Foreign 28
Daily Times Nigeria Monday, December 12, 2016
UN urges Gambia’s Jammeh to step down
Trump faults CIA’s conclusion on ÏÏÏAs AU kicks Russia’s alleged ÎÎÎAgency reports on Sunday aid in polls victory revealled that the United NaÎÎÎ
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says the Central Intelligence Agency conclusion that Russia interfered in last month’s presidential election to boost his chances of winning was “ridiculous,” calling it was “just another excuse” by Democrats for his upset of former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “I don’t believe it. If you take a look at what [the CIA] said, there’s great confusion,” Trump said Sunday. “Nobody really knows. They have no idea if it’s Russia or China or somebody. It could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace.” Trump told Fox News that he does not oppose President Barack Obama’s order to review cyberattacks the CIA concluded came from Russia during the lengthy presidential campaign, but said “you should not just say ‘Russia.’ You should say other countries also, and maybe other individuals.” The CIA said it had “high confidence” that Russia sought to help Trump win. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the final stretch of the presidential campaign to help Trump win the presidency, and not simply meddle in the U.S. electoral process as previously believed, according to senior Obama administration officials. The conclusion is based to some extent on a finding that Russians hacked the Republican National Committee’s computer systems, in addition to those of Democratic organizations, but disclosed only embarrassing emails from the Democrats, via WikiLeaks. The Republican Trump’s rejection of the CIA conclusion came as the party’s losing 2008 presidential nominee, Arizona Senator John McCain, and three other senators called for an investigation into Moscow’s interference in the election, saying that it “should alarm every American.” McCain, along with Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrats Jack Reed and Chuck Schumer, said the United States needs to stop “the grave threats that cyberattacks conducted by foreign governments pose to our national security.”
President-elect Donald Trump
tion (UN) Security Council has called on Gambia President, Yahya Jammeh to hand over power after defeat in elections. President Jammeh initially conceded to Adama Barrow in last week’s vote but has since refused to accept the end of his 22-year rule. The UN added that a handover should come without condition or delay. In a unanimous statement, the UN’s 15 council members called on Jammeh to “respect the choice of the sovereign people of The Gambia”. The president’s U-turn was condemned by The African Union (AU), who described his statement as “null and void”.
His reluctance to step down has also been criticised by the US and neighbouring Senegal. A heavy military presence has been reported in the Gambian capital, Banju, but the streets have remained calm. The BBC’s West Africa correspondent, Thomas Fessy, says the main question now is whether President Jammeh has managed to split the army, retaining a faction ready to back his announcement. Mr. Barrow said he was sure the military supported him as the country’s new leader. President Jammeh first seemed to accept the loss but then backtracked and said, on Friday, that he “totally” rejected the result.
According to the electoral commission, as a result of the vote on 1 December: Mr. Barrow won 222,708 votes, accounting for 43.34 per cent, while President Jammeh took 208,487 representing 39.6 per cent, while a third-party candidate, Mama Kandeh, won 89,768 or 17.1 per cent. Mr. Barrow, a property developer, is due to take office in late January. The Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, with a population of fewer than two million. In his 22 years in power, Mr. Jammeh reputation waned over the years. Meanwhile, the African Union has called on Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh and Gambian President-elect Adama Barrow (right) accept the results of the presidential election earlier this month as he said he would. AU Commission Chairperson Nkosozana Dlamini-Zuma said, “The chairperson of the
commission strongly urges President Yahya Jammeh to facilitate a peaceful and orderly transition and transfer of power to the new president of the Gambia.”
New secretariat to boost Ghana, Nigeria economic, social ties
Bonny Amadi
ÎÎÎ
Nigeria Ghana trade and public relations is poised to record greater mileage with the propose construction of the proposed befitting secretariat by the National Association of Ghanaian Communities in Nigeria (NAGHACON). The association’s president, Mr. Frank Quaye disclosed this weekend in Lagos Nigeria at the Association’s awards/Dinner night during which funds were also raised for building the association’s secretariat in Lagos, Nigeria. He said that the 2016 edition of the NAGHACON gala night, the fifth edition, organized in collaboration with the Ghanaian business community ‘the great minds’ targets at ensuring sustained representation of the business community and Ghanaians in the diaspora in collaboration with the High commission through a point
of call, a new secretariat which is supplementary to the High commissioner’s office. NAGHACON, Quaye said, was put together by the Ghana High commissioner to foster unity , provide welfare and support services to members far away from home and also to promote economic and social well being of the people and the two Anglophone West African countries that share similar historical backgrounds. “With all the prospects and opportunities, it is quite difficult without a secretariat. So as we have gathered here tonight, no longer as two countries, but as one, we appeal for assistance in cash and kind in order for us realize the dream of having this secretariat and making things easier for all concerned” He said that the secretariat when completed would not just help Ghanaians in Ni-
Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama
geria or Ghana wishing to do business with Nigeria or Nigerian, but also help to cement the trade ad cultural relation with Nigeria as Nigerians will have easy access to the NAGHACON center and obtain all relevant information, reducing the burden on the High commission. ‘ I will use this time to appreciate our host country , Nigeria for making the atmosphere so conducive for us that a lot of us pride ourselves
as citizens of Ghangeria, comfortable both in Ghana or home country and Nigeria our host country” Awards were given in five categories, transport, communication, construction/ infrastructure, personal and environmental categories. Transport category wards went to ABC Transport and African world Airlines. Communications Awards went to Globacom and Slot systems, while construction and Infrastructures Awards went to Dangote Group for contributing to construction and infrastructures development across Africa. One of the NAGHACON awardees under the personal category for contributing towards real estate, education and tourism development in Africa, Mr. Martin AmoAyesu, told Daily Times of Nigeria that the association has over 2million registered members and that construc-
tion of the secretariat would further enhance the social and economic relations of the two countries. Amo-Ayesu, the personal assistant to NAGHACON president, said that recently the Ghanaian government established modalities for her citizens in Nigeria to process their residence documents in the country, of which he added that the proposed secretariat would boost documentations of trade, residency and personal identification data. ‘Sometimes, the people have to go to the embassy and the embassy in turn will have to call the NAGHACON President for verification” AmoAyesu said “with the secretariat in place , other people or organizations that want to invest in Ghana, will have to utilize the manpower of the association to access information they cannot easily get at the embassy”.
Italian President names Paolo Gentiloni as new Prime Minister
ÎÎÎItalian President Ser-
gio Mattarella has chosen Paolo Gentiloni to form a new government after reformist leader Matteo Renzi lost a referendum on constitutional reform, on which he had staked his job. Gentiloni is expected to hold the post until February 2018 elections. After the announcement, he vowed to move “within the same framework” as Renzi’s outgoing govern-
ment. “Not by choice, but out of a sense of responsibility I will be forming a government based on the outgoing majority,” Gentiloni said. Reports said the new government leader is expected to introduce a list of ministers to Mattarella by early Monday. The 62-year-old member of the Democratic Party, close Renzi ally, and former journalist said in a
brief statement there is an “urgent need for a fully functioning government” in order to focus on social and economic issues. All major parties have called for elections as soon as possible, but the proposal was rejected by the Italian president. Renzi was prime minister for almost three years. He resigned after voters rejected a package to increase his power to push through economic re-
Former Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi forms he said would bring political stability in Italy. While economic and political factors drove voters to punish Renzi, analysts
say Italy’s migrant crisis also played a role and the issue is likely to feature in forthcoming election campaigns.