The Nation Newspaper

Tag: apathy

  • Security not responsible for voter apathy, says Lagos CP

    Lagos Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu yesterday denied that observed voter apathy in some areas of the state was connected to lack of security presence during the presidential election.

    Violence sprang up in some polling units in the state during the March 23 presidential and national assembly (NASS) elections following the disruption of voting exercises by hoodlums.

    But the commissioner, who toured the state during election, told reporters that watertight security was provided for this gubernatorial and house of assembly elections to ensure voters’ safety.

    Muazu, alongside his boss, Lawal Shehu, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone Two, toured Oshodi, Okota, Ijora, Apapa and Surulere areas of the state, said he was satisfied with the professionalism of security operatives deployed for the exercise.

    “It is not true that voters did not come out because of fear or insecurity. We provided adequate security and have been assuring the electorate to come out and vote. We had assured that security measures will be doubled and also ensured that armed policemen were stationed not far from polling units to wade off miscreants.

    At most of the polling units visited, The Nation observed that voter turnout was unimpressive. At polling unit (PU) 010 on Bola Shadipe Street, Masha in Surulere, 89 persons voted as of 12:55pm out of 692 registered voters.

    According to the officials, they got to the polling unit before 8am and were waiting for voters to come out. They told our correspondent they had no issues, adding that they were waiting for 2pm to resume counting.

    At a PU along Ago Palace Way Okota, the INEC official had an altercation with the policewoman on duty over the latter’s assistance in showing some of the electorate where to thumbprint. The INEC official chided the cop for ‘interfering’ which caused bad blood between the duo.

    This issue was reported to the police commissioner, who immediately ordered the redeployment of the policewoman, reiterating the need for security agencies to keep off.

    Meanwhile, 12 suspects were arrested by soldiers in Makinde for alleged attempt to disrupt election exercise in Oshodi.

  • NCC blames subscribers apathy for unsolicited messages

    The Nigerians Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday blamed the refusal of global system for mobile communications (GSM) subscribers to complain whenever they receive unsolicited messages for the prevalence of the practice in the telecoms industry.

    The commission lamented that out of the 161 million telecoms consumers, only 10 million people have lodged  complaints at NCC’s complaints centre.

    Executive Commissioner (Stakeholders Management), NCC Sunday Dare spoke in Ogbomosho, Oyo State at the 10th edition of Consumer Outreach Programme (COP).

    He said: “NCC has created too many spaces. There is a gap between NCC providing the information for the consumers and the consumers actually using that information. For example we gave a number 2442 out for consumers to complaints about unsolicited calls and messages. When we started we had 900,000 people, after one year, we had 10 million people. We have 161 million consumers only 10 millions have activated and others are complaining. Why? Because they have the information but not activating it, we have our complaints centre for 24 hours. It is left for the consumers to get the information to empower themselves.

    “The NCC does not have the policy of name and shame. What is important is the resolution of the complaints. I can tell you from our complaints centre we receive close to 8,000 complaints. The resolution rate is over 90 per cent. And I think that is what is important. That means rather than wait to be fined they operators work closely to resolve these complaints.”

    Mr. Dare added that “the level of compliance of the network providers to our regulation has been about 80 per cent. They also know that there is a cost for non compliance. We fine them millions of Naira on a monthly and quarterly basis. We don’t put it out in the media but they feel the pain. They pay this money for default. Every single consumer is important to NCC. If you are a consumer and you reach us on 622 for your complaints, the NCC will defend you and you will be compensated.”

    Earlier, Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau of the commission, Mrs. Felicia Onwuegbuchulam said NCC is working to reduce the menace of call masking/refilling.

    She added that the strategies being used to abate that include deployment of appropriate technology and working on the issuance of direction to MNOs to explore technical means not to allow their networks to be used for call masking and SIM boxing activities.

  • Apathy bad for democracy, says Emenike 

    LEADER of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State Chief Ikechi Emenike has called on stakeholders and traditional rulers to vote for candidates of their choice.

    Emenike decried the apathy stakeholders and rulers in the state exhibit during elections, saying in the northern part of the country, emirs and all leaders vote freely during elections.

    Speaking in Umuahia during his tour of Umuahia North and South to sensitise the electorate on why they should support APC, Emenike said they should vote as their presence would make others to vote.

    Emenike noted that there should be a change of attitude in stakeholders and traditional rulers:

    “When you go to the northern part of the country during election, you will see all the stakeholders and others waiting patiently to cast their votes”,

    He said: “That is the type of thing we are expecting our stakeholders, traditional rulers and other leaders to be doing during any elections, as their presence will always encourage others to come and vote and keep hoodlums in check”.

