Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has promised that the 2015 polls would be better than the 2011 elections. He urged stakeholders to support the commission in its determination to conduct a credible poll in 2015.
He also promised that the commission was committed to a thorough voter education and public enlightenment before the 2015 elections.
He said, “We in INEC are aware of the enormous responsibilities that have been placed in our hands to produce a framework and deepen democracy in our country. We have been doing our best in that regard, we have benefited tremendously from the participation of all stakeholders, and their assistance was responsible for the achievements recorded in the 2011 elections. Since the 2011 elections, we have been doing our best to fine-tune the procedures to engage all the stakeholders and ensure that we keep on improving the process. Our determination is to ensure that the 2015 elections remain better that of 2011 elections.”
Nigeria Not A Sinking Ship, FG Responds
The Presidency has described former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu’s allegations that Nigeria is a sinking ship, as false and hypocritical.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said that Ribadu, has taken to “political prostitution and developed a penchant for irresponsible and reckless utterances aimed at improving the electoral fortunes of his new friends and “leader”, who he once famously denounced as a crook, who is “not fit to hold public office”.
The statement reads in part: “The Presidency totally rejects the false, hypocritical and self-serving claim by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu at a lecture in Kaduna on Saturday that Nigeria under President Goodluck Jonathan is a “sinking ship” in which the yearnings of the masses are being neglected by a tyrannical leadership.”
More at Sun.
Akande, Ikimi battle for APC chairmanship
National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Bisi Akande, and Chief Tom Ikimi are currently locked in the battle for the chairmanship of the All Progressives Party, findings by The PUNCH on Monday have revealed.
The battle to head the yet-to-be-registered merger party between Akande and Ikimi followed the ceding of the interim national chairmanship to the ACN by the stakeholders.
Curiously too, same scenario on Monday obtained in the Congress for Progressive Change, a major arm of the merger and to which the post of the National Secretary of the APC has been zoned.
A source at the top hierarchy of the APC who spoke to our correspondent on Monday night said the self-interest factor had set into the affairs of the new party which is set to announce its Interim Executive Committee on Tuesday (today).
The nine-member IEC will manage the affairs of the party till its registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The source said, “As you already know, the APC chairmanship has been ceded to the ACN, the CPC is to produce secretary while the ANPP will produce the treasurer when the party eventually gets registered.
“We are first of all human beings and there are of course interests. For the ACN, where the chairmanship was given, there are issues because two of their leading figures, Chief Tom Ikimi, who has been a visible member of the party’s merger committee, and Bisi Akande have shown interest.”
For the CPC, the source said, “It is not different. Its members too are having their own issues because the current National Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Buba Galadima, and an equally strong member of the party, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, as well as the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin are also interested.
“We’ve not heard much from the ANPP on who they are putting forward as treasurer.”
According to the informed insider, internal wrangling among the three merging political parties is largely responsible for the decision by the leadership of APC to settle for an interim executive committee to pursue the registration of the party.
The source said, “You will agree with me that we can do with less of this distraction for now.”
Our correspondent gathered after the party had been registered, an Interim Management Committee would replace the IEC.
National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said he was not aware that Akande and Ikimi were contending for the chairmanship slot of the APC
But when contacted, National Publicity Secretary of the CPC, Rotimi Fashakin, dismissed the issue of internal wrangling within the party as a mere speculation.
Fashola Signs Bill Legalising Cremation in Lagos
Despite the protracted controversy that trailed its passage by the House of Assembly, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Monday assented to a bill legalising cremation of bodies in the state.
He also signed into law, two other bills seeking to establish Ibile Oil and Gas Corporation as well as Christian and Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, both of which he said were designed to add values to the state and its residents.
The governor signed the bills into law at a ceremony at the State House, Alausa, attended by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeola Ipaye, his Energy and Mineral Resources counterpart, Mr. Taofik Tijani, and other members of the State Executive Council.
Before signing the bill into law, the governor explained that cremation was voluntary, adding that its enactment showed how the concept of globalisation had taken its roots in the state.
The governor commended members of the state House of Assembly for responding to global yearnings, thereby noting that their enthusiasm in passing the law also showed that cremation “is the best way to go”.
Speaking extensively on the cremation law, the attorney-general said it allowed only voluntary cremation, adding: “It allows for voluntary cremation, whereby a person may signify interest to be cremated when he dies or a deceased’s family members who must attain the age of 18 years can decide to have the corpse cremated.”
According to Ipaye, the law also empowers the state government to cremate unclaimed corpses in its mortuaries after a period of time.
“If the owners of the corpses also failed to show up to collect the ashes after a 14-day notice, it will be disposed by the state government subject to the consent and approval of the commissioner for health,” he added.
Will anybody want to burn his or her parents?
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