The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has pleaded with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to permit it to substitute candidates for various elective offices in accordance with court orders just weeks before the start of the February 2023 general elections.
The party further emphasized to INEC that the Electoral Act supersedes the Commission’s rules on the deadline for candidates’ final submission.
On Wednesday, Rufai Alkali, the national chairman of the NNPP, told reporters in Abuja that the party had asked the court to interpret the electoral act and that the decision had been in its favor.
He disclosed that NNPP has forwarded the correspondence to INEC “but INEC said no and instead they went to appeal the matter and we also won.”
Alkali explained that “We have already written a letter to INEC and we are waiting for them to respond so that we can validly nominate candidates from the party.
We also have another case which came about two or three days ago, which is about 300 House of Assembly candidates and in such an issue you have to substitute them because you cannot force anybody to be your candidate.”
While commending the electoral body for timely preparation ahead of the poll, he said, “We appreciate the enormity of the assignments before INEC, we however believe the Commission should continue to implement Court rulings, the better for our Country.”
He further added, “We have invited you members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm to brief you on activities involving our Party, NNPP, especially our court matters with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Our party has reasons to take INEC to court over disagreements on the issue of uploading and submission of names of some of our Candidates.”
This is even as he commended the judiciary, adding that “Our great party, New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) wishes to use this medium to express our appreciation and gratitude to Nigerian Judiciary for being the last bastion of hope for the people and a pillar of democracy and democratic processes particularly leading to the 2023 general election.
“Our party, NNPP particularly, has benefitted immensely from the sound judgments of the Federal High Court and Appellate Court which were delivered with dispatch in spite of the court’s overcrowded dockets plates for Candiality.
“We also wish to use this medium to most especially appreciate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the able leadership of amiable Patriotic Prof. Mahmood Yakubu for its sense of responsibility to the promotion of rule of law and commitment to conducting the most credible election in 2023.
“In the same spirit, we most humbly urge the Commission to urgently comply with the Court orders expeditiously delivered by the courts so as to further build up confidence of the Political parties and general public in the Commission’s unflinching and unwavering commitment to conducting free, fair and credible election in the 2023 General Election.
“We want to use this opportunity to assure Prof. Mahmood Yakubu of our confidence in him and his Commission to deliver a sound election that will stand the test of time. We therefore pledge our unflinching support for him and INEC.
Speaking on the crux of the issue between the electoral umpire and the party, Alkali said, “On the first set of candidates, the lower court gave us a favourable judgment, about 80 National Assembly candidates were to be substituted
“Subsequently, we had a separate case of two senatorial candidates who purchased our forms and were screened and nominated after the primaries. One was senator Ibrahim Shekarau from Kano and the other one from Taraba State. Also one of our deputy governorship candidates from Yobe state who just suddenly from nowhere sold the position. I understand he collected N500m.
“There is another House of Assembly candidate from Potiskum, Yobe State. You know the place of a deputy governor, no governor can run without a deputy. So when somebody is withdrawn, he has to be substituted
In the case of Senator Shekarau, he even wrote to INEC telling them that he has withdrawn, while the one from Taraba State went to court to swear an affidavit that he has left the party and the ticket. So we approached INEC about the situation, they said as far as they were concerned, the people were not dead, they were still in the list of candidates of our party.”
***Says 20 Persons Abducted Not 32 As Earlier Announced
The government of Edo State has threatened to confiscate any facility where terrorists or kidnappers are discovered in any community throughout the state and has warned traditional rulers and community leaders of the repercussions of harboring terrorists in their territory.
This information was revealed shortly after it was initially reported that 32 people had been abducted during the Saturday train attack at Igueben Train Station.
When providing an update on the Saturday attack on the Igueben train station, Chris Osa Nekhihare, the commissioner for communication and orientation for the state of Edo, revealed to reporters that Philip Shaibu, the state’s deputy governor, read the riot act to the royal fathers and community leaders during his visit to the area on Tuesday.
According to Nehikhare, the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, has meet with Igueben community leaders, heads of security agencies to assure residents of measures to check crime
“Shaibu informed the people of what government is doing to give morale boost to troup on ground and also review the security strategy.
