Nigeria, 8 Others Hold Confab In Ouagadougou To Address Impact Of Insecurity On Elections – INEC Boss

December 5, 2022

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has announced a 9-nation conference holding this week in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, to address the impact of insecurity on the election in those countries.
Professor Mahmood, who dropped this hint today, December 5, at a meeting with leaders of the United Nations Office for West Africa and Sahel (UNOWAS) who visited the INEC headquarters in Abuja, recalled that at different fora, electoral Commissions in West Africa and beyond have expressed concern about the impact of prevailing insecurity on the conduct of elections, particularly with regard to insurgency, banditry and other forms of armed conflict. “Consequently, a 9-nation conference of Electoral Commissions and election experts is holding this week in Ouagadougou, involving the host, Burkina Faso, as well as Benin Republic, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo from West Africa and the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo from Central Africa.
“Nigeria will be making two presentations at the Conference.”
The INEC chairman believed that the visit of the delegation today will not only encourage INEC in its determination to conduct credible, transparent, inclusive and verifiable elections in Nigeria, “but we will also share the outcome of our discussion with colleagues from other electoral commissions in West Africa and beyond.
“We appreciate your fervent appeal for support to the efforts of INEC to conduct peaceful elections. With just 81 days to the 2023 General Election, we have made tremendous progress in our preparations so far. “This is the 7th consecutive General Election since the restoration of democracy in Nigeria in 1999. We are aware of the importance of our elections to Nigeria, our sub-region and the world. We assure you that the Commission will not fail the nation and the international community.
“We will continue to make incremental improvement to our electoral process supported by the deployment of appropriate and relevant technology that will make voter accreditation and result management more credible and transparent.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu specifically welcome the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Chair of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission, Ms. Giovanie Biha, to the Commission.
“We are immensely honoured by your presence today in the same way that we were privileged to host two of your predecessors, Mohamed Ibn Chambas who visited us twice before the last General Election in 2019 and, most recently, Mahamat Saleh Annadif who was here in June this year.
“Your visit today is part of the long-standing relationship with UNOWAS in particular and the United Nations in general. Not long ago, the Secretary-General deployed the United Nations Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) to Nigeria in addition to the sustained support in the areas of voter education, capacity-building and support to our Election Monitoring Support Centre (EMSC) through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“For UNOWAS, we appreciate your work in the areas of preventive diplomacy, political mediation and facilitation in West Africa and the Sahel. These are critical conditions for peace. Election Management Bodies are major beneficiaries of your work.
“This is because elections and electoral activities cannot be successfully conducted in an atmosphere of violence. For this reason, INEC always appreciates the role of UNOWAS in our sub-region and the Sahel.”

Benue Commissioner, His In-law, Driver Kidnapped

Greenbarge Reporters

December 5, 2022

The Benue State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Ekpe Ogbu, has been kidnapped.
He was kidnapped alongside his In-law, Agbo Ode and the driver.
Information has it that they were kidnapped along David Marks Farm, after Akpa Otobi while on their way from Otukpo to Utonkon in Ado Local Government Area of the state.
The commissioner was said to have attended a Church programme, where Senator Abba Moro, representing Benue South Senatorial district, dedicated his newly inaugurated Campaign Council to God at St. Augustine Catholic Church, Otukpo and was going to his village in NDEKMA, Utonkon District of Ado LGA after the Church programme before meeting the unfortunate incident at about 8:45pm on Sunday, 4th December, 2022.
His official vehicle had since been recovered from the scene and taken to the Divisional Police office in Otukpo.

Abuja-Kaduna Train Service Resumes Operations Tomorrow

Editorial staff

December 4, 2022

About 10 months after suspending Abuja-Kaduna Train Service, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the resumption of the operations tomorrow, December 5.

It would be recalled that the Service was suspended in March this year following the hijack and bombing of the train by terrorists in a remote area in Kaduna State. Hundreds of passengers on board were kidnapped, while some were killed before security agencies could arrive at the scene of the crime.

After about 7 months, all the kidnapped passengers were finally released, with reports that some paid ransoms.

In a statement today, the NRC said: “the service will commence with two return services as follows: ABUJA-KADUNA (DEP/AR)

Idu Station (Abuja) – Rigassa Station (Kaduna) – 9.4SHRS(DEP)- 11 53HPS
(ARR)

Kubwa Station(Abuja) – Rigassa Station (Kaduna)-10.06HRS (DEP)-11 53
HRS(ARR)

Idu Station (Abuja)- Rigassa Station(Kaduna) 15.30HRS (DEP)-17 33H9
(ARR)

Kubwa Station (Abuja)-Rigassa Station (Kaduna) – 15.50HRS (DEP)
17.38HRS(ARR).

