The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has called a meeting of all political parties and security services in an effort to stem the tide of partisans’ increasing use of fiery remarks.
This was said on Tuesday in Abuja by INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who was also formally opening the “Training of Master Trainers on Election Technology for the 2023 General Election.”
The change occurred when the Federal Government was urged by the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) to draft regulations requiring INEC and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to discontinue doing business with international printing companies.
At the Nigerian International Paper and Pulp Summit in Abuja, the request was made by Mr. Olugbemi Malomo, national president of CIPPON.
The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investments, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, officially opened the event, which was titled “Bridging The Gap In Local Pulp And Paper Production in Nigeria.”
Malomo stated that the local printing businesses were dying as a result of the Federal Government’s big spenders, like INEC and UBEC, heavily relying on foreign printers.
He bemoaned the fact that the nation was importing printed materials worth more than N1 trillion on a yearly basis, noting that this was bad for the economy of the country.
Malomo declared: “In a few months, we will hold general elections.
“The elections will utilize hundreds of thousands of tons of paper, costing the country billions of naira, and I want you to know that all the papers will be imported.
“We need a paradigm shift, where huge government spenders like INEC and UBEC should be spending our money to build local production capability, if we are to make genuine growth and transform from a consumer nation to a producing one.
“The Federal Government should devise a strategic strategy that will encourage its major donors, like the INEC and UBEC, to contribute to the solution to the local paper production problem.
“Over 1. 2 billion books are printed annually in Nigeria, where 60% of the population is enrolled in some sort of educational institution. The nation imports all of the paper used.
“Two decades ago, when the three paper mills were first created in Nigeria, 400 000 people were employed in the paper supply chain. It now numbers fewer than 50,000.
The Minister, on the other hand, informed the attendees that his government was planning an industrial revolution to restructure the industry in Nigeria.
He bemoaned the fact that just one of the three major paper mills in the nation was operating at 30% installed capacity, and the other two were inactive.
Adebayo acknowledged that the nation’s printing companies’ existing reliance on imported and recycled printing supplies was detrimental to the national economy.
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment will continue to implement the necessary fiscal policy measures to protect and promote the existing paper industries in the sector in the overall interest of the economy, the Minister stated. “While we continue to work towards a breakthrough in paper and paper product manufacturing in Nigeria.
Political violence
The INEC Chairman highlighted that the Commission has boosted the deployment of technology in Nigerian elections over the past two years while speaking at a separate event about the 2023 poll.
He claimed that all of its technological advancements, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV), have become established methods for transmitting election results and voter accreditation.
He regretted, however, that reports of fights between parties and their supporters in several States of the nation during the current electioneering campaign are alarming, despite the Commission’s efforts to ensure a credible process in the next elections.
“The alleged refusal of parties and candidates in various States of the Federation access to public venues is also concerning. Let me remind political parties and their supporters to keep their attention on the issues and avoid waging war on one another. These actions not only contravene the Electoral Act of 2022 but also all political parties’ and candidates’ voluntary adherence to the law and spirit of the Peace Accord, which was signed roughly three weeks ago under the auspices of the National Peace Committee (NPC). Parties, candidates, and their followers shouldn’t further exacerbate the nation’s current security crisis through their actions or inaction. For there to be credible elections, there must be a calm electioneering campaign.
The Commission will continue to keep a careful eye on the situation, and it will meet with the leaders of the major political parties next week to go through a number of topics, including the necessity of peaceful campaigning and equal access to public spaces. In the same line, the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) would host a meeting with the security services and the Commission the following week, he said.
