READ: Buhari's address at the induction of new legislators of the National Assembly

                   Mission of my presidency by Buhari


ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT-ELECT, GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI, (GCFR) AT THE OCCASION OF THE INDUCTION OF NEW LEGISLATORS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ORGANIZED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE STUDIES HOLDING IN ABUJA ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29TH, 2015.

PROTOCOL:


I am very pleased to be here today as part of this induction programme and to address the elected Members of the 8th National Assembly. I heartily congratulate all of you for being found worthy to be elected by Nigeria’s citizens in a fair and transparent election process.

I am delighted to say that we stand on the threshold of history. For the first time in our post independence history, power is going to be transferred from an incumbent ruling party to an opposition party.

This is inspite of predictions of calamitous outcomes.

Nigerians have indeed proven once again that they are a united people and stand resolute to protect its growing democracy.

I wish to specifically acknowledge and laud the maturity exhibited by the political class, the professionalism of our security agencies, the competence and resilience of INEC, but above all the doggedness of Nigerians and their commitment to ensuring that their wishes are represented and respected.

I daresay, it is equally a victory for all political parties and their leaderships for according due respect to the electoral process and accepting the results in most cases. I wish to specifically acknowledge the role played by the President, H.E Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for accepting the results of the election before final announcement was made.

The legislature is a critical component and necessary ingredient of democracy and good governance. The legislature by nature is inherently democratic in the sense that all members are equal and are elected representatives of the Nigerian people.

As President-Elect, I recognize this fact and believe that legislators carry this heavy burden of representation with all the seriousness it deserves.

For a president to be successful in addressing community development and general welfare of the various people of the country, he or she would benefit from working closely and in harmony with the legislative arm of government. I therefore commit myself to working with the legislature as development partners motivated by the desire to deliver good governance.

Distinguished Elected Members of the 8th National Assembly, we are all aware of the challenges our dear nation has been facing and will continue to do so in the near future. These daunting challenges include:

General insecurity and insurgency that has caused extreme human hardship and destruction of lives, livelihoods that may take us over a decade to rebuild across most of North Eastern Nigeria and some parts of North western Nigeria.

Devastation and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta area which must be attended to.
Decline in revenues due to fall in oil prices which poses a threat to Government’s capacity to deliver on reconstruction of devastated areas and the new government development agenda.

Endemic corruption which has crippled human and infrastructure development for decades.
Unacceptably poor provision of power supply which has had a crippling effect on development of small businesses and indeed the wider economy.

Deindustrialization for the past 3 decades leading to closure of many industries and migration of many to other African countries.

Unacceptably high levels of unemployment and especially Youth Unemployment reaching over 40%.
High cost of governance that has been crowding out capital and human development.
Erosion of public social services such as infrastructure, health and education.

Lack of development in the agricultural and solid mineral sectors.

Distinguished Members of the 8th National Assembly, I see these development challenges as the mission of my presidency. I need the support of the Members of National Assembly on the battle front. I need your support in many respects.

First and foremost, appropriate policies need to be put in place and such policies may have to be translated into laws.

Secondly, the oversight functions of the legislature is critical in ensuring that policies are implemented effectively and transparently. Therefore, my mission to bring integrity into governance would better succeed if complemented with a strong culture of transparent oversight.

Thirdly, we need to collaborate on the budget process and restructuring of the public sector so as to collectively tackle the menace of high recurrent cost at the expense of capital and human development.

Fourthly, there is an urgent need to contain this high state of insecurity. All of you are representing various communities. We need to work together to address the problem from both its roots and manifestations.

The strongest mitigating forces at this point are to redress the power sector deficits, encourage investments that are job creating and focus on human development and reconstruction. We also need to deploy efforts in conflict resolution and peace building in all our communities.

I am here today, to invite you to work with the executive as partners in progress, as champions of good governance and development and as warriors for change. Together, we can make this nation great and as a role model in Africa and other emerging economies and democracies.

I wish you a successful completion of your induction programme. I wish all of you a successful and effective tenure in the service of our fatherland.

General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR
President Elect
Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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Francois Michelin, head of Michelin tyres dies at 88

Francois Michelin, who led the eponymous French tyre group for nearly half a century, died at the age of 88, the Clermont-Ferrand-based company said Wednesday. “We have learned today with deep emotion that Mr. Francois Michelin has passed away,” a Michelin statement said, without giving further details.

