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You can’t remain analogue, manual mode, INEC Chairman tells staff

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By Gistflash News

Aug 9, 2021

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says no staff of the commission should remain analogue and manual mode but all should adapt to technological innovations and creativity.

Yakubu gave the charge on Monday in Lagos at the opening ceremony of a-four-day capacity building for INEC’s Heads of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) and Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) in the southern states.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop tagged “Capacity Building on Effective Communication for Continuous Voter Education and New Polling Units for INEC’s Head of Voter Education and Public Affairs Officers’’, was organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Yakubu, who was represented Mr Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, said that staff of the commission must adapt quickly to the new technological realities aimed at deepening electoral process.

The INEC chairman said that the commission was dealing with complex issues, diverse constituencies, intense fight for power and dangerous geographical terrains, hence the need for innovations and creativities.

Yakubu said: “Staff for the commission must adapt quickly to the new technological reality occasioned by advances in technology, the global health pandemic, challenge of best practices in election administration and management.

“The staff of the commission in general and information managers in particular cannot afford to remain analogue and on manual mode when a new generation of Nigerians is migrating steadily to the digital world.

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“We must at all times strive to show the way in moving the country toward a direction that will lead to better elections, even as the commission has demonstrated capacity, creativity and innovation in times of great changes, difficulties and challenges.”

According to him, at the height of the pandemic and when many advanced countries suspended or called off their elections, INEC developed an electoral continuity plan and strategy and conducted two constitutionally-circumscribed governorship elections.

He said that INEC policy on conducting elections in the context of COVID-19 pandemic received global and international acclaim and became a standard for so many African countries.

Yakubu said that within the same period, the commission designed a Candidate Nomination Portal through which political parties uploaded the personal particulars and list of their nominated candidates.

He said that the commission also developed a portal for domestic election observers and the media through which they applied for accreditation.

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“Within the same period too, the commission developed and deployed INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) through which the commission uploaded polling unit results for public view.

“These are innovations and developments all HODs, VEP and PAOs must be abreast of and relay to the public at necessary junctures,” Yakubu said.

He urged all HODs VEP and PAOs to read widely, broadly and be on top of information as well as knowing how to work on different social media platforms so as not to be impediments to INEC’s progress.

The INEC chairman said that the CVR online pre-registration exercise as well as biometric and physical capturing exercises which commenced on June 28 and July 26 respectively nation-wide, had seen more Nigerians embrace technologies.

“The commission is introducing technology in the country’s electoral process to aid efficiency and make the conduct of elections less cumbersome, more transparent and more engaging.

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“Considering the complex geographical terrain of the country, the commission believes that deepening the use of technology will assist it organise elections efficiently and declare results in record time,” he said..

According to him, the commission believes that deepening the use of technology in electoral process “will limit prospects of pernicious and malicious interference in the electoral process and election outcomes”.

Yakubu said that the duality of quality control and due diligence would eliminate as much as possible, the anxiety of moving results from the polling units to the collation centres.

“Technology will also enhance and domicile the processes of the commission within the commission and enhance monitoring and compliance.

“Within the context of a global pandemic, technology is the oxygen for electoral continuity.

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“The commission is committed to ensuring that all Nigerians, with no legal disability, who desire to vote, must vote no matter their station in spite of their location.

“Technology holds the key to the actualisation of this goal. The commission will, therefore, call-in aid, technology to obviate some of the challenges of manual processes and procedures,” Yakubu said.

He expressed INEC’s determination to enhance the power and value of vote and enable eligible Nigerians to vote in a safe and peaceful environment.

The INEC chairman said that the commission would continue to deepen partnership with the judiciary and other stakeholders in its efforts to improve on the integrity of elections.

He solicited the understanding of the judiciary to interpret the constitution and the law more purposefully and enhance, guarantee, protect and secure the power, prestige and independence of INEC.

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Yakubu commended the UNDP and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for making the capacity building programme possible.

Also speaking, Mr Nick Dazang, Director of Voter Education and Publicity, said that voter registration remained crucial to INEC’s work and mandate to organise and conduct elections.

Dazang said that without a credible register, election could not be credible.

He noted that since 2007, the commission had begun using technology to register voters with the introduction of Direct Data Capturing Machine.

He said that staff must the brought to speed in all novel technologies.

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Earlier in his welcome address, Mr Sam Olumekun, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Lagos State, said that the workshop was apt now that the commission had embarked on dual online pre-registration and physical biometric capturing.

Olumekun, who was represented by Mrs Ijeoma Okey-Igbokwe, Head of Department, General Administration and Procurement, said that the workshop was an evidence of INEC’s determination to improve on its performance in the conduct of flawless election in 2023.

NAN

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Gunmen Attack Anambra Police Station, Kill Four Officers

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Gunmen Attack Anambra Police Station, Kill Four Officers
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Unknown gunmen in the early hours of Wednesday attacked a police station located in Atani, the headquarters of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

It was gathered that the gunmen launched the attack on the police facility around 1:30 am on Wednesday.

A further report had it that four police officers were killed in the attack.

Since the emergence of Charles Soludo as the Governor of Anambra State there had been series of attacks on police and government facilities in the state.

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Meanwhile, the spokesman of the state police command, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, has confirmed the development.

