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ECOWAS Parliament set to elect first female speaker

ECOWAS Parliament set to elect first female speaker
By: Michael Mike
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament is set to elect its first female speaker.
The Parliamentarians representing Togo at the ECOWAS Parliament are already in where the 2024 Extraordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature of the Community Parliament is ongoing.
It is expected that the delegation from Togo will be sworn in on Thursday and subsequently the new Speaker would emerge among them as the position has been allotted based on the rotational system of the parliament for the Speakership.
Statements emerging from the floor of the Parliament showed that a female parliamentarian, Memounatou Ibrahima, will emerged as the speaker,
Ibrahima was the third Deputy Speaker in the fifth Legislature of ECOWAS Parliament; she has been in the ECOWAS Parliament since 2021.
She is primed to take up the baton from the Nigerian leader of delegation, Senator Barau Jubrin who was elected the First Deputy Speaker at the inauguration of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament on April 4th 2024, had to act as the Speaker to avoid creating vacuum of leadership at the Community Parliament,
During the inauguration of the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS on April 4th 2024, the delegation of the Republic of Togo was not present because they had not conducted election to enable the country send their representatives to the Community Parliament.
ECOWAS Parliament set to elect first female speaker
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Over 480, 000 children vaccinated against measles, rubella in Gombe State-Official

Over 480, 000 children vaccinated against measles, rubella in Gombe State-Official
Mr Abdulkarim Aliyu, the State Immunisation Officer, Gombe State Primary HealthCare Development Agency said that the state had successfully vaccinated no fewer than 481, 734 as of day three of the ongoing integrated vaccination campaign in the state.
Aliyu disclosed this on Tuesday in Gombe after monitoring the immunisation in different communities in the state in company of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria team.
He stated that the campaign was targeting 1.7 million children for measles-rubella vaccination.
According to him, over 30 per cent of eligible children had been vaccinated as of evening of day three of the campaign.
“About 1.8million doses of MR vaccines were received for Gombe State and we are targeting 1.7million children.
“ For now, 481, 734 children have been vaccinated as of the evening of day three and if we add Day four then the figure would be higher.
“For the Oral Polio Vaccine, we received over 1 million doses and as of the evening of day three of the campaign, 253, 772 children have been reached with the vaccine,” he said.
Aliyu expressed optimism that with the large turn out and low resistance witnessed so far, the state would meet its target by at least 95 per cent.
Our Correspondent who monitored the exercise in some selected PHCs and schools in Gombe metropolis reports that there were large turn out for vaccination.
Community health workers were seen at different schools, administering vaccines to eligible children.
Mrs Asmau Madi, a resident of Gidan Magani who visited the PHC in her community to get her child vaccinated commended the state government, UNICEF and other partners for their efforts at reducing child mortality.
Madi said since embracing vaccination with the support of her husband, her children’s health had been improved, minimising the tendency of them falling ill regularly.
She encouraged women in the state to bring out their children for the exercise, adding that the vaccines were safe for children.
Mr Abdullahi Bello, the Ward Focal Person for immunisation, Bolari West said that the Ward has 16 settlements being covered by his team.
Bello stated that there had been massive turn out of residents for the exercise since the beginning of the campaign four days ago.
He said as of Day 3, over 3000 children had been vaccinated, stressing that the ongoing campaign had yielded better acceptance than previous exercises.
“The level of awareness for this campaign was massive and it covered all stakeholders at the grassroots and that’s why we are getting more acceptance and no rejection for now,” he said.
Our Correspondent reports that Dr Rownak Khan, the Deputy Representative, UNICEF Nigeria; Dr Kabiru Shall, UNICEF Nigeria Immunisation Manager and Oluseyi Olosunde, UNICEF Nigeria Health Officer had been in the state monitoring the exercuse for the past two days.
They visited the state central cold store and similar facilities at some LGAs to monitor the vaccine management situation while also visiting some traditional leaders in Billiri LGA to solicit their support.
The 2025 Integrated Measles Rubella Campaign is led by the Gombe State government and supported by WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Rotary International, and the Gates Foundation — all working together as partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
The campaign aims to vaccinate children aged 0 months to 14 years against Measles and Rubella, Polio, HPV and routine immunisation.
The vaccines provide protection against childhood killer diseases and have been used worldwide for over 50 years, saving millions of lives.
News
Army troops rescued victims as Bandit attack in Kaduna leaves one dead, several injured

Army troops rescued victims as Bandit attack in Kaduna leaves one dead, several injured
By: Zagazola Makama
One person has been confirmed dead while others sustained injuries following a raid by armed bandits on Idijiyi Unguwan Danladi Village in Kallah District, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Sources said that the attack occurred on October 19, around 8:00 p.m., when unidentified gunmen invaded the village and abducted an unspecified number of residents.
Prompt response by the Nigerian army strike force led to the recovery of some victims, who were found along Agwallan Centre with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.
The deceased, identified as Agnes Zafaniya, 28, from Afogo Village, was certified dead by medical personnel and released to her family for Christian burial. Other rescued victims, including Augustine Madara, 31, and Zafaniya Alhaji, 42, were receiving treatment in hospital.
The troops have intensified efforts to locate additional victims and apprehend the perpetrators. Investigation into the incident is ongoing, and further developments will be communicated.
Army troops rescued victims as Bandit attack in Kaduna leaves one dead, several injured
News
5th ASWAN: Zulum calls for multifaceted approach to address crisis in the Sahel

5th ASWAN: Zulum calls for multifaceted approach to address crisis in the Sahel
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has called for a comprehensive and multifaceted strategy, hinged on broader regional cooperation, to tackle the escalating security and humanitarian crisis in the Sahel region.
Zulum made the appeal while delivering a keynote address at the roundtable discussion of the 5th Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development held in Aswan, Egypt.
The governor, whose state has been at the epicentre of Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin, argued that a purely military solution has proven insufficient. He emphasised that lasting peace can only be achieved by simultaneously addressing the root causes of the conflict.

He said: “The crises of instability, terrorism and displacement that plague the Sahel cannot be solved by kinetic means alone,” stating that: “We must look beyond the battlefield. There is an urgent need for a multifaceted approach that combines security, development, and humanitarian assistance in a synchronised manner.”
Zulum also called for broader cooperation among countries in the Sahel region. He stressed that extremist groups and other criminal networks operate across borders with impunity, and the response must be equally transnational.
He said: “In the Sahel context, you cannot address the challenges by just looking at two or three countries. You need to look deeper into the political region of the Sahel as defined by the United Nations Strategy, which covers 10 countries, including Mauritania, Gambia and Guinea, among others. Collaboration among the larger Sahel communities is paramount.”
Beyond security collaboration, the governor called for improved development in the Sahel countries. He identified poverty, lack of education, and climate change-induced scarcity as key drivers of recruitment for armed groups.
“For the last 15 years, we have had many interventions in Borno State, but humanitarian support is not a sustainable solution. There is a need for longer-term sustainable solutions. We received many donors, partners, and non-governmental organisations, but most of them engaged in short-term humanitarian solutions.”
“There is a need for sustainable solutions, including development. The nexus between peace, development and security need not be overemphasised. If there is no development, there cannot be peace or security.”

The roundtable features other African leaders representing various countries, including H.E. Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates; H.E. Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and African Integration, Republic of Mali; and H.E. Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabes Abroad of the Republic of Burkina Faso.
5th ASWAN: Zulum calls for multifaceted approach to address crisis in the Sahel
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