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Tag: fairness

  • Fairness of justices more important than tribe, region, says retired judge

    Fairness of justices more important than tribe, region, says retired judge

    A retired judge of the Kogi State High Court, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, has urged the public against perceiving justice from the prisms of tribe, religion, or geo-political divisions.

    To him, society ought to be more concerned with whether a case was fairly decided rather than whether the justices from their geo-political zones were on the panel that decided the case.

    Justice Omolaye-Ajileye spoke yesterday on “Leveraging Emerging Legal Challenges to the Rule of Law in the Prevailing Socio-Economic Realities in Nigeria” during the 9th Annual Law Week of the Badagry Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

    The electronic evidence expert, who holds a PhD and lectures at Baze University, Abuja, noted that the issue of public trust, or the lack of it in the Judiciary has been the subject of renewed attention.

    He referenced a recent statement by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Dattijo Muhammad on the need for securing public trust and justice.

    Justice Muhammad, who spoke during a valedictory session on his behalf on October 27, called for urgent judicial reforms, including on the process of appointment of judicial officers and the importance of geopolitical balancing at the apex court.

    But, the varsity lecturer reasoned that regionalising justice is secondary to the impartiality of justices.

    Justice Omolaye-Ajileye said: “I quote him: ‘To ensure justice and transparency in presidential appeals from the lower court, all geo-political zones are required to participate in the hearing. 

    “It is, therefore, dangerous for democracy and equity for two entire regions to be left out in the decisions that will affect the generality of Nigerians.’

    “The grouse of His Lordship here is that both the Northcentral and Southeast geo-political zones were not represented on the panel of Justices of the Supreme Court that decided appeals that arose from the Presidential Election Tribunal to the apex court recently. This he describes as ‘dangerous for democracy and equity.’

    “While the focus of His Lordship was on the absence of Justices from the Northcentral and Southeast geo-political zones on the panel, it was easy for social media commentators to quickly draw attention to the fact that the Southwest geo-political zone that parades the Chief Justice of Nigeria and two other eminent Justices of the Supreme Court was also not represented on the panel. 

    “According to the commentators, it was also in order to ensure ‘transparency and equity.’ The issue is neither here nor there.”

    He emphasised the need for the court to be seen by Nigerians as fair to everyone. 

    Justice Omolaye-Ajileye said: “My humble position here is that it is better that the Judiciary, including the Supreme Court, be perceived as a homogeneous entity that serves the interest of all. 

    Read Also: Taraba: Appeal Court reinstates PDP’s Akila as member of state Assembly

    “It is dangerous to society to perceive justice from the prisms of tribe, religion, or geo-political divisions.

    “Justice ought to remain an integral whole that does not admit of partition along tribal or geopolitical bifurcation. It is also more dangerous if the impartiality of the Supreme Court is to wait for people to see the extent to which they have been represented by Justices who come from their geo-political zones.

    “Secondly, with due respect, to perceive justice from geo-political lines is to trivialise justice. Justice is far more important than that. 

    “If we accept the intrinsic worth of every human being, then justice becomes the minimum debt we owe to him, for if we deny him justice we have declared him worthless.

    “The dispenser of justice should, therefore, be a person that is even-handed, blind to all social distinctions and disparities in wealth, religion, tribe, status and no respecter of persons, just as justice itself should be.

    “If a nation cannot look at their judges and see men and women who are upright enough to uphold the principle of the rule of law and do justice to all manner of people without fear or favour, affection or ill-will, then, I will simply say that nation has lost it!”

  • I ‘ll ensure justice, fairness in PDP, says Bode George

    Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has said he would  work hard to give victory to the party in 2019. He  promised that  justice and fairness would return to the party.

    The PDP chieftain made the pledge yesterday when he formally flagged-off campaign for the chairmanship position of the opposition party at the City Hall Lagos.

    He said he would work tirelessly to revive the dreams and principles of the PDP founding fathers anchored on justice, fairness and equity as enshrined in the constitution of the party.

    He said as the PDP National Chairman, he would bring back the dignity of the party by working diligently to unite members while mending fences and healing old wounds for all to attain the collective aspiration of the party.

