Mixed reactions trailed the release of 2011 elections timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission.The presidential election has been slated for January 22. It will be preceded by elections into the National Assembly on January 15.
The governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold same day on January 29.
According to the timetable, INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Information, Prince Solomon Soyebi, said the electoral umpire’s action was in line with the Electoral Act 2010.
The registration of voters has been fixed for two weeks in November 1st to 14th. The registers will be on display between November 20 and 25 for objection and amendments after which the official register of voters for the elections will be published on December 16.
Political parties have been given between September 11 and October 30 to “democratically nominate candidates for the elections as required by Section 87 of the Electoral Act”, and commence sending of the list of their candidates to INEC immediately. They have a deadline of November 29.
The parties will not be allowed to campaign for votes until October 17.
Rerun for the governorship and presidential elections are to be held within seven days after the announcement of the result of the elections – in line with Section 179 (4) and (5) and Section 134 (4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution.
The nomination of candidates will start at the ward level to the local government and the state level before the national convention where the presidential candidates and national officers of the parties will be elected.
Coordinator of the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reforms, Mr. Ayo Opadokun, complained that INEC was again going into a quagmire of an election perfidy. “Between now and January 2011, the task of getting a digitized voter register remains a major battle as the machines to be used for the exercise are yet to arrive while the adhoc staff are yet to be trained,” he said in an interview.
He added, “There is an unnecessary and undue rush, CODER calls on the National Assembly and President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that desirable time is allocated to INEC to perform satisfactorily this is a national wish, so that for the first time, Nigeria can conduct free and fair elections.”
In the same vein, the Save Nigeria Group said there was barely enough time to prepare for the 2011 elections. The group spokesperson, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, added that asking for postponement of the elections could mean courting a “national disaster.”
According to the Save Nigeria Group, Nigeria has become a nation of crash programmes.
However, the Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Chief Balarabe Musa, said since INEC had said it was capable of conducting free, fair and transparent elections by January 2011, Nigerians should cooperate with the commission, but hold it responsible if anything should go wrong.
Musa said, “INEC alone knows its level of preparedness for the 2011 elections. It has assured us of free, credible and transparent elections within the stipulated time. We will assume that the organization is capable and support it. But we will hold INEC responsible if the elections are not free, fair and transparent.”
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This Labor Day, more of our grandparents may be working a cashier’s line, waiting tables or preparing lessons for the first day of school. Remember those happy TV commercials of seniors having the time of their lives, retiring in comfort and dignity after a lifetime of work? They’re a dying dream for most older Americans. And that’s something we can’t let happen. For moreMost Commented Posts
But even if you brush, use white strips, and visit your dentist twice a year, it may not be enough. Here are some factors that can wreak havoc on your teeth and gums, and put a serious damper on your smile. For moreMost Commented Posts
Yesterday marked the First Anniversary of the death of legal icon, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Sunday unveiled the Statue of the legal luminary and also dedicated ojota Garden as a memorial Garden in his honour, stressing that the step is a token of appreciation for a life of leadership through Spartan service to humanity that he lived.
According to the Governor, “The State Government is trying to demonstrate to others that it will not forget its heroes in the belief that some new leaders will hopefully be inspired to rise up and continue from where he left off”.
He went further to state that “The task is not completed. There is sweat and toil ahead. Our persistence and patience will be severely tested, but we are irrevocably committed to pursue our dream of a brighter rewarding future”.
He urged all Nigerians to always give suggestions to leaders and ensure that they get involved in the process of governance, stressing that elected leaders are just like every other citizen.
The Governor explained that: “Late Chief Gani’s patriotism was not whimsical, but a devotion of a whole lifetime. It was an arduous devotion to a cause from which many have derailed or turned back. It is never easy to stand up for principles, especially when you stand alone”.
“Gani committed a lifetime of 40 years of the prime of his life to this arduous devotion. He used law, civil rights movements, the media and politics as his tools to liberate the people he cared so passionately about from ignorance, repression and poverty; until he succumbed to his own mortality”, he added.
The Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Muiz Banire in his address described late Chief Gani Fawehinmi as an hero who was frantically energetic and courageous while his contributions to the law practice apart from court appearances were legendary and enduring.
He informed the gathering that taking over of the loop was not a tea party as it had to contend with miscreants and street urchins, adding that those who are familiar with the location would recall that it used to be a launch pad and hideout for criminals who terrorized motorists and commuters plying the Ojota axis
In his solidarity message, Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who was represented by Dr Osagie Obayuwana commended Lagos State for honouring late Chief Fawehinmi just as Edo State has done, adding that every Nigerian needs to be guided by the examples set by Gani in confronting several issues.
