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The Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has explained how he escaped from the premises of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama, Abuja last week Thursday following a siege by some police officers.

Mr. Melaye at the senate plenary on Wednesday said some ‘angels’ took him out of the premises to avoid police Special Anti-Robbery Squad who were deployed to the location to arrest him.

In a tweet update from his hideout inside the court building, Mr. Melaye claimed that Governor Yahaya Bello, his state governor and political rival, was responsible for his latest ordeal. The governor has since denied the allegation.

While contributing to a motion on a recent fracas involving Mr. Bello and senator representing Kogi Central, Ahmed Ogembe, the lawmaker narrated what transpired while he was allegedly being hunted.

“On the 1st of March, I was arraigned by the party I worked for. I was arraigned by the government I helped to install. I appeared before the court and I was granted bail. Having been granted bail, I was quickly alerted that there were over a hundred policemen from SARS outside the court waiting to arrest me. When they took pictures of them to come and show me, even if you were going for the head of Shekau, you wouldn’t have prepared any better.

“I was in that court for hours and they laid siege for hours. Every car coming in and out of the court were being checked. Somehow because I serve a living God, the angels of the Lord took me out of that court unnoticed and unhurt. They laid siege for more than five hours after I was resting on my bed.”

Mr. Melaye said the security operatives ought to follow a convention already in practice in pushing for his arrest.

“We have a convention in this country, that when security agencies are interested in interrogating, investigating and inviting any senator, they write the Senate President to provide such senator. Why would they demean the integrity of the Senate of the Federal Republic? And lay siege for the senator of the Federal Republic as if you want to arrest a common criminal!”

The lawmaker wants the federal government to declare a state of emergency in Kogi State.

“We can call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to declare a state of emergency in Kogi to serve as deterrence to other governors who thinks power starts and ends with them.”

The possibility of meeting the senator’s desire of a state of emergency is, however, very slim as Kogi is not suffering from any major violence or crisis beyond the ability of the state government and current federal security agencies.

Since the failed arrest, the police are yet to provide any official reasons for trying to arrest Mr. Melaye.

 

PT

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday evening received the FIFA World Trophy at the new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He was handed the trophy by Christian Karembeu, a retired International footballer from France, who was representing world football body FIFA.

The President and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) took a break from the meeting, which had been ongoing since 11am, to receive the FIFA delegation led by President, Coca Cola West Africa, Peter Njonjo.

Buhari also received CHAN Super Eagles who were awarded with silver medal at the competition in Morocco in January.

Also received was Nigeria’s Bobsleigh Winter Olympics Team.

Buhari noted that football had a huge following in Nigeria that cuts across religion and ethnicities.

He assured that the Super Eagles will get the necessary support ahead of the completion which starts in June in Russia.

The President noted that football was a big platform for empowering youths and commended Coca Cola for investing in the game.

He urged other organizations to emulate Coca Cola in supporting football and other sports.

Buhari also commended the CHAN Super Eagles and Nigeria’s Bobsleigh Winter Olympics Team for making the country proud.

The Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, hosted the Cup for Nigeria as one of the countries that has qualified to participate in the competition.

He expressed optimism that the cup will return to the country in July as the Super Eagles, betting that the national team will win the cup.

“We have worked very hard for it and we will continue to make Nigeria proud,” Dalung said.

He said the Super Eagles, who took part in the CHAN competition in Morocco, advanced to the finals for the first time.

“This is the first time Nigeria has gone that far in the history of the completion and returned with a silver.”

He also said Nigeria’s Bobsleigh Winter Olympics Team, hoisted Nigeria’s flag for the first time in the competition, even though they are based in the United States.

Dalung said, “Sports under your (Buhari) administration is moving. It’s been a harvest of medals under your leadership. Sports is about funding and you have given support.”

Njonjo said the tour will extend to 91 cities in 51 countries, courtesy of Coca Cola.

According to him, Nigeria will enjoy “the special consideration of hosting the Trophy for four whole days and in two cities – Lagos and Abuja. This is, no doubt, a recognition of the country’s status as not just a nation of passionate football lovers, but a historically high-ranking football nation and home to some of the world’s famous and favourite football players.”

He said Nigerians from all walks of life want to see the authentic, one-of-a-kind FIFA World Cup Trophy and take a photo with it.

