Ahead of the October 19th Local Government election in Kogi State, the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission, KOSIEC), Mamman Nda Eri has debunked the allegations making the rounds that over 50 percent of the Commissioners are card-carrying members of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.
Eri made the clarification on Thursday when members of the federated chapel, Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Lokoja.
The Kogi SIEC Chairman described the allegations raised by the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, as false, baseless and lacking any iota of truth.
“The report is false and unfounded. None of the SIEC Commissioner’s are members of the APC. We remain committed to conducting a free, fair and credible Local Government election come 19th October 2024 in Kogi State, he insisted.
” When I was appointed, I warned my people that if they are wearing the clothes of any political parties, they should go and drop them. I told them we are referees and we must be unbiased in the discharge of our duties. Kogites should disregard the information as it is not true.
Speaking on the allegations that the Commission has concluded plans to screen or disqualify political party candidates ahead of the council election, Eri said, “The Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission has no power to screen or disqualify any candidate vying for political positions. The only thing we do is verification and documentation. Even with the verification, we have no power to disqualify, we can only advise the party”.
Eri acknowledged that party candidates are to pay for forms for the local government election slated for October in the state.
Explaining further, he said, “It is true party candidates are to pay for forms in respect of the forthcoming election. For SIEC, there is an avenue that we have explored. Last time that we had an election, we overlooked it although it was published in our election guidelines that in the case of a Councillorship election, candidates make deposits of N100,000 to the Commission and for the position of Chairmanship, Candidates are to deposit N250,000 to the Commission.
“It is not just peculiar to Kogi State alone. Go and confirm. Kogi State is one of the few States where aspiring candidates pay for forms. In Zamfara State, their Chairmanship form goes for N3,000,000. That of Councillorship goes for N1,000,000.
“Why we did it for free of charge in the last Local Government election election was because of the Covid-19. We felt that everybody is coming out of that stress so we should not stress anybody. At that time, it was N50,000 for Councillorship and N100,000 for Chairmanship. Almost all political parties came to pick forms and at the end of the day, we had to go and print more because it was free.
” At the end of the day, about 50 percent of the forms we gave out were not returned to us. The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) raised the issue at the stakeholders meeting held recently in which we have been able to clear the air for their understanding”.
“For the avoidance of doubt. Only the candidate that emerged from the Primary and presented by the political party is allowed to pay for the form and not all the aspirants during the party primaries. All we are expected to do is to do a verification and documentation of the information provided”.
Responding, the Chairman of the Federated Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kogi State, Mike Abu expressed optimism that the commission will conduct a free, fair and credible election that will meet global standards.
“This commission has done it before and we are confident that they will do it again. The People of Kogi State are looking forward to acceptable polls that will reflect their wishes,” he added.
Abu called on political parties to collaborate with the commission for a hitch-free exercise in Kogi State.
It could be recalled that the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, in Kogi State Mohammed Kabir Abdullahi rejected the planned sale of forms by SIEC, accusing the electoral body of partisanship and planning to disqualify some political parties candidates vying for various positions in the state.
Council Polls: Kogi SIEC Chairman denies alleged partisanship
Council Polls: Kogi SIEC Chairman denies alleged partisanship
Count Niger youths out of planned nationwide protest – Governor Bago
Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State has assured Nigerians that the youth of Niger State will not participate in the planned nationwide strike set for August 1 to 10, 2024.
The scheduled protest is to point out the severe hunger and economic hardship currently afflicting the country, according to the organisers.
During a town hall meeting in Minna on Thursday, Governor Bago stated the peaceful nature of the youth in Niger State and their disinterest in joining the national protest.
He called on the youth to abandon the idea, stating, “We, as youths of Niger State, have distanced ourselves from the nationwide protest because we are peaceful and want peace and tranquillity.”
Bago urged those planning the protest to seek alternative solutions through dialogue and communication.
“You can start demonstrations but you cannot end demonstrations. To youths who are agitating for this protest, let us end these agitations, let us communicate and dialogue on the best way forward,” he advised.
In a bid to alleviate the economic hardship, the governor announced the release of 50,000 metric tonnes of grains to be sold at 50 percent of their current price.
He also instructed security agencies to ensure the directive was followed precisely.
“We have over 100,000 metric tonnes of food in our reserves, out of which we will be releasing 50,000 metric tonnes to be sold at 50 percent of its present price. Before the end of the year, we will slash food prices by 90 percent,” he assured.
