists over the years and is yet to hear of any instance where a journalist has been killed in Nigeria and a serious investigation was conducted and the perpetrators arrested and prosecuted.”

He challenged the government to cite any attack on journalists or the media that it has seriously investigated and share with the public the outcome of any such investigation, including details of those arrested and prosecuted for the offence.

Since the beginning of the current democratic dispensation on May 29, 1999 to date, MRA has collated and documented cases of 19 journalists killed and in none of these killings has the Federal Government investigated, arrested, prosecuted or brought any of the perpetrators to justice.

“In the last one year alone, MRA collated and documented over 47 incidents of attacks against journalists, media workers and media houses, and in the course of their work, journalists are arrested and detained, assaulted and beaten, abducted, have their equipment and gadgets confiscated and, in some cases, destroyed, have their operations disrupted among other form of attacks,” he said.

Police brutality against Journalists

Longe noted that MRA’s records showed that men of the Nigerian Police are the major perpetrators of the attacks against journalists as the organisation had documented over 15 of such incidents in which they were the perpetrators, with armed hoodlums and political thugs coming a close second.

He said it was ironic that the Nigerian Police and other law enforcement and security agents that Nigerians should be relying on to protect journalists and the media from attacks by political thugs and other bad actors are themselves the worst culprits.

He expressed concern that the Police are also being frequently used to harass and intimidate journalists and other media workers by the rich and powerful who are uncomfortable with the media beaming the searchlight on them and their activities.

He noted that in the last six months, MRA has recorded at least six such incidents where journalists were accused of criminal defamation, cyberstalking or such other offence by the law enforcement agencies acting on the biddings of politicians.

Reminding the government that the world is moving away from criminalising expression and as such journalists should not be arrested, detained or charged to court over stories and reports that they have published, he noted that the Police continue to use the provisions of Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 to charge journalists and other Nigerians with cyberstalking despite the fact that the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has declared the provision to be a violation of the right to freedom of expression.

Longe described the continued use of the provision of the Cybercrimes Act to harass journalists and other citizens as a brazen disregard for the decision of the ECOWAS Court, a violation of Nigeria’s treaty obligations and an unjustifiable disrespect for the court.

He therefore called on members of the public to take an interest in the safety of journalists and do everything within their power to help protect them and take action to ensure that those who attack them are brought to justice.