Latest news with #MuhammaduBuhari
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
June 12 in Nigeria: How e become public holiday and wetin dey hapun on dat day
June 12 of evri year na national holiday for Nigeria as di kontri dey celebrate dat day as 'Democracy Day', but e no always be so. Nigeria bin dey celebrate dia democracy day on May 29, di date wen di military hand over power to a democratically elected president for 1999. Di last of such handover bin happen on October 21st, 1979. So for 18 years - 1999 to 2018 - Nigeria dey use May 29 to reflect on di journey from military dictatorship to democracy. However, on 6 June, 2018, Muhammadu Buhari who be Nigeria President dat time, declare say Democracy Day go now be evri June 12, even though May 29 go remain di date for swearing in of new presidents. According to Buhari, "June 12th, 1993, dey far more symbolic of democracy in di Nigerian context dan May 29th or even di October 1st (wey be Independence Day)". So wetin happen on June 12 1993 and why e dey so significant? June 12 1993: Nigeria "freest and fairest" election Na on June 12, 1993, Nigeria organise election to choose president wey go take over from di military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, wey be Major General for di Nigeria army dat time. Dat election na "undisputedly di freest, fairest and most peaceful elections since our Independence", President Buhari tok for im statement of 6 June, 2018. Na di general consensus for Nigeria, even though di military regime of Babangida later refuse to acknowledge di election result. Di refusal of Babangida to uphold di election and hand over power to Moshood Abiola - wey evribodi agree say na im win di election - trigger a chain reaction of katakata for di kontri wey last for up to six years and even lead to di death of Abiola and im wife Kudirat. M.K.O Abiola... Di man for di centre of June 12 Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (M.K.O) Abiola na business mogul and politician wey bin run for president on di platform of di Social Democratic Party (SDP) for di general election of June 12, 1993. A chartered accountant by training, Abiola bin work for some international companies including Barclays Bank and Pfizer pharmaceuticals bifor e go into private business. During di SDP primary election to choose di party flagbearer for di general election, Abiola defeat im two major challengers; Abubakar Atiku and Babagana Kingibe, wey e later choose as im running mate. Abiola slogan for di election - 'Farewell to poverty' - bicom very popular wit di pipo across ethnic and religious divides. On election day, Abiola defeat im rival, Bashir Tofa of di National Republican Convention (NRC). E even win for Kano wey be Tofa home state, anoda reason why many say di election bin dey free and fair However, di Head of State dat time, Ibrahim Babangida cancel di election as e tok say one court bin don give order make di election no go ahead. Later dat year, anoda army General, Sani Abacha, take ova power from Babangida and e still refuse to recognise di June 12 election. Dis cos ogbonge protest across Nigeria, and even di current President, Bola Tinubu, folo for di pipo wey lead protests to add pressure make dem swear-in Abiola as president. One year later, for June 1994, Abiola declare imsef President of Nigeria, but Abacha immediately declare am wanted, arrest am and detain am. On 7 July, 1998, Abiola die. Na dat same day dem suppose release am from prison afta di death of Abacha. E bin dey for one meeting wit some diplomats from di US wen e suddenly take ill afta drinking tea. Some pipo suggest say na poison dem poison am, though autopsy show evidence of heart disease. How June 12 become national holiday for Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari declare June 12 as Democracy Day and national holiday on 6 June, 2018, as e tok say di date get symbolism pass May 29. "Di fact say di military goment of dat time no uphold di outcome of dat election (of June 12, 1993), no fit distract from di democratic credentials of dat process," Buhari tok. E also declare say di Nigeria goment go give Abiola di honour of 'Grand Commander of di Federal Republic (GCFR), wey be di highest national honour for di kontri, wey na only former Presidents dem dey give am. Dis na symbolic gesture to officially agree say Abiola bin win the June 12, 1993 election true-true, even though im no go dey listed as a former president of Nigeria. However, bifor dis declaration, some states for di southwest region of Nigeria wia Abiola come from, bin don dey mark June 12 as public holiday in honour of Abiola. Dis states include Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo. Abiola come from Abeokuta for Ogun State. Wetin fit happen for June 12 dis year? Normally, di president dey usually do a nationwide broadcast wia e go talk about Nigeria journey for democracy so far. Presidents day also use di opportunity to tok about some of di tins wey dia administration don achieve for di year and dia future plans. For im democracy day speech of 2024, President Tinubu tok about di increase for di national minimum wage, and how im efforts to protect di rights, freedoms, and liberties of Nigerian citizens. E dey expected say di president go also do anoda broadcast dis Thursday. E dey usually be by 7:00am. Also, govment dey normally organise celebrations for di Eagle Square Abuja, wey go feature parades and march-pasts by various armed forces, and sometimes aerial displays by di Air Force. On oda occasions, di celebration go dey low-key, wit a brief change of guard parade by di Presidential Guards Brigade for inside di Aso Rock Villa wey be di president residence. E neva clear weda any such celebration go happen dis year. Again, civil society organisations dey also use di democracy day celebration to organise rallies and peaceful protests against some actions of goment wey dem feel say e dey anti-democratic. Already, di 'Take it back' movement, a civil society group wey dia leader na Omoyele Sowore, don declare nationwide protest for dis year June 12. One of di tins wey dem say dem wan protest about na di killings for various parts of Nigeria, including Benue, Plateau, and Zamfara States.