He added that now is the time for pro-democracy groups and activists to embrace the doctrine of engagements, saying the days of writing letters and protests should be done away with.
Also speaking, human rights activist, Dr Joe Okei Odumakin said the token by the Lagos State Government was a token for all and sundry as the late Chief meant different things to different people.
Dr Odumakin added that the greatest memorial that Nigerians can do to him is to live for the virtues he lived and died and ensure that everyone gets engaged in the governance process.
Dr Odumakin also tasked Nigerians to do background check on those that they would vote for as leaders.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who also attended the event said late Chief Gani was a humanist who sacrificed his all for the today of the average Nigerian.
He described the ceremony as a milestone in the history of the human rights family in Nigeria as the late Chief was one exemplary activist who stood on the side of the masses till his death.
In his address, the National Chairman of the National Conscience Party and close ally of late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Mr Femi Falana thanked the Lagos State Government for celebrating a man of integrity like Chief Fawehinmi who stood and identified with the poor.
While expressing the appreciation of the family, eldest son, Mr Mohammed Fawehinmi thanked the Governor of Lagos State for the honour done to the Fawehinmis, adding that Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) is the best Governor he has ever come across.
He said with strategic location of the garden, Chief Gani Fawehinmi will live in the minds of the masses, adding that Lagos State Government has placed the family on the world map.
The event was attended by many dignitaries including members of the State Executive Council, widow of late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Chief Mrs Ganiat Fawehinmi, children, members of the family and human rights activists.
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Nigerians are spending 50 per cent of their income on food, spreading the remaining half on essential needs, such as private education, transportation and communication, reports YEMI KOLAPO, quoting the National Bureau of Statistics.
The Statistician-General, National Bureau of statistics, Dr. Vincent Akinyosoye disclosed this in an exclusive interview with PUNCH correspondent in Abuja, that a similar survey carried out by the bureau in the 90s had shown that about 64 per cent of income generated in Nigeria was spent on food. He said this was why changes in the prices of food mainly drove the country‘s inflation, noting that since the people‘s consumption pattern had changed, the proportion of items in the inflation basket had also changed. His pronouncement came on the heels of the controversy generated by the bureau‘s upward review of inflation figures from December 2009. While it said year-on-year consumer inflation stood at 13 per cent currently, the NBS put the new inflation figure for June 2010 at 14.1 per cent as against the 10.3 per cent inflation rate given previously for the same period. Similarly, previous inflation figures for December, January, February, March and April, which were put at 12.0 per cent, 12.3 per cent, 12.3 per cent, 11.8 per cent, and 12.5 per cent, respectively, were revised upward to 13.9 per cent, 14.4 per cent, 15.6 per cent, 14.8 per cent and 15 per cent. According to Akinyosoye, ”In the early 90s, when we did our survey, about 64 per cent of the money we had in Nigeria was spent on food. But in the last five years, we have discovered that we now spend 50 per cent on food. This means that when it was 64 per cent, when prices of food increased, the chances were that inflation would also increase. “But when spending is on a smaller proportion of food, food price will not be the only thing that drives inflation, there could be other things. We have discovered that what is driving inflation now are private education, private health services, transportation and communication.” He said that the Nigerian consumption pattern had changed, which meant that the proportion of items in the reference basket had also changed. He explained, “For instance, when we had the first survey, expenditure on GSM was very small, people relied on NITEL. But in the last five years, the proportion of our income that we spend on GSM has increased. New products have come into the basket, GSM in particular and private education. “Before, it was the very rich Nigerians that sent their children to private schools. But now, many Nigerians are doing that and they are spending less on food. So, it is the prices of those middle class items that are driving inflation and these are what our figures are reflecting.” On the notion that the statistics being rolled out by the NBS are sometimes unreliable, the SG said it was wrong to judge the quality of data by the data itself, adding that data collection usually followed a process. “There is a process in data collection. People can‘t judge the quality of data just by the data itself. They have to understand the process; it is when the process is faulty that you produce bad data. So, we shall continue to engage the general public in the process. It‘s a technical process, but we have to go back and try to educate people,” he said. Akinyosoye noted that, by convention, it was recommended that statistical offices reviewed some of the weights used in estimating inflation every five years after studying the consumption pattern of individuals, which he said changed over time. Apart from the 1985 revised index, another revision was undertaken, making use of the 1996/97 National Consumer Expenditure survey data. The NBS said the weights were updated to May 2003. The NBS boss observed that the inflation figure was not only useful in monitoring changes in prices, but also in tracking the structure of the economy. “We also use it to measure the changes in the size of the middle class because inflation is not just only looking at price changes, the weight of what people consume also matters,” he noted. According to him, “It is a combination of the price movement itself, in absolute