Ogun Nets N21bn IGR in Q1, Targets N100bn in 2021 Eyes N30 billion in second quarter Obinna Chima N21 billion in the first quarter Abiodun spoke at a special stressed that his administration was due to drop in earnings second quarter of 2021 was of this year. Governor Dapo Iftar (breaking of fast) with was committed to putting the from the Pay As You Earn N30 billion. Despite the decline in its Abiodun disclosed this in a members of the House of state on a strong financial and (PAYE), tax incentives given to Abiodun stated, "Our IGR Internally Generated Revenue statement on Friday, saying Representatives, House of economic footing through industries in the state, and lack dipped in 2020 and there are (IGR) last year due mainly to the state has perfected plans Assembly, State Executive creative governance. of revenue from the education some reasons for that – there the effects of COVID-19, Ogun to generate over N100 billion Council, and the Body of The governor said the dip sector. State Government raked in in 2021. Permanent Secretaries. He in the state’s IGR in 2020 He said the target for the Continued on page 10 INEC May Approve 176,996 Centres for 2023 Elections… Page 8 Sunday 9 May, 2021 Vol 26. No 9526 www.thisdaylive.com T N400 RU N TH & REASO UK Parliament Worried about Nigeria’s Growing Insecurity Debates frequent students’ abductions, boko haram attacks Bayo Akinloye the House of Commons, attacks by Boko Haream’s the situation in Nigeriaand Democratic Unionist Party Buhari's administration on has held consistent debates insurgents. subsequently providing MP for Strangford, sought helping to prevent the kidnap Worried about the nation’s between April 12 and 22 over The lawmakers debate, assistance to her government. to find out what discussions of children from schools. unceasing insecurity, the the continued abductions of THISDAY understood, For example, on April 12, the UK government had had United Kingdom’s parliament, students and the sustained centred around understanding lawmaker Jim Shannon, the with President Muhammadu Continued on page 8 El-Rufai, Ortom Trade Blame over Insecurity in Nigeria Kaduna Gov: Ortom attacks the president to hide his failure Benue Gov: El-Rufai is misleading Buhari and has divided Kaduna George Okoh in Makurdi The disturbing security situation in the country appears to have turned two governors against each other as the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom have thrown caution to the wind, attacking each other over the security situation in the country. Nasir el-Rufai fired the first salvo, ostensibly in support of President Muhammadu Buhari, when he claimed Governor Ortom only uses the insecurity in his state to attack the Buhari-led administration as a way to cover up for his own failure. But an obviously agitated Ortom immediately fired back and came down heavily on RECEPTION IN HONOUR OF LATE FADAYOMI... his Kaduna State counterpart, accusing him of not only L-R: Mrs Lande Akinluyi, Dr Alexander Thomopulos; wife of the deceased, Mrs Eniola Fadayomi; Publisher, misleading President Buhari The Guardian Newspapers, Maiden Alex Ibru; Mrs Judith Alakija and in law to the deceased, Eric Idiahi, at Continued on page 10 the funeral reception for Late Kehinde Fadayomi held at the wings Complex, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday 2 SUNDAY MAY 9, 2021 • THISDAY SUNDAY MAY 9, 2021 • THISDAY 3 4 SUNDAY MAY 9, 2021 • THISDAY SUNDAY MAY 9, 2021 • THISDAY 5 6 SUNDAY MAY 9, 2021 • THISDAY SUNDAY MAY 9, 2021 • THISDAY 7 8 ΁˜ͺ͸ͺ͹˾THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER PAGE EIGHT INEC May Approve 176,996 Centres for 2023 Elections Centres to have between 750 and 1000 voters Chuks Okocha in Abuja There are indications that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may approve up to 176,996 polling centres across the 36 states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of the ongoing expansion and verification of polling centres ahead of the 2023 general election. But the adjustments of the lower and upper thresholds for voting points, according to INEC, would be from 750 and 1000, to 500 and 750. The implication is that INEC would be creating additional 57,023 polling units nationwide, although the breakdown is not known yet. A memo dated April 20, 2021 was said to have backed the development. The document with reference number INEC/ DE/No:72/2021 and titled: “Decision Extraction on the Amendment of the Threshold for the Conversion of Voting Points to Polling Units,” reads in part: “The Commission at its meeting held on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, deliberated on the above subject and approved as follows: The adjustment of the lower and upper thresholds for Voting TYING THE KNOT... Points from 750 and 1000 R-L: Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Callistus Onaga; his Awgu Diocese counterpart, bridegroom to 500 and 750, respectively and son of Prof. Frank Ezeugwu, Provost, ESUT College