    Emenike warned that election is around the corner when those politicians who left the state would start sharing few cups of rice, wrappers and dishing out small amounts of money entice people for their votes.

    He advised them to collect such items as it is their money, as such politicians will disappear once elections are over only to return in  four years.

    The APC chieftain informed the people that the party in the state will not share money when they get into office as the money the administration is sharing is meant to serve, work for the people and develop the state.

    He explained that the continuous sharing of money meant for development of has set the state backward for over 20 years.

    “However the APC government in the state will surely change the narrative”.

    Emenike assured the people that the APC government will establish local banks where the people will be made to access loans to develop their business and improve the internally generated revenue.

    He explained that other things to be established in the state will be an insurance company to employ youths andgenerate more funds for the government.

    The APC boss said with such capital investments, capital flight to other banks and insurance companies which use the state as cash collection centres will be a thing of the past.

    He explained that the tour of the party to all 17 councils is to wake up the people on the need for them to know their right and for them to get what rightly belongs to them.

    In his vote of thanks, Iheanyi Ekwuruibe said an APC government won’t build roads on billboards in 2019, and thanked Emenike for opening their eyes.

  • ‘There will be revolt if church shows apathy towards 2019 polls’

    ‘There will be revolt if church shows apathy towards 2019 polls’

    A former Special Adviser on Media to the former Enugu and current Oyo State governors, Dr. Festus Adedayo, has said there may be a revolt among the congregation, if the church does not get involved in the election of God-fearing persons into government in the 2019 elections.

    Adedayo spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where he delivered a lecture at the seminar series of the Ibadan Anglican Church Diocese at the Comfort Akinfenwa Events Hall, Molete.

    Dignitaries at the evenjt included the Bishop of Ibadan Anglican Diocese, The Most Revd Joseph Akinfenwa.

    Adedayo noted that because governments are proving incapable of and are showing helplessness at solving people’s problems, they run to the church for succour.

    He said: “Governments are literally throwing their hands up in surrender. The perils and pains are proving intractable for secular powers that be to handle. Unemployment has reached a crescendo; economic, health and social crises have proven really indomitable, in spite of coordinated attempts to tackle them.

    “Hopelessness is becoming infectious, like a pestilence, and the world, which had made governments and technology its hope, is returning to the church for the way out of its existential dilemma.”

    According to him, if Nigeria is not successful at electing God-fearing men and women into positions of power in 2019, the pressure on the church would multiply, probably lead to a revolt of immense proportion.

    Adedayo said: “As predicted in II Timothy 3:1, which says, ‘But know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come,’ the perilous times are actually here. Science and technology are profoundly incapable of providing solutions to the pains suffered by humanity. The perilous times are the existential void, agony and crises that man undergoes today.

    “The pains man underwent decades ago are little compared to his challenges today. The church is still where people frequent for solutions to these existential crises and where they get ‘spiritual fixes’ whenever they get to inexplicable crossroads of their lives.”

     

     

     

  • Apathy mars Anambra Central Senatorial election re-run

    Apathy mars Anambra Central Senatorial election re-run

    •ADC candidate faults election 

    The Anambra Central Senatorial rerun election was marred yesterday by apathy,  as a large section of the  electorate failed to turn up.

    The  candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA),  Chief Victor Umeh blamed it on what he called  opposition propaganda.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not take part in the rerun.

    Many of the electoral officers deployed for the election were  seen sitting idle as a result of the low turnout of  voters.

    In Ebeakpu square unit 11, Amawbia ward one, Awka South LGA, Mozie Ngozi blessing, told The Nation that the rerun was a far cry from the November 18 Governorship Election in the state.

    The Agulu Lake Migrant School polling unit was desolate.

    The scenario was however different at Aguluzoigbo town ward 18, where the APGA candidate, Chief Victor Umeh, voted

    A voter who declined to give his name said: “We have to come out to support our son. Even if the turnout is low in other places, it has to be different here.”

    The  candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC0 in the  election, Chief Anayo Nweke, said what happened yesterday in Anambra was a charade.

     

     

  • Violence, apathy mar A’Ibom council polls

    Violence, apathy mar A’Ibom council polls

    • Hoodlums attack AKISIEC offices, police arrest two
    • Enang, Ekere, independent monitors seek cancellation

    Violence, voters’ apathy and allegations of hijack of election materials characterised yesterday’s local government election across the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.

