We Want Justice, Thousands Of Protesters Chant Near White House Against Police Killings

December 13, 2014

Thousands of protesters demonstrated today in Washington in the United States for a march to protest the killings of unarmed black men by law enforcement officers. They want the Congress to do more to protect African-Americans from unjustified police violence.

Organisers said the event and a protest march in New York City would rank among the largest in the recent wave of protests against the killings of black males by officers in Ferguson, Missouri, New York, Cleveland and elsewhere.

Decisions by grand juries to return no indictments against the officers involved in the death of Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York have put the issue of police treatment of minorities back on the national agenda.

Thousands of people assembled in Freedom Plaza, a couple of blocks from the White House, before setting off at noon on a three-mile march down Pennsylvania Avenue for a rally in front of the US Capitol.

“I came out today seeking justice and also policy changing when it comes to policing all throughout America,” said Aisha Wilson, 37, from Paterson, New Jersey.

The march was organised by National Action Alliance, a civil rights organisation headed by the Reverend Al Sharpton.

“We need more than just talk,” Sharpton said in a statement before the march. “We need legislative action that will shift things both on the books and in the streets.”

Sharpton urged Congress to pass legislation that would allow federal prosecutors to take over cases involving police. He said local district attorneys often work with police regularly, raising the potential of conflicts of interest when prosecutors investigate incidents, he said.

The Washington protest will include the families of Eric Garner and Akai Gurley, who were killed by New York police; Trayvon Martin, slain by a Florida neighbourhood watchman in 2012; and Michael Brown, killed by an officer in Ferguson.

In New York, the march was expected to draw about tens of thousands of people and was meant to reinvigorate protests that swelled after a grand jury declined to indict the officer who killed Garner using a chokehold, organisers said.

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Ugandan President Angry With ICC, Wants African Nations To Quit

Greenbarge Reporters

December 13, 2014

Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni is obviously angry with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and has vowed to rally African nations to pull out of the treaty establishing the Court. This is coming on the heels of the accusations by many, that the court has unfairly targeted Africans.

Museveni who spoke today at a ceremony to mark Kenya’s 51 years of independence from Britain, against the background of the dropping of a case of crime-against-humanity charges against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta by the chief prosecutor at the Hague-based court.

Museveni condemned the ICC which he accused of continuing with Kenya’s deputy president William Ruto’s case despite an African Union (AU) resolution that no sitting African head of state or deputy should be tried at the court.

“I will bring a motion to the African Union’s next session. I want all of us to get out of that court of the West. Let them (Westerners) stay with their court,” he said in Swahili.

Although prosecutors dropped charges against Kenyatta, the trial of Ruto on similar charges is under way at the ICC.

“With connivance, they are putting Deputy President Ruto, someone who has been elected by Kenyans, in front of the court there in Europe,” Museveni said

The AU is scheduled to hold its annual summit of heads of state at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the end of January, but has not announced a specific date.

The collapse of the Kenyatta case was a blow to the court, which has secured only two convictions, both against little-known Congolese warlords, and has yet to prove it can hold the powerful to account.

Many Africans accuse the ICC of unfairly targeting their continent although the majority of cases it has handled have been referred to the court by African nations themselves.

Museveni said he had backed the court before it turned into a tool for “oppressing Africa”.

“I supported the court at first because I like discipline. I don’t want people to err without accountability,” he said.

“But they have turned it into a vessel for oppressing Africa again so I’m done with that court. I won’t work with them again.”

Uganda has in the past sought the assistance of the ICC in bringing rebel warlord Joseph Kony to account for war crimes committed by his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda over two decades.

Kenyatta and Ruto also addressed the ceremony in an open-air stadium in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, saying they were confident Ruto and his co-accused would also be vindicated.

“I ask you all to join me in supporting my deputy and his co-accused as they also await their overdue vindication,” Kenyatta said.

Last year, African leaders tried but failed to pass a resolution at the UN that sought to suspend the trial of both Kenyatta and Ruto at the ICC.

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Wife Divorces, Court Awards Her £337 Million Of Her Husband’s Fortune

Greenbarge Reporters

December 12, 2014

Jamie Cooper-Hohn, 49, an American woman who divorced her British husband, Sir Chris Hohn, 48 has been awarded about a third of her husband’s £1 billion fortune which stands at about £337 in a divorce suit in London. It has been described as one of the biggest divorce money fights seen in an English court.

