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INEC To Extend Deadline For Voters Registration
Barring any changes, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may anytime from now announced an extension in the on going registration of voters.
Chairman of the commission, Prof Attahiru Jega who made the disclosure when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters said the possibility of extending the time frame for the ongoing voters registration exercise would be announced next week.
“If it is absolutely necessary for us to extend the time, we will not hesitate to do so. But we have to do an assessment on whether such extension should be nationwide, or only in the areas where the exercise is starting late.”
He noted the progress so far made on the hitches-ridden exercise, and efforts to address the challenges, however, agreeing that as much as 2,273 polling units were yet to get the Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines as at yesterday.
According to him, there have been significant improvement in the speed of per capita registration in the last few days, as according to him, adjustments had been made to the fingerprints scanners, which he said were initially set at a high sensitive aperture, specifically meant for forensic analysis in criminal investigation, and was slowing the process down due to multiple rejections, but that such was not necessary for voters registration.
“Over eighty per cent of the machines in the field have already been reached and they are being re-configured and that is why in the last two days many are saying there is a remarkable improvement in the registration,” Jega stated.
He disclosed that out of the 132,000 DDCs ordered by the commission through three firms; Messrs Zinox Technologies Ltd, Haier Electrical Appliances Corp Ltd (a Chinese company) and Avante International Technology (an American firm), only 115,000 were delivered as last Monday, but quickly pointed out that the only defaulting firm (Avante) was expected to deliver 5,000 units last night, and the balance of 11,000 units today.
Zinox was contracted to supply 80,000 units of the DDCs, while Haier was offered to supply 30,000 units, and Avante 22,000. Jega explained that some polling units could not get the DDCs because while Messrs Zinox Technologies Ltd and Haier Electrical Appliances Corp. Ltd, delivered on promise, Avante delivered only 5,500 units as at last Saturday when the exercise commenced.
While enumerating the various hitches faced by the exercise, Jega admitted that the ad-hoc staff did not get the requisite training as there were no enough funds to provide the comprehensive training required for the exercise.
“We wish we had more money for more days of training including hands on the machines. I know when I say more money every Nigerian now laugh because people say that we have already being given too much money, but frankly we could have done with more time of training because the more people are trained, then the better,” he said.
He insisted that any would be voter who has obtained a voter’s card without fingerprints being captured risked disenfranchisement, and advising that such persons to bear the inconveniencies of repeating the process, he warned all offenders by way of multiple registration and all other related offences would be prosecuted.
“One of the major challenges we have on the field is that our officers when confronted with long queues took decisions to register without finger prints and that is wrong. We have devised guidelines now and have informed all our officials on the field, whoever has been registered has to go back and re-register again and all the ten fingers must be registered.
“It’s unfortunate that they have done this and are causing additional inconveniences to the people but what is worth doing is worth doing well. The reason for capturing ten fingers is to make it near impossible for double registration, only the possibility of one duplication in five million voters. So we have to go back to that otherwise the moment we register people without fingerprint, it creates additional problem of checking double registration.
“People have also discovered that there is no way they can do multiple registration on one machine, they now go to another polling unit to register but we have mechanism in place to check double registration at the state level. We do it local government by local government across the state. Whoever does double registration will be caught, we will remove it and we will have evidence to prosecute them subsequently because even if you do registration with different names it will still be your photograph.
“We are using this opportunity to also warn Nigerians because we have information from some states that some politicians are using vehicles to move people from place to place to do double registration. The security agencies are already helping us to apprehend these people and we will prosecute them because clearly, it is electoral offence that they have committed,” Jega said.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Musa Sarki explained that the invitation of Jega was necessitated by the several concerns expressed by Nigerians on the technical hitches experienced from the takeoff point of the exercise.
Adar said Nigerians were greatly disappointed owing to the huge expectation on INEC, saying that the committee wanted to know the possibility of registering all eligible Nigerians within the two weeks stipulated by the commission.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.