“The deputy governor warned the people of the consequences of harbouring terrorists in their domain, while telling the royal father’s within the area to sit up because if government found out that they let out their facilities to be used by the kidnappers, such facilities will be confisticated”
The Communication and Orientation Commissioner however disclosed that only 20 persons were kidnapped in the Saturday train attacked at Igueben Station, and not 32 as earlier announced.
With the rescue of seven hostages in the kidnappers dean, according to him, only 13 persons are in custody of the abductors.
Nekhihare who said the latest information was gotten from security intelligence also explained that from intelligence report, the kidnappers only took 20 hostages as against 32 initially reported.
He quoted Shaibu as saying that the government is strengthening security to check crime and criminality, vowing that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration will make the state unsafe for kidnappers and other criminal elements to thrive.
He said the deputy governor was joined at the meeting by other top government officials, including the Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator. Clifford Ordia and the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Marcus Onobun, where he called for calm among residents of Igueben LGA, urged members of the public to provide useful information that will aid rescue efforts by security agencies.
Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the governor of Kano state, said on Wednesday that the state would repeat the 1993 election, when it supported a Southern candidate and rejected a Kano resident.
While on a campaign tour for the All Progressives Party (APC) candidates running for various positions in the upcoming general elections, Dr. Ganduje spoke at Kibiya during a courtesy call on the District Head, Sunusi Abubakar Ila. He explained that Kano politics believe in national Integration and competence.
The Tinubu ally stressed “That showed political maturity and dexterity of Kano citizens. We voted for Chief MKO Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and rejected Bashir Othman Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC). Because we all believed in national integration and competence.”
He said that, the APC Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had in the previous past supported Northerners on different occasions to clinch the presidency.
Dr. Ganduje noted that, “Tinubu was an instrument behind making Atiku Abubakar to become the presidential candidate of Action Congress (AC). He also provided another platform for Nuhu Ribadu to contest for the presidency under the platform of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).”
He explained further that, “as rotational as it is, the presidential contest in the country, provides that, power rotates from North to South and vice versa. “
Ganduje stressed that “Asiwaju Tinubu worked very hard to maintain the equation. Hence, his support for Northern Presidential candidates in the past. One good thing deserves another. We have no other option now, than to support his candidature.”
He noted that, “the only deserving and most competent presidential candidate in the forthcoming election, is being supported by the North because of his (Tinubu) firm belief in nation building, all-encompassing pedigree, firm belief in human and national development among other factors.”
Ganduje had during the state APC rally at Rano introduced all other candidates vying for the positions of Senator, membership of House of Representatives and State Assembly and gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial positions.
He, however , assured that, “I am presenting to all, our most competent and deserving contestants, who cannot be mates to all other contestants from all other opposition parties.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran, commonly known as Jandor, has guaranteed locals that if he wins the upcoming general elections, he will lead an inclusive administration that prioritizes the needs of the general populace.
Adediran made this commitment while touring the wards in the Ikorodu Local Government Area and meeting with representatives from the many communities he visited.
He claimed that the reason he chose to move around the state and visit the various wards and communities was because the residents were deserving of his time. He did this to determine the challenges each community was facing, to have first hand information about the challenges facing them.
The governorship candidate said that he takes note and record the challenges and if he elected in the forthcomin gelecton, he would find solutions to those problems, stressing that people of Lagos State have been in servitude for years because, some politicians deceived them in the past and failed to deliver on the promises made to them.
He noted that,he chose to run for the post of governor to liberate the people of the state
According to him: “Let the opposition party do any thing they like,even let them go and borrow money to run election,they will not win, we will run masses government, I chose to go round the state,to see those we want to rule over.
“We have noted the challenges facing each community we visited,. I shall return to those communities to do the necessary corrections.We will tour all the 19 wards in Ikorodu Local government.”
Speaking about reason he chose his running mate, Funke Akindele,who is an Ikorodu indegene, said “It was a promise he made to my mentor, Princess Adenrele Adeniran- Ogunsanya,that if i succeeded in getting a ticket, my running mate would be from Ikorodu, and must be a female. The decision was taken long ago, ever before I joined the PDP.
