LP reports Enugu REC to governorship tribunal( Alleged content)

 The Labour Party, LP, on Thursday accused the Enugu State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Chukwuemeka Chukwu of disobeying a valid order of the governorship election tribunal.

LP made the allegation through its lead counsel, Valerie Azinge, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, during the Tribunal’s sitting on Thursday.

The party and its candidate, Barr Chijioke Edeoga is in court challenging the election of Barr Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The Tribunal had ordered INEC to allow the LP access to the BVAS machines used for the governorship election.

However, Azinge told the Tribunal that every effort by the party to inspect the BVAS machines had been frustrated by the REC in disobedience to the court order.

In a short ruling, the Tribunal led by Justice K. M. Akano asked the petitioners to use their discretion and do the needful.

Speaking to journalists after the Tribunal’s sitting, Azinge was asked what her discretion would be.

She responded: “You will definitely know my answer in a few days' time.”

Also speaking, one of the counsels in Edeoga’s legal team, Barr Ifeanyi Ogenyi said the INEC has refused to respect the Tribunal.

He said the order was made on March 29 “and we served the order on 30th of March.”

He said a letter was also written to the INEC National Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu all to no avail.

“Since then, they have not allowed us. We brought it to the attention of the court because yesterday we went there again but the REC brought PDP members, they said we can’t touch the BVAS, and that we can only look at it.

“But we told them that our forensic expert has to analyze it; even the INEC counsel, Hyacinth Okoli explained to them, but they refused to listen.

“We went again today, the same thing played out. The same PDP members came that we can’t touch the BVAS.”

Ogenyi further revealed that the Tribunal has issued a subpoena that the REC should bring the BVAS to the court.

“The subpoena was served through their lawyer. We expect that the REC should honor the subpoena and appear before the Tribunal. INEC is a government institution, it must obey court order,” he said.

It could be recalled that Edeoga had earlier in a petition he personally sent to the INEC national chairman, Prof Yakubu Mahmood, lamented that the REC refused to allow his legal team and experts access to vital electoral materials despite being directed to do so by the Tribunal.

The letter, which was dated June 26, 2023, and received by INEC on July 3, 2023, reminded the INEC boss that the tribunal had fixed the hearing of the petition for July 7, 2023, urging the electoral umpire to allow them access to the machines.

However, according to Edeoga, following the alleged refusal of REC to grant access, a fresh letter was issued on Monday, July 6, 2023, reminding the INEC Chairman of the need to have access to the materials.

FG tasks ministries, agencies on quality service delivery Story by The Punch

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, has urged Ministries, Department, and Agencies, including the management and staff of the commission, to ensure continuous improvement in Quality Management System in their delivery of services.

The head of the civil service, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, made this call after she received the official presentation of an International Organisation for Standardisation 9001:2015 QMS certificate by the Managing Director, Digital Jewels Africa, Adedoyin Odunfa, on Monday, in Abuja.

In a statement made available to our correspondent on Tuesday, it was stated that the certification came on the heels of the commission’s fulfillment of all requirements of the ISO, as directed by the International Independent Certification Authority, Canada.

In her acceptance speech, Yemi-Esan stated that compliance with the ISO 9001:2015 means that standards are maintained throughout the three-year certification cycle “since certification is not an end in itself, but the means to achieve continuous service quality improvement.”

The statement reads, “Yemi-Esan expressed delight that the OHCSF is the first and only core MDA to achieve this feat of getting ISO certified within the public sector.

“She opined that the certification of the OHCSF’s work processes empowers it to continuously provide quality, innovative, efficient, and people-centered services in accordance with International Standards and Recommended Practices.

“She said that the OHCSF is to henceforth be recognized as a Centre of Excellence globally, saying ISO 9001:2015 QMS certification is the world’s most recognized QMS standard that provides the framework and guidance needed to help organizations consistently meet stakeholders’ expectations, regulatory requirements, as well as demonstrate continuous improvement.

“While urging staff in the OHCSF to take full advantage of the Certification in the realization of its vision and mission of transforming into a world-class Service, the HoCSF encouraged other MDAs to take a cue to move the Service to the expected height.”

The PUNCH reports that the Director ICT in the OHCSF, Dada Adeniyi, was certified as QMS Manager, while seven other civil servants were certified as Team Leads of projects.

10 macheted, scores sustained gunshot injuries as PDP, APC clash in Osun Story by Adeolu Adeyemo – Osogbo.

There was a bloodbath in Ile-Ife, the cradle of the Yorubas, on Monday evening when members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) engaged themselves in a fiercely battle where dangerous weapons, like guns, cutlasses, charms, axes, and other injurious anti-human instruments were freely used by the violent party members.

Fewer than 10 persons reportedly macheted and axed during the fracas, while scores sustained gunshot injuries in a pandemonium that lasted about two hours.

It was gathered that the duo groups engaged in a gun duel.

The two political parties, however, denied being the architect of the trouble that threw the entire ancient town into a state of confusion.

The incident, which happened at, the Ita-Akogun area of the town around 6.00 P.M of the day, left residents, shop owners, traders, motorists, and other road users to keep off the scene and hurriedly escape to different locations to avoid being dealt with by the party warring members who went berserk and took the law into their hands.

