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2023 Polls: You have no reason to fail Nigerians- Ooni charges INEC
By Jeleel Olawale
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11, has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the successful conduct of the forthcoming general elections.
Ooni gave the charge while playing host to the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Mutiu Agboke at his Palace, on Friday, in Ile-Ife.
While reaffirming the traditional institution’s support for INEC, the Ooni stressed that the future of over 200 million Nigerians rest heavily on the outcome of the polls.
“I wish to laud this current administration for providing the needs of INEC and I also commend the INEC for the introduction of high-powered technology to our electoral lives.
“If you ask me, INEC has no reason to disappoint Nigerians and I want to believe that, that won’t happen.
“The last election which held in Osun is enough as barometer for INEC to discover and overcome all possible itches in its system so that we can have a perfect election.
“The rumour that the election could be postponed has caused a lot of panic in the system but I am also glad that INEC has debunked it and assured Nigerians that elections will hold as scheduled,” he stated.
Earlier, the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner who was on an advocacy visit to the Ooni’s Palace, commended Ooni on his fatherly role.
Agboke explained that all measures have been put in place to ensure a free, fair and credible general elections.
He said that gone are the days when voters would be expecting the results for days, but presently in Nigeria, where you vote, is where you’ll see the results.
“People’s votes are now counting through the introduction of technology to electioneering processes and that is why INEC is building on this achievement as we go into the forthcoming general election,” he analysed.
Osun REC however lamented the refusal of some Osun residents to collect their permanent voter’s cards.
“In Osun State now, we have 400,585 PVCs uncollected. These PVCs are enough to make someone a member of the National Assembly.
“One of the reasons why I am here is to solicit Your Majesty’s support and help us talk to our people to collect their PVCs.
“I have also come to assure Your Majesty that nothing will determine the winner in the forthcoming elections except from the electorates in Osun,” he ascertained.
He maintained that the era of manipulation and result forging has gone for good.
“Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is the game changer for this coming election. Everyone must be accredited by this machine and no one will be allowed to vote without accreditation,” Dr. Mutiu stated.
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Stop using repressive laws to intimidate journalists – SERAP, NGE tell FG
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, and Nigeria Guild of Editors, NGE, have called on Nigerian authorities at all levels of government to stop using repressive and anti-media laws to target, intimidate and harass journalists, critics and media houses.
The groups made the demand after an interactive session on ‘the state of press freedom in Nigeria’ held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja.
In a joint statement, SERAP and NGE said that, “the government of President Bola Tinubu, the country’s 36 governors and FCT minister must now genuinely uphold press freedom, ensure access to information to all Nigerians, obey court judgments, and respect the rule of law”.
They expressed concerns about the escalating crackdown on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom and the flagrant disregard for the rule of law by authorities at all levels of government.
The groups note that the suppression of the press in recent times takes various forms ranging from extrajudicial to unlawful detentions, disappearances, malicious prosecutions and wrongful use of both legislation and law enforcement.
The statement read in part: “We would continue to speak truth to power and to hold authorities to account for their constitutional and international obligations including on freedom of expression and media freedom.
“Nigeria as a country has a long and unpleasant history of press gagging and clampdown on media freedom, which is evidence of extensive state censorship of media and in some cases, the utter control of state-owned media houses.
“This position has not changed considerably despite almost 25 years of unbroken democratic rule in the Fourth Republic.”
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FG adds 625MW to national grid – Minister
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Tax: Court orders FCT-IRS agency to seal off defaulting coys
A Magistrate Court sitting in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, on Friday, ordered the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) to seal off a company, Ifedi A.K. Nigeria Ltd, over allegations bordering on non-filing of annual returns.
The Magistrate, Janada Balami, gave the order after lawyer to FCT-IRS, Michael Towolawi, moved the application to the effect.
Towolawi told the court that the company had failed to file its annual returns from 2019 to 2023 in breach of Section 81 of the Personal Income Tax Act, LFN, 2004, and amended in 2011.
He said all efforts to make the company comply with the law proved abortive.
The lawyer, therefore, applied that the company be compel to appear before the court to explain why it acted in breach of the law.
Balami, who held that the application by the agency against the company had merit, accordingly granted same to seal the No 6, Rudolph Close, Off Katsina-Ala Street, Maitama, Abuja.
She, consequently, ordered the company, the sole defendant in the matter, to appear before the court on May 16.
The Director, Legal Services of the FCT-IRS, Festus Tsavar, told journalists after the proceeding that the service would move against companies that do not file their annual returns as provided by law.
“You know that we have a new minister in FCT that is doing a lot of projects and that hinges on money.
“And of course, you are aware that FCT has come out of TSA.
“So it is the internally generated revenue that will make the government of FCT to be able to do those projects completely within required time,” he said.
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