KADUNA ABUJA (DEP/ARR)

Rigassa Station (Kaduna)-Kubwa Station (Abj)-8.00HRS(DEP)-9.57HRS (ARR

Rugassa Station (Kaduna) ldu Station (Abj) 3.00HRS (DEP) 10.17iRSARR

Rigassà Station (Kaduna)-Kubwa Station (Abj) 14 0OHRS(DEP
15.47HRS(ARR).

Rigassa Station (Kaduna)-Idu Station(Abj)-14.00HRS(Dep) 16.07HRS (ARR).

The Corporation added: “the commuting public is hereby advised that as part of the new security measures on the Abuja-Kaduna service, it is now mandatory to present the following documents before being allowed to board the train.

“1. National Identification Number (NIN) for every adult boarding the train.

Valid boarding ticket. No access will be allowed into the departure or arrival hall without a valid ticket.

Purchase of tickets by proxy is only limited to minors and a specified number of adult passengers. All individual adult travellers must submit their NIN before the ticket can be issued.

“Please Note: online and mobile app ticket purchases will be available from 8:00 am on Sunday 4th December 2022. Ticket offices at the stations will be open from 06.30 am on Monday 5th December 2022.

“The Management of Nigerian Railway Corporation hereby solicit the co-operation of our esteemed passengers in ensuring our service remains safe and secure. Any inconvenience to the travelling public is regretted.”

How Telecom Policies Are Enhancing Digital Access – NCC Boss, Danbatta

Editorial staff

December 4, 2022

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta, has said that diligent implementation of various telecommunications policies, strategies and regulatory frameworks has continued to enhance the nation’s capacity to deepen citizens’ access to digital resources and transform media.

Danbatta spoke at a two-day International Conference of the Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON), which ended at the weekend.

He acknowledged that policies have positively impacted the country’s economic and social progress.

In the speech at the conference with the theme: “Influence of Communication Policies on Digital Revolution in Nigeria,” Danbatta, who was represented by NCC’s Director, Research and Development, Ismail Adedigba, said that communication policies are essentially blueprints and strategies, marked by plans for the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

He added that the policies are planned in a way that nudges people to harness opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) through the embrace of digital culture across sectors by individual, businesses and institutions.

He explained that, through diligent implementation of telecommunication policies, which have triggered digital revolution, the media and entire field of mass communication have been impacted through innovations that have revolutionized production and consumption of mass communication contents and that make communication easily accessible, more affordable and exchanges faster.

Danbatta, who traced the trajectory of growth in the telecoms industry from 1960 till date, said that the past decades have witnessed formulation of various policies and laws for developing the industry but remarkable growth in the sector started after the sector’s liberalization in 2001.

Professor Danbatta said that through diligent implementation of policies, vision plans and strategic regulatory frameworks by the NCC, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the industry, there is increased access to digital services and the media industry is being shaped in terms of patterns of information dissemination through multiple platforms while digital revolution has revealed a new vista of research areas for scholars in the field of mass communication.

“Today, the active telecom subscribers have grown significantly to 212.2 million from about 400,000 aggregate telephone lines in the country as of 2000, on the eve of liberalisation. This represents a teledensity of 111 per cent. Basic Internet subscriptions grew from zero ground to 152.7 million now, while broadband subscriptions stand at over 86 million, representing a 45.09 per cent penetration as of July 2022.

“The industry has also become a major contributor to our national economy with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry contributing 18.94 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of the second quarter of 2022, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). From this, the telecommunications sector alone contributed 15 per cent to GDP.

“The ICT contribution to GDP is, by far, the second largest contributor to the national economy aside from the agriculture sector. From less than $500 million investment in 2001, the investment profile in the nation’s telecommunications sector has also surpassed $70 billion. The telecommunication sector has also created direct and indirect jobs for millions of Nigerians to date.”

In the keynote address, the NCC boss expressed hope that just as the liberalization policies have worked quantifiably for Nigeria’s progress, yielding exponential results, the Commission is committed to the implementation of the various extant economic recovery plans, digital economy policies, the national broadband plan as well as strategic management plans which have been streamlined in NCC Strategic Vision Plans.

The EVC promised that the NCC will continue to ensure more quantum leap and retain its current leadership role in the telecommunications space to lead Nigeria into the next level of development.

