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Niger’s military says it will prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for treason, hours after a group of senior Islamic scholars said the country’s coup leaders are open to diplomacy to resolve their standoff with West Africa’s regional bloc.
In a statement read out on national television late on Sunday, a spokesman for Niger’s military laid out the charges against Bazoum as “high treason and undermining the internal and external security” of the country.
Bazoum, 63, and his family have been held at the president’s official residence in Niamey since the coup on July 26, with international concern mounting over their conditions in detention.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for Bazoum’s reinstatement, imposing severe economic sanctions on Niger and threatening military intervention if civilian rule is not restored.
Still, the West African bloc, which has approved the deployment of a “standby force to restore constitutional order” in Niger, has said it remains committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
The spokesman for Niger’s military, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, in his statement on Sunday, dismissed concerns over Bazoum’s health, saying the deposed leader had seen his doctor the previous day.
“After this visit, the doctor raised no problems regarding the state of health of the deposed president and members of his family,” he said.
Abdramane went on to slam ECOWAS sanctions on Niger, saying the “illegal, inhumane and humiliating” measures were making it difficult for people to access medicines, food and electricity.
Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, who led the Nigerian delegation, told Al Jazeera their mission to Niamey was aimed at creating an “avenue whereby the leaders of the junta coup in Niger will have a dialogue with the ECOWAS leaders to understand each other”.
During their meeting, Tchiani “accepted to have fully direct discussions with the leaders of ECOWAS”, he said.
The Muslim scholars visited Niamey with the blessing of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who also heads ECOWAS. Tinubu has adopted a firm stance against the coup, the sixth to hit an ECOWAS member state since 2020.
The bloc has severed financial transactions and electricity supplies as well as closed borders with landlocked Niger, blocking much-needed imports to one of the world’s poorest countries.
Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from Katsina on Nigeria’s border with Niger, said the charges against Bazoum were likely to “increase tensions between the military in Niger and the international community”.
“This statement is an indication the military isn’t about to let Bazoum go. The charges they’ve announced could result in very serious repercussions for Bazoum,” Idris said.
“This could be an attempt by the military to further strengthen their hand in future negotiations,” he added.
The prospect of a military intervention to reinstate Bazoum has divided ECOWAS members and drawn warnings from foreign powers including Russia and Algeria.
Niger’s neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, also ruled by military governments which seized power in coups, have said intervention would be tantamount to a declaration of war on them.
On Saturday, Tchiani sent a delegation, led by his defence chief General Moussa Salaou Barmou, to the Guinean capital, Conakry, to thank leaders there for their support – a sign of the coup leaders’ desire to affirm alliances as they stand up to regional and other powers.
“We are Pan-African. When our people have problems, we are always present and we will always be there,” Guinea’s interim President Mamady Doumbouya said at the meeting, according to a video shared late on Saturday night by the presidency.
The coup in Niger is seen as a major blow to many Western nations, which viewed Niamey as a partner in the Sahel region that they could work with to beat back a growing uprising by groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).
The United States and France have more than 2,500 military personnel in the region and, with other European countries, have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance and training of Niger’s forces.
Credit to: aljazeera.com
The Economic Community of West African States Parliament was divided over the actions that should be taken to address the Niger coup.
While some parliamentarians of ECOWAS were in support of military action against the Niger junta, others were against it.
Twenty-two parliamentarians took part in the virtual extraordinary meeting on Saturday to discuss the political crisis in Niger Republic.
Credit to: punchng.com
Count Your Blessings
Are you facing hardships this Saturday? Don’t be discouraged it could be a blessing. Think back to a year ago, what hardships were you facing? Do you see any blessings as a result of that hardship?
Each serving senator received not less than N2 million as allowance before proceeding on seven weeks of vacation, PREMIUM TIMES can report.
A senator who requested not to be named because he was not authorised by the upper house to speak on the matter confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that all the 109 senators were paid the allowance for the holidays, which commenced on Monday and ends on 26 September.