The governor reiterated his support for local government autonomy and urged local government chairmen to improve their administration, noting that many have failed to pay salaries for a year.
He also pointed out Niger State’s financial independence from the Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, saying, “I do not need FAAC in Niger State. The roads I am building and the projects I have undertaken are not being done by FAAC.
“We are producing, and that is the secret behind what we are doing. There are people who have invested in Niger State for the next five years.”
Bago explained that the food being distributed at a 50 percent subsidy was initially intended for export but has been redirected to meet the needs of Nigerlites due to the current hardship.
Supporting the governor’s stance, the Emir of Bida and Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers of Niger State, Abubakar Yahaya, urged the youth not to be tempted to join the nationwide protest, stating that protests are not the solution.
The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, also encouraged the youth to refrain from participating in the protest and assured them of state-organized programs for youth engagement.
Count Niger youths out of planned nationwide protest – Governor Bago
Labour leaders arrive Villa
Leaders of the organised Labour consisting of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria have arrived at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa for the second leg of talks on the national minimum wage.
A white State House-registered Coaster bus conveying the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and the TUC President, Festus Osifo, and other leaders arrived at the forecourt of the Villa at 02:14 pm local time.
Per the President’s programme for the day, the 30-minute meeting was scheduled for 02:00 pm but was delayed as the visitors were still undergoing covid-19 tests and security checks.
Thursday’s meeting comes exactly one week after parties resolved to continue consultation over the proposals for the new national minimum wage.
President Bola Tinubu assured stakeholders that he is not opposed to a new wage but that parties must find a common figure that can be borne by the Federal and Sub-national Governments.
The Tripartite Committee on the new national minimum wage recently submitted figures to the President as the organised private sector and the government team had offered to pay N62,000.
However, the organised labour insisted on N250,000.
Following the disagreement, the President had delayed sending any figure to the National Assembly through an Executive Bill.
At Monday’s Federal Executive Council meeting, Tinubu had asked the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, to draft a bill to amend the 2024 budget to accommodate a new minimum wage.
Details later…
With three years of experience, Stephen, The According correspondent, has been covering Nigeria’s presidency, politics, security, immigration and trafficking in persons
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Tinubu’s loan disbursement launch excites Nigerian students – NANS President
The President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Lucky Emonofe said students are excited at the N35 billion finance-backed Student Loan Scheme under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Omonofe disclosed this in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday while reacting to Tinubu launching the disbursement of the scheme at the presidential villa.
According to him, the initiative will ease the difficulty of accessing higher education among Nigerian students.
“We are happy and excited. It is a new dawn for the education sector. It has come to reality following the recent launch of disbursement by President Bola Tinubu to students. Now Nigerian students can access higher education without difficulties. Especially those with poor backgrounds. We are going to ensure that many of our students benefit from the scheme”, he said.
TVN reports that the Managing Director of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, Akintunde Sawyerr said 110,000 successful students across federal tertiary institutions will get disbursement from next week.
This comes after Tinubu, on Wednesday presented symbolic plaque cheques to benefiting students at the presidential Villa.
Tinubu had in April 2024 signed the Student Loan Act with an initial budgeting allocation of N35 billion.
Tinubu’s loan disbursement launch excites Nigerian students – NANS President
Nigeria drop to 39th in FIFA ranking, Spain, England move up
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have dropped again by one spot in the FIFA World Ranking to place world 39th in the July ranking.
In the ranking table by the world football governing body, the Nigerian team still maintained the 1,498.93 it had in June.
According Online reported that Nigeria suffered a massive drop in the June ranking from 30th to 38th after lacklustre performances in the World Cup Qualifying matches.
The drop on the global stage in July however did not affect the team’s position on the continental stage as the 5th behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt and Cote d ‘Ivoire.
On the global scene, three continental competitions and a plethora of international friendlies have been served up in June and July, with no fewer than 125 matches having been contested across the globe.
Having successfully defended their CONMEBOL Copa América crown, Argentina (1st) tightens their grip at the top of the pile. France (2nd) are still their closest challengers, after reaching the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2024.
Newly crowned European champions Spain (3rd, up 5) have yet more reason to celebrate after hauling themselves into the top three of the ranking.
