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News
Presidential Election: CDD deploys 4,993 observers
…Outlines determiners of voting patterns
By Ogaga Ariemu
Barely 48 hours to the forthcoming 2023 presidential election, a pro-democracy group, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), said it will deploy a total of 4,993
trained and accredited observers, data clerks and fact-checkers and social media monitors the poll.
Nigerian NewsDirect learnt this on Thursday at the opening of its Election Analysis Centre (EAC), and pre-election press briefing in Abuja.
The group outlined five key issues, which would determine the voting patterns and the outcome of the presidential election.
The elite think tank said the presidential election which will on Saturday is one that will be closely contested with four candidates – Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – likely to have a significant say in the outcome which it said, at this stage, remains difficult to predict.
According to the pre-election brief signed by the EAC Chair, Professor Adele Jinadu and CDD Director, Idayat Hassan, the five issues, which could determine these elections are encapsulated in the 5 Is, which are identity, insecurity, institutions, information disorder and inter and intra party squabbles.
The CDD noted that while Nigerians embrace multiple identities, the election campaign and the political conversation has tended to sharpen divisions along these lines.
Subsequently, CDD pointed at insecurity as another critical issue, which could impact the conduct and outcome. According to the renowned think tank, all six geopolitical zones of the country are confronted by insecurity, which has led to the deployment of the Nigerian military across the federation.
“Northern states are engulfed in long-standing violence with extremist jihadist groups, criminal bandit gangs, and other non-stated armed groups who are engaged in deadly attacks against local communities. In the south, civil unrest continues against the backdrop of ongoing violence between farmers and herders and secessionist agitators. The situation is further complicated by fuel and currency scarcity which is increasing economic hardships on the more than 130 million Nigerians classified as multi-dimensionally poor.”
Consequently, CDD identified the role of institutions as being crucial to conduct of credible and transparent elections. These include INEC, and the security agencies who are faced with a herculean challenge to manage logistics and secure the electoral terrain.
The fourth factor identified is information disorder; CDD notes that whilst social media has opened avenues for citizens to engage more robustly with their prospective representatives, the volume of misinformation and disinformation circulating online can also lead to citizen actions based on incorrect information.
“Trust is a scarce commodity in Nigeria and this fact is only being exacerbated by the volume of misleading content online.”
The fifth and final factor identified by the CDD is inter and intra-party squabbles. In the months leading up to general elections in Nigeria, violent events involving political parties increase as contestation intensifies within and between groups vying for power, despite all parties signing the National Peace Accord.
To enhance the credibility of the 2023 Nigerian elections, CDD-EAC encourages key stakeholders to take the following steps:
“. The government should ensure INEC and the security agencies – have the necessary resources at their disposal to roll out their comprehensive plans for election day operations that ensure polls take place in a safe, free and fair environment.
• Political parties should ensure that their members and supporters adhere to the conditions laid out in the National Peace Accord through the voting process and after the announcement of results.
• INEC should continue to communicate regularly with Nigerians about the ongoing election process and is as transparent as possible during the collation and announcement of results.
• The Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security must ensure that all security personnel on electoral duty adhere to the agreed code of conduct and rules of engagement.
• Social media companies should support the work of fact-checking organisations by promptly taking down digital content that promotes political disinformation or hate speech that relates to the election.
• Nigerian voters, and citizens in the diaspora, should critically assess information that they receive about the elections before sharing to help prevent the spread of malicious information about the elections.”
News
Cement price hike causing building collapse – COREN
Cases of building collapse in the country have been attributed to the arbitrary increase in the price of cement by producers of the product.
The President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, Sadiq Abubakar, stated this on Monday in his remarks at the investigative hearing organised by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Solid Minerals, Industry, Commerce and Special Duties, to probe the price increase of cement in recent times.
This was as the Chairman of the Joint Committee and member representing Karu/Keffi/kokona Federal Constituency, Nasarawa State, Gaza Gbewfi, summoned the Chairman of the Cement Producers Association of Nigeria, David Iweta, for questioning over the development.
Iweta, who did to turn up for the investigative hearing on Monday, was summoned after previously turning down two invitations by the committee.
