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Let The Electoral Process Be Without Acrimony

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5 years ago

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In every election year in Nigeria, there is always the suspicion that the ruling party in a particular area be it at the state or federal level would be finalising plans to rig or abort the will of the electorate.
Sometimes, these suspicions might be unfounded but the antics of the ruling party might give credence to this notion. Recently, the controversy over the appointment of Mrs Amina Zakari as the Chairperson, Advisory Committee and the presidential election collation centre is being criticised by the opposition parties and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project.
According to sources, Mrs Zakari is supposed to have completed her tenure as an INEC commissioner since August of 2018. Apart from that, she is said to be a niece to the incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari.
The fear is that as a blood relation to the president, she might use that connection to subvert the vote counting exercise. Another area of grouse by the opposition parties has to do with the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, who is supposed to have retired from the service since January 3.
The Inspector-General has served the mandatory 35 years and his continual stay in office, according to them is illegal as the constitution bars him from being retained or reappointed as he is no longer a serving officer.
According to them, the president should do the needful by appointing a new IGP otherwise, retaining him means that Mr Idris will not be answerable for his actions but will only do the biddings of his master.
Although these claims cannot be dismissed outright the action of the president vis-a-vis the ruling party in disobeying court orders and breaching the constitution leave much to be desired.
The concern raised by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) is not just a propaganda tool or false alarm but should be seen as a patriotic act as the country should tell its leaders that we are under a democratic rule and not dictatorship in any guise.
If a serving officer has reached the mandatory retirement age or has served for the stipulated 35 years, he or she should honourably vacate such office. But where the services of such persons are still needed, then the necessary due process should be followed to avoid the situation where eye brows would be raised.
However, the recent pronouncements by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that it is now set to conduct a free, fair and credible election by presenting copies of the voters register to the political parties is highly appreciated. This is because with the register, political parties now can monitor and scrutinise the number of eligible voters, monitor the voting process and also ensure that the number of votes cast during next month’s elections reflect with what is in the register.
Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmmod Yakubu, has said that a total of 84 million Nigerians registered to vote, that the register was up to date and that as part of the measure put in place, smart card readers would be used for the exercise. He also said the use of the separate incident form had been abolished and called on the political parties to submit a list of their agents to INEC, not later than 14 days to the election.
The implication of these pronoucements is that the political parties will no longer give excuses that the electoral body is not prepared for the elections. From observations so far, INEC has shown that it has put in place all necessary facilities for now and what remains is the conduct of the election proper.
For the political parties, the issue of having centres should be seen as a serious task. This is because from past experience, some party agents did not even show up at the polling centres and how are we sure that this time would be different with the number of parties hovering over 70 and with 97, 119,973 polling units that will be manned.
Hopefully for the candidates some of the smaller parties which would not be able to afford the services of volunteers may have to rely on agents of the major political parties especially in the rural areas. And if that is not possible, they should strive to have agents at least in the 8,809 collation centres at the ward level.
With the large number of poltical parties, the logistics will be enormous and following the confidence expressed by INEC for the task ahead, all the political parties should go into the field and start canvassing for the people’s mandate. This time around, no excuses would be accepted as what we want are zero tolerance to rigging, vote buying, violence and indolence. Serious candidates especially those vying for the state houses of assembly seats should not tie their future to that of the governorship candidate. Now is the time to tell Nigerians why they should be voted for. Since this exercise comes every four years, adequate preparations should be made by the political parties to support their candidates in next month’s elections.
The police hierarchy on its part has assured that it would not be partisan likewise that of the armed forces. But with the current tensed security situation, the fear is still there that the ruling party could probably use the situation to its advantage especially at the presidential election.
Today, the world is watching the political trend in Nigeria, the situation is still tense but not as that of 2015 where there were fears that the election would end up causing civil unrest in the country. The two major actors are all from one geogaphical region, same religion and culture, so the presidential election now has nothing to do with differences of faith.
This time around, it is less complicated and the main issues are “development and quality service delivery”.
The election should be tension-free as we are not at war. From 1999 to 2018, the security agencies including the armed forces were allowed to play roles which constitutionally they were not permitted. Nigeria should do away with the curfew tradion on election days. 2019 elections should be an improvement on that of 2015 ditto the security situations.
Why is it that Nigeria is the only, country in Africa where on election days. everywhere is blocked, the streets empty with gun-totting policemen and members of the armed forces patrolling the major highways?
Let us learn to do things differently. In neighbouring West African countries, the situation is quite not the same. Let our politicians strive to improve on the electoral process especially by allowing the free movement of people on election days. Elections can even be conducted in a way that movement can not be restricted, afterall it is not everybody that will vote on election day.
Also modalities could be put in place to make it less stressful whereby a potential voter can just walk in and cast his or her ballot.

