Newscast - Africa

The Independent National Electoral Commission has asked the National Assembly to revisit the Electoral Act amendment bill, assuring that it has the capacity and technical know-how to undertake electronic transmission of election results throughout the country.
INEC called on the Senate and House of Representatives to quickly amend Sections 63, 65 and other relevant sections of the Electoral Act, which bar the commission from a collation of election results electronically.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, insisted that the electronic transmission of results in real-time was the best guarantee of transparency.
Okoye says for such to become a reality, the National Assembly must show courage by amending the relevant sections of the Electoral Act.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, says in pursuit of a more united and peaceful society, Christian groups and leaders of faith in Nigeria must preach fairness and equity at all times and be relentless advocates of freedom of worship, justice, and the rule of law,
The VP says that fairness, equity and respect for the rights of others are fundamental to peace and security hence Christian leaders at all levels must strive to promote those virtues despite the challenges.
He says that Christ did not come to establish a religion or to condemn men, but to show all men that his own righteousness is the qualification for eternal life.

The Federal Government says over 3.5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine are expected from the United States, as part of measures to ensure all Nigerians get vaccinated against the virus.
Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, says notable progress is being made in the area of vaccines.
Mustapha says the PSC has taken note of the challenges raised by travellers who visit the National International Travel Portal in compliance with travel protocols.
He lamented that some airport staff were not diligent in the discharge of their duties with respect to the quarantine procedure.

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, called on journalists to remain steadfast in the rule of law and press freedom in the country.
He says it is the duty of the press, as well as politicians and others, to ensure Nigeria remains safe, secure, and united.
He thanked journalists for their civic vigilance and appealed for more collaboration with the government to protect the information space.
The vice president equally called on stakeholders in Nigeria to replicate such efforts in the interest of security and unity.

Governors of the 19 states in the North have opposed the call by their southern counterparts that the Presidency should be zoned to the South in 2023.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, says zoning the office of the President as being agitated by southern governors is against the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
They stated that any president elected must meet the constitutional requirements which include scoring the majority votes, and polling at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in two-thirds of the 36 states of the Federation.
Governor Lalong noted that although some northern governors had endorsed power shift to the South, the regional governors collectively condemned such calls.

Russia’s foreign minister says Russia, China, Pakistan, and the United States are working together to ensure Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers keep their promises, especially to form a genuinely representative government and prevent violence from spreading.
Sergey Lavrov says representatives from Russia, China, and Pakistan recently travelled to Qatar and then to Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, to engage with the Taliban and representatives of secular authorities.
Lavrov says the interim government announced by the Taliban does not reflect the whole gamut of Afghan society ethnoreligious and political forces so they are engaging in contacts.

Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Luigi Di Maio says the Taliban government in Afghanistan could not be recognised but said Afghans should start receiving the financial support that was frozen after the armed group took power last month.
He urged foreign governments to prevent a financial collapse there that would result in a massive flow of migrants.
He says the recognition of the Taliban government is impossible since there are 17 terrorists among the ministers, and the human rights of women and girls are continuously violated.
He says they must prevent Afghanistan from implosion and from an uncontrolled flow of migration that could destabilise neighbouring countries.

A top foreign ministry official says India will export eight million coronavirus vaccine jabs by the end of October after ending its ban on sending doses abroad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to resume exports at a meeting of leaders from the so-called Quad in Washington as India, Japan, Australia, and the US try to counter growing Chinese influence across the Asia-Pacific region.
Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla says that most of the eight million doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine will be sent to Asia-Pacific countries.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has expressed confidence that an infrastructure bill will pass this week but acknowledged it might not get a Monday vote as planned, with fellow Democrats warning critical work remains to meet the party’s deadlines.
Democrats have been planning to upgrade the nation’s roads and bridges, but are also under immense pressure to finalize a $3.5 trillion public investment package.
Pelosi hinted at potential delay ahead despite her confidence that the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that has already cleared the Senate with support to pass the House of Representatives this week.

The Egyptian education ministry has barred teachers and other staff from entering schools and universities unless they have been either vaccinated or fully tested for Covid.
Education Minister Tariq Shawqi says unvaccinated staff must pay for two PCR tests a week - at the prohibitive rate of almost $100 each.
Official figures show that 40% of Egyptian teachers have yet to be vaccinated against coronavirus.