The trial of Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has been adjourned indefinitely.

Chairman of the Tribunal, Mr. Danladi Umar, announced the adjournment in a short ruling on the resumption of trial in Abuja today.

He said the tribunal would await the decision of the Supreme Court on the appeals filed by both Saraki and the Federal Government.

Saraki is being tried on three of the 18 count-charge for false declaration of assets.

Umar gave the ruling after listening to the addresses of both the defence and prosecuting lawyers.

In his address, the prosecuting counsel Mr Rotimi Jacobs urged the Tribunal to proceed with taking the final address from the parties in the suit.

He based his request on the fact that the defence had already opened and closed their case and the Tribunal had adjourned for the adoption of final addresses.

However, Counsel to the Senate President Mr Kanu Agabi urged the Tribunal to be mindful of the dignity of the Supreme Court and prayed for an indefinite adjournment.

Agreeing with the defence counsel, the CCT chairman held that the Tribunal “has decided to tarry awhile so that the integrity of Supreme Court would not be played with.”

“The Tribunal will adjourn this matter sine die pending the outcome of the appeals at the Supreme Court,” he added.

On Tuesday last week, the Tribunal had adjourned the case till March 8 to hear the final address by the parties in the suit and for its final judgment.

The parties will have to await the decisions of the Supreme Court to proceed with the rest of the trial.

NAN

Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has charged perpetrators of abductions and various harmful practices against women and girls to stop forthwith.

She was speaking during an event to mark the 2018 International Women’s Day, on Thursday, March 8, 2018 at the National Center for Women Development, Abuja.

Mrs. Buhari, in a statement by her Director of Information, Suilaman Haruna, observed that for Nigeria, the day must be marked with a difference considering the sad incidence of the abduction of girls, especially the case of Chibok and Dapchi, which must take the national spotlight.

“As a mother, I share the sorrow and agony of the parents at this time, it is my sincere hope that efforts by government will soon lead to their release.” She said.

She introduced a local theme tagged “Leave our daughters alone” which she said, is a strong call for the end of abductions, charging the media to own the campaign and spread the message.

She also charged wives of the Governors to propagate the campaign in their various states, stating that the message must echo through all corners of Nigeria and be on everyone’s lips.

“Leave our daughters alone, leave our daughters alone, leave our daughters alone” she charged.

Speaking earlier, wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, while congratulating women as they celebrate the special day, said it is sad that Nigerian women were witnessing the worst of times because of many negative things that are happening.

She however noted that at the same time they are also witnessing the best of times in many respects.

This, she said, is because there are many good stories happening around women.

Director-General of the National Center for Women Development, Barrister Mary Ekpere-Eta, said this year, there was an unprecedented global movement for women’s rights, equality and justice.

She said sexual harassment, violence and discrimination against women has captured public discourse, propelled by a rising determination for change, which she noted were instrumental to the declaration by the Wife of the President on the harmful practices affecting women and girls in Nigeria.

She drew attention to the plight of rural women, who despite their hard work lack basic infrastructure and services, decent work and social protection, and are left more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

She called for urgent action to reverse this trend and ensure better life for the rural women.

Goodwill messages were delivered by UNICEF, UN Women, UNFPA and a host of others.

Highlight of the event was an exhibition of women’s business products.

The Nation 

The Sri Lankan government has banned the use of social media networks, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, in order to quell violence throughout the country.

A 10-day nationwide state of emergency was declared in Sri Lanka on Tuesday amid increased violence between Muslim and Buddhist communities.

Sri Lanka’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, which had reportedly been monitoring social media for hate speech related to the violence, has temporarily blocked Facebook, Viber, WhatsApp, and Instagram in most parts of the country.

On Wednesday, Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said the government had asked internet service providers to block messaging apps after it was Facebook posts encouraging violence towards the country's Muslim population were discovered.

Mano Ganesan, Minister of National Coexistence Dialogue and Official Languages, also confirmed the government's social media ban on Twitter, saying the country had decided to curb "all communal hate speech posts via social media."

Senaratne said in a press conference Wednesday that officials have been investigating who is fueling calls for riots and that several parliamentary officials had been mentioned.

After a state of emergency was declared on Tuesday, curfews were instated in the central district of Kandy, a popular tourist destination that was the epicenter of Sunday clashes between the Buddhist Sinhalese majority and local Muslims, who make up about nine percent of Sri Lanka's population.

Travel advisories were issued by the US, UK and Australia.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has called on religious leaders across the spectrum to promote peace among their communities.

Business Insider

The UK government is to table its new offer on post-Brexit powers for Scotlandand Wales within days after the three governments have failed to reach a deal.

The long-running dispute between the three sides is threatening to come to a head just as Theresa May meets Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, and Carwyn Jones, her Welsh counterpart, for talks on Brexit at Downing Street next week.

