NIGER DELTA TO BECOME MORE VIBRANT, DYNAMIC ECONOMIC ZONE SOON– Ag. President Professor Yemi Osinbajo

In continuation of a series of interactive engagements with leaders in oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta region, the Ag. President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo interacted with stakeholders in Rivers State earlier today.

Below is the full text of his address:

SPEECH DELIVERED BY H.E. PROF YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON Ag. PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA TO THE RIVERS STATE OIL-PRODUCING COMMUNITIES STAKEHOLDERS MEETING HELD AT THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE BANQUET HALL, PORT HARCOURT ON 13 FEBRUARY 2017

PROTOCOL

INEC RELEASES EDO AND ONDO GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION TIMETABLE

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), has released the time table and schedule of activities for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo, scheduled for Saturday, 10th September and Saturday, 26th November 2016, respectively.

According to the Commission, 12th June 2016 is the date scheduled for the commencement of Campaigns by Political Parties participating in the Edo governorship election, while 2nd – 4th of July, 2016 has been set aside for the conduct of party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries.

12 MILLION PERMANENT VOTER CARDS (PVCs) UNCOLLECTED – PROFESSOR MAHMOOD YAKUBU

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has disclosed that a total of twelve million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were yet to be collected. The Chairman made this known at a meeting with Editors at the Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, last week.

He said: “We have a little over seventy million registered voters in Nigeria. We have twelve million Permanent Voter Cards uncollected and we have at least Seven Hundred Thousand PVCs unprinted and then we have a large number of Nigerians who are not registered and they have come of age”.

He disclosed that the Commission would commence Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections before the National Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

President Jonathan, Nigeria's number one enemy - APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described President Goodluck Jonathan as Nigeria's number one enemy because of his propensity to perpetrate impunity, abuse federal institutions and tolerate corruption, all in a dangerous clamour to win re-election at all costs.

In a statement issued in Osogbo on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said under President Jonathan's watch, Nigeria has been thrown into unprecedented crisis that is manifesting in the opposition strongholds of Rivers, Edo, Adamawa and Nasarawa States and elsewhere across the country.

The President has also abused national institutions perhaps more than any other President in Nigeria's history, deploying the police and the army to intimidate and harass ordinary citizens in general and opposition supporters in particular, as he did recently in Ekiti and he is allegedly planning to do in Osun state; shutting airports at will just to punish the opposition and muscling the electoral commission, INEC, to prevent incorruptible RECs from conducting elections, it said.

Osun, Ekiti Guber Polls: US Condemns Message Of Violence By Political Parties

The United States Government has condemned what it described as message of violence by some political leaders in Nigeria as the people prepare to vote in the June 21 and August 9 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States respectively.

Also, the guest speaker at the sensitisation workshop for Ekiti State political parties and other stakeholders in 2014 gubernatorial election, Kunle Fagbemi, noted that for democracy to work, everybody must agree to accept the results of a free and fair election, while all contestants are also expected to relate with one another in a good sportsmanship atmosphere.

The US Ambassador to Nigeria,.. reffery Hawkins, in his goodwill message at the workshop said it was worrisome that political leaders were sending the message of ‘rig and roast’ as the elections approach, saying such would not augur well for peaceful conduct of the elections.
According to him, "Rig and roast is not the kind of message Nigerian youths should hear from their leaders."

Osun PDP Mourns Senator Simeon Oduoye

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Paryt (PDP) has commiserated with the entire people of Ikirun in Ifelodun local government of the state on the demise of their son, Senator Simeon Olasunkanmi Oduoye. He represented Osun Central Senatorial District at the Senate between 2004 and 2007 on the platform of PDP gave up the ghost at the weekend after a brief illness.

A release by the publicity secretary of the party, Prince Bola Ajao, described the death of the former military administrator of Edo, Niger and Ebonyi states as a great loss to the people of Ikirun and the state in general.

Ajao, however, thank God that the deceased would ever be remembered not only by his community, but the entire country for his contribution to the unity of Nigeria.

Leadership

Nigeria2015 elections: Police ‘mopping up’ arms

The force has suspended the issuance of licence for private arms.

(NAN) - The Nigeria Police said they have started mopping up arms ahead of the 2015 general elections in the country.

Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.

He added that the police had placed surveillance on public armouries across the country and the nation’s borders in order to checkmate illegal possession of arms.

He said that many black spots were also being raided across the nation.

“One major factor behind thuggery is the proliferation of illegal arms. As a result of this, we have been mopping up arms across the country,” Mr. Mba said.

He disclosed that many illegal arms had been discovered in Lagos State.

“Police in other states are doing same. We are mounting surveillance on public armouries to check proliferation of light arms in wrong hands.

“The Marine police are checking our waters, particularly in Niger Delta. We are checking local arms production,” he said.

Mr. Mba said the police had also discovered some factories in Edo, Anambra and other places. Those arms and factories were destroyed, he said.

The police spokesman said that arrangement was on to recover all illegal arms in the country for destruction.

He said the police were collaborating with the military, Department of State Service, Civil Defence Corps, Immigration, Customs and private security organisations to achieve set goals.

“As we speak, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has placed embargo on issuance of licence to individuals for arms. This is just one way to check arms in the country,’’ he said.

Mr. Mba said the IGP had reduced the use of police escort by politicians and some private persons nationwide.

He said that surveillance had also been placed on politicians and private persons, with a view to checking anyone using police officers without permit.

“We should however note that some people are to be protected by the police because of their position in Nigeria. Even in developed world, the state provides special security for some people’’, he said. (NAN)