The federal commissioner representing Nasarawa state at the National Population Commission Abuja, Silas Ali Agara, has reaffirmed the commission’s plans to conduct a paperless population census using tablets during the 2023 census.


He disclosed this while touring the training centers of enumerators of the trial census across the Karu Local government area, Tuesday.

              

The Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission NPC, representing Nasarawa state, Silas Agara, visited the training centers which include, Karu Local government Secretariat, Government secondary schools Karshi, and that of Pyanko as well as government secondary school Uke among others.


Addressing the enumerators, Silas Agara, said the paperless census is necessary for Nigeria just as other countries like Ghana and South Africa have already adopted it, calling on the trainees to make sure they understand the practical aspect of the training, stressing that at the end of it, some of them would be supervisors and enumerators depending on the recommendations by the facilitators while those with less performance will be on the reserve list.


Agara told them that the paperless work does not matter the qualifications of an individual but how one can handle the machine, urging them to use the opportunity to improve their skills based on the technicality involved in the work and assured them of adequate security and welfare throughout the twelve days training of the enumerators.

He said those that did not receive text messages but their names were captured in the Master list of Five thousand one hundred and ninety-nine names to be reassured that they are part of the program, admonishing them to cooperate with their facilitators to achieve success.

Some facilitators and enumerators interviewed, Amanda Litini Apatak and Felix Ajuda, applauded the National population commission for allowing them to serve, saying that they have learned a lot with two days of their training.

Godwin Okeh, Abakaliki

Ebonyi state deputy governor, Chief Kelechi Eric Igwe has few months to the 2023 general election speaks on his alleged defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Labour Party, LP.

DAILY ASSET reports that, there are rumours making the rounds in the state, that Igwe allegedly dumped APC to LP, to protest the denial of his senatorial ambition by the leadership of the party in the state.

Igwe, in a statement signed and made available to journalists in Abakaliki through his chief Press Secretary, Mr. Monday Uzor, said he has no intention to dump APC for LP, and that, in no account will he (Igwe) abandon his boss, David Umahi at the pick of the expiration of their 8yrs tenure.

He called on the people of the state to ignore the rumours, and warned his rivals to stay clear from heating up the polity in the state, especially as the gubernatorial candidates of PDP and APC struggles to takeover governance from Umahi.

He said: “The attention of the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Eric Kelechi Igwe has been drawn to a social media post alleging that the Deputy Governor is planning to dump All Progressive Congress APC for Labour party.

“The report is not only false but a deliberate attempt to smear the office and personality of the Deputy Governor. It is a deliberate attempt to heat up the polity through dangerous speculations capable of undermining the peace in the State.

“The deputy governor remains a strong and bonafide member of the All  Progressives Congress APC and has no intention of dumping the party whether now or later.

“The Deputy Governor has  enormous responsibilities occupying his time especially, how to assist the Governor David Umahi to successfully anchor the  transition programme.

“The general public and  in particular members of our great party should disregard such unfounded rumour being peddled by those who are envious of the the progress the party is making” he stated.

By Jude Opara, Abuja

Crisis is brewing in the youth wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Progressive Youth Movement (PYM) rose from a meeting Tuesday night to announce the suspension of its National leader, Prince Mustafa Audu and his wife Princess Zahra Audu.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Secretary General of the group, Dr.

Hassan Sadiq said they decided to take the drastic action against their leader because of acts of misconduct on his part.

Sadiq said with the 2023 general elections around the corner, the PYM must be ready to mobilize the Nigerian youths in their  numbers to vote for all the candidates of the ruling from the House of Assembly to the President.

“We’re here today to intimate the press, the world and Nigerian youths that so far so good we have been doing very well in terms of youth movement inclusiveness.

“We also want the world to know that there are some members of leadership that we have suspended as of now because of gross misconduct. We want members of the public to know that if you have any dealings with them, it is at your own risk henceforth. Because if we are youths and we can not engage in gross misconduct and we are trying to bring the youths under one umbrella that  will support the APC and the incoming president which is Asiwaju. In that light you cannot see members of PYM misbehaving. It is on this note that we want the public to know that the faces you are seeing here these are the council members and leadership of the PYM.

“Again, we are now moving into our zonal interactive session that we always do to tell them to go collect their PVCs and be ready to vote for APC when the time comes.

“The suspension was based on Prince Mustafa Audu, you’ve heard of it and his wife who have been involved in a lot of misconduct in terms of financial recklessness. We don’t want anybody to smear the name of PYM because we have reputation to protect. We have been doing very well and we are going to continue. We want the public to know that these are the real PYM. They are no longer our members, nobody should deal with them, if you deal with them it is at your own peril”.

Similarly, the South South leader, Prince Godswill Edward in his remarks said the previous leadership undermined the group, hence the decision to ask them to take a break til further notice.

“The previous leadership, we all appointed them to act on behalf of all of us and we gave them all amount of support and loyalty because we believe that they are going to work in the interest of Nigerian youths. 

“You cannot continue to take decisions without a gathering. We’ve not have a gathering for a very long time. People take decisions on behalf of all of us we have put out our integrity, our pedigree in the face of Nigerian youths.

“We cannot be fighting and advocating for new kind of leadership and we are portraying that kind of attitude. Anybody who portrays that attitude different from what we believe in becomes the enemy of this association. I cannot put my face and die in silence. They say in silence dog will never back as a lion. I’ve chosen to speak for Nigerian youths that we will not mislead them.

“We have taken a position, we have disbanded them. They were members of our group but now they stand suspended until further notice”.

Oscar Obi the South-east leader equally took a swipe at Mustafa for allegedly engaging in actions that run contrary to the ideals of the PYM.

“Our sole concern has been how do we move the party forward. Today, we have huge mandate, huge responsibility to discharge before Nigerians before youths community, they are looking up to us for direction, for relevance. We here have disassociated ourselves from two of our members who have shown unscrupulous attitude, they have depicted manners that are contrary to our core objectives. So the names are Prince Mustafa Audu and Princess Zahra Audu.

“So, going forward we do not deal with these duo whoever that is dealing with them is doing that at his own peril.

“What we want is for the young people of this party, the PYM to remain focused of the original objectives which are inclusiveness of youths in government and in party, winning elections, not just winning elections but delivering good services, good governance to the people.

“By the word misconduct, it cuts across finances, mischievous attitude, mischievous in the sense that painting the youths in the manner it was not formed that is what we called misconduct which now also involved financial recklessness in terms of going to party stalwarts and soliciting for funds and without the intimacy and knowledge of the youths of the PYM. These together is what I called gross misconduct”.

Also, Leadership Council member, Linda Dirisu said the PYM is not a family affair adding that Prince Mustafa and Princess Zahra cannot continue to lead the group as if it was their private business.