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E-Transmission: PDP Reps Call For Prosecution Of NCC
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus of the House of Representatives, yesterday, called for the prosecution of the head of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for allegedly lying to the country on the possibility of electronic transmission of election results.
The Leader of the Caucus, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, made the call, yesterday, in a press statement.
“It was a show of shame on the floor of the House of Representatives on Friday, July 17, 2020, during the consideration of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
“The comedy of errors started by the House stopping INEC from appearing before the House to prevent the nation from learning the truth and allowing only NCC to appear to discuss issues on the ability or otherwise of INEC to handle electronic transmission of votes.
“Officials of the NCC led by Executive Director, Ubale Maska, who represented the Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umaru Garba Danbatta, appeared and oath was administered on them consistent with Section 5 of the Legislative House (Powers and Privileges) Act 2017.
“While testifying before the House, on the adoption of electronic transmission of results from the units”, Ubale Maska claimed that the 2018 Technical Report of the NCC showed that only about “50 percent of the polling units had 3G while 49 percent had 2G network and below”.
His answers and body language clearly betrayed his intense desire to mislead the House and the nation.
“He cleverly sought to rely on 2018 data in 2021, when they knew or ought to know that Internet penetration has advanced substantially in Nigeria since 2018.
“Indeed, a perusal of NCC Website even today shows that the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 (P.33) says that by September, 2019, the “Spread of 3G/LTE” had reached 74.2 percent in Nigeria.
“Furthermore, MTN recently announced that they have achieved extensive nationwide network coverage of 89.9 percent. This is just MTN, not to talk of other Networks.
“Perhaps, the worst form of perfidy, deception and outright lies is for NCC to hide the Memorandum of Understanding between NCC and INEC in 2019.
“During preparations for the 2019 general election, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had in January, 2018, visited the NCC to discuss collaboration that would enhance the electoral process.
“A joint technical committee of INEC and NCC was subsequently formed with a mandate to map out strategies that would reduce human interventions in the transmission of election results. The committee was headed by Maska and co-chaired by Muhammed Lecky, an INEC national commissioner.
“After several meetings and engagements, it was then recommended that the INEC/NCC joint technical committee should consider and adopt the traditional data communication service from MNOs using APN as the most appropriate solution for the electronic transmission of election results”, he stated.
According to him, “The icing on the cake is the categorical declaration by INEC through Festus Okoye, their spokesman that INEC has the capacity to transmit election results from any part of the country, no matter the terrain has put the final nail on the coffin of the purveyors of the fallacy that it cannot be done. Electronic transmission has recently been deployed by INEC in Edo, Ondo, Borno, Kaduna elections etc.
“It is obvious that there are Fifth Columnists and anti-democratic elements who are afraid of a free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.
“For a witness to be sworn under Section 5 of the Legislative House (Powers and Privileges) Act 2017, then, proceed to lie under oath and give false evidence to the House is an offence under Section 7 of the same Act. We call on the prosecuting authorities to immediately arrest the officials of the NCC, under Danbatta and all those who procured Ubale Maska and other officials to lie under oath to be criminally investigated and where found culpable, be brought to justice by standing criminal trial.
“We must maintain the integrity of our laws and sanctity of our institutions as a nation.
“On Friday, Maska, was asked about the possibility of hacking INEC’s electronic transmission system; if the NCC has ever done a coverage analysis of the entire country; if it is possible to upload election result where there is not network like online registrations and bank service; if NIGCOMSAT can deploy a satellite that covers the entire country and provide services for polls; if Unstructured Supplementary Service Data can work.
“Maska partly said, ‘The first question as to whether the commission has done an analysis of network coverage nationwide, especially captured and un-captured, which I prefer to mean served or un-served areas, and this can be broken down into states, I must say here that, yes, we have this data. We have it nationwide, we have it on a state basis and we have even on the basis of service whether it is 2G, 3G or 4G or LTE. We have all these analyses’.
“We did an analysis of network coverage in 2018 in respect of all polling units in the country. We found out we had about 119,000; we were able to get the coordinates of about 109,000 and we plotted across the map of the country. We superimposed the network coverage with that of service providers.
“We plotted 2G, 3G and (4G) LTE coverage. We were able to see that about half of the polling units were covered with 2G/3G services, roughly about 50.3 per cent. Then, about 49.7 did not have any coverage; they had only 2G, and about 8000 polling units had none at all.”
When asked if results could be transmitted via a 2G network, the NCC official said INEC was the appropriate authority to answer the question.
“From a personal standpoint; from what I could tell from what is required, it is only 3G that could give that kind of transmission in full,” he added.
On hacking, Maska said, “I’m sure it is open knowledge to us here that there is no system that is safe from hacking. You can do your best to secure it but no system is 100 per cent hack-free. I’m sure members would have read about the elections in the United States in 2016 and the widespread belief that the election was hacked by the Russians. Every day you read about hackers breaking into banks, insurance companies and other industries. So, hacking is always a possibility.”
