The tense US 2020 election, which was held on November 3, ended with Joe Biden winning the presidency. Even though Donald Trump did not admit losing the presidency, it is clear that Biden is a unanimous president and will take the president’s seat.

Donald Trump’s four years of the presidency was full of unexpected events and decisions. Some experts thought that Trump should not have had a problem with winning the second term.

But the coronavirus pandemic and difficult political environment inside the country finally had its toll.

Another very important question is how the new administration will deal with the African countries? In this article, we will talk about this issue.

Buhari congratulates Biden
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was one of the first ones to congratulate U.S President-elect Joe Biden on his victory.

Buhari emphasised the need for democracy for fair elections and an opportunity to change leaders peacefully.

Buhari also looked forward to increased cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, especially at the economic, diplomatic and political levels, including the war on terror.

Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, also said Nigeria hopes for closer relations with the United States under Biden’s presidency.

What exactly can we expect?
The first thing that we can expect is without a doubt strengthening bilateral ties between these countries. Trump ignored this for four years and we can predict that economic relations between Nigerian and the United States will become much stronger.

Nigeria is a leading economy in Africa. The country has seen a surge in trading — people are now able to easily register to trade Forex in Nigeria and a strong connection with the United States will be beneficial for the country’s national currency as well.

At the same time, the Biden administration could use a more targeted approach to international trade instead of Trump’s more “blanket” approach, which is also very good for Nigeria.

Biden is a person who has always supported alliances and strong bilateral ties with other countries, especially if we take into account Africa and Nigeria.

The latter, as has been mentioned above, is the leading economy in Africa. Of course, the United States wants to expand its reach in Africa and have a strong partner, like Nigeria. This will give us cooperation that is beneficial for both countries.

Biden to introduce restriction

While we have talked about positive events, Joe Biden can also put more pressure on the Nigerian government, because of the human rights violations that is taking place in Nigeria.

We can recall that Nigerian citizens, who were protesting against corruption and police reforms in the country were subjected to a violent crackdown from the police forces.

Biden will encourage the Nigerian government to have a more peaceful approach towards its citizens. Otherwise, it is also possible that the US president will impose some sanctions.

Biden’s presidency seems to be very beneficial for Nigeria and the following years will unfold everything for the African country.

Details about the 2020 US election
U.S. President Donald Trump still does not want to recognise Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election.

Some Republicans are urging Trump and his supporters to accept that the Democratic nominee has won enough states to win. Other Trump supporters say there was serious wrongdoing but did not provide serious evidence that such problems could have distorted the election results.

On Saturday and Sunday of the election, Trump did not appear in public and chose to spend the weekend at his golf club.

However, he did not forget about his Twitter account, through which he continued to complain of abuse.

On Monday night, Trump posted a message on Twitter that journalists saw as a promise to appear on the airwaves to discuss “cheating on the postal vote,” but there was no response.

How Biden will start
While Trump still doesn’t recognise Biden’s victory, U.S. media are already reporting on the democratic nominee’s first possible moves after the inauguration.

Journalists predict that on the first day (or days) of his presidency he will sign a series of decrees that will repeal many of the key decisions of the Republican predecessor.

According to forecasts, this list looks like this:

*Biden is preparing emergency measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, including he could expand testing and introduce mandatory wearing of masks in federal agencies.

*The new president intends to rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate change. Officially, the U.S. stopped participating in it only on November 4, although Trump promised to abandon the treaty during the 2016 presidential campaign.

*Cancel the decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organisation. Trump has promised to do so because of the controversy over the coronavirus pandemic and the disease control policy.

*End Trump’s ban on citizens of some Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.

*Restore the DACA programme, under which authorities should not immediately deport people who entered the U.S. without the right documents as minors.

vanguardngr.com

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has commended the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on brutality, human rights violations and alleged extra-judicial killings by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force, for their commitment and dedication to duty, as he swore in Usiosefe Ereyimwan as member of the panel.

Obaseki, while swearing in the panel’s new member at the Government House, Benin City, hailed the panel for carrying out its assignment with the professionalism and urgency it deserves.

Obaseki said, “I want to commend the panel for the work done till date and the thoroughness with which they have pursued the assignment given.”

Charging the newly inaugurated member on the duties ahead, the governor noted, “We urge you and members of the panel to do justice to the task given to you. We had inaugurated the main body weeks ago and your swearing in is to enable you join the panel and contribute your quota.

“We believe in the experience and background of members of the panel and hope that they would get to the bottom of the injustice melted out to our citizens on the SARS structure of the police.”

