Defiant Gambian president refuses to step aside

Yahya Jammeh reiterates he won't hand over power to President-elect Adama Barrow despite growing international pressure.

Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh has reiterated he will not step down despite losing the December 1 election, as West African leaders and Western powers urged him to hand over power peacefully.

"Unless the court decides the case, there will be no inauguration on January 19," said Jammeh, whose party has lodged a complaint with the Supreme Court to overturn the December 1 vote result.

Jammeh initially conceded defeat on state television after 22 years in power, but a week later, reversed his position, denouncing the election results and demanding a new vote.

Last week, Gambian troops took over the Independent Electoral Commission office in the capital, Banjul, and instructed its chairman to leave while barring other employees from entering.

Jammeh's pledge to stay was broadcast on state television on Tuesday and indicated a hardening of the veteran president's position. It came a day after President-elect Adama Barrow said he was ready to take office on January 18 - the day Jammeh's mandate ends.

"I am not a coward. My right cannot be intimidated and violated. This is my position. Nobody can deprive me of that victory except the Almighty [God]," Jammeh said.

He also condemned West Africa's regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), for what he termed "meddling" in The Gambia's affairs.

The political crisis in The Gambia will be settled internally and peacefully, Jammeh said, adding he would maintain his position of challenging the election result.

No prosecution

A spokesman for the opposition coalition that backed President-elect Barrow assured, on Tuesday, that Jammeh will not face prosecution on leaving office.

Jammeh's government has been accused of detaining, torturing and killing opponents.

"ECOWAS wanted to know whether the incoming administration plans to prosecute outgoing President Yahya Jammeh," spokesman Halifa Sallah said, after talks with ECOWAS on the peaceful transfer of power.

"There is no indication of a threat [of prosecution] or the need to threaten outgoing President Yahya Jammeh," he said.

"President-elect Barrow says he is going to treat outgoing President Yahya Jammeh like a former head of state and would consult him for advice," Sallah told AFP news agency.

Backing the opposition candidate, French president Francois Hollande said the results of the December 1 polls were "indisputable", and Barrow "must be installed as soon as possible".

Last week, ECOWAS said Jammeh must step down when his term runs out and vowed "to take all necessary action to enforce the results" of the poll, without spelling out what those measures might be.

Jammeh, who came to power in 1994 as a 29-year-old army officer following a military coup, had won four previous polls.

Full postings of Nigeria’s new Ambassadors

The Federal Government has released the postings of the Ambassadors recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Ambassadors are currently undergoing a four-day induction which ends on Thursday.
Below are the ambassadors and their postings:
Abia: Obinna Agbugba (Togo),
Adamawa: Salisu Umaru (Senegal), Paragalda Audu (Turkey),
Akwa Ibom: Inyang Udo-Inyang (Gabon),
Anambra: Okeke Nwunaku (Spain), Nonye Udo (Austria).
Bauchi: Liman Munir (Congo),
Benue: Ndem Ada (Sweden), Demenongu A. Agev (Equatorial Guinea),
Borno: Mohammed Hassan (Kenya), Toko Gongulong (Sao Tome & Principe), Lawan Gashagar (Mali), Cross River: Martin Cobham (Thailand), Odeka Bisong (Zimbabwe).
Delta: Janet Olisa (Jamaica),
Edo: Itegboje S.Sunday (Permanent Mission in New York), Queen I. Worlu (Cuba).
Others are: Ekiti: Olatunde Adesesan (Angola), Emmanuel Kayode Oguntause (Benin),
Enugu: Lilian Onoh (Namibia).
FCT: Adamu Shuaibu (Rwanda),
Gombe: Manaja Isah (Israel), Habu Gwani Ibrahim (Zambia),
Imo: Ngozi Ukaeje (Portugal), Kenneth C. Nwachukwu (Cameroon),
Jigawa: Bello Kazaure Huessini (North Korea),
Kaduna: Enoch Pear Duchi (Ireland),
Kano: Garba Baba (Poland), Rabiu Akawu (Algeria).
Katsina: Usman Aliyu (China), Ibrahim Hamza (Iran),
Kebbi: Umar Salisu (Botswana),
Kogi: Momoh Omeiza (Liberia),
Kwara: Kadiri Ayinla Audu (Permanent Mission, Geneva) and Olufemi Abikoye (Ghana).
Lagos: Balogun Hakeem (Indonesia),
Nasarawa: Inusa Ahmed (Ethiopia),
Niger: Ibrahim Isah (Australia),
Ogun: Bankole Adegboyega Adeoye (Belgium), Sonaike Adekunbi Abibat (Philipines).
Osun: Ibidapo-Obe Oluwasegun (Port of Spain T&T),
Oyo: Ogundero Sakirat (Washington),
River: Eric A. Bell-Gam (Argentina),
Sokoto: Attahiru Halliru (Niger),
Taraba: Rahmatu A. Dunama (Burkina Faso),
Yobe: Musa Saban Mamman (South Sudan) and
Zamfara: Kabiru Bala (Mozambique).

