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Strengthening US-Nigeria Ties: Biden’s UNGA Meeting With Tinubu
President Joe Biden has issued an urgent request to meet with President Bola Tinubu during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), marking a significant development in US-Nigeria relations.
The invitation, personally conveyed by US Presidential Envoy and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Molly Phee, underscores the high regard the US Administration has for Tinubu and the region.
Ambassador Molly Phee, during her visit to Tinubu in Abuja, expressed the US’s unwavering support for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
She emphasized the importance of incentivizing large-scale American investment in Nigeria, aligning with efforts to strengthen the Nigerian economy and the wider regional economy.
Phee lauded Tinubu’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for such investments.
President Joe Biden’s exclusive invitation to meet with President Tinubu on the sidelines of the UNGA is a testament to the esteem in which Tinubu is held.
This meeting signifies Biden’s high regard for Tinubu’s leadership and his dedication to strengthening US-Nigeria ties.
It also highlights Nigeria’s strategic importance in the eyes of the United States.
President Tinubu welcomed the invitation and emphasized the continuous effort required to perfect democracy, even in well-established democracies like the United States.
He urged Ambassador Phee to ensure that US policy actively collaborates with independent African democracies, especially in the face of challenges posed by anti-democratic forces.
Tinubu emphasized the need for swift and comprehensive reform of American-backed development finance and multilateral institutions.
These institutions, originally designed to support post-World War II Europe, must adapt to meet the developmental needs of emerging democracies in Africa.
This reform is crucial to ensure that African nations can pursue their legitimate aspirations without interference from self-serving demagogues.
President Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to creating a conducive environment for private sector-led growth in Nigeria.
He pledged to address specific regulatory, tax, and environmental concerns to attract US industrial investment.
Tinubu’s leadership aims to create prosperity for all Nigerian families, positioning Nigeria as an attractive destination for US businesses.
Tinubu discussed Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Niger Republic peacefully.
He stressed his commitment to exhausting all diplomatic channels before considering alternative options.
Tinubu’s stance aligns with ECOWAS consensus, which aims to defend democracy while preventing insincere attempts to buy time through unconstitutional means.
As both leaders prepare for this crucial meeting, the world watches with anticipation for the outcomes that will shape the future of this strategic partnership.
The Association of Scavengers, Scrap Dealers, and Recyclers, Abuja, has publicly dissociated itself from a Federal High Court suit filed by unregistered scavengers and beggars against the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the association’s chairman, Mallam Muntari Mohammed, clarified that the group is a duly registered body, with members holding valid identity cards and engaging in legitimate waste management, scrap trading, and recycling businesses.
He stressed that the association has always complied with the FCT Administration’s rules and regulations, maintaining a clean record.
Muntari noted that the association had formally written to the Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant agencies to affirm its commitment to safeguarding critical infrastructure and adhering to stipulated guidelines.
He distanced the group from unregistered scavengers, whom he accused of tarnishing the reputation of legitimate operators through theft and other illicit activities.
The chairman addressed the FCT Minister’s recent ban on scavenging, which stemmed from misunderstandings about the distinction between honest scavengers and rogue elements.
“We have never confronted the FCT authorities and will never do so,” Muntari said, emphatically dissociating the association from the court case against Wike.
The Vatican has confirmed that only one round of voting will take place this Wednesday afternoon as the conclave to elect the next pope officially gets underway.
Cardinals from around the world gathered earlier Wednesday in the Sistine Chapel, where they took a sacred oath of secrecy before the chapel doors were ceremonially closed with the Latin phrase “extra omnes,” meaning “everyone out.” The papal master of ceremonies then declared the start of the conclave, invoking a centuries-old tradition whose name comes from the Latin cum clave, meaning “locked with key.”
Wednesday’s solitary ballot marked the opening step in the process to choose the new leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics. Should the vote prove inconclusive requiring a two-thirds majority to elect a new pope, cardinals will resume the process on Thursday, casting up to four ballots daily until consensus is reached.
Each cardinal votes by writing “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (“I elect as Supreme Pontiff”) on a paper ballot, followed by the name of their chosen candidate. In a quiet and orderly procession, they approach the silver and gilded urn in order of seniority to place their ballots.
As the final vote is cast, the tension rises in St. Peter’s Square, where the faithful and millions watching around the globe await the first sign of smoke from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. Black smoke will indicate that no decision has been made; white smoke will proclaim that a new pope has been elected.
The last two conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, ended on the second day, with Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis elected after a series of swift ballots, respectively.
As the doors remain closed and Vatican cameras withdraw, the world waits in hushed anticipation for the next chapter in the history of the Catholic Church to be written.
Governor Hyacinth Alia will not honour the House of Representatives Committee invitation scheduled for Thursday, May 8.
The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Tersoo Kula, confirmed this to journalists on Wednesday in Makurdi.
The House had summoned the governors of Benue and Zamfara, alongside their Assembly leadership.
Kula stated that the invitation is unconstitutional and the governor will not comply with it.
He explained that Alia has filed a case at the Supreme Court challenging the lawmakers’ invitation.
“Yesterday, the Benue Assembly passed a resolution rejecting the Reps Committee invitation.
“They believe the invitation is based on ignorance and have decided not to attend. They will also challenge it in court,” he said.
Kula added that the governor, independently, has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the invitation’s legality.
He said: “Since the matter is in court, I will not speak further on it.”
Kula also claimed that the civil society group behind the petition is faceless and unregistered.
According to him, the address on the group’s letterhead is fake and lacks credibility.
He said there is a coordinated campaign of misinformation and sponsored protests aimed at destabilising Benue.
In recent weeks, he noted, there have been protests in Abuja allegedly representing Benue people’s concerns.
“These protests aim to provoke a state of emergency in Benue by portraying it in a negative light,” he said.
He claimed the organisers seek to undermine progress and return to a failed political order.
“Their ultimate goal is to create chaos for selfish political gain,” Kula added.
He accused the protest sponsors of trying to remove the governor through disruptive means.
“They will not succeed. Benue people stand firmly with their governor,” he said.
He assured the public that Benue remains peaceful and the government is functioning effectively.
“Governor Alia is committed to fulfilling his mandate and addressing the state’s challenges,” he said. (NAN)