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African ministers allege apartheid in COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy, distribution

African Ministers of Tourism have accused the western world of “apartheid” in its Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine diplomacy and distribution.
The ministers adopted the position at the on-going 64th Conference of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) – Conference for Africa, and second edition of UNWTO Global Tourism Investment Forum.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed is leading the Nigeria delegation to the event holding in Sal Island, Cape Verde.
Speaking with NAN after a closed-door meeting of the ministers, Mohammed said, “It has now become the position of CAF of UNWTO that vaccines nationalism is hampering African tourism and as such those who are in possession of these vaccines should look more into equitable distribution.
“The issue of vaccines diplomacy was also addressed and it was the consensus of the African ministers that it is another form of apartheid.
“This is because, it is discriminatory if you don’t give us enough vaccines in Africa and you said we cannot enter Europe, whereas you open the gate to others.”
According to the minister, many African countries have been denied access to COVID-19 vaccines which are aimed at achieving WHO’s prescribed 70 per cent health immunity for their populations w.
He gave the example of Nigeria where less than five million people have so far been vaccinated from a population of over 120 million.
The minister said it was unfair for a country to have excess vaccines and yet refuse to “make them available for those who do not have enough.”
“What we are witnessing in Africa today is that while we are struggling to vaccinate even five per cent of our population, other parts of the world are even thinking of the third booster dose.
“More discriminatory and painful is the fact that most African countries, despite the low number of infected people have been put on the red list.
“Nigeria, for instance, has been put on the amber list by the UK which is quite vexing in the sense that the first two million doses of vaccine that was administered in the country was developed in the UK.
“The implication of this is that even after I have taken the two doses of the vaccine, if I want to travel to the UK today, I will have to undergo 10-days mandatory isolation.
“But if the Dutch and the French who have taken the same two doses want to travel to the UK, they will not undergo any isolation,’’ he said.
The minister said the conference also adopted the complaints on the unfair issuance of travel advisory by the western world anytime there was a problem in Africa.
“At the slightest struck of any catastrophe in Africa, they start issuing travel advisory warning people, especially tourists, against going to Africa.
“But when there is a similar or even more severe occurrence in the western world, such travel advisory is not issued,’’ he said.
Mohammed disclosed that the conference agreed to set up a high level committee to present the positon of the ministers to the AU for further action.
He said the committee would be led by Mr Siandou Pofana, the Ivorian Minister of Tourism and Leisure who emerged as the UNWTO-CAF President, and the Secretary-General of UNWTO, Mr Zurab Pololikasvili. (NAN)
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SERAP sues Akpabio over ‘failure to reverse unlawful suspension of Natasha Akpoti’

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The group argues that the suspension is unlawful and violates her fundamental right to freedom of expression.
SERAP is seeking a court order compelling Akpabio to reverse the six-month suspension, reinstate Akpoti-Uduaghan, and restore all her legislative privileges. The organization also wants an injunction preventing the Senate from imposing further disciplinary actions against her for expressing her views.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended after she reportedly spoke without permission and rejected a new seat assignment in the Senate chamber. As part of her suspension, her salary and allowances have been withheld, and she has been barred from identifying as a senator.
In its suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP contends that the suspension deprives Akpoti-Uduaghan’s constituents of political representation. The organization also argues that penalizing a senator for exercising free speech creates a chilling effect on other lawmakers.
“No one should ever be punished for speaking without permission,” SERAP stated. “The Senate should uphold the rule of law and protect human rights, not suppress them.”
The group cites constitutional provisions and international human rights treaties, including Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
SERAP maintains that the Senate Standing Orders cannot override constitutional guarantees of free speech. The lawsuit emphasizes that restricting a senator’s expression undermines democracy and violates Nigerians’ right to receive information and participate politically.
No date has been set for the hearing of the case.
News
Market associations, women groups knock el-Rufai, rally support for Tinubu, Gov Sani

Ahead of the 2027 elections, hundreds of members of market associations and numerous women groups in Kaduna state at the weekend, occupied Kaduna metropolis in a peaceful demonstration where they reiterated their loyalty and support to the administration of
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The protesters who alleged that they had bitter experiences during the El-Rufa’i administration, said they would remain where Governor Uba Sani stood and advised the citizens of Kaduna not to be deceived by doing the contrary.
They recounted their ordeals during the 8 years of the previous administration, alleging that hundreds of market shops belonging to individuals were either seized, demolished or confiscated, a situation that triggered ill health in many traders and business owners leading to paralysis and multiple deaths of their colleagues.
“We’ve been in the market for over 40 years and have never experienced the kind of set backs we suffered under the previous Governor.”
“A lot of lives were lost,a lot of finances were ruined by reason of his kind of policies. We are here to speak with one voice and say that anything that would kind of revive such kind of philosophy in Kaduna market, we don’t want it,” Daniel Audu Maigari, a stakeholder of the Kaduna Market associations, has said.
He explained that “this incumbent Governor began by healing the wounds, the wounds that were really severed by the former Governor. Governor Uba Sani has been doing so,so very well and that’s why we’ve been with our leader, Alhaji Abdurrahman Mohammed, who like Governor Sani,has been charting the right course, ensuring programmes and plans that will heal these wounds .”
He said there was never been a time they are having the impact of leadership in Kaduna market, like they are having now.
” Now we’ve lots of incentives, lots of policies that are driving us to progress .We are now standing with one voice to denounce anything that would reverse this,” he said.
Alhaji Daiyabu Ismail Mai Gwanjo, Chairman Stakeholders of the Kaduna State Market Traders associations, said on behalf of their leader,Alhaji Abdurrahman Mohammed, his EXCO and all trader leaders in the 23 Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, they have gathered to unilaterally declare an unalloyed support to Governor Uba Sani who had taken care of them and protected their interests.
According to him,” we have to say so,haven had the harrowing experience in the hands of the past administration. The scar still remains and many are yet to recover.”
“But when Almighty Allah sent Governor Uba Sani to us,he declared he would not do anything bad to traders because the world thrives on businesses.All the most cherished countries like China, Canada, UAE, India,are very proud of and supportive to their traders and other business persons.”
“Unfortunately, we found ourselves during the previous administration that neither showed empathy nor sympathy to traders. An approximate number of 36 markets were demolished at that time.None of these markets was completely rebuild ,till date,and we are suspicious of the collaboration between the previous administration and the market developers.”
“We are therefore calling on Governor Uba Sani, our Governor of sympathy and understanding, to look at this issue with a view to resolving it.We are with Uba Sani a hundred percent, ” he added.
Hajiya Hadiza Abdulaziz,a woman leader of the market association,said they have gathered in multitudes to reiterate their support to the APC and Governor Uba Sani who has tremendously supported the market men and women in Kaduna State.
” Most of the market women had no shops because the shops were collected. But now we give God the glory everybody has gotten their shops back and nobody will collect it again,” she said.
She expressed happiness that those making the market women not to achieve, had left the party and government.
“We’ve been crying, a lot of market women don’t have capital, they have been deceiving us.But now,I believe Governor Uba Sani is going to assist us,”she added.
The protesters later took to the streets ,displaying placards with various inscriptions denouncing the previous arrangements, and chanting slogans in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
” Most of the market women had no shops because the shops were collected. But now we give God the glory everybody has gotten their shops back and nobody will collect it again,” she said.
She expressed happiness that those making the market women not to achieve, had left the party and government.
“We’ve been crying, a lot of market women don’t have capital, they have been deceiving us.But now,I believe Governor Uba Sani is going to assist us,”she added.
The protesters later took to the streets ,displaying placards with various inscriptions denouncing the previous arrangements, and chanting slogans in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
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