At least 20 people are dead in DR Congo following protests as president Kabila refuses to step down

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s leader Joseph Kabila was supposed to leave office on Dec. 19, the date his presidential mandate officially ended. Instead, he is clinging to power but Congolese want him out. They’ve take to the streets in DRC’s major cities, protesting what opposition leaders are calling a coup d’état. At least 20 people have already died in the clashes between police and demonstrators, the United Nations said on Tuesday, Dec. 20.
“On the issue of deaths, it looks bad,” the UN human rights director for the DRC Jose Maria Aranaz told Reuters. “We are reviewing allegations of up to 20 civilians killed, but it (the information) is pretty solid.”
The country was meant to hold elections on Nov. 20 this year, but Kabila refused to set a date. Instead, Independent National Electoral Commission said they could not organize an election until 2018. Kabila’s stay was secured when the constitutional court—populated by judges handpicked by Kabila—ruled that the incumbent must rule until a successor is chosen. Opposition parties have vowed to protest until Kabila leaves office.

Tuesday’s protests began with opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi’s call for a peaceful resistance. But soon, gunfire was heard in the capital Kinshasa, home to 12 million people. Young people burned tires in the streets, forming burning barricades. “Kabila, your mandate is over,” some were heard chanting. In Lubumbashi, a southern city, the royal guard fired live rounds at protestors, according to human rights activists.
Demonstrations have been banned and social media has been blocked in a bid to stop protestors from mobilizing. Instead, some protestors turned to whistling, sending a sharp chorus of whistles into the night that quickly spread throughout the cities, according to Human Rights Watch.
The government has deployed extra soldiers and security forces throughout the country, and has arrested dozens of people. The United Nations mission in the country has tried to patrol the area too.
Africa’s second largest—and arguably most resource-rich country—has never known a peaceful transition of power since independence in 1960. The presidential election in 2011 was barely credible, serving to secure a second term for Kabila. After nearly 16 years in power, many Congolese say their lives have not improved and want Kabila gone. Kabila has not responded.

Truck drivers block Abuja-Lokoja-Okene highway to protest N10,000 tax

Protesting truck drivers have blocked the Abuja-Lokoja-Okene highways since the early hours of Monday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
The drivers are protesting the N10,000 daily tax imposed by the Kogi State revenue Service.
The state government, police and the Federal Road Safety Corps were, however, taking measure to ensure free flow of traffic.
No official reaction yet from the state government but the state police Commissioner, Badulahi Chafe, is currently in a meeting with the leadership of the truck drivers to end the blockade.
One of the motorists trapped in the gridlock, Isaac Ighure, said he had remained on the same spot on the road for over three hours .
Mr. Igure described the development as bad for the state and the country, especially when it is happening few days to Christmas.
The gridlock has stretched to over 30 kilometres as at the time of this report.
The meeting with officials of the truck drivers is holding at the state police command headquarters.

10 Ministers face sack as Buhari notifies Senate of cabinet shake-up

President Muhammadu Buhari is ready to shake up his cabinet, a move that may affect no fewer than 10 Ministers.

According to THISDAY, the presidency has reached out to the Senate, informing it of its intention to reshuffle the cabinet.

With some of the Ministers to be sacked, the presidency is trying to avoid another controversial screening process, especially with recent occurrences.

The cabinet shake-up is also necessary, as Buhari needs to fill two existing vacancies, created by the death of former Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi and the appointment of Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN).

The source also told us, that while some of the 10 Ministers will be dropped, others will swap portfolios.

“There is an understanding that in the new year, one of the key assignments the Senate will undertake, aside from the consideration of the 2017 budget, is the screening of new ministerial nominees who will be replacing some of the ministers that will soon be asked to leave the cabinet,” the source said.

Buhari is also prepared to carry out the changes, following the criticism that it had put round pegs in square holes.

FG releases N471.8 million for payment of Super Falcons and Super Eagles

The Federal Government, following orders from President Buhari, today released the sum of N471.8 million to pay the Super Falcons and Super Eagles following their AWCON 2016 win and 2018 World cup qualifiers respectively. What almost turned to a national embarrassment after the Falcons players protested in Abuja on Wednesday following their 2016 African Women’s Cup of Nations win in Yaounde, has now been resolved as the office of the Accountant General of the Federation released the mandate to Central Bank of Nigeria for payment of naira equivalent of US$1,173,820.00 at N305/$ to Nigeria Football Federation. Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, approved the payment, which is a sum of N358 million for the Super Falcons while the sum of N113.8 million has also been released by the Office of Accountant General of the Federation for the Super Eagles. The players will be paid today, Friday