By Emmanuel Yashim

Sen. Shehu Sani, a former Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, has urged ECOWAS leaders to allow Nigeriens to fight for democratic rule in their country like Nigerians did.

Sani, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He added that the coup d’etat in Niger Republic was an internal matter which only the Nigeriens can take a decision on.

He was speaking against the backdrop of the threat of the use of military force against the military junta in Niger by the leaders of West African sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS.

“The takeover of government in Niger by the military was unfortunate because many people thought that military rule had come to an end and that democracy had come to stay in Africa, and especially the West coast of Africa.

“But we have seen in the past few years how democracy in the sub-region had collapsed. It happened in Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, and now in Niger Republic.

“Where we are making a fundamental mistake is the way we are handling the matter.

“Coup d’etats are internal issues. And they do not happen within a day. Conditions are created for them to happen.

“But we should not be involved in regime change,” he said.

According, Armed invasion of Niger will simply be a war between Nigeria and Niger because the former foots the bills of ECOWAS.

“If we are going to engage in an armed attack on Niger Republic, who will provide the soldiers, is it Togo, Guinea Bissau or Ghana?

“How many soldiers do they have? How much ammunition do they have?

“When we had our own military regimes in Nigeria, we were the ones that fought for democracy.

“Many of us went to prison and many of us went into exile,” he said.

According, let Nigeriens stand up and fight for democracy if they want to like we did.

“When we had military rule in 1983 nobody came to Nigeria to reinstate Alhaji Shehu Shagari to power.

“Nobody invaded Nigeria to put MKO Abiola in power.

“Nobody invaded Nigeria to remove Yakubu Gowon at that time to bring back Nnamdi Azikiwe to power.

“Whoever is the president of Niger Republic should be decided by the people of Niger. Let us handle the Niger coup with care,’’ he warned.

Niger’s palace guards last month put President Mohamed Bazoum under house arrest and assumed power, drawing condemnation from international powers.

The coup by the Nigerien military raised the spectre of further conflict in the impoverished Sahel region of West Africa which is already overrun by a deadly Islamist insurgency.

ECOWAS on Thursday ordered the activation of a standby force for possible use against the junta, saying it wanted a peaceful restoration of democracy but all options including force were on the table.

The order for the activation of a standby force came after the junta defied an Aug. 6 deadline set by ECOWAS for it to stand down.

The junta then closed Niger’s airspace and vowed to defend the country against any foreign attack. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

=======

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

Lebanon’s Information Minister Ziad Makari announced on Friday the temporary closure of the country’s sole national TV Channel, Tele Liban, due to the government’s inability to pay the employee’s salaries.

The closure came after attempts to persuade employees to continue working proved unsuccessful, the Elnashra news website reported.

Tele Liban staff started a strike a week ago, citing discontent with their salaries.

An employee of the channel said that employees have asked for salary increases and social aid to cope with the country’s high inflation and economic difficulties, but their demands have not been met.

“We’ve heard many promises, but nothing has happened yet, and we cannot take it anymore,” said the employee, who requested anonymity.

Tele Liban, established in the late 1950s, was initially jointly owned by two private companies.

The state acquired the private shares in 1996, making the television station fully government-owned.

Lebanon has been facing a steep financial crisis amid the collapse of the local currency by over 90 per cent, which caused a devaluation of wages of public sector employees. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

=========

Edited by Ummul Idris

By Maureen Okon

The Republic of Ireland on Monday promised to promote and sustain its bilateral relations with Nigeria through people-to-people engagements.

Mr Shane Rice, the Deputy Head of Mission for the Irish Embassy in Nigeria, made this pledge at a news conference to announce the Irish-Nigerian Partnership for Development and Growth Business conference.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference scheduled to take place in Dublin from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29 is being organised by leading industry professionals and policy makers.

It aims at strengthening economic ties between Republic of Ireland and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The conference will be a hybrid event with fellowship from participants connecting around the world, especially Nigerian-Irish citizens.

Rice said: “the essence of this upcoming conference is to prosper both nations through business engagements.

