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Tag: U.S.

  • EXPOSED: Osun PDP candidate Adeleke didn’t graduate from U.S. varsity, as claimed

    ADEMOLA Nurudeen Adeleke, senator representing Osun West Senatorial District and the state’s PDP gubernatorial candidate, did not graduate from Jacksonville State University (JSU), says the authorities of the public university located in Alabama, United States.

    This new revelation on the educational status of the ‘dancing senator’ as Adeleke is fondly called by his supporters was contained in a report published by the International Center for Investigative Reporting [ICIR].

    According to his profile on the National Assembly website, Adeleke has a Diploma in Criminology from JSU and graduated in 1986. He also graduated from Ede Muslim Grammar School, Osun State, where he obtained an Ordinary Level Certificate.

    His academic claims have, however, been brutally challenged. According to recently circulated claims, Adeleke registered for GCE O’ Level in 1981 but had F9 in English Language and was recorded absent for other subjects. It also said he has no degree from JSU where he registered as Jackson Ademola Adeleke, while providing what it titled as official records of his enrollment.

    Dele Adeleke, Ademola Adeleke’s junior brother, has denied the allegations and encouraged those who disagree to verify the senator’s result at his alma mater. “Do you think the APC would not have raised the issues if he did not have the authentic certificates?” he had asked.

    The ICIR can, however, confirm that Adeleke did not graduate from Jacksonville State University, though he has claimed otherwise.

    Buffy Lockette, the Director of Public Relations at the university, in response to a mailed enquiry, told The ICIR that though the senator enrolled at the tertiary institution, he was not awarded any degree.

    “Your request was forwarded to me,” started Lockette. “According to our records, he attended JSU but did not graduate. I cannot provide any additional information. Perhaps you can learn more at http://www.studentclearinghouse.org.”

    When The ICIR checked the West African Examination Council’s website to view Adeleke’s O’ level result using examination number 19645/149 as circulated, the site replied, “result not available for this candidate in the specified year and exams diet”.

    The Council’s online result verification portal, which claims to contain data from 1980 to 2018, was also consulted with the same details. The result was brief: “candidate does not exist”.

    Demianus Ojijeogu, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, told The ICIR all candidates’ results are in the custody of the Council and should be accessible on the website, regardless of performance in the examination.

    “Even if the candidate has F9 throughout or is absent throughout, it is accessible,” he said. He, however, added that the Council is still working on results of candidates who wrote in 1981 and the surrounding years.

    “You know there is this change of nomenclature in our examination. We used to have SSCE then WASC, and now WASSCE. So, we are trying to update the website; maybe they took some down.” He promised to confirm and provide feedback on why the results are not presently online.

    Meanwhile, two members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Rasheed Olabayo and Oluwaseun Idowu, have as a result of the controversy applied to the Osun State High Court for an order setting aside Adeleke’s election as the party’s flag bearer in the September gubernatorial election.

    Olabayo, in his affidavit, said the senator truly attended Ede Muslim Grammar School “but did not leave with a School Leaving Certificate having absented himself from the school leaving examinations but for English where he scored a failing mark of F9”.

    One of the exhibits provided to the court and obtained by The ICIR is Adeleke’s senior secondary school examination statement of result recently collected from Ede Muslim High School. It shows that the candidate had an F9 in English Language, while grades for Literature in English, Mathematics, Biology, Economics, Islamic Religious Studies, Christian Religious Studies and Geography, were said to be pending.

    Ruling on the plaintiffs’ ex-parte application on Thursday, the court gave Adeleke six days, that is till August 1, 2018, to provide his certificate.

    “It will be inequitable not to allow the respondent to come and show his certificate if he has any but if given the opportunity to present side of the case, the balance which is necessary for interlocutory injunction would be adequately considered,” noted Justice David Oladimeji.

    Though a newcomer to Nigeria’s elective politics, the 58-year-old senator appears to be flying from triumph to triumph. He was largely unknown politically prior to the demise of Isiaka Adeleke, his older brother, who passed away on April 23, 2017.

