Blog

Suleiman Umar, an aspirant for the House of Representatives seat in Bida/Gbako/Katcha Local Government Areas in Niger State has decried the practice of enticing voters with money.

Umar made the disapproval during a meeting with his campaign coordinators.

He urged them to conceptualise his visions and mission so that they would be able to translate them to the electorates.

Umar said that one of his visions was to take Bida/Gbako/Katcha federal constituency to appreciable level in terms of economic, educational and infrastructural development through effective legislations which formed parts of his campaign manifesto.

“I am not desperate for power but only worried about the situation of his people.

“The reason I am vying for the seat of House of Representative is to change the situation and to move forward in terms of peace and development, we must desist from money politics.

“One of the reasons why our development is at a snail’s speed is because some of us have sold our conscience to some unscrupulous politicians.

“The implication is that the electorate will not have any right to ask the representatives questions, therefore, we must not repeat the mistakes of the past.”

The aspirant vowed not to condone the ideology of money politics no matter the situation but admitted that one must spend money on politics for logistics.

According to him, to buy votes means mortgaging the future of children and those yet unborn.

He also warned the electorates not to fall for tricks of some politicians who dropped names by deceiving them into believing that they were the anointed candidate of the government.

“ If they come to tell you that, ask them what they can do for the progress of your society, doing that would secure the future of their children,’’  he said.

Umar urged his coordinators to also sensitise the electorates who had registered and yet to obtain their PVCs to do so.

He said that those who had yet to register should do that as a matter of urgency, as the INEC closed registration on Aug. 17, 2018.

The Federal Government is set to commence the physical verification exercise of all employees of the Federal Government on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) who have completed their update on the online verification portal.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita made the disclosure on Friday, 13^th July, 2018 in Abuja at the Press Conference to kick start the IPPIS verification exercise.

The Head of Civil Service revealed that the physical verification exercise will commence on Monday, 16^th July, 2018. The exercise is geared towards achieving the implementation of the ‘Accelerate Roll-Out of the Human Resource Model of the IPPIS as outlined in the 2017-2020 Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan to reposition the Federal Civil Service. It is expected to be completed in two weeks.

She explained that the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) is one of the initiatives of  Government which commenced in 2006 with a view to training transparency, accuracy and reliability in the management of personnel records in the Service while also curtailing avoidable excesses in personnel costs.

Reiterating the imperative of the exercise, the Head of Service said: “In fulfillment of one of the cardinal principles of the introduction of the IPPIS programme which is blocking loopholes and discouraging corruption in the administration of personnel records, it is important that the Human Resource Information on the IPPIS Portal be cleaned up with a view to having credible data for both payroll and personnel administration and analysis”.

Mrs. Oyo-Ita further said that the upcoming verification exercise is to authenticate the documents of the individual employees of the Federal Government and the procedure is that every employee will present themselves for screening and their document scanned into the system.

She stated that as at the end of June, 2018 the total number of 486 MDAs have been enrolled on IPPIS with over 330,820 employees being paid salaries through the IPPIS platform.

The Head of Service advised all concerned MDAs to cooperate with the verifiers by providing enabling environment for the successful conduct of the exercise according to the circulated time table.

She warned that failure of any eligible employee to partake in the verification exercise would have great consequence.  She said: “The consequence of non-compliance is having your data deleted from the Federal Government Employee Database.”

The online data update started in April 2017.

The outcome of 2018 governorship poll in Ekiti has shown that the electorate, not political parties nor leaders’ clout determines victory in fair contest, says Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum.

This was said on Sunday in a statement signed by Akin Malaolu, Secretary-General of the group after the declaration of result by Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) Chief Returning Officer for the election.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Prof.Kolapo Olusola Eleka, candidate of  the ruling People’s Democratic Party(PDP) polled 178, 121 votes  to lose  to Dr.Kayode Fayemi of  the All Progressives Congress(APC), who scored  197,459 votes in the election of July 14.

According to Malaolu,scribe of the socio-cultural group, the result should be a lesson to every political party on the need to serve the people and not feasting on prevalence economic hardship.

“This loss to APC by PDP and its rascally Governor must stand as a lesson to their National body, that the people and not the leaders are the clearest interpreter in all political contest. The brigandage and gangster behaviour that happened in 2014 Governorship election under Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan when both cash and other abuses were brought thrown at the electorates had been clearly replaced by honest conduct by the APC as a progressive party in this election adjudged free and fair by almost everyone.

“ Governor Ayodele Fayose must look back and review why his candidate failed at the polls.

“His candidate’s defeat came easily due to the fact they lost altogether the true meaning to democratic governance, their reign shortchanged the people of Ekiti State,”the group said.

Yoruba Ronu commended INEC for consistent success in its conduct of elections since 2015, urging the body to build on the record.