A calculation done by PREMIUM TIMES showed that the senators were paid a total of N218 million, having received N2 million each to enjoy the vacation.
The bank alerts were received by the senators on 8 August, just before the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced it.
Mr Akpabio, on Monday, told the senators that some money had been credited to their accounts to enjoy their holidays.
“In order to enable all of us to enjoy our holidays, a token has been sent to our various accounts by the Clerk of the National Assembly,” he said shortly after screening and confirming the ministerial nominees.
The senate president was immediately informed by his colleagues that he was speaking on live television.
Upon realising the seriousness of his remarks, he quickly announced its withdrawal and rephrased his statement, saying that the senate president sent prayers to the mailboxes of the senators.
“I withdraw that statement. In order to allow you to enjoy your holiday, the senate president has sent prayers to your mailboxes to assist you to go on a safe journey and return.”
It is not clear if the presiding officers, namely the senate president and the deputy senate president, also got N2 million each going by the difference in salaries and allowances they earn and those of the other senators in the remuneration package approved by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Also, it is expected that the principal officers would earn higher allowances than their colleagues.
There are eight principal officers, with the majority party, APC, having four and the minority, comprising the six opposition parties, also having four.
The principal officers are the senate leader, deputy senate leader, chief whip and deputy chief whip.
There are also minority leader, deputy minority leader, minority whip and deputy minority whip.
The N2 million allowance given to the senators is illegal as no such provision is made in the remuneration package approved by RMAFC, the body authorised by law to prepare salaries and allowances for public servants.
There is also no provision for “token” in the commission’s document, as stated by Mr Akpabio while announcing the largesse to the senators.
The lawmakers are, however, entitled to “recess” allowance under the law, which is 10 per cent of the annual basic salary of each legislator, and is paid once a year.
According to the package prepared by RMAFC, a senator earns N2,026,400 and therefore gets N202,240 as a recess allowance per annum.
The basic salary of the senate president per annum is N2,483,242, and therefore receives N248,424 as recess allowance.
On his part, the deputy senate president earns N2,309,166, and his recess allowance is N230,916.
There are speculations the N2 million each of the senators got was drawn from the N70 billion allocated to the National Assembly in the amended 2022 supplementary budget.
President Bola Tinubu had in June proposed the allocation in the Supplementary budget “to support the working conditions of new members.” It was immediately approved by the lawmakers.
The fresh allocation came despite the huge allocation of N228.1 billion to the National Assembly in the 2023 budget. The figure was an increase of about N59.1 billion from N169 billion proposed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in the budget.
The announcement by Mr Akpabio that senators had been paid “a token” stirred anger and outrage from Nigerians, considering the hardship many are going through as a result of the removal of petroleum subsidy.
Many Nigeriàns have also questioned the ability of the Akpabio-led senate to fight corruption and assist in developing the country’s economy.
But it was not the first time the senate president will make such a gaffe.
Last month, he was filmed on live trivialising “Let The Poor Breathe,” a phrase commonly used to criticise the hardship Nigerians are currently going through.
But in a statement, Mr Akpabio explained it was not intentional to insult the people, adding that he was not unaware of the hardship Nigerians were facing.
He said the motive behind “Let The Poor Breathe” “was to firmly reject any plan of increasing electricity tariffs for Nigerians, considering the ongoing economic challenges that Nigerians are faced with.”
“We are deeply concerned about the negative tilting of a very harmless statement by President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, about his deep concern and that of the Senate on the plight of the ordinary Nigerians as a result of the prevailing economic situation in the country,” the statement by the media unit of the office of the Senate president
Credit to: premiumtimesng.com
AUGUST 12
1877 The discovery took place at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. Deimos is one of two natural satellites of Mars. The other moon, Phobos was also discovered by Hall and is the bigger satellite of the two. Phobos is also closer to Mars than Deimos is.
In a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Tinubu said the programme will not only re-awaken the historical awareness of society but also create economic benefits.
“Reconnecting Afro-Brazilians with their African roots will be an iconic project that will rekindle our past and light up the spirit of our ancestors,” the president was quoted as saying.