    Following a bye-election held to fill the vacuum left by Isiaka in the Nigerian senate, he was declared to have had a landslide victory, winning in nine out of 10 local governments. He admitted this was due to his brother’s “historical goodwill” and influence.

    According to him: “I was having fun during the campaign and enjoying my dance because my brother had done 70 percent of the job with his historical goodwill right from when he became an executive governor in 1991. I was always with him. I want to follow his footsteps and may God help me.”

    On Saturday, Adeleke found himself a step closer to his political ambition as he was declared PDP’s gubernatorial flag bearer in Osun State, after he narrowly defeated Akin Ogunbiyi with a seven-vote difference.

    Though what he notes as his target achievement is “to sponsor Bills that would be impactful on my people, especially youths and women”, the senator has in fact not notably sponsored any bills since his election into the red chambers.

    On the contrary, he has become notorious for his vigorous, entertaining dance moves and his fondness for flaunting these in public ― a trend that has earned him the name, “the dancing senator”.

  • Trump expects big results from meeting with Putin

    Trump expects big results from meeting with Putin

    U.S President Donald Trump said Wednesday he got on well with Russian President Vladimir Putin at their summit in Finland and “big results will come”.

    “So many people at the higher ends of intelligence loved my press conference performance in Helsinki.

    “Putin and I discussed many important subjects at our earlier meeting. We got along well which truly bothered many haters who wanted to see a boxing match.

    “Big results will come!” he said on Twitter.

    Trump stunned the world on Monday by shying away from criticizing the Russian leader for Moscow’s actions to undermine the election and cast doubt on U.S. intelligence agencies, prompting calls by some U.S. lawmakers for tougher sanctions and other actions to punish Russia.

    “I said the word ‘would’ instead of ‘wouldn’t,’” Trump told newsmen at the White House, more than 24 hours after his appearance with Putin.

    “The sentence should have been, ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia.’”

    A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after his news conference with Putin found that 55 per cent of registered U.S. voters disapproved of his handling of relations with Russia, while 37 per cent approved.

    Trump, who had the opportunity to publicly rebuke Putin during the news conference in Helsinki, instead praised the Russian leader for his “strong and powerful” denial of the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies that the Russian state meddled in the election.

    Standing alongside Putin in Helsinki, Trump told newsmen he was not convinced it was Moscow. “I don’t see any reason why it would be,” Trump said.

    Although he faced pressure from critics, allied countries and even his own staff to take a tough line, Trump said not a single disparaging word in public about Moscow on any of the issues that have brought relations between the two nuclear powers to the lowest ebb since the Cold War.

    Republicans and Democrats accused him of siding with an adversary rather than his own country.

    In spite of a televised interview and numerous postings to Twitter, Trump did not correct himself until 27 hours later.

    Reading mainly from a prepared statement, Trump said on Tuesday he had complete faith in U.S. intelligence agencies and accepted their conclusions.

    He then veered from his script to hedge on who was responsible for the election interference: “It could be other people also. There’s a lot of people out there.”

    His backtracking failed to quell the controversy. Democrats dismissed Trump’s statement as political damage control.

    “This has to be recognized for what it is, which is simply an effort to clean up the mess he made yesterday, which is beyond the capacity of any short statement to repair,” said Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee.

    Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump’s comments on Tuesday were another sign of weakness, particularly his statement that it “could be other people” responsible for the election meddling.

    “He made a horrible statement, tried to back off, but couldn’t even bring himself to back off,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “It shows the weakness of President Trump that he is afraid to confront Mr Putin directly.”

    The political firestorm over Trump’s performance in Helsinki has engulfed the administration and spread to his fellow Republicans, eclipsing most of the frequent controversies that have erupted during Trump’s turbulent 18 months in office.

    Trump sought on Tuesday to calm the storm over what critics said was his failure to hold Putin accountable
    for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, saying he misspoke in the joint news conference in Helsinki.

     

  • Putin-Trump did not address issue of anti-Moscow sanctions – Russian envoy

    Putin-Trump did not address issue of anti-Moscow sanctions – Russian envoy

    The issue of the U.S. sanctions against Russia was not raised at the Helsinki summit between President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, the sides discussed economic cooperation, Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov said on Wednesday.

