News
Nigeria And 2011 Elections
The promise by the Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan restating federal government’s commitment towards conducting a free, fair and transparent elections in 2011 should, as a matter of utmost national interest, be taken seriously.
Dr. Jonathan told former US President George W. Bush and his British counterpart, Tony Blair, of government’s resolve to hold credible polls which would be generally acceptable by all contending parties.
Details of how government intends to make good its resolve are still very sketchy, especially against the backdrop that the elections will hold in the next twelve months or thereabout.
As much as one will not want to doubt the acting president’s determination to, for once, prove our critics wrong that Nigeria can hold elections that would be acclaimed worldwide as “fair and credible”, we really need to ask ourselves whether or not the enabling environment has been put in place for a smooth, credible and transparent elections, come 2011.
I thinks that for Nigeria to hold credible elections, we need institutional and legal reforms as well as administrative amendments to realise the desired goal.
Proclamations and policy statement by the presidency, National Assembly, the electoral body (INEC) and other relevant stakeholders are not enough. We need the political will and commitment to depart from the ugly past to actualise our dream.
Nigerian leadership needs to purge itself of partisan politics and go for patriotism and national interest if we must succeed in this direction.
Besides, the political will on the part of the presidency, and the National Assembly must as a matter of necessity facilitate the process of reforming our electoral system and law in tandem with realities on ground and conventionally acceptable global norms.
Besides, INEC, as an umpire must be made to be unbiased and independent and not necessarily taking tall “orders from above” to subvert peoples choices of candidates.
The voters register must be reviewed as the existing one no longer conforms with current realities. Rules, regulations and guidelines on elections must be rigidly adhered to and not bent to suit sectional or partisan interest.
Electoral officers need re-orientation and a complete departure from the existing order which they think that power of incumbency and the ruling party interest must be protected always.
The security apparatus needs to be overhauled, especially those involved in monitoring and supervising elections. Our security officers tend to naturally align with the ruling party or person in power either for gratifications or other considerations.
The police, State Security Service (SSS) and other military or paramilitary officers to all during elections.
involved in elections must realise at all times that Nigeria is far greater than those temporarily in power and therefore must exhibit neutrality and fairness to all during elections.
The judiciary also has a major role to play towards a fair and credible electoral system. Apart from avoiding unnecessary injunctions and avoidable adjournments on electoral cases, the judiciary as the last hope of our fragile democracy must ensure that electoral disputes are dispensed off on time, possibly before winners are sworn into public offices.
Similarly, voters have a major role to play in our crave to achieve credible polls. They need not mortgage their conscience but insist on credible candidates with good credentials.
Hence, as the 2011 general elections draw closer, the presidency and other stakeholders must ensure that this time around, Nigeria evolves an electoral process that is transparent and credible and which will leave a lasting legacy in our political history.
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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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