BRITAIN LEGALISES GAY MARRIAGE

Britain legalises gay marriage as Queen Elizabeth gives assent

Same-sex couples will be able to marry from next year after Prime Minister David Cameron pushed the legislation through against the will of dozens of his own Conservative lawmakers.

Members of parliament cheered as they were told the historic bill, pushed through by Prime Minister David Cameron despite opposition within his own party, had passed into law.
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Rivers Crisis: Amaechi Is My Son — Patience Jonathan

First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan yesterday appealed to Governor Rotimi Amaechi to hold the olive branch and resist being used by outsiders against his own people in the crisis rocking Rivers State, saying the governor and the minister of state for education, Mr Nyeson Wike, remain her sons, brothers and kinsmen.

While giving an insight into the genesis of the crisis in the state, she reiterated the need for the warring factions to employ dialogue as a means of resolving the contending issues amicably.

Speaking when she received members of the Niger Delta Bishops Forum/South-South Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Mrs Jonathan said she would do anything to protect both Amaechi and Wike.

Noting that she was more committed to ensuring that peace returns to Rivers State soon, she said as the president of African First Ladies Peace Mission, her desire is to have peace in her home base.

“The truth will always remain the truth and what God ordains must come to pass, and so Rivers’ issue is something we’ve handed over to God.’’

The president’s wife said contrary to some reports she had always mediated between Governor Amaechi and other parties in a crisis that began four years ago: “This matter started as far back as four years ago at Anyugubiri in Okrika when I begged him not to demolish a part of Okrika but (that he should) dialogue first with the people.

“After that incident, he called the chairman of Okrika (local government) and sacked him for holding a reception in our honour; that boy was the first victim.

“He also put my people on curfew for nine months. I called him and pleaded with him but he refused. Then I began to hear all sorts of propaganda in the media against me; this is not the way.

“I’ve never spoken about this issue but, as [you are] men of God, I believe you’ll say the truth always because there are a lot of conflicting interests; some will hear one thing and say the exact opposite.

“I also want you to know the genesis of this problem and pray that God touches Amaechi’s heart as per his hot temper because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.’’

Jonathan urged the parties involved in the crisis to help to resolve issues plaguing the state and not “whip up sentiments that will aggravate the problem”.

“I appeal to Amaechi to sheathe his sword so that we can defend our state and this country with love, unity, patriotism and truth at all times.

“Hebrews 12:14 urges us to embrace peace with all men without which we cannot see God.

“Amaechi is my son, I cannot fight him and I cannot kill him. He shouldn’t be used by outsiders against his own blood because this seat is vanity.

“One day, no matter how long it takes, we will leave this seat. Power is not forever. This seat is vanity, others sat here and left, so one day I’ll also leave and we will meet at home; so why should I fight him?

“Let’s take it easy, face issues, leave non-existent matters, stop magnifying lies and respect our leaders and people in authority. Let’s give peace a chance,’’ she said.

The first lady, who charged the bishops to pray that God should return Rivers State to its normal peaceful situation, expressed her faith that with God the present generation will leave a legacy of peace for generations yet unborn.

 The bishops, led by Archbishop God-Do-Well, said that they were not influenced or bribed to pay the visit, but got inspiration from God to take practical steps to restore peace in Nigeria, especially Rivers State.

On his part, Archbishop God Do-Well stated that their presence was in fulfilment of the church’s responsibility to shape a culture of peace and justice.

PDP Convention Crisis: Jonathan overrules Tukur, backs Gana’s August 31 date

In what looks like a strain in their relationship, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday ordered the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Bamanga Tukur, to immediately open the party’s Presidential Campaign Office, Legacy House, for the Professor Jerry Gana-led Convention Planning Committee for its activities.

Besides, President Jonathan overruled Tukur’s decision to put on hold the activities of the Gana Committee, a development seen in many quarters as a high point in the crisis of confidence between Tukur and Gana.

In effect, the August 24 and 31 dates picked by the Gana committee for the south-west zonal congress and the Special Convention respectively, which the Tukur-led Interim National Working Committee (NWC) put on hold on Monday, remain valid.