“Mr. Francois Michelin dedicated his life to the company. He headed it for 47 years, when he handed over the reins to his son Edouard. A visionary and a humanitarian, (he) tirelessly embodied the values of respect that are the very foundation of our Group’s identity,” the statement said.

Michelin became director of the company in 1955, and helped transform it into one of the world’s top three tyre manufacturers alongside Bridgestone and Goodyear.

In 1999 Michelin vacated the group’s top spot to make way for Edouard, whose 2006 drowning death during a boating incident left France stunned.
Famous for a discretion that earned him the title of “France’s most secretive boss” by the national press, Francois Michelin was one of several family members who directed the company founded in 1889 by his grandfather.

Capable of inspiring respect and fear in equal measure, Michelin was generally hailed as one of the country’s most accomplished industrialists, and the champion of a company and product whose name is closely associated with France itself.

“Francois Michelin carried the values of French industry on high across the world: innovation, vision, discipline and passion,” tweeted French Prime Minister Manuel Valls at word of his death.

“On behalf of the Group’s employees, I would like to pay special tribute to this exceptional man who was universally respected for his values, his convictions, and his vision,” said Jean-Dominique Senard, Michelin’s current chairman.

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293 rescued females are not Chibok girls - Borno State Government

The Borno State Government on Wednesday said the 293 women and girls, rescued from the Boko Haram stronghold in Sambisa Forest, were from Bumsiri Village in Damboa Local Government Area of the state and not from Chibok.

State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Mohammed Bulama, told journalists that the profiling of the 200 girls and 93 women, rescued by the military on Tuesday, showed that they were abducted from Bumsiri village.

Bulama commended the Nigerian Army for rescuing the 293 women and girls from captivity.

He said the government has started making plans to put in place all the necessary structures to rehabilitate and integrate the freed 293 females back into the society.

He said, “These girls and women rescued are still our daughters as much as the Chibok girls and we have to commend the military for liberating them, hoping that the rest will equally be liberated.

“Though everyone had thought they were the Chibok girls because of the hype surrounding the abduction of the girls, but we should not lose sight of the fact that they are as important as the Chibok girls and those that are still in captivity, which we hope would be liberated soon.

“But at the moment, we are looking up to the time the 293 women and girls would be handed to us so that we can begin the process of rehabilitating and reintegrating them back into the society.”

The Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mallam Isa Gusau, said the military’s operation that led to the liberation was “gratifying regardless of whether or not the rescued women were part of the over 200 schoolgirls stolen by insurgents at Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, 2014.”

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AIT boss fires at Buhari - 'The documentaries we ran about you were factually correct'

The proprietor of Daar Communications PLC, Raymond Dokpesi, has stated that Monday’s decision by the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to bar one of its subsidiaries, Africa Independent Television, from covering his activities was an attempt by the former military Head of State to bring back the era of Decree 4, according to an interview he granted Premium Times.

Mr. Dokpesi said Mr. Buhari lacks the power to stop the AIT from covering his activities, as doing so would amount to breaking the law.

“I am sure that the President-elect needs to be reminded of Decree 4, and he should be clearly reminded that section 32 of the constitution makes it mandatory for the media to hold public officials accountable to the people,” he said.

He also said Section 39 of the constitution equally grants Nigerians the freedom of expression and to hold opinion.

“The president-elect said that he does not want to be covered by AIT, but AIT has a responsibility to the Nigerian public to report the things that are happening,” he said.

“There are three national networks available for national coverage in Nigeria, the NTA, AIT and Silverbirds. You cannot stop a foremost private station from reporting in Nigeria, it brings us back to Decree 4 era.”

Mr. Dokpesi also acknowledged that Mr. Buhari may have taken his decision based on the documentaries ran by the station during the electioneering campaign.

He said Daar Communications is a commercial entity and therefore reserves the right to run anything it considers worthy of being televised. He said there is also a right of response available to anyone who feels strongly about any matter broadcast by the station.

“If they had produced their own documentary to say this is what we want and AIT did not publish it, then that is another matter,” he said.

“What is obviously very clear is the fact that AIT believes that the historical information about the President elect that were ran, were factually correct. Nothing was done to defame him or impinge on his character or integrity.”

Mr. Dokpesi also added that another documentary about one of the national leaders of APC, Bola Tinubu were also factually correct.

