AFRICA

Nigeria’s vice president offers to waive immunity over fraud allegation

Nigeria’s vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has sued Timi Frank, a former chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Katch Ononuju, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for libel and “odious falsehood.” The duo had alleged that the vice president illegally collected the sum of N90 billion (about €225 million) from the Federal Inland Revenue …

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Xenophobia: Nigerians in South Africa thank Onyema, Abike-Dabiri

An association of Nigerians living in South Africa has praised chairman of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema, for the evacuation of over 500 stranded Nigerians following the xenophobic attacks in the country. The group said Onyema had demonstrated great patriotism by airlifting Nigerians out of the Rainbow Country free of charge. Such selflessness, according to the Nigerians, was not only …

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UN appoints Dangote, Adesina, others to combat global malnutrition

Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group, and Akinwunmi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, have been appointed by the United Nations. They are among the 27 global leaders appointed by the UN to combat global malnutrition. António Guterres, the secertary-general of the United Nations, made the appointment as part of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. The statement said …

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Sowore: Wole Soyinka condemns government’s charges against activist

Professor Wole Soyinka, first African Nobel laureate in literature, has condemned the charges preferred against Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and convener of the #RevolutionNow protest, by the federal government  of Nigeria. The government preferred a seven counts charges of treasonable felony and money laundering against Sowore on Thursday. The government also accused the human rights activist of causing insult …

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Sowore: ‘I will never insult Buhari again’ – Nigerians react to govt. charges against activist

Reactions have continued to trail Nigerian government’s decision to formally file charges against Omoyele Sowore, convener of #RevolutionNow protest, especially the one bothering on insulting the president. The  federal government filed seven counts of treasonable felony and money laundering against Sowore on Thursday. The government is also accusing the human rights activist of causing insult to the person of President …

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Spreading Bug of Nuremberg: Lessons to draw from Ekweremadu’s assault

Granted that prior to the experience of Ekweremadu, an Ivorian Minister suffered the same fate, albeit more violently, in Paris and that the then ailing President Muhammadu Buhari was picketed and heckled out of London and, more recently, picketed in Tokyo, the incident at Nuremberg has elicited reactions that have brought such actions to the front burner of national and international discourse on governance and responsible government with special reference to Africa.

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S/Africa: President Ramaphosa’s apology does not guarantee end to xenophobic attacks – Analyst

To mend fences with African countries whose nationals were victims of recent xenophobic attacks targeted at foreign African residents in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa dispatched three special envoys to seven African countries to deliver messages of apology and solidarity on 15 September. Analysts across the continent are interpreting the gesture and its likely impact on the future safety of …

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Ousted Tunisian president dies in exile

Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, a former president of Tunisia has died in exile, his family said. Ben Ali, 83, fled to Saudi Arabia when he left office and was living there before his death on Thursday. His funeral will take place on Friday in Saudi Arabia, his lawyer told Reuters news agency. Ben Ali’s death is coming days after Tunisia …

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Cutting-edge tech to help curb epidemics in West Africa

West Africa is embracing technology to power the response to infectious disease outbreaks. The 15 member states of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) are leveraging technology that will help them prevent cross-border outbreaks of epidemics including Ebola, cholera, yellow fever, Lassa fever, measles, onchocerciasis and meningitis. As part of the USAID funded Regional Action through Data (RAD) program, WAHO …

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Sowore’s supporters protest for his release in Lagos, Rome and London

Members of the Coalition for Revolution movement and supporters of Omoyele Sowore, a prominent Nigerian journalist, human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner currently detained by the government, carried out peaceful protests in three countries on Thursday.    The “#FreeSoworeNow Global Action” was carried out in Lagos, London and Rome.   They called for the release of Sowore and other activists …

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Sowore: Police barricade SaharaReporters office in Nigeria

Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force have barricaded the Lagos, Nigeria office of SaharaReporters, an online news platform owned by Omoyele Sowore, a prominent Nigerian journalist, human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner currently detained by the government. The security operatives reportedly prevented staff from gaining access into the building premises, located at GRA in the Ikeja area of Lagos State. …

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South Africa delays evacuation of Nigerians, withholds Air Peace’s landing permit

The evacuation of the second batch of Nigerians from South Africa, on Tuesday suffered setback following the delay by the South African authorities to grant landing permit to Air Peace. Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, had volunteered to evacuate the returnees in the wake of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals living in the country. The airline, in …

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Protests for Sowore’s freedom to hold in Nigeria, Germany, US, others

There will be a global protest for the release of Omoyele Sowore, a prominent Nigerian journalist, human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner. The protest, according to the TakeItBack Movement, will hold on 18 September in Nigeria and across Nigeria embassies in European countries like Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Spain. Using the hashtag #FreeSoworeNow, the organizers said the protest will also …

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South Africa apologises to Nigeria over xenophobic attacks

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has apologised to Nigeria over the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians living in the country. Ramaphosa sent Jeff Radebe, a special envoy, to President Muhammadu Buhari, to tender an apology letter on behalf of the South Africa government at the state house in Abuja on Monday. Radebe condemned the incessant xenophobic attacks, describing them as …

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Nigeria: Detained activist Omoyele Sowore files fresh bail application in court

Omoyele Sowore, the Nigerian  prominent journalist, human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner, has applied for bail in a fresh application he filed at the Federal Hight Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Sowore, founder of Sahara Reporters, an online news agency based in New York City that focuses on corruption, human rights abuses and other political misconduct in Nigeria,  was arrested 3 …

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Police arrest DR Congo’s ex-health minister for mismanagement of Ebola funds

Dr Oly Ilunga Kalenga, a former minister of health in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been arrested by the police for alleged mismanagement of $150 million funds, earmarked for Ebola epidemic. Ilunga was grilled earlier this month and he denied any wrongdoing. The police however arrested and detained Ilunga following a tip-off that he was going to flee the …

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