The couple were said to haev fought over who should get what at a High Court trial this summer. While the husband wanted a quarter, the wife insisted on half of the wealth.

The trial judge, Justice Roberts eventually awarded Mrs. Cooper-Hohn 36 per cent – £337 million.

The judge said Sir Chris – who was educated at a state school and studied business and accounting at Southampton University – was a “financial genius” who had made a “special contribution” to the creation of the couple’s fortune.

She had announced the amount Mrs. Cooper-Hohn would get last month.

But her calculations on the exact size of the fortune, and the exact percentage Mrs. Cooper-Hohn would get, only emerged today when she delivered a detailed ruling on the case.

Legal experts say it is “certainly” one of the biggest payouts to be pocketed by an estranged wife.

But lawyers for Mrs. Cooper-Hohn have indicated that they might appeal.

Justice Roberts concluded that Sir Chris was the “generating force,” had “innovative vision,” had generated “truly vast wealth” and had a “special skill,” adding: “his business success could be viewed as “exceptional.”

“I take the view that he qualifies as a financial genius in his particular field of financial investment,” she added, in a written ruling.

“In these circumstances, I find that, on any view, there has been a special contribution made by the husband in this case and that such contribution should and will be reflected in a departure from equality in terms of the overall award which I propose to make.”

Mrs. Cooper-Hohn said the wealth had been created as a result of their “partnership”.

She said she had worked long hours on behalf of their charitable foundation and travelled.

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INEC Cancels 4 Million Voters From Its Record For Multiple Registration, Says They Could Be Prosecuted

Greenbarge Reporters

December 12, 2014

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the cancellation of no fewer than four million voters from its record across the nation for their involvement in multiple registration.
The Commission’s chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega made this known today when he briefed newsmen in Abuja.
Jega said that the Commission was supposed to have prosecuted those who were involved in such sharp practices but that it lacked both manpower and financial resources to do so.
According to him, most of the complaints coming from voters about none issuance of Permanent Voters Cards were as a result of such cancellation, adding: “we cannot issue Permanent Voters Cards to those who engaged in multiple registration.”
He gave a rundown of how INEC has embarked on cleaning up of the electoral process since he became its chairman, saying that correct register is the first step towards credible election.
Jega expressed confident that with what the Commission had done so far, the 2015 general elections will be better conducted more than the 2011 “which was even adjudged as the best.”
The INEC boss insisted that next year’s elections would be held all over the country, including the trouble spots like Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, hoping that the security operatives would do their own part of the job well.

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Air Travellers May Enjoy Reduced Fares

Greenbarge Reporters

December 12, 2014

The Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, today, hinted that passengers’ air fares may face some downward review, following the recommendation of the committee on aeronautical fare disparities which submitted its report.

The panel submitted that the over 50 multiple charges by agencies and airline operators at the airport were inimical to the overall development of the aviation industry.

He said: “That is what we are going to look at and within the next one week, we shall come out with what will be the new rates. Some of the charges will have to go, those the airlines cannot explain we would do away with and those they can explain we will find out whether they are still available in today’s world.

He said he will find out the basis for the alleged recent fuel surcharges imposed in air transportation configuration, asking, what is the rationale for that surcharge. These are issues I think will be of interest to Nigerians to create a transparency in the core structure of the aviation sector, adding; “I think that this is most important for Nigerians that we should have transparency in what constitute this cost and why we are paying for it.”

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You Can’t Sack Governors Who Defected To APC, Court Tells PDP

Greenbarge Reporters

December 12, 2014

A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out the suit filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking to remove four governors who defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The governors are Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara) as well as Murtala Nyako (impeached governor of Adamawa state.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole, in a ruling that lasted about two hours today, held that the suit’s originating processes were invalid, on the ground that they were wrongly issued and served on the defendants.

The PDP had last December sued the governors, including former Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), asking the court to declare the defecting governors’ seats vacant, and for INEC to conduct elections for their replacement.

Nyako’s name was removed from the suit shortly after his impeachment.

The party had, upon an order of court, served the originating processes on a wrong address, which it claimed was the headquarters of the APC.

The court upheld the arguments of the governors and consequently set aside the service of the suits on them.

On June 27, the party again obtained an ex-parte order for substituted service of the originating processes through newspaper publication, which it published on July 3 in Thisday newspapers.

The defendants again, faulted the procedure adopted by the PDP in serving them, arguing among others, that the plaintiff failed to first obtain the leave of the court to serve them through substituted means, and that the originating processes were not endorsed as required under the Sheriff and Civil Processes Act (SCPA).