He said, “The hoodlums came around 1 a.m., and unlucky for us, four police operatives paid the supreme price.”

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Echeng on hearing of the attack immediately mobilized men of the command from various units to the area.

“The hoodlums were still there when the CP personally led men of the command to the affected area, and the timely arrival saved the day and the hoodlums were successfully repelled, and the facility was saved.

“We have commenced intelligence already, and we hope to unravel the persons behind the attack.”

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Supreme Court Affirms Six-Year Jail Term For Former Director Of Pensions, John Yakubu

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Supreme Court Affirms Six-Year Jail Term For Former Director Of Pensions, John Yakubu

Supreme Court Affirms Six-Year Jail Term For Former Director Of Pensions, John YakubSupreme Court Affirms Six-Year Jail Term For Former Director Of Pensions, John Yakubu

The Supreme Court has affirmed the six years imprisonment imposed on a former Federal Director of Pensions, Mister John Yakubu, and also ordered him to refund the sum of N22.9b to the Federal Government.

The N22.9b was part of the police pension fund he admitted before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to have been misappropriate

Justice Tijjani Abubakar in a judgment in an appeal filed by Yusuf upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal which in 2018 sent him to six years imprisonment in addition to the refund of the sum.

The apex court held that Yusuf and others engaging in fraudulent practices must be told through court judgments that it is no longer business as usual.

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Sept 26, 2021A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mallam Yusuf Ali, says it is not to late for members of the  National Assembly to revisit the issue of  electronic transmission of election results to ensure credibility.Ali, who made the remarks while speaking in an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, said the more credible elections were, the less litigations they will attract.The  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports  that the Nigerian Senate had on July 16, passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021, after division among its members on the electronic transmission of results.

The clause 52(2) of the bill gives the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the discretion to determine when, where and how voting and transmission of results will be done.

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The Senate had ruled out the possibility of having results transmitted electronically when it voted that the NCC, with the National Assembly’s approval, would determine whether INEC could transmit results electronically or not.

Similarly, the House of Representatives, on July 16, passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, maintaining the controversial Clause 52(2) as presented amidst protests, especially by members of the minority caucus.

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Justice Abubakar said that the appeal of the former federal pension director seeking to set aside the six years jail term against him was frivolous and devoid of merit.

He further held that victims of the convicted director deserve restitution which can only be achieved through justice.

Yusuf had dragged the Federal Government before the apex court seeking to overturn the six years imprisonment slammed on by the Court of Appeal.

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The former pensions director, who is serving the six years jail term at the Kuje correctional facility, also asked the Supreme Court to set aside a whopping sum of N22.9 billion he was ordered to refund to the government treasury by the Court of Appeal in a 2018 judgment.

He was sent to prison in 2018 by the Court of Appeal in Abuja upon being found guilty of defrauding the Federal Government to the tune of N22.9 billion through police pensions.

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Stakeholders task Nigerian youths on good governance, leadership advocacy

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Dr Odiakpo Obire, the founder of Good leadership for Africa, an Abuja based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) said the aim of the awards were to encourage African leaders to take their place as leaders among world leaders.
He said the youths of Africa had what it takes to elect the right leaders into offices as this was fundamental to their future and the success of the country.


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Abuja Nov 5, 2021 (NAN) Stakeholders in governance have urged Nigerian youths to be advocates of good governance and leadership in order to make Nigeria a better place.

They gave the advice in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the second global good governance awards and summit held in Abuja on Friday.

The theme for the award is “ Good governance mentality for global impact.

Dr Odiakpo Obire, the founder of Good leadership for Africa, an Abuja based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) said the aim of the awards were to encourage African leaders to take their place as leaders among world leaders.

He said the youths of Africa had what it takes to elect the right leaders into offices as this was fundamental to their future and the success of the country.

According to him, good governance and leadership are achievable and controllable by the youths.
“ Good governance and leadership make strong institutions.

“ The Africa and Nigeria of our dreams cannot be achieved if youths neglect accountability and advocacy of good leadership’, he said.

Obire stated that everyone appointed into a leadership position could help achieve a great Nigeria if they put the needs of the masses first and do what was expected of them.

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“ From the Federal Government to the local government, to the appointees to the least held office, everyone has the responsibility to do the right thing, ” he said.

He said democracy in Nigeria is over 22 years and youths had to rise to the responsibility of advocating for good leadership and accountability.

“ Good governance starts from selecting good leaders by the youths, ” he said.

Amb. Louis Temisan, Mayorking Ultimate International Magazine said a lot of people, institutions and NGOs are worthy of celebration because they advocate good governance.

“ People, institutions and NGOs who are staff minded, support youth empowerment, community development deserve all the celebration and recognition, ” he said.

According to him, advocating for and publicising good governance will challenge other lacking leaders to do better in their respective communities.

Amb. Anthony Nwangwu disclosed that good governance should be measured by good directions and steps taken by a leader to ensure life was easy for people.

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He said good governance is not measured by the number of cars a leader has or how much cash they throw around.

Nwangwu said good governance affects every facets of life.

NAN reports that about 30 people from the private and public sectors were recipients of different awards.

Some category of these awards include, award of Excellence in Human resource, award of best security outfit and award of best youth empowerment. (NAN)

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