CNN’s chief international correspondent and anchor ofAmanpour nightly foreign affairs programme on CNNInternational, Christiane Amanpour, will by 7pmNigerian time be interviewing President MuhammaduBuhari, who is in the US to meet with US President,Barack Obama.Amanpour in one of her tweets this evening said:“Nigerian President @MBuhari is in the U.S. seekinghelp to take on Boko Haram – I ask him how – 8pmCET on @cnni.”As the time ticks for the interview session, here arefive salient questions Nigerians who visitedAmanpour’s twitter timeline @campour wants her toask Buhari.– Please help us ask Nigerian president why hasn’t hepublicly declare his assets as he promised duringcampaign?– Is he in the U.S seeking help to take on BH or in theU.S cos Obama invited him?– Any revelations yet as to financiers and sponsors ofthe Boko Haram insurgency?– Don’t forget to ask if he already has a shortlist forhis cabinet?– Ask him about the economy and his plans onmassive education of North East youths to defeat BokoHaram?
Tuesday, 21 July 2015
Gay Right "non issue" Kenyan President
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday
dismissed gay rights as a “non-issue” ahead of a
visit by US President Barack Obama later this
week.
Kenyatta also said Deputy President
William Ruto, who is still on trial at the
International Criminal in The Hague accused
of crimes against humanity, would also
meet the US leader.
“That is a non-issue to the people of this
country, and it is definitely not on our
agenda at all,” Kenyatta said in response
to question about gay rights.
“We as a country, as a continent, are faced
with much more serious issues which we
would want to engage the US and all our
partners with.”
Obama’s planned Kenya visit was itself
long delayed by Kenyatta’s indictment by
the ICC.
Those charges, linked to post-election
ethnic violence in 2007-08, were
suspended last year — in part,
prosecutors say, because the Kenyan
government thwarted the investigation.
Kenyatta said that Obama would meet all
members of the government.
“Without a doubt, he is coming to meet the
government that is in place, that includes
all of us,” Kenyatta told reporters,
standing alongside Ruto. “We shall all be
meeting.”
Ruto has spoken out against
homosexuality, telling worshippers in
church in May it was “against the plan” of
God. In May, he said there was “no room
for homosexuality” in Kenya.
Homophobia is on the rise across much of
Africa and homosexuality remains illegal in
many countries, including Kenya where it
was outlawed under British colonial
legislation.
One Kenyan man, Kidala Vincent, had
promised to lead a march of “5,000 totally
naked men and women” to protest
Obama’s support for gay rights, so that
he can “see and understand the difference
between a man and woman.”
Kenyatta said economic development and
security were his priorities.
“Poverty, improved health for our people,
better education, better roads, better
security, these are our key focuses,” he
said.
“The fight against terror will be central, we
have been working in very close
cooperation with American agencies,” he
added.
Kenya has been hit by a string of attacks
by the Somali-led Shebab insurgents.
Kenyan troops crossed into Somalia in
2011 to fight the Al-Qaeda-linked
insurgents, and later joined the African
Union force, AMISOM, which is supporting
Somalia’s internationally-backed
government.
The Shebab have since stepped up their
operations in Kenya, dealing a blow to
plans for the troops to serve as a buffer
and protect the long, porous border.
READ WHAT OBAMA AND BUHARI DISCUSSED
Both presidents commit to war against
terror, corruption
• Nigerian leader says ministers will be
appointed in September
United States President Barack Obama
yesterday, in Washington DC, pledged to
stand with Nigeria in all its endeavours,
including the fight against Boko Haram,
provided it remained on course.
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently
in the U.S. on Obama’s invitation.
Buhari, according to a tweet by Senior
Special Adviser to the President on Media
and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had made a
brief stop to greet an ecstatic crowd of
All Progressives Congress (APC)
supporters, who converged at the Blair
House — United States Presidents’ official
guesthouse — to greet him.
Both leaders discussed areas of
collaboration, especially on fostering unity,
fighting insurgency and corruption, as well
as Nigeria’s expected leadership role in
Africa.
Citing Buhari’s credentials in integrity,
Obama told the Nigerian president:
“Wherever Nigeria goes, Africa goes; the
continent’s destiny is tied to Nigeria’s.”
Obama, who urged five accompanying
governors and others to work with
Buhari, harped on the need for unity saying
that a divided country would hardly
succeed. He, therefore, urged the president
to turn Nigeria’s diversity to source of
strength.
Governors of Edo, Oyo, Imo, Borno and
Nasarawa states and other top
government officials joined Buhari and
Obama for the bilateral talks.
On war against insurgents, the U.S.
president advised that a combination of
military action and socio-economic
programmes would help.
Buhari had, prior to his meeting with
Obama, held a breakfast session with Vice
President Joe Biden, during which they
compared terror-war notes. He is billed to
meet with Secretary of State, John Kerry,
today.
Meanwhile, President Buhari has affirmed
that he would appoint members of his
cabinet not earlier than September.
He also declared that the continued
pressure on the immediate past
administration by the U.S. and some
European countries made the general
elections in Nigeria to be free and fair.
Writing in The Washington Post yesterday,
Buhari, said his discussions with President
Obama would include not only his plans for
critical reforms, but also “why the
formation of my administration is taking
time and, crucially, why it must. Already
there are voices saying these changes are
taking too long – even though only six
weeks have passed since my inauguration.
I hear such calls, but this task cannot and
should not be rushed.
“When cabinet ministers are appointed in
September, it will be some months after I
took the oath of office. It is worth noting
that Obama himself did not have his full
cabinet in place for several months after
first taking office; the United States did
not cease to function in the interim. In
Nigeria’s case, it would neither be prudent
nor serve the interests of sound
government to have made these
appointments immediately on my elevation
to the presidency; instead, Nigeria must
first put new rules of conduct and good
governance in place.
“I cannot stress how important it is to
ensure that this process is carried out
correctly, just as it has been crucial to
first install the correct leadership of the
military and security services before we
fully take the fight to Boko Haram.”
Also, while responding to the welcome
remarks by Obama before the start of the
bilateral meeting between officials of both
countries at the Oval Office of the White
House, on the second day of the visit,
Buhari acknowledged the contributions of
the U.S. and some European Union
members towards the consolidation of
Nigeria’s democracy.
The President, who noted that without the
external pressure, “we would not be where
we are today” in Nigeria, recalled that the
pressure started from the visit of the
United States Secretary of State, John
Kerry to the past Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega.
“Nigeria will be ever grateful to President
Obama and the United States for making
Nigeria consolidate its gains on
democracy,” the President said.
On his trip to the U.S. the President said
he looked forward to a fruitful visit and
engagement with his host government,
while expressing delight that the United
States government had indicated interest
in partnering and helping the APC-led
administration to bring to fruition its goals
of tackling insecurity, corruption and youth
unemployment.
Sourced from Guardian News