NEWS
Kogi Guber: Stop Inspection of Election Materials, APC Urges INEC
All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to halt the Thursday scheduled inspection of the Nov. 11, 2023 Kogi Governorship Election materials by the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The party also called for the removal and discipline of the Kogi INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Gabriel Longpet, for having been heavily compromised by the SDP and its candidate.
Mr Kingsley Fanwo, the Spokesperson/ Director of Media and Publicity, APC Campaign Council, made the calls in a statement issued in Lokoja on Wednesday.
The party frowned at the readiness of INEC to allow the legal team of SDP to inspect the election materials in disregard to an alleged preliminary objection earlier raised by its (INEC’s) Counsels before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The party said: “We hereby call on the Chairman and Management of INEC to immediately halt any inspection of electoral materials used in the Nov. 11, 2023, governorship election in Kogi, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice filed by INEC and others to set the Order of inspection aside.
“INEC should commence disciplinary processes against the REC, Dr Longpet, having been heavily compromised by the SDP and its Candidate.
“This is because the message from the REC to INEC officials to appear for the inspection on Thursday, Jan. 4, is an admission of graft by him and a final nail on his fraudulent activities in the State.
“He (REC) has clearly misrepresented the integrity and legal interest of INEC. The commission should suspend or redeploy the REC from Kogi pending the outcome of the disciplinary process against him,” the party urged.
According to the APC, the appeals became imperative following clear moves by the REC to aid the SDP in compromising/tampering with and or destroying electoral materials used in the concluded Nov. 11, 2023, governorship elections in Kogi.
It alleged that the SDP and its candidate, Alhaji Murtala Ajaka, had obtained an Ex-parte Order of the Tribunal on Nov. 25, 2023, directing INEC to, among other things, allow an inspection of electoral materials used for the election for the purpose of assisting the SDP and its candidate institute and maintain a petition which at the time had not been filed.
“INEC was given only 48 hours to comply with the said orders which includes all forms, registers, result sheets, ballot papers and BVAS machines.
“Upon being served with the Order on Nov. 27, 2023, INEC filed a Motion before the Tribunal on Nov. 29, 2023, praying the Court to set aside the said Orders contending that the Tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to make the said Orders and for other reasons such as apparent contradictions in the said Ex-parte Order.
“That motion to set aside dated and filed on 29/11/2023 is to our knowledge still before the Tribunal as it has not been heard.
“It must also be noted that till date, the said order for inspection granted on 25/11/2023 has not been served on the winner of that election, Alhaji Usman Ododo and the APC, who are listed as parties in the said Order of Court.
“Most importantly is the fact that the Petition in respect of which the order of inspection was initially sought and granted was filed on Dec. 2, 2023, with the SDP and its candidate admitting at paragraph 92 of the contentious petition that INEC had given them documents contained in the order which included Voters Register, BVAS Accreditation Reports and Result Sheets.
“With the above background in mind, It is therefore shocking to learn that the REC of INEC in Kogi, who works for a body which has asked a Court to set aside the Ex-parte Order for inspection it made, is now organising an inspection exercise in Abuja for the SDP and its Candidate, an exercise which is fully and financially sponsored by the SDP and its candidate,” the party further alleged.
APC, therefore, frowned at the messages the said REC sent out to affected staff of INEC in Kogi to show up in Abuja for the inspection of the election materials on Thursday.
“The messages no doubt shows the desperation of the Kogi Resident Electoral Commissioner, who has been heavily compromised by the Social Democratic Party, its Candidate, and their cohorts,” APC submitted.
Reacting to the allegations, the Kogi INEC Head of Voters Education and Publicity (VEP), Mr Haruna Sule, expressed surprise over the allegations raised by APC, which he said were in agreement with the scheduled Jan. 4 inspection of the election materials.
“APC false allegations can’t hold water because the matter is beyond our Kogi office but that of the INEC Headquarters in Abuja.
”REC is acting based on instructions from the headquarters and shouldn’t be unjustly accused,” he said. (NAN)
The Director-General of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Yusha’u Ahmad, has advised corps members to stop thinking of relocating back to their communities, emphasising that life does not end there.
