14022018 - Workers flee as herdsmen overrun LG offices in Ondo

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018—35
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NAWOJ, Lalong make case for widows, girl-child
By Marie-Therese
Nanlong
JOS—THE plights of
widows and the girlchild
in multicultural
Nigeria have again been
brought to the fore, with a
call on all citizens of
goodwill to contribute and
render assistance that will
alleviate the challenges
they are facing.
The widow and girl-child
were also charged not to
live fear-dominated lives,
but take their destinies in
their hands and seek help
at appropriate quarters,
whenever the need arises,
so people don’t take
advantage of their
vulnerability and exploit
them.
These were the views of
the wife of Plateau State
governor, Mrs. Regina
Lalong, during her
investiture as Patron of
Nigeria Association of
challenges and bring about
solutions to all unhealthy
practices and traditions that
hinder the attainment of the
full potential of the
womenfolk generally.”
Earlier, the President of
NAWOJ, Ifeyinwa
Omowole, and the Plateau
State Chairperson of the
association, Jennifer
Yerima, said women of
different status will have a
new lease of life at the end
of the event.
PASTORS' CONFAB: Rev. Alphosus Anyanacho (middle); Security Supervisor, Vanguard Media
Limited, Rev. Samuel Eghagbaifo (right) and other clerics at the pastors and church leaders’ conference
organised by Believers Theological Seminary in conjunction with Ministers Network International, in
Lagos. PHOTO: Elizabeth Uwandu.
In Kano: We don’t have control
over underage voters— INEC
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA—THE fidelity of
the outcome of last
Saturday’s local
government elections in
Kano State is now in
question, following the
decision of the
Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, to dissociate itself
from incidences of
underage voting, which
was allegedly a prominent
feature in the exercise.
According to Oluwole
Uzzi, Director, INEC Voter
By Dennis Udoma
U YO—FORMER
federal lawmaker
from Akwa Ibom State, Dan
Akpan, has threatened
legal action against the
Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board,
JAMB, for blocking his
Computer-Based Test,
CBT, centre from
registering candidates for
the just-concluded 2017/
2018 UTME registration.
This is even as he alleged
that over 6,000 candidates
seeking registration with
JAMB in Akwa Ibom this
Education and Publicity,
“the attention of the
Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, has been drawn to
videos and pictures
purportedly showing some
underaged thumb printing
ballot papers in a recent
election. These images
have been circulating
online since Saturday.
“The INEC wishes to
inform the public that the
images do not relate in any
way to any election
organised, conducted or
superintended by INEC.
Ex-lawmaker threatens JAMB
with law suit over CBT centre
year will miss out of CBT.
Akpan, who is also the
Proprietor of Spring-wood
Investment Limited at Ikot
Okpudo in Nsit Ubium
Local Government Area of
the state, gave the threat
weekend, noting that the
centre was approved and
accredited by JAMB in
2016.
According to him,
“problem started when our
router could not access
JAMB, and we had to
report the matter to the
State Coordinator, Mrs
Odigida, who referred us
to Mr. Adamu, a Director
“As far as the INEC can
ascertain, they relate to a
local government election
conducted at the weekend,
and over which we have no
legal control or
responsibility whatsoever.”
However, Vanguard
checks revealed that INEC
usually provides national
voters’ register to State
Independent Electoral
Commission, SIEC, for
local council elections.
The state electoral
commissions are, therefore,
expected to accredit only
those voters in INEC
in Abuja office.
“My administrator has
been talking to Adamu,
who promised to give us a
SIM card. Two months after,
he referred us to the State
Coordinator, who is not
helping us.
“Because of this, I have
personally gone to Abuja
office to complain and they
admitted receiving our
letter of complaint.
“As we speak, JAMB has
not done anything to rectify
the problem and we are
completely frustrated as we
could not do registration
this year.”
register.
... in 2015
There had been concerns
by some election observers
that while underage voters
may have been used to boost
the 2015 election outcome
in the state, the incident
might repeat itself in 2019,
if Saturday’s occurrence is
not questioned.
Uzzi said: “While the
commission remains
resolute in our commitment
to sanitise the nation’s
electoral process and
deliver free, fair and
credible elections, we
cannot be held directly or
vicariously liable for an
exercise outside our legal
purview.
