Youths voting during an election

2023 elections: Saying yes to our dream of a better Nigeria

A news analysis by Ismail Abdulaziz, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The 2023 general elections in Nigeria is no doubt another milestone in the journey of democratic rule in the country. Over the years since independence, Nigeria has had a long unbroken history of twenty four years of democratic administration since 1999 when the second republic come into existence.

From Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo to Umaru YarAdua to Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, it has been a long journey making Nigeria a top notch nation in democratic experience in Africa and across the globe.

Two major parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the amalgamation of parties that metamorphosed into the All Progressive Party (APC) have been on the saddle of leading the country in these twenty four years.

The ground norm is that Nigerians and the country have made progress in several fields including the economy, social and political spheres. The best take away is that the knowledge of democratic development has continued to expand and people are slowly getting into the rhythm of resolving challenges in a democratic manner.

The recourse to constitutional rule of solving issues is taking root in the country and Nigeria is becoming a reference point in the region over time.

The 2023 general elections for another round of electing leaders from the grassroots to the states and national level have presented itself again. Democracy is supposed to be the rule of the people by the people and for the people.

The electorate again have the chance to further consolidate on the gains of twenty years of democratic rule in the country by choosing the right leader to lead them for the next four years.

President Buhari has demonstrated in various for the readiness of his administration to make the votes of the people count in the elections. The electoral act 2022 took cognisance of the many challenges that come with elections in the country and aptly address them.

Various groups, locally, regionally and internationally have also contributed their quota in consolidating the various gains of the democratic years in the country.

During the February and March general elections, Nigeria are expected to show their readiness to move the country forward through the ballot box by voting the leaders that would address the myriad challenges confronting them daily in their personal and national lives.

Smooth transition is a norm that must be imbibed by all Nigerians to ensure a better future for the young and aged alike. No doubt each leader at the all levels have contributed one way or the other in what has become Nigeria of today and more is still needed to correct some of the lapses that arose due to sincere policies and programmes that had been put in place.

This is with the sound reasoning that no leader comes to use his administration to see the downfall of a country; although misconceptions and interest may have come to play in taking such decisions.

From 1999 up to this period, Nigeria has achieved progress that is unprecedented in the life of a country. We only need to patriotically scrutinise such decisions in our in personal and national lives as patriotic citizens. Development in a country comes with its various challenges.

In transiting from one national development to the other, an administration may have the luck of starting and completing a policy or programme. In democracy, what is most required is for the citizens to be cautions of the short and long term benefit of policies and programmes.

This will allow for the needed decision to vote accordingly the leaders required to either change them or continue with them.

The ballot box is definitely the better option of attain development in a democracy. The fact that an electoral umpire has been put in place and given the necessary rules and regulations of conduct is a way to go and it serves as a way for holding leaders accountable to the people and the nation.

Nigeria has gone through a lot in arriving at where it is today, the elections would continue to be used by all patriotic citizens to answer the call of history that a decision had been taken. History, they said, would forgive you for taking a decision but it would never forgive you for not taking a decision at all.

The 2023 general elections is a litmus test of saying yes to our dreams of a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria. A dream for us now, and our present as well as our future.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

**If used please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

***This article is with support from Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), a pro-peace and good governance initiative dedicated to preserving and promoting democratic principles as a prerequisite for peace and prosperity in Africa.

Deputy Editor in Chief,
Head of Website/Solutions Journalism desk.

Source: NAN News

Old and new naira notes

By Ismaila Chafe

The Presidency has dismissed as false the assertion that the Federal Government or the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had refused to recognise old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes as legal tender in spite of the Supreme Court ruling.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Zamfara, Kaduna and Kogi had approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria for reliefs on behalf of their citizens to challenge the Feb. 10, CBN deadline for old naira notes to cease to be legal tender.

The Supreme Court in its ruling on Feb. 8, directed all parties to maintain the status quo abd quashed the Feb.10, 2023 deadline till the determination of the case which was adjourned to Feb. 15, 2023.

However, financial institutions including banks as well as filing stations, supermarkets and other business owners have continued to reject the old Naira notes despite the Supreme Court ruling.

Some banks were reported to have based their decision of rejecting the old notes on a circulation emanating from the CBN.

The Governor of the CBN was also quoted at a meeting with diplomats in Abuja on Tuesday as saying that the old notes were no longer legal tender from Feb. 10, 2023.