Telegraph
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Cambridge under pressure to return Benin Bronzes as Nigeria promises museum display
Cambridge University is under pressure to return the Benin Bronzes it promised to Nigeria three years ago after Nigerian authorities said they would not disappear into the collection of a king. The university has been assured that the treasures will be placed in a museum. In 2022, Cambridge museums pledged to return a collection of 116 artefacts taken by British forces from the Kingdom of Benin, now part of Nigeria, in 1897. Muhammadu Buhari, then the president of Nigeria, decreed that they would go to the Oba of Benin. The oba is the historic leader of the Benin ethnic group, which initially created the bronzes, and his people believe him to have ancestral rights to them. This prompted concerns that the ruler might keep them in his private collection, and in 2023 Cambridge paused the planned return. Now Nigerian officials have pushed for their urgent return after promising that the treasures would be placed in a museum. It comes after the Netherlands pledged to return 119 Benin artefacts, comprising 113 bronzes that are part of the Dutch state collection, and the remainder from the municipality of Rotterdam. Olugbile Holloway, the director of Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), said: 'The oba has given the NCMM the blessing to display, conserve and to pursue reparation of these objects. So, there is no more ambiguity. 'The return of these objects is not just about displaying them in the museum or taking care of them. It is about the dignity of our people and undoing the injustice of 1897.' British troops launched a punitive expedition against the Kingdom of Benin in 1897 after trading officials were abused. After capturing the capital, Benin City, troops looted the royal palace and took thousands of treasures, which were dispersed across Western museums and private collections. Cambridge's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology came to hold 116 bronzes, which it pledged to return at the same time Oxford's Pitt Rivers and Ashmolean museums promised to hand over their 97. While Cambridge had delayed its return over concerns about what would happen to repatriated artefacts, Oxford's case was held up by the Charity Commission. The regulator is required to sign off any decision to give away artefacts held by a charity, such as a university. The case has still not been resolved.
BBC News
22-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Why Nigeria govment wan end visa-on-arrival policy- how and wetin be di alternative
Nigeria goment don announce plans to replace dia visa on arrival policy. Na di Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo tok dis one for di Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) capacity-building training wey dem title "Application Of Advance Passenger Information And Passenger Name Records Data In National Security And Law Enforcement". Na former President Muhammadu Buhari administration bin start di visa-on-arrival policy for 2020 to be short-stay visa wey dem dey give for point of entry. Tunji-Ojo say federal goment go start landing and exit cards wey visitors fit fill bifor dem enta di kontri to replace visa on arrival policy. Why dem dey do am? Di minister of Interior for im remarks torchlight say e dey necessary to bring di immigration data centre togeda. E explain say dat kain collabo go make am impossible to give clearance to just anybodi to enta di kontri witout say dem get clearance wit Interpol, di criminal records system, and all di background checking agencies at once. E torchight say security na di koko reason behind di decision to run di cancellation of visa-on-arrival. "We understand say visa-on-arrival no be system wey dey work bicos I no fit expect say you go just enta my kontri witout say I know say you dey enta my kontri." "No wia dey wey dem dey do dat kain tin," interior minister tok. How di visa on arrival policy dey work for Nigeria. According to di Nigerian Immigration service, pipo wey fit collect visa on arrival to enta Nigeria na pipo wey dey come into di kontri on business purpose except ECOWAS citizens wey no need visa to enta di kontri and oda kontris wey Nigeria get visa abolition agreements wit. Dem say dia eligibility include Wetin go change? Wetin go change now be say di pipo go enta di kontri wit pre filled landing card wey according to Oga Tunji-Ojo na to handle national security. Di landing and exit card wey Nigeria govment dey introduce go help dem clear any visitors we dey come into di kontri bifor e arrive. Interior minister sa di visa-on-arrival na manual, but di new system go use technology and not manual. Meanwhile, oda kontris don run dis kain levels but in different ways. For Kenya, dem announce in January say dem dey change dia visa on arrival process wia ova 40 kontris dem dia citizens fit get stamp for dia passport wen dem land witout say dem pay shi-shi. Di new move na to allow citizens from almost all African kontris to enta witout say dem need prior authorization. Bifor den dem bin dey run wetin dem call Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) wey go replace visa requirements for all visitors. Di process na say pipo must to apply and pay $30 three days bifor dem enta di kontri for security reasons. Who go dey affected? Although e neva clear how di move from visa on arrival to landing and exit cards go affect businesses and business pipo wey dey enta di kontri, e fit affect Nigeria position for di Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI). AVOI wey start for 2016, na index from di African Development Bank Group wey dey measure di level wey African kontris dey open to visitors from oda kontris through di visa requirements. For di 2024 report, Nigeria bin rank number 6th in di continent wit visa openness. Dis na as Ghana, Rwanda, The Gambia, Seychelles and Benin beat di kontri. Di kontri wey get di worst rating for visa openness for di continent na Sudan. Di federal govment neva tok di process wey di landing and exit card go take and how visitor go access am. E neva also clear if govment officials and Ecowas member states go dey affected for dis new policy.
