Dennis

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has distanced himself from those calling for the removal of Iyorchia Ayu as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.   Ortom made his position on the issue clear in a statement issued by Nathaniel Ikyur, his Chief Press Secretary, maintaining that he has confidence in Ayu’s ability to lead the party to victory in next year’s general election.   The governor’s statement was in reaction to the allegations by Jemgbagh Development Association, Abuja that he was plotting the downfall of his fellow Benue man, Ayu.   Ortom’s statement goes in contrast to that of his ally, Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers, who leads a section of the PDP to which the Benue governor belongs to.   Since the fallout following the election of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the party ahead of Wike in May, Wike’s group has been insistent with their call for Ayu’s resignation as a condition for supporting At...

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday gave an estimated breakdown of some of the 1.4 million ad hoc staff to be trained ahead of the 2023 general election.   This was disclosed at the two-day capacity building workshop by the Institute for INEC Press Corps on critical issues in the Electoral Act, 2022 and the Commission’s Processes, Innovations, Preparations for the 2023 General Election.   The Director-General of the Institute, Sa’ad Idris said, “We will train about 17,685 Supervising Presiding Officers; Presiding Officers/Assistants Presiding Officers (176,846×4) 707,384; about 11,083 Collation Officers; about 12,991 Registration Area Technical Officers; about 20,000 security officers; and 6,009 Registration Area Centres Managers.”   According to the DG, training of ad hoc staff will be done with utmost commitment to delivering free and fair elections in 2023.   He said, “In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that the training of poll official...

The introduction of new British banknotes and stamps featuring King Charles III’s image will be implemented gradually.   The Royal Mail and Bank of England on Tuesday said they have received guidance from Charles’ royal household aimed at minimising cost and ensuring a sustainable transition.   Updated banknotes bearing the portrait of the King will be revealed by the end of the year, the Bank of England has said.   The notes are expected to enter circulation by mid 2024 with Charles’ portrait appearing on existing designs of the £5, £10, £20 and £50 banknotes.   The Royal Mail also confirmed the King’s image will replace Queen Elizabeth II on new 1st and 2nd Class definitive stamps, as well as all those of other values.   Issues of special stamps will also feature a silhouette of Charles.   The Royal Mail said: “In line with guidance from the Royal Household, to minimise the environmental and financial impact of the change of monarch, existing stocks of de...

  The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has ordered the closure of a new generation church, The New Jerusalem Deliverance Ministry, Okene for allegedly defrauding members by selling “bulletproof water” and running an unapproved medical facility.   The Pastor of the church, Peter Adeiza, is said to have been operating the facility since 2008 while many people were said to have allegedly lost their lives due to illegal and unhygienic medical practice.   The closure order was implemented on Monday by the state Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (retd.), in the company with the state Commissioner for Information and Commissioner for Health, Kingsley Fanwo and Dr Zekeri Usman, respectively, other government officials and the security agents.   It was discovered that asides from housing a hospital that is used for taking deliveries and treating sicknesses, the church is also being used as a psychiatric and rehabilitation home as many people were seen with chains on...

  Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr Benjamine  Okolo, has ordered the Provost Marshall of the Command to try Inspector Agip Teiwei and Inspector Bedford Emolade, for unprofessional conduct, and  Peter Frank  queried. The affected officers of the command were seen in a viral video, attacking a civilian with a stick, over expired vehicle particulars, on 26 September, 2022, at Akenfa, Yenagoa, the State capital. While calling on officers of the command to always be professional in the discharge of their duties, Mr Okolo said disciplined organization and the State Command will condone any act of unruly behaviors from its officers.

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Tuesday faulted  faulted the population figures attributed to the state by the National Population Commission (NPC), saying they were grossly under-estimated. Governor Diri, stated this at a one day stakeholders summit on the 2023 population and housing census, with the theme ‘’ Getting the People Involved” organised by the National Population Census, at the Chief DSP Alamieyesegha memorial banquet hall, Yenagao. The governor, stressed that the importance of population figures cannot over-emphasised as it served as a parameter for sharing of revenue and tasked  the commission  on professionalism. He said the current population data for the country were inaccurate and called on the NPC to correct past census figures in the 2023 national census exercise. While urging the Commission to avoid favoritism and other sharp practice, in order to  correct the past mistakes, he however, commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for app...

Bayelsa State Government has called on the National Boundary Commission, (NBC) to expedite action on the resolution of boundary dispute between Bayelsa and Rivers states to enhance peaceful co-existence between them. The State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, made the call on Monday while declaring open a town hall meeting and ethnographic study with respect to the communities along Bayelsa and Delta inter-state boundary in Yenagoa. According to him, peace will be elusive if the Commission does not first of all address issues of equity, justice and fairness in resolving boundary conflicts. Senator Ewhrudjakpo said while it was commendable for the Commission to seek peaceful resolution of the impacted communities of Bayelsa and Delta states, it should rather focus on addressing the age-long boundary dispute between Bayelsa and Rivers states. The Deputy Governor, who is the Chairman the State Boundary Committee, underscored the need for all parties to come together to dialo...