Malam Garba Shehu, the Presidents spokesman, late Tuesday night in a statement, however, said:

We wish to state that it is not true that the Federal Government or the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN have taken a preemptive action on the legality of currency as a legal tender in view of the pendency of the case before the Supreme Court.

The position of the government and the CBN will be made known upon the determination of the suit coming up tomorrow. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

edited by Sadiya Hamza

Deputy Editor in Chief,
Head of Website/Solutions Journalism desk.

Source: NAN News

Training of NAN staff on countering fake news

By Ikenna Uwadileke

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) on Wednesday commenced training of 35 journalists of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on how to detect and counter fake news during and after the general elections.

The two-day fact checking training held in Abuja was to sensitise participants on the danger posed by fake news and the tools to counter it.

Addressing participants at the training, the Managing Director of NAN, Mr Buki Ponle, urged them to take advantage of the training to excel on the job.

Ponle, who was represented by Mr Silas Nwoha, Editor-in- Chief of the agency, expressed concern over the wave of fake news and the consequences in the society.

I want you to give it your all because no training is a waste.

So let us pay attention to the rich experiences we can gain from the training.

Sometimes we want to go overseas for one training or the other, meanwhile we have the experts here.

So, whatever they are giving us today is also a different kind of knowledge you can get anywhere in the world.

Please, I urge you to pay attention and get the best you can from this training so that we come back to the newsroom as better journalists, Ponle said.

While commending the resource persons over the initiative, Ponle said that NAN was looking forward to having other training programmes for the agencys journalists in different zones.

Speaking on the fake news ecosystem, Ms Caroline Anipah, Deputy Director in CJID, emphasised the need to deploy journalism tools and technology to promote democratic accountability.

According to her, one of the cardinal objectives of Dubawa is to address information disorder also called fake news.

One way of tackling fake news, she said, was through fact checking.

We recognise as an organisation that we are not able to do that by ourselves alone and that we need to partner with relevant institutions.

And we also recognise that we can achieve our goal by training people who interface with the public to help us achieve our mandate, Anipah said.

Ms Temilade Onilede, Programme Officer of Dubawa Nigeria, said that the 21st century had seen the weaponisation of information on an unprecedented scale.

Onilede said that misinformation distorts reality and changes peoples perception of things.

She, however, urged that while reporting election processes, participants must be non-partisan, fair, objective, adhere to standards and ensure transparency of sources.

Kabir Muhammed, one of the participants and an Assistant Editor-in-Chief, described the training programme as a welcome development.

It can help them to develop their skills. With this training NAN staff can excel and take the agency to greater heights by giving out their best through credible and qualitative information, Muhammed said.

Participants were trained on information disorder ecosystem, fact-checking practice, methodology and ethics as well as digital verification tools. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
IK/OJO

(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

Source: NAN News

By Zainab Oyekan

Some Nigerians have identified infidelity, lack of trust and barrenness as some of the major factors contributing to high rate of divorce in the country.

They stated this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Wednesday.

Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Plateau chapter, Mr Polycarp Lubo, said that mutual suspicion, irresponsibility and lack of mutual respect could also be part of the reasons for divorce.

According to him, sin is now the order of the day while lots of people no longer value their marriage oaths.

He said that the countrys economic situation might also be a contributory factor to divorce rate.

The family as the smallest unit has lots to do in grooming young adults for marriages and if that is ignored, the foundation can be affected.

Parents should instill moral values in their children.

God is the solution to all problems, including divorce and so doing things in His way is the solution, he said.

Justice Yahaya Mohammed, of Plateau Sharia Court of Appeal, said that some of the causes of divorce could be finance and high expectation that could not be met.

He also said that neglect, poor communication and lack of love in the marriage could lead to infidelity and divorce.

Mohammed advised intended couples to possess good communication skill and love in order to tackle the challenges that could lead to divorce.

Some women went into marriage with very high expectations while some menconcealed their true economic status from women to gain acceptance, he said.

The appeal court justice advised couples to ensure transparency in marriage and be honest in their relationship with their spouses.

Also, Mrs Vivian Abara, of Peace Advancement Action against Violence and Rape Foundation, an NGO, said it was regrettable that infidelity had been twisted.

In those days, infidelity was a taboo but now, it is celebrated by some people, as they give reasons for cheating on their partners, she said.

