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Linking INEC Voters’ Register With NIN Will Guarantee Election Credibility — Aregbesola

Published

10 months ago

July 11, 2023

Editor

Immediate past Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to link its voters register with the database of the National Identification Number, NIN, to tackle credibility and transparency issues in the nation’s electoral processes.

He said the singular act is capable of ending the problem of underage voting and multiple registrations among prospective voters in the electoral process.

Aregbesola in a statement issued by his media office, spoke while presenting a paper titled “Towards Free, Fair and Credible Elections,” at the 7th International Conference of the Professional Statisticians Society of Nigeria (PSSN), holding at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nasarawa State on Tuesday.

Observing that the transparency of the electoral process is vital to the sustainability of a nation, the former Osun State Governor is of the opinion that appropriate statistics are key to the entrenchment of accountability; the first step to achieving development.

The former minister said: “I am suggesting a more seamless registration system that will be continuous and terminates only a few weeks before the election, to allow for compilation and printing of cards. This registration should be synced with the National Identification Number (NIN).

“It will automatically eliminate underage voters and the possibility of multiple registrations. More importantly, people should be able to do the registration online, on their own, just like most application processes we have today. They should only go to INEC office for biometric data capture and card collection only.

“The second factor in the electoral process is the delineation of voting constituencies and poling units. This should be population based. There is also always chaos on election day as voters will be running helter-skelter, trying to find their polling units. There should be a system of notification or personal check to avoid this confusion.

“Thirdly, it appears for most part that agents of the political parties don’t know what to do on election day and at the polling units. INEC should endeavour to train them on what specific roles they will play in election.

“Fourthly, the logistics should be smooth and seamless. In many instances, voting officials will arrive late or without the materials or the machines may just start malfunctioning. Elections should start and end on schedule. Many voters are eventually disenfranchised due to late commencement of voting.”

Aregbesola also canvassed for the liberalisation of Nigeria’s Electoral Laws, such that parties without presence in all states of the federation can present candidates and have its voice in the democratic process.

“In Britain, a party founded in February 2015, Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol (CISTA) contested that year’s General Election. Its sole manifesto was the legalisation of cannabis. It had 6,885 votes across the country. It contested the London Mayoral election on May 5, 2016 and finished ninth out of 12 candidates with 20,537 votes in the first round.

“There is also a Legalise Cannabis Australia founded in 1993 with the sole objective of legalising cannabis for personal, medical and medicinal use. It has seven of its members elected across Australia.

“Though I’m not advocating for these ideologies and as bizarre as these may sound to us, the democratic import of it is that the party represents the aspirations and expectations of some people. There are a thousand and one other issues, including secession, expulsion of foreigners, abolition of police and other law enforcement agencies on which parties are formed.

“This is the democratic essence. The space must be created to a reasonable extent to give people the room for the expression of their aspirations. Of course, there will be extreme, unreasonable and unrealisable aspirations, nevertheless, they should have expressions within reasonable limits.

“The process of counting votes and collation of results should be transparent and the rules should be followed, to eliminate anything that can detract from the integrity of the election. In many cases, the election will be smooth, but problems erupt during counting and collation.

“We should avoid the cynical statement ascribed to Joseph Stalin that those who vote decide nothing; those who count the votes decide everything,” Aregbesola stressed further.

News

JUST IN: Court Denies Binance Executive, Gambaryan Bail

Published

8 mins 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

1 hour 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.

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Rivers Crisis: Fubara Mocks Wike, Says ‘We’ve Defeated Our Enemies’

Published

3 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Editor

The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, declared on Thursday that his battles were over as he had defeated his opponents, who are not sleeping with their two eyes open.

He said he had turned the tide against his opponents, noting that he was still in office about to mark his first anniversary, contrary to the plan by his detractors.

Fubara spoke on Thursday amid the ranging feud between him and his predecessor and estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike.

Last October, Fubara survived an impeachment plot by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Wike.

As of Wednesday, nine members of his cabinet loyal to Wike had tendered their resignation and exited.

Addressing the national and state leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council on Thursday at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Fubara said he appreciated their support and the assurance that they were with him but said, “there is nothing to call on you for because we have already defeated them.”

According to The PUNCH, the IYC leadership was on a solidarity walk to the Government House in Port Harcourt, to celebrate the Isaac Adaka Boro Day.

The solidarity walk was part of activities to celebrate the heroic exploits of the late Major Isaac Adaka Boro, 56 years after his death, which is observed on May 16, every year.

Boro, it will be recalled, formed the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, an armed militia with members consisting mainly of his fellow Ijaw ethnic group who declared the Niger Delta Republic on February 23, 1966, and fought with federal forces for 12 days before they were defeated.

After he was granted amnesty, he enlisted and was commissioned as a Major in the Nigerian Army, fought on the side of the Federal Government during the civil war but was killed under mysterious circumstances in active service in 1968 at Ogu (near Okrika) in Rivers State on May 9, 1968.

Speaking with the Ijaw youths, Fubara acknowledged the assurances of brotherly support from the council and urged the Ijaw Nation to key into the ongoing celebration of the liberation the state now enjoyed.

“I am happy that you’ve told me this morning that when I call on you, you will respond. But there is nothing to call on you for because we have already defeated them.

“By the special grace of God, what they thought that they would have done to us while we were celebrating our one year in office, they are the ones sleeping with their two eyes open. It shows that we have the Ijaw blood. And what is that blood: it is the blood of action; less talk, more action,” Fubara said.

Fubara noted that Boro genuinely stood for equity, justice, and fair play, and pursued his course to ensure liberation for the Ijaw people and their clans.

He described every genuine Rivers man as a liberator, adding that he was delighted to receive them on such auspicious day to re-enact the common purpose of liberation that they shared.

“Because he (Isaac Boro) stood for that unique thing, even after his death, we still celebrate him because he was a liberator.

“Every Rivers man, it doesn’t matter whether you are Ijaw or upland, the most important thing is that every genuine Rivers man must be a liberator.

“And I’m happy that you have come here today. I have also received you because we have one common purpose: to liberate our dear state. We are not going back on that.”

The governor thanked the crowd for their assurances of being available to respond to his call and stand by him and appealed to Ijaw youths to conduct themselves peacefully as they celebrate Major Isaac Adaka Boro Day.

He stressed that it should be done in the same spirit that had enveloped the state now, celebrating victory over his political detractors.

In his speech, the National President of IYC, Mr Jonathan Lokpobiri, described the day as historic, because Ijaw people were meeting with their governor on Major Isaac Adaka Boro Day of Memorial.

He warned all detractors to retrace their steps and allow the governor, who had the full mandate of the people, to discharge his duties to Rivers people.

He commended Fubara for his courage, bravery and commitment to good governance, insisting that his struggle and triumph resonated with the hope of all Ijaw people.

Also speaking, the Chairman of IYC, Eastern Zone, Mr Tamuno Kpokpo, said the visit was not to signify an ethnic war, but to lend support in the protection of the interest and continuous development of Rivers State.

Kpokpo said the IYC would stand to resist anybody or group of persons anywhere who dared to cause any distraction of governance in the state.

PUNCH