    No fewer than 30 hoodlums suspected to be cult members launched attacks on offices of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) in Uyo and Mkpat Enin local government areas, shooting sporadically.

    Unconfirmed report indicated one person was feared dead and some persons injured when some youths suspected to be miscreants attacked the AKISIEC office in Uyo.

    The suspected hoodlums were said to be protesting against the non-release of sensitive materials to the opposition All Progressives Party (APC).

    At least two persons were arrested by the police in Mkpat Enin local government area for allegedly causing trouble during the election.

    Our correspondent observed election materials did not arrive at polling units until around 12 noon.

    Voters, who turned up at various polling units, appeared frustrated as AKISIEC officials were not on ground for accreditation preparatory to commencement of actual voting.

    An orgy of violence was reported in Mkpa Enin when some top government officials arrived the AKISIEC office.

    Unconfirmed reports claimed that an APC chieftain at Ikot Ekpene(name withheld) was arrested for possessing firearms but the Police Public Relations Officer Bala Elkana denied the incident.

    In Mbo Local government area, particularly in Ebughu Ward 1 and 2, hoodlums were said to have hijacked electoral materials.

    Some youths were said to have blown off some ballots with gunfire.

    On Friday, youths loyal to PDP, were said to have stopped people on the roads and snatched their voters’ cards at home.

    They were said to have arrested but released few minutes after following the intervention of a Commissioner in the state.

    At Udung Uko, Peoples Democratic Party loyalists allegedly hijacked all the ballots.

    The youths reportedly attacked passers-by and set many vehicles ablaze in the process.

    As at 12noon, sensitive election materials were yet to arrive Urue Offiong/Oruko, Ikot Abasi and many other local government areas, particularly those of APC strongholds.

    In Esit Ekit, thugs local to a political stalwart hijacked election materials.

    The others believed to be loyal to other factions, were said to be regrouping for attack to get the materials.

    Voting has started in Ibiono Ibom, Eastern Obolo. But in Ini LGA, some perceived fake police were said to be going about hijacking electoral materials.

    Speaking on the conduct of election, the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Solomon Enang, the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nsima Ekere condemned the exercise, describing it as a sham.

    Enang told reporters that he could not vote in ward 2, Ibiono Ibom local government (his ward) area because of lack of materials.

    Ekere said there was no election, alleging AKISIEC in connivance with the PDP seized election materials.

    He called for a cancellation of the election.

    Election monitoring group, Coalition of Civil Societies in Nigeria, adjudged the local government elections in Akwa Ibom as a ‘huge fraud’.

    Head of the group, Alhaji Ali Abacha, called for the cancellation of the exercise, stating there was nothing like an election in the state.

    However, the Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, Ini Ememobong, said that the election was free and fair.

    Ememobong said that APC did not prepare for the local government election as they could not even canvass for vote.

  • Apathy persists on third party, comprehensive insurance

    Apathy persists on third party, comprehensive insurance

    Vehicle owners are still averse to purchasing the genuine third party motor insurance certificate. This is because they believe insurance operators do not pay claims when there is one.

    For instance, a man who simply identified himself as Ojora, said he does not believe in insurance operators because they do not respond to claims.

    Narrating his experience, Ojora said he bought a brand new car for N4.2 million, and paid five per cent of the value as premium for comprehensive insurance.

    He however regrets that he was subjected to a lot of hassles when it was time to get paid for claims after his car’s involvement in an accident. Besides, his insured sum was reduced by 10 per cent for reasons he still claims not to understand.

    Similarly, another source, who declined to be mentioned, also expressed regrets at the handling of his insurance claims by his insurer.

    “I will never have anything to do with insurance companies or their operators because when I had a problem, they refused to pay claim,” he lamented.

    For Godwin Ejembi, a staff member of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Lagos, insurance firms and their operators, are not to be trusted. This is because several times, they run foul of the agrements they have entered into with their clients. Although he said a few of them are credible, majority, he insisted, were fraudulent.

    “When there is an accident, they ask you to produce all sorts of  proofs and documents- things they never ask you for when you are buying the policy from them,” he lamented, adding that insurance companies take advantage of their clients. He, therefore, urged insurance brokers to ensure more clarity in their transactions with their clients, especially when they go out to prospect for clients.

    But it is not all knocks for the operators. Damilare Shoye, a civil servant, explained that there are advantages of insurance which should be a enough reason for Nigerians to imbibe the insurance culture.

    “We need to forget about the negative perception they have about the insurance industry in the past.

