Today’s Headlines:INEC Still Open To Future Collaboration With EU–Yakubu; Ministerial Nomination: Tinubu unfair to South East –Ohanaeze

INEC Still Open To Future Collaboration With EU–Yakubu

Photo Credit:The Sun papers

Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has said the commission is still open to future collaboration with the European Union (EU) despite the complaints that trailed the unfavourable report from the subnational union against the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

He stated this at the handover of the innovation technology tools facilitated by Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) in Abuja, yesterday.

Yakubu said the commission would closely examine the tools with a view to adopting or tweaking them to meet the immediate and emergent challenges in the conduct of elections.

He emphasised that though core electoral activities are funded by the Federal Government as a sovereign responsibility, DAI, however provides support towards capacity building, technical support, printing of non-sensitive reports and information flyers.

The electoral umpire boss equally expressed happiness that some of the tools developed in collaboration with DAI are handed over to the commission.

“I would like to thank DAI and the EU-SDGN Project Phase II. The commission is open to future collaboration with the EU through its implementing partners. I must also continue to emphasise that core electoral activities are still funded by the federal government of Nigeria as a sovereign responsibility. It is only funding from government that is received and administered directly by the commission,” he said. Explaining the partnership with EU through DAI, Yakubu said: “This support is designed to address five thematic areas, that is enhancing and strengthening planning and operational capacities; improving the commission’s internal communication and external engagements with stakeholders.

Ministerial Nomination: Tinubu unfair to South East –Ohanaeze

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Apex Igbo sociocultural organiSation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the number of ministerial nominees allotted to the South East region.

It noted that while other regions have nine and 10 ministers, the South East region has only five.

In a statement issued yesterday in Enugu, the President General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, said the president has not treated Ndigbo fairly in his appointments.

Part of the statement reads “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo feels that it is unfair and unjust. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo believes in one united Nigeria and this can only be achieved in an atmosphere of fairness, justice and equity. We therefore demand justice, fairness and equity for every ethnic group in Nigeria including the Igbo.

“Recall that the states and geopolitical zones were created by the military administrations. All honest Nigerians know that the Igbo did not play much part during this exercise. As a result, the South East was shortchanged with five (5) states while other zones have minimum of six (6) states.

“This situation has placed the South East in a very difficult position, politically, economically, and socially. Our political power has been reduced as we have a few senators and also in the House of Representatives; governors, house of assembly and local governments.

“In federal revenue allocation, the South East is denied the revenue that comes on the basis of states. In federal board appointments and other resource distributions, we are strategically shortchanged.

Photo Credit:Google

Army Will Deploy Troops For Census_COAS

Photo Credit:Punch papers

The Nigerian Army has assured the National Population Commission that it would deploy troops during the 2023 census.

This, it said, was to enable the commission to conduct the forthcoming 2023 census successfully.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, made the pledge on Thursday when the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Kwarra, led the board of commissioners and directors of the NPC on a courtesy visit to the Army headquarters in Abuja.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

It read, “The Army pledged continuous support to the National Population Commission to enable it to conduct the forthcoming 2023 census successfully.

“Expressing the readiness of the NA to support the commission in its effort to conduct the 2023 census, the COAS gave assurance that the NA will provide requisite support to the commission through the deployment of troops and adequate security to ensure the successful conduct of the exercise. “

Onyema also said the COAS promised the commission’s staff access to barracks across the country.

PSC Won’t Condone Pre-trial Detention_Arase

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The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr Solomon Arase, on Thursday, faulted what he described as pre-trial detentions as currently being witnessed among policemen.

He said the PSC under his leadership would no longer tolerate detentions beyond what the law provides for.

He also said the commission has set up a Compliance Monitoring Unit to ensure that the rights of citizens are protected and that offending police officers are sanctioned for misconduct.

A statement by the commission’s Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, quoted the PSC boss as speaking when two delegations from the United States of America and the United Kingdom visited him.

Arase was quoted as telling his guests that what Nigerians wanted was a responsible police force that respects human rights.

The statement read, “He (Arase) also told them that the PSC leadership and the authorities of the Nigeria Police are united in the fight to stamp out human rights abuses in the country.

Tinubu’s Administration Taking Nigerians For Granted–Nzukwein

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Bishop Mark Nzukwein is the pioneer Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wukari in Taraba State. In this exclusive interview with Daily Sun, he cautions that the present administration in the country is taking the patience of Nigerians dangerously for granted and could precipitate an uncontrollable revolt from the people. He also talks about the President’s Ministerial Nominees and other key issues.

What do you make of the fuel subsidy removal by President Bola Tinubu?

Actually one would keep wondering what this present government has for this country. Having come in, I would think they would tread on the path of caution, to slow down on certain policies especially policies that are anti-people. They just came in and as if they are not aware of the plight of the people who just endures the torture of the last 8 years before their arrival on stage. They didn’t evaluate the cash crunch, the COVID and all that. So they just came in with another package that will further push people down the drain. For me that policy came at a very wrong time and it is not necessary.

The fuel subsidy removal, even though some argue it’s good, the government even before that policy didn’t look at the corruption that was in that industry. I don’t even think the issue is around removal of subsidy, the issues lie around the humongous corruption in the subsidy regime. What I thought they would do was to go back to the industry, subject it to critical examination, look at their operations and from there tackle the problem from the roots because right now, they are just tackling the symptoms.

And since the removal, we have never felt the benefits of the removal. Nobody has reported to us the amount of monies they reap from this policy and I assure you it could be in trillions because of the population of Nigerians. If I’m being very objective about it, so much has come into the coffers of the government and it’s from the pocket of the people.

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