David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister, said it was imperative that the Lords had a chance to debate his amendments to the EU withdrawal bill because the government was running out of parliamentary time. 

Mike Russell, the Scottish Brexit minister, said it was deeply disappointing that Lidington had failed to offer further compromises when the governments met in London on Thursday.

They remain deadlocked over the UK government’s insistence that up to 25 policy areas, including over-farming, fishing and food-labelling, need to be controlled at UK level until common frameworks can be agreed between them.

Scottish and Welsh ministers insist that demand amounts to a “power grab” and are refusing at this stage to accept a UK government amendment to the EU withdrawal bill that would hand a large majority of EU powers directly to the devolved parliaments on Brexit day.

Russell claimed he and the Welsh had offered a fresh concession at the talks, pledging that the Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly would not throw up unreasonable obstacles to those UK-wide agreements so long as UK ministers agreed to fully devolve every single power to the devolved administrations.

“We are clear that the EU withdrawal bill must be amended so that the devolution settlement cannot be changed without the consent of the Scottish parliament,” Russell said.

“Right now we are being asked to sign away the [Scottish] parliament’s powers with no idea of how UK-wide frameworks will work, how they will be governed, and how we will go from the temporary restrictions the UK government wants to agreeing longer-term solutions.”

Lidington implied the Scottish and Welsh governments were exaggerating the impact of the UK proposals, which involve temporary powers which would subject to full negotiation.

“I strongly believe our proposal would respect and strengthen the devolution settlements across the UK and do so in a way that still allows the UK government to protect the vitally important UK common market, providing much-needed certainty and no new barriers for families and businesses,” he said.

Both devolved governments are pressing on with their own rival legislation at Holyrood and Cardiff Bay, home of the Welsh assembly, which would sidestep Westminster and repatriate EU powers into Scotland and Wales without a UK–wide deal.

Lord Wallace, the Liberal Democrat peer who served as the UK government’s Scottish law officer in the 2010 coalition government, said there was now an urgent need for both sides to publish the material at the centre of the dispute.

Lidington said all three governments had agreed on Thursday to do so. Each side claims that publication of those joint frameworks would prove their case, and undermine the claims of their opponents.

“What we’ve got is on the one hand the UK government saying we’re prepared to devolve a considerable amount of powers back to Edinburgh; we’ve got the Scottish government saying yes we agree that there’s got to be UK common frameworks,” Wallace told BBC Radio Scotland on Thursday morning.

Wallace, a former deputy first minister of Scotland, said both sides distrusted each other but the dispute seemed to hinge on a very narrow point. “They can’t be that far apart, so I’m saying let’s see what they’re actually discussing.”

“I think it would be far better if we actually knew far more of what was going on,” he said. “We hear stories about what one side is proposing; what another is rejecting. This could do with a healthy dose of transparency.”

The Guardian

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he wanted France to supplant Britain as New Delhi’s partner of choice in Europe, as he embarked on a four-day tour of India.

Macron, a pro-business centrist who swept to power last year, has been beating the drum for France as a new, modernized “startup nation” on the world stage, while he pushes ahead with a wide-ranging program of reforms at home.

He has also used Britain’s decision to leave the European Union to pitch France as an investment destination at the heart of the European single market.

“Your historical partner in Europe was the UK, and I want France to become the new partner,” Macron told India Today in an interview published on its website. “I want France to become the reference partner of the 21st century.”

The 40-year-old president, who is traveling with a delegation of French companies that includes EDF (EDF.PA), Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA), Schneider Electric (SCHN.PA) and Suez (SEVI.PA), will also inaugurate a solar plant built by Engie (ENGIE.PA) in Uttar Pradesh.

“I think India has to operate much more with Europe and the European Union as a whole. I want France to be its entry point,” Macron said.

“I want your creativity, your entrepreneurship, your young people to be much more present in France. Much more known and recognized. And I want to see the same from the French side.”

India was the third-largest source of foreign direct investment into Britain in 2015, contributing to its position as Europe’s top destination for foreign direct investment, according to official British figures. By comparison, India was only the 30th largest investor in France, according to 2013 Bank of France figures.

Among recent wins for France is India’s purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault in 2016. It beat out the Eurofighter Typhoon, which is built by a European consortium that includes Britain’s BAE Systems.

But talks to sell six new-generation EPR nuclear reactors built by state utility EDF and Areva have dragged on.

Reuters

Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe reportedly flew to South Africa on Wednesday - for the first time since his ouster from power in November - aboard an Air Zimbabwe flight.

A Zimbabwean journalist @ray_Ndlovu, who also travelled on the same flight tweeted: "Am on the same flight on Air Zimbabwe to Johannesburg with former President Robert Mugabe this morning. The times have changed. Really changed."

Reasons for the nonagenarian's visit remained unclear.