The media proprietor said although the documentaries were produced outside of Daar communications, “We take responsibility for the running of these items and I as an individual is satisfied because due diligence was followed in ensuring that the things that are contained were factually right”.

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Nigeria demands bodies of four Nigerians executed in Indonesia

The Federal Government has condemned the execution of four Nigerians by Indonesian authorities over drug-related offences, despite pleas for clemency by President Goodluck Jonathan, describing it as a disappointment.

The government however extended its condolences to the families of the deceased, demanding the repatriation of the corpses of the executed persons for them to be given a decent burial in their various communities.

A terse statement on Wednesday night from the Public Communications Division of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, gave the names of the executed Nigerians as Martin Anderson, Okwudili Oyatanze, Jaminu Abashin and Sylvester Obiekwe.

The government however warned all Nigerians to desist from drug trafficking and other offences, which attract maximum punishment in several countries of the world.

The statement read, “The Federal Government of Nigeria has received with deep disappointment, news of the execution of four Nigerians, Messrs Martin Anderson, Okwudili Oyatanze, Jaminu Abashin and Sylvester Obiekwe by the government of Indonesia for drug-related offences.

“These executions have taken place despite spirited pleas for clemency made at the highest level by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and more recently Ambassador Aminu Wali, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on April 21, 2015, during the 10th Anniversary of the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership Summit, which took place in Jakarta, Indonesia,

“The Federal Government wishes to express its condolences to the families of the deceased. It has asked the Indonesian Government for the repatriation of the remains of the executed persons, so that they can be accorded decent burial in their various communities.

“The Federal Government seizes this opportunity to once again, warn all Nigerians to desist from drug trafficking and other offences that attract maximum punishment in several countries of the world. The Federal Government will continue to promote the welfare and protect the lives of Nigerians abroad, no matter their circumstances.

“Furthermore, government is committed to engage the government of Indonesia and other friendly countries regarding the conclusion of Prisoner Transfer Agreements and other bilateral means of safeguarding the interest and welfare of Nigerians.”

The convicts were reportedly taken to the Nusakambangan Island where they were executed by firing squad on Tuesday evening.

Abashin was said to be homeless in Bangkok when a new “friend” offered him $400 to take some clothes to Indonesia.

He was nabbed in Surabaya with 5.5kilogrammes of heroin and sentenced to death in 1999.

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IN PICTURES: Buhari inaugurates 19-member Transition Committee + FULL LIST of members

The President-elect, Gen. Buhari, today Wednesday April 29th in Abuja inaugurated a 19-member Transition Committee to liaise with its Federal Government counterpart to ensure a smooth transition. 

A statement issued in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Committee (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the terms of reference of the committee include to develop a clear framework for liaison with the out-going Administration for purposes of a smooth hand-over/take-over and to receive hand-over documents from Ministries, Departments and Agencies and itemise the most important or most urgent issues confronting the in-coming government

It said the committee is also saddled with reviewing and making preliminary assessment of the balance sheet of government with particular emphasis on the status of assets and liabilities of government; cash flow position of the government; quantum of public domestic and external debt of government and their deployment; government’s out-standing contractual obligations and its ability to meet such obligations and the status of implementation of capital projects.

The committee is also expected to undertake a preliminary assessment of the security challenges facing the country and the counter-insurgency measures taken by the government thus far; the counter policy measures being implemented in the Niger Delta to deal with unrest and major economic crimes in the area. In particular, the status of the Amnesty Programme, the readiness of the Police and other national security and intelligence agencies in addressing threats to law and order and provide a brief over-view of CBN, NNPC, NCC, Customs and FIRS.

Other terms of reference of the committee include to suggest “quick fixes” which will result in tangible, visible and practical measures so that CHANGE will be seen after 30 days, after 100 days, after 6 months of the Administration taking office, and to make any other observations which in view of the Committee would be helpful to the transition and take-off of the new Administration. The committee has two weeks to conclude its work

Speaking at the inauguration in Abuja on Wednesday, the President-elect charged the committee to ”assess the information provided to you and advise me on its quality and accuracy. It is a simple matter that you must have the right information if you are to shape appropriate policy decisions.

”Needless to repeat, that your Committee – and indeed our Government – are not on a witch-hunt or engaged in fault-finding. We want the facts and nothing but the facts. What has been done can not be undone. Our job is to learn from the mistakes of the past and attempt to avoid similar.”

