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32 — Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 FLAG-OFF—From left: Senator Oluremi Tinubu; wife of Kwara State governor, Mrs. Olufolake Abdulrazaq; wife of the President, Dr. Aisha Buhari, and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, during APC Women presidential campaign flag-off, in Ilorin, Kwara State, yesterday. MEETING—From left: National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, May Agbamuche-Mbu; Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba; DG, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmad Abubakar, and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Samuel Adebayo, during the IGP's meeting with leadership of political parties and other security agencies, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan. CONFERMENT—From left: Founder/Chairman, Board of Trustees, Chrisland University, Dr. Winifred Awosika; Vice Chairman, FAMFA Oil Ltd., Folorunso Alakija; Vice-Chancellor, Chrisland University, Prof. Chinedum Babalola, and Pro-Chancellor/Chairman, Governing Council of the university, Prof. Ayodeji Olukoju, during the conferment of honorary degree of Doctor of Science on the Vice Chairman, FAMFA Oil Ltd., at the 4th Convocation ceremony of the university, held in Ogun State, yesterday. TRAINING—Staff of Development Bank of Nigeria Plc., with students of Government Secondary School, Durumi, Abuja, FCT, during the bank’s capacity building training programme for the students, focused on sustainable development goals, SDGs, and digital literacy, in furtherance of its corporate social responsibility, in Abuja.
Vanguard, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 — 33 :Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 INDUCTION—From Left; Dr. Parrick Korie, Vice Chairman, Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria, HMCAN; Tosin Awosika, Guest Speaker; Dr. Leke Oshunniyi, Chairman, HMCAN, Dr. Jimmy Arigbabuwo, President, HCPAN, and Dr. Peter Oriavwote, Electoral Commissioner, HMCAN, during the induction ceremony of new members of the association, by the Institute for Health Care Finance and Managerment Ltd., held at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. Photo: Kehinde Gbadamosi. 2023: INEC staff registered underaged voters —Igini By Clifford Ndujihe, Dapo Akinrefon, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Omeiza Ajayi, Peter Duru & Luminous Jannamike FORMER AKWA Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mike Igini, has accused some staff of the electoral body of registering underaged voters. He said that those involved in the recent INEC registration process are all staff of the commission which makes it easy to trace the culprits for prosecution. “Those who have done this are staff of INEC, I can tell you. If you register as a registration officer, you register with your personal ID (identity card), all of them can be traced,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, yesterday. “Anyone who undermines the confidence of public institutions must be brought to book,” Igini said and cited a case in Akwa Ibom State where an Information and Communications Technology staff of INEC used his office to register under-aged voters. “The beauty of INEC procedures is that they are open to meaningful engagements and discussions. There was a time when we could say these were the handiwork of youth corpers or some people that were engaged but the current procedure and process of registration are all carried out by staff of INEC,” he maintained. Igini further blamed the registration of the under-aged on collapse of values in the society, berating parents who allow their under-aged children to register as voters. He commended the commission for the publication of the voters’ register, saying that it is the first time it is being published on INEC website. The recent publication and display of the voters register by the INEC raised dust owing to the surprising number of children voters. Various social media platforms are awash with claims and counterclaims over the issue. •Go after perpetrators, MBF, Afenifere, APGA, CAN, others urge INEC •We’ll address issue, punish culpable officials — INEC INEC must not tolerate under-aged voters —APGA Speaking on the issue, APGA National Chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku, said: "Why would you tolerate under-aged voters? It is against the law. It goes without gainsaying that if there are underaged voters, it is against the law. They should be dealt with for breaking that particular law. "The under-aged people have no motive to do that. It is people that used them. So, the INEC should face the people who used them and deal with them." Igini spoke the truth —MBF The National President of the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu said Igini’s allegations should be thoroughly investigated, those responsible fished out and punished accordingly.“Dr. Pogu who spoke to Vanguard in Makurdi noted that INEC owe Nigerians a moral responsibility to explain how underaged voters got registered and availed Permanent Voter Cards, PVC.“He said: "it is INEC that does the registration and those who are registered are seen by INEC staff so if we have cases of under-aged voters the commission should be held responsible for that and nobody else.“"Perhaps INEC should purge itself because it is a clear indication that it is failing in its responsibilities.