    “The issue of sanctions as such was not discussed. The part of talks which I attended addressed the issues of economic cooperation,” Antonov told reporters.

    He also said that Putin and Trump did not make any secret arrangements at the summit.

    “Vladimir Vladimirovich has told everything. There are no secret agreements reached at the meetings held in Helsinki, as far as I know,” Antonov told newsmen.

     

  • Saraki urges U.S. to take its rightful place in trade, investment in Nigeria

    Saraki urges U.S. to take its rightful place in trade, investment in Nigeria

    President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called on the Government of the United States (U.S.) to take its rightful place in trade and investment relationship with the country.

    Saraki made the call while addressing the United States Chamber of Commerce on ‘Doing Business and Opportunities in Nigeria’ as part of a parliamentary visit to Washington DC by a National Assembly delegation at the weekend.

    The President of the Senate, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, stated that huge investment opportunities exist in Agriculture, Financial Technology (Fintech), Infrastructure, Health and oil and gas in the country that promise huge return on investment for any investor.

    Saraki said: “The unique history of Nigeria and the United States, make it imperative that she should remain by far our biggest and closest trade and investment partner. The evolving new vision for the Nigeria economy is within this context of our relationship matrix with the United States as we share similar and converging values.

    “However, in recent times, it would appear that China has been the more willing and enthusiastic partner for business and investment. China has already invested or financed a total number of $22billion projects $45bn in Nigeria with another $40b ready for the next phase of infrastructure financing and investments.

    “China is approaching Nigeria and the African continent as an investment destination and offering very soft loans to the continent. We are indeed happy. But we are also aware that this is the primary place reserved for our core allies like the United States. We want to see the united States and investors like you here, to development a new lens for assessing Africa.

    “We appreciate the aids and humanitarian gestures we receive, but it is no longer enough and in our mutual best interest to continue to ignore the vast opportunity for trade and investment on the continent particularly in Nigeria. We want to see the United States successful with Nigeria diplomatically and economically,” he stated.

    He noted that while Nigeria is one of the Sub-Saharan countries eligible for preferential trade agreements under the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) of the U.S. Congress, but going forward, the country intends to exit AGOA at some point into a full fledged trade agreement based trade relations.

    “Thus, I urge you to take away from our conversations today to better harness the potentials of our investments, your approach to doing business with us has to be strategic and purposeful. We are opening up avenues for private sector to come in and play their own part,” he stated.

    He further stated that the present leadership of the country is not unmindful of the security challenges confronting the nation as it has since commenced action to reform its security architecture in order to boost security for everyone in Nigeria.

    He said: “Indeed, we see the challenges as underscoring the urgent need for radical action on our part as Nigerian leaders. We are determined to bridge the gap of economic disparity in Nigerian society, so as to lift 87 million people out of poverty while creating opportunities and prosperity across board.

    “To do this successfully requires you, our partners, and investors, to join hands with us to build viable cooperation and partnership that will be of benefit to our two nations. Nigeria’ success holds the key to the success of Africa.

    “Our vision is to ensure that we form the nucleus upon which Africa can attain collective and sustained development. In order to do this, Africa needs you and we look forward to working with you,” he stated.

     

  • Iceland replaces U.S. on Human Rights Council

    Iceland replaces U.S. on Human Rights Council

    Iceland has for the first time been elected to the Human Rights Council, filling the seat vacated by the U.S., which withdrew from the body in June, citing bias.

    The UN General Assembly on Friday elected Iceland to serve on the Geneva-based global rights body effective immediately, through to the end of 2019.

    Iceland inherited no particular responsibilities from the U.S., raising questions about future action on key human rights issues promoted specifically by Washington, such as Sudan, South Sudan and the right to freedom of expression.

    On June 19, the U.S. announced its decision to leave the Council.

    Senior U.S. officials accused the Council of displaying entrenched bias against Israel, and criticised what they said was the body’s willingness to admit nations which were themselves human rights abusers.

    U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, noted that the move did not signify in any way, that the U.S. was retreating from its own human rights commitments.

