To secure INEC offices from vandals.
INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
The attacks and consequent destruction visited on the offices of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) across the country, particularly the Southeast, is a cause for grave concern, considering also that the nation’s next general elections is less than 22 months away. By the latest count, about 41 of the electoral commission’s offices and other valuables had been burnt or vandalised in the last two years.
According to INEC, the attacks occurred in 14 states between February 2019 and May 2021. Imo State topped the log with the most attacks during the period under review.
“These are attacks as a result of election-related violence, protests unrelated to elections and activities of thugs and unknown gunmen,” INEC chairman, Mahmud Yakubu,
These attacks pose a threat to the country’s nascent democracy and should be condemned by all, while the relevant security authorities should do all within its power to bring the culprits to face the law. While Nigerians may have been critical of the role played by INEC in the conduct of elections, it is, however, without any doubt that the electoral body is very significant to the sustainability of the nation’s democracy. Tumultuous as it may have been, it fares better when paired against the bitter days of military dictatorship.
The commission has, over the years, had to grapple with inadequate budgetary funding, even though it needs to be more innovative to align its expenses with Nigeria’s economic realities. Not minding the cost of conducting elections, which is enormous by itself, now the body would have to factor in the cost of replacement of these items now destroyed by criminal elements in the country.
While Nigeria is considered to be one of the worst countries in the continent with a case of voter apathy due to the abysmal turnout during its general elections, the most populous black nation is equally renowned for its enormous expense on the conduct of these elections, which is fraught with a number of irregularities. For instance, the 2019 general elections was reported to have cost the nation over N242 billion. Yet, there were reported cases of irregularities and other electoral malpractices in some quarters, which questioned the integrity of the exercise. One can only imagine the outcome of an election conducted by an electoral body the vast majority of whose facilities have been
The implication of vandalism of public facilities is the necessity to replace such facilities with funds that would have, otherwise, been directed towards the development of other critical areas such as, road and housing infrastructure; areas where the nation still suffers huge deficit. For instance, the Lagos State government had reported that it would require N1trn to rebuild public properties and other infrastructures destroyed by hoodlums during the #EndSARS protest. A single fire incident at the INEC, Akure Office, sometime, in September 2010, destroyed about 5,141 Electronic Card Readers worth close to a billion naira. Unfortunately, funds for the purchase of these items and their replacements constitute the labour of tax payers who already lament the poor state of infrastructure in the country in spite of tax remissions received by the government.
The situation also calls to question the efficiency of the country’s security agencies. The Police need to be proactive and do more in the areas of crime prevention and where they happen, deploy its personnel and other resources to ensure thorough investigation and prosecution of offenders to serve as deterrence to others. It is quite disturbing to note that none of the perpetrators involved in the attacks and destruction of these public facilities have been apprehended let alone
Nigeria currently faces, perhaps, its worst case of insecurity and other forms of unrest with threat of secession by various groups; it, therefore, stands to reason that adequate measures should be put in place to safeguard critical government installations.
Nigerians have been rightly critical of the performance of the electoral umpire in times past, considering its flip-flop performance on which stakeholders have, however, observed an improvement judging by the commission’s outing in the Edo and Ondo state governorship elections. The commission has promised to do even better if the challenges posed by its enabling law are addressed with the review of the Electoral Act. Well meaning Nigerians are already looking forward to a fair and credible electoral process as would enable them vote the candidate of their choice and it will be disheartening to allow criminal elements in the midst of law-abiding citizens to truncate a process to which an enormous amount of state resources has been devoted. The idea of treating public properties as belonging to no one should be discouraged. Nigerians should, therefore, consider the preservation, safeguarding and defence of critical government infrastructure, particularly those of INEC, as the preservation of the nation’s democracy, development and unity. Security is everybody’s business.
How effective food legislations, reform will tackle produce export ban
There are growing concerns over billions of naira worth of foreign exchange, being lost by the country to the incessant rejection of its agro produce internationally. The rejection has been largely on safety and quality grounds.
In the last eight years, for instance, the country has lost about $2.9b to the ban on the export of dried beans, by the European Union (EU).
The European Union, in January 2013, placed a temporary suspension of the importation of dried beans from Nigeria for one year, due to the excessive use of chemicals by farmers to control Maruca vitrata, a pest, which damages crops on the field.x
The ban was later extended to 2022.
Also, the country lost over N20b to the ban on the exportation of catfish placed by the United States of America (USA). This forced many farmers and investors to abandon the industry.
On March 1, 2018, the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) placed a ban on the export of siluriformes and fish products from Nigeria, as a result of the country’s failure to fully address information requested in the self-reporting tool (SRT) before the due date.
A handful of other produce have also been suspended in the international community due to the non-challant attitude of the Federal Government and regulatory agencies.
To address this challenge considered by experts as a national embarrassment, there have been agitations for effective food legislations, and institutional reform to match up with national and international obligations.
This gave rise to a bill for the establishment of the National Food Safety and Quality Council, and the National Food Safety Management Committee, which is currently on the floor of the National Assembly.
