Press Release: Outcomes of the 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council
As we mark the 75thanniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30thanniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action this year, the United States will continue to place its commitment to multilateral engagement and human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of The Spokesperson
Outcomes of the 52nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council
April 4, 2023
As we mark the 75thanniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30thanniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action this year, the United States will continue to place its commitment to multilateral engagement and human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. At the UN Human Rights Council’s (HRC) 52nd session (February 27 – April 4), the United States worked with allies and civil society partners to ensure the Council’s work and outcomes reflect and reinforce the universal values, aspirations, and norms that have underpinned the UN system for decades. Our engagement focused on ensuring greater emphasis to pressing human rights concerns and building collective action and expanding capacity to address them.
During this session, the United States advanced human rights priorities, particularly those shining a spotlight on human rights situations in Belarus, Burma, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), as well as on:
Renewing the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Ukraine: The United States worked with Ukraine and cross-regional partners to renew the mandate of the COI that was first created in March 2022 to investigate violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The COI has already provided critical, credible reporting, including finding that Russian authorities have committed war crimes such as the unlawful transfer and deportation of children. The United States was proud to co-sponsor the resolution to renew the COI’s mandate to help ensure the Commission can continue its work to analyze evidence and inform accountability efforts.
Renewing the mandate of the Commission of Human Rights in South Sudan: The United States is part of the core group for this resolution, and the Commission’s contributions to accountability and transitional justice are more important than ever, given ongoing serious human rights violations and the government’s two-year extension of its “transitional period” without achieving any concrete progress.
Renewing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur (SR) on the situation of human rights in Iran: The work of the SR is particularly important given the Iranian regime’s months of brutal acts of violence against peaceful protesters standing up for the rights of women and girls, as well as freedom of expression for the Iranian people.
Renewing the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the situation of human rights in Syria: The COI continues to accurately document widespread violations and abuses of human rights in Syria perpetrated by the Assad regime and other parties to the conflict. The consistent and credible reporting is critical to countering disinformation and advancing accountability for atrocities committed. The United States is part of the core group and co-sponsored this resolution.
Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Nicaragua: We supported a two-year mandate renewal of the Group of Experts on Human Rights for Nicaragua and will continue to bolster international community efforts to hold the Ortega-Murillo regime accountable for its human rights abuses and repression of civil society.
The United States also co-sponsored resolutions on Cooperation with Georgia, Freedom of religion or belief, Freedom of opinion and expression (including online), Realization in all countries of Economic, Social, and Cultural rights, Promoting Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals, and Human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition, we co-sponsored resolutions that renewed the mandates for the special rapporteurs on human rights defenders, minority issues, human rights of migrants, sexual exploitation of children, contemporary forms of racism, torture, and the Independent Expert on Adequate Housing.
Agenda Item 7:The United States continues to oppose all action under the HRC’s Agenda Item 7, which unfairly singles out Israel. We voted against all resolutions that unjustifiably target Israel, including one under Agenda Item 2 on Accountability and Human Rights and three resolutions under Agenda Item 7.
Defending Civil Society: During this session, the United States stood united with members of civil society and defended their right to speak at the Council, irrespective of the topic. Human rights defenders and NGOs are critical to promoting and protecting human rights and we were dismayed to see multiple transnational repression attempts by certain states to silence their voices.
Joint Statements: In addition to leading a joint statement on behalf of the Freedom Online Coalition reiterating a shared commitment to promoting and protecting Internet freedom, the United States signed onto joint statements regarding International Women’s Day, Resonance of Thoughts and Values of Mahatma Gandhi in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Indigenous Human Rights Defenders, repression and the use of the death penalty in Iran, support for the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, women and girls in Afghanistan, SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Group of Friends, Child Human Rights Defenders, Responsibility to Protect and the Role of Human Rights Defenders, Academic Freedom, countering disinformation, and Commemorating the International Day Against Racism, as well as the Human Rights situations in Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sri Lanka. The United States also supported multiple joint statements condemning Russia’s war against Ukraine, including joint statements focused on accountability, the findings of the COI on Ukraine, the war’s impact on children, and Russian authorities arbitrarily detaining Ukraine’s civilians, including Ukrainian mayors.
Across resolutions, joint statements, and interactive dialogues, the United States advanced language to increase equity and inclusion, including regarding women and girls in all their diversity, internally displaced persons, LGBTQI+ persons, persons with disabilities, indigenous persons, members of ethnic and religious minority groups, and members of other marginalized and vulnerable groups.
Side Events: The United States co-sponsored and participated in side events focused on accountability for international crimes and serious human rights violations in Belarus; political prisoners in Russia; Justice for Daesh Atrocities; several events on combatting antisemitism; Disability Support and Care Systems; Human Rights in the DPRK; Disability, Torture, and Recovery; countering disinformation; Role of Assisted Technology in the Promotion of Education; Gender-Based Violence against Women and LGBTQI+ Persons in Nicaragua; and Education in Afghanistan. The United States also co-sponsored multiple side events focused on Russia’s war against Ukraine and related human rights impacts and accountability efforts.
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CUTTING THE STORY SHORT: The Steady Rising of Ihunmehai Isaac
From a struggling accounting student to working on an Emmy-nominated project, Ihunmehai Isaac’s story is that of difficult struggles, dogged determination and rewarding triumphs.
OYIZA ADABA Africa-Related, NEW YORK
Contributor: Fortune Ehiwayas
From a struggling accounting student to working on an Emmy-nominated project, Ihunmehai Isaac’s story is that of difficult struggles, dogged determination and rewarding triumphs.
Ihunmehai Isaac: video editor determined to make a difference/Photo by Yolanda Hoskey
Ihunmehai Cynthia Isaac is a dynamic African storyteller from Edo State, Nigeria, whose profile as a video editor in the U.S. film industry is on a gradual rise.
Having studied accounting in Nigeria, Ihums, as she is popularly known, had grown increasingly conscious of her artistic side.
“I told myself that the only way to survive in a world as competitive as this is to change my career path to what I like.”
From taking simple snapshots, she started applying for work in television and radio stations in Nigeria. She eventually landed a professional course at the School of Media and Communication Pan-Atlantic University, which is a part of the prestigious Lagos Business School.
Her desire to tell authentic stories led her to study film and acquire specific industry-related skills. In 2018, she migrated to the United States to obtain a Master's degree in Media Management from The New School in New York.
During her studies, she co-hosted a podcast titled The Grad Life Uncut, where graduate students from different schools were interviewed about their different experiences in the graduate school ecosystem.
Ms. Isaac has participated in several projects including Shalini Kantayya's educational documentary, which was post-produced by The Dakoit Team entitled ‘Coded Bias’. This received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Science and Tech Documentaries in September 2022. Others projects are ‘Freestlyed’, ‘Donut Kid’, a stand-up special called ‘The Ghost of Academic Future’, and ‘TikTok Boom’, a documentary on the impact of social media in today’s world and a special project achieved by passion and “very long hours”.
