The Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission has said that no fewer than 4,145 security personnel would be involved in the council polls slated for September 21.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that that the council polls is to elect candidates into 17 chairmanship and 260 ward councilorship positions in Enugu State.

The Chairman of ENSIEC, Prof. Christian Ngwu, told NAN on Wednesday in Enugu that at least one security personnel would be provided at each of the 4,145 polling units in the 17 council areas of the state.

“We are in close synergy with the lead agency in policing, which is the Nigeria Police, to get the required numbers and get the posting finalised.

“The security personnel to be deployed will be fully armed and they will ensure that no one causes obstruction to the voting exercise on Saturday,” he said.

The ENSIEC Chairman said that the commission had received and kept in safe custody all the non-sensitive materials for the council polls.

“We will also be receiving the sensitive materials for the elections a few hours to the exercise. ENSIEC is fully prepared for free, fair and credible council polls on Saturday. We want all eligible voters to come out en mass to elect their preferred candidates without fear or favour on the D-day,” he said.

NAN reports that two million voters are expected to participate in the council polls while ENSIEC has recruited 12,800 ad hoc electoral staff towards the smooth conduct of the election.

Meanwhile, the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, on Wednesday led his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Uche Ugwu, the lawmaker representing Enugu West Senatorial District, Senator Osita Ngwu, among others, to rally support for the chairmanship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party.

At the final campaign rally held at Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, Mbah said the 17 LGAs in the state needed strategic thinkers, builders and men with compassionate hearts who would help move the state out of poverty, and urged Enugu residents to vote for PDP candidates.

The governor emphasised that the need for visionary men to man the various local government areas stemmed from the fact that his administration needs people that would take development to the rural areas.

“The programmes we’re executing at the state level need to be consolidated. And we need men whose track records and integrity cannot be questioned, people who have demonstrated in their various places of endeavours that they’re capable and able to deliver. These are the people we’re presenting to you to support come Saturday, September 21.

“You must all come out on that day. Take nothing for granted. Don’t say that PDP has won, and therefore no need to come and vote. No. We need all the votes we can get for PDP that day,” Mbah said

He added that he had absolute confidence that the PDP candidates in the 17 LGAs and their running mates would deliver the dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots.

The state chairman of the PDP, Dr Martin Chukwunwike, noted that the party had visited the 17 LGAs in the past weeks and expressed happiness with the massive turnout and support of the people for the party.

He commended Governor Mbah for using his numerous people-oriented projects to campaign for the party in every ward.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service has announced plans to implement an e-invoicing platform to advance Nigeria’s tax administration system.

The new digital platform, named FIRS e-Invoice, is set to streamline invoice management in alignment with the Tax Administration and Enforcement Act of 2007.

The Executive Chairman of FIRS, Zacchaeus Adedeji, made the announcement during the LCCI-FIRS Organised Private Sector Stakeholders Engagement held in Lagos on Wednesday.

Adedeji emphasised the significance of e-invoicing for modernising and enhancing the efficiency of Nigeria’s tax system stating “Our collective efforts will pave the way for a more prosperous and resilient Nigeria. As we advance, we encourage support for these initiatives through constructive feedback and collaboration.”

Credit: PUNCH

The media office of the former Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has alleged that EFCC operatives on Wednesday night, laid siege to the Kogi Government Lodge, Asokoro in an attempt to arrest the ex-governor.

The team’s Media Director, Ohiare Michael, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, alleged that the anti-graft officers shot sporadically in the air in the bid to carry out their aim.

The statement reads: “It has come to our notice that people suspected to be operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are currently around the Kogi Government Lodge, Asokoro in an attempt to forcefully arrest former Governor Yahaya Bello. They were shooting sporadically.

“It was reported earlier that the former Governor went to the EFCC Office voluntarily earlier today but the commission told him to leave and come at a later date, only to mount a Gestapo-like attack on the Kogi State Government facility in Asokoro.

“We want to place it on record that the EFCC should be held accountable if anything untoward happens to him.
“Tonight’s attack was needless as the former Governor made himself available to the EFCC in their office for interrogation.

“The EFCC had no question to ask Alhaji Yahaya Bello in the morning, but suddenly, they are out to arrest him.

“This action is condemnable. They have displayed the very reason many Nigerians believe they were fighting political battles instead of the mandate to fight corruption.

“This action reflects much more than the fight against corruption.
“We will keep Nigerians posted.”

Reports have that the anti-graft agency had filed a 19-count money laundering charge against Bello before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja.