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Court bars Rwanda opposition figure from election race
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Court bars Rwanda opposition figure from election race
By Francesca Hangeior
A Rwandan court has rejected an appeal by a prominent opposition figure to have his previous convictions removed, disqualifying him from challenging President Paul Kagame in the July elections.
Bernard Ntaganda, 55, a fierce critic of Rwanda’s iron-fisted ruler, had petitioned the High Court in Kigali in February in a bid to set aside convictions dating back more than a decade.
He is the second opposition figure to be prevented from running in the July 15 election against Kagame, who is widely expected to win a new term in office.
A three-judge panel ruled against Ntaganda, based on what it said was his failure to pay court fees of almost 106,000 Rwandan francs (about $82) related to the previous case against him.
“The High Court finds that Ntaganda did not abide by the laws that require individuals to request their conviction to be removed, and therefore rejects his appeal,” the court ruling said.
Ntaganda, a lawyer and founder of the PS-Imberakuri party, said he had proof he had paid the fees but that the court decision “was not a surprising outcome”.
“The ruling RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) cannot allow the courts to be independent,” he told AFP.
Ntaganda had also planned to stand against Kagame in 2010 but was arrested before the vote.
He served a four-year prison term on charges of threatening state security and stoking ethnic divisions before being released in 2014.
Under Rwandan law, a person convicted and sentenced to more than six months in prison is barred from holding public office.
In March, a court also refused to remove previous convictions against staunch Kagame opponent Victoire Ingabire, rendering her ineligible to run in July.
Kagame, 66, has been the de facto leader of the tiny landlocked nation since the 1994 genocide, formally becoming president of a transitional government in 2000.
Since then, he won elections in 2003, 2010 and 2017, each time with more than 90 percent of the vote.
Kagame presided over controversial constitutional changes in 2015 that reduced a presidential mandate — from the 2024 vote onwards — to five years from seven but also allowed him to run for two more terms and potentially stay in power until 2034.
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Tinubu Fires Top Appointee Over Alleged N1.4 Billion Embezzlement
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President Bola Tinubu has sacked Sani Auwalu Balarabe from his position as HoD, Chief of the Intercountry Centre for Oral Health for Africa, ICOH, over an alleged embezzlement of N1.4 billion during his tenure.
As far as one could gather from the People’s Gazette, the appointment of Balarabe was terminated on the 18th of July, following a spate of petitions that related to financial misconduct and investigations. The president appointed one Taiwo Olaniyi to replace him.
In January, several petitions were sent to the House of Assembly, EFCC, Ministry of Health, and other government agencies to investigate activities of Balarabe at ICOH. The petitions leveled accusations against Balarabe, saying that he had not conducted any research despite the institute receiving huge budgetary allocations, which is its core mandate.
One of the petitions dated January 16 had this: “Despite all these budgetary allocations, the centre has not produced a single oral health research project, which is its core mandate and the reason for its establishment.
It further brought to the fore that projects initiated under Balarabe’s administration, such as the construction of a remodeled dental clinic and administration block and the procurement of project vehicles, costing over N700 million, were never completed.
The petitions also accused him of backdating the appointment letters for new staff and paying them arrears of their salary, with such money to be returned to a particular account. These funds are said to have been applied toward some expenses at ICOH.
The sacking of Balarabe clearly typified President Tinubu’s commitment to corruption fighting and making those in charge of public institutions accountable.
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Finally, IGP approves hunger protests across Nigeria
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The Nigerian police has finally approved the planned nationwide protests and outlined conditions for participants.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, revealed this on Friday while addressing journalists in Abuja.
He urged all groups planning to participate in the proposed nationwide protest to submit their details to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.
The police boss said this was to ensure the protest was peaceful.
Egbetokun said, “We acknowledge the constitutional right of Nigerian citizens to peaceful assembly and protest.
“However, in the interest of public safety and order, we urge all groups planning to protest to provide necessary details to the Commissioner of Police in the state where the protest is intended to take place.
“To facilitate a successful and incident-free protest, they should please provide the following information: state the proposed protest routes and assembly points; expected duration of the protest; and names and contact details of protest leaders and organisers.”
The police boss said the information expected from the organisers also include measures to prevent hijacking by criminal elements, as well as key identifiers for possible isolation of potential troublemakers.
By providing the information, he said, the police will be able to deploy adequate personnel and resources to ensure public safety.
He said the police needed to know the specific routes and areas for the protest to avoid conflicts with other events or activities.
Mr Egbetokun said the police will “establish clear communication channels with protest leaders to address any concerns or issues that may arise; minimise the risk of violence, property damage, or other criminal activity.
“We encourage all protesters to cooperate with the police, obey the law, and adhere to global best practices for peaceful assembly to guarantee a safe and successful exercise of their rights.
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Reps North-West Caucus Beg Youths, Citizens In The Region Not To Join Planned Protest
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