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8 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2022<br />

:Vanguard News<br />

We've not shifted grounds on<br />

same-faith ticket —CAN<br />

•Says 'we won't endorse any candidate' •As Atiku, Obi, Adebayo<br />

meet body, unfold restructuring, security agenda, others<br />

By Luminous<br />

Jannamike<br />

A BUJA—CHRISTIAN<br />

Association of Nigeria,<br />

CAN, yesterday, said it had not<br />

changed its position on samefaith<br />

ticket.<br />

''If we want to change any<br />

position, we'll let the Nigerian<br />

public know,'' the Christian body<br />

said on a day the presidential<br />

candidates of Peoples Democratic<br />

Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar;<br />

Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, and<br />

their Social Democratic Party,<br />

SDP, counterpart, Adewole<br />

Adebayo, met with its leadership<br />

to discuss issues of concern to<br />

Christians in the country, ahead<br />

of the 2023 elections.<br />

The three candidates also<br />

unfolded their agenda on<br />

restructuring, insecurity,<br />

economy, power and corruption.<br />

While Atiku shared how he<br />

planned to address the age-old<br />

issue of restructuring and<br />

devolution of power to the<br />

federating units, if elected in the<br />

2023 election, Obi highlighted his<br />

vision for the economy and<br />

wealth creation, as Adebayo said<br />

he would prioritise food security,<br />

housing, educaEtion and<br />

infrastructure development.<br />

CAN, however, presented an<br />

11-point demand entitled,<br />

'Charter for Future Nigeria' to the<br />

presidential candidates which<br />

outlined key areas of interest for<br />

the good of the common man.<br />

The religious body also added<br />

that a holistic amendment of the<br />

1999 Constitution was a<br />

necessity for justice, peace,<br />

unity, prosperity and progress of<br />

the nation.<br />

At the interactive session were<br />

leaders of CAN and<br />

representatives of various<br />

Christian blocs; Atiku's running<br />

mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa<br />

of Delta State; and the PDP<br />

national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia<br />

Ayu.<br />

Others include Governor of<br />

Taraba State, Dairus Ishaku;<br />

former Senate President, Bukola<br />

Saraki; former Vice President,<br />

Alhaji Namadi Sambo; former<br />

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom<br />

Ikimi; and Chairman Emeritus<br />

of Daar Communications Plc, Dr.<br />

Raymond Dokpesi.<br />

Also present were a former<br />

governor of Cross River, Liyel<br />

Imoke; Senator Philip Aduda,<br />

Senator Dino Melaye, Timi<br />

Alaibe, Kenneth Imasuagbon,<br />

Dele Momodu, former Governor<br />

Boni Haruna of Adamawa State,<br />

and other PDP, LP, and SDP<br />

chieftains among others.<br />

We won't endorse<br />

any candidate —CAN<br />

In his remarks, the CAN<br />

President, Archbishop Daniel<br />

Okoh, said CAN is very careful<br />

not to be partisan, insisting that<br />

its position on same-faith ticket<br />

remains same.<br />

He said: “We have not changed<br />

our position (on same-faith<br />

ticket). If we want to change any<br />

position, we'll let the Nigerian<br />

public know. And so, when<br />

people read insinuations in the<br />

social media, I will advise that<br />

people to come verify, and to be<br />

sure that what you see out there<br />

is truly the position of CAN.<br />

"This year, CAN has decided<br />

to expand this interactive<br />

session to include the media and<br />

and other leaders so that the<br />

conversation will be seen to be<br />

as open as possible, and that the<br />

people will see that there is no<br />

secret. There are no secret<br />

meetings and there is nothing<br />

hidden at all in any<br />

conversation.<br />

"We gave two dates and we<br />

wrote to all the 18 presidential<br />

candidates and we invited all to<br />

interactive session on November<br />

15 and November 16.<br />

"We are not going to endorse<br />

any political party. And we also<br />

want to let you know that<br />

Christian Association of Nigeria<br />

has taken the stand on a number<br />

of political issues in this country,<br />

not for the church alone, but for<br />

the well being of the people and<br />

future of our country. And we<br />

are not about to change those<br />

positions we have taken because<br />

it took us a long time to arrive at<br />

those positions and decisions.''<br />

Atiku addresses<br />

CAN<br />

Atiku Abubakar assured the<br />

Christian leaders of devolving<br />

power to the component regions<br />

and states of the federation,<br />

noting that restructuring of the<br />

country is imperative for Nigeria<br />

to make progress in 2023 and<br />

beyond.<br />

Broaching the issue which has<br />

been a sensitive and contentious<br />

subject between the Northern<br />

:@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058<br />

COMMISSIONING: From left, Balogun Alanamu, Dr. Usman Abubakar Jos; Inspector General of<br />

