2023 elections: New electoral law now awaits NASS, Presidency – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the duty of having a new electoral framework ahead of the 2023 general elections resides with the National Assembly and the Presidency.

Festus Okoye, the INEC’s Commissioner, said this at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room National Stakeholders’ Forum on Elections on Monday in Abuja.

According to him, as far as the electoral management body was concerned, INEC was still operating with the existing electoral legal framework because the new one was not ready and said that there were some fundamental issues around the new electoral framework, with one of it being the issue of the electoral management body which is concerned and related to the deepening of democracy through the use of technology.

Gov Ikpeazu inaugurates Abia College Board, Commission members

The Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, on Monday, inaugurated the reconstituted State Civil Service Commission and Local Government Service Commission and also inaugurated the Governing Council of Abia State College of Health Science and Management Technology, Aba.

This was said in a release by Onyebuchi Ememanka, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and issued to newsmen in Umuahia, on Monday.

Speaking while inaugurating the Commissions and Board at Government House, Umuahia, the state capital, Governor Ikpeazu, admonished the members to mainstream the welfare of workers in their various institutions, especially in the area of capacity building and also urged them to deal with the issue of ghost workers, stating that the ongoing staff verification exercise in the local government system in the State had saved the government close to 100 million naira. 

Sharp practices won’t be tolerated – Osun NSCDC warns POS operators

Operators of the Point of Sales machines, popularly known as POS machines have been cautioned to be wary of fraudulent individuals who are in the habit of using their account details to perpetrate fraud.

Handing down the warning on Monday in Osogbo, while addressing operatives of the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Osun State Commandant, Emmanuel Ocheja said that some fraudulent transactions through the POS have been discovered.

Ocheja while revealing that the Command was still investigating a case of fraud and that the account had been traced to a POS, adding that the account had been frozen for further investigations, warned that any POS operator caught engaging in sharp practices would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

He also advised POS operators to ensure that they registered their businesses appropriately and report any suspected fraudulent activity to the appropriate authorities for action. 

Former Adamawa Specialist Hospital MD abducted

A former Medical Director of Adamawa State Specialist Hospital, Yola, Dr Saidu Bala has been abducted.

It was gathered on Tuesday morning that Bala who now owns and runs Aisha Hospital Yola, was seized from the private hospital by gunmen who stormed the place Monday evening.

Witnesses said three gun-wielding assailants stormed the hospital located at the Ngurore village, on the Yola-Numan highway and shot sporadically to scare neighbours away and then took the man away.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed that the abduction of Dr Saidu took place at his private hospital in Ngurore.

 

EPL: Gabby Agbonlahor names Arsenal next captain after Aubameyang’s disciplinary breach

Former Aston Villa striker, Gabby Agbonlahor has tipped Kieran Tierney or Bukayo Saka to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as Arsenal captain.

Agbonlahor said this while calling on Aubameyang to consider giving up Arsenal captaincy after his disciplinary breach.

The Gabonese international was dropped from the Arsenal squad against Southampton on Saturday over the disciplinary breach and reports in England suggest he would be stripped off the captain armband.

But Agbonlahor feels it is time for the 32-year-old striker to consider dropping the armband after his latest disciplinary problems.