A report by SABC said: "Mugabe is known to have come to South Africa for a private visit earlier, but it is not clear if he is still in the country."

The report also claimed that workers at the veteran politician’s residence in Harare had been "taken in for questioning by soldiers on Wednesday morning".

Meanwhile, there were unconfirmed reports that Mugabe was in South Africa for a meeting with former education minister Jonathan Moyo and other members from the Generation 40 (G40), according to Bulawayo24.

This came as tensions were mounting in Zimbabwe after Mugabe last week expressed support for the National Patriotic Front led by former cabinet minister and ally Ambrose Mutinhiri. Some officials in the ruling party have rounded on Mugabe for that, accusing him of trying to destabilise Zanu-PF.

News24

The Nigerian military has stated that it has no intention to venture into politics or governance as was done in the past.

The military, in a statement by the Defence Headquarters, was responding to a statement by Ike Ekweremadu, the Deputy Senate President, who warned Nigerians to ensure the survival of democracy.

In the statement, the defence spokesperson, John Agim, a brigadier general, chronicled efforts by the past democratic governments to ensure a more professional army.

“The Nigerian Military has come of age and is in tune with best international military practices of complete and total subordination to democratic governance,” Mr. Agim said.

Read the Army’s full statement below

The Defence Headquarters wish to respond to a comment by the Deputy President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu on Wednesday 7 March 2018, regarding the Nigerian Military, while contributing to a debate on a motion sponsored by Senator Ahmed Ogembe, representing Kogi Central.

In his comments among others, the Distinguished Deputy President of the Senate stated “The Problem in Nigeria is that our democracy is receding. Who says army cannot take over, let us not joke with our democracy that is the issue”.

This statement may appear cautionary and sincere in the atmosphere of discourse, it is however derogatory to the Army used in the expression and by extension to the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

The statement in the true sense has the capacity to denigrate the Nigerian Military in every ramification including its loyalty to the President Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the confidence of the general public to defend Nigeria’s democracy.

In the light of this; the Defence Headquarters wish to state clearly that, the Nigerian Military has come of age and is in tune with best international military practices of complete and total subordination to democratic governance.

P/T

 

 

In this regard, it is worthy to remind the general public about some key measures among others that guaranteed the present sustainable status of politically unambitious members of the Armed Forces:

a. Shortly, after the transition from a military to a democratically elected government in 1999, officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, who were quasi-political, were honourably eased out of service. This was done to avoid indoctrination of other officers in the Military in order to enable the democratic government commence a re-professionalisation process of the Armed Forces. The process commenced in collaboration with international organisations such as the United States Armed Forces and the British Military. By 2009, from the basic military training institutions through units and formation reorientation programmes to top management workshops and seminars for the military, it became clear that the Armed Forces of Nigeria has been re-professionalised to be totally subordinate to political leadership and democracy in the Country.

b. In addition, the Nigerian Military began to take the lead at ensuring that the West African Sub Region is stable democratically through military diplomacy and physical actions where it is highly desirable and supported by ECOWAS. The case of the Gambia last year is still fresh in our memories, where democracy was enforced by an ECOWAS Military Coalition led by the Armed Forces of Nigeria, under the focused and abled leadership of Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General AG Olonisakin (NAM).

Furthermore, the present crop of personnel in the Armed Forces of Nigeria right from the Service Chiefs to the men; are made up of the balance of re-professionalised officers and fresh intakes from 1999, who do not nurse political ambitions. They are fully committed to their oaths of allegiance to serve their fatherland Nigeria, with total submission to our democratic government.

Defence Headquarters hereby assures the international community, Nigeria’s democratic institutions and the general public, of its unalloyed loyalty to the President Commander in Chief, provision of all necessary support for the sustenance of our democracy and carrying out our constitutional roles. Therefore, the apprehension by the Deputy President of the Senate should be totally disregarded.

The National Electoral Commission (NEC) of Serial Leone, said results of Wednesday general elections, especially presidential, would not be announced until they were tallied.

Chairman of the commission, Mohamed Conteh, made this known to journalists on Thursday in Freetown.

He, however, said that the commission had started receiving results of the elections at its five Regional Tally Centres, but could not be specific on when they would be announced.

According to Mr. Conteh, the results will be released as soon as possible but after they have been tallied.

He urged Sierra Leoneans to be patient with the commission as it computed the results of the elections.

“By 2 a.m. this morning, result has begun to arrive at the regional tally centres. All five regional tally centres are operational.

“We welcome the presence of agents and observers to these centres today and as we walk through the process.

“Reconciliation and results forms in their sealed tamper-evidence envelopes are being delivered to four of the regional centres and they are arriving as I speak to you.

“We are now at full speed in the four centres where data entry is underway. As you can see, because we value accuracy above speed, there may be time delay. The tally takes longer.

“We will not announce results until every last one is counted. Please, be patient with us and be peaceful.

