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Rivers Polls: INEC Awaiting Police Panel Report
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is yet to receive the official report of the Police Investigative Panel on the December 10, 2016 Rivers parliamentary re-run elections.
The commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja in an interview with newsmen.
The panel’s report submitted to Police authorities on February7, indicted 23 Electoral Officers, for allegedly collecting monetary inducements to rig the elections.
Out of over N360 million said to have been received by the INEC personnel, the panel publicly displayed N111 million which it recovered from the officials who participated in the polls.
The panel had added that three senior electoral officers collected N20 million each out of the N360 million believed to have been used by the Rivers Government to influence the officials, who conducted the elections.
Osaze-Uzzi also said that he was not aware that the indicted officials had been handed over to INEC for internal disciplinary measures in line with Public Service rules. “The commission is yet to receive any report of the police investigative panel on the alleged indicted officers.
“The commission, like every other Nigerian, only read the outcome of the investigation in the news. “What we read was that the officers were going to be handed over to the Attorney-General of the Federation for prosecution.
“I am not aware that the alleged indicted officers have been handed over to INEC either at our Rivers office or headquarters in Abuja for disciplinary actions,’’ he said.
The director, however, reiterated the commission’s commitment to investigating and punishing any of its staff accused or found guilty of receiving gratification or other misconducts to compromise the electoral system.
He said that any INEC official whose strong cases of misconduct had been established would be sanctioned and made as deterrent to others who would want to compromise the process.
“We have different levels of administrative punishments in accordance with the rules establishing the commission for erring officers. “Staff could be dismissed, suspended from service or handed over to security agencies for prosecution, depending on the gravity of the offence committed.
“We have been doing it and we are not going to stop because INEC is committed to organising free, fair and credible elections at all times,’’ he said.
The director, therefore, called on relevant government agencies, including security and anti-graft organisations, to beam searchlight on people offering gratifications to electoral officers to subvert electoral processes.
He said that such measures would go a long way to strengthen the electoral process and the country’s democracy. “Our take on it is always that if there is no giver, there cannot be a taker; we believe that while we should deal seriously with those who received gratification, the givers should not be left out.
“Our searchlight should not only be on those who take, it should also be on those who give. “So, we must ensure that the searchlight is also beam on those who give, and deal with them in accordance with the law.
“We believe that if this is done it will help to address those who think that they can use their resources to subvert the electoral process and the course of justice,’’ Osaze-Uzzi said.
He said that though it was difficult to avoid contact between INEC staff and politicians, measures were in place to ensure that electoral officers did not collect gratifications for doing their jobs.
“It is a difficult thing because we deal with politicians, political parties, aspirants and candidates.
Whichever way, there must be a level of interaction in course of duties between politicians and the electoral officers. “However, we have a very strict code of conduct on proper behaviour about what you can do and what we cannot do while on duty.
“We are doing our best to ensure that our staff members are protected but on their own, they must stop from receiving audience from politicians.’’
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.