“We have been in Nigeria for quite a while, and this is our first embassy in the continent of Africa, and we plan to be here for a long time working to deepen the already existing relations.

“And really to find ways for us to enhance each other’s culture and to promote people-to-people relationship, because when one partner prospers, all will prosper, and that is the essence of the conference in Dublin.

“We are really looking forward to supporting the conveners and building our relationships, even after the investment conference that will be holding in Dublin later this year.

“And for reference, Irish people have been coming to Nigeria as priest, nuns, teachers for a long time. They come to educate and work as priests. We will see this through the upcoming conference, especially with our colleagues joining us online.

“We will also see the contributions that Nigerians are making in Ireland as students, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs among others. So, we will use this conference to take stock of that and see how we can strengthen our partnership.

Also speaking, Mrs Edizemi Onilenla a.k.a Mamashee in Ireland, who is the Executive Convener of INGA, said that the three-day conference would focus on bringing entrepreneurs, captains of industries and government agencies together.

Onilenla, who is also the CEO Mansions Foods, said that the conference would present these professionals with the opportunity to initiate conversations on short, medium and long-term trade investment opportunities for Nigerians and the Irish people.

“The conference will target areas such as Aviation, Education, Technology, Agriculture and Resilient Infrastructure. It will awaken the age-long historical ties between both countries and promote the quality of these relationships.

“The conference is not a one-off event but a partnership engagement between both countries, and one of many interactions that we hoped to achieve in coming years.

“We appreciate the current Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Peter Ryan, who is actively in support of this initiative, and who aims at bridging the gap between the two countries by creating an enabling environment for both communities to thrive.

“I humbly, and eagerly invite business organisations, chief executive officers, federal and state government ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals to be part of the conference.

“To register, go to www.inga.ie where you will find details and packages,” Onilenla said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==========
Edited by Oluyinka Fadare

By Cecilia Ologunagba

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has underlined his support for ongoing mediation efforts by the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) in the wake of the July 26  coup in Niger.

UN Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq said this while answering questions from journalists on the ECOWAS deadline at a news conference on Monday in New York.

An ultimatum issued by the bloc to the military junta that has ruled Niger since the coup d’état expired on Sunday.

ECOWAS is scheduled to hold another meeting on the crisis on Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria, according to media reports.

This follows an extraordinary summit last week where the 15-member bloc issued a communiqué calling for the reinstatement of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum.

ECOWAS had threatened to take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order, including use of force if the coupists failed to do that.

Military leaders in Niger have closed the country’s airspace in response.

“The secretary-general is concerned over the continued detention of President Bazoum and the failure so far to restore constitutional order in Niger,” Haq said.

Meanwhile, UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, continues to provide good office support to regional stakeholders, and is currently in Abuja.

“The secretary-general emphasises the urgent need to ensure that life-saving humanitarian work continues unhindered, and that the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service that provides a vital link to remote communities in Niger is allowed to operate to and continue to serve those communities,

Simão had earlier reported that 4.3 million people in Niger required humanitarian assistance.

He also warned that the unfolding crisis could worsen insecurity in the wider West African region.

UN humanitarian agencies have pledged to stay and deliver in Niger. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Emmanuel Yashim

The Indian government on Thursday placed restrictions on the import of laptops, tablets, personal computers and servers with immediate effect.

The order issued by the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry said the imports would be allowed against a valid license for restricted imports.

The restriction will not apply to passengers carrying the mentioned devices in their baggage.

As per the notification, up to 20 of these items per consignment are also eligible for an import license exemption for the purpose of research and development, testing, evaluation, repair and re-export.

Although the government has not elaborated on its rationale behind the move, industry experts say the step is likely to help boost local manufacturing. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ummul Idris/Ekemini Ladejobi

France will begin evacuating its citizens from Niger, which was taken over by the military in a coup, on Tuesday, the French Foreign Ministry said.

It said it would also evacuate other Europeans who wanted to leave the country, a former French colony.

About 500 to 600 French citizens are in Niger.

Italy also said it would fly its citizens out of Niger on a special flight, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Twitter.

He said that its embassy in the Nigerien capital Niamey would remain open.