Tonye Ikiroma-owiye

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Fubara Tasks Rivers Stakeholders On Political, Economic Emancipation …Commissions NAVAL Training Command Headquarters At Ebubu

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11 hours ago

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April 29, 2024

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Rivers State governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has stated that the task of emancipating Rivers State and taking it to its desired height of development among the comity of Nigerian states depends on the concerted efforts of all stakeholders in the state.
Governor Fubara said this at Ubima, on Saturday, when he attended the burial ceremony of late Madam Cecelia Omehia, mother of Sir Celestine Omehia.
Addressing the leaders of the state who attended the burial ceremony in their numbers, the governor urged them to demonstrate their love for the state by living up to their patriotic responsibilities and make meaningful contributions that will move the state forward.
Governor Fubara reaffirmed his commitment to the service of the state and cautioned against politics of bitterness and animosity, stating that he will not govern the state as an underdog, nor compromise  the interest of Rivers people, no matter the challenges facing his administration.
“Anybody who claims to love this State should not be party to anything, directly or indirectly, that will bring us backwards. We will continue to support every course that will advance the interest of our dear Rivers State.
“And I am happy to say, and I’ve said it over and again, it doesn’t matter the number of people that are standing with me, I will stand on the side of truth.
”I will not, I repeat, I will not govern our dear State on my knees. If that was the purpose, I will not do that. I will stand to govern our dear state and stand continually on the side of right”, he said.
The governor commiserated with the Omehia family over the transition of their beloved matriarch and urged  them to take solace in the good legacies she left behind.
Sir Celestine Omehia, the chief mourner, in his response  thanked  the Rivers State governor  and his entourage for honoring the memory of his beloved mother, whom he described as a role model, teacher and great disciplinarian.
Earlier on Saturday, Governor Fubara visited the scene of the Friday night inferno occasioned by a tanker explosion that occurred at the Indorama axis of East West Road, causing untold disaster with over 60 vehicles razed and about four lives lost.
Governor Fubara who was accompanied by the  Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Olatunji Disu, and the state Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Mr Uchechukwu Nwafor, during the visit, expressed deep concern over the unfortunate incident and condoled with the families of the victims, assuring that the state government will provide needed assistance to cushion the effects of the tragedy.
“We are here to see for ourselves and get a first hand information of what happened yesterday night.
“I was told that it was caused by a tanker that was conveying premium motor spirit. In fact, I got the information through the MD of Indorama, and I immediately alerted the security agencies to make sure they take control of the security situation in the area.
Governor Fubara, on Friday, commissioned the new Naval Training Command Headquarters at Ebubu, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Speaking at the event, Governor Fubara said he was delighted with the transformation recorded in the abandoned facility after it was ceded by the Rivers State Government to the Nigerian Navy on request in 2023.
He pointed out that the relocation of the Naval Training Command headquarters to Rivers State underscores the proficiency of the Nigerian Navy in managing the maritime sector, especially in safeguarding the waterways and  fighting against economic sabotage such as crude oil theft and its associated menace.
Governor Fubara commended the Navy for investing in the training of its personnel to evolve a highly skilled workforce to secure the Nigerian waterways, stating that the new development is a manifestation of President Bola Tinibu’s commitment to building a strong security architecture for Nigeria.
The Governor who assured the support of his administration to the Navy and other security outfits, announced a donation of N350m to the Navy, and urged synergy between the Navy and the host communities in terms of development support and security of lives and property.
“As you go on to put this training command into full service, my charge to you is to ensure that this sprawling facility is effectively maintained and utilized to expand your operations and activities for national security development.
“I further implore you to provide effective security and development support to the host communities, and live in peace and harmony with the civilian population in the local government area,” the Governor added.
In his remark,  the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral, Emmanuel Ogalla, expressed gratitude to the Governor for the continuous support and partnership of the Rivers State Government with the Navy.
Taneh Beemene
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Constitution Amendment: Senator Barau Urges Stakeholders’ Collaboration

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11 hours ago

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April 29, 2024

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Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, Senator Barau Jibrin, has called for robust collaboration among all stakeholders to drive the ongoing constitution amendment process to a successful conclusion.
Senator Barau stated this on Saturday at the joint retreat of the secretariat and consultants to the Senate and House of Representatives committees on the review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, in Abuja.
He commended the synergy between the constitution review secretariat and consultants to the Senate and House of Representatives committees, saying this will create harmony in the workings of both committees.
Senator Barau assured that the National Assembly will carry out the review of the constitution by a thorough aggregation of the yearnings of Nigerians from all walks of life through public hearings and collection of memoranda from various interests throughout the country, as well as embarking on a progressive engagement with state governments and legislatures and the federal government to achieve consensus on all issues.
“We must work together. Our country is facing a lot of challenges and this is the right time to fashion out a constitution that will go in line with the wishes and aspirations of the people of this country.
“The world is dynamic and this compels all serious countries to go with modernity and fashion their laws in accordance with contemporary happenings within their peculiarities.
“We have started on a progressive note of collaboration and let us add momentum to this very important collaboration within our ranks in order to achieve a result that will help in driving the process of making prospective peace, justice and fair play in the way we run our affairs as a nation,” he said.
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Makinde Hails Electorate, OYSIEC Over LG Poll Conduct 

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11 hours ago

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April 29, 2024

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Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has applauded the residents of the state for turning out to vote in the ongoing local government election across the state.
The governor also rated the conduct of the election high, stating it compared favourably with elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The governor stated this on Saturday after casting his vote at Unit 1, Ward 011, Abayomi Open Space, Iwo Road, Ibadan North East LGA of Oyo State.
Addressing journalists after exercising his civic responsibility, Gov Makinde said, “For us in Oyo State, it is almost like a given that democracy at the grassroots is what we practise. This is almost our fifth year in office and we are holding local government election for the second time.
“Before we came in, it had always been caretaker administration at the grassroots without the people having a say in who should govern them.
“You can see around also that the people are going about, performing the exercise peacefully and the traffic restriction is being obeyed by the people. So, I will commend our people for coming out to take seriously democracy at that level.”
The governor, who noted that security report about the election had been excellent, also charged those who observed any untoward development to report same to the security agencies.
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