To achieve this goal, the INEC chairman called on all stakeholders — governments, election administrators, security agencies, civil society groups, the media, political parties, candidates and their supporters — to play their roles. According to him, the commission has embarked on the consolidation of full biometric voter registration through the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) between April 27 and Aug. 31, among other preparations. 

He said that at the end of the exercise, some 14.5 million Nigerians were added to the existing register of about 70 million, and the voters register for the 2019 elections had hit 84.2million. Yakubu, who called for support of all stakeholders for the collection of PVCs, said that a new approach to the collection would commence early in December and continue until a week to the elections. 

According to him, the PVCs of those who registered in 2017 and those who registered in the first and second quarters of 2018 have been printed and delivered to states. He said that the cards for those who registered in the third quarter of 2018 would be delivered by the end of November, which include all cards for those who applied for intra and interstate transfer and replacements. 

Yakubu said there would not be any use of incidence forms, instead, manual register of voters had been redesigned to provide for a box for thumb printing and telephone number of any voter whose biometric was not authenticated by the Smart Card Readers. According to him, the commission has harmonised accreditation and voting, carried out greater engagement, installation of trackers, enhancement of Smart Card Readers and improved logistics.

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“We are working to ensure optimal performance of the Smart Card Readers,” the INEC Chairman said. Yakubu highlighted INEC challenges to include do or die mentality of politicians, vote-buying, lack of internal democracy, incendiary speech, security, impunity and lack of consequences for electoral offenders. 

According to him, impact of litigation and conflicting court orders are also affecting the commission, but the electoral body continues to put in efforts to improve the conduct of elections in Nigeria. He lamented that there were increasing pre-election cases, with the commission being joined in 273 court actions and numerous petitions. Earlier in his remarks, Dr Haroun Adamu, the Chairman of the occasion and former Chairman, Petroleum Trust Fund, said that social media platforms had been so influential in information dissemination.

“They are the major opinion shapers and are influential. The business model adopted by Real News is very forward-thinking and can be described as being ahead of the crowd. “The team must continue to strive to remain dynamic, flexible and willing to adopt as the environment evolves with advances in technology, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI),” Adamu said. He urged Real News and other media to be the cornerstone of investigative journalism in Nigeria and Africa, and be change agents in the Nigerian social and political landscape, focusing on key sectors of Nigeria’s economy. (NAN)

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How Oshiomhole received and shared the money

SaharaReporters can also confirm that the figures mentioned earlier are nothing compared to what the DSS documented in a report it forwarded to the presidency and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) some days ago.

  

“Total $55 million is what Adams is alleged to have received. Some party chieftains claim it is $80 million,” a source aware of the contents of the report told SaharaReporters.

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All committee members signed report – NLC president

Speaking to journalists after the presentation, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said every member of the tripartite committee signed the report.

He said the agitation for the national minimum wage was not connected to the forthcoming general elections in the country.

On the capacity of state governments to pay the N30,000, he said “the N18,000 was being paid from 2011 to 2015 until when most of the states emptied their treasuries before elections.

“It was coincidence. In 2011, it was almost at the same time. At whatever time the minimum wage is due, it is our responsibility to raise the issue,” he said.

However a source at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) said while the president’s endorsement means that federal civil servants would earn N30, 000 as minimum wage, it may not be the same for state workers as governors have said they do not have the resources to pay the amount.

The source added that the governors’ forum did not insist that all states must pay N22, 500 but said those who have capacity to pay N30, 000 minimum wage should go ahead and do so.

Briefing journalists last week, Chairman of the forum, and Governor of Zamfara State Abdul’aziz Yari said it was their position that since the percentage of salaried workers is not more than 5% of the total working population, their position must not just reflect a figure, but also a sustainable strategy based on ability and capacity to pay.

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N30,000 wage will cause inflation – Umahi

Governor of Ebonyi State David Umahi said the proposed N30,000 national minimum wage would cause inflation and asked civil servants to look beyond the minimum wage.

He spoke Monday night when fielding questions from journalists at the Presidential lodge, Abakaliki where he inaugurated his re-election campaign.

“If you say something is wide, we should be able to say how wide it is. I believe that if we harness the resources of this country we will have enough to take care of our workers and we will have enough to take care of our health, education and others.

“Civil servants should look beyond minimum wage, even the minimum wage of thirty thousand naira cannot solve their basic needs,

“The reason is that it will cause inflection which is going to sweep out whatever gain you think you have. I think we are approaching this issue of minimum wage very wrongly,” he said.

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We must pay a living wage – Expert

Commenting on the impact of the new wage on inflation, Professor of Economist, Derin Ologbenla of the University of Lagos said: “We must pay a living wage. That is certain amount of money to the workers so that they feed. The question of poverty is based on the inability of government to pay a living wage.

“The workers will buy goods and services and the money will boost the economy of the country.”

He argued that most state governors do not understand the impact of paying a living wage.

Ologbenla said: “The private companies know these. We the intellectuals think it is man’s inhumanity to man for a Nigerian not to earn N1,000 a day and also expected to pay tax.

“So it is a lie that this could trigger inflation. When the senators have N13 million a month, did it cause inflation.”

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