Police, Usman Alkali Baba; Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Commissioner of<br />

Police, Kwara State, Paul Odama, during the commissioning of a model police station and ultra modern<br />

barracks, in Ilorin, yesterday.<br />

and Southern regions, the PDP<br />

flag bearer agreed with CAN that<br />

state police and fiscal<br />

restructuring are constitutional<br />

matters requiring the urgent<br />

attention of the country's next<br />

president.<br />

He took a swipe at the ruling<br />

All Progressives Congress, APC,<br />

saying it deceived Nigerians in<br />

2015 by promising to restructure<br />

the country which it didn't till<br />

date.<br />

He said: "My brothers and<br />

sisters, I stand before you here<br />

not to campaign but to tell you<br />

the honest truth. What you have<br />

presented to us is what I have<br />

always believed in and if I have<br />

the opportunity. I swear to God I<br />

will do it.<br />

"We cannot have state police<br />

without having a constitutional<br />

amendment, so we will go into<br />

constitution amendment where<br />

we will have different levels of<br />

police. These are our plans to<br />

tackle the security challenges<br />

facing the country.<br />

"For sure, we need a judicial<br />

amendment, first of all, there are<br />

poor wages for Judges, very poor<br />

working conditions. Again, the<br />

judiciary has levels, federal<br />

judiciary, state, but we will<br />

attempt as much as possible to<br />

have a judicial reform where we<br />

will improve dispensation of<br />

justice and also the welfare of<br />

Judges."<br />

He vowed to expunge the<br />

sections of the 1999 Constitution<br />

that reinforced indigeneship at<br />

the expense of citizenship.<br />

"I am a supporter of the removal<br />

of clause of definition of<br />

indigeneship in our constitution.<br />

Once you reside in any part of<br />

the country, and you pay your<br />

taxes, you should be entitled to<br />

indigeneship," he noted.<br />

Obi takes the stage<br />

Speaking when he took the<br />

centre stage, the Labour Party<br />

presidential candidate, Peter<br />

Obi, said he would rescue Nigeria<br />

from its status as a failed state if<br />

elected president in 2023.<br />

Like Atiku, he reiterated that<br />

insecurity would be a thing of<br />

the past under his<br />

administration, declaring that he<br />

was committed to unlocking the<br />

greatness of the country and<br />

lifting her from a consuming<br />

country to a producing one.<br />

The former Anambra governor<br />

said all the 18 presidential<br />

candidates would make same<br />

promises, but asked Nigerians to<br />

check the sincerity of their<br />

promises and support who they<br />

could trust.<br />

Obi said Nigeria had met the<br />

qualifications to be characterised<br />

as a failed state, because the<br />

country is no longer in control of<br />

its territory and economy.<br />

"All presidential candidates will<br />

tell you the same story,<br />

everybody's story will be as sweet<br />

as the other ones. What you are<br />

going to do is to check the<br />

sincerity and the truth and the<br />

one you can trust.<br />

"It is now who among these 18<br />

presidential candidates can you<br />

trust, because there is no<br />

promise that we are going to<br />

make that has not been made in<br />

the past, that promise has<br />

always been there.<br />

"What I want to do is to move<br />

the country from consumption<br />

to production, it is not a<br />

productive country, our priority<br />

is to secure and unite the<br />

country, it is the number one<br />

thing you need to do.<br />

"Nigeria has hit the two most<br />

critical things that qualifies a<br />

country to a failed state, number<br />

one, when you are no longer in<br />

control of your territory, we are<br />

no longer in control of our<br />

territory, number two, is when<br />

you are no longer in control of<br />

your economy, nobody can tell<br />

you today how much they are<br />

going to sell a bag of rice<br />

tomorrow. No country can<br />

function like that.<br />

State, religion like<br />