“To achieve this, the NCC will continue to strengthen collaboration with the media professionals and communication research-focused bodies such as AMCRON, towards creating an environment where stakeholders can leverage digital infrastructure to achieve greater efficiency in what they do.”

Chairman, Governing Council of AMRCON, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye; President of AMCRON, Professor Eserinune Mojaye and AMCRON Secretary-General, Professor Abiodun Adeniyi, among other participants, commended the NCC for the role it is playing in putting Nigeria on the global map of digital economy and culture.

They also thanked NCC for its consistent, impacting collaboration with scholars, researchers and the entrepreneurship of knowledge production.

2023: I Will Create Wealth For Nigerians, Peter Obi Promises In 7-Point Manifesto

Greenbarge Reporters

December 4, 2022

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has promised to create wealth for Nigeria households on becoming the elected President come 2023.
In a 72-page, 7-priority area manifesto which he, together with his running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed and the Labour Party (LP) on which platform he’s running for the Presidency, released to Nigerians, Peter Obi promised that future under his leadership, will be defined by widespread prosperity based on high economic growth, equal access to health and educational facilities and justice and fairness to all religious, ethnic, and social groups.
He is confident that “the new Nigeria that we will build is a society where political power will no longer be used to serve the interest of the ruling class and subject the people to chronic poverty and deprivation.
“We will build a new social order where political leaders will be public servants working for the good of the people and not predators, flourishing in the midst of extreme poverty and misery.
“We are building a society where citizens are motivated to work hard, to innovate, to invent, fully assured that they will enjoy the fruits of their enterprise.
“We want to create wealth for Nigeria and for every household through diligence, frugality and enterprise.
“Our new Nigeria is a country all Nigerians will be proud to call home because it is an economic giant that can feed its citizens, defend them from any aggression and secure them in their homes and businesses.”
In the manifesto tagged: “Pact with Nigeria” and made public by the LP leadership late Saturday night, December 3, Peter Obi promised to offer honest and competent leadership in order to deliver in 7 key priority areas including Security, economy, restructuring, infrastructure, war against corruption.
The LP candidate said: “As your President, I Peter Gregory Onwubuasi Obi, my Vice President, Yusuf Datti Baba- Ahmed and our team pledge to:
● Secure and unite our dear nation, and manage our diversity such that no one is left behind in Nigeria.
● Move Nigeria from consumption to production.
●Embark on comprehensive legal and institutional reforms and practicable restructuring measures, to fight corruption; to ensure the enthronement of the rule of law, and decisively tackle all forms of corruption.
●Prioritize Human Capital Development through robust investments in STEM education, health, and infrastructural development, with emphasis on wealth creation, distribution and sustainable development.
● Engineer the transition of Nigeria from fossil fuel dependency to climate and eco-friendly energy use.
● Pursue holistic poverty eradication with emphasis on agricultural revolution through effective utilization of our vast arable lands, particularly in Northern Nigeria, and erase Nigeria’s categorization as the poverty capital of the world.
● Improve access to finance, particularly to MSMEs, youths and women, to significantly reduce unemployment and insecurity.
● Ensure that in policy and practice, governance will be made more inclusive, cost-effective, transformative, and less transactional. No more sharing of the national wealth by a few.”
He also promised to “Ensure that our diversity will be leveraged to give women and youths, the aged and persons with disabilities, an unfettered voice in governance, and a renewed sense of patriotism and faith in Nigeria.
“Ensure that Nigeria is progressively better governed through legislative, executive, and judicial reforms, so that the constitutional separation of powers among the three arms of government is entrenched and the three tiers of government allowed to function independently and jointly for a more inclusive and sustainable Nigeria.“
While insisting that a new Nigeria was still possible, he said, “Our vision is a secure, united and prosperous Nigeria that works for everyone and that realizes the hope of black people of the world as a city on the hill.
“We will run a government of national unity, bringing together for the task at hand, all competent, honest, and diligent Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations.
“The new Nigeria we build will be truly ‘one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity where peace and justice shall reign.”
According to Obi, for long, the dream of a secure, united and prosperous Nigeria has been betrayed by those who lack the character and competence to achieve the dream.
He noted that at present, a new generation of Nigerian leadership had emerged, tested and tried, honest and dedicated, united in a common mission to reverse the current ugly trend of endemic poverty, insecurity, and create a better future for every Nigerian.
The future under this new generation of leaders will be defined by widespread prosperity based on high economic growth, equal access to health and educational facilities, and justice and fairness to all religious, ethnic, and social groups.
Obi expressed confidence that “the new Nigeria that we will build is a society where political power will no longer be used to serve the interest of the ruling class and subject the people to chronic poverty and deprivation.
“We will build a new social order where political leaders will be public servants working for the good of the people and not predators, flourishing in the midst of extreme poverty and misery.
“We are building a society where citizens are motivated to work hard, to innovate, to invent, fully assured that they will enjoy the fruits of their enterprise.
“We want to create wealth for Nigeria and for every household through diligence, frugality and enterprise.
“Our new Nigeria is a country all Nigerians will be proud to call home because it is an economic giant that can feed its citizens, defend them from any aggression and secure them in their homes and businesses.”
Source: Vanguard.