Jandor, therefore, urged his audience to ensure they vote the PDP candidates in all the elections, pointing out that the presidential election was paramount to his victory in the governorship election, because if Atiku Abubakar emerges victorious in the presidential election, his victory in the governorship poll would be easier.
Adediran urged the electorate to shun those who want to add sentiment to voting, and advised them to vote for merit, which the PDP presidential candidate stands for.
Akindele in her remarks urged the electorate to vote the PDP because the major reason she and Adediran are in the race was to correct the anomalies and remove hardship that the party in power in the state has brought on the people.
“We decided to run to bring change and development, you should all get your Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and come out en mass to vote, because we need to change the party in power by voting for the PDP and your votes would make the difference, it is not by violence,” she said.
The leaders of the various communities visited, complained that so many politicians visited them in the past during elections and made promises to them, but had always reneged on such promises.
Some of the community leaders also indicted those in government for neglecting them by failing to provide social facilities.They complained that, their roads are bad, they don’t have public schools, and neither do they have markets nor clinics.
They complained that they had to resort to personal efforts to keep their roads in order, and that, the situation gets worse during raining season.
At the Okaka Primary Health Center, Ineresimei Odor, a 27-year-old nursing mother, voiced concern about “the potency of the polio vaccine health officers provided on our children.”
I always worry that it will injure my baby, I say.
Because there isn’t a refrigerator at the PHC and the officers always carry the vaccines from the Secretariat of the local government, I just have a bad feeling about the polio vaccine. Some of us are worried about how it is being stored,” she stated.
Mrs Faith, a volunteer at the Okaka PHC corroborated Odor’s views over her fears about the status of the polio vaccines being administered.
“One of the major problems we have here is that the refrigerators to store vaccines. On immunisation days which are usually on a Wednesday, we bring the vaccines from the local government headquarters and when we are through, we return the ones left, until the next immunisation day. The fears over the storage of the vaccine are very genuine”.
Our correspondent found her dread after a visit to the Kpansia Primary Health Center (PHC) in Kpansia, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, to confirm the account of Odor among many others.
It was a Thursday at 1pm, and the center’s doors were tightly closed. Around the center, no health officer could be seen. The Doctor was present in the morning, but had closed and left, according to a woman who introduced herself as Mrs. Helen and whose house is directly across from the Center.
When asked if this was how the Doctor typically left the PHC, she replied in the yes and added, “He is the only one here. On occasion, if he works in the morning beginning at about 9am, once the once the crowd thins out by 12pm- 1pm, he closes and goes home.”
The pathetic situation at the Kpansia Primary Health Centre is replicated across the eight local government areas of Bayelsa State namely, Yenagoa, Ekeremor, Nembe, Brass, Ogbia, Southern Ijaw, Sagbama and Kolokuma/Opokuma.
Shortage of manpower, corruption, lack of electricity, absence of security, lack of water, low staff morale, nepotism, political considerations, lack of capacity and poor facilities have been identified as some of the problems militating against the optimal efficiency of PHCs in Bayelsa State.
In 2018, the then governor of Bayelsa State, Mr Henry Seriake Dickson had during the Maternal and Infant Mortality Summit and Launch of Safe Motherhood provided a cheque of N1.2 to the Bayelsa State Ministry of Health and the Primary Healthcare Board out of the N3 Billion earmarked for the construction of healthcare facilities in each of the 105 political wards in the state. He also directed that the building of the health centres be completed by December that year.
A year after the deadline set by Mr Dickson, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Paraba Newton Igwelle announced that 83 of the health centres have been completed while the remaining 22 were 80 per cent completed. Investigations revealed that the PHCs have since been completed.
However the completion of the PHCs across the state has not been able to improve health care delivery in the state owing to the problems bedevilling it. For instance one of the noticeable problems with the PHCs is the absence of security to safeguard the staff and property of the PHCs. The high level of insecurity in some parts of the state makes it mandatory to close early leaving patients at the mercy of patent medicine stores. In some of the PHCs especially in coastal communities, most of the equipment procured have been looted.