The bill titled: National Food Safety & Quality Council Bill 2021 (SB589), and sponsored by the senator representing Borno North Senatorial District in Borno State, Abubakar Shaib Kyari, has scaled through the second reading.
The bill will address issues surrounding the control of food and feed safety; obligation of food and feed business operators, and will also define the functions and powers of institutions of government with the objective of ensuring that food and feed safety risks are effectively managed.
Kyari, who said that the ineffective management of food has resulted to different kinds of sickness and diseases in the country, added that European countries and other countries of the world were losing confidence in food and other products from Nigeria.
A cashew exporter based in the Papalanto area of Ogun State, Jelili Onilude, who decried the embarrassment suffered by the country, pointed out that the ineffective laws guiding export of agro commodities has not only caused loss of revenue, but has also contributed immensely to food-borne diseases.
While quoting the Nigerian Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response report, he said in 2014, there were 1, 049, 550 recorded cases of diarrhoea alone in the country with 1, 164 deaths.
He lamented that if the government was carrying out its oversight functions effectively, there should not be cases of Nigeria’s agro produce being rejected abroad on safety and quality grounds.
The National President, Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (FCFN), the apex body of fisheries cooperative societies, unions and federation in states, Evangelist Anthony A. Ashagye, who lauded moves to establish the National Food Safety and Quality Council, and the National Food Safety Management Committee, as a step in the right direction, said if it comes to fruition was capable of addressing the challenges of agro export.
“Our major problem is that we are not meeting the required certification standard for the export of catfish and other fishery products. The way we handle our fish, process and market them falls short of current international standards. Many countries no longer want Nigerian fishes, but this albatross will be addressed with this bill, which will also help the country to overcome sundry challenges and make our produce accepted across the globe.
“We are not relenting and we will not relent. The ban cannot be lifted except all the challenges are addressed,” Ashagye said.
A senior official of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), who doesn’t want his name mentioned, said the existing food control and safety system in the country is ineffective, noting that aside its ineffectiveness, it is also obsolete.
He said that food legislations and institutional components require immediate reform to enable them meet national and international obligations, stressing that Nigeria currently operates a multi-agency food safety governance system, where food safety control is fragmented among the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and the different tiers of government.
“The consequence of this arrangement is the attendant challenge of overlapping functions, multi-jurisdictions, lack of coordination and general ineffectiveness. This scenario has led to Nigerian consumers being exposed to risks of health hazards arising from the consumption of contaminated and unwholesome locally produced and imported foods.”
Showmax brings Nameless and Wahu’s timeless love story with the upcoming docu-reality series, This Love.
Private, unproblematic and dedicated, Kenya’s power couple opens their lives to viewers for the first time on Showmax.
Musicians Nameless and Wahu, Kenya’s most admired celebrity couple, are coming to our screens in a new docu-reality series, This Love, which is set to premiere on Showmax on 24 May 2021.
Married for 15 years, the power couple is respected by many for their dedication to their marriage and family life, which they have managed to keep out of the public eye over the years. Until now.
For the first time ever, they are opening up their lives to the audience with This Love, a 13-part docu-reality series that will highlight their timeless love, colourful lives, and legendary history, as well as the lessons they have picked up along the way.
This Love will also follow Nameless and Wahu as they work on their first ever joint album, a project which they announced at the beginning of April 2021.
“Getting to share our journey as we create our very first album together is exciting to say the least. We look forward to letting the fans in on this creative process, the challenges and joys of working together, and to introducing the team behind the music,” says Nameless and Wahu.
“Furthermore, as we celebrate twenty years in the music industry, we want to share the lessons we’ve learnt even as we continue to play our part as a couple, parents and business partners. Our vision is to synergise and inspire and empower people through marriage, music and mentorship.”
This Love is a production of Documentary and Reality TV, Eugene Mbugua’s production company that is also behind the likes of Sol Family, Stori Yangu and Our Perfect Wedding, all available on Showmax.
Mbugua, who is the show’s executive producer, reveals that he approached Nameless and Wahu with the idea of the show back in 2018. “We had just come from making our first Kenyan celebrity reality TV show, and to us, they seemed like the next obvious choice. They have a rich history, not just in music, but as a couple as well.”
Buhari felicitates Minister of State, FCT on birthday, title
Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Dr Ramatu Aliyu. Photo;
TWITTER/DRRAMATUALIYU President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Ramatu Aliyu, on her 51st birthday and conferment of a chieftancy title, Onyize of Ebira, by Ohinoyi, Dr Ado Ibrahim.
In a congratulatory message by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Saturday, the president joined all members of All Progressives Congress in celebrating with the minister.
He noted that Ramatu’s antecedents as former Women Leader of the party and President of Council of African Political Parties had continued to inspire and attract more women into governance.
He commended the minister for her loyalty and steadfastness in pursuing development, especially at grassroots level, describing the recognition as well deserved and reflective of her diligence.
Buhari wished the minister all the best in her endeavours, urging more dedication and sacrifice for the good of her community, country and humanity.
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