Blog

Elections
By Ahmed Ubandoma
Abuja, Aug. 30, 2018 (NAN) The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has declared her support for female candidates vying for different elective positions irrespective of their political parties in Nigeria.

Buhari said the support became necessary considering the low level of women participation in politics, especially at the grassroots level.

She said this on Thursday while declaring open the Women Political Aspirants Advocacy Summit in Abuja.

The summit was organised by the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), National Council for Women Societies and Women in Politics Forum in Collaboration with the Office of the Wife of the President.

The wife of the President charged women not to be discouraged and aspire for different political offices in order to have a say in the decision making bodies in the society.

She said voting for women would guarantee access to clean drinking water, hygiene as well as improved maternal and child health.

Buhari said election of women is achievable because women make up the larger body of voters and as such can determine the fate of any election, adding that religious and political leaders should support this project.

She also called on women to support each other, especially when more than one are vying for the same position.

Buhari appealed to political parties to implement the 35 per cent affirmative action by ensuring effective gender mainstreaming in the affairs of their party. (NAN)
AMU/CHOM/IS
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Edited by Chioma Ugboma

PVC
By Akeem Abas
Ibadan, Aug. 30, 2018(NAN) As the deadline for the Continues Voters Registration exercise draw near, the Oyo State Government has declared Friday public holiday to enable civil servants and other residents of the state obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC).

Mr Olalekan Alli, Secretary to the State Government, announced this in statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan.

Alli said the the work-free-day is to also enable workers that are yet to register to do so.

“The governor has made it mandatory for all public and civil servants in the state to duly register and obtain their PVCs before the closing date for the CVR.

“Consequently, he has directed that Friday, August 31, be observed as work-free day in all government offices across the state,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the INEC had announced Aug. 31 as closing date for the exercise until after the 2019 general elections. (NAN)

TAA/AZA/IS
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Edited by Polycarp Auta/

By Ahmed Ubandoma
Abuja, Aug. 30, 2018 (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari has called on political parties to ensure conducive atmosphere for women aspirants in the forthcoming 2019 General Elections.

Buhari said this on Thursday while addressing Nigerian women at the Women Political Aspirants Advocacy Summit in Abuja.

He called for an enabling environment for free and fair playing grounds where women can contest elective positions and participate in political process.

He said, Nigerian women are resilient and dedicated to their responsibilities.

Cue-in-Buhari

“Women constitute more than fifty per cent of voters and by experience they are more dedicated, more principled.

“Politicians rely on women voters because their word is usually their bond. Women stand by candidates they believed in all the way. So, politicians do a lot to gain their confidence.’’

Cue-out-Buhari

He therefore called on the women to contest for different political positions to ensure their greater participation in decision making.

Cue-in-Buhari.

“A few months ago, I met with female parliamentarians and they raised issues concerning the passage of Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill now before the National Assembly and the implementation of 35 per cent affirmative action, among others’’

“I am fully in support of both positions because these measures will improve the representation of women in our politics’’

Cue-out-Buhari

The President said that Nigeria is a country of opportunities and possibilities, adding that the country was blessed with productive and skilled manpower, coupled with resources still being harnessed.

Buhari said that “with the right leadership at all levels, appropriate mindset and strong institutions, Nigeria can attain greater heights”.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Summit was organized by the National Centre for Women Development and Women in Politics Forum in collaboration with the office of the wife of the President. (NAN)
AMU/IS
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Oyo ADC: Group issues 72-hour ultimatum for congress cancellation

Cancellation
By Akeem Abas
Ibadan, Aug. 30, 2018 (NAN) Unity Forum, a group within Oyo State Chapter of African Democratic Congress (ADC), has called for the immediate cancellation of the p state congress held on Tuesday.

The group’s Coordinator, Dr Busari Adebisi, told journalists in Ibadan on Thursday that the congress, which had earlier been postponed by party’s national leadership, was ” unconstitutional and spuriously illegal”.

The group asked the ADC national leadership to cancel the congress within 72 hours, failing which it would consider other options for its members.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a faction of the party, led by a former governor, Chief Rashidi Ladoja and Chief Michael Koleoso, had on August 28 conducted the congress.

“We are leaving avenue for the resolution of the impunity which is the characteristics of the key players involved in this logjam.

“If not adhered to, we will consider any other option for our teeming members to realise their  political ambition and our numerous supporters yearning for good governance,” the forum said.

The group wondered how a state congress was held without a delegates list since the ward and local government congresses were inconclusive.

