₦airaland Forum

Bbbwings:
Who is the president. See how dem dey given order.

IconicR:
This man will definitely cause problems in our party
I don't support what they did to him at all and I'm very sure he will work against the party next time.

• Again, Blinken calls Tinubu to ensure release of Bazoum, Niger’s return to democracy
• ECOWAS slams threat to prosecute Bazoum for treason • AU meets over conflicting signals from Niger
• Niger can thwart ECOWAS sanctions, military-appointed PM boasts

After Sunday’s rapprochement by the military leaders in Niger Republic to embrace dialogue with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African bloc yesterday lashed out at threats by Niger’s military rulers to prosecute ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, saying this contradicted the regime’s declared willingness to resolve the crisis peacefully.

The coup leaders, who toppled Bazoum, said late Sunday that they had gathered evidence enabling them to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason and undermining the internal and external security of Niger.”

This, it said, was based on “contacts Bazoum had with nationals, foreign heads of state and officials in international organisations.” But in a statement on Monday, ECOWAS, confronted by the mixed signals from Niamey, Niger’s capital, angrily condemned the coup leaders’ stance, saying it had learned of the threats “with stupefaction”. “This represents yet another form of provocation and contradicts the reported willingness of the military authorities in the Republic of Niger to restore constitutional order through peaceful means.”

Bazoum, 63, and his family have been held at the president’s official residence since the coup on July 26, with international concern mounting over his condition in detention. However, Niger has said it would be able to thwart sanctions imposed by ECOWAS in response to last month’s coup.

In an interview released yesterday by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, new Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, said: “We think that even though it is an unfair challenge that has been imposed on us, we should be able to overcome it. And we will overcome it.”

ECOWAS had severed financial transactions and electricity supplies and closed borders with landlocked Niger, blocking much-needed imports to one of the world’s poorest countries. The military leaders earlier said the sanctions had made it difficult for people to access medicines, food and electricity, describing the measures as “illegal, inhumane and humiliating.”

But Zeine also expressed optimism about a visit by a Nigerian delegation and talks with ECOWAS, and stressed the importance of Niger’s ties with Nigeria as well as the West African bloc.

“We have a great interest in preserving this important and historical relationship and also in having ECOWAS work on purely economic issues first,” he said.

“Because the basic principle of solidarity is to work to enable all the states that belong to this union to be in a position to create the conditions for prosperity, and also to ensure that each of the countries benefits from the solidarity of the community.”

He also urged people to “trust the new authorities. We have focused our actions on serving them with complete integrity and competence,” he said.

Yesterday, for the second time since the coup, United States Secretary of States, Antony Blinken, again commended President Bola Tinubu’s leadership of ECOWAS and reiterated U.S. support to back the bloc’s efforts to restore constitutional order in Niger.

In a statement last night, Blinken said: “I spoke today with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. I commended President Tinubu’s leadership of ECOWAS second Extraordinary Summit on the situation in the Republic of Niger. I noted the importance of maintaining pressure on the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) to restore constitutional order and to see President Bazoum and his family released.”

Washington also said it was “incredibly dismayed by the plan to try the detained president.”

The African Union (AU) also yesterday held talks on the Niger crisis as the country’s post-coup rulers sounded defiant, yet also pointing to diplomacy for a potential solution. Like ECOWAS’s reaction, talks at the AU’s headquarters in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa were nearly marred by a flare-up over threats by the regime to prosecute Niger’s deposed president.

“AU’s Peace & Security Council meets to receive an update on the evolution of the situation in Niger and the efforts to address it,” the pan-African body said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Those who attended included AU Commission chief, Moussa Faki Mahamat, as well as representatives from Niger and the West African bloc ECOWAS.

While the communiqué from AU was still being expected last night, Mahamat had during the opening remarks expressed deep concern at the reported poor conditions of Bazoum’s detention, calling his treatment at the hands of coup leaders “unacceptable.”

Bazoum, whose election in 2021 was a landmark, was toppled by members of his presidential guard. His ousting unleashed a shockwave around West Africa, where Mali and Burkina Faso — likewise battered by a jihadist insurgency — have also suffered military takeovers. Seeking to stop the cascade, ECOWAS slapped sanctions on Niger and last week approved deployment of a “standby force to restore constitutional order.”

A landlocked nation in the heart of the arid Sahel, Niger is one of the world’s poorest and most turbulent countries. It frequently ranks at the bottom of the Human Development Index, a United Nations (UN) benchmark of prosperity.

