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INEC Chair’s Vacancy Should Be Advertised for People to Apply – Falana
A notable rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has insisted that a thorough process for the selection of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will go a long way to make the body free from external control.
Falana said that advertising the vacant positions of members of the electoral commission and resident electoral commissioners, as recommended by the Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais panel in 2008, would guarantee the independence of INEC.
According to him, such a process was already in place in African countries.
“What other countries in Africa have done – Lesotho, Botswana, and the rest of them – is to put in place a mechanism whereby vacant positions in the electoral bodies are advertised.
“And this was the recommendation of the Uwais Panel as far back as 2008, that in choosing members of the electoral commission and resident electoral commissioners, we should advertise the positions,” the lawyer said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
“Right now, such an advert has just been published in Lesotho, an African country, so that those who believe they are credible will conduct good elections, men and women of character and integrity will apply.
“Members of the public will be given the opportunity to object to any of them who are not qualified morally or otherwise. And then the names are shortlisted, and the best three are sent to the National Assembly,” he explained.
“The Uwais Panel had recommended that the National Judicial Council be the body that will scrutinise the candidates and recommend the best three.
“So the President will simply take the names to the National Assembly for the legislators to choose from the list.
“This goes a long way to make the body free from control,” the SAN added.
Falana’s position came amid concerns over the ability of INEC to conduct transparent and fair elections without interference.
Last Thursday, the Senate has confirmed a Law professor, Joash Amupitan, as the new Chairman of the INEC after screening him at the upper chamber.
The 58-year-old academic was nominated by President Bola Tinubu earlier and received formal endorsement from the National Council of State.
When sworn in, Amupitan will become the sixth substantive Chairman of INEC, succeeding Mahmood Yakubu, who has officially concluded his tenure.
The Ayo Ogunsan-led Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) has refurbished an eight-years-long abandoned Armoured Personnel Carrier vehicle belonging to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Nigerian Police Force, Lagos State Command.
Itvwas reported that for eight years, one of the APCs acquired by Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF for the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) had major mechanical challenges, left to rot to the extent that even rodents made it their abode. The report added that the APC experienced structural fatigue, mechanical failure, electrical dysfunction, and everything that could be used to describe a rundown vehicle.
“Its state of decay was so appaling and disgusting that it needed a complete overhaul,” the report said.
Upon his assumption of office as LSSTF Executive Secretary/CEO, Dr. Ayo Ogunsan took an inventory of all LSSTF assets procured for Lagos’ security and identified some that required urgent repairs and maintenance. The APC abandoned for 8 years fell in this category.
For many weeks, engineers with expertise and experience in repairing APCs worked assiduously to get it back to life. It was restored bit by bit, bolt to nut, wire to cable, engine parts, hydraulics, everything with precision engineering. Finally, the LSSTF’s APC is back to life and running.
Today, Dr. Ogunsan was visibly satisfied and impressed with the excellent repairs on the vehicle as he carefully assessed the work done. He also took time with the mechanical engineers to move the armoured vehicle to test run it and ascertain its operational efficiency.
The repairs were facilitated by the corporate donations and retail donations received by LSSTF, in the course of Dr. Ogunsan’s administration which has spanned a little above 100 days.
Speaking after the assessment, the LSSTF boss, Dr. Ogunsan thanked the engineers who worked on the project. He also appreciated the resilient donors who gave resources to the LSSTF which made the overhaul maintenance possible.
He was also stern in his warning that such dilapidation of LSSTF assets would no longer be tolerated. He signalled that security agencies that obtain resources from LSSTF would be required to give an account on a periodic basis.
The APC is now certified to resume work. It will strengthen the operational capacity of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Lagos. It is expected to be put into use during high-risk operations, rapid deployment, and patrol duties across critical areas of Lagos, especially during emergencies and security threats.
The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) is a specialized tactical unit of the Nigeria Police Force fully funded by the Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF). The squad conducts round-the-clock patrols, intelligence-driven operations, and swift interventions to ensure public safety and maintain law and order across the state.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, dismissed a case filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), against suspended DCP Abba Kyari on allegations bordering on non-disclosure of assets.
Justice James Omotosho dismissed the suit, filed against Kyari and his younger brothers, Mohammed Kyari and Ali Kyari, for failure of the anti-narcotic agency to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has vowed to take strict action against any officer found to be involved in extortion, reckless enforcement, or other unethical practices.
The Corps Marshal, Mallam Shehu Mohammed, gave the warning on Tuesday in Ibadan, at a sensitisation programme tagged: “Discipline Reinforcement and Strengthening of Command and Control in Field Commands.”
Represented by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Olusegun Ogungbemide, the FRSC boss said that the corps had, over the past months, observed a disturbing decline in discipline, professionalism, and effective command and control in most field commands.
Mohammed noted that the lapses had manifested as misconduct, unethical practices, abuse of authority, extortion, reckless enforcement behaviours and other actions that contradicted everything the uniform represented.
According to him, the disturbing trend has steadily eroded public trust in the corps.
“Let me state clearly and without ambiguity that such behaviours are unacceptable. They violate our regulations, betray our training, contradict our core values and ultimately endanger the credibility and reputation of the corps.
“Every time a road user loses confidence in us, our mandate becomes harder to achieve.
“Every act of unprofessional conduct damages the image of thousands of disciplined staff, and every abuse of authority weakens the trust built over the decades.
“We must remind ourselves that the corps was not created merely to enforce traffic laws. We were established to save lives and serve the public with integrity.
“Our authority flows directly from public trust, and once that trust is compromised, our effectiveness is compromised.
“This is why the present exercise is a corrective measure, not a witch-hunt, but an opportunity for reorientation, reinforcement and renewal,” he said.
He urged young officers and marshals to remember that their uniforms remain a symbol of honour, which must be worn with pride.
He added that their conduct on the road and in public spaces speaks louder than any public relations effort.
The corps marshal also charged commanding officers and other supervisors to actively supervise, promptly correct, consistently mentor, and never tolerate misconduct in silence, noting that silence in the face of wrongdoing was complicity.
“Going forward, discipline will be strengthened; accountability will be enforced; ethical standards will be upheld, commendable conduct will be rewarded, and violations will be sanctioned with fairness and firmness,” he said.
Earlier in her remarks, the FRSC Oyo Sector Commander, Mrs Rosemary Alo, described the programme as apt and strategic, emphasising that discipline remains the bedrock of any paramilitary organisation.
She noted that the FRSC, being officers entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding lives on highways, must continually realign themselves with the core values of the corps, which are professionalism, integrity, transparency and accountability.
“Command and control are operational necessities. Effective supervision, clear communication channels and adherence to laid-down procedures ensure that we function as a unified and efficient system.
“When discipline is reinforced, and command structures are respected, operational results improve, public confidence increases and the image of the corps is strengthened,” she said.
Alo urged members of the public to take advantage of the FRSC mobile apps on the Play Store to report incidents promptly, give feedback, and actively engage with the corps on its services.