    In a statement issued by UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric, Secretary-General António Guterres said that he would have “much preferred” the U.S. remained.

    Guterres added that the 47-member intergovernmental body was a part of the UN’s overall “Human Rights architecture”, which “plays a very important role in the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide”.

    The Human Rights Council’s next scheduled meeting is in September.

  • Osinbajo leads technology roadshow to U.S.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is leading a public-private sector collaborative investment roadshow to the U.S., where he will be speaking to global industry leaders in information technology and entertainment.

    The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, on Sunday said the event would be at the Silicon Valley in San Francisco and Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.

    According to Akande the events would hold between July 9 and July 11, 2018.

    He said Osinbajo would be joined on the investment roadshow by members of the recently inaugurated Advisory Group on Technology and Creativity, a sub-unit of the National Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council.

    The aim, Akande stated would be to primarily showcase the improvement in Nigeria’s business environment to entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders in both cities of the U.S.

    Akande disclosed that Osinbajo would emphasize on a number of the Buhari administration’s policies such as the Ease of Doing Business reforms, which have improved the country’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index 2017.

    He recalled that in the ranking Nigeria climbed up 24 places and was placed on the list of 10 most reformed economies globally.

    Also, the report noted that Nigeria made significant progress across several indicators comprising starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity and property registration.

    Others are getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency.

    Akande stated that the Vice President would also visit the headquarters of some leading global technology companies adding that there would be sessions with investors, Fund Managers and large U.S. technology companies.

    Also the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), the Bank of Industry (BOI), and the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat would make presentations.

    The Vice Presidential spokesman said other aspects of Osinbajo’s trip would be to showcase the strides in the country’s technology, innovation and creative space by Nigerian technology start-ups and entertainment industry practitioners.

    Akande also said during the trip, some leading Nigerian start-ups would be making pitches about their ideas and products so as to promote investment by U.S. companies in Nigeria’s technology and creativity sector.

    “It would also focus on collaboration between Nigerian and US companies in the areas of technology and entertainment, including further cooperation between Nigeria’s film industry, Nollywood, and U.S. Hollywood in the areas of production, distribution and content protection.

    “”Another objective of the investment mission is to attract Africans in the Diaspora to mentor and support start-ups in Nigeria,’’ Akande said.

    He said Osinbajo was being accompanied on the trip by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okey Enelamah and the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Dr Adeyemi Dipeolu.

    Others are senior government officials from the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council, Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Ease of Doing Business Secretariat among others.

    Akande said that the Vice President, who left Nigeria on Saturday would return to the country on July 12.

     

  • Trump moves to block China Mobile’s U.S. entry on security concerns

    The United States Government has moved to block China Mobile from offering services to the U.S. telecommunications market, recommending its application be rejected because the firm posed national security risks.

    “The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should deny the state-owned China Mobile’s 2011 application.

    “The application is to offer telecommunication services between the United States and other countries, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) said in a statement posted on its website.

    “After significant engagement with China Mobile, concerns about increased risks to U.S. law enforcement and national security interests were unable to be resolved,’’ said the statement.

    It quoted David Redl, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information at the U.S. Department of Commerce, which NTIA is part of.

    China Mobile, the world’s largest telecom carrier with 899 million subscribers, did not immediately respond to media request for comment on Tuesday.

    However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, in response to a question about China Mobile at a daily briefing, said: “We urge the relevant side in the United States to abandon Cold War thinking and zero-sum games’’.

    China always encourages its companies to operate in accordance with market rules and to respect the laws of the countries it operates in, he said.

    He added that the United States should stop putting “unreasonable pressure” on Chinese firms.

    The move by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to block China Mobile comes amid growing trade frictions between the two countries.

    The United States is set to impose tariffs on $34 billion worth of goods from China on July 6, which Beijing is expected to respond to with tariffs of its own.

     

  • U.S. Secretary of State calls Buhari, reaffirms Nigeria-U.S. relations

    U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called President Muhamadu Buhari and reaffirmed the longstanding relationship between the U.S. and Nigeria, U.S. Department of State, said.

