Category Nigeria News

Joash Amupitan has been appointed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by President Bola Tinubu. &nbsp,

Following a screening session on October 16, Amupitan’s swearing in by the president took place a week after the Senate approved his appointment.

The professor of law was given the task of President Tinubu to enhance INEC’s institutional capacity and ensure the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and electoral process.

Your appointment to the crucial position and the Senate’s confirmation as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission are testament to your capacity and the trust you have in the executive and legislative branches of the government.

I firmly believe that you will approach your responsibilities with the highest degree of integrity, dedication, and patriotism. “The significant achievement marked the beginning of a challenging but rewarding journey.

“Our democracy has advanced significantly.” Through innovation and reforms, we have strengthened and strengthened our democratic institutions, particularly our electoral system, over the past 25 years. Along the way, we have gained a lot and made significant improvements over what we had before.

We must now continue to adhere to the principles that govern democracy in a complex, multifaceted society.

Beyond Reproach: Integrity

The integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system must be beyond reproach, according to Tinubu, in order for it to continue to prosper.

The people’s exclusive right to choose their leaders and determine their future are protected by the electoral process, which is a crucial component of democracy. Our electoral system must be unwaveringly trustworthy in order for our democracy to continue to flourish. Our elections need to be fair, credible, and free.

We must constantly improve the electoral process by addressing the issues of yesterday and creating new possibilities for the present and future. Election integrity must be maintained in order to keep the public informed about elections.

“All facets of the process, from registration to campaigning, to voting and counting, must be transparent, non-violent, and credible.

No electoral system is perfect, but since elections are crucial for a country’s future, it is crucial to constantly strengthen electoral institutions, making sure they are strong, resilient, and protected from official setbacks.

The President reaffirmed that “I therefore charge you, Professor, as you take on this crucial assignment to advance the integrity of our elections and electoral process and strengthen INEC’s institutional capacity.”

Amupitan met with onlookers at the State House on Thursday morning, clad in a white “agbada” and sporting a gold cap, and greeted them as he officially assumed the position of head of the nation’s electoral umpire.

Some presidential advisers accompanied the professor.

Read more about Amupitan’s confirmation as INEC Chairman in the Senate.

He resuming his duties as the new chairman shortly after taking the oath of office.

Restoring Election Credibility

Senators questioned the 58-year-old don about his plans to bring about positive changes in the commission and restore credibility to the electoral process during his screening last week at the Senate.

Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose term as INEC Chairman officially ended recently and was nominated by President Tinubu and supported by the National Council of State.

Since its founding, he is the electoral body’s sixth substantive head.

Amupitan had promised to prioritize electoral reforms that would boost voter confidence and ensure transparent polls while speaking to the Senate during his screening.

The professor stated that his main goals would be to strengthen the Electoral Act’s provisions to address irregularities in election dates and increase legitimacy.

“We must conduct elections where even the loser can congratulate the winner and declare, “You won fairly and well. When that occurs, voters’ confidence will naturally be restored, he said.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria clarified that he had never represented the President or represented any of the opposition candidates in the statement that he had also refuted reports that he had spoken to President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court.

He reiterated his impartiality to lawmakers by saying, “I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any of the parties.”

Profile

The 58-year-old Amupitan was born on April 25, 1967, and is from Kogi State’s Ijumu Local Government Area known as Ayetoro Gbede.

He is Plateau State University of Jos’ Professor of Law. He graduated from the university as well.

He has a particular area of expertise in corporate law, law of evidence, corporate governance, and privatization law. In September 2014, he was appointed to the Nigerian Senior Advocate.

He attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, and the University of Jos from 1984 to 1987 after earning his primary and secondary education. In 1988, he was referred to the bar.

Amupitan completed his academic career in 1989 with a 1988-89 National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation, earning both an LLM and a PhD in 2007.

Prior to his appointment, he served as the University of Jos’ deputy vice-chancellor (administration), as well as the Joseph Ayo Babalola University’s governor and chairman.

He is currently the head of public law at UNIJOS, along with the committee of directors and deans from 2012 to 2014.

In addition to his academic duties, Amupitan also serves on the boards of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and the Council of Legal Education, among other positions.

He was a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja (1996-2004).

Amupitan is the author of numerous legal books, including an introduction to the law of trust in Nigeria (2014), Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008), Evidence Law: Theory and Practice (2013), and Principles of Company Law (2013).

Olisa Agbakoba, the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has reiterated his call for decentralization of power, arguing that democracy will remain fragile without the transfer of power and resources to local governments and states.

Agbakoba made the call at a press conference in Lagos, Nigeria, where he presented a policy document titled “Devolution is the Solution – Foundational Reform Agenda for Transformation” (Francoise version).