Ukraine Has Lost 13,000 Soldiers, As Russia Loses 6,000 In Their War Since February

Editorial staff

December 4, 2022

A senior adviser to President, Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine has lost no fewer than 13,000 soldiers since the war broke out between it and Russia in February this year, even as Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu also announced in September that 5,937 Russian soldiers had been killed in the same war.

Mykhailo Podolyak told Ukraine’s Channel 24: “we have official estimates from the General Staff… And they range from 10,000 … to 13,000 dead.”

Zelensky would make the official data public “when the right moment comes.”

In June, as Russian forces battled to take full control of the easternmost Lugansk region, Zelensky said Ukraine was losing between 60 and 100 soldiers per day, killed in action, and around 500 people wounded in action.

War analysts have said that both sides are likely minimizing the losses to avoid damaging the morale of their troops.

Top US general, Mark Milley last month said that more than 100,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded in Ukraine, with Kyiv’s forces likely suffering similar casualties.

Those figures, which could not be independently confirmed, are the most precise to date from the US government.

Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the worst fighting in Europe in decades.

Source: AFP

NCC-CSIRT Warns Of Phishing Attack Exploit

Editorial staff

December 3, 2022

The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has warned that a new Phishing, Attacks Exploit Windows Zero-Day Vulnerability, can load a malicious QBot malware on the compromised device without triggering any Windows security alerts.

In its advisory, NCC-CSIRT indicated that the vulnerability, which is present in all versions of Windows-based products, presents as Phishing Attacks and Malware threats.

NCC-CSIRT reports that ProxyLife security researcher discovered the new phishing exploit on Windows zero-day vulnerability to drop a Qbot malware without displaying Mark of the Web (MoTW) security warnings.

“To take advantage of the Windows Mark of the Web zero-day vulnerability, threat actors have switched to a new phishing strategy that involves propagating JS files (plain text files that include JavaScript code) signed with forged signatures. The newest phishing attempt begins with an email that contains a password for the file along with a link to an allegedly important document.

“When the link is clicked, a password-protected ZIP folder that includes another zip file and an IMG file is downloaded. Normally, launching the JS file in Windows would result in a Mark of the Web security warning because it is an Internet-based file. However, the forged signature permits the JS script to function and load the malicious QBot program without triggering any Windows security alerts,” the advisory said.

Accordingly, NCC-CSIRT advised that users apply updates per vendor instructions.

The CSIRT is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence centre set up by the NCC to focus on incidents in the telecom sector and as they may affect telecom consumers and citizens at large.

The CSIRT also works collaboratively with ngCERT, established by the Federal Government to reduce the volume of future computer risk incidents by preparing, protecting, and securing Nigerian cyberspace to forestall attacks, and problems or related events.

Atiku Alerts Nigerians: Empowerment Scheme Purportedly By Me Is Scam

Editorial staff

December 3, 2022

The Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has alerted Nigerians to a scam being orchestrated in the guise of empowerment scheme sponsored by the PDP and its presidential candidate.

A statement today, December 3 by the Media Adviser to Atiku, Paul Ibe, said that the so-called empowerment scheme did not emanate from Atiku and the PDP Presidential Campaign Council.

“It has come to our notice that some unscrupulous elements have devised a scheme to fleece the public through a fake empowerment scheme.

“It therefore becomes necessary to warn the public to be wary of any such scheme that is not communicated either through a properly advertised publication or through verified social media accounts of Atiku Abubakar or the Peoples Democratic Party.

“For the avoidance of any doubt, the Presidential Candidate of PDP or his party is not a party to the fake empowerment scheme being bandied about in some social media channels.

“It is advised that the public should discountenance a request to participate in the phantom scheme.

“It will also be advised that security operatives should look into the source of the scam and bring the perpetrators to book.”