The role of the video editor is crucial to any production. While Wikipedia describes film or video editing as the process of ‘manipulation and arrangement of video shot used to structure and present all video’, Ihunmehai describes the job of a video editor as “demanding but tremendously gratifying”.
Ihunmehai Isaac/Photo by Yolanda Hoskey
Ihunmehai Isaac/Photo by Yolanda Hoskey
"Just picture a crowd of people viewing a movie you edited and laughing or reacting to it with the kind of emotion you expected. Observing that, having people respond favorably to your work, in my opinion, is simply the highest compliment you can receive."
As she continues to take on bigger projects, Ihunmehai Isaac's primary objective is to create narratives with strong emotional undertones that inspire and educate; treating subjects like life, love, education, women, mental health, social issues and entertainment. Her unique difference is to always have an underlying purpose, which is to add value.
IHUNMEHAI ISAAC on the SET of ‘Donut Kid’ and music video for kofo wonder iN NEW YORK
Film Works
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EBIRA WOMEN Are Changing The Face of Protests
The general dissatisfaction with the results of the recently concluded elections in Nigeria was has led to a slew of court cases and pockets of protests across the country where women’s voices are taking center stage.
By AFRICA-RELATED, Nigeria
Women protest in support of politician Natasha- Akpoti-Uduaghan in Ihima, Kogi State. Photo by Bayo Oluwaseyi
Women-Led Protests
March 28, 2023
The general dissatisfaction with the results of the recently concluded elections in Nigeria has led to a slew of court cases and pockets of protests across the country where women’s voices are taking center stage.
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Kogi Central Senatorial District in Kogi State who has rejected the results and petitioned INEC over the outcome of the Kogi Central senatorial elections held on February 25, 2023.
Photos by Bayo Oluwaseyi
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U.S VP Harris holds BiLat w/Ghana President, Visits Recording Studio and Attends State Banquet
On Monday, March 26th, Vice President Harris will have her first full day in Ghana, which will include a bilateral meeting with President Akufo-Addo. She will then visit Vibrate studio, a community recording studio for young creatives in Accra. And finally, she will attend a State Banquet hosted by President Akufo-Addo and First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
U.S. OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
By Oyiza Adaba
On Monday, March 26th, Vice President Harris will have her first full day in Ghana, which will include a bilateral meeting with President Akufo-Addo. She will then visit Vibrate studio, a community recording studio for young creatives in Accra. And finally, she will attend a State Banquet hosted by President Akufo-Addo and First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
BILATERAL MEETING WITH PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO OF GHANA
Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana at Jubilee House and affirm the strength of our bilateral relationship, and the long-standing ties between the American and Ghanaian people.
The Vice President and President Akufo-Addo will discuss a range of global and regional issues including: democracy, good governance, and human rights; regional security; long-term economic growth and macroeconomic stability; and our work together on the UN Security Council.
On democracy, good governance, and human rights, they will discuss efforts to stand up for democratic principles on the continent and our shared opposition to recent democratic backsliding.
On regional security, they will discuss the Sahel and efforts to promote stability, including through new U.S. funding for stabilization efforts.
On debt, the Vice President will re-affirm the U.S. position that all bilateral creditors should provide meaningful debt reduction and express support for Ghana’s engagement with the IMF. They will also discuss efforts to support long term economic growth and increase U.S. private sector investment.
The Vice President will thank President Akufo-Addo for his leadership in strengthening ties between Africa and the African Diaspora.
VISIT TO VIBRATE SPACE
Vice President Harris will visit Vibrate Space, a community recording studio for young creatives located at Freedom Skatepark in Accra, as part of her effort to engage directly with young people and highlight the dynamism and creativity taking place across the continent. There, she will tour the facility and meet with a group of musicians including up-and-coming artists that represent the new generation of Ghanaian and Ghanaian-American entertainers. Her visit will spotlight the growing creative economy and underscore the strong links between our nation’s artistic and diaspora communities. The Vice President will be joined by Actors Idris Elba and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Vibrate opened in 2022 in partnership with Kendrick Lamar’s company pgLang, Spotify, and local sports NGO Surf Ghana. Vibrate aims to empower young people by equipping aspiring music entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to compete in the global music market.
Additional background on Vibrate Space and Ghanian music industry:
Vibrate runs a music business educational program that includes public workshops (called “masterclasses”) dedicated to acquiring hands-on skills like recording, mixing, mastering, and DJing to cater to the diverse needs of Ghana’s dynamic music industry. Previous masterclasses have attracted more than 200 people at each session to learn about live performances, songwriting, and producing from musicians from Nigeria, South Africa, and other parts of the continent.
Vibrate is located at Freedom Skatepark, Ghana’s first fully functioning skateboard park, which uses action sports as a driver for creative self-expression, social inclusion, and female empowerment.
Accra has developed a reputation as a music destination after attracting huge crowds to the Global Citizen Festival, Afronation, Afrochella, and the Black Star Line Festival between September 2022 and January 2023.
Kendrick Lamar chose to release his latest album in May 2022 while in Accra. Freedom Skatepark has drawn visits from well-known American artists traveling to Ghana, including Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, and Pharrell Williams, as well as partnerships with the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh and Vans.
STATE BANQUET
President Akufo-Addo will be a hosting a State Banquet in honor of the Vice President and Second Gentleman’s visit to Accra, Ghana. Approximately 300 guests, invited by the Ghanian government, will attend, including several dozen prominent members of the African Diaspora in the United States. Additional information on the guest list will be forthcoming.
____________________
Ernesto ‘Ernie’ Apreza
Office of the Vice President
Deputy Press Secretary
c: 202.881.8800 | e: ernesto.apreza@ovp.eop.gov
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US VP Kamala Harris Delivers Speech at Blackstar Gate in Accra, Ghana
Information about the Vice President’s speech at Blackstar Gate tomorrow, including excerpts, are below.
U.S. OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
africa-related new york
Information about the Vice President’s speech at Blackstar Gate, including excerpts, are below.
On background attributed to a White House Official:
Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver remarks to thousands of young people at Blackstar Gate in Accra, Ghana on Tuesday, March 27.
The Vice President will express her optimism about the future of Africa, and by extension, the world, because of the ingenuity, and creativity that is prevalent across the continent, especially in young people.
The speech centers around the theme of innovation—and she will argue that alongside our African partners, we all must invest in innovation on the continent, which will unlock growth and opportunity and provide global benefits.
She will highlight innovative developments taking place across the continent and make clear that they are benefitting the entire world—from tech, agriculture, clean energy, and science. The Vice President is using her platform to call more global attention to the dynamism and entrepreneurship across the continent.
The Vice President will also outline three areas in particular that are a focus for her trip and moving forward—areas where she believes we must make progress to unlock even more innovation: the empowerment of women, digital inclusion, and good governance and democracy.
On the empowerment of women, the Vice President will argue that women around the world must be able to full participate in economic, political, and social life, that they must be able to participate equally, including in leadership roles. She will make the case that this is key to maximizing global growth and opportunity, and will call for progress in addressing gender disparities.
