Xenophobia: South Africa Blasts Nigeria Over Envoy Recall, Says Remember The TB Joshua Case?

Xenophobia: South Africa Blasts Nigeria Over Envoy Recall, Says Remember The TB Joshua Case?


South African Government responds to the decision by the Nigerian Government

The South African Government takes note that the outgoing Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has recalled its Acting High Commissioner to South Africa. A government resorts to such an extraordinary diplomatic step to express outrage at actions or behaviour of another government.

We are not sure which actions or behaviour of the South African Government the Nigerian Government is protesting. It is only Nigeria that has taken this unfortunate and regrettable step. If this action is based on the incidents of attacks on foreign nationals in some parts of our country, it would be curious for a sisterly country to want to exploit such a painful episode for whatever agenda.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has just returned from Indonesia to attend the Africa-Asia Summit and the 60th Anniversary of the historic Bandung Conference. At no stage did the Nigerian delegation present at that gathering, expressed its intention to formally raise the issue with the South African side.

South Africa remains committed to a strong bond of friendship and bilateral relations with Nigeria. It is for this reason that when 84 of our citizens perished on Nigerian soil, we did not blame the Nigerian Government for the deaths and more than nine (9) months delay in the repatriation of the bodies of our fallen compatriots, or for the fact that when these bodies eventually returned, they were in a state that they could not be touched or viewed as required by our burial practice.

We will raise our concerns through diplomatic channels with the new administration that will assume office in Nigeria next month.

The South African Government, as well as all political parties, religious organisations, non-governmental organisations, business, sports fraternities, including artists, musicians and ordinary people of South Africa, have been decisive and unequivocal in condemning and rejecting the attacks on foreign nationals.

Through our interventions, relative calm and order has been restored. We are encouraged by the solidarity our country continues to receive from other African countries and the international community. We shall also continue to support and not blame the Nigerian Government as it battles to deal with Boko Haram that continues to kill many innocent civilians. We hope that the more than 200 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram will someday be reunited with their families.

Enquiries: Mr Clayson Monyela, Spokesperson for DIRCO, 082 884 5974

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale, Pretoria
0084

PDP's Darius Ishaku On Course to Win Taraba Gov Elections

PDP's Darius Ishaku On Course to Win Taraba Gov Elections


Unconfirmed reports says the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will probably clinch the Taraba state governorship elections.

The race is between Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Sen. Aisha Jummai Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

PDP Defeats APGA as Okezie Ikpeazu Claims

PDP Defeats APGA as Okezie Ikpeazu Claims


According to Premium Times, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Okezie Ikpeazu, has defeated Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the governorship election in Abia.

The INEC returning officer in the state, Prof. Ozumba, while announcing the result at about 4:54am Sunday, in Umuahia, said Mr. Ikpeazu polled a total of 264,713 votes to beat his closest challenger Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, who garnered 180, 882 votes.

Mr. Otti is a former Managing Director of Diamond Bank.

How Buhari Saved Obasanjo’s In-law From Being Assassinated by Abacha’s Govt

How Buhari Saved Obasanjo’s In-law From Being Assassinated by Abacha’s Govt


Kenny Martins, an in-law to ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, in an interview with Vanguard narrates how president-elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari saved him from being assassinated during Gen. Sani Abacha's regime in the 90s.

"Obasanjo had just been arrested and I was around him. Some friends approached me and revealed that I was to be assassinated. And I have this attitude about death because I’d had two close shaves with death and so I believe when my time is up my time is up. But they were forceful and they said what if the bullet doesn’t hit you and it hits us.

"So, I went straight to Justice Maman Nasir in Malumfaci, just after Kano. I told him I’d heard that the government was after me. The justice said I should be at peace but that I should drive straight to Daura and meet with General Buhari and talk to him.

"I told General Buhari that I was being targeted and he asked why. I told him they said I was an Obasanjo man, ‘the man has been arrested and I don’t know why they are after me’.

"He said he would ‘try and see the head of state this weekend and by Sunday I would call you’. We had land lines that time. At about 1am, Saturday through Sunday, General Buhari called me from the Villa and said ‘I’ve seen the head of state and he has instructed the NSA, Alhaji Ismaila Gwarzo, to call you and he would be in Lagos on Monday. I have given him your number and nothing would happen to you’.

"On Monday morning, Alhaji Gwarzo called me and I’d not met him before. He introduced himself and told me not to worry and that he would be in Lagos on Friday but I insisted on my paying him a visit, but he insisted that if I wanted to come, I should let the former head of state know that I chose to come to Abuja because he was instructed to come and see me.

