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C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
K<br />
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.”