On digital inclusion, the Vice President will make clear that digital services are essential to 21st century economies, and while there are places on the continent of Africa that lead the world in digital solutions, other parts of the continent lag behind. She will make the case that we must expand access to the internet and ensure African people fully benefit from connectivity, whether that is access to education, access to information, or access to financial services. She will commit to work the private sector to unleash growth and opportunity and increase digital inclusion on the continent.
On good governance and democracy, the Vice President will argue that alongside our African partners, we must support and invest in good governance and democracy. She will outline the benefits of good governance for investments. She will underscore the desires of African people for democracy, which we share, and outline the benefits, including freedom and opportunity.
In addition, the Vice President will outline our approach to partnership with African nations and African people, building on President Biden’s statement at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December 2022 that “we’re all in on Africa.”
The Vice President will make clear that our Administration will strengthen partnerships across the continent—with governments, the private sector, civil society, and young people.
Excerpts
Quotes Attributed to Vice President Kamala Harris:
“So, then what does it mean that the United States of America is All In.
“That means the United States is committed to strengthen our partnerships across the continent of Africa—partnerships with governments, the private sector, civil society and all of you, partnerships based on openness, inclusiveness, candor, shared interests, and mutual benefits.
“And to be clear, America will be guided not by what we can do FOR our African partners, but what we can do WITH our African partners.
“Together, we will address the challenges we face, and the opportunities ahead. And today I will speak about one particular area of opportunity: Investment in innovation.
“Together, we will address the challenges we face, and the opportunities ahead. And today I will speak about one particular area of opportunity: Investment in innovation.
“Innovation is the pursuit of what can be, unburdened by what has been.
“Innovation results in one’s ability not only to see but do things differently: new methods, new products, new approaches, new ideas.
“We innovate to be more effective and to solve problems. From the invention of new technology,
to the origin of social movements, innovation has come about by challenging the premise, questioning the status quo, and bold thinking.
“And to the young leaders here today, you by your very nature are dreamers and innovators. And to you I say, it is your spark, your creativity, and your determination that will drive the future.
“And with that African ideas and innovations will shape the future of the world, and so we must invest
in African ingenuity and creativity, which will unlock incredible economic growth and opportunities-- not only for the people of the 54 countries that make up this diverse continent, but also for the American people and people around the world.
“So, the Biden-Harris Administration and the American people stand ready to partner with you to help accelerate the innovation and entrepreneurship that is already underway.”
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U.S Vice President Kamala Harris To Visit Three African Countries
U.S Vice President Kamala Harris plans a week-long visit to three African countries Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia with technology, economic development, security and government partnerships as its main concerns.
V=U.S Vice President Kamala Harris
U.S. OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
By Oyiza Adaba, New York
March 24, 2023
The week-long visit to three African countries Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia has technology, economic development, security and government partnerships as its main concerns.
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NIGERIA'S RANKING - 2022 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
According to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the U.S. Department of State submits a human rights report on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974.
Photo by Markus Spiske @markusspiske
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Secretary of State
This is the Executive Summary of Nigeria’s perforance and practice of Human Rights. Is this accurately presented or has it missed the mark in some areas? Does the report reflect the Nigerian citizen's collective and individual experiences? These conversations are ongoing.
According to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the U.S. Department of State submits a human rights report on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Nigeria is a federal republic composed of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. In 2019, citizens re-elected President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress party to a second four-year term. Legislative elections were also held in 2019. Most independent observers agreed the elections were credible despite logistical challenges, localized violence, and some irregularities.
The Nigeria Police Force, which reports to the Ministry of Police and is overseen by the Police Service Commission, is the primary civilian law enforcement agency and enjoys broad jurisdiction throughout the country. The Ministry of Interior also conducts security and law enforcement activities. The Department of State Services, which reports to the national security advisor in the Office of the President, is responsible for counterintelligence, internal security, counterterrorism, and surveillance, as well as protection of senior government officials. The Nigerian Armed Forces, which reports to the minister of defense, also shares domestic security responsibilities in the case of insufficient capacity and staffing of domestic law enforcement agencies or as ordered by the president. Many states, in response to increased violence, insecurity, and criminality that exceeded the response capacity of government security forces, utilized local “security” vigilante forces. These local forces usually reported to the state governor. Civilian authorities did not always maintain effective control over the security services. There were reports members of the security forces committed numerous abuses.
The insurgency in the North East region by the militant terrorist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa continued. The terrorist groups conducted numerous attacks on government and civilian targets, resulting as of year’s end in thousands of deaths and injuries, numerous human rights abuses, widespread destruction, the internal displacement of more than two million persons, and the external displacement of an estimated 332,000 refugees to neighboring countries.
Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful and arbitrary killings; forced disappearances; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; serious abuses in a conflict, including reportedly unlawful or widespread civilian deaths or harm, enforced disappearances or abductions, torture, and physical abuses or punishment; serious restrictions on free expression and media, including violence or threats against journalists, and enforcement of criminal libel and blasphemy laws to limit expression; serious government corruption; lack of investigation and accountability for gender-based violence, including domestic or intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child, early and forced marriage, female genital mutilation/cutting, and other forms of such violence; instances of coerced abortion or forced sterilization; enforcement of laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults; and the existence of the worst forms of child labor.
The government took steps to investigate, punish, and prosecute alleged human rights abuses and corruption by officials, but impunity for such abuses and corruption remained a problem.
Nonstate actors committed arbitrary and unlawful killings, disappearances, physical abuse, and other mistreatment. Boko Haram-inspired terrorist groups and the Islamic State in West Africa continued attacks on civilians, military, police, humanitarian, and religious targets; recruited and forcefully conscripted child soldiers; and carried out scores of attacks on population centers in the North East region and in Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Abductions by Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa continued. Both groups subjected many women and girls to gender-based violence, including forced marriages, sexual slavery, and rape. The government investigated attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa and took steps to counter the growth of the insurgency. Individuals believed to be associated with the Eastern Security Network, the armed wing of the separatist group the Indigenous People of Biafra, staged attacks on security personnel, civilians, and government offices, including police stations in the South East region. Criminal gangs killed civilians and conducted mass kidnappings that particularly targeted school-age children in the North West region.
How does your country rank on the human rights indices? Learn more here:
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SEC BLINKEN BREAKS DOWN 2022 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT
According to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the U.S. Department of State submits a human rights report on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Secretary of State
This is the Executive Summary of Nigeria’s perforance and practice of Human Rights. Is this accurately presented or has it missed the mark in some areas? Does the report reflect the Nigerian citizen's collective and individual experiences? These conversations are ongoing.
According to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the U.S. Department of State submits a human rights report on all countries receiving assistance and all United Nations member states to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Nigeria is a federal republic composed of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. In 2019, citizens re-elected President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress party to a second four-year term. Legislative elections were also held in 2019. Most independent observers agreed the elections were credible despite logistical challenges, localized violence, and some irregularities.