Gen. Buhari hailed the calibre of the committee’s membership, saying they represent some of the best Nigeria can offer. He described the committee chairman, Malam Ahmed Joda, as one of the few surviving links between First Republic civil service to the present day, a man whose versatility includes farming, industry and 21st Century IT and one of Nigerian’s precious assets.

Full list of Transition Committee members:


1. Mal. Ahmed Joda – Chairman

2. Dr Doyin Salami – Vice-Chairman

3. Mr Boss Mustapha

4. Mal. Muhammad Hayatuddin

5. Alh. Abubakar Malami SAN

6. Brig. Gen. Lawal Jafaru Isa

7. Sen. Hadi Sirika

8. Sen. Audu Ogbeh

9. Barrister Dalong

10. Mrs Bola Adesola

11. Mr Wale Edun

12. Mrs Nike Aboderin

13. Dr Ogbonnaya Onu

14. Mr Festus Odimegwu

15. Chief John Oyegun

16. Gov. Rotimi Amaechi

17. Dr. Tam David West

18. Alh. Lai Mohammed

19 Mal. Adamu Adamu – Secretary

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Abuja, April 29th 2015

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“Why My Wife Is Divorcing Me” – Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Finally Opens Up

Founder of Believers Love World Ministry aka Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, has finally spoken on the divorce suit filed against him by his wife after a long time of silence on the issue.

According to Daily Post, Oyakhilome described the allegations leveled against him as “crazy” and “stupid” and urged his church members to pray for his estranged wife while speaking on Sunday evening during the monthly global communion service of the church.

Pastor Oyakhilome, who appeared disturbed during his first few minutes on stage, acknowledged that divorce is unBiblical but suggested he could consider the option should his wife insist on it.

“I heard that some media houses – especially in Nigeria, are writing some things against me. All sorts of frivolous charges, that’s crazy.

“You have to understand something about a man of God. A man of God is not just someone who worships God or preaches God. A man of God is handpicked by God, set on course by God. If you study the scriptures, you will not find one man of God go against God, sinning against God.

“The only thing you might find will be a man of God, maybe in two different kinds of ways. Moses, for example, when he struck the rock twice, he was provoked by the anger of the people. It was not because he wanted to do something against the Lord. No man of God does something against the Lord.

“Are you hearing me? A man of God is set on a course; there is a type of life that he is given. Then you have a young man, a young prophet; he wasn’t named; he was deceived by another man of God and so he went in a direction that God said ‘don’t go’.

“That is the only kind of thing you find about a man of God when he misses the message of God or he acts beyond what God said. But a man of God settles himself in the fight against the world…like those writing those stupid things about me, that I did this and I did that.

“You don’t know who a man of God is. I don’t go in that direction. I wasn’t accused of the things you said, nor did I commit those stupid things that you said and I don’t need to go into that level in such discussions”.

He recalled that Jesus passed through similar travails and eventually overcame.

He said that although so many people were making mockery of him, he would remain steadfast and not lose focus.

“Jesus Christ was accused by many– a lot of frivolous charges. There will always be those who would like for it to be true. But you know, in spite of the accusations against Jesus, It didn’t change who he was. It didn’t change him.

“There are preachers and there are men of God. I am not a preacher; I am a man of God and I go in the way I’m asked to go. It may cause some troubles with individuals but that’s not because I have done something wrong and when it comes to Reverend Anita, what I will say to you is ‘pray for her’.

“Don’t act like those people. If you are married to a man of God, it doesn’t make you automatically mature. You can make mistakes; you can do something that is wrong. But some people expect the wife of a minister to definitely be at the level of that minister and so they may be looked upon and the expectation may be like that, but it’s a positional thing.

“If a man of God is married, it doesn’t automatically mean that the wife of a man of God is therefore a woman of God. That’s not the way it is in the Bible. That’s why you don’t really find the wives of men of God mentioned in the Bible. How many of them? Who was Peter’s wife, did you ever know her name? You never find that out. Who was John’s wife? Did you ever read the name? What about all the other Apostles? How many of their names are written in the Bible? You never find their names”, he added.

At this point, one of the female pastors ought to know why the names of wives of the men of God were not found in the Bible.

Oyakhilome’s response was that she should ask God whenever she finds him.