Bazoum’s election in 2021 marked the first time that the country had experienced a peaceful transition of power since gaining independence from France in 1960. He survived two attempted coups before being ousted, in the fifth putsch in the country’s history.

Okoroawusa:
Una dey mad...

KGBKremlin:
Only foolish nigeria leader will be against Niger Republic junta government and since Tinubu has shown his foolishness he will start paying and disrespected

slivertongue:
More like a sanction on northern Nigeria.

EmeeNaka:
You can imagine the audacity.
So, the Northern Elders Forum supports Niger Republic in a disagreement with Nigeria ? So, to them, it's Tinubu's fault and not the fault of the Junta.
It's even better to advise Tinubu to remove the sanctions and not get involved at all, than to advise him to remove sanctions before negotiation.

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has advised President Bola Tinubu to remove various sanctions imposed on Niger Republic with a view to creating ways to negotiate with the military junta


DAILY POST recalls that following the overthrow of Niger civilian government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the immediate closure of borders between Niger Republic and disconnected power supply to that country

Reacting, however, NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the removal of sanctions on the country will make negotiations easier to conduct.

According to him, the sanctions imposed will negatively affect the morale and welfare of citizens of both countries and will detract from the existing positive disposition towards Nigeria’s position.

He said by removing various sanctions, it would make negotiations led by Nigeria, using all assets that both countries value, easier to conduct, adding that the forum noted the apology offered by the military leaders in Niger to our President over the manner in which his envoys, General Abdusalami and His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, were received.


It said President Tinubu is Chairman of ECOWAS and leader of Nigerians, adding that Nigeria is uniquely placed to engage the leadership of the Niger Republic to accept these with the minimum of delay.

“It will compound the security and humanitarian crises in the ECOWAS region. It is likely to weaken and further divide the ECOWAS and provide greater access for non-African interests into the lives of Africans, with negative consequences,” he said.

He said the ECOWAS should actively re-assess the roles and designs of non-African interests in the West African region. Besides multiple threats from armed groups in the Sahel and the region, we are becoming increasingly victims of global military manoeuvres and a scramble for our assets.

He commended all leaders and persons of influence, including the Nigerian Senate, who are contributing to a genuine resolution of the situation in the Niger Republic, just as he urged President Tinubu to recognise this unique moment in history and conduct himself in such a manner that it records his role as defining statesmanship.

ivolt:
FFK is dumb to reply an unverified quote.
Well, he is looking for settlement.

Racoon:
God please help the poor downtrodden citizens of this beleaguered nation to punish this bastards in the NASS small nah! The suffering of the common man is being downplayed while these fools are rationalising every corruption they perpetuate.

What Nigeria really need now is a mass revolt against these bastards whenever they misbehave irrespective of where and how they got into position but tribalism, primordial ethno-politico-religious sentiments is the bane of this contraption of a nation. They really need to be taught a lesson. They are worst than a military government.

The management of the National Assembly on Tuesday reacted to the controversial “enjoyment allowance” paid to Senators and members of the House of Representatives before they embarked on a long recess last week Monday.


In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday, the Secretary, of Research and Information, Dr. Ali Umoru, said the said payment to the lawmakers in the upper and lower legislative chambers was mischaracterised, describing such as unfortunate, given that the money is part of their statutory running cost of offices.

The statement read: “The attention of the Management of the National Assembly has been drawn to the persistent mischaracterization and misunderstanding of the payment of N2,000,000.00 (two million naira) allowance to each Senator.

“It should be noted that the two million Naira is part of the running cost of the office of each Senator as provided for in the 2023 budget.


“The allocation for running costs is not a new development; it has been standard practice. These funds are utilized to facilitate various activities that directly contribute to effective representation, legislative activities and other initiatives aimed at serving the interests of the people.

“For the avoidance of doubt and for emphasis, the said allowances were budgeted for in the 2023 Appropriation Act as part of the running cost of the office of each Senator of the 10th Assembly.

“The allowances are, therefore, an entitlement and not a privilege or largesse distributed to the Senators. However, given the wrong impression the subject matter has created, it has become imperative to make this clarification and put the records straight.

“The National Assembly remains committed to transparency and accountability in the management of public funds. We appreciate the continued support and understanding of the Nigerian people as we work together to uphold the principles of democracy and good governance.”

Tntsi:
Enough Investments full ground everywhere.

Tntsi:
It still favours him.. He balls well with his little pounds.