    He said: “The PDP under my leadership will strive to revive the economy of Nigeria which had been battered. I will be working with well meaning members of the party to get the presidential power in 2019. If elected as the next PDP chairman, my first task would be to reconcile feuding factions while according party officials at all levels the recognitions they all deserve and also protecting their interests.

    ”I have learned the ropes and I have been guided by the collective wisdom of our leaders across our great nation. I fully understand the precepts, the mechanisms and the constitution of our party

    ”I know the tradition, the culture, the guiding ethos and the normative patterns that our leaders have built and nurtured for so many years. If elected, I am willing and ready to work with everyone regardless of personal differences to mend the broken places, to heal the ancient wounds, and ultimately ensure that we strengthen our collective brotherhood and speak with one voice to regain victory in 2019.”

    He added: “I will never compromise our foundational principles of justice, fairness and equity as enshrined in the constitution of our party. We will equally accord all our governors, and legislators at both state and national levels the necessary pride of place and honour in this new dawn. We will protect their interests and help to enhance their effectiveness.

    ”If I am given the privilege to serve, I will never play the role of an overlord. I will serve with dignity and diligence. I will respect the mighty and the low without discrimination. Together, we will remove impunity. Together, we will restore discipline and fair play. We will always insist on internal democracy.

    Hewent on to thank the party Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi, and members of the Caretaker Committee on what he described as their commitment, loyalty and  ability to pull the party from the brink of collapse. The Caretaker Committee, he said had done a great work over the past one year.

    He also commended stakeholders of the party on their resolve to zone the chairmanship position to the South-West zone, describing the zoning arrangement as a veritable tool for stabilising the PDP.

  • JAMB assures candidates of fairness in admission process

    JAMB assures candidates of fairness in admission process

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has said it would ensure fairness, equity and all-inclusiveness in the admission process.

    JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede said this when he led management team of the board on a courtesy visit to the Ona of Abaji, His Royal Highness, Adamu Baba Yunusa, in Abuja.

    Prof. Oloyede, who said the board has created the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) to monitor admission processes, urged candidates who feel cheated in admission processes to protest to the board.

    He said: “JAMB will always contribute not only to national development but to the development of the immediate community. This has been the cardinal principle of the board. Part of our policy is to ensure equity in admission that is why we make sure that every segment of this great country is not shortchanged in the admission process.

    “We have created opportunity for people who feel cheated to protest to JAMB and we are very prompt in responding to that. We will continue to promote fairness, equity and all-inclusiveness in the admission process.

    The JAMB registrar also said increased rate of examination malpractices in the country was not good for the development of Nigeria.

    He said a situation where students want to pass examinations at all cost has become a national problem which is not good for the development of the nation.

    Prof. Oloyede said: “We are also soliciting your support in making sure that the youths who represent the focus of JAMB mandate are encouraged to go into education, to make sure that they are part and parcel of the development of this great nation.

    “We have come to also solicit the support of your Highness on how to curb the menace of examination malpractice in the communities. We believe that what we have as a national problem now where students want to pass exams at all cost whether by fair or foul means is not good for the development of the nation.

    “Rather, what we should encourage is absolute sincerity and dedication, honesty in accessing the educational facilities of the country.

    “We also believe that some of the facilities we have, particularly for us in JAMB, we talk about computer based test centres. These centres we do not have enough in the FCT given the large number of applicants in this place.

    “We want to encourage you to urge your sons and daughters who are endowed to setup private CBT centres with appropriate facilities that will make them qualify for the registration by JAMB.”

    Oloyede assured the monarch that the board would continue to contribute to national development.

  • $43.4m: Osinbajo’s panel shuns lobbyists, pledges fairness

    $43.4m: Osinbajo’s panel shuns lobbyists, pledges fairness

    The Presidential Investigative Committee probing two suspended government officials resisted some pressure, it was learnt yesterday.

    The panel, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,  probed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director-General  Ayo Oke, who have been suspended.

    Also yesterday, it was learnt that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives are yet to vacate Apartment 7B in Osborne Towers, Lagos where $43.4 million was recovered.

    The  anti-graft agency said its operatives were still in charge of the apartment to prevent anyone or group from tampering with some evidence.

    Lawal is being probed for a N200 million contract awarded to a company, Global Vision Limited,  allegedly linked with him by the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) for the clearing of “invasive plant species” (weeds) in Yobe State.

    Oke is being investigated for the $43.4 million.

