Paris, June 8, 2024 (dpa/NAN) French President Emmanuel Macron to receive his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden as a state guest in Paris on Saturday.
Following an official welcoming ceremony, the two are scheduled to hold bilateral talks in Macron’s official residence, after which Biden and Macron are expected to appear before the press.
A state banquet is scheduled for the evening.
Unlike regular working visits, official state visits are accompanied by special pomp and protocol.
The U.S. president is currently on a visit to France lasting several days.
He arrived on Wednesday and took part in commemorations in Normandy on Thursday to mark the D-Day landing of Allied troops 80 years ago.
The White House said in advance that the state visit reflected the close ties between the two countries.
Biden and Macron plan to discuss a wide range of global challenges and bilateral issues.
The French government said that they would discuss further support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia.
This would also serve to prepare for next week’s G7 summit in the Italian city of Bari and the NATO summit in the U.S. capital Washington in July.
Biden received Macron as a state guest in Washington in 2022.
At the time, the French leader was the first foreign guest to be honoured in this way during Biden’s term of office. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Abuja, June 8, 2024 (NAN) The Voice of Evangelism International (VOEI), a U.S. faith based organisation, has advised Christian leaders to effectively engage their followers on true Christian values and discipline.
Mr Emeka Agwu, President, VOEI, gave this advice in Abuja at the Grand Finale of the National Catholic Bible Quiz Competition.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the quiz competition sponsored by VOEI, began at the parish levels and progressed through diocesan and provincial stages, culminating in a national event on Friday.
NAN also reports that the competition included categories for teens, youths, and adults emphasising that no one is too young or old to study the word of God.
Agwu lauded the dedication and hunger for God’s word displayed by the contestants during the competition.
He expressed gratitude to the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) for its partnership.
Agwu highlighted the importance of unity among Christians in spreading the Gospel, especially in the current challenging times.
He said that the significance of the competition’s theme, “Remain in My Word,” taken from John 8:31, underscored the importance of abiding in Christ’s teachings.
Agwu said that the competition aimed to foster a global interest in critical Bible studies among Christians, promoting effective Christian living and practice.
“We are convinced that the leadership of Christian communities globally should arouse themselves for effective engagements in the matter concerning the Gospel of Jesus.’’
The VOEI president called for renewed commitment from Christian leaders to nurture citizens of God’s Kingdom, recognising the urgent need for Gospel propagation in the face of global challenges.
He, however, urged for deeper engagement with God’s word and expressing confidence in the sustainability of the programme.
“I hope this event will inspire more Christians to delve into Bible studies and live out their faith practically,” he said.
On his part, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, the President, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), appreciated VOEI for sponsoring the quiz competition.
Ugorji, who was represented by Rev. Fr. Zacharia Samjumi, the Secretary General, CSN, acknowledged Agwu for sponsoring the event in spite of not being a Catholic
“Agwu’s remarkable support for the programme out of his love for the word of God is celebrated as a significant achievement in fostering ecumenical unity among Christians, ” he said.
In his remark, Rev. Fr. Joseph Nomwhange, the Director of the Department of Mission and Dialogue, CSN, said that the competition aims to foster interfaith collaboration and deepen scriptural engagement among participants.
He said was hopeful that the initiative would challenge Catholics to renew their commitment to the Bible and make the competition an annual event to inspire a deeper love and practice of scripture. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
I-G Egbetokun with other participants at the event in Abuja.
Insecurity
By Mark Longyen
Abuja, June 8, 2024(NAN)The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has called on West African police chiefs to collaborate and devise innovative ways to tackle emerging complex security challenges facing the ECOWAS bloc.
Egbetokun made this known at a meeting of the West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) technical sub-committee on training and operations in Abuja.
He said that the West African subregion had in recent times been confronted with complex national security challenges, which had been accentuating transnational crimes.
“The activities of these cybercriminals has imposed on us all the additional burden of developing our national security capacity to dominate cyberspace and deny criminals the liberty to operate in our overriding national and regional security interests.
“The differences in legal frameworks and legislative systems continue to hinder effective law enforcement operations and criminal justice delivery initiatives among member states.
“Our security reality continually deepens the need to commit to regional collaboration, towards dissecting the pattern and trend of crimes on the one hand, and towards pulling together and supporting each other in bridging our national security gaps,” he said.
