Month: April 2021

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has warned members and officers of the Amotekun Corps not to abuse their uniforms and trample on people’s rights away or risk being struck by the Yoruba god of iron (Ogun).

Soyinka gave this warning on Thursday in his goodwill message at the official inauguration of the Southwest Joint Security Network codenamed Amotekun, held at the Arcade Ground, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.

The playwright who expressed delight at the eventual take-off of the security outfit in Ogun State, noted that it would complement efforts of the conventional security agencies, in combating crimes in the state.

He charged the operatives to discharge their duties diligently, saying he and other civil society groups in the state would continue to monitor their activities.

Soyinka, however, urged the police and other security agencies not to see Amotekun operatives as rivals or competitors, but partners in combating insecurity in the state.

He further chided the police for failure to nab the burglars who stormed his house and carted away sensitive and valuable materials.

“If you take a look at the unique swagger stick of the governor and the head of Amotekun, you will know that, it differs drastically from either the police or the military swagger stick. It is symbolic, it’s unique, it’s aesthetic and it just says we are different and I think that message, the aspect of it I want the security to understand is that, it is not a replacement for you, you are too jealous of your position, of your uniforms and everything. And where there should be cooperation, there is competition, that is silly, let us now go beyond that and recognise that this unit is simply to complement what you are already doing adequately, that is to the best of your ability, inadequately as far as we you are supposed to protect are concerned, the way we feel it. So, be happy and welcome them within your ranks and work with them .

“My last message is to the Amotekun people, the squad, the team, what people like me and we stand ready to contribute, Mr. Governor, what we can contribute to this initiative is monitoring, advice, designs, we use our minds to see how physical initiative can actually work out rationally and I want the Amotekun team to understand that we will be watching you as a representatives of the civil society group, we will be watching you very closely to make sure that you do not trample on the rights of citizens.

“You are not here because you now have a uniform to start behaving like some other security agencies. You have to set an example to say that you are a civic unit.

“So Amotekun, we are watching you, if you abuse your uniform, before Ogun strikes you, we would have dealt with you”. Soyinka who was decorated as the Super Marshall of Amotekun Corps stated.

Inaugurating the security outfit, Governor Dapo Abiodun,declared that the outfit was not meant to compete with other security agencies, but to further strength the security apparatus of the state.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Amotekun noted that the security challenges facing the state and the nation as a whole, needed the cooperation of all Nigerians and security agencies who should work in harmony and not unnecessary competition.

He recalled that the establishment of the joint security outfit was agreed on by leaders and governments of the six south west states in June 2019, as part of holistic approach towards tackling the rising wave of insecurity in the region.

The governor said the operatives have been careful selected, trained and equipped with necessary logistics, technical backstopping and political will for effective take off and operation, noting that the state expects nothing, but the best performance from them.

Daily Sun

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the National Identification Number (NIN) is not mandatory for voter registration.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the clarification while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja, on Thursday.

Yakubu said that NIN was only a means of identification for registration as listed in the Electoral Act.

“I want to make this important clarification. NIN is not going to be made mandatory for voter registration.

“This is for a simple reason that we are operating on basis of the law establishing INEC.

“Section 10 of the Electoral Act lists identifications to be presented by prospective registrants for the purpose of voter registration to includes birth certificate, national passport, national identity card,” he said.

The INEC chairman said the list also included a driver’s licence or any other document that would prove the identity and age of the applicant.

He said that the NIN card was only one of the means of identification provided for, under section 10 sub-section 2 of the electoral act.

“We cannot single that out and make it mandatory. All the other requirements are requirements of the law and we must apply the law appropriately.

“If you have your national ID card we will register you on presentation of the card, but we will not make it a mandatory means of identification for the exercise.

“Since the law, the electoral act does not make it mandatory, it is only one of the many means of identification required,” Yakubu said.

He also said that INEC had announced June 28 for the resumption of its suspended Continuous Voter Registration across the country, with new technology.