Obaseki urged members of the public to direct all correspondence to the panel to enable it to have a holistic report and respond effectively.

"As an administration, we do not have anything against the #EndSARS movement; we align with some of the issues that the movement is protesting against. We condemn the fact that the legitimate process was hijacked by hoodlums, which degenerated to the destruction across the country.

“Our responsibility is to fix what is broken in the country and as an administration, we will support any constructive suggestion and idea that will help us as a country to move forward,” the governor stated.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/endsars-obaseki-expands-judicial-panel-of-inquiry-hails-performance/%3famp=1

clementjava:

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BUNCH OF SCAMMERS

yes they are bigger sacmmer, the prepaid meter self is yet to circulate, everything about Nigeria is only written in the newspaper nothing to show for it

U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday said the Department of Justice had found no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could upturn the Nov. 3 elections.

“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election,” The Associated Press quoted Barr as saying.

This is contrary to claims by President Donald Trump, who lost to former Vice President Joe Biden, that the election was rigged against him.

His camping organisation is challenging the election results in key battleground states where its lawsuits have largely been unsuccessful.

In early November, the attorney general directed U.S. attorneys across the country to investigate allegations of widespread election irregularities before the results were certified by states.

He said in the AP interview that federal investigators had followed up on complaints, but had not found evidence to back claims of widespread fraud.

This news will certainly draw flaks from Trump, who said on Sunday that the justice department had been “missing in action” on the voter fraud probe.

“You would think if you’re in the FBI or Department of Justice, this is the biggest thing you could be looking at.

“Where are they? I’ve not seen anything. They just keep moving along and they go on to the next president,” the president said on Fox News.

punchng.com

Is the Accountant-General of Federation, AGF, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, who was on June 25, 2019, reappointed AGF for another four years, and clocked 60 years old on November 25, 2020, a civil servant or a political appointee?

This is the controversy surrounding the AGF continued stay in office, and which may disrupt the industrial peace in the federal civil service if not properly addressed soon in line with the nation’s laws.

While the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, says Alhaji Idris is a civil servant who must be bound by the civil service rules, and should immediately retire from office having attained 60 years retirement age, the office of AGF has dismissed ASCSN’s claims, contending that the AGF is a political appointee whose position is not bound by the civil service rules.

ASCSN in a statement by its Secretary-General, Alade Bashir Lawal, threatened to mobilise members to storm the office of the AGF any moment to ensure he proceeded on retirement in accordance with the rules as he had allegedly been boasting that as a close friend to President Muhammadu Buhari, who facilitated his promotion to AGF, he could not be subjected to guidelines on retirement in the Civil Service.

According to the ASCSN’ scribe, Public Service Rule, PSR, 020810 stated clearly that: “The compulsory retirement age for all grades in the service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.

“No Officer shall be allowed to remain in service after attaining the retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service whichever is earlier.”

Lawal lamented that “in spite of the very clear provision on retirement in the Civil Service, some Heads of agencies continue to sit tight in their offices refusing to exit the service on the spurious ground that they have link with Mr President and cannot be subjected to Public Service Rules.

“Those parading themselves as President’s men might just be name-droppers as President Buhari, a disciplined General, cannot be encouraging impunity in any form.

“This negative report from Alhaji Idris is particularly painful and disturbing because the post of Accountant-General of the Federation is a career one and it is strictly guided by the provisions of the Public Service Rule 020810.

“Moreover, there are about 200 qualified Directors in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation with requisite educational qualifications and vast experience to occupy that exalted office as stipulated in section 86 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“The 1999 Constitution as amended empowers the Civil Service to make its own rules and that led to the formulation of the Public Service Rules, Financial Regulations, Federal Civil Service Commission Guidelines on Appointment, Promotion and Discipline in the service all of which are inseparable components of Public Service regulations designed to enhance efficient and effective service delivery to the citizens.

“The Association can no longer accept a situation where Civil Servants who Head Government Agencies or become Permanent Secretaries would stay put in office and refuse to retire because the practice is gradually destroying the service apart from demoralizing Senior Civil Servants who have served the country for decades but can no longer advance to the peak of their career because their positions are being blocked by people who claimed to be related to powerful persons in the Presidency.”

AGF response
Reacting to ASCSN demands for his exit, an official in the Office of AGF, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said “The AGF is not a civil servant that should retire at the age of 60.

“He is a political appointee. He was appointed for a four -year term in the first instance in 2015. He was re-appointed for a second term in June last year. So what are those people talking about? Ask them.”

