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The National Assembly has said the new Electoral Bill was ready and would be passed upon resumption for plenary.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo Agege, made the disclosure when the Joint Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters received a draft copy of the report submitted by a technical panel.
Checks revealed that the Joint Committee on INEC and Electoral Matters is expected to adopt a final document this weekend for presentation to both chambers for consideration and approval.
Giving an insight into the new Bill, the senator representing Delta Central revealed that while not usurping the functions of the State Independent Electoral Commission, the proposed Bill, which seeks to repeal the Electoral Act, 2010 made the use of card reader mandatory as done in conduct of elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions (FOSIECON), has urged the National Assembly to make laws that will ensure a uniform tenure for elected local government council officials in the country.
They said amending the constitution was the only way to give a relatively level playing field for various political parties to produce chairmen and councillors and, by extension, competitive governance at the grassroots.
Besides clearing the polls, many states hardly reveal what they spend during local government elections; heightening suspicions that they only use the elections as a cover for sleaze.
Daily Trust reports that some states could not get anything from the N123.348 billion performance-based grants released to states by the federal government last week using fiscal transparency, accountability, expenditure efficiency, revenue mobilisation and debt sustainability as the template for the distribution.
Introduction
We held our breath, as we watched the really amazing year 2020 expire. We welcomed 2021 with great hope mixed with uncertainty as the Covid-19 pandemic mutates into new strains, and countries get into a second or third wave of the disease. This preceding week, we received the news of more and more people contacting the disease – The United Kingdom, Germany and the United States all recorded their highest daily death tolls from the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. recorded more than 4,000 daily Covid-19 deaths on Thursday, 7th January 2021 – the highest one-day total since the pandemic began. On Friday 9th January, the UK, who were first to detect new mutant variant of the disease, recorded 1,325 deaths of people who had tested positive for Covid-19. Also on Friday, 9th January, Germany reported a record 1,188 daily Covid-19 deaths, outstripping a previous record of 1,129 registered on December 30, 2020. Indeed, a focus on supportive workplace strategies for Mental Hea