UKAid deepens campaigns against cybercrime, cultism across Nigeria - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

... Thrive Online, Cancel Cults programmes transforming lives in Lagos, Edo, Bayelsa

The THRIVE ONLINE campaign, a vital component of the broader BRIGHTER FUTURES programme supported by the UK government, continues its proactive efforts to combat cybercrime and cultism in Nigeria. 

With a targeted focus on Lagos, Edo, and Bayelsa States, the campaign aims to safeguard individuals, families, and communities from the detrimental impacts of these societal scourges.

Electioneering campaigns: Corps Marshal cautions campaign convoy drivers against reckleness - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dauda Ali Biu, has cautioned all road users, especially campaign convoy drivers, to avoid speeding and recklessness on wheels, reports ITREALMS.

He also warned them to drive in conformity with established road traffic regulations so as to avoid incidences of road traffic crashes.

INEC lifts ban on electoral campaigns till Thursday - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has changed its mind by lifting the ban on electoral campaigns for the 2019 general elections, reports ITREALMS.

INEC on Monday after a prolonged meeting, said it reviewed earlier position and lifted the ban, following the postponement of the presidential elections last Saturday morning.

A press statement endorsed by National Commissioner Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, and made available to ITREALMS, INEC said campaigns should resume immediately and end by midnight on Thursday.

The statement read in part:

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met on Monday 18th February 2019 and reviewed its preparations for the 2019 General Elections rc-scheduled for Saturday. 23rd February 2019 for the Presidential and National Assembly Elections and Saturday. 9th March 2019 for Governorship, State Assembly and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections.

“It would be recalled that at the briefing held on Saturday. 16th February 2019 at the Abuja International Conference Centre (AICC). the Commission gave reasons for re-scheduling the polls and released a new Schedule of Activities leading up to the elections.

“The Commission has also worked out in detail. concrete steps to be taken to ensure that election materials arrive at the polling units in good time for prompt commencement of the polls on Saturday. 23rd February 2019. An update will be provided by the Commission at a press conference on Tuesday. 19th February at the Abuja International Conference Centre by 3pm.

“1n the meantime. after consultations with political parties. the Commission has approved that campaigns by parties and candidates can resume forthwith to end by midnight of Thursday, 21st February 2019.

“Media organisations are at liberty to accept, publish. broadcast and circulate campaign materials up till midnight of Thursday. 21st February 2019. Political Parties and their candidates are enjoined to abide by the extant laws governing campaigns.

“The Commission wishes to thank all Nigerians for their understanding regarding the rescheduling of the elections. We appeal to stakeholders to be dispassionate and circumspect in their comments. The Commission is focusing on the elections to be held on 23rd February and 9th March to ensure that they are free. fair and credible. We urge all Nigerians to participate fully in the elections. notwithstanding the disappointment." 

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

*JOIN our alert's group | Share stories with us | Advert placement: WhatsApp | SMS: +2348033592762 *Twitter: @ITREALMS *Email: itrealms.dsa@gmail.com*

GW4AO preaches violent-free campaigns @2019 elections - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Obviously worried by the increasing spate of politically-motivated violence in parts of the country in the build up to the forthcoming general elections, the Grassroots Women for Atiku/Obi (GW4AO), has called on political actors to eschew violence and embrace peace in their campaigns, reports ITREALMS.

The group in a presentation made along with the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Toyin Ojora Saraki, at the recent UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, said it rose from a PDP National Women's Conference held in Abuja “with a new hope for women's political and democratic engagement.”

GW4AO also said, “We feel compelled to raise awareness of the urgent need to stem the apparently rising rate of politically-motivated violence. In the last couple of weeks alone, we have seen reports of campaign violence occurring in Lagos State, Imo State, Kogi State, and Kwara State, with many cases of grievous injuries and deaths.”

UN Women was established by the United Nations as the global champion for women and girls to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. Its cardinal areas of focus include women’s economic empowerment, ending violence against women, the pursuit of peace and security as well as promoting and supporting youth leadership, among others.

On the backdrop of those goals, the Grassroots Women for Atiku/Obi in a statement by its Director-General, Ms Amina Jambo and made available to ITREALMS, expressed concern over what it described as “the growing level of violence during and at campaigns venue,” and warned that unless politicians preach peace and encourage their followers to focus on issue-based campaigns, such growing spate of violence was capable of impacting the outcome of the elections negatively.”

“This gives us great concern for the safety and security, and indeed the human right to democratic suffrage of civilian citizens,” it stated, adding that such acts “of wilful impunity” are capable of affecting voter-turnout “particularly for women and youth.”

The GW4AO stated further: “As Nigeria prepares to choose its next leaders, gender-based violence and election violence should be firmly condemned by all, citizens and observers alike.

“We have thus encouraged members of the Grassroots Women Campaign, which we support and advise, to immediately adopt an ‘End Election Violence Advocacy,’ as a prerequisite to free and fair elections, and to guarantee citizens’ rights to live and choose their leaders, in dignity, safety and security without fear of intimidation, suppression or retribution from desperate power-seekers.”

The Grassroots Women for Atiku/Obi’s mission is “to empower individual citizens to take a more active role” in the governance and the political processes.

“These individuals are commonly referred to as ‘the grassroots’ made up of largely women and young people living in the rural and semi-urban areas, and they represent 65-70 per cent of the electorate,” GW4AO explained, adding “We know that there is a critical need to activate this group of voters in order to obtain success.”

But while mobilisation of voters at the grassroots is its primary focus, GW4AO said it is disturbed that as the days roll by for the general elections “there has been an unusual increase in the violence happening on campaign venues, around politicians and political actors in a growing number of areas across the country.

“This disturbing trend calls for concern because we are still at the campaign level, it is not yet the election day proper, and we are witnessing this. What then are we to expect on election days and on election grounds proper?” the group wondered.

“We are even more worried when considered that when violence is perpetrated, it is the women and children – the core of our membership target - that suffer the most. Consider the direct impact of violence on women and children, be it psychological or physical, the results are unpalatable.

“We therefore call on politicians, their supporters and political actors across the country to exercise caution, preach peace and engage in issue-based campaign so that Nigeria can have free, fair, credible and violent-free elections,” GW4AO implored.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor

*JOIN our alert's group | Share stories with us | Advert placement: WhatsApp | SMS: +2348033592762 *Twitter: @ITREALMS *Email: itrealms.dsa@gmail.com*