PEOPLES DAILY, friday, November 8, 2019
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News Delta community gets King with Staff of Office after 25 years From: Nosa Akenzua, Asaba
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Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha (sitting) and Corps Marshal, Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi (R); and other dignitaries, during the inauguration of building projects at FRSC Academy in Udi LGA, yesterday in Enugu State. Photo: NAN
FUT Minna Alumni wants members to impact on society From Yakubu Minna
Mustapha,
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lumni Association of Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State has marked its 35years with a call on members to impact on society. The National President of the Association Comrade Ahmad Yahaya Alhassan gave the charge at the meeting during the celebration of 2019 re- union day from 1983 to
date. He said the Federal University of Technology Minna, Alumni Association will become much more better than other Institutions Alumni in Nigeria if its co – alumni will contribute to any initiative that will bring more development to the University. Ahmad said the most important reason to be an active Alumni member is to pull their resources together to develop the Univer-
sity. However, the Alumni was charged by the University to come to their aid with a student’s hostels accommodation that resulted in securing accommodation off campus by the students, warehouse, machinery/ dryer, employment, exploit raw materials along the shea butter value chain among others. The Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Bala Abdullahi
Youth urged to learn from elders From Ahmad Bauchi
Mohammed,
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n elder in the Bauchi State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bibi Dogo has cautioned Youths vanguards of the Party to always follow procedure and due process in throwing their weight behind any candidate they
are supporting for particular office. Dogo stated this when he addressed newsmen in Bauchi while reacting to a call by the PDP National Youth Vanguard that asked the National Working Committee of the Party to fill the vacancy of the deputy National Chairman of the Party with Senator Suleiman Nazeef Gamawa.
He said “ in a State like Bauchi, State Governor is the leader of the Party and every Politician seeking for Political office most start seeking for support from his ward at the grassroots , local government , state zonal headquarters and the state council and most seek the blessing of the state leader of the party who is the state chief executive before
describe the event as a un – forgetting to him just because of the high turner out despair the logistic he commend the alumni for the job well done and pray for more development of the Institution. Alumni presented an award to Mr. Nasiru Suleiman, Aliyu Hussaini, Engr. Carlos velazquez oriakhi, Arc. Shehu Tukur and Yemisi Aranloye as their immensely contribution by kind and cash towards the development of the University.
jumping to other states and national working committee of the party”. Dogo who is the national chairman of the coalition against corruption and other social vices said many time jumping the procedure bring chaos mist understanding and sometimes led to the non presentation of the candidates they are supporting.
Jigawa disburses N629.4m to 362 pensioners for October From Mika'il Tsoho, Dutse
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he Jigawa state and local government contributory pension scheme board has commenced the disbursement of N629,404,775.35 to 629 pensioners in the state. The executive secretary of the board Alhaji Hashim Ahmad Fagam disclosed this while brief-
ing news men yesterday in Dutse the state capital. He explained that, the amount which meant for the month of October 2019, is a continuation effort of Jigawa state government toward ensuring the welfare of pensioners in the state. According to him, the sum of N327,180,228.35 was disbursed
to 148 beneficiaries at state level and the sum of N118,625,572.64 for 104 local government council beneficiaries while the sum of N183,598,974.34 was disbursed to 110 local education authority pensioners. Fagam maintained that, the sum of N416.404 million was disbursed to 231people as retirement benefit and N187.792
million to 93 people as death benefit and N24.867 million to 34 people as death pension balance while the sum of N341,327 was disbursed to four people as refund of 8% contribution. He then commended governor Badaru for his support to the board and urged people inthe state for continue cooperation to the present administration.
wenty five years after, Onicha Olona Community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta state has received a new King amidst happiness and Celebration. It was gathered that the Community had been Operating a rotational system of the Oldestman as its traditional ruler until recently changed. But the state government while Presenting Staff of Office to the new King, the state Governor,Dr Ifeanyi Okowa through his deputy, Barr Kingsley Burutu Otuaro warned against illegality among traditional rulers across the state, and assured that no efforts would be spared in the security of all Communities, adding that peace was a springboard for development. Governor Okowa while Presenting a Staff of Office to His Royal Majesty, Obi of Onicha Olona Community, thanked the people for their Continued support for his administration and Commended for their various self help efforts and assured that all legitimate requests made would be Channelled to the appropriate agencies of government for necessary attention According to him, " As the Custodian of the tradition of your people, it's important that you do not in words or action, give cause to your subjects to doubt your ability to uphold the sanctity of their Customs, I sincerely appeal to you to imbibe the democratic virtues of dialogue and Consultation in your dealings with the people"and Called on sons and daughters of Onicha Olona Community to take advantage of the various policies and Programmes of the state government to improve on their production capacities,noting that Onicha Olona Community was well known for its abundant agricultural production. In his remarks, the President General of Onicha Olona Community Development Union, ( ODU) Mr Okey Aligbe thanked the state government for steps taken to restore the Kingship tussle that lasted 25 years, emphasizing that the staff of office Presentation had brought peace and unity to the town He appreciated Governor Okowa for appointing indigenes of the town into key positions, rehabilitation of Issele Uku / Onicha Olona road, renovation of Primary and Secondary Schools and intervention of the Rural Development Agency to restore electricity to the town.