    The spokesperson for the department, Heather Nauert, said Mr Pompeo, during the call, also underscored Mr Buhari’s visit to the U.S. on April 30, and recognised Nigeria’s leadership in Africa.

    Nauert said: “On May 17, Secretary Pompeo called Nigerian President Buhari.

    “The Secretary noted the longstanding relationship between the Nigerian and American people and underscored the themes of the April 30 official working visit of President Buhari to the White House.

    “He recognized Nigerian leadership across the African continent on priorities we share: countering terrorism and other threats to peace and security, creating economic opportunity, fighting corruption, and advancing democracy and stability.

    “The Secretary welcomed continued cooperation in advancing our nations’ mutual prosperity.”

    President Buhari visited the U.S. on April 30 at the invitation of President Donald Trump, and held bilateral meetings with the U.S. counterpart at the White House.

    The meetings, which also had cabinet members from both sides, focused on security, economy and the fight against corruption.

  • Melania Trump undergoes kidney surgery

    Melania Trump undergoes kidney surgery

    U.S. First Lady Melania Trump has undergone a successful kidney surgery on Monday morning, the White House said in a statement.

    The first lady’s Communications Director, Stephanie Grisham, said in the statement that Trump would remain hospitalised through the week at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, in Maryland.

    The statement said the 48-year-old Melania “underwent an embolisation procedure to treat a benign kidney condition”.

    “This morning, first lady Melania Trump underwent an embolisation procedure to treat a benign kidney condition. The procedure was successful, and there were no complications.

    “Mrs Trump is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre and will likely remain there for the duration of the week.

    “The first lady looks forward to a full recovery so she can continue her work on behalf of children everywhere,” it said.

    According to the statement, President Donald Trump remained in the White House during the First Lady’s surgery.

    “The president is expected to visit his wife at the hospital later on Monday,’’ the statement read.

  • U.S. donates N32bn to conduct HIV/AIDS census in Nigeria

    U.S. donates N32bn to conduct HIV/AIDS census in Nigeria

    The United States Government has donated $90m (N32bn) to Nigeria for the HIV/AIDS survey that will take place across the country starting from June.

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS and the United States Government in Abuja on Thursday.

    The survey, which has been tagged, ‘Nigeria AIDS Indicators and Impact Survey,’ will have a sample size of 170,000 people and is expected to last for about six months.

    The exercise, which is the largest survey of HIV/AIDS in the world, will take place across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

    Adewole said the American government had directly supported the survey with about $90m and, indirectly, through other partners.

    The minister said, “The resources for the survey are largely from the US government. Directly, they are giving us about $90m; and indirectly, they are working with other partners to ensure the success of the survey.”

    Adewole, who spoke on the importance of the survey, said, “The survey will put behind us the concept of making guess work in terms of burden of HIV disease in Nigeria.

    “We do not know how many people are infected; so, this study will enable us get a precise number.

    “This survey is not only about HIV, but about Hepatitis B and C.

    “This survey will also help us to drive forward the agenda to rid Nigeria of Hepatitis C. As you know, Hepatitis C now has a cure.

    “Also, people who test positive will be placed on treatment, as having HIV is not the end of the world.”

    Adewole said politics would not be involved in the process, even as he promised that the result of the survey would be published “so that we can discover the real state of HIV in the country.

    “It will serve as a drive to our effort to control the epidemic.”

    Also speaking, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, urged Nigerians and interested groups to ensure that the exercise was a success.

    He said the world was watching and a successful survey would make Nigeria a shining example and ultimately help bring the HIV epidemic under control.

    Symington said, said “An epidemic control has not yet been achieved anywhere, but with this effort the government of Nigeria in partnership with this extra ordinary team of partners funded by every man, woman and child in the United States of America, a huge success will be achieved. As one thing everyone can do this year, is to help make this survey a success.”

    The Director-General of NACA, Sani Aliyu, said the survey would help solve the problem of accurate data and also more precise information of the coverage of HIV in Nigeria.

    Aliyu urged Nigerians to participate in the survey, to enable accurate and precise results.