The Nigeria Police Force, which reports to the Ministry of Police and is overseen by the Police Service Commission, is the primary civilian law enforcement agency and enjoys broad jurisdiction throughout the country. The Ministry of Interior also conducts security and law enforcement activities. The Department of State Services, which reports to the national security advisor in the Office of the President, is responsible for counterintelligence, internal security, counterterrorism, and surveillance, as well as protection of senior government officials. The Nigerian Armed Forces, which reports to the minister of defense, also shares domestic security responsibilities in the case of insufficient capacity and staffing of domestic law enforcement agencies or as ordered by the president. Many states, in response to increased violence, insecurity, and criminality that exceeded the response capacity of government security forces, utilized local “security” vigilante forces. These local forces usually reported to the state governor. Civilian authorities did not always maintain effective control over the security services. There were reports members of the security forces committed numerous abuses.
The insurgency in the North East region by the militant terrorist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa continued. The terrorist groups conducted numerous attacks on government and civilian targets, resulting as of year’s end in thousands of deaths and injuries, numerous human rights abuses, widespread destruction, the internal displacement of more than two million persons, and the external displacement of an estimated 332,000 refugees to neighboring countries.
Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful and arbitrary killings; forced disappearances; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest or detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; serious abuses in a conflict, including reportedly unlawful or widespread civilian deaths or harm, enforced disappearances or abductions, torture, and physical abuses or punishment; serious restrictions on free expression and media, including violence or threats against journalists, and enforcement of criminal libel and blasphemy laws to limit expression; serious government corruption; lack of investigation and accountability for gender-based violence, including domestic or intimate partner violence, sexual violence, child, early and forced marriage, female genital mutilation/cutting, and other forms of such violence; instances of coerced abortion or forced sterilization; enforcement of laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults; and the existence of the worst forms of child labor.
The government took steps to investigate, punish, and prosecute alleged human rights abuses and corruption by officials, but impunity for such abuses and corruption remained a problem.
Nonstate actors committed arbitrary and unlawful killings, disappearances, physical abuse, and other mistreatment. Boko Haram-inspired terrorist groups and the Islamic State in West Africa continued attacks on civilians, military, police, humanitarian, and religious targets; recruited and forcefully conscripted child soldiers; and carried out scores of attacks on population centers in the North East region and in Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Abductions by Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa continued. Both groups subjected many women and girls to gender-based violence, including forced marriages, sexual slavery, and rape. The government investigated attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa and took steps to counter the growth of the insurgency. Individuals believed to be associated with the Eastern Security Network, the armed wing of the separatist group the Indigenous People of Biafra, staged attacks on security personnel, civilians, and government offices, including police stations in the South East region. Criminal gangs killed civilians and conducted mass kidnappings that particularly targeted school-age children in the North West region.
How does your country rank on the human rights indices? Learn more here:
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ROXANNE SHANTE Leads Women Honored By HIP HOP MUSEUM
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and in honor of International Women's Day, the Universal Hip Hop Museum held an exhibition titled [R]Evolution of Hip Hop “Golden Era” 1986-1990s.
OYIZA ADABA Africa-Related, NEW YORK
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and International Women's Day
UHHM Front Bronx Point Render | Photo by UHHM
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and in honor of International Women's Day, the Universal Hip Hop Museum held an exhibition titled [R]Evolution of Hip Hop “Golden Era” 1986-1990s.
The South Bronx is the birthplace of this music genre that spread globally from a basement party in 1973. It has since evolved, creating sub genres of Hip Hop culture, and represented in most countries today.
International Women's Day
To mark International Women's Day, the museum honored women in Hip Hop including Roxanne Shanté, the first female battle rapper and catalyst of the 'Roxanne Wars'. She spoke candidly on the recognition and sacrifices female Hip Hop artists have made for the genre to firmly take root.
Shanté was in the good company of five other women of Hip Hop. Cindy Campbell, the graffiti artist of the 'Back To School Party' fame, Sylvia Robinson of Sugar Hill Records, who is known as the Mother of Hip Hop; MC Sha Rock the first female emcee, Sparky D, a pioneer female emcee; and lastly Lady Pink, a pioneer female graffiti artist.
Carlifonia-based visual artist The D.o.T. aka Dorothy Wilson donated a series of portraits entitled UHHM Hip Hop Flowers Volume 1, celebrating iconic women in Hip Hop culture to the museum's permanent collection. She made a personal presentation to Roxanne Shanté at the event.
Giant Boombox interior | Photo by UHHM
According to the museum, the five elements of Hip Hop are DJ, which is the mixing of the music, emceeing, which is rapping - the vocal elements of Hip Hop; breakdancing which is the dance form of Hip Hop. Graffiti, a visual form of expression, is the fourth element; the fifth and sometimes forgotten element is knowledge - the education part of Hip-hop.
UHHM Lobby Render | Photo by UHHM
The “Golden Era” Exhibition
The UHHM’s current ongoing [R]Evolution of Hip Hop exhibition, the “Golden Era” 1986-1990 is located at the Bronx Terminal Market at 610 Exterior St. The permanent museum will open to the public in 2024.
The exhibition’s artifacts and memorabilia were curated by Paradise Gray, who used archival materials, storytelling, music etc from the streets and clubs of New York to the suburban neighborhoods of Compton. It highlights the lyrical skills of artists like Rakeem, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane and others that transformed the definition of emceeing; and features the likes of Whodini, Beastie Boys and Run DMC who established rap, making it more marketable leading to the MTV Raps era.
To take this immersive journey through Hip Hop history, tickets are available online at uhmm.org
Photos By Africa-Related
For more on this topic, watch the full episode on Season 3 of Messengers - Coming soon.
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RITES OF PASSAGE - GAGOSIAN BRITANNIA STREET, OPENING 16 MARCH 2023
Gagosian presents Rites of Passage at the Britannia Street gallery. Curated by Péjú Oshin, this exhibition features work by eighteen contemporary artists who share a history of migration.
by AFRICA-RELATED, NEW YORK
RITES OF PASSAGE
A group exhibition of contemporary artists with a shared history of migration
Opening 16 March 2023 – Gagosian Britannia Street
Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Àsìkò, Phoebe Boswell, Adelaide Damoah, Femi Dawkins, Victor Ehikhamenor, Mary Evans, Ayesha Feisal, Enam Gbewonyo, Elsa James, Julianknxx, Sahara Longe, Manyaku Mashilo, Emily Moore, Nengi Omuku,
Patrick Quarm, Alexandria Smith, Sharon Walters,
Michaela Yearwood-Dan
Àsìkò, Pillars at the Port, 2022, giclée print on baryta paper, 63 × 42 1/8 inches (160 × 107 cm), edition of 5 + 2 AP © Àsìkò
Gagosian is pleased to present Rites of Passage at the Britannia Street gallery. Curated by Péjú Oshin, this exhibition features work by eighteen contemporary artists who share a history of migration.
Rites of Passage explores the idea of “liminal space,” a coinage of anthropologist Arnold van Gennep (1873–1957). In his 1909 book, after which the exhibition is titled, Van Gennep was among the first to observe that the transitional events of birth, puberty, marriage, and death are marked by ceremonies with a ritual function that transcends cultural boundaries. Highlighting this phenomenon in physical, mental, and spiritual arenas, Oshin’s exhibition challenges linear narratives through works in a variety of mediums, which fill Gagosian’s expansive Britannia Street gallery.
