According to a tweet by Pamela Falk, CBS news reporter for the United Nations, the world body would soon release a statement confirming the appointment of the Buhari’s Minister.

Until her appointment as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in November 2015, she was the Assistant Secretary/Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary General on Post-2015 Development Planning.

Amina Mohammed was also recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to serve in the African Union (AU) Reform Steering Committee as the Nigerian representative.

The committee, headed by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is tasked with ongoing institutional reforms of the AU Commission and its organs.

The committee which comprises eminent persons from the continent will work on part-time basis to produce a report for presentation to the 28th African Union Summit in January 2017.

A versatile and accomplished development practitioner in the public, private and civil society sectors with over three decades experience, Mrs Mohammed had served as the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on MDGs, serving three Presidents over a period of six years.

Also, the new Secretary General is expected to take his oath of office on i January, 2017. (NAN)

Follow Us

The post Nigerian Minister appointed UN Deputy Secretary-General appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

The accord, initiated by the National Peace Committee, was signed Thursday by President Goodluck Jonathan, the candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and his main challenger, Muhammadu Buhari of the opposition All Progressives Congress.

“We call on INEC and all security agencies to ensure strict adherence to their constitutional roles,” Messrs Buhari and Jonathan said in a joint statement released after the agreement signing ceremony, adding that “We also pledge to respect the outcome of free, fair and credible elections.”

The agreement, just like the one they signed on January 14, contained an undertaking by the parties to avoid actions that could promote violence during and after the polls.

“Now that the campaigns have come to an end, we meet today to renew our pledge for peaceful elections. We therefore call on all fellow citizens of our dear country, and our supporters, to refrain from violence or any acts that may in any way jeopardise our collective vision of a free, fair and credible election.

“Today, we again renew our commitment to a united, democratic and prosperous Nigeria. We want all Nigerians to stand together at this critical phase of our nation’s history,” the statement said.

The agreement signing ceremony held the auspices of the National Peace Committee headed by a former Military Head of State, Abdusalami Abubakar, also had in attendance, the national chairmen of their parties: Adamu Muazu [PDP] and John Oyegun [APC].

The two leading candidates had on January 14, at another event attended by former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Anan, and former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, openly spoke against violence and committed to a peaceful poll.

Follow Us

The post Buhari, Jonathan pledge to accept outcome of “free, fair, credible elections” appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

In a letter dated February 3, and addressed to Amie Bensouda of the Office of the Prosecutor, ICC, HEDA stated that the comments credited to Dokubo and other Niger Delta militants were “akin to preparation for crimes against humanity”.

“Madam Prosecutor, to avoid a repeat of the Kenyan experience, where evidence to prosecute alleged sponsors of post-election violence could not be sufficiently mobilized, your office is hereby implored to broaden your monitoring engagement to cover pre-election utterances, actions, inactions and postulations from January 2014,” HEDA stated in the letter signed by Firdaws Ibrahim, Communication Officer, HEDA.

“Political gladiators have set the template for developments leading to the heated electoral process. Several politicians, public office holders and their supporters have embarked on hate campaigns, open threat of violence and even act tantamount to genocide.”

Prominent Niger Delta militants had two weeks ago met in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and threatened to unleash violence on the country and take back the region’s oil should President Goodluck Jonathan lose re-election.

“For every Goliath, God created a David. For every Pharaoh, there is a Moses. We are going to war. Everyone of you should go and fortify yourself,” Dokubo-Asari, leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, said at the gathering, in reaction to attacks on President Jonathan and his campaign team during his rallies in some sates in the north.

On January 14, the presidential candidates and their political parties signed a peace pact in Abuja, under the supervision of Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General, and Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary General.

But despite the peace accord, political campaigns across the country have continued to be characterized by hate speech, character assassination, religious and ethnic incitement and, physical attacks on campaign convoys.

The ICC on Tuesday warned that it would not take lightly the outbreak of violence during the general elections and vowed to prosecute persons or groups caught inciting or perpetrating acts of violence in the run-up or after election.

In the letter titled ‘Analysis of Security Situation in Nigeria,’ HEDA pledged to assist the ICC to ensure that sponsors and promoters of election violence are brought to book.

“Past experience have shown the government and by extension the ruling class as unwilling and incapable of bringing an end to politically induced violence or at the least, bring perpetrators of violence to book,” the group said.

“The April 16, 2011 Presidential election was greeted with an orgy of violence that took the world by surprise. It led to the death of over 800 persons in northern Nigeria. The victims were killed in three days of rioting in 12 northern states of Nigeria.

“In response to the mass killings, Nigerian Government on May 11, 2011 appointed a 22-member panel to investigate the causes and extent of the violence.

“In its report, submitted to the President on October 10, 2011, the panel indicted the government of contributing to the violence by failing to implement reports of past commissions and panels on ethno-religious and political crises which has contributed to the 2011 post-election violence and, urged the government to implement the reports.

“More than three years without implementation, even after a white paper was issued on the report, it is obvious the report has gone the way of those before it.

“The government has not only failed to implement recommendations of the Panel, the identified perpetrators of the violence are still freely working streets and, possibly emboldened by government’s inaction to unleash a higher degree of violence, if not favoured by outcomes of the 2015 election.”

Follow Us

The post Group drags Dokubo, Tompolo others before ICC over violence threat appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.