2011: INEC partners with credible youth groups

2011: INEC partners with credible youth groups

INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega said in Abuja on Tuesday that INEC would identify and partner with credible youth groups to ensure effective co-operation in the 2011 elections.

Jega, who spoke at a lecture organised by the U.S. Mission on “Elections and Democracy in Africa: Restoring Nigerian Leadership ” said that the youth in Nigeria have a vital role to play in the forthcoming elections.

‘’We are open, any group that comes to us, we would listen to them, partner with them and ensure those who are credible are carried along to ensure a free, fair and credible elections,'' he said.

Jega also said that INEC would engage political parties in legal condition campaign awareness toward enhancing credibility during elections.

‘’We have been engaging political parties, making them aware of our responsibilities when it comes to monitoring their activities and also bringing civility into political contestation which is very, very important,'' he said.

He charged politicians to change their mindset of a ‘’do or die politics’’.

2011: INEC to engage military n distribution of materials Military

2011: INEC to engage military in distribution of materials
Military
INEC said in Abuja today that it would insist on the use of the military for successful and timely distribution of materials for the 2011 general elections.

Mr Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that it was a standard practice to involve the military in such an exercise.

Idowu said the services of the military were employed in the past to overcome prevailing challenges in transversing tough terrains.

He added it was crucial to ensure that election materials were successfully distributed to such areas.

``It is a standard practice that would have no negative implications, the military was used in the past and that recorded successes.

``So we are fine tuning guidelines to ensure another success this time around,’’ Idowu said.

NAN recalled that Jega during an interactive session with traditional rulers in Ibadan on Friday revealed INEC’s plan to use the military in 2011 elections.

Reacting to INEC's engagement of the military in distributing election materials, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) lauded the initiative in terms of logistics needed during elections.

Mr Osita Okechukwu, National Publicity Secretary, CNPP, however, said that while the military would be used for the purpose of distributing materials, `` they should be out of the conduct of the proper elections’’.

``In terms of logistics, the use of the military is the best option but they shouldn’t help in the conduct of the elections,’’ said Okechukwu.

Similarly, a pro-democracy group, the Northern Patriotic Front (NPF) said the use of the military to distribute materials should not arouse any worries among the electorate.

Alhaji Ali Abacha, the Chairman of NPF, said that inviting the military for distribution of materials was aimed at confronting the challenges inherent in tough terrains.

Abacha stressed the need for a reform in the behaviour of eligible voters toward a successful 2011 general elections.

He also called on the political parties to take voter education as a necessity for a successful electoral process.

Abacha said the group would also enlighten the electorate on the gains of partaking in the electoral process through their sensitisation programmes.

``The sensitisation programme would cut across all the northern states of the country with a view to enlightening the electorate on the imperative of participating in the electoral process,’’ he said.

Abacha said the enlightenment programme would target people at the motor parks, places of worship and educational institutions.

Actress Vs Lawmaker

Lagos Assembly to sue actress over allegations of assault

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday said it will take a legal action against claims made by a Nollywood actress, Ufoma Ejenabor.

Addressing a media briefing on the issue, Segun Olusesi, the Chief of Staff of the Assembly, said the House will make the issue a deterrent case. The incident,which happened on October 29 on Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, had two different accounts from the two parties.

While Ufoma claimed one of the vehicles (the Pilot) in the lawmakers' convoy hit her Nissan Xterra car, Mr. Olusesi, who claimed to be driving directly behind the Pilot vehicle said Miss Ufoma drove into the convoy, hitting the left rear of ‘the pilot ‘ vehicle's bumper with her right front bumper.

"Even if it is true that we hit her car, which cannot be proven from the video recording, when there is an accident on the road, the first thing you do is not to call a lawyer. So, it was obvious she was onto something right from the beginning and that was why the Speaker directed that everything be recorded," he said.

A rowdy scene ensued and rather than continue on their journey to Lagos University Teaching Hospital to visit an ailing lawmaker, who died three days later, the lawmakers decided to drive to Zone 2 Police headquarters at Onikan. As seen from the footage provided, the intervention of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lateef Junaid could not resolve the impasse as Mrs. Ejenabor refused all entreaties.

Claims and counter claims

Though, Mrs. Ejenabor did not make any statement to the police, she claimed, in a letter dated November 2 and written to the Speaker by her lawyer, Obinna Ukawoko, that she was beaten and that her vehicle was damaged. She also alleged that the following items stolen: white gold necklace (N850,000), Silver Gucci wristwatch (N475,000), Pink Ipod (N55,000), Blackberry Bold (N150,000) and Channel Sunglasses ($1,215). She also claimed that her wedding band, worth £3,000 was broken and her damaged vehicle will be repaired for N595,000.

"We have our client's firm directive to demand N35million as compensation," said the letter, advising the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, to quickly pay in order to avert imminent bad publicity and legal action.

Mr. Olusesi rebuffed all the claims, saying that the video showed Mrs. Ejenabor as she drove her car away from the police station without any visible damage and she still had her wedding band and bag while she was at the station.

"The photograph of her damaged car, as she claimed in the media, can be best described as insurance fraud and an attempt to extort and blackmail this Honourable House and the Right Honourable Speaker in particular," he said.

"Nobody touched her. At a time when the security officers were not sure what to do with her, one of them wanted to deflate her tyres, but the Speaker kept shouting from inside his vehicle that nobody should touch her vehicle." "If she was beaten by policemen as she claimed, she won't be the one to drive her vehicle to Zone 2 headquarters. Her dress was intact throughout and she claimed she was stripped. She alleged that her fingernails were broken but she refused to show the police. And if she was truly in pains as a result of the beating, she will not be able to put up such display at the police station." "She provoked everybody present, including the members of the public. She wanted to be beaten by the way she behaved but we were lucky and matured enough, especially because we were in a state of mourning and that is why we didn't give it to her."Back