Report says that Ahmad spoke when he visited the NYSC temporary orientation camp on Friday in Kaduna.
Addressing corps members of the 2024 batch ‘C stream ‘I’ currently on the mandatory three-week orientation course, he urged the corps members to find home anywhere they were posted to, emphasising the importance of adapting to new environments.
Ahmad emphasised that the corps members must find a sense of belonging wherever they were posted, stating that such mindset was crucial for a successful service year.
According to him, embracing new experiences and being open to change can lead to personal growth and development.
He urged the corps members to focus on making a positive impact in their host communities.
The director-general encouraged them to be proactive and seek opportunities to contribute to the development of their host communities.
He urged them to respect the cultures and traditions of their host communities, advising, ”remain peaceful and resilient as you add value to the community you are posted to.
”I am sure many of you will choose to remain here after your service. You should also take security seriously.
“Your security is our concern, but no one can secure you more than yourself.”
Ahmad underscored the importance of skills acquisition and entrepreneurial development of the scheme.
He urged the corps members to take advantage of the programme to become not just self-reliant, but job and wealth creators after their service year.
“Skills acquisition is designed to make you independent, self-reliant and productive.
”The Federal government is out to ensure that youths are supported and empowered so they can stand on their own.
“Thousands of your predecessors who maximised the opportunity are now independent,”Ahmad said.
The director-general however warned the corps members on unauthorised and night travels, indecent dressing, among other acts that may project the scheme in bad light.
(NAN)
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the National Assembly (NASS) to protect the Tertiary Education Trust (TETFUND) from being abrogated under the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024.
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the President of ASUU, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
Osodeke said that the proposed bill was worrisome and also posed potential danger to the Tertiary Education Trust (TETFUND).
“ASUU has observed with keen interest the ongoing debate on the review of the tax system in the country under a proposed bill tagged, Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024.
“This is currently before the National Assembly. Arising from the tax bill is the proposed abrogation of the education tax.
“ASUU is alarmed by this dangerous and unpatriotic aspect of the proposed new tax regime,” he said.
According to Osodeke, the bill proposed that education tax, called development levy, used to bankroll TETFund’s programmes should be ceded to the newly established Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“TETFund will also receive 66.7 per cent in 2027, 2028 and 2029 years of assessment but zero per cent in 2030 year of assessment and thereafter,”he said.
He said that the far-reaching consequence of the new tax system is that from 2030, all funds generated from the development levy would be passed to NELFUND.
He said that ASUU found the development not only worrisome but also inimical to the national development objective due to the potential danger to the survival of TETFund.
Osodeke said that TETFund has been viewed as the backbone for infrastructural development, postgraduate training and research capacity building in Nigeria’s public tertiary institutions in the
last 15 years.
He said that ASUU had resolved not to stand by and watch the denigration or obliteration of TETfund which represents a positive testament to its constructive engagements with Nigerian governments since 1992.
“It is our considered view that abrogating the TETFund Act 2011, by design or default, will be a great disservice not just to education but to Nigeria as a nation.
“As a result, ASUU is urging members of the National Assembly to do all within their capacity to protect TETFund from being abrogated under the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, ”he said.(NAN)
The police in Edo have confirmed the killing of a guest at the popular Raptor Club and Lounge, Stadium Road, Benin.
The victim was shot dead by gunmen in the early hours of Friday, while his female passenger sustained gunshot injuries.
SP Moses Yamu, Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in Edo, said that investigations into the incident were ongoing.
According to him, the police received a distress call at 3 a.
m. that there were gunshots at Raptop Club.He said the operatives of the command on reaching the scene went after the hoodlums, who escaped and abandoned a pump action gun and two expended empty shells.
Yamu explained that efforts were ongoing to arrest the perpetrators.
NReport says that the incident, which occurred at about 2 a.m., has left the management and patrons of the nightclub in shock.
A source told newsmen that the deceased, whose identity has not been disclosed, was shot inside his white Lexus Jeep vehicle, while the female passenger was hit by stray bullets on her lap.
The incident left the club with some damages, including shattered show glasses and a destroyed glass door.
Policemen were seen at the scene of the incident, as the deceased’s vehicle was towed away. (NAN)
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