    “They need to know that things are changing now. We voted for change and we are already feeling it in our lives. We need to change from our thoughts about the past and be positive about the future. The industry also need to enlighten the public about what insurance is all about.”

  • Voter apathy dents Abia guber rerun

    Voter apathy dents Abia guber rerun

    The rescheduled governorship and House of Assembly elections in Abia State yesterday were greeted by low turnout of voters.

    Our correspondent, who monitored the exercise in some of the 75 units in Aba North (24) and Aba South (51), observed that voters stayed away from polling units.

    At Onyeador ward, 107 persons were accredited out of 646 registered voters.

    It was the same thing at unit 9 ward 12, Constitution Crescent in Aba South LGA where out of over 700 registered voters, only 73 persons were accredited for voting.

    At Umuola Council Hall ward off Ogbor Hill in Aba North Local Government Area, (Hon. Uzo Azubuike’s ward) with 13 units and over 10, 000 registered voters, it was gathered that only 1,000 voters came out for accreditation while less than 600 had voted as at the time of the reporter’s visit.

    Sources at Ugwunagbo and Osisioma local government areas said the situation was the same.

    Some residents blamed the situation on lack of trust and shoddy preparations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    They also pointed out the opening of major markets such as Ariaria, Ahia and Ohuru among others except for Asanetu motor spare parts and Orie Ohabiam markets also accounted for the apathetic response of voters.

    Some others fingered the overheating of the polity by politicians before the rerun for the disinterest of voters.

    They pointed out that the placement of caskets at some strategic places in Aba by a faceless group scared many voters away.

     

     

     

    However, movement of vehicles within some parts of the commercial city were highly restricted as security operatives manning various checkpoints were on guard to ensure that there were no breakdown of law and order during the re-run.

    Shop owners who opened for business also complained of low patronage as majority of Aba residents stayed at home throughout the exercise.

     

  • Apathy mars Cross River council poll

    Indifference by electorates was a main characteristic of the local government elections in Cross River State yesterday.

    The event however went on relatively peacefully across the state with unconfirmed reports of ballot box snatching and multiple thumbs printing in some areas especially the hinterlands.

    The election yesterday had the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) fielding candidates for all the 18 local government areas and 196 wards. The National Conscience Party (NCP), the Progressives People’s Alliance and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) fielded candidates in a few local governments and wards.

    Some observers yesterday attributed the voter apathy to the controversy that arose on Friday as to whether elections would hold or not.

    But some voters who spoke with our correspondent yesterday said they could not participate in an election they alleged had already been hijacked by the ruling PDP.

    It was also felt that the non-inclusion of the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) by CROSIEC on the grounds that they were not qualified contributed to the apathy as it was believed there would be no contest.

    In some areas visited in Akpabuyo local government area it was observed that some polling units that had over 100 voters registered had only 10 come out to vote.

    The ballot papers had the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) printed on them. The APC was missing on the paper.

    In some polling units, for instance in ward 3 in Bakassi, there were no elections as materials did not arrive at all.

    Efforts to reach officials of CROSIEC to comment on the discrepancies proved abortive.

    Meanwhile the chairman of the PDP in the state, Mr John Okon, described the exercise yesterday as satisfactory.

    He said having work hard and campaigned vigorously, he was hopeful his party was going to sweep all the wards and local governments.

    But a chieftain of the APC in the state, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, described the election as “The height of the culture of impunity, lawlessness and disregard for the due process.”

    According to Obono-Obla, CROSIEC “brazenly defied the High Court and went ahead to purport to conduct the local government elections in the state.”

    There were scores of heavily armed policemen at the CROSIEC headquarters in Calabar yesterday as they awaited the results from other local government areas.

    Incidentally too the bus belonging to the Cross River State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) was completely razed at Ekureku axis of Ugep, Ediba, Abomeghe Road while monitoring the election.

    Fortunately none of the five journalists in the bus was hurt.

     

  • How to avert voter apathy in Lagos, by LASIEC

    How to avert voter apathy in Lagos, by LASIEC

    Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) yesterday expressed worries over recurrent voter apathy in the state, urging traditional rulers and community leaders to mobilise people for future local government polls.

    Its chairman, Justice Fatai Adeyinka (rtd), lamented the decline in the turnout of registered voters at periodic elections. He said democracy cannot be sustained by the reluctance of people to choose or reject their leaders during elections. The former Chief Judge of Lagos State said, since local government is the closest to the grassroots, more people should turn out to vote for the chairmanship and councillorship candidates.

