Politics

Wife of ex-Nigerian governor, late rebel leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu’s wife clash at swearing-in ceremony

Published

3 years ago

March 17, 2022

The swearing-in ceremony of Professor Chukwuma Soludo as the governor of Anambra State, Nigeria yesterday was overshadowed by the reported fracas between the wife of outgoing Gov. Willie Obiano, Ebelechukwu, and Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu at the event.

Earlier reports in the media claimed Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, slapped Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu at the event but video footage from the scene obtained by slamreportafrica.com revealed Mrs. Obiano leaving her seat and walking towards Mrs. Ojukwu for a confrontation on the front row at the inauguration event.

From the angle in the video, it appears Mrs. Ojukwu hit Mrs. Obiano first but the footage also suggests the actions must have been triggered by taunting gestures from both parties.

Unconfirmed reports also say the fight began when Mrs. Obiano, who arrived at the event late, was going round to exchange pleasantries with the dignitaries.

On getting to where Bianca sat, she said: “Bianca so you are here? I thought you said you will never attend any APGA event again.”

A visibly provoked Bianca stood up abruptly and handed Mrs. Obiano a dirty slap, before dragging her wig off her head.

Meanwhile, the newly inaugurated governor of Anambra State, Governor Charles Soludo has issued a public apology for the fracas that broke out between the wife of former Governor, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, and Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu during his inauguration on Thursday.

In a statement signed by his Head of Media, Joe Anatune, the Anambra governor said “steps are being taken to resolve the misunderstanding”.

“Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo hereby apologizes to all Anambra people, friends, and guests who attended his inauguration this morning as the Anambra State governor for the breach of protocol.

“The breach was caused by improper communication which itself arose from a personal issue between the two parties involved in the breach.

Politics

Nigeria’s Tinubu to visit South Africa for bilateral talks

Published

4 days ago

December 1, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In order to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu will leave France on Monday for Cape Town, South Africa.

A ministerial meeting is slated for December 2, 2024, in the South African Parliament Building in Cape Town, and will be followed by the presidential Bi-National Commission on Tuesday, December 3.

In a statement issued on Sunday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated that Tinubu and Ramaphosa will have in-depth talks on issues of mutual interest on a bilateral, regional, and global level.

“Building on the commitments from their meeting on June 20, 2024, in Johannesburg, shortly after President Ramaphosa’s inauguration for a second term in office, the two leaders will review the progress made since the 10th session of the BNC held in Abuja from November 29 to December 1, 2021.

“The 11th session of the BNC will feature deliberations across eight working groups, each focusing on a specific area of mutual interest. These include political consultations, consular and migration, banking and finance, defence and security, manufacturing, social sector, mines and energy, and trade and investments.

“At the high-level meeting, officials of both countries will sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements,” Onanuga said.

Founded in 1999, the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission seeks to deepen the two countries’ friendship and collaboration. The inaugural Heads of State session took place in Pretoria in October 2019.

The BNC offers a forum for maintaining high-level discussions and encouraging cooperation in vital fields including trade, economic growth, security, and diplomacy.

“This year’s meeting is particularly significant as it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Commission, a testament to the enduring friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa. President Tinubu will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising state governors, ministers, and senior government officials. He will return to the country after the BNC meeting,” Onanuga added.

Politics

Mauritius PM wants independent review of UK-Chagos Islands deal

Published

5 days ago

November 30, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to review an October political agreement that gives Mauritius sovereignty of the Chagos Islands while securing a 99-year lease on the base.

On Thursday, the British government expressed confidence that the deal to secure the future of a U.S.-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia would be ratified.

Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said that he had requested an independent review of a confidential draft agreement with Britain regarding the Chagos Islands.

The agreement still has to be ratified by both parties. The arrangement has been questioned by Ramgoolam, who won an election last month. He informed lawmakers on Thursday that the results of the study will be available for his new cabinet to take into account.

The foreign ministry of Britain chose not to react. Earlier this week, British Foreign Minister David Lammy expressed his confidence that the deal would be completed, noting that the Pentagon, State Department, and U.S. intelligence agencies had all embraced it.

According to him, Britain was pleased to provide the new Mauritius administration some time to review the specifics.

When the agreement was announced, U.S. President Joe Biden backed it, but after Donald Trump takes office in January, the next government may contest it.

Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for secretary of state, has stated that the agreement presents a major risk to American security as it gives the island, which is a key base utilised by American warships and long-range bombers, to a Chinese ally.

London kept control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s, and in the 1970s, it forcefully uprooted up to 2,000 inhabitants to create room for the base.

Following years of occasionally contentious discussions, Britain announced last month that it will turn over the islands. Many of the exiled Chagossians, however, claim they were not part of the talks and are unable to support it.

According to Olivier Bancoult of the Chagos Refugees Group, which works to protect Chagossians’ rights, he hopes the assessment will be completed as soon as possible.