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INEC to Prosecute 774 Election Offenders, Enters Working Arrangements with NBA

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INEC to Prosecute 774 Election Offenders, Enters Working Arrangements with NBA

By: Michael Mike

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that he has a list of 774 persons arrested during the 2023 General Elections for various electoral offences, stating that an arrangement has been concluded with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for their prosecution.

Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)’s monthly review forum for the 2023 elections focused on “Accountability for Electoral Crimes and Human Rights Violations in Elections”, the Director, Litigation and Prosecution, INEC, Taminu Inuwa noted that the electoral commission is empowered by the provision of Section 145 of the Electoral Act, 2022 to prosecute electoral offenders.

He said: “It is in recognition of the statutory power of INEC to prosecute electoral offences that the Inspector General of Police recently forwarded 215 case files of electoral crimes to the commission for the prosecutions 774 persons arrested during the 2023 General Elections for various shades of electoral offences including dereliction of duty, criminal conspiracy, disorderly conduct at election, being in possession of offensive weapons, destruction of election materials, political thuggery, electoral violence, snatching of ballot box, stealing of sensitive election materials, etc.”

He reveled that INEC is partnering with the Nigerian Bar Association which has offered to provide pro-bono legal services fir the effective prosecution of the electoral offenders arrested in the course of the 2023 General election.

He however said: “It is worthy of note that a number of key challenges including lack of capacity of INEC in terms of power to investigate and arrest electoral offenders have been identified as militating against effective prosecution and the consequent inadequate prosecution of/conviction on electoral offences recorded over the years.”

He noted that: “The challenges necessitated the call for the creation of an independent body to handle prosecution of electoral offences with such powers as conferred on the EFCC and ICPC to arrest, investigate and prosecute electoral offenders.”

He promised that the commission shall continue to Putin its best in the discharge of its statutory power of electoral offences prosecution until the proposed body is established by law, insisting that “this is the assurexway of reducing the spate of brazen impunity with which electoral offences are committed.”

Meanwhile, the NHRC has condemned the spate of violence during the election re-run in some states, a Senior Human Rights Advisor to the National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna while presenting the April Edition of NHRC 2023 Elections Human Rights Situation Dashboard said violence is assuming dangerous dimension during Nigeria’s elections.

He lamented that three voters were killed for resisting thugs in Wudil, Kano State, an APC chieftain killed in Ughelli North, Delta State, another APC ward chairman murdered in Dekina LGA Kogi state, and a
member of a proscribed vigilante group killed for ballot snatching in Kebbi State.

He decried that journalists were not spared from attacks during the last election wit 10 journalists intimidated and chased out of polling unit by thugs in Abeokuta North; three-person Arise TV crew covering the governorship and House of Assembly election injured and had their equipment seized.

He said it was disheartening that In the process of vote buying, thugs were unleashed, leading to the attack of a group of journalists in transit, and security
officials excluding a handful of journalist from covering the collation centre in Kano state

He noted that Akam James, correspondent with Daily Post was assaulted in Ebelebiri community ward 05 unit 19 and the Publisher of Upfront Magazine was also beaten up, TVC Crew was chased out of the community.

He said the NHRC was ready to take up the case of violence against any journalists, urging media practitioners to come public with cases of attack against them during the recently concluded elections.

INEC to Prosecute 774 Election Offenders, Enters Working Arrangements with NBA

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ECOWAS Decries Paucity of Electricity in Rural West Africa Says It Stands at 10%

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ECOWAS Decries Paucity of Electricity in Rural West Africa Says It Stands at 10%

By: Michael Mike

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has decried the paucity of electricity in rural West African communities, stating that it stands at paltry 10 per cent as of 2023.

The regional bloc said this was notwithstanding the general increase in electricity from 45 per cent in 2019 to an average of 53 per cent in 2023 in the subregion.

ECOWAS Commissioner of Infrastructure, Energy & Digitalization, Mr Sediko Douka, made the disclosure on Thursday at the weekly press conference of the regional bloc in Abuja.

He said: “The energy sector, which is one of ECOWAS’s main areas of action, has an installed production capacity of 25,421 GW, distributed as follows: 77% thermal, 22% hydro, 1% solar/wind.

“The rate of access to electricity has increased from 45% in 2019 to an average of 53% in 2023.

“Despite this increase, there were significant disparities as the electricity access rate in rural areas is standing at only 10%,” he said.

He lamented that the electric sector also faced a low level of intra-regional electricity exchanges which he put at 9 per cent.

The ECOWAS commissioner said electricity prices in the West African region remain very high (0.24 USD = 150 FCFA/kWh), negatively impacting economic development, especially industrial development.

He said to address these challenges, “ECOWAS set up specialized agencies in the field of energy, namely, the West African Power Pool (WAPP) in Cotonou, Benin, the Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA) in Accra, Ghana, the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) in Praia, Cape Verde, and the West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA) in Abuja, Nigeria.”

Douka also disclosed that other measures taken by ECOWAS to address the challenges include the implementation of the WAPP Master Plan for regional power generation and transmission facilities for 2019-2033: 75 regional projects worth USD 36 billion to build 23,000 km of power interconnection lines and generate 16,000 MW.

Other interventions, he said were the launching and operationalization of the Regional Electricity Market in 2018, the promotion of renewable energies, and electricity access programmes for both on-grid and off-grid networks.

ECOWAS Decries Paucity of Electricity in Rural West Africa Says It Stands at 10%

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President Tinubu Passionate About Enhanced Healthcare Delivery – VP Shettima

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President Tinubu Passionate About Enhanced Healthcare Delivery – VP Shettima

  • Says FG will explore private sector partnership on training of health workers

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, has identified enhanced healthcare delivery as a top priority in the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu renewed hope administration.

