The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has told the youth in Nigeria not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to cause any form of violence in the 2023 general elections.

This was the advice from the National President of the Youth Wing of the Association (YOWICAN) Beluchukwu Enwere, while addressing the youth leaders in Anambra Friday.

The CAN Youth leader, however, commended Most Rev. Daniel Okoh and sultan of Sokoto for the roles they had been playing in trying to enthrone peace in the country, especially, as 2023 general elections draw close.

He therefore, charged the youth to resists any attempt to be used for electoral violence, vote buying or selling on the 2023 general elections.

It was during the end of the year leadership retreat for Church Youth leaders in Anambra State, organised under the Theme, ‘I will do a new thing.’

According to Enwere, “for youth to sale their votes to any politician or political party at any election  means to mortgage their future, futures of their children, relatives and generations unborn.

“Do not wait for your leaders, parents or INEC to educate you before you become an ambassador of peace. We need to start doing it now ahead of the 2023 general elections.”

He further charged youth who were yet to collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) to quickly visit designated areas for their collections and prepare to utilise them to elect credible leaders next year.

The Anambra State Chairman of YOMICAN, Comrade Nwabueze Kingsley Nwokoye, thanked the Youth leader for the roles being played for the unification and peace of the country.

Youth leaders in Anambra State have called for restraints and calm over perceived rift between Governor Chukwuma Soludo and former governor and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi.

The leaders, under the umbrella of Coalition of Anambra State Youth Leaders and Stakeholders said there was no love lost between the duo as being speculated.

Addressing a world press conference on Friday, Deputy President, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Amb. Innocent Nduanya underscored the need to refrain from inflammatory and divisive comments capable of causing disunity and setback.

He described the differences as mere political game characteristic of any democracy, stressing that both individuals remained very important to the Nigerian project and development of the State in their own rights.

He said, “In the past two weeks, both the conventional and social media have been awash with stories and vituperations suggestive of a bitter war between the incumbent governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo and former governor of the state and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi.

“This war of words had even degenerated to threats of attacks, blackmail and defamatory statements by pro-groups to both parties.

“Recently, a youth group had threatened to mobilise and dump wastes at the state government House in Awka, as a way of punishing our governor for his comments, which they deemed as anti-Obi.

“As youth leaders and critical stakeholders, we have watched these developments with rapt attention and at this point, feel that our continued silence may be deemed complicity, hence our decision to speak up.

“This was evident in the conviviality and exchange of brotherly pleasantries between the duo yesterday at a Holy Mass at St. Patricks Cathedral, Awka, to mark the 70th Birthday of the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor.

“Both individuals have the right, under a democracy, to campaign along party lines and we believe that understanding was established when Soludo received Obi earlier this year at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia.”

•Nigerians must ensure every vote counts, says Consular General

 

Ahead of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, the United States Consulate, Lagos, in collaboration with West Africa Broadcast and Media Academy (WABMA) and Enugu Literary Society (ELS) has organised a two-day intensive training for journalists in the Southsouth on election reporting, fact-checking and monitoring.

The Election Reporting Workshop Programme (ERP) which held at the American Corner of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) drew participating journalists from Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

On hand to train the 25 select journalists including photojournalists and videographers were Prof. Christian Ulasi, Dean, Department of Radio, Television and Film, School of Communication, Texas Southern University (TSU), United States; Prof. Lai Oso, former Dean, School of Media and Communications Studies, Lagos State University (LASU); Miss Grace Ekpu, Investigative Reporter, The Associated Press (AP) and Mr Ekene Odigwe of WABMA.

The training focused on Ethics of Political Reporting, Investigative Reporting for Election Coverage, Ethnicity and Religion in Media and Politics, Legal Pitfalls in Election Coverage, Fact-Checking and Detecting Misinformation, among others.

Speaking at the workshop to declare the training open, the US Consular General, Mr Will Stevens, stated that essence of the training was to ensure that the 2023 general elections are fair, peaceful and credible.

In his remarks, Mr Ken Okere, Director, WABMA, who spoke virtually, disclosed to the participants said that the workshop was aimed at training the journalists to be better than what they used to be.

