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2019: How INEC Received N1.47 Billion For Servers

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Emerging report reveals that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, received N1.47 billion to replace and maintain computer servers for use during the 2019 general elections.

However, this finding raises fresh concerns over the commission’s recent claim it has no server for the elections.

Details of INEC’s budget for the 2019 elections, and the spending plan shows the electoral body collected from the Federal Government N1.47 billion for servers. The Commission requested N2.27 billion.

It is not clear whether these servers were used for the elections , or whether election results were transmitted electronically. INEC insists it did not send results electronically to a server, but some Ad hoc staff used during the polls have claimed they were instructed to send the results to a “Central server”.

A Spokesperson for the Commission, Festus Okoye, disclosed that the budget for servers was made in anticipation that Buhari will sign the amended Electoral Act to allow electronic transfer of voting results.

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He stated that the Commission will at the appropriate time explain to Nigerians how it expended the money it got for servers and the entire huge N143.5 billion budget it got for the polls.

Meanwhile, a civil society group, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement, YIAGA, said that its Observers saw Polling Officers ‘attempting’ to transmit results electronically in 65 percent (961 of 1489) of polling units observed on the Presidential Election Day.

After the postponement of the election by a week, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom, Mike Igini, said the Commission made provisions for a Central Collation server.

“…The fact is that I am aware that at the polling unit, the same result is there, the duplicate has been given to the party agents and transmitted to the central server. Without talking to me, both of you have the result,” the official said during a Channels TV programme aired on February 18.

While it is not clear what servers INEC says it does not have, the budget details, published by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, a civil society group, showed INEC allocated N2.27 billion for servers in the N143.5 billion approved for the commission.

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Another N157.5 million was budgeted for the renewal and maintenance of cloud infrastructure.

It was reported last August how the National Assembly Joint Committee on INEC approved N143.5 billion for INEC for the 2019 general election as requested by the president.

A breakdown of the budget for servers in the N143.5 billion is as follows:

1. N1.37 billion budgeted for nationwide replacement of servers for 25 States and National Data Centre.

2. N99.7 million budgeted for an upgrade of the server version of OpenVR for compatibility with new Dell server.

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3. N157.5 million budgeted for the renewal and maintenance of cloud infrastructure.

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We don’t have power to determine tenure of IGP – Police Service Commission

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Police

The Police Service Commission, PSC, has said it has no constitutional powers to determine the appointment or removal of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP.

Gatekeeper recalls that the Police Service Commission had last week directed all serving police officers who have served for 35 years, or attained the age of 60 years, to proceed on immediate retirement in line with existing laws.

Since the directive several public commentators have argued that the directives should also affect the tenure of the IGP.

But Ikechukwu Ani, Head, Press and Public Relations of the PSC, in a statement on Monday, said, “By virtue of Paragraph 30, part 1 of the third schedule to the Constitution, and clause 6 (1) of the Police Service Commission (Establisment) Act, 2001, the Commission is charged with the responsibilities of appointment, promotion, dismissal and exercising disciplinary control over persons holding offices in the Nigeria Police Force (except the Inspector General of Police).

“The law is clear on the mandate of the Commission and it does not extend to the Inspector General of Police who is an appointee of Mr. President with the advice of the Police Council.

“The Commission wishes to state that it is comfortable with the size of the powers which the Constitution has bestowed on it and is not interested in shopping for more powers that obviously are not backed by law.”

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Electricity, telecom tariffs increase unconscionable, should be stopped – Shehu Sani

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Former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has described the planned increase in electricity and telecom tariffs as unconscionable.

The statement comes after the telecoms regulator last week approved the increase in mobile tariffs.

The federal government also recently said that plans were ongoing to increase electricity tariffs “over the next few months.”

However, Sani, who said the government’s plan is unreasonable, insisted that it should be halted.

The ex-lawmaker also expressed his support for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the scheduled protest against the government’s proposal, calling it a welcome development.

“The planned increase in electricity tariffs in the midst of poor power supply and the proposal to increase telecom tariffs is unconscionable and should be halted. The scheduled labour union protest is a welcome development,” he posted on X.

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Trump to cut off funding to South Africa, gives reason

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Donald Trump

The United States President, Donald Trump, has revealed his decision to cut off all future funding to South Africa, citing poor treatment of “certain classes of people.”

Trump made this known on Sunday in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.

According to Trump, South Africa was seizing land and mistreating some citizens without concern for the violations of their rights.

“South Africa is confiscating land and treating certain classes of people VERY BADLY.

“I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Trump wrote.

Reports suggest that the American leader may be defending White South Africans, some of whom have alleged that the South African policy is unfair to them.

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