President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria will continue to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) in fulfilling its mandates.
The president stated this when he received the Nigerian-born President of the ICC, Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji, at the State House, Abuja on Friday.
Buhari appealed to developed countries to take the ICC “more seriously in order to strengthen the rule of law and democracy”.
According to the Nigerian leader, the ICC provides a moral strength for victims to receive justice against internal and external injustices.
He also commended Eboe-Osuji for the achievements at the ICC under his presidency.
Earlier, the President of the ICC had congratulated Buhari on his re-election and successful inauguration for a second tenure.
He lauded the Nigerian leader’s “strong and unambiguous statement in support of the rule of law” and for the Court and its principles during his visit to the headquarters of the ICC in The Hague last July.
Eboe-Osuji appealed to Buhari to continue to support the ICC and to encourage African leaders, whose countries had not ratified the Rome Statute which established the Court, to do so.
The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, on Thursday lambasted the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for declaring the state a Christian State.
Wike had during a crusade organized by the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Church in Port Harcourt, River State capital a few days ago declared Rivers a Christain State.
Reacting to the declaration, the Islamic human rights organisation called on stakeholders in the “Nigerian project” to call Wike to order.
In a press statement signed by its Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the organisation described the governor’s statement as audacious, unguarded and reckless.
The statement reads: “At a time when Nigeria is facing religious and ethnic crises, a state governor still has the temerity to declare his state a Christian state. Wike is short in intellect, long in impunity. It is not his first time of making this pronouncement. We ignored him the first time because we did not want to dignify him with a response. But he has just exposed himself as an analogue governor with a triangular approach to all problems: religion, violence and impunity. Wike cannot think outside this triangular box.
“At a time when religious fanaticism is on the rise and the authorities are cautioning Nigerians to be moderate, a state governor is running loose with reckless statements like, ‘I repeat once again without apologies, Rivers is a Christian state. That is why nobody can touch us’.
“This is nothing but articulated demagoguery. It is audacious, preposterous and myopic. It is also a dangerous precedent. Nonetheless, Wike’s statement must also be seen as meaningless unless he can establish Canon law for his ‘Christian State’. That is the challenge we like to throw at Governor Wike. He should promulgate canon law without any hesitation, otherwise, all his boasts amount to nothing. They are empty.
“Is Rivers the only state with Christian majority? Wike should learn from the moderate stance of the governors of Cross Rivers, Delta, Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, etc on the issue of religion. Wike is perpetuating a culture of acrobatic religiousity. He is playing on the intelligence of the good people of Rivers State and lending credence to Karl Marx’s view of religion as opium of the people. He is brandishing state-sponsored religiousity to cover his gross ineptitude.
“The spate of crime in Rivers State is an indictment on Wike. Cult-killing is on the rise. Kidnapping has become an obsession. Youth restiveness is everywhere in the state. But all these are by-products of mass unemployment. This is what Wike should face.
“He should be thinking of empowering the youth. Where are the roads built by Wike? What is the state of Rivers’ schools? Are there drugs in the hospitals? What are the rates of infant and maternal mortality in Rivers State? Port Harcourt is one of the most expensive places to live in Nigeria. How can Wike bring relief to the residents? It is high time Wike focused on governance and stopped propagating motor-park doctrine, manifesting ‘agbero’ faculty and exhibiting ‘bolekaja’ mentality.
“Nonetheless, Wike’s statement must also be seen as meaningless unless he can establish Canon law for his ‘Christian State’. That is the challenge we like to throw at Governor Wike. He should promulgate canon law without any hesitation, otherwise, all his boasts amount to nothing. They are empty. Wike’s Christian state is a red herring.
“Where is Wike’s constitutional backing? Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly prohibits state religion. It says, ‘The Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as a State Religion.’ Wike’s declaration is, therefore, ultra vires. It is null, void and of no consequence whatsoever.
“It is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional for any governor to declare his state a Christian or an Islamic state. For the avoidance of doubt, a clear difference must be seen between Wike’s declaration and the introduction of Shariah in parts of the North. The state legislatures of states where Shariah was introduced followed due process. The governors did not just wake up one day and make arbitrary declarations.
