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National News
OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA
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pparently still unhappy with its performance in November’s controversial governorship election in Anambra State, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has restated its commitment to the conduct of a free and fair general elections next year. It said its shortcomings in the Anambra election should not be seen as an indication of what to expect in next year’s polls. The commission had come under stringent criti-
Thursday, January 9, 2014
National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
2015: INEC promises to prevent recurrence of Anambra experience cisms for the role that some of its officials played in the governorship election, with many political parties calling for the cancellation of the result of the poll. INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, promised yesterday in Abuja that the commission would ensure crisis-free poll next year when he received the Ambassador of The Royal Kingdom of Netherlands, Mr. John Groffen. He said: “What hap-
pened in Anambra State was a sad occurrence and is in no way an indication of what to expect in 2015.” Jega also said the commission is fully prepared for the conduct of the governorship election in Osun and Ekiti states later in the year. While he acknowledged that 2015 would be a very busy year for INEC, Jega said the commission would surpass the success of previous elections.
He said: “Netherlands and Nigeria have a long standing history of good relations and here in INEC, we have recognised that and the need for such to improve for the mutual benefit of both countries. “We know that our friends are anxious about our forthcoming elections and also keen on how prepared we are. The prospects for the elections are good because we have learnt our lessons since
2011 and we feel confident that the electoral process will be better. We have learnt the hard way and we have done our best to keep on improving.” Earlier, Mr. Groffen
noted that a stable and inclusive Nigeria is very conducive for business, hence the reason why his country continues to follow events in Nigeria with keen interest.
Nigeria’s external reserves hit $43.3bn
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he Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said that the nation’s external reserves appreciated to $43.314 billion, an increase of $6 million as at January 7, 2014. CBN disclosed this through its website. According to the bank, the amount represents $42.07 billion in “liquid,” while $1.043 billion is in “blocked.” It said that the reserve appreciated by 2.41 per cent, compared with $43.308 billion recorded in January 6. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the amount was the second growth increase in
the foreign reserve since May 7, 2013 when it stood at N48.65 billion. NAN recalls that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had in July 2012 stressed the need for Nigeria to shore up its external reserves. Okonjo-Iweala then said that there was the need for the nation to build up the reserves to $50 billion dollars (N77.50 trillion) before the end of 2012. She said that the reserves needed to be strong enough to help the country in the event of any global economic recession.
We are not training snipers –IGP OMEIZA AJAYI
T Executive Secretary, National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba and Director, Research and Programme Department, Mr. Rumayan Kulfor, at a media interactive session in Abuja, yesterday.
ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA
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he National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association has demanded N500 million compensation from the security operatives that stormed an uncompleted building at Apo area of Abuja on September 20, 2013 and killed eight persons as well as injured 11 others. The demand was made known during the ongoing public hearing by the National Human Rights Commission.
Apo eight: Tricycle operators demand N500m compensation
Legal consultant to the association told journalists that it would be unfair for the families of the victims not to be adequately compensated He said: “It is obvious with the way the situation suggests now, the occasion brought certain innocent people into crossfire, some got injured and lost their lives in the process. “So, we believe that if eventually it is established that they are not members of this sect, the families of these persons deserve
to be compensated.” But representative of the State Security Service, SSS, Cliff Osagie, said that no compensation could be considered until the suspects had been proven guilty or not. Osagie ,who is also a lawyer, said only the court has the jurisdiction to award compensation to deserving victims as stipulated by law. Chairman of the hearing committee, Prof Chidi Odingalu, advised the association to follow the
due process by employing a lawyer to state its case before an appropriate law court. As part of the ongoing investigations into the killings, Col. A. M. Ahmadu, Operation Officer Guards Brigade of the Defence Headquarters also submitted documents, including the pictorial album depicting various anti-terrorism activities of the security outfit, including arrests and materials confiscated.
he Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar, has refuted claim that the Presidency is using the Force to train snipers ahead of the 2015 polls, saying the police as an institution would not allow itself to be dragged into politics. Abubakar spoke yesterday in Abuja at a maiden strategic review conference with senior police officers from the rank of Commissioners of Police. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had written a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan and accused him of sundry issues and even training snipers. The country has been left guessing about which security agency could be involved in such training. However, when asked whether the police were involved in such training, Abubakar said Obasanjo’s letter did not mention or indicted the police. He said: “We are not training snipers. The let-
ter did not even mention the police. You have always come here (Force Headquarters). Have you seen any sniper being trained?” Speaking on the essence of the conference, Abubakar said that the security and political situations in each of the 36 states would be reviewed. This, he said, had become necessary to enable the force adopt strategies to tackle security challenges and check political crises. The IGP said: “We are going to pay attention to political situation in Nigeria and look at the zones and each state of the country. “We will review the political situations in each state, adjudge and see what the Commissioner of Police has been able to do and whether he has been able to take care of such situation. “Where he has challenges, we will look at that challenges and find out the impediments that have stopped him from doing what he is supposed to do to avoid political crisis.”