Equatorial Guinea VP Teodorin Obiang sentenced in France

By

-

27/10/2017

File photo taken on 24 June 2013 shows Teodoro (aka Teodorin) Nguema Obiang, son of Equatorial Guinea president, arriving at Malabo stadium — Image caption The vice-president is a collector of Michael Jackson memorabilia

A French court has handed down a three-year suspended jail term to Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President Teodorin Obiang for corruption.

The 48-year-old, known for his lavish tastes, is the son of the oil-rich West African country’s president.

He was absent from the trial, where he was found guilty of embezzlement.

His assets in France will be seized, including a mansion on Avenue Foch in Paris. He also got a suspended fine of 30m euros (£27m; $35m).

In November, Swiss prosecutors seized 11 luxury cars belonging to Mr Obiang. They said he had plundered his country’s oil wealth to buy luxuries, including a private jet and Michael Jackson memorabilia.

Equatorial Guinea’s President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, is Africa’s longest-serving leader and human rights groups accuse him of systematic repression of opponents.

The Paris judge found that the president’s son had used his position as agriculture and forestry minister to siphon off payments from timber firms who were exporting from Equatorial Guinea.

Image copyright AFP

Image caption Mr Obiang, seen here in 2013, said his wealth had come from legitimate sources

Mr Obiang’s forestry company Somagui Forestal was “an empty shell used solely to channel public money”, prosecutors said.

The case against him was triggered by anti-corruption campaign group Transparency International and a similar NGO, called Sherpa.

Mr Obiang denied the charges, saying his wealth had come from legitimate sources. His lawyers accused France of “meddling in the affairs of a sovereign state”, AFP news agency reported.

In 2000-2011 Mr Obiang acquired a collection of luxury assets and properties in France, including the €25m Avenue Foch mansion. He also boasted 18 luxury cars in France, artworks, jewellery and expensive designer fashions, the court found.

It is the first of three French investigations into the alleged “ill-gotten gains” of long-standing African leaders and their families.

The French daily Le Monde reports that the family of Gabon President Ali Bongo has 39 French luxury properties, while 24 are owned by the family of Congo-Brazzaville’s President Denis Sassou-Nguesso. They also have about 200 bank accounts, French police say.

Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.

Kenya election: Turnout under 34% amid opposition boycott

By

Africaprimenews

-

27/10/2017

0

Media captionAfrica Editor Fergal Keane visits two very different Kenyan polling stations

Kenya’s electoral commission says fewer than 34% of registered voters took part in Thursday’s re-run of the presidential election.

The figure is sharply down on the initial poll in August, when nearly 80% of the electorate voted.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga had called on his supporters to boycott the poll.

Voting has been suspended until Saturday in four areas where opposition supporters clashed with police.

Mr Kenyatta is seeking a second term. Mr Odinga has pulled out of the contest.

Two people were reported killed in the violence, including a teenage boy shot by police during clashes in the opposition stronghold of Kisumu.

Some opposition supporters also prevented people from voting, despite Mr Odinga’s calls for them to stay away.

The BBC’s Tomi Oladipo in the capital, Nairobi, says that even in some areas where there was calm, voter fatigue and a loss of faith in the electoral process meant turnout was still low.

Media captionKenya opposition supporters bring machetes and rocks to election protests

The electoral commission has seven days to declare the results.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner in an August vote, which was annulled because of “irregularities”.

After casting his vote Mr Kenyatta said the country was “tired of electioneering” and it was “time we moved forward”.

What role has ethnicity played?

BBC Kenya analyst Dickens Olewe says turnout was high in regions where President Kenyatta’s Kikuyu community and Deputy President William Ruto’s Kalenjin community reside.

Image copyright AFP/Getty

Image caption There was a near total boycott in some western areas

Image copyright AFP/Getty

Image caption There were also clashes in the Kibera area of Nairobi

In parts of western Kenya where Mr Odinga’s Luo community is mostly based, there was a near total boycott of the poll.

Ethnic-based politics is deep-seated in Kenya, fuelled by the illusion that if “one of us” is in power then people from that community will benefit, he says.

What has happened since the first vote?

About 50 people are reported to have been killed in violence since Mr Kenyatta was declared the winner in August’s election.

Last week, a senior member of the IEBC fled to the US amid death threats.

