Government

Stakeholders Lead Campaigns for More Involvement of Women in Nigerian Politics

Published

2 days ago

September 17, 2024

Concerned stakeholders across the globe have commenced advocacies for improved participation and involvement of women in politics in Nigeria.

The stakeholders including UN women, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies and some female politicians in Ebonyi State argued that Nigeria tends to grow better when a sizeable number of females are included in governance.

As part of measures to achieving this aim, the organizations organised a one-day advocacy and sensitization workshop in Ebonyi North East State Constituency with the theme: “Advance Women’s Political Participation and Representation.”

At the event held in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital on Tuesday, the Coordinator of UN Women, Prof. Arthur Ikeme lamented that despite the gender equality campaigns, there are still low participation of women in politics and this motivated them to carry out sensitization visits to the South East geopolitical zone and Ebonyi State was chosen as the first point of call.

Ikeme commended the lawmaker, Chinyere Nwogbaga for her ingenuity and thanked the State Governor, Francis Nwifuru for putting women in positions of authority in his administration.

Nwogbaga who facilitated the programme recounted the hurdles she faced while seeking political position adding that women are being marginalised despite their efficiency and dedication to duties.

Nwogbaga who is the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, is representing Ebonyi North East Constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

She explained that she organised the programme through the sponsorship of the UN Women to advocate and intensify the involvement of women in politics noting that women have proven to be better in handling positions of authority if given the chance.

Rendering account of her stewardship, Nwogbaga said she has co-sponsored several key bills into law, installed street lights in each of the seven wards in her Constituency, secured health insurance for more than 100 elderly and vulnerable individuals, drilled hand pump boreholes to provide portable water, established a foundation to offer free services to the needy, distributed bag of fertilizers to rural farmers to boost food availability, awarded scholarships to indigent students as well as payment of WAEC fees.

The lawmaker commended the state governor for his giant stride in putting women in positions of authority like the State Deputy Governor, the Secretary to the State Government, Clerk of the State Assembly and members in the State Executive Council and eulogized the wife of the state governor, Mary Maudline Nwifuru for her BERWO programme which has given women great sense of belonging.

In her remarks, the chairman of the Industrial Arbitration Panel in South East, Tonia Adol Awam called for the enhancement and strict implementation of the violence against persons Law (VAPP) to allow more women participation in politics.

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Government

Worsening Hardship: Fresh Pressure Mounts on Tinubu’s Ministers Over Planned Cabinet Rejig

Published

42 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Ugwoke Ogbodo

There is apparent fear within the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu over plans by the president to relieve some of the ministers of their duties.

Sources in the presidency said the looming rejig of the cabinet is due to widespread complaints of hunger by many Nigerians.

Top among the ministries that will be mainly affected in the cabinet reshuffle is the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Sources close revealed that the presidency might completely scrap the ministry.

The move, according to the impeccable insiders, is also to streamline government operations and eliminate underperforming ministries.

It was further learned that the cabinet reshuffle would go beyond portfolio swaps. Instead, some portfolios and ministries would be split, merged, or scrapped.

Those in the know opined that the planned reshuffling and scrapping is overdue and that the President would have announced the changes in the cabinet last week but for his trip out of the country.

They said Tinubu would also restructure some of the ministries for effectiveness and output owing to the alleged protest against bad governance and poverty in the country.

Other sources said President Tinubu aims to finalize changes before departing for the United Nations General Assembly.

They said that the development has ignited fear among the ministers as some who don’t have much closeness with the presidency are said to be loitering around Aso Rock to lobby their stay in their respective positions.

Upon his assumption of office, President Tinubu appointed 48 federal ministers and bagged a record as the President with the highest cabinet size since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999.

Some analysts in the country had argued that the large cabinet size would drain the country’s already depleted purse.

In January, this year, one of the nine female ministers, Betta Edu, was suspended by Tinubu over N585million scandal.

While in suspension, Edu incurred the anger of Nigerians in July 2024, after she made a comeback with a condolence message to victims of the collapsed school building in Jos in her official capacity as the humanitarian affairs minister by using the official letterhead of the ministry.

