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Electoral Act Amendment Bill: NANS Vows To Mobilise Against Buhari
Against President Muhammadu Buhari’s rejection to sign the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has vowed to mobilise its members to ensure that what is supposed to be an enduring legacy of the current administration was not truncated based on the interest of very few it called shenanigans.
The students’ body, during a press conference, yesterday, described the direct primary election as the process of selecting political party flag-bearers as the best policy to be adopted into the law of the federation so as to further guarantee the freedom and right of the Nigerian people to determine who appears on the ballot paper during the general election.
In his address, the NANS Coordinator in the South-West (Zone D), Adetunji Olagboyega, stated that the association, as an independent body for all students in Nigeria, would not fold its arm and allow what it described as double-dealing scale the hurdles of the legislature.
He added that the body would mobilise its members to ensure that what is supposed to be an enduring legacy of the current administration was not truncated based on the interest of “very few shenanigans.”
He said, “The disagreement between the President and the National Assembly (NASS) over the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2021 has become a matter of concern to us as a body of students who are interested in the political process and governance of our dear nation.
“This process of selecting public officers does not only refer to the end which is the eventual general election conducted for the assumption to public offices, it also springs from the process that brings individuals into appearing as candidates during a general election.
“Apparently, we can argue that democracy in Nigeria cannot be said to be a reality when the mass of people only have the chance to vote in the general election when they are clearly denied the opportunity of deciding who becomes flag-bearers for their choice of the party at the initial stage.
“And the right of people to decide who become the flag-bearers of their respective beloved parties becomes a must if democracy must be fully practised in the country. It need not be overemphasised that this right can only be guaranteed when people are chanced to determine who becomes their flag bearer through a public direct primary election at party levels.
“Unfortunately and contrary to our position, the Presidency has reacted to the bill as not acceptable because of its ‘adverse legal, financial, economic and security consequences which cannot be accommodated at the moment considering’ Nigeria’s peculiarities. It is rather unfortunate that the Presidency has by this notification implied that it has failed the people in terms of law, economy, finance and security.
“It is rather confusing that the same Presidency would come out again when complaints are made on the security of the nation to claim that we have enough manpower and capable hands handling the security of the nation in the face of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, terrorism etc. But the same enough manpower and capable hands are suddenly insufficient and incapable of ensuring a hitch intra parties free electoral process.
“While this excuse of the President has further justified our lamentation on the poor security architecture of the country under this government, we shall not subscribe to the fallacious argument that it is a reason for which direct primary is not possible. Intraparty elections are not wars and we condemn any deliberate action to hit up the policy only because the President is not ready to assent the bills for his personal concealed reasons.”
“The Presidency also stated that conducting direct primary will ‘pose security challenges as the security agencies will also be overstretched’, this excuse of the Presidency has only justified our past assertions that there is a high level of insecurity and the nation is having a serious shortfall in officer-to-civilian ratio.
“The Presidency also argued that direct primary will be a violation of freedom of choice on one hand while arguing on the other hand that enabling qualified Nigerians to vote for the candidate of their choice during the general election should be emphasised.
“Rather than curtail political progress entails in the Electoral Act 2010 (Amendment) Bill because of this, the Presidency should rather address the economy which has made the people susceptible to the selling of their votes. This, we consider as a reasonable action for a serious government.
“Basically, all other excuses given by the Presidency in the letter addressed to the National Assembly are not tenable and considered inconsequential. Rather than consenting to the institutional inadequacies of these political parties, the Presidency should rather encourage all registered political parties to go and define their party program well and build trust within their rank and file.
“We will mobilise our members to ensure that what is supposed to be an enduring legacy of this administration is not truncated based on the interest of very few shenanigans. By using your veto power to override Mr President’s failure to sign this Bill, Nigerians and indeed posterity will never forget you all as distinguished members of the National Assembly.
“In essence, we are of the position that direct primary election as the process of selecting political parties flag bearer is the best policy to be adopted into the law of the federation so as to further guarantee the freedom and right of the Nigerian people to determine who appears on the ballot paper during the general election.
“As this is the only option that can ensure that democratic standards are enshrined in the code and conduct of all political institutions in the country,” NANS said.
Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, has lauded Nigerian Air Force (NAF) troops for exceptional performance in ongoing Joint Task Force in the South-East code-named “Operation Udo Ka II”.
Abubakar said this yesterday in Enugu during his maiden visit and tour of operational and training assets and facilities within NAF Ground Training Command (GTC), Enugu.
He noted that NAF troops had done exceptionally well and recorded series of success in the joint operation meant to keep the South-East safe and secured for all.
The CAS noted that the GTC Command was highly important to NAF as it housed the ground component (non technical component) as well as a unit of air component necessary to ensure the attainment of the mandate of NAF.
He said: “Today, we are in Enugu, which is the host of the GTC Command in our maiden visit and we are here to interact with the NAF personnel, see the facilities and infrastructure on ground.
“We are also here to encourage the personnel to continue to do the good job they had been doing before now.
“The GTC Command and the Air Training Command are key to all of our activities in NAF and the two commands ensure we have the adequate and skilled manpower for all our activities and operations.
“I am also here to strengthen our activities within Operation Udo Ka II, which Enugu is the headquarters, and see how we can achieve greater successes more than what we are having now and ensure that South-East is totally secured.”
