Home Blog Page 1098

2021: Beyond hope

By Ikechukwu Amaechi
07/01/2021

“It is illusionary to be hopeful that security will be better in 2021 when Buhari said recently that Nigeria’s 1,400 kilometres border with Niger Republic, from where most of the terrorists killing and maiming Nigerians come through, “can only be effectively supervised by God.”

To be hopeful that 2021 will be a safer year for Nigerians when the same institutions that claimed, falsely, that Boko Haram had been technically defeated turns around five years later to say, unashamedly, that Africa’s most populous nation will most likely continue to suffer terrorist attacks for the next 20 years, as the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, who has clearly overstayed his welcome, did in December, is to dwell in fantasyland.

Sitting around thinking about how Nigeria’s current parlous situation could be better cannot change anything without consequential action.

Hoping that Nigeria would be food-sufficient when there is no strategy to contain armed herdsmen that have chased farmers away from their farmlands is forlorn.

Hoping that 2021 will be our annus mirabilis while doing the same things that made 2020 an annus horribilis smacks of insanity.

Of course, some Nigerians will be better off in 2021 than they were in 2020. After all, some people made their first million, bought their first car and built their first mansion in the horrible year that just ended. Some businesses have proved to be “COVID-19 friendly” and the tech industry will continue to blossom. .

But, for 2021 to be better than 2020 for Nigeria as a country, something more tangible than mere hope must be placed on the leadership table. There must be actionable policies and programmes. That is the only pathway.

Unfortunately, I can’t see much on the horizon.”

Please click on the link below to read the full article

2021: Beyond hope

Moyo Thomas finally reacts, denies telling husband that he’s not father of her children

Contrary to the claims on social media, Moyo, widow of Tunde Thomas, has finally reacted, says she never told her husband that he was not the father of her children.

Social media has been awash with claims in a petition that the children of Moyo, a former employee of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), were fathered by Adam Nuru, the bank’s managing director.

It was alleged that Moyo had informed her husband that she was leaving Nigeria for the United States with the kids — only to call him upon arrival that the children do not belong to him.

Thomas was said to have died as a result of trauma after learning of the incident.

Friends and family of Moyo had taken to social media to speak in her defence.

But in a statement in Friday, Moyo finally broke her silence on the matter.

In her statement, she denied ever telling her late husband that he was not the father of her children.

“I write in reference to all the allegations and accusations that have recently been making the rounds on the internet and various social media platforms. I have refrained from responding to this matter for various reasons, one of which is to preserve the memories of Tunde who departed to be with his maker on December 16, 2020. Memories, not only to me, but to his children, who are still young, and to everybody who had a relationship with him,” she said.

“Just like any marriage, Tunde and I had a lot of differences in our marriage, some of which even led to police intervention. But I remain committed to keeping only positive memories of him. No one can ever understand what transpired between us or what each of us experienced in the marriage; like they say, it is he who wears the shoes that knows where it pinches. In all of it, I never for once wished him bad. His untimely and sudden death is still a shock to me as it is to many others.

“On no occasion did I ever tell him he was not the father of our two children. It is therefore deliberate falsehood and certainly malicious to allege and insinuate that I informed him that the children are not his. The children still bear his name. Only God knows why he died in an untimely period. It is not in my place, or anyone’s place to play God and talk with certainty as to the cause of his death, without proven medical facts.

“Despite our separation, we never allowed our differences affect the relationships we respectively have with the children. He still had conversations with the children like any father will, up until his sudden and unfortunate death. It is quite sad and disheartening to see the pictures of these innocent children splashed all over the internet with very disparaging and weird comments.

“I do wish his family and friends the fortitude to bear the unfortunate loss and I ask that we all be allowed to grieve his loss in peace. He has now been laid to rest and we implore all and sundry to please respect our privacy and allow those grieving his loss, including the children and I, to do so in peace.”

Nuru has since opted to go on leave as the bank investigates the allegations.

TheCable understands that he has denied all allegations on the paternity claims. (The Cable).

Busted!How Indonesia Plane Missed Shortly After Take-Off

Indonesia’s Sriwijaya Air lost contact with one of its Boeing 737 passenger planes shortly after take-off from the capital Jakarta, the transport ministry said Saturday.

“A Sriwijaya (Air) plane from Jakarta to Pontianak (on Borneo island) with call sign SJY182 has lost contact,” said ministry spokesman Adita Irawati.