    The committee yesterday tidied up its report, it was learnt.

    The source said: “There were many lobbyists trying to reach out to the committee but the vice president and his team shunned them. The panel is going ahead with the submission of its report.

    “Although some of these lobbyists came up with religious and ethnic sentiments, the panel was not swayed by their arguments in any manner whatsoever.

    “All the vice president kept on saying to those who appeared for interrogation was that the panel will be firm and fair to all.”

    The panel is expected to make “far-reaching” recommendations, not just on the $43.4 million and PINE but how to  protect key institutions.

    “The panel has come up with suggestion to strengthen the nation’s institutions. Some of these institutions have been  bastardised and weakened,” the source said.

     

     

  • Oyo assures residents of fairness

    Oyo assures residents of fairness

    Owners of properties and structures on the Oke Adu Agodi-Gate-Idi Ape-Iwo Road Interchange have been assured of professionalism as the demolition and expansion of the road begins.
    Commissioner for Works and Transport Wasiu Oladimeji Dauda said this at a stakeholders’ meeting with the owners of affected structures at the Ibadan North-East secretariat, Iwo Road, Ibadan.
    Dauda said: “The Abiola Ajimobi administration has the interest of citizens at heart.
    “The project is to fulfill the governor’s second term promises in ensuring that major link roads within Ibadan and major towns are expanded, reconstructed and rehabilitated.
    He appealed to owners of properties and structures not to allow individual benefits override general benefits.

  • Amaechi…Truth, transparency and fairness

    Amaechi…Truth, transparency and fairness

    Writing about truth, transparency and fairness quickly reminds me of the Rotimi Amaechi era in Rivers State. The eight years rule of the Ubima- born politician was a memorable one.

    Frankly speaking, it was the period underdevelopment paved way for development, it was the period when democracy was enthroned in all parts of the state, it was also a period that men, I mean men held the positions they occupied in high esteem with high regard to truth, transparency, fairness and accountability.

    For sure, if we consider the success story of Amaechi in Rivers State every average Rivers man would concur that Amaechi drove Rivers State to a new destination with sincerity and fairness.

    His modus operandi in governance was open, such that people could access his administration with ease. His penchant for transparency and accountability translated into so many visible projects he built while in office. His accountability theory pre -supposes the need to periodically update the people on how government is administered to them.

    Amaechi’s aim of updating the people time to time on how funds were judiciously used was targeted at keeping the people abreast with happenings in his administration. It was a period when Rivers people in their numbers thronged the Alfred Diette Spiff Civic Centre to ask questions about their monies and how it was used to develop the state.

    Amaechi’s government in Rivers State was a participatory government. Everybody was carried along in the scheme of things in one way or the other. The accountability forum provided ample opportunity for the people especially the down-trodden to rub minds with the governor one on one and chart the way forward for a better Rivers state.

    Amaechi’s priority was heavily anchored on the welfare of the people. At the accountability forum, Amaechi would direct all the Commissioners and Heads of Government Agencies and Parastatals to appear before the people to give account of how they ran their respective offices with a view to improving on governance in line with the open policy of government which had no hidden agenda for the good people of Rivers State.

    Then, despite his tight schedule Amaechi ensured that government business was not disrupted. All political office holders who served in Amaechi’s tenure were put on their toes to deliver on their assignments.  I dare to say that, Amaechi undoubtedly at the time ran the most responsible government in the country and his projects were greeted with accolades in all the nook and crannies of our nation.

    Throughout his eight years reign as Governor, Amaechi rescued Rivers State from rot and perpetual decay. Even at the tail end of his administration in his second tenure when he was starved of funds from the Federal Government of  former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Amaechi ensured that projects started under his tenure were 90 percent completed before he left office in 2015.

    It was in Amaechi’s tenure that the state introduced a compulsory savings of about N1billion monthly in her reserved fund for the rainy days. Amaechi was confident that the compulsory monthly savings which amounted to about N19 billion at a point was utilized for projects execution.

    Then, despite his ordeal by those who wanted to strangulate his administration financially, Amaechi focused in serving the people creditably well with the funds generated.

    “While saving the One billion Naira monthly, I knew that there could be a time when the economy of the country or state will be challenging, so, I started saving the money in our reserve fund. The approval of the 19 billion naira by the Rivers State House of Assembly from the reserve fund will help us to complete our projects”, he explained.

