Boko Haram suffererd heavy casualties after Chadian assault in Nigeria


Boko Haram suffererd heavy casualties after Chadian assault in Nigeria


Boko Haram militants suffered heavy casualties when Chadian troops pushed into Nigeria this week, residents who fled the fighting told AFP on Thursday.

Army-war

Chad’s army said on Tuesday evening that they had seized control of the town of Dikwa, which is about 50 kilometres (31 miles) southwest of the Nigerian border town of Gamboru.

The offensive deep inside Nigerian territory was a first and suggested a strategy to tackle other rebel-controlled areas in northeastern Borno state, which is the group’s stronghold.

The Chadians are part of a four-country coalition mounting a regional fight-back against the Islamists.

“Chadian soldiers took over Dikwa from Boko Haram after heavy fighting on Tuesday,” Bababura Diwa, who lives in the town, said by telephone from Fotokol, across the border in northern Cameroon.

Diwa said the Chadians came from Gamboru, which they previously recaptured, with heavy artillery power and overpowered a group of militants at Lomani village, 15 kilometres from Dikwa.

“When they came into Dikwa there was intense fighting but at last they subdued the Boko Haram fighters,” he added.

Odogwu Mobilises Ijaws For Delta PDP Candidates


 Odogwu Mobilises Ijaws For Delta PDP Candidates







As the 2015 general elections draw closer, a PDP chieftain, Hon. Tam Odogwu, has moved to mobilise Ijaws in Delta State to massively vote candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Odogwu who solicited the support of his Ijaw kinsmen at Warri, Delta State, said it was high time for the Ijaws in the state to work together to ensure the victory of the PDP in their local government areas and to join hands with other well meaning Deltans to move the state forward.

Odogwu said: “Delta State has been a political entity with stability and development since the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took over the reins of governance.

“With the enormous development and determination demonstrated by the Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, Deltans have not been left behind in the democratic dividends he has brought to the state.

“The party primaries in the state have also produced credible governorship candidate, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa and his running mate, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro. These are men of proven integrity and ready to take the state to greater heights.

“The two democrats will surely consolidate on the current development in the state as their manifesto has indicated holistic infrastructural and human capital development.

“That is why I am mobilising strong support and massive votes of Ijaws in the state for the PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Okowa, which I assure him and his running mate, Mr. Otuaro that they will get the block votes of all Ijaws.”

Meanwhile, Odogwu who acknowledged the role played by one of Delta State development stakeholder and leader of ex-agitators, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, (a.k.a G.O.C Tompolo) for his contributions in stabilising the political atmosphere in the state described him as a pillar of Delta politics.

“It is worth commending of the strategic role played by this worthy son of Delta State and pillar in the state’s politics, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a G.O.C Tompolo.

“Every Deltan can attest to this fact that Tompolo has shown that he is a lover of democracy and peace, which he has done everything to ensure Delta State remains the most peaceful state in the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.

“I urge Ijaws and all Deltans to support him and encourage his dogged determination and resolve to ensure the state remains united and focused, because he will still do more for the entire well being of the state,” he added.

Senate satisfied with INEC’s readiness, card reader

Senate satisfied with INEC’s readiness, card reader


The Senate on Wednesday expressed confidence on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) readiness to conduct free, fair and credible elections. The Senate President, David Mark, disclosed this when the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, briefed the house and demonstrated how the card reader would be used during plenary.

Naira to exchange at N197/$

Naira to exchange at N197/$


The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday, in a bid to salvage the Naira from speculators scrapped the official window where it sells dollar to end users through banks twice a week.

Injects 83,645 Into Voters List

Injects 83,645 Into Voters List


Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, may have pulled a fast one on Nigerians with the announcement that only 68,833,476 Nigerians are registered to vote in the forthcoming general elections. However, a thorough check by The UNION, indicates that the voter list, as announced by Jega on January 13, and re-affirmed on February 17, as the working figure for INEC, contains 83, 645 names more. This means 83, 645 extra permanent voter cards. In essence, by the time INEC distributes a total of 68,833,476 voter cards, it will be left with an excess of 83, 645 PVCs, whose owners are not known. The UNION had subjected the figures published by INEC to checks. Both manual and electronic calculations of the number of registered voters in the 36 states and the FCT, showed that actual number of registered voters is 68, 917, 121. This is against 68,833,476 declared by Prof. Jega.

These figures are also posted on INEC’s website and accessible by everyone. While the Commission has maintained this figure as the true and certified number of voters in the country, The UNION can authoritatively state that the Independent National Electoral Commission is working in error of 83,645 voters, registered or unregistered. This cast a major doubt on the integrity of INEC as what happens to the excess of 83,645 is not known to Nigerians. Also, the calculations for zonal collection of the PVCs are also embarrassingly faulty. It indicates that the commission may have distributed more PVCs than it has declared. This suggests that some under-the-table PVC distributions may have been made by INEC. According to INEC, total number of PVCs collected as at February 17 was 52,275,367. But when this figure was broken down to zonal collections, it indicated that some 233,598 PVCs had been distributed.

