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TODAY IN HISTORY
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.
Tinubu endorses initiative reuniting Afro-descendants with their African roots
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
Niger Coup: How Tinubu Escaped The Banana Peel
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
First Lady Interacts with Women in the Media Sierra Leone
5 GAMBIAN MIGRANTS REPORTED DEAD IN NIGER
At least five Gambians are reported to have died in Agadez, Niger, due to a lack of food, water, and extreme wind conditions; The Standard was reliably informed yesterday. The five were among several Gambians who were sent out of Tunisia to the Algerian border and later to Niger.
“I can confirm to you that Gambian migrants are seriously suffering here. Just these past days, five young Gambians died, and were buried in the desert,” Kekuta Darboe, a migrant in Niger, said.
He revealed that several other Gambian migrants are extremely sick, with no proper medical attention.
“We don’t have enough food or water, and the weather conditions are extremely bad here. There is a lot of pollution. We are really suffering here. If you go to the hospital, they give you the same medicine all the time,” he said.
Manneh said the majority of them were part of a group of migrants sent out of Tunisia.
“We were among the Gambians driven from Tunisia and dumped at the Algerian border, and then to the Niger border. We are calling on the government and Gambians to evacuate us from this place,” he said.
He said other countries are rapidly evacuating their citizens, but the Gambia’s process is too slow.
“We need help because this place is a death trap,” he said.
In early July, Human Rights Watch accused Tunisia of expelling hundreds of sub-Saharan Africans to a desert area near the Libyan border following violence against migrants in the city of Sfax. The Gambia government responded to the development with the immediate repatriation of 87 of its citizens from Tunisia and Libya.
The Standard contacted the ministry of foreign affairs where the director of diaspora affairs, Musa Camara said they are aware of the case of the Gambian migrants in Niger and discussions have started with the IOM to facilitate their repatriation.
Camara confirmed that the migrants were from Tunisia and their movement to Niger was facilitated by the government with support from the IOM who airlifted them out of Tunisia.
“We have instructed our embassy in Abuja, Nigeria to deploy the migration focal person to Niger and meet the migrants and the IOM authorities to facilitate their return,” he said.
He said the government is aware that the migrants are impatient with the conditions they are in. “The political situation may also increase their worries and even their families as well so it has become a priority,” he said.
He appealed to the migrants to exercise patience and allow government to facilitate their return. Camara said he could not confirm the reported deaths but the ministry will find out.
Credit to: Standard.gm
Niger Coup: Nigerian Islamic scholars meet Tinubu, seek mediatory role
Hours after the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) declared its opposition to the use of sanctions and military deployment in Niger, some prominent Islamic scholars met with President Bola Tinubu to seek his permission to mediate the crisis.
The clerics led by the national leader of the Jama’a tul Izalatil Bid’ah wa Iqamatis Sunnah, Sheikh Bala Lau, advised the Nigerian leader against the use of force in Niger.
“We want to find a lasting solution. We want peace and harmony to reign not only in Nigeria but in the sub-Saharan region and globally. So, the whole Ulama advised Mr President, that we want peace and reconciliation,” Mr Lau told journalists after the meeting with the Nigerian leader.
He said President Tinubu “accepted” their offer to intervene in the crisis.
Credit to: premiumtimesng.com
23 youths arraigned for disorderly conduct
Alpha Dampha, Janko Sanyang, Babucarr Secka, Arfang Badjie, Ebrima Camara, Wa Saidyba, Alieu Khan, Malick Nyang, Muhammed Jobe, Pierre Jatta, Papa Khan, Ebrima Jallow, Musa Sallah, Ebrima Camara, Lamin Manka, Macho Ceesay, Babucarr Jallow, Yerro Saiday, Abdoulie Dibba, Musa Saidykhan, Alpha Omar Jallow, Sheikh Tijan Faye and Muhammed Touray were yesterday arraigned before Principal Magistrate Omar Jabang of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court and charged on two counts of idle and disorderly contrary to Section 166( C ) of the Criminal Code and common nuisance contrary to Section 160( 1 ) of the Criminal Code.
Prosecutors alleged that the accused persons in the month of August, 2023, at Serrekunda and diverse places, in the Kanifing Municipality of the Republic of The Gambia, they, while in a public place, conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace.
They were also alleged to have obstructed or caused annoyance and inconvenience in exercise of a common right. They denied any wrongdoing.
ASP Oley Bobb, the prosecuting officer, objected to bail for the accused persons. She stated that if they were granted bail, they would continue causing havoc to the society. She further argued that the accused would go on the rampage and would not allow their community to have a peace of mind. “I urge the court not to grant them bail but remand them at Mile 2 Prison, pending the hearing of the case,” she told the court.
However, the accused persons appealed to the court to grant them bail. They posited that the offences they were charged with are bailable.
At this juncture, the presiding magistrate adjourned the case until the 17th August, 2023, to rule whether they would be granted bail or not.
Credit to: thepoint.gm
We may be pushed to invade Niger — US tells coup plotters
The United States of America has warned the Niger junta that America may be pushed to be involved militarily if the country’s military rulers do not return to constitutional order.
The US acting Deputy Secretary, Victoria Nuland, in a special briefing on Niger disclosed this via a teleconference on Tuesday.
She noted, “…There is still a lot of motion here on many sides with regard to where the governance situation will go.
“So we will be watching that closely and there are a number of regional meetings coming up and consultations with allies and partners that we need to make.
“So we’ll be watching the situation, but we understand our legal responsibilities and I explained those very clearly to the guys (Niger junta) who were responsible for this and that it is not our desire to go there, but they may push us to that point, and we asked them to be prudent in that regard and to hear our offer to try to work with them to solve this diplomatically and return to constitutional order.”
Nuland noted that President Joe Bden has been in constant touch with President Tinubu, the ECOWAS Chairman as well as many other European allies.
Read more: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/08/we-may-be-pushed-to-invade-niger-us-tells-coup-plotters/
Credit to: Vanguardngr.com
UPDATED: WASSCE 2023: WAEC withholds results of over 200,000 candidates, records 79.81% pass
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), on Monday, announced the release of the results for the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.
The examination body said out of a total of 1,613,733 candidates that sat the examination, the results of 262,803 candidates are being withheld “due to reports of cases of examination malpractice.”
The Head of Nigeria’s Office (HNO) of WAEC, Patrick Areghan, who made the announcement in Lagos, also hinted at his exit from the examination body as he is set to retire in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, Mr Areghan announced an improvement in pass rate by candidates as a total of 1,361,608 candidates, representing 84.38 per cent, obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects with or without English Language or Mathematics.
Also, 1,287,920 candidates, representing 79.81 per cent of the total candidates, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects including English Language and Mathematics.
In 2022, 76.36 per cent of the 1,601,047 candidates that sat the examination, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
The release of the 2023 results would offer a ray of hope for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
Some of the admission seekers who sat the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) did not provide the required SSCE results in their application forms but declared they were awaiting their results.
Read more: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/614971-updated-wassce-2023-waec-withholds-results-of-over-200000-candidates-records-79-81-pass.html
Credit to: premiumtimes.ng
HER EXCELLENCY DR FATIMA JABBE MAADA BIO: THE GAME CHANGER FOR SIERRA LEONE’S FUTURE
D5 Creation