Elections 2015: INEC Denies Awarding North More Polling Units

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday explained that the 30,000 new polling units across the country were created from existing voting points for the purpose of easing the logistic challenges of the commission.
INEC further stated that the new polling units were previously known as voting points and were appendages to existing previously polling units.
This was contained in an paid advertorial by the Commission published in today’s edition of Vanguard. Throwing more light on how the voting points were established and why the need to discard them arose, the Commission stated that “Since 2011 the Commission has employed the strategy of breaking large polling units into manageable structures known as voting points. Under this arrangement, large polling units are
disaggregated into multiples of 300 registered voters per voting point- with a polling unit having multiples of voting points depending on the overall population of voters.
These voting points were not autonomous units; they remained integral to respective polling units” According to the advertorial, the commission observed that these voting points elicited the suspicion of political parties which accused the Commission of secretly creating addition polling units adding that whereas the Electoral Act provides that there should be only one party agent per polling unit, some of the parties requested that they should have agents at all voting points.
The Commission further explained that another reason why addition polling units were created was because as presently constituted, the entire country would require the deployment of 250,000 electronic card readers which would have a huge cost implication for INEC.
According to the document: ” In order to address all the aforementioned challenges. INEC decided to reconfigure
the polling units and increase the number from the present 119, 973 units to 150,000 polling units. The guiding principles for the reconfiguration Include; Polling units Will be located as much as possible in enclosures ( classrooms and halls of public schools, institutions, community centres town halls). In open spaces, tents or canopies will be erected.
A public Institution that accommodates more one polling unit will be designated as a Polling Station; Polling units will be located within a reasonable distance to voters – a maximum radius of 1 kilometre in urban areas and 2- kilometer radius in rural areas; Each polling unit will have a maximum of 500 registered voters. In effect additional polling units will be created out of those presently having more than 500 registered voters in
multiples thereof; polling units will be located In secure places that provide for easy deployment of staff equipment and materials: as well as places that allow effective and unhindered management of polling day activities.;? Where existing polling units are located In places not Suitable, they Will be relocated to appropriate sites; ? emerging settlements With substantial voting age population will be considered for the establishment of new polling units. The Commission dismissed claims made by a group identified as Electoral Integrity Network adding that “The post-AFIS population of registered voters has been adopted as the valid baseline for the total number of
polling units created “because that is the existing number of identifiable voters. Those who failed the business rules
and do not have their permanent voters cards yet are ordinarily expected to re-present themselves for registration.”

Man Arrested For Stabbing A Prostitute

A 26-year+old polytechnic graduate, Shola Egunle, has been charged before an Ebute Metta Magistrate’s court sitting at oyingbo for allegedly stabbing a commercial sex worker.
The defendant, who resides at 17, Fdafunmi Street, Iyana Ipaja, was said to be a 2009 graduate of banking and Finance from a private polytechnic in Lagos.
He was alleged to have stabbed the commercial sex worker, joy Osasuwa, with a knife on the breast and back at 3 Star Hotel, located at Otto Railway Crossing in Oyingbo area of Lagos on August 12, after he made love to the vicitm.
The defendant is facing a count charge bordering on assault proffered against him by the police.
It was said that the defendant had demanded a balance of N800 from the N100 he gave the victim for her service.
It was also said that the defendant made the demand for the balance on the ground that he did not complete the
act, adding that when the vicitim refused to comply with the defendan’ts demand, he resorted to self help, by beating the vicitm severely before stabbing her on the breast and on her back with a kitchen knife he found in her apartment.
The prosecutor, inspector A. U. Moses, told the court that the offence is punishable under section 243 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state of Nigeria, 2011.
The defendant’s counsel, Obi Simon, informed the court that both parties have agreed to settle the matter out of
court and urged the court to grant the defendant bail in a most liberal term and adjourn for a very short date.
Following the submission of the counsel to the defendant, Magistrate K. O Ogundare admitted the defendant to a
bail at the sum of N200,000 with two responsible sureties in like sum.
Ogundare also ordered that sureties must show evidence of three years tax payable to Lagos State government, means of livelihood and have their addresses verified by the prosecutor. The matter was adjourned till September 24.

