Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has identified containing fake news as one major area the commission requires assistance.

The INEC boss identified this area of need during an interaction with the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos on Wednesday.

The session themed, “strengthening INEC/Media partnership for the consolidation of free, fair and credible, and inclusive elections” was organized by the commission in collaboration with the Institute for Media and Society (IMS) and International Press Centre (IPC).
According to him, INEC has continued to enjoy a cordial relationship with the media but purveyors of fake news with their sympathizers whose aim is to undermine the country’s electoral system take advantage of the free social media space and sometimes the traditional media to advance their interests and spread falsehood.

He said, “One major area where we need your help is in containing fake news. The emergence of the internet brought with it tremendous opportunities for all sectors, including the media and it has broadened the scope of human abilities to share information and knowledge within seconds.

The dynamism of social media, enabled by the power of the internet, has made it possible for media organizations to upload narratives which in turn are transmitted to digital platforms such as cell phones, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and so on.

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This can take various forms. They can, for instance, cook up wild allegations against the Commission and or its officials to frustrate a good policy which they perceive as inimical to their selfish interest.”

He however urged journalists to thoroughly investigate news items, noting, “When such allegations get to you, please thoroughly investigate. After all, one of the tenets of the journalism profession is “Fairness and objectivity”. I, therefore, implore you to always balance your stories.”

Earlier in his speech as Chairman, Information and Voter Education for the event, INEC National Commissioner, Barr Festus Okoye, stressed the need for free, fair, and credible elections to be viewed as shared responsibilities.

He said, “This interactive session is part of the continuing strategic engagement of the commission with the media aimed at better understanding its processes and procedures, partnering with the media in sensitizing Nigerians on their democratic rights, duties, and responsibilities and generally broadening the base and frontiers of the electoral process.

The commission gives priority to the media as the fourth estate of the realm. It recognizes the constitutional role conferred on the media to educate the citizens and provide them with adequate and relevant information to uphold their citizenship of the Nigerian state.

The commission, however, is of the view that there are some irreducible minimums to a meaningful relationship, partnership, and engagement with the media.

The media must understand clearly the constitutional and legal mission and mandate of the commission both as an umpire and a regulator.

Delivering on free, fair, peaceful, safe, and credible elections must be seen and viewed as a shared responsibility and partnership between agencies, commissions, and branches of government and in this multi-stakeholder venture no one should be left behind.”

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Lagos State, Sam Olumekun urged the citizenry to take advantage of the commission’s continuous voter registration exercise.

According to him, a credible voter register is a bedrock for free, fair, and credible elections.

“It’s a special time to welcome you all to this history-making and strategic interactive session.

Because of your unparallel support over the years in reporting activities of the commission. I must say we have enjoyed tremendous support here in Lagos.

Lagos, by the last exercise of converting to polling units now, has 13, 325 polling units with a register roll of 6, 570, 231, and 245 registration areas.

Therefore the need to register and transfer PVCs to all and sundry closer to them is very important. Kindly help the commission to disseminate this vital information.

May I remind you of our continuous voter registration exercise, also that a credible voter register is the bedrock of free, fair, and credible elections?
I appeal to you to help us sensitise the citizen to register and play their role.”

The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede on Tuesday said the agency has uncovered 706,189 illegal admissions by universities, Colleges of Education, polytechnics and other allies.

Oloyede made the disclosures at the Consultative Sensitization Meeting with Select Stakeholders in Abuja said the illegal admissions have damaged the image of the country.

He said the illegality was perpetrated in all the six geopolitical zones by public and private higher institutions.

While about 114 universities accounted for 67.795 of the illegal admissions, 137 polytechnics were responsible for 489,918, 80 Colleges of Education for 142, 818 and 37 other institutions involved in 5,678 cases.

READ ALSO: We Are Not Surprised FG Is Denying Lekki Tollgate Incident — Amnesty Int’l

The undisclosed admissions were perpetrated from 2017 to 2020 by the affected institutions.

He said such admissions were unknown to JAMB as prescribed by law.

But the Minister of Education has assented to JAMB’s plea for a last chance for the violators.

He said the institutions disregarded JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS which allows institutions to “only admit candidates that met the requirements.”

He said the affected institutions’ Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts have admitted their mistakes by “sending a formal letter of confession and disclosure to the JAMB Registrar.”

In the list of the 114 universities given to stakeholders, some of  top  indicted for illegal admissions include University of Jos(7,600); Benue State University(6,171);  Olabisi Onabanjo University(5,669); Kwara State University(4, 281);  Novena University(3,432); University of Nigeria, Nsukka(2,732); and Imo State University(2,330).

Others listed were University of Nigeria, Nsukka(2,732); Imo State University(2,330); University of Calabar(2,074); NTA Television College(1,934); Baze University(1,717); Oduduwa University(1,450); Kaduna State College of Education(1,417); Tai Solarin University of Education(1,101); Al-qalam University(1,062); Gombe State University(1,017).

