Politics

UNGA78: Six Govs, Seven Ministers Part of President Tinubu’s Delegation

By Web News 821

Six state governors and seven ministers will be part of President Bola Tinubu’s 17-man delegation to this year’s United Nations General Assembly in New York from September 18 to 26.

For his first appearance at the annual gathering as Nigeria’s President, Tinubu will be accompanied by Governors Hope Uzodinma of Imo, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Mohammed Yahaya of Gombe State, Uba Sani of Kaduna State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak of Kwara State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, confirmed this in a statement he signed on Saturday titled, ‘President Tinubu set to attend 78th UN General Assembly in New York.’

Ngelale revealed that at least seven ministers would accompany the Nigerian leader as he seeks to pursue new investment deals at roundtable meetings with chief executives of four multinational companies and bilateral engagement with presidents and prime ministers.

The ministers include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Finance, Wale Edun; Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Mohammed Pate; Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu; and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite.

Also on the trip would be the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and other senior government officials.

This came barely three weeks after Tinubu directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to freeze the processing of visas for all government officials seeking to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly without proof of direct participation in UNGA’s official schedule of activities.

He insisted that all ministries, departments, and agencies ensure that all officials approved for inclusion in the UNGA delegation strictly limit the number of aides and associated staff participating in the event.

The theme of the 78th UNGA is “Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability for All”.

President Tinubu will deliver his inaugural national statement on September 19, the first day of the high-level general debate of the session.

Before that, he will join other world leaders to participate in the high-level political forum on sustainable development (UN 2023 Summit on SDGs).

“His address will encompass several issues such as sustainable development, climate change, global cooperation, and the imperative to address inequalities and global humanitarian crises,” Ngelale explained.

While engaging with officials at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations Headquarters in New York City, the Nigerian leader will have the honour of conducting the NASDAQ closing ceremony during its trading session, making President Tinubu the first African president to do this.

Punch/Simeon Ugbodovon

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Foreign

Trump Inflated Net Worth by Billions-NY State Lawsuit

By Web News 462

Donald Trump and three of his children have been hit with a fraud lawsuit after a New York investigation into their family company – the Trump Organization.

It alleges that they lied “by billions” about the value of real estate in order to get loans and pay less tax.

Prosecutors say the Trump Organization committed numerous acts of fraud between 2011-21.

Mr Trump has dismissed the lawsuit as “another witch hunt”.

The former president’s eldest children, Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric Trump, were also named as defendants alongside two executives at the Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney.

The lawsuit has been brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is the state’s most senior lawyer, after a three-year civil investigation.

Her office does not have the power to file criminal charges but is referring allegations of criminal wrongdoing to federal prosecutors and to the Internal Revenue Service.

“With the help of his children and senior executives at the Trump Organization, Donald Trump falsely inflated his net worth by billions of dollars to unjustly enrich himself and cheat the system,” Ms James said in a statement.

She said Mr Trump’s own apartment in Trump Tower, which was valued at $327m (£288m), was among the properties whose values were allegedly misrepresented.

“No apartment in New York City has ever sold for close to that amount,” Ms James added.

“White collar financial crime is not a victimless crime,” the attorney general said.

“When the well-connected break the law to take in more money than they are entitled to, it reduces resources available to working people, to regular people, to small businesses and to all taxpayers.”

Ms James is asking a court to bar the former president and his children from serving as officers or directors in any New York business.

She also wants the Trump Organization banned from engaging in real estate transactions there for five years.

The announcement comes after Ms James – a Democrat who is running for re-election in November – rejected at least one offer to settle the long-running civil investigation into the company’s business practices.

Blasting the lawsuit on his Truth Social site, Mr Trump branded Ms James, who is black, a racist.

“Another Witch Hunt by a racist Attorney General, Letitia James, who failed in her run for Governor, getting almost zero support from the public,” he wrote.

The Trumps have previously accused Ms James of pursuing a political vendetta, citing remarks she made before being elected as attorney general in 2018 in which she vowed to sue Mr Trump and branded him an “illegitimate president”.

BBC/Taiwo Akinola

Politics

77th UNGA: Buhari Set For New York on Sunday

By Web News 453

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja, Sunday, September 18, for New York, United States to attend the annual meeting of world leaders, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77).

The theme for the 77th session which opened on Tuesday, September 13 is: “A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges.”

President Buhari will take his turn to deliver the National Statement on the second day of the General Debates on Wednesday, September 21.

Aside his statement, the president will also participate in High Level meetings and side events including the Nigeria International Economic Partnership Forum (NIEPF), convened by Nigeria in partnership with the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU); Strengthening Coordination through National Humanitarian Development Peace (NHDP) Framework: A practical approach to sustainable durable solutions to ensure no one is left behind, organised by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development; and the EFCC-NEPAD Programme on combating Illicit Financial Flows.

President Buhari will also hold strategic bilateral meetings with World Leaders, renowned investors and heads of multinational organisations while in New York.

On the entourage of the President are the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, some governors, Ministers and top government officials.

