By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said that it plans to create 2,673 registration centres and deploy 5,346 officials ahead of its resumption of the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on 28th June 2021.
The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu made the disclosure yesterday in his remarks at an emergency meeting with the security agencies under the auspices of the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, in Abuja.
Prof Yakubu explained that the resumption of the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on 28th June 2021 is to enable Nigerians who have attained the age 18 years and those who did not register previously to do so.
He similarly added that registered voters, who wish to change their voting locations and those who wish to correct their names and other details on their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), can do so when the CVR resumes.
The INEC Chairman said, “In the next nine months, two major elections will be conducted.
“The Anambra State Governorship election is scheduled to hold on 6th November 2021 to be followed by the end-of-tenure elections for 68 Area Council constituencies in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) holding on 12th February 2022.
“These major elections will be followed by the Ekiti and Osun State governorship elections ahead of the 2023 General Election which is just 632 days away.
“In addition to elections, the Commission is also preparing for the resumption of the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on 28th June 2021 to enable Nigerians who have attained the age 18 years and those who did not register previously to do so.
“Similarly, registered voters who wish to change their voting locations and those who wish to correct their names and other details on their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) can do so.
“We plan to create 2,673 registration centres and deploy 5,346 officials for the exercise along with expensive voter enrollment machines.
“All these activities require security, thereby adding to the urgency and importance of this meeting.
“No doubt, the last few weeks have been very challenging to the Commission.
“The spate of arson and vandalisation targeting the Commission’s facilities and property has become a major threat to our scheduled activities and the entire electoral process”, he pointed out.
FG making inroads in Nano, space, AI, robotics techs, says Onu
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu said that the Federal Government is making conscious and sustained efforts for Nigeria to be at the forefront of new and emerging technologies, adding that Nigeria should not be excluded from any branch of Science and Technology.
Dr. Onu made the remarks at the 2nd interactive forum with the State Commissioners In charge of Science and Technology in Abuja on Thursday, according to a statement by his media office.
According to the Minister, “We have virtually concluded consultations with relevant stakeholders within the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government as it concerns Nanotechnology. We find nanotechnology to have applications in virtually all other technologies, including space, artificial intelligence and robotics as it concerns improved productivity and reduction in size and cost.”
The Minister said that the Federal Government was determined to improve funding of Science, Technology and Innovation. He said; “Mr. President announced that 0.5% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), will now be used to fund STI in the country, though the African Union (AU), recommended 1% of GDP to be utilized for Science and Technology in all countries of the continent, the 0.5% is an improvement over what we had in the past.
He said that efforts are on ground, to ensure that Nigeria is prepared for a post crude oil era. He added that Nigeria has 187 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and has the highest natural gas reserves in the world and 9th highest in the world.
Dr. Onu said that the Ministry of Science and Technology is introducing Methanol to the nation’s economy, as it can be used to produce as many as 1000 different products that can be used in our homes, schools, offices, hospitals, farms and factories.
He said; “The production of methanol will help us to stop gas flaring in the country. Since natural gas is the major feedstock for its production, this will increase the demand for natural gas and hence initially reduce and finally help stop gas flaring in the country”.
The Minister added that Methanol fuel technology will be fully domesticated in the country, adding that Nigerian professionals can fully grasp the technology and be in a position to export the technology to other countries in the near future.