That was the thrust of a meeting of stakeholders summoned by President Jonathan to iron out grey areas as the party’s convention plans have continuously run into hitches since Gana, erstwhile information minister, was made chairman of the party’s Special Convention Planning Committee to elect new party officers to fill the vacancies occasioned by the resignation of about 16 members of NWC.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had faulted the mode of emergence of the affected officers at the 2012 convention of the PDP.

But worried by the avalanche of complaints from stakeholders over Tukur’s attitude towards members of the convention committee, President Jonathan decided to summon Tukur, Gana, deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu as well as the secretary to the government of the federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, to a meeting at the presidential villa. 

A source close to the meeting confided in LEADERSHIP that President Jonathan at the peace parley was “seen to be uncomfortable at certain revelations throughout the meeting”.

“The meeting was frank and very decisive; to be honest with you, Mr President was hearing certain developments for the first time because, all along, he had been given the impression that the press was creating crisis for the party.

“It was at the meeting that the president got to know from party leaders that Tukur locked out both Gana and Ekweremadu from his residence when the duo went to him to iron out certain issues regarding the convention.

“The complaints from those at the meeting were many and I cannot tell you in details, but, to be candid with you, the president was very uncomfortable throughout the meeting as he listened to so many issues raised against the chairman.

“As it is now, the August 24 and 31 dates for the congress and convention that were set aside by the Interim NWC on Monday have been revalidated by the president and I am sure the NWC will issue a statement to that effect any moment from now.

“This is apart from the fact that Mr President directed that Legacy House be opened for the convention committee to meet regularly on the line-up of activities for the convention because the issue that was first raised by a member of the Interim NWC was that the committee was using the private residence of one of them to hold meetings but, upon inquiry, it was discovered that Tukur ordered that the place be shut against the committee,” he said.

According to the source, Tukur denied that he denied Gana and Ekweremadu access to his residence when the matter was tabled before the president.

Amidst these endless intrigues, the Tukur-led Interim NWC had ordered the special National Convention Committee to put on hold all plans relating to the convention and South-West Congress, citing the committee’s breach of the party’s constitution.

A statement by PDP’s acting national publicity secretary, Barr. Tony Caesar Okeke, said that the party leadership made the decision to halt the convention and South-West Congress in order to avoid a repeat of the events that affected the party’s convention in 2012.

Malabu: UK Court Orders Etete To Pay $110m To ‘Middleman’

The controversial sale of Nigeria’s oil block OPL-245 took a new twist yesterday as the United Kingdom high court ruled in favour of the middleman who had instituted a case against Malabu Oil and Gas Company, claiming to have been side-lined for his role in brokering the deal which was executed under corrupt circumstances.

Much to the surprise and disbelief of the global anti-corruption advocacy community yesterday, the judge, Justice Gloster, ruled that Malabu Oil and Gas should pay the middleman, named Emeka Obi of Energy Venture Partners, at least $110.5 million for his work on the fraudulent deal.

The deal for the sale of the block, which has attracted widespread attention and criticism due to the corrupt circumstances under which it was brokered, involved the ex-Nigerian minister of petroleum, Dan Etete, who is an ex-convict, the middleman, Emeka Obi, the Nigerian government and subsidiaries of two of the world’s largest oil companies, Shell and Eni, who paid US$1.1 billion to purchase the block in 2011.

Obi had brought the case against Dan Etete’s company, Malabu Oil and Gas, before the UK court, claiming he was owed over US$200 million for his part in brokering the lucrative deal on Malabu’s behalf, and had the case ruled in his favour yesterday.

The judge, however, concluded that Etete, who awarded the block to Malabu when he was minister during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha in 1998, was in fact a hidden real, or “beneficial” owner, of Malabu “at all material times“, thus confirming the point that Etete awarded the block to himself.

But faulting the ruling in a statement issued yesterday, transparency group Global Witness noted that the court only considered where to send the money without regards to the legality of the case and the many unanswered questions surrounding the sale of the block.

Global Witness director Simon Taylor, in his reaction, stated that “from Global Witness’s point of view, the decision before the court effectively came down to whether or not to give cash to a crook who had stolen the block worth over a billion dollars from the Nigerian people, or to the middleman who claims he brokered the deal to sell it on”.

