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Akufo-Addo Calls on Politicians to Work Assiduously for Democracy to Checkmate Coup De’tat

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Akufo-Addo Calls on Politicians to Work Assiduously for Democracy to Checkmate Coup De’tat

By Michael Mike

Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo has called on politicians in the West African subregion to work assiduously towards entrenching democratic principles of accountability, noting that until this is ensured democracy may continued to be under attack.

Akufo-Addo stated this on Friday at a high-level parliamentary seminar on the ‘Role of the ECOWAS Parliament: Relating the Challenges of Unconstitutional Regime Change and Presidential Term Limits in West Africa”, organised by the ECOWAS Parliament in Winneba, Ghana.

The Ghanaian President while declaring open the seminar, lamented that “our region is confronted with a difficult economic, political, social insecurity situation.”

He said despite the considerable progress made by the community in the areas of democracy, good governance and the rule of law since the 1990s, “we are at the moment witnessing a significant decline in our democratic relations.”

He said: “This observation is bitter and implacable, today four member ECOWAS States are led by military government as a result of coup d’etat, this has unfortunately created a stare palpable anxiety and tension in every corner of the region, raising the spectra of region instability which we thought had been banished for ever. Equally apart is the culture of violence and disputes that characterise the period of electing some of our leaders.

He decried that the regional democracy is currently facing three serious threats, which include attempted confiscation of democracy by elites who impose legal instruments in the manipulation of democracy and the subjugation of the institutions of the republic with the sole aim of remaining in power; secondly the emerging remilitarization of governance with the return once again of the military unto the political scene who have neither consulted or received any mandate from the people on whose behalf they purport to act; the wanton desire to destroy democracy by terrorist groups and armed criminal gangs which promote lawlessness and violation of freedom in the region.

He said: “I want to reaffirm that in the contemporary world, the only legitimacy for any leader is through a mandate that is freely give by the people in a fair, peaceful and transparent election. This is the most tangible and objective way to know and recognize the commonwealth which is the wealth of the people.

He noted that The election of Mohammed Bazoum in Niger was in line with all the tenets of democracy and that was why the coup in Niger is particularly tragic for the consolidation of democracy in our region.

He cautioned that: “It is also important to remind us that democracy is not a western concept as some believe but rather a universal concept of general application. The history of the world, including that of Africa testifies that the process of electing and installing leaders in democratic circumstances provides the best form of government.

“Modern history has taught us that tyranny, oppression and totalitarian government do not last long. No matter how a people reject democracy and civil liberty circumstances will always force them back to embrace them”.

He therefore urged Parliamentarians to speak against the extension of presidential tenures by some leaders to strengthen their grip and power.

These actions according to President Akufo-Addo, tend to result in discontent among the populace to create fertile grounds for which military intervention feed.

He said: “There should be no backsliding in support for democratic values anchored on the promotion of the rule of law and respect for human rights.

“It is important for all of us in the adherence of democracy to remember not to underestimate the importance of parliament, the consequently not to undermine it’s worth. We cannot emphasize enough the role of Parliament in exercising the checks and balances needed on the executive, we cannot emphasize enough the role of Parliament as the voice of the people and we cannot emphasize enough the role of Parliament in setting the tone for public discuss in our respective countries. It is for the good of our nations that our parliaments development the capacity to insist on accountability in all aspect of our land and no institution is better suited for this than the one who houses the representatives of the people”.

The seminar is expected to brainstorm on the major challenges facing the region and profer solutions, the Ghanaian president assures that the authority of Heads of States are expectant of the resolutions.

He said: “Brainstorming on all this major challenges which I have just outlined in the search for solutions to the political and security challenges facing our region is the imperative mission of this seminar, one of the expected outcomes is to help us understand even better the root causes of democratic regression and political instability in the region, it all will be better to address. This seminar over the next few days must propose measures to ensure the anchoring of democracy and republican values both at the level of political elites and citizens of the community. This will help towards preserving the peace and stability of the region.

“I can assure you that the authority of Heads of states of ECOWAS will be receptive to all your proposals and await them with great interest. Our expectations is that the conclusions and recommendations from this seminar will contribute to the deepening and strengthening of democracy, good governance, peace and stability in our region.

In his remarks, the Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Sidie MohammedTunis, explained that the high-level seminar was put together as part of the performance of parliaments obligations under the Treaty, to determine what causes military takeovers, democratic regression, and political instability in the sub-region.

He said this is in spite of the existence of Community Acts and Protocols intended to consolidate democracy and promote political stability.

Tunis reiterated that their responsibility as legislators is not only to create laws and policies but also to rigorously monitor their implementation.

According to him, to ensure that ECOWAS performs maximally to the expectation of the people, as parliamentarians, they must facilitate robust and continuous
discourse on the broad issues, aimed at formulating effective and sustainable solutions to the tremendous crisis confronting our peoples and
humanity in general.

“During this Seminar, we also intend to look at the causes of various attempts by democratically elected leaders in the sub-
region to extend their term limits despite crystal-clear constitutional provisions outlining these terms, as well as the potential role the ECOWAS Parliament can play in preventing such anti-democratic actions.

“We note that the role of the Parliament in upholding regional stability, laying the groundwork for democracy, economic growth, and the rule of law, as well as acting as the voice of hope for all our peoples, is invaluable and should never be diminished. Parliamentarians need to step up to the plate and demonstrate the extraordinary leadership that is expected of us.”