Siamese twins<br />

—SDP candidate,<br />

Adebayo<br />

When it was his turn to speak,<br />

the SDP presidential candidate<br />

stated that it was wrong to<br />

separate the state from religion<br />

in the pursuit of common good<br />

for all.<br />

According to him, both are like<br />

Siamese twins and mutually<br />

reinforcing each other for the<br />

peace and progress of nation, but<br />

regretted that unscrupulous<br />

politicians seek to break that<br />

bond between the two.<br />

"That is why leaders when they<br />

are doing wrong, I mean political<br />

leaders, and religious leaders<br />

come out to talk, rhey will say,<br />

separate religion from state.<br />

"But when the state is in<br />

trouble, we'll call religious leaders<br />

to come and explain. When we<br />

have failed in our credibility,<br />

because we have no provided for<br />

the people, and they're not<br />

listening to us. We go to religious<br />

leaders for help," he explained.<br />

Nigerian Prisons record zero<br />

COVID-19 case since outbreak<br />

—CGP<br />

By Omeiza Ajayi<br />

ABUJA—THE<br />

Nigerian<br />

Prisons Service, NPS, has<br />

again scaled up its environmental<br />

and health surveillance systems,<br />

as part of its mandate to provide<br />

good health services for the<br />

wellbeing, protection and<br />

reformation of inmates.<br />

Declaring open the 2022<br />

service-wide training of frontline<br />

health and medical officers<br />

organized in conjunction with the<br />

International Committee of the<br />

Red Cross ICRC in Abuja,<br />

Controller General of Prisons,<br />

Haliru Nababa, explained how<br />

the agency was able to keep at<br />

bay the COVID-19 pandemic<br />

which reared its head in Nigeria<br />

in February 2020.<br />

He said: "Globally there is<br />

erroneous impression on African<br />

penitentiary health delivery<br />

system. The NCoS has put on<br />

global record a historic health<br />

service tribute that herald the<br />

defeat of dreaded diseases such<br />

as the HIV/AIDS, Ebola Virus,<br />

Lassa Fever, cholera, COVID-19<br />

pandemic, etc in Prisons.<br />

"For the umpteenth time, I am<br />

glad to announce that there is no<br />

single case of COVID-19 recorded<br />

in custodial centres in Nigeria<br />

right from when it was officially<br />

declared a pandemic till date!<br />

"This feat underscores the rich<br />

culture of health practices within<br />

the Nigerian Correctional Service<br />

to the credit of the Federal<br />

Government of Nigeria. Indeed,<br />

such achievements does not come<br />

by accident. First of all,<br />

Professional Correctional<br />

Management with focus on<br />

inmates protection play vital<br />

role.<br />

"Secondly, a broad based<br />

synergy of Correctional Service<br />

health staff and the entire health<br />

emergency preparedness<br />

response mechanism of Nigeria<br />

contributes richly to this globally<br />

2023: Court refuses to order<br />

INEC to resume CVR<br />

A<br />

FEDERAL High Court,<br />

Abuja, yesterday refused to<br />

direct the Independent National<br />

Electoral Commission, INEC, to<br />

resume the continuous voter’s<br />

registration, CVR.<br />

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a<br />

judgment, held that going by the<br />

date of thie verdict, INEC would<br />

have had “just a few days away<br />

from 90 days before the general<br />

elections.<br />

Justice Ekwo, however, declared<br />

that INEC “is expected pursuant<br />

to the provisions of Sections 76<br />

(2), 77 (2), 116 (2), 117 (2), 132 (2)<br />

& (5) and 178 (2) and (5) of the<br />

1999 Constitution of the Federal<br />

Republic of Nigeria (as amended)<br />

as well as Sections 9 (1), 9 (6), 10<br />

(1) and 12 (1) of the Electoral Acts,<br />

2022, to continue voters<br />

registration, update and revision<br />

of voters register until 90 days<br />

before the General Election billed<br />

to take place on Feb. 25 and March<br />

11.<br />

“It is the constitutional<br />

responsibility of the defendant<br />

(INEC) to make sure that every<br />

prospective Nigerian voter who<br />

