HammerTimes News Online

Tag: state

  • Plateau State: Absent of voting materials disenfranchises electorates in rerun elections

    Lack of election materials has disenfranchised some electorates from voting in the ongoing by-election, for the Northern Senatorial Zone and Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency of the state.
    Some of the voters who voiced their frustration in an interview on Saturday in Jos described the situation as a calculated attempt to manipulate the process.
    The Commissioner for Lands and Survey in the state, Mr Peter Gai, accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of compromising the process.
    According to him, while in some polling units,  ballot papers for the senatorial election were complete, those of the House of Representatives election were either short or not brought at all.
    ‘“This is short of saying INEC has compromised this process; we discovered that in some polling units, the papers for senate were brought, while that of house representatives were not brought at all.
    “We demanded for explanation from the polling agents, but they could not give us any satisfactory answer.
    ”There are polling units that INEC officials didn’t come at all. For example, at polling unit 012 in Kanong community, Jos North Local Government Area (LGA), we didn’t see anybody.
    ”So, for us, honestly INEC must come clean and ensure that the correct thing is done because a lot of people are denied the right to exercise their democratic rights,”he said.
    Similarly, at polling unit 052, Rock Haven community, also in Jos North LGA, residents refused to vote over complete election materials.
    The residents who demanded that INEC must provide the complete election materials, refused the electoral official from leaving the unit.
    Another voter, Mrs Susan Adamu, said  that the poling unit has 1728 registered voters but the INEC officials came with only 100 ballot papers for the house of representative poll.
    She also said that officials arrived the polling unit without report sheets and sensible materials.
    ”We have placed several calls to INEC but no response and this is why we decided they won’t leave here until our materials is complete and we cast our votes,”she said.
    But Miss Hannah Anthony, the polling unit agent explained the Electoral Officer (EO) for the LGA had instructed her to go to the polling and commence the election and promised to deliver the remaining materials afterwards.
    ”When we arrived this place the people insisted that all the materials must be available before voting can commence.
    ”We have called the EO severally without positive response uptil now,”she said.

  • Vehicle hits wheelbarrow pusher to death in Lagos market

    The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed the killing of a man by an articulated vehicle on Ikorodu road, Mile 12 Market, Lagos.

    The spokesperson for the agency, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, said that the accident occurred on Saturday.

    In a statement on Saturday, he noted that the accident involved a truck marked LSR 901 XV.

    Taofiq said that the victim was pushing a wheelbarrow on the main carriage way in Mile 12 Market.

    He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the truck allegedly lost control due to a brake failure and rammed into the victim.

    “After the accident, the victim was rescued by LASTMA officers on duty.

    “He later died while rushing him to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

    “Some miscreants and hoodlums then attempted attacking the truck driver.

    “He was rescued and taken to Ketu Police Divisional by LASTMA officials with the support of security personnel at the market,” he said.

    He appealed to market leaders to regularly carry out safety enlightenment campaign on the danger of using wheelbarrow to convey goods on highways across the state.

    He also warned truck drivers to always avoid speed and ensure the effectiveness of the brake system of their trucks.

    Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos Benjamin Hundeyin said that the driver had been arrested for investigation.

  • Vehicle hits wheelbarrow pusher to death in Lagos market

    The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed the killing of a man by an articulated vehicle on Ikorodu road, Mile 12 Market, Lagos.

    The spokesperson for the agency, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, said that the accident occurred on Saturday.

    In a statement on Saturday, he noted that the accident involved a truck marked LSR 901 XV.

    Taofiq said that the victim was pushing a wheelbarrow on the main carriage way in Mile 12 Market.

    He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the truck allegedly lost control due to a brake failure and rammed into the victim.

    “After the accident, the victim was rescued by LASTMA officers on duty.

    “He later died while rushing him to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

    “Some miscreants and hoodlums then attempted attacking the truck driver.

    “He was rescued and taken to Ketu Police Divisional by LASTMA officials with the support of security personnel at the market,” he said.