According to a critical analysis of the figures presented by INEC, upon which it said 52,275,367 were distributed as at 6pm on February 17, a total of 15, 104, 626 PVCs were distributed in the Northwest zone, while 7,755,374 was distributed in the northeast zone and 7,863,515 PVCs were given out in the north central zone including the FCT. Similarly, the analysis showed that 5,646,542 PVCs had been distributed in the southeast while 7,755,374 cards were given out in the south-south zone and 8,589,387 had been distributed in the south west states. The sum of this, calculated manually and electronically, returned a total of 52,508,965 as against 52,275,367 published by INEC, on its website, as total number of PVCs so far collected by voters. The excess figure remains a mystery given that 83,645 more names are captured in the INEC list of registered voters as published on February 17. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission figures on the sub-head “Number of Registered Voters, (C) which totalled 68,833,476. However, the auto-sum of the same figures of the 36 states and the FCT adds up to 68, 917,121, registering a difference of 83, 645 which the commission would need to do some explanation about. What may have informed this kind of embarrassing public presentation of figures to be used for the elections.

Senate Doubts the Effectiveness of Card Readers

Senate Doubts the Effectiveness of Card Readers


The Senate yesterday refused to give any definite response regarding the use of the Card Reader Machines introduced by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) for use in the March 28 and April 11 general elections. Following the deployment of the Card Reader by the INEC to accredit voters for the forthcoming elections, the Senate on Tuesday invited the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to appear before it and explain INEC’s preparedness for the elections. During the session, which lasted for three hours at the Red Chamber, Jega observed the challenges of the Card Reader. “Using the card readers has too many challenges. What if a card reader fails? What if a person is verified, and his finger print cannot be authenticated?,” he queried. He said that INEC has agreed with all political parties on what to do, if any of these arises. “In the likely event that a Card Reader fails, we have enough spares to deploy before the end of the accreditation at 1p.m. If we cannot replace it before the end of accreditation, then the election in that particular point will be postponed to the following day when a new Card Reader would be provided for election,” he said.

Reacting to the fact that the Card Reader is programmed to work for five hours, Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, feared that some electorate would be disfranchised. “This is a very practical thing. From what we have seen here today, it means that it will take about one minute to accredit a person. “You said that the device is programmed to work for five hours daily. Let’s assume that you commenced accreditation by 8 a.m., you will finish by 1 p.m., like you said. “If that is the case and from what we have seen here today, it means that you will only accredit 60 voters in one hour by one person per minute. It also means that only 300 voters will be accredited between the accrediting hours of 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. “We all know that most polling booths have more than 300 registered voters. Now, if this is the case, the rest of the registered voters would be disenfranchised for the election,” Abaribe said. In her worry, Senator Chris Anyanwu requested for the place of non northerners, who registered in the North. She particularly noted with concern that some Nigerians from the Southern part registered in the North, but had to run away for safety. “Would they also be considered as internally displaced persons(IDPs)? Because they registered in the North, but cannot be allowed to vote in the South, where they have run to safety,” she noted.

Anyanwu also observed that Senator Chris Ngige’s finger could not be captured in the trial exercise on the floor of the Senate. In his concern, Senator Odion Ugbeshie wondered, if INEC would not be celebrating illegality through the Card Reader. Earlier, Jega raised fears that the Card Reader would disenfranchise some electorate. “The card reader will not read every finger,” he hinted. Jega also admitted that the Commission was managing a very difficult situation in the Boko Haram strongholds and areas of operations, especially in Maiduguri, Borno State. Jega could not guarantee that all the permanent voter cards (PVCs) would be made available to their owners, with about four weeks to the rescheduled dates of the general elections. He informed the senators that INEC was yet to produce 1 million PVCs from China. In his closing remarks, the Senate President, Senator David Mark, assured the INEC boss of the Upper Chamber’s readiness to assist. “We want to win our elections, but we want to win free and fair. Nobody wants to come back from the back door. We will work with you to ensure that you succeed in what you are doing ahead of the forthcoming general elections,” Mark said. The UNION recalls that the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma- Egba, on Tuesday said that the deployment of the Card Reader by the INEC to accredit voters is contrary to Section 52 of the Electoral Act 2010.

More Groups Support Jonathan’s Re-Election Bid

More Groups Support Jonathan’s Re-Election Bid


Many groups have moved into the support umbrella of President Goodluck Jonathan in the Southeast zone following a move by Governor Theodore Orji to deepen the support base of Mr. President among the sociocultural groups According to a source who confided in The Union, the surge in pro-Jonathan groups was sparked by complaints by several cultural groups across the five states of the zone that they were not being carried along in the movement for the re-election of President Jonathan despite their soft spot for him.

It was further learnt that Governor Orji, who is the coordinator of President Jonathan’s campaign organisation had latched on to the enthusiasm being shown by various groups to enlist them in the project. To this end, he invited all “credible and visible” groups to a meeting at government house Umuahia where the groups were welcomed into the campaign structure.Orji was said to have told the enlisted groups that the major task facing them now was to sensitize the grassroots on the need for them to collect their permanent voters cards (PVC).

He noted that the opposition would be strengthened when those supporting Mr. President fail to collect their PVCs, which would guarantee their active participation in the democratic process. According to the source, who is a member of one of the groups that attended the meeting with Governor Orji, all the groups welcomed their integration into the campaign organisation.He said that they expressed gratitude to the Abia governor for seeing the various socio-cultural groups and pledged their willingness and commitment to take the message of Jonathan’s re-election to every nook and cranny of the Southeast zone.
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