He said that the commission would replace its Direct Data Capture Machine introduced in 2011 for voter registration with a new technology called, INEC Voter Enrolment Device.

The INEC boss explained that with the new innovation, prospective registrants could only apply and go to the nearest registration centre for data capturing to complete the exercise.

Yakubu further said provision had been made for extra registration centres across the country to avoid overcrowding at registration points for those that want to do physical registration.

On the COVID-19 pandemic, he said that 1,000 registration centres had been added to the existing 1,446 for the exercise to reach as many people as possible.

He, however, reminded prospective registrants that it was an offence to register more than once, saying, “citizens should register only once.”

Tribune Online

The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has called for deployment of more troops to its Orientation Camps nationwide in view of the growing security challenges.

The Chairman, Governing Board of NYSC, Fatima Abubakar made the call when she led members of the board on a courtesy visit to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru on Thursday in Abuja.

She said the call for more deployment was as a result of growing sizes of the camps and the nature of the current security environment.

The board chairman also called for collaboration between NYSC and the army to the safety of corps members during elections.

“We are pleading that you beef up troops at the NYSC camps because the camps have become so large these days.

“In a particular camp, sometimes we have more than 1,000 young men and women during orientation and we don’t have enough troops, especially because of the growing insecurity.

“Constantly, we are like scared and we hope that nothing like that will happen around our camps but we are pleading for beef up of troops around our orientation camps.

“We are also asking for collaboration between army and the scheme in areas of capacity and human resource building.

“We also hope that the army can teach safety and escape drills to corps members and staff on issues of safety and security in the unfortunate event of an attack during and after orientation programme,” she said.

Mrs Abubakar said that the Nigerian army, being the second major stakeholder in the NYSC scheme, had continued to play its statutory role by sending commandants to man NYSC camps.

She commended the army for the provision of limited training and security to corps members during orientation camps and national assignments such as elections.

Mrs Abubakar also commended the army for providing accommodation for corps members across barracks.

Responding, the Chief of Army Staff, Attahiru, commended the scheme for the continuous effort to inculcate discipline in youths by instilling in them attitude of loyal service to the nation.

Mr Attahiru assured the Corps that the Nigerian Army would continue to ensure adequate security for all members during orientation camps, primary assignments and other national duties.

He urged the board to include national patriotism and entrepreneurship into its programmes to give youths more advantage.

“I assure you of the Nigerian Army’s continued support for NYSC in the areas of provision of suitable and qualified commandants, instructors and soldiers during orientation camps as well as security to corps members in camps and in their areas of assignments.

“I therefore, encourage NYSC to include in its programmes subjects on patriotism and entrepreneurial skills which will go a long way in enhancing development,” he said.

NAN

The Federal Government says it has directed two PayTv platforms – GoTv and Startimes – to migrate their signals from self-carrying to any of the two licensed FreeTv signal distributors.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja, said the directive was in line with the Digital Switch Over, DSO, process.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that DSO is the process of transiting from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting and the country has set April 29 for the resumption of the roll-out of the second phase in the remaining 31 states.

The first phase of the rollout had covered the Federal Capital Territory and the five states of Plateau, Kaduna, Kwara, Osun and Enugu.

According to the minister, the laws of the land recognises a single frequency network which is being operated by two licensed signal distributors – Integrated Television Services, ITS, and Pinnacle Communications.

He said the two PayTv – Startimes and GoTv – which are currently carrying their respective signals, is in negation of the law and must migrate to any of the licensed signal distributors of their choice.

“We have directed National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to ask Gotv and Startimes to go to either Pinnacle of ITS.

“They cannot carry their signals and that is the only way the licensed signal distributors can survive,’’ he said

The minister gave an assurance that with the approval of N9.4 billion by the Federal Government and the setting up of a 14-member ministerial task force to drive the DSO process the remaining 31 states would be successfully and effectively covered.

