News

2023: Prosecuting Electoral Offenders Will Guarantee Acceptance Of Poll Results – Bayelsa Monarch

Published

2 years ago

November 13, 2022

Editor

Chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, Bubaraye Dakolo, has said the neutrality of the Nigeria Police, including ensuring arrest and speedy prosecution of perpetrators of electoral fraud will guarantee acceptance of electoral results.

According to him, it is shameful that electoral violators get away with their crimes noting that such should not be the case in the 2023 general election.

Dakolo equally admonished the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure it handles the electioneering processes effectively, according to the rules and regulations guiding the conduct of elections.

The first-class monarch also enjoined leaders of the political parties and their supporters to respect the laws of the land during the forthcoming polls.

Dakolo, Agada IV and Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, made the call when Morris Alagoa, the state coordinator of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, led a team on an advocacy visit to his office in Yenagoa, to seek level-playing field in the state.

“We came here not for the exclusive interest of our party, the Labour Party, but in the collective interest of all political parties and stakeholders in the state. Bearing in mind that not only is peace priceless and terror being considered as senseless; no single organisation, community or individual has monopoly of violence,” Morris said.

The traditional ruler said: “I do advocate for INEC to do its job properly this season. I also advocate for all leaders of the political parties in Nigeria to obey the rules. Some parties are losing in court because they didn’t do simple primaries correctly in some states. Simple primaries they didn’t do correctly!

“I will enjoin all the parties to follow the rules, including INEC and then let all citizens also follow the rules. The rules I am talking about here, include living and let live, vote and let the other man vote, too.”

Admonishing the police, he said, “I would want to use this opportunity to call on the Nigeria Police that is in charge of peace and security to ensure that anybody that tries to buy votes should be apprehended and prosecuted; irrespective of the stop-gaps that are placed, attempts to cheat the system or being violent in any way, should be prosecuted because it is a big shame that over the years, hardly has anyone being charged to court and jailed for electoral violence. I have not heard.

“I do know that some persons have constituted themselves as electoral thugs and they say, ‘our season has come again’. So this is a challenge to the Nigeria Police and law enforcement agencies in general that no Nigerian should see an electoral season as their season because of thuggery, electoral Dollars.”

News

INEC Warns Against Incumbency Power Abuse In Edo, Ondo

Published

6 mins ago

May 17, 2024

Editor

Ahead of the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has cautioned against the abuse of incumbency power.

Yakubu noted that a situation where a ruling party denied the opposition access to campaign spaces often resulted in a breach of peace.

He appealed for security protection for both the personnel and materials that INEC would be deploying for the upcoming elections.

The Edo State governorship election is scheduled for September 21, 2024, while the Ondo State election will be held on November 16, 2024.

The Continuous Voter Registration in both states will run simultaneously from Monday, May 27, to Wednesday, June 5, from 9 am to 3 pm daily, including weekends.

Campaigns by political parties in Edo State began on April 24, 2024, and would conclude at midnight on September 19, 2024.

Speaking on Thursday at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in Abuja, Yakubu underscored the responsibility of security agencies to ensure the enforcement of the law throughout the election period, stressing the importance of a peaceful and orderly process.

He also called on the security agencies to maintain vigilance over the electioneering process, to prevent violent attacks and negative mobilisation by political parties, candidates, and their supporters during campaigns.

He said, “We need security protection for the registrants, registration personnel, equipment, observers, and journalists that will cover the CVR exercise.

“I urge you to keep your eyes on the electioneering process to prevent violent attacks or negative mobilisation by political parties, candidates, and their supporters during their campaigns.

“Similarly, the use of the power of incumbency to deny opposition parties and candidates access to public facilities, such as radio and television stations, public buildings for campaigns and rallies, or even outdoor advertising through the imposition of excessive fees and levies often results in the breach of the peace.

REAS ALSO: Lady Reveals Three Ways To Know If A Girl’s Waist Beads Is Not ‘Ordinary’

“These actions, including the mutual destruction of campaign materials and facilities, violate the provisions of Sections 91 to 97 of the Electoral Act 2022. The security agencies must ensure the enforcement of the law,” he said.

The National Security Adviser and co-chair of ICCES, Nuhu Ribadu, stressed the need for the same level of dedication and effort in the forthcoming elections as was demonstrated in previous ones.

Ribadu highlighted the importance of strategic deployment, cautioning against overwhelming the system with excessive numbers.

Represented by the Director of Internal Security in the ONSA, Hassan Abdullahi, the NSA said, “The same efforts for the previous elections would be extended to the forthcoming elections.

“However, we need to be careful in our deployment in terms of numbers so that we will not overburden the system.”

News

JUST IN: Court Denies Binance Executive, Gambaryan Bail

Published

1 hour ago

May 17, 2024

Editor

A Federal High Court Abuja, on Friday denied the bail application of a crypto currency firm executive, Tigran Gambaryan.

Justice Emeka Nwite, while delivering the ruling held that the bail application is refused as he has carefully gone through the application submitted before him and resolved that the defendant will jump bail if granted.

Gambaryan, his company, Binance Holdings Limited and a fellow top executive currently on the run, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, with money laundering and terrorism financing .

Details shortly….

News

Malnutrition: UNICEF Introduces Liquid Supplement To Enhance Child Nutrient

Published

3 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Editor

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has introduced a liquid base supplement to enhance a child’s nutrient diet in order to wage war against malnutrition in Nigeria.

Mrs Philomena Irene, UNICEF’s Nutrition Specialist, Bauchi Field Office, stated this in Gombe on Thursday during a two-day media dialogue on Age-Appropriate Complementary Feeding for Children Aged 6-23 months.

According to her, the intervention was being carried out by the Progressive Action on Resilient System Through Innovation and Partnership (PARSNIP) project of UNICEF.

She however, explained that the project was being implemented in Dukku, Kaltungo and Kwame Local Government Areas of Gombe state.

She said the project basically focused on enhancing young children’s nutrient diet with the liquid base supplements, adding that the commodity is nutrient rich and has both protein, energy, 15 minerals and vitamins.

“It’s for children under the age of 6 to 23 months by adding it to their food. It was formulated for children living in severe food poverty.

“It has shown that these children living in severe food poverty can’t even have a meal in a day that is rich with five food groups which is the minimum.

“The idea is, if you give them one of the sachets of this commodity, they have taken one meal a day that is nutrient dense which contains 100 to 120 calories a day.

“It has protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins,” she said.

The UNICEF Nutrition Specialist also explained that under the project, UNICEF also helps the states to create an enabling environment, health system strengthening and improving diet and practices.