AFRICAN UNION CHAIRPERSON, CONDE, CALLS PRESIDENT BUHARI, WISHES HIM GOOD HEALTH

The Chairperson of the African Union (AU), President Alpha Conde of Guinea, Friday, called President Muhammadu Buhari in London, to wish him good health and speedy recovery.

President Conde, who said he was calling on behalf of leaders of member countries of the AU, assured the Nigerian President that all African leaders stand with him in prayers at a time like this.

President Buhari, while thanking President Conde for the telephone call, used the opportunity to congratulate him on his recent election as AU Chairperson during the 28th Ordinary Summit of the continental body in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 2017.

PRESS RELEASE: NIGERIA WILL FULFIL ITS FINANCIAL OBLIGATION TO AU — PRESIDENT BUHARI

President Muhammadu Buhari said Monday in Abuja Nigeria will fulfil its financial obligation to the African Union (AU), particularly on programmes and operations aimed at ensuring durable peace, stability and security on the continent.

Receiving the AU Envoy on the Peace Fund, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President Buhari said supporting peace operations, under the auspices of the AU, in several countries affected by conflict remains a foreign policy priority for his administration.

Despite competing priorities on security and the economic downturn in the country, the President assured the AU envoy that Nigeria will also play a central role in seeking the EU and the UN to strengthen their support for crisis-prone African countries.

What the Conviction of Chad's Former Dictator Means for African Human Rights

The breakthrough for many victims of atrocities committed under the former Chadian dictator Hissène Habré came on May 30 in Dakar, Senegal. After nearly two decades of effort by activists, the Extraordinary African Chambers in the courts of Senegal convicted Habré of torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity and handed down a life sentence. For those of us in the courtroom, the cries of joy from the victims after the judges’ ruling underscored its immense importance.

Habré was the first African suspect prosecuted under ‘universal jurisdiction’

The Habré trial was the first in which a court in Africa prosecuted a suspect under “universal jurisdiction”— which allows states to prosecute certain heinous crimes even if they were committed abroad, by foreigners and against foreigners. While many countries have universal jurisdiction laws, few have used them. European countries have launched most such cases. South Africa has begun to investigate crimes on the basis of universal jurisdiction but has yet to bring any prosecutions.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu the Last PDP Standing and His Future

Senator Ike Ekweremadu is the last PDP member standing or rather the highest PDP elected member who has a place in the federal government. He is thus in control of PDP. Usually in nations that operate with two strong political parties, each of the parties manage to control an arm of the government, the presidency or the senate or the House. The leader of the arm of government under the opposition party is considered the head of the party for he/she is the only person who can do something in the government. PDP does not control any arm of the Nigeria government except that due to APC’s weakness PDP has the senate deputy president’s post. As the highest ranking PDP member DSP Ekweremadu commands national attention. Exhibit one would be the kind of people who attended his “book lunching,” whatever that means. PDP stalwarts, APC rank and file and even the president via a representative were all there to hear the deputy senate president outline how he sees the future of Nigeria.

Good for him.

Being the effective leader of the opposition is an honor, a privilege, and a challenge.

PANAMA PAPERS: AU CALLS FOR INVESTIGATIONS

The African Union (AU) has called on all African countries to investigate persons and companies implicated in the Panama Papers leak.

Scores of high-profile Africans —including the nephew of South African President Jacob Zuma and the Nigerian Senate president, Bukola Saraki— have come under scrutiny after being linked to offshore accounts and shell companies in the leak of 11.5 million tax documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. South Africa’s Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, has ordered an investigation into citizens of the country named in the Panama Papers, but other African countries have been slower to respond.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who heads up the AU’s panel on illicit financial flows, issued a statement on Friday referring to the leak as “most welcome” and calling for concerted action across Africa and the world to tackle illicit forms of tax evasion. Mbeki pointed out that the fourth most-used tax haven revealed within the Panama Papers was an African nation—the Seychelles—and said this meant that African countries “must not rest under the illusion that the issue of tax havens does not directly affect Africa.”