ASCSN petition
However, President of ASCSN, Bola Audu Innocent insisted that Idris was a civil servant, informing that the association had petitioned the Head of Service, HoS, of the Federation, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and copied Chief of Staff to the president, Minister of Finance, the supervising Minister, Inspector General of Police and the Director of Department of State Service, DSS to brief them on ASCSN plans.

“According to him, the AGF ought to have retired but “we understand he still comes to the office, mostly in the evenings. We are given him three weeks which is in accordance with the ILO standard to vacate that office.

“Well, at the expiration of the ultimatum, if he refused to leave, we will shut down the federal civil service.”

Corroborating the President, Lawal maintained that the “AGF is a career civil servant like Surveyor-General or Permanent Secretary.

The Surveyor General recently retired after attaining the mandatory retirement age. When Mr Idris was made Accountant General of the Federation few years ago, he was appointed out of three Directors sent to President Buhari to choose from. At that time, was he a political appointee?

“Mr Idris is one of the boys that worked with President Buhari when he was Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF during the late General Sani Abacha’s government. He was transferred to the Ministry when PTF was scrapped by the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“All 15 Accountant-Generals before him retired when they served for 35 years or reached 60 years of age. Why does he want to cling to the office because of primordial affinity with President Buhari?”

AGF letter to SGF
Curiously, Vanguard’s investigation revealed that the embattled AGF had on October 2, 2020, written to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, seeking clarification on his status ahead of November 25, 2020, when he would clock 60 years old.

The letter titled “Re, Renewal of Appointment as Accountant-General of the Federation”, reads in part: ” I most respectfully inform the Secretary to the Government of the Federation that I will be Sixty (60) years of age on 25th of November 2020, while my length of service will be Seventeen (17) years.

“In the light of the foregoing, I wish to most obediently seek for SGF’s guidance and clarification accordingly.”

The question is if the AGF is not a civil servant as claimed, why would he seek clarification on his age and status ahead of November 25, 2020, when he attained 60 years old and 17 years in service?

Vanguard tried in vain to get the response of the SGF to the letter.



vanguardngr.com

Still irate one month after his election defeat to Joe Biden, Donald Trump is openly musing about a second run at the US presidency in 2024.
Refusing to accept defeat, Trump’s lawyers and supporters continued Wednesday to file lawsuits and even call for extraordinary intervention, such as martial law, to force a new vote.
And Trump released an extraordinary 46-minute video in which he again claimed that he was robbed of victory in a “rigged” election.

But at a White House Christmas party on Tuesday, the president suggested he might have lost this battle, but would not retire quietly as a one-term president.

“It’s been an amazing four years. We are trying to do another four years. Otherwise, I’ll see you in four years,” he told guests.

The comment was perhaps the closest the 74 year old Trump has come to admitting his quixotic, month-long quest to reverse Biden’s win has failed.

All six contested states have now certified their tallies, and the national count gives Biden nearly seven million more votes than Trump, an insurmountable four percentage-point margin.

On Tuesday Attorney General Bill Barr declared that the Justice Department had found no significant evidence of fraud in the election.

Biden meanwhile continued to prepared for taking office on January 20, telling The New York Times in an interview how he plans to revive the economy.

“I want to make sure we’re going to fight like hell by investing in America first,” Biden said.

– ‘So much evidence’ –
Trump still refuses to publicly concede his defeat on November 3, forcing him from office after one term.

He has remained shuttered in the White House, limiting his public appearances, and apparently holding few official meetings, while issuing furious tweets about alleged election fraud.

But according to media reports he is preparing his exit, holding discussions about issuing preemptive pardons for his three adult children — Don Jr, Eric and Ivanka — for Ivanka’s husband Jared Kushner, and his own personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

On Wednesday he released on Twitter a formal address on the election.

“This may be the most important speech I’ve ever made,” he began.

He recited a litany of complaints about the election, saying the Democrats used the Covid-19 crisis to force widespread use of mailed ballots, which he said were fraudulently manipulated to support Biden.

“This election was rigged, everybody knows it,” he said.

“It is statistically impossible that the person, me, who led the charge, lost.”

“We have so much evidence,” Trump said.

Supporters continued to fight against the results. Giuliani appeared before Michigan’s state legislature Wednesday to present his claims of irregularities.

In Georgia, another lawyer tied to the Trump campaign, Sidney Powell, spoke to a rally of supporters claiming their votes were not counted.

But Barr’s statement, in a break with the president, Tuesday went far to undermine their claims.