“It last made contact at 2:40 pm (0740 GMT).”

It was unclear how many passengers and crew were aboard the Boeing 737-500, which has a capacity of about 130, when it took off from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta international airport.

The usual flight time is about 90-minutes.

The budget airline said only it was investigating the incident.

Indonesia’s search and rescue agency and the National Transportation Safety Commission were also investigating, Irawati said.

In October 2018, 189 people were killed when a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX jet slammed into the Java Sea about 12 minutes after take-off from Jakarta on a routine one-hour flight.

That crash — and a subsequent fatal flight in Ethiopia — saw Boeing hit with $2.5 billion in fines over claims it defrauded regulators overseeing the 737 MAX model, which was grounded worldwide following the two deadly crashes.(AFP).

APC bemoans invasion of US Congress by thugs

By Chibuike Nwabuko

The All Progressives Congress has bemoaned the invasion of the United States of America USA Congress, The Capitol, by political thugs and hoodlums, recalling how the US used to be a baseline for measuring democracy in other countries.

The party made its position known in a statement on Saturday signed by the Secretary of its Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe.

According to APC, the events in the US have shown how the integrity of a president can complement the workings of national institutions.

“The events of the past 72hrs in the United States of America is to say the least condemnable. Over time, the elections of the US has been used as a touchstone for elections in other democracies.

“It is settled that strong institutions are fundamental to the sustenance of democracies. However, this US election saga strongly underscores the fact that the integrity of the country’s leader essentially complements the workings of these institutions.

“President Muhammadu Buhari contested and lost elections a couple of times and followed the process through to the Supreme Court on all accounts. This is an outstanding credential of a true democrat”, APC stated.

It added that upon ultimately gaining victory in 2015, the Buhari administration has carried out fundamental reforms to strengthen national institutions, citing non-interference in the functions of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC as one of its democratic credentials.

Part of the statement reads; “The APC has contested elections; won some, lost some without splitting hairs. In fact, at some point the APC lost over 5 states to the PDP, yet we allowed democracy to prevail. We have remained resolute in our belief that in every electoral contest, popular will must prevail.

“This is a far-cry from the days of the do-or-die politics of PDP, where civilians took control of the security apparatus to subvert the people’s will and determine the outcome of elections.

“Electoral reform is a core plank of the programs of the APC-led administration and a legacy that Mr. President has promised to bequeath to Nigerians.

“Other institutional reforms include the excision of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and inauguration subsequently by Mr. President, as advised by the EGMONT GROUP, to eliminate the siphoning of Local Government funds and to entrench financial autonomy for local government Councils in Nigeria.

“Recall that successive PDP governments rejected local government autonomy which hitherto encouraged undue interference in the running of local government administration by state governments and was linked to restiveness among the youth.

“The signing into law by Mr. President on May 2020, of ‘the Executive Order No. 10 of 2020 for the implementation of Financial autonomy of State Legislatures and State judiciaries and other related matters’ is a bold statement on institutional reforms. These are aimed at strengthening these institutions. When they are financially independent, then they can be firm and fair in their decisions.

“Petroleum industry reforms particularly the deregulation of the oil and gas downstream sector is also worthy of mention.

“Therefore the statements by the PDP are merely designed to gain political mileage and only reinforces the disinformation on all issues, which the PDP constantly and laboriously pursues at all times. The positions taken by PDP Governors against these institutional reforms are in the public domain.

“Politics should not be allowed to overshadow policies. We urge the PDP, especially their governors to show bi-partisanship in supporting all the sectoral reforms being initiated by Mr. President for the benefit of Nigerians”. (Sundiata Post)

WHO says rich countries bought up bulk of COVID-19 vaccines

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that rich countries have bought up the majority of the supply of multiple vaccines.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated this during his opening remarks at a media briefing on COVID-19 on January 8th 2021.

Ghebreyesus said COVAX was set up by GAVI, CEPI and WHO in April last year and had now secured contracts of 2 billion doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, “which we are ready to rollout as soon as the vaccines are delivered.”

He added that WHO had the right of first refusal on an additional 1 billion doses.

“However, this is where the current challenge is. Rich countries have bought up the majority of the supply of multiple vaccines. Going forward, I want to see manufacturers prioritise supply and rollout through COVAX.