According to him, these challenges have been posing significant threats to the national security order of member states, as well as regional peace and social economic profile.
Egbetokun enumerated such crimes to include traditional crimes of stealing, cross border robberies, human goods, drugs trafficking, small arms and light weapons smuggling, banditry, terrorism, as well as other non-state actors.
He further said that cybercrime and cyber-enabled crimes were now emerging as bigger challenges to the subregion’s security.
The I-G said that a critical hindrance to effective regional law enforcement operations and criminal justice delivery initiatives was the differences in legal frameworks and legislative systems among member states.
“The situation calls for a collective review of the multivarious legal framework and regulates law enforcement and criminal justice delivery system.
“It also calls for a stronger operational partnership that will encourage the evolution of workable protocol that will engender stronger operational integration amongst security forces and border management agencies within the sub region,” Egbetokun said.
Also speaking, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Amb. Abdel-Fatah Musah, said that the fast evolution of information technology had further sophisticated the platforms and tactics used by criminal networks against targets.
Represented by Dr Abdourahmane Dieng, the Permanent Secretary, WAPCCO, Musah said that crime and criminality continued to pose a big threat to lives and property in the subregion, thereby creating an unconditional environment for meaningful development.
The commissioner said that security and law enforcement agents in the region had for so many years focused on territorial, aerial and maritime borders as key points for close surveillance against crime.
“However, with the dynamic availability and capacity of cyberspace, which transcends beyond geographical borders, criminality has become more efficient, faster and safer for criminals to execute.
“Therefore, our mandate is to increase our capacity on the fight against transnational border crime of all forms which include employing training and operational strategies.
“The illicit traffic and proliferation of small arms and light weapons, human smuggling activities, armed robbery, illicit migration, child trafficking and labor, kidnapping, abduction, maritime piracy are but a few of the main highlights trending in our region,” Musah said.
He, therefore, urged the participants to share, inform, exchange and discuss issues and activities surrounding training and operations in their respective member states with a view to coming up with joint strategies on security personnel’s training and operations.
The Director, Interpol Regional Bureau, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Paule Ouedrago, said the transnational dimension of the crimes required collaboration between countries, adding that the Regional Office would support the efforts through international police cooperation.
She called for the strengthening of collaboration between the Permanent Secretariat of the Committee of Police Chiefs and her office in the organization and implementation of police training and operations.
“This is how, together, we will succeed in dismantling and disrupting the criminal networks that undermine the tireless development efforts,”Ouedrago added.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
R-L: Justice Asante, Speaker Ibrahima, during the latter’s visit to the former in Abuja on Friday(NAN)
Independence
By Mark Longyen
Abuja, June 8, 2024(NAN)The President of ECOWAS Court, Justice Edward Asante, has promised to support the ECOWAS Parliament in efforts being made towards conducting direct elections of its lawmakers from their member states.
The Community Court’s President made this known while welcoming the new Speaker of the Parliament, Memounatou Ibrahima, when she paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja on Friday.
He expressed the court’s full support for current efforts aimed at bolstering the independence of the ECOWAS Parliament through the direct elections of its members from their respective countries.
“We are ready to assist and support the Parliament in achieving this goal, as a strong and independent Parliament is essential for the enactment of robust laws that benefit our community and foster deeper integration,” he said.
Asante called for a strong institutional collaboration between the court and the parliament against the backdrop of the enduring partnership between the Court and the Parliament.
According to him, the visit, which comes shortly after her investiture, symbolizes the solidarity and mutual respect that have characterized the relationship between the two ECOWAS institutions over the past five years.
“We have consistently supported each other’s programs and initiatives, and today’s visit reinforces our commitment to continue this cooperation,” he said.
Asante further emphasized the importance of continued collaboration in the exchange of resources and expertise, such as interpreters and translators, to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of both institutions.
Earlier, the speaker expressed her gratitude and reaffirmed the parliament’s commitment to collaborating with the Court.
She said that the parliament and the court had a shared mission to promote rights within the community, and pledged to continue on that path.
“We are confident of your support, particularly in capacity building for the Parliament, and in addressing the challenge of direct elections for ECOWAS deputies,” she stated.
