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Release Rerun Results …850 Rivers Groups Tell INEC …Threaten Court Action

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State (middle), with UN Assistant Secretary General, Mr Toby Lanzer (left), during a visit to assess the humanitarian crisis in Bama, Borno State on Wednesday
Barely 20 days after the rerun state and National Assembly elections in Rivers State, the Coalition of Concerned Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) for the NEW Rivers Vision, comprising more than 850 bodies, has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately release the remaining results covering all the local governments in which elections were conducted successfully on March 19.
In a communiqué issued after an emergency state working committee meeting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and signed by the President, Comrade Christian Obi, and Secretary, John-Paul Uzor, the coalition said INEC had no justifiable reason to withhold the results of elections that had been concluded.
The coalition, which claimed to have monitored the elections in all the units and wards where INEC conducted the rerun elections, emphasized that the process was credible, free and fair, “except for a few nipping points in Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme local government areas”, stressing that “the process in virtually all the local governments where the elections were suspended was purely logistical hitches arising from the commission’s weak preparations”.
It listed Bonny and Andoni as clear cases where the commission failed to meet its set timeline for the delivery of electoral materials and the expectations of the people, as well as Etche, where INEC abdicated its responsibility to deliver election materials to the designated units for the proper conduct of elections, while blaming the commission for failing to enlist adequate security protection for electoral materials in most areas.
The coalition noted that the purported violence which ‘marred’ the rerun elections in some parts of the state was triggered by the commission’s unwillingness to allow the electorate exercise their franchise freely, saying that if adequate preparations had been made, election material would have reached all polling units as early as 8am and elections concluded by 2pm as promised by INEC.
According to the coalition, “INEC has no justification to withhold results of an election it deliberately bungled”, adding that what the commission was doing amounted to “an attempt to thwart the will of the people who voted massively for the candidates of their choice on March 19”.
While congratulating all those who have already been declared winners in their various constituencies, the coalition urged the losers to accept defeat as good sportsmen and women, and join forces with the government to move the state forward.
The coalition also threatened to challenge INEC’s decision not to release the remaining results in a court of competent jurisdiction to restore the rights of the candidates to be voted for by the electorate, pointing out that the commission had already violated the provisions of the Electoral Act as Amended.
It stated that the inability of INEC to declare the remaining results and hand over certificate of return to winners was adversely affecting the democratic transition process and the delivery of dividends of good governance to Rivers people and other residents of the state.
The concerned coalition for the NEW Rivers Vision also charged the electorate in Rivers State not to despair and lose confidence in the democratic process, even as they prepare to vote again for the candidates of their choice and reaffirm their support for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) at the yet-to-be-rescheduled rerun elections in the suspended eight local government areas of Akuku-Toru, Andoni, Bonny, Eleme, Etche, Gokana, Khana, and Tai, to ensure the peace, stability and sustainable development of the state.
Similarly, the Degema Local Government chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has given a 72-hour ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare winner of the Degema Constituency rerun election of March 19th, 2016 or face legal action.
Coordinator of the NYCN, Godspower Ipalibo Madodoye, stated this at a press conference in Port Harcourt.
The youth leader stressed that the Electoral Act empowers INEC to conduct election and declare winners of such elections, while those who disagree with INEC should go to the tribunal or court to seek legal redress.
He said that the refusal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Aniedi Ikoiwak, to declare the winner of the rerun elections was unacceptable to the youth of the area, stressing that the situation was capable of causing crisis in the area.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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