“If I said one thing to people in areas where there are high numbers of cases, it would be to do all you can to avoid mixing with people from other households, especially inside.

“This year is the year of the health and care worker. Let’s show our respect and appreciation for health workers by protecting each other and vaccinating all health workers everywhere now

“At present, 42 countries are rolling out safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines. 36 of these are high-income countries and six are middle-income.

“So there’s a clear problem that low- and most middle-income countries are not receiving the vaccine yet.

“This is a problem we can and we must solve together through COVAX and the ACT-Accelerator.

“At the outset, rich countries have bought up the majority of the supply of multiple vaccines.

“Now we’re also seeing both high and middle-income countries, that are part of COVAX, making additional bilateral deals,” Ghebreyesus said.

The WHO Director-General said “this potentially bumps up the price for everyone and means high-risk people in the poorest and most marginalized countries don’t get the vaccine.”

He said some companies and countries had not submitted critical data, “which we need to issue Emergency Use Listings, which blocks the whole system of procurement and delivery.”

Ghebreyesus said “vaccine nationalism hurts us all and is self-defeating, but on the flipside, vaccinating equitably saves lives, stablises health systems and would lead to a truly global economic recovery that stimulates job creation.”

He added that the vaccine would also help to limit the virus’ opportunity to mutate, adding that the current variants showed that the virus was doing its best to make itself more suitable to ongoing circulation within the human population.

“This is normal of every virus but at present we’re helping it thrive if we don’t reduce transmission and vaccinate equitably. Going forward, I want to see manufacturers prioritise supply and rollout through COVAX,” Ghebreyesus said.

He urged countries that had contracted more vaccines than they would need, and were controlling the global supply, to also donate and release them to COVAX immediately, which was ready to rollout quickly.

Ghebreyesus also urged countries and manufacturers to stop making bilateral deals at the expense of COVAX.

“No country is exceptional and should cut the queue and vaccinate all their population while some remain with no supply of the vaccine.

“Science has delivered, let’s not waste the opportunity to protect lives of those most at risk and ensure all economies have a fair shot at recovery.

“It is a massive undertaking to ensure health system planning, coordination, training and logistics are set and able to rollout vaccines in the midst of a COVID-19 surge.

“The hundred-hundred initiative driven by WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank is supporting over 100 countries to conduct rapid readiness assessments and develop country-specific plans for vaccines deployment.

“And we’ve hit our target, 100 countries have now completed this critical process and the governments and health systems are on standby for global vaccine rollout.

“We are ready. COVAX is ready. Countries are ready. The time to deliver vaccines equitably is now! This is a very dangerous time in the course of the pandemic and I do not want to see people become complacent as vaccines are starting to rollout.

“Over the past few days, we have seen some of the highest numbers of deaths recorded at any point in the pandemic.

“This is happening because, over previous weeks, there has been a lack of compliance with what health authorities are advising in several countries.

“The virus has taken advantage of this and is spreading at alarming rates in some countries. You might think that you won’t happen to you and that you don’t need to comply with the measures.

“The problem is that before you know it, not complying a bit becomes a habit, people you know mimic the behavior and the whole system breaks down,” he said.

He continued: “Not complying with recommended measures gives the virus opportunities to spread, putting you and your loved ones at risk for infection and for more people to develop severe disease, and for more pressure to be put on health workers.

“People need to know that they can personally stop the virus, and they need to know that the virus can stop with them.

“If I said one thing to people in areas where there are high numbers of cases, it would be to do all you can to avoid mixing with people from other households, especially inside.

“Because the virus thrives when people gather in groups – especially inside where people are less inclined to physically distance, wear masks and hand wash and where windows aren’t open and there is not adequate ventilation, which means everyone is sharing the same air.

“In this difficult period it is best to meet virtually but if you have to meet others, do it carefully and with the right precautions. Meet outside wherever possible.

“None of us are exceptional and the more we can break the chains of transmission and stop the virus ourselves, the more we will avoid severe cases and tragic deaths.

“This year is the year of the health and care worker. Let’s show our respect and appreciation for health and care workers by protecting each other and vaccinating all health workers everywhere now.

“Remember, ending this pandemic is one of humanities great races, and whether we like it or not, we will win or lose this race together.”

theconclaveng

FUTA Don wins international grants for COVID-19 research

Another giant stride has been recorded by the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) through one of its senior academics, Dr Gideon Idowu of the Department of Chemistry who has won two international grants for research projects seeking to investigate the ecological impact of COVID-19 prevention strategies: fate and impact of medical face masks on soil ecosystem.