    He appealed to market leaders to regularly carry out safety enlightenment campaign on the danger of using wheelbarrow to convey goods on highways across the state.

    He also warned truck drivers to always avoid speed and ensure the effectiveness of the brake system of their trucks.

    Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos Benjamin Hundeyin said that the driver had been arrested for investigation.

  • Campus Fire Outbreak: UniCal VC decry lack of functional fire service in Calabar

     

    Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UniCal), has decried the lack of functional fire service in Cross River State as what aggravated the fire incident in the institution, late on Thursday Feb. 1.
    Obi disclosed this on Saturday in an interview while on inspection of the site of the fire incident that destroyed the institution’s central store.
    According to reports, the Federal, State and and Fire Services of the Margaret Ekpo International Airport are all few metres away from the institution.
    The VC who was physically aggrieved with the situation said if Calabar had a functional fire service station, the situation would have been saved.
    “When I received the call that night,  at about 8.50 p.m., I rushed to the State Fire Service and they said their trucks were down, the Federal Fire Service said the same thing.
    “I had to rush to the Nigeria Port Authority, (NPA) but they told me they were discharging fuel, so they could not move their truck, painfully I called the Airport Authority and the person that picked the call said their trucks were also down.
    “This was heart breaking because I thought the Airport was suppose to have standby fire trucks for emergencies, it was in EPZ that they eventually allowed their fire truck to move to the site of the incident, by then it was three hours after.
    “Even when the truck got to the scene, it could do nothing, the students who had already done 85 per cent of the job of putting out the fire had to be fetching water from the fire truck to attack the remaining parts that were still burning,” she said.
    She said she was very proud of the students of the institution who were really brave and worked hard to put out the fire and prevented it from moving to the nearby buildings despite the fact that there were no taps around.
    She stated that the students and available staff were running from the hostels with water to extinguish the fire, the even started evacuating the nearby buildings, the Students Affairs and Medical Centre building to avoid further damage.
    While appealing to the Federal and State Governments to ensure that facilities of the fire service were functional, she called on them to also assist the institution that had lost everything in its central store, especially equipment donated by the Tertiary Education Fund (TETFund).
    She also appealed to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) as well as the institution’s alumni and other corporate organisations to assist the university.
    The VC who thanked men of the Nigeria Police Army, Department of State Security (DSS) and other security agencies for their support added that they had set up a panel to investigate the immediate and remote cause of the incident and what was lost in the fire.

  • Police arrest suspected kidnappers 24 hours after killing of 2 traditional rulers in Ekiti State

     

    Ekiti State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of five suspected kidnappers, 24 hours after the killing of two traditional rulers in the state.

    However, it was not stated whether the kidnappers were connected to the killing of the traditional rulers.

    According to a statement by the Police spokesman on Tuesday in Ado- Ekiti, DSP Sunday Abutu said the suspects were arrested in a forest.

    The statement reads:”In a bid to flush out criminal elements especially kidnappers out of the state, a combined team of the Police, NSCDC, Amotekun, OPC and local hunters today embarked on a bush combing operation through Oke-Osun, Ikere/Igbo-Okah, to the thick forest around Iju/Ikere boundary.

    “During the Operation, five suspected kidnappers namely- Usman Jelili, Mohammed Bande, Abubakar Aliu, Isah Abdulahi and Suleiman Abdulahi, were arrested.

    During interrogation, the suspects claimed to be herdsmen but it was later discovered that none of them have cattle and no cattle was found with them in the forest where they were arrested.

    “The following items were found with them in the forest – two motorcycles, one cutlass, one jack knife/ dagger and four mobile phones.

  • PCC Launches Investigation into MDA Tax Remittance in Abuja, Sokoto State

     

    The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) says, it has concluded plans to launch a system-wide investigation into the remittance of taxes by Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja and Sokoto State.

    The PCC, however expressed concern over the lack of transparency and accountability in the remittance of taxes by MDAs, which has led to the loss of Billions of Naira in Government revenue.

    The Commission organized Public Hearings in Abuja and Sokoto state and informed the stakeholders that PCC will be working with the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct the investigation.