Before the 2027 presidential elections, he referred to the blueprint as a blueprint for restructuring Nigeria’s political and economic systems.

Agbakoba criticized what he termed Nigeria’s “fatal illusion” of federalism, noting that the Federal Government is in charge of 97% of all revenues while the majority of states rely on bailouts.

Without federal assistance, “five out of thirty-six states cannot pay their salaries.” He claimed that there are more than 76 local governments and 36 states that serve as distribution centers for federal aid and are not development engines.

Read more about Western Democracy in Nigeria: Agbakoba and Defections Won’t Help.

He warned that because of this extreme centralization, millions of Nigerians are trapped in an unproductive informal economy, which only allows for three or four percent of GDP growth as opposed to the ten to twelve percent needed to escape poverty.

Political rather than economic

Agbakoba praised President Tinubu’s economic reforms, including those aimed at reducing fuel subsidies and liberalizing foreign exchange, but argued that they needed political reform to succeed.

“Political is the root of the problem,” not economic. Because you can’t patch a cracked foundation, he claimed, twenty-five years of constitutional amendments failed.

To formally impose federalism through a significant devolution of powers, the senior lawyer emphasized that Nigeria needs a new constitution rather than additional amendments.

Agbakoba argued that states should retain 60% of the nation’s internal revenue while maintaining control over their resources, including policing, electricity, and solid minerals.

He further stated that local governments must be granted constitutional authority in terms of community development, including education, healthcare, water, sanitation, and health.

The senior lawyer argued that the federal government should concentrate on foreign affairs, including currency, defense, immigration, and defense.

He claimed that a multi-centred economy with more people-centric governance would emerge from a centralized redistribution system.

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Agbakoba noted that poor legislation and regulatory failures continue to stymie Nigeria’s 25 to 35 trillion-percent untapped revenue potential.

He revealed that illegal fishing, untaxed oil rigs, inefficient ports, and untaxed oil rigs cause annual losses of 11 trillion.

Additionally, the SAN claimed that unexploited resources like lithium, cobalt, and rare earths, valued at up to 45 trillion, are present. Agbakoba argued that the implementation of these reforms would set Nigeria on its way to a development boom.

“If these reforms are put into place, Nigeria could have $500 trillion in its budgets.” In terms of infrastructure, education, and healthcare, we might rival Asian economies.
He predicted that a strong middle class would emerge, agriculture would feed Africa, industries would create millions of jobs, and there would be global competition for technology hubs, he said.

If Nigerians reject the current system, which benefits a few while impoverishing millions, then this transformation, he claimed, could take place in five years with solid foundations by 2030.

According to Agbakoba, political and economic restructuring is necessary to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy.

Umaru Bago, the governor of Niger State, has urged residents to protect themselves from persistent bandit attacks as a result of growing concerns about insecurity in various parts of the nation.

He resolutely argued that no matter what the circumstances, his administration would never negotiate with or pay a ransom to criminals.

READ MORE:   Tanker Explosion: Gov Bago Sympathizes With Niger Community.

Bago made the statement while traveling to the local government areas of Rijau and Magama, where several communities have recently been attacked by bandits operating from the Kontagora axis.

The governor claimed that the state had reached a critical stage, urging people to take collective action, warning that paying ransom would only enrage criminals and encourage kidnapping.

“I won’t bargain with bandits,” I said. I won’t demand a ransom.

He said, “They will open a shop on our heads and continue kidnapping people until we start paying.”

“The situation has reached a war zone that calls for collective coercion.” We have enemies in our area, but we won’t give up.

The governor continued, “We will defend our lives and property as the constitution allows.”

Niger Government Commits and Approves Free Care for Explosion Victims

Bago announced plans to recruit and train 10,000 people for the state’s joint task force to improve community security and restore peace, calling the frequent attacks and residents’ displacement as “embarrassing and unacceptable.”

The governor also announced a total ban on all mining activities across Zone C of the state in a statement released by his Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso.

Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu, and Agwara are the affected local government areas.

According to Bago, illegal mining had become a major contributor to the zone’s insecurity, noting that many miners had unrestricted access to forests that were viewed as unsafe for residents.

The bandits don’t touch the forests, despite suspicion that miners can freely enter them. He stated that I have mandated that anyone caught engaging in mining activities be detained by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

Joash Amupitan, the newly appointed head of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is in Abuja for President Bola Tinubu’s swearing-in ceremony.

Amupitan met with onlookers at the State House on Thursday morning, clad in a white “agbada” and sporting a gold cap, and greeted them as he officially assumed the position of head of the nation’s electoral umpire.

The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and the professor of law was accompanied by a few presidential aides.