Accordingly, he said that the Federal Government will support the training of personnel in its teaching hospitals and other tertiary health institutions in the country to meet emerging challenges of healthcare delivery.

The Vice President gave the assurance on Wednesday when he received in audience at the Presidential Villa, the management of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) led by its Chief Medical Director, Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo.

Sen. Shettima who commended the current management of the institution for the giant strides recorded over the years said the current administration is committed to supporting human capacity development in hospitals across the country.

He said, “Training is very essential; we will explore all available windows to support UMTH and other teaching hospitals in the country in the training of their personnel. We will see how our partnership with the private sector can be helpful in this regard.”

“I want to commend the CMD and his team for providing quality leadership to the hospital and all of their subordinates. There have been remarkable improvements witnessed at UMTH since his assumption of duty.

“In terms of staff morale, capacity building and the general outlook of the teaching hospital, the improvements have been massive. The expansion of the hospital from a 600-bed to a 1305-bed facility and equipped with modern facilities. The CMD has been proactive and aggressive in all that he does, including sourcing for external funding,” the VP added.

Prof. Ahidjo had earlier in his remarks, said the visit of the team was to thank the Vice President for his support to the institution which spanned over 15 years, and to present the scorecard of the hospital as well as its future plans.

The CMD said with the support of the government and other stakeholders, the hospital has expanded from a 600-bed to a 1,305-bed facility equipped with state-of-the-art machines.

He said that besides building new centres for Trauma, Dialysis, Cancer and Stroke treatment among others, the hospital boasts of over 100 professors in different areas of specialties.

The CMD however requested for more support from the Vice President to enable the institution to actualize its objectives of being an international centre of excellence in healthcare delivery and training of personnel through the construction of an electronic health institute to facilitate its digitalization project.

Other members of the delegation include the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Sanusi Ibrahim; Director of Administration, Mallam Idris Omar; Director of Clinical Services, Prof. Modu Kagu; Director of Research and Ethics, Prof. Faruk Buba; Director of Training, Dr. Abubakar Mohammed, and the Director of UMTH Kidney Centre, Prof. Ibrahim Ummate.

President Tinubu Passionate About Enhanced Healthcare Delivery – VP Shettima

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Jakusko commends Buni over campaign promises in Yobe

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Jakusko commends Buni over campaign promises in Yobe

By: Yahaya Wakili

The Chairman, Caretaker Management Committee of Jakusko local government area of Yobe state, Alhaji Umaru Aguwa, has given kudos to the Yobe state governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, Chiroman Gujba, for fulfilling all his campaign promises to the people through the provision of the dividend of democracy.

Gov. Mai Mala Buni

Hon. Umaru Aguwa said giving commendation to the Chiroman Gujba has become imperative because of numerous achievements in improving the living conditions of the masses in Yobe State. He also gave the local government councils in the state their full support for the democratic map to provide the dividend of democracy to the electorates in the state.

A Block of classroom.

Hon. Umaru said all the development projects provided by the council chairmen in their respective local government councils were done with the full support of His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni CON. He revealed that Yobe State is blessed with a governor characterized by humility, sympathy, accessibility, and a genius in letting go of what rightfully and lawfully belongs to him for peace to reign in the state.

“Governor Mai Mala Buni CON has sacrificed too much to serve and provided the dividend of democracy to the people of the state, and his developmental projects are physically on the ground. Buni’s administration is full of initiatives. The government has constructed modern markets in major towns across the state, in Damaturu, Potiskum, Gashu’a, Nguru, Geidam, and Buni Yadi.” Umaru Aguwa said. 

According to him, the government also resuscitated three dormant industries in the state. These are the Woven Sack Company Damaturu, Yobe Sahel Aluminum, Flour, and Feed Mill Company in Potiskum, as well as the Trailer Park in Potiskum. Adding to that, the Buni administration also completed the state-owned International Cargo Airport, which was commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He said all these achievements were to create a conducive environment for trade and commerce for economic development in the state.

“His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni CON, Chiroman Gujba, has made tremendous achievements in many sectors, including health, agriculture, work, empowerment, education, and many others.

Speaking on his achievements in the Jakusko local government area since his inception in office in June 2023, the Chairman said he has been following in the footsteps of His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni CON in the provision of portable drinking water for both human and animal consumption in rural and urban areas. He revealed that the council constructed 14 new solar-powered boreholes, drilled six new boreholes, rehabilitated over 50 boreholes, and purchased accessories and repairs for over 51 hand pumps across the local government area.

“The council also constructed three dispensaries at Garin Tsalha, Dan Takunne, and Karage and equipped them with drugs and beds. The council also purchased drugs for the outbreak of diarrhea and the repair of primary healthcare vehicles, as well as drugs worth millions of naira that were distributed to all our primary health centers across the local government and received much support in the health sector.

Hon. Umaru Aguwa said the council constructed 20 cans to ease the problems of transportation by our people during the rainy seasons; the council repaired 4 vehicles for security agencies in the area; purchased over 10,000 empty bags and pilled them with sand to control the flow of water in the town during the rainy seasons; and also organized cultural activities such as wrestling and sports with a view to bringing unity among the people of the local government.

Aguwa also said the council repaired two tractors, conducted construction in Jakusko, purchased animal vaccination drugs, and distributed palliatives to alleviate the suffering of the people as a result of subsidy removal. In order to improve the standard and quality of education, the council constructed two classrooms and an office in Gamajan and also renovated two classrooms and an office in Gamajan. We also purchased thousands of copies of text and exercise books and distributed them to all primary and junior secondary schools across the local government.
End.

Jakusko commends Buni over campaign promises in Yobe

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