    However, the PCC has noted that there is a lack of clear guidelines on the remittance of taxes by MDAs, which has led to widespread abuse and mismanagement of public funds.

    Accordingly, PCC hopes that the investigation will lead to the implementation of stronger policies and procedures for tax remittance by MDAs, and ultimately lead to increased government revenue and improved transparency and accountability in the public sector.

    The PCC has outlined the following key objectives for the investigation:

    – To determine the extent of non-remittance of taxes by MDAs in Abuja and Sokoto State.

    – To identify the reasons for the non-remittance of taxes by MDAs.

    – To identify the gaps and weaknesses in the current system for tax remittance by MDAs.

    – To make recommendations for strengthening the system for tax remittance by MDAs.

    In order to achieve these objectives, the PCC will conduct interviews with key stakeholders, including government officials, representatives from the MDAs, and tax experts.

    The PCC will also review relevant laws, regulations, and policies governing tax remittance by MDAs, and identify any areas where the current system is not effective.

    Finally, the PCC will develop a set of recommendations for strengthening the system for tax remittance by MDAs.

    Besides, it is hoped that the findings of the investigation will be widely publicized, in order to raise public awareness about the issue of tax remittance by MDAs.

    The PCC believes that increased public awareness will lead to greater pressure on government officials to ensure that MDAs remit taxes in a timely and transparent manner.

  • PCC Launches Investigation into MDA Tax Remittance in Abuja, Sokoto State

     

    The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) says, it has concluded plans to launch a system-wide investigation into the remittance of taxes by Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja and Sokoto State.

    The PCC, however expressed concern over the lack of transparency and accountability in the remittance of taxes by MDAs, which has led to the loss of Billions of Naira in Government revenue.

    The Commission organized Public Hearings in Abuja and Sokoto state and informed the stakeholders that PCC will be working with the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct the investigation.

    However, the PCC has noted that there is a lack of clear guidelines on the remittance of taxes by MDAs, which has led to widespread abuse and mismanagement of public funds.

    Accordingly, PCC hopes that the investigation will lead to the implementation of stronger policies and procedures for tax remittance by MDAs, and ultimately lead to increased government revenue and improved transparency and accountability in the public sector.

    The PCC has outlined the following key objectives for the investigation:

    – To determine the extent of non-remittance of taxes by MDAs in Abuja and Sokoto State.

    – To identify the reasons for the non-remittance of taxes by MDAs.

    – To identify the gaps and weaknesses in the current system for tax remittance by MDAs.

    – To make recommendations for strengthening the system for tax remittance by MDAs.

    In order to achieve these objectives, the PCC will conduct interviews with key stakeholders, including government officials, representatives from the MDAs, and tax experts.

    The PCC will also review relevant laws, regulations, and policies governing tax remittance by MDAs, and identify any areas where the current system is not effective.

    Finally, the PCC will develop a set of recommendations for strengthening the system for tax remittance by MDAs.

    Besides, it is hoped that the findings of the investigation will be widely publicized, in order to raise public awareness about the issue of tax remittance by MDAs.

    The PCC believes that increased public awareness will lead to greater pressure on government officials to ensure that MDAs remit taxes in a timely and transparent manner.

  • PCC Launches Investigation into MDA Tax Remittance in Abuja, Sokoto State

     

    The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) says, it has concluded plans to launch a system-wide investigation into the remittance of taxes by Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja and Sokoto State.

    The PCC, however expressed concern over the lack of transparency and accountability in the remittance of taxes by MDAs, which has led to the loss of Billions of Naira in Government revenue.

    The Commission organized Public Hearings in Abuja and Sokoto state and informed the stakeholders that PCC will be working with the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct the investigation.

    However, the PCC has noted that there is a lack of clear guidelines on the remittance of taxes by MDAs, which has led to widespread abuse and mismanagement of public funds.

    Accordingly, PCC hopes that the investigation will lead to the implementation of stronger policies and procedures for tax remittance by MDAs, and ultimately lead to increased government revenue and improved transparency and accountability in the public sector.

