Day: June 5, 2023

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International Human Rights Commission lauds Nigeria’s peaceful transition

Dr Malami Ma’aji, Ambassador At Large of African Region, International Human Rights Commission, has commended the peaceful democratic transition of power to the newly elected governments in Nigeria.

Ma’aji, while congratulating President Bola Tinubu and the newly sworn in governors in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, applauded Nigerians, security institutions and all stakeholders, particularly former President Muhammadu Buhari, for ensuring the peaceful transition.

According to him, the process significantly elevated Nigeria’s status in the community of nations.

He, therefore, urged Tinubu to continue to respect the rules of law and human rights and assured him of the IHRC support for the development of the country.

He assured that the commission would continue to stand for the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people, particularly women, children and less privileged in the society.

“The main objectives of International Human Rights Commission are to serve humanity irrespective of their differences in religion, region and tribe, as well as struggle against violation of human rights, bloodshed and terrorism in Africa and the world.

“We provide awareness and educate the governments, legislatures and diplomats, among others, to ensure people’s rights are been respected and also protected,” said the envoy.

He therefore urged Nigerians to embrace peace, unity and love as no nation developed without peaceful coexistence.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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NASS leadership: Senator-elect advocates constitutional provisions for principal officers’ elections

Senator-elect, Suleiman Kawu (NNPP-Kano), has urged politicians not to undermine 1999 Constitution in the elections of principal officers of the 10th National Assembly.

Kawu said at a news conference in Abuja on Monday, that it was important for modern democracies to recognise the roles and responsibilities of the three arms of government in achieving the overall national interest.

He said the constitution was explicit about how the President and Deputy President of the Senate should be elected.

“For instance, Chapter two of the ninth standing orders of the Senate 2022 as amended, stipulates procedures for selection of presiding officers of the Senate.”

He said Section 50 sub- section one “A” of 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended, stipulated election provisions of President and Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected from among members themselves.

“Section 50 sub- section one “B” stipulates that a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.”

He said it was clear that the election of the presiding officers was purely an internal affair that concerned only members of the National Assembly and should be allowed to decide who among them should occupy the positions.

This, he noted, was to avoid repetition of the past mistakes on elections of principal officers of NASS.

“We may all recall the incidences of the 7th and 8th National Assembly.

“In my view, external interference in the election of the next Presiding Officers of the National Assembly would violate the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and Standing Orders of both the Senate and House of Representatives.

“It will also cause serious misunderstandings between the legislative and executive arms of government.”

He alleged that available information revealed that some desperate politicians were planning to use undemocratic means to impose lawmakers-elect of their choice to become presiding officers against the wishes of the majority.

Kawu described the alleged move as undemocratic, unacceptable and dangerous to democracy and the nation at large.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing Sen. George Akume as Secretary to Government of the Federation, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff and Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia as the Deputy Chief of Staff.

He said the appointees were very conversant with the processes of the National Assembly, adding that their appointments would strengthen the working relationships of arms of government.

“This is the first time in the history of our democracy when we have a President, Vice president, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff all with parliamentary experiences.

“Thus, it is highly expected of them by Nigerians to respect both the constitutional and standing orders provisions.

“Consequently, I want use this opportunity to draw the attention of Mr. President to this unfortunate and undemocratic move by some elements to tamper with the laid down procedures.

“Similarly, I want to also call on other Stakeholders, Civil Society Organisations and international communities to stand firm in ensuring democratic consolidation in Nigeria.

He said he was confident that President Tinubu as a true democrat who believed in the rule of law, would do everything possible to safeguard the sanctity of the National Assembly.”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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EU reiterates commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy

The European Union (EU) has reiterated its commitment to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy as well as to promote inclusiveness in governance.

Ms Olawumi Laolu, the EU’s Programme Manager for Democracy and Rule of Law, said this in a statement at the end of a two-day retreat for the EU-SDGN cohort in Lagos.

Laolu said that the EU through its Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) funded programme, also work to deepen its engagement with young people, women, and persons with disabilities, through its cohort.

“The EU-SDGN programme provides support to institutions of government and supports, in particular, the Nigerian electoral process.

“It provides funding and technical support to targeted beneficiaries.

