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Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of
Representatives, says that constitutional amendment is needed before Nigerians
in diaspora can be allowed to vote. Gbajabiamila said this at the Diaspora
Voting Stakeholders Workshop in Abuja.
He said that millions of Nigerians, who resided outside the
country, had as much a stake in the present and future of Nigeria as those who
lived in the country. “Nigerians abroad use their resources to develop
businesses and support family members here at home; they invest in their
communities and support national development, so it is not strange that they
are seeking to participate in the electoral process. “But, before allowing
diaspora voting, there is a need to plan well by first understanding the nuances,
intricacies and the hurdles in front, before considering diaspora voting if
Nigeria will get it right.
“I was the principal officer when this bill came up in the
7th assembly and I shut Nigeria in diaspora voting bill down. “I did that for
reasons the house came to understand; the language of the constitution is black
and white and it states that you can only vote if you are resident in Nigeria.
“So, bringing a bill for diaspora voting at that time was a wrong move because
you cannot use a bill to amend the constitution and it was on that basis that
we could not take that bill. “I am not proud of it but it was a necessity and someone
had to take the responsibility; I am for diaspora voting, but all I am saying
is that we have to do it right, so for that bill to stand, the constitution has
to be amended first,’’ he said. Gbajabiamila said that there was need to check
if Nigeria was ready for diaspora voting because the elections conducted here
come with a lot of issues and many litigations, afterwards. “Our elections here
are not yet perfect, so how do we deal with diaspora voting? here, we
consistently have litigation after elections, so how do we deal with that in
diaspora voting? “There are issues with diaspora voting, for instance, which of
the elections will they participate in and which court will they eventually go
to in case of litigation after elections? “The topic of diaspora voting has,
within a short period of time, become a matter of intense public debate; it
causes us to confront the simple, unavoidable reality that this is a subject
matter for which we must find resolution within the shortest possible time,” he
said. Gbajabiamila said that the workshop provided an opportunity for all
stakeholders to jointly consider the value of the proposals being currently
offered and develop therefrom, a workable plan of action for policy makers and
the general public. Dr Ajibola Bashiru, Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora,
said that the agenda of the 9th assembly was to work for Nigerians but that the
issue of diaspora voting should be a consensus with Nigerians. Bashiru said
that there was need to look at what the constitution said about such bills
before it would be passed, marking out all the intricate parts to be taken into
consideration. Earlier, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), who was represented by Dr Mohammed Lecky, National
Commissioner of INEC, said that the commission was ready for diaspora voting.
Yakubu, however, said that legislative backing remained a challenge. “We cannot
have inclusiveness without carrying every Nigerian, wherever he or she may be,
along in the electoral process; we need to bring our diasporas into the voting
system because they matter. “ This is a subject matter in which the commission
has shown a great deal of interest; we have studied it very carefully and
positioned ourselves to do the needful at the appropriate time. We are ready,’’
the INEC chairman said. Yakubu said that the commission had a wide range of
first-hand knowledge on how other election management bodies handled issues of
diaspora voting, adding that there was no reason why Nigeria should not
practice diaspora voting. He said that the commission was convinced that
diaspora voting was the way to go but hurdles like the election to allow
diasporas participate in, logistics, funding, legislation among others still
needed to be addressed.
Source: NAN
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SON warns electronic dealers over sub-standard products
The Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, has cautioned
electronic dealers on the dangers of importing sub-standard electrical items
into the country. Director-General, SON, Mr Osita Aboloma, gave the warning
while receiving the electronics dealers and members of the Association of
National Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alaba International Market, who paid
a courtesy visit to the agency in Lagos.
Aboloma said that it is imperative for dealers to adhere to
quality standards due to the hazards associated with electronic items which is
life threatening and drain to any economy.
He stated: “Your section is critical to us as one of the
biggest in West Africa. Nigerians and SON in particular, consider the
electrical items that you deal in to be life threatening. It means that it is
hazardous. When we describe a product to be life threatening, it means that the
adherence to quality would be stricter than others and we cannot do it alone
because we know the effect of sub-standard electronics to the health of
Nigerians and drain to our economy. “As part of our mandate, we want to make
sure we have zero tolerance on the influx of sub-standard electronics into
Nigeria. Your place is a strategic entry point of these materials into Nigeria,
so we must work together as Nigerians first, then as regulators and
stakeholders to make sure we reduce the unwholesome practice that most of you
embark on in this sector. “The challenge we have with you is the deliberate
importation of unbranded products and deliberate attempt to mislead
unsuspecting buyers. These are the things we must avoid and we cannot be
bringing in unbranded products waiting to take advantage of successful
products.” Also speaking, Executive Chairman, Alaba Electronics, Mr. Paulinus
Ugochukwu, said that his administration is working hard to eradicate
sub-standard products from the market, pledging to work with the SON to protect
the image of Alaba International Market and Nigeria.
Source: Vanguard