Mr Odinga had wanted the repeat ballot to be held at a later date, but a bid to delay the election re-run fell apart after only two of seven Supreme Court judges attended a hearing on Wednesday.

One judge, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, failed to appear after her bodyguard was shot and wounded by unknown gunmen on Tuesday.

Why is there an election re-run?

Kenya’s Supreme Court took the unprecedented decision to annul the August presidential election and demand a re-run in September citing “irregularities and illegalities”.

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption Mr Kenyatta said Kenya was “tired of electioneering”

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Mr Odinga boycotted the poll

The ruling did not attribute any blame to President Kenyatta’s party or campaign.

Mr Odinga has said that the electoral commission failed to make the changes needed to prevent a repeat of the mistakes that marred the earlier poll, although the commission disputes this.

His opposition coalition – the National Super Alliance (Nasa) – made clear its participation in the election was contingent on reforms being made.

Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.

South Africa coffin case: White farmers receive jail terms

By

Africaprimenews

-

27/10/2017

0

Willem Oosthuizen and Theo Martins at the high court in Delmas, Mpumalanga province, South Africa, July 31, 2017 — Image caption Willem Oosthuizen and Theo Martins Jackson denied any wrongdoing

Two white farmers in South Africa who forced a black man into a coffin have been sentenced to jail for more than 10 years each.

Theo Martins Jackson and Willem Oosthuizen were convicted in August for attempted murder and kidnapping.

They accused Victor Mlotshwa of trespassing on their land, beat him up, made him get into a coffin and threatened to burn him alive.

Oosthuizen was jailed for 11 years and Jackson was jailed for 14 years.

Africa Live: More on this and other stories

Part of their sentence is also for assaulting the only witness in an attempt to stop him from testifying.

The case has caused outrage in South Africa and highlighted racial tensions in some farming communities, says the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg.

Media captionConvicted SA farmers sadistic – judge

Mr Mlotshwa only reported the matter after footage of the assault emerged on YouTube months later.

In a court affidavit, Jackson and Oosthuizen said they did not mean to harm Mr Mlotshwa when the assault happened in August 2016 but merely wanted to “teach him a lesson”.

Mr Mlotshwa denied trespassing, saying he was taking a short cut to the shops, where he had been sent by his mother.

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption Victor Mlotshwa was walking home when he was kidnapped and assaulted

The two farmers laid their heads on the bench and some of their relatives wept in the public gallery after the judge handed down her judgement at the court in Middelburg, 165km (100 miles) east of Johannesburg, reports the AFP news agency.

Judge Segopotje Sheila Mphahlele said her sentence was influenced by the fact that men seemed to have been driven by racism when they attacked Mr Mlotshwa and had shown no remorse during the proceedings.

“Both men are aged 29 and 30 and would have spent most of their lives in democratic South Africa,” she said, adding that she wanted to send a harsh message to communities that still practised racism.

The two intend to appeal the sentence.

Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.

Nigeria 2019 Presidency: Northern Youth Back Ayo Fayose

By

Nancy

-

27/10/2017

0

Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, southwest Nigeria

By Joseph Edegbo

Kaduna (Nigeria) –Northern Youth Group led by Alhaji Musa Gombe has said that it is strongly backing the aspirations of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Southwest of the country who recently declared his intention to contest for Presidency come 2019.

Addressing newsmen in Kaduna on Thursday, Musa Gombe said his group all over the North has decided to support Fayose because of what he represents.

“We have followed his track records carefully and based on our modest assessment of this gentleman we reach a conclusion that Fayose is the only person now that has the qualities to take Nigeria out of the wood. He is highly principled, focused and committed to true federalism and most importantly youth and women empowerment.

“I have not met him before and he is not our sponsor, we decided to support him because we are impressed with his antecedents. It is not about where you came from, yes President Buhari is from the North and I am from the North but that is not the issue, it is about survival of Nigeria as a country. Fayose has the zeal, and the mind to lead this country.

“Look at what is happening in the Buhari Administration, the youth have been grossly short changed, in this regime, we have ministers that are over 80 years, the implication of this is that the youth have no future in this country, our group is saying NO to this and we see only Ayo Fayose fighting for the youth,” he said

According to him, Fayose has every right to contest the presidency because he is a Nigerian, adding that the days of tyranny are gone; “We are not in Military regime people reserve the right to say their minds.The reason why some people in government hate Fayose is because he tells them the truth. We are asking him to contest the presidency not governor of Gombe state. So people should understand our point”, he said.