“In any case, there is also a world of difference between declaring a state an Islamic state and merely introducing Shariah to be used by the Muslim population. That is why several parts of the United Kingdom, the United States and some Western countries have introduced Shariah for their minority Muslim populations without necessarily declaring those countries Islamic nations.
“But where are the secularists? Where are those who claim that Nigeria is a secular state? Why is it that only Muslims are taken up when they make declarations bordering on religious particularism? Why are they silent now? Is this not selective judgement? Must we always behave a la Animal Farm? Our self-righteous public commentators and human rights lawyers would have brought heaven down if any Muslim governor made a similar statement. Why are we like this? Who placed a curse on Nigeria? Well known critics who fail to speak on Wike’s recent pronouncement should bury their heads in shame.
“Before we take a break, we remind Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that specialisation necessitates division of labour. He should, therefore, concentrate on governance which is the job for which he was elected and leave evangelization and fire-brand crusade to Christian clerics. Wike should improve the security situation in order to attract investors and tourists. We appeal to stakeholders in the Nigerian project to call Wike to order.”
Super Eagles of Nigeria are the first team to qualify for the round of 16 at the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Egypt.
A 1 – 0 win against Guinea at the Alexandria Stadium this evening confirmed the Eagles’ qualification to the next round after defender Kenneth Omeruo scored the only goal in the match.
The Super Eagles who also defeated Burundi 1 – 0 last week now have six points in the group stage.
On Sunday, Nigeria will face Madagascar for their final group stage game before going into the round of 16.
The police have arrested and arraigned a 65-year-old man, Bayo Akinwete, before an Ado Ekiti magistrate’s court for allegedly raping his five-year-old daughter.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Monica Ikebuilo, told the magistrate’s court that the Akinwete committed the alleged crime on June 18, 2019, in the Olorunsogo area of Ado Ekiti, in Ekiti State.
The little girl, according to the police, claimed that her father had been molesting her for some time.
“The victim told the police that she and her nine-year-old sister had been living with their father since their mother abandoned them with him.
“The victim alleged that her father once gave her alcohol to drink following which she slept off. She alleged that when she woke up, she saw him on top of her.
“The victim said her father used to tell her to hold and massage his manhood. The victim consequently reported her father to a neighbour, who reported the case to the police,” the police office stated.
The prosecutor, who said the offence contravened Section 31 of the Child Rights Law of Ekiti State, 2012, told the court that the duplicate file of the case had been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.
The plea of the accused was not taken.
The magistrate, Mrs. Kehinde Awosika, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody pending advice from the office of the DPP.
Awosika adjourned the case until August 1 for mention.
Ajax captain, Matthijs de Ligt, has agreed personal terms with Juventus as his move to Serie A edges ever closer, Goal reports.
The 19-year-old has attracted interest from the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
But De Ligt now looks set to join the Serie A champions after finalising personal terms worth £10.75million a season over five years.
Although Juve are yet to agree a fee with Ajax for De Ligt, his proposed five-year contract is set to include a release clause worth around £135m.
His move will be finalised in the coming days, with the fee expected to be at least £62m.
De Ligt has developed into one of the most sought-after players in Europe, after an impressive breakout season, in which he led a young Ajax side to within moments of the Champions League final.
Hollywood has expressed sadness over the loss an actor, Bryan Marshall, best known for his role in James Bond.
The 81-year-old British actor played Commander Talbot in the 007 movie, The Spy Who Loved Me, and also starred in Australian daytime soap opera, “Neighbours”.
Marshall’s agent, Esta Charkham broke the sad news on Wednesday on his Twitter page.
“So sad that my dear old chum Bryan Marshall has gone on ahead.
“A wonderful actor – he was so good you never noticed how good he was.
“He was a valued chum. His credits are a catalogue of classic British and Australian TV.
“Fare Forward Dearest Bryan,” he wrote.