Rites of Passage is structured in correspondence with liminality’s three stages: separation, transition, and return. Each of these phases addresses the act of movement, not only through individual experience, but also in the broader context of community. The exhibition examines the status of postcolonial Black identity, specifically the “triple consciousness” experienced by members of the African diaspora when encountering counterparts who identify with local majority populations. The artists in the exhibition are further grouped together according to themes of tradition, spirituality, and place.
Welcoming viewers to the gallery is Elsa James’s Ode to David Lammy MP (2022). The work’s black neon text reads I AM HERE BECAUSE YOU WERE THERE, a powerful affirmation of placemaking that originates in a 2018 speech made by the MP in response to the Windrush scandal, in which British subjects—many of whom had arrived in the country from Caribbean nations decades earlier— were wrongly detained or threatened with deportation. The experiences of the Windrush generation also inform the work of Enam Gbewonyo, who investigates cultural history through the manufacture and manipulation of textiles. Patrick Quarm, too, identifies significance in fabric, uncovering the cultural reflectivity that lingers within batik material despite its highly commodified status. And Adelaide Damoah, for her part, explores colonial history by transposing texts and maps onto photo collages of herself and her mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, thereby contesting outdated ideologies imposed on her familial narrative.
The exhibition’s spiritual theme emerges in works from Manyaku Mashilo’s Celestial Cartographies (2020–), a series of paintings in which imaginary characters move through abstracted cosmological landscapes that refer to African faiths and identities. In his tapestry, Victor Ehikhamenor stitches thousands of rosary beads to canvas and lace, cutting across history, memory, and belief to explore the role of religion and spirituality as tools for both survival and oppression. Àsìkò, in his photographs, recombines and extends various masquerade traditions rooted in Yoruba history and culture to explore how the representation of ancestral communities might inflect contemporary diasporic identities, while Julianknxx’s film installation considers the integration of liminality into Krio traditions as a waypoint between and construction of both local and global perspectives.
Finally, in the works of many artists in the exhibition, such ideas intersect with perspectives on the complex and consistent influence of place. Phoebe Boswell considers bodies of water as repositories of both painful historical experience and hope for the future—natural loci of healing, reclamation, and possibility—while Mary Evans employs pop-cultural imagery to examine the relationship between contemporary Britain and its imperial past through the lens of her own childhood.
Featured artists: Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Àsìkò, Phoebe Boswell, Adelaide Damoah, Femi Dawkins, Victor Ehikhamenor, Mary Evans, Ayesha Feisal, Enam Gbewonyo, Elsa James, Julianknxx, Sahara Longe, Manyaku Mashilo, Emily Moore, Nengi Omuku, Patrick Quarm, Alexandria Smith, Sharon Walters, and Michaela Yearwood-Dan.
RITES OF PASSAGE
Opening reception: Thursday, March 16, 6–8pm
March 16–April 29, 2023
6–24 Britannia Street, London
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IREP 2023 PLENARY SESSIONS
You are invited to IREP 2023 PLENARY SESSIONS
Theme: NIGERIA IN SELF-CONVERSATION
Topic: DOCUMENTING THE UNDERSERVED: Agenda for Nigeria 2023
Theme: NIGERIA IN SELF-CONVERSATION
DOCUMENTING THE UNDERSERVED: Agenda for Nigeria 2023
Date: MARCH 16, 17 &19, 2023
Time: 2pm - 6pm Daily (WAT)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUudOyorz0jGdeOhA3S1Xg5Ap-3u3OAAN6f
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The Expanding Use of Technology to Manage Migration
Seeking to manage growing flows of migrants, the United States and European Union have dramatically expanded their engagement with migration origin and transit countries, including in providing and supporting the deployment of sophisticated technology to understand, monitor, and influence the movement of people across borders.
by Marti Flacks, Erol Yayboke, Lauren Burke, and Anastasia Strouboulis
PHOTO CREDIT: KTSDesign/AdobeStock
The Expanding Use of Technology to Manage Migration
U.S & EU Use Case Studies from Central America and West and North Africa
As home, transit, and destination country governments expand their use of migration management technology, stronger guardrails against its misuse are necessary. Through two case studies of migration, this report analyzes the use of migration management technologies by origin countries, the growing influence of destination countries over their decisionmaking, and the human rights risks associated with these uses.
Executive Summary
Seeking to manage growing flows of migrants, the United States and European Union have dramatically expanded their engagement with migration origin and transit countries, including in providing and supporting the deployment of sophisticated technology to understand, monitor, and influence the movement of people across borders.
In recent years, the U.S. government has deployed a host of tools and resources to address the unprecedented immigration situation on the southern U.S. border, including the deployment of new technologies. The U.S. government is encouraging migrants, for example, to use the CBP One app to file paperwork from their home countries—seeking authorization in advance for parole in the United States for certain eligible populations— rather than applying upon arrival. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have deployed drones and utilized cell phone data to track and analyze the movement of people across borders, as well as people already in the United States, and have dramatically expanded collection of information about travelers both to and from the United States.
Countries in Europe have also increasingly utilized technology to address the volume of migrants seeking to enter their countries. Frontex, also known as the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, relies heavily on data collection from EU member states and non-EU partners, organizations, and open sources and has established third-country partnerships, such as the Africa-Frontex Intelligence Community, to monitor irregular migration and human smuggling. Frontex also routinely deploys surveillance airplanes and drones for real-time monitoring of land and sea borders and provides assistance to EU member states in their own operations, which it is able to do remotely. At the same time, the European Union has launched eu-LISA—the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice—which is meant to increase the interoperability of the European Union’s security, border, and migration management systems.
Importantly, these efforts do not end at the borders of the United States or the European Union. Both have increasingly exported migration management technologies to their neighbors, including some of the major migration origin countries, expanding the spheres of U.S. and EU interest to include the movement of people within their respective regions. In some cases, migrants are tracked long before they arrive at their ultimate destination.
Through two case studies of migration—(1) toward the United States from Central America and (2) toward Europe from West and North Africa—this report analyzes the use and exportation of migration management technologies by origin countries, as well as their motivations in doing so, including the growing influence of destination countries. It then assesses the human rights risks associated with these uses and provides recommendations for origin, transit, and destination governments as well as businesses supplying technology for migration management.
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Joyce Banda leads International Observers to Condemn Nigerian Election
Elections Below Expectations, INEC Lacked Transparency – International Observers. The International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) Joint Election Observation Mission (IEOM) have presented their preliminary statement on the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria.
Elections Below Expectations, INEC Lacked Transparency – International Observers
The International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) Joint Election Observation Mission (IEOM) have presented their preliminary statement on the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria. On Monday in Abuja, the leader, Dr Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, congratulated the people for “their resilience and enthusiasm”.
“Despite large crowds in some polling stations and long waits, Nigerian voters demonstrated commitment to participate in the process and a strong desire to have their voices heard,” Banda said.
