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NGO trains healthcare workers, CDC on handling SGBV cases

By Stanley Onyekwere

In order to ensure effective handling of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls (AEIG) yesterday organised a one-day intensive training for healthcare workers and members of Community Development Committee (CDC) in Abuja.

In particular, the training with the theme: “Strengthening the capacity of FCT PHCs on SGBV case management and access to efficient healthcare service delivery, had trainees drawn from across Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Bwari.

Also, the participants were introduced to methodology of handling issues of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in their areas, as they are the frontline workers and people that should be sensitised on the menace, as they have daily interactions with, so that they will understand how to manage SGBV as leaders.

It was gathered that the NGO had outlined three series of trainings for 20 PHC workers each from the six Area Councils, in addition to members of CDC, who are given the mandate to manage healthcare facilities in their communities.

AEIG Founder, Abiodun Essiet, explained that the training will help to improve their way of managing cases of SGBV and services of PHCs in the FCT.

Abiodun, noted that they were taught how to do proper management and documentation of cases of SGBV, so as not to tamper with evidence, which can be used for prosecution.

She said: “The healthcare workers are front liners that manage SGBV cases and other people interact with to share ideas. So it is important that we re-orientate them about their positions and how to handle cases of SGBV.

“Our project goal is to strengthen traditional justice system, to effectively combat SGBV, and we have done that across the Area Councils last year, so what we are doing now is to train the healthcare workers, who will be interfacing with CDC members.

“These are issues of paramount concern to communities, where most of the original inhabitants of the FCT, as it is only the PHCs that they can access care. Let’s work together to see how we can promote healthcare facilities, so that the original inhabitants will be better served”.

Similarly, Founder, Make Our Hospital Work Campaign, Dr. Laz Eze, who presented a paper on Promoting Health Care Delivery: The role of primary health care, stressed the need for primary healthcare facility should be accessible and affordable to the people.

On his part, one of the participants, Philemon Garba, said the training is a welcome idea as in the society today, a lot of things are happening because of lack of knowledge about the meance.

Garba noted that if only the people are enlightened on the issues, many of them will not fall victim.

“The training is a welcome idea, so when we go back to our communities, we will be able to let them know, by trying to bring the awareness to them”, he added.

Some of the patispants

2023: FCTA takes PVC collection campaign to residents

By Stanley Onyekwere

To encourage greater participation in the forthcoming general elections, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through the office of the Special Assistant on Youth Matters have taken sensitisation campaign on collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC), to residents of Abuja.

Flagging off the PVC collection sensitisation drive yesterday, the FCT permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, advised residents of the territory to ensure that they collected their PVC and come out en-masse to vote for the candidates of their choice during the elections.

Adesola, who was represented by Secretary of the FCT Area Councils Service Secretariat, Alhaji Ibrahim Dantsoho, also urged the residents to collect their PVCs for them to have a voice during and after the elections.

Also speaking at the occasion, Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Youth Matters, Commandant Isaac David, explained that the reason for the sensitisation was to ensure that no residents of the territory, especially those at the grassroots are not left out in the PVC collection before the deadline.

He said: “Across the 36 States of Nigeria, we are the first people to initiate a sensitisation programme tagged collection of PVC close to your ward, because this year’s election, the youths in the FCT want to take the lead in the voting process.

“We also want to hold our leaders accountable because we can not afford to leave the elections for politicians again. We need to checkmate them and guide them also.

“The PVC is also a very important card to us, so we need to sensitise our people at the grassroots level and rural communities on the importance of the PVC”.

David noted that some people at the grassroots have decided not to collect their PVC because they believe that even if they vote, it will not count, that they need to make them understand the business aspect of collecting the PVC.

“Having your PVC is the only way you can hold your leaders accountable, but without the PVC, you do not have the powers to call any leader to account.

All thanks to the minister of FCT who gave the approval for this sensitisation to be carried across the wards in the six area councils of the FCT.

“We are going to spend two days in each area council to ensure that the message gets to the grassroots of the council. We believe that if the sensitisation gets to the grassroots, the votes from the FCT will be more than in previous elections”, he added.