The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Cyril Omorogbe

  • 2019 Polls: Four missing after Delta boat mishap

    Four persons have been declared missing after a boat returning from a voting exercise capsized in the Benin River in Delta state.

    The Nation gathered that the victims, who were returning to Koko, the headquarters of Warri North council area of the state, were in a boat loaded with 22 persons, including three policemen, coming from Ebrohimi community, also in Warri North council area.

    Sources said the boat accident, which happened at about 1:20am on Sunday morning, occurred around Ureju community, also in Warri North. The passengers, who said to be community members, were returning to Koko after exercising their franchise during Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections in Ebrohimi community.

    Earlier on Sunday, reports had gone out on some local online media platforms about the accident, claiming that the passengers were officials and ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and some security agents, all of whom were returning with election materials to Koko.

    However, both the INEC are the state police command, on Sunday, debunked the earlier reports as false and misleading.

    Read Also: Don’t turn Niger Delta into a battle-field, Obi warns

    Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Delta state, Dr Cyril Omorogbe, while responding to the report said none of his staff members had been involved in any boat mishap in the state, saying no material had been lost to accident in Delta North.

    “I understand that my staff members are not involved, they were all safe and the ad-hoc staff were safe. The actual details have got to me right now. And I don’t think the mishap affected the materials because it happened later in the day, from what I know,” he said.

    Also responding to the development, spokesman of the Delta state police command, Mr Chuks Orisewezie (ASP), gave details of the events leading to the accident as well as details of the passengers on board the ill-fated boat.

    “A boat loaded with 22 persons, which left from Ebrohimi community and heading for Koko, capsized around Ureju community at about 01:20 hours.

    “The occupants of the boat were three policemen and 19 community people. 18 persons, including the three policemen have been rescued, while search is still on for the remaining four missing persons. Two of the rescued victims have been taken to the hospital for medical care.

    “I must clarify that there were no INEC staff or NYSC members on board, just as there were no election materials. Investigation is already on”, he said.

  • INEC to politicians: we don’t need your help on logistics

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday warned politicians and political parties in Bayelsa State against volunteering any logistical support to the commission.

    INEC insisted that it had made adequate arrangements for the forthcoming general elections and would not accept any help from politicians.

    Speaking in Yenagoa, the state capital, the Bayelsa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr. Cyril Omorogbe, also warned politicians, party supporters and political parties against violence.

    He said the commission would not tolerate hijack of electoral materials,   logistics intervention and sponsoring of political thugs to frustrate the electoral process.

    Omorogbe said INEC would deal with miscreants, hoodlums, political thugs and their sponsors.

    “INEC is ready to drag any desperate politician through the mud if found wanting”, he said adding that the commission was prepared for free and fair elections.

    Read Also: 2019: INEC presents voters’ register to political parties

    On the commission’s logistics preparedness, he noted that arrangements had been made with different transport companies and more plans were still ongoing insisting that politicians must keep off from all the arrangements.

    He said: “We don’t expect any politician to lay hands, render assistance or interfere with issues of logistics. Anyone caught handling materials that they are not expected to handle will be arrested. Their jobs are not to handle our materials”.

    Speaking on the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the REC said the commission distributed 108,520 out of the 295,318 received from the National Secretariat.

    He, however, said that 186,798 about 40 per cent of the PVCs were uncollected in the state.

    He promised to achieve 90 per cent distribution of PVCs with the new ward-to-ward strategy put in place by the commission.

    Omorogbe said the commission had also commenced training of ad-hoc employees for the elections.

    Also speaking, the Administrative Secretary, INEC, Mr.  Lebari Sampson Nduh, assured the people of the state of the commission’s commitment to conduct a free, fair, credible and transparent elections in the state.

    He called on the residents to own the process and resist every form of intimidation and rigging.

    He warned against youths being used as political thugs in formenting violence in the state and warned hoodlums to stay away from the process.

