POLITICS
Benue North -West: Ortom Confident of Victory
From David Torough, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has said that he was confident to win the Benue North-West Senatorial district seat in Saturday’s National Assembly elections.
Governor Ortom in a chat with journalists shortly after casting his vote Saturday, expressed optimism about his victory, noting that there was an improvement in the voting process.
The Governor who is the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP senatorial candidate for Benue North-West senatorial district, cast his ballot along with his wife, Dr Eunice at Tse-Ortom Polling Unit 016 of Ndzorov Council Ward.
Ortom cast his ballot at exactly 9:52am, while his wife, Dr.
Eunice cast her vote at 9:51am at their polling unit which has been relocated to Government Science and Technical College, Gbajimba the headquarters of Guma local government area as a result of insecurity.In his words, “My expectation is that I will win, and the other candidates of the PDP will also win. I already know who my candidates are. I think this is an improvement, we are not there yet, we would like to see electronic voting and transmission at the end of the day but Rome was not built in a day. A journey of a thousand kilometers starts with one step.
“This is what I have seen right here but this is an improvement to the previous accreditation and voting process and I can guess that today, it is going to be faster and before you know it everybody would have voted,” he said.
The Governor expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of voters across the state.
“I am happy with the people, they have heeded my admonishment and the Tor Tiv and Och’Idoma’s admonishment that let the election be peaceful, let’s allow peace. No need to introduce violence into this election in any form and at the end we should know that John 3: 27 the Bible says, a man can receive nothing, except it given to him from above.
“Whoever that God wants will emerge as the winner and so there is no need for violence and I am happy the people have heeded to the call that there should not be any form of violence. Ultimately it is God that crowns let the election be peaceful. Let the election be free and fair and whosoever has the highest number of votes should be declared winner,” Ortom stated.
He commended INEC for the improvement in the electoral process, stressing however that they should ensure transparency in the transmission of the results.
“The INEC staff on ground and those others who will be handling the various processes that will lead to the declaration of results, they should ensure transparency, they should ensure fairness and equity for all candidates, that is the best way to go. I look forward that one day elections will be conducted in Nigeria and in Benue State and nobody will look for the alternative or litigation that is my desire,” he emphasised.
On the turnout of voters, Governor Ortom expressed satisfaction stating that “The turnout is very impressive. More people are coming, this is quite early and I believe that the people are fully mobilized. They want a good thing, nobody is happy with what is happening in our state and in our country today, as far as security issues are concerned.
“All the polling units in my council ward are voting in Gbajimba the headquarters, others are as far 30 kilometres away from here, others 15 others 20 kilometers, because the terrorists Fulani herdsmen have chased them away from their homes they have no alternative than to vote here, more people are coming and I look forward that everything will be peaceful at the end of day,” he stated.
The Governor however, slammed the EFCC for arresting the Director of the PDP campaigns in the state, Dr. Cletus Tyokyaa for being in possession of 100,000 Naira, stressing that “he wasn’t buying votes anywhere and I am calling on the EFCC to immediately release him.”
As at press time, Dr Tyokyaa was reported to have been released.
POLITICS
Assembly Passes Edo N675bn 2025 Budget for Assent
The Edo House of Assembly on Monday passed the state 2025 budget of N675 billion for assent.
The passage followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Budget and Project Monitoring at plenary in Benin.
Presenting the report, the chairman of the committee, Sunday Fada, (PDP Esan Central) said the budget was made up of N225 billion recurrent expenditure and N451 billion capital expenditure.
Fada noted that the committee came up with the increase in the budgetary allocation to enable the governor carry out his five points agenda in the state.
The House at the committee of Supply, considered the budget clause by clause and subsequently, approved the increase from N605.
7 billion to N675 billion.The Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, thereafter directed Mr Yahaya Omogbai, the clerk of the house to forward clean copies of the budget to the governor for his assent. (NAN)
POLITICS
Poverty, Behind Deadly Stampedes Across Nigeria, says Falana
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, on Sunday attributed the deadly stampede that claimedmore than 105 lives in stampedes during food and cash distribution events to “poverty-induced neoliberal economic policies” and “criminal negligence.
”In a statement released on Sunday, Falana, who chairs the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond ASCAB, demanded justice for victims of the tragic events, saying, “These tragic events are a national shame, the victims were not just statistics but human beings driven to desperation by systemic poverty and the gross incompetence of those entrusted with their safety.
”On December 21, 12 people died and 32 others were injured in Okija, Anambra State, during a scramble for rice distributed by a philanthropist.
On the same day, a stampede at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals, including children, as over 3,000 people jostled for palliatives.
Just two days prior, on December 19, 35 children lost their lives in a stampede at a Christmas funfair at an Islamic High School, Basorun. in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“The loss of these innocent lives is heart-wrenching,” Falana lamented.
“It underscores the indignity that poverty imposes on our people.”
Falana also criticized the elite for their treatment of the poor during such events, stating, “No member of the elite invites others to lunch by throwing the food,” and condemned what he termed “class prejudice” in the distribution of humanitarian aid.
He also announced plans to mobilize lawyers to pursue civil suits against the organizers of these events.
“We will ensure survivors and families of the deceased are adequately compensated,” Falana affirmed. “Those responsible for these avoidable tragedies must be held accountable.”
POLITICS
2025 budget: LP Chieftain Lauds Tinubu for Diving Priority to Security, Others
Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, National Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) ,has commended President Bola Tinubu for giving priority to security and other key sectors in the 2025 Appropriation Bill .
Olorunfemi gave the commendation while speaking with newsmeon Thursday in Lagos.
NAN reports that the President had on Wednesday presented the N47.
9 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill , christened “Budget of Restoration, Securing Peace and Rebuilding Prosperity” , to a joint session of the National Assembly .The President listed highlights of the 2025 budget allocations to include: defense and security: N4.91 trillion; infrastructure: N4.06 trillion; Health: N2.
48 trillion and Education: N3.52 trillion.Reacting , Olorunfemi described security as an enabler of development.
He called on the President to ensure proper implementation ,saying budgets had always been well-crafted but usually lacked monitoring and implementation.
“There is nothing that can happen if there is no security. This is good if the budget is properly utilised for the purpose.
“Our problem is not about policies and budgets, it is about monitoring and implementation.
“There is nothing wrong in bringing a budget proposal forward in terms of expectation, what we want to do, how we want to do it, and how much we want to spend.
“Now, the most important thing is the implementation,, budgets in Nigeria have always been properly crafted,” the LP boss said.
Olorunfemi called on the President to build strong institutions to prevent sabotaging of his policies.
“If this government wants to do anything, it must wake up to the responsibility of monitoring policies and ensure severe penalty for anyone who attempts to sabotage such policies.
“We need institutions that no one will be able to interfere with. We must allow these institutions to work, that is what we expect.
“Once we have strong institutions, most of our problems are solved,” he said.
He also called on the President to take steps to address the problems experienced by Nigerians in the banking sector.
Olorunfemi decried the inability of many Nigerians to get cash at bank’s Automated Teller Machines and the high charges paid to get cash from Point of Sales (POS) operators.
The LP boss also urged the President to devise ways of ending multiple taxations and high fuel price, describing them as major causes of hardship .
Recalled that the President said that the budget was a demonstration of government’s commitment to stabilising the economy, improving lives and repositioning the country for greater performance.
He also said the budget sought to consolidate the key policies instituted to restructure the economy, boost human capital development, increase the volume of trade and investments and bolster oil and gas production. (NAN)