“The clamour for free and fair election in the country had been upgraded by INEC and no where do we find this if not under the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“ Ekiti governorship poll witnessed by foreign and local observers had been adjudged to satisfy one common desire from all observers and that is, the use of clean and fair democratic weapons in a democratic contest.

“Similar free and fair elections were held with little or no legal rifts in Ondo State, Anambra and later in Osun State when the States had their governorship and senatorial elections.

“It is on record that two of those three elections were won by opposition parties, without use of federal`might to’influence  the result.

“Anyone or political party crying foul over Ekiti governorship election that just took place should not only be ignored, it must be rejected altogether.

“PDP national leaders must ask themselves if democracy was in Ekiti between 2014 and 2018. Everyone in Yoruba land knew the type of leader on the throne as Governor,”he said.

However, the group called on Fayemi to ensure that people of the state caught up with other progressive states like Lagos and more through implementation of people-oriented programmes.

“ Fayemi must clearly recognise, that Ekiti people having joined the progressives fold, they must be made to enjoy the full dividends of democracy which must translate into happiness, justice and wealth for all.

“He must pay quick attention to the sufferings of pensioners, civil servants, artisans and our unemployed youths so that poverty class can be highly decimated while the middle class blossoms,”he said.

Malaolu commended the All Progressives Congress  for ensuring a decent fight for victory.

“ APC has proven itself as a progressive party in this election that was adjudged free and fair by almost everyone including domestic and foreign observers.

“We must congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari, Adams Oshiomhole and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other leaders of APC who campaigned vigorously to ensure victory at the polls,” he said.

Malaolu also applauded Yoruba Ronu members in Ekiti for their efforts in sensitising voters on peaceful election, amidst danger to their lives. (NAN)

 

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Sen. Bola Tinubu, on Sunday said the election of  Dr Kayode Fayemi in Saturday’s gubernatorial poll was a victory for the people.

Tinubu made the declaration in a congratulatatory message to Fayemi, the APC Candidate in Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.

In a  statement signed by his media officer, Mr Tunde Rahman, entitled – “Ekiti Election: A Victory for the People”,
Tinubu urged Fayemi to avoid recriminations and run an all-inclusive government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fayemi won the election after securing 197,459 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Prof. Kalapo Olusola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 178, 121 votes.

”Dr Fayemi must keep in remembrance that the people have placed their future in his safekeeping and he must justify their trust in him by doing all he can do to advance their welfare.

” I’m confident that Fayemi will keep faith with the programmes and policies of our party in order to improve the lives of the people of Ekiti.

”I know Fayemi will establish an all-inclusive government that involves all stakeholders in his administration and in the governance of the state, ” he said.

Tinubu said that the people of the state had voted to take a path different from the one on which they had been.

”In Ekiti, a chapter has closed and a new one has begun.  This was not done by contrivance or artifice, nor was it the product of intimidation or improper influence.

” This came about because it was the will of the people of Ekiti as expressed and manifested in the conduct of a free and fair election in that state. In voting as they did, the people thus voted for themselves.

” Here, we must congratulate Dr Kayode Fayemi and our party, the APC, for the successful campaign that was run and for the confidence the people of Ekiti have shown in transferring the mandate to govern them into our hands, ” he said.

Tinubu said there was much apprehension and concern leading to the election that the exercise would fall into disorder.

”In the end, the election took place as it should for democratic elections are- a peaceful contest of ideas and ideologies.

”In Ekiti, two clearly different perspectives of governance stood in contest for the people to decide and decide they did.

“I make no bones that I am glad that Dr Fayemi and the APC won this contest, ” he said.

Tinubu commended the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Olusola Kolapo Eleka for not resorting to violence to get his way.

”However, I would be remiss if I did not say a good word about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Olusola Kolapo Eleka.

”He conducted a tough and energetic campaign. He wanted this seat but, in the end, he did not resort to violence to get his way.

”He allowed the people to make their own decision and for his adherence to this democratic principle, he should be recognised, ” he said.

Tinubu also commended Gov. Ayo Fayose for not crossing the line by trying to subvert the will of the people through violent means.

“The same must be said of Gov. Ayo Fayose. He tried his utmost to bring his candidate to victory but he did not cross the line by trying to subvert the will of the people through violent means.

”Dr Fayemi is a man of integrity and his government will not be one of recrimination.  It is a government of the people and as such will focus its attention on helping the people, not suppressing yesterday’s political opponents.

”I urge Gov. Fayose and Prof. Kolapo Eleka, as prominent citizens and leaders of Ekiti, to move forward in that same spirit. Let there be an orderly transition from the outgoing to the incoming government.

”Last and most importantly, let us commend the people of Ekiti.  Casting aside all the dire predictions, they conducted themselves with the patience, sobriety and collective wisdom befitting the moment.

”Instead of turning things upside down, they turned to peace and mutual respect for each other as well as respect for the democratic process.

”Above all else, the election was your election and yesterday was your day!  With the choice that you have made, may tomorrow also be your best future, ” he said. (NAN)