He said the DSO would enable Nigerians have the opportunity to have choices of many TV stations as well as have access to quality pictures and programmes with little annual cost and no monthly subscription.

Mr Mohammed said the plan for every state the DSO is being rolled out is to cover at least 70 per cent population coverage with Digital Terrestrial Transmission, DTT, while the remaining areas would be covered by Direct To Home, DTH.

He pledged that no part of the country would be left out without DSO signal before the final Analogue Switch Off

Speaking on content on the FreeTv platform, the minister said the government would set up Local Content Development Fund to assist talented young artists and content developers as well as enable budding stations to thrive.

He said part of the fund would also be used to assist veteran actors and notable celebrities to procure special licenses to either have their own channels or programmes.

NAN

The Federal Government says it has so far enrolled 51 million citizens for the National Identification Number (NIN) as at March 31, 2021.

Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, made this known at the weekly Presidential Media briefing organized by the Presidential Communication Media Team in Abuja on Thursday.

He also revealed that about 189 million subscribers of the Identification Module (SIM) had been registered in the country.

According to the minister, only 150 million out of the 189million have successfully completed their registration while the remaining have problems of improper registration.

Pantami reminded all citizens to enroll for the NIN, warning that those yet to obtain the NIN risk seven or 14 years imprisonment as stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution.

“Based on the requirement by law each and every citizen and legal resident must obtain his/her National Identification Number (NIN), which is being coordinated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). It’s a requirement by law but many citizens ignore it.

“What we achieved in the area of enrolment from the time Mr President has directed me to supervise NIMC till date is unprecedented and we would continue to ensure that in the next few years we have an almost a complete data base of all our citizens in the country.

“No country will be successful in education, health, budget planning or national planning without data base of its citizens in place.

“What I inherited in the data base was less than 20 per cent of our population. But we want to ensure that before we leave office we would look at the data base and be proud of our country,’’ he said.

According to him, while obtaining a SIM card maybe optional, NIN is mandatory, noting that a lot of transactions in the country are not supposed to be carried out without NIN. (NAN)

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed June 28th, 2021 for the commencement of Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, across the 774 Local Government Areas ahead of the 2023 general elections.

INEC Boss, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, let this out on Thursday while briefing newsmen in Abuja.

He also declared the indefinite suspension of the bye-election held in Ekiti East following killings, stating “if the purpose of election is to kill, the election will remain suspended indefinitely. And when I mean indefinitely, I mean indefinitely.”

According to him, the registration exercise would be carried out continuously for over a year until the third quarter of 2022.

He said: “The CVR could not recommence in 2020 due largely to the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with the general advise by health officials regarding events involving large groups of people, we considered it inauspicious to restart the CVR at the height of the pandemic. In the light of the pandemic, the commission promised the nation that it would recommend the CVR in the first quarter of 2021.

“The first quarter of 2021 ended yesterday (Wednesday) and obviously the commission was unable to restart the CVR exercise. In consideration of these challenges and the measures we have taken to overcome them, the commission is now in a position to announce Monday June 28 2022 as the date for the recommencement of the CVR exercise nationwide.”

Police in Anambra have confirmed gun attack on gathering being addressed by Charles Soludo, former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN governor in his country home in Isuofia, Aguata in Anambra.

According to media reports, three policemen were shot death by gunmen during the event.

Mr Soludo, a governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in the November 6, 2021 election, was said to be holding meeting with youths of town at Isuofia Civic Center in Aguata Local Government Area of the state when the gunmen stormed the place.

Tochukwu Ikenga, police spokesman in the state confirmed the attack to the News Agency if Nigeria on Wednesday evening in Awka, but said he was not sure of the killings.

“I can confirm that there was a gathering in Isuofia community where Prof. Soludo and other personalities gathered for a meeting on Wednesday, March 31, 2021.

“For now, we can only speak of the gun shots, but other details especially on whether there was causalities or not will be when we get more facts,” he said.

NAN