terms, and the weight, that is, the proportion of people‘s income that is spent on consuming particular items. If, for instance, a poor person is earning N100, he will spend N99 on food. But a middle class person, like you and I, may not spend more than N30 on food. “We spend the remaining N70 on entertainment and education of our children, among others. So, we are different from the poor people. If over five years, we measure these changes and we see that the consumption pattern of people has changed, it must reflect.” He said the changes noticed necessitated the bureau‘s review of inflation figures, saying that “you must do that when you have this change, so that it will reflect the situation.” He added that by November, 2010, the 12-month average and the year-on-year inflation figures would have virtually almost converged. Stating the importance of inflation details, he said those who knew how to interprete and use the data would know where investment should go. For instance, he said, “I was listening to the CNN yesterday (Thursday), and they were discussing the same subject for China. They said in China, when it was purely Socialist; everyone went to the public schools. But now, with some liberalisation, private schools are coming up and the middle class people are sending their children to private schools, particularly crèche and nursery schools, which were not in China before. “So, a Chinese woman that had her education in America, but worked with Arthur Anderson, resigned to establish a nursery and primary school in Beijing and she started making four times what she was making at Arthur Anderson.” Akinyosoye added, “That is exactly what is happening in Nigeria. When our middle class is expanding, you discover that the goods that we spend money on will change and people studying our consumption survey and also our inflation breakdown will know where to invest. “This is what investors do abroad. But here, the only thing we do is pray. The White people don‘t pray much; they look at this statistical information for investment.”
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The governor was said to have made the commitment when the state NAPEP paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday.
According to a statement made available by the Lagos state NAPEP Coordinator, Mr. Yakub Abiola-Aromasodu, the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, the fund is for the financing of the MESSO Credit Scheme, a programme recently introduced by NAPEP.
MESSO Credit Scheme is about giving loans to individuals that can in turn create employment for the people of Lagos State.
Aromasodu expressed appreciation to the state government for the pledge and assured that the disbursement of the funds would commence immediately the fund was made available to NAPEP.
He said that the agency had already identified some moribund industries in the twenty local government areas of the state, adding that the funds would be disbursed to the industries to revitalize their businesses.
Aromasodu advised other corporate organizations and individuals to emulate the state government’s gesture, adding that the war against poverty should be a collaborative effort.
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The decision to ban transfers into model colleges was taken by the state executive council during the 2009/2010 admissions due to over population in the schools and its attendant drop in their academic standard.
A statement made available to the nation said the directive is in accordance with the founding objective of the colleges established to serve as citadels of academic excellence and as model to other schools in the state.
Noting that the process for transfer of students into other public schools in the state has begun, the statement urged parents and guardians who wish to transfer their children and wards from public and private schools (interstate or foreign) to obtain forms from the state ministry of education at the secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.
The process, which the statement said, commenced on July 26, would end on September 16.
culled from thenationonlineng.net
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As the nation enters the last four months of the year, popularly termed “Ember Months”, the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, Wednesday assured Lagos residents of the security of life and property saying all the security agencies in the State are prepared to make the State crime free during the period.
Akpoyibo, who briefed Government House Correspondents at the Lagos House, Alausa, after the State Security Council Meeting, said all the security personnel have been put on alert to combat any form of crime around the State.
He declared, “Just like last year when we assured you that the Ember months would come and go and there would be safety of life and property in Lagos State, here we are again with the issue of Ember month rearing its head and we are using this opportunity to assure members of the public that all the security agencies have put their hands on deck to ensure safety in the State”.
The Police Commissioner, who explained that the security agencies in the State embarked on a “show of force” earlier in the day, added, “It is going to be on a continuous basis and we are working together, collaborating to ensure the safety of life and property in Lagos, not only during the Ember months, but beyond”.
Akpoyibo denied that there was any protest by commercial motorcycle (Okada) riders in the State following the rules and regulations put out by the State Government to be observed by the riders. According to the Commissioner, “There were no protests whatsoever. If you noticed any, they were, may be, deviants. The laws were made for the well-being of everybody including the Okada operators”.
“Don’t forget, the State Government was magnanimous enough not to ban the use of Okada. It is only in specific areas and at specific times. They should embrace these laws that are aimed at ensuring their safety while even operating their Okada. So, no reasonable okada rider will go on protest. We are here to protect them and it is in the interest of their safety and their well-being”. He said.
