The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CHOGM

  • CHOGM: PDP sets agenda for Buhari

    THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged President Muhammadu Buhari to use the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which opens in London today to inform other world leaders of the alleged “depressing state of affairs” under his watch.

    The party urged the President to resist the temptation of seeking to impress world leaders with what it termed “false performance indices”, but to present the real situation in the country.

    In a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP listed the alleged pitiable state of the economy, escalated insecurity, human rights abuses, daily bloodletting, persecution of opposition and erosion of democratic values in the last three years as some of the ills plaguing the country.

    It also urged Buhari not forget to inform CHOGM that back home, there is a national indignation and general vote of no confidence against his administration for its failure to fulfill the promises he made during the 2015 Presidential campaign.

    The statement said: “President Buhari should inform other world leaders that due to the harsh economic policies and gross incompetence of his administration, our once robust economy, internationally rated as one of the fasted growing in the world and one of the best investment destinations, collapsed in his hands and went into a recession; that infrastructure is collapsing and that all sectors of public and private lives are now in shambles.”

    The opposition party urged the President not to allow his handlers to mislead him to colour his presentation at CHOGM, as such will detract from his integrity as a leader.

    “As for us in the repositioned PDP, we will continue to stand with Nigerians in their collective quest to end the APC misrule and return the nation to path of truth, national cohesion and economic prosperity, come 2019,” the party added.

  • Rights row dogs Commonwealth summit

    The Commonwealth summit has opened with a colourful ceremony in Colombo, amid continuing scrutiny of Sri Lanka’s human rights record.

    BBC reports that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has repeatedly rejected criticism of his government’s actions during the campaign which defeated Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009.

    Mr. Rajapaksa is due to chair the Commonwealth for the next two years.

    The leaders of India, Mauritius and Canada have boycotted the summit.

    Prince Charles formally opened the summit, for the first time representing his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as head of the Commonwealth.

    British Prime Minister David Cameron is attending but said he would raise “tough questions.”

    BBC says the government had hoped the three-day event would showcase Sri Lanka’s post-war revival, but instead it is turning into a PR disaster.

    Dancers in dazzling colour greeted heads of state and officials from the 49 countries in attendance as they arrived for the summit in Colombo.

    In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Mr. Rajapaksa again defended his government’s record.

    “We in Sri Lanka are stepping into a new era of peace, stability and premium economic opportunities,” he said.

     

  • Nigeria dares India over deportation threat

    Nigeria dares India over deportation threat

    The Federal Government has dared the India government to carry out its recent threat to deport Nigerians.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof Viola Onwuliri, yesterday warned that Nigeria would react appropriately, if India carried out the threat.

    She demanded an apology from the Indian government on the recent attack on Nigerians in that country.

    Nigerians in Goa state recently protested the killing of their compatriot, Obodo Uzoma Simeon.

    During a protest on the killing, Goa’s main highway was blocked for a few hours.

    The state’s Chief Administer Manohar Parrikar asked the police to track down Nigerians living illegally in the former Portuguese colony for deportation.

    But, Prof Onwuliri, during a pre-Commonwealth Heads of Governments (CHOGM) conference, which will hold in Colombo, Sri Lanka, told reporters that “the growing violence around the world should be a thing of worry to member-states”.

    She added: “For us in Nigeria, we have continued to condemn violence, especially against Nigerians in different states.

    “The recent one in India is really a big thing to worry about. I have summoned the Acting Head of Mission of India to address me on what has happened to our citizens in India. The young man (Simeon) was coming back from launch and there was a clash between two drug communities. He was not a part of them, but he went in for it. We have also asked for an unreserved apology from India. We have asked them to ensure that investigations are carried out so that the perpetrators of that act will be brought to book.”

     

  • Nigeria seeks visa free regime for Commonwealth members

    Nigeria will press on with the call for the abolition of visa regime among members of the Commonwealth of Nations at this year’s meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM).

    The country’s interim position is for introduction of a pilot scheme which will faciliate visa free regime for holders of diplomatic and official passports from member countries.

    The event which kicks off in November 13-17, 2013, in Colombo, Sri-Lanka has as theme- “Growth with equity: Inclusive development”.

    The summit will also consider the Global Economic Situation, including debt sustainability, international trade, climate change as well as the promotion of people-people contact in the context of liberalization of visa regimes amongst commonwealth countries.

    This position, according to the country’s acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, will help improve trade amongst member nations.

    She had argued that the visa regime and other form of restrictions on movement amongst member countries will hinder the move to have a borderless Commonwealth.

    The minister in a pre-CHOGM press briefing in Abuja on Monday told journalists that “Nigeria is attending the CHOGM with a clear position on every item on the agenda of the various meetings.

    With specific reference to the theme, the summit would consider and adopt a concept paper prepared by the government of Sri Lanka.