At the Amarata community PHC, the wheelbarrow used by a water seller welcomes guests to the centre. A middle-aged woman lay on the bed using a newspaper as a hand fan due to lack of electricity. The Community Health Officer (CHO) who identified herself as Ms Sorbei listed lack of security, lack of water, electricity and space as problems of the centre.
She said, “As you can see with the Mairuwa( water seller) that we don’t have water here and depend on water sellers. Also there is no electricity and there is no generator to light up the centre. Lack of security is also a major problem. Hoodlums around this area usually harass patients and most times dispossess them of valuables. It is a terrible situation we are in here this has discouraged nursing mothers from bringing their children for Polio immunization.”
Dr Caleb (not real name for fear of being victimised) who works in the Bayelsa State Ministry of Health and has been involved in designing operational plans for PHC in the state identified corruption, shortage of staff and inexperience as the drawback for PHCs in the state.
“For me the problems of PHC in Bayelsa State include corruption, shortage of staff and inexperience. Those appointed to head were not on merit but on political grounds. They lacked experience and capacity. PHC only engages people on casual jobs. We have graduates of College of Health Technology trained to fill the gap of manpower. They trained them but would not employ them. There was money allocated for employment but they refused to employ. Money was released but was diverted. In most PHCs, you have just a staff. How can one person work as malaria focal person, HIV focal person, Tuberculosis focal person, NTD focal person, Measles focal person, Cholera focal person?
According to Dr Caleb, the broken system in PHCs in Bayelsa has affected advocacy in the area of vaccinations.
“PHC were supposed to be involved in advocating and creating awareness for vaccination to be effective. But they lack manpower to do it. They went to Public Health to ask for assistance especially Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) to help with advocacy with households. But in the end they could not even provide logistics. So in that vein how can people accept what they do not know? In our society before people take vaccinations they should have been properly briefed. So how can people accept what they don’t know? Even when you explain to people, they are still reluctant to take it not to talk when there is no awareness. So in order to siphon money they did not engage those to help with advocacy as it has greatly affected vaccinations,” he added.
Mr Amabawei (not real name for fear of being victimised) also a staff of the Ministry of Health who has worked with the World Health Organisation ( WHO) and United Nations International Children’s Funds( UNICEF) said though the office of the deputy-governor, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo recently “approved 200 community health workers on temporary basis and posted to various PHC”. This he regrettably said “has not addressed the shortage of manpower.”
He lamented that in Ofoni, Agbere and Edebebiri communities all in Sagbama Local Government Area, PHCs have been turned to residential and community meeting venues. Aside, he drew attention to the lack of stocking taking of drugs which leaves more for racketeering of drugs and vaccines.
“I have been to several PHCs, but most times they are not around even when we tell them they are coming. There should be somebody in charge of stock- taking; those drugs donated by partners should be accounted for. Vaccines are not properly kept. Racketeering of vaccines and drugs thrives. PHC are supposed to be open 24 hours but in Bayelsa by 1pm, most of them have closed,” Amabawei said.
A former member of the Bayelsa State Primary Healthcare Board, who craved anonymity, as he is still a serving civil servant, blamed the government for the sorry state of PHCs in the state.
“The State government is not giving PHC the proper attention it deserves. To be sincere with you, it is being used as conduit to siphon funds. As a result of that, people were taking advantage of the situation to divert funds. The state government is not sincere with PHCs. It is not sincere in terms of financing, management of funds and prioritising the interest of the people.
“Because of the mismanagement of funds, there is a shortage of staff. PHCs lack manpower. Some of the PHCs built have been locked up like the one in Aduku community, Sagbama Local Government Area. The state government is only interested in media headlines. The core of what is expected of them has been left undone. Most staff of PHCs are not at their place of work. But you can’t blame them because there are no incentives. The same way government hospitals are being run is the same way PHCs are being run, most of the revenue generated goes into private pockets.”