Tinubu Accuses Arise TV News Of Lacking Credibility; Resolves To Distance From It

Editorial staff

December 3, 2022

The Presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accused Arise Television News of lacking credibility and impartiality in the ongoing campaigns by all the political parties.

Tinubu made it clear that because of the attitude of the medium towards him, he will never participate in any of its arranged Town Hall meetings before the February 2023 presidential election.

“We want to make it abundantly clear again that Asiwaju Tinubu will not participate and will not attend the Arise News Town Hall meeting slated for Sunday, 4 December, 2022 and any other ones it may plan before the February 2023 presidential election.

“We want to equally stress that Arise News has consistently shown a pattern of bias against Asiwaju Tinubu and we don’t consider the medium as credible and impartial.

“The APC Presidential candidate has his own schedule of campaign activities and other engagements within and outside Nigeria. One of such events is his scheduled event for Monday , December 5, 2022 at Chatham House in London where he will speak on Security, Economy and Foreign Policy.”

The Director of Media and Publicity to the All Progressives Council (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, who made these points in a statement on behalf of Tinubu today, December 3 said that Tinubu will not succumb to the antics of the Arise Television news on the issue of presidential town hall debate

He said that the campaign council found it shocking and downright anomalous that Arise News continues to broadcast the participation of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in its Presidential Town Hall meeting, scheduled to hold on 4 December.

“This is despite our earlier statement that our candidate will not be available.

“We noticed that Arise News has also been running a campaign on the so-called constitutional duty of the presidential candidates to participate in its debate by dubiously citing section 22 of the Constitution of Nigeria on the obligation of the Mass Media.

“While it is trite that the media has clear constitutional duty to hold public office holders accountable to the citizens and its role as the watchdog of the society, there is no part of the Constitution and the section 22 that says a presidential candidate of any political party and least of all, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu must participate in Arise News Town Hall event or any media organized event at all.

“The same Constitution grants all citizens of Nigeria including, Asiwaju Tinubu the right and freedom of choice and association. The APC Presidential candidate has a right to decide where he goes and events to participate in as he seeks the mandate of Nigerians to be elected as the next President of our country.

“Asiwaju Tinubu travelled to United Kingdom early today (Saturday) for this earlier scheduled engagement. We want to reiterate for the umpteenth time that no amount of blackmail, intimidation and media bully and innuendos by the owner and management of Arise News will change the position our campaign has taken on this matter.

“We seize this opportunity to warn our spokesmen and supporters to steer clear of this station over its consistent unprofessionalism and bias against our candidate and party.”

Vice President Osinbajo Flies To Socialist Republic Of Vietnam For Talks

Editorial staff

December 3, 2022

Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has taken off to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for high-level bilateral engagements in the Southeast nation, including meetings with the President of Vietnam, President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.

Professor Osinbajo, who left the shores of Nigeria today, December 3, according to his spokesman, Laolu Akande, is expected to have similar meeting with that country’s Vice President, Vo Thi Aah Xuan; Prime Minister, Phạm Minh Chính and other government officials as well as business community.
Laolu Akande said that though Nigeria and Vietnam have maintained long-standing diplomatic relations since 1976, but that Osinbajo will be the second Nigerian high ranking incumbent government official to visit the Southeast Asian country after President Olusegun Obasanjo who visited in 2005.
“While in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Vice President is expected to witness the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Agreements on investment between Nigeria and Vietnam.

“He will also hold high level diplomatic discussions with his Vietnamese counterpart, Vice President Vo Thi Aah Xuan and the Prime Minister on issues of trade, commerce, agriculture, technology and innovation among others.
Laolu’s statement said that Vice President Osinbajo is expected to also participate in a Business Forum with the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce with representatives from both countries.
“With the opportunities existing in agriculture & technology in Nigeria and Vietnam, discussions would focus on mutual benefits from effective collaboration in particular economic sectors so as to deepen the friendly and trade relations of both countries.”
Akande recalled that the then Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, Vuong Dinh Hue, had visited Nigeria in October 2019, and met with Professor Osinbajo, other senior Nigerian government officials and also interacted with the Nigerian-Vietnam Business Association.
“As the then Deputy Prime Minister, who was accompanied to Nigeria by senior Vietnamese Government officials and businessmen, noted, Nigeria is Vietnam’s largest trading partner in Africa. Indeed, trade between both countries stood at US$280 million in 2014 and increased to over US$500 million in 2019.”
The statement said that the Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria on December 7.

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