United States Government
U.S. blocks websites linked to Iranian disinformation
The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday blocked some three dozen websites, many of them associated with Iranian disinformation activities, a U.S. government source said, adding an official announcement was expected. The source in Washington spoke after notices appeared earlier on Tuesday on a number of Iran-affiliated websites saying they had been seized by the United States government as part of law enforcement action. Iranian news agencies said that the U.S. government had seized several Iranian media websites and sites belonging to groups affiliated with Iran such as Yemen’s Houthi movement. Some sites later started to display as normal. The website of the Arabic-language Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, read: “The domain almasirah.net has been seized by the United States Governm...
Ex-President Obasanjo: Education for all, way out of insecurity
Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday said if the country will get out of the present insecurity threatening the corporate existence of the nation, such as banditry, Boko Haram, kidnaping, and other criminalities, Nigeria need to go through a very long gestation period of training and educating all Nigerian children. Speaking at the commissioning of Prof. Abayomi Oluwatosin Jiboku Building, Lariken International College, Ologuneru, Ibadan, Oyo state capital, on Friday, he advised government at all levels to invest hugely in Western education to tackle insecurity. Obasanjo stated that Nigerians should reawaken their conscience and they should not be falling cheaply for pecuniary gains, which, according to him, has been fueling corruption and insecurity besetting th...
Edo election: US expresses concern over vote-buying, intimidation of voters
The United States Government Wednesday said it is concerned over recorded cases of vote-buying and intimidation of voters and observers during last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State. The US government in a statement by the United States Mission in Nigeria, also applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Nigerian security services on the positive role they played in the election. According to the statement posted on its verified twitter handle, @USinNigeria, said the US government also recognizes the critical role that Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, during the exercise. The statement reads: “Congratulations to the people of Edo State on a credible and pea...
UK spent N867.3 billion to end polio in Nigeria – British High Commission
The United Kingdom on Wednesday said that it invested £1.7 billion (N867.3 billion) since 1995 to help end the wild polio virus in Nigeria. The Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer of British High Commission, Christopher Ogunmodede, stated that the UK played a major role in Nigeria’s journey to become polio-free. The World Health Organisation on Tuesday at a virtual session of the 70th Regional Committee announced that Africa was free of polio. But the UK said it is the second-largest governmental donor in Nigeria after the United States Government in the continuing fight against infectious diseases such as polio. This is contained in a statement titled, ’UKAID helped Nigeria in its journey to become polio-free as Africa receives wild polio certification.’ It stated, “As a longstanding ...
Embattled AfDB chief survives another probe into his conduct
Embattled President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Adewumi Adesina, has survived a second round of investigation into his conduct, giving him a boost in his re-election bid next month. A team of independent auditors demanded for by the US government said they could not find proof he had engaged in corruption or nepotism as anonymous whistleblowers had alleged. The panel was set up on the insistence of the US to review the report of the Ethics Committee of AfDB, which had earlier cleared Adesina of wrongdoings as alleged by whistleblowers. The unanimous report of the independent panel of three said there had been insufficient evidence to prove the allegations. According to the report, the members of the panel said they “considered the President’s submissions on their face and finds ...
WADA: United States report misleading and inaccurate
Getty Images The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has released a formal response to a United States government report which threatens to withhold funding if WADA doesn’t make what the United States deems sufficient reform. In a letter to James W. Carroll, director of the office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) on Friday, WADA president Witold Banka said it was “with great disappointment” that he read the 19-page ONDCP report. “Given that, during our 12 June telephone meeting, we discussed a renewed spirit of cooperation, I would have expected your office to have consulted us on the Report; or, at the very least, to have verified the factual veracity of the allegations being made against WADA,” read the letter. “Instead, in the days before publication, you informed us of the impending...