“It will re-awaken memories of what happened many years ago.
“And it is a good thing that this is coming now at a time when we are working on expanding the frontiers of freedom and democracy in Africa.”
Speaking at the State House on Friday, Wale Adeniran, who led the delegation, described the project as identical to the Lagos Black Heritage Festival.
Adeniran also said the initiative will begin in Brazil and go through other African countries before terminating in Nigeria.
He added that the initiators of ‘Heritage Voyage of Return’ sought the support of Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and the president.
Carolina Maira Morais, another member of the delegation, said with about 126 million Afro-descendants in Brazil, “the project will integrate the two countries”.
She also disclosed that President Lula da Silva of Brazil is planning to visit Nigeria.
“Nigeria, the largest black population and the leading economy in Africa, and Brazil, a giant of South America,” she said.
“There are many African traditional families in Brazil. But no African country has gone to Brazil to identify and connect with them.”
Other delegates at the meeting included Soyinka and Ajoyemi Olabisi Osunleye, a culture activist.
Credit to: thecable.ng
GRA under the dynamic leadership of Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe was tasked to collect an overall annual revenue target of D15.208 billion in 2023. “As at end July 2023 the Authority collected D9.478 billion, which represented 62% of the annual revenue target,” the statement said.
The performance of GRA as at end July 2023 represented 5 percent or D426.52 million above their revenue target of D9.052 billion for the period (Jan – July 2023).
The Authority also registered an unprecedented collection in July 2023, having collected D1.597 billion, making it the highest single month total revenue collection since the creation of GRA.
“This revenue collection performance for July 2023, exceeded the D1.279 billion revenue target for the month by a whopping 25% or D318.07 million,” the statement explained.
In confirming the statement, Commissioner General Darboe explained that GRA was given a monthly revenue target of (D1.279billion) for the month of July 2023 but due to the hard work, commitment, and collective efforts by the staff and management of GRA, the Authority collected almost D1.6 billion in a single month thus exceeding the previous record of D1.593 billion set in March 2023.
The Commissioner General reiterated his recognition of the positive impact of the ASYCUDA WORLD implementation on international trade receipts, the reduction of subsidies granted on fuel and the improvements in revenue administration, such as increased taxpayer education, audit coverage, data matching and enforcement among other factors.
CG Darboe, an exemplary leader with sound foresight, also praised the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, as well as development partners for their support and collaboration to realising the GRA and Gambia dream.
He also showered praises on other stakeholders, such as businesses and the taxpaying population, for their compliance, calling on the rest to emulate them for national development.
Credit to: thepoint.gm
Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has accused his deputy, Philip Shaibu, of disloyalty and a plan to carry out a coup against him to take over the state.
In a video posted by AIT on X, formerly Twitter, Obaseki alleged that Shuaib is desperate to take over the affairs of the state ahead of the Edo governorship election in 2024.
He said, “[Shaibu] went to Abuja and was boasting that he has connections in Abuja, that he has people in the national assembly, that they are all with the president now, that they will take care of him if he cannot get the ticket in PDP, he knows what to do.
“I kept quiet and said I thought we were together. But what struck me, and I have never said this to anybody, is that after I proclaimed the house of assembly, we were now going to elect officers.
“He was in Abuja, he came back that day. I am the chief security officer of this state. I get any information I need. But I have that responsibility to keep quiet and use the information properly.
“My deputy called the leader in APC, telling that leader that during the elections on the next day, particularly speaker of the house of assembly, that he has five members who are loyal to him and that he would like the seven members of APC to work with his five members of PDP to produce the next speaker.”
Obaseki also accused Shaibu of not working together with him.
“As far as I am concerned, that was not working in our common interest.
“Why would the deputy governor seek to have another speakership candidate outside of what the governor wants? Are we working together?
“That was when I knew we had a problem. That the deputy governor has become so desperate to take over that he would do anything, including carrying out a coup, against his governor.
“How can you say you are loyal and you will do such a thing?”
Recall that Shaibu had dragged Obaseki to a federal high court in Abuja over plans to impeach him.