“The event will certainly put Nigeria on the global spotlight. It will also heighten the patriotic fervor in millions of the Super Eagles’ fans in this national quest to bring home the FIFA World Cup Trophy this year.”

FIFA representative Karembeu, in his remarks, said Nigeria has beautiful youths and a future to build sports.

He said that as a World Cup winner he will like to see the Super Eagles believe in themselves, go far in the competition and bring joy to the Nigerian people.

Sun

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine must embrace peace and stop paying terrorists in order to end the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Netanyahu said this while on official visit to Washington DC, United States (US).

“To get peace, President Abbas has to embrace peace and to stop supporting terror … He pays about $350 million a year to terrorists and their families,” Netanyahu said during remarks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference.

The prime minister added that he is committed to achieving peace with all of Israel’s neighbors, including the Palestinians.

On Monday, Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Director-General Alexander Ben-Zvi said Israel is still ready for direct talks with the Palestinians, but a meaningful proposal is needed in order to start the dialogue.

For decades, Israel has been in conflict with the Palestinians, who have been seeking diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which are partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip.

NAN

Prime Minister Theresa May defended Britain’s links to defense and security ally Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Britain’s Queen Elizabeth for lunch at the start of a high profile visit to London.

A fiery exchange in parliament between May and opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn underlined tension in Britain over Prince Mohammed’s trip, which is aimed at building a broader economic partnership between the two countries, but has sparked protests about human rights and war in Yemen.

“The link that we have with Saudi Arabia is historic, it is an important one, and it has saved the lives of potentially hundreds of people in this country,” May said, pausing her answer briefly as opposition lawmakers cried “Shame!”.

The debate took place as Prince Mohammed lunched with the British monarch on the first leg of trip packed with displays of diplomatic affection designed to help the widen longstanding defense ties into a more far-reaching partnership.

Both countries sense an opportunity to broaden their existing relationship: Britain is looking for trading partners as it exits the European Union, and Saudi Arabia needs to convince skeptical investors about its domestic reforms.

But when Prince Mohammed meets May later on Wednesday, demonstrators will be outside protesting against both countries’ roles in Yemen where war has killed an estimated 10,000 people and where 8.3 million people depend on food aid and 400,000 children have life-threatening levels of malnutrition.

Corbyn said British military advisers based in Saudia Arabia were “directing the war” in Yemen and that the government was colluding in events which showed signs of being war crimes. May’s spokesman said the comments were “strange” and he would look into them.

Foreign minister Boris Johnson led the welcoming party for Prince Mohammed on his arrival late on Tuesday. Wednesday’s first official engagement was a trip to Buckingham Palace to see Queen Elizabeth - a rare honor usually reserved for heads of state.

The Saudi delegation will meet May and senior ministers inside May’s Downing Street offices to launch a UK-Saudi “Strategic Partnership Council” - an initiative to encourage Saudi Arabia’s economic reforms and foster cooperation on issues such as education and culture, as well as defense and security.

Britain is vying to land the stock market listing of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, but no decision is expected this week.

“We would like the Aramco share option to be issued in the United Kingdom and we will continue to suggest the City would be the best place for it,” junior foreign office minister Alistair Burt told parliament.

Later this month Prince Mohammed visits the United States, which also wants the lucrative listing, although sources said both countries may miss out.

British officials were privately delighted at the decision by Prince Mohammed, 32, to choose Britain as the major western destination on his first foreign trip since becoming heir to the Saudi throne last year.

The British government is keen to develop a two-way trade and investment relationship, eyeing both an expanded market in Saudi Arabia for service sector exports, and attracting Saudi cash to finance domestic projects.

Saudi’s ambitious heir wants to show that “shock” reforms have made his country a better place to invest and a more tolerant society.

Photographs posted online showed London taxis displaying advertising graphics welcoming Prince Mohammed, and electronic billboards promoted pro-Saudi messages with the hashtag #anewsaudiarabia.

Business deals are possible with British defense group BAE Systems (BAES.L) and European weapons maker MBDA, and initial agreements could be concluded on gas exploration, petrochemicals and other industries, according to British and Saudi sources.

The three-day visit will include a second Royal audience - dinner with the Prince Charles and Prince William - a briefing with national security officials, and a prestigious visit to the prime minister’s country residence.

May intends to use the private dinner at Chequers on Thursday, a 16th-century manor house 40 miles (60 km) northwest of London, to bring up concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, her spokesman said.