PAGE 15
PEOPLES DAILY, friday, November 8, 2019
By Vivian Okejeme
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he Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to include the Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Natasha Akpoti and his running mate, Adams Khalid in the November 16 governorship election in Kogi State. Akpoti is before Justice Folashade Ogunbiyi-Giwa, challenging the excluding of her party from the said election. The judge, had in the judgement, held that the electoral empire was wrong to have disqualified candidate of the SDP Justice Giwa held that INEC has no power to disqualify any candidate for an election as it is the exclusive reserve of a competent court of law. She premised on the strength of sections 31(1) and 83 of the Electoral Act which holds that INEC cannot disqualify or reject candidate nominated by a political party for an election. The sections, according the judge, aimed at ensuring that it does not lie within the executive realms of INEC to determine who participate in an election, adding that the intention of the law is to make INEC a true unbiased umpire. The judge accordingly granted reliefs 1 to 7 of the plaintiffs and ordered INEC to include the names of the governorship and deputy governorship candidate of the SDP as well as the party's logo on the ballot in the November 16 governorship poll in Kogi State.
Kogi guber: Court orders INEC to include SDPcandidate, Akpoti in Nov 16 election The governorship candidate of the SDP, Barrister Natasha Akpoti, his running mate Adams Khalid and SDP had approached the court to challenge their exclusion from the 2019 Kogi State governorship election by INEC. The commission had refused to accept the candidature of Khalid in replacement of the earlier nominated deputy
governor, Mohammed Yakubu on the grounds that Yakubu was not qualified in the first place to be fielded as a deputy governorship candidate in the election on account of his age. But the plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1129/2019 and filed on October 3 by their counseln, Ola Olanipekun SAN, sought a declaration of the court that INEC's declaration vide a
letter with reference number: LEG/PP/23/T/107 that the nomination of Mohammed Yakubu as the Deputy Governor of the SDP in the November 16 gubernatorial election is "invalid" on the grounds of qualification is ultra vires the statutory powers of INEC and it is therefore null and void. "The letter written by INEC is hereby set aside, as null and
void having been issued in utter breach of the law. "The INEC is ordered to accept and recognize the candidates of the SDP for the forthcoming gubernatorial election. "The INEC is hereby barred from giving any further effect to the purported exclusion of the party and its candidates in the governorship election", the court held.
L-R: Chairman of the Campaign Council and Governor, of Jigawa State Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiohmole and Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, during press Conference on Bayelsa Election, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa
Bayelsa guber: Parties, candidates sign peace accord
*As INEC Chair preaches against violence
By Lateef Ibrahim
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head of the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State, all the political parties and candidates contesting the election have signed the Peace Accord resolving, pledging, affirming and committing all to non-violence before, during and after the election. The peace accord was signed yesterday in Yenagoa, the state capital, during the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) consultative meeting with critical stakeholders including political parties, candidates and security agencies among others. Speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu stated that the Commission is committed to free, fair and credible process, adding, "We need the commitment of especially the political parties and candidates to realise these goals". At the meeting, which also had in attendance the Inspector-General of Police as well as the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Prof Yakubu reiterated that voter inducement in all forms, including vote-buying at polling units is a violation of the law.
He reminded the electorate that the ban on the use of mobile phones and other photographic devices in the voting cubicles is still in force and will be strictly enforced and monitored. The INEC Chairman urged all stakeholders to continue to eschew violence and maintain peaceful conduct during the election. According to him, 'It is our collective responsibility to safeguard the process and to protect all election duty staff including the Youth Corps members who serve at the polling units which is the basic level of the voting process. "It is also our collective responsibility to extend the same protection and allow freedom of movement and unimpeded access to polling and collation areas for accredited observers and the media during the election", he said. Continuing, Prof Yakubu said, "It is exactly nine (9) days (as at yesterday) to the election......I want to reassure you that INEC is ready. We have so far successfully implemented twelve (12) out of our 14-point plan for the election as required by law. "Only five (5) days ago, we published the Notice of Poll and drew the attention
of political parties fielding candidates in the election to the imperative of submitting names of their polling agents to our Electoral Officers (EOs) in each of the eight (8) Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Bayelsa State fourteen (14) days to the election as required by law. "I trust that by now, political parties have complied with this requirement so that we can accredit their agents for polling and collation processes. "The Commission has also delivered all non-sensitive materials to our office here in Yenagoa long ago. They have all been sorted out, categorized and batched, ready to be delivered to the LGAs, Wards and polling units. "The sensitive materials are also ready and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is delivering them to Bayelsa State this weekend. "The normal process of inspection and distribution within the State will be done in the presence of party agents, security agencies, observers and the media. "The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Bayelsa State will give the date and time for the inspection and the itinerary for deployment in line with the Commission’s
standard practice for the inspection and movement of sensitive materials. "The Smart Card Readers (SCRs) have been configured and will be added to other sensitive materials and delivered together. Once again, let me reiterate that it is mandatory to use the SCRs for voter accreditation and authentication. "Let me also reiterate that voter inducement in all forms, including votebuying at polling units is a violation of the law. "The ban on the use of mobile phones and other photographic devices in the voting cubicles is still in force and will be strictly enforced and monitored. "I urge all stakeholders to continue to eschew violence and maintain peaceful conduct during the election. "It is our collective responsibility to safeguard the process and to protect all election duty staff including the Youth Corps members who serve at the polling units which is the basic level of the voting process. "It is also our collective responsibility to extend the same protection and allow freedom of movement and unimpeded access to polling and collation areas for accredited observers and the media during the election.”