The National Economic Council (NEC) meeting is being presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima in the Villa’s Council Chamber.

Governors and deputy governors from each of the Federation’s 36 states are present at the meeting.

Amupitan’s visit to the villa comes a week after the Senate approved his appointment as INEC Chairman following a rigorous screening session on October 16.

Senators questioned the 58-year-old don about his plans to bring about lasting reforms in the commission and restore credibility to the electoral process during his screening.

Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose term as INEC Chairman officially ended recently and was nominated by President Tinubu and supported by the National Council of State.

Since its founding, he is the electoral body’s sixth substantive head.

Amupitan had promised to prioritize electoral reforms that would boost voter confidence and ensure transparent polls while speaking to the Senate during his screening.

The professor stated that his main goals would be to strengthen the Electoral Act’s provisions to address irregularities in election dates and increase legitimacy.

“We must conduct elections where even the loser can congratulate the winner and declare, “You won fairly and well. When that occurs, voters’ confidence will naturally be restored, he said.

The law professor clarified that he neither represented the President nor appeared for any of the opposition candidates in response to reports that he had been connected to President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court.

He reiterated his impartiality to lawmakers by saying, “I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any of the parties.”

A hit-and-run articulated vehicle (truck) in the state, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kogi, led to the death of a female lecturer.

The lecturer, identified as Kemi Emmanuel, worked at the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Kogi, according to the FRSC Sector Commander, Tenimu Etuku.

Etuku described her tragic and tragic passing.

In the university’s Department of Theatre Arts, late Mrs. Emmanuel was a well-known and admired lecturer.

According to Etuku, the accident happened at 3.30 p.m. The lecturer was struck by a running truck along the highway at Crusher in Lokoja metropolis on Wednesday when he fell off a commercial motorcycle, aka the Okada.

Read more about how 24 kidnapping victims are saved in Kogi, Kwara.

Our rescue team immediately arrived at the scene of the accident and transported the victim to Kogi State Specialist Hospital, where she had been declared dead.

He stated that the hospital’s mortuary has the deceased’s corpse lying in its place.

He expressed shock at the allegedly obstructing the said hit-and-run truck’s attitude by the said okada rider, who allegedly flew off in disguise.

To prevent such unfortunate events and save lives of innocent passengers, the sector commander advised okada riders against driving with enclosed vehicles on the highway.

In addition, a significant counter-banditry operation involving Kwara and Kogi states last week resulted in the rescue of 24 kidnap victims from the Nigerian Army.

The operation came after coordinated offensives by troops from the 12 Brigade Lokoja and 22 Armoured Brigade Ilorin, according to Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Polycarp Okoye, 2 Division Nigerian Army, Polycarp Okoye, according to a statement from the organization.

Four Chinese nationals, five women, an infant, and 14 males who had been abducted from various locations throughout Kwara and Kogi states, were among the victims who were rescued, according to Okoye.

The tragic petrol tanker explosion that occurred on Tuesday at the Essa community in Katcha Local Government Area, which claimed several lives and injured many others, has been condolened by the Niger State Government.

The government expressed its support for the victims and their families in a statement released by Murtala Bagana, the governor’s special adviser to the governor on special duties.

“We feel heavy in our hearts as the people of Essa and the surrounding communities deplore.” Our state suffers greatly from this. We show our support for all those who have been affected, according to Bagana.

A powerful delegation led by Bagana visited the scene of the incident and the hospitals where the injured victims are being treated, following Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s orders.

He made it clear that the governor had approved comprehensive and cost-free medical care for all the explosion victims.

Read more about the Niger State Tanker Explosion: Residents Blame Bad Road, Death Toll Hits 42.

He claims that people who have sustained serious injuries are being transported to the National Hospital, Gwagwalada, for advanced treatment, while others are receiving care at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Bida and Agaie General Hospital.

Bagana rebuked the bereaved families while offering condolences for the dangerous practice of scooping fuel from tankers that have caused numerous tragedies throughout the nation.

We grieve with the affected families and offer our prayers for the departed’s souls. Additionally, we urge people to refrain from hurling fuel from accident-planning. He stated that our administration is “remaining fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens.”

To prevent similar incidents in the future, the Niger State Government reiterated its commitment to improving road safety, emergency response, and infrastructure rehabilitation across the state.

42 people were killed in the explosion, and more than 60 were hurt.

A tanker flipped on the deteriorating Bida–Badeggi–Agaie Road, causing an explosion as locals attempted to remove fuel from the fallen vehicle.

The injured, which included men, women, and children, each had varying degrees of burns, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

For the rescue operations, which continued as some residents were still unaccounted for, emergency responders, including the police, DSS, NSCDC, FRSC, and local volunteers, were dispatched to the scene.