Good road infrastructure will always be a major indicator of any developed society.
This means that where there are no good roads, businesses are hampered, transportation costs are hiked and general cost of living takes a leap.
In this report, Inspirations FMs correspondent UHUOTU OMILABU details the plight of two communities in Ibesikpo Asutan Local government where the lack of good road infrastructure is a major bane to it’s sustainability.
It is days to the Presidential and National assembly elections in the country and one electoral tool that raises questions and doubts amongst Nigerians is the effectiveness of the Bimodal Voter Registration System, BVAS.
These questions have become pertinent following the recent Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal judgment which nullified the election of Governor ADEMOLA ADELEKE on the grounds of over-voting, especially as BVAS was deployed in the July 16, 2022 poll.
The technology, which is backed up by the 2022 Electoral Act, is expected to eliminate vote manipulation by politicians; however, some Nigerians are skeptical of its efficiency.
Speaking to this, INEC Head of Publicity and Voter Education in Akwa Ibom state, ODARO AISIEN clarified that the new technology cannot be manipulated.
Our correspondent UHUOTU OMILABU spoke exclusively to ODARO AISIEN who stressed that plans by politicians to hijack the BVAS to other locations away from the polling units in order to influence election results, will only end in futility.
The Presidential and National assembly elections in the country is slated for February 25.
A State High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has sanctioned Hon. Uduak Odudoh, who represents Ikot Abasi and Eastern Obolo State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly asking him to pay N1.5 million in damages over illegal arrest and detention of one Promise Etete.
The judge, Edem Akpan, also directed the lawmaker, Hon. Uduak Odudoh, to publish a public apology to Promise Etete in a national and a local newspaper over his rights violation.
The man, Promise Etete, in 2021, filed a case against Mr Odudoh, asking the court to compel the lawmaker to apologise to him publicly, as well as pay him N100 million as compensation for ordering the police to arrest and detain him illegally.
The police arrested Mr Etete in 2020, detained and later charged with threat to life and defamation of character after he posted an article on Facebook against the lawmaker.
Mr Etete said in the Facebook article the lawmaker was acting as though he was representing a faction, and not the whole of his constituency.
Justice Akpan, in his judgment, described as “ill-motivated” the petition written to the police by Mr Ududoh.
The judge said the allegations of threat to life and cultism in as mentioned in the petition submitted to the Police were baseless.
The court held that the posts made by Mr Etete were fair comments and that as a citizen he has the right to complain about issues in his constituency that he is aggrieved about, and that the lawmaker has a duty to respect such criticisms.
The court further held that Mr Ududoh violated Mr Etete’s right to freedom of expression, dignity, and personal liberty.
A High Court in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced two members of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad; SARS to death by hanging.
Shedrack Ibibo and Magus Awuri were members of a SARS team that were standing trial for killing Michael Akor and Michael Igwe, while in their custody for allegedly stealing recharge cards in Oyigbo, Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State in 2015.
The other officers include Samuel Chigbu, Ogoligo, and Olisa Emeka. While Chigbu and Ogoligo died in custody at the correctional centre in Port Harcourt, Ibibo, Awuri, and Emeka continued with the trial.
In her judgement, the trial judge, Justice Margaret Opara, found Shedrack Ibibo and Magus Awuri guilty of conspiracy to murder, while Emeka was acquitted.
