The Labour Party (LP) in Imo, on Tuesday, said it was not involved in the inspection of election materials conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo.

Reports says that INEC displayed the materials for inspection in its headquarters in Owerri on Tuesday.

The materials were displayed in obedience to a court order obtained by the LP for the inspection of Certified True Copies of documents and other materials used for the governorship election on November 11.

Applications for the inspection of the materials were submitted to
INEC by the LP, PDP, APGA and YPP.

Addressing newsmen, state LP Chairman, Mr Callistus Ihejiagwa, faulted the process of the inspection, pointing out that the parties had yet to agree on the modalities for the inspection.

Ihejiagwa expressed disappointment that although the LP had got a court order mandating INEC to make the materials available for inspection, the party could not proceed with the process as there were no agreed rules and modalities.

He distanced the party from “the flawed process”, and berated INEC for “falling below expectations“.

According to him, there was no agreed formular for the inspection.

“We are here at the behest of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Owerri, which granted us an Order of Court to inspect the materials used for the November 11 governorship election.

“INEC failed to establish modalities for the inspection as agreed and we cannot afford to proceed with the process.

“At the moment, INEC has not told us which materials they have made available for inspection.

“As far as we are concerned, there’s no inspection going on here today,” he said.

The lawyer representing PDP, Mr Gozie Nwachukwu, described the environment and process as “disorganised, devoid of meaningful logic and not fit to serve its intended purpose“.

Nwachukwu called on INEC to reorganise itself with a view to carrying out the process in a more decent fashion so that all the stakeholders can go home satisfied.

The INEC Head of Voter Education and Publicity in the state, Mrs Emmanuella Ben-Opara, had earlier confirmed that the materials requested for inspection were all ready and waiting to be inspected.

Reports that the inspection venue was however crowded by supporters of the All Progressives Congress, who chanted solidarity songs intermittently. (NAN)

The Senate has tasked its Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes to investigate the activities of Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) over unpaid pension.
This followed the adoption of a motiond “ on the need to address the travails of pensioners, their next-of-kin and deceased relatives over unpaid pensions, gratuities and other entitlements”, by Sen.

“Due to bureaucratic bottlenecks and endemic corruption in the payment process, the situation has subjected many pensioners to abject penury.

“With some even dying in queues of protracted and never- ending verification exercises that yield little or no result whatsoever.

“The prevailing issues include the non-payment of outstanding arrears to scores of pensioners, non- enrolment of thousands of pensioners on the pension payroll, non-payment of death benefits to deserving Next-of-Kin.

“This is made worse by improper keeping of records, unscrupulous officials who demand different documents and call for similar verification exercises time and time again,” he said.

He said that the administration of the pension funds had been enmeshed in unprecedented corruption over the years with some public officers, institutions of government and even banks all complicit.

The lawmaker said that except pensioners received fair and prompt treatment, the country was unwittingly encouraging the propensity of civil servants to be corrupt.

“This is as a career in civil service is no more attractive especially as senior citizens are treated shabbily.

“It goes further to speak of our value system as any society that cannot treat its elderly citizens with care, respect and dignity advertises its disregard for values,” he said.

Chukwu said that considering the fact that senior citizens were no longer relevant in the labour market, the government must do something drastically to ameliorate the trauma and sufferings of pensioners.

“After many years of hard labour, a worker is indeed entitled to some peace and security at old age,” he said.(NAN)

Gov. Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has hailed the Court of Appeal judgment affirming his election.

In a statement issued by Aliyu’s Press Secretary, Malam Abubakar Bawa, the governor said the judgment was a testament to Nigeria’s impartial and just judiciary.

Aliyu  attributed the victory to the will of Almighty Allah.

“We view this triumph as a divine blessing, and we commend the judiciary for upholding truth and justice,” Aliyu said.

He urged the opposition to collaborate with him to ensure development of the state.

The governor assured the public of his administration’s dedication to delivering democratic dividends.

“We remain resolute in providing an environment conducive to development in our state.

“Our commitment includes ongoing efforts to eliminate bandits and criminals through sustained military operations,” Aliyu emphasised, seeking support from all stakeholders.

Aliyu urged continued support from the public, emphasising the need for unity in achieving the state’s transformation.

He expressed gratitude to the people’s support and prayers, acknowledging their role in the state’s successes, while encouraging for more prayers, suggestions, and constructive criticisms for the state’s progress.

Reports says that Abuja appellate court upheld the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal’s ruling on Monday, confirming Aliyu’s victory in the 2023 polls.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, dissatisfied with the governorship election petition tribunal’s decision, appealed to the appellate court, contesting Aliyu and Deputy Alhaji Idris Gobir’s victory in the 2023 election. (NAN)