The mission noted that despite the reforms to the Electoral Act 2022, “the election fell well short of Nigerian citizens’ reasonable expectations”, while the electoral commission lacked transparency.
Banda said logistical challenges and multiple incidents of political violence overshadowed the electoral process and impeded a substantial number of voters from participating.
NDI/IRI confirmed currency and fuel shortages imposed excessive burdens on voters and election officials while marginalized groups, especially women, continue to face barriers to seeking and obtaining political office.
The delegation observed that the late opening of polling locations and logistical failures created tensions and the secrecy of the ballot was compromised in some polling units given overcrowding.
Banda said after the polls, challenges with the electronic transfer of results and their upload to a public portal in a timely manner, undermined citizen confidence at a crucial moment of the process.
“Inadequate communication and lack of transparency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about their cause and extent created confusion and eroded voters’ trust in the process.
“The combined effect of these problems disenfranchised Nigerian voters in many areas, although the scope and scale is currently unknown,” the ex-President added.
The statement, however, commended INEC for conducting the general elections according to the electoral calendar “for the first time in the country’s recent history”
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MYRLANDE CONSTANT puts Haiti on the Art Map with 'DRAPO'
She walked away from her bridal factory job in the 90s with only a severance pay and a bag of sequins. Over three decades, Myrlande Constant put both to good use…
By Oyiza Adaba, New York
Haitian Artist Myrlande Constant presents 'Drapo', her first solo exhibition at Fort Gansevoort, New York. January 11 - March 11, 2023
She walked away from her bridal factory job in the 1990s with only a severance pay and a bag of sequins. Over three decades, Myrlande Constant put both to good use, and has since carved out her peculiar style of stitching, beading and signing her works - her flags, an unmistakable symbol of Haiti and its rich cultural heritage.
Watch the full episode of Myrlande Constant's remarkable journey, coming soon on Messengers Season 3. Watch past episodes on our YouTube. Learn more here
Learn more about Myrlande Constant
Photos: Africa-Related
Africa-Related is a media content production house
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Christian and Muslim Corpers Embark on Pre-Election Market Sensitization Campaigns
A group of Lux Terra trained Youth Corps members have on February 22 and 23, 2023, engaged in a series of sensitisation campaigns at market places around the Federal Capital, to sensitize the public on the imperative of peaceful, orderly and credible conduct of the forthcoming general elections.
A group of Lux Terra trained Youth Corps members have on February 22 and 23, 2023, engaged in a series of sensitisation campaigns at market places around the Federal Capital, to sensitize the public on the imperative of peaceful, orderly and credible conduct of the forthcoming general elections.
The young integrity campaigners took their message to the Nyanya and Garki markets on Wednesday February 22, and Thursday February 23 respectively.
These interfaith efforts of the Abuja-based Youth Corps members, are part of the post-training engagements of the young beneficiaries of Lux Terra's ongoing Integrity and Strengthening Civic Space projects, both of which are supported by MacArthur Foundation.
Africa-Related is a media content production house
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TAFTA GRADUATES FIRST SET OF STUDENTS
Mastercard Foundation and Terra Kulture Arts & Studio formed a partnership to train Nigerian young talents in the maiden edition of Terra Academy For The Arts (TAFTA). The first set of graduating students of the Academy received virtual and in-person classes in various aspects of production, performance and management of the Arts.
Africa-Related, Lagos
Made possible through a private partnership for the arts.
Mastercard Foundation and Terra Kulture Arts & Studio formed a partnership to train Nigerian young talents in the maiden edition of Terra Academy For The Arts (TAFTA).
The first set of graduating students of the Academy received virtual and in-person classes in various aspects of production, performance and management of the Arts.
The ceremony held at the Terra Kulture Arena in Lagos, was graced by many dignitaries with encouraging speeches. Academy founder Bolanle Austen-Peters explained the motive behind the Academy and its expansion plans to benefit young people in other parts of Nigeria.
The Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA) was founded in 2021 to provide opportunities for underserved youth in the Arts sector.
Photos by Terra Kulture
Learn more here
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ADEDOLAPO GRILLO emerges as winner of the JEHF Playwriting Competition 2022
ADEDOLAPO GRILLO emerges as winner of the JEHF Playwriting Competition 2022. His play, A PIPE’S DREAM was announced at the awards ceremony on Sunday, 19 February 2023. Adedolapo is a student of Political Science at Obafemi Awolowo University.
ADEDOLAPO GRILLO emerges as winner of the JEHF Playwriting Competition 2022. His play, A PIPE’S DREAM was announced at the awards ceremony on Sunday, 19 February 2023. Adedolapo is a student of Political Science at Obafemi Awolowo University.
A Pipe’s Dream explores the relationship between activism, politics, and the Nigerian reality. It tells the story of Ishola, a Lagos-based activist, who is desperate for social and political change in the state and how he manoeuvres through the muddy waters of Lagos State politics.
The JEHF Playwriting Competition is an annual mentoring scheme designed to develop the new playwrights of the future. The 2023 is currently running. To join, go to https://jamesenehenshawfoundation.org/competitions/ and download the submission guidelines and application.
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A TALE OF TWO SUPREME COURTS AND THE DANGER OF SELF-DELEGITIMIZATION
Nigeria’s Supreme Court sparked near universal outrage when it recently awarded senatorial candidacies to two powerful politicians who had not participated in party primary elections. The verdicts simply didn’t make sense to the average citizen who understands that democracy does not mean a non-contestant wins.
Incidentally the Nigerian Supreme Court is not the only one to incur public suspicion and opprobrium.
Emmanuel Ogebe | Washington
“- should Nigeria’s electorate fear their Apex court or vice versa?
”
Nigeria’s Supreme Court sparked near universal outrage when it recently awarded senatorial candidacies to two powerful politicians who had not participated in party primary elections. The verdicts simply didn’t make sense to the average citizen who understands that democracy does not mean a non-contestant wins.
Incidentally the Nigerian Supreme Court is not the only one to incur public suspicion and opprobrium.
Last year, a judgment of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) leaked concerning the controversial Roe v Wade abortion issue. It was unheard of for a judgment to leak ahead of delivery and this was a dark stain on the court.
The court eventually gave judgment and reversed Abortion as a constitutional right after 50 years of actually ruling otherwise leading many to speculate as to whether the leaked judgment was meant to subvert this radical multigenerational decision or to test the waters in advance. Whatever the case, the credibility of the court was damaged by this occurrence.
As a legal professional privileged to be licensed in Nigeria for over three decades and in the US for 20 years, I find lots of opportunity for comparative analysis of the two systems.
While I have not read in depth the rationale of the Nigerian Supreme court in the mystifying cases of Senator Akpabio and Senate President Lawan who didn’t contest primaries but won, the sum total of what appears to have happened in the eyes of an ordinary man is that 0+0=1.
So I decided to wait and see what the Supreme Court would do in another case this week. The facts were that a lady won the House of Reps PDP primary in my constituency while still serving as a federal government employee in Abuja contrary to existing law. The incumbent house of Reps member Ottah Francis Agbo challenged this and the court of appeal recently voided her candidacy and pronounced him the legitimate winner as he indeed contested and was next in line.