As PDP accused the APC of invading their gathering to disturb their campaign rally for the town's presidential and Senate election scheduled for February this year, the APC accused the PDP of starting the scuffle.

Meanwhile, the injured ones from both sides were said to have been taken to different hospitals for medical attention, while the intervention of the police was said to have laid the unrest to rest.

Speaking on the development, the Vice Chairman, PDP More ward, Ile-ife, Segun Adefioye, accused the APC of disturbing their peaceful gathering with weapons and wounded their members before the PDP members retaliated and l d to pandemonium.

In his own comment, the PDP Chairman, Dr. Adekunle Akindele, blamed the APC for the attack saying their trademark is violence and pandemonium, and called on the appropriate authorities to call them to order not to disintegrate the peace in the society.

Also, A Chieftain of the APC and the party spokesperson, Chief Kola Olabisi, maintained that the PDP attacked the APC members and injured them.

He, however, called on the state police command to get to the root of the matter through thorough investigations and bring the perpetrators to book.

In its reaction, the state police command said there was trouble in Ife, but normalcy had been restored in the town.

The police spokesperson, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, while speaking with our reporter, charged members of the public to conduct themselves lawfully and allow harmony in the society.

Tinubu’s visit to Osun will be morale booster ― APC Chieftain Story by Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare

 

 

Bola Tinubu

Following last week’s tribunal judgment declaring Gboyega Oyetola as the winner of the 2022 gubernatorial election in Osun State, the people of Osun are in high expectations of the visit of the presidential flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on February 2.

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress in the state, Kayode Sowade, made this known on Monday, “for our people, the visit by Tinubu will be an icing on the cake of the judgment restoring Oyetola as Governor of the state.

People are particularly expectant that the man who they feel can do the job of restoring the country from its state of chaos is coming to the state. Looking at the tricky situation in the country and the leading presidential candidates of all political parties, it is evident that only Asiwaju can handle the situation.

“From Asiwaju’s comments in Abeokuta, where he spoke on the hardship on the people in terms of new naira notes and fuel being politically orchestrated, things are already looking up especially looking at the extension of the deadline for the exchange of new messages. This shows he understands the pain of the people, and we in Osun are proud of him and expectant of his visit because the people know he is the best man for the job.

“His coming around will boost the morale of the average electorate in Osun, and it is not about the party now, but about a good leader irrespective of religious or ethnic sentiment; he is the best candidate. So the average Osun resident is happy that Asiwaju is coming to the state,” Sowade said.

The APC presidential candidate of APC is scheduled to be in Osun state on Thursday.

 

Ghana finds India a dependable partner – Dep. Foreign Affairs Minister Story by GNA By James Amoh Junior

Accra, Jan. 31, GNA – Mr. Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, a Deputy Minister, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, says Ghana finds India a dependable partner in bilateral cooperation, evident in India’s confidence and investment in the country’s economy.

  He said the relationship between the two countries had been further strengthened at the recent 3rd sessions of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) and Joint Trade Commission (JTC) in July 2022, which resulted in greater.

  He said Ghana had benefited from many project initiatives from Indian companies, which had contributed immensely to the growth of the Ghanaian economy leading to the creation of jobs and business opportunities for the youth in Ghana.

  The Deputy Minister made the remarks at a cocktail reception hosted by the High Commission of India in Accra to commemorate the 74th Republic Day of the Republic of India. 

He acknowledged the efforts of Ghana’s founding father, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and India’s, Jawaharlal Nehru, “whose visionary leadership led to the establishment of cordial and fruitful relations between the two countries some six decades ago.”

  Mr. Ampratwum-Sarpong said: “Our continuous cooperation at both the bilateral and multilateral levels has been well nurtured to the mutual benefit of our two countries.”

  The Deputy Minister said it was gratifying that Ghana was one of the top three African recipients of India’s Line of Credit in the spirit of South-South cooperation, which was used to finance projects such as the India-Ghana Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence for Information Communication Technology (ICT), the Jubilee House; The Pan African E-Network Project and Rural electrification.

  He mentioned the establishment of the Foreign Service Training Institute and the many capacity-building support to public servants, to which Ghana was particularly grateful.

  The Deputy Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister called for an increased presence of Indian investors to take advantage of the African Continental Free-Trade Area to promote intra-African trade to further strengthen the trade ties between the two countries.

  He announced that preparations were underway for Ghana to host the maiden Ghana-Indian Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation (PJCC) in the first quarter of 2023 to further boost trade and investment between the two countries.

  Mr. Sugandh Rajaram, Indian High Commissioner, who gave an emotional farewell speech as his duty tour ended, said the relation between both countries had been enhanced and such collaborations would be taken a notch higher. 

  He said some deliberate efforts had been undertaken to strengthen the India-Ghana ties and prioritize the friendship between the two countries, adding that politically some intense engagements took place in the last years, and the mechanism of bilateral interactions had been reinforced. 

  The High Commissioner admitted that there was a need to rejuvenate efforts to further enhance the bilateral ties for the mutual benefit of the two countries. 

The diplomatic corps, some ministers of state, traditional leaders, and members of the Indian community in Ghana graced the event, characterized by cultural performances.