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Governor Udom Emmanuel launches Akwa Ibom State owned airline, #IbomAir today, with two aircrafts arriving Uyo for commencement of operations.

Attended by Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and other top government functionaries, the event is holding at Victor Attah International Airport.

I am deeply disappointed that despite the long notice given and our preparations both locally and internationally, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the Presidential and National Assembly elections within hours of its commencement.

Many Nigerians have traveled to various locations to exercise their right to vote, and international observers are gathered.

INEC themselves have given assurances, day after day and almost hour after hour that they are in complete readiness for the elections. We and all our citizens believed them.

This administration has ensured that we do not interfere in any way with the work of INEC except to ensure that all funds were released to the commission.

We now urge INEC to ensure not only that materials already distributed are safe and do not get into wrong hands, but that everything is done to avoid the lapses that resulted in this unfortunate postponement, and ensure a free and fair election on the rescheduled dates.

While I reaffirm my strong commitment to the independence, neutrality of the electoral umpire and the sanctity of the electoral process and ballot, I urge all political stakeholders and Nigerians to continue to rally round INEC at this trying national moment in our democratic journey.

I, therefore, appeal to all Nigerians to refrain from all civil disorder and remain peaceful, patriotic and united to ensure that no force or conspiracy derail our democratic development.

I have decided to move back to Abuja to ensure that the 14.00 hrs meeting called by INEC with all stakeholders is successful.

Muhammadu Buhari
Daura, February 16, 2019

PRESS STATEMENT ON POSTPONEMENT OF ELECTIONS.

The shocking last minute postponement of the 2019 elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is an admission by the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC that it is compromised and grossly incompetent.

The INEC had four years to prepare for the 2019 elections only to fail in the last minute. There is no justification for this.

It should be noted that the INEC Chairman in his statement did not specifically state or itemize the challenges of logistics and operational plans that confronted the Commission warranting the postponement of the election.

Why is the Commission not transparent with the people of Nigeria? Openness builds trust and without truth the credibility of elections is not guaranteed.

Also noticeable in the press statement, is the absence of any form of apology by the INEC Chairman to Nigerians for the inconveniences, financial losses and risks occasioned by their failure to organize election.

It is either the INEC Chairman is grossly insensitive or arrogant.

The INEC statement also failed to offer any form of accountability in terms of punishment for the officials of the Commission whose wilful or negligent conduct orchestrated the postponement.

As a Nigerian who had to travel all the way from Lagos State to Akwa Ibom State just to be able to discharge my civic responsibility by casting my vote, this postponement is painful.

Media reports showed that election materials were either unaccounted for or not distributed to several constituencies and parts of the country in time.

This raises fundamental questions on the credibility, independence and integrity of the current leadership of the Commission.

It is true that this is not the first time that the INEC will postpone national elections. However, that only shows that the Commission lacks the necessary capacity to organize elections in Nigeria.

The Chairman of INEC and his leadership team should be ashamed of themselves.

Whatever the outcome of the rescheduled elections may be, the fact is that the Commission has lost whatever goodwill it had.

Prof. Yakubu is incompetent and at a minimum, should tender his resignation.

Inibehe Effiong
Saturday, 16th February, 2019.

The campaign office of President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the postponement of the 2019 presidential elections.

Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, announced at about 2:40 a.m. Saturday that the election had been postponed, barely hours after Nigerians were set to hit the polling units.

The elections would now hold on new dates scheduled as February 23 for presidential and national assembly elections and March 9 for governorship and state assemblies elections.

Mr Yakubu said the announcement came hours after a string of strategic meetings were held by top INEC officials to review preparedness for the exercise. It was concluded that a rash of logistics challenges that arose on Friday informed the postponement.

Ekiti, Niger and Taraba states were identified as some of the states that faced glitches of distribution of voting materials that would be difficult to resolve in time for the elections Saturday morning, thereby forcing the postponement.

Nigerians online expressed severe disappointment in INEC’s eleventh-hour decision, with many criticising the umpire for displaying stark incompetence since it had four years to prepare for the exercise.

Festus Keyamo, a spokesperson for Mr Buhari’s reelection campaign committee, also expressed sadness about the development, and quickly heaped the blame on the PDP in a statement released minutes after the announcement.

“We condemn and deprecate this tardiness of the electoral umpire in the strongest terms possible.

“President Muhammadu Buhari had since cooperated fully with INEC by ensuring everything it demanded to conduct free and fair elections were promptly made available to it.

“This news is therefore a huge disappointment to us and to our teeming supporters nationwide and around the world, many of whom have come into the country to exercise their franchise.

