Opposition parties in Cote dIvoire want Oct. 31 presidential election postponed

The EU on Tuesday expressed concerns over the political crisis in Cote dIvoire caused by a controversial presidential election, the official results of which showed a landslide victory for long-term President Alassane Ouattara.

According to early results, Ouattara, who has been in office since 2011, has obtained nearly 95 per cent in the Oct. 31 vote.

The campaign was accompanied by massive public protests over Ouattaras decision to run for a third presidential term.

The protests against his candidature have been underway since late summer, claiming dozens of lives.

The EU expresses its deep concern about the tensions, provocations and incitement to hatred that have prevailed and continue to persist in the country around this election.

The violence that has caused the death of several people and injured many must be independently investigated so that justice can be delivered as soon as possible, the EU said in a statement.

The EU also said it noted very wide disparities in the turnout rate in the different regions of the country observed by special missions during the vote.

The EU also said it was ready to support any interim and international initiative or efforts made towards defusing the tensions and resuming dialogue between parties.

The opposition leaders and presidential candidates Henri Bedie and Pascal NGuessan both boycotted the Saturday ballot and called for mass rallies against Ouattaras candidature.

They gained 1.66 per cent and 0.99 per cent of the vote, respectively and subsequently announced the formation of the transition authorities to counter Ouattara, whose candidacy and victory they refused to recognise.

The Western African country faces a violent escalation reminiscent of the one in 2011, when a political crisis turned into a nationwide military conflict, resulting in some 3,000 casualties.

The then internationally-recognised Ivorian President Ouattara was in clashes with Laurent Gbagbo, the countrys president from 2000-2011, following a controversial presidential election in March 2011. (Sputnik/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Pupils

By Rita Iliya
Future Pathways Foundation, an NGO, has offered scholarship to 900 primary and secondary school pupils in nine local government areas of Niger State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the scholarship covers tuition fees, among other benefits, and is expected to last for the duration of the beneficiaries primary and secondary education.

The award flag off ceremony was held on Tuesday at Bosso Primary School in Minna.

Hajiya Saadatu Musa, Founder of the Foundation and Wife of Sen. Sani Musa, representing Niger East Senatorial District, said that the beneficiaries were selected from primary and secondary schools in Zone B of the state.

Musa, who was represented by Mrs Mariam Kolo, Director-General of Niger State Child Rights Protection Agency, listed the local governments to include, Paiko, Bosso, Munya, Rafi, Gurara, Chanchaga, Shiroro, Suleja and Tafa.

She added that 50 pupils from primary and 50 students from secondary schools were selected from each local government area of the zone.

This is to help the children whose parents cannot afford to pay for their fees and also to ease their burden until the pupils graduates, she said.

She added that the target was to support less-privileged children at the grassroots, encourage school enrollment and help pupils who had dropped out of school to complete their studies.

Also, Hajiya Hadiza Idris, Special Adviser to Gov. Abubakar Bello on Green House Development, said the gesture was to assist orphans to gain access to quality education and help parents having difficulties in sending their children to schools.

In her remarks, Hajiya Hajara Zarumai, Principal, Aliyu Muazu Sarkin Yaki Memorial Primary School, Chanchaga, commended the foundation for its gesture to the poor most of whom could not afford to pay their fees.

One of the benefiting pupil,s Hamza Haliru, commended the foundation for the scholarship and promised to improve on his academic performance.

Source: NAN News

Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau State

By Blessing Odega

The Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS) says it has generated over N7 billion between July and September.

The Chairman of the service, Mr Dashe Arlat, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Jos.

He said the figure showed an increase of more than N5 billion over the amount the organisation realised in the second quarter.

During the second quarter, Arlat said, the service generated over N 2.196 billion.

He said the service was able to boost its IGR in the third quarter through various strategies and polices it deployed such as enhanced data collection, aggressive tax auditing and investigation.

The other strategies he said, were aggressive MLA enforcement in the transport sector in the entire state and sustained engagements with the various business associations and trade unions.

According to the chairman, the service also intensified tax assessment in both the formal and informal sectors, and recorded over 54 per cent compliance from the formal sector and 60 per cent compliance from the informal sector which remitted their taxes as and when due.

He said the service also embarked on aggressive tax payers education and sensitisation to boost its IGR.

He said that with the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the State Government recognised the suffering of businesses across the state and introduced palliative tax relief measures to help mitigate the adverse effects of the pandemic on businesses.

Arlat listed the measures as extension of timelines for filling of annual returns, waiver of penalties and interests charged due to late returns and reduction of interest for late payment.