Tajani did not say when the Italian evacuation would begin.

On Wednesday last week, officers from General Omar Tchiani’s elite unit detained democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and declared him deposed.

Tchiani decleared himself the new ruler on Friday.

Over the weekend there were pro-coup protests in Niamey.

According to reports, demonstrators gathered in front of the French embassy.

Some reportedly tore down the embassy plaque, trampled on it and replaced it with Nigerien and Russian flags.

Paris had condemned the violence.

In Berlin, a German government crisis team is to discuss the situation in Niger again at 1 p.m. (1100 GMT).

It would make an up-to-date assessment of the security situation for the nearly 100 German civilians in the country.

The French offer to take other citizens with them is expected to be discussed.

France can land several planes with the approval of the Nigerien authorities, although flight operations at Niamey airport are banned until Friday.

Germany on Tuesday had still not activated its own plans for an evacuation.

The coup has been internationally condemned.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum to the coup leaders on Sunday.

If Bazoum is not released and reinstated within a week, ECOWAS would take measures that could include the use of force, it said.

On Monday, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali warned ECOWAS against intervening.

The countries warned that any military intervention in Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against them, a joint statement by the two transitional governments said.

They also said if ECOWAS intervened militarily in Niger, they would withdraw from ECOWAS.

The two nations said they would institute self-defence measures to support the Nigerien armed forces and people if ECOWAS intervened with force.

Shortly after Tchiani’s coup, he declared himself the de facto president and suspended the West African country’s constitution and dissolved all constitutional institutions.

The former colonial power France has about 2,500 soldiers stationed in Niger as well as in neighbouring Chad.

Niger was recently one of its last local partners in the counterterrorism fight in the wider Sahel region.

The country is also of interest to France because of its uranium. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

==============
Edited by Cecilia Odey/Chioma Ugboma

Evacuation

By Lizzy Okoji

Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis, Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament says inclusion of marginalized, and vulnerable groups in governance is key to mitigating the crisis in the sub-region.

Tunis made this known at the opening of the delocalized meeting of the Joint Committees of the ECOWAS Parliament on Political Affairs, Peace, Security and the African Peer Review Mechanism, Judicial Affairs and Human rights, Social Affairs, Gender and Women Empowerment in Monrovia, Liberia.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Committee was meeting on the theme “Enhancing Political Inclusivity in the Participatory Governance Process: A mechanism for promoting Peace and Security.

According to Tunis, Inequality has been identified as one of the major factors causing rising crisis, including military coups and insecurity in the West African sub region.

He however noted that supporting the participation of people from vulnerable and marginalized groups in the decision-making and democratic processes of the societies is  key to continued peace, security and sustainable development.

Tunis acknowledged that every meeting of the Parliament is an opportunity to analyze and make proposals to better understand and control political, economic, and social developments in West Africa.

Tunis, said that the meeting will focus on one of the priorities of ECOWAS Vision 2050, which is to promote good governance and consolidate irreversible peace, security, as well as development in the region, however said: “As we all know, inequality has been one of the bases or causes of subversive acts in our region.

“The marginalization of vulnerable groups from important decision-making processes, particularly ethnic or religious minorities, women and young people, provides fertile ground for conflict of violent extremism.

“We must convince ourselves that supporting the participation of people from vulnerable and marginalized groups in the decision-making and democratic processes of our societies is imperative for peace, security and sustainable development.”

“Political inclusivity has the advantage of enabling all points of view to be expressed and taken into consideration, and of enhancing the representation of every segment of the population, including women and young people,” Tunis said.

Liberia’s Vice President, Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor lamented that political inclusivity is still far from being achieved.

Taylor, citing statistics contained in the January 2023 UN Women Facts and Figures report, women on the continent particularly and globally in general are still yet to be accorded the acceptable number in distribution of political offices.

She noted that inclusive political processes are crucial to sustaining peace and conflict prevention; establishing and strengthening political processes aimed at improving the participation and political influence of citizens.

Taylor urged Parliamentarians on coming up with recommendations to chart the course of inclusivity, especially as regards women, and the vulnerable.

