2019 ELECTION : INEC Loses 5,987 PVCs, 297 Ballot Boxes to Fire

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has lost 5, 987 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and 297 ballot boxes following a fire outbreak at its office in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, which was completely razed down.

However, following the fire incident that occurred at the Qua’an Pan LGA office of the electoral body in Plateau State and that of lsiala Ngwa South LGA office in Abia State, the commission has promised to reprint burnt PVCs and other election materials.

Head of Media, Publicity, and Voters Education of the Commission, Mr. Osaretin Imahiyereobo, who confirmed the incident, lamented that the fire incident has caused a serious setback in the preparations for the general elections in the LGA.

He said a drunken security man was said to have caused the outbreak leading to a complete loss of 5,987 PVCs, 297 voting cubicles, 297 ballot boxes, 14 generator sets (one 7KVA and 13 5KVAs), two file cabinets, election forms, Presiding and Collation Officer’s stamps, 850 mats for RAC centres, office equipment, among others.

He said, “The security man allegedly put fire in the obsolete materials evacuated from the store to give room for the other materials expected from the state office. The security man, who ran to the divisional police station to report the incident, was said to have put off the earlier fire on the obsolete materials but unknown to him, the fire didn’t go off completely. The situation was aggravated by the high wind in the area. ” He added that it was too early to suspect any sabotage.

Osaretin said that a management team of the commission, led by the Administrative Secretary, Mr. Gbadamasi Rasheed, went to the scene of the fire outbreak to have on-the–spot assessment of the incident, adding that the new Commissioner of Police to the State, Mr. Isaac Akinmoyede, was also on ground yesterday morning to assess the situation.

Meanwhile, following the fire incident that occurred at the Qua’an Pan LGA office of the electoral body in Plateau State and that of lsiala Ngwa South LGA office in Abia State, the commission has promised to reprint burnt PVCs and other election materials. The electoral body has also assured that the fire would not affect the conduct of the elections.

Source:thisdaylive.com

ELECTION WAR : Five shot dead in ongoing PDP, APC clash in Delta community

Five persons have been shot dead in Udumurogbo Quarters in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State in the ongoing clash between the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The incident, DAILY POST learnt, started in the early hours of Monday.

It also left many seriously wounded.

Sophisticated arms and ammunition were freely used by suspected thugs.

They reportedly shot sporadically in the area and burgled into the homes of some residents, dispossessed them of their personal belongings and unspecified amount of money.

The incident forced many commercial shops to remain closed with transporters and passerby abandoning the Effurun market area.

Contacted, the Delta State Acting Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka in a telephone chat with DAILY POST confirmed the report.

DSP Aniamaka said, “At about 0700hrs, one Friday Emajeke of No. 19 Jakpa road reported at the Police Station.

“Friday said at about 1:30 a.m., he heard some gun shots but he could not come out due to the prevailing situation in Effurun.

“Friday said at about 6 a.m. when he came out, he found his tenant, one Emmanuel dead.

“Following his (Friday) own report, the Police swung into action and right inside Emmanuel’s room, three corpses were seen lying dead. Two males and a female.

“Around the place, the Police found the body of another person also lying dead.”

Aniamaka added that, “The police are investigating what really transpired.”

- DAILY POST

TRANSFER NEWS : Ramsey signs £400k per week Juve deal

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has signed a four-year contract with Juventus worth over £400,000 per week, according to Sky sources.

The Wales international has agreed a pre-contract deal with the Italian champions and will join on a free transfer when his Arsenal deal expires at the end of the season.

Ramsey had been in talks with the Gunners over a new deal for several months, but the club withdrew their offer in October, leaving Ramsey free to discuss a move away from north London.

Last month, Arsenal head coach Unai Emery suggested funds were tight at the Emirates Stadium when he admitted they were only able to sign players on loan in the transfer window.

In the last 13 months, Arsenal have signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bernd Leno, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Lucas Torreira for a combined total of over £100m, but only signed Denis Suarez on loan from Barcelona in January.

Mesut Ozil was also handed a new long-term contract last season that Sky sources understand to be worth £350,000 per week.

Juventus are considered to be experts at exploiting the free transfer market, and have signed the likes of Dani Alves, Emre Can, Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba on pre-contract deals in recent years.

Ramsey will become the third Welshman to play for Juve, following in the footsteps of Ian Rush - who spent just one season in Italy - and John Charles, who spent five years with the club in the 1950s and 60s.

- SKY SPORTS

Sala: Details of footballer’s death emerge

Emiliano Sala died from massive injuries to his head and chest, the Daily Mail reports.

The striker, who signed for Cardiff City from Nantes, in a record £15million, could only be identified by his fingerprints, an inquest heard on Monday.

Brendan Allen, acting senior coroner for Dorset, adjourned proceedings in Bournemouth until November 6, for a pre-inquest review.

Allen told the hearing this was because an Air Accidents Investigation Branch inquiry into the tragedy, could take between six months and a year.

Details surrounding the footballer’s death emerged hours after the family of David Ibbotson, who piloted the aircraft that crashed over the English Channel, said they won’t give up hope in their fight to find the missing father.

The 59-year-old was carrying Sala from Nantes to Cardiff when the plane crashed into the sea near Alderney on January 21.

- DAILY POST

Man divorces wife for converting to Christianity

A Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan, on Monday, dissolved a 31-year-old marriage between one Azeez Muritala and Ramota over religious differences.