The other measures, he said, were the granting of one per cent bonus to all tax payers who filed in their returns early, the suspension of enforcement of outstanding tax liabilities and the reduction of taxes payable by the informal sector businesses by 50 per cent.

He said with the decline in the price of crude oil due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, taxation and charging fees for services were the major means of revenue generation.

The chairman said that strategies must be evolved to ensure that revenues were harnessed and collected from the little activities going on during the pandemic to keep the wheels of the government turning.

He further suggested that a post pandemic strategy must be developed and deployed to ensure that business activities resumed seamlessly after the disease would have abated.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Godwin Obaseki

By Monday Ajogun

The Chairman of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on #endSARS protest in Edo, retired Justice Ada Ehigiamusoe, has given an assurance that the panel would carefully assess all complaints and petitions brought before it.

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo on Oct. 26 inaugurated the 22-man Judicial Panel of Inquiry to look into the circumstances surrounding the #EndSARS protest and police brutality in the state.

Ehigiamusoe told journalists on Tuesday in Benin that the panel had so far received nine petitions and would hold its inaugural sitting on Thursday.

She said that the panels terms of reference include receiving and investigating complaints of brutality by security agents, human rights violations or related extra judicial killings in the state.

Ehigiamusoe said that the panel would evaluate evidence presented before it and recommend compensation and other remedial measures where appropriate.

The chairman said that it would also ascertain the level of involvement of officers in the abuse of victims and recommend prosecution were applicable.

She appealed to victims to submit evidence that are verifiable to enable the panel carry out its duty with ease.

Also speaking, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Edo chapter, Mr Pius Oiwoh, commended Obaseki for inaugurating the panel, adding that he had confidence in the panel.

Oiwoh said that the association would partner the panel as observer and play a pro bono role in giving it assistance. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State

By Stephen Adeleye

The Kogi Government on Tuesday inaugurated a committee on Education For All Project (EDUFAP), aimed at developing and revamping 285 public secondary schools across the 21 local government areas of the state.

The committee was inaugurated by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Folashade Ayoade.

Speaking with newsmen after the inauguration, the Committee Chairman, Mr Wemi Jones, said EDUFAP was an initiative of the State Ministry of Education with the approval of Gov. Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

Jones, who is the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, said EDUFAP was designed to raise donations in cash and kind.

He said that such donations were to renovate, construct, and furnish classrooms, laboratories and libraries.

EDUFAP aims at sourcing for resources and materials, and using them judiciously for schools in the state.

EDUFAP is to enlighten, inform, and encourage stakeholders, organisations, institutions, donors, philanthropists and well-meaning individuals to support education like it is done in other states, Jones said.

He added that In view of the dwindling revenue accruing to state on account of COVID-19 pandemic and other economic challenges, it is reasonable to think of other ways to address our education system.

The government is ready to do what it can for the purpose of taking care of the secondary schools, but governments effort will not be enough in view of the number of secondary schools in the state.

It will be easier if we have the support we are requesting from corporate organisations and individuals, he said.

The chairman noted that many school buildings had been destroyed by rain storm and flood at a time the state was battling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

He called on corporate organisations and private individuals to come to the aid of the state government in solving the problems facing secondary school system in the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Police IG Mohammed Adamu

By Monday Ijeh

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Adamu, has approved the posting of Mr Sanusi Lemu, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), as Head, Department of Operations of the Nigerian Police Force.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr Frank Mba, made the disclosure in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the posting of Mr Usman Baba, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), as Head of the Department of Finance and Administration of the Force, had also been approved by the IGP.

Mba said that the postings of the senior officers followed the recent retirement of the two DIGs heading the departments, Abdulmajid Ali (Operations) and Abduldahiru Danwawu (Finance and Administration).

He said that the two erstwhile heads of the departments retired after the completion of their statutory years of service.

According to him, the new DIG (Operations) holds a Bachelor of Education (B.A. Ed.) in Political Science and has attended several professional courses, including intermediate command course, senior command course and peace keeping training course.

A distinguished member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Lemu has held many command positions, including the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna and Bauchi Police Commands.

Until his new posting, he was the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Zone 12 headquarters, Bauchi, he said.

Mba also said that the new head of Finance and Administration holds a Master degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor degree (B.A. Ed.) in Political Science.

He added that Baba, a fellow of the National Defence College and member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, had attended several professional courses and workshops.

The Yobe-born police officer had also held several strategic positions, including Assistant Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Zone 5, Benin, Zone 4, Makurdi, Zone 7, Abuja and Commissioner of Police, FCT and Delta Commands.
He was, until his new posting, the Force Secretary.