A Saudi-led military coalition is fighting the Houthi movement in Yemen, generating what the United Nation said in January was the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Protesters are planning to target the Saudi officials over Yemen and other human rights issues, and Britain for licensing 4.6 billion pounds of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia since 2015.

May said all arms sales were strictly regulated, that Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the conflict was backed by the U.N. Security Council and her government supported it.

Speaking to reporters in London on Monday, Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said his country had failed to effectively communicate the reasons behind its involvement in Yemen, but that they had not chosen to start the war.

Buses have spent two days touring London with banners accusing Prince Mohammed of war crimes, with more planned for Wednesday before the main rally, and parliament called an urgent debate on the visit.

“There will be widespread concern across parties at the fact that the dictatorial head of a medieval, theocratic regime is being given the red carpet equivalent of a state visit,” said Vince Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrat Party.

Reuters

Last modified on Wednesday, 07 March 2018 23:25

Sierra Leoneans turned out in reasonable numbers at polling stations on Wednesday to elect their country's new president, members of parliament and local councils in the fourth cycle of elections since the civil war in 2002.

"A slow start is noticeable, but the key point is that the process is peaceful and orderly," said Prof. Amos Sawyer, Head of ECOWAS' 65-member Observation Mission, after visiting several polling stations in Freetown's Western Urban in company of the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affair, Peace and Security Gen. Francis Behanzin, leading the ECOWAS Commission's Technical Support Team for the Mission.

Voting is officially from 7am to 5 pm, and by 6.45 am, when the ECOWAS Observation team arrived at the Lumley High School Polling Centre with 11 polling stations scores of voters were already on the queues waiting to cast their ballots.

Persons with disability, women and the elderly were not left out. Fifty-six-year-old Abdulai Koroma, a visually-challenged voter assisted by his friend Kamara, was among the early voters at the Lumley polling centre.

The slow start situation was similar at Cockerill Preparatory School centre in Willington Bye-Pass, which has six stations, with more than 11 voters having cast their ballots at polling station one by 8 am.
Prof. Sawyer particularly praised the enthusiasm of the voters and expressed optimism that the process would pick up to allow all eligible voters exercise their civic duty for the consolidation of stability and democracy in the country and the region.

Commissioner Behanzin, echoed his sentiments, noting that the process had started well and was expected to improve during the day.

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One challenge reported by international observers, especially in the urban towns such as Freetown, Bo and Kenema, is the difficulty of some voters in accessing their polling stations due to the official restriction on vehicular movement.

Only accredited vehicles are allowed movement on voting day and the restriction was challenged at the High Court, which gave its approval this week.
Meanwhile, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) Sierra Leone’s Director of Administration and Logistics Abubakar Koroma, confirmed the transport challenge, assuring that the authorities were consulting to proffer solutions so as not to disenfranchise eligible voters.

NEC registered some 3.17 million voters to cast their ballots in 11,122 polling stations across Sierra Leone’s 16 Administration Districts. Sixteen candidates, including two women are vying to replace outgoing President Ernest Bai Koroma, who has served two mandates of 10 years.

More than 750 other candidates are contesting for the 144-seat Parliament in the elections, the first time that Sierra Leone authorities are taking full charge of the electoral process following the departure of the UN Mission in 2014.

Last modified on Wednesday, 07 March 2018 23:27

The trophy for the FIFA World Cup billed for Russia later this year has arrived the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.

Sports minister, Solomon Dalung, the Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick; and other officials were at the airport to receive the trophy.

Daily Trust

The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) has kicked against the “elongation” of the party’s national and state executives tenure, saying it is against the country’s and APC’s constitutions.

Rising from a Consultative Forum held at the State House Marina, Lagos and attended by party elders from across the state, the leaders said the extension of the tenure of the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and his executives by one year was against the spirit of the country’s and APC’s constitutions.

Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution as amended provides for periodical election on a democratic basis for principal officers and members of the executive committee of political parties. According to the constitution, election of the officers or members of the executive committee of a political party will be deemed to be periodical if done at regular intervals not exceeding four years.

Article 17 of the party’s constitution also provides for a four-year tenure for its national and state executives, which is renewable for another four years.

The leader of the party in Lagos State Central Senatorial District, Chief Tajudeen Olusi, spoke with journalists after the consultative forum.

He said: “We have taken reports of the state APC chairman in respect of the NEC meeting held in Abuja. We have also had the privilege of receiving great reports from our leader from the reconciliation committee.