“To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election,” he said.

– Someone’s going to get shot’ –
The campaign to delay and litigate the election results, though, was turning in discomfiting directions.

In Georgia, which still faces another vote on two hotly-contested US Senate seats in early January, officials said Trump’s rhetoric was dangerous, stoking potential violence against officials.

“Someone’s going to get hurt. Someone’s going to get shot. Someone’s going to get killed. It’s not right,” voting system manager Gabriel Sterling said Tuesday.

And two prominent retired three-star generals, including Trump’s former national security advisor Michael Flynn, chillingly called for Trump to declare martial law and have the military supervise a new election.

– Trump headed to Georgia –
Trump’s immediate plans were to head to Georgia on Saturday to campaign beside the two Republican Senate candidates, key to the party retaining control of the US Senate.

But beyond that, when he might openly accept his loss, or map out his post-presidency plans, remained unknown.

According to NBC News, Trump has discussed the possibility with his close aides of launching his 2024 campaign on January 20, the day Biden is to be inaugurated as president.

In theory, nothing prevents another run. The US Constitution restricts presidents to two four-year terms, but does not require they be consecutive.

But only one president did so: Grover Cleveland, in the late 19th century.

The real estate tycoon faces the challenge of losing the centre of attention, and his grip on the Republican Party, as Washington turns to the Biden administration.

Yet he retains strong support among voters, who could continue to rally behind him and make him a continuing force in Republican politics.



Vanguardngr.com

Seun it's not fair at all, for the fact am a citizen in this forum and even your long time friend, your mods not allowing me to create thread, it not really fair the way you guys now running this forum.

GOVERNORS of the thirty-six states of the country under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF will be meeting tomorrow, with evolving a new national security order that will ensure the safety of lives and property nationwide topping the agenda.

Recall that there have been continued cases of armed banditry, Boko Haram Insurgents, and kidnapping across the country, with the Saturday gruesome killings of rice farmers in Borno State by members of the Boko Haram.

Also to be discussed at the meeting is the controversial Water Resources Bill where they are expected to brainstorm on the last presentation of the Minister of Water Resources,

Engineer Suleiman Hussein Adamu, just as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN will brief the governors on the update of Stamp Duty Collections.

The statement read the 22nd NGF Teleconference meeting which will hold tomorrow Wednesday has the disturbing issue of insecurity across the country as the major focus.

“As part of the effort, beginning at the subnational level, the Forum will be receiving zonal updates on SARS and Internal security at its Wednesday meeting.

“Similarly, the Forum will also revisit the issue of CACOVID palliatives with updates on its current status’ in all the states.

“Three groups will be making presentations, top of which will be a joint effort between the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, and the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasiru el-Rufai, discussing how to access Pension Funds for Infrastructure Development in the country.

“The resolutions and matters arising from the just concluded 26th NESG summit will also feature at the meeting, just as the last but not the least presentation of the day will dwell on the medium and long term national development agenda by the Core Working Group (CWG) of the Human Capital Development program of Nigeria.

“As usual knotty issues like the Stamp Duty Collection on which a letter has been despatched to the Attorney General of the Federation seeking clarification on whose responsibility it is to collect and who owns the revenue will feature, as well as a response to the Water Resources Minister on the Water Resources Bill that has trended in the last couple of months.

“The regular SFTAS update by Mr. Ajogbasile of the NGF and the Gov Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State’s Committee update on the activities of the Presidential Task Force will be preceded by an update on a meeting with ASUU and Conference of Legislators of Nigeria COSLAN.

“The meeting will start as usual at 2 pm but governors have virtual access to it from 1 pm, according to the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. Asishana Bayo Okauru.”



By Henry Umoru

vanguardngr.com

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has urged Nigerians not to conduct usual Christmas festivities such as carol services this year.
Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), stated this during the weekly briefing of the task force in Abuja on Monday.

According to Ihekweazu, Christmas carols, travels and other gatherings during the festive season, could turn out to be “super spreaders” of the coronavirus.

He said, “This is really to re-emphasise the call by the PTF that many of the traditional meetings that we engage in at this time of the year, whether they are Christmas carols or festivals, trips, family gatherings, each of those could end up being a super spreader event.

“So, we must take this into consideration as we make our choices.”

NCDC on Monday night announced 145 new cases of COVID - 19 in the country.

The new infections take the number of cases in the country to 67,557.



Ifreke Inyang

dailypost.ng

Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), says the clamour for the sacking of service chiefs is ‘out of place’.