“The six EU-SDGN component areas include: Support to INEC; Support to the National Assembly and the Judiciary; Support to Political Parties; Support to Media; Support to Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and Support to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).”

Laolu said that the retreat assessed the interventions of the cohort in the last 12 months, with a view to understand what worked and what didn’t work, identify the challenges encountered, and chart better ways to address them.

She stated that it was important to introspect on the just concluded elections, and urged the EU-SDGN cohort not to lose sight of states like Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo who would be having election in just over 100 days.

“Over the last 12 months, we have had an intense work plan where different members of the EU-SDGN cohort have been delivering several activities and technical support to critical stakeholders that we have jointly identified.

“The retreat, therefore, sought to see whether the interventions that we have planned for the next couple of months would help us address the challenges that we have seen in the period leading to the elections, and the immediate aftermath of the election,” she said.

Laolu said that the retreat created an opportunity for all the partners to discuss their intervention areas, the precise actions they undertook during the elections and what the cohort considered the critical issues that needed to be addressed moving forward.

“In terms of what we are doing around capacity building, one thing to really highlight is the fact that the EU-SDGN programme is Nigerian-led and is mainly implemented by civil society organizations. And that in itself, is our way of contributing and building the civil society space in Nigeria.

“How do we provide a platform with which civil society can better engage with the government and build capacity to ensure that they are focusing on the issues, and they are operating within an environment that helps them properly harness the voices of ordinary Nigerians, and better serve the needs and the will of Nigerian people?

“So, that in itself for me, I think is a huge positive. But in doing this, we are engaging with all identified critical stakeholders as well. And when I say this, I mean, the government, civil society, and the public.”

Laolu said that the EU was working with the government within the electoral management body, to provide technical assistance.

She said that EU was also working with the judiciary through its trainings and engagement with Judges, as well as other officers of the court.

She added that the Union was also working with the media to promote a conducive legal environment for media to operate and for the Broadcasting Commission to also efficiently promote pluralism in the media and civic space.

“Of course, I think it’s very important to stress here that we have Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo state elections in just over 100 days from now.

“So, the priority is to build trust with the Nigerian public by ensuring that those elections are conducted in a way and manner that further instills confidence in the electoral process in Nigeria,” she added.

She said that the members of the EU-SDGN cohort included: DAI Global, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Yiaga Africa, Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), ElectHER, and TAF Africa.

Other included :, National Peace Committee, SOS Children, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Justice Development and Peace Initiative, and Justice, Development and Peace Movement.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Centre urges mining companies to respect agreements signed with host communities

Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), a civil society group has called on mining companies and operators to keep to agreements signed with host communities.

The group’s Programme Manager, Mr McDonald Ekemezie made the call at a town hall meeting held at Mpape, Bwari Area Council of the FCT.

The town hall meeting had “Community step-down training on negotiation and understanding of Community Development Agreements (CDAs)’’ as its theme.

According to Ekemezie, CDA is a major element in natural resource governance, especially when it involves communities.

He said the meeting aimed to step down what CDAs meant to mining host communities.

“It is stepping down of knowledge of CTAs to communities for them to build their capacities to be able to negotiate beneficial community agreements.

“This is the second year of the implementation of the project.

“ Funded by McArthur Foundation an international NGO through Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, it promotes the rights of original inhabitants of the FCT,’’ he added.

Ekemezie noted that agreements were often signed by a few people in host communities, whereas a larger majority of such communities had no knowledge of the signatories and did not even have access to the agreements.

“When agreements are signed, the mining companies, often times do not actually implement what is agreed upon,’’ he said.

Ekemezie added that most mining companies signed agreements and carried out operations that were not understood by host community members, leaving the communities devastated.

“The essence now is to get communities involved in signing CDAs that are beneficial to them.

“For instance, they need to know the process; they need to own the process; they need to be part of it; they need to be represented enough.

“The needs of the community need to be accommodated in whatever agreement is being signed and there has to be timeframe and they have to monitor implementation,’’ he stressed.

Ekemezie explained that the project was being implemented at Mpape and Kubwa (Bwari Area Council) and at Karshi and parts of Garki (Abuja Municipal Area Council).

He said the communities were selected through a baseline study which showed that a lot of mining activities were carried out in those areas.