"So on Wednesday I was in the Villa, I went to Gwarzo’s office and introduced myself a Obasanjo’s in-law and that I heard they wanted to kill me.

"He said ‘but our government is not a killer’. There and then he called the head of the SSS then, explaining to him my allegation and that one said he knew me. Gwrazo assured me that I should go and that nothing would happen to me and nothing happened to me.

"But just two weeks later, my closest political associate, Alhaja Suliat Adedeji, was killed by government goons.

"If I had known her name was also on their list, I would have mentioned her; that day still remains the saddest day of my life when I realized that I missed an opportunity to save her.

Niger Delta Youths Warn Buhari Against Tampering With NDDC

Niger Delta Youths Warn Buhari Against Tampering With NDDC


Niger Delta youths have warned the in-coming administration of Major General Muham-madu Buhari against reducing the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to a parastatal under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Vanguard reports.

In a statement issued after a meeting in Warri, Delta State, at the weekend, a coalition, comprising 26 youth and ex-militant groups under the aegis South- South Mandate, vowed to resist any move that could impede the rapid transformation of the region currently being undertaken by the NNDC.

“In as much as we grudgingly decided to allow peace to reign after we were dubiously and maliciously rigged out of the presidency, our reluctant acceptance of that faulty March 28, 2015 electoral abracadabra over a sitting President from Niger Delta, a charade never recorded in the history of electoral contest in Nigeria, should not be misconstrued as capitulation by the youth of Niger Delta, now galvanized under the South-south Mandate, SSM,”the youths said.

“While we are still evaluating the import of March 28, 2015 presidential poll robbery through a well-orchestrated regional gang-up, procedural compromise and massive intimidation of the electorate in some parts of the country, we shall vehemently resist further humiliation and annihilation of our people”. The youths noted in the communiqué which was made available to newsmen in Abuja, that as the closest government interventionist agency to the poor and neglected people of the Niger Delta region, they would not tolerate any attempt to further suffocate the NDDC since it remained the only government agency that has direct impact on the oil bearing communities.

“Niger Deltans shall no longer allow their interest to be subjugated and trampled upon by the Federal Government of Nigeria under whatever guise”, they added.

Nigerian Army Reveals Cause of Jos Barracks Bomb Blast

Nigerian Army Reveals Cause of Jos Barracks Bomb Blast


Two soldiers lost their lives while one was injured on Saturday as an unserviceable ammunition exploded in 3 Division Headquarters, Nigerian Army Jos, while being transported to the demolition site.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Texas Chukwu, wo confirmed it, said in statement that the accident occurred while troops authorised to destroy the unserviceable were transporting them.

Chukwu said that the explosion did not affect the Maxwell Khobe Cantonment or the neighbouring communities.

He explained that the attention of the Cantonment was drawn to the news making the rounds in the media that a bomb exploded in the division headquarters as result of a terror attack .

``I want to use this medium, therefore, to state that this Cantonment was not under attack or attacked by the insurgents.

``There is an ongoing demolition exercise, which started on Wed. April 20, 2015 to terminate on May 4, 2015 and the members of the public were informed through the media.``

According to the deputy director, normalcy has since returned to the area.

How Dame Patience Caused Jonathan's Defeat

How Dame Patience Caused Jonathan's Defeat


According to Osom Makbere, the Peoples Democratic Party, Public Secretary in Bayelsa State President Goodluck Jonathan lost the March 28 presidential election due to the divisions in the PDP fold and the overbearing attitude of the President’s wife, Dame Patience, also contributed to the president’s loss.

In a Punch report, he said "Jonathan was a victim and target of international cum domestic esoteric codes and conspiracies. On the international level, the passage of the anti-gay legislation led to criticisms and face-off with the US, and the West.

“The strides made in the economic sphere, especially domestic rice promotion, calculated by the Jonathan administration to flip economic growth, and boost import substitution, also negatively alerted the West. The shift to China for our railway transformation, and recently, the migration to Russia for arms and ammunition to quelling the insurgency also signalled to the West that Jonathan had started constituting a self-reliant and dependent nation-state, a feat seen too tall by the US and their allies in the West.

“The aforesaid international factors found room to flourish given the obstinacy and impudence on the part of Mrs. Jonathan. The end result of her personal ambition to plant ‘self-made’ governors triggered face-offs with some governors.”
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