During an investigative hearing conducted by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Joint Committee on Health, Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Development in November 2021, stakeholders bemoaned what they described as the “moribund state of primary health care” across the eight local government areas pointing out “shortage of equipment, medical and health personnel.”
A lawmaker, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku- Obiyai said “Over 80 per cent of primary health care facilities are not functional because we have not drawn from the pool of available manpower, thereby avoiding brain-drain”
In early 2022, the Bayelsa State Government partnered with a leading commercial bank, Sterling Bank, Zipline, a global leader in instant logistics, Drugstoc and Health Spaces to revolutionise the state healthcare system through Health Supply Chain Consortium.
The Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) which the State Governor, Mr Douye Diri personally signed and which PHCs were to be the ultimate beneficiaries involves Zipline establishing a distribution hub in Bayelsa State for the introduction, operation and maintenance of a just-in-time instant logistics solution to ensure that essential drugs, blood and a selection of other life-saving medical supplies are available to the state health facilities in Bayelsa State.
“We envisage that this partnership will remain one of the most significant ways of removing the access barriers that mitigates easy delivery of medical commodities to our health facilities,” Mr Diri had said on the occasion. However 11 months after the signing of the MoU, nothing significant has been achieved and the people are still at the receiving end of the poor state of the PHCs.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Pabara Igwelle has assured that the state government is committed to revamp the PHC in the state. According to him, the state government is deploying drones to help in drug distribution in remote areas of the state. Part of the government effort, he insisted, was the provision of N12.526 billion in the 2023 Appropriation Law.
Bayelsans are weary and no longer interested in yapping; they now look towards the sky and hope for quality healthcare through PHCs.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has hinted that only a strong regulatory framework can ensure and hasten the development, approval, and availability of high-quality therapeutic drugs and vaccines in low- and middle-income countries around the world.
During her speech at the hybrid UCSF-Stanford Centre of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (UCSF-Stanford CERSI) summit in the US, she dropped this hint.
Adeyeye, who was the sole panelist from Africa chosen for the summit’s theme, “Building a Global Vision for Product and Drug Development: Challenges and Opportunities,” urged countries to tighten their regulatory frameworks in accordance with the World Health Assembly Resolution 67.20 of 2014 in other to build the capacity of member states with the ultimate goal to have access to quality medicines to different low, medium income countries.
She said the WHO supports member states in reaching and sustaining effective regulatory oversight of medical products through the regulatory systems strengthening RSS programme.
She explained to the global audience how NAFDAC under her leadership used the WHO Global Benchmarking Tools to achieve the Maturity Level 3 WHO Certification Status in March 2022 and its significance to Nigeria.
Adeyeye in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by Sayo Akintola thr Resident Media Consultant NAFDAC stated that, ‘’Using US FDA as reference which is categorized as Maturity Level 4’’, she said; ‘’you cannot get Maturity Level 3 without taking care of all the indicators under Levels 1, and 2. You cannot get Maturity Level 4 without taking care of all the indicators in ML1, ML2 and ML3’’.
Speaking on ‘’Global Benchmarking Tool and Access to Medicines’’ at the annual global event, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye noted that there is no 95 or 99 percent in terms of WHO Global Benchmarking.
She noted that the GBT essentially facilitated NAFDAC to identify weaknesses and strength in licensing of products, in the manufacturers and distributors compliance, in how effective is our post marketing surveillance- are we doing containment of market control in terms of illicit trade, are we doing well in terms of regulatory inspection; Good Manufacturing Practice compliance, are the manufacturers adhering to that? How good are our laboratories? In a statement by NAFDAC media consultant, Sayo Akintola, in Lagos on Wednesday, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed to the summit that NAFDAC was benchmarked on seven functions plus licensing establishment which is under the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) jurisdiction, stressing that both agencies were benchmarked together.
She said the Agency met and satisfied 268 indicators and 860 recommendations, adding that the 268 indicators were distributed under Maturity Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4. ‘’We were able to attain Maturity Level 3 after meeting all the requirements. We were declared in March 2020.’’ She however, noted that attaining Maturity Level 4 would not be too difficult, adding that ‘’some of the standards or indicators we have already met’’. She said her Agency is working round the clock as she has already set out targets for Maturity Level 4.