It resolved that any attempt to foist or impose the list of executive members from any quarters would be vehemently opposed.

“Notice of  postponement  was well circulated among members and delegates for the state congress of the party who then decided to remain at their respective councils.

However, Sen. Monsurat Sunmonu (ADC-Oyo Central) who arrived midway into the briefing, assured members of the forum that the crisis would soon be resolved.

She said that the efforts of the forum was not for personal gains but to liberate the people of the state and promote good governance.

Also speaking, Mr Yinka Olona, an ADC chieftain, said they have petitioned the party’s national working committee and called for outright cancellation of the congress.

He said that the congress was done in secrecy and did not represent the interest of larger percentage of the party members.

Among those at the news conference were Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Chief Goke Oyetunji,  Alhaji  Gani Alade, Hon Lasun Adebunmi,  Barrister Yissau Sallam, Hon Kolade Olagunju and Dr Wasiu Olatubosun.

Present at the briefing were ADC representatives from the 33 local government areas of the state.(NAN)

TAA/WOJ
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Edited by Wale Ojetimi

Election

By Cecilia Ijuo/Abiemwense Moru

Abuja, Aug. 30, 2018 (NAN) The National Assembly Joint Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has recommended the sourcing of funds for 2019 General Elections from Service Wide Votes.

Chairman of the committee, Sen. Suleiman Nazif, made this known at the committee meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

He said that the suggestion for the budget to be vired from the Service Wide Votes under the Special Intervention Programme (Recurrent) was to ease consideration and avoid increasing the size of the 2018 Expenditure Framework.

Nazif also disclosed that the committee reviewed the INEC Budget from N143.5 billion to N143.3 billion, explaining that the committee reduced some line items in the budget by N200 Budget.

He said that N50 million was deducted from N587 million for grassroots enlightenment forum and outreach activities in local government areas.

He explained that the deduction was made in view of the fact that political parties were already involved in sensitization.

The chairman also said that N71 million was deducted from N471 million meant for production and airing of election jingles.

He said the National Orientation Agency and Ministry of Information were already doing that, adding that INEC did not have to burden itself with that.

He further said that N50 million was deducted from N300 million meant for training of Continuous Voter Registration officials, adding that the training was already captured in the 2018 Budget.

Nazif also said that N29 million was deducted from N359 million meant for monitoring of the general elections for regulatory compliance.

According to him, the deduction was made because arrangement on monitoring has been concluded, adding that compliance was assured.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC had adjusted its budget for 2019 elections from N189 billion to N143 billion in line with recommendation of the National Assembly.

Following adjustment of the budget, Nazif, told newsmen that a sub-committee had been set up to look at the proposal and to point out any area of infraction to the committee.

The committee had on Aug. 27, recommended N143 billion for approval for the commission’s preparation ahead of the general elections.

This was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s request on July 11 when he sought the legislators’ approval of N242 billion for the elections.

Specifically, he said that N164.10 billion of the funds was urgently needed to enable INEC to commence preparations for the elections, while the balance of N78.34 billon would be provided for in 2019 Budget.

The President had in his letter of request explained that the urgently needed N164 billion would be allocated as follows: INEC, N143.51 billion; Office of National Security Adviser, N3.86 billion and Department of State Services (DSS), N2.90 billion.

Others are Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, N1.85 billion; Nigeria Police Force, N11.46 billion and Nigeria Immigration Service, N530.1million.

The Senate Committee on INEC had on Aug. 16, queried the commission for presenting a budgetary proposal of N189 billion for the elections, saying it was at variance with the president’s for the polls.

This was because, though Buhari had in his letter requested for N189 billion for the 2019 elections, he said that N143 billion was urgently needed by INEC to begin preparations for the polls.

The money is expected to be vired from the 2018 Budget, especially from the N587 billion, which the president said was inserted by the lawmakers into the budget, raising it from N8.6 trillion to 9.12 trillion.(NAN)

CJM/AMM/CHOM/OPI

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Edited by Chioma Ugboma and Olisa Ifeajika

Healthcare

By Lydia Ngwakwe

Lagos, Aug. 30, 2018 (NAN) The Lagos State Government on Thursday said finance would no longer be a barrier to children in getting proper healthcare servises in the state.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, gave the assurance at the 6th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference organised by Nigerian Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NISPGHAN) in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that theme of the three days conference is entitled: “The Role of Specialised Paediatric Gastroenterological Care in Improving Child Health.”