Recall that Spain beat England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final hosted in Germany last Sunday.
England (4th, up 1) are just behind the leading pack, having leapfrogged Brazil (5th, down 1) and Belgium (6th, down 3) now find themselves outside the top five.
(NAN)
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Ndume: Akpabio has reduced Nigerian Senate to parastatal – APC Chieftain, Lukman
Former National Vice Chairman, Northwest, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Salihu Lukman, says Senate President Godswill Akpabio has reduced the Nigerian Senate to a parastatal under the President Bola Tinubu APC-led administration.
Lukman’s accusation follows the sack of the Senate Whip, Mohammed Ndume by the Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee NWC of the party.
In a statement on Thursday in Abuja titled; “Fanatical Mindset”, the former APC chieftain charged all patriotic Nigerians to wake up to the responsibility of rescuing the country.
According to him, Nigerians should not allow a situation where so-called leaders of the ruling party behave like officials of military tribunals who operate with the fanatical mindset of condemning everyone accused of wrongdoing without the benefit of a fair hearing.
He said it was quite interesting that the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje could ask Ndume to honourably resign his membership of the party and join any opposition party of his choice formally.
Lukman further stated that it was not found anywhere in the constitution of the party that the National Chairman, National Secretary, or any official, or even the National Working Committee is given the powers to summarily remove any principal officer of the National Assembly.
He added that it was a shame that the APC Senate Caucus would permit such an act of illegality, stressing that by doing so, they have set a precedent that would further erode the independence of the National Assembly.
“Already, with the way Sen. Godswill Akpabio has been conducting himself almost reducing the Senate Chamber to the status of a parastatal of government, the action of the APC under the leadership of Dr Ganduje to direct removal of principal officers for criticizing President Tinubu’s government highlights the fanatical mindset undermining Nigerian democracy.
“Any democracy that cannot accommodate criticisms is no democracy. A democracy that subverts fair hearing is a dictatorship. A democracy that permits a ruling party to demobilize its organs and inadvertently expels its members is worse than a military government. All patriotic Nigerian political leaders must unite to restore Nigeria’s democracy.
“Nigerian opposition leaders must unite to build a truly strong political party to rebuild Nigerian democracy. All our opposition leaders and orphaned leaders of APC must come together and unite. Sen. Ndume being the newest APC orphan is welcome to join the efforts of political leaders in the country to restore and rebuild our democracy,” he said.
Ndume: Akpabio has reduced Nigerian Senate to parastatal – APC Chieftain, Lukman
Tech innovation offers hope for SDGs in Nigeria, says UN official
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, has concluded a one-week working visit to Lagos, Enugu, and Anambra states, advocating for the acceleration of Sustainable Development Goals to meet the 2030 target.
A press statement on Thursday by the National Information Officer, UN Information Centre, Oluseyi Soremekun, said the visit comes in the wake of the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, which revealed that only 17 per cent of SDG targets are currently on track.
During his tour, Fall engaged with governors, commissioners, private sector leaders, civil society organisations, traditional rulers, and women and youth groups.
He emphasised the urgent need to accelerate SDG implementation to improve the well-being of both people and the planet.
In Enugu, Governor Peter Mbah acknowledged the alignment between his administration’s vision and the UN mandates and SDGs.
Fall praised the innovative approaches he witnessed, particularly at the Owo Smart School.
“My visit to Owo Smart School, Enugu State was an eye opener and a confirmation that with the right leadership, nothing is impossible. I saw firsthand how technology was deployed to ensure quality education, thus placing students on the path to a brighter future,” he stated.
In Anambra, Fall met with Governor Charles Soludo to discuss poverty alleviation, environmental threats, and social protection.
He also visited Eziabor village Oko, one of over 1,000 active erosion sites in the state, calling for urgent intervention, stating, “I saw a soil erosion disaster site that required interventions of the Federal Government, the State Government and all development partners, to save lives and livelihoods. Anambra state needs all the support it can get to sustainably address the challenging situation of devastating soil erosion in the state.”
In Lagos, Fall engaged with private sector leaders, including Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings, UBA, and Transcorp groups.
He emphasised the crucial role of the private sector in advancing the SDGs and praised Elumelu’s contribution to youth development.
“It is always a pleasure to engage with you and your team, always reflecting on the youth bulge in Nigeria and Africa and the inherent demographic dividend. Young people offer great opportunities for national development,” he added.