According to Adeyeye, there is what is called the World Listed Authority where it’s almost like a specialized grouping, adding that part of Maturity Level 4 indicators also applies to World Listed Authority. ‘’We are working for both in order to ensure that our system is well established and stable and well-functioning as a regulatory agency’’.
In low middle income countries, she said testing is sacrosanct unlike FDA where products are not tested because the system works. In low middle income countries, she added that testing has to be conducted because of propensity for substandard falsified medicines.
The NAFDAC boss pointed out that commitment from top management of the regulatory agencies is required to get Maturity level 3 which is the minimum required in terms of well-functioning and stable regulatory systems.
‘’I took over as DG NAFDAC in November 2017. Right from the beginning my experience in the US in terms of Quality Management System was brought to bear. We committed to Global Benchmarking using Quality Management System as a baseline’’.
Adeyeye however, emphasized the importance of reliance for different regulatory agencies in the world.
She said reliance represents a smarter way of regulating medical products through collaboration, shared knowledge, experience, and resources. The Reliance is among the different functions such as regulatory inspection, lab testing, clinical trials, market authorization, pharmacovigilance, market control and licensing establishment.
She further explained that there is a lot of reliance within different functions and there has to be a reliance between agencies, adding that agencies have to collaborate, identify weak links and leverage on the experience of others, mentor other MNRAs.
She said that NAFDAC is doing that right now in terms of Traceability and GBT, noting that Reliance is also facilitated within the West African region and between regions.
‘’Uganda came to us, and we have been interacting on different aspects of our regulatory activities. Reliance promotes good regulatory practices which is the focus. It helps bring trust amongst NRAs and allows NRAs to seize the opportunity to strengthen themselves.
‘’ It’s extremely important to strengthen the regulatory system. There cannot be local manufacturing without a strong regulatory system. As far as NAFDAC is concerned we use a lot of tools to ensure that our products are more affordable and are of high quality using different GMP inspection’’.
She disclosed that the Agency employs detection devices to get rid of infiltrations in the supply chain. ‘’We use enforcement. We work with Interpol, The FBI and of course, we use vigilance within the country and outside the country. NAFDAC is now known using traceability Track and Trace GS1 to monitor falsified medicines. We used that for vaccines during the Pandemic’’.
She opined that clinical trials could be optimized to make medicines and vaccines affordable and affordable to the low, medium income countries. She disclosed that Nigeria was fortunate to be funded by the Gates Foundation in terms of using Design Assessment and Community approach to develop our clinical trials database or platforms.
She however, said that the importance of informativeness cannot be over-emphasized because it has to be subject-centric. ‘’if we do not consider the subject when we are designing or during the course of study then it’s very likely that a low percentage of success rate will be achieved. ‘’
She said the Agency started using the DAC system in 2019 just before the Pandemic ‘’and we have our own electronic clinical application platform’’.
For research funders and investigators, she said using the informative approach mitigates risks; it’s hypothesis-driven, it increases likelihood of moving an intervention to a cure. It also ensures that there is confidence that is built in them.
She commended the community involvement, stressing that it helps in no small measure. ‘’We were quite successful in that particular clinical trial that culminated in us getting an IND approval from the US’’.
The event was UCSF-Stanford Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (UCSF-Stanford CERSI) fourth annual Innovations in Regulatory Science Summit, a gathering of leaders in the academia, industry, and regulatory sectors to discuss the role of regulatory science in medical product development.
Other members of the panel of discussants included, Emer Cooke, MBA – Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) Frank Gupton, PhD – Floyd D. Gottwald, Jr. Chair in Pharmaceutical Engineering and Chair, Professor, Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University Peter Marks, MD, PhD – Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at FDA Jacques Mascaro, PhD, MBA – Senior Vice President, Global Head of Oncology Regulatory Science and Strategy at AstraZeneca
On Wednesday, the Labour Party expressed concern about the slow rate at which INEC employees are issuing Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to Nigerians who intend to cast ballots in the general elections of 2023.
