Tag Archives: Diaspora

INEC: Nigerians in diaspora may vote in 2019.

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Ahead of the 2019 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday disclosed that plans are on to allow Nigerians in diaspora participate in the exercise.

The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this yesterday at a meeting with members of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations who visited the INEC headquarters in Abuja.

Yakubu said Nigerians living abroad “have the right like their compatriots in the country to exercise their franchise in all elections organised in the country.”

However, before this can be actualised, he said relevant sections of the Nigerian constitution would have to be amended. Besides, some challenges that could emerge from allowing diaspora voting, such as funding and the modalities to be adopted would have to be addressed.

The Chairperson of the committee, Senator Rose Okoji Oko stated that the continuous calls by Nigerians in the diaspora to be given the opportunity to exercise their franchise and the favourable disposition of President Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan to the idea, informed the committee’s visit to INEC.

According to her, the former president had endorsed the idea in 2010 during his visit to Gabon, while President Buhari also gave his support during a recent visit to Malabo.

The senator affirmed that 115 countries, 28 of which are on the African continent currently have provisions for diaspora voting. She admitted that some Nigerians were against the idea “because of what they perceived as funding challenges, the current position of the law on the matter and some fears about the electoral system.”

INEC Gives Condition for Diaspora Voting In 2019

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The Independent National Electoral Commission said in Abuja on Tuesday that the possibility of Nigerians living abroad to vote in the 2019 general elections would depend on the amendment to the country’s electoral laws.

The Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, stated this when he played host to the Senate Committee on Diaspora and NGOs.

He said for the nation to allow Nigerians living abroad to vote, several sections of the constitution and the Electoral Act must be amended by the National Assembly.

He said it was after his was done that the hope of voting by Nigerians living outside the country would materialise.

Yakubu said, “Because election is a continuous process, the first thing to do is to provide the enabling environment.

“So, we have to start from the amendment to our constitution and the Electoral Act. I want to assure you that this INEC is determined to providing Nigerians living outside the country the opportunity to have a say in determining who will be our leaders.

“But the first thing in actualising this rests squarely on the National Assembly. They have the power to amend the constitution and our laws.”

For now, he said the commission was only concerned with the registration of Nigerians living abroad who “are 18 years of age and above.”

Earlier, the Chairperson of the committee, Senator Rose Oko, had told the INEC Chairman that there had been calls from various quarters for Nigerians living abroad to be involved in the nation’s electoral process.

Despite Campaigns Against Female Genital Mutilation, Kenyan Parents Fly Their Daughters Home To Have Them Cut

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Just a few days after the international day of action against female genital mutilation (FGM) Kenya’s People Daily newspaper says it is an “open secret” that Kenyan-Somali parents, who have settled in the US and Europe, have been travelling back home with their daughters to have them undergo Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

The paper quotes a nurse in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighbourhood as saying that she undertakes the
procedure in their homes and charges up to $100 (£67) for each operation.

A traditional circumciser also told the newspaper that she has in the past conducted FGM in London “where families invited her secretly” but later decided to insist they travel home to avoid being caught.

CBN Extends BVN Registration For Nigerians In Diaspora To June 30

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Four days after the deadline for Nigerian bank customers abroad to enroll for the Bank Verification Number, BVN, lapsed, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday gave another respite to Nigerians in Diaspora by extending till June 30, the timeline for their compliance with the guideline.

A Notice to the effect sourced by our correspondent from the apex bank’s website signed by the Director of Banking Supervision, Mr. ‘Dipo Fatokun, indicated that the deadline for registration for BVN and linkage of accounts was extended from January 31, 2016 to June 30 2016.
According to the banking sector regulatory financial institution, the decision is necessitated by low percentage of registration of Nigerian banks’ customers in Diaspora which may be attributed to lack of accessibility of registration centres and unavailability of registration centres in some cities where Nigerian population is high.

The CBN listed 30 centres where Nigerians in Diaspora can register for BVN, adding that plans are on to deploy more centers in locations with high Nigerian population. It therefore enjoined Nigerian banks’ customers who are yet to comply to do so before e end of the new deadline.

In the United States of America, the CBN cited in Washington DC, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and San Fransisco while in the United Kingdom, two centres, Leicester and Manchester, were approved for the exercise.
It clarified: “There is a center in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates, as well as Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa. There is another center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and three in China, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. “In Canada, centers have been cited in Toronto and Vancouver.

Centers have also been cited in Paris, France; Rome, Italy; Sau Paulo, Brazil; Kiev, Ukraine and New Delhi, India. “Three centers were set up in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar) and Australia (Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth) each,” it added.

Credit: NationalMirror