Ebola: Wema Bank To Protect It's Worker's

Wema Bank has introduced self dispensing hand sanitisers and body temperature scanners at all its branches in the country in a move aimed at curtailing the spread of Ebola.
The bank is also introducing protective
gears for members of its staffs especially
those who deal directly with customers. In a notice to customers released Monday, the bank said henceforth all customers and visitors to any branch of the bank would be required to use the hand sanitisers and be scanned for symptoms of fever before being admitted into their banking halls.
“In the wake of the recent Ebola Virus Disease outbreak across West Africa, we are compelled to introduce the following preventive health and safety initiatives at all our business locations in order to ensure a safe banking environment for all
customers and staff,” the bank stated. “All customers and visitors are required to use the hand sanitisers and also undergo a quick non-invasive body temperature scan before being allowed into our banking halls and business locations.
“In addition, some of our staff at the more
sensitive desks will also be required to
wear some protective gears while interacting with customers and other visitors during this period” the document added.
The bank did not say what provisions will
be made for customers who are denied
access due to their body temperature or
other health concerns.

Enugu State Deputy Governor Impeached

Embattled Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Sunday Onyebuchi has been impeached by the State House of Assembly. Onyebuchi's removal carried out at exactly 10.39 am was sequel to the adoption of the report of the 7-man panel that investigated allegations of gross misconduct levelled against him by 22 out of the 24 members of the House.
The House Leader, Hon. S.K.E. Udeh-Okoye who moved motion for the adoption of the report said the panel of
investigation had come up with the conclusion that the "allegations of gross misconduct levelled against Onyebuchi by the House have been proved".
Details to follow

THE MYTH AND THE TRUTH ON EBOLA

The Ebola outbreak in Guinea and its spread to other areas of West Africa, including Nigeria has caused global alarm. According to the Centre for Disease Control, since the detection of Ebola in March, the number of suspected and confirmed cases attributed to Ebola in the West African countries, such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria stands at 1,711.

Meanwhile, a Saudi man tested for the disease has died in Jeddah after returning from Sierra Leone on Sunday. If there were a linkage of the Saudi man’s death to the Ebola virus, it would be the first fatality outside the West African countries.

US REJECT GIVING EXPERIMENTAL EBOLA DRUGS TO NIGERIA

The United States of America, yesterday, dashed the hope of an early cure for Ebola Virus victims in Nigeria when it refused to share the trial drug with Nigeria. US President Barak Obama says it would be premature to share the experimental drug with Africa.

The Federal Government had earlier reached out to the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, in Atlanta, to request for the drug for treatment of EVD affected persons in Nigeria, but President Obama turned down the request, saying it would be far more beneficial to focus on prevention instead.

Nigeria recorded its first Ebola Virus disease fatality on Tuesday when one of the nurses who was one of the primary contacts of the American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, passed on. The doctor who treated Sawyer, who died in the country after flying into Lagos, is now ill with Ebola and six other primary contacts are currently ill with the disease in a Lagos hospital where they are quarantined.

LATEST ON EBOLA: PREVENTION

Someone woke me this morning urging me to bathe with salt water. I picked up my phone and saw messages like this:

"Urgent & serious health alert. Pls tell everyone u know. Information on ground now says ppl shud put salt in water & bath today 8th Aug, 2014 b4 6am. Don't use soap while bathing with it & dnt dry ur body with any towel, only allow d water to dry in ur body. Also put d salt in water & drink. Hurry now prevention is better than regret. Spread dis msg now to everyone U know to cut off Ebola virus from further spreading"

My neighbour called me from her window, (she didn't want to risk coming out without first of all having her own bath) telling me to bathe with hot water and salt.

Why are some people just causing unnecessary panic and peddling same on social media?

Ebola is not airborne though there are indications that it may be carried by droplets over short distances. There is no evidence to support the use of bathing & drinking salt water as helpful measures.

From bitter-kolo to bathing with salt. Chai naija. Next time dem go say make we no eat food again to avoid Ebola virus. Hahaha

APC IS NOT PREPARED TO LEAVE LAGOS FOR PDP – OLOGUNDE

Chief Funsho Ologunde is the Vice chairman Lagos West of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State. In this interview , he boasts that the APC will maintain its hold in Lagos State come 2015. Excerpts:

The outcome of the Ekiti governorship elections took many by surprise especially chieftains of your party. What measures are you putting in place to ensure your party fortunes do not dwindle?

We had a bad experience with the Ekiti election but to us, we have taken it as an eye opener. We have doubled our efforts and fine tuned our strategies, first for Osun, which is coming up next week and also for the 2015 general elections.