Investors King reports that since then, nothing has been heard about her alleged fraud even as the presidency remains mute.

Government

LG Election: Tension in Osun as APC, PDP Risk Disqualification for Substituting Candidates Unlawfully

Published

56 mins ago

September 19, 2024

Ugwoke Ogbodo

There is uneasy calm among major political parties in Osun State over the announcement by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) that the party leadership submitted names of candidates that are different from those who obtained forms to contest the February 22, 2025 Local Government Election in the state.

According to Barrister Hashim Abioye, the OSIEC Chairman, about seven political parties including the Peoples Democratic Party and major opposition All Progressives Congress face disqualification from the poll if they fail to correct the status of their candidates within 48 hours.

Abioye said the political parties contesting in the forthcoming local government election ran foul of the provisions and procedure regarding the substitution of candidates.

He said after the verification committee set up by the commission completed its assignment, it was discovered that some political parties had replaced the names of candidates with ones that were strange to the commission.

According to him, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and the Action Peoples Party (APP) are affected.

Speaking at a press conference held in Osogbo, Abioye stressed that the affected political parties committed an incurable infraction by giving nomination forms to candidates whose names were different from those with the commission.

He further revealed that virtually all the political parties contesting the elections had one case or another of the infractions, and that while some are remediable others are incurable.

According to the OSIEC boss, “The provision is not an innovation, it is as also contained in the Electoral Act, 2022, that is the provision we have now adopted. For this reason, some political parties, notably the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the Action Peoples Party (APP) ran foul of the provisions and procedure regarding substitution of candidates.

“While no substitution can be validly done without following the rules, any substitution or change of candidate done after the purported candidate intended to be a replacement for another must have been given and submitted nomination form despite his/her name not being on the list originally submitted to the Commission would be void.

“Let me note once again that virtually all the political parties contesting the elections had one case or another of the infractions which are remediable, but the political parties highlighted above committed the most of the infractions that are incurable by giving nomination form for candidates whose names were not on the list in some local government areas and wards. This we cannot help.”

Giving an instance of the infractions, Abioye stated, “Being a major political party, I will take that of the APC as an example. In Atakunmosa West Local Government, the Chairmanship and Vice-chairmanship candidates submitted by the party to the Commission were not the persons who filled nomination forms submitted to OSIEC.

“In the same vein, the respective vice-chairmanship candidates submitted by the APC for Ede South, Egbedore, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Isokan, Olorunda and Oriade Local Government Areas were completely different from the persons that filled and submitted nomination forms to the Commission. Candidates of the APC in several Wards across various local government areas were affected by this incurable anomaly.”

Meanwhile, the development has thrown the affected parties into panic as they struggle to meet the deadline.

Government

Yahaya Bello Leaves EFCC Office Without Interrogation, Says Media Office

Published

10 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Philip Victoria

The media office of the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has confirmed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not interrogate him when he visited the anti-graft agency’s office on Wednesday morning.

According to the media office, the EFCC informed Bello that he could leave without being interrogated. This occurred in the presence of Alhaji Usman Ododo, who accompanied the former governor to the commission’s office.

“The EFCC did not interrogate him, as officials told him he could leave,” Ohiare Michael, the director of Bello’s media office, said in a statement.

“We don’t know what this means yet. As we write, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has left the EFCC office. He was accompanied there by the Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.”

He further stated that this decision came after consultations with Bello’s family, legal team, and political allies.

He said, “Bello showed up at the EFCC office after consultations with his family, legal team, and political allies, saying he had nothing to hide or fear. His legal team has represented him in court throughout the ongoing case. The EFCC had earlier declared Bello wanted after a series of events.”

Recall that the media office of Yahaya Bello alleged that, on Wednesday night, operatives of the EFCC laid siege to the Kogi Government Lodge in Abuja in an attempt to forcefully arrest the former governor.

They also explained how his legal team had represented him in court throughout the ongoing case and how Bello had mustered the courage to honor the EFCC’s invitation to clear his name, stating he has nothing to hide or fear.