2023: INEC receives sensitive, non sensitive materials in Benue

From: Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), in Benue State said it has received sensitive and non sensitive materials ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The state INEC Public Affairs

Officers, Terkaa Andyar, disclosed this on Tuesday to our correspondent in Makurdi. Mr Andyar however,could not divulge exactly when the distribution of materials would commence but confirmed they have received non sensitive and some of the sensitive materials. He said; “We have received ballot boxes and sleeping mats which will be used in Registration Area Centers,RACs.

“We have also received the voting cubicles and other consumables like ink pads, stamps, calculators among others.

The Public Affairs Officer also said “We have received the Biomodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) and other forms that will be used before and on election days”.

He stated that the items have just been received and plans are on the way to distribute them to the 23 Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the state.

Zulum unveils Chibok water project; opens schools in Damboa, Askira

Governor Babagana

Umara Zulum on Monday night unveiled a water project with capacity to store and distribute one million, two hundred and fifty thousand litres of water at Mboa village in Chibok Local Government Area (LGA) of (southern) Borno State.

Mboa village is located five kilometres away from Chibok town, headquarters of Chibok LGA and with that proximity, the commissioned water project will serve over 40,000 residents of not just Mboa village but also of Chibok town and neighboring communities, a statement by Isa Gusau, spokesman for the Zulum said yesterday.

The water facility was designed with a storage capacity of a 750,000-litre surface tank and a 500,000-litre overhead tank with water sources from 20 motorised boreholes.

“One of the major challenges of Chibok town has been the lack of portable drinking water. During our electioneering campaign, we promised you that if elected we shall address the water problems you face. This night we are here to commission a multi-million naira project which was executed to provide Chibok and its environs with water”, Zulum said.

“I am very happy to be here to commission this project, let me also commend the Commissioner of Water Resources for a job well done”, the Governor declared. Conducting the governor round the project, Commissioner of Water Resources, Engr. Tijjani Alkali, explained that the water project is powered by 36,000 watts of solar and a 100 kva generating set.

… Opens Schools in Damboa,

After the water project in Chibok, Governor Zulum stopped over at Gumsuri, a community in Damboa LGA, to commission a senior secondary school on the same Monday night.

Meanwhile, earlier that day before going to Chibok and Damboa, Zulum was in Askira town, headquarters of Askira

The governor commissioned a new junior secondary school in Askira town with classroom to contain about 1,000 students. At the commissioning, each student was presented with uniforms, reading and writing materials as well as bicycles to ease transportation especially for those coming from distant places.

Niger Govt sets to tackle arbitrary pricing, scarcity of petrol

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has directed for the constitution of a Committee to monitor the artificial scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and its arbitrary pricing across the State.

The constitution of the Committee by the Government followed the persistent fuel scarcity being witnessed in the State as a result of the arbitrary pricing and hoarding of the product.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG),

Ahmed Ibrahim Matane who said that the Committee is to ensure strict compliance with the approved allocation to filling stations in the State and retail prices for PMS.

Ahmed Matane revealed that members of the Committee were drawn from the Independent Petroleum Marketers

Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Security Agencies and Government Officials.

The State Government threatened to deal decisively or sanction any filling station not dispensing its allocation and selling above the stipulated approved pump prices of PMS in the State.