“Why? You ask God when you find him. Ask God when you find him”, he exclaimed.

“So, they are little things; don’t try to make something big out of them. So when journeying, doing the things that God called us to do, Christians should not have a divorce; it shouldn’t be, but you see, that doesn’t mean a Christian may not take the step.

“They may do it but they have to make things right and we shouldn’t take one another to court. But when it happens, not that we don’t just want to go, it means someone is taking us there.

“That’s a problem, but be wise and stay focused in the word of God and don’t let those who want to feast on things like this, including Christians…

“There are Christians who like things like this; they want to make something big out of this: ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, we said it’. You said what? Judge nothing before the time. Be wise. Glory to God.

“So we are not working in sin and living in sin and hoping that we can mix sin and righteousness together. We are the manifestation of his righteousness. We walk in that light only, and that’s the way it’s gonna be”.

In April 2014, Anita Oyakhilome filed for divorce at Central Family Court, High Holborn, London, UK, citing her husband’s “unreasonable behaviour” and inappropriate relationships with female members.

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OBJ responsible for woes in Nigeria’s oil sector —Atiku

FORMER vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Monday, blamed former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, for the woes in the country’s oil sector.

Atiku, at the ongoing 36th Kaduna International Trade Fair, said since Obasanjo doubled as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, nobody knew what was happening in the sector.

Atiku, speaking on why private investors were unable to collect licence to build refineries, in order to cushion the excruciating hardship occasioned by fuel scarcity during the Obasanjo/Atiku-led administration, he said in the eight years of the administration, there was no Minister of Petroleum Resources.
Atiku said for that reason, throughout the period, he was not able to make an appreciable input.
According to Atiku, the oil and gas sector was solely handled by Obasanjo, adding that at that time, nobody knew what was happening in the sector.
“During our administration, there was no transparency and accountability in the oil and gas industry.
“There was a time we were handed with a Ghana-must-go memo on the oil and gas and asked by the president for our input and I refused to support it,” he said.
On the power sector, Atiku said Obasanjo’s government, rather than adopting short and medium term measures, went for a long-term approach which led to the waste of several billions of dollars in an attempt to revamp the sector.
He said that President Goodluck Jonathan took the same step, which accounted for the current epileptic power supply in the country today.
He opined that the in-coming government of General Muhammad Buhari could reverse the current privatisation exercise in the sector, for Nigeria to move on.
This came as he lamented the nonchalant attitude of northern governors in ensuring the educational development of the region.

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Xenophobia: International Criminal Court set to probe President Zuma, Zulu King

Following a petition from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has decided to probe the xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African citizens in South Africa.

SERAP had in a petition dated 23 April 2015 and sent to the Court requested the Prosecutor Mrs. Fatou Bensouda to use her “good offices and position to investigate allegations of hate speech by the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, which has resulted in killing, violence and discrimination against Nigerians and other African citizens living in South Africa, as well as the complicity/negligence of the country’s law enforcement agencies to prevent these crimes against civilian population.”

In response, the ICC in a letter dated 28 April 2015, and signed by M.P. Dillon, Head of Information & Evidence Unit of the Office of the Prosecutor said, “The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court acknowledges receipt of your documents. This communication has been duly entered in the Communications Register of the Office. We will give consideration to this communication, as appropriate, in accordance with the provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. As soon as a decision is reached, we will inform you, in writing, and provide you with reasons for this decision.”

SERAP in its petition had urged Mrs Bensouda to “bring to justice anyone who is responsible for these international crimes prohibited under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.”

SERAP also said that it “considers the use of speech by the Zulu King to promote hatred and/or incite violence against non-nationals such as Nigerians, particularly in the media as a clear violation of the provisions of the Rome Statute of International Criminal Court.

“Grave statements by political leaders/prominent people that express discrimination and cause violence against non-nationals cannot be justified under any law. This hate speech generated fear and hatred that created the conditions for violence and discrimination against Nigerians and other African citizens. SERAP believes that this has given rise to individual criminal responsibility under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,” the organisation said.

The organisation argued that, “the statement by the Zulu King amounts to a harmful form of expression which incites or otherwise promotes hatred, discrimination, violence and intolerance. We are seriously concerned that crimes against humanity are often accompanied or preceded by the kind of statement made by the Zulu King.”