Fall further expressed optimism about the upcoming Africa Social Impact Summit, ASIS2024, stating it would help provide some insights on how best to rescue the SDGs in Nigeria and in Africa.
The Resident Coordinator was particularly impressed by the innovative solutions presented by young tech entrepreneurs.
“With so many young people embracing tech and innovation, we see a ray of hope for a brighter, better future,” he remarked at the launch of the first-ever timbuktoo FinTech in Africa by UNDP.
Nigerian govt announces revised Sec Sch Curriculum for Sept implementation
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to introduce a revised curriculum for all secondary schools nationwide.
The new curriculum is expected to be implemented by September 2024.
This announcement was made by Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during the ongoing 2024 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) policy meeting in Abuja.
Read Also: NASU, SSANU protest over four-month withheld salaries
“We are working hard to ensure that a new curriculum is introduced for secondary schools by September,” Mamman said.
Mamman noted that the exercise has been on for the past year and a stakeholders meeting will be held on August 6, 2024.
“It is our plan that by September, this programme will be implemented in all schools, public and private,” the minister said.
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Oyo to provide health insurance for 10,000 pupils
The Oyo State Health Insurance Agency has reeled out plans to provide health insurance coverage for 10,000 pupils in the state.
This, according to the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr Sola Akande, is in furtherance of Governor Seyi Makinde’s integrated approach to education in the state.
Akande made this known on Wednesday, during a courtesy visit to the Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OyoSUBEB), Dr Nureni Aderemi Adeniran.
In his address, Dr Akande said: “This visit is very timely as the agency is ready to embark on the enrollment and validation of 10, 000 pupils who will benefit from the Oyo State health insurance policy.”
Akande added that the pupils would benefit immensely from the Agency’s insurance programme.
In his response, the Chairman, OyoSUBEB, Dr Adeniran, promised the Board would take seriously the enrollment exercise.
Adeniran said the insurance policy which is the first of its kind in the country, would be a model for other south-west states going forward.
Adeniran noted that OyoSUBEB had set up a six-man committee between the two agencies to work out the modalities for the implementation of the policy and expedite actions on it.
He also disclosed that the insurance policy would be flagged off in September when a new session would commence.
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Obi is a political jobber, he will dump LP like Okupe, Balami —Bwala
Former spokesman of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council for the 2023 presidential election, has called the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), a political jobber who will soon dump the LP.
Bwala who had earlier dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in protest to its Muslim-Muslim ticket for the election and pitched tents with Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a post on his X handle on Thursday, said Obi started his political career with the PDP before moving to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and back to the PDP before pitching tents with LP, reasoning that such regular cross-carpeting shows signs of a jobber who moves about for what he stands to gain.
Bwala was reacting to the defection of aviation expert and youth activist, Isaac Balami, who announced his defection from LP to the APC on Wednesday.
Balami who is a former National Deputy Campaign Manager for the Obi/Datti campaign organisation, while addressing journalists in Abuja, said he was returning to the APC, a party he dumped over the same Muslim-Muslim ticket.
In his post, Bwala said Obi would soon toll the path of Doyin Okupe and Balami by dumping LP.
READ ALSO:‘Peter Obi will never be president in Nigeria’, Omokri vows
“The other day was Doyin Okupe, today is my brother Isaac Balami, mark my words, tomorrow certainly it will be Kenneth Okonkwo, because of two reasons:
“As patriots, seeing the urgency to rally round our president at this difficult time as he re-directs the ship Nigeria. Labour Party is a SPV and not a political party.
“That leaves the elements called “Obidients” with one lesson; thus no matter their threats and bullies, Nigerians would exercise their rights of association as enshrined in our constitution
“@PeterObi too will leave Labour Party at some points. If you call people who exercise their rights of association as political jobbers, then your hero Peter Obi is the grandfather of political ‘jobberism’ having started from PDP to APGA to PDP to Labour and now in talks with PDP. You people are the most gullible of all time. GOAT means Gullibles Of All Time.”
If you call people who exercise their rights of association as political jibbers, then your hero peter Obi is the grandfather of political Jobnerism having started from PDP to APGA to PDP to Labour and now in talks with PDP. You people are the most gullible of all time. GOAT…
— D. H Bwala (@BwalaDaniel) July 18, 2024
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