of Medicine, Enugu, Ifeanyi; his bride, Mmesoma; and Most Rev. Ifeanyichukwu John Okoye, during “That the ICT and Electoral the couple's wedding, at Holy Trinity Parish, Independence Layout, Enugu... yesterday Operations Departments and the state and local information and necessary create new polling units from the existing polling units, Under the former INEC as widely known and government area offices action, please.” the existing 119,973 polling which INEC has been using. leadership, headed by accepted by stakeholders, of the Commission should Maryam Iya Musa, a centres. Okoye said INEC Under the new polling Professor Attahiru Jega, was based on lower and adopt these new thresholds director at the Commission, would create additional centres, units would have the commission planned upper thresholds of 750 in implementing the ongoing signed the memo. 57,023 polling units, to make between 500 and 750 voters. the creation of 30,000 and 1,000 registered voters, programme of expanding INEC’s National the proposed 176,996 polling Putting all elements polling units. In the new respectively. voting access to Polling Units. Commissioner in charge centres into consideration, INEC, polling centres before it was But, as at press time, the “You may wish to refer of Voter Education and This is coming 25 years THISDAY gathered, had rejected, northern states had commission was yet to give the extract to all Resident Publicity, Festus Okoye, had after the defunct National settled for the application over 21,000 while the entire a breakdown of state-by-state Electoral Commissioners earlier told THISDAY that Electoral Commission of of 500 lower limit and 750 South got a little above 8,000. or zone-by-zone of the (RECs) and Directors for the commission planned to Nigeria (NECON) created upper limit. Voting point platform, polling centres. UK PARLIAMENT WORRIED ABOUT NIGERIA’S GROWING INSECURITY In response, James Ibrahim Gambari, on terrorist groups, including also showed that 60 to 69 views," he said. The UK envoy also told Duddridge, the Secretary December 15, 2020. Boko Haram and Islamic UK-based staff were posted He further told the the House of Commons of State for Foreign, "Our High Commissioner State West Africa, continue by the then Foreign and House of Commons that about the issues of LGBT Commonwealth and in Abuja spoke to the to attack local communities. Commonwealth Office and intercommunal violence in Nigeria, noting that the Development Affairs, said, Inspector General of the Shedding more light on his Department for International across multiple states also UK government is worried "We are deeply concerned Nigerian Police on improving assessment, he noted, "Recent Development and currently "has a devastating impact" about the criminalisation of by the kidnapping and school safety and addressing attacks on Damasak in Borno Foreign, Commonwealth, and on Christian and Muslim homosexuality, recognising continued captivity of kidnapping in March 2021." State, in which civilians, Development Office to all communities and disclosed that there is a long way to schoolchildren by Boko Duddridge explained that humanitarian workers, posts in Nigeria as of March that the "underlying drivers go before all LGBT people Haram (BH) and Islamic the UK provided mentoring and facilities were targeted, 31, 2021. of violence are complex, can live free and equal lives State West Africa (ISWA) and capacity building for have led to a worsening On April 20, another and frequently relate to in Nigeria. in North-East Nigeria. units of the Nigerian Police humanitarian situation, and legislator Hilary Benn, the competition over resources Speaking of the country “The British High Force to improve their anti- the displacement of local Labour MP for Leeds Central, and increasing criminality." and others in Africa, Commission continues to kidnap capacity and response residents and internally asked specifically about the On April 26 and 27 April, Duddridge explained, "We raise these cases with the to organised crime groups displaced people to Niger threat to Christians amid the UK minister disclosed make regular representations Nigerian government, most in Nigeria. or other areas of north- killings in Nigeria. that he met with "a range to governments around the recently in March 2021. We The following week, east Nigeria. As the UK In response, Duddridge of Nigerian interlocutors, world on this issue, including are also concerned by the on April 19, another UK government has repeatedly stated that the UK including governors" from in Uganda, Ghana, Namibia recent attacks on schools in lawmaker, Stephen Doughty, made clear, humanitarian condemned all violence some northern states and and Nigeria. We work Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna, and the Labour (Co-op) MP workers should never be against civilians in Nigeria, Nigerian government through our Embassies and Katsina states, conducted by for Cardiff South and a target." irrespective of religion.