“Once the climate of violence has been created, direct and public incitement to crimes builds on it, exacerbating the situation by further heating up passions and directing South Africans’ hatred towards non-nationals such as Nigerians. Hate speech by King Zulu is legally tied to contemporaneous, large-scale violence and inhumane and discriminatory treatment of Nigerians and other African citizens,” the organisation also argued.

The organisation also said that, “The statement by the Zulu King has contributed to a climate of fear, demonization and dehumanization of Nigerians and other African citizens, thus violating their human dignity through humiliation and expulsion from the human community. SERAP is seriously concerned that hate speech by the Zulu King amounts to crime against humanity of persecution and has directly contributed to an infringement of the right to life, equality and non-discrimination of Nigerians and other African citizens.”

“SERAP considers the statement by the Zulu King and the apparent complicity/negligence by the country’s law enforcement agencies to prevent the violence and discrimination as amounting to active encouragement of South African citizens to develop feelings of contempt for Nigerians and other African citizens; as amounting to incitement to violence and discrimination against Nigerians and other African citizens, and to mistreat them; and as amounting to an appeal for South African citizens to separate themselves from Nigerians and other African citizens,” the organisation further stressed.

“The statement by the Zulu King and the apparent complicity/negligence by the country’s law enforcement agencies to prevent the violence and discrimination has contributed to the level of persecution against Nigerians and other African citizens. According to Professor Bassiouni, persecution in this instance is “a state action leading to the infliction upon an individual of harassment, torment, oppression, or discriminatory measures, designed to or likely to produce physical or mental suffering or economic harm, because of the victims’ beliefs, views, or membership in a given identifiable group (such as non-nationals),” the organisation also said.

The petition further reads:

“In the Mugesera case, the Canadian Supreme Court held that hate speech may constitute persecution, even if it does not result in the commission of acts of violence. In arriving at this conclusion, the court considered that a link was demonstrated between the speech at issue and the widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population. Thus, the post-World War II jurisprudence generally establishes that hate speech not urging an audience to commit imminent violence can constitute persecution.”

“The government does not have the political will to bring those suspected to be responsible for crimes under international law to justice. Given the complicity/negligence by the country’s law enforcement agencies to prevent the violence, killing and discrimination, it is unlikely that the government will take any serious action to bring perpetrators to justice.” 

“Without accountability for these serious human rights crimes, the victims will continue to be denied access to justice, and impunity of perpetrators will remain widespread and the result will continue to be a vicious cycle of violence and discrimination against Nigerians and other African citizens living in South Africa.”

“SERAP believes that substantial grounds exist to warrant the intervention of the Prosecutor in this case. Under Article 17 of the Rome Statute, the Court is a court of last resort, expected to exercise its jurisdiction only if states themselves are unwilling or unable genuinely to investigate and prosecute international crimes. Also, pursuant to the Rome Statute, the Prosecutor has power to intervene in a situation under the jurisdiction of the Court if the Security Council or states parties refer a situation or if information is provided from other sources such as the information SERAP is providing in this case.”

On the basis of the above, SERAP asks you to:

Urgently commence an investigation proprio motu on the allegations of hate speech and the accompanying killing, violence and discrimination against Nigerians and other African citizens living in South Africa, with a view to determining whether these amount to international crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction. In this respect, we also urge you to invite representatives of the South African government to provide written or oral testimony at the seat of the Court, so that the Prosecutor is able to conclude on the basis of available information whether there is a reasonable basis for an investigation, and to submit a request to the Pre-Trial Chamber for authorization of an investigation.
Bring to justice those suspected to be responsible for serious human rights crimes in South Africa. 
Urge the South African government to fulfil its obligations under the Rome Statute to cooperate with the ICC; including complying with your requests to arrest and surrender suspected perpetrators of international crimes, take testimony, and provide other support to the ICC. 

It would be recalled that while addressing Pongolo community members during a moral regeneration event recently, Zwelithini reportedly said, “Most government leaders do not want to speak out on this matter because they are scared of losing votes. As the king of the Zulu nation, I cannot tolerate a situation where we are being led by leaders with no views whatsoever. We are requesting those who come from outside to please go back to their countries. The fact that there were countries that played a role in the country’s struggle for liberation should not be used as an excuse to create a situation where foreigners are allowed to inconvenience locals. I know you were in their countries during the struggle for liberation. But the fact of the matter is you did not set up businesses in their countries.”

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