Just two weeks till the deadline set by INEC for the collecting of PVCs, according to Dr. Yunusa Tanko, Chief Spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council (LP-PCC), who stated most Nigerians are unable to do so because of the incompetence and delay tactics of INEC personnel.
The full statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has less than two weeks to deliver PVCs to Nigerians and the reports we are receiving nationwide about the ineptitude of their staff is disheartening and frustrating most PVC collectors”.
“We have received reports from all the geo-political zones in Nigeria and the messages are all the same, people complaining of the snail pace at which the PVCs are being dispatched to collectors”.
“Going by the elections timetable which is in accordance with Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on February 25”.
“The governorship and state assemblies election will hold on March 22 and many Nigerians who registered for PVCs are still finding it difficult to collect their voters card beats one’s imagination hollow”.
“If you take a close look at the INEC timetable you have less than 12 days left for collection of PVCs. People go and queue for hours out of about 500 PVC collectors only 20 or less than 50 people will be given their cards in wards designated for collection”.
“What kind of miracle is INEC going to perform that will ensure Nigerians get their PVCs within this short period if there’s no sinister motive underneath?”
“The process for collection started on December 12th and is expected to end on Sunday the 22nd of January yet out there across the country many of our members are complaining that the process is cumbersome and INEC staff leisurely stroll in and out of the wards”.
“They resume by 9am and close by 3pm and from information reaching us the INEC staff in most cases resume as from 11am daily. Today is 11th of January and by 22nd of this month the process will be collapsed, what’s going to be the faith of those who couldn’t get their voters card?”
“We have said in different fora that on no account should any Nigerian be denied his inalienable rights to cast his votes. INEC should open up on this deliberately designed weak operations to Nigerians before people start believing the apex electoral body has a hidden script unknown to us”.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) threatened a nationwide strike on Tuesday if the federal government did not accept their demands.
The organization stated in a letter signed by its president, Dr Emeka Innocent Orji, to the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, that if the issues are not resolved before its January 2023 National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which is slated for January 24th to 28th, the strike will begin.
The letter reads: “Sir, our January 2023 National Executive Council meeting has been scheduled for January 24th to 28th, 2023, and we can confirm very clearly feelers that if these issues are not sorted out before that meeting, our members will likely give us a mandate to immediately kick-start processes that will lead to a nationwide industrial disharmony in the health sector.”
It would be recalled that, NARD had earlier issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government six months ago on account of lingering unresolved issues affecting its members, including the irregularities in the new circular on an upward review of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), outstanding payment of the arrears of the new hazard allowance, non-payment of the skipping arrears for 2014, 2015 and 2016, and non-payment of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage to some of its members.
In addition, the delay in the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure(CONMESS), salary arrears of its members in state tertiary health institutions running into several months, including Abia, Imo, Ondo, Ekiti and Gombe States, and non-domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act (MRTA) in most states across the federation.
Commending the efforts of government through its ministries, departments and agencies in resolving some of the issues raised, the association, however, said many of them remain largely unresolved and have now become sources of serious nationwide agitation threatening industrial peace and harmony in the health sector.
NARD said the major ones amongst them are; “Omitted 2020 MRTF payment, irregularities in the new MRTF circular inconsistent with the Medical Residency Training Act, existing collective bargaining agreements and current economic realities and review of CONMESS salary structure.”
The letter further reads: “Sir, we know how critical this period is and the chaos that will ensue if the government does not take steps to prevent this from happening, and so we humbly implore you to use your good office to resolve these issues before our January NEC meeting. Sir, we trust in your fatherly disposition and believe that you will come to our aid and save this nation from this imminent industrial disharmony. ”
The association also copied the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government of Federation, Minister of Labour and Finance respectively, as well as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum( NGF) among many others.
Nasir Isa Kwarra, the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), stated that the Commission’s management has vowed to avoid the traps that have slowed past Censuses done in Nigeria by implementing current digital technologies in the upcoming Population and Housing Census in 2023.
Kwarra said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the National Level Training of Training Centre Managers and Administrators (TCMA) for the 2023 Population and Housing Census, explaining that scientific planning and advanced digital technologies would be used to achieve an accurate and reliable census this year.