According to Shehu, the president has the prerogative to appoint or sack any of the country’s service chiefs, adding that the president keeps the service chiefs as long as he is satisfied with their performance.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that the horrific killing of at least 43 rice farmers at Zabarmari in the Jere Local Government Area of Borno State last Saturday sparked fresh call for the sacking of the country’s service chiefs.

Reacting to the call by several Nigerians who also want the president to rejig the country’s security architecture, Shehu said the decision to sack or retain any of the service chiefs is entirely the president’s.

He spoke on Monday night in an interview with Arise TV monitored by The PUNCH.

The presidential spokesman said, “I am not aware that the tenure of service chiefs is subjected to any law or regulation that is clearly stated. They serve at the pleasure of the president and (if) the president is satisfied with their performance, he keeps them. The buck stops on his table —with due respect to the feelings of Nigerians.

“The clamour for the sack is out of place considering that the president is not subject to the opinion of opposition political party which has clamoured for this all the time. It is entirely his own determination; he decides who he keeps as his service chiefs and for how long.”

Boko Haram were reported to have first tied up the farmers, who were working in rice fields, before slitting their throats.

Shehu had said the farmers had no military clearance to be on the rice farms when the attack happened.

His reaction was greeted by outrage on social media as many Nigerians lambasted him for blaming the dead.

Explaining further last night, Shehu said, “My suggestion in the earlier news report is that the military had not certified those areas as being free of landmines and terrorists’ intrusions. Whether there are processes for getting licences or commissions, it is not for me, the military is in a better position to describe those processes."



Kayode Oyero

punchng.com

Members of the House of Representatives were divided at Tuesday plenary on whether or not to invite President Muhammadu Buhari to appear before them and offer explanation on the true security situation of the country.

An earlier circulated motion had prayed for the invitation of the president.

But the motion eventually moved by Hon. Satomi Ahmed on behalf other 10 Borno State lawmakers on the floor prayed the president to amongst other things, declare a State of emergency on security matters.

But the motion as presented didn’t sit down well with another Borno lawmaker, Hon. Ahamdu Jaha who relied on Order 6, Rule 1 of the House to say that the original motion to which all the lawmakers agreed on was to call on the President to address them on the security situation especially in the north east region.

He, therefore, amended the prayers of the motion.

“My amendment is that Mr. President should be invited to come and explain the security situation in the country especially in the north east”, he said.

His amendment got the support of the House.

But the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila said it was not necessary, stressing that the State of emergency prayer sufficed

This was however rejected by the House.

Similarly, the majority leader of the House, Ado Doguwa added his voice, saying that security issues can’t be discussed openly, pleading for the understanding of his colleagues not to summon the president.

His contribution was however greeted with a thunderous shout of No.

Seeing the rising tension and the determination of the lawmakers, the Speaker suddenly called for executive session to resolve the matter.

“Hon. Colleagues, I am a little bit disappointed with a lot of these no, no.

“This is not the spirit with which we started this 9th assembly.

“We will go into executive session to resolve this matter”, Gbajabiamila said

The House is yet to reconvene at the time of filing this report.





By Levinus Nwabughiogu

vanguardngr.com

Shay na only ghanna news dey podcast Nigeria celebrities gist to the world.?? I can't believe it

Yan Yan Yan Yan cry cry baby!

RIP Legend!

The way Americans will drag this man ehen let's watch as the drama un-fold

Either he approved the transition or not Biden team already plan to go ahead with the whole process, in-fact I foresee Americans building another white house for Bidden incase he will refuse to vacate the current white house

Where are those Trumpeters

Wetin we no go see for 2020 see as dem looser dem dey express dem self

Wahaala for barca fans

Nice gesture let see what their up to this time, those Labour seriously ridicule themselves under this govt, too bad

This man dey mad gan

Nice thread

Eyah almost every men is actually guilty of this alligation most especially Nigeria men so make we reduce the tempo for bashing this guy small small abeg, gbo gbo WA lo lay Eni ti Ile ba MO ba ni barawo!

.

Yawa Don gas , shame shame shame shame!
shame shame shame shame!shame shame shame shame!

If am opportune to be among all those countries world powers diplomat currently I'll just seriously file a massive report to stop taking any Nigeria official seriously anymore all around the world, and I'll follow it up till it implemented, what a kind of world!

Na so this bros finish him career chai

Oh the extra 15bnaira added na audio

DamZik:
A pregnant woman for that matter. She must be a witch.

we now have vampire living among us I keep telling people but it hard to believe

Watch that video what a barbaric act, madness everywhere!