Metro

Human Rights Watch accuses Angolan police of killing 15 activists since January

Published

1 year ago

August 7, 2023

International rights group, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Angolan police of allegedly killing 15 activists since January.

The group, in a statement on Monday, urged the Angolan government to swiftly carry out probe on reports of abuse and rights violations by the police.

The NGO said the country’s law enforcement authorities had also been accused of the arbitrary arrests and detention of hundreds by local human rights groups.

“Angolan law enforcement authorities including police, state security and intelligence services have been implicated in unlawful killings of at least 15 people,” Zenaida Machado, senior Africa researcher at HRW said in the statement.

“Political activists, artists and protest organizers were the main targets of the alleged rights violations.

“Angolan authorities should urgently act to end abusive police policies and practices and ensure that there is justice for victims and their family members,” Machado added.

The researcher said although the government had attempted to improve law enforcement, criminal prosecutions against police officers who committed these violations remained rare.

“The arrests are more frequent in the oil rich northern province of Cabinda, close to the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the last six months, HRW has interviewed 32 people across the country including victims and their relatives, witnesses and security sources.

“In one instance, men who identified as criminal investigation service members held a group of young men in custody whose bodies were found three days later at a hospital morgue.

“A friend of the victims, who were known for participating in anti-government protests, said that police had been monitoring the group”, he revealed.

Angola’s ruling party, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), has, however, denied HRW’s claims.

“Investigations are already underway,” party spokesman, Rui Falcao told journalists.

“However, we find it strange that those calling for the necessary investigations already have conclusions and are passing judgement,” Falcao said.

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Metro

Zambia: Farmers’ union warns of uncertain future for agriculture sector

Published

12 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Small-Scale Farmers Development Agency (SAFADA) of Zambia has warned of uncertainty on the future of the agricultural sector, stating that its outlook over the next 25 years remains uncertain and gloomy.

The Executive Director of SAFADA, Boyd Moobwe, who raised the concerns in a telephone interview with Zambia Monitor on Saturday, expressed regrets that the agric sector was facing critical challenges that could hinder its contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and overall economic growth by 2030.

Moobwe admitted that the rapid changes in agriculture due to new technologies and innovations, has been slow amid the inconsistent implementation of these advancements which raises questions about the sector’s ability to survive amidst the growing threats of climate change, political instability, and economic difficulties.

The SAFADA Director pointed out that many of the problems plaguing agriculture were self-inflicted.

“The current measures for agricultural and rural financing are inadequate due to poor data analysis and utilisation,” Moobwe said.

Agriculture, he said, “had the potential to revive the economy if proper policies were introduced and if small-scale farmers were fully involved in planning and implementing agricultural projects.”

Metro

Nigeria: CSO urges President Tinubu to investigate missing funds in Humanitarian Ministry

Published

16 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A Nigerian civil society organization, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has called on President Bola Tinubu to launch an investigation into the over N57 billion that allegedly went missing in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in 2021.

The organisation, in a statement on Sunday, urged the president to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, as well as other anti-corruption agencies to commence a probe into the allegations without delay.

In the letter issued by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare and addressed to President Tinubu, the group warned against sweeping the allegations under the carpet as the Nigerian public has a right to know what happened to their money.

“The allegations amount to stealing from the poor. There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations,” the watch dog group said.

“The allegations also suggest a grave violation of the public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the country’s anticorruption legislation, and international anticorruption obligations.

“Hundreds of billions of naira are also reportedly missing in other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“Poor Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the widespread and grand corruption in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviations and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“According to the 2021 annual audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, (the ministry) in 2021 failed to account for over N54 billion meant to pay monthly stipends to Batch C1 N-Power volunteers and non-graduate trainees between August and December 2021.

“The money was not directly paid to the beneficiaries. The Auditor-General is concerned that the money may have been diverted. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury. He also wants suspected perpetrators of the diversion to be sanctioned in line with the Financial Regulations.

“The ministry reportedly failed to account for over N2.6 billion of public funds meant for the home-grown school feeding programme during Covid-19, as the programme was never executed. The money was allegedly paid to five contractors to procure, package and distribute Covid-19 palliatives to Kano, Zamfara and Abia states, but without any trace.

“The ministry also reportedly spent over N78 million to carry out a survey on the ministry’s Covid-19 response to states and vulnerable groups but without any approval or document.

“The ministry also reportedly failed to account for N400 million meant to pay stipends to 4,450 independent monitors for October, November, and December 2021.

“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.

“SERAP urges you to immediately enforce the judgment by Hon. Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, ordering your government to release the spending details of N729 billion by Mrs Sadia Umar-Farouk, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disasters Management and Social Development,” SERAP warned.