    Adeyinka spoke in Lagos at the ‘Civic populace stakeholders’ forum’ organised by the commission. It was attended by representatives of the state Council of Obas and Chiefs, market men and women associations, council chairmen and councillors, and community development associations. At the forum, a member of Lagos State House of Assembly, Mrs. Funmilayo Tejuoso, delivered a lecture titled: “Building a culture of effective representation: The role of a civic populace”. She said the people have uncritically confused the roles of the legislature with the executive, thereby rebuking legislators for lapses committed by the executive arm of government. Tejuoso pointed out that many voters expected lawmakers to construct roads and provide other social amenities, despite the fact that they lack the constitutional power to implement the budget.

    Frowning at voters’ apathy, he said: “Organising elections in which participation and turnout is low is a frustrating experience for election managers. Low turnout at elections denies the populace the opportunity to exercise their civic right and duty”.

    In 2008, 4.1 million voters registered ahead of the council polls. Only 1,5 million voted, representing 25 percent of the registered voters. The figures declined in 2011. While 6.1 million voters registered, 781,363 voted, representing 12.76 per cent.

    Adeyinka appealed to Lagosians to embrace voting at grassroots elections as a patriotic duty in the interest of democracy. He said a vibrant and active civic populace should promote public trust, foster accountability and build support for democratic values in the state by participating in governance through the choice of democratic leaders.

    The LASIEC boss highlighted the roles of the community leaders in mobiisation for democracy. He said: “The role of the civic populace in any democracy is of utmost importance as these groups are the closest to the grassroots. The civic populace interacts with the electorate on daily basis. They also provide spiritual, moral and commercial assistance to the people. The elders and leaders can significantly influence the level of citizen education and participation and contribute to the transparency and fairness in any electoral process”.

    Urging the traditional and religious leaders to discharge their obligations to the polity, Adeyinka said they should build a culture of encouraging their people to appreciate the significance of periodic elections. He added: “We all have the right to take part in the governance of this nation, directly or indirectly, by choosing our representatives through the electoral process. The collective will and trust of our people are the basis of authority of government. This authority is exercised periodically through the conduct of elections into various offices”.

    Tejuoso, who is a former deputy speaker of the House of Assembly, conducted political education for participants at the forum. She stressed the constitutional attainment of school certificate for eligible office holders in the country, adding that aspirants are not required to forge the certificate, even if they came out with poor results.

    The legislator also highlighted the functions of the legislature, clarifying that they are not in charge of execution of projects. She pointed out that House of Representatives members may implement some constituency projects because they get constituency allowances for them. But she said that state legislators can only lobby the executive to attract projects to their constituencies.

    Tejuoso stressed: “It is important to quickly point out that legislators don’t construct roads, award contracts, provide water or electricity. It is not our job, but that of the executive. Legislators lobby to get some of these things done, to attract these things to our constituencies. Basically, our responsibilities revolve around making laws that would bring about good governance in all ramifications”.

    The lawmaker said effective representation also required gathering views of constituents and reflecting them at the level of decision making. She however lamented that the economic downturn had beclouded the perception of the people about the roles of the legislators.

    Tejuoso said: “Because of the poverty challenges, we have become the provider of solutions to economic challenges in our constituencies. Many of our constituents approach us for financial help during the wedding and naming ceremonies of their children. When we wake up, people are lining up to see us. When we get to the office, people are waiting to see us. When we get home in the night, they are there to see us for solutions to their economic problems. Unfortunately, the resources available are never sufficient to meet these challenges”.

    The lawmaker said when a legislators boasts of attracting good roads to their constituencies, people usually discourage them by urging them to “tar our mouths, instead of tarring our toads”. Tejuoso also complained that street urchins, popularly known as ‘area boys’ often harass lawmakers, oblivious of the fact they depend on their salaries to survive.

    She urged the constituents to cooperate with the legislature by furnishing information on the needs of their needs to the legislators who live among them. She said that the people can also monitor the implementation of government projects by reporting to the appropriate agencies the observable lapses of the contractors on site. Tejuoso however, warned them not to convert project monitoring into an opportunity to extort the contractors, warning that it would be counter-productive.

    The lawmaker also urged the people to project government’s assets and projects in their environment. She said maintenance culture involves the protection of public utilities, especially roads, transformers, hospitals and other social infrastructure, adding that people should also refrain from building on canals.

    Tejuoso added: “Let it be known that legislators are not out to steal money. As we request for your cooperation, you must appreciate that the communal interest must supersede individual interest. So, instead of abusing us that we have not given you money, you should criticise us if your roads are not tarred”.