Marshal was born in Battersea, London, and trained as an actor at RADA before appearing at the Bristol Old Vic.
He starred in The Witches, Man in the Wilderness, Heartbeat, The Bill and The Avengers, and will also be remembered for playing Commander Talbot in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Wednesday released the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results of 3,736 candidates after the board had invited them to come for physical verification and prove that they were not involved in malpractices.
Our correspondent learnt that the affected candidates had been invited last Monday.
However, four candidates were discovered by the board to indulge in malpractices ranging from inflating their scores to cheating and therefore had their results withdrawn.
According to JAMB, they are Adah Eche with registration number 97512230IB, Taiwo Omowumi with registration number 97049254GG, Vincent Onyinyechi with registration number 96531098BC and Afolasade Zainab with registration number 96634599GA.
The Head of Information, JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, confirmed the development, saying the board would not spare efforts in identifying and sanctioning any candidate who attempted to falsify UTME.
He said, “Recall that when 2019 UTME results were released on Saturday, May 11, 2019, the board had explained, among others, that there was a post-examination discovery of serious infractions that might lead to withdrawal of any released result.
“Also, a number of candidates’ results were withheld for further verification and anyone not deeply implicated would have his or her result processed.
“There were, however, some that needed further direct interaction and interview to establish clearly whether they were culpable or not. Candidates in this category were invited to appear in eight centres across the country.
“Consequently, 3,736 candidates who were found to be either free of any blame or entitled to benefit of the doubt, have their results processed for release. The 3,736 results are now released.”
The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has asked the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, to stop misleading Nigerians, adding that senators earned N15m monthly and not N750,000 as claimed by Lawan.
Lawan had on Tuesday said there was no such thing as “jumbo pay,” adding that he earns N750,000 as salary.
Speaking with our correspondent on Wednesday, however, Sagay said Nigerians were more interested in how much senators take home monthly in salaries and allowances.
He said Lawan was only speaking half-truth because everyone knew that the bulk of the money earned by senators was embedded in their allowances.
Sagay said, “I respect and like him (Lawan), but what he has done is to give half-truth. He is telling us the actual salary without mentioning anything about the allowances.
“That is where the jumbo pay comes in, when you talk of building, furniture, domestic this or that, 15 items and those items alone bring everything up to N13.5m a month. So, simply mentioning the bare salary, which brings it to over N14m, is not sufficient.
“So, technically, he is right. That is their salary. But what is his income, take-home pay, at the end of the month? It is about N15m and we are not including many other things we need talk about now.”
Sagay said presiding officers of the National Assembly earned more than ordinary members.
The PACAC chairman, who was the first to expose the jumbo pay of federal lawmakers, said he was still trying to ascertain the allowances of principal officers.
He said, “What I have not been able to do is give details of what the leadership earns. There is the leadership aspect that I hadn’t revealed – the excess that the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, leader of the house; the same thing applying to the House (of Representatives).
“What they get – the current ones – that I have not been able to release. I had the details of the previous house. They were mindboggling; we are talking of one person getting up to N280m a year in allowances for his position. But I don’t know what they had during the Saraki era or what the present group is going to do.”
Oluokun Soyinka, son of Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, says the unidentified young man who refused to give up his seat for his father was within his rights to do so.
Oluokun said this in an open letter addressed to business mogul, Tonye Cole, who first reported the matter on social media.
Soyinka’s son, while thanking Cole for his concern, however, berated the youths on social media who used the opportunity to insult his octogenarian father.
He wrote, “The young man whose seat it was may have had a specific reason to insist on having his seat. He was within his rights, and WS (Wole Soyinka) would be last person to make an issue of it. My irritation, however, is reserved for the social media warriors.”
“Some vehemently defended the right of the young man to claim his seat. They hailed him for bravely standing up to oppression and divined how a young WS himself might have reacted in a similar situation. (He is an activist but a gentleman, so it is most likely he would have graciously given way to an elder who mistakenly sat in his seat).
“Some criticised WS for attempting to callously deprive a youth of the fruits of his hard-earned money. One wag even suggested he might as well have insisted on having the pilot’s seat.”