The president is expected back in the country on Monday, September 26.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

September 17, 2022

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Foreign

Ten dead in suspected race attack at New York State store

By Web News 823

An 18-year-old white man has shot dead 10 people in a black neighbourhood of New York state in what authorities are calling a racially motivated attack.

The man, named as Payton Gendron in court papers, was arrested after a stand-off at the scene – a supermarket in the city of Buffalo.

The suspect entered the store on Saturday afternoon before opening fire, live streaming the attack online.

US President Joe Biden condemned what he called an “abhorrent” act.

“We are investigating this incident as both a hate crime and a case of racially-motivated violent extremism,” said Stephen Belongia, from the FBI’s Buffalo office, adding there was evidence of “racial animosity.”

Report says that, the attacker shouted racial slurs during the shooting and suggested that he had a racial slur written on his weapon. He also apparently posted a manifesto online which included racist language and ideas.

According to Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, the suspect is believed to have driven for some 200 miles to reach the predominantly black area of the city. Thirteen people were shot in total and the majority of the victims were black,

“He exited his vehicle. He was very heavily armed. He had tactical gear. He had a tactical helmet on. He had a camera that he was live-streaming what he was doing,” Mr Gramaglia said”, adding that, the suspect surrendered his weapon after a tense stand-off and was taken into custody. He later appeared in court charged with first degree murder.

The three wounded victims – who all worked at the supermarket – have not sustained life threatening injuries.

A retired police officer who was working as a security guard tried to shoot the suspect but was among those killed, police said.

“This is the worst nightmare that any community can face and we are hurting, we are seething right now,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told reporters.

“We cannot let this hateful person divide our community or our country,” he added.

Grady Lewis, who witnessed the attack from across the street, told local media that he saw the man open fire. “I saw the guy go in, army-style, bent over, just shooting at people,” he said.

Shonnell Harris, who was working in the shop during the attack, told Buffalo News that she heard more than 70 shots as she ran to escape the building through a backdoor.

“The store was full. It was the weekend,” she said. “It feels like a nightmare.”

Describing the aftermath of the attack, one police officer told Buffalo News: “It’s like walking onto a horror movie, but everything is real. It is Armageddon-like”.

Later on Saturday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the suspect was a “white supremacist who has engaged in an act of terrorism”.

BBC /Taiwo Akinola

Yoruba

Igbese Bere Lori Iforukosile Fawon Omo Ile Nigeria To N Gbe Nilu New York

By Web News 650

Nibamu pelu ase ijoba apapo orileede yii, asoju agba fun ile Nigeria n’ilu New York foro number idanmo omo orileede ti soodi mimo pe, gbogbo eto lo ti to lati gunle fiforuko awon omo orileede yii tongbe nilu new york sile fun number idanmo omo ile yii, NIN.

Ogbeni Lot Egopija lo soro yii di mimo nibi ipade gbongan kan to waye nilu New York fawon omo ile Nigeria ton gbe nibe.

O salaye pe, ilese re to gbase latodo ile ise tonrisoro ile okere lati seto iforukosile fawon eeyan re bee lo ni konope tawon yoo fi pari gbogbo eto pelu ajo to nrisoro number idamo omo orilede yii NIMC.

Ogbeni Egopija so pe saaju lon to seleripe, nigbati oun to bo sori  ipo akoso losu die syin oun yoo maa sepade lemolemo pelu awon omo ile Nigeria ton gbe loke okun, keti won maa ba di sohun ton lo.

Folakemi Wojuade

Crime

Governor Abiodun Suspends Abidemi Rufai

By Web News 1040

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has suspended his Special Assistant Mr Abidemi Rufai, over alleged unemployment benefits fraud in the United States.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Kunle Somorin, Governor Abiodun said the state government had received the  disturbing news of the arrest of Mr Rufai in New York.

Governor Abiodun  said his administration was committed to ensuring open,  transparent, accountable and morally upright administration, adding that his administration would not condone any act of criminality by anyone in the state.

Bolanle Adesida

Foreign

Rochester Shooting: Two Dead after Mass Shooting in New York

By Web News 763

Two people have been killed and 14 others wounded after a shooting at a house party in the state of New York.

Police in the city of Rochester said they arrived to find around 100 people running down the street.

“This is truly a tragedy of epic proportions,” acting police chief Mark Simmons told reporters on Saturday.

The city’s police have been under increasing pressure over the death of Daniel Prude, a black man who was hooded and restrained during an arrest.

He died in March, but the case only became public earlier this month. Rochester police chief La’Ron Singletary has since stepped down, saying that his handling of the case was being distorted. Seven officers have also been suspended.

No suspects have been arrested over Saturday’s shooting and no motive has been identified.

Mr Simmons said the two victims, a man and a woman who have not been named, were aged between 18 and 22. None of the 14 others who were shot suffered life-threatening injuries.

Parties remain prohibited under New York state’s coronavirus restrictions, according to Rochester city’s website.

“This is yet another tragedy where individuals are having these illegal, unsanctioned house parties taking place in these properties, which number one is not safe because of Covid,” said Mr Simmons.

“And then you add in alcohol and violence and it just becomes a recipe for disaster.”

BBC