Asante and Ibrahima both expressed optimism about the future of ECOWAS, which they said underscored the vital role that their institutions played in fostering unity, promoting justice, and ensuring subregional prosperity.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Gberi-bè Ouattara, the Court’s Vice President; Justice Sengu Koroma; Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama, the Chief Registrar; and Parliament’s 4th Deputy Speaker, Tunkara Billay, among others, were present.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Makkah, June 8, 2024 (NAN) An Islamic cleric, Malam Hussaini Abubakar-Giro, has charged Nigerian pilgrims to rigorously pray for prevailing peace across Nigeria.
He also urged them to pray for Nigerian leaders by seeking divine intervention on the nation’s lingering economic predicament.
Abubakar-Giro, a board member of Kebbi Pilgrims Welfare Board, gave the charge at a routine enlightenment session shortly after the dawn prayer (Subh) in Makkah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the essence of the enlightenment session is to educate the pilgrims on rituals of Hajj towards an acceptable Hajj (Hajj Mabrur).
The cleric, who is a son to one of the famous Islamic scholars, late Sheik Abubakar Giro-Argungu, said: “We must always devote time for seeking divine intervention for God Almighty to fix our major problems of lingering insecurity as well as economic difficulties.
“We must therefore, pray for our leaders to be able to tackle these challenges. The more they tackle the challenges, the better for us.
“Since your arrival here in Saudi Arabia you have never heard of any Imam accusing the leaders, hence the need for us all to emulate and pray for Nigerian leaders to succeed.”
He advised the pilgrims to beg God Almighty for good both here in the world as well as the hereafter, saying that those who beg for worldly things alone were not of the successful.
While encouraging the pilgrims to repent to earn Allah’s favour, the cleric said nobody knew when he/she would answer the call of his/her creator (die).
Abubakar-Giro also cautioned them against mistrust, backbiting and other forms of sin to be able to scale through peacefully on the Day of Judgement (Quyama).
“Prophet Muhammad (SAW) asked his companions, who is a poor (muflis), they replied, he is somebody who has neither gold nor silver.
“But the Prophet (SAW) replied: muflis in my Ummah is he who will come on the Day of Judgement with good deeds but he has cheated different people through backbiting, mistrust, deception, stealing among others.
“At the end, his deeds will be used to compensate these people he cheated and he will end up with nothing and he will be sent to hell fire,” he said.
He, however, quoted the holy Prophet (SAW) as saying: “Had it been that we don’t commit sin and at the same time repent to God Almighty, He (God) would have cleared us all and created another set of people who will workshop Him more than us.”
In his contribution, Malam Kabiru Umar-Wasagu reminded the pilgrims that whenever a Muslim prays and couldn’t get what he wanted, he should bear in mind that Almighty Allah had changed it for something good.
While charging them to always pray for the best from God (Allah’s choice is always the best), the cleric urged the pilgrims to use the Hajj to purify their minds to go back home clean and pure.
He also encouraged the entire Muslims to do everything possible to exhibit good human relationships with fellow human beings, saying: “No matter your good deeds, if you do not have good relationship with people, it might throw you into hell.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
St. Petersburg, June 7, 2024 (dpa/NAN) President Vladimir Putin says Russia remains a key partner in world trade even under increasing Western sanctions.
The country is developing its logistics and the geography of its international cooperation in spite of all the obstacles and what he called “illegitimate sanctions” imposed by the West.
Putin said this on Friday at the 27th St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
He said that the country is among the leading economic nations ahead of Germany, while referring to data that takes purchasing power into account.
The West has imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia as punishment for Putin’s war against Ukraine, which has been going on for more than two years.
According to Putin, around three quarters of foreign trade is now conducted with countries that are friendly to Russia.
He added that since the west imposed trade bans in many areas, Russia has orientated itself economically towards China in particular, but also towards India, Africa and Latin America.
In a speech to hundreds of guests, Putin called for the expansion of cooperation in technology transfer and announced interesting growth prospects for investors from abroad.
The Russian president also said that the development of a payment system independent of the United States would continue. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Sana’a, June 7, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have detained 12 United Nations employees in a crackdown in several areas of the war-wracked country, local sources close to the UN groups said on Friday.
The detentions were unleashed by the militia’s security and intelligence agencies earlier on Thursday in the Houthi-controlled provinces of Sana’a, Hajah and Hodaidah, the sources added.