“It should be pointed out
here that local government
elections are exclusively the
constitutional responsibility
of the respective State
Electoral Commissions,
SEC, who are in no way
under the control or
supervision of INEC.
“On our part, INEC
assures the public that we
are doing all we can to
ensure a credible election
as was once again
demonstrated in the
Mashi/Dutsi federal
constituency election in
Katsina State on
Saturday.”
N11bn scandal: Ex-Governor
Shema's trial begins
By Bashir Bello
KATSINA
High
Court, yesterday,
resumed prosecution of
former governor of the
state, Ibrahim Shema,
over alleged financial
misappropriation.
The Economic and
Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC,
had filed a motion at the
court against the former
governor and three
others for alleged
misappropriation of N11
billion during his eight
years tenure as governor
of the state.
Others charged with
him include his
Commissioner for Local
Government and
Chieftaincy Affairs,
Hamisu Makana;
Permanent Secretary,
Church leaders must
speak truth—Clerics
By Elizabeth
Uwandu
THE need for clerics
to always speak the
truth and set moral
examples for their
followers formed the
focus of a two-day
seminar tagged Pastors
and Church Leaders
Conference, organised
by Believers
Theological Seminary
and hosted by Rev. Dr.
Adolphus Anyanacho.
The event, held in
partnership with
Minister’s Network
International at the
Chapel of Light, Lagos
State University, LASU,
Ojo, had Pastor Frances
Akin-John, Pastor
Women Journalists,
NAWOJ, in the
association’s recentlyconcluded
National
Executive Council, NEC,
meeting in Jos, Plateau
State.
She said: “As women
journalists, you have been
liberated by your education
and exposure to, not only
identify the challenges that
women face, but also
intensify the campaign that
will draw attention to these
By Suzan Edeh
BAUCHI—WIFE of
Bauchi State
governor, Hadiza
Abubakar, has presented
certificates to 1,600
women graduates of her
skill acquisition
programme in Bauchi.
The womentrainees
rounded off
their one-month training,
specialising in tailoring,
interior decoration,
pastry, catering and
agro-allied products,
ranging from dubla,
spaghetti, potato chips,
coconut oil production to
preservation of tomatoes
and vegetables.
The programme, which
saw beneficiaries
selected from the 20 local
Ministry for Local
Government, Lawal
Safana, and former
ALGON Chairman, Lawal
Dankaba.
At yesterday’s sitting, the
presiding judge, Justice
Ibrahim Bako, adjourned
the case to April 10, 11 and
12 for the hearing.
Shema had gone to the
Appeal Court in Kaduna
to challenge the
jurisdiction of the Katsina
State High Court, where it
(Appeal Court sitting in
Kaduna) ruled in favour of
Katsina State High Court
to try the former governor,
who proceeded to the
Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court,
however, affirmed the
judgment of Court of
Appeal, Kaduna, which
authorised the trial of the
ex-governor.
Goodness Eze, Bishop
Abraham Olaleye, Dr.
Monday Kali, Pastor Isaac
Stephen and Dr. Tosin
Audu as guest speakers.
Speaking, Rev
Anyanacho said most
church leaders have left
their mandate as role
models to become lords
that spread fake
prophecies and build
castles without foundation,
describing same as
stomach gospel.
On his part, Pastor
Akin-John, a columnist
with Vanguard, who
called for the nation’s
restructuring, noted that
for the church of God to
grow, the workers must
be spiritually, morally
and physically sound.
Bauchi gov's wife
empowers 1,600 women
government areas of the
state, was organised by the
governor’s wife’s NGO, B-
SWEEP, in collaboration
with the state’s Ministry of
Women Affairs.
Speaking during the
ceremony yesterday,
Hajiya Abubakar charged
the beneficiaries to utilise
the skills acquired to
improve their livelihood.
In his remarks, Governor
Mohammed Abubakar,
who was represented by
his Deputy, Nuhu Gidado,
reiterated the
determination of the state
government to improve the
lives of women, with the
aim of removing the sociocultural
barriers
preventing them from
realising their full
potentials.