The awards are from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), United Kingdom and the Natural Environment Research Council-British Ecological Society (NERC-BES), United Kingdom.

The funds are to cover the costs of equipment, consumables, logistics and literature for the projects.

The Programme Manager, Grants, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), Mr Yuandi Li who conveyed the letter of his society to Dr Idowu wrote “following assessment by our reviewers, I am pleased to inform you that your application has been successful.”

Similarly, Grants and Events Officer, British Ecological Society (BES), Siri McDonnell on behalf of the society wrote, “An excellent and timely project with international implications. The project is extremely timely, in terms of both the pandemic situation and microplastics pollution. This project should contribute to a broader understanding of the impacts of face masks on the soil ecosystem.

“During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital to have an understanding of such impacts as this will contribute to the development of strategies for dealing with vast numbers of disposable face masks and how they should be disposed of safely.”

According to McDonnell, Dr Idowu with the grant also receives 12 months free BES membership with all its benefits.

Congratulating Dr Idowu, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Fuwape described the grants won as a plus to FUTA and also confirms it as a leading university of technology in Nigeria with bias for cutting edge societally relevant research.

He commended him and several others who have won in the past for not relenting in making the university relevant globally in spite of the challenges the education sector is facing in the country.

He expressed optimism that the fight against COVID-19 will soon be won and urged Nigerians to always take to the preventive cautions against its spread.

According to Idowu, the Research seeks to understand the environmental impacts of medical face masks, which are now widespread in the environment.

“These masks are meant primarily for health care workers, for protection against occupational hazards. However, following the outbreak of corona virus (COVID-19) and the recommendation of face masks use for the generality of population, there has been an unprecedented global rise in their production by over 700-folds.

“While their use may have proved effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19, the possible ecological consequences have been largely overlooked.

This proposed research would form part of initial scientific investigations into this issue, particularly as it affects the soil ecosystem under our prevailing tropical conditions.” Idowu said.

Dr Gideon Idowu bagged his Bachelor’s degree with First Class Honours in Industrial Chemistry from Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) Nigeria, where he emerged the Overall Best Graduating Student and delivered the convocation address of the University in 2008.

He also received five university’s awards for academic excellence at graduation.

Gideon obtained an MSc degree in Analytical Chemistry from FUTA, before proceeding to the UK to obtain MSc and PhD degrees from University of Strathclyde and University of Warwick, respectively, in 2012 and 2017.

He is currently a Lecturer in the department of Chemistry at FUTA, where his research focuses on the environmental chemistry of legacy and emerging contaminants.

He is a recipient of a number of International Scholarships and Awards, including the British Government’s Commonwealth Scholarship and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Academic Prizes. (The News)

The new tyranny is here: Warning against the forces that silence opposing views

By Frank Tietie

My faith in God has been renewed by some recent events. The sickness that got me close to crossing the River Styx only to return by God’s mercy, the elections in the United States, and the death of a fellow comrade have all served to reawaken my personal search for “a deeper way than this”.

Ever since I got to really know, a few years ago, that God is love and that the human being is the centre of His love, nothing else in religion really mattered much to me. So I resolved to try and love every human being, irrespective of faith, religion, race, tribe and status. For me so far, as well expressed by Bon Jovi, “love is the only rule”. That the Lord Jesus Christ died as a sacrificial lamb for my natural sinfulness makes a lot of sense to me as an act of love.

I have discovered that there is a raging cosmic war over human minds between the enslaving powers that are driving the social media and modern communication technology on one hand and on the other hand, the original nature of man to always be at liberty and be free from the domination of other men and lower powers. The cosmic war that I seek to describe is known by many yet it appears imperceptible but its consequences are so palpably tangible for all to see.

Thus, I tend to agree that there is a small but powerful force using the media, particularly, the social media and application of modern communication technology to enslave the human race, making it less free and subjecting it to mind control for selfish and less-than-noble reasons. I have therefore been recently constrained to join the warning voices against this new tyranny which is not really new.

Democracy is not necessarily about majority but plurality. The practice of democracy from its Greek origins to its various modern concepts does not mean the tyranny of the majority to the extinction or extermination of the minority.