“"The development is also a pointer to the fact that we need to revisit a lot of things. The process of recruiting ad hoc staff in the commission should be revisited to ensure that the wrong people are not engaged in the commission.'' INEC should probe, make necessary By Shina Abubakar OSOGBO—CENTRAL Bank of Nigeria has reemphasised the need for Nigerians to handle the new naira notes with dignity as severe consequences await those mishandling the currency. Speaking at a sensitisation, enlightenment and bank fair programme in Osogbo, Osun State, yesterday, ahead of the introduction of the redesign notes, the CBN's Director of Corporate Communications, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, said the Naira was a symbol of national pride and must be handle with care. Represented by Akpama Uket, he said there were damning consequences for those who handle the Naira without dignity. According to him: "The Naira remains a symbol of our national pride which must be treated with utmost dignity. I, therefore, urged you not to spray, squeeze, or counterfeit the Naira, as default goes with serious consequences. "As you all may be aware, the CBN, riding on internationalbest amends —Afenifere Also, the pan Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, urged the electoral commission to investigate and make necessary amends. Afenifere’s Secretary, Mr Sola Ebiseni, in a chat with Vanguard, said: “That is a confession from INEC itself and our concern is for a free and fair election. We are not surprised that such a statement is coming from INEC. Igini has proven himself as a man of integrity and a public servant with conscience. “For now, we will not regard it as an indictment on INEC because more often than not, those who conduct INEC’s registration activities are adhoc staff, who are not necessarily employees of INEC. “Notwithstanding, INEC ought to have the mechanism to clean its system of illegal registration but that statement, as it is now, has cast a lot of doubt on the sincerity of INEC to conduct a free and fair election.'' Fish out, sanction INEC staff responsible, CAN tells FG On its part, CAN urged the Federal Government to fish out those responsible for the registration of under-aged voters. Kaduna State CAN chairman, Rev. John Hayab, said: "It is rather unfortunate that those who are supposed to protect the sanctity of our electoral process are the people alleged to be subverting it by registering under-aged voters.“"Those who undermine the electoral process must be brought to book irrespective of who they are. The INEC staff culpable in this heinous crime should be fished out and sanctioned. However, we must be careful in doing this because some people may be 18 years and above, but look 10 years younger." We’ll address issues, punish culpable officials Responding to the calls, yesterday, the INEC said it would address all issues raised concerning the national register of voters. In a statement signed by National Commissioner, Festus Okoye, INEC said it was committed to cleaning up the register and punish those found guilty of tampering with its integrity. The Commission said making the register public was a sign of transparency on its part. The register is expected to be displayed physically at the Registration Area level from November 12 to 18. At the Local Government level, it will be displayed from November 19 to 25, during which voters can make claims and objections. In addition to the physical display, citizens can also make claims and objections online, the Commission said. “We wish to reassure Nigerians that the Commission is committed to transparency and accountability in all its activities.“ Naira redesign: Squeeze, spray notes, face wrath of law —CBN practice and Section 2 (b) of the CBN Act 2007, which stipulates currency management as one of its key functions, has announced the plan to redesign,produce, release, and circulate the new series of three banknotes, out of the existing eight banknotes, comprising N200, N500, and N1000 denominations, respectively, effective December 15, 2022, after its launch by President Muhammadu Buhari." On the various successful intervention of the financial institution, Nwanisobi, said: "Some of the bank's interventions, which have recorded significant successes in providing the needed support for businesses to grow include the Anchor Borrowers Programme, ABP, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund, MSMEDF, which has supported entrepreneurship development with over N39.26 million. "The Real Sector Support Facility, RSSF, through Differentiated Cash Reserve Ratio, DCRR, where disbursements to 426 projects across the country stood at N2.10 trillion as at September 2022 and the 100 for 100 Policy on Production and Productivity, PPP, with cumulative disbursement of N93.39 billion to 62 projects within the aforementioned period. " Ikorodu Federal Constituency ticket: A'Court affirms Shittu's victory By Innocent Anaba THE COURT of Appeal sitting in Lagos has affirmed Mr. Abdul Shittu as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the Ikorodu Federal Constituency seat, Lagos in the House of Representatives. A three-man panel of the court dismissed an appeal by Shittu's coaspirant Awesu AbdulAzeez and the PDP challenging the judgment of Justice Daniel Osiagor of a Federal High Court, Lagos, which declared Shittu as the party's flag bearer. Justice A. Bayero, who read the lead judgment, agreed with Shittu's counsel, Patience Udoh, that the appeal lacked merit and "it is accordingly dismissed." The appellate court also dismissed a separate appealby the PDP against Shittu's victory. It awarded