Enjoining the people to also collaborate with security agencies in crime detection, Akpoyibo declared, “Everybody should be his brother’s keeper. We are very proactive in Lagos and we are intelligence-driven. People should be willing to discharge their civic responsibilities. If you suspect that somebody is of a questionable character or there is a criminal hideout, do not wait until those criminals have gone to carry out their dastardly act before you alert the security agencies. Let us know so that we nip it in the bud because it is said a stitch in time saves nine”..
The Commissioner appealed to the people to avoid rumour-mongering or speculations which could raise anxiety among residents advising that anybody who heard any information that was not clear to him or her should seek clarification from the appropriate authority. “Most of the speculations are not correct most of the time”, he said.
Commenting on the recent multiple motor accident at the Berger area on the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, Akpoyibo, who said the State was still mourning with the bereaved, however, absolved the police from the mishap saying, “It is most unfortunate that some of us lack understanding. When you talk about accident and the cause of an accident, some of us were speculating that, perhaps, there was a Police check point ahead and so there was traffic build-up and that caused the accident. I think it is most unfortunate, most illogical and an unintelligent analysis”.
“If whenever there is a traffic hold-up and then trailer drivers who have no brake in their system may now have the liberty to crush everybody, then you and I who live in Lagos, we are an endangered specie. The Vehicle Inspection Officer on the spot was very clear; the accident was caused by the reckless driver and, of course, if there was any policeman at that spot, he would have been engulfed by the inferno.
“We should stop being funny. We are not saying the Police is an angel. We have a few of them over there that extort money from members of the public and whenever they are caught we deal with them decisively. But it is ungodly to begin to equate such sad incident with triviality. I think it’s most unfortunate”, the Commissioner said .
Also present at the briefing were the Commander, 9th Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Sanusi Muasu , the Commanding Officer, NNS Beecroft, Naval Base, Apapa, Commodore Jerry Unoarumhi, and Commander Air Base Services Group, Ikeja, Air Commodore Ayo Abdulsalam.
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We Chuanzhoug, Chinese minister of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine, on Monday said that Nigerian and Chinese businessmen have been colluding to import substandard products from China.
Mr. We said this when he visited Josephine Tapgun, minister of state for commerce and industry, at her office in Abuja. He said the Chinese government is already inspecting some markets in Nigeria to ascertain the level of substandard products imported from China. He said a high-level discussion is already on between the two governments to fine-tune ways of curbing the menace.
“The impact of the influx of substandard products from China to Nigeria has become a disturbing practice to the Chinese government,” he said.
“There are grey areas which both countries have to address before signing the agreement,” said Mr. We. He urged the ministry to set up a technical working group to look into the terms of the agreement and harmonize them for endorsement.
Ms. Tapgun said the ministry is working towards improving the trade relationship between the two countries.
She noted that a few months ago, President Goodluck Jonathan approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chinese government in relation to product quality assurance.
She commended the visiting Chinese delegates for their efforts in ascertaining the level and impact of the menace themselves, “We urge that you step up the supervision and monitoring of the market, and by the time that is done, the result will yield a better insight into the origin of the problems and how quickly they can be addressed,” she said.
The Chinese have already signed a similar agreement with countries such as Ethiopia and Egypt, with impressive results said Mr. We.
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Owing to adverse weather conditions globally and disasters in Pakistan and the Caribbeans, Lagos State Government yesterday warned residents over their activities along coastal lines.
At a press briefing in Ikeja, the Commissioner for Waterfront and Infrastructural Development, Adesegun Oniru, said the warning became necessary in the face of the current unpredictable weather variations worldwide.
He noted that incidences of flooding, ocean surge and similar developments in other nations have ripple effects in countries such as Nigeria and others in the same or similar hemisphere.
According to Oniru, high tidal waves occur twice in a year (between May/June and October/November) that cause ocean surges.
He spoke further: “Because of the movement of the moon, there is usually what is called ‘Spring Tide’. This tide, when it occurs, usually causes a rise in sea level. And this is what Lagos witnessed in 2009 and early this year when many vessels anchored in the ocean were severely affected”.
He noted that in late October/early November, there is likelihood of heavy storm and erosion as a result of a rise in sea level up to one metre.
Although he said this development was a natural occurrence that may defy control, but with adequate preparation and control of negative man-made activities, its effects may be less devastating.
The commissioner noted that barriers erected at the Bar Beach and Atlantic City have contributed immensely to reduce the threat of ocean surge.
As part of its oversight functions, he said the ministry has made it mandatory for those that use boat as means of transportation or for picnic to put on life jacket.
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