Nigeria: Kaduna Assembly To Works Ministry: Provide Details Of Proposed Roads To Be Constructed Or No Approval Of 2018 Budget

By

Nancy

-

27/10/2017

0

By Juliana Katung

Kaduna (Nigeria) — Kaduna State House of Assembly, northwest Nigeria has directed the State ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to transfer about N1.5 billion allocated for the construction of street light in the current fiscal year.

It will now go for the payment of debts incurred on the clearing of drainage’s and other projects in all the 23 local government area of the state in the year 2018.

The House vowed not to approve the year 2018 budget of the ministry until it presents all the details of the proposed roads to be constructed in the year 2018 financial year to avoid the repeat of what happened in 2016 and 2017.

The House Committee on Works, Housing and Transport chair by Alhaji Muktar Isa Azo gave the directive when the Ministry appeared before it for the budget defense.

According to the committee, drainage is more important than the streets light as lack of it, poses danger to the lives and properties of the people.

It said there is no provision for its continuation in the year 2018 budget estimate of the Ministry, hence the need for the transfer of fund.

The committee observed that the drainage project was executed in four major local government areas and stressed the need to be extended to the other 19 local government areas in the interest of fairness.

On the issue of roads, the committee noted that roads construction was being awarded without consulting members that are representing the people in such constituency.

This, the committee observed, usually brings about the multiple construction in one community, while some areas do not have a single good road.

Meanwhile, Commissioner, Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport Mallam Hassan Usman has said that his ministry is set to pay those that truly executed the clearing of the ongoing drainage project next week.

On the road construction, the Commissioner said the ongoing township roads construction was awarded strictly based on local government headquarters as Governor El-Rufai realized that the council headquarters were still looking like hamlet settlement, hence the need to upgrade them.

Teachers In Kaduna Poised For Showdown As Govt Sacks 22,000

By

Nancy

-

27/10/2017

0

By Amos Tauna

Kaduna (Nigeria) — Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and Kaduna State government, north-west of the country are set for a showdown if the state government goes ahead to sack any of its members for allegedly failing a competence test administered on them.

The teachers threat followed a competence test administered by the State Government on primary school teachers in June which over 50 percent of them were said to have failed, with government resolving to recruit new teachers.

The test was pegged at Primary 4 level, and it examined teachers for competence in literacy and numeracy, through reading, writing and simple calculations.

However, addressing the press on Thursday, the State NUT Chairman, Audu Amba said the teachers resolved after their executive council meeting to embark on a showdown should government make good its decision to replace the teachers.

Amba said that the test carried out by government was unprofessional, pointing out that the only competent body to test teachers is the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

He said, “We have resolved that by this exam that was given to our teachers, if any teacher is relieved of his appointment, NUT may not guarantee the industrial harmony with the government of Kaduna State.

“It is with pain that we are taking this decision, while appreciating the concerns of the State government to uplift the status of teachers.

“We have discussed with the State government to let it understand that teaching profession is not like other profession or industrial machines that you open and close at will.

“It will do us a great harm if 21,780 teachers are relieved of their jobs.

“They were not tested based on professionalism or on what they studied.

“The proficiency test can only be recognized if it is conducted by TRCN. The State insisted otherwise. What we are receiving today is not what we agreed with government.

“Government will be setting us back 20 years if 22,000 teachers are relieved of thier jobs.

“I cannot imagine where there will be replacement. The test was not in conformity with what is expected on how teachers are tested”.

Meanwhile, Kaduna State Executive Council has approved the recruitment of 25,000 primary school teachers.

Recruitment notices have already been advertised by the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

According to the notice, “This time around, there would be standardized tests for the recruits and a further training programme before the new teachers take over the classrooms.”

UNICEF, Nigerian Group Begin Mapping Of Children In Yobe State

By

Nancy

-

27/10/2017

1

By Auwal Umar

Damaturu (Nigeria) — United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in conjunction with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) have begun mapping of Children in High risk areas of Yobe State, northeast of the country.