He accused the governor of preventing him from performing his constitutional duties.
In response, Obaseki said there’s no plan to impeach his deputy while alleging that Shaibu plans to defect to the ruling party, the APC.
credit to: vanguardngr.com
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu manifested one of the qualities that made him a political maverick; how he navigated the slippery political impasse in the Niger Republic- as the chair of the ECOWAS, he prevailed to intervene on the impasse- a task many viewed as a delicate one.
The tall orders were many and the Nigerian president wasted no time in reeling them out; first was the border closure between Nigeria and Niger- the Nigerian custom boss Adeniyi Wale literally relocated to the borders between these two nations with cultural, religious, and diplomatic ties. In the few days since the order came to effect, the effects were evident and glaringly biting. A news report showed a long stretch of trailers who entered Niger from Nigeria stranded on the border as they could no longer enter Nigeria.
It is obvious that a military solution to the political crisis in Niger will in the long run create another Afghanistan in our backyard. This is no 1990, any ECOMOG military adventure in Niger may lead to a catastrophic end. None of the countries in ECOMOG has the resources or logistics to embark on this herculean military adventure. In 1990, it was the US and British airforce that provided aerial support to ECOMOG troops in the wake of Taylor’s relentless barrage of mortal attacks.
Think about this for a moment, if 4 bulbs are on in France, 3 are powered by uranium France extract for next to no cost from Niger. Sadly, 90% of Niger’s power supply comes from Nigeria. France has 1.5k soldiers in Niger. The US’s largest drone base is located in Agadez, in Niger. The West wants that country to be its perpetual outpost with a leader that answers to Washington and Paris. If ECOMOG intervenes, it will not only be confronted by a determined military but also a rebellious population. Wagner currently does not operate in Niger but is one call away. Algeria has tacitly stated it will provide covert military support to its Saharan neighbor in the eventuality of ECOMOG invasion. Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Mali have publicly stated they will consider ECOMOG troops’ invasion of Niger as a declaration of war. The soldiers we intend to send into Niger may not feel comfortable pulling the trigger against their ex-comrades – who have been instrumental in the war against Boko Haram and ISWAP in the Northeast. Chad may not participate in a military invasion of Niger. The first casualty of such a military adventure will be ECOWAS itself.
I know for a fact President Tinubu is scared of Niger’s scenario playing out in Nigeria but the border between the civil and military estates is blurred. Our military is increasingly civilian-lized by virtue of its intense involvement in domestic security. His greatest foreign policy blunder would be the greenlighting of ECOMOG invasion of Niger. We must resist the temptation of turning a former commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) that is combating terrorism in the Northeast of our country into a militia leader. Furthermore, an invasion of Niger would create a vacuum and provide the perfect safe haven for Boko Haram and ISWAP to regroup and launch audacious attacks on our territory. Nigerians of modest means are bitterly feeling the hardship in the country, our IDPS are not left out and Niger hosts thousands of our refugees thus the need to resist the temptation of creating another humanitarian catastrophe by the use of force in Niger. A stable Niger regardless of its political outlook is a stable Nigeria. An invasion of Niger will not only lead to humanitarian crisis but also fuel the rise of violent jihadist movements in the North. Our military has reduced the terrorist capacity to launch an offensive to next to zero, a war in Niger will provide the terrorists in ICU two things: a safe haven and a black market for weapons.
Nigeria has historically been a strong advocate of non-alignment but we cannot close our eyes to the happening in our Northern border countries. If we must align, national interest must be the driving force and it is in the core national interest of our country to have a stable Niger. History has shown force does not provide a long-term solution to any conflict, diplomacy does. Diplomacy may be time-consuming and painful but it is our best answer to the Niger question.
Credit to: lidership.ng
Liberty in Progress: Funding the Statue of Liberty’s Pedestal
1885 A significant stride toward the completion of the Statue of Liberty’s iconic pedestal takes place as $100,000 is raised in the United States. This financial boost paves the way for the monument to stand as a symbol of freedom and democracy.
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