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Tinubu receives US envoy, ahead ‘Days of Rage’ protest *Assures on democracy
Few days to the 10-day Days of Rage Protest, scheduled to commence on August 1, President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, received Richard Mills Jr, the new Ambassador of the United States at the State House, Abuja, with a message to ensure that all democratic ethos would be observed by his government.
The president, who used the occasion to speak of the planned protest, told the US envoy, shortly after receiving his Letter of Credence, that his government was dedicated to democratic values and the rule of law, but vowed never to encourage any protests that lead to the destruction of lives and property.
Reflecting on his experiences as a pro-democracy activist, participating in peaceful protests against military dictatorship during Nigeria’s transition to democracy, he emphasised the importance of maintaining 25 years of unbroken democracy, while acknowledging the role of demonstrations in a democratic society.
But, he drew a clear line, stating that his administration will not support protests aimed at wreaking destruction, instead promoting peaceful expression and the protection of lives and property, adding: ”Our relationship with America is rich. We believe in democracy and freedom. Some of your predecessors worked hard during our transition to democracy, and we remember the likes of Ambassador Howard Jeter.
”We look forward to Nigeria and the United States continuously working to expand cooperation on shared goals and democratic values. During the military era, we made our voices heard against dictatorship, and I was part of the group that engaged in peaceful protests without resorting to the destruction of property.
”We have worked hard to ensure 25 years of unbroken democracy and I will continue to maintain this democracy. In as much as we believe that demonstrations are part of democracy, we will never encourage any protests that lead to the destruction of lives and property,” the President stated.
Welcoming the US State Department’s acknowledgement of Nigeria’s strategic role on the continent as Africa’s largest democracy, the American government to pay more attention to Africa, saying: ”Nigeria is ready to play its role as the largest democracy in Africa that is worthy of emulation to other African countries, but we need more U.S. partnership on the continent that is beneficial to both sides. We believe in freedom, and we are providing the leadership to make Nigeria’s economy grow,” the President said.
Mills, who affirmed the support Washington for Nigeria’s democracy, and pledged support for bigger roles for the country in the international arena, said: ”Nigeria is crucial to the United States because we share democratic values, and we are ready to give you all the support. I am here to make sure that the relationship blossoms both on democracy and the economic side.”
Expressing the United States’ commitment to expanding cooperation with Nigeria on cybercrimes, the Ambassador announced the establishment of a special office at the Embassy to work closely with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Tinubu, who also received Letters of Credence from the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Nigeria, Aiyub Bin Omar, and the High Commissioner of Botswana, Phild Nani Kereng, said he would work towards improving the balance of trade between Nigeria and Malaysia, adding: ”Diversification of the economy is uppermost on my Renewed Hope Agenda for Nigeria. We must look at how we can improve the balance of trade with Malaysia.”
To Tinubu’s acknowledgement that many Nigerian students found studying in Malaysia attractive, and that the looked forward to their contributions to the development of critical sectors of the economy, such as agriculture and ICT, his visitor stated that his country was looking forward to strengthening relations, ahead of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations in 2025, adding: ”We are pleased with our cooperation in the areas of education. We are also keen on working with Nigerian partners in the financial services sector.”
Echoing similar sentiments, with the Botswanan envoy the President, who acknowledged the country’s progress on livestock development, narrated how he had received briefing from a committee established to create a ministry of livestock development in Nigeria, while expressing Nigeria’s readiness to develop a robust cultural and economic cooperation with the Southern African country.
”The committee is at work, and their report will be ready in the next two weeks. Africa’s solution is in our hands. Nobody will help us if we do not help ourselves,” the President said, describing President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana as a good friend and used the forum to extend his appreciation to him for attending his inauguration.
Kereng, while stating that Botswana was committed to being a leader in the production of livestock vaccines and is prepared to partner Nigeria in this area, expressed admiration for Nigerian arts, entertainment, and culture, adding that young people from Botswana had a lot to learn from Nigeria’s youth-driven creative economy, adding: “My coming to Nigeria fulfills my President’s vision of improved relations with Nigeria, and I will work very hard to achieve these objectives.”
Those peddling fake and substandard drugs in Nigeria should be ready for the hangman’s noose, if the thinking of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), becomes the new law.
Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General of the body, who said on Friday that no other form of punishment is fitting enough, gave instances of where the application of such dangerous substances in form of health drugs, had led to fatalities.
Advocating that only stiff penalties would deter peddlers especially when deaths of children became involved, the NAFDAC boss, who appeared as a guest on The Morning Brief, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, said: “Somebody bought children’s medicine for N13,000 or something like that, another person was selling about N3,000 in the same mall.
“That raised an alarm. Guess what? There was nothing inside that medicine when we tested it in our Kaduna lab. So, I want the death penalty. Because you don’t need to put a gun on the head of a child before you kill that child. Just give that child bad medicine.”
Advocating that the National Assembly and the judiciary to make the proposal a reality, adding that the agency was open to partnering with lawmakers and other stakeholders on the matter, she added: “You cannot fight substandard, falsified medicine in isolation. The agency can do as much as it can but if there is no deterrent, there’s going to be a problem.
“Somebody brought in 225mg of Tramadol that can kill anybody, fry the brain and you give a judgment of five years in prison or N250,000. Who doesn’t know that that person will go to the ATM and get N250,000? That is part of our problem.
“There are no strict measures to deter [people] from repeating the same thing. We can do as much as we can but if our law is not strong enough, or the judiciary is not strong enough to stand up, we’re going to have a problem.
“So, our judiciary system must be strong enough. But we are working with the National Assembly to make our penalties very stiff. But if you kill a child by bad medicine, you deserve to die. We have a lot on our plate in stemming drug peddling.
“Withe about 2,000 staff members nationwide and limited funding, NAFDAC is constrained in carrying out its activities. So, when it comes to staffing, you’re right on the point. We are short-staffed and I am hoping things will be better.”
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday, made a fresh push for the creation of an electoral offences tribunal, to curb the cases of attacks on the Nigerian democratic system.
Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman, told reporters at the commission’s first regular quarterly consultative meeting with the media that the tribunal had become important owing to the backlog of electoral offence cases.
He said: “A major obstacle to the speedy dispensation of justice in this regard is that electoral offences are not time-bound as is the case with post-election offences through the tribunals. Furthermore, they are solely prosecuted by the Magistrate and State High Courts in the jurisdiction where the alleged offences are committed,” the INEC chief told the gathering.
“No priority attention is given to such cases as the courts deal with a variety of other cases. Consequently, electoral offences are carried over from one General Election to another which may sometimes affect the diligent prosecution of the cases. It is therefore imperative to renew our call for the creation of the Electoral Offences Tribunal that have a specific jurisdiction and limited timeframe for the speedy dispensation of cases.”
Bemoaning the delay in the justice delivery system, citing the conviction of a returning officer in Akwa Ibom after six years in court, the INEC boss, said: “The recent successful prosecution of a Returning Officer in Akwa Ibom State is a case in point.
“The Commission has been diligently pursuing the case which arose from the 2019 General Election. In this particular case, it took nearly six years to achieve the successful prosecution at the trial court.
“Through our collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) cases involving 774 alleged offenders from the 2023 General Election are being prosecuted. So far, successful prosecutions have been recorded in Kebbi and Kogi States while our collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on vote-buying has yielded similar results in Lagos, Kwara, and Gombe States. Yet, many cases are still pending.”
A mosque in Bushe community, Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State, fell into the hands of bandits on Friday, after which 10 worshippers including the Imam were spirited away, adding to growing cases of terrorist attacks.
Channels Television reports that the gunmen invaded the mosque on Thursday while worshippers were performing their early morning Subhi prayer, quoting residents as saying that the gunmen had been molesting the people of the community for some time now, even with the presence of security agents.
Ahmed Rufai, spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, who confirmed the attack on Friday, said the police authorities were working with other security agencies to rescue the abducted victims.
A member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, representing the Sabon Birni B state Constituency who also confirmed the attack, commended the security agencies for their timely intervention.
BREAKING: Death penalty for fake drugs! *NAFDAC to push new law at NASS
Give us electoral offences tribunal to take care of heist – INEC
Again, terrorists attack Sokoto, kidnap 10 worshippers at a mosque
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