Justice Kolawole’s ruling was on the applications filed by Ameachi, Kwankwaso and Ahmed.

He upheld the governors’ argument that the originating processes, issued in the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, and meant for service outside jurisdiction ought to be endorsed as required under Section 97 of the SCPA.

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Okorocha Returns From Presidential Contest To Pick APC Governorship Ticket

Greenbarge Reporters

December 12, 2014

A few hours after losing his bid for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket, Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha returned to Imo state to pick the governorship ticket of the party.

Okorocha’s son-in-law and Commissioner for Lands and Urban Planning, Chief Uche Nwosu, who was said to have been adopted as the governorship candidate, announced his withdrawal from the race.

Nwosu said: “party’s interest supersedes personal ambition.”

He enjoined members to give same support and solidarity to Okorocha, who was nominated in absentia as he was in Lagos where the party’s national convention was held.

Speaking before the ratification of Okorocha’s candidature, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Mr. John Alamba, said the party had the power to substitute any candidate, who withdrew from the race.

”A few days ago, we gathered here to elect Chief Nwosu as the APC governorship candidate, but I was in Lagos when I learnt that the candidate had resigned on personal grounds. We are gathered here today to ratify Governor Okorocha as the party’s governorship candidate.”

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Former PDP Minister, Ortom Defects To APC

Greenbarge Reporters

December 12, 2014

The immediate past Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Samuel Ortom, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ortom is the second chieftain of the PDPy from the state that has defected to the APC in the last one week. Gemade had earlier defected and picked the senatorial ticket for Benue North East on APC platform.

The former minister had written to his PDP ward chairman on Wednesday, signifying his intention to leave the party.

He immediately followed the resignation by picking the APC governorship form and submitting it to the party officials same day.

Ortom’s posters bearing the APC logo flooded the streets of Makurdi yesterday, even as he is billed to take part in the APC governorship primaries that was about to commence yesterday.

Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives representing Kwande/Ushongo of Benue, Benjamin Aboho, has again defected to the LP.

He had earlier this year defected from the APC to PDP but after he lost out at the PDP primaries to return to the lower legislation house, he defected to the LP on Wednesday where he is expected to pick the ticket.

Aboho had lost to Bob Tyough, another party stalwart, in the constituency at the PDP primaries aheld last Saturday.

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Political Opharns Thrown up By PDP Primaries, By Yusuf Ozi-Usman

Yusuf Ozi-Usman

December 11, 2014

When six ministers resigned their appointments from the federal cabinet some weeks ago for the purpose of going to their various states to contest the governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), many ordinary political observers believed they must have done their homework.
In other words, not many people thought that they just jumped into the political train in their states, without having properly tested the depth of the waters.
The ministers who dropped the certainty of their jobs to the uncertainty of becoming their state governors were Labaran Maku (information), Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu (Health), Chief Emeka Wogu (LAbour and Productivity), Chief Nnyeson Wike (State, Education), Dr. Samuel Ortom (State, Trade, Industry and Investment)
Senator Musiliu Obanikoro (State, Defence).
While Maku, the galuruous minister moved to Nasarawa state immediately after throwing in the towel to square it up with other PDP contestants for the governorship position, Professor Chukwu moved to his Ebonyi state for the same purpose, even as Semator Obanikoro moved to Lagos. Chief Wike went to his Rivers state while Wogu moved to Abia state and Ortom moved to Benue.
When they moved, they bobbled with hope and confidence, especially, with wrong notion that Presidency would throw its weight behind them.
But, the results of the primaries of the party that have since been released completely changed the game plan and threw five out of six of them badly into political orphanage. As a matter of fact, while Wike worked extra hard to convince the delegates to vote for him despite the obvious fact that he had the full backing of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, others, especially Maku and Chukwu, looked up to Abuja to sail through. Indeed, the five former ministers virtually fizzled into oblivion as if they went to sleep for the governorship position to be delivered to them on waking up, at the time Wike was energetically crisscrossing Rivers state.
When the chips were donw last week, the five former ministers woke up to discover that the rug has been removed from their feet. They discovered that they have been thrown into confusion where they could not fathom their fates.

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Photo: Online Publishers Visit Water Resources Minister

Greenbarge Reporters

December 11, 2014

online publishers — Members of the GUILD of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) on December 11, 2014 pay a visit on Nigeria’s Federal Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochepe in Abuja.

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