We are ready for the situation. We have seen areas of our weakness and we saw where the PDP was able to manipulate the election process to their own advantage.

EBOLA ALERT! FG STOPS TRANSPORTATION OF CORPSES INTO NIGERIA

As part of preventive measures against the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, the Federal Government has directed relevant authorities to henceforth stop receiving corpses from the West African countries into the country.

The government specifically banned the bringing of corpses from the West African countries where the spread of EVD had been established. It however said that there was no fresh case of Ebola virus disease in the country.

The implication is that any Nigerian who dies in any of the affected West African country would be buried  there as the cost of keeping such corpses in mortuaries until the EVD palaver settled could be very enormous. It also means less expenses for such bereaved families who may have to bury their loved ones in the said countries of West Africa.

IMO STATE: CONTRACTORS RUNS WITH MOBILIZATION FEES

When Chief Rochas Okorocha came on board as Governor of Imo State, he told the world that he was in a haste to develop the state.

One of the major issues he tackled almost immediately was the rehabilitation or reconstruction of the road network in the state. He went to work with electrifying speed that most citizens started wondering how he was funding the numerous projects.

Many contractors, who were largely unknown in road construction world, were engaged by the administration to execute the projects. Several roads were actually opened and this elicited high hopes and acclamation from the people.

MAN STABS HIS GIRLFRIEND TO DEATH BECAUSE SHE REFUSED TO MARRY HIM

As 26 year-old girl, Gift Sunday, left her abode in Ketu , Lagos, to meet her boyfriend, Raphael Effiong, who had invited her over on phone, Monday, July 28, 2014. Never, in her wildest imagination, did she envisage that would be her last day on earth.

Time was 8.30pm, shortly after the Anietie family whom Gift stayed with, had their dinner.

While other members of the family retired early, Gift announced that she was going to meet her boyfriend, who was well known by the family.

But apprehension reportedly set in when she did not return by midnight. Tension, heightened after efforts to reach her on the phone proved abortive as it was discovered to be switched off.

Next day, the family’s fear was confirmed following the visit of a woman later discovered to be a management staff of Mayor Guest house located at 10 Yusuf Eleran street, Ketu. The woman was said to have invited Gift’s sister , Mrs Ume Anietie to Fine Day hospital at Elebiju street, where she was informed that Gift had passed on!

I HAVE SEX THREE TO FOUR TIMES A DAY- MAHEEDA SAYS

Whenever the name, Maheeda is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is controversy, sex, nudity and promiscuity. The goddess of X and Naija Bad Girl as she is fondly called by her fans isn’t afraid to go nude as she’s constantly releasing nude photos of herself online and sexually explicit videos.

Showtime Celebrity visited her studio in Dolphin Estate, Lagos, where she opens up on her sex life and more…

What have you been up to in recent times?

I’ve been bad, I’ve been naughty… You’ve seen Naija Bad Girl video and Lasgidi Chick. Now, I’m trying to see if I can drop one single before the end of the year. But I’m not sure that will be possible because I’m shooting the video in November. So, It could be next year.

CONFAB: THE COMPLETE STORY OF THE CONSPIRACIES BY ODUMAKIN

Mr. Yinka Odumakin, Publicity Secretary of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere and a delegate to the National Conference. In this interview he speaks among others on the gains of the confab and why it may be difficult to scuttle the report as being allegedly planned by some people.

             FIVE months into the confab, what has been your experience?

I think it is a mixed bag. For those of us who have over the years agitated that we

need to discuss the future of this country, it was a dream come true when President Goodluck Jonathan on March 17, 2014 inaugurated the conference and he gave us the charge to discuss every issue as regards the future of Nigeria and to reach a consensus on how Nigeria should be rebuilt. And there he turned to the National Assembly and said, ‘I hope you are talking about a referendum? Even though you are amending the constitution, if there is a need for a new constitution, do not shy away from it.’ 

ABUJA RESIDENTS EMBRACES SAFETY MEASURES TO FIGHT EBOLA VIRUS

Abuja residents have begun to adjust their lifestyles to avoid contracting the Ebola virus, a survey has shown. The virus has claimed over 700 lives in West African, including Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian who died in Nigeria after contracting the virus in his country. 

A civil servant, Mrs Janet Obinna, said that she had embraced the habit of regularly washing her hands and other sanitary measures as experts had advised.