SABINEWS EVENING NEWS UPDATE – FEBRUARY 22, 2019
Polls: Each ad-hoc NYSC member to receive N30,500 – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that for every member of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who participates in tomorrow’s election as ad-hoc staff would be paid N30,500. INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this yesterday in Abuja, while addressing stakeholders during the commission’s third briefing on the preparedness of INEC to conduct tomorrow’s elections. INEC had shifted to tomorrow the presidential and parliamentary elections initially billed for 16th February, 2019. While the election was postponed by one week, corps members who were supposed to assist INEC in the election as ad-hoc staff were seen passing through unsavoury situations. Among the things members of NYSC complained about was the welfare and allowances for participating in the election.
Atiku’s order to security treasonable, says Yoruba Ronu
The Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum, a socio-cultural group, says the order given by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is treasonable. The group also condemned the call made by Abubakar on the military and other security organisations in the country to disregard President Muhammadu Buhari’s order on electoral violence. The forum made the condemnation via a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Mr Akin Malaolu, on Friday, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. Abubakar had earlier called on security agencies to ignore the order of the President who directed them to deal ruthlessly with perpetrators of electoral violence and ballot box snatching.
Zamfara APC will participate in Gov, other elections, says INEC
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu
The Independent National Electoral Commission says “in compliance with court order,” the Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress will participate in the governorship, National and State Assembly elections.
INEC said this in a tweet on Friday, via its verified Twitter handle,
@inecnigeria.
INEC had tweeted:
2019 elections: Don’t infringe on citizens’ right, Situation Room warns security agents
A coalition of civil society organizations, under the aegis of the Situation Room, on Friday asked security agents on election duty to be guided by the Electoral law. He also asked them to try to be as civil as possible in performing their duties on Saturday. Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Executive Director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre and Convener of the Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo, said the organisation was deeply concerned by reports of invitations issued for the interrogation of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission by security agencies in the last few days.
Be impartial during elections, UK urges INEC
Few hours to Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections, the United Kingdom has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to be impartial in the elections. In a broadcast aired on Friday on the verified Twitter handle of the British High Commission in Nigeria, @UKinNigeria, the British High Commissioner to the country, Ms Catriona Laing, asked Nigerians not to be discouraged to vote again due to the postponement of the elections. She said, “Tomorrow is voting day again. We recognise the huge disappointment of Nigerians since they woke up last Saturday to hear the news that the elections had been postponed. But your votes still count.
Fashola seeks deportation of foreigners without work permits
To prevent expatriates from picking jobs meant for Nigerians, the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said those working without permits would not only be stopped in the coming days, but also deported.
According to him, companies handling contracts for his ministry are being audited for legality. Speaking yesterday at the second BRF Gabest programme, with the theme, Where are the jobs?, Fashola noted that though the citizens of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had free movement into the country, he, however, clarified that the privilege does not preclude them from applying for work permits.
Centre confirms 25 new cases of Lassa fever in 8 days
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says it recorded 25 new cases of Lassa fever between Feb.11 and Feb. 17 across the country. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, made this known on Friday in Abuja. Ihekweazu said that the 25 new cases brought the number of confirmed cases to 355 out of 1,139 suspected cases recorded since Jan. 1 in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He said under the reporting week 07 that out of the total cases, three were probable while 781 tested negative. He said that a total of 75 deaths had been recorded since the onset of the outbreak.
Shell shrugs off Brexit to eye foothold in UK offshore wind market
Shell plans to enter Britain’s offshore wind market by acquiring seabed leases or taking stakes in existing projects, despite the country’s impending departure from the European Union, the head of the company’s New Energies division said. Oil firms are increasingly building portfolios of clean energy projects to satisfy investor demands that they reduce their carbon footprint. Shell previously said it would spend $1 billion to $2 billion a year on green technology. “We absolutely would like to get a position in the UK offshore (wind) market,” Mark Gainsborough, executive vice president at New Energies, told Reuters in an interview.
Cathedral City maker Dairy Crest to be sold to Canadian firm for almost £1bn
Cathedral City cheese maker Dairy Crest has agreed to a takeover by a Canadian firm in a deal worth nearly £1bn. Saputo, one of the world’s biggest dairy processors, will pay 620p a share valuing the the UK company at £975m. Dairy Crest, whose other brands include Country Life butter, Utterly Butterly and Clover spread, saw its shares surge by 12.9% after the proposed sale was announced. Saputo, which does not currently have a foothold in Europe, said it was driven by “a desire to increase its international presence and enter the UK market by acquiring and investing in a well-established and successful industry player”.
Facebook has shut its tracking app, but it’s still committed to invading your privacy
It was banned from Apple’s App Store, but Facebook has only now announced it will shut down its Onavo snooping VPN app for good. The social network said the app will immediately stop pulling market research information from users, but it’ll continue to operate so customers can find an alternative VPN. It comes after a massive backlash following an investigation by TechCrunch that found the social networking giant was secretly paying people to install the “Facebook Research” VPN.