Mba added that the IGP had also approved the posting of Mr Mustapha Dandaura, an AIG, as the Force Secretary and member of the Nigerian Police Force Management Team.

He said that the posting of Dandaura followed the vacuum created by the posting of Baba, who was the former occupant of the position.

The FPRO said that Dandaura, who was appointed into the Force on March 3, 1990, holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in International Affairs and Strategic Studies and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History from Bayero University, Kano.

According to him, prior to the posting, Dandaura was the Force Provost Marshal, Force headquarters and had also served as the Commissioner of Police in Rivers, Anambra and Railway Police Commands.

He quoted the IGP as calling on the newly-deployed officers to bring their vast experiences and professionalism to bear in their new offices to enhance the ongoing drive at repositioning the Force for improved service delivery.

Mba said that the postings of the senior police officers were with immediate effect. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19

By Oluwafunke Ishola

The Lagos State Government on Tuesday advised citizens to strictly adhere to precautionary measures against COVID-19 infection to prevent a recurrence of lockdown of the economy.

Prof. Akin Abayomi, the State Commissioner for Health, said that resurgence of cases in Lagos might lead to reversal of strategical measures put in place by the state government to open up the economy.

Abayomi warned that continuous flagrant disregard of safety guidelines by citizens portends danger and might lead to a second wave of new infections in Lagos.

He also advised the citizens against unnecessary movement and social gatherings, saying that travelling into and outside the country should be discouraged, except if absolutely necessary.

Abayomi said that many countries and cities were experiencing a second and third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a resultant spike in the number of cases and fatalities.

The commissioner said many of the affected countries around the world have found it necessary to impose a second lockdown and restriction of movements, which have significant socioeconomic and security consequences.

The first wave of Coronavirus started in December 2019 and swept through an unprepared world.

The first case of COVID-19 in Nigeria was recorded in Lagos on Feb. 27. Lagos has since become the epicentre of the outbreak in Nigeria with a record of 21,107 confirmed cases and 212 deaths from the virus till date.

The containment measures put in place at the time included COVID-19 testing, isolation and treatment, surveillance, total shutdown of the state for about 12 weeks and partial shutdown of social, economic and academic activities for over four months, Abayomi said.

The commissioner expressed concern that the use of face masks, social distancing and hand hygiene had reduced among citizens.

He called for the reinforcement of the adoption and adherence of various preventive measures put in place by the state government to tackle the disease.

The erroneous belief that COVID-19 has been conquered and is no more in Nigeria should be discarded.

Based on our data, this assumption is invalid.

It creates a false sense of security among the citizens, causing many to abandon the use of face masks and other safety measures and protocols put in place by the government, he said.

According to him, though, the state has reached its peak as predicted, and a decline in the number of positive cases, citizens should not conclude that it is over.

COVID-19 is still very much with us as evidenced in the number of cases being recorded in the community daily and occasional deaths from severe complications.

This is the more reason why citizens should not relent in this regard, if we dont want to experience a second wave of the disease, he said.

Abayomi said that the increased COVID-19 testing capacity of the state had been impactful in reducing community transmission.

According to him, any citizen who fall within the case definition of COVID-19 infection should visit any of the dedicated sample collection sites in their local government or public laboratories to get the test done free of charge. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

U.S. Department of State

The U.S. and its allies are considering actions such as visa restrictions to respond to alleged rights abuses and irregularities in Tanzanias recent elections, an official said.

Principal Deputy spokesperson Cale Brown said this in a statement issued on Monday in Washington.

The U.S., in coordination with our partners will consider actions including visa restrictions as appropriate to hold accountable those found to be responsible for human rights abuses and interference in the election process.

We remain deeply concerned by credible reports of significant and widespread voting irregularities, internet interruption, arrests, and violence by security forces both in mainland Tanzania and on Zanzibar, Brown said.

Wednesdays election saw incumbent President John Magufuli claim a victory with 84.4 per cent of the vote and ruling party candidates winning seats in most regions of the country.

While the Tanzania Election Commission declared President Magufuli on Oct. 30 as the winner of the Presidential contest, we remain deeply troubled by the impact of these irregularities and violence on the results, the senior U.S. diplomat said.

The U.S. called on all parties to show restraint and peacefully resolve any disputes over the vote, Brown said.

Washington also urged the Tanzanian government to probe allegations of irregularities and violence on the part of security forces as well as uphold fundamental human rights and freedoms.

Brown also revealed that Washington was coordinating with its partners and would consider actions including visa restrictions to hold to account any perpetrators of human rights violations or interference in the election process.

The U.S. and UK have expressed concern over reports of interference in the election and heavy-handed policing in the elections.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, meanwhile expressed concern over reports of violence against candidates in the run-up to the election. (Sputnik/NAN)

Source: NAN News

INEC Boss

By Yemi Adeleye

A group, Amuwo Odofin Stakeholders Consultative Forum in Lagos, on Monday wrote a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commence a recall process of their representative, Mrs Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, in the Lagos State House of Assembly.

In the petition, dated Nov. 2 and addressed to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the group alleged that the first-term lawmaker is not accessible and had not represented them well since assumption of office.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the petition, signed by Messrs Kingsley Nwanze and Gbenga Akinbinu, the Convener and Secretary respectively, is entitled Notice of Petition to Recall Honourable Mojisola Kehinde Alli-Macaulay, Member Representing Amuwo Odofin Constituency I from the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The petition read in part: We appreciate your leadership of the foremost electoral body in Nigeria. We also know that there have been reasonable efforts in making sure our democracy works in line with best global practices.

We are compelled by the gross misrepresentation of our constituency by Honourable Mojsola Kehinde Ali-Macaulay to write this petition. We hope it will receive the needed attention as required by Section 110 of the 1999 constitution as amended.

The essence of a constituency is to ensure that there is uninhibited connection between the elected representative and the constituents.

Unfortunately, our representative has been religiously inaccessible since she was sworn in on our behalf at the Lagos State House of Assembly.

The petition said that the forum had painstakingly listed the grounds for which it would want the lawmaker to be recalled in line with the necessary provisions as required by the law.

It added: We are stating emphatically that she does not have a constituency office as required by the law for almost two years of her four-year tenure.

We are yet to hear or see a bill she has sponsored or supported since she assumed office. Such a bill that will add positive valves to our fives and by extension the people of Lagos.

Her continuous representation of our constituency has not been in tandem with our collective aspiration as a constituency.

Most of the issues bedeviling our constituency, particularly road and drainage infrastructures, have not received the needed attention from the Lagos State Government.

It is saddening that our representative used COVID-19 palliatives as souvenirs during her last birthday party. Despite the suffering that ravaged the entire nation during the pandemic.

According to it, the lawmaker has consistently refused to give an account of her stewardship since she assumed office and has remained inaccessible and that the few times she visited the constituency, it was in company of stern-looking military personnel.

The group alleged that the lawmaker had also brought global embarrassment on them during a recent Lagos Assembly plenary where she allegedly addressed Nigerian youths as drug addicts.

To us, this is highly insensitive and inciting, knowing fully well that the nation is yet to recover from the destruction that pervaded the entire country.

Summarily, leaving her to continue to represent us will dash our hopes of having a fair share of development in Lagos State, the petition added.

The group, which sent a copy of the petition to the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos and the Electoral Officer of INEC in Amuwo Odofin Local Government in the petition, submitted same to both INEC Offices in Lagos. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Super Eagles

By Victor Okoye

Belgian Pro League leading marksman, Paul Onuachu of Nigeria, has received a late call-up to the Super Eagles squad ahead of their upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches against Sierra Leone.

A tweet by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the Super Eagles official Twitter Account @NGSuperEagles on Monday said Onuachu had been called up as a replacement for the injured Moses Simon.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Simon was subbed out in the 25th minute of Nantes 3-0 loss to PSG in Ligue 1 on Saturday due to an adductor injury.

The severity of his injury is still unclear and it is not known how long he will be out of action.

Onuachu has been in excellent form for his Belgian Jupiler side and is Nigerias leading scorer in Europe this season with nine goals in 10 appearances.

The 25-year-old scored his eighth goal in his last seven games in the 4-0 defeat of Eupen at the weekend as he kept up his excellent start to the season.

Yet despite his good form, he was initially overlooked by Coach Gernot Rohr for the games against Sierra Leone with the Franco-German having previously taken exception to Onuachus style of play which he deemed incompatible with his teams tactical set up.

Rohr had warned that the former FC Midtjylland striker must find a way to adapt during last months international window.

But Onuachu failed to impress in his first international start in over a year as Nigeria lost to African champions Algeria.

The 26-year-old Onuachu has been capped seven times by Nigeria.

The lanky forward will now have another chance to press his claims when Nigeria take on fellow West Africans Sierra Leone at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, on Nov. 13 before travelling to Freetown for the Nov. 17 return encounter.

The Super Eagles lead Group L of the AFCON qualifiers.

Victory in both matches against the Leone Stars will all but confirm their place in Cameroon for next years continental showpiece. (NAN)

Source: NAN News