    Amaechi never embezzled money meant for the development of the oil rich state. Under him Rivers State became the first to implement the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) act in Nigeria.

    At a point, the Director General (DG) of the Public Procurement in the state was referred to as the alternative Governor by Cabinet members. The Cabinet members had wanted an amendment to that law, their reason was that the (DG) of Procurement refused to increase the threshold to one hundred million naira per Ministry. Instead he reduced it to ten million naira.

    Amaechi had a ‘battle’ with the DG and World Bank who insisted that the Cabinet should not go for amending the law but rather persuade the DG to increase the threshold.  The Cabinet had attempted going to Court against the DG, the DG also tried to go to court against the Commissioners. A scenario of this nature could only happen in a transparent Government.

    Amaechi said: “In fact, the procurement DG wrote a memo to me that I felt was very incriminating requesting that since the law requires the governor to take any commissioner who doesn’t comply with the Public Procurement law to Court that I should take the Commissioner of Education to court for not complying. The Cabinet members felt the DG was slowing the process of government.”

    As a Federal Minister of Transportation, Amaechi has not done things differently when it comes to being fair and transparent in government business(es); He is still running a transparent government and uphold transparent leadership, which he believes so much and cherished.

    At a function where he spoke about corruption in government, Amaechi urged Nigerians to participate in government by engaging political appointees on open government.

    Amaechi said: “Please come to all of us in government, all the Ministers in government and engage us on open government. For me, for Ministry of Transportation any information you want us to give you, please write to us, we will not only give you, we will give you on time. This is because all of us that have become ministers have been entrusted by the president. His first policy is corruption; the second one is economic development.

    “We have been appointed by the President to go and do those following things to ensure that there are funds that we save from the people’s money to develop the Community and the Community we have is the Nigerian community.

    “Indeed, you are our leaders, we are here by the grace of God and by your grace and we believe that you have right to ask questions, we believe that you have the right to demand accountability from Ministers, we believe that nobody has the right to rise from just being an ordinary graduate of a University by courtesy of holding public office, he now owns mansions, cars etc.”

    When leaders are transparent, it allows people to be objective in evaluating them. If a leader is transparent, especially during the worst of times, you actually strengthen your leadership.

    Most of the people close to Amaechi are aware that their love for the Minister grew ticker because of his openness to issues.  Amaechi has nothing to hide. He believes that the truth should always prevail in all circumstances.

    Amaechi also believes that openness can potentially avoid misunderstandings capable to fueling unnecessary tension. As a transparent leader, Amaechi has encouraged people to come around him and channel their issues because to him transparency is a powerful unifier that forces a team to work smarter together.

    Amaechi knows that team building through transparency takes shape when he being the leader of the team openly discusses what he believes is the strengths and weaknesses of the Ministry. In his style, Amaechi allows everyone to openly share their views in other to strategically match people to handle certain assignments.

    Amaechi believes in transparency such that his office is open and accessible to all regardless of tribe or party affiliations. Amaechi’s example will certainly build trust and should be emulated by leaders .He clearly understands that we are leaving in a society where people want and expect their leaders to be more proactive in meeting their needs,he could spend a whole day in his office attending to visitors particularly Tuesdays and Thursdays which are marked for visiting.

    For Amaechi, transparency, fairness, truth and above all the grace of God are the reasons he is succeeding in his political race since he ventured into politics. Nigerians want to relate to their leaders, they want to know that their leaders have experienced the same problems and or how they have overcome personal hardships. Amaechi is working hard to do the needful in the position he occupies.

    Civil Servants in Amaechi’s ministry have never had it so good before. The robust relationship that exists between Amaechi and staff of the Transportation Ministry cannot be overemphasized.

    In a meeting Amaechi held with staff of the Ministry, he urged the workers to live up to expectation by discharging their duties creditably. Amaechi also urged them to support the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed.

    After his speech, many had taught that the meeting had come to an end but Amaechi would not leave without hearing from the staff. He threw -open the floor for questions and contributions and one after the other they (workers) started bombarding the Minister with questions concerning their welfare. But, before then, Amaechi had told them to speak their minds and jettison fear and inferiority complex.