Speaking on behalf of the participants, Carl Orakwue of Wazobia Radio FM, thanked the organisers for the workshop, saying that it was apt at this critical time in the country.

Prof.  Chris Ulasi, Prof. Lai Oso,  Miss Grace Ekpu and Mr Ekene Odigwe, facilitators of the training, urged journalists to ensure that their reportage of the 2023 polls reflects the grand norms of election reporting and monitoring.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of the Deputy Speaker of the Imo state House of Assembly, Hon. Amarachi Iwuanyanwu, following his alleged involvement in a N785million fraud.

The court, in a ruling delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Security Services, the Nigerian Immigration Services and the Interpol, to arrest the lawmaker on sight, “anywhere he is sighted in Nigeria or outside Nigeria and produce him before this honourable court or to the EFCC headquarters, Abuja.”

The order for Iwuanyawu’s arrest was sequel to an ex-parte application dated November 14, which the EFCC brought before the court through its lawyer, Mr. Olanrewaju Adeola.

In the application marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2124/2024, EFCC, told the court that it got an intelligence that the lawmaker had since escaped from the country and is currently hiding in the United States of America, USA.

It told the court that the Respondent refused to make himself available to respond to a petition that was lodged against him and his company, Sun Gold Estate Limited.

According to the EFCC, a firm, Hakiz Investment Company Limited, had in the petition that was signed by its lawyer, Mr. A. A Malik, SAN, and addressed to its Chairman, alleged that it had sometime in 2012, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with Iwuanyawu’s company to develop an estate comprising of 14 units of 4 bedroom terrace and one blocks of 6 flats on the petitioner’s land situated at Mabuchi Abuja.

It told the court that the agreement was that upon the completion of the estate by the Respondent, the complainant, who is the owner of the land, would take 40% of the building, while the Respondent, being the developer, would take 60% of the building.

However, the anti-graft agency alleged that its investigations revealed that “upon completion of the estate, the respondent sold all the buildings and criminally diverted the funds without the knowledge of the complainant.

“That the market value of 40% of the buildings is about N785million.

“That investigation is still ongoing and all invitations extended to both Iwuanyanwu and his company proved abortive.

“That a lawyer to the Respondent had on one of the occasions, received a copy of the invitation on his behalf and made promises that he would be available for questioning.

“That there is an intelligence report that the Respondent is in the USA.

“That without the suspect being apprehended or voluntarily coming to state their side of the story, the investigation will be incomplete.

“That in the light of the calculated effort by the suspect to remain evasive, there is need to place the suspect on watch list of the Commission, the police and any other law enforcement,” EFCC averred in an affidavit that was deposed to by one of its officials, Ufuoma Ezire.”

It predicated the application for an arrest warrant to be issued against the respondent on section 35(1) (c ) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, sections 3, 37 and 39(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, as well as sections 6, 7, 13 and 41 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004.

The Commission told the court that it had since written investigation activities letters to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Banks, and other relevant agencies.

Meanwhile, in his ruling, Justice Ekwo held that there was merit in the ex-parte application and accordingly granted it.

Specifically, the court, made an order: “Issuing a warrant of arrest against Hon. Amarachi Iwuanyanwu.

As well as, “An order of this honourable court authorizing and or directing the EFCC, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, the Nigerian Immigration Services and the Interpol to arrest on sight Hon. Amarachi Iwuanyawu anywhere sighted in Nigeria or outside Nigeria and produce her before this Honorable court or to the EFCC headquarters, Abuja.”

Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter till February 23 for report.

The Chairman, Strategic Communication Committee (SCC) of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Pastor Nature Dumale, has commended efforts of the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Okon Umana and the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, to reposition the NDDC to actualise its mandate.

Dumale, who spoke in Port Harcourt on Friday, recalled that Umana vowed to deploy due process in NDDC especially in the award of contracts insisting that procurement and audit must play their vital roles in contractual processes.

He said: “On Umana’s first official visit to the NDDC, he had an interface with staff of the commission and made certain promises. Over the years we have seen ministers make promises and at the end of the day fail to fulfill them. But we have seen Umana matching his words with actions.”