“We have considered the issue of extension of tenure and we are of the firm belief that the decision is a breach of the constitution of our party and of the country. We are against the elongation of tenure.

“We shall continue to make our decision known to the party and to the president”.

The tenure of Oyegun and the executives is due to expire in June.

Section 223 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, as amended, specifically states that:

“(1)The Constitution and rules of a political party shall

(a) provide for the periodical election on a democratic basis of the principal officers and members of the executive committee or other governing body of the political party; and

(b) ensure that the members of the executive committee or other governing body of the political party reflect the federal character of Nigeria.

(2) For the purposes of this section –

(a) the election of the officers or members of the executive committee of a political party shall be deemed to be periodical only if it is made at regular intervals not exceeding four years; and…”

In extending the tenure, the APC National Executive Committee had relied on Article 13.3 (ii) of its constitution which states that The NEC can discharge the functions of the convention in a period of emergency.

Article 13.3 (ii) of APC Constitution specifically states that the NEC of the party is empowered to;

“Discharge all functions of the National Conventions as constituted in between Conventions”.

But the provision in Article 13.3 (ii) is not limitless and open-ended. It is a responsibility restricted by the same constitution, which provides exclusively under Article 30 (i) that: ”This Constitution and Schedules hereto can be amended only by the National Convention of the Party.”

The party’s constitution provides the processes for constitution amendment.

Article 30 “(ii) Notice of any proposed amendment by any member or organ of the Party shall be given to the National Secretary at least twenty-one (21) days before the date of the National Convention.  The notice, which shall be in writing, shall contain a clear statement of the proposed amendment and reasons thereof.

(iii) Notice of proposed amendment(s) shall be served on the members of the National Convention at least fourteen (14) days before the date of the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be considered.  Publication of the notice of the proposed amendments in a National Newspaper shall be deemed to be sufficient Notice.

(iv)The Constitution or any part thereof shall stand amended if a proposed amendment is supported by at least two thirds of the delegates present and voting.

(v) Where new positions and Offices are created as a result of the amendment of this Constitution, the relevant Executive Committee shall until the next Convention or Congress fill such positions and office in an interim capacity.”

The Nation

 
Last modified on Wednesday, 07 March 2018 07:58

Voters in Sierra Leone will go to the polls today to elect a successor to President Ernest Bai Koroma, who is constitutionally barred from contesting after serving maximum two terms.

Today’s elections will be the fourth since the end of the civil war in 2002. Voters will also elect members of the parliament to fill 112 seats in the 124-seater legislature. 

The other dozen seats are reserved for Paramount Chief Members of Parliament across the country.

Sixteen candidates, including two women, are standing for the top job but four of them are considered as the front-runners.

Sierra Leone’s politics has been dominated by two ruling parties since independence from Britain in 1961. They are the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) and Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP).

Ex-foreign minister Samura Kamara, who was anointed by President Koroma among other 28 plus challengers within the APC, will face a tough challenge from SLPP’s Julius Maada Bio.

Bio, who briefly ruled as head of a military junta in 1996, is contesting his second election. He lost the 2012 elections to President Koroma.

But two new political parties upset the political dynamics and support bases of the SLPP and APC when they joined the 2018 presidential race.
Former head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella of National Grand Coalition (NGC), broke away after the SLPP refused to part ways with Bio.

The Coalition for Change’s (C4C) presidential aspirant, former vice president Samuel Sam-Sumana, took a large chunk of the APC’s northeastern voters after he was sacked by Koroma in 2015.

Although Kamara and Bio stand a realistic chance of winning the election than other contenders, analysts believe that disenchanted young voters, who crave a sharp departure from Koroma’s 10-year stint, may look elsewhere.

This raises the possibility that the polls may go to a second round. To win in the first round, a candidate must garner over 55% of valid votes cast.

Key issues

Election rallies have been loud with reported cases of violence. Major campaign issues include poor state of the economy, chronic youth unemployment, corruption scandals and allegations of dual citizenship. These topics were discussed during a presidential debate on February 15.

A civil war in the 1990s, which killed tens of thousands of people, wrecked the country’s economy. An iron ore boom this millennium enabled years of double digit growth after the war, but this was cut short by a 2014 Ebola outbreak and a sharp drop in the price of its vast iron reserves.

The epidemic and the global commodities downturn shrank the country’s economy by a fifth in 2015. Since then growth has been slow. 