“We do hope that INEC will remain neutral and impartial in this process as the rumor mill is agog with the suggestion that this postponement has been orchestrated in collusion with the main opposition, the PDP, that was never ready for this election.

“We note that all the major credible demographic projections have predicted a defeat of the PDP and it seriously needed this breather to orchestrate more devious strategies to try and halt President Buhari’s momentum.

“It did the same as the ruling Party in 2015, when it realized the game was up, by orchestrating the postponement of the 2015 elections by six weeks. Now, it may be up to its old trick again.

“We have earlier raised the alarm that the PDP is bent on discrediting this process the moment it realized it cannot make up the numbers to win this election. We are only urging INEC not collude with the PDP on this.

“We are truly worried because as early as Friday morning, some known PDP Social Media influencers unwittingly announced this postponement, but quickly deleted the message and apologized to the public that it was fake news,” Mr Keyamo said.

The spokesperson also urged Nigerians to support INEC in its challenges, and prevent the commission from being compromised by the opposition.

“We do not want to be forced to a situation of announcing our total loss of confidence in INEC, because we know where that would leave our democracy.

“It is in the light of the above that we wish to appeal to Nigerians and our supporters to be patient, calm and resolute despite this temporary setback.

“Let us not give anyone, especially the PDP, the opportunity to plunge this nation into a crises, which is what they earnestly desire. Its imminent defeat is just a few days away.

“Lastly, we wish to draw the attention of INEC and the world to observe that the PDP has clearly and openly said it plans to announce parallel results through some funny device it has procured or developed.

“We wish to reiterate that it is only INEC that is legally and constitutionally empowered to declare results and it constitutes an offence for anyone to do so.

“We urge INEC to speak up now and warn the PDP to desist from this ignoble act that is capable of plunging the nation into a crises of immeasurable proportions,” he said.

Mr Keyamo did not attach any evidence to corroborate his claims against the PDP or other opposition elements he accused in the statement.

A spokesperson for the PDP did not immediately answer calls seeking comments in the early hours of Saturday morning.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/313208-elections-buhari-campaign-blames-pdp-for-postponement.html

While the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, last week suspended its three months old industrial action, many stakeholders were excited with the news, believing that at least students and lecturers can now return to classroom.

However, there are indications that though the strike was called off seven days ago and teachers back at school, many undergraduates and new admitted students were nowhere to be found on campus, as they preferred to remain with their parents at their respective homes.

Vanguard visits to some of the public institutions of higher learning in the country revealed a very low turn out of students on campus. Thus, while teachers are preparing for lectures, the students are nowhere to be found for learning. Situational reports revealed that some of the available students at the University of Benin, UNIBEN, had arrived the campus before ASUU suspended the strike to serve as INEC official during the elections.

Some new admitted students and undergraduates who spoke with Vanguard, displayed some levels of fear to return to school, envisaging the likelihood of violent before,during and after elections. They were in the opinion that if they go back to school now, they would be forced to return home before or during the elections. ‘’I would rather prefer to be at home with my food stuffs and return after elections,’’ a student said.

Parents who spoke with Vanguard insist that they would not allow their wards back at school until after the elections. According to some of them, living their children in school during elections, would create an avenue for some politicians to use the gullible ones among them.

They reiterated that though they were happy for the suspension of ASUU strike, but however posited that they would rather wait after the election before their children go back to school.

On its part, in compliance with ASUU directive, teachers at the Lagos State University, LASU resumed work on Monday. This is just as the university Senate is meeting for consideration of the revised 2017/2018 Academic calendar, as lecturers now await the decision of the university Senate on the review of the academic calendar.

LASU authorities maintained that the participation of some lecturers in the upcoming general elections would not affect their 100 percent productivity at work, as the election would be on Saturdays. Dr Tony Dansu, Secretary, ASUU-LASU Chapter had during the week said: The participation of any lecturer in the election is a personal commitment and ASUU will not take responsible for any positive or negative outcome of it.’’

At the University of Lagos, UNILAG, the situation was almost similar to that of LASU as many lecturers are on campus, with the presence of few students who probably reside in Lagos. Reacting to the immediate resumption of students on campus, Miss Favour Ogar, a 300 Level English and Literary Studies student, University of Calabar, UNICAL admitted she enjoyed the three month holiday occasioned by ASUU strike .

She said: ‘’I am not willing to go back to school now until after the elections because there will not be lectures. Moreover, since I did not register for PVC in Calabar, there is no reason to go back to school now. ‘’I will wait after the election as most students will be going back to school after the elections.

