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Flood damages INEC office in Edo
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says its office in Benin City, Edo has been ravaged by flood.
“The flood damaged a section of the building. It destroyed voters registration machines and other items,” Mr Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, said in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
He said that INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo, Dr Anugbum Onuoha, reported that the state was completely flooded following a torrential rainfall on Friday.
According to Olumekun, preliminary assessment shows that the heavy downpour damaged a section of the building, while movable and immovable items were submerged.
“Property submerged included vehicles parked at the premises as well as office furniture and equipment,” he said.
He added that some of the voter enrollment machines already configured for the forthcoming Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in the state were affected.
“The commission is delivering additional machines from the neighbouring states to make up for the shortfall.
“We are determined to ensure that the CVR will commence as scheduled on Monday, May 27, in all the 192 Wards across Edo.
“However, in view of the emergency situation, the state headquarters will not serve as a registration centre as planned.
“Instead, the exercise will now take place in our Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area office located at 16, Customs Road, off Benin/Auchi Road, Benin City,” he said.
Olumekun said the attention of security agencies and emergency services had been drawn to the incident. (NAN)
Another explosion occurred at a pipeline manifold in the Omwawriwa area of Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State on Tuesday.
This incident follows a similar explosion that shook the Trans Niger Pipeline, operated by Shell, in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area just hours earlier.
The latest explosion reportedly took place at a manifold connected to a federal pipeline deep within the forest, which transports crude oil to Brass in Bayelsa State.
While the explosion has not yet been officially confirmed, community sources reported seeing massive flames and thick smoke rising from the oil installation in the forest.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, stated that she would investigate the incident but had not provided a response at the time of this report.
A video obtained by our correspondent displays a large fire burning in a remote location.
In a separate development, Ijaw youths blocked the Ahoada section of the East-West Road leading to Bayelsa State on Tuesday in protest.
The demonstrators, numbering over 100, carried placards in solidarity with Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara amid his political dispute with the state House of Assembly. Some of the placards read: “We demand Wike’s dismissal as FCT Minister” and “Martin Amaewhule and 26 lawmakers have defected and lost their seats.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the four tax reform bills transmitted to the National Assembly in October 2024 by President Bola Tinubu.
Recall that the House had on Thursday last week, considered and approved the report of the House Committee on Finance which made some recommendations, particularly in controversial areas such as the Value Added Tax and inheritance tax.
While awaiting the Senate to similarly pass the bills, the proposed reforms are expected to be transmitted to the President for his assent in the days ahead.
Details shortly…
Two members of the house of representatives have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, announced the defections in a letter read on the floor of the lower legislative chamber on Tuesday.
More to follow…