The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Turnout

  • Low turnout at Lagos SUBEB resit exam

    Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board(SUBEB), has re conducted a  repeat examination for some pupils, who were either absent or had failed the initial entrance examination.  The repeat placement test was written across 20 centres in the state last Saturday.

    However, as against the larger number of candidates that registered for  the resit test, The Nation observed a low turnout in some of the centres visited.

    The executive secretary of SUBEB, Mrs Abosede Adelaja, said the commission is not disappointed at the turnout, adding that as the custodian of every child of school age in Lagos, that would not prevent them from conducting future tests.  “No, we are not disappointed. We are responsible for each and every child in the state. I believe most of these pupils have been hijacked by their private primary schools that also run secondary schools.  So, am sure most of this pupils, who failed or were absent for the first placement test found alternative means,” she said.

    The entrance examination is the transition point for pupils in public primary schools to government owned Junior Secondary Schools across the state.

    One of the female pupils, Lateef Marian of Kosofe Baptist School, Ketu, said she was elated to be given a second chance.

    “I am happy that I have been given a second chance at Junior Secondary School education again, as I failed Mathematics at the first attempt,” Lateef said.

    Another pupil, Omanchi Monday, expressed confidence that he would pass this time around as he had enough time to prepare for it.

    “Am very sure that I would pass this time around because I had enough time to prepare,’ Monday said.

    The placement test went on smoothly at the Immaculate Heart Junior  School, Maryland.  Parents and guardians, who accompanied their wards, were seated quietly.

    The principal of New Era Girls Junior Secondary School said 34 candidates sat as against 620 that registered.

    Also, the examination co-ordinator at Stadium Junior High Secondary School, Mr Dairy Wasilla, said only 49 candidates were in attendance where 203 registered.

     

  • Huge turnout in Kano

    Huge turnout in Kano

    The Permanent Voters Card (PVC) registration exercise in Kano State yesterday witnessed an impressive turn – out of prospective voters.

    As early 9 am, people had started trooping to the various polling units, eager to obtain their PVC.

    Our correspondent observed that the exercise commenced early in some units, forming long queues, while the lNEC staff had taken positions to commence the issuance of PVC.

    In some other polling units, liket Dakata/Kawasaki in the metropolis, as at 1.30 pm, no INEC official had arrived as the people waited endlessly.

    While there were sufficient materials, the prospective voters complained that the staff deployed by INEC was not enough to cope with the huge crowd.

    At Gegireya polling unit, Yankaba Quarters, one Mallam lbrahim Bello told our reporter that they had been there since 9 am but had not been able to obtain their PVCs as at 1.30 pm simply because there was shortage of officials to cope with the surging crowd.

  • Poor turnout at Lagos placement test

    The turnout at the last Saturday’s re-sit for Placement Test into JSS1 classes in Lagos State public schools was poor.

    Chairman of the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Gbolahan Daodu, attributed it to lack of appreciation for valuable things that come free.

    Mrs Daodu, who monitored the re-sit examination that took place in 24 centres across the state,  said the examination was conducted for about four per cent of pupils who failed the earlier examination which held on July 5.

    Blaming parents for the low turnout and lateness of some pupils, she said there was adequate publicity about the examination since the result of the first placement test was released.

    She said: “It is really disappointing what we are witnessing here today, especially in this particular school, Immaculate Heart Junior Secondary School.  We are expected to have at least 300 pupils, but as at the last count they are not up to 150 and some of them came late.

    “I wouldn’t know what could be the reason for this, but for the past months we have been on air announcing. We have done all the needful to inform the concern parents.

    “This poor turnout is definitely because they are having it free; because if they had paid for this examination, a lot of them would have been here by now. A lot of money and effort had gone into the examination. If they have actually paid, there is no reason why their children would not be here except that those children might have gained admission into private schools.”

    To redeem the situation, Mrs Daodu said the government needs to focus more on adult education for parents to be more alert to their responsibilities.

    “What this means essentially, is that we need to focus more on adult education. There are some of us that have seen the four walls of the university, but we are not really educated.  We take things with levity. We don’t want to follow rules and regulations, and we want to buy our ways of doing things. Reasons for the poor outing are unexplainable,” she added.

  • Low turnout as FCT records hitch-free area councils’ election

    The council elections which held in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday recorded a low turn out, though it was peaceful.

    The accreditation of voters begun by 8.30 in the morning while voting commenced around 12.30 in the afternoon at the various polling units manned by youth corps members with complements of policemen, civil defence personnel and officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

    Many residents did not turn up at the polling booths as they claimed that they did not know the chairmanship and councillorship candidates fielded by the eight parties that participated in the election.

    The political parties included the Peoples Democratic Party, Accord Party, Action Alliance, Action Congress of Nigeria, All Progressives Grand Alliance, All Nigeria Peoples Party and Congress for Progressive Change, among others.

    Findings, however, indicated only seven parties were on the ballot paper, while APGA was missing.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Turnout of voters declining, says LASIEC

    Turnout of voters declining, says LASIEC

    Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has expressed worry over the decline in voter’s turn-out at council elections, saying that the trend is alarming.

    LASIEC Chairman Justice Fatai Adeyinka (rtd) urged political parties, civil societies, the media and other stakeholders to sensitise the people to the importance of grassroots elections in the state.

    Justice Adeyinka, who addressed a meeting of political party leaders in his office, said the commission would conduct a by-election at’ Ward A’ of the Ajeromi/Ifelodun Local Government Area on February 26. The councillorship seat became vacant, following the demise of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) councillor, Mr. Abayomi Akintokun, on September 3, last year. The chairman said the notice of the by-election had been published on February 7.

    The LASIEC boss lamented the low turn-out at previous council polls, urging the party leaders to mobilise Lagosians for subsequent elections.

    “I will like to draw your attention to the decline in voters turn-out in local government elections in Lagos State and other states of the Federation. This decline has been attributed to apathy and general lack of interest on the part of the electorate. The political parties, LASIEC and other stakeholders should individually and jointly take steps to arrest the alarming decline”.

    Justice Adeyinka said the electoral commission had embarked on rigorous civic education to sensitise stakeholders to the import of the grassroots elections, including the parties, security personnel, civil society groups and other government officials.

    He urged the stakeholders to encourage eligible voters to perform their civic responsibilities during the bye-election taking place at Ward A, Alayabiagba, Ajeromi/Ifelodun local government area.

    “The voting procedure of “open-secret-open”, by which accreditation will take place between 9 am and 3 pm will be used. There are 39 polling units in Ward A. Votes will be counted at each polling unit. The results from the 39 polling units will be collated at the collation centre. The total results will be announced at the collation centre by the Returning Officer. Eligible voters should conduct themselves in an orderly manner and shun violence and other vices that mar elections”, he said.