Lawmaker blames opposition crisis for defections

Published

7 days ago

March 6, 2025

A member of the House of Representatives, Cyriacus Umeha, has blamed the wave of defections from opposition parties to the ruling party on a lack of leadership.

Umeha, representing Ezeagu/Udi Federal Constituency, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that opposition parties were experiencing a leadership crisis.

“Labour Party, which I belong to, is in crisis at both ward and national levels. The PDP and even NNPP are also facing leadership crises,” he said.

The lawmaker stressed the need for opposition parties to unite and speak with one voice, saying that only then would defections stop.

He emphasised that every politician was committed to working under a harmonised and united political party leadership.

According to him, the opposition lacks credible and united leadership, forcing members to seek stability in the ruling party.

Umeha regretted the leadership tussle within the Labour Party, saying it had caused divisions and weakened the party.

“The Labour Party was seen as a third force with great expectations from Nigerians. Unfortunately, it is now in crisis,” he said.

However, he reaffirmed his dedication to delivering the dividends of democracy to his constituents through developmental projects.

He stated that he had provided water to rural communities and constructed rural roads to improve livelihoods.

Umeha also urged INEC to fulfil its duty of replacing vacant seats in the National Assembly without delay.

He criticised INEC’s failure to conduct elections within 90 days as required by the constitution, calling it unhealthy for Nigeria’s democracy.

NAN reports that there has been a wave of defections in the National Assembly, particularly from opposition parties to the ruling party.

NAN

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NECO acquires high performance OMR scanner to enhance examination efficiency

Published

6 days ago

March 6, 2025

The Gleamer

Mariam Sanni

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has acquired a high performance Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) Scanner to enhance the efficiency, Credibility and Security of its examinations.

In a statement by the Ag. Director of information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani , the Registrar/Chief Executive, prof. Dantani Ibrahim wushishi at the inauguration of the newly Installed Scanning machine at the ICT Department in Minna , said it was part of the Council’s efforts to improve accuracy, speed and reliability in its examination process.

Prof. Wushishi disclosed that the scantron Insight 1500c is a high performance OMR Scanner known for its precision, speed and ability to handle large volume of scripts efficiently.

He explained that “with this new addition, we will significantly enhance our data processing capabilities, ensuring faster and more accurate results processing for millions of candidates across the world”.

According to him, the newly acquired scanner has the capability to scan over 15,000 OMR sheets per hour and 250 per minute.

The Registrar stated that the scanning machine which cost about N500 million, has the capacity to simultaneously scan and score OMR sheets.

Prof. Wushishi explained that the acquisition of the high-speed scanner is a testament to NECO’s commitment to leveraging technology in all its examination processes.

The Director ICT Department, Mr. Goddy Usioboh, in has address, said the acquisition of the new scanner aligns with NECO’s Vision of delivering World-class examination services while maintaining the integrity of its assessment.

The Technical Adviser from Scantron Company, Minessota, USA, Mr. Tom Harry who trained the staff of the ICT Department on the Operations of the new scanning machine, expressed satisfaction with the staff high level of dedication and diligence during the training.

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