NAN reports that Azeez, a truck driver, in his petition, said that he wanted the court to put an end to the union with his wife on the ground that she was not ready to practice Islamic religion with him.

“My lord, I have decided to call it quit with Ramota because I have exhausted my patience with her for too long.

“I got married to Ramota in 1988 so that she could practice the same faith with me.

“Right now, I no longer know anything about her movement as she now became stone-hearted.

“Without my knowledge or approval, Ramota started going to church and bringing home certain kind of water.

“In fact, to my disgust, Ramota brings into my matrimonial home different colours of candle under the disguise of praying with them.

“By this time, she had stopped practising Islam.

“Worst still, Ramota has succeeded in turning our four children against me by poisoning their mind that I am bad.

“Most of the times, she doesn’t stay at home for three days and has recently moved away for long.

“Ramota has even absconded with the first three children without giving me any clue of their whereabouts.

“Just few days ago, she stubbornly came to take away the last child that has been keeping me happy.

“When I can no longer bear the humiliation, I reported to her parents and relatives, but they pleaded with me that she would change,” Azeez said.

The respondent, who consented to the suit, could not deny any of the allegations levelled against her.

Responding, Ramota, a food vendor at Gingede area of Ibadan however, maintained that she had seen practical manifestation of prayer in her life.

“It is true that I now go to church and my husband approved of it.

“When Azeez later told me to stop going to church, I disagreed with him because I needed prayers.

“I did not abscond with any of the children, they wilfully followed me.

“I want to urge this honourable court not to award Azeez custody of the children because he is too busy, they will suffer,” Ramota said.

However, ruling on the matter, the president of the court Chief Ademola Odunade, held that he dissolved the relationship because the duo had refused to be pacified.

Odunade awarded custody of the four children produced by the union, whose ages ranged between 11 and 30, to Azeez because they were grown ups.

- DAILY POST

Ray Parlour reveals Arsenal player that will get Emery sacked

Former Arsenal midfielder, Ray Parlour, has said Mesut Ozil could get Unai Emery sacked at the club.

Ozil signed a new £350,000-a-week contract at the Emirates last year, but has fallen out of favour under Emery.

The German playmaker has started just 13 of Arsenal’s 26 Premier League fixtures this season, but remains one of the most influential players in North London.

Emery reportedly lost the dressing during his time with PSG after clashing with Neymar and Parlour fears a similar situation could play out at Arsenal with Ozil.

“It’s been a little bit like PSG with Neymar.

“Neymar ended up getting Emery the sack.

“He lost the dressing room and Neymar was pulling the strings there. Maybe it could be the same at Arsenal,” Parlour told Sky Sports.

- DAILY POST

13-year-old in court over alleged battery theft

A 13-years-old boy on Monday appeared before an Oredo Family Court 2 over the alleged theft of car battery and side-mirror.

According to the charge sheet, the boy committed the offence with three others still at large, on Dec. 25, 2018, at No. 21, Easy Motion Street, Off Saint Saviour Road, Evboriaria, Benin City.

The police prosecutor, Insp. Thomas Omokaro who read the charges said the defendant and three others still at large, conspired with each other to commit felony to wit: stealing.

He said the offence committed is punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap 48 Vol II of the defunct Bendel State Laws of Nigeria 1976 now applicable in Edo.

On the second count, the prosecutor said that the accused and the three others still at large, stole the battery valued N20, 000 and two side mirrors valued N5, 000, thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 390 (9) of the same laws.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr E. I. Adamagbo, however, did not take the plea of the boy, saying the court has no jurisdiction to hear the case.

The case has been adjourned to Feb. 13, pending its transfer to an appropriate court.

- PM NEWS

‘3.3m persons in Kano, unemployed’

Professor Murtala Sagagi, Dean, Dangote Business School, Bayero University Kano, says there are no fewer than 3.3 million unemployed persons in Kano state.

He made the disclosure at a Business Round table with PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar in Kano on Sunday night.

He said the figure was based on a findings when he served as a consultant of a committee that conducted the survey.

He said according to the survey, Kaduna state had 1.3 million unemployed persons while Jigawa had over 700, 000 unemployed youths.

He urged government at all levels to give priority attention to jobs creation through revitalisation of all ailing industries especially in Northern parts of the country.

The university don, who attributed underdevelopment of the region to inconsistency in the implementation of government policies, called for a reversal of the ugly trend.

“There were about 2,500 industries in Kano in the past but most of them have collapsed as only 400 of such industries are operating now in the entire North.

“I am not blaming anyone but the northerners themselves because they are the ones in charge of their affairs,” he said.

In his remarks, the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said if given the mandate to lead the country, he would tackle unemployment challenges by supporting small and medium scale enterprises.

“If you want to reduce poverty empower the women because I have tried it and seen its impact.”

He listed a number of measures that he would take if elected President which include additional allocation of funds to state and local governments to enable them execute developmental projects.

He said in addition, local and state governments would be given more powers because of their closeness to the grassroots.

“We shall also reopen the borders to ensure free movement of goods and services that are not prohibited by our laws.

“The ECOWAS emphasises free movement of goods and services and World Trade Organisation (WHO). So if elected I will reopen the border to enhance economic activities.

“We are ready to listen to all your problems because we held similar meeting with business community in Aba and Lagos,” Atiku said.

Also speaking, Sen. Rabi’u Kwankwaso commended the initiative as it will go along way in addressing challenges facing commercial activities in the state.

- PM NEWS