STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday advised U.S. Presidential Envoy & Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Molly Phee, to ensure that U.S. policy is intentionally collaborative with independent African democracies at a time when they are under assault by anti-democratic forces within and outside of the continent.
The President noted that American-backed development finance and multilateral institutions, which were designed to support war-torn Europe after World War II, require swift and comprehensive reform to meet the developmental requirements of younger democracies in Africa, which operate in authoritarian-crowded environments, such that the legitimate yearnings of Africans would no longer be manipulated to serve the narrow aims of self-seeking demagogues through unconstitutional takeovers of power.
“Yes, the private sector will lead the way within an enabling environment we create for them, but the U.S. Government must be innovative in its thinking and systematically create incentives for U.S. industrial investment in Nigeria. Under my leadership, Nigeria stands ready to address their specific regulatory, tax and environmental concerns. I am determined to create prosperity for all Nigerian families,” the President declared.
The Nigerian leader affirmed that the crisis in Niger Republic would not deter him from concluding his economic reform programme successfully for the benefit of Nigerians and that he takes a queue from no nation, but will only advance the interest of the Nigerian state in his approach toward ECOWAS’ handling of the regional standoff.
“We are deep in our attempts to peacefully settle the issue in Niger by leveraging on our diplomatic tools. I continue to hold ECOWAS back, despite its readiness for all options, in order to exhaust all other remedial mechanisms. War is not ideal for my economic reforms, nor for the region, but the defense of democracy is sacrosanct. The ECOWAS consensus is that we will not allow anyone to insincerely buy time,” the ECOWAS Chairman affirmed.
Pledging its support for the position of ECOWAS, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy expressed the high regard the U.S. Administration has for the leadership of the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bola Tinubu, and extended an exclusive invitation from U.S. President Joe Biden to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City to advance discussions further in late September.
“We know there is more we can do to incentivize large-scale American investment in Nigeria and we are committed to working closely with you to achieve that, as part of efforts to strengthen the Nigerian economy and the regional economy. We appreciate your willingness to create an enabling environment for that. President Joe Biden is asking to meet with you on the sidelines of UNGA and you are the only African leader he has requested to meet. It is a mark of his high regard for your leadership,” the U.S. Special Envoy said.
The President concluded that he accepts the invitation to meet the U.S. President on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly and that the work of perfecting democracy is never done, even in developed democracies, as seen recently in America, as well as other emerging democracies in the world.
Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
August 26, 2023
Delta Guber: Tribunal reserves judgement in Omo-Agege’s petition
The Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, Thursday, reserved judgement on the petition brought before it by the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
Omo-Agege, in his petition, is challenging the declaration of the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, as winner of the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial election in the State by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The three-man tribunal headed by Justice C.O Ahuchaogu
adjourned for judgement after parties had adopted their final written addresses.
Ahuchaogu said the date for the judgment would be communicated to the parties and their counsels.
Counsel for the first respondent, INEC, Prof. John Abugu, said the commission had adopted in it’s entirety, a 30-page written address it had filed and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lack of merit.
Counsel for Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Damian Dodo, SAN, said the second respondent wholely adopts all the arguments in his final written address in urging the tribunal to dismiss the petition.
While saying that the petition was bound to fail, Dodo argued that the nature and character of the allegations made by the petitioner were such that the “witnesses called by the petitioner could not and have not even with the documents brought to the court prove the petition.
“Petitions by their nature must be proved by evidence; this, the petitioners have failed to do”.
Counsel to the third respondent, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Ekeme Ohwovoriole, SAN, in adopting the party’s written address, said the petition was based on speculations and deserved to be dismissed.
On his part, Counsel to Omo-Agege, Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, while adopting the petitioner’s written address, urged the tribunal to hold that the petitioner proved the petition and therefore entitled to the reliefs sought.
Iziyon argued that the petitioner, have by the nature of the pleadings and the documents tendered proved his case and urged the tribunal to declare the petitioner as winner of the election.
Tinubu makes fresh appointments
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mrs Mojoyinoluwa Dekalu-Thomas as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO).
A statement by Mr Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, on Friday in Abuja, said the appointment was for a term of four years.
Dekalu-Thomas served as the acting MD/CEO of NELMCO since the tenure of pioneer NELMCO MD/CEO, Mr Adebayo Fagbemi, ended on May 8.
Ngelale said that her new appointment has created a vacancy at her previous position of Executive Director, Liability Management.
He said that the President has, therefore, approved the appointment of Mr Dimla Nchinney to serve in NELMCO as the substantive Executive Director, Liability Management.
The presidential spokesman said that the appointments took immediate effect.
Delta to celebrate 32nd anniversary with thanksgiving
As part of activities to mark the 32nd anniversary its creation, Delta State Government has invited the general public and people of the state to an inter-denominational thanksgiving service at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter’s (Anglican Communion), Asaba.
A statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Kingsley Emu said the Thanksgiving service would commence at 10 am prompt on Sunday, August 27, 2023.
It would be recalled that the General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration on August 27, 1991, created Delta State, alongside others.
Thirty-two years after, Deltans look back with gratitude to God for granting their wish of having a state of their own.