Akufo-Addo Calls on Politicians to Work Assiduously for Democracy to Checkmate Coup De’tat

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NBMA Debunks Allegations of Negligence, Compromise Against It

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NBMA Debunks Allegations of Negligence, Compromise Against It

By: Michael Mike

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO) of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Yemisi Asagbra debunked some allegations level against the agency by some non governmental organisations (NGOs) concerning negligence and compromise.

Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Asagbra said: “The negative statements circulating are misleading and lack credible scientific backing. The agency asks these organisations to present verifiable scientific evidence for their claims and we relies on sound scientific research and internationally recognized protocols to make informed decisions. It is part of the Cartagena Protocol with over 180 parties, our mandate is to protect the health of Nigerians and the environment. It will not compromise on this as it is an agency of integrity.

She added that: “The agency is transparent and accountable in its operations. It invites review of its processes and rigorous evaluations of GMO products. We are confident in our procedures that it’s meet global standards and it is a leader in effective regulation in Africa”.

On the source of the allegations, she said “over the years they have been advocating to have their presence in the board where all these products coming will be thoroughly Investigated, but it hasn’t been given. Most times we rely on the information given by Nigeria Custom Service to furnish them with needed information, which most time is not always easy if they have other things doing.

The Head planning, research and statistics National Biosafety Management Agency Mrs. Bello Scholastica said the agency is concerned with safety to our health and safety to our environment.

She further reiterated that what NBMA stands for is to establish first regulation from identification of the gene of interest, “of what you are interested in, from then till commercialization, and even after commercialization, they still follow suit to make sure that the approvals they gave hasn’t caused any harm, or those that were given approval to that they stay put to what they were asked to do”.

She further explained that the agency has put in effort to promote environmental conservation and biosafety in Nigeria.

NBMA Debunks Allegations of Negligence, Compromise Against It

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House of Reps Assures on Passage of Human Rights Defenders Bill

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House of Reps Assures on Passage of Human Rights Defenders Bill

By: Michael Mike

The House of Representatives has revealed that it is interested in the passage of the Human Rights Defenders Bill into law, saying that the bill has already passed the first reading and will soon be subjected to second reading.

The House also promised to take the necessary steps to ensure an improvement in the 2025 budget of the NHRC, pointing out that the N5 billion approved for it in the 2024 budget is inadequate considering the myriad of human rights violations in the country.

The Chairman House Committee on Human Rights, Hon. Abiola Makinde made this disclosure during the oversight visit of Committee to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The Chairman, who was represented at the occasion by his Deputy, Hon. Mudashiru Lukeman assured the NHRC that the Committee would continue to advance the course of human rights in Nigeria by ensuring that the House of Representatives passes critical bills on human rights issues as well as makes adequate budgetary provisions to ease the work of the Commission.

Makinde also stated that in a bid to improve some aspects of Civil and Political Rights, the House of Representatives had ensured the establishment of human rights desks in all police formations and Headquarters across the 36 States of the Federation.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu who received the lawmakers with his management staff told the Human Rights Committee that the Commission relies heavily on them for the enactment of human rights friendly laws and enhanced budgetary provisions to discharge it broad mandate of promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights in the country.

He used the opportunity to commend the legislators for their role in the amendment of the NHRC Act 2010 as well as the support of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila in the payment of compensation to victims of human rights violations by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

He equally informed the legislators who were on oversight visit about the recent report released by the Commission following the findings of the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter-Insurgency Operations in the North East Nigeria , which he noted has saved the country from possible invitation by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He noted that the aforementioned wide spread allegations of human rights infractions against some government institutions could result in the ICC extending invitations to some of the leaders to respond to the allegations, but the Commission has done the needful in compliance with the international principles of omplementarity.

He thanked the Committee for promising to improve the budgetary allocation of the Commission in the 2025 fiscal year.

House of Reps Assures on Passage of Human Rights Defenders Bill

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FG Confirms Arrest of Simon Ekpa

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FG Confirms Arrest of Simon Ekpa

By: Michael Mike

The arrest of Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa in Finland has been confirmed by the federal government.

A statement on Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Nigerian-Finnish citizen and prominent leader of the proscribed Indigenous People
of Biafra (IPOB), was arrested by Finnish authorities on Thursday.

According to the statement, Ekpa was
charged with inciting terrorism and promoting violence.

The Finnish District Court of
Päijät-Häme ruled to detain him on probable cause for publicly inciting crimes with terrorist intent.

The Finnish authorities alleged that Mr. Ekpa used social media platforms to spread
separatist propaganda, incite violence and encourage illegal actions, which had caused
significant disruptions in the South-East of Nigeria. Finnish investigators had also linked
him to incidents of violence in Nigeria, which were believed to had been fueled by his
online activities.

The statement said “the arrest of Mr. Simon Njoku Ekpa follows sustained diplomatic
pressure by the Nigerian government on Finland, to take action against his activities,
which were linked to violence and instability in the South-East of Nigeria. The request
for action featured during high level engagements between countries.”

The Ministry stated that the arrest of Ekpa, is a significant development in addressing the activities of IPOB, and also neutralizing the influence of transnational actors and “their impact on our national security.”

The Ministry promised to continue to monitor the legal proceedings and provide further updates as the case progresses.

FG Confirms Arrest of Simon Ekpa

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