    “If you know me you would know that I like speaking my mind, I like speaking the truth and I like being fair and sincere. So speak your mind, don’t be scared of anybody, nobody will punish you for speaking your mind”, he said.

     

    • Okpara, an aide of the minister of transportation, sent this piece from Abuja.

     

  • Osuntokun to monarchs: embrace fairness, equity

    Professor emeritus of History and International Relations Akinjide Osuntokun has urged  leaders to embrace fairness and equity and be more sincere in their dealings.

    He spoke at the Joseph Ayo Babalola University’s yearly Oba Oladele Olashore Memorial Lecture. The lecture is in honour of the late monarch who was a philanthropist and pioneer Chancellor of JABU.

    Osuntokun, who was the guest lecturer, spoke on: ‘The Yoruba and the burden of their history in the politics of Nigeria’.

    He called for unity among Yoruba monarchs to break the north/south division and form a common front in Nigeria’s politics.

    Osuntokun spoke on the myths surrounding the emergence and existence of Oduduwa being the progenitor of the Yoruba race, the Yoruba, as well as history of wars and division within the race over the years.

    Osuntokun also touched on the Ilorin and Fulani factors in Yoruba politics and outlined the role of Yoruba obas in the development of the race.

    He described the Yoruba as the most urbanised on the continent.

    Going down memory lane, he recalled the contributions of eminent individuals, such as the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to various national discourse, a development which he said, led to the convocation of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa in 1947 to rally support for the Yoruba, as well as the emergence of the Action Group (AG), which eventually became the ruling party in Western Nigeria with Awolowo as the Premier.

    JABU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Sola Fajana, eulogised Oba Olashore’s generosity to the institution during his lifetime.

    Registrar Wale Aderibigbe, praised Osuntokun’s mastery of the topic, promising the sustainability of the lecture.

  • APGA seeks fairness

    APGA seeks fairness

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to act within the confines of the law in the preparation for the forthcoming Edo State governorship election.

    The party also urged them to ensure a level-playing field for all parties and their Candidates.

    It implored them to avoid a repeat of what it called the manifest sham, disaster and grave fraud that happened against APGA in the Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency by-election in Nasarawa State on May 28.

    A statement in Abuja by its National Director of Publicity, Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, said the party was ready for the governorship election in Edo State.

    The statement reads: “More so, the party is in a studious silence, watching and studying the events as they unfold in Abia State as regards to judgment of the Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and subsequent issuance of Certificate of Return to Chief Uche Ogah by the INEC. APGA will surely come out with its position and take the necessary and appropriate actions shortly…”

  • Shekarau: Buhari must fight corruption with fairness

    Shekarau: Buhari must fight corruption with fairness

    Former Governor of Kano State and immediate past Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau yesterday in Kano threw his weight behind the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that it must be waged with honesty, transparency and fairness.

    Shekarau who spoke with reporters in his residence while marking his 60th birthday, also opened up on his political rivalry with immediate-past governor of the state, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.

    Shekarau said his belief in anti-corruption and due process saved him from being probed and persecuted by Senator Kwankwaso who took over from him in 2011.

    He added that for political reasons, Kwankwaso deliberately refused to pay him entitlements as a pensioner and as a former governor. “Kwankwaso did not pay me a dime as stipulated by the pension fund law which was enacted during my tenure,” he said.

    “For the purposes of showing how dear the issue of anti-corruption is to us, we put in place all measures in my government, there wasn’t any major project that were executed that did not go through the due process.

    “I want to boldly say that perhaps that is what made it difficult for the last government; in spite of the fact that when he first came in few months, he was shouting all over the place that somebody was corrupt, that he stole a lot of money, and we challenged him to come out with the facts – the records are there.

    “From one single pencil we purchased to the last biggest contract we awarded, we made all the vouchers available at the disposal of my friend, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso for four years and we said let him bring out any single fraud as far as our eight-year government is concerned; and by the end of the day, nothing came out of it.

    “And we all aware that there were deliberate effort to scrutinise, to follow-up … So, as far as anti-corruption is concerned, I am totally in support of the crusade, but it has to be transparently done. It has to be fairly done; it has to be justifiably done. There has to be the due process.

