Ballot count underway in landmark Central African Republic election

A 'daunting task'

The National Election Authority will announce the preliminary results in the coming days. They have to be confirmed by the country's Constitutional Court to become official. If a single candidate doesn't win majority, given the large number of contenders, a second round of voting is likely to take place on January 31.

"Whoever wins will have the daunting task to try to change the equation in the country," said Onanga-Anyanga. "Overwhelmingly what people are saying is, they want the new leadership to govern them better; they want a government that will be able to reconcile them."

In 2013, mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power from the government of former President Francois Bozize, fueling reprisals from Christian anti-balaka militias.

Pope Francis, who visited the country in November, called for Christians and Muslims to end the atrocities and live in peace.

Close to one million people have been displaced in the brutal violence and more than half of the country's population is in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.

African News, Four fake soldiers arrested in Lagos

A four-man syndicate of self-acclaimed soldiers, John Izunwanne, 25, John Otu, 23, Richard Acha, 22 and Simon Anthony, 39, arrested at Idi-Araba, Agege and Mile 2 areas of Lagos state, were Tuesday, paraded by Fatai Owoseni, the state Commissioner of Police.

The Commissioner, while briefing journalists, said that materials recovered from the suspects included two Nigerian army camouflage uniforms, army camouflage t-shirts, a pair of boots, two army belts and two jungle hats.

One of the arrested men, Anthony, who hails from Adamawa state, revealed that he had been dismissed from service as a corporal for absconding from duty.

He said, “I was dismissed in January 2014 for falling out from duty. I wanted to use the uniform to travel to Lagos because I had no transport money. But unfortunately, I was arrested by soldiers.”

Another suspect, Acha, said that he had found the camouflage t-shirt inside the bag his brother gave him at Ikeja cantonment.

Similarly, Otu said that he heard his friends were arrested and went to the police to secure their bail, but was also apprehended for wearing the uniform.

Izunwanne told journalists that he bought the uniform at Ojo Cantonment on September 2.

According to the 25-year-old, “I wanted to go and sign my army recruitment form at Ojo Barracks when I bought the uniform at the Mammy Market.

“On October 7, my friend had a court case and I was to appear in court as a witness. The court was in Agege and I did not have the transport fare to go, so, I decided to wear my uniform to save me the cost of transportation,” Izunwanne said.

Nigeria signs N197b deal for digital migration

THE march towards the 2017 date for Nigeria’s migration from analogue to digital switchover (DSO) got a boost yesterday, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Media Concepts International (MCI) and a South Korean firm, KAON, for establishment of a plant in the country.

The development came as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said about 278 bids have been submitted by indigenous and foreign firms seeking to secure contract for sale and purchase of the 26 Nigerian crude oil grades on offer.

Construction of the plant, which is to be sited in Lagos, will take off by December and run till next year, after which manufacturing activities will start.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in an earlier press conference in September had fixed April 2016 for the take off of the plant estimated to worth about N197 billion ($1 billion) and will focus on the production of Set Top Box (STB). READ MORE:-http://nairadesk.blogspot.com/2015/10/nigeria-signs-n197b-deal-for-digital.html

2015 Elections: FEC Okays Purchase Of 70,000 Permanent Voters’ Card Readers

The Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday approved the purchase of 70,000 smart card readers for the 2015 election.

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The readers will enable the authentication of permanent voters’ cards at polling units during the election.
The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who briefed journalists after the FEC meeting referred to the readers as Permanent Voter Cards Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Readers.
He stressed the need to acquire 160,000 smart card readers to authenticate the permanent voter cards at the polling units during the 2015 general election.
“This is to ensure free, fair and credible elections’’, Mr. Maku said.
In her briefing, the Minister of Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson, disclosed that council approved a draft National Addressing Policy.
She said the policy would set out the framework for the development and implementation of the National Addressing Policy System in Nigeria.
According to Ms. Johnson, the policy would assist government to plan and implement public policies and services and fight against natural disasters and diseases, including emergency management
She said the policy would also reinforce national and international security in line with the United Nations Universal Postal Union’s Doha Declaration.
The minister said the policy would enhance fundamental steps in connecting people to public and private services, human rights and setting the foundation on which critical national policies could be built.

2015 Elections: FEC Okays Purchase Of 70,000 Permanent Voters’ Card Readers

Rivers PDP Calls For Probe Of Amaechi’s Role In Crisis, Wants Assailants Of Injured Lawmaker Arrested

Factional chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Felix Obuah, has said that arrangements have been concluded to fly the injured lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor II constituency in the State House of Assembly, Michael Okechukwu Chinda abroad for better treatment.

Sultan Denies Report Of Alleged Attempt On Life By Recently Killed Terrorist In Sokoto

The Sultanate Council has denied the news report of a purported plot to assassinate the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar III following an Army-SSS joint operation in the Gidan Dare area of Sokoto State, which was targeted at a suspected terrorists’ hideout.

Civil Service Recruitment: Qualified Youths To Be Employed On Merit – Federal Commissioner

Dr Ngozi Etolue, the Commissioner representing Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi States at the Federal Civil Service Commission, on Friday said recruitment of Enugu unemployed youth at the federal level would be on merit.

I Was Never A Member Of Boko Haram – Kabiru Sokoto

He case against the alleged mastermind of Christmas day bomb blast that killed about 44 persons and wounded 75 others at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, in 2011, Kabiru Umar, a.k.a Kabiru Sokoto, yesterday, took a new twist as he told a Federal High Court in Abuja that though he was a high profile member of the Islamic “Shurah Council” in Nigeria, he was never a member of the Boko Haram sect.

Reps Vote To Take Over Rivers House Of Assembly

The Senate and the House of Representatives yesterday took steps to resolve the Rivers State crisis. While the Reps made a resolution to take over legislative affairs of the Rivers State House of Assembly,