He stated that the Commission was firmly committed to rewriting the history of censuses in Nigeria through through the conduct of accurate, reliable and acceptable Population and Housing Census.
He said: “Let me use this opportunity to assure Nigerians that the National Population Commission is irrevocably committed to positively rewrite the history of censuses in Nigeria and deliver to this great nation accurate and reliable census data.
“Preparations for the 2023 Population and Housing Census are on course and the Commission is confident that the prospect for an accurate and reliable census appears brighter than ever.
“This optimism is rooted in the fact that the present Commission has taken time to identify and deliberate on issues that stalled past censuses and have resolved to avoid those pitfalls through the adoption of scientific planning and modern digital technology.”
Kwarra, to therefore appealed to Nigerians to support the Commission in achieving this lofty objective.
“I therefore appeal to Nigerians to join the Commission in the bid to give our dear country accurate and reliable data through the forthcoming 2023 Population and Housing Census.
“In addition, there is the need for a shift in national attitude that sees census data as a tool for seeking economic and political advantages.
“Rather, we must strive to discover the real essence of the census data as a treasure of information and compass in the effort to build and plan a greater and prosperous Nigeria.
“Our vision of the 2023 census has been designed to produce not only accurate, reliable and acceptable census but also an inclusive and user-friendly census data.
“This desire has informed the scope and quality of preparations made for the census thus far.
“Census is a national event and is the responsibility of every citizen to participate by presenting themselves to be counted.
“The Commission will no doubt, need the support of all stakeholders to deliver to the country a credible and reliable data it can use for sustainable development planning,” he said.
While commenting on the essence of the training workshop, the NPC boss said the Commission has fully adopted the Training Centre Management and Administration approach to coordinate and manage training activities in over 35,000 classes during the period of the census and at different levels.
He explained that Census training centres are unique, as they are structured to provide distinctive learning experiences that will shape the proficiency of the Census Workforce to deliver on their assigned duties and responsibilities in line with the Commission’s goal of generating credible, reliable and acceptable data for development planning purposes.
He, however, noted that the success of “every project is a direct function of the quality of manpower deployed in its execution and for a major national assignment such as the 2023 Population and Housing Census, its overall success will no doubt be tied to the quality of the entire workforce which will largely depend on the quality of training received.”
He pointed out that the Commission had prioritised the training of centre managers and administrators for effective service delivery, while urging them to submit themselves to learning.
In his remarks, the Federal Commissioner representing Cross River State in the NPC, Charles Iyam Ogwa, tasked the participants to take the workshop seriously for them to succeed in the discharge of their duties.
Ogwa reiterated that without quality personnel, the Commission would not generate quality data for planning and national development.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is about to make a comeback on television with a newly packaged 30-minute weekly program that will examine the Nigerian telecommunications and information communications technology (ICT) industry on a regular basis and raise awareness among telecom users throughout the nation and abroad.
The weekly show, appropriately titled Telecom Weekly, will premiere today, Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. on NTA Network Services, which consists of more than 45 stations spread across the 36 states and Abuja. Every Tuesday at 5:00 PM, all nearby NTA stations are scheduled to connect to the program.
The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Network will also broadcast the show’s radio version every Thursday at 8 p.m for simultaneous transmission to all states of the Federation with all the local FRCN stations expected to hook up during the weekly programme.
The programme is expected to add to the Commission’s share of voice on radio and television in a bid to provide stakeholders with timely information about developments and issues in the telecommunications industry.
Apart from simplifying issues about telecommunications services for the average consumer, one of the cardinal foci of the programme will be to continuously create awareness among various stakeholders about the activities and programmes of the Commission as it seeks to achieve regulatory excellence.
User experiences, gathered through consumer-related events and vox pop, will be used to spice the programme to enable the cross-section of consumers of telecommunications services to learn from such experiences and apply them in the usage of their services.
Expert opinions will also feature prominently to facilitate the process of creating awareness about the industry. Also, quiz sessions where viewers and listeners will win prizes will be a regular feature of the programme.