The Chief Researcher, ICPR, Mbah Chukwumeka, disclosed this to Journalists in Damagum, headquarters of Fune Local Government Area of the State.

He explained that the mandate of the Institute as contained in it’s establishment by Act no. 34 of 2000 is to conduct In depth researches on Peace, security and conflict issues, provide policy advice to the government and design intervention strategies for the prevention, resolution and management of conflicts in Nigeria and Africa.

“It is in line with this mandate that the institute is collaborating with UNICEF, State Governments and other critical stakeholders to design mechanisms that would ensure peaceful returns of the displaced and community coexistence towards sustainable development in conflict affected Local Government Areas”.

According to him, the insurgency in the Northeast has caused serious dislocation of communities and livelihoods.

Additionally, violations against Children are rife, requiring mapping of risk areas, where most incidences affecting Children have taken place.

Chukwumeka further revealed that the assessment would bring to the fore situation of grave violation on Children and Armed conflict in Yobe State.

“We have began with meetings with the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Education, Health, Justice, Local Government, Women Affairs, Adviser Vigilante and Chieftancy matters, IDPs in Kukareta, Women, Children, Emir of Fika and Chairman Yobe State Council of Chiefs Dr Muhammad Ibn Abali Muhammad Idrissa and other Community Leaders,” he said.

JFK assassination: Thousands of files released

By

Africaprimenews

-

27/10/2017

0

Media captionWhat will top-secret JFK files tell us about Kennedy’s killer?

The US government has released 2,800 previously classified files on the assassination of President John F Kennedy in 1963.

President Donald Trump said the public deserved to be “fully informed” about the event, which has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories.

But some documents have been withheld at the request of government agencies.

One memo revealed that the FBI had warned police of a death threat against the assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

“We at once notified the chief of police and he assured us Oswald would be given sufficient protection”, writes the FBI director J Edgar Hoover.

Oswald, a former Marine and self-proclaimed Marxist, was shot dead in the basement of the Dallas Police department two days after President Kennedy was killed.

As the documents are pored over and analysed, other findings include a CIA memo that suggests Oswald spoke with a KGB officer at the Russian embassy in Mexico City. The memo says the KGB officer Oswald spoke with worked for a department “responsible for sabotage and assassination”.

Another memo showed that Soviet officials feared an “irresponsible general” would launch a missile at the USSR in the wake of President Kennedy’s death.

One memo tells how a British regional newspaper, the Cambridge News, received an anonymous call about “some big news” in the US, hours before the assassination.

A copy of the memo was released by the National Archives in the US in July, but had gone unreported.

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption The president and first lady in Dallas less than an hour before his assassination

President Kennedy was shot dead on 22 November 1963 as he travelled through Dallas in an open-topped limousine.

The Warren Commission’s report into the shooting, published in September 1964, said that Lee Harvey Oswald had fired the fatal shots from the Texas School Book Depository building.

There was “no evidence that either Lee Harvey Oswald or Jack Ruby was part of any conspiracy, domestic or foreign”, the commission said.

A 1992 law passed by Congress required all records related to the assassination – around five million pages – to be publicly disclosed in full within 25 years.

The deadline was Thursday.

More than 90% of the files were already in the public domain.

Allegations of a government cover-up are unlikely to be assuaged by reports that the CIA, FBI, Department of State and other agencies lobbied at the last minute to keep certain documents under wraps.

In a memo directing heads of executive departments to release the files, Mr Trump said the American public deserves to be “fully informed about all aspects of this pivotal event”.

“Therefore, I am ordering today that the veil finally be lifted,” the president wrote.

Some redacted documents are undergoing a further six-month review, but it is possible those records could stay secret after the deadline on 26 April next year.

The president, according to White House officials, was reluctant to agree to agency requests to hold the remaining documents.

“I have no choice – today – but to accept those redactions rather than allow potentially irreversible harm to our Nation’s security,” Mr Trump added in his memo.

The records have been released on the National Archives website.

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption Vice-President Lyndon Baines Johnson (C) is sworn in as JFK’s stunned widow stands by just two hours after he was shot

Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS

Africa Prime News

Africa Prime News

Africa Prime News

Africa Prime News

What role has ethnicity played?

What has happened since the first vote?

Why is there an election re-run?

Currency Exchange Rates

Africa Prime News

About us

Company

The latest

Subscribe