The male and female detainees include three employees of the UN High Commission, three from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The others detained were three working with other UN bodies, according to a statement attributed to local employees working with aid groups in the country.
In their statement, they called on the Houthis’ ruling self-styled Supreme Political Council to immediately release the detainees.
There has been no comment so far from the Houthis or the UN itself.
The Houthis have controlled parts of Yemen since 2014.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia launched a military coalition to support government forces when the Houthis advanced towards the government’s temporary seat of Aden.
The UN considers Yemen’s conflict a humanitarian disaster.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran agreed in a China-brokered deal to restore ties after a rupture of seven years, a step that raised hopes for an end to the years of bloodshed in impoverished Yemen.
In recent months, the Houthis have been targeting ships bound for Israeli ports or those owned by Israeli companies in the Red and Arabian seas and the Indian Ocean, in what they say is retaliation for Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.
The militia also attacked U.S. and British ships off Yemen after the two countries began launching strikes on areas under the group’s control. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Cultural diplomacy will deepen Turkey, Nigeria relations — Ambassador
Culture
By Maureen Okon
Abuja, June 7, 2024 (NAN) Mr Hidayet Bayraktar, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Nigeria, says cultural diplomacy will deepen and strengthen the existing bilateral relations between the two countries.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the envoy made this known at the opening of a solo art exhibition by Imal Silva titled “An Ode to Existence’’, on Friday in Abuja.
Bayraktar said the artwork of the earth was a platform for environmental activism.
“Also, art strives to create and develop an artistic space for sustainability by fostering connections among diverse communities.
“In our bid to strengthen and deepen the cultural diplomacy with Nigeria, we, as Turkish embassy, support Nigeria artists and display their precious artworks at our embassy’s exhibition hall.
“The artist’s work, `An Ode to Existence’, portrays the expression of nature’s colours which serve as a way to convey the beauty, complexities of nature, seasons, landscapes and natural phenomena.
“Through contemporary art exhibitions and cross-cultural dialogue, we do not only share the wall of our embassy, but also we aim to strengthen and deepen the cultural diplomacy with Nigeria.
“My profound gratitude goes to the artist for the gift of creativity in his work and also to extend my thanks to the curator Mrs Beste Gursu, for her relentless efforts towards the Nigerian artists.”
Speaking, Silva lauded the Ambassador and his wife for the opportunity and the platform to exhibit his work to an audience of art lovers.
“The platform created is not just for me alone but for many other Nigerian artists. I thank the curator for the encouragement, about a year plus this exhibition wouldn’t have been possible.
“My abstract renditions about the earth and our responsibilities toward the earth and also within that one year plus I was able to write some poems for mother earth to us,’’ he said.
Also, Gursu thanked the Ambassador for opening his doors to artists from the two countries to exhibit their work for a period of 20 months.
“I thank ambassador Bayraktar for opening the embassy doors for the period of 20 months, allowing us to organise our first five events, four of which were Nigerian artists and one from a Turkish artist.
“At this point, I want to appreciate the ambassador for the support he is giving to Nigerian art and artists.
”Our exhibition today is that of an abstract work by Silva after our figurative Nigerian art exhibition, this is the first time we are presenting an abstract work in Nigeria,’’ she said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
China hopes U.S. makes concrete contribution toward Africa’s development
Development
Beijing, June 7, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) China hopes the United States will contribute real money to and do something concrete for the development and revitalisation of Africa, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.
Spokesperson Mao Ning, made the remarks at a regular press conference, when asked to comment on U.S. President Joe Biden’s negative comments on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Mao said the people of the BRI participating countries have the best say on the initiative.
China has signed in excess of 200 Belt and Road cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organisations since the initiative was put forward over a decade ago.
She noted that Belt and Road cooperation had brought tangible benefits to the people of participating countries and had been widely welcomed by the international community.
Africa is one of the regions actively participating in the Belt and Road cooperation, Mao said.
“Thanks to the Belt and Road, many African countries have built their first highways, first sea bridges and first industrial parks.
“Africa has seen the construction of its first disease control centre with complete facilities, covering the whole continent.
“It is easy to criticise others in doing something, but the hard part is doing it better than others.
“We hope the United States will contribute real money to and does something concrete for the development and revitalisation of Africa,” Mao said. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