It is by allowing plural voices that groups that once held minority views (worldviews), untimately by social and political engagements gained enough ascendancy to rule as majority. They may as well, be replaced by another majority in the future which was once a minority. That’s an important aspect of democracy we must recognise.

There is a problem, a big problem when a group that was once a minority but allowed enough plurality by the society to emerge as a majority that now rules, to choose to eliminate plurality in order to dominate the social space and silence other voices.

In Nigeria, a group which used an unregulated social media space to wrest political power from an established party now wants to regulate social media. That group which is now in power is fixated with describing nearly every opposing view as either fake news or hate speech instead of painstakingly, constantly providing correct facts ahead of saboteurs and applying existing criminal laws to determining standards of deviant behaviours. Many Nigerians are familiar with this situation that I try to describe here.

Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, YouTube with other social media companies, radio and television networks- you know them, all, once allowed one time minority groups like Lesbians, Gay, Bi-sexuals, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning (LGBTIQ) to raise their voices, loud enough to gain significant world following. They eventually gained ascendancy and proceeded to change the face of traditional humanity to where same sex marriages became accepted in Western societies and in no distant time will affect the African society. People can now undergo physical sexual transformation from male to female and vice versa for clear reasons. Many more hitherto incomprehensible worldviews were made normal by these media networks. Yet these same networks, have recently chosen to ban others for having opposing views. Their latest victims are David Icke, Donald Trump, Josh Hawley and the Parler app.

It is tyrannical for these networks to vigorously push certain informational agenda while suppressing others. However deviant the views of Icke, Trump and Hawley have been, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter cannot ban them. If they didn’t ban the LGBTIQ guys at that time, then they can’t ban anyone now and in the future.

In disputational matters of law, the courts rule. In matters of opinions regarding facts, let individuals judge for themselves. That is the bedrock of liberty. It is tyrannically disruptive and a deprivation of the right to free speech for any news network to choose to suppress the views of groups and persons.

While Twitter has retraced its steps by unbanning Donald Trump, the signs are now clear that the real purveyors of fake news are the ones who suppress opinions. They are the new tyrants who want to control what we think by controlling the information we receive. Brace up!

▪︎ Tietie, an Abuja-based lawyer, sent this via WhatsApp.

DNA: Man beheads wife after finding out their 6 kids are not his

A man in Jamaica has beheaded his wife after realising their six kids are not his.

An angry man in Jamaica who suddenly found out that his wife had been cheating on him and that all the six children in the marriage were not his, reportedly cut off the woman’s head in a fit of deadly anger.

According to local newspaper reports in the South American country, the gory incident happened in St Andrew where the man who was not named, decided on a DNA test on his children and realised that none of them were his.

The woman, Karen Rainford, was said to have later confessed to her husband that she had been sleeping with other men, resulting in the children and begged for his forgiveness but days leading up to the murder, her husband cut his dreadlocks and told people close to him that he would kill his wife but no one seemed to take him serious.

A source said that what really angered the man was the fact that Rainford had often gone to his work place to embarrass him for child support knowing that he was not the real father of the kids.

So coupled with the discovery, he was said to have beheaded her just like he had promised

End.

fidelinfo

Court Orders Sale Of Obat Oil’s Hotel To Offset N5bn Debt

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Jabi, Abuja, yesterday ordered the sale of an Abuja hotel owned by Obat Oil and Petroleum Limited to offset N5 billion debt it owes Ecobank Plc.

The judge, Hassan Babangida, gave the other in a suit filed by Ecobank.

The hotel in question, Febson Hotels & Malls, is located at Plot 2425, Herbert Macaulay Way, Abuja.

Obat Oil, the firm which owns the property, was founded by an oil mogul and popular monarch, the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Fedrick Akinruntan, who was in 2014 ranked by Forbes magazine as the second richest king in Africa and the richest in Nigeria.

Ecobank through the application filed on October 18, 2019 sought the court’s authority to sell the hotel to recover the N5billion owed it by Obat Oil.

It claimed that it had reached an agreement with Obat Oil to sell the hotel to offset the company’s N5 billion debt, adding that the agreement was adopted by the High Court of Lagos State as a consent judgment delivered on March 15, 2017.

The bank, through its lawyer, Mr Kunle Ogunba (SAN), added that Obat Oil, in a November 16, 2019 letter, informed the bank that it had found a buyer for the hotel and would offset the debt with the proceeds of the sale.