    The PCC has outlined the following key objectives for the investigation:

    – To determine the extent of non-remittance of taxes by MDAs in Abuja and Sokoto State.

    – To identify the reasons for the non-remittance of taxes by MDAs.

    – To identify the gaps and weaknesses in the current system for tax remittance by MDAs.

    – To make recommendations for strengthening the system for tax remittance by MDAs.

    In order to achieve these objectives, the PCC will conduct interviews with key stakeholders, including government officials, representatives from the MDAs, and tax experts.

    The PCC will also review relevant laws, regulations, and policies governing tax remittance by MDAs, and identify any areas where the current system is not effective.

    Finally, the PCC will develop a set of recommendations for strengthening the system for tax remittance by MDAs.

    Besides, it is hoped that the findings of the investigation will be widely publicized, in order to raise public awareness about the issue of tax remittance by MDAs.

    The PCC believes that increased public awareness will lead to greater pressure on government officials to ensure that MDAs remit taxes in a timely and transparent manner.

  • Police comb Imo forest, uncover 3 decomposing bodies

    The Police Command in Imo has uncovered three decomposing unidentified corpses suspected to be kidnap victims at a forest in Ihiagwa and Avu communities in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state.
    The state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Henry Okoye, confirmed the discovery on Monday in Owerri.
    According to reports, a viral video in the social media had showed about four decomposing bodies reportedly uncovered in the forest by Imo hunters and forest guards.
    Okoye said the Commissioner of Police, Mr Aboki Danjuma, had directed a tactical team to thoroughly search all the bushes and forests in the area to see if there were more kidnappers and dead bodies.
    “Operatives of Imo State Police Command Special Tactical Squad, led by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Aboki Danjuma, raided a forest along Avu-Ihiagwa communities, suspected to be kidnappers hideout.
    “In the process, five suspected kidnappers were arrested, while three decomposing unidentified corpses suspected to be kidnap victims were recovered.
    “The command intends to carry out further DNA confirmatory test to ascertain the identities of the victims,* Okoye stated.
    According to him, intense combing of the forest and other nook and crannies in the state is ongoing with the aim of stamping out all forms of crime and criminality.
    He advised members of the public to avail police sensitive information that could aid them to arrest criminals, as well as secure and safeguard the state.
    Okoye urged the public to either go to their closest Divisional Police Officer (DPO), the Area Commanders or Commanders of the Tactical Teams.
    He also availed the following numbers: command room – 08034773600; and the Complaints Response Unit- 07067419738, for emergencies.

  • Police comb Imo forest, uncover 3 decomposing bodies

    The Police Command in Imo has uncovered three decomposing unidentified corpses suspected to be kidnap victims at a forest in Ihiagwa and Avu communities in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state.
    The state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Henry Okoye, confirmed the discovery on Monday in Owerri.
    According to reports, a viral video in the social media had showed about four decomposing bodies reportedly uncovered in the forest by Imo hunters and forest guards.
    Okoye said the Commissioner of Police, Mr Aboki Danjuma, had directed a tactical team to thoroughly search all the bushes and forests in the area to see if there were more kidnappers and dead bodies.
    “Operatives of Imo State Police Command Special Tactical Squad, led by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Aboki Danjuma, raided a forest along Avu-Ihiagwa communities, suspected to be kidnappers hideout.
    “In the process, five suspected kidnappers were arrested, while three decomposing unidentified corpses suspected to be kidnap victims were recovered.
    “The command intends to carry out further DNA confirmatory test to ascertain the identities of the victims,* Okoye stated.
    According to him, intense combing of the forest and other nook and crannies in the state is ongoing with the aim of stamping out all forms of crime and criminality.
    He advised members of the public to avail police sensitive information that could aid them to arrest criminals, as well as secure and safeguard the state.
    Okoye urged the public to either go to their closest Divisional Police Officer (DPO), the Area Commanders or Commanders of the Tactical Teams.
    He also availed the following numbers: command room – 08034773600; and the Complaints Response Unit- 07067419738, for emergencies.