Simon added that “given that there are serious unanswered questions about the legality of OPL-245 deal, and the way it was put together, it is surely a scandal that the court’s only consideration was where to send the money. The first question that should have been considered and fully investigated is to the legitimacy of the deal in the first place.   

 “Global Witness believes the money being considered by the high court today should remain frozen, and that the UK authorities should investigate this case,” he added. LEADERSHIP had exclusively reported that transparency group Publish What You Pay (PWYP) and Zero Coalition for Corruption (ZCC) had written to the Netherlands, Italian and British government on the need to support a total investigation into the sale of the block by their companies Shell and Eni which are listed on the UK Stock Exchange.

LEADERSHIP has also exclusively reported that the Malabu oil deal scam is presently being investigated by the UK Proceeds of Crime Unit.

According to the national coordinator of PWYP Nigeria who is also a member of the board of the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Faith Nwadishi, who frowned at the ruling, said the problem of beneficial ownership/identity under which identities of companies are hidden, thus allowing individuals to engage in abuse of office and/or violate national laws, must be tackled.

She stated that “we have urgent concerns that, while the UK government champions essential transparency initiative, companies involved in questionable and obscure deal-making are not being held to account for their role in the loss of hundreds of millions of pounds of revenue, money that should be used for development.”

I’m ready to defend myself – Adoke

Meanwhile, the Attorney –General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke (SAN), has stated that he is ready to defend his role over the Malabu oil deal and the attendant settlement of the matter.

Adoke stated this in a statement made available yesterday by his chief press secretary, Mr. Ambrose Momoh, while reacting to the House of Representatives’ summon, asking him to appear before it over the issue.

The statement reads in part, “Finally, we wish to assure Nigerians that the office of the AGF did not act contrary to public interest in facilitating the settlement and at all times material to the transaction, ensured that the settlement was conducted in the best interest of all parties in order to achieve a reasonable, fair and equitable outcome. The AGF is therefore ready to be subjected to any transparent investigative process in order to unearth the truth”.

World Celebrates Mandela At 95

People allover the world are celebrating the 95th birthday of South Africa’s anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, whom many warmly refer to as ‘Madiba’.

Even as the revered statesman remains critically ill in a hospital, back home  in his country, South Africans are preparing to donate goods and volunteer their services for 67-minutes, all for a good cause as part of the Mandela Day initiative, which honours the legacy of the country’s first black president and marks his birthday.

Sixty-seven represents the number of years Mandela served his country through public service, politics and while incarcerated.

The initiative recognises the 67 years Mandela spent working for South Africa. Many South Africans have said they were excited about the opportunity to plough back to their communities.

On Monday, South African President Jacob Zuma put out a statement reminding “all South Africans to begin planning for Madiba’s birthday”, using the former president’s clan name.

“We must all be able to do something good for humanity on this day, in tribute to our former president,” he said.

Mandela, regarded the founding father of South Africa’s multi-racial democracy, was admitted to a Pretoria hospital on June 8 for a recurring lung infection.

In New York, superstars Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Wyclef Jean, Josh Groban and others will perform a special concert in Mandela’s honor at Radio City Music Hall. Proceeds from the concert will benefit 46664, Mandela’s global HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaign. The number 46664 represents Mandela’s inmate number during his imprisonment on Robben Island.

Events to honor Mandela are scheduled in Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, Boston, and a number of other cities throughout the United States.

Meanwhile, the High Commission of the Republic of South Africa in Nigeria is organizing the internationally recognized Mandela Day in Abuja. The annual event aims to garner support of all people of the world to honour Dr Mandela by dedicating 67 minutes of their time in voluntary charity work to promote his legacy.

In a press statement made available by the High Commission in Abuja, it said that  such events and goodwill gestures create opportunities for people to people interaction in the host country and improve on the understandings on nations’ stature and what it stands for.

The statement also said that the  Mission  would  host a series of events to celebrate Dr Mandela’s birthday, including visits to local schools and/or orphanages, a public lecture at, followed by a diplomatic cocktail reception at the Silverbird in Abuja  today.

 Amongst other things, the event would be used to reach out to the communities in and around Abuja through donation of food parcels, stationery, medicines, and school uniforms. Such initiatives will also be utilized to educate the students and people of Nigeria on Mr Mandela’s life and long standing legacies while also affording the Mission and its partners  the opportunity to indoctrinate the spirit of ubuntu, the statement said.