However yesterday in another bombshell ruling that makes no sense to a rational person, the Supreme Court declared the woman, Aida Ogwuche, the candidate claiming she was on “secondment” so that was similar to resignation. Secondment is redeployment to another agency. It has never meant resignation!
Upon seeing this third travesty in as many weeks, I have to come to the incontrovertible conclusion that the Supreme Court of Nigeria is losing its way. The kind of judicial reasoning that perverts the very express text and intent of the law is one that the ordinary man can only view as compromised and this has grave consequences.
In the US, homes of justices were picketed and quick action was taken to protect them. Senators mulled impeaching Justices they’d confirmed who said during confirmation hearings that constitutional abortion rights was “settled law” of the land but then overturned it.
I support neither action because I believe it is improper for justices to be personally attacked for opinions rendered in their professional capacity and I also believe that a judge cannot guarantee how he will rule on a hypothetical premise especially before a partisan panel.
In Nigeria, justices are not picketed in their homes and no threats have been made to remove them (except for the Buhari regime’s brazen assault on select justices). Nigeria has a National Judicial Council that handles complaints and discipline. I have generally found that Nigeria has a stricter code of conduct for judges than America where justices are openly partisan and have lax controls.
But despite the justices having no repercussions in the US, the party that appointed them with a declared agenda of overturning Roe v Wade suffered the wrath of citizens when the Republican Party failed to obtain a predicted victory in midterm elections that have historically been a landslide for the opposition party. Most analysts believe that the Supreme Court’s decision overturning abortion rights resulted in mass voter turnout that punished many Republican candidates.
Although Nigerian judicial appointments are not partisan like the US, there is still something problematic with the appointments process which I have written about for over a dozen years. In Nigeria, Senate President Lawan’s case came before a Supreme Court some of whose members were confirmed by his senate. That gave him a larger than life stature compared to his unknown and less influential opponent.
That is not to say that the Supreme Court is intimidated by Senate Presidents. Senate President Saraki lost initially in the Onnoghen-led Supreme Court, as Buhari attempted to unseat him, but ultimately won when the matter came back again on appeal to the Supreme court.
What is worrisome in the Akpabio, Lawan and Aida Ogwuche v Ottah Agbo case is that all three were linked to influential senators as Ms Ogwuche is the mentee of Senator Abba Umoru who succeeded Senate President Mark in Benue’s Zone C.
What this clearly warns is firstly that we need a constitutional amendment that insulates justices from senate confirmation and executive appointment as Nigerian elections invariably end up in court thus forcing this ethical dilemma. I believe the NJC when properly constituted in concatenation with the bar can create a professional mechanism for judicial appointments.
Secondly, and even more disturbing is the prospect that we now live in a post-Tanko Supreme Court. The Tanko Supreme Court was the first in Nigeria installed by coup. It occured in January, four years ago, to brazenly pave the way for 2019 election mischief which it did superbly. For the first time in Nigeria’s history, the Supreme Court upheld Buhari’s re-election on the spot and promised to give reasons later. It was an ignoble “judgment on credit” for which a nation of 200 million were owed an explanation on why their votes didn’t matter enough to warrant a considered opinion from their Supreme Court!
International human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe with Stacey Abrams two-time Georgia state Gubernatorial aspirant and US Observer mission delegate to Nigeria 2023 elections
The removal of Tanko via supposed “resignation” after an unprecedented mutiny by his fellow justices over his disastrous maladministration of the judiciary’s affairs was what I called in an article then, an “end of an error.”
However I wondered how the Buhari regime was going to wangle 2023 elections without a willing northern stooge like they had done before.
The trifecta of inexplicable judgements for Akpabio, Lawan and Ogwuche seem to say that something has been worked out.
To be fair, the first two cases were APC cases and the Ogwuche case was PDP. However the common denominator was that powerful Senators were involved in all three cases. But then Senators of both parties participate in judicial confirmations which I argue conflicts with the separation of powers doctrine.
It would appear that the truism relates here that you can take the Court out of Tanko’s hands but you can’t take Tanko’s fingerprints off the court.
The damage we feared has indeed happened that the court hasn’t recovered from the trauma of political interference and usurpation by Buhari. Tanko never faced justice for his acts but was eased out reportedly due to ill health and incompetence (even corruption) but he had achieved his 2019 election agenda. This is a frightening scenario going into 2023 elections.
The ruling party APC may well suffer consequences from the electorate in this week’s elections for the Supreme Court’s bizarre judgments like the Republicans did in November’s elections but will the court again frustrate the will of the people?
All said and done, one consequence is clear - palpable loss of institutional credibility. In the US, the SCOTUS investigated and failed to determine the source of the leak further worsening its public perception. The watchman could not watch himself…
In Nigeria, the Supreme Court temporarily extended the use of old Naira notes in a move which would have been populist considering the hardships of the populace. However Buhari has defied the court’s order and even the public views it with suspicion because they doubt its altruistic and juristic intent. At the end of the day, the court’s order has been universally flouted.
The real danger now is with the combination of fiscal and financial torture inflicted on Nigerians as Buhari’s parting gift, should any more funny judgments attempt to thwart or suppress the electorally expressed voice of the people in a historic election, Nigerians’ famed endurance may lose its elasticity with casualties for the court and country.
"Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts?..If people actually believe it's all political, how will we survive? How will the court survive?" This was Justice Sotomayor’s strident query in a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2021 but it could very well have been said in the context of Nigeria’s Supreme Court today.
The Supreme Court is viewed more as a policy court than a law court or a justice court. Sadly it risks being now seen as a gamble court - one where parties roll the dice (or load the dice) and wish for luck not law. This ought not to be. Citizens must have confidence that the nation, constitution and citizenry win and the best efforts are made to achieve substantial or proximate justice at the apex court. It is after all, the Supreme Court of Nigeria and not the Supreme Court of the Influential.
I conclude with the issue of personal diplomatic sanctions against justices which is a question I have in recent times been asked by journalists.
Full disclosure, in 2019 I advocated visa sanctions on Justice Tanko Muhammad Chief Justice of Buhari (CJB) but it wasn’t for any rulings he gave in court. It was for his complicity and conspiracy to unconstitutionally overthrow a sitting Chief Justice of Nigeria and takeover his position.
While aware that some of the bad actors in the polity had incurred US visa sanctions, I recently gathered that this may have been extended to the judiciary as well.
I am concerned because this may be tantamount to punishing a judicial officer without fair hearing for an opinion expressed in his judicial function which the US embassy lacks the sophistication and nuance to properly discern.
For instance I saw a leaked Wikileaks US embassy Abuja cable which erroneously claimed I took a former AGF to my dad’s chambers (it was my classmate and state governor not the AGF). The Political Counsellor also falsely claimed that Nigerian law “sequesters” judges from meetings in chambers which is untrue. Thus the American embassy’s cable was wrong in fact and in law.