Idris said: “We recognise that children remain the most vulnerable groups in the country with an unacceptable number of infant morbidity and mortality, majority of which is due to malnutrition and diarrhea diseases.

“The government of Lagos State has carried out a number of programmes to reduce morbidly and mortality in the state; one of them is financial protection.

“By this, we have blocked the financial barriers to the healthcare of children in the state.

“We have free health services for children between the ages of zero to 12 years and this is being continued by the commencement of the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme,’’ Idris, represented by Dr Abieyuwa Emokpae, said.

According to him, the major plan on the maternal and child health programme in the state is the nutritional programme.

The commissioner said that with this, the state government encourages exclusive breastfeeding for civil servants.

He said also that maternity leave for civil servants had been extended from three months to six months to allow nursing mothers to properly and exclusively breastfeed their babies.

Idris expressed hope that the conference would throw more light on these nutritional diseases to the health of children.

The Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, represented by Prof.Tokunbo Fabanwo, said that theme of the conference was beneficial to nursing mothers.

Fagbohun, however, expressed dissatisfaction that the society (NISPGHAN), separated itself from the Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN).

He said: “I congratulate the organisation at six years for being formidable but, I think that you should still remain a strong force within the Paediatric Association of Nigeria.

“I do not think you should carve out your own empire outside of PAN,’’ Fagbohun said.

In his presentation, the Professor of Paediatric Clinical Nutrition, BABCOCK University, Prof. James Rener, urged the society to ensure it educated nursing mothers on the benefit of exclusive breastfeeding.

He said: “If we must make an impact, we must make a contribution about nutrition to the people.

“Kwarshiorkor is still with us; we must create awareness on breastfeeding, just like it is done on polio.

“Mothers must know that breast milk is the feed suitable for babies in the first 1,000 days of their live,’’ the expert said.

He urged government to provide an enabling environment for nursing mothers to breast feed their babies.

Also, Prof. Philip Abiodun, President of NISPGHAN, regretted that most hospitals in Nigeria did not have endoscopy machines suitable to the needs of children.

“Diagnostic and Therapeutic endoscopy has advanced very much in the western world.

“Challenges in making diagnosis as well as managing disorders affecting children continue to dog our country Nigeria.

“This appears to be accentuated by the economic downturn being currently experienced,’’ Abiodun said.

Earlier, Dr Idowu Senbanjo, the Lagos State Chairman of NISPGHAN, welcomed the participants to the state, urging them to explore and enjoy their stay.(NAN)
LED/CHOM/GOK
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Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Olagoke Olatoye

PHCs

By Mercy Osajiugo

Minna, Aug. 30, 2018 (NAN) The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), an NGO, has called for more media investigation into the state of Primary Health Care so as to attract more funds to its centres.

Mallam Auwa Musa, its Executive Director, made the call on Thursday in Minna, at a workshop on basic health care.

“Most primary health centres are poorly equipped and cannot function effectively; funding has been very inadequate. I believe that things will get better if journalists pay more attention to the state of the centres,” he said.

According to him, the dearth of infrastructure, health personnel and equipment has constituted a major obstacle to primary health care in spite of its crucial place in the health care delivery chain.

“The situation of primary health care worsens everyday because financial and political commitment from government is lacking.

“Where there have been pronouncements, they have been partially, or entirely not implemented,” he fumed.

He decried the poor attention to primary health care by state governors and local government authorities, saying that health was placed in the concurrent list to ensure it enjoyed the attention of all tiers of government.

Musa recalled that in January 2017, the Federal Government kicked off a scheme to revitalize 10,000 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), with the provision of 1.5 million dollars to each state and the FCT to deliver quality heath care to women and children.

Musa urged newsmen to investigate the implementation of the project that was tagged “Saving One Million Lives Initiative”.

“Our ultimate goal is to promote the implementation of this policy. We want journalists to investigate and inform the general public about the progress of this initiative since its launch,” he said.

Musa tasked the media to engage respective state government so as to ascertain their commitment to success of the project. (NAN)

MNO/ETS

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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin

FG says 1,700 Nigerians in Libya prison, evacuates 165 illegal migrants

Prisoners

By Isaac Aregbesola

Abuja, Aug. 30, 2018 (NAN) The Charge D’ Affairs, Nigeria Mission to Libya, Mr Alex Kefas, says 165 stranded Nigerian irregular migrants were on Thursday evacuated from Libya by the Federal Government.

Kefas, who announced this at a news conference on the current situation on Nigerians in Libya, said that 1,700 Nigerians were serving various jail terms in `accessible’ prison in that country.