The committee also charged the association to desist from using frivolous court injunctions to interfere in its work as guaranteed by the provisions of the 1999 constitution (as amended)
“You will agree with me that an increase in the price of cement is one of the key culprits of building collapse. I am trying to connect the hike in the price of cement with the standardisation in our building and the direct connection of building collapse.
“There is a connection with that, and I think this something we must interrogate,” the COREN President said.
Gbewfi, while agreeing with Abubakar, also argued that the cost of cement has also brought about an increment in housing rents across the nation.
“Anything that has to do with livelihood should be treated as an emergency’” the committee chairman said.
At the investigative hearing, the joint committee also queried representatives of the Nigeria Building and Road Research Institute and the Federal Competition and Consumers Protection Council on the arbitrary price increase.
Gbewfi also chided the representative of the Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Boladale Adeyinka for not doing enough to protect the consumers of cement in line with the Act establishing the agency, saying, “You are a mother that has forgotten your children.”
News
Osun State Assembly okays salary increase for political office holders
The Osun State House of Assembly is to send a bill to Governor Ademola Adeleke to increase the salary package of some political office holders.
This was made known by the Speaker of the Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, during plenary on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the salary increment bill titled, ‘Osun State Public/Political Office Holders Reviewed Remuneration Package (Amendment No. 2) Bill 2024,’ was presented to the Assembly on April 30, 2024.
The Majority Leader and the lawmaker representing Ede North State Constituency, Kofoworola Adewunmi, presented the bill to the House as a private member bill.
While reading the policy thrust of the bill, Adewunmi stated that the last time the salaries of public/political office holders in the state were reviewed upwards was in 2007.
He said the salaries stipulated for public office holders in the Osun State Public/Political Office Holders Remuneration Package Law 2007 was, however, no more in tandem with the current economic realities.
“You will agree with me that the current economic reality is not the same as what was obtainable 17 years ago when the law was passed.
“It has, therefore, become imperative to review upwards, the salaries of some public/political office holders to better their living standard which is in tandem with the five points agenda of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“In addition, the State Assembly resolution taken on May 8, 2008 wherein there was an upward review of the remuneration package of some public/political office holders not covered by Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, as proposed by the state government, has been further reviewed and subsumed under this bill.” he stated
He equally clarified that the salary increment didn’t affect or cover the lawmakers’ salaries, explaining that state lawmakers’ salaries are statutorily reviewed by the National Assembly.
News
Minimum wage: Labour issues two-week ultimatum to defaulting states
The organised labour comprising of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, on Monday, ordered state chapters to issue two weeks ultimatum to states that have failed to implement the old N30,000 minimum wage.
The NLC and TUC took this decision during a jointly held National Executive Council meeting which took place on Monday.
“NEC-in-session further directed all state councils whose state governments are yet to fully implement the N30,00 national minimum wage and its consequential adjustments to issue immediately a joint two-week ultimatum to the culpable state governments to avert industrial action,” NLC’s National President, Joe Ajaero; and TUC’s National President, Festus Osifo, said in a statement.
Speaking further, the unions also called for a one-day action in Anambra State following what was described as the failure of the state government to meet the demands of civil servants in the state.
“Consequently, the NEC-in-session accordingly reaffirms the NLC and TUC joint ultimatum earlier issued to the Anambra State Government by its Anambra State councils. It therefore directed all affiliates and workers in the state council to mobilise their members to ensure a successful action in the event the state government fails to meet the demands of workers by Thursday, the 23rd of May, 2024.
“In the event that the government fails to meet the demands outlined within the stipulated timeframe, the NEC authorises the leadership of the NLC and TUC to take appropriate actions, including but not limited to the mobilisation of workers for peaceful protests and industrial actions, to press home these demands for social justice and workers’ rights.
“NEC therefore calls on all affiliate unions, and workers including Civil Society Organisations across Nigeria to remain united and steadfast in solidarity during this critical period. Together, we shall prevail in our pursuit of a fair and just society that guarantees the dignity and well-being of all its citizens,” the statement added.
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