    “It is not just enough if I see you have billions of naira, then I conclude you are a thief! Until I find out how did you come about your billions, what happened, how did you acquire this? If I see you with a new car and I jump into the conclusion that you fraudulently acquired it in your place of work? If I see you in a new house, I will now say it is fraudulently acquired?

    “Then, look at it from the religious point of view, so, I pray that it is going to be fair and just and there will be no scape-goat. There will be no exception regardless of your political leaning, there will be no exception regardless of your ethnic leaning, and since it is not yet time for us to see whether all these characteristics are complied with, I don’t think it is proper to pass any judgment for now.

    “I only pray the government will succeed, and even those of us who are not in the government, we are praying because that is the main thing a credible leadership at all levels that must be transparent and accountable needs.”

    Shekarau, who is the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in  Kano, said it is too early to assess President Buhari’s government in terms of fighting corruption, but insisted that certain adjustments need be made if the president really want to succeed.

    “Yes, I am in the opposition, and the opposition is naturally supposed to pick holes in the act of governance and the activities of those in government, make some assessment. So far, I don’t intend to rush into passing judgment. We are watching and we are putting their activities on the scale. Principally, President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has been emphasising on anti-corruption.

    “I am totally in support of anti-corruption. Those who know me and those who work with me know that it is a no-go-area; and we don’t give any room for that. And the key thing is running a government through exemplary conduct and I don’t intend to praise myself, I don’t intend to pass judgment on what I have done.”

    Shekarau advised President Buhari on how best to tackle the perennial security challenges. “I have said this a number of times. During my presidential campaign, I mentioned it that there are four fundamental issues that unless you addressed them, you have not started, no matter what you do.

    “Number one, you must look into the welfare of the security agents. If you don’t address their welfare, you are wasting your time. We must address the issue of training. I was not too long ago discussing with Walin of Kano who had some few years back worked with my own father as a Native Police, before their conversion into Nigeria Police in the 70s, he said during their days, from the recruit to the highest police officer, nobody will spend six months without going for one kind of refresher course or the other. You will either be asked to go to Jos or Kaduna for one week.

    “Today, some of them for 10 years, they don’t cross any borders of any state for training. Number three, equipment. You have to equip the security agencies properly. Number four, unless you address the pension issue of security agencies. I don’t accept a situation whereby a retired soldier, a retired police, retired armed forces, will have to go on demonstration before their entitlements are paid, after putting their life on the line for 35 years!

    “So, those in the service are watching, when you see their senior officers retiring into poverty, you will want to take care of yourself. Go to any road block today, when they stop you, the next thing you will hear is oga we de o. It is literally soliciting for something and they don’t care if the Inspector-General of Police could be in the car.

    “It is not their problem, it is the problem of survival. They are fathers, they have children, and they must eat. So, I pray that these four basic issues will be taken into consideration by the government. Unless you address these four issues or else, you have not started as far as security is concerned.”

    On corruption, the former presidential candidate of the All Nigerian People Party (ANPP) said: “When you are talking of corruption, my idea is, yes, address the big one, it is not about the billions the governors, the ministers, president, the local government chairmen have allegedly stolen. Yes, you could address that, it could take you 10 years to fully recover them, so, when you are giving the people the impression that you are bringing in billions to run the government, I think it is over-simplification of issues.

    “I agree you will bring this money, but when it comes, only God knows, but start the process, this is excellent, perfect. So, how do you address these lower-level corruption, and unless you address these ones because they are the ones which give protection to the upper ones.

  • Ekiti SIEC boss assures parties of fairness

    Ekiti SIEC boss assures parties of fairness

    The Chairman of the Ekiti State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), Justice Kayode Bamisile, has assured people that the commission would conduct a free, fair and transparent  council election.

    Speaking in Ado Ekiti at his inaugural meeting with the commission’s workers, Justice Bamisile said SIEC would conduct the poll without fear or favour and devoid of bias.

    He said the commission would demonstrate fairness to parties and other stakeholders, stressing that the election would follow the guidelines of the electoral laws.

    The SIEC boss urged parties, politicians and their supporters to comport themselves peacefully, emphasising the importance of maintaining a peaceful environment to achieve the desired result.

    He enjoined journalists to support efforts at conducting a free, fair and credible local government election, saying the media must ensure responsible journalism.

    Justice Bamisile assured the commission’s workers of training, preparatory to the election.