Nigeria plan to arrest President of Sudan, forcing him to evacuate

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has left Nigeria after demands for his arrest on war crimes charges, an embassy spokesman said Tuesday, although he denied the departure was due to the controversy.

"He has left. He left in the afternoon (on Monday)," Mohammed Moiz, spokesman for the Sudanese embassy in Nigeria, told AFP.

He denied Bashir had left due to calls for his arrest, saying he had another engagement.

Bashir had been attending an African Union health summit which was due to end on Tuesday.

The embassy spokesman said Bashir, who had arrived on Sunday, returned to Khartoum, but gave no further details on the other engagement.

Nigeria's presidency defended welcoming Bashir to the country for the summit scheduled for Monday and Tuesday despite war crimes charges against him, saying it cannot interfere in AU affairs.

The Hague-based International Criminal Court in 2009 and 2010 issued two warrants against Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide over the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region.

Since Nigeria is a member of the ICC, it technically has a legal obligation to arrest suspects wanted by the court.

Some African Union members and officials have criticised the Bashir indictments, and the body has passed a resolution calling on members not to cooperate with the warrants.

Rights activists harshly criticised Bashir's visit and said they were planning to go to court to try to force Nigeria to arrest him.

Govs’ Hostage: Northern Youths Threaten Retaliation

Sequel to the incident that led to four northern governors being held hostage in Rivers State on Tuesday, northern youths have said that they will retaliate if the ‘persistent humiliation’ of their leaders continues.

The youths under the auspices of Arewa Rapid Response Network (ARRN) warned that the North will no longer tolerate a situation where their leaders are made to face a gangster-like humiliation in the way it was done in Rivers state.

According to the National Coordinator of the group, Yakubu Ahmed B.K in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Kaduna, “Northern youths equally have many options including the option of retaliating and if anybody is in doubt, then Jonathan and his cohorts should be held responsible if a repeat of the Rivers show of shame leads to other unpalatable events that may follow.

“The north has received enough humiliation in the course of the Jonathan presidency with criminal war lords calling our leaders unprintable names, calling for war against the North, making very inflammatory statements and challenging the basis of our nationhood without any effort by the presidency to call them to order.

“The fact that Rivers state has been on the boil (and is still boiling) arising from the badly mismanaged imbroglio between the desperate pro-Jonathan forces bent on forcing the president on the ruling PDP in the 2015 general elections and the Governor Rotimi Amaechi supporters is no longer in contention.

“It is clear to all that the presidency is the chief instigator of the violence in Port Harcourt, which has almost made the state ungovernable leading to the taking over of the functions of the Rivers state House of Assembly by the House of Representatives. As things stand now, the crisis in Rivers state is threatening to engulf the nation owing to the risky dimension the problem is taking.

“While the crisis may look entirely as the business of the PDP, we must be careful not to stir up other chain of events that would snowball into an uncontrollable national crisis capable of leading to other unsavoury events that may truncate our nascent and vulnerable democracy.

Rivers Assembly Crisis: Police Declare Majority Leader Wanted

The Police Public Relations Officer of the command (PPRO), Mrs. Angela Agabe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that Lloyd, the lawmaker representing Emohua constituency in the assembly, was wanted over alleged conspiracy, attempted murder, wounding, and willful damage.

She said that the lawmaker was last seen in the assembly on July 9, and that he failed to respond to police invitation, which she explained, elapsed on July 15.

``The Rivers State Police Command has declared wanted, one honourable Chidi Lloyd, a native of Emohua, in Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State.

``About 37 years of age, he is the Majority Leader of the Rivers House of Assembly. He was involved in a case of conspiracy, attempted murder, wounding, and willful damage on the 9th of July 2013.

``The crime is being investigated by a special team from the Inspector-General of Police in collaboration with the state Criminal Investigation Division, Rivers command.

``He was last seen at the Rivers State House of Assembly on the 9th of July 2013. All efforts to trace his whereabouts have so far proved abortive.``

Agabe urged the people of the state to give the police useful information that could lead to the arrest of Lloyd and assist the command to fight crime in the state.

She said the command was determined to check crime and protect lives and property of the people in the state. (NAN)