a punitive cost of N5million against the PDPin NDDC: ignore calls for inauguration of board, Okotie-Eboh tells Buhari By Jeremiah Urowayino THE SON of Nigeria's First Finance Minister and the immediate past Regent of Warri Kingdom Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore the call for a constituted Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC by some politicians, noting that the timing is wrong. Okotie-Eboh made this disclosure while reacting to the comment of former Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately constitute the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. The immediate past Regent of Warri Kingdom said inaugurating a board for the commission within this period will further afford politicians ample opportunity to loot the Commission's fund for their Waveline Growth Partners targets N500m capital raise By Nkiruka Nnorom WAVELINE GROWTH Partners Limited, a Lagosbased Microfinance Institution, MFI, said it is poised to clinch a leadership position in the microfinance sector through the rendition of unique products and services to its clients. The company also said it is set to raise N500 million to expand its business. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mrs Taba Peterside, who spoke at the company's fiveyear anniversary celebration in Lagos, said that Waveline has disbursed over 2,000 loans worth more than N300 million since its inception in 2017. She stated that the MFI would deploy improved technology and financial services professionals to redefine the business. "Since inception, the company has served a diverse spread of ENUGU—COMMUNITIES in Nike have listed roads, employment, health infrastructure, industrialisation, education, and employment as development priorities facing them, urging the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Shittu's favour, adding that the appeal was needless. The court also ordered Awesu to pay Shittu the sum of N500,000 for bringing a vexatious appeal against him. Recall that lastSeptember, Justice Osiagor of the lower court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise Shitu as the validly nominated candidate for the Ikorodu Federal Constituency. Justice Osiagor held that Shittu won the party's Lagos State House of Representatives primary election conducted on May 24, 2022, by a simple majority. He also held that the INEC form signed by officials of the party and countersigned by the INEC official had the name of the plaintiff, Shittu, written on it as the winner of the primary election. selfish gain to the detriment of the Niger Delta region. Okotie-Eboh said the Managing Director of the commission and his team should be allowed to stabilize the commission for now during this period till after the 2023 election Okotie-Eboh admonished President Buhari to focus more on delivering a free, credible, and acceptable 2023 elections to put the nation on the path of growth to lift Nigeria from the current sociopolitical and economic quagmire and refused to be dragged into unnecessary issues capable of setting the region on fire. He, however, reinforced his belief that in setting up the NDDC board, the government must remember that, in line with the Act establishing the Commission, its the turn of the Itsekiri nation to produce the Managing Director as the highest oil and gas producing ethnic nationality in Delta State. customers under its various products: group loans, individual micro loans, salary loans and SME loans. It has established a strong clientele of repeat customers, who testify to its transparent and speedy loan application processes. "From its first loan of N100,000 in November 2017, it has disbursed nearly 2000 loans worth over N300 million since inception. The company is now ready to significantly expand its service offering from current levels. "In addition to increasing our lending operations, we also plan to broaden our product base to include micro pensions and insurance, among other offerings to deepen our clients’ engagement with the formal economy. “Looking ahead, we are excited to be part of all the innovations taking place in Fintech, and look forward to further expanding our financial inclusion and empowerment mission through technology and partnerships,” Peterside said. Nike communities list devt priorities for Enugu PDP guber candidate State, Dr. Peter Mbah to address the needs when elected governor in 2023. Pledging their votes to Mbah, they also lamented the activities of land speculators, whom they said had made communities poorer. The communities spoke on Thursday during town hall meetings with the Dr. Mbah at Ugwogo Nike, Headquarters of Mbuluiyiukwu Development Centre and Emene, headquarters of Mbulujodo Development Centre both in Enugu East LGA. Speaking, former Senator representing Enugu Senatorial Zone, Senator Gilbert Nnaji and Member representing Enugu East/ Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency, Hon. Cornelius Nnaji, said the construction of the Ugwogo Nike- Agbogazi Nike-Ubahu-Owo road would enhance rural access and catalyse socio-economic development of the area. On their part, Rev. Fr. Cornelius Uwakwe regretted lack of a secondary school or hospital for the people of the area and urged Dr. Mbah to help reduce the hardships of the people, while Rev. Fr. Chimezie Ani, who harped on the agricultural potentials of Nike communities, urged the PDP gubernatorial candidate to elevate the state to agricultural processing and marketing hub when elected.
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