Public Affairs Analyst

“Migrants are being sold in the market as a commodity. Selling human beings is becoming a trend among smugglers as the smuggling networks in Libya are becoming stronger and stronger. The migrants – many from Nigeria, Senegal and Gambia – are captured as they head north towards Libya’s Mediterranean coast, where some try to catch boats for Italy.” -            Othman Belbeisi, Head of the IOM’s Libya mission, addressing journalists in Geneva in April 2017. There you have it. Modern day slavery thrives in Libya after the abolition of slave trade over a century ago. Story has it that West African migrants interviewed by the International Organisation for Migration have recounted being bought and sold in garages and car parks in the southern city of Sabha, one of Libya’s main migrant smuggling hubs. Migrants are reportedly traded for between $200 and $500 and are held on average for two or three months.  There is a prayer we say ...

Seven months after its inauguration, the 24 member Senator Ken Nnamani led Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee has submitted its report. On  May 2, 2017 the Committee presented its report to the Attorney General and Minster of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN. It would be recalled that President Muhamadu Buhari had directed the AGF to inaugurate the Committee last year. Precisely, on October 4, 2016, the Minister of Justice set up the Committee to among other things look into possible amendments to the Constitution and Electoral Act and come out with a more robust and generally acceptable electoral system and review recent judicial decisions on election petitions as they relate to conflicting judgments and absence of consequential orders. The Committee was urged to take a holistic look at the recommendation of Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Committee report of 2008. Members of the Committee are: Ex-Senate President, Ken Nnamani, Oluwole Uzzi, O. O. Babalola, Duruaku Chima, ...

Last Thursday, April 27, 2017, the Independent National Electoral Commission moved to a critical phase in its ongoing preparations for 2019 General Elections. The Commission began a three-in-one exercise named Continuous Voters Registration Exercise. CVR is an exercise meant for the registration of citizens who turned 18 years of age after the last registration exercise; or those who for one reason or another could not register in the previous exercises. Section 10 of the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended) mandates the Commission to carry out CVR nationwide and to make available to every political party within 60 days after each year, the names of the addresses of each person registered during that year. According to information gleaned from INEC website page, the main activities during the ongoing nationwide CVR are: Fresh Registration, Transfer of Voters, and Distribution of Permanent Voters Card. The Continuous Voter Registration exercise is taking place at the INEC Local Government...