Oluokun said the young man missed an opportunity of showing an act of kindness to an old man.
Soyinka’s son said his father was disrespected and ought to have been treated better.
He added, “I believe the learning point of this controversy lies in understanding the difference between right and entitlement. The seat owner had a right – that is enforceable. But the elder though he or she is entitled to some deference and respect, can only hope for it. In this case, it was not given and WS, unhesitatingly moved seat.”
Oluokun added that it was illogical to in one breadth judge Soyinka for occupying another person’s seat and at the same time insist that the young man should not be judged for having tattoos.
He added, “To the online outraged, I would point out that those who like to see an elder given his due deference are entirely within their rights to judge the young man. And if they decide to add some profiling (the t-shirt, tattoo, face cap), please just ‘chop it’!
“He passed up a small opportunity to bestow an act of kindness, and commentators happily pointed out his emblems of youthful disregard for convention. After all, he had just disregarded a convention that many hold dear.”
Soyinka’s son said this was not the first time his father would plead with someone to allow him to occupy the window seat
He said his father does so most times to avoid people who would usually stop at the aisle to shake hands with him on the airplane.
Oluokun argued that his father was a national hero who had made many sacrifices for Nigeria.
He recalled how his father fought several military dictators and even had to go on exile.
Soyinka’s son said when his father returned to the country in the last 90s, he was given a free first class ticket by KLM in recognition of his heroism.
“I have not commented on the fact that beyond being an elderly man, WS has served his country in a way that many would do well to emulate. I will leave that for others to go into. Our garrulous online youths, however, should not take freedom of expression for granted. In his day, the dictator Abacha tightly controlled the then novelty called the Internet.
“People spent decades in jail, being tortured for merely hinting at criticism of the military ruler. Our freedom to hold our leaders accountable is a precious right bought by the heroism of many; some died, some are still living. So, as you fight your battles of today, please do so with a sense of history,” Oluokun said.
He said extending courtesies based upon age such as offering your seat in a crowded bus or lifting a heavy bag is not just a matter of convention or kindness but common sense.
He asked youths to remember that they would one day grow old and would one day rely on considerate fellow passengers or observant bystanders.
The pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, has asked Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to kneel before God and ask for forgiveness for breaking one of the vital 12 commandments of Christianity.
Afenifere said this in reaction to Osinbajo’s comment on insurgency and terrorism in the South-western part of the country.
Osinbajo had in the United States of America on Sunday claimed that ‘kidnapping incidents in the South-west were politically motivated”.
He also noted that “with respect to general kidnapping which we have seen in parts of the country, again, this is not entirely new. In fact, some of the kidnapping stories you read or listen to are simply not true anywhere, some are fueled by politics.”
Afeneifere condemned Osinbajo for the comment saying there are reports of the “failure of the state as the security forces are largely incapable or unwilling to safeguard the lives of our people”.
Speaking for the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, reeled out some of the incidents that had happened in the South-western part of the country.
He said, apart from the daily tales of horror across Yorubaland in the hands of “Fulani marauders”, the meeting (Afenifere) would like Osinbajo to answer some questions.
Odumakin asked: “Is the report of the kidnap of a district head from President Buhari’s town from May 1 (2019) to date politically motivated? Was the President speaking of another country when he handed kidnappers on the rampage to God? “Was the former Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, playing politics when it was announced that his son was kidnapped? What politics was afoot when the Ondo State governor recently announced that his convoy was waylaid by kidnappers?
“If he cannot answer these questions, he should kneel before his God and ask for forgiveness for violating ‘Thou shall not lie’ commandment. We further admonish him not to allow whatever ambition and political interest he serves to push him to make such infuriating comments again.”
The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take the issue of securing lives and properties of Nigerians across the country seriously.
The Afenifere also said President Muhammadu should “separate the office of the President of Nigeria which he occupies from being also the grand patron of Miyetti Allah”, to enable him tackle attacks by herdsmen and bandits with more ferociousness.
