The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ashiru

  • Nigeria wants U.S, others to join ICC

    Nigeria wants U.S, others to join ICC

    Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, on Friday in Abuja called on more countries, including the United States to accede to the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    Ashiru made the call at a briefing session for members of the diplomatic corps in Nigeria.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the minister briefed the diplomatic community on the recent visit of President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan to Abuja for an African Union special summit, among other issues.

    He defended Nigeria’s decision not to arrest Al-Bashir, who is under an ICC arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity.

    On ICC membership, Ashiru said, “Nigeria became a State Party to the Rome Statute out of its own independent and sovereign decision to demonstrate our total revulsion against impunity, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    “Nigeria will, therefore, not take any action to undermine respect for the rule of law and international criminal justice system.

    “To ensure the effectiveness of the court, it is essential that more countries accede to the Rome Statute.

    “I, therefore, call on all states who are not yet parties to join in the overall interest of international justice, peace and security.”

    NAN reports that currently, 122 states are parties to the Statute of the Court, including half of the 54 countries in Africa.

    The membership of the ICC includes all countries in South America, nearly all of Europe and most of Oceania.

    A further 31 countries, including Russia, have also signed but have not ratified the Rome Statute.

     

     

  • Al-Bashir: ICC writes Nigeria

    Al-Bashir: ICC writes Nigeria

    …Seeks respect for Rome Statute 

    President, Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ms Tina Intelmann, has called on the Nigerian Government to respect and fully comply with its Rome Statute obligations.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the court, following the inability of Nigeria to execute an arrest warrant on Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir, who visited Abuja from July 14 to July 16.

    Al-Bashir, who was indicted by the ICC for alleged war crimes in Darfur, reportedly left Abuja on Tuesday morning after attending the Abuja + 12 AU Summit on HIV and AIDS.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that he was accused of allegedly masterminding genocide and other atrocities during the Sudan’s Darfur conflict, charges which he has repeatedly denied.

    In her letter to the Foreign Minister of Nigeria, Mr. Olugbenga Ashiru, the ICC president reminded Nigeria of its commitment as a State Party to the Rome Statute, to cooperate with the court.

    “The Assembly had repeatedly expressed concerns regarding the negative consequences that failure to comply with decisions of the court had on the court’s capability to carry out its mandate.’’

    The ICC president deplored the visits of persons subject to arrest warrants of the court to any State Party.

    Intelmann appealed to State Parties and other stakeholders to join efforts to prevent instances of non-cooperation.

     

  • Al-Bashir: AU position superior to ICC warrant – Ashiru

    Al-Bashir: AU position superior to ICC warrant – Ashiru

    Foreign Affairs Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, on Monday said Nigeria shunned an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant on Sudan President’s Omar al-Bashir because of its commitment to African Union position on the issue.

    Al-Bashir arrived in Nigeria on Sunday for an AU Summit on HIV and AIDS to the consternation of rights groups that had called for his arrest following his indictment by the ICC for alleged crimes in Darfur.

    He is accused of masterminding genocide and other atrocities during the Darfur conflict, a charge he had repeatedly denied.

    Ashiru, who is currently in Brazil for a meeting, said: “Sudan’s President is in Nigeria at the invitation of AU for the HIV and AIDS Malaria Summit.

    “Remember AU in 2009 passed a resolution not to cooperate with the ICC on the indictment of President Al Bashir.

    “However, he is not in Nigeria at our instance as Nigeria’s commitment to the AU remains firm,” Ashiru wrote in an e-mail to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    In a statement on Sunday, Elsie Keppler, Human Rights Watch International Justice Programme Director, criticised Nigeria for being the West African country to welcome the ICC fugitive.

    The director said that Nigeria was the first West African country to welcome the Sudanese president.

    “This stands in stark contrast to the leadership of South Africa, Malawi and other African states, who have made clear he’d be arrested or avoided his visits.

    “Al-Bashir is sought on the gravest crimes committed in Darfur and Nigeria’s hosting is an affront to victims,” Keppler said.

     

  • Nigeria ready to defend Edo executions – Minister

    Nigeria ready to defend Edo executions – Minister

    The Federal Government is ready to defend the recent execution of four convicts in Edo State, which ended a seven-year moratorium on death penalty in the country, an official has said.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, gave the indication in Abuja on Friday at a Consultative Forum on the forthcoming review of human rights in Nigeria under the United Nations Universal Period Review (UPR).

