Excitement in Nigeria as Okonjo-Iweala gets reappointed WTO DG – Newstrends
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Excitement in Nigeria as Okonjo-Iweala gets reappointed WTO DG

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Okonjo-Iweala

Excitement in Nigeria as Okonjo-Iweala gets reappointed WTO DG

World Trade Organization chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was reappointed Friday for a second term, in the shadow of the coming return of Donald Trump and his disdain for international trade rules.

Okonjo-Iweala, the first woman and the first African to head the WTO, was the only candidate in the race, and had been all but assured a second term.

The organisation’s 166 members “today agreed to give incumbent Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala a second term as director-general,” the WTO said in a statement.

The 70-year-old Nigerian’s reappointment was approved by consensus during a special meeting of the organisation’s General Council, held behind closed doors, the WTO said.

Her current term ends in August 2025, and the appointment process for the next mandate had initially been scheduled to take months.

But with Okonjo-Iweala the only candidate, African countries called for the process to be speeded up, officially to facilitate preparations for the WTO’s next big ministerial conference, set to be held in Cameroon in 2026.

The unstated objective is to “accelerate the process, because they did not want Trump’s team to come in and veto her as they did four years ago”, said Keith Rockwell, a senior research fellow at the Hinrich Foundation.

The common practice of appointing directors-general by consensus made it possible in 2020 for Trump to block Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment for months, forcing her to wait to take the reins until after President Joe Biden entered the White House in early 2021.

– Fear of a void –

The overwhelming support for Okonjo-Iweala’s second term came “not so much (because) everyone loves Ngozi”, a source close to the discussions told AFP.

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Rather, members were “worried that if she doesn’t get reinstated, then it’s possible that the administration in Washington would slow things (or) block other contenders”, leaving a void at the top, the source said.

“The alternative of no-one leading the organisation is unacceptable to them.”

Excitement in Nigeria as Okonjo-Iweala gets reappointed WTO DG

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Nigerian national sentenced to eight years in U.S. prison for cyber fraud

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Okechukwu Valentine Osuji

Nigerian national sentenced to eight years in U.S. prison for cyber fraud

Okechuckwu Valentine Osuji, 39, a Nigerian national, was sentenced yesterday in New Haven, Connecticut, to eight years in prison for operating a business email compromise scheme out of multiple countries, including the United States.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Osuji and his co-conspirators targeted specific individuals and businesses by masquerading as trustworthy entities in electronic communications to obtain money.

They used witting and unwitting “money mules” to receive fraud proceeds in their bank accounts and then either transferred those funds from the money mule accounts to accounts under the co-conspirators’ control or converted the stolen proceeds to cash for further transfer.

Over the years-long operation of the scheme, numerous victims were tricked into transferring funds into bank accounts the victims believed were under the control of legitimate recipients as part of normal business operations.

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In reality, the bank accounts were controlled by Osuji and his co-conspirators. The victims included a Connecticut-based financial company, a Colorado-based lending company, an Alaska-based nonprofit performing arts organization, a New York-based food and beverage company, and many others.

The scheme also involved the exploitation of elderly individuals through romance scams to serve as some of the unwitting money mules, including one woman who testified at trial that she was duped into sending her own personal savings and income, including Social Security checks, to an individual she believed to be her romantic partner, but who was in fact one of Osuji’s co-conspirators.

The scam resulted in the near-total depletion of her life savings, caused her to declare bankruptcy, and led to the repossession of her house. Her personal bank account was also used to facilitate the fraud against one of the companies targeted by Osuji.

Osuji was arrested in Malaysia and extradited to the United States in 2022. On May 1, 2024, a jury in New Haven found Osuji guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

As a result of the scheme, losses and intended losses totaled over $6 million. At his sentencing hearing, Osuji was ordered to pay restitution to his victims.

Osuji’s alleged co-conspirator, John Wamuigah, remains in Malaysia and is pending extradition proceedings. An indictment is merely an allegation, and Wamuigah is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Another co-conspirator, Tolulope Bodunde, also a citizen of Nigeria, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Oct. 16 to two years in prison.

Nigerian national sentenced to eight years in U.S. prison for cyber fraud

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Police commission dismisses 19 senior officers, demotes 19

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DIG Hashimu Argungu (retd), Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC)

Police commission dismisses 19 senior officers, demotes 19

The Police Service Commission (PSC), after rigorous consideration of the pending disciplinary matters before it, has approved the dismissal of 19 senior police officers, which comprised two chief superintendents of police, one superintendent, four deputy superintendents, and 10 assistant superintendents of police.

Two Assistant Inspectors General of Police also were handed some punishments: one, punishment of reprimand for refusal to carry out lawful instructions, and the other, a letter of warning for negligence.

A statement by Ikechukwu Ani, spokesman, said, “The commission also approved the reduction in ranks of nineteen (19) other senior police officers, one assistant commissioner of police, one chief superintendent, two superintendents, two deputy superintendents, and 13 assistant superintendents.

“Several other officers found culpable received different punishments, including severe reprimands and letters of warning.

“Most of the officers dismissed are also to be prosecuted by the Legal Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

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“Three pending disciplinary matters were stepped down with a request for further information from the Inspector General of Police.

“The Commission also considered 23 appeals and petitions and nine legal matters/court judgements.

Consequently, the far-reaching decisions of the PSC in the last segment of its first Plenary Meeting in Abuja affected one hundred and nine (110) Pending Disciplinary Matters (PDM) and twenty-three (23) appeals petition cases with thirteen (13) court judgements seeking compliance.

The statement said, “The Commission had earlier considered and approved recommendations on several promotion matters that had since been conveyed to the Inspector General of Police for implementation.

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Kano govt criticizes FG over sealing of Emir’s palace

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Kano govt criticizes FG over sealing of Emir’s palace

The Kano State Government has blamed the Federal Government for security operatives’ blockade of the Kano Emir’s Palace on Friday.

Armed police officers and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly sealed the palace entrance, creating tension in the area.

The incident occurred as Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II was scheduled to address a group of economists on controversies surrounding the tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly.

He was also set to accompany his newly appointed district head, Munir Sanusi, to Bichi.

Despite the blockade, Emir Sanusi held court at the outer palace and later led the Friday congregational prayer at the Kano Central Mosque outside the palace.

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Reacting to the development, the Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, criticized the Federal Government during a local radio interview, accusing it of attempting to destabilize the peace in Kano.

“We were really surprised waking up to this development with police sealing off the entrance to the palace of Kano Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II,” Bichi stated.

He added, “What surprises us the most is that Kano is peaceful, but a few people with backing from Abuja don’t want Kano to remain so.

“The emir was to escort his district head of Bichi, Wamban Kano, pray with him there, and then return. We were all invited, but we woke up to this. When we inquired, they told us it was an order given to them from above. Who is above? It’s the Federal Government.”

Bichi reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to maintaining peace in Kano and insisted that the emir’s decision to appoint a district head remains valid.

“We in Kano have resolved to stay in peace. Peace will reign, and nobody will come to Kano and destabilize it. The emir has appointed the district head, and it stands. He will take him to his place, and whenever he is ready, we are going there with him—no going back,” Bichi declared.

 

Kano govt criticizes FG over sealing of Emir’s palace

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