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2023 Census: NPC trains 618 Facilitators, Special Workforce in Jigawa

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By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse

The Jigawa state Office of the National Population Commission (NPC) has trained 618 facilitators and special workforce ahead of this year’s national population census.

Speaking during the closing ceremony for the training at Jigawa state polytechnic, the federal commissoner in charge of the state, Alhaji Garba Zakari expressed appreciation for the support and co-operation by the state government and traditional leaders towards conducting reliable and acceptable head count in the state this year.

The federal commissioner represented by the state director of the commission, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmad, said the successful conduct of the trial census exercise in the state proved that the main headcount will also be successful.

Alhaji Zakari explained that the trained specialized workers would be deployed to local government areas to give step-down training to Enumerators and Desk officers.

He commended local government Chairmen and civil society organizations for their co-operation to NPC.

Also speaking the training coordinator, Mr Danladi Saadu Ibrahim, said the special workforce were trained on the repairs and maintenance of the devise to be used for the headcount.

According to him, “those were the facilitators and special workforce whom will manage the repairs and maintenance of the devise specially made for the population census.”

“They would be posted to all parts of the state to repair any device that is faulty”.

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Obi tackles AG over insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians

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The Labour Party’s standard bearer in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi has callout the Accountant General of the Federation over his insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians for staging a Workshop in London
He described the action as the highest level of insensitivity of the office in the face of the economic reality in the country.

Obi said Nigerians must resist and denounce such recklessness which he describef a clear a show of feelinglessness

Writing on his X handle on Saturday Obi said “Nigerians must vehemently denounce and condemn the decision of Nigeria’s Accountant-General’s Office to hold a workshop in London. This decision is not only unacceptable but also deeply troubling on multiple levels.

“Given the prevailing hardship in the country and the pitiable State of our national currency, any public function abroad amounts to insensitivity on the part of the government and any agency or individuals involved.

“First and foremost, it represents a blatant disregard for fiscal responsibility and prudent expenditure of public funds. At a time when Nigeria is grappling with economic challenges, including inflation, currency devaluation, and a widening budget deficit, it is utterly irresponsible to squander taxpayer money on extravagant overseas workshops. The resources allocated for such purposes should be directed towards addressing pressing domestic needs, such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and poverty alleviation.

“Furthermore, holding a workshop in London sends the wrong message to the Nigerian people and the international community. It perpetuates the perception of government officials indulging in luxury and extravagance at the expense of the common citizen. It fosters a culture of elitism and detachment from the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians, who struggle daily to make ends meet amidst rising living costs and limited access to essential services.

“Moreover, there are serious questions regarding the necessity and effectiveness of conducting a workshop abroad, particularly in a city as expensive as London. Nigeria is home to numerous highly qualified professionals and experts who are more than capable of providing the required training and expertise. By outsourcing such activities to foreign countries the government not only undermines local expertise but also fails to leverage the wealth of knowledge and experience within its borders.

“Additionally, holding a workshop in London raises concerns about transparency and accountability in government procurement processes. There must be full disclosure and justification for why London was chosen as the venue, as well as how the selection of vendors and contractors was made. Any hint of impropriety or favouritism in awarding contracts for such events must be thoroughly investigated and addressed.”

He cocluded by saying that a new Nigeria is possible.

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Beam searchlight on INEC Chairman over Election Funds, ex – IPAC Chief urges EFCC

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commision(EFCC) has been urged to investigate the national Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakub, over his handlung of the funds released for the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

A former National Legal Adviser of the Inter Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) , Barrister Chukwudi Ezeobika who made the call in Abuja on Tuesday, said many Nigerians, especially youths were displeased with the conduct of the 2023 general elections by the INEC.

Ezeobika, explained that mass exodus of youths out of the country shortly after the election was due to poor performance of the INEC.

He insisted that the INEC Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood “has remained the main reason why the Nigerian youths, have completely lost hope in the entity called Nigeria and have resorted to leaving the country in droves (JAPA Syndrome).”

In the statement, Ezeobika said that Prof. Mahmood, and the electoral body’s commissioners at the national and state levels “have not only destroyed the future of many youths in Nigeria by remaining partisan in the conduct of elections but has consistently, wilfully and deliberately misled the electorate on its programmes and schedule for elections since his appointment as the Chairman of INEC.

“From its bold supervision of parallel party primaries across the States of the Federation to its declaration of false and or unpopular Candidates as winners of elections and party primaries in Nigeria, the recklessness of the electoral umpire under Prof. Yakub Mahmood can not be overemphasized.

“The misinformation to and false education of Nigerians by Prof. Mahmood Yakub-led INEC on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which is an electronic device designed to read Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and authenticate voters simultaneously as well as iReV which allows members of the public to create personal accounts and monitor uploaded results, increasing the transparency and integrity of the electoral process, has remained the greatest scam and falsehood in the history of elections in Nigeria.

“The cost of the inadequacies, inept and incompetence of Prof. Yakub Mahmood, in the discharge of his duties as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, can not be overemphasised.

