NEWS
INEC Assures Unimpeded Coverage of Edo, Ondo Guber Polls
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says accredited journalists for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, respectively, would be granted unhindered coverage.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu gave the assurances at the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with the media on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, “INEC is working with the security agencies to ensure that accredited journalists are granted unimpeded access to all voting and collation locations.
’’He, however, urged media organisations, yet to register for the election coverage in Edo, to do that before the deadline
“As the Edo State Governorship election approaches, I wish to remind media organisations that, the portal for media accreditation (https://imap.
inecnigeria.org) is still open.“As at 8.02am today, Wednesday 31st July, 2024, media organisations representing print, radio, television and online have uploaded the details of 227 personnel for the election.
“I urge you to expedite action by ensuring that all interested media organisations submit their applications before the deadline of Thursday, 5th September 2024.
“This will enable the Commission to produce and deliver the accreditation tags for your reporters, camera operators and other support staffers in good time for the election,’’ he advised.
Yakubu also urged the media to partner with the commission in encouraging registered voters in the two states to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
He equally urged the media to continue to help in combating fake news that could hinder the smooth conduct of the polls in the two states.
“I wish to remind you of your obligation as journalists to report factually and accurately about the election and electoral activities in compliance with the ethics of your noble profession.
“You should continue to be a bulwark against fake news, misinformation and disinformation. I urge you to fully comply with the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage.
“Similarly, you are required to comply with the INEC guidelines for media accreditation available on our website www.inecnigeria.org,’’ he said.
In his remarks, Mr Chris Isiguzo, National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), reaffirmed media’s commitment to supporting INEC in upholding the integrity of elections in the country.
Isiguzo said that the media would continue to partner INEC to foster a democratic environment that is open, accountable, and reflective of the will of the people.
He also said that the synergy between INEC and the media was crucial as Nigeria approached the off-season governorship elections in Edo and Ondo.
“The transparency and efficiency with which elections are conducted directly influence the public’s confidence in our democratic processes.
“I am confident that INEC is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that these elections are free, fair, and credible.
“The role of the media in this process is indispensable.
“As watchdogs of society, we have the duty to report accurately and objectively, to educate the electorate, and to provide a platform for diverse voices and opinions.
“Our collaboration with INEC is essential in achieving these goals,’’ he said.
Isiguzo appealed to the security agencies to extend the necessary support and partnership with the media in order to check incessant harassments and intimidation of journalists on election duties (NAN)
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit Zone C, says it intercepted contrabands with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N510.92 million between July 15th and September 15th, 2024.The zone covers the six states in the South-South geopolitical zone and the five states in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
This is contained in a statement signed by Jerry Attah, Public Relations Officer, NCS, Zone C, and made available to journalists on Wednesday. According to the statement, Comptroller Michael Ugbagu, NCS, Zone C, gave the statistics while showcasing the seized contraband to relevant regulatory agencies at the Government Warehouse in Edo.Ugbagu said that the zone also recovered the sum of N25.57 million from demand notices raised based on some infractions noticed, making a cumulative sum of N536.49 million recorded within the months under review.“The DPV was derived from our seized goods, which include 49,699 sachets of various brands of tramadol and 3,350 bottles of various cough syrups with codeine without an NAFDAC number.“1,015 sacks of dry donkey meat and skin, 75 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing, 463 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 269 pieces of used pneumatic tires, and 56 cartons of smuggled foreign tomato paste.“More worrisome is the interception of 49,699 sachets of various brands of tramadol and 3,350 bottles of various cough syrups with codeine without NAFDAC registration numbers.”He noted that the cough syrup with codeine and tramadol without NAFDAC registration numbers, if not intercepted, could have had adverse effects on youths.He added that the items were mostly intercepted along the Ewu-Okada/Benin expressways based on credible intelligence. (NAN)
The Forum of Stakeholders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has decried the deplorable condition of some federal roads in Nigeria. Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the North-Central Chairman of the forum, said this in an interaction with newsmen on Wednesday in Jos. Zazzaga described some of the federal roads as ”death traps”, particularly those within the north-central region.
He said that some of the deplorable roads in the region include Jos-Akwanga, Makurdi-Oturkpo-Otukpa, Makurdi-Ankpa, and Jos-Saminaka. Other roads that needed urgent attention, he said, included Suleja-Minna, Ejule-Otukpa, Ganawuri-Manchok, Lokoja-Abuja, Lapai-Agaie-Bida, Birnin-Gwari-Bokani-Mokwa, Minna-Zungeru-Tegina-Kontagora. ”Currently, the north-central region has the most deplorable roads and highways in the country. ”These deplorable roads have brought severe hardship on the people and lost lives and property through preventable road traffic crashes. ”We call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure the rehabilitation of these roads because good roads are vital enablers of development,” he said. The chairman also called on governors of states within the region to reconstruct the dilapidated roads and seek refunds from the federal government. ”Though these are largely federal roads, they are located within states, and the beneficiaries are the people of these states. ”So we call on state governments to reconstruct these roads and seek refunds from the federal government,” he added. (NAN
The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 160 pips to 7.087 against the dollar on Wednesday.This is according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.In China’s spot foreigners exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by two per cent from the central parity rate each trading day.
The central parity rate of the yuan against the dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. (Xinhua/NAN)
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