Abara urged married people to becontented with their partners, practise what would promote love and help them bond better.

She added that couples should be matured enough before going into marriage.

Also, Mrs Ngozi Eze, a divorcee, claimed that she divorced her husband because he was allegedly cheating on her.

In her view, a housewife, Mrs Mary Utah,said that Nigerians believed that only men could be unfaithful.

Utah added that society should frown at infidelity, regardless of who might be involved in the act, adding that it was a sin against God and man. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Bassey/Wale Sadeeq

Source: NAN News

By Ikenna Uwadileke
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) on Wednesday commenced training of 35 journalists of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on how to detect and counter fake news during and after the general elections.

The two-day fact checking training held in Abuja was to sensitise participants on the danger posed by fake news and the tools to counter it.

Addressing participants at the training, the Managing Director of NAN, Mr Buki Ponle, urged them to take advantage of the training to excel on the job.

Ponle, who was represented by Mr Silas Nwoha, Editor-in- Chief of the agency, expressed concern over the wave of fake news and the consequences in the society.

I want you to give it your all because no training is a waste.

So let us pay attention to the rich experiences we can gain from the training.

Sometimes we want to go overseas for one training or the other, meanwhile we have the experts here.

So,whatever they are giving us today is also a different kind of knowledge you can get anywhere in the world.

Please, I urge you to pay attention and get the best you can from this training so that we come back to the newsroom as better journalists, Ponle said.

While commending the resource persons over the initiative, Ponle said that NAN was looking forward to having other training programmes for the agencys journalists in different zones.

Speaking on the fake news ecosystem, Ms Caroline Anipah, Deputy Director in CJID, emphasised the need to deploy journalism tools and technology to promote democratic accountability.

According to her, one of the cardinal objectives of Dubawa is to address information disorder also called fake news.

One way of tackling fake news, she said, was through fact checking.

We recognise as an organisation that we are not able to do that by ourselves alone and that we need to partner with relevant institutions.

And we also recognise that we can achieve our goal by training people who interface with the public to help us achieve our mandate, Anipah said.

Ms Temilade Onilede, Programme Officer of Dubawa Nigeria, said that the 21st century had seen the weaponisation of information on an unprecedented scale.

Onilede said that misinformation distorts reality and changes peoples perception of things.

She, however, urged that while reporting election processes, participants must be non-partisan, fair, objective, adhere to standards and ensure transparency of sources.

Kabir Muhammed, one of the participants and an Assistant Editor-in-Chief, described the training programme as a welcome development.

With this training NAN staff can excel and take the agency to greater heights by giving out their best through credible and qualitative information, Muhammed said.

Participants were trained on information disorder ecosystem, fact-checking practice, methodology and ethics as well as digital verification tools. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

Deputy Editor in Chief,
Head of Website/Solutions Journalism desk.

Source: NAN News

Gov. Matawalle

By Ishaq Zaki

Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has cautioned deposit money banks in the state against hoarding of new Naira notes.

Matawalle spoke on Monday when he paid an unscheduled visit to the Gusau branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and five other deposit money banks to assess the level of hardship being faced by citizens in accessing the new naira notes.

A statement issued in Gusau on Tuesday by the Press Secretary to the Governor, Jamilu Birnin-Magaji said the governor was irked by the long queues at ATMs amid acute scarcity and hopelessness in the state.

Birnin-Magaji listed the banks visited by the governor to include: CBN Gusau branch headquarters, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Jaiz, Eco and First Banks.

Birnin-magaji said: Matawalle during the visit warned the managements of the banks to desist from the bad practice of hoarding the new Naira notes.

He also directed bank officials to dispense the new Naira notes via the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and at the banking halls.

Birnin-Magaji further quoted Matawalle as warning that his administration will not hesitate to revoke the land ownership of any deposit money bank not willing to ease the sufferings of the people.

Earlier, at CBN, the governor urged the Branch Controller of CBN to ensure THE availability of new Naira notes at the commercial banks for people to access their money to conduct their daily activities with relative ease.

Matawalle invited the Controller of CBN, Gusau branch to accompany him to some branches of the banks in the state capital to assess the obnoxious situation.

During the visit, Matawalle expressed concern over the long queues of people at the ATMs in the bank branches and called on the managers to find means of easing the hardship being faced by the customers, Birnin-Magaji urged. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

Source: NAN News

Public presentation of the book Business Unusual: Postulating Peter Obis Presidency.