About offline capturing of data, the NCC official said, “This is possible. It is possible that in an area that is not covered, you could record it and then physically move to another location. But, you cannot guarantee this kind of movement. It does not compare with direct transmission from the source.”
Maska, however, said he could not comment on NIGCOMSAT and its satellites.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a Federal Executive Council committee to move swiftly on measures to further reduce food prices across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja, on Wednesday.
According to him, the directive focuses on ensuring safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs.
“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, high transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods.
Despite government interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.
The minister said the plan is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—beyond availability to ensure affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
To back this up, he revealed that government is set to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.
The event, with the theme, “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
The Federal Government has warned contractors, including foreign firms, that any breach of regulations in road projects awarded to them may lead to arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the warning during an inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the East-West Road (Section IIIA) from Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction in Rivers State.
The section is being executed by Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited.
Responding to questions from journalists, Umahi commended the quality of work on the project but expressed displeasure over the slow pace, stressing that the December completion deadline remains sacrosanct.
On the project, he said:“The quality of the work is excellent, but the pace of work is totally unacceptable. Let me make it very clear to the contractor that this project will neither be reviewed nor varied in price or claims.
“I’m sure we have issued over 10 warning letters to them. If they fail to comply with the completion deadline of December 15, we will not extend it.”
He added that the ministry had already put measures in place to enforce compliance
“The comptroller has negative certificates to issue, and I will recover the money from any of their other projects. All those letters are on record, and when the time comes, they will be invoked. Any contractor who refuses to abide by regulations will have the EFCC and ICPC to contend with,” he said.
Umahi further disclosed that the Federal Government had directed that road projects valued below N20bn would no longer be awarded to expatriate companies, in line with its “Nigeria First” policy aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity in the construction sector.
“This is part of the Nigeria First policy of the Federal Government. Henceforth, no expatriate firm will be awarded any project valued below N20bn. Such projects must go to indigenous companies, while expatriates focus on higher-value projects requiring more technical capacity,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Federal Ministry of Works had adopted a funding prioritisation framework to sustain road projects initially financed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
He stressed that President Bola Tinubu had directed that none of such projects should be abandoned, adding that priority would be given to critical economic corridors.
Umahi also decried the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty vehicles on highways, saying it was damaging the pavements of completed sections of the road.
He said letters would be sent to state governors and the Inspector-General of Police to enforce punitive measures against defaulters.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State, Mrs Enwereama Tarilade, said RCC had completed 15km of the right carriageway and commenced work on the left carriageway, with one kilometre already laid in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement.
The Rivers State Government says it will ensure the smooth and successful takeoff of the newly established Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET), in Ogoniland.
This commitment was made yesterday by the Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), during a courtesy visit by the university’s Governing Council and Management team at the Government House, in Port Harcourt.
The high-level delegation was led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Professor Don Baridam and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedu Mmom.
In his address, Administrator Ibas warmly congratulated the pioneer council and management on their appointments, describing their task as both a recognition of individual accomplishment and a historic call to duty.
“This is not just a recognition of your personal achievements but also a call to history to shape an institution that will have a profound impact on Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and indeed our country,” he stated.
The Administrator commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the establishment of the specialized university in Ogoniland, describing the initiative as “timely and strategic.”
He emphasized that the university’s presence offers a critical opportunity to drive research, innovation, and community-focused solutions to the region’s pressing environmental and developmental challenges.
He further noted that the university’s core focus aligns perfectly with the priorities of his administration.“We consider this university not merely as another institution of higher learning but as a strategic partner in our collective effort to rebuild Rivers State under the ongoing state of emergency and beyond,” he affirmed.
Responding to specific requests presented by the delegation, Administrator Ibas assured the university of immediate support in critical areas essential for the its commencement.
These include the provision of operational vehicles, key facilities, and the completion of the access road to the campus, adding that other vital needs, such as perimeter fencing, refuse disposal, and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, would be addressed within the framework of the state’s broader infrastructure and support programmes.
To ensure swift action, the Administrator directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to work closely with the university’s Governing Council to prioritize the sequence of requests, particularly those tied to the commencement of academic activities in September 2025.
“Let me assure you that Rivers State Government will stand as a dependable partner to the Federal University of Environment and Technology. We see this university as part of our long-term investment in knowledge, innovation, and the future of our youths,” he emphasized.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Don Baridam, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community development.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has directed the institution to formally commence its academic session in September 2025, adding that preparations are in full swing to ensure a smooth take-off with adequate infrastructure and resources in place.
“Today’s meeting marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the Rivers State Government and FUET, envisioned to establish the university as a premier hub for research, innovation, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta”, he said.