Oloyede said: “As a measure of mopping up the backlog of improperly admitted candidates, the Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, assented to the Board’s plea for a last chance for the violators.

“He also approved the caveat that the culprits should, first and foremost, declare the number of candidates admitted outside CAPS between 2017 and 2020 by sending a formal letter of confession and disclosure to the JAMB Registrar.

“Those minimally qualified would then be condoned to put an end to the period and finally put the matter to rest.

“The Board was then directed to launch massive campaigns to educate the public against accepting such illegal admissions henceforth.

“It is astonishing that so far, 706,189 candidates have been disclosed as illegally admitted between 2017 and 2020.”

Oloyede said there will no longer be opportunity for illegal admissions by universities and other higher institutions.

He said the illegality had hindered the future of many graduates and it was time to stop it.

He added: “Meanwhile, the graduates of the illegitimate process need admission letters to pursue post-graduation endeavours like horsemanship, scholarship, enrolment into the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among others, they are out of sync.

Some candidates had been forced in the past to seek Direct Entry into other universities after graduation just because their degrees were not recognized as a result of lack of admission letters at critical stages.  The physical, psychological and mental strain of such candidates is better imagined than experienced. This could have been avoided if everyone played the game according to the rules.

“The Board is then constrained to condone these illegitimate admissions through a process known as ‘condolement’ which was previously known as ‘Regularization’. This was done out of sympathy for the candidates and consideration of the enormous resources expended on the training of such candidates.

“Thus, the Board was condoning all these infractions in admissions conducted prior till 2017. It is note-worthy that the lawlessness is perpetrated in institutions across the six geopolitical zones of the country.”

Oloyede also claimed that some university lecturers were recently arrested for engaging in massive fraud associated with ‘A Level’ examinations by Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) and Interim Joint Matriculation Board.

He added: “As a moderator of the two ‘A Level entrance examinations in Nigeria, Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board(JUPEB) and Interim Joint Matriculation Board Examination(IJMBE), the attention of the board was drawn to the massive fraud associated with the conduct of these examinations.

“It is quite disappointing that some of our colleagues were arrested while conniving with various examination syndicates to compromise the noble objectives of these two examinations. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Education conducted a sting operation the result of which is monumentally embarrassing.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, you must have been disturbed by the recent indicting release of the ICPC on the scandal in its campaign to put an end to such illegal, destructive and disruptive activities.

“The board has painstakingly taken some measures to forestall future recurrence. It has, for instance, initiated action to seek approval from the Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, to establish what it refers to as the “A Level Task Team/ A Level Qualification and Verification Databank” (ALQVD) as a repository for verified A/L qualifications in Nigeria.

“I am privileged to know that the Federal Ministry of Education is considering further necessary action on the matter. As soon as the appropriate approvals are secured, we would reach out to you for assistance.”

He said JAMB was already addressing some unethical and unacceptable practices by Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Centres.

He said:  “Fourthly, the review of our registration process has shown some unethical and unacceptable practices by Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Centres. These centres are allowed to collect only Seven Hundred Naira (#700.00) as registration charges but they use the opportunity to engage in conduct unbecoming, including extortion, during the exercise.

“In order to put a stop to such extortion, we propose to make UTME registration henceforth cashless. In other words, JAMB will now be collecting the approved N700.00 registration fee on behalf of the CBT Centres along with its UTME registration fees and then remit what is due to each registration centre to its bank account on a weekly basis or any timeframe acceptable to the centre owners.

“This intervention will block all loopholes through which hapless candidates are extorted by unscrupulous service providers.”

The Country Director, Amnesty International, Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, has expressed misgivings over the Federal Government’s reaction to the Lagos EndSARS probe panel report, saying they were not surprised by government’s denial of ‘Lekki Tollgate incident’.

The body urged the Federal Government to verify the evidence provided by the report, faulting the manner government was dismissing it.

Amnesty International also called for investigation into the entire #EndSARS protests across the country, and not the Lekki Tollgate incident alone.

Ojigho spoke in an interview on Politics Today, a Channels TV programme on Tuesday.

Recall that the Federal Government had said the report presented by Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution to Investigate Cases Of Police Brutality and the Incident of October 20, 2020 at Lekki Tollgate was incorrect.

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In fact, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has insisted that there was no massacre at Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020.

According to Ojigho, “I think the first thing is for us to establish the fact that there are different layers of government.

“So what has been presented to the Lagos State Government, as we all know, is easy for the governments to communicate with themselves across board.

 “I think the minister, with his position in government, should liaise with the state authorities to clarify or check information with regards to the panel’s work.

“That would have been an ideal step; and to allow the state government to carry out its task in this regard.

“It is not surprising for us at Amnesty International that the minister, Lai Mohammed, continues to deny that unfortunate incident that happened on October 20, 2020, at the Lekki Tollgate.

“We have seen in the last one year the constant attacks, the constant narrative that is geared toward gas-lighting the victims, survivors and witnesses, and create an impression that people are just up to no good.”