Besides, the present situation is not encouraging to go back to school. I studied during the break and I am prepared for examination after the elections.’’ On his part, a new admitted Computer Engineering student from the University of Uyo,Wiseman Ogar said: ‘’We ought to have resumed on November 5th .which incidentally was the day the strike started. ‘’I felt bad that day because I was already in school for my pre-registration and was told to go back home. Despite the strike being called off, I am still at home due to fears of insecurity in the country.

We are reading and hearing of killings, kidnapping etc, because of the elections. So I am at home in order to be on the safe side.’’ Moreover, Emmanuel Oboba, a 300 Level Engineering student from the University of Benin said he had gone back to school before ASUU suspended the strike to serve as INEC staff during the elections.

He said: ‘’I am in school but lecture is yet to start. However, some of my course mate are around, but the Calendar they are proposing is that school will resume on the 24th February. ‘’The few students who are on campus are coming from off campus. ‘’Nothing is going on and lecturers are just coming into their offices and doing nothing. Speaking in the same vein, Seyi Adeleye, a 300 Level Engineering student, UNIBEN said: ‘’My parents allowed me on campus because I stay around the school. However, nothing is going on now, as a few lecturers are around.’’

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/after-ASUU-strike-lecturers-in-classes-without-students/

An aged man has been reportedly killed by a snake that attacked him while tapping palm fruits. The incident occurred a few hours ago in Oro, Akwa Ibom.

An eyewitness said no sooner had the man shouted "snake" than he was seen dangling atop the tree.

Amids fear of similar attack, some courageous villagers climbed the tree to bring down the corpse.

However, as at time of posting this, the suspected snake was yet to be discovered

As part of new measures to curb cheating in its examinations, the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) says any candidate with biometric issues must now report at its office in Abuja to resolve the issues and write the examinations.

According to the board, such a candidate will write the examination in any of the board’s accredited centres in Abuja.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon, the spokesperson of the board, Fabian Benjamin, said the board decided to introduce the measures after it discovered that many candidates use the biometric issue as an excuse to cheat.

“Candidates with biometric challenges can only register at JAMB headquarters in Abuja,” Mr Benjamin said.

“No other CBT centre is allowed to register such candidates.

“They will also sit for their examination at JAMB headquarters in Abuja. We noticed that some candidate(s) will just go to these centres and say they can’t register, then, they begin to ask for a reschedule or a special day,” he said.

This year, sale or registration for all candidates (UTME /DE) including for those outside Nigeria, will run from January 10 to February 21.

Also, the 2019 computer-based test examination will begin on Saturday, March 16 and end on March 23.

Mr Benjamin said a new measure is also in place for candidates to lodge their complaint to the board’s headquarters directly.

“For ALL complaints on JAMB processes, candidates can create a support ticket at (support.jamb.gov.ng) with his/her email address registered on the Board’s site. The candidate then provides his/her name, phone number and the nature of issues, select a complain area on a dropdown and then summarised the nature of the complaint. He/she may also attach supporting documents (if available), then send,” he said.

Dioconate Ordination

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The political tension in Akwa Ibom seem to have died down today as the political bigwigs met and exchanged warm pleasantries in church. It was the climax of the annual Uyo Catholic Diocesan Prayers and Fasting Assembly which ended today

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New Year's Eve celebrations being in central Vladivostok, in the far east of Russia

A make-up artist decorates hair ahead of New Year celebrations in Ahmedabad, India

Fireworks are launched by revellers at a beach in Gangneung, South Korea

The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, is lit up with pyrotechnics

A reveller wears glasses that spell out "2019" during a New Year's Eve party in Quezon City in the Philippines

Buddhists light candles to mark the Year of the Pig in the Chinese Zodiac at the Jogyesa Temple in Seoul, South Korea

Crowds catch the spectacle on their smart phones as fireworks are projected from Taiwan's famous Taipei 101 skyscraper

Flashes of red pierce the night skies alongside the Petronas Towers (twin skyscrapers) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A New Year's Eve ceremony is held in Beijing, China

Hong Kong's iconic skyline is lit up as revellers celebrate the arrival of 2019 in China

Crowds enjoy an impressive pyrotechnic display over the Marina Bay in Singapore

The fireworks over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia lasted for 12 minutes

A wave of celebrations are illuminating the skies above cities around the world, dazzling millions of people as spectacular firework displays and light shows welcome the arrival of the New Year.

Akpabio spotted

The Arrival

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, led a delegation comprising members of his cabinet and other dignitaries to receive Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on his arrival at the Victor Attah International Airport during the President 's visit to the state for the commencement of All Progressive Congress, APC, campaign for 2019 elections

Beautiful Stadium

Massive Turnout

More Photos from APC Presidential Rally in Uyo