Given the room for error and potential injustice as illustrated above, I recommend that the US and like-minded embassies impose visa restrictions strictly on the basis of proven allegations of corrupt influence or reckless endangerment by judicial officers.
Secondly I would urge that such judges be given an opportunity during a visa interview or in writing to address these concerns about “anti-democratic” actions.
While it appears somewhat intrusive into internal affairs to query a judge about his judgments, visas are the exclusive preserve of the issuing country under international law and one prefers a chance where a judge can address questions than be sanctioned without that courtesy.
Incidentally, it isn’t only America diplomatically interfering with other countries.
Nigeria’s ambassador in Washington once denied former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell’s visa application because of the latter’s book about Nigeria and utterances.
Subsequently, his successor charge d’ affairs went even further asking the Buhari regime to revoke my Nigerian passport to punish and prevent me from testifying in the U.S. Congress about human rights atrocities in Nigeria.
He apparently briefed Buhari that I was the son of a justice who denied his 2007 election appeal and needed to be dealt with. I have since sued them in court for this very unconstitutional act.
The end to this comedy of errors was that this charge d’ affairs was then succeeded by a retired appeal court Justice as a reward for ruling in Buhari’s favor thus illustrating once more how obscene favoritism can be. The judge-turned-ambassador eventually died in office instead of peacefully at home.
So all told, it will ultimately vest in Nigerians how best to handle a derailed Supreme Court which instead of a court of law has become a court of luck.
- Emmanuel Ogebe is a Washington-based international human rights lawyer and expert on the Nigerian judiciary
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Wreath Laying in Accra Ghana to Mark 155th Anniversary of The Birth of W.E.B DuBois
Images from the Wreath Laying Ceremony on the 155th Anniversary of the late Civil Rights leader, scholar, historian WEB DuBOIS.
Civil Rights Activist, Scholar, Historian and Visionary
Wreath laying on the 155th anniversary of the birth of W.E.B DuBois at the DuBois Centre for Pan African Studies, Accra Ghana
Video Highlights: Traditional dancers and other dignitaries join Japhet Aryiku, Executive Director of the WEBDB Museum Foundation and Virginia Palma, the U. S Ambassador to Ghana in the cerwmony.
Images & Video by Beatrice ‘Bee’ Arthur/Africa-Related
A Wreath Laying Ceremony was held in honour of the scholar, historian and pan-Africanist, who died in Ghana.
The date 23.02.2023 is very significant. It marked the 155th anniversary of the late Civil Rights leader W. E. B Du Bois.
According to the website, ‘The Centre is a complex of four major buildings which include the home where Dr. DuBois spent his last years, an Administrative building, the Marcus Garvey Guest House (simple rooms from $40 / Bed & Breakfast) and the tomb of Dr. DuBois and his dear wife Shirley Graham DuBois'.
In his own words: Autobiography of W.E.B DuBois
Visit the Centre and learn more about W.E.B DuBois, and his remarkable contributions to the pan-African and human struggle. Follow @duboiscentreghana1 to learn how you can contribute to the great pan-Africanist’s legacy.
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FACT SHEET: U.S. Assistance to Emergency Earthquake Response Efforts in Türkiye and Syria
The Secretary announced today that President Biden intends to authorize $50 million in Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Funds (ERMA) in response to the unprecedented and devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesperson
FACT SHEET
February 19, 2023
U.S. Assistance to Emergency Earthquake Response Efforts in Türkiye and Syria
The February 6 earthquakes that struck southeastern Türkiye and northern Syria have devastated millions of people. Within hours of the first quake, the United States, at the direction of President Biden, quickly mobilized federal agencies and partners to urgently provide life-saving assistance in close coordination with our NATO Ally Türkiye and partner organizations in Syria.
The Secretary announced today that President Biden intends to authorize $50 million in Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Funds (ERMA) in response to the unprecedented and devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. In addition, the United States is providing $50 million in humanitarian assistance through the State Department and USAID. This brings total U.S. humanitarian assistance to support the earthquake response in Türkiye and Syria to $185 million to date.
The United States also welcomes the February 16 UN Flash Appeal for earthquake-related assistance in Türkiye and the February 14 UN Flash Appeal for earthquake-related assistance in Syria. USAID’s Disaster Assistance and Response Team, which includes experienced emergency managers, construction riggers, hazardous materials technicians, licensed engineers and emergency medicine physicians, logisticians, paramedics, planners, search-and-rescue specialists, and search-and-rescue dogs with handlers, is assisting in southern Türkiye.
Our most highly trained Urban Search and Rescue Teams, with more than 200 members and 170,000 pounds of specialized equipment, conducted operations in support of Turkish rescue efforts in Adiyaman, one of the hardest hit areas. In Syria, the White Helmets, our local partners, have rescued more than 2,900 survivors from the rubble, and U.S.-supported Syrian medics have been treating survivors in Idlib, Aleppo, and other affected areas.
U.S. military helicopters are conducting airlift operations from Incirlik Airbase, transporting rescue personnel to sites where they are needed most. Additionally, the U.S. Navy has repositioned naval vessels to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea to provide logistics, medical, and rotary air lift support as necessary to support the needs identified by the Turkish government. U.S. military aircraft have also airlifted approximately 18 metric tons of critical relief supplies from Adana’s Incirlik airfield to local Turkish government authorities for distribution to earthquake-affected populations.
The State Department and USAID are working through UN agencies and NGOs to provide emergency assistance in Türkiye and Syria, including hot meals, water, medical care and supplies; non-food items such as blankets, clothes, and hygiene kits, temporary shelter, and structural engineers; and essential mental health and psychosocial support – especially to affected children and to other vulnerable individuals.
Additionally, U.S. NGOs are providing valuable assistance, and the U.S. private sector has already donated more than $66 million to support the relief and recovery efforts.
U.S. officials have remained in regular coordination with Turkish counterparts and UN leadership on how we can best support their efforts. This includes calls between President Biden and President Erdogan, Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu and UN Secretary General Guterres, and Secretary Austin and Defense Minister Akar to relay our offers of assistance and discuss how the United States can continue to assist during this crisis.
The United States is committed to expanding humanitarian access to all affected areas of Syria. In that regard, we are grateful to the Government of Türkiye for facilitating the UN’s renewed access to the Bab al-Salama crossing so aid can flow into northwest Syria, and we are supporting efforts at the UN to sustainably keep open additional crossing points for UN assistance between Türkiye and Syria.
To underscore that U.S. sanctions will not prevent or inhibit providing humanitarian assistance in Syria, the Department of the Treasury issued a broad General License to provide additional authorizations for disaster relief assistance to the Syrian people.
The United States is proud to join the global effort to help Türkiye, a valued and longstanding friend, partner, and NATO Ally, just as Türkiye has so often contributed its own humanitarian rescue experts to so many other countries in the past. In both Türkiye and Syria, the United States will remain committed to doing whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to provide necessary assistance to those affected by these earthquakes. The United States will continue to support the people of Türkiye and Syria, and we welcome and encourage support from our international partners in this time of great need.