Another campaign issue haunting the ruling APC is extremely high levels of corruption. Audit of the funds set up to fight Ebola, which killed almost 4,000 people between 2014 and 2016, revealed that 5.7 million dollars had not been accounted for.

Some other mega projects of the government, such as the new airport and a toll road linking Freetown to the provinces, were heavily criticized for being too costly.

President Koroma evoked a hidden clause in the constitution that bars Sierra Leoneans holding citizenship of another country from taking public offices.

Critics said this was a bid to get Yumkella off the ballot. The UN diplomat held US citizenship when he registered as a presidential candidate. He had since renounced his American citizenship but still faces a court challenge lodged by the APC.

ECOWAS, AU, UN, EU make joint peace call 

Four international election observer missions in Sierra Leone have tasked stakeholders to work towards a peaceful process in today’s general elections. 

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN), and the European Union (EU) in a joint statement said they were following closely and with much interest the upcoming vote.

The statement issued by the four organizations also welcomed the efforts made by the National Electoral Commission for the preparation of the polls and also welcomed the deployment of short- and long-term national and international observer missions.

“We also welcome the commitment expressed by Sierra Leonean stakeholders for the holding of democratic, transparent and credible polls, in line with national and international frameworks”, the statement said.

They, however, expressed concerns over the recent incidents of election-related violence and called on all political parties and their leaders to exercise restraint, desist from inflammatory statements, and urge their supporters to refrain from violence.

Daily Trust

The National Assembly concluded work on the bill establishing the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit as an independent entity by endorsing the Conference Committee report of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

At the House of Representatives, members in plenary, simply adopted the recommendations of the report at a session presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Yussuff Lasun.

By that action and a similar adoption by the Senate, the NFIU bill stood passed.

A clean copy of the bill will now be sent to President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent before March 11.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively on Tuesday that the report would be passed on Tuesday.

March 11 is the date the Egmont Group, the global body of financial intelligence units, will make a final pronouncement on the fate of Nigeria as a member of the body.

Nigeria is currently on suspension from the group over the lack of autonomy for the NFIU.

A threat of permanent expulsion from the Egmont Group is hanging over Nigeria if by  March 11, the NFIU has not been granted full financial and operational autonomy.

The most important component of the new bill is the separation of the NFIU from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, where it had existed and operated in the past 11 years.

By the provisions of the EFCC Act, the anti-graft agency more or less performs the functions of the NFIU and the latter does not enjoy autonomy.

Specifically, Section 2(c) of the EFCC Act provides that the commission (EFCC) “is the designated Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in Nigeria, which is charged with the responsibility of coordinating the various institutions involved in the fight against any money laundering and enforcement of all laws dealing with economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.”

This provision was the bone of contention with the Egmont Group, as it said it did not allow the NFIU to operate as an independent entity.

The group had advised Nigeria to separate the EFCC and the NFIU by giving each their clear mandate.

It also advised that the NFIU could be domiciled in any government agency of choice, including the EFCC, so long as it operated as an independent entity.

The new law passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday resolved the issue by deleting the extant Section 2(c) of the EFCC Act and establishing the NFIU as an independent entity.

However, it will now be domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria in line with practices elsewhere, but will be an independent body not answerable to the CBN.

But, the Chairman, House Committee on Financial Crimes, Mr. Kayode Oladele, while praising the passage of the bill, expressed some reservations.

Oladele noted that though Nigeria now had an independent NFIU, he feared that it might be a “toothless bulldog” having no power to bite.

He argued that if the issue of domiciliation had been resolved in favour of the EFCC as earlier recommended by the House, the NFIU could have benefited from the “policing powers of the EFCC” to do its job.

“As it stands, the Executive will decide how it will work. The Director will be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the confirmation by the Senate,” Oladele added.

The conference report passed on Tuesday contained largely the recommendations of the House’ version of the NFIU bill except two.

Punch

The immediate past governor of Nasarawa State, Aliyu Akwe-Doma, is dead.

He died after a brief illness at a foreign hospital in Israel, a nephew Ahmed Bako, told PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday evening.

Already, sympathisers have gathered at Mr. Akwe-Doma’s house in Orozo, Karshi district of Abuja.

He governed Nasarawa State between 2007 to 2011 when he was defeated by incumbent governor Umaru Al-makura.

More details later…

 

PT