“From personal costs on litigation to Nigerians (Nominees and Candidates alike), which runs into several billions of Naira yearly, due to their participation in the primaries and elections monitored and conducted by INEC, to the huge financial burden on taxpayers money budgeted yearly by the Nigerian government in prosecuting civil and criminal cases which stem from the unwholesome activities of the electoral body in the discharge of its constitutional duties, it is now evidently obvious that the continued retention of Prof. Yakub Mahmood, as the Chairman of INEC in Nigeria, is not only insulting but acutely reprehensible.

“In view of the foregoing, I call on the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede to redeem the corrupt and battered image of the electoral system in Nigeria by promptly investigating billions of taxpayers’ money budgeted and released to INEC under Prof. Yakub Mahmood for the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

“I call on the Commission to further investigate personal financial activities of Prof. Yakub Mahmood, as well as that of the Commissioners under him since their appointments

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Diaspora group to embark on protest against INEC Chair, Akpabio’ demands resignation

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The leadership of the United Nigerians in the Diaspora (UND) has indicated that it will embark on massive street protest to some Nigerian embassies in Washington DC, some other US cities, London and other major cities in Europe and Asia nations against Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

The diaspora group specifically want the INEC chairman to resign over what they described as “the conduct of a shambolic 2023 general elections” while Senate President Akpabio should step aside over the allegation of budget padding raised against him by some Senators.

In a statement released Monday in Abuja, signed by its president worldwide, Ambassador Yusuf Adeyinka, and its general secretary worldwide, Comrade Johnson Acheme, the group solicited co-operation of the International Community during the protest periods and also urged foreign nations who practice ideal democracy like the great Britain, United States and other nations of the world to bar the INEC National Chairman and his team members, Senate President, Akpabio and indeed, the top echelon of the Nigerian Judiciary who partook in deciding the 2023 elections petitions tribunal matters from entering their countries.

The diaspora group also commended Senator Ningi for his courage to expose budget padding in the National Assembly.

“We, the leadership of United Nigerians in the Diaspora, UND- an umbrella body of diaspora groups comprising of Nigerians living in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, some European and Asian nations wish to alert Nigerians and the entire international community on our resolve to hit the streets and Nigerian Embassies in Washington DC, some other US cities, London and other major cities in Europe and Asia nations where our members are domiciled to protest the conduct of a shambolic 2023 general elections by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu and his rogue team.

“As a body, we have carefully watched the antecedents and actions of the National Chairman vis-a-vis the current happenings and realities in Nigeria and wonder what the hell he is still waiting for to resign from that position. To put the records straight, the 2023 elections where the ineptly corrupt Commission claimed it spent a whooping N300 Billion Naira was not only the most expensive but also the most incredible in our recent history.

“We recall first and foremost how the National Chairman and his Commissioner in charge of Public Affairs, a certain Dr. Festus Okoye graced every available national and international platforms assuring Nigerians and the rest of the world of a most transparent election using the Biometric Voter Accreditation System, BVAS machines that would automatically transmit elections results and data from the various Polling Units across the country to the Commission’s central server.

“These rather noble technological innovations were applauded as we all believed it would curb the electoral manipulations and malpractices which our electoral system has been known with through the manual accreditation and collation of elections results.”

According to the statement, the most disconcerting is the fact that the said Professor Mahmoud is yet being strategically positioned by the Tinubu administration to possibly perfect another fraudulent charade in the guise of elections for the incumbent government come 2027.

“For emphasis, this global body while commending some of the Northern Senators like Senator Ningi for their courage to speak up on the alleged padding of N3 trillion Naira into the initially approved N25 trillion Naira by the President gives the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio only 48 hours to honourably resign his position and face immediate prosecution. “Should he fail to heed, we encourage members of the National Assembly to immediately commence a process of his impeachment as he has manifestly demonstrated incapacity, corruption and collusion with the Executive arm of government he was ordinarily elected to checkmate in line with the principles of checks and balances as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.

“We also knock the Nigerian Judiciary for stamping the fraud and illegality dubbed 2023 elections by Mahmoud and cohorts. That arm of government has since then lost the honour, dignity and respect of many Nigerians who had relied on it as ordinarily the last hope of the common man to remedy the wrongs and defects in the 2023 elections.”

The group, however, resolved to “commence peaceful protests in major cities and Embassies in Washington DC, New York, London, Paris and numerous other cities where our members reside in their numbers.
“Through messages on our placards, we shall INSIST on the immediate resignation of the INEC National Chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu and respectively, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“We shall continue our global protests and will not QUIT or STOP until Mahmoud and Akpabio resign their positions as the National Chairman of INEC and as President of Nigeria’s Red Chambers.
“We also urge the United Nations, the European Union and other world bodies should stop them from making or getting any form of international honour, recognition or participating in it’s activities and engagements.

“Finally, we solicit the usual co-operation of the International Community during these periods and also urge foreign nations who practice ideal democracy like the great Britain, United States and other nations of the world to bar the corrupt INEC National Chairman and his rogue team members, Senate President, Akpabio and indeed, the top echelon of the Nigerian Judiciary who partook in deciding the 2023 Elections petitions tribunal matters from entering their countries.
“They should confiscate their International passports, those of their wives and families and ensure there is no hiding place for the Nigerian 2023 election robbers, their accomplices or their obviously corrupt enobblers.”

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