Dr Chuwuemeka Eziefe, President of Igbo Elders Consultative Forum, has urged Nigerians to ensure rancour-free elections and avoid selling their votes.

Eziefe, a former governor of Anambra, made the appeal on Monday in Abuja at the public presentation of the book Business Unusual: Postulating Peter Obis Presidency.

He stressed the need for Nigerians to shun vote buying and selling.

Do not be bought, dont allow yourselves to be bought by selfish politicians.

Monitoring of votes in a peaceful manner devoid of rancour is necessary. Watch your votes, guard it jealousy, so you wont cry of injustice, he added.

Eziefe also made case for the election of a presidential candidate from the South, saying it would enhance national unity.

Chief Duru Ejiogu, Chairman of the event, canvassed support for the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, saying he would usher in a new Nigeria for all.

According to him, voting Obi as president will ensure that the dream of all Nigerians for a workable country is realized.

Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Leader of Afenifere, the Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Group, said: Nigeria can be restructured without destroying any part of the nation.

Mr Obi will do this, everyone will still have his space, but it is going to be business unusual.

The aim would be to develop the nation, correct so many wrongs and for equity.

Dr Kletsaint Akor, the Convenor, Obi/Datti Conference, Creator and Lead Author of the book, believed that Obi has the capacity of addressing the decay across all sectors of the nation.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Source: NAN News

Members of Network of Women with Disabilities (NWD), FCT Chapter

By Justina Auta

Network of Women with Disabilities (NWD), FCT Chapter, has urged the Federal Government to domesticate all the regional and international instruments on disability rights that it has signed and ratified.

They made the call while presenting the Charter of Demand for Women with Disabilities, supported by MacArthur Foundation, in partnership with Womens Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), Abuja.

Ms Godiya John, Media and Communication Officer, FCT Chapter, said domesticating the instruments would promote inclusion, political participation and economic independence of People with Disabilities (PWDs), especially women.

John said the charter was developed through the findings and consultation of key actors, committed to the inclusion of women with disabilities in Nigerian Democracy and Governance.

According to her, the charter would serve as a tool for inclusion and a strategic roadmap for developmental processes for stakeholders with a clear objective of inclusion of women with disabilities in the political sphere and other sectors.

Relevant Government actors must domesticate relevant regional and international conventions and frameworks in Nigeria, including the UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Also to be domesticated are its Protocol; and the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa, the United Nations Charter on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, she said.

She also recommended immediate implementation of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act (2019), provisions on political and electoral participation taking into consideration the need for Gender equality and equity.

John also stressed the need for electoral reform to provide for affirmative actions targeting women with disabilities as a criteria for registration of political parties.

She also said that relevant stakeholders must provide dedicated funding for womens political participation aimed at achieving 35 per cent affirmative action in elective and appointive positions in 2023 and beyond.

She said that The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inter-party Advisory Councils must set and implement requirements that mandate Political parties to have in their decision-making organs women with disabilities before registration.

Convene National Women with Disabilities Summit and conduct a survey on women with disabilities inclusion.

Commence the process of development of the first National Disability Inclusion Framework for Women with Disabilities in Nigeria, she said.

According to her, the charter of demands has 11 articles, consisting the rights of women with disabilities to work, demonstrate political will and commitment to gender equality and empowerment, education, economy, health, security.

Others include protection during election, leadership and management of executive opportunities, involvement in the informal sector, and access to physical structures.

Also, Mary Musa, Legal practioner and Secretary, Network of Women with Disabilities, stressed the need for government to ensure safety, security and protection of People with Disabilities (PWDs) during the forthcoming election.

We urge the government even as 2023 election is coming up that they provide systems and structures for the security of women with disabilities, she said.

She also stressed the need that the forthcoming census exercise should capture data of PWDs.

Similarly, Ms Rose Daniel, Vice President II, NWD, stressed the need for the government and other stakeholders to prioritise education, empowerment and health of PWDs. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Vincent Obi

Source: NAN News

By George Odok

The University of Calabar has suspended four staff of the institutions medical center over the death of Ms. Precious Agindi.

Agindi was a third year student of the institution at the department of Library and Information Science.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Agindi died on Jan. 28 at the institutions Medical Center.

Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, on Tuesday briefed newsmen after receiving the autopsy report.

She said that the staff were placed on the suspension for showing lack of emotional commitment to the deceased.