“The only result is the one that I, as the Chief Electoral Officer and National Electoral Officer, will announce on behalf of the commission,’’ he said.

Mr. Conteh said that irregularities recorded in the elections included missing ballot papers, production error in the ballot papers in few areas where lower elections were postponed.

He said, “Several irregularities were recorded during the day but this was minimal.

“Of 17,755 sealed boxes of ballot papers, only 37 or 0.2 per cent was problematic. Though they were few, each of these irregularities was swiftly addressed.’’

Also speaking at the conference, NEC Commissioner, Western Region, Miatta French, said that the commission could not have conclusive figure on the election until the tally was done.

Mrs. French said that the commission would follow the percentage pattern of releasing the results.

“We will still give 25, 50 and 75 per cent announcement as we promised and we will do it as soon as we get it.

“I know for sure that for Western region, a lot of results are coming in and we have to wait for the others.

She expressed hope that at the end of Thursday or on Friday, some of the results would be announced.

On alleged planned to hack the commissions system, Mrs. French she said the commission’s data base was not always fully online and that security measures were in place to secure it.

She added that the commission was prepared for re-run if the need arose.

NAN

President Donald Trump vowed to be flexible toward "real friends" of the United States as the White House prepared Thursday to roll out punitive trade tariffs -- singling out Germany for criticism and adding Australia to a list of likely carve-outs.

Amid pitched policy battles inside his administration and fierce opposition without, the White House indicated the measures may, or may not, be signed later Thursday when Trump is set to host steel and aluminum industry and workers at the White House.

With hours to go until the 3:30 pm (2030 GMT) meeting, it was still unclear if it would see Trump sign the contentious tariffs into law, a signing of something symbolic or no signing at all.

But Trump made clear he was pressing press ahead with tariffs of 25 percent on foreign steel and 10 percent on aluminum, while saying Australia and "others" could be exempt -- in addition to America's neighbors and NAFTA partners Mexico and Canada.

"We are going to be very fair, we're going to be very flexible" Trump told his cabinet, pointing to winners and losers from the contentious policy which has stoked fears of a global trade war.

If America reaches a deal on renegotiating its trilateral trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, he said, "it is most likely that we won't be charging those two countries the tariffs."

"We have a very close relationship with Australia," he added. "We have a trade surplus with Australia, great country, long term partner, we'll be doing something with them."

The US leader also cited possible exemptions for unspecified "other countries."

But Trump took aim at Germany -- the biggest economy in the EU trade bloc -- as a bad actor likely to face tariffs.

Railing against countries that had "taken advantage" of the United States, Trump accused Germany of behaving unfairly by contributing much less than the US towards the funding of NATO.

"We have some friends and some enemies where we have been tremendously taken advantage of over the years on trade and on military," he said.

"If you look at NATO, where Germany pays one percent and we are paying 4.2 percent of a much bigger GDP -- that's not fair," he said.

"So we view trade and we view the military, and to a certain extent, they go hand in hand."

- Partners promise backlash -

Last week Trump stunned the world -- and many in his own camp -- with an off-the-cuff announcement of his tariff plan, made before White House lawyers had finished reviewing the legality of the move and before it was clear which countries would be targeted.

He cited Chinese overproduction and national security concerns as the main driver.

Since then the White House has scrambled to catch up, Trump's top economic advisor Gary Cohn -- who opposed the move -- quit in protest and stock markets sank.

More than 100 Republican lawmakers have signed a letter to Trump expressing "deep concern" about the policy, which they warned could "undermine" economic gains from Trump's own tax reforms.

Trade experts at the Peterson Institute now believe US allies -- rather than China -- will be disproportionately hit and imports to America cut by around $14 billion.

The European Union, Mexico and Canada have all warned they will retaliate, with the decision threatening to sour already vinegared trans-Atlantic relations.

The European Union has vowed to hit back with tariffs on items from steel to peanut butter, bourbon and denim -- most of which are produced in states that Trump needs to win reelection.

"Trade wars are bad and easy to lose," EU President Donald Tusk warned, rejecting Trump's assertion they were "good and easy to win".

As Trump has pressed ahead, his staff have tried to limit the fallout.

"We're going to have sensible relations with our allies," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross insisted Wednesday.

"We're not looking for a trade war," he said.

Data released Wednesday showed the US foreign trade deficit widened in January to its highest level in nine years -- heaping pressure on Trump, who had campaigned on a promise to reverse that trend.

Trump blamed the situation on his White House predecessors, while also taking aim at Beijing over the size of its trade deficit with the United States.

China meanwhile warned Thursday it was ready to respond to US tariffs if they materialize.

"Choosing a trade war is surely the wrong prescription, in the end you will only hurt others and yourself," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, adding that "China will certainly make an appropriate and necessary response.”

AFP