He disclosed that 750 personnel were currently undergoing training and would be graduating between December 2023 and January, 2024.
“These training are important to us in terms of our operation; and the current number is very significant amount of manpower to be injected into our operations and other activities in the country,” he said.
On the inspection in the new GTC Command Headquarters, new 553 Base Services Group (BSG) Headquarters and BSG Annex; Abubakar said that he was quite satisfied and impressed with the pace, level and quality of work done already.
“I have taken out time to inspect the projects and asked questions about the projects and I tell you that I am satisfied with what are on ground and all our assets and facilities are well maintained and protected,” he said.
The NAF boss commended NAF officers, airmen and airwomen in GTC Command for “doing a good job and keeping the flag flying high” as well as extolled their sacrifices and commitment to duties as well.
“I am very happy for their performance. We at the NAF headquarters, we are doing all we can to make sure they have all the necessary support and equipment as well as welfare and accommodation to carry out their jobs effectively,” he said.
He assured NAF personnel of doing more by providing all necessary infrastructures to ensure the maximum working of the GTC Command.
The CAS also inaugurated a renovated airmen’s club and new Mrs Rakiya Abubakar Children’s Park as well as inspected the water treatment and reticulation system and the hospital within NAF Base, Abakpa in Enugu.
The Institute of African and Diaspora Studies (IADS), University of Lagos, has announced Dr Muhammad Ribadu as winner of this year’s Rahamon Bello Best Ph.D thesis in African Studies award.
The Director of the institute, Prof. Muyiwa Falaiye, made the announcement in a statement issued to newsmen yesterday in Lagos.
Ribadu, of the University of Ibadan, will be rewarded with a total of 1000 dollars, a plaque and a certificate.
Falaiye said a total of 18 entries for the 4th edition of competition were received from various universities in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa
He gave the title of the winning thesis as: The Social Context of Gentrification in Lagos State; Ph.D (Jan. 2023) Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan.
“The first runner up for this competition was Oluwaseyi Popogbe, currently a lecturer at the Department of Economics, Crawford University in Ogun.
“The title of his thesis is: Social Exclusion and Poverty in Selected Coastal Slum Areas in Lagos State; Ph.D (Dec. 2022) Department of Economics University of Lagos.
“The second runner up position went to Dr Charles Akwen, currently a lecturer at the Department of English, University of Lagos.
“Akwen’s thesis is titled: Notions of Identity in the Literary Creativity of Odia Ofeimun and Yang Mu; Ph.D (Dec. 2022) English Literature, University of Lagos,” the director stated.
He said that both the first and second runners up would be awarded plaques and certificates in recognition of their contributions and hard work.
Falaiye noted that the competition was in honour of Prof. Rahamon Bello, who was the 10th Vice Chancellor of the university, at the time the institute was inaugurated.
The prize money is usually donated every year for the award by friends of Prof. Bello.
Falaiye said that Dec, 6, had been fixed for the presentation of the awards.
The Tide source reports that the award was first presented in 2020.
The 36 states of the federation and the 774 local government councils have no structure in place to manage Ecological Fund.
The declaration was made in Abuja, yesterday, by the Permanent Secretary, Ecological Project Office, Malam Shehu Ibrahim.
Ibrahim made the declaration at an interactive session with the House Representatives Committee on Ecological Fund.
He said since states and local governments began to share the fund with the Federal Government they had not been able to put structures in place to manage their share.
The Ecological Fund is an intervention fund by the Federal Government to address the multifarious ecological challenges in various communities in the country.
Ibrahim told the house committee that the sharing of the fund among the three tiers of government followed a court decision.
He said governors and local council chairmen never welcomed queries about how they deployed the ecological funds.
“It is a `no-go’ area,’’ he quipped.
“They don’t want to see officials of the Ecological Project Office near them; so we cannot ask them how they spend the money,’’ he added.
Ibrahim said also that all motions by the National Assembly regarding intervention on ecological project matters had been treated.
“The Ecological Project Office acts expeditiously on documents sent to it to solve problems; it looks at some of the gaps within the motion and tries to fill the gaps, and we have had more than five of such motions.
“ The Ecological Project Office does not handle funds; it only appraises projects and makes recommendations to the president,’’ he said.
The permanent secretary explained that it is the Ministry of Finance that manages the fund and the projects.
He stressed that it was a misconception that the Ecological Project Office is in charge of funds and at liberty to decide on where projects would be sited with the money in its coffers.
He said whenever there were interventions; the Ecological Project Office informed affected communities and went with the contractor to hand over the projects to the community.
This is to enable the community to take ownership of the intervention and communicate their observations to the project office.
Responding, Rep. Sani Jaji (APC-Kaura Namoda/ Birnin Magaji), chairman of the committee, said there should always be stakeholders engagement before embarking on ecological fund intervention projects.
He noted that the projects were stakeholders’ projects and failure to include the stakeholders would always lead to security breach.
“So many things happened with UNICEF’s polio vaccine rejection; but when it included stakeholders, people began to accept the vaccine.
“It is critical to involve stakeholders and ensure equity. Security cannot be the reason why you won’t execute projects in certain parts of the country.
“The perception about your office is that there is money out there; so you need to change that perception and let people know that you have limitations about the execution of projects,’’ he said.
Jaji challenged the Ecological Fund Project Office to provide the needed advice to the president to enable him to take the correct steps.
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