Obi said that the autopsy gave a detailed cause of death of the student who was brought to the medical center at a very critical state where she died in less than an hour later.

For emphasis, let me categorically state that the death of Ms Precious Agindi had nothing to do with the rumored ruptured appendicitis as her appendix was found at autopsy to be healthy, not inflamed and intact.

This regrettable incident sparked very strong emotions, students demonstrations on that fateful day and a lot of misinformation and outright falsehood peddled by ill-informed and mischievous people, both within and outside the campus.

Regrettably, the lies that have been deposited in the public space, conscientiously or unconsciously, as amplified by social media, have had a damaging impact on the reputation and image of our university that my administration is working very hard to protect.

Management chose not to join issues with peddlers of falsehood at a time of deep sadness and sober reflection.

These persons without cause hastily blamed the death on the Medical Centre and by extension the university, she said.

She noted that the university maintained studied silence and strongly investigated the handling of the patient at the facility by constituting a panel of inquiry as well as carrying out a Coroners Inquest to determine the cause of death.

This, we are sure will serve a great purpose in the future, for understanding the causes of things is one of the callings of the university.

As I addressed protesting students on campus that fateful day, this much I promised we would do.

In fulfillment of this, with the full approval of the family of the deceased, we ordered an autopsy which was carried out by one of the foremost Nigerian Forensic Pathologists.

We are thankful to God that our late student was peacefully laid to rest on Feb. 11, 2023 in her hometown, Gbe Nanav in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.

Yesterday, in the presence of the representatives of the family, the Benue and Tiv Community in the University, SUG officials, members of the Panel of Inquiry, Management received the Autopsy and the panel of inquiry reports.

She said that the late student never went to the university medical center but was only taken there by her friends in a very critical medical condition the day she died.

Please note that Ms Precious had received treatment from other private clinics in town from the scan result and other medications presented to the nurses on duty when she was brought in.

The panel of inquiry made up of experienced medical consultants and doctors absolved the nurses on duty of any professional negligence but saw elements of lack of emotional commitment as medical professionals.

While life and death are both in Gods hands, management of the university strongly believe that it is our responsibility to do our best at our respective duty posts to offer the service of care both professionally and emotionally considering our quest for excellence as an academic institution.

It is on this note that management feels that medical personnel in our medical center must give not just professional services but emotional and psychological services which are more soothing especially when one is on a sick bed.

The VC noted that the problem of commitment to work in the University of Calabar was a pillar that the institution gives great value in all its sections, including the Medical Centre.

Management has, therefore, decided to place all the staff on duty on a 3-months suspension for lack of empathy and psychological support and especially for demanding for money for card against the medical center policy of attending to patients in critical condition first.

The above investigation has revealed, that the patient was brought to the Medical Centre critically ill and her eventual death shortly after arrival was not as a result of professional negligence by staff of the medical center.

Also, there is an established clinical condition as cause of death which in deferment to the family and in respect to the dead we do not wish to reveal.

Yet all sorts of lies have been told both online and offline to batter the image of the University and instigate unrest among the students, she said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ismail AbdulAziz

Deputy Editor in Chief,
Head of Website/Solutions Journalism desk.

Source: NAN News

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

By Rotimi Ijikanmi

The Federal Government says three months after the U.S. and the UK embassies issued frivolous travel advisories warning their citizens to avoid Abuja, the city has remained safe.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed stated this on Monday in Abuja at the 25th edition of the President Muhammadu Buharis (PMB) Scorecard Series.

The two countries had warned their citizens to avoid the Nigerian capital due to risk of terrorist attacks.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the edition featured the Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi, who presented the scorecard of his ministry.

In his opening remarks, Mohammed recalled that the advisories issued by the U.S. and UK created much panic and tension in the country and a number of Americans reportedly fled Abuja in the wake of the warning.

The minister noted that since the advisories were issued residents of Abuja had been going about their businesses without any threat.

He commended the countrys security agencies for their sacrifices to keep the country safe.

We want to commend our gallant troops, the police, the intelligence agencies and all other security agencies for their commitment and sacrifice to keep our country safe.

We also call on Nigerians to continue to support the security agencies as they carry out their onerous task, he said.

Mohammed re-echoed President Buharis call on Western countries to stop issuing frivolous travel advisories on Nigeria. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ejike Obeta

Source: NAN News