    Ashiru acknowledged that executions in Edo would likely come up when the country appears before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva this October for a periodic review of its human rights.

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the June 24 executions in Edo State had been criticised by the United Kingdom Government, UN and the European Union High Representative, Catherine Ashton.

    According to the top EU diplomat, the execution negates recent commitment repeatedly made by Nigerian officials, most recently in May, to maintain the de facto moratorium on executions.

    Ashiru told reporters that the executions would not act as an impediment to “’tremendous improvements” by government on human rights issues in the country.

    He reminded countries accusing Nigeria of human rights violations to remember that the criminal code was inherited from the ‘colonial powers.

    He noted that in Nigeria, state governments are autonomous and for the executions in Edo, Governor Adams Oshiomhole acted within the confines of the law.

     

  • Prisoners: Nigeria wants conclusion of agreement with Europe

    Prisoners: Nigeria wants conclusion of agreement with Europe

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, has called for early conclusion of Prisoners Transfer Agreements between Nigeria and countries in Europe.

    Ashiru made the call on Monday in Berlin at a two-day seminar organised for Heads of Nigerian Missions in Europe.

    The Europe Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that under the agreement, Nigerians serving prison terms in Europe could be transferred home to complete their sentences.

    “One strategy we need to deliberate upon to ameliorate the plight of Nigerian prisoners is the prospect of concluding the PTA.

    “This Includes, the legal framework for orderly repatriation of Nigerians who have lost their rights to remain in their host countries,” Ashiru said while declaring open the seminar.

    According to him, the agreement is already being implemented in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, South Africa and Turkey.

    Ashiru also tasked the envoys to focus more on economic diplomacy, saying, “we need to market Nigeria’s huge potentials and growing profile as the greatest market of foreign investments in Africa with the highest rate of returns.”

    He urged the ambassadors to explore opportunities offered by the economic meltdown in parts of Europe to increase the nation’s share of global inflow of foreign direct investments.

     

     

  • Why Adamawa is under emergency rule, by FG

    Why Adamawa is under emergency rule, by FG

    The Federal Government, for the first time since the declaration of emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, explained the inclusion of Adamawa State yesterday.

    The government gave the state’s proximity to Cameroun and the need for the military to have a wide area of coverage as reasons for the inclusion.

    The Federal Government also said it did not want to give the insurgents any hiding place

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, disclosed these in Abuja during a meeting with foreign diplomats in the country yesterday.

    He, however, assured that the state of emergency would be lifted immediately normalcy returns in the affected states.

    He also allayed the fears of the  diplomats on possible human rights abuse, assuring them that the  military would abide by their rules of engagement.

    He called on the diplomats to report accurately to their governments back home, stressing that terrorism has no boundaries.

    He assured them that the military action is a limited operation that would only last for a short period.

    He also said the military  authorities would make public their rules of engagement in the troubled states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

    He further stressed that the state of emergency was meant to protect lives and property and flush out the insurgents.

    He, however, said as part of the rule of engagement, the military would first give the insurgents the oportunit to surrender. Where that failed, he said, they would employ all-military action.

    He assured the diplomats that the military would be as open as possible.

    The minister also denied any form of extra-judicial killings in the country, adding that the operations “are put in place to protect the civilian populace”.

    He further assured the diplomats who would want to visit the affected states of their safety, saying, however, that it would  have to be a protected visit.

    He advised diplomats who would want to visit the areas to get clearance from the ministry and that of defence.

    He expressed optimism that the National Assembly would ratify President Goodluck Jonathan’s state of emergency proclamation. He also noted that the proclamation was simply a military operation as the political actors in the states would still be going about their constitutional responsibilities.

    The minister denied the allegations of extra-judicial killing levelled against the military. He however said the government has set up a committee to look into the allegations.

    The minister noted that the country  had recorded $9 billion inflow in foreign direct investment  in spite of the security challenge. This, he said, was as a result of the investors’ faith  in the government. “They know that we have the capacity to curtail the security challenge,” he said.

    Ashiru added: “The ongoing security challenge facing our country has imposed on us a responsibility to respond in a robust manner, anchored on a multiple-track strategy of negotiation, empowerment, engagement, re-orientation, and military containment.”