He said that were still many other Nigerians held for various offences in various prisons in the area being controlled by the rebels which still remained inaccessible to the mission.

“Our major issue now, apart from bilateral issue with Libya, is the issue of migrant crisis; the Federal Government as at today evacuated 3,801 irregular migrants in the last few months

“And, we are also expecting the arrival of 165 irregular migrants that will arrive today (Thursday).

“There are six of them that are dead and are in the mortuary as we cannot locate their families because many of them change names when they get there,” he said.

According to him, out of the 165 irregular migrants that arrived in Murtala Mohammed Airport Lagos on Thursday, are 109 that appealed for rescue through a video few weeks ago

“We have 109 that few weeks ago appealed to the president and religious leaders to come to their help through a video that went viral

“We are happy that they are in this very group that are arriving today (Thursday).

“The mission has been doing a lot to ensure the welfare of the migrants; some of them were taken to the hospitals for child delivery,” he said.

He said that the mission had been getting support from the Federal Government to improve funding to take care of challenges that it had been facing.

“The issue we are talking about is not that we are not doing anything; the European Union, International Organisation on Migration and UN have been doing their best.

“But one of the challenges is that some of the migrants have insisted that Europe is their destination and we cannot stop them according to international law.

“Some of them refused to be repatriated and nobody could be forced to come back home, it is not possible,” he said.

According to him, about 65 of those categories were rescued from the high seas recently and this is almost on weekly basis.

“Some are still there as we speak, even among those that sent the video recorded have refused to be repatriated, so but we are still appealing to them to reconsider their steps,” he said.(NAN)

IAA/IA

10 face prosecution over alleged vote-buying in Ekiti State

Vote-Buying

By Suleiman Shehu

Ibadan, Aug. 30,2018 (NAN) The Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner  (REC), Mr Mutiu Agboke, on Thursday said 10 persons had been arrested and undergoing prosecution over allegation of vote-buying in the just concluded Ekiti State governorship election.

Agboke disclosed this on Thursday in Ibadan during a sensitization campaign on the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and update on the 2019 election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by Yoruba Women for Peace Foundation (YOWOPEF), in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State.

The Oyo State REC said that INEC was committed to no-vote-buying and using money to cajole people for vote and various measures had been put in place to reduce the issue to the barest minimum.

He assured the electorate that  vote-buying experienced in Ekiti State would not happen in Osun governorship election, adding election would be cancelled  any where there was ballot box snatching.

Agboke called on political parties not to discriminate against women by giving them opportunity to contest for any political position of their choice, including position of president.

He also urged political parties to reduce the fees for form to give women who were interested to contest  any political offices.

Agboke said that women in Oyo State had the highest participation in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), compared to men in the state.

He urged political parties not to use women as servant and give them position due to them in line with INEC policy.

Earlier, Founder of YOWOPEF, Mrs Fadeke Komolafe, urged women to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and vote for credible candidates that would improve the Nigeria’s future.

Komolafe called on electorate not to sell their votes.(NAN)

SYS/AO/IA

Port

By Uchenna Eletuo
Lagos, Aug. 30, 2018 (NAN) The Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) on Thursday identified lack of infrastructure as one of the factors responsible for low cargo throughput in the Eastern ports.

The NPA Managing Director, Ms Hadiza Usman, made the observation at the Nigeria Port Consultative Council meeting in Lagos.

The managing director identified insecurity, depth of the ports and roads and rail infrastructure in states where these ports are located and links roads to warehouses within and out of the area as challenges.

Usman said that for the Eastern ports to attract cargo, there must be improvement on infrastructure that would aid port transaction in the zone.

“There is no need for shippers to en route their cargoes to places where they will find it difficult to reach their warehouses and end users.

“There has been this issue of restiveness in the area and no investor will like to toy with his or her goods, hence the prefer Lagos ports where security is guaranteed unlike in the eastern ports.

“Calabar port is strategically located to be able to service the North-East and the North-West, but the linking roads to the areas from calabar is bad. Articulated vehicles cannot ply the route,’’ Usman said.

She appealed to the relevant government agencies responsible for infrastructure related development to assist the authority in the provision of the needed infrastructure for smooth cargo operations in the zone.

The managing director also called on the coastal communities to ensure security and less restiveness among the youths in order to attract investment in their area.

Usman assured investors that the authority was working in partnership with the Nigerian Navy and the Marine Police to restore sanity on Nigerian waters. (NAN)
EUC/AOM/TÁ
Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Tajudeen Atitebi