“Inclusivity would make governments and institutions more accountable and transparent, and building a stronger and more inclusive social contract between government and the people for greater access to opportunities, amongst other issues.

“I urge you as parliamentarians that as you navigate the discussions on the way forward towards greater peace and security in our sub-region.

“I crave your indulgence to proffer policy prescriptions which compel our National Governments to take affirmative actions for the inclusion of women at all levels in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of governments.”

President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray also noted that the disconnect between the government and its citizens is a contributing factor to the volatility and threats to democracy in the sub-region.

Touray who was represented by Mrs Josephine Nkurumah, Permanent Representative of the ECOWAS Commission to Liberia urged Members of the ECOWAS Parliament to consider the role of civic engagements as a key strategy to building a more inclusive society.

He said that the ECOWAS Parliament’s delocalized meeting was apt and the Commission awaits recommendations from the meeting that it can work with the Parliament to ensure inclusivity of all ECOWAS citizens in the democratic process of the sub region.

“The seeming disconnects between the governed and those who govern have contributed in part to the volatility of the sub-region leading to discontent in our communities.

“It is pertinent that in other to have effective inclusiveness and participatory government processes, our citizens must be engaged, involved and discerning.

“We look forward to a collaborative effort to building a more inclusive society in our governance processes for peace and security which are prerequisite to our economic and social integration as a sub region,” Touray said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

======
edited by Sadiya Hamza 

Lizzy Okoji

Benedict Sannoh, former Justice Minister of the Republic of Liberia says the mandate of citizens should be upheld by the Supreme Courts of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to prevent post-election crises.

Sannoh’s call is contained in a paper he delivered on Thursday at the Delocalised meeting of some ECOWAS Parliament’s Joint Committees in Monrovia, Liberia.

The paper was titled “Role of Judiciary in the Prevention and Management of Electoral Crisis”.

The former Liberian Minister said that the manner in which elections are adjudicated by the Judiciary is the foundation for peace or crises.

This is also as Sannoh stressed for the need for the independence of the judiciary and for political parties must also play active and proactive roles in the use of the judiciary.

“The judiciary through the supreme court should ensure that the constitution mandate is upheld.

“The role of the supreme court in the adjudication of these cases should be to ensure that the opinions enhance, promote and entrench the respect, and protection of the will of the people.

“As expressed by their votes in the elections conducted consistent with the constitution, and we see a consistent trend in this direction.

“The Supreme Courts should be keen on the question of adherence to fundamental rights articulated in the constitution, especially on the question of no one being deprived of liberty, poverty, privilege or any other right.

“Except as an outcome of a hearing consistent with the provisions of the constitutions and in accordance with the due process of law.

“Political parties should play a more pro-active role in the use of the judiciary; monitor every statutory and administrative action taken by the elections commission, the legislature, or the institutions within the executive branch.

“Political parties should also collaborate in raising issues that require judicial determination, referendum, cleaning of the voters’ roll,” Sannoh said.

Sannoh, while responding to interventions from Members of Parliament in his paper said that the constitution of Member States must also be properly implemented.

According to the former Justice Minister, the constitution of the country reflects the will and expectations of its citizens.

He noted that all concerns of citizens ought to be addressed by provisions of the constitution.

In separate interventions, some ECOWAS Members of Parliament lamented the executive control of the judiciary, recommending that judges be voted by citizens rather than being appointed by the executive.

Hon. Ladi Ayamba, Member of Parliament from Ghana said that the decisions of some courts in West Africa have at several times been influenced by the executive, which makes justice denied in most cases.

“When Judges are appointed by the executive, they can get them to say anything in their favor.

“I think this is something that we must look at changing in our various country’s constitutions.

“For me, I would recommend that judges should be voted for by the people,” Ayamba said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Joint Committee of the ECOWAS Parliament on Political Affairs, Peace, Security, and the African Peer Review Mechanism, Judicial Affairs and Human Rights, Social Affairs, Gender, and Women Empowerment would be meeting in Monrovia, Liberia drone July 25 to July 29.
(NAN) (www.nanews.ng)

======

(Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)