Politics
Ailing Ports: RepsThreaten To Invoke Laws Against CBN
Chairman of an investigative Ad hoc Committee of the House of Representatives, Rep. Yusuf Buba (APC-Adamawa), has threatened to invoke constitutional powers to compel the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to appear before it over ailing ports.
Buba issued the threat in an interview with journalists on Monday in Abuja after the CBN, again, failed to appear before the committee.
The committee is on the need to determine why the Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Onne and Onitsha inland complexes were not being put into maximum use.
It had summoned the CBN and four others at a public hearing on Thursday, August. 15, 2019 which the agencies failed to appear.
While the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Department of Petroleum Products (DPP) and Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) all appeared, the CBN did not come.
“Today, they all met with us and they have all made their presentations, except the CBN and then we are issuing a last warning to the CBN to make sure they make themselves available.
“If they do not, we will use our constitutional powers to summon them by force,” he said.
According to him, majority of the people in that maritime business were from eastern axis of the country.
“There is no reason why their ports would not work, we cannot subject them to bring their goods through Lagos and start transporting it on the bad roads,” he said.
Contrary to claims by Ship Owners Association, Buba said that there was no deliberate government attempt to stop the ports in the east from functioning.
The lawmaker said that no government would want to choke the source of livelihood of its citizens, adding that the claims were not true.
Buba said that it was difficult to bring very heavy goods through air cargo, especially goods such as Premium Motor Spirit or crude oil.
According to him, it is very expensive for our businessmen to do that and so the ports must work for the economy to open up and we must make it work.
Buba maintained that the committee would look into issues surrounding all the dredging contracts and make sure whoever was found wanting would be made to face justice.
The chairman said that the issues of security on the waterways were being investigated with a view to finding lasting solution to piracy and sea robbery.
He said that the committee would look into the roles and challenges of security agencies saddled with the responsibility of keeping the waterways safe.
The Commission disclosed the figure in its weekly update for week 14 of the second phase of the exercise, which ended on Friday, April 17, 2026.
According to the breakdown, 2,259,288 Nigerians completed their registration through the online pre-registration portal, while 1,489,416 finalized their registration physically at designated centres nationwide.
INEC noted that the figures remain preliminary and are subject to further verification and data cleaning processes to ensure accuracy ahead of the consolidation of the national voter register.
With the conclusion of the registration phase, the Commission has now shifted focus to the display of the Register of Voters for Claims and Objections, a statutory stage aimed at strengthening the credibility and integrity of the voters register.
The display exercise is scheduled to hold from April 29 to May 5, 2026, across designated centres nationwide, providing citizens the opportunity to verify their details and raise objections where necessary.
The Commission urged all registered voters from the concluded phase to take advantage of the exercise to confirm the accuracy of their information and assist in identifying ineligible entries, including duplicate registrations, deceased persons, and non-citizens.
INEC explained that the Continuous Voter Registration exercise is being conducted in phases, with the first phase running from August 18 to December 10, 2025, while the second phase commenced on January 5, 2026 and ended on April 17, 2026.
The Commission further stated that the date for the commencement of the third phase will be announced in due course.
Reaffirming its commitment to credible elections, INEC stressed that maintaining a clean and accurate voter register remains central to ensuring free, fair, and transparent electoral processes in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, informed the journalists that the dialogue was sponsored by the European Union, under the auspices of the EU-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II), Component 4: Support to Media.
According to the veteran media practitioner, the programme is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the media to promote credible elections through factual, accurate and fair reporting.
He explained that the programme is part of a broader five-year intervention designed to support democratic governance and improve the role of the media in Nigeria’s electoral process, stressing that fact-checking and inclusive reporting are critical responsibilities for journalists, especially during electioneering.
He described the media as a central role agent with regard to upholding transparency and accountability in the democratic process.
A resource person and Director of Journalism Clinic, Lagos, Mr Taiwo Obe, enjoined journalists to embrace the evolving technology so that they would not be in the backwaters in the practice of the profession.
He advised journalists not to downplay Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their bid to remain relevant in the media environment by being abreast of the changing patterns of news consumption.
The journalism teacher explained that with digital transformation of the media industry, it had become imperative for journalists to constantly upgrade and update their skills, stressing the fundamental place of attitude and self-development and underscored the dynamic nature of media consumption in the digital age, thereby compelling journalists to embrace tools and platforms, but without much reliance on AI.
In his lecture, a Professor of Mass Communication at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Adebola Aderibigbe, advised journalists in Ekiti State to ensure that coverage of the upcoming governorship poll is issue-based rather than dwelling on personalities.
He added that sensationalism should not occupy the front-burner of any discussions concerning the 2026 election, admonishing that sustenance of democracy is anchored on responsible journalism.
”Journalists must prioritise accuracy, fairness and balance in their reports by verifying facts and giving all parties involved in political matters the opportunity to present their views”, he said.
According to the university don, the election will not be defined by personalities, but by issues. ”Let issues be the pivotal ring upon which every discussion should be made. Sensationalisation of issues should not be the bedrock of discussions in the 2026 election”, he added.
“Do not hear from Party A without hearing from Party B, otherwise the report will be skewed to one side and once issues of elections are skewed, problems will naturally arise”, he stressed.