have shown desire to register to<br />

vote are not deprived, their civil<br />

right to register and participate in<br />

the forthcoming general elections<br />

scheduled to teke place on 25th<br />

February, 2023 and 11th March,<br />

2023.”<br />

According to Justice Ekwo, “this<br />

court is unable to grant relief<br />

number 3 of the plaintiffs because<br />

going by the date of this<br />

judgement, from the date of this<br />

judgement, the defendant will<br />

have just a few days away from 90<br />

celebrated health delivery status.<br />

''Furthermore, the government<br />

of President Muhammadu<br />

Buhari, especially, plays important<br />

role in seeing to the seemingly<br />

wonderful health performances of<br />

the Nigerian Prisons Service."<br />

Represented by the Controller<br />

of Prisons in charge of Water and<br />

Sewage at the National<br />

Headquarters, Mr RY Jatau, the<br />

Prisons Controller-General<br />

added that the problem of drug<br />

supply was being tackled through<br />

special fund allocation for<br />

monthly pharmaceutical<br />

procurements.<br />

According to him, the drug<br />

compounding centre at the<br />

Medium Security Prisons in Kuje<br />

is another strategic government<br />

investment towards ensuring<br />

timely provision of quality drugs<br />

for inmates.<br />

"Better days lie ahead as the<br />

Service embraces the Public-<br />

Private-Partnership for<br />

production of drugs to meet the<br />

demand of the increasing inmates'<br />

population.<br />

"Worth mentioning is the<br />

hygiene promotion programme<br />

instituted at diverse Correctional<br />

Centres. The production of<br />

hygiene materials at Maximum<br />

Prison, Kirikiri, was initiated by<br />

ICRC but currently being<br />

sustained by Water and Sewage<br />

Unit.<br />

''The products assessed fit by the<br />

Health Directorate, are approved<br />

by CGC for Pharmaceutical unit<br />

to procure relevant items for<br />

redistribution to inmates<br />

nationwide.<br />

"In the same vein, I have<br />

approved the production of<br />

quality table water in Custodial<br />

Centres for inmates use and<br />

rehabilitation programming. Hair<br />

hygiene and general sanitation<br />

is also on the saddle of strategic<br />

plan for the Service towards<br />

achieving health for all inmates.<br />

Health service in NCoS is gender<br />

sensitive across all correctional<br />

commands as ICRC can confirm."<br />

days before the general elections<br />

of 25th February, 2023 and 11th<br />

March, 2023.”<br />

The News Agency of Nigeria<br />

(NAN) reports that four plaintiffs;<br />

Anajat Salmat, Mr Earnest<br />

Stanley, Charles Okafor and Mr<br />

Samuel Oluwakemi had sued<br />

INEC for discontinued the voter<br />

registration exercise on July 31.<br />

INEC was the sole defendant in<br />

the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/<br />

1343/2022.<br />

The plaintiffs had prayed the<br />

court for three reliefs which include<br />

“a declaration that the defendant<br />

is expected pursuant to the<br />

provisions of Sections 76 (2), 77<br />

(2), 116 (2), 117 (2), 132 (2) & (5)<br />

and 178 (2) & (5) of the 1999<br />

Constitution of the Federal<br />

Republic of Nigeria (as amended)<br />

as well as Sections 9 (1), 9 (6), 10<br />

(1) and 12 (1) of the Electoral Acts,<br />

2022, to continue voters<br />

registration, update and revision<br />

of voters register till 90 days before<br />

the general election.<br />

“A declaration that it is the<br />

constitutional responsibility of<br />

the defendant to make sure that<br />

every prospective Nigerian voter<br />

who have shown desire to<br />

register to vote are not deprived<br />

their civil right to register and<br />

participate in the forthcoming<br />

general elections.<br />

“An order of court directing the<br />

defendant to resume<br />

immediately the registration of<br />

new voters, updating and<br />

revision of the register of voters<br />

until at least 90 days to the<br />

general election slated to hold<br />

on 5th February, 2023 and 11th<br />

March, 2023.”

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