A Youth Leader in Mpape, Mr Joshua Kato appreciated CTA for the training and promised to step down knowledge gained to members of his community.

Kato decried challenges faced by his community which included lack of potable water and absence of standard schools.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Group, Mission partner to boost economic growth in Africa

The Africa Business ventures and Investment group (ABVIG) in partnership with the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC, USA has underscored the need for partnership among African countries to boost economic growth in the continent.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Moses Owharo, Executive-Director of ABVIG, against backdrop of the forthcoming Africa Infrastructure, Climate Change and Investment Summit (AICIS) , scheduled to hold between Sept. 5 and Sept 8, in the U.S.

Owharo, also Chairman, Planning and Organising Committee of AICIS, said the group, collaborating with the embassy and relevant stakeholders, had held series of meeting to prepare and ensure success of the forthcoming event.

According to him, the purpose of the meeting with the Embassy ahead of the planned AICIS + Exhibition scheduled to hold in Washington DC, is to strategise and finalise arrangement.

“It is incredible to partner the embassy, as well as other diplomatic missions, present and former African Heads of State, the United Nations, African Union, private sectors, and civil society, to boost economic growth in Africa.

“This is mostly needed as Nigeria is currently going through the effect of the removal of the fuel subsidy.

“Even though this may be temporary measure in the right direction, the Africa region needs a permanent solution that will power homes, production and foster better quality of life as effect of climate is at the center of these technologies.

“This AICIS will provide professional platform for more collaboration between renowned experts in BioMassTechnology with investors, businesses, policymakers to promote better and economic development in Africa.”

He quoted Dr Uzoma Emenike, Nigerian Ambassador to the United States in Washington DC, represented by Amb. Mobilaji Sogundero, Deputy Head of Mission, saying that the AICIS is apt in terms of tackling economic challenges.

“African organisations and governments need to deepen collaboration through Public Private Partnership with each other and connect with the West to ensure sustainable economic development in the continent of Africa.”

He also quoted the AICIS Coordinator, Lulieta Zhilla, as saying that the event would feature plenary, and executive workshop-breakout sessions, dinner and award of certificates..

“It will bring together more than 1,500 participants, investors, investment companies and multilateral organisations, including more than 100 exhibitors, and stakeholders from all sectors.

” They will discuss and address key issues affecting Africa’s development and growth.”

The chairman also quoted Franca Ukpaiama, Finance and Admin. Director of AICIS, saying in spite of the recent decentralization of the Nigerian Electrical Energy supply, there could not be better means to tackle such challenge than through partnership.

“To create awareness in our region about alternatives in power generation from technocrats that are equipped to help provide the most needed and reliable power supply strategy driven by our local materials, at a cheaper and affordable cost.”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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FCT, 21 states declare for Olympic Day Run on June 24

Twenty-two states of the Federation have declared intention to stage the 2023 Olympic Day Run as part of activities to promote the Olympic values of excellence.

A statement issued by Tony Nezianya, the Public Relation Officer of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), listed other Olympic values to include friendship and respect as enunciated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“The event has been scheduled to run through one of the NOC Commissions, The Sports–For –All,” he said.

Nezianya listed the 22 states of the federation that have entered to stage this year’s Olympic Day Run to include Anambra, Edo, Bayelsa, Kebbi, Yobe, Kwara, Ondo and Gombe.

Others are Sokoto, Ogun, Osun, FCT, Jigawa, Taraba, Delta, Oyo, Sokoto, Kano, Imo, Nasarawa, Kogi and Borno.

According to Tony Nezianya, the event will be celebrated nationwide in the participating states with the slogan, “Let’s Move”.

“The aim is to encourage people to be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, corresponding to the minimum time recommended by the World Health Organisation for good health.

“Olympic Day has always been celebrated by our NOC with fanfare nationwide, even though the scope was limited a few years back during the outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic.

“This year will not be an exception as many states are already preparing to organise the programme in their various States.”

Nezianya also quoted the NOC Secretary-General, Babatunde Popoola, as saying that the remaining 15 states were being expected to declare their interest, as NOC President, Habu Gumel and other dignitaries would flag-off the event.

The NOC encouraged corporate and philanthropic individuals to donate financially or support us with their products given the mileage it would give to the company.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria