Is The International Community Subtly Implementing Sexual Orientation Terrorism Foreign Policy?

We are under pressure from the international Community to sign the Gay Rights Bill into law in Nigeria - FG

The Federal Government of Nigeria has indicated that they are under pressure from the International Community to sign the Gay Rights Bill in Nigeria.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru, stated this as he accused the international community of hypocrisy, insisting that Nigeria would not sign the Gay Rights bill or abolish the death penalty without reviewing the constitution.....

The minister said that Nigeria does not impose its culture on other countries and as such it was wrong for anyone to attempt to impose a foreign culture on the nation. According to him “This thing must be understood because we have been under pressure about this issue of Gay Rights. It is not part of our own culture, you need to understand that. It needs to evolve. Let us get to that stage of understanding that two men can marry, and then we will get to the bridge and cross it.

But please let foreign diplomats educate their various governments that you cannot come overnight and impose values that are not part of our tradition on us. Don’t impose it on us that we must allow it in our constitution. If we are talking about democracy, democracy is about free choice, free association you don’t force values on others"

In a crude sense the international community is terrorizing Nigeria and the African continent into signing into law the Gay Right Bill. To whose benefit in particular? The Nigerian populace who don’t want it? The international community’s personal interest and hidden agenda?

Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people if I’m not mistaken. If the people have said they don’t want something a certain law, is it not democratically right not to pass such law? That the international community adopted gay right bill or a certain law that suits them doesn’t make the law right or normal.

Instead of pressuring Nigeria to sign the Gay Right Bill into law and Nigeria don’t want such immoral law, the international community should simply adopt all gays and lesbians in Nigeria, naturalize them into full citizens with full benefits of their respective Gay Right Bill countries and also fully integrate them into juicy elevated positions in the private and public sector of the society. Hopefully if they do that they won’t start another discrimination of black LGBT members. The international community should throw their embassy doors open to grant any gay/lesbian visa into their country to seek gay right bill asylum.

Nigeria won’t pressurize them to adopt her culture. It’s just someone that practices religion ‘m’ forcing his/her religion on someone that practices religion ‘q’. Let the dead bury the dead. I won’t be surprised if the international community backs under-aged marriage bill that is recently causing commotion heating up the body polity. They definitely will provided there’s a gain from it for them!

I ask the question again; Is The International Community Subtly Implementing Sexual Orientation Terrorism Foreign Policy?

What is your take?

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3rd Mainland Bridge To Be Reopened Today

At long last, the wait is over!!!

Finally, the Federal Government will today (Tuesday) reopen the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, one week ahead of the scheduled delivery date of November 6, 2012.

The government had partially closed the 3rd Mainland Bridge on July 7 to enable the contractor, Messrs Boroni Prono and Company Limited, to replace eight expansion joints on the bridge for a contract sum of N1bn.

The reopening of the bridge will come as a welcome relief to motorists and commuters, who have had to connect Lagos Island, Victoria Island, Lekki, Ajah and Epe from different parts of the mainland through Western Avenue due to restriction of vehicular movement on the bridge from 12 noon to 12am, while opening for movement to the mainland within the same time.

The Special Adviser to the Minister of Works on Media, Mr. Tony Ikpasaja, confirmed the reopening of the bridge in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Monday.

According to him, the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, will open the rehabilitated 3rd Mainland bridge to motorists at a ceremony that will also have in attendance federal and Lagos State government officials and other stakeholders.

Onolememen had said during an inspection tour of the 3rd Mainland bridge on August 10, “The inspection visit is to track the progress that the contractor has made; whether actual progress is in line with our planned programme. I am happy to announce that the physical progress in not only in line with our programme, but there has been a gain of approximately one week, which is very commendable.

“It means that if we sustain the momentum, we will be able to deliver the project ahead of the scheduled delivery date of November 6, 2012.”

He had explained that the Federal Government decided to rehabilitate the 3rd Mainland bridge, which is the longest and most travelled in the country, because of its commitment to giving due attention to infrastructure in Lagos State, which he said was attracting about 53 per cent of commercial activities in the country.

As parts of efforts to minimise the disruptions to free flow of traffic in the metropolis, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority had deployed 700 officers to the 3rd Mainland bridge and traffic points on the alternative routes.

Officers of the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army, Federal Road Safety Corps and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps joined their LASTMA colleagues in managing the attendant traffic.

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N106bn Approved For The Construction of 5 New Airports By FGN

Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah

The Federal Government has approved a sum of N106 billion naira, through the Federal Executive Council (FEC), to commence the construction of five new, world-class international airports. Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah disclosed this in Abuja during a media briefing to update stakeholders on the development in the aviation sector. According to her, the Ministry had, on assumption of office, drawn up a roadmap which she explained had three phases in terms of implementation strategy.

She said the first phase or short term agenda was to immediately give a face-lift to Nigerian Airports, explaining that this gave rise to the simultaneous remodelling and construction of 11 airports across the country. The airports, she stated, include the Murtala Mohammed International Airport and the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) both in Lagos, the Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport, Abuja and the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.

Others include Akanu lbiam International Airport Enugu, the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport Kano, Margaret Ekpo International Airport Calabar, Yakubu Gowon Airport Jos, the Yola, Kaduna and Sam Mbakwe Airport Owerri. “As at this moment, the projects have reached 80 per cent completion and would be completed and put to use in the few weeks and months. The remaining airports will commence shortly”, she said.

The Minister disclosed that at the end of the exercise, all 22 airports under the management of FAAN would wear a new and modern look. She further said that the second phase in the implementation strategy of the road map which falls under the medium term programme would be the construction of five new international terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu. She explained that the FEC approved for the award of contracts for the immediate take-off of construction work on the terminals.

“Following the approval of FEC, we have concluded arrangement to commence construction of five brand new world class international airports. What we have today is not befitting of us as the giant of Africa”, she emphasised.

Oduah maintained that this development must transcend the immediate euphoria that comes with the realisation that Nigeria dreams for standard airport are about to come to fruition. The Minister stressed that the government’s dream was to strive to transform Nigeria’s aviation sector into a major contribution to the nation GDP as the airports are pivotal to the actualisation of the dream.

“The award of contracts for the construction of the five international airports will be significant first step in this direction. This is not even talking about the huge psychological lift this will do to our psyche as a nation, she said.

She disclosed that the contracts for the construction of the five airports have a life span of 24 months while the projects were to be executed with a concessionary loan of 22 years with 5 years moratorium at an interest rate of 2 per cent. “Mobilisation to site by the contraction is expected to commence within 90 days. Also the third phase  of our implementation strategy is the Aerotroplis project which are airport cities that provide clusters of businesses ranging from manufacturing, information and communication technology (ICT)”, she said.

The minster, who told journalists that she would soon return to China to sign contract for the take off of construction work on the five new terminals, said the lifting of the suspension on Dana Airline was based on government’s satisfaction that the airline was airworthy, after carrying out a technical audit of the operator.

Source: Thisday

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Boko Haram in Talks With FG?

 Information available on the website of foremost American news agency, Voice of America (VOA), has it that someone who claims to be a spokesman for the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram says the group is engaged in direct talks with the government on ending violence in the country’s north.

In a statement obtained by VOA, Habu Mohammed, who claims to be a deputy to Boko Haram leader Sheikh Abubakar Shekau, says the militant group decided to initiate the peace moves in response to numerous public appeals for peace in the country. The statement was given to VOA in Mecca.

The Nigerian government has not responded to the claim, but senior Nigerian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the talks to VOA. They would not provide additional details.

The Islamic militant group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Nigeria, including church bombings and the bombing of a United Nations building. The group has threatened international media organizations, including VOA's Hausa service.

The militant group has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria and says it does not recognize the Nigerian government or the constitution.

Several previous attempts by the Nigerian government to engage Boko Haram have failed.

 

Source: VOA

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Unbelievable! FG to Send Soldiers to Fight Islamists in Mali

 

Na waoh, we've got our own issues in our country and we're sending out soldiers to fight in other countries. Someone please remind them how safe we are here

Indications emerged on Sunday that Nigeria will soon deploy soldiers in Mali to confront the Islamists troubling the West African country, the Presidency and foreign affairs ministry said on Sunday.

Spokespersons for President Goodluck Jonatha, Reuben Abati; and Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode, say Nigeria holds a responsibility to return peace to Mali.

“Nigeria is committed to resolving the crisis in Mali especially as President Jonathan is a co-mediator in the crisis,” Abati told The PUNCH on Sunday, while Ogbole-Ode said it was mandatory for the country to salvage the situation in Mali where Islamic fundamentalists are unleashing attacks on the country’s monuments and people.

The Presidency’s confirmation came on the heels of Ivorien President Alassane Ouattara’s announcement that member state of Economic Community of West Africa would soon send deploy troops in Mali if the situation in the country did not improve rapidly.

Ouattara said this in interview with French weekly, Le Journal du Dimanche. The interview conducted in French and published on Sunday was translated by The PUNCH via Google translator.

The Ivorien President, who is also the incumbent chairman of ECOWAS, said,  “If the (Malian) situation does not evolve positively and quickly, yes, there will be a military intervention in Mali. It seems to me inevitable. “The chiefs of staff of West Africa met in Abidjan this week. All member states of ECOWAS were represented. It shows that the Joint Chiefs of Staff Officers propose the establishment of a contingent of nearly 3,300 men. Initially, it will deploy gendarmes and police. Then, the military.

“My chief of staff said this week rightly that the situation in Mali is deteriorating a little more each day and not only in the north but also south. We plan to establish an African peacekeeping force made up half of Malian soldiers, half of soldiers from Niger, Nigeria, perhaps in Chad and other countries.”

On the urgency of the deployment, Ouattara said, “I think we can talk in weeks, not months. There is urgency. Northern Mali is a land of moderate Islam. Not Malians who violate human rights, force women to wear the burqah and abuse them, who destroy historical monuments, preventing young people from listening to music . I am told that these men come from Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan … They are extremists, terrorists who must return to where they came from.”

 

Abati said, “The ECOWAS leaders have the responsibility to ensure peace in Mali and the sub-region. Nigeria is committed to resolving the crisis in Mali especially as President Jonathan is a co-mediator in the crisis.

“This country has a brilliant record of participation in peace missions: Sierra Leone, Liberia and so on. Nigeria is fully committed to regional peace.”

Speaking in the same vein, Ogbole-Ode said Nigeria, as “a responsible member of the international community, was bound by agreements it entered into.”

But the opposition argued on Sunday that it was not ideal for the Federal Government to send soldiers to Mali to fight for peace at a time that Nigeria was in the thick of an insurgency.

Attacks by the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, since last year have claimed at least 3,000 lives.

The All Nigeria Peoples Party said that although there was nothing wrong if Nigeria sent soldiers to Mali, the present security situation at home did not warrant it.

Speaking in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Emma Eneukwu, said there was no need for Nigeria to abandon its problems while trying to solve that of other countries.

He said, “The present problem facing the country requires the attention of members of our armed forces. Our security is zero.

“Let us sit down and face our own problems first before handling that of others for them. We are at danger here already. Let us prevail on the government not to send our soldiers to a foreign land when they have work to do here.”

Also, the National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Bisi Akande, cautioned the Federal Government over the plan to deploy troops in Mali.

Akande, who spoke through his media aide, Mr Lani Baderinwa, on Sunday, charged the Federal Government to ensure the safety of lives and property in the country before venturing out to Mali.

“Charity begins at home. We must not be like the proverbial ostrich that buries her head in the sand while her rump is out in the open,” the ACN chairman said.

He wondered why the government contemplated deploying troops in Mali when Africa was not the centre-point of the nation’s foreign policy.

“It is ironic that the government would contemplate sending troops abroad when our security agencies are finding it extremely difficult to combat the security challenges in the country,” he stressed.

 

Source: Punch

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Bianca Ojukwu Appointed Nigeria's Ambassador to Spain

President Goodluck Jonathan presenting a letter of credence to Bianca Ojukwu as ambassador to Spain yesterday June 12th at Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja.

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FG Withdraws Operating License of Dana Airlines

The federal Government this afternoon withdrew the operating license of Dana Air and also the Senate has asked the Federal Government to ground all planes belonging to DANA Airline until investigations are completed into Sunday’s deadly crash which killed 153 passengers and crew and unknown number of people on ground.

At plenary Tuesday morning, the upper legislative chamber also ordered the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Harold Demuren, to step aside until the conclusion of investigation into the accident.

Besides, the senators want aviation authorities in the country to conduct an audit of the airlines in the country with a view to determining their airworthiness.



The lawmakers made the resolution following a motion by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Hope Uzondinma (PDP, Imo).

The lower House had said Monday it would hold a legislative inquiry into the crash separate from government’s planned investigations.

The chairman House committee on media, Zakari Mohammed, said an ad hoc committee will be named to investigate the cause of one of the nation’s most horrific air accidents.

Also, the senate had said Monday it would support sweeping probe not only on Dana air, but the entire aviation industry, an indicator the chamber may not launch its own investigation but may be planning to back the government’s probe instead of conducting a separate one.

All 153 passengers and crew members aboard the plane died while an unexpected number, expected to be huge too, were killed in the buildings and the neighborhood the jet smashed into.
Mr. Mohammed (PDP-Kwara), said details of the probe will be announced on Tuesday when the House meets.

“We cannot fold our arms and allow this to be swept under the carpet. We will support all relevant agencies of government to get to the root of the tragedy. We want to know why it happened,” he said. “We want to, for once, unravel what is responsible for that national calamity.

The lawmaker said the probe, which is to establish the age of the aircraft, its airworthiness.
“We are interested in the nature of the aircraft, the age of the aircraft. Is it supposed to fly in our airspace? We will be very strict on this as the blackbox does not lie. It will tell everything that happened,” he said.

The Senate demanded a thorough investigation of all airlines in the country in a statement by Spokesman, Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia).
“Senate demands nothing, but a holistic investigation of the remote and immediate causes of the plane crash.

“Senate would also insist that the probe this time should not be limited to Dana Airlines and their fleet, but all the airlines operating in Nigeria.

Mr. Abaribe said, “We had thought that Nigeria had landed in the golden era of safe aviation industry, where all the standard codes that conform with international best practices were being complied with.”

Culled from PremiumTimes

It has to go beyond Dana Air in particular. All the airlines operating in our airspace should be thoroughly vetted for safety and all the works. People shouldn't put money first ahead of lives when its not their life we are talking about. And in general it should cut across all areas of consumer protection. especially for these foreigners who only want suck Nigeria dry. PERIOD!

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