It added that the company reneged on its promise to have the hotel sold and pay the N5bn debt on or before December 31, 2019.

Obat Oil’s lawyer, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), did not deny his client’s N5billion indebtedness but maintained that Ecobank was no longer the creditor because the bank had in a letter dated April 5, 2017, allegedly assigned its rights and interests in the case to a third party, ETI Specialised Finance Company Limited.

He said this implied that only ETI Specialised Finance Company Limited could assert any right over the N5bn judgment.Delivering judgment yesterday, the judge held that Ecobank had the locus standi (legal right) to enforce the Lagos State High Court judgment.

Justice Babangida ruled that there was nothing placed before the court to show that the alleged transfer of the bank’s right in the N5billion to ETI was complete.

He noted that although the bank in its April 5, 2017 letter stated that ETI would act on its behalf, there was no evidence showing that ETI complied with the condition in the letter requiring it to give the debtor the bank account into which the N5billion should be paid.

“The judgment sum has not been paid till today and it was agreed by the parties that the property in question, Febson Hotels & Malls, should be sold in satisfaction of the judgment sum,” the judge added.

Granting the bank’s application, Mr Babangida ordered, “The court hereby orders the issuance of a writ for the attachment and for sale of the property known as Febson Hotels & Malls and the sum of N5 billion to be realised from the sale should be paid to the applicant.”

Meanwhile, Obat Oil immediately appealed against the judgment and filed an application for stay of execution of the judgment yesterday.

Mr Ojo, the company’s lawyer, filed two grounds notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, contending that the trial judge “erred in law” by not declining jurisdiction to entertain and grant Ecoban’s motion on notice dated October 18, 2019.

The lawyer argued that the court ought to decline jurisdiction because the judgment debt sought to be enforced by Ecobank had been assigned to ETI Specialised Finance Company.

In another grounds of appeal, Obat Oil argued that the trial judge erred in law because he relied on the reply affidavit filed by the judgment creditor on November 5, 2019 “after the judgment creditor had started its address in respect of the motion on notice filed on October 1, 2019 without obtaining the leave of the trial court to file the said reply affidavit”.

The firm argued that the judge arrived at a decision that occasioned “grave miscarriage of justice” by relying on such reply affidavit.

In its motion for stay of execution of the judgment which it filed before the same trial judgment at the FCT High Court, Jabi, on Thursday, Obat Oil sought an order of injunction and stay of execution restraining Ecobank from enforcing it pending the determination of its appeal against the said judgment.

thenigerialawyer

House Speaker Pelosi Calls For 25th Amendment To Be Invoked To Remove Trump From Office

….says Congress may pursue impeachment

Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, called on Thursday for President Trump to be removed from office over his role in spurring on a violent mob that stormed the Capitol and broke into the House floor a day earlier.

Ms. Pelosi called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, which allows him and the Cabinet to take the power of the presidency from Mr. Trump. Her remarks echoed a similar statement made earlier by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader.

If Mr. Pence did not move to do so, Ms. Pelosi said that she and other members of Congress “may be prepared” to move forward with impeaching the president for a second time.

“The president of the United States incited an armed insurrection against America,” Ms. Pelosi said at a news conference in Washington. “In calling for this seditious act, the president has committed an unspeakable assault on our nation and our people.”

Mr. Trump has just 13 days left in his presidency. Since Wednesday’s attack on the Capitol, a number of Democrats and a few Republicans have publicly stated that Mr. Trump should not be allowed to finish his term.

During the siege, Ms. Pelosi’s office was invaded and vandalized. Intruders in her suite overturned desks and smashed photos, and at least one person ripped a piece of a wooden plaque that marked the entrance to the speaker’s office off a wall.

Ms. Pelosi, a frequent target of Mr. Trump’s, described the events as “horrors that will forever stain our nation’s history, instigated by the president of the United States.”

She said that she was calling for the resignation of the chief of the Capitol Police, which has been criticized over its response to the mob. Officers appeared to be easily overwhelmed by the crush of people outside the Capitol.

Ms. Pelosi also said that the House’s sergeant-at-arms, Paul Irving, who is responsible for security in the chamber and its office buildings, would be resigning from his position. (thenigerialawyer)

1...1,0971,0981,099...1,463Page 1,098 of 1,463

TIPS

Load more