     

  • INEC swears in seven new RECs

    Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) has sworn in seven new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) bringing the total number of serving RECs in the commission to 33.

    Performing the ceremony on Tuesday in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, expressed confidence that the new RECs would contribute to the commission’s determination to make 2019 general elections the best in the country.

    He said “with the track records of service in the academia, public service and private sector, it is gratifying to note that the new RECs made positive contributions to the society in various ways.

    “I am equally delighted to note that some of you have managed elections at national level as RECs.

    “I am confident that you will bring to bear on your new assignments, the experience of the recent past that will contribute to our determination to make the 2019 general elections our best elections in Nigeria.”

    Yakubu advised the new commissioners to maintain openness and consultations, as well as be firm and courageous in carrying out their new assignments.

    The chairman disclosed that in addition to the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, the commission would be conducting four bye-elections this year to fill vacancies.

    These, according to him, include Takum state constituency in Taraba, Lokoja/Koton-Karfe Federal Constituency in c, Bauchi South Senatorial District, and Kastina North Senatorial District in Kastina State.

    The INEC boss reassured newly registered voters in the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration ( CVR ) of getting their Permanent Voter Cards ( PVCs ) before the 2019 general elections.

    He added that “we have consistently reassured the public that for those who registered in 2017, their PVCs would be available for collection in the first week of May 2018.

    “Those who registered in the first quarter of this year, that is between January and March, as well as those who are registering right now in the second quarter of this year, would collect their cards thereafter.”

    Yakubu also reassured the public and those who applied for replacement of their PVCs that their cards would be available for collection before the 2019 general elections.

    Read Also: Wanted: An ‘independent’ INEC

    “For those who registered in Ekiti and Osun in 2017 and 2018, priority attention was given to the production of their PVCs, such that all the cards would be available ahead of the July 14 and Sept. 22 governorship elections,’’ he said.

    Responding on behalf of the new RECs, Mr Segun Agbaje, representing Ekiti State, pledged the new commissioner’s readiness to justify the confidence reposed in them.

    He said “by the grace of God, we shall finish well.”

    He expressed confidence in the leadership of Yakubu, saying “with your style of leadership, we would
    not be surprised if 2019 elections turned out to be the best elections in the country.”

    The new RECs are: Mr Baba Yusuf and Mr Segun Agbaje, representing Borno and Ekiti states for second term.

    Others are Dr Uthman Ajidagba, Kwara;  Yahaya Bello, Nasarawa State; Dr Emmanuel Hart, Rivers; Mohammed Ibrahim, Gombe and Dr Cyril Omorogbe, Edo.

    NAN

  • Senate confirms seven RECs, stands down one nominee

    Senate confirms seven RECs, stands down one nominee

    The Senate on Wednesday confirmed seven out of the nine nominees for the position of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ).

    They are Baba Yusuf (Borno), Dr Uthman Abdulrahman (Kwara), Mr Segun Agbaje (Ekiti) and Dr Cyril Omorogbe (Edo).
    Others are Yahaya Bello (Nasarawa) Dr Emmanuel Hart (Rivers) and Mohammed Ibrahim (Gombe).

    The confirmation followed a successful screening of the nominees at the committee level and adoption of report submitted during plenary by Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC, Sen. Suleiman Nazif.

    It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari in December asked the Senate to confirm nine INEC RECs in line with section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution.

    However, the nominee of Akwa Ibom, Elder Monday Tom was stepped down while that of Osun, Eric Olawale did not turn up for the screening.
    Presenting the report, Nazif said of the nine nominees referred to the committee for screening, only eight showed up.

    He said that the nominee for Osun did not communicate to the committee reasons for his absence.

    According to him, Tom, the nominee for Akwa Ibom state was stood down for further legislative action.

    “Other seven nominees